DE202008010690U1 - Keyboard with lighting construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A keyboard with lighting construction comprising a keyboard part (10), a substrate (20) supporting the keyboard part (10), the keyboard part (10) having a plurality of printing elements (11) for receiving a keyboard part (10) Compressive force from a user and each under a force-receiving surface of each pressure element (11) has an interlocking mechanism (12) to provide a movement stroke of the pressure element (11), which follows the direction of force and wherein the substrate (20) has a mounting part (21) for assembly with the other end of the interlocking mechanism (12), characterized in that:
the surface of the substrate (20) has at least one light-conducting groove (24) which forms a light channel for transmitting light, and at least one inner side wall of the light-conducting groove (24) of a light-reflecting surface (241, 242, 246) so that the light in the light-guiding groove (24) is reflected by the light-reflecting surface (241, 242, 246) towards the keyboard part (10), whereby the printing elements (11) supplied with brightness ...

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The The present invention relates to a keyboard, and more particularly to a keyboard Keyboard with lighting construction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since the keyboard device is the main input device in a computer system, it must adapt to various developments and uses of computer systems due to changes in the usage environment and time. In order to provide the user with the location of each key in a dark environment, a keyboard with lighting capability has been developed, such as the U.S. Patent Nos. 5,936,554 ; NO. 7,278,750 or the TW Patents No. 566612 and No. 581961 each describing a keyboard device with LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) incorporated therein, and wherein each LED provides light for a single button so that the buttons can be clearly recognized in the dark. Although this type of keyboard prevents the inability to recognize the positions of the keys in the dark, because the standard keyboard has more than one hundred keys and each key must be provided with a corresponding LED, the total amount of components will become much larger The manufacturing process as well as the costs will definitely increase and even the weight will be significantly bigger. Moreover, power consumption and heat generation may also affect the user due to the large amount of LEDs.

Another type of keyboard with lighting capability will be around in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,179,432 ; NR.6,199,996 ; NO. 6,217,183 ; NO. 6,284,988 ; NO. 6,322,229 ; NO. 6,554,442 ; NO. 6,590,508 ; NO. 6,648,530 ; NO. 6,860,612 ; NO. 7,235,752 ; NO. 7,239,303 and No. 7,388,167 as well as in the TW Patents No. 509955 ; No. 516671 ; No. 587800 ; No. 594546 ; No. I230957 ; No. I231693 ; No. M240668 and No. M313281 described. All of these patents relate to the additional installation of a lighting panel, such as an electroluminescent panel or optical fiber panel above or below the base panel of the keyboard, such that the keys above the lighting panel are for recognition can light up. Compared to the keyboard in which the LEDs are mounted within the keys, the keyboard using a single lighting plate can illuminate uniformly and can also reduce the amount of components and facilitate the assembly. Besides, the low power consumption of the electro-luminescent plate as well as the optical glass fiber panel is low, and also advantageous in terms of prolonged use. In addition, that reveal TW Patent No. I269333 and U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 288,258 also discloses a backlight illumination keyboard wherein a light source propagating space is defined between the ridge and the lower circuit board, and wherein at least one light-guiding portion corresponding to Light source on the keyboard part is mounted in the direction of the light source propagation space on the web, so that the light-conducting portion can receive the light which feeds the light source propagation space and which the light to the keyboard part leads, whereby the background light construction of the keyboard is formed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

task The present invention is to provide the components of an illuminating Simplify keyboard and achieve the goal of streamlining.

Around To achieve the above objects is the present invention a keyboard with lighting construction in front, which has a keyboard part and a substrate carrying the keyboard part, wherein the keyboard part contains a variety of printing elements, to record a pressure force from a user, and under each a force receiving surface of each pressure element contains an interlocking mechanism to one Movement stroke of the pressure element, which follows the direction of force, and wherein the substrate is a mounting part for assembly having the other end of the interlocking mechanism. In addition, the area of the substrate indicates at least one light-conducting groove, which has a light channel for transmitting light, and wherein at least an inner sidewall of the light-guiding groove of a light-reflecting Area corresponds, so that the light in the light-conducting Groove through the light-reflecting surface to the keyboard part is reflected, the pressure elements with brightness or Luminance be supplied.

In addition, the substrate has a ridge for assembling the mounting part and a circuit board which is driven by contact of the printing elements to generate display signals. The light-guiding groove may be formed as a V-shaped or U-shaped construction, so that the light can be reflected back and forth and transmitted to the light-guiding groove. In order to provide uniform brightness to the illumination spaces formed between the printing elements and to the substrate, the light-guiding groove may be min at least a slight rise or at least one step construction mounted thereon, so that the depth of the light-conducting groove is gradually reduced as the distance to the illumination means increases. Besides, the illumination means may be mounted at the end of the light-guiding groove or in the light-guiding groove itself.

