Keypad

• US 10,446,341 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cooler Master Development Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cooler Master (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Liu, Yong-Gang, Gao, Tian
• Primary Examiner(s): Saeed, Ahmed M
• Application Number:
  US16/114,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20190103237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/06 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof or flameproof casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/14 Operating parts, e.g. push-button
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/28 using compression or extension of coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/705 characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/85 characterised by tactile feedback features
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/86 characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/03 Sound
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/044 Elastic part on actuator or casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/002 sealed
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2235/03 Two serial springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 5/045 making use of cooperating spring loaded wedging or camming parts between operating member and contact structure

Abstract

A keypad includes a base, an actuator, a first and second elastic member and a pivotal mechanism. The base has a through hole. The actuator is located in through hole to be moved between initial position and pressed position. The first elastic member is connected between the base and the actuator. The pivotal mechanism is pivotably and linearly movably disposed on the actuator to be moved between withdrawn position and protruding position. The second elastic member is connected between the actuator and the pivotal mechanism. The base has stop block and recess and the pivotal mechanism has tooth. While the actuator is moved to the pressed position, the tooth is stopped by the stop block so that the pivotal mechanism is pivoted and then linearly moved to the withdrawn position, and then enters into the recess, enabling the pivotal mechanism to the protruding position and press a switch.

Claims

1. A keypad, comprising:

a base, having a through hole;

an actuator, movably located in through hole so as to be moved between an initial position and a pressed position with respect to the base;

a first elastic member, located between and connected to the base and the actuator in order to provide force on the actuator to move the actuator towards the initial position;

a pivotal mechanism, pivotably and linearly movably disposed on the actuator so as to be moved between a withdrawn position and a protruding position; and

a second elastic member, located between and connected to the actuator and the pivotal mechanism in order to provide force on the pivotal mechanism to move the pivotal mechanism towards the protruding position;

wherein, the base has at least one stop block and at least one recess connected to each other on an inner surface forming the through hole, the pivotal mechanism has at least one tooth;

when the actuator is in the initial position, the pivotal mechanism is in the protruding position;

while the actuator is moved to the pressed position from the initial position, the at least one tooth of the pivotal mechanism is stopped by the at least one stop block so that the pivotal mechanism is pivoted and then linearly moved to the withdrawn position, and then the at least one tooth enters into the at least one recess, enabling the pivotal mechanism to the protruding position and press a switch; and

wherein the pivotal mechanism comprises a pivotal plunger, a touch pad and a third elastic member, the pivotal plunger is pivotably and linearly movably disposed on the actuator, the touch pad is movably disposed on the pivotal plunger so as to be moved close to or away from the pivotal plunger, and the third elastic member is located between and connected to the pivotal plunger and the touch pad so as to force the pivotal plunger and the touch pad to be moved away from each other.

2. The keypad according to claim 1, wherein the pivotal plunger has at least one protrusion which is located on an outer surface thereof and extends along a radial direction thereof, the actuator has at least one guide groove, the at least one protrusion is slidably located in the at least one guide groove, and an extension direction of the at least one guide groove has an acute angle with respect to a press direction of the actuator.

3. The keypad according to claim 2, wherein the quantity of the at least one guide groove is two, and the two guide grooves are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the actuator;

the quantity of the at least one protrusion is two, and the two protrusions are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the pivotal plunger, and the two protrusions are respectively slidably located in the two guide grooves.

4. The keypad according to claim 1, wherein the quantity of the tooth is plural, the teeth are spaced apart from each other, and a distance between the teeth adjacent to each other is larger than a width of the at least one stop block.

5. The keypad according to claim 4, wherein the quantity of the teeth is four, and the teeth are annularly arranged on an outer surface of the pivotal plunger.

6. The keypad according to claim 1, wherein each of two opposite sides of each of the at least one tooth has an inclined surface for contacting the at least one stop block.

7. The keypad according to claim 1, wherein the quantity of the at least one stop block is four, and the stop blocks are annularly formed on the inner surface of the through hole.

8. The keypad according to claim 1, wherein the actuator has at least one slide block thereon, the base has at least one slide groove on an inner surface thereof and corresponding to the at least one slide block, and the at least one slide block is slidably disposed in the at least one slide groove so as to guide the actuator.

9. A keypad, comprising:

a base, a actuator, a pivotal mechanism, a first elastic member disposed between the base and actuator for recovering the actuator, a second elastic member disposed between the pivotal mechanism and the actuator for recovering the pivotal mechanism, a top side of the pivotal mechanism is inserted into the actuator, the base has a through hole and at least one stop block which is on an inner surface forming the through hole, the actuator is movably located in the through hole, and a bottom side of the pivotal mechanism has at least one tooth;

wherein the pivotal mechanism comprises a pivotal plunger, a touch pad and a third elastic member, the pivotal plunger is pivotably and linearly movably disposed on the actuator, the touch pad is movably disposed on the pivotal plunger so as to be moved close to or away from the pivotal plunger, and the third elastic member is located between and connected to the pivotal plunger and the touch pad so as to force the pivotal plunger and the touch pad to be moved away from each other, and

wherein, when the actuator is pressed, the actuator forces the pivotal mechanism to pivot about a press direction of the actuator, such that the at least one stop block is moved away from the at least one tooth and moved toward the top side of the pivotal mechanism.