CN216487765U - Key mechanism and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The application relates to a key mechanism and electronic equipment, wherein the key mechanism comprises a trigger assembly, a key deflector rod and a supporting structure; the trigger assembly comprises a first key and a second key, and the first key and the second key are both arranged on the supporting structure; the key deflector rod is movably arranged on the supporting structure and is configured to move along the axial direction of the key deflector rod and swing along the radial direction of the key deflector rod; the first end of the key deflector rod is provided with a first contact and a second contact, the first contact is pressed to trigger the first key under the condition that the key deflector rod moves along the axial direction, and the second contact is pressed to trigger the second key under the condition that the key deflector rod swings along the radial direction; an elastic component is arranged between the key deflector rod and the supporting structure, and the elastic component is configured to enable the key deflector rod to restore to an initial position after moving along the axial direction or swinging along the radial direction. The key-press device has the technical effects that the multiple key-press functions can be realized only through the movement of the key-press deflector rod along different directions, and the key-press operation is simplified.

Description

Key mechanism and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of electronic equipment components, in particular to a key mechanism and electronic equipment.

Background

Along with the development of science and technology, electronic equipment has more and more functions, in order to realize human-computer interaction, many functions need to be realized by a key structure, electronic equipment with more functions faces the technical problem that more keys are needed, the aesthetic feeling of the appearance of the electronic equipment is influenced by the excessive keys, the multiple functions need to be realized by different keys, and the convenience of the operation of the electronic equipment is reduced.

In the prior art, in order to solve the above problems, many functional keys are replaced by touch screens, but some functions are replaced by touch screens, which deteriorates human-computer interaction experience. For example, when some electronic devices play video or audio, the volume is increased or decreased, and if the operation is implemented by only a screen, the operation steps are more, and for convenience of operation, physical keys are usually matched. In addition, for some functions of the electronic device, such as a power switch, a touch screen and a key are usually required to be combined for ensuring the reliability of the functions. For the requirements of various functions, the number of the keys is difficult to reduce, which is not favorable for the electronic equipment to realize the requirement of simplifying the appearance.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

It is an object of the present application to provide a key mechanism that solves at least one of the problems of the background art.

According to an aspect of the present application, there is provided a key mechanism including:

the trigger assembly, the key deflector rod and the supporting structure;

the trigger assembly comprises a first key and a second key, and the first key and the second key are both arranged on the supporting structure;

the key deflector rod is movably arranged on the supporting structure and is configured to move along the axial direction of the key deflector rod and swing along the radial direction of the key deflector rod; the first end of the key deflector rod is provided with a first contact and a second contact, the first contact is pressed to trigger the first key under the condition that the key deflector rod moves along the axial direction, and the second contact is pressed to trigger the second key under the condition that the key deflector rod swings along the radial direction;

an elastic assembly is arranged between the key deflector rod and the supporting structure, and the elastic assembly is configured to enable the key deflector rod to restore to an initial position after moving along the axial direction or swinging along the radial direction.

Optionally, the number of the second keys is at least two, the number of the second contacts is the same as that of the second keys, the second contacts are opposite to the second keys one by one, and one of the second contacts is pressed to trigger the opposite second key under the condition that the key deflector rod swings in the radial direction.

Optionally, the first contact protrudes from the key shift lever along the axial direction, and the second contact protrudes from the key shift lever along the radial direction; the second contacts are uniformly distributed along the axial direction, and the included angles of the two adjacent second contacts are equal.

Optionally, a limiting portion is disposed between the first end and the second end of the key shift lever, the support structure includes a first support portion, the first support portion has a cavity, and the key shift lever penetrates through the cavity to enable the limiting portion to be located in the cavity, so as to limit a moving range of the key shift lever in axial movement or radial swinging.

Optionally, the limiting portion is spherical, the shape of the cavity is matched with the limiting portion, the limiting portion moves axially in the cavity when the key shift lever moves axially, and the limiting portion rotates in the cavity when the key shift lever swings radially.

Optionally, the first supporting portion includes a supporting cover plate and a supporting platform, and the supporting cover plate and the supporting platform are buckled to form the cavity.

Optionally, the support structure further includes a second support portion, the second support portion is provided with a first through hole, and the key shift lever is inserted into the first through hole; the elastic assembly comprises at least two springs, one end of each spring is connected with the key driving lever, and the other end of each spring is connected with the second supporting part, so that the key driving lever is movably connected with the supporting structure.

Optionally, a hanging hole is formed in the key driving lever, a hook is arranged on the second supporting portion, the number of the hanging hole and the number of the hooks are respectively the same as the number of the springs, one end of each spring is connected to one of the hanging holes, and the other end of each spring is connected to one of the hooks.

