Carbon nanotube based keyboard

• US 8,899,851 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): COLILLA, DANIEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US13/196,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20120193203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 400/472, 400/477, 400/479.2, 400/479
• US Class Current: 400/479
• 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. The second substrate is located 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 located on the first lower surface and includes a first conductive layer including a carbon nanotube layer structure. The second electrode layer is located on the second upper surface and includes a second conductive layer. A number of keys is located 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;

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, and the second upper surface facing the first lower surface;

a first electrode layer positioned on the first lower surface and comprising a first conductive layer comprising a carbon nanotube layer structure, a first resistivity of the carbon nanotube layer structure along a first direction is larger than a second resistivity of the carbon nanotube layer structure along a second direction that is substantially perpendicular with the first direction;

a first electrode positioned on one end of the carbon nanotube layer structure and oriented along the first direction;

a plurality of detecting electrodes positioned on another end of the carbon nanotube layer structure and arranged along the first direction;

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

a plurality of rows of keys positioned on the first upper surface, each of the plurality of rows is aligned along the second direction, and an amount of the plurality of detecting electrodes is larger than an amount of the plurality of rows,

wherein each key is detectable by at least one detecting electrode.

2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube layer structure comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented along the second direction.

3. The keyboard of claim 2, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are joined end to end with each other by van der Waals attractive force in the second direction.

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

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

6. The keyboard of claim 5, wherein the material of the second substrate is fabric.

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

8. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a second carbon nanotube layer structure comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed uniformly.

9. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented along the second direction, and the second conductive layer comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented along the first direction perpendicular with the second direction.

10. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein the second electrode layer comprises a second electrode and a plurality of second detecting electrodes, the second electrode is positioned on an end of the second conductive layer, the plurality of second detecting electrodes are positioned on another opposite end of the second conductive layer, the second electrode is oriented along the second direction, and the plurality of detecting electrodes is arranged along the second direction.

11. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein the second electrode layer comprises a plurality of third detecting electrodes and a plurality of fourth detecting electrodes located at two opposite ends of the second conductive layer, and the plurality of third detecting electrodes and the plurality of fourth detecting electrodes are arranged along the second direction.