Typewriting machines – Key-board or key lever-actuating mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-27
2004-03-16
Nguyen, Anthony H. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Key-board or key lever-actuating mechanism
C400S691000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705782
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a kind of keyboard, more particularly, a kind of keyboard that is used for notebook computers, characterized in that the dividing mechanism of the sealing layer is designed to break up the totality of the sealing layer, thus solving the condition of distortion caused by the different thermal expansion coefficients of the bottom board and the sealing layer adhered thereon due to temperature change, so as to maintain the smoothness of the keyboard, and expedite the assembly process.
2. Description of Related Art
A general notebook computer
10
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, mainly comprises a screen
20
, a keyboard
30
and a casing
40
; wherein the screen
20
and the casing
40
are integrally connected via the hinge mechanism. The keyboard
30
is installed on the casing
40
, wherein a motherboard adhered on the surface with CPU and other electronic units is contained; the motherboard is located under the keyboard
30
.
The keyboard
30
is assembled with components including a plurality of keys
31
, a bottom board having upturning edges
37
, a rubber layer
33
and a circuit board layer
34
, assembled as shown in FIG.
2
and
FIG. 3
, then the assembled keyboard is to be installed on the casing
40
.
The composition of the keyboard
30
is to be further elaborated in accordance with
FIG. 4
to FIG.
8
.
FIG. 4
shows the condition where the sealing layer
38
of the keyboard
30
detaching (not being adhered) from the bottom board
35
containing the key
31
, wherein the shape of the sealing layer
38
is largely correspondent to that of the bottom board
35
. The sealing layer
38
can be made of soft or hard plastic material. Please continue refer to
FIG. 5
, which shows that a plurality of apertures
36
, formed via the means of pressure-punching, are installed on the bottom board
35
in
FIG. 4
, and during the process of pressure-punching, lugs are also formed to lock and fix the rubber layer
33
and the circuit board layer
34
(not shown in figures). The bottom board
35
and the sealing layer
38
, as shown in FIG.
4
and
FIG. 5
, are to be adhered together by gluing on the lower surface of the bottom board
35
or on the upper surface of the sealing layer
38
, thus the sealing layer
38
is to be adhered to the lower surface of the bottom board
35
, as shown in FIG.
6
. The baking procedure is to be executed on the keyboard
30
that includes the sealing layer
38
, for the glue between the sealing layer
38
and the bottom board
35
has to be solidified to closely adhere the two; the keyboard
30
after the baking procedure is shown in FIG.
2
. Through the cross-sectional views of FIG.
7
and
FIG. 8
, it is to be thoroughly understood that the keyboard
30
mainly includes the keys
31
, rubber layer
33
, circuit board layer
34
, bottom board
35
and the sealing layer
38
. Since the composition of the keyboard
30
is of conventional art, it is no need to describe the detailed structure thereof here.
The notebook computer
10
(please refer to FIG.
1
), with the convenient features of lighter weight and smaller volume, thus easy to be carried around, demands higher price than that of desktop computers. In order to avoid the situation that the expensive notebook computer being easily damaged when the user, while operating the notebook computer, accidentally pours liquid onto the keyboard
30
, the conventional keyboard
30
is installed with the sealing layer
38
on the lower surface of the bottom board
35
, therefore making the keyboard
30
a waterproof keyboard, for the purpose of stopping the liquid poured in from flowing through the apertures
36
of the bottom board
35
down to the circuit board. By using the sealing layer
38
to seal the apertures
36
of the bottom board
35
, it is to be assured that the circuit board is not to be damaged by the liquid dripping down from the apertures
36
of the bottom board
35
, and the normal operation of the notebook computer is to be maintained.
The bottom board
35
that contains the keys
31
, since it is designed to receive the force from the user's pushing the keys
31
, should be made of rigid and durable material, like metal, so as to prevent the keyboard
30
from being distorted and deformed; as to the sealing layer
38
, it should especially be made of lamellar waterproofing material, thus not to increase the overall thickness.
However, because glue is used for adhering the sealing layer
38
onto the lower surface of the bottom board
35
, with the sizes of the sealing layer
38
and the bottom board
35
being at least 10 cm×27 cm, the different thermal expansion coefficients for both materials, after being through the baking procedure, are to cause distortion due to the temperature change, as shown in
FIG. 9
, wherein it is different from the horizontal smoothness of the bottom board shown by FIG.
7
. Thus a height difference D emerges between the upturned edges of the keyboard
30
and the horizontal line
32
parallel to the bottom board
35
. The distorted keyboard
30
is of a flawed product that may adversely affect the precision during assembly, thus causing difficulty during assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a kind of keyboard for notebook computers, mainly by using the dividing mechanism of the sealing layer to break up the totality of the sealing layer, thus solving the distortion caused by different thermal expansion coefficients of the bottom board and the sealing layer adhered thereon due to temperature change, so as to maintain the smoothness of the keyboard and expedite the assembly process.
To achieve the above mentioned object, the keyboard of the present invention at least includes a bottom board, installed with a plurality of apertures, that contains keys, and a sealing layer adhered to the lower surface of the bottom board; at least one dividing means, which may be a mechanism or, without limitation, a structure such as a groove, aperture, or slit, being installed on the sealing layer, with the dividing means being installed between the apertures so as to avoid the locations of the apertures installed on the bottom board and thereby maintain the aperture seals.
Preferably, the sealing layer consists of one layer in the form of a lamella, the dividing means installed thereon being in the form of apertures or grooves.
Alternatively, the sealing layer may consist of at least two layers in the form of lamellas, the dividing means installed thereon being in the form of slits.
The shapes of the apertures, grooves or slits in the dividing mechanism are not to be restricted.
The structure of the dividing means is not to be restricted.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4948281 (1990-08-01), Werner
patent: 5681122 (1997-10-01), Burke
patent: 5810491 (1998-09-01), Muller et al.
patent: 6054939 (2000-04-01), Wei et al.
patent: 6398436 (2002-06-01), Chao
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Chicony Electronics Co. Ltd.
Nguyen Anthony H.
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