Optionally, the support structure further includes a third support portion and a fourth support portion, the third support portion is provided with a second through hole, the first key is disposed on the fourth support portion, and the second key is disposed on the third support portion; the key driving lever penetrates through the first through hole and the second through hole simultaneously, so that the first contact is arranged opposite to the first key, and the second contact is arranged opposite to the second key.

According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided an electronic device including:

a housing and the key mechanism of the first aspect;

the key mechanism is arranged in the shell, and the second end of the key deflector rod is exposed out of the shell.

The key mechanism comprises a trigger assembly, a key driving lever and a supporting structure, wherein the key driving lever is movably arranged on the supporting structure, so that the key driving lever can move along the axial direction of the key driving lever and swing along the radial direction of the key driving lever simultaneously, and the key driving lever is pressed to trigger a first key or a second key arranged on the supporting structure. The technical effect of the application is that the functions of the first key and the second key are realized through different moving directions of the key driving lever, and the simplification and the effective unification of the functions of the plurality of keys are realized. In addition, after the key driving lever moves along the axial direction of the key driving lever or swings along the radial direction of the key driving lever to trigger the first key or the second key, the key driving lever can be restored to the initial position through the elastic assembly, and the operation efficiency of the whole key mechanism can be improved.

Further features of the present application and advantages thereof will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the application and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application.

Fig. 1 is a key mechanism of the present application.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of fig. 1.

Description of reference numerals:

1-a trigger component; 11-a first key; 12-a second key; 2-pressing a deflector rod; 21-a first contact; 22-a second contact; 23-a limiting part; 24-hanging holes; 3-a support structure; 31-a first support part; 311-a cavity; 312-a support table; 313-a support cover plate; 32-a second support; 321-a first via; 322-hook; 33-a third support; 331-a second via; 34-a fourth support; 4-an elastic component; 5-a shell.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: the relative arrangement of the components and steps, the numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application unless specifically stated otherwise.

The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the application, its application, or uses.

Techniques and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but are intended to be considered a part of the specification where appropriate.

In all examples shown and discussed herein, any particular value should be construed as merely illustrative, and not limiting. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

It should be noted that: like reference numbers and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, further discussion thereof is not required in subsequent figures.

In the current society, the traditional mechanical products and electronic equipment tend to be miniaturized and designed simply, and the conventional design realizes different functions through different keys, so that the appearance beauty of the electronic equipment is influenced.

In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a key mechanism, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, including a trigger assembly 1, a key driver 2 and a support structure 3; the trigger assembly 1 comprises a first key 11 and a second key 12, and both the first key 11 and the second key 12 are arranged on the support structure 3; the key driving lever 2 is movably arranged on the supporting structure 3, and the key driving lever 2 can move along the axial direction and swing along the radial direction; the first end of the key driving lever 2 is provided with a first contact 21 and a second contact 22, the first contact 21 presses and triggers the first key 11 under the condition that the key driving lever 2 moves along the axial direction, and the second contact 22 presses and triggers the second key 12 under the condition that the key driving lever 2 swings along the radial direction; an elastic component 4 is arranged between the key driver 2 and the support structure 3, and the elastic component 4 is configured to enable the key driver 2 to return to an initial position (the position in fig. 3) after moving in the axial direction or swinging in the radial direction.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, a key mechanism is provided, which can be applied to an electronic device and includes a trigger assembly 1, a key lever 2 and a support structure 3. The triggering component 1 includes, but is not limited to, a first button 11 and a second button 12, and may be connected to a circuit board of an electronic device to implement various functions. The supporting structure 3 is used for supporting the triggering assembly 1 and the key driving lever 2, namely, the first key 11 and the second key 12 are arranged on the supporting structure 3, and the key driving lever 2 is movably arranged on the supporting structure 3. The key shift lever 2 is movably disposed on the support structure 3, which means that the key shift lever 2 can move relative to the support structure 3, and can be directly connected to the support structure 3, or connected to other components of the electronic device according to an actual application scenario, and the specific connection form is not limited in this application as long as the key shift lever 2 can move along its own axial direction (direction a in fig. 3) or swing along a radial direction (direction B in fig. 3). In practice, the entire support structure 3 may be fixedly attached to the housing 5 or other support member of the electronic device.

