Patent Publication Number: US-2019172664-A1

Title: Keyboard structure

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an input device, and in particular, to a keyboard structure. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In modern society, electronic products have become an indispensable part in life, and each aspect of food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment is related to the electronic products. Usually, an electronic product is equipped with a keyboard structure. To make characters on keycaps of the keyboard structure clearer, in the existing technology, such as Chinese Patent Announcement No.CN101515514B, a method for manufacturing a key having a three-dimensional pattern is provided. Referring to  FIG. 5 , in  FIG. 5 , a pattern layer  12  having a three-dimensional pattern  121  is formed by using an ultraviolet light curing resin (UV-curing resin), then a keycap layer  14  is formed on the pattern layer  12  by using the UV-curing resin, and the keycap layer  12  has a keycap  141  coating the three-dimensional pattern  121 . However, because the three-dimensional pattern  121  and the keycap  141  are both transparent structures formed by the UV-curing resin, a backlight source needs to provide light to penetrate the three-dimensional pattern  121  and the keycap  141 , so that the characters of the three-dimensional pattern  121  have a three-dimensional visual effect. In a case of absence of the backlight source, the three-dimensional visual effect of the characters is not prominent. 
     Therefore, to make the characters of the keyboard have the three-dimensional visual effect in a case of no penetration of the backlight source is a technical problem to be resolved in the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A main objective of the present invention is to provide a keyboard structure and to make a character of a keycap have a three-dimensional visual effect in a case of no penetration of a backlight source. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a keyboard structure, including: 
     a keycap, having an upper surface and a lower surface; 
     a support plate; and 
     a support component, configured to connect to the keycap and the support plate, where 
     the upper surface includes a non-transparent three-dimensional character layer and a transparent protective layer coating the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, the thickness of the transparent protective layer is equal to the thickness of the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer, so that the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer and the transparent protective layer form a coplane. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer includes a first three-dimensional character layer and a second three-dimensional character layer. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer is equal to the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer is greater than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer is less than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, the material of the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer is rubber or silica gel. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, the material of the transparent protective layer is a UV curing adhesive, acryl, or transparent silica gel. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, an elastic component is disposed between the keycap and the support plate, and the support component encircles the elastic component. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, a thin film layer is disposed on the support plate, the thin film layer includes at least one switch, and the at least one switch corresponds to the elastic component. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, the material of the elastic component is rubber, silica gel, or a metal elastic piece. 
     A preferred practice of the present invention relates to a method for forming a keycap three-dimensional character, including the following steps: 
     (a) providing a keycap; 
     (b) forming a non-transparent three-dimensional character layer on an upper surface of the keycap; and 
     (c) forming on the upper surface of the keycap a transparent protective layer coating the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, in step (b), the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer includes a first three-dimensional character layer and a second three-dimensional character layer. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, in step (b), the material of the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer is rubber or silica gel. 
     In the foregoing preferred implementations, in step (c), the material of the transparent protective layer is a UV curing adhesive, acryl, or transparent silica gel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a flowchart of forming a keycap three-dimensional character according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram of a first implementation of a process of forming a keycap three-dimensional character according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic diagram of a second implementation of a process of forming a keycap three-dimensional character according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of a keyboard structure according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a sectional view of the first implementation of a keyboard structure according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a sectional view of the second implementation of a keyboard structure according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a three-dimensional character structure of a keyboard in the existing technology. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Advantages and features of the present invention and achievement of a method thereof are more easily understood by being described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be implemented in different forms and should not be understood as merely being limited to the embodiments stated herein. On the contrary, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, these provided embodiments make the present disclosure more thoroughly, comprehensively, and completely convey the scope of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2A ,  FIG. 1  is a flowchart of forming a keycap three-dimensional character according to the present invention;  FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram of a first implementation of a process of forming a keycap three-dimensional character according to the present invention. First, provide a keycap  10  (step S 100 ). In step S 100 , the keycap  10  has an upper surface  101  and a lower surface  102 , where the lower surface  102  has a plurality of first bonding portions  1021  (as shown in (i) of  FIG. 2A ). The material of the keycap  10  is an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin. 
