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.
Claims20
A keyboard device comprising:
- a plurality of keys;
- a housing comprising a three-layer membrane, the three-layer membrane comprising, for at least one key of the plurality of keys, a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace positioned on a bottom layer of the three-layer membrane, a conductive material positioned on a top layer of the three-layer membrane, and a spacer layer positioned between the top layer and the bottom layer of the three-layer membrane, the at least one key mounted to the housing above the respective first conductive trace and second conductive trace of the three-layer membrane;
- and
- a key-switch mechanism for the at least one key, the key-switch mechanism configured to collapse the three-layer membrane, when the at least one key is depressed, such that the conductive material on the top layer of the three-layer membrane moves downwards through the spacer layer to electrically connect the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace of the depressed key.
A system comprising:
- a computing device;
- and
- an input device that is communicatively coupled to the computing device, the input device comprising:
- at least one key;
- a housing comprising a three-layer membrane, the three-layer membrane comprising, for the at least one key, a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace positioned on a bottom layer of the three-layer membrane, a conductive material positioned on a top layer of the three-layer membrane, and a spacer layer positioned between the top layer and the bottom layer of the three-layer membrane, the at least one key mounted to the housing above the respective first conductive trace and second conductive trace of the three-layer membrane;
- and
- a key-switch mechanism for the at least one key, the key-switch mechanism configured to collapse the three-layer membrane, when the at least one key is depressed, such that the conductive material on the top layer of the three-layer membrane moves downwards through the spacer layer to electrically connect the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace of the depressed key.
A system comprising:
- a computing device;
- and
- an input device that is communicatively coupled to the computing device, the input device comprising:
- at least one key;
- a housing comprising a structural printed circuit board (PCB), the structural PCB comprising, for the at least one key, 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.