CARBON NANOTUBE BASED KEYBOARD

• US 20120193204A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: JIANG, KAI-LI, FAN, SHOU-SHAN, CHENG, JIA-SHYONG, LIU, LIANG
• Granted Patent: US 8,905,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/5.A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device

Abstract

A keyboard includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer. The first substrate includes a first upper surface and a first lower surface opposite the first upper surface. The second substrate is positioned apart from the first substrate and includes a second upper surface and a second lower surface. The second upper surface faces the first lower surface. The first electrode layer is positioned on the first lower surface and includes a number of first conductive layers disposed apart from each other and including a carbon nanotube layer structure. The second electrode layer is positioned on the second upper surface and includes a second conductive layer. A number of keys is positioned on the first upper surface or the second lower surface.

Claims

1. A keyboard comprising:

a first substrate comprising a first upper surface and a first lower surface opposite the first upper surface;

a second substrate located apart from the first substrate and comprising a second upper surface and a second lower surface opposite the second upper surface, the second upper surface facing the first lower surface;

a first electrode layer positioned on the first lower surface and comprising a plurality of first conductive layers positioned apart from each other, each of the plurality of first conductive layers comprising a carbon nanotube layer structure comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed uniformly;

a second electrode layer positioned on the second upper surface and comprising at least one second conductive layer; and

a plurality of keys located on the first upper surface or the second lower surface.

2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer further comprises a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, one of the plurality of first electrodes and one of the plurality of second electrodes are positioned on two opposite ends of and electrically connected with one of the plurality of first conductive layers.

3. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first conductive layers is parallel with each other and oriented in a first direction.

4. The keyboard of claim 3, wherein the plurality of first conductive layers is bar-shaped, and the carbon nanotubes in each of the plurality of first conductive layers are oriented in the first direction.

5. The keyboard of claim 4, wherein the carbon nanotubes in each of the plurality of first conductive layers are joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force in the first direction.

6. The keyboard of claim 3, wherein the second conductive layer comprises an oriented carbon nanotube layer structure comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented in a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the X direction.

7. The keyboard of claim 6, wherein the second electrode layer further comprises a third electrode positioned on one end of the at least one second conductive layer and oriented along the first direction and a plurality of fourth electrodes positioned on another end of the at least one second conductive layer and arranged along the first direction.

8. The keyboard of claim 6, wherein the second electrode layer further comprises a plurality of third electrodes positioned on one end of the at least one second conductive layer and arranged in the first direction and a plurality of fourth electrodes positioned on another end of the at least one second conductive layer and arranged in the first direction.

9. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer comprises a plurality of second conductive layers positioned apart from each other and oriented in a same direction.

10. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of second conductive layers comprises the carbon nanotube layer structure.

11. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer comprises a third electrode positioned on a surface of the second conductive layer and symmetrically aligned with four sides of the second conductive layer.

12. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first conductive layers is positioned between one first electrode and one second electrode and defines one conductive passage.

13. The keyboard of claim 12, wherein the plurality of keys are arranged in a plurality of rows, and the number of the plurality of passages is larger than or equal to the number of the plurality of rows.

14. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein materials of the first substrate and the second substrate are flexible.

15. The keyboard of claim 14, wherein the plurality of keys is positioned on the first upper surface of the first substrate, and a material of the second substrate is fabric.

16. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube layer structure is a pure structure of carbon nanotubes.

17. A keyboard comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate positioned apart from the first substrate;

a first electrode layer positioned on a surface of the first substrate comprising a plurality of first conductive layers positioned apart from each other, each of the plurality of first conductive layers comprises a first carbon nanotube layer structure;

a second electrode layer positioned on a surface of the second substrate and facing the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer comprising at least one second conductive layer comprising a second carbon nanotube layer structure.

18. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the first substrate comprises a plurality of keys arranged in a plurality of rows, and the number of the plurality of first conductive layers is equal to or larger than the number of the plurality of rows.

19. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the plurality of keys and the plurality of conductive layers are arranged in a one by one manner.

20. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the first carbon nanotube layer structure comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented in a first direction, the second carbon nanotube layer structure comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction.