Housing assembly for membrane keyboard

• US 6,685,369 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andy Lien
• Original Assignee: Andy Lien
• Inventors: Lien, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghatt, Dave A.
• Application Number:
  US10/006,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20030108374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 341/22, 345/168, 400/472, 400/491, 404/791, 404/792
• US Class Current: 400/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device

Abstract

A housing assembly in which is placed a membrane keyboard is placed between the pressing layer and the base support. Pressing labels and key zones are respectively printed on a surface of the membrane keyboard and on the pressing layer at corresponding locations. An image layer with image features can be further placed between the pressing layer and the membrane keyboard. The housing assembly hence constructed can be fashionable by changing the upper cover and/or image layer, while the membrane keyboard can be further used on leveled working surfaces.

Claims

1. A housing assembly in which is placed a membrane keyboard, comprising:

an upper cover including a keyboard zone of the upper cover;

a base support fastened with the upper cover, wherein the base support includes a receiving-zone into which is placed the membrane keyboard, and a push pad corresponding to the location of the push hole of the upper cover, whereby the membrane keyboard is stabilized on leveled working surfaces for comfortable typing; and

an image layer having image features placed between the pressing layer and the membrane keyboard.

2. The housing assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of first finger elements are disposed on a bottom surface of the upper cover along a boundary of the keyboard zone, and a plurality of first holes are disposed along a boundary of the pressing layer corresponding to the locations of the first finger elements, whereby the pressing layer is assembled with the upper cover, wherein a plurality of first and second attachment parts are further respectively disposed on the bottom surface of the upper cover and along a boundary of the base support.

3. The housing assembly of claim 1, wherein a wire-receiving slot is further arranged on the base support to receive a signal wire of the membrane keyboard, a plurality of second finger elements are disposed at four boundary sides of the receiving zone of the base support, and a plurality of second holes are formed at four boundary sides of the membrane keyboard, whereby the membrane keyboard is fixedly attached to the base support.

4. The housing assembly of claim 1, further comprising first and second attachment parts, the first attachment parts being on the upper cover and including attachment tongues, and the second attachment parts being on the base support and including transversal ribs, whereby the upper cover fastens with the base support by engaging the attachment tongues into the transversal ribs.

5. The housing assembly of claim 4, wherein the pressing layer is made of substantially transparent material, and a surface of the pressing layer is printed to correspond with a plurality of key zones.

6. The housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the base support is further provided with a first and second leveling pad that are laterally disposed on a front and a rear portion of the bottom surface of the base support, wherein the second leveling pad of the rear portion is higher than the first leveling pad of the front portion.

7. The housing assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of pressing labels are directly printed on a surface of the membrane keyboard.

8. The housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the image features include images, advertisement images or trademarks as background.

9. The housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the image is printed with luminous features so that typing can be performed in darkness conditions.