阅读说明：本技术 具有摇杆按钮机构的键盘设备 (Keyboard device with rocker button mechanism ) 是由 雅各比·格里洛 于 2018-06-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种键盘设备包括电路板,该电路板具有被设置在电路板的第一表面上的凸起按钮、被设置在第一表面的周边上的弹性开关以及通孔,其中,凸起按钮和开关中的每一个在被致动时闭合电路板上的电路并实现到设备的输入。键盘设备包括被紧固到电路板的面板,面板具有：开口阵列,所述开口阵列被配置成允许按钮穿过；凸台,所述凸台从面板的第一表面朝向电路板延伸并被定位成穿过电路板上的通孔；以及柱塞,所述柱塞在弹性开关上方对齐并与弹性开关接触,使得当面板朝向电路板被按压在对象柱塞处或附近的区域中时,对象柱塞致动与该柱塞接触的弹性开关。(A keyboard device includes a circuit board having raised buttons disposed on a first surface of the circuit board, resilient switches disposed on a perimeter of the first surface, and through-holes, wherein each of the raised buttons and switches, when actuated, closes a circuit on the circuit board and enables input to the device. The keyboard apparatus includes a panel secured to a circuit board, the panel having: an array of openings configured to allow a button to pass through; a boss extending from the first surface of the panel toward the circuit board and positioned to pass through a through-hole on the circuit board; and a plunger aligned over and in contact with the resilient switch such that when the panel is pressed towards the circuit board in an area at or near the subject plunger, the subject plunger actuates the resilient switch in contact with the plunger.)

1. A keyboard device, comprising:

a circuit board having:

a plurality of raised buttons disposed on a first surface of the circuit board,

a plurality of resilient switches disposed on a periphery of the first surface, an

A plurality of through holes are arranged on the base plate,

wherein each of the raised buttons and switches, when actuated, closes a circuit on the circuit board and enables input to the keyboard device; and

a panel secured to the circuit board, the panel having:

an array of openings configured to allow the raised buttons to pass through,

a plurality of bosses extending from the first surface of the panel toward the circuit board and positioned through the plurality of through-holes on the circuit board, an

A plurality of plungers aligned above and in contact with each resilient switch such that when the panel is pressed toward the circuit board in an area at or near a subject plunger, the subject plunger actuates a resilient switch in contact with the subject plunger,

wherein the panel is adjustably secured to the circuit board by screws inserted into the plurality of bosses through a second surface of the circuit board, the second surface of the circuit board being opposite the first surface of the circuit board.

2. The keyboard device of claim 1, wherein:

the panel includes one or more translucent portions formed proximate to one or more of the plurality of plungers, and

the circuit board includes one or more LEDs disposed below the one or more translucent portions such that light from the LEDs is visible through the translucent portions.

3. The keyboard device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plurality of plungers comprises four plungers positioned such that when pressure is applied to the panel at any subject plunger to press the panel toward the plate, only the switches in contact with that plunger are actuated while the remaining switches remain open.

4. The keyboard device of claim 3, wherein two of the plungers are disposed at opposite ends of a first axis passing through a center of the panel, and the remaining plungers are disposed at opposite ends of a second axis passing through the center of the panel and perpendicular to the first axis.

5. A keyboard device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the panel is constructed of a rigid seamless material.

6. A keyboard device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the panel is constructed of a metallic material.

7. The keyboard apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the panel is constructed of a plastic material.

8. The keyboard device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the panel further comprises a reinforcing ridge surrounding the plurality of openings, wherein the reinforcing ridge reinforces the panel against buckling.

9. A keyboard device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one resilient switch comprises a resiliently flexible dome structure.

10. A keyboard device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one resilient switch comprises a spring loaded switch.

11. The keyboard device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a processor configured to implement a security control system.

Background

Various home management systems (e.g., security systems, HVAC systems, etc.) include a panel or control device configured to receive input from a user to control or set settings of the system. The device may include a numeric keypad and an LCD display to display output. The device may include many mechanical components that are susceptible to damage and degradation over time.

Disclosure of Invention

In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, a keyboard device includes a circuit board having: a plurality of raised buttons disposed on a first surface of the circuit board; a plurality of resilient switches disposed on a perimeter of the first surface; and a plurality of through holes, wherein each of the raised buttons and switches, when actuated, closes a circuit on the circuit board and enables input to the keyboard device. The keyboard apparatus further includes a panel secured to the circuit board, the panel having: an array of openings configured to allow the raised buttons to pass through; a plurality of bosses extending from the first surface of the panel toward the circuit board and positioned through the plurality of through-holes on the circuit board; and a plurality of plungers aligned above and in contact with the elastic switch such that when the panel is pressed toward the circuit board in an area at or near a subject plunger, the subject plunger actuates the elastic switch in contact with the plunger, wherein the panel is adjustably secured to the circuit board by screws inserted into the plurality of bosses through a second surface of the circuit board opposite the first surface of the circuit board. Advantageously, this may provide a robust keyboard apparatus, the feel and responsiveness of which may be easily fine-tuned. Further, by providing a button and a plunger for actuating a switch disposed on a periphery of the circuit board, the present disclosure may provide improved usability and/or ergonomics. In some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, an area on the panel may be considered to be near the object plunger if it is closer to the object plunger than it is to any other plunger of the keyboard device.

Optionally, the panel comprises one or more translucent portions formed proximate to one or more of the plurality of plungers, and the circuit board comprises one or more LEDs disposed below the one or more translucent portions such that light from the LEDs is visible through the translucent portions. Advantageously, this may make it easier for a user to distinguish between the plunger and the button, thereby facilitating usability.

The plurality of plungers may include four plungers positioned such that when pressure is applied to the panel at any subject plunger to press the panel toward the circuit board, only the switches in contact with the plungers are actuated while the remaining switches remain open. Thus, the user is able to control over a greater range of functionality than a conventional rocker switch.

Optionally, two of the plungers are disposed at opposite ends of a first axis through the center of the panel and the remaining plungers are disposed at opposite ends of a second axis through the center of the panel and perpendicular to the first axis.

The panels may be constructed of a rigid, seamless material. This may provide good decoration and enable the panel to be easily and efficiently manufactured as a single injection moulded part. Optionally, the panel is constructed of a metallic material. This may provide increased strength and durability.

In some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, the panels may be constructed of a plastic material. In such embodiments, the panel may further comprise a reinforcing ridge surrounding the plurality of openings, wherein the reinforcing ridge reinforces the panel against buckling. This may contribute to the lifetime of the keyboard device and provide improved tactile feedback to the user.

The at least one resilient switch may comprise a resilient, flexible dome structure and/or the at least one resilient switch may comprise a spring loaded switch.

The keyboard device may further include a processor configured to implement a security control system. Advantageously, this may provide the user with greater or more convenient control of the security system than conventional keypad devices.

Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are illustrative and are intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the claims.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosed subject matter, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosed subject matter and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. No attempt is made to show structural details in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the disclosed subject matter and the various ways in which it may be practiced.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

Fig. 3A illustrates a top perspective view of a panel in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

Fig. 3B illustrates a bottom perspective view of a panel in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a keyboard device in an enlarged view in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

Detailed Description

Various aspects or features of the disclosure are described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In this specification, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it is understood that certain aspects of the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the subject disclosure.

A keyboard device with a rocker mechanism according to the disclosed subject matter includes a panel cover that functions as a multidirectional rocker switch. The disclosed keyboard device requires fewer parts to implement the rocker function, is simpler to manufacture, is less prone to wear and tear over time, and provides better options for illuminated indicators at the depressible portion of the rocker than conventional rocker mechanisms.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a keyboard device 100 in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. The device includes a panel 110 having a plurality of icons 120 marking depressible portions of the panel 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the panel 110 includes four icons, however this is only a single embodiment and a different number of icons/depressible portions may be implemented.

The panel 110 includes an array of openings that allow the plurality of buttons 130 to protrude therethrough. Each of the buttons and depressible icons are positioned to actuate a switch in a circuit board below the panel 110 and thereby enter data (e.g., password, menu selection) into the device 100 or change parameter settings, as will be described further below.

To help facilitate the use of the rocker function, the outer edge 140 of the panel may be formed to be upwardly inclined. This provides a familiar, heightened feel to the user (which indicates the usability of the rocker function), as well as enhancing the aesthetics of the device 100.

Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the device 100. The housing 160 covers the rear and sides of the device. The housing 160 may include an opening 170 that provides access to one or more components of the circuit board 200 (e.g., battery components, memory components, etc.) that may be exchanged or upgraded, which are housed between the panel 110 and the housing 160. The housing 160 may include a plurality of openings 180, the plurality of openings 180 providing access to an adjustment screw 190, which may be used to fine tune the responsiveness of the panel 110, as will be explained below.

Fig. 3A shows the top side of panel 110 disengaged from device 100. The faceplate 110 may be constructed as a single rigid seamless component, including an array of openings 135 that allow the buttons to protrude through and move freely. The panel 110 includes a plurality of pressable portions 115, 116, 117, 118. In an embodiment, the panel 110 comprises a total of four pressable portions 115, 116, 117, 118 arranged in quarter positions around the perimeter. In an embodiment, the depressible portion is opaque and may be marked with an indicator to indicate to the user the availability and location of the rocker function.

The use of a single seamless panel reduces the complexity of the construction of the device 100. It provides good decoration and is easy to manufacture as a single injection moulded part. However, for some materials of construction, the inclusion of the array of openings 135 weakens the panel 110 sufficiently to increase the likelihood that the panel 110 will flex rather than remain rigid when the depressible portion is depressed. Such flexing can lead to increased wear and tear and detract from the high quality appearance of the device. Accordingly, in some embodiments (an example of which is shown in fig. 3A), a reinforcing ridge 138 surrounding the array of openings 135 is provided on the panel 110 to improve the rigid quality of the panel 110.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the pressable portions are translucent so that they allow at least some amount of light to pass through and indicate which portions of the panel 110 can be pressed to use the rocker function. The translucent pressable portions 115, 116, 117, 118 may be aligned over one or more LEDs controlled by a processor connected to the circuit board 200. In this way, the device 100 may display one or more colors, or indicate the availability of certain features, for example, by depressible portions 115, 116, 117, 118 depending on the status of the device.

