Anti-tilt and rotation techniques for a touchsurface assembly having translating keys
First Claim
1. A key assembly, comprising:
- a keycap having a touch surface for receiving a press force that moves the keycap from an unpressed position toward a pressed position, the unpressed position and pressed position separated in a press direction and a second direction orthogonal to the press direction, the keycap having first and second ramp contacting features comprising first and second angular protrusions having first and second protrusion angles relative to first and second side portions of the keycap, respectively,wherein the first angular protrusion and the second angular protrusion extend in a plane parallel to a plane of the touch surface, andwherein the first protrusion angle of the first angular protrusion and the second protrusion angle of the second angular protrusion are each angled in a direction incident with the first side portion of the keycap; and
a base having first and second ramps that contact the first and second ramp contacting features and guide the keycap in the press direction and the second direction as the keycap moves from the unpressed position toward the pressed position, the base also having first and second angular features configured to contact the first and second angular protrusions of the first and second ramp contacting features, respectively;
wherein the first and second angular protrusions contact the first and second angular features to resist rotation of the keycap as the keycap moves toward the pressed position.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The key assembly comprises a keycap having a touchsurface for receiving a press force that moves the keycap from an unpressed position toward a pressed position. The keycap has first and second ramp contacting features comprising first and second angular protrusions. The first and second angular protrusions have first and second protrusion angles relative to first and second side portions of the keycap (respectively). The key assembly also has a base having first and second ramps that contact the first and second ramp contacting features and guide the keycap in the press direction and the second direction as the keycap moves from the unpressed position toward the pressed position. The base has first and second angular features configured to contact the first and second angular protrusions of the first and second ramp contacting features (respectively) to resist rotation of the keycap as the keycap moves toward the pressed position.
201 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A key assembly, comprising:
-
a keycap having a touch surface for receiving a press force that moves the keycap from an unpressed position toward a pressed position, the unpressed position and pressed position separated in a press direction and a second direction orthogonal to the press direction, the keycap having first and second ramp contacting features comprising first and second angular protrusions having first and second protrusion angles relative to first and second side portions of the keycap, respectively, wherein the first angular protrusion and the second angular protrusion extend in a plane parallel to a plane of the touch surface, and wherein the first protrusion angle of the first angular protrusion and the second protrusion angle of the second angular protrusion are each angled in a direction incident with the first side portion of the keycap; and a base having first and second ramps that contact the first and second ramp contacting features and guide the keycap in the press direction and the second direction as the keycap moves from the unpressed position toward the pressed position, the base also having first and second angular features configured to contact the first and second angular protrusions of the first and second ramp contacting features, respectively; wherein the first and second angular protrusions contact the first and second angular features to resist rotation of the keycap as the keycap moves toward the pressed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A keyboard, comprising:
-
a plurality of keycaps, each keycap of the plurality of keycaps having a touch surface for receiving a press force that moves the keycap from a unpressed position toward a pressed position, the unpressed position and pressed position separated in a press direction and a second direction orthogonal to the press direction; each keycap of the plurality of keycaps also having ramp contacting features comprising first and second angular protrusions having first and second protrusion angles relative to first and second side portions of the keycap, respectively, wherein the first angular protrusion and the second angular protrusion extend in a plane parallel to a plane of the touch surface, and wherein the first protrusion angle of the angular protrusion and the second protrusion angle of the second angular protrusion are each angled in a direction incident with the first side portion of the keycap; and a base having, for each corresponding keycap of the plurality of keycaps, first and second ramps that contact the ramp contacting features of the corresponding keycap, and guide the corresponding keycap in the press direction and the second direction as the corresponding keycap moves from the impressed position toward the pressed position, the base also having, for each corresponding keycap of the plurality of keycaps, first and second angular features configured to contact the first and second angular protrusions of the ramp contacting features of the corresponding keycap, respectively, to resist rotation of the corresponding keycap as the corresponding keycap moves toward the pressed position. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of effecting motion of a keycap of a key assembly, wherein the keycap is configured to move between an unpressed position and a pressed position relative to a base, wherein the unpressed and pressed positions are separated in a press direction and in a lateral direction orthogonal to the press direction, the method comprising:
-
in response to a press input to the keycap, guiding the keycap toward the pressed position via ramp contacting features having angular projections that contact with ramps and angular features in the base to resist rotation of the keycap as the keycap moves toward the pressed position, wherein the angular projections extend in a plane parallel to a plane of a touch surface of the keycap, and wherein projection angle of the angular projections is angled in a direction incident with a side portion of the keycap. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification