Key button mechanism and portable electronic device using same

• US 8,284,568 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xiao, Zhi-Qiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US12/893,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20110228494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 361/720, 361/736, 361/748, 361/760, 361/807, 361/809, 361/810
• US Class Current: 361/810
• 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 2221/03 Stoppers for on or off position
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/044 Elastic part on actuator or casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/028 perpendicular to base of keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/022 Telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2233/03 mounted on support plate or frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20396 Hand operated

Abstract

A key button mechanism and a portable electronic device using same are provided. The key button mechanism includes a key button and an elastic element integrally formed with the key button. The elastic element includes a main body and two elastic arms extending out, backward from the main body and located at two opposite ends of the main body respectively. The main body includes two resisting blocks protruding from one surface thereof away from the key button side and are located adjacent to the two opposite ends of the main body.

Claims

1. A key button mechanism, comprising:

a key button; and

an elastic element integrally formed with the key button, the elastic element comprising a main body and two elastic arms extending from the main body and located at opposite ends of the main body respectively;

the main body comprising two resisting blocks protruding from one surface thereof away from the key button side and located adjacent to the opposite ends of the main body, the main body comprising a resisting wall formed aside the main body with two distal ends thereof connecting to the two resisting blocks.

2. The key button mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the key button is substantially stepped shaped and comprises a key body and a pressing portion, the pressing portion and the main body of the elastic member protruding from opposite surfaces of the key body.

3. The key button mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body further comprises a protrusion protruding therefrom and positioned between the two resisting blocks.

4. The key button mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main body further comprises a limiting stopper extending out from the protrusion toward and cross the resisting wall.

5. The key button mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the main body comprises two ribs extend from opposite sides of the protrusion toward the corresponding two resisting blocks and connect to the corresponding two resisting blocks respectively.

6. The key button mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein each elastic arm comprises a connecting portion extending from one distal end of the main body and a hook integrally formed at a distal end of the connecting portion.

7. The key button mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the key button is made of rigid plastic material, and the elastic element is made of elastic material.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing including a supporting portion formed by a peripheral wall, two locating blocks protruding from two distal ends of the peripheral wall;

a circuit board assembled within the housing;

two switches electrically mounted on the circuit board and spaced from each other; and

a key button mechanism assembled to the housing, comprising;

a key button; and

an elastic element integrally formed with the key button, the elastic element comprising a main body and two elastic arms extending from the main body and located at opposite ends of the main body respectively;

the main body comprising two resisting blocks protruding from one surface thereof away from the key button side corresponding to the two switches of the circuit board, the main body further including a protrusion and two ribs;

wherein the supporting portion supports and resists against the protrusion of the key button mechanism, the two locating blocks resist against the corresponding two ribs to locate the key button mechanism within the housing.

9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the key button is substantially stepped shaped and includes a key body and a pressing portion protruding from one surface of the key body, the main body protrudes from and is positioned at the opposite other surface of the key body.

10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the housing comprises a base wall and a side wall extending from the base wall, the side wall includes an accommodating groove recessed from an inner surface thereof and to receive the key body of the key button therein;

the outer surface of the side wall defines a receiving slot communicating with the accommodating groove and to receive the pressing portion therein.

11. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shape of the accommodating is larger than the receiving slot, thereby forming a peripheral bottom wall surrounding the corresponding receiving slot;

the key body being received within the accommodating groove and partially abutting against the peripheral bottom wall of the accommodating groove.

12. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the protrusion is positioned between the two resisting blocks;

the base wall includes the supporting portion protruding therefrom and located adjacent to the accommodating groove.

13. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the two ribs extend out back ward from two opposite sides of the protrusion and connect with the corresponding two resisting blocks respectively.

14. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein each elastic arm includes a connecting portion extending from one distal end of the main body and a hook integrally formed at the distal end of the connecting portion;

two latching blocks protrude from the base wall and are located adjacent to two sides of the accommodating groove;

the two latching blocks are to latch with the corresponding two hooks of the elastic arm.