Thereby and by using the light-conducting groove for transmission of light, the keyboard can be used with the lighting construction according to the present Invention reduce the required cost of LEDs, thus reduce the number of total components. additionally and since the present invention does not require that illumination layers, such as electro-luminescent plates or optical fiber panels inside the keyboard can be the fatness of the keyboard be reduced, so as to achieve the slimming.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforementioned aspects and many of the associated advantages of this invention will be appreciated in more detail, as is the same by reference to the following detailed description becomes more understandable when related to the attached drawings, wherein:

1 a subassembly drawing showing a keyboard with lighting construction according to a preferred embodiment according to the invention;

2 a cross-sectional view corresponding to the 2-2 line after 1 shows;

3 a cross-sectional view corresponding to the 3A-3A line 1 shows;

3b a cross-sectional view illustrating a light-conducting groove with an inner side wall, which serves as a light-reflecting surface in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention;

4 a schematic representation showing a lighting means, which is arranged in the light-conducting groove within a preferred embodiment according to the present invention;

5 a schematic view showing the light-conducting groove having therein a gentle rise according to the present invention; and

6 a schematic view showing the light-conducting groove having therein a step construction according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference is made to 1 . 2 and 3A showing a partial structure drawing of a preferred embodiment, a cross-sectional view of the 2-2 line after 1 or a cross-sectional view of the 3A-3A line 1 shows. As shown, the present invention relates to a keyboard with lighting construction, which is a keyboard part 10 in a housing 40 and a substrate 20 shows, wherein the substrate 20 is used to the keyboard part 10 to wear. The keyboard part 10 contains a variety of printing elements 11 to receive the pressure force from a user and includes a variety of interlocking mechanisms 12 below the force-absorbing surface of the pressure elements 10 to a moving stroke of the pressure elements 11 to provide, which follows the direction of force. The interlocking mechanism 12 contains a flexible element 13 to the pressure element 11 to provide upward and downward movements. The substrate 20 has a mounting part 21 on and a split board 23 on that by the contact of the pressure element 11 is triggered to generate an indication signal.

The area of the substrate 20 has at least one light-conducting groove 24 which forms a light channel for transmitting light and wherein the light-conducting groove 24 and a lighting room 31 between the printing element 11 and the substrate 20 may have a light transmission. In addition, the substrate has 20 a lighting means 30 mounted on it to light in the light-conducting groove 24 so that the light can move along the light channel. Here can the lighting means 30 at the end of the light-guiding groove 24 be arranged as in 1 shown, or may be in the light-conducting groove 24 be accommodated, as in 4 shown, thus light for the light-conducting groove 24 provide.

In addition, at least one inner sidewall corresponds to the light-guiding groove 24 a light-reflecting surface. In this embodiment, as in 3A shown, the light-conducting groove 24 two light-reflecting surfaces, a first light-reflecting surface 241 and a second light-reflecting surface 242 , Therefore, for the propagation of the light from the light-conducting groove 24 in the lighting room 31 the light-conducting groove 24 formed so that it has a V-shaped or U-shaped construction. The first light-re inflecting surface 241 or the second light-reflecting surface 242 has a reflection angle θ with respect to the substrate 20 , wherein the reflection angle θ is between 180 ° and 0 °, and wherein the first light-reflecting surface 241 and the second light-reflecting surface 242 both with a light-reflecting layer 243 are coated. If the lighting means 30 Generates light and into the light-conducting groove 24 On the one hand, the light is capable of a backward and forward transmission between the first light-reflecting surface 241 and the second light-reflecting surface 242 to move along the light-conducting groove 24 towards the far end, and may be on the other side because of the light-conducting groove 24 that is between the pressure element 11 and the substrate 20 is formed and because of the reflection angle θ, the light in the lighting room 31 be reflected in to the pressure element 11 to provide brightness or luminance. In addition, it may also be that only one of the inner side walls in the light-conducting groove 24 as the light-reflecting surface 246 serves. In this embodiment, as in 3b shown has the light-reflecting surface 246 a reflection angle of θ with respect to the substrate 20 , wherein the reflection angle θ is from 180 ° to 0 °, and wherein the light-reflecting surface 246 with a light-reflecting layer 243 is coated. When light enters the light-conducting groove 24 penetrates, can the light-reflecting surface 246 the light in the lighting room 31 to the pressure elements 11 reflect.

When light from the lighting means 30 is generated, the brightness can be reduced gradually as the distance of the transmission increases. Therefore, in another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG 5 shown the depth of the light-conducting groove 24 gradually decrease, as well as the distance to the lighting means 30 becomes larger, that means when light enters the light-conducting groove 24 penetrates, the farther the distance to the lighting means 30 the flatter the depth of the light-guiding groove 24 such that the reflection space is within the light-guiding groove 24 gets smaller to light more easily in the lighting room 30 which provides the keyboard with a more uniform illumination. In this embodiment, the light-conducting groove 24 at least a gentle rise in it 244 for adjusting the depth of the light-guiding groove 24 on, or the light-conducting groove 24 has at least one step construction in it 245 on, like in 6 shown so that the depth can be shallower while the distance to the lighting means 30 increases.

