Typewriting machines – Key-board or key lever-actuating mechanism
Utility Patent
1999-10-25
2001-01-02
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Key-board or key lever-actuating mechanism
C400S495000
Utility Patent
active
06168330
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic equipment comprising a thin keyboard switch, such as a portable personal computer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional technology is described with reference to FIG.
6
through
FIG. 10
, using a portable personal computer as an exemplary equipment.
FIG. 6
is a vertical cross sectional view of a conventional portable personal computer.
FIG. 7A
is a plan view of thin keyboard switch used in the portable personal computer.
FIG. 7B
shows a cross section in switch portion of the keyboard.
FIG. 8
is a plan view of an upper case for the keyboard, while
FIG. 9
shows a plan view of a bottom case.
FIG. 10
illustrates how a connection sheet is connected.
A thin keyboard switch
1
is formed of switching contact points
3
corresponding to respective push buttons
2
provided for a certain specific number on a rigid baseboard
5
, for example a metal board, and switch sheets
4
made of a flexible insulating sheet material sandwiching the push buttons. At a rear end, a connector sheet
6
having a certain width formed of the same flexible insulating sheet material used for the switch sheet
4
is drawn from a space between the baseboard
5
and the push buttons
2
.
An upper case
7
for housing and holding the keyboard switch
1
is formed of a frame portion
8
surrounding the keyboard switch
1
and a bottom board
9
, and is provided with an oblong slit
10
at a border between the rear end of the bottom board
9
and the frame portion
8
for allowing the connector sheet
6
to go through when the keyboard switch
1
is mounted thereon.
A bottom case
11
is for housing the upper case
7
, which bears the keyboard switch
1
, at the upper portion, and houses at the bottom portion a certain specific electronic circuit (not shown) and a circuit board
13
containing a connector
12
. The connector sheet
6
coming through the slit
10
and folded down forward is connected and fixed at the tip end to the connector
12
. A covering lid
15
including a display portion
14
is hinged to a side of the bottom case
11
. The bottom case
11
and the covering lid
15
constitute an outer casing for the portable personal computer.
For mounting the keyboard switch
1
and connecting the connector sheet
6
to the circuit board
13
stored in the bottom case
11
during assembly of the portable personal computer, the connector sheet
6
is pulled out of the upper case
7
through the slit
10
, and then folded down forward to be inserted at the tip end for connection and fixation in the mouth of connector
12
, as shown in FIG.
10
. And then the upper case
7
is mounted and fixed on the upper portion of the bottom case
11
.
Passing the connector sheet
6
through the slit
10
, and then folding and connecting it to the connector
12
are the troublesome manual operations to be conducted by the hands of an operator at a narrow nook within the bottom case
11
. The operations have been forming a bottleneck in the assembly of portable personal computers.
In order to make the passing and folding operations for the connector sheet
6
easier, one may think of broadening the slit
10
in the bottom board
9
. However, the broader slit signifies that the bottom board
9
is unable to provide a support against the reverse surface of the baseboard
5
in the corresponding area. This creates another problem that the press of a push button
2
locating above the broader slit causes a local downward deflection of keyboard switch
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to offer an electronic equipment comprising a thin keyboard switch, with which the fabricating operation for connecting a connector sheet drawn from a rear portion of the keyboard switch to a circuit board stored in the bottom case is easy, yet the keyboard switch does not make a local downward deflection during keyboard operation.
An upper case for housing a thin keyboard switch of electronic equipment is provided with an opening at one end of the bottom board for allowing a connector sheet drawn from the rear end portion of the keyboard switch to pass through, the connector sheet is provided with at least one hole at a middle part in the width direction, and a protrusion for supporting baseboard of the keyboard switch from the reverse surface penetrating through the hole of the connector sheet as it is being folded down forward is provided within the opening of upper case. With the above described structure, the protrusion provided for supporting the baseboard prevents the keyboard switch from making a local deflection, despite the broadened opening. Also, during mounting operation of the keyboard switch, the connecting of connector sheet to circuit board stored within the bottom case can be performed easily by the hands of an operator.
It is preferred that the protrusion is protruding from the frame portion of upper case as the constituent part towards the opening provided in the bottom board of the upper case. With the above described structure, the reverse surface of baseboard of a thin keyboard switch may be supported on substantially a same level, irrespective of the locality whether it is above the bottom board, or above the opening area of the bottom board, of the upper case.
It is also preferred that the protrusion is provided erected upright on the bottom of the bottom case as the constituent part in the area of the opening formed in the bottom board of the upper case. With the above described structure, a keyboard switch can withstand even a stronger force exerted on a push button locating above the opening.
It is also preferred that the opening of bottom board of the upper case is sufficiently larger than the size needed for the connector sheet to pass through, yet it is within a range where occurrence of the deflection in keyboard switch is preventable by means of the protrusion. Under the above described structure, the operation of connecting a connector sheet to a circuit board disposed in the bottom case will become easier, and the overall fabricating operation smoother.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4876415 (1989-10-01), Clancy
patent: 5255154 (1993-10-01), Hosoi et al.
patent: 5268816 (1993-12-01), Abell et al.
patent: 5329422 (1994-07-01), Sasaki
patent: 5358344 (1994-10-01), Spence
patent: 5414420 (1995-05-01), Puckette et al.
patent: 5539615 (1996-07-01), Sellers
patent: 5694124 (1997-12-01), Wood
Hiroe Toshifumi
Inoue Takefumi
Okada Hiroyasu
Yoshii Seiji
Hilten John S.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Nguyen Anthony H.
Ratner & Prestia
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