In this embodiment, the key shift lever 2 can move along the axial direction to make the first contact 21 on one end thereof press and trigger the first key 11, so as to implement the function of the first key 11. The key driver 2 can also be pivoted in the radial direction to press the second contact 22 on the first end thereof against the second key 12 to activate the second key 12. The radial swing of the key driving lever 2 can be understood as that the key driving lever 2 can move along a certain radial direction, and the movement or swing of the key driving lever 2 can be realized by pressing or shifting the second end of the key driving lever by external force of a user, or can be realized by connecting the second end to an automatic driving structure, which is not limited in the present application.

The key structure provided by the application realizes the functions of the first key 11 and the second key 12 through different moving directions of the key driving lever 2, and realizes the effective unification of the simplification and the functionalization of a plurality of keys. And when the touch control button is applied to the electronic equipment, the number of the buttons outside the electronic equipment can be reduced, and the aesthetic feeling of the appearance of the electronic equipment is improved. In addition, in the application, an elastic component 4 is arranged between the key deflector rod 2 and the supporting structure 3, and the key deflector rod 2 can restore to the initial position through the elastic component 4 after moving along the axial direction or swinging along the radial direction to trigger the first key 11 or the second key 12, so that the operation efficiency of the whole key mechanism can be improved. And, elastic component 4 can be directly as the connecting piece of swing joint bearing structure 3 and button driving lever 2, provides connection function and reset function simultaneously, has simplified the structure of whole button mechanism, has reduced manufacturing cost.

Optionally, referring to fig. 1 to fig. 2, at least two second keys 12 are provided, the number of the second contacts 22 is the same as that of the second keys 12, and each of the second contacts 22 is opposite to the second key 12, and in a case that the key shift lever 2 swings in the radial direction, one of the second contacts 22 is pressed against and triggers the second key 12 opposite thereto.

Specifically, the radial swing range of the key lever 2 may be a radial circle, so that the second key 12 may be provided with two, three, or four (as shown in fig. 1 to 2) according to a usage scenario, and the second contact 22 on the key lever 2 may also be provided with two, three, or four corresponding to the number of the second keys 12. When the touch screen is used, the second contact 22 can be pressed to trigger the second key 12 by swinging the key deflector rod 2 in different directions along the radial direction, so that the corresponding function is realized. When the setting position of the second keys 12 is designed, the second keys may be uniformly arranged along the radial position of the key driver 2, as shown in fig. 2, the second key 12 is an embodiment having four second keys 12, the included angles between the four second keys 12 are all 90 °, and correspondingly, the four second contacts 22 are also arranged on the first end of the key driver 2 according to the above manner, so as to implement a one-to-one corresponding triggering relationship. In addition, in the present application, the position corresponding to the second contact 22 on the second end of the key shift lever 2 may be marked, and when the second key 12 is triggered, the key shift lever 2 only needs to swing towards the corresponding marked position, so that the required key function can be accurately realized.

By providing a plurality of second keys 12 and second contacts 22, further functions can be achieved. For example, the first key 11 may be used as a trigger key for a switch function of the electronic device, the four second keys 12 may be divided into two groups, one group is used as a trigger key for a volume up/down function, and the other group is used as a trigger key for a forward/backward function of video or music. The specific function setting may be designed according to the function of the electronic device, and the application is not limited thereto.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 2, the first contact 21 protrudes from the key shift lever 2 along the axial direction, and the second contact 22 protrudes from the key shift lever 2 along the radial direction; the second contacts 22 are uniformly distributed along the axial direction, and the included angles of two adjacent second contacts 22 are equal.

Specifically, when the key shift lever 2 moves axially or swings radially, the first contact 21 and the second contact 22 on the key shift lever 2 need to accurately trigger the first key 11 or the second key 12 at a low voltage, and the first contact 21 and the second contact 22 protrude out of the whole key shift lever 2, so that the situation that other components are touched by mistake in the using process can be avoided, and the triggering accuracy is improved. And the protruding contact structure can reduce the pressing stroke of the key driving lever 2, namely long-distance triggering is realized by pressing with a small distance, and the triggering efficiency is improved. As shown in fig. 2, the first end of the key driver 2 may be designed as a star structure (in fig. 2, the cross section of the first end along the axial direction is a quadrangle), the first contact 21 is protruded on the top of the first end, the second contacts 22 (in this embodiment, the key driver 2 has 4 second contacts 22 and four corresponding second keys 12) are respectively disposed on each corner of the star structure, and each contact can precisely touch its corresponding key during the use process. In the present application, the first contact 21 and the second contact 22 may be dot-shaped, line-shaped, or surface-shaped. The touch control method and the touch control device can be designed according to the actual requirements or the reliability requirements of the touch of the contact and the key and the like, and the touch control method and the touch control device are not limited by the application.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 2, a position-limiting portion 23 is disposed between the first end and the second end of the key shift lever 2, the support structure 3 includes a first support portion 31, the first support portion 31 has a cavity 311, and the key shift lever 2 passes through the cavity 311 such that the position-limiting portion 23 is located in the cavity 311, so as to limit a movable range of the key shift lever 2 in axial movement or radial swinging.