In the above needs according to the present Invention the keyboard with the lighting construction only with few lighting means to be equipped, and the light-conducting groove can transfer light and to the lighting room below of the keyboard part, reducing the amount of lighting components can be and reduces the entire fatness of the keyboard too can be achieved, whereby the dilution purpose is achieved. In addition, the depth of the light-guiding groove can be adjusted to the gradually increasing distance to the lighting means to match, so that the lighting spaces a uniform Illumination or brightness may have.

In summary a keyboard with lighting construction is proposed, which includes a keyboard part and a substrate, respectively carries the keyboard part, the keyboard part a variety of pressure elements for receiving a pressure force from the user and interlocking mechanisms below a force receiving one Area of each pressure element contains to to create a movement stroke of the pressure element, the direction of force follows, and wherein the substrate has a mounting part to the other end of the interlocking mechanism together to be built. In addition, the surface faces of the substrate has at least one light-conducting groove, which has a light channel for transmitting light, and wherein at least an inner sidewall of the light-guiding groove of a light-reflecting Area corresponds, so that the light in the light-conducting Groove through the light-reflecting surface to the keyboard part is reflected, causing the pressure elements with brightness or lighting, and being the whole thickness reduced keyboard and the slimming be achieved.

It it goes without saying, though, even though numerous features and Advantages of the present invention in the foregoing description together with details of the structure and function of the invention that the disclosure has been set forth by way of illustration only serves, and that changes in detail in particular as regards the shape, size and arrangement of components within the principles of the invention to the full extent that can be done by the broad general meaning of the formulations in which the attached Claims to be printed, is specified.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list The documents listed by the applicant have been automated generated and is solely for better information recorded by the reader. The list is not part of the German Patent or utility model application. The DPMA takes over no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 5936554 [0002]
• US 7278750 [0002]
• - TW 566612 [0002]
• - TW 581961 [0002]
• US 6179432 [0003]
• - US 6199996 [0003]
• US 6217183 [0003]
• - US 6284988 [0003]
• - US 6322229 [0003]
• US 6554442 [0003]
• US 6590508 [0003]
• - US 6648530 [0003]
• - US 6860612 [0003]
• US 7235752 [0003]
• US 7239303 [0003]
• US 7388167 [0003]
• - TW 509955 [0003]
• - TW 516671 [0003]
• - TW 587800 [0003]
• - TW 594546 [0003]
• - TW 230957 [0003]
• - TW 231693 [0003]
• - TW 240668 [0003]
• - TW 313281 [0003]
• - TW 269333 [0003]

Claims (11)

Keyboard with lighting construction comprising a keyboard part ( 10 ), a substrate ( 20 ), which is the keyboard part ( 10 ), the keyboard part ( 10 ) a plurality of printing elements ( 11 ) for receiving a pressure force from a user and each under a force-receiving surface of each pressure element ( 11 ) an interlocking mechanism ( 12 ) for a movement stroke of the printing element ( 11 ), which follows the direction of force, and wherein the substrate ( 20 ) a mounting part ( 21 ) for assembly with the other end of the interlocking mechanism ( 12 ), characterized in that: the surface of the substrate ( 20 ) at least one light-conducting groove ( 24 ), which forms a light channel for the transmission of light, and at least one inner side wall of the light-conducting groove (FIG. 24 ) of a light-reflecting surface ( 241 . 242 . 246 ), so that the light in the light-conducting groove ( 24 ) through the light-reflecting surface ( 241 . 242 . 246 ) to the keyboard part ( 10 ), whereby the pressure elements ( 11 ) are supplied with brightness. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting groove ( 24 ) is formed as a V-shaped construction. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting groove ( 24 ) is formed as a U-shaped construction. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein two inner side walls of the light-conducting groove ( 24 ) two light-reflecting surfaces ( 241 . 242 ) each reflecting light toward the keyboard part. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the light-guiding groove ( 24 ) is gradually reduced as the distance to a light source increases. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting groove ( 24 ) at least one gentle increase ( 224 ) therein. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting groove ( 24 ) at least one step construction ( 245 ) therein. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the light-reflecting surface ( 241 . 242 . 246 ) with a light-reflecting layer ( 243 ) is coated. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting groove ( 24 ) an illumination means ( 30 ) installed at the end thereof. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting groove ( 24 ) an illumination means ( 30 ) incorporated therein. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the substrate ( 20 ) a footbridge ( 22 ) to the mounting part ( 21 ) and a board ( 23 ), which depends on the contact of the printing elements ( 11 ) is driven to generate display signals.