Thin keyboard device
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorAndrew E. Winter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thin keyboard device is described herein. In one or more implementations, a keyboard device includes a plurality of keys, and a housing that includes a structural printed circuit board (PCB). The structural PCB includes, for each of the plurality of keys, a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace. The keyboard device further includes a key-switch mechanism for each of the plurality of keys. The key-switch mechanism includes a conductive material oriented towards the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace, and is configured to cause the conductive material to move downwards, when the key is depressed, to electrically connect the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace of the depressed key.
Claims19
A keyboard device comprising:
- a plurality of keys;
- a housing comprising a structural printed circuit board (PCB), the structural PCB comprising, for each of the plurality of keys, a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace, each of the plurality of keys positioned above the respective first conductive trace and the second conductive trace;
- and
- a key-switch mechanism for each of the plurality of keys, the key-switch mechanism including a conductive material oriented towards the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace, the key-switch mechanism configured to cause the conductive material to move downwards, when the key is depressed, to electrically connect the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace of the depressed key, the key-switch mechanism mounted to the structural PCB.
A keyboard device comprising:
- a plurality of keys;
- a housing comprising a structural printed circuit board (PCB) and a single-layer membrane positioned over the structural PCB, the single-layer membrane comprising, for each of the plurality of keys, a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace, each of the plurality of keys mounted directly to the housing above the respective first conductive trace and the second conductive trace of the single-layer membrane;
- and
- a key-switch mechanism for each of the plurality of keys, the key-switch mechanism including a conductive material oriented towards the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace, the key-switch mechanism configured to cause the conductive material to move downwards, when the key is depressed, to electrically connect the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace of the depressed key.
An input device comprising:
- a plurality of keys;
- a housing comprising a structural printed circuit board (PCB), the structural PCB comprising, for at least one key of the plurality of keys, a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace, the at least one key positioned above the respective first conductive trace and the second conductive trace;
- and
- a key-switch mechanism for the at least one key, the key-switch mechanism including a conductive material oriented towards the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace, the key-switch mechanism configured to cause the conductive material to move downwards, when the at least one key is depressed, to electrically connect the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace of the depressed key, the key-switch mechanism mounted to the structural PCB.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.