Optical keyswitch

• US 11,018,667 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2019
• Issued: 05/25/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Darfon Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Darfon Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Chen, Hsieh, Yu-Chun, Wang, Yung-Chih, Liu, Chia-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Ko, Tony
• Application Number:
  US16/240,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20190214988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/968 using opto-electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/969 having a plurality of control members, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/9651 the moving element acting on a force, e.g. pressure sensitive element
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/9653 with illumination

Abstract

An optical keyswitch includes a keycap, a supporting mechanism having a protrusion disposed under the keycap to support the keycap to move downward or upward, and a switch module including a circuit board, an emitter, and a receiver. The emitter and the receiver are electrically connected to the circuit board. The emitter emits an optical signal to the receiver. When the keycap is not pressed, the receiver receives the optical signal of a first intensity. When the keycap is pressed, the protrusion moves along with the keycap, and the protrusion changes the optical signal received by the receiver to have a second intensity different from the first intensity, so the switch module is triggered to generate a triggering signal.

Claims

1. An optical keyswitch, comprising:

a keycap having a protrusion;

a support mechanism disposed below the keycap and configured to support the keycap moving upward and downward, the support mechanism comprises a scissor-like support mechanism including an inner frame and an outer frame;

the inner frame couples with the outer frame to rotate about a scissor axis;

a restoring mechanism disposed below the keycap and configured to provide a restoring force to enable the keycap to return to a non-pressed position, the restoring mechanism comprising a casing having an accommodation space and a resilient member disposed in the accommodation space, wherein the restoring mechanism is within a vertical projection area of the inner frame; and

a switch module comprising a circuit board, an emitter, and a receiver, the emitter and the receiver electrically connected to the circuit board, the emitter emitting an optical signal to the receiver, the emitter and the receiver spaced apart by an intensity adjustment space,

wherein when the keycap is not pressed, the protrusion is at a first position relative to the intensity adjustment space, and the receiver receives the optical signal of a first intensity;

when the keycap is pressed, the protrusion moves along with the keycap outside the casing to a second position relative to the intensity adjustment space;

the second position is different from the first position, and the protrusion changes the optical signal received by the receiver to have a second intensity different from the first intensity, so that the switch module is triggered to generate a triggering signal.

2. The optical keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the protrusion has an opening;

the first position refers that the opening is away from the intensity adjustment space, and the protrusion at least partially blocks the optical signal received by the receiver;

the second position refers that the opening is located in the intensity adjustment space, and the optical signal is allowed to pass the opening, so that the second intensity is greater than the first intensity to trigger the switch module generating the triggering signal.

3. The optical keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the first position refers that the protrusion is away from the intensity adjustment space, and the protrusion does not change the intensity of the optical signal received by the receiver;

the second position refers that the protrusion is located in the intensity adjustment space, and the protrusion reduces the intensity of the optical signal received by the receiver, so that the second intensity is smaller than the first intensity to trigger the switch module generating the triggering signal.

4. The optical keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the casing has an up-down path and a sidewall;

the sidewall is located between the up-down path and the accommodation space to separate the up-down path from the accommodation space;

when the keycap is pressed, the protrusion is driven by the keycap to move downward in the up-down path.

5. The optical keyswitch of claim 4, wherein the circuit board further has a receiving space aligned with the up-down path and the intensity adjustment space;

when the keycap is pressed, the protrusion is driven by the keycap to move downward in the up-down path into the receiving space through the intensity adjustment space.

6. The optical keyswitch of claim 4, wherein the casing comprises an upper casing and a lower casing;

the lower casing has a substantially U-shaped horizontal cross section;

the upper casing includes a left arm portion and a right arm portion protruding toward each other beyond the lower casing to form an open region between the left arm portion and the right arm portion;

the up-down path is located within the open region, and the emitter and the receiver are located beneath the left arm portion and the right arm portion, respectively.

7. The optical keyswitch of claim 6, further comprising a baseplate, wherein the circuit board is disposed on the baseplate;

the protrusion extends from a lower surface of the keycap toward the baseplate;

the baseplate has an extension portion extending toward the keycap and corresponding to the protrusion to at least partially block the optical signal;

when the protrusion is driven to move along with the keycap, the protrusion presses against the extension portion, and the extension portion deforms to avoid the optical signal, so the second intensity is greater than the first intensity.

8. The optical keyswitch of claim 6, wherein the upper casing comprises an upper casing body and a movable part;

the upper casing body has a through hole and an upper engaging portion;

the movable part is movably inserted into the through hole to position the resilient member;

the lower casing has a lower engaging portion engaging with the upper engaging portion to combine the upper casing and the lower casing.

9. The optical keyswitch of claim 8, wherein the upper casing body has an open region;

the emitter and the receiver are disposed on two opposite sides of the open region and covered by the upper casing body;

the optical signal passes the open region;

when the protrusion is driven to move along with the keycap, the protrusion moves toward the open region to at least partially block the optical signal.

10. The optical keyswitch of claim 9, wherein the circuit board has a receiving space communicating with the open region;

when the protrusion at least partially blocks the optical signal, the protrusion moves into the receiving space through the open region.

11. The optical keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the emitter and the receiver are within the vertical projection area of the inner frame;

the restoring mechanism is substantially located at a first side with respect to the scissor axis;

the emitter and the receiver are located at a second side with respect to the scissor axis opposite to first side.

12. The optical keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the emitter, the intensity adjustment space, and the receiver are sequentially arranged along a straight optical path;

the straight optical path is parallel to the scissor axis.

13. The optical keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises an upper casing and a lower casing;

the lower casing has a deformable portion extending from the lower casing toward the upper casing and corresponding to the protrusion;

when the protrusion is driven to move along with the keycap, the protrusion presses against the deformable portion and the deformable portion is bent to at least partially block the optical signal, so the second intensity is smaller than the first intensity.

14. The optical keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises an upper casing and a lower casing;

the upper casing has a deformable portion extending from the upper casing and corresponding to the protrusion;

when the protrusion is driven to move along with the keycap, the protrusion presses against the deformable portion and the deformable portion is bent to at least partially block the optical signal, so the second intensity is smaller than the first intensity.

15. The optical keyswitch of claim 1, wherein the casing has a grating portion disposed corresponding to the emitter or the receiver to define a stroke distance of generating the triggering signal when the keycap is pressed.

16. An optical keyswitch, comprising:

a keycap;

a support mechanism disposed below the keycap and configured to support the keycap moving upward and downward;

a switch module comprising a circuit board, an emitter, and a receiver, the emitter and the receiver electrically connected to the circuit board, the emitter emitting an optical signal to the receiver; and

a restoring mechanism disposed below the keycap and configured to provide a restoring force to enable the keycap to return to a non-pressed position, the restoring mechanism comprising a resilient member, the resilient member comprising a spring portion and an extension portion extending from the spring portion toward the keycap,

wherein when the keycap is pressed, the keycap presses against the extension portion and the extension portion deforms to at least partially block the optical signal, so the switch module is triggered to generate a triggering signal.

17. The optical keyswitch of claim 16, wherein the restoring mechanism further comprises a casing;

the casing comprises an upper casing and a lower casing to enclose an accommodation space;

the spring portion is disposed in the accommodation space and the extension portion protrudes outside the accommodation space.

18. An optical keyswitch, comprising:

a keycap having a protrusion;

a support mechanism disposed below the keycap and configured to support the keycap moving upward and downward;

a restoring mechanism disposed below the keycap and configured to provide a restoring force to enable the keycap to return to a non-pressed position, the restoring mechanism comprising a casing having an accommodation space and a resilient member disposed in the accommodation space, the casing having a deformable portion extending corresponding to the protrusion; and

a switch module comprising a circuit board, an emitter, and a receiver, the emitter and the receiver electrically connected to the circuit board, the emitter emitting an optical signal to the receiver,

wherein when the keycap is not pressed, the receiver receives the optical signal of a first intensity;

when the keycap is pressed, the protrusion moves along with the keycap to press against the deformable portion, and the deformable portion is bent to at least partially block the optical signal, so that the optical signal received by the receiver to have a second intensity different from the first intensity, and the switch module is triggered to generate a triggering signal.

19. An optical keyswitch, comprising:

a keycap having a protrusion;

a support mechanism disposed below the keycap and configured to support the keycap moving upward and downward, the casing comprising an upper casing and a lower casing, the upper casing comprising an upper casing body and a movable part, the upper casing body having a through hole and an upper engaging portion, the lower casing having a lower engaging portion engaging with the upper engaging portion to combine the upper casing and the lower casing;

a restoring mechanism disposed below the keycap and configured to provide a restoring force to enable the keycap to return to a non-pressed position, the restoring mechanism comprising a casing having an accommodation space and a resilient member disposed in the accommodation space, the movable part movably inserted into the through hole to position the resilient member; and

a switch module comprising a circuit board, an emitter, and a receiver, the emitter and the receiver electrically connected to the circuit board, the emitter emitting an optical signal to the receiver, the emitter and the receiver spaced apart by an intensity adjustment space,

wherein when the keycap is not pressed, the protrusion is at a first position relative to the intensity adjustment space, and the receiver receives the optical signal of a first intensity;

when the keycap is pressed, the protrusion moves along with the keycap outside the casing to a second position relative to the intensity adjustment space;

the second position is different from the first position, and the protrusion changes the optical signal received by the receiver to have a second intensity different from the first intensity, so that the switch module is triggered to generate a triggering signal.