Keyboard
AssigneePrimax Electronics Ltd.
InventorChien-Hung Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keyboard includes a base plate, a pressure sensing layer, plural key structures, a circuit board, a flexible layer and a controlling unit. The pressure sensing layer is disposed on the base plate and located under the circuit board. The flexible layer is disposed on the pressure sensing layer and located under the circuit board. While a key structure is depressed, a part of the key structure is penetrated through the circuit board to press the flexible layer, and a force is transmitted from the flexible layer to the pressure sensing layer. The controlling unit compares the force with a predetermined force value. According to the comparing result, the controlling unit generates a corresponding pressure sensing signal. Consequently, the use of a single key structure can achieve the functions of multiple keys.
Claims10
A keyboard, comprising:
- a base plate;
- a circuit board located over the base plate, wherein the circuit board comprises at least one circuit board opening;
- plural key structures located over the circuit board, wherein when at least one of the key structures is depressed, the at least one key structure is penetrated through a corresponding circuit board opening, wherein the key structure comprises:
- a pedestal located over the base plate, wherein the pedestal comprises a pedestal opening, and the pedestal opening is aligned with the corresponding circuit board opening;
- an upper cover having an upper cover opening, wherein the pedestal is covered by the upper cover;
- and
- a triggering element disposed on the pedestal and partially penetrated through the upper cover opening;
- a pressure sensing layer disposed on the base plate and located under the circuit board, wherein while the at least one key structure is depressed, the at least one key structure provides a pressing force and the pressing force is detected by the pressure sensing layer;
- a flexible layer arranged between the pressure sensing layer and the circuit board, wherein when the flexible layer is pressed by the at least one key structure, the pressure sensing layer is pushed by the flexible layer, wherein while the triggering element is depressed, the triggering element is moved relative to the pedestal and a part of the triggering element is penetrated through the pedestal opening and the circuit board opening to press the flexible layer and cause it to push the pressure sensing layer;
- and
- a controlling unit disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected with the pressure sensing layer, wherein the control unit generates a pressure sensing signal according to the pressing force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.