US 6,273,623 B1 · Keyboard assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates a water-resistant structure for keyboard assemblies with enhanced water-resistant ability. A keyboard hood is provided with a plurality of first slant walls extending toward the keyboard base, a keyboard base is provided with a plurality of second slant wall extending toward the keyboard hood and in parallel with the first slant walls, and an elastic water-resistant sheet is provided with upward-extending slanted edges sandwiched between the first and the second slant wall so as to form a water-resistant structure when the keyboard assembly has been fabricated. The keyboard base is fastened to the keyboard hood by fastening screws passing through holes formed in the centers of bosses in the keyboard base and screwed into holes in protrusion portions formed as part of the keyboard hood. Step-shaped sections are formed near the tip ends of the protrusion portions so as to form a tight water-proof seal between the keyboard hood and the base when the tip ends are assembled into contact with the base. Plural pairs of first parallel ribs are formed on the base, and the elastic water-resistant sheet is shaped so that it can be deeply embedded into the first slots formed between each pair of the first ribs and can cover the ribs and the keyboard base when the keyboard assembly has been fabricated. A plurality of second ribs are formed on the keyboard hood, which, when the keyboard assembly is fabricated, are deeply embedded into second slots formed in the water-resistant sheet.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A keyboard assembly comprising a keyboard hood, a plurality of key caps disposed on the keyboard hood, a circuit membrane actuated by the key caps, a rubber sheet disposed between the key caps and the circuit membrane, and a keyboard base fastened to the keyboard hood so as to enclose the rubber sheet and the circuit membrane therebetween, the keyboard assembly further comprising:

a first slant wall formed on the keyboard hood;
a second slant wall formed on the keyboard base and corresponding to the first slant wall to define a slot-like first receiving space between the first slant wall and the second slant wall;
and
a substantially vertically extending circumferential rubber sheet wall formed along a circumference of the rubber sheet, the circumferential rubber sheet wall being disposed in the first receiving space and pressed by both the first and the second slant walls so as to hold the circumferential rubber sheet wall in a substantially upright position and to form a watertight seal at the boundary of the rubber sheet.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Keyboard assembly

Life of this patent

Keyboard assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims3