Keycap having a balance lever for keyswitch structure

Details Keycap having a balance lever for keyswitch structure Keycap having a balance lever for keyswitch structure

2000-09-01

2002-12-17

Scott, J. R. (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Electric switch details

Actuators

C200S345000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06495782

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a keyswitch structure with a keycap having a balance lever, since a dull-proof structure is added to the balance lever of a key switch, it will prevent from unbalance due to the ineffectiveness of the balance lever as that in the prior art
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the progress of the information technology, automatic equipment is popular in various offices and homes. Therefore, peoples have more and more time to touch keyboards. For example, keyboards of computers or cash receivers need keyboards to communicate with machines. Therefore, keyboards are frequently used in the daily life and thus, a high quality keyboard is necessary which has a beautiful outlook, a comfortable touch feeling, a beautiful sound as it is acted, a balance condition, etc.
In general, since the key switches of the long keys have keycap with a larger area than any other key, as the operator presses the keycap, the force is not exactly applied to the center of the keycap. Therefore, it is possible that the keycap will be tilted as it is pressed and cause the input data to be wrong. Moreover, the keycap will be destroyed due to improper pressing. In general, an elastic metal balance lever is added between the keycap of the key switch and the key seat. By the balance lever, the force applied to the keycap can be transferred to the center of the keycap and thus the keycap acts in a steady condition.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the prior art key switch of a keyboard and the balance lever are illustrated. The key switch has a keycap
10
a.
A plurality of pivotal seats
11
a
are firmly secured within the keycap
10
a.
An elastic metal balance lever
12
a
is arranged with the pivotal seats
11
a.
Two ends of the balance lever
12
a
each are formed with hooks
13
a.
Another two respective slots
15
a
are installed on the key seat
14
a.
When the keycap
10
a
is assembled to the key seat
14
a,
the two hooks
13
a
of the balance lever
12
a
are slidably matched to the two slots
15
a
of the key seat
14
a.
When the keycap
10
a
is pressed or released so that the key switch is turned on or of, by the slots
13
a
sliding in the slots
15
a,
the keycap
10
a
moves. By the installation of the balance lever
12
a,
the force applied to the keycap
10
a
can be transferred to the center of the keycap
10
a
and thus, the keycap
10
a
acts steadily.
In general, as the keycap
10
a
is assembled, a function test is necessary for preventing the keycap
10
a
and balance lever
12
a
from improper operation due to fault assembly. However, in the current structure, even the hooks
13
a
of the balance lever
12
a
is not substantially matched to the slots
15
a
of the key seat
14
a,
when the keycap
10
is pressed, the balance lever
12
a
remains to move into the keycap
10
a
so as to be tested successfully so that the key switch can be turned on or off. Therefore, it can pass the test. However, since the hooks
13
a
of the balance lever
12
a
are not substantially matched to the slots
15
a
of the key seat
14
a
so that the balance lever
12
a
will be ineffective. Therefore, the prior art structure can not prevent the ineffectiveness of the balance lever due to the fault in assembly.
Therefore, it is apparently that the structure of the balance lever of a key switch in the prior art must be improved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a keyswitch structure with a keycap having a balance lever. A balance lever is pivotally installed within a keycap of a key switch. The balance lever is formed with two hooks. The balance lever is slidably matched to slots in a key seat. At least one block element is installed within the keycap. As the balance lever is not installed in the slots, the block element will generate a force to support and stop the balance lever so that the keycap of the key seat can not be assembled in the key seat normally and thus, it is failed in testing. Therefore, bad products can be found in the testing process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a keyswitch structure with a keycap having a balance lever, in which In the present invention, since a dull-proof structure is added to the balance lever of a key switch, it will prevent from unbalance due to the ineffectiveness of the balance lever as that in the prior art.
The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when reading in conjunction with the appended drawing.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4771146 (1988-09-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5376765 (1994-12-01), Holmes et al.
patent: 5668358 (1997-09-01), Wolf et al.
patent: 5823325 (1998-10-01), Lin
patent: 5941373 (1999-08-01), Cheng
patent: 6020566 (2000-02-01), Tsai
patent: 6057522 (2000-05-01), Chao
patent: 6100482 (2000-08-01), Koma et al.

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