     Then, form a non-transparent three-dimensional character layer on an upper surface  101  of the keycap  10  (step S 101 ). In step  5101 , a mold with a micro-structure (not shown in the figure) may be used to make a material such as rubber or silica gel form a non-transparent first three-dimensional character layer  1011  (as shown in (ii) of  FIG. 2A ) or form a non-transparent second three-dimensional character layer  1012  (as shown in (iii) of  FIG. 2A ) on the upper surface  101  of the keycap  10  in an injection molding manner. 
     At last, form on the upper surface  101  of the keycap  10  a transparent protective layer  1013  coating the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer (step S 102 ). In step S 102 , the mold with a micro-structure (not shown in the figure) is also used to form the transparent protective layer  1013  coating the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  on the upper surface  101  of the keycap  10  in an injection molding manner (as shown in (iv) of  FIG. 2A ). The transparent protective layer  1013  coats and covers on the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , and the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  is greater than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 . The material of the transparent protective layer  1013  may be a UV curing adhesive (UV adhesive), acryl (Polymethylmethacrylate, PMMA), or transparent silica gel. Although the present invention provides only the implementation that the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  is greater than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , in an actual application, the thickness of the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer may be adjusted according to a demand of character display of the keycap  10 . For example, the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  may be made to be less than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , which is not limited to the implementation provided in the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2B ,  FIG. 2B  is a schematic diagram of a second implementation of a process of forming a keycap three-dimensional character according to the present invention. What (i), (ii), and (iii) of  FIG. 2B  show is the same as what (i), (ii), and (iii) of  FIG. 2A  show, and details are not provided herein. However, a difference between  FIG. 2B  and  FIG. 2A  lies in that the transparent protective layer  1013  shown in (iv) of  FIG. 2B  coats the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  and covers on the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 . On the other hand, because the thickness of the transparent protective layer  1013  is the same as the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011 , the transparent protective layer  1013  does not cover on the first three-dimensional character layer  1011 , and the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  may be made to be exposed from a surface of the transparent protective layer  1013  and form a coplane  10131  with the transparent protective layer  1013 . Although the present invention provides only the implementation that the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the transparent protective layer  1013  form the coplane  10131 , in an actual application, adjustment may be made according to the thickness of the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer. For example, if the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  is equal to the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  can both be exposed from the surface of the transparent protective layer  1013  and form the coplane  10131  with the transparent protective layer  1013 ; if the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  is less than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  may be exposed from the surface of the transparent protective layer  1013  and form the coplane  10131  with the transparent protective layer  1013 , which is not limited by the implementation provided in the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of a keyboard structure according to the present invention. In  FIG. 3 , the keyboard structure of the present invention includes: the keycap  10 , a support component  20 , an elastic component  30 , a thin film layer  40 , and a support plate  50 . The elastic component  30  is disposed below the keycap  10 , and the support component  20  encircles the elastic component  30  and is configured to connect to the keycap  10  and the support plate  50 . The keycap  10  has the upper surface  101  and the lower surface  102  (as shown in  FIG. 2A or 2B ), and the lower surface  102  has the plurality of first bonding portions  1021  (as shown in  FIG. 2A or 2B ). The thin film layer  40  includes a switch  401  and an opening  402 . The support plate  50  has a plurality of second bonding portions  501 . In this embodiment, the upper surface  101  of the keycap  10  includes: the non-transparent first three-dimensional character layer  1011 , the non-transparent second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , and the transparent protective layer  1013  coating the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 . The materials of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  are: rubber or silica gel. The material of the transparent protective layer  1013  is: a UV curing adhesive, acryl, or transparent silica gel. The material of the keycap  10  is an ABS resin. The material of the elastic component  30  is rubber, silica gel, or a metal elastic piece. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A ,  FIG. 4A  is a sectional view of the first implementation of a keyboard structure according to the present invention. When keys are assembled, first, the thin film layer  40  is disposed on the support plate  50 , and the second bonding portion  501  of the support plate  50  may penetrate the opening  402  of the thin film layer  40 . The elastic component  30  is correspondingly disposed on the switch  401 . The support components  20  may be pivotally connected to each other by using a pivotal shaft (not shown in the figure). One end of the support component  20  is pivotally connected to the first bonding portion  1021  of the lower surface  102  of the keycap  10 , and the other end of the support component  20  is pivotally connected to the second bonding portion  501  of the support plate  50 , so as to drive and guide the keycap  10  to perform actions of going down and up relative to the support plate  50 . When the keycap  10  is pressed to go down, the elastic component  30  is deformed and contacts with the switch  401 , to generate a key signal. When the keycap  10  is not pressed, the elastic component  30  also