Covering structure, input device, and manufacturing method of covering structure

• US 9,229,537 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chicony Electronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Chicony Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, I-Heng, Lin, Chung-Yao, Lin, Yu-Hsiu
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Hung
• Application Number:
  US14/255,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 428/40.2, 428/328, 428/336, 428/349, 428/319.1, 428/35.7, 359/359, 206/525, 206/480, 206/138, 206/528, 206/376, 206/484, 345/80, 345/173, 345/418, 345/419, 345/3.1, 345/501, 345/174, 345/619, 345/473, 345/161, 345/427, 361/679.01, 361/679.09, 361/679.4, 361/679.31, 361/679.02, 361/679.21, 361/679.26, 361/679.27, 361/679.39, 361/679.33, 361/679.48, 361/679.46, 361/679.59, 361/679.58, 361/679.49, 455/457, 455/255, 455/424
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0278 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/263 characterised by a layer having non-uniform thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/026 Knitted fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/025 comprising leather
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/046 of foam
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/016 Protection layer, e.g. for legend, anti-scratch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24504 Component comprises a polymer [e.g., rubber, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24521 with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24529 and conforming component on an opposite nonplanar surface

Abstract

A covering structure including a bottom covering layer, a top covering layer, and a thermoplastic material layer is disclosed. The thermoplastic material layer is laminated between the bottom covering layer and the top covering layer. The thermoplastic material layer includes a first thermoplastic material layer part and a second thermoplastic material layer part that are connected to each other. The first thermoplastic material layer part has a first thickness. The second thermoplastic material layer part has a second thickness. The first thickness is larger than the thickness of the top covering layer. The first thickness is 4˜7 times of the second thickness. The disclosure further discloses an input device using the covering structure and a manufacturing method of the covering structure.

Claims

1. A covering structure, comprising:

a bottom covering layer;

a top covering layer; and

a thermoplastic material layer laminated between the bottom covering layer and the top covering layer, the thermoplastic material layer comprising a first thermoplastic material layer part and a second thermoplastic material layer part that are connected to each other, the first thermoplastic material layer part having a first thickness, the second thermoplastic material layer part having a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is larger than the thickness of the top covering layer, and the first thickness is larger than the second thickness.

2. The covering structure of claim 1, wherein the first thickness is 4˜

7 times of the second thickness.

3. The covering structure of claim 1, wherein the bottom covering layer comprises a first bottom layer part and a second bottom layer part that are connected to each other, the first thermoplastic material layer part is laminated between the first bottom layer part and the top covering layer, the second thermoplastic material layer part is laminated between the second bottom layer part and the top covering layer, the first bottom layer part has a third thickness, the second bottom layer part has a fourth thickness, and the third thickness is larger than the fourth thickness.

4. The covering structure of claim 3, wherein the third thickness is 1.2˜

1.7 times of the fourth thickness.

5. The covering structure of claim 3, wherein the sum of the first thickness, the third thickness, and the thickness of the top covering layer is 1.5˜

2.3 times the sum of the second thickness, the fourth thickness, and the thickness of the top covering layer.

6. The covering structure of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer adhered between the top covering layer and the thermoplastic material layer.

7. The covering structure of claim 1, wherein the material of the bottom covering layer comprises nylon, and the material of the thermoplastic material layer comprises Polyurethane.

8. The covering structure of claim 1, wherein the bottom covering layer is a knitted fabric layer, the top covering layer is a leather layer, and the thermoplastic material layer is a foam layer.

9. An input device, comprising:

a keyboard module comprising a plurality of keyswitch units; and

a covering structure comprising;

a bottom covering layer covering and attached to the keyboard module;

a top covering layer; and

a thermoplastic material layer laminated between the bottom covering layer and the top covering layer, the thermoplastic material layer comprising a plurality of first thermoplastic material layer parts and a second thermoplastic material layer part, the second thermoplastic material layer part being connected to the first thermoplastic material layer parts, the first thermoplastic material layer parts respectively corresponding to regions of the keyswitch units, the second thermoplastic material layer part corresponding to a region outside the keyswitch units, each of the first thermoplastic material layer parts having a first thickness, the second thermoplastic material layer part having a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is larger than the thickness of the top covering layer, and the first thickness is larger than the second thickness.

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the first thickness is 4˜

7 times of the second thickness.

11. The input device of claim 9, wherein the bottom covering layer comprises a plurality of first bottom layer parts and a second bottom layer part, the second bottom layer part is connected to the first bottom layer parts, each of the first thermoplastic material layer parts is laminated between the corresponding first bottom layer part and the top covering layer, the second thermoplastic material layer part is laminated between the second bottom layer part and the top covering layer, each of the first bottom layer parts has a third thickness, the second bottom layer part has a fourth thickness, and the third thickness is larger than the fourth thickness.

12. The input device of claim 11, wherein the third thickness is 1.2˜

1.7 times of the fourth thickness.

13. The input device of claim 11, wherein the sum of the first thickness, the third thickness, and the thickness of the top covering layer is 1.5˜

2.3 times the sum of the second thickness, the fourth thickness, and the thickness of the top covering layer.

14. The input device of claim 9, wherein the covering structure further comprises an adhesive layer adhered between the top covering layer and the thermoplastic material layer.

15. The input device of claim 9, wherein the material of the bottom covering layer comprises nylon, and the material of the thermoplastic material layer comprises Polyurethane.

16. The input device of claim 9, wherein each of the keyswitch units is a dome supporting type keyswitch.

17. The input device of claim 9, wherein each of the keyswitch units is a scissors-like supporting type keyswitch.

18. The input device of claim 9, wherein the keyboard module is a force-sensing resistor keyboard.

19. The input device of claim 9, wherein the bottom covering layer is a knitted fabric layer, the top covering layer is a leather layer, and the thermoplastic material layer is a foam layer.

20. A manufacturing method of covering structure, comprising:

providing a bottom covering layer;

laminating a thermoplastic material layer to the bottom covering layer;

hot-pressing the thermoplastic material layer to form a first thermoplastic material layer part that is not hot-pressed and a second thermoplastic material layer part that is hot-pressed, wherein the first thermoplastic material layer part has a first thickness, the second thermoplastic material layer part has a second thickness, and first thickness is 4˜

7 times of the second thickness; and

laminating a top covering layer to the thermoplastic material layer, wherein the first thickness is larger than the thickness of the top covering layer.

21. The manufacturing method of claim 20, wherein the step of providing the bottom covering layer comprises:

hot-pressing the bottom covering layer to form a first bottom layer part that is not hot-pressed and a second bottom layer part that is hot-pressed, wherein the first thermoplastic material layer part is laminated between the first bottom layer part and the top covering layer, the second thermoplastic material layer part is laminated between the second bottom layer part and the top covering layer, the first bottom layer part has a third thickness, the second bottom layer part has a fourth thickness, and the third thickness is 1.2˜

1.7 times of the fourth thickness.

22. The manufacturing method of claim 21, wherein the sum of the first thickness, the third thickness, and the thickness of the top covering layer is 1.5˜

2.3 times the sum of the second thickness, the fourth thickness, and the thickness of the top covering layer.

23. The manufacturing method of claim 20, wherein the step of laminating the top covering layer to the thermoplastic material layer comprise:

applying an adhesive layer to the thermoplastic material layer, so as to make the top covering layer and the thermoplastic material layer that are laminated be adhered to each other.

24. The manufacturing method of claim 20, wherein the material of the bottom covering layer comprises nylon, and the material of the thermoplastic material layer comprises Polyurethane.