Patent Publication Number: US-7709762-B2

Title: Keyboard

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 096213110, filed on Aug. 9, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a keyboard, and in particular relates to a keyboard applied to an electronic device. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional keyboard  10  has a keycap  11 , a base  12  and an X-structure  13 . The X-structure  13  is disposed between the keycap  11  and the base  12 . The keycap  11  has a pivot structure  111 , a bottom surface  114 , a first edge  115  and a second edge  116 . The pivot structure  111  has first engaging portion  112  and a second engaging portion  113 . The first engaging portion  112  is tightly connected to the first edge  115 . The second engaging portion  113  is tightly connected to the second edge  116 . When assembling the keyboard  10 , the X-structure  13  is engaged with and pivoted on the first engaging portion  112  and the second engaging portion  113 . However, the first engaging portion  112  is tightly connected to the first edge  115 , and the second engaging portion  113  is tightly connected to the second edge  116 , thus, the first engaging portion  112  is damaged by undue exertion when the X-structure  13  is assembled with the first engaging portion  112  and the second engaging portion  113 . 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention provides a keyboard comprising a keycap, a pivot structure, a base, and an X-structure. The keycap comprises a bottom surface, a first edge, and a second edge. The pivot structure comprises two first engaging portions and two second engaging portions. The first engaging portions are disposed on the bottom surface and have a first distance away from the first edge. The second engaging portions are respectively disposed corresponding to the first engaging portions and have a second distance away from the second edge. The base is disposed under the keycap. The X-structure comprises two ends. One end of the X-structure is connected to the pivot structure, and the other end of the X-structure is movably connected to the base so that the keycap moves upward and downward on the base. 
   A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a conventional keyboard; 
       FIG. 2  is a lateral view of a keyboard of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a keycap of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4A  is an upward view of a keycap of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view along A-A line in  FIG. 4A ; 
       FIGS. 5A-5D  are continuous views showing assembly of a keyboard of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic view of another embodiment of a keyboard of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a lateral view of a keyboard of another embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a keycap of another embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. 
     FIG. 2  is a lateral view of a keyboard of the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a keycap of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the keyboard  20  comprises a keycap  21 , a pivot structure  22 , a base  23 , and an X-structure  24 . The keycap  21  comprises a bottom surface  211 , a first edge  212 , and a second edge  213 . The pivot structure  22  comprises two first engaging portions  221  and  222  and two second engaging portions  223  and  224 . The base  23  is disposed under the keycap  21 . The X-structure  24  is disposed between the base  23  and the keycap  21  and comprises two ends. One end of the X-structure  24  is connected to the pivot structure  22 , and the other end of the X-structure  24  is movably connected to the base  23  so that the keycap  21  moves upward and downward on the base  23 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the X-structure  24  comprises a first connecting member  241  and a second connecting member  242 . The first connecting member  241  comprises a first upper end  243  and a first lower end  244 . The second connecting member  242  comprises a second upper end  245  and a second lower end  246 . The first connecting member  241  is rotatably connected to the second connecting member  242 . The first upper end  243  comprises two pivot axles  247  disposed on the two sides thereof. When assembling, the pivot axle  247  of the first upper end  243  is pressed into and engaged with the first engaging portion  221 . The pivot axle  247  is rotatably connected to the first engaging portion  221 . The second upper end  245  is slidably connected to and pivoted on the second engaging portions  223 . The first lower end  244  and the second lower end  246  are rotatably and slidably connected to the base  23 . 
     FIG. 4A  is an upward view of a keycap of the present invention.  FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view along A-A line in  FIG. 4A . The first engaging portions  221  and  222  are disposed on the bottom surface  211  and have a first distance D 1  away from the first edge  212 . The second engaging portions  223  and  224  are respectively disposed on the bottom surface  211  corresponding to the first engaging portions  221  and  222  and have a second distance D 2  away from the second edge  213 . 
     FIGS. 5A-5D  are continuous views showing assembly of a keyboard of the present invention. The first engaging portion  222  comprises a groove  225  and the first engaging portion  222  comprises also comprises a groove (not shown). Referring to  FIG. 5A , the keycap  21  approaches the first upper end  243  on the first connecting member  241  of the X-structure  24  along an arrow A until the first engaging portion  222  contacts with the first upper end  243  (shown in  FIG. 5B ). Referring to  FIG. 4C , the keycap  21  continues to be pressed downward, and then the first upper end  243  pushes the first engaging portion  222  along an arrow B, that is, the first engaging portion  222  rotates along the arrow B. Note that the first engaging portions  221  and  222  are flexible in this embodiment. Due to the first distance D 1  between the first engaging portion  222  and the first edge  212 , the first engaging portion  222  has enough space therebetween for rotation. Moreover, the groove  225  disposed on the first engaging portion  222  accommodates the first upper end  243 . When the first upper end  243  enters the groove  225 , the flexible first engaging portion  222  springs back along an arrow C. At this time, the groove  225  is engaged with the first upper end  243 , thus, the keycap  21  is fixed to the first connecting member  241  of the X-structure  24 . Note that  FIGS. 5A-5D  only disclose connection of the first engaging portion  222  and one side of the first upper end  243 , and connection of the first engaging portion  221  and the other side of the first upper end  243  similar to  FIGS. 5A-5D  is omitted for brevity. 
   The keyboard  20  of the present invention provides a first distance D 1  between the first engaging portions  221  and  222  and the first edge  212 , and the first engaging portions  221  and  222  are made of flexible material. Thus, when assembling the keycap  21  and the X-structure  24 , allowance is provided for deformation of the first engaging portions  221  and  222  so that the first upper end  243  of the X-structure  24  is easy to be fixed to the first engaging portions  221  and  222  of the keycap  21 . 
     FIG. 6  is a schematic view of another embodiment of a keyboard of the present invention. The keyboard  30  comprises a keycap (not shown), a pivot structure  32 , a base  33  and an X-structure  34 . The pivot structure  32  comprises two first engaging portions  321  and  322  and two second engaging portions  323  and  324 . One end of the X-structure  34  is connected to the pivot structure  32 , and the other end of the X-structure  34  is connected to the base  33 . 
   The X-structure  34  comprises a first connecting member  341  and a second connecting member  342 . The first connecting member  341  comprises a first upper end  343  and a first lower end  344 . The first connecting member  341  is rotatably connected to the second connecting member  342 . When assembling, two ends of the first upper end  343  are pressed and slidably connected to the first engaging portions  321  and  322 . Two ends of a lower end of the second connecting member  342  are pressed, rotatably connected to and pivoted on the second engaging portion  323  and  324 . This embodiment is approximately similar to the embodiment in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 7  is a lateral view of a keyboard of another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the difference is that the first engaging portion  322  comprises a guiding portion  325  and a groove  326 . The groove  326  and the guiding portion  325  adjacent to the groove  326  are disposed on a bottom surface  311  of the keycap  31 . The bottom of the guiding portion  325  comprises a first lead angle α and a pivot axle  347  of the first upper end  343  comprises a second lead angle β corresponding to the first engaging portion  322 . The first lead angle α and the second lead angle β provides a better angle for assembly so that the pivot axle  347  slides smoothly into the groove  326 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , the first connecting member  343  and the second connecting member  344  respectively comprise two recesses  348  and  349  near the pivot axle  347 . The recesses  348  and  349  are symmetrically disposed. When the X-structure  34  are assembled with the first engaging portions  321  and  322  and the second engaging portion  323  and  324 , the recesses  348  and  349  are pressed so that the pivot axle  347  moves along arrows toward the middle of the X-structure  34 . Thus, the X-structure  34  is easily assembled with the pivot structure  32 . Note that the guiding portion  325  and the groove  326  is a unitary and single member. 
     FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a keycap of another embodiment of the present invention. The keycap  41  comprises a bottom surface  411 , a first edge  412  and a second edge  413 . The pivot structure  42  comprises two first engaging portions  421  and  422  and two second engaging portions  423  and  424 . In this embodiment, the shapes of the first engaging portions  421  and  422  are hook-shaped for assembling with the X-structure (not shown). Assembly of the keyboard is approximately similar to the description as above, thus, it is omitted for brevity. 
   While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.