For example, in one mode of operation, the device 100 can be configured such that one of the translucent pressable portions 115 is marked with an outline of a shield icon. The red light may indicate to the user that the security feature controlled by device 100 is currently turned off. While in this state, the user may press the shield icon to activate the security function. Once activated, the device processor may change the color displayed by the translucent depressible portion 115 from red to green to indicate to the user that the security feature has been activated.

Fig. 3B shows the bottom side of panel 110 disengaged from device 100. The plurality of openings 135 are arranged in an array in a central region of the panel. The pressable portions 115 are positioned around the plurality of openings 135 along the peripheral region of the panel 110. In this embodiment, a first pair of depressible portions 115, 117 is located along a first alignment axis 121, each depressible portion being disposed on an opposite side of the panel 110. The second pair of depressible portions 116, 118 are positioned on opposite sides of a second alignment axis 122 perpendicular to the first alignment axis 121. Other embodiments may include a single depressible portion, three or more pairs of depressible portions disposed on opposite ends of a respective alignment axis, or other configurations.

At each pressable portion 115, 116, 117, 118, in close proximity, a corresponding plunger 125, 126, 127, 128 is provided on the underside of the panel 110. When the panel 110 is secured to the circuit board 200, the plurality of plungers 125, 126, 127, 128 protrude from the bottom surface of the panel 110, each plunger facing a corresponding switch on the circuit board 200. Thus, when the top side of the panel 110 is depressed by a user, at or near the depressible portions 115, 116, 117, 118, the panel 110 advances toward the circuit board 200 and causes the corresponding plungers 125, 126, 127, 128 to actuate switches on the circuit board 200.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 3B, the plungers 125, 126, 127, 128 are positioned such that when pressure is applied at any depressible portion near the subject plunger, i.e., pressing the panel toward the plate, only the switches in contact with the subject plunger are actuated, while the remaining switches remain open.

A plurality of bosses 145 are provided on the underside of the panel 110. Similar to the plurality of plungers 125, 126, 127, 128, each of the plurality of bosses protrudes from the bottom surface of the panel 110 toward the circuit board 200.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of the panel 110, circuit board 200 and housing 160. The enlarged view shows the boss 145, set screw 190, plunger 125, switch 210, and circuit board opening 220. As seen in the enlarged view, the faceplate 110 is mounted over the circuit board 200 such that the plunger 125 rests on top of the switch 210 and is in contact with the switch 210.

The switch 210 is a resilient switch that closes the circuit on the circuit board 200 when pressed, and automatically returns to its original position when released. The switch 210 may be implemented as a dome switch (as shown in fig. 4), or as a different type of switch, such as a spring loaded switch or other type of resilient switch that exerts an upward reactive force when depressed.

The circuit board 200 includes an opening 220 for each panel boss 145. The panel boss 145 is positioned on the panel 110 to be aligned to protrude through the opening 220 when the panel 110 is placed over the circuit board 200. The adjustment screw 190 is inserted into the boss 145 to fix the panel 110 to the circuit board 200 and prevent the panel 110 from being detached from the circuit board 200 in an upward direction (i.e., away from the circuit board 200). However, the boss 145/screw 190 arrangement does not prevent the panel from moving in a downward direction (i.e., toward the circuit board 200).

In this arrangement, when the panel 110 is depressed at the depressible portion, that portion will descend toward the circuit board 200, thereby driving the plunger 125 down into the dome switch 210. This depression actuates switch 210, thereby closing the circuit on circuit board 200 and enabling input to device 100. The elastic switch 210 exerts a reaction force upward to return to its original state when depressed. Thus, when the user refrains from depressing the faceplate 110, the switch 210 forces the plunger 125 and, through the extension, the faceplate 110 until the original rest position of the faceplate 110.

The adjustment screw 190 may be tightened or loosened to adjust the contact of the plunger 125 against the switch 210 at each depressible portion of the panel 110. The boss 145/screw 190 combination allows fine tuning of responsiveness without the use of shims or other additional components that are typically used for adjustment in conventional rocker function devices.

In an embodiment, the boss 145/screw 190 combination is referenced to the housing 160. In an alternative embodiment, the boss 145/screw 190 combination is directly referenced to the circuit board 200, thereby reducing the number of layers in the tolerance stack to a minimum as compared to conventional rocker mechanisms that may include multiple layers in the tolerance stack (which results in a less consistent button feel in the rocker mechanism).

The disclosed keyboard apparatus provides an improved rocker function with consistent feel and easy adjustment features as well as improved wear durability. The disclosed keyboard device with a joystick function may include a processor and memory mounted in a circuit board and used to implement components such as a security control system, HVAC control system, or home management system, where a central button is used for alphanumeric input and a peripheral depressible portion providing joystick function input is used to select menus, select operating modes, send signals, change device parameters such as color or sound, and the like.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit embodiments of the disclosed subject matter to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter and their practical application to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the embodiments and various embodiments with various modifications as may be suited to the particular use contemplated.