provides an upward elastic restoring force to the keycap  10 , to push the keycap  10  to go up and make the keycap  10  reset. Although the present invention provides only the implementation that the support component  20  has a scissors structure, in an actual application, the support component  20  may be replaced with another support component having a similar structure, for example, a V shape, an A shape, or a structure of two parallel connecting rods, which is not limited by the implementation provided in the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A  again, in  FIG. 4A , the transparent protective layer  1013  may coat and cover on the non-transparent first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the non-transparent second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , so that the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  cannot be exposed from the surface of the transparent protective layer  1013 , and the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  is greater than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 . In this way, the keycap  10  can make, by means of the three-dimensional first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , the character of the keycap  10  have a three-dimensional visual effect. Further, a three-dimensional effect of the character can be improved by means of a difference between the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 . On the other hand, if the transparent protective layer  1013  is made of soft transparent silica gel, a sense of soft pressing touch is provided on the surface of the keycap  10 , thereby improving comfort of pressing of the keyboard. Although the present invention provides only the implementation that the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  is greater than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , in an actual application, the thickness may be adjusted according to a demand of character display of the keycap  10 . For example, the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  may be made to be less than the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , which is not limited to the implementation provided in the present invention. In addition, in the present invention, the three-dimensional visual effect of the character of the keycap  10  can be improved by forming the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  or the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  having different colors or patterns. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4B ,  FIG. 4B  is a sectional view of the second implementation of a keyboard structure according to the present invention. In  FIG. 4B , components including the support component  20 , the elastic component  30 , the thin film layer  40 , and the support plate  50  are the same as those in  FIG. 4A  and are not described in detail herein. However, a difference lies in that the transparent protective layer  1013  covers the non-transparent first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the non-transparent second three-dimensional character layer  1012  and covers on the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 . Because the thickness of the transparent protective layer  1013  is the same as the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011 , the transparent protective layer  1013  does not cover on the first three-dimensional character layer  1011 , and the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  may be made to be exposed from the surface of the transparent protective layer  1013  and form a coplane  10131  with the transparent protective layer  1013 . In this way, in addition to that the keycap  10  can make, by means of the non-transparent first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the non-transparent second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , the character of the keycap  10  have a three-dimensional visual effect, and the three-dimensional effect is improved by means of the difference between the thickness of the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the thickness of the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , on the other hand, when pressing the coplane  10131  of the keycap  10 , a user may directly touch the first three-dimensional character layer  1011 . Because the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  is made of soft rubber or silica gel, a sense of soft pressing touch is provided on the surface of the keycap  10 , thereby improving comfort of pressing of the keyboard. Certainly, if the transparent protective layer  1013  is also made of soft transparent silica gel, a sense of touch and comfort when the keycap  10  is pressed can also be further improved. Although the present invention provides only the implementation that the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the transparent protective layer  1013  form the coplane  10131 , in an actual application, adjustment may be performed according to the thickness of the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer. For example, the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  are both exposed from the surface of the transparent protective layer  1013  and form the coplane  10131  with the transparent protective layer  1013 , and when pressing the coplane  10131  of the keycap  10 , the user may directly touch the first three-dimensional character layer  1011  and the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 ; or the second three-dimensional character layer  1012  may be exposed from the surface of the transparent protective layer  1013  and form the coplane  10131  with the transparent protective layer  1013 , and when pressing the coplane  10131  of the keycap  10 , the user may directly touch the second three-dimensional character layer  1012 , which is not limited by the implementation provided in the present invention. 
     In the keyboard structure provided in the present invention, compared with the conventional technology, the keycap thereof may have a three-dimensional visual effect by means of the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer. In addition, when the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer is exposed and forms the coplane with the transparent protective layer of the keycap, the keycap may be made, by means of characteristics of the material of the non-transparent three-dimensional character layer, to have a sense of soft pressing touch, thereby improving comfort of pressing of the keyboard. Therefore, the present invention is a creation having much industrial value. 
     Various modifications can be made to the present invention by a person skilled in the art by using common measures without departing from the protection scope of the appended claims.