Specifically, a limiting portion 23 is disposed between the first end and the second end of the key shift lever 2, the supporting structure 3 includes a first supporting portion 31, and the cavity 311 and the limiting portion 23 cooperate to limit the moving range of the key shift lever 2, that is, the axial movement and the radial swing of the key shift lever 2. In addition, the matching of the limiting part 23 and the cavity 311 can also play a certain supporting role for the key driving lever 2, and the reliability of the connection of the whole key mechanism is improved.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 2, the position-limiting portion 23 is spherical, the shape of the cavity 311 matches the shape of the position-limiting portion 23, the position-limiting portion 23 moves axially in the cavity 311 when the key shift lever 2 moves axially, and the position-limiting portion 23 rotates in the cavity 311 when the key shift lever 2 swings radially.

Specifically, the stopper 23 may be provided in a spherical shape, and the cavity 311 may have a shape matching the spherical shape, such as an ellipsoidal shape. When the limiting part 23 is spherical and the cavity 311 is ellipsoidal, on one hand, the possibility of moving the key driving lever 2 in the axial direction can be provided, and on the other hand, the moving range of the key driving lever 2 in the axial direction can be limited, so that the first contact 21 at the first end of the key driving lever 2 is appropriate in force for abutting against the first case, and the first key 11 is prevented from being out of work or damaged due to overlarge force. When the key shift lever 2 swings in the radial direction, the limiting portion 23 rotates in the cavity 311, and further support effect is achieved while the key shift lever 2 can also play a fulcrum role.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 2, the first supporting portion 31 includes a supporting cover 313 and a supporting platform 312, and the supporting cover 313 and the supporting platform 312 are fastened to form the cavity 311.

Specifically, in the actual production assembling process, cavity 311 has certain restriction to spacing portion 23, utilize support cover plate 313 and brace table 312 lid to close formation cavity 311 for in the assembling process, can place spacing portion 23 in the cavity 311 position of brace table 312 earlier, will support cover plate 313 lid again and close on brace table 312, utilize fastener or other detachable connecting piece to fix both together, the installation step can be simplified to this kind of structure, reduce the installation degree of difficulty, part manufacturing cost has been saved. In addition, the limiting part 23 and the cavity 311 are difficult to avoid the problems of friction and abrasion and the like in the moving process of the key driving lever 2, and the structure can be directly disassembled for maintenance or replaced in the maintenance process.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the support structure 3 further includes a second support portion 32, a first through hole 321 is disposed on the second support portion 32, and the key driver 2 is inserted into the first through hole 321; the elastic component 4 comprises at least two springs, one end of each spring is connected with the key deflector rod 2, and the other end of each spring is connected with the second supporting part 32, so that the key deflector rod 2 is movably connected with the supporting structure 3.

Specifically, the supporting structure 3 includes a second supporting portion 32, a second through hole 331 is disposed in the middle of the second supporting portion 32, and the key driver 2 is disposed through the through hole. In this embodiment, the elastic assembly 4 includes at least two springs respectively connected to the second supporting portion 32 and the key shift lever 2, and this connection structure can make the radial force applied to the key shift lever 2 more uniform, and the key shift lever 2 can be restored to the initial position in time no matter it moves axially or swings radially. Preferably, as shown in fig. 2, the spring assembly includes four springs, one end of each of the four springs is connected to the key lever 2, the other end of each of the four springs is connected to the second supporting portion 32, the four springs are at an angle of 90 ° with each other, and are opposite to each other in pairs, so as to limit the entire key lever 2 to an initial position, and once the key lever 2 moves, the spring assembly can be pulled back.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 2, a hanging hole 24 is provided on the key driver 2, a hook 322 is provided on the second supporting portion 32, the number of the hanging holes 24 and the number of the hooks 322 are respectively the same as the number of the springs, one end of each spring is connected to one of the hanging holes 24, and the other end of each spring is connected to one of the hooks 322.

Specifically, set up couple 322 on the second supporting part 32, set up hanging hole 24 on the button driving lever 2, the both ends of spring can be connected respectively on couple 322 and hanging hole 24, in the actual installation, can fix the back with the relative position of other parts earlier, again with the spring installation one by one, simplified the installation procedure, reduced the installation degree of