Thin keyboard, keyboard overlay and keyswitch
OwnerPat Haoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein are thin keyboard and thin keyboard overlay, as well as novel key assembly for uses on keyboards and keyswitches. The key assembly includes a top plate, a movable keycap, a support plate and flexible rods embedded in the sup port plate acting as springs. The underside of the movable keycap has at least one or several tapered protrusions which are located above the flexible rods. A vertical downward force on the movable keycap will enable the protrusion to flex the rods horizontally, thus creating a spring like mechanism that will return the movable keycap to its original position once the vertical force is removed.
Claims40
A key assembly comprising:
- a key presented to a user to be depressed by the user;
- a return mechanism operatively associated the key assembly;
- An actuating mechanism operatively associated with the key assembly, the actuating mechanism is designed to press against the return mechanism while imparting a force that flexes or deflects the return mechanism in the horizontal or substantially horizontal direction, as the key is being pressed downward in the vertical direction by the user, upon release of the keystroke by the user, the return mechanism snap back to its original shape pushes against the actuating mechanism while presses in the horizontal or substantially horizontal direction against the actuating mechanism imparting a force to the actuating mechanism propelling the key upward in the vertical direction toward the original resting position;
- a support plate operatively associated with the key assembly, the support plate aligns the return mechanism with the actuating mechanism in proper position in order to impart most of the downward force during a key press against the return mechanism;
- and
- a leveling mechanism operatively associated with the key assembly, the leveling mechanism is designed to keep the key aligns within the support plate and level while the key is depressed by the user.
A key assembly comprising:
- a key presented to a user to be depressed by the user;
- a return mechanism operatively associated with the key assembly;
- an actuating mechanism operatively associated with the key assembly, the actuating mechanism is designed to press against the return mechanism while imparting a force that flexes or deflects the return mechanism in the horizontal or substantially horizontal direction, as the key is being pressed downward in the vertical direction by the user, upon release of the keystroke by the user, the return mechanism snap back to its original shape while imparting a force to the actuating mechanism propelling the key upward in the vertical direction toward the original resting position;
- a support plate operatively associated with the key assembly, the support plate aligns the return mechanism with the actuating mechanism in proper position in order to impart most of the downward force during a key press against the return mechanism;
- and
- a leveling mechanism operatively associated with the key, the leveling mechanism is designed to keep the key aligns within the support plate and level while the key is depressed by the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.