Keyswitch and actuator structure

• US 6,781,077 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Think Outside Incorporated (iGo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Olodort, Robert, Tang, John, Mead, Russell, Cazalet, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, James R.
• Application Number:
  US09/738,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 200/512-517, 200/5.A, 200/341-345, 400/490-495, 400/472, 400/473, 361/679-682
• US Class Current: 200/344
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/034 Separate snap action
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2227/036 Minimise height
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/125 using a scissor mechanism as stabiliser

Abstract

A keyswitch is described that may include two legs interleaved together without a pivot point approximately central to the legs. The keyswitch may also include a spring to engage at least one of the bottom surfaces of the legs. In one configuration, the legs of the keyswitch may each have two lower protrusions on one of their ends and upper protrusions on their other ends with the lower protrusions of one leg disposed between the lower protrusions of the other leg. The keyswitch may also include a base having retaining clips with each of the lower protrusions of the legs pivotally engaged with a corresponding retaining clip. The keyswitch may also include a cap having tabs that may be pivotally coupled with corresponding slots in the upper protrusions of the legs.

Claims

1. A keyswitch, comprising:

a plurality of legs interleaved together without a pivot point approximately central to the plurality of legs, each of the plurality of legs having a bottom surface;

a spring to engage at least one of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of legs;

a keycap disposed above the plurality of legs; and

a base plate disposed below the spring.

2. The keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the spring engages both of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of legs.

3. The keyswitch of claim 2, wherein the spring is constructed from a material comprising a metal.

4. The keyswitch of claim 2, wherein the plurality of legs is constructed from a material comprising a metal.

5. The keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the spring is constructed from a material comprising a metal.

6. The keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the plurality of legs is constructed from a material comprising a metal.

7. The keyswitch of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of legs has a center and wherein each of the plurality of legs is undulated at approximately its center.

8. A keyswitch, comprising:

a plurality of legs interleaved together and having sides without flanges;

a key cap disposed above the plurality of legs; and

a base plate disposed below the plurality of legs, wherein the plurality of legs is constructed from a material comprising a metal.

9. The keyswitch of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of legs has a center and wherein each of the plurality of metal legs is undulated at approximately its center.

10. The keyswitch of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of legs has a bottom surface and wherein the keyswitch further comprises a spring to engage at least one of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of legs.

11. The keyswitch of claim 10, wherein the spring engages both of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of legs.

12. The keyswitch of claim 11, wherein the spring engages both of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of legs.

13. The keyswitch of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of legs has a constant thickness.

14. The keyswitch of claim 13, wherein the thickness of one of the plurality of legs is less than approximately 1 millimeter.

15. A keyswitch, comprising:

a plurality of legs interleaved together without a pivot point approximately central to the plurality of legs to form a scissor-like arrangement, the plurality of legs having sides without flanges.

16. The keyswitch of claim 15, further comprising a base and wherein the plurality of legs are pivotally engaged with the base.

17. The keyswitch of claim 16, wherein lateral movement of the plurality of legs is constrained at the base.

18. The keyswitch of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of legs has a bottom surface and wherein the keyswitch further comprises:

a spring to engage at least one of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of legs.

19. A keyswitch comprising:

first and second legs each having a first end and a second end, the first end having two lower protrusions and the second end having upper protrusions, the lower protrusions of the second leg disposed between the lower protrusions of the first leg without a central pivot; and

a base having a plurality of retaining clips, each of the lower protrusions of the first and second legs pivotally engaged with a corresponding one of the plurality of retaining clips, and each of the upper protrusions extended towards a cap.

20. The keyswitch of claim 19, wherein the first and second legs each have bottom surfaces and wherein the keyswitch further comprises a spring coupled to the base, the spring to engage at least one of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of legs.

21. The keyswitch of claim 20, wherein the spring engages both the bottom surfaces of the plurality of legs.

22. The keyswitch of claim 19, wherein the first and the second legs each have a center and wherein the first and the second legs are undulated at approximately their centers.

23. The keyswitch of claim 19, wherein each of the upper protrusions has a slot and wherein the cap has a plurality of tabs, each of the plurality of tabs pivotally coupled to a corresponding slot, each of the plurality of tabs being able to translate with movement of keyswitch.

24. The keyswitch of claim 19, wherein each of the upper protrusions overlap a corresponding lower protrusion to form a scissor-like arrangement.

25. A keyswitch, comprising:

first and second legs each having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end being separated in height by less than approximately 1 millimeter to reduce a thickness of the keyswitch.

26. The keyswitch of claim 25, wherein the first and the second legs each have a constant thickness.

27. The keyswitch of claim 26, wherein the thickness of the first leg is approximately 0.25 millimeters.

28. The keyswitch of claim 25, wherein the height exists when the keyswitch is not depressed.

29. A keyswitch, comprising:

a cap; and

a plurality of legs supporting the cap, each of the plurality of legs being a leaf spring that has a cantilevered structure formed by the plurality of legs engaged to each other to support parallel up and down movement of the cap.

30. The keyswitch of claim 29, wherein the plurality of legs are metal.

31. The keyswitch of claim 29, wherein one of the plurality of legs is bowed.

32. The keyswitch of claim 29, wherein the bowed leg buckles when compressed to provide tactile feedback.

33. The keyswitch of claim 29, wherein an end of each leg is attached to a support and the cap is capable of vertical movement relative to the support, and wherein a first plane defined by the cap and a second plane defined by the support remain substantially parallel to each other during movement of the cap.

34. A keyswitch, comprising:

a support;

a cap having a top and a bottom; and

a pair of legs coupled to the bottom of the cap and coupled to the support, and wherein the keyswitch has a height, when fully depressed of less than approximately 2.5 millimeters from the top to the support to reduce a thickness of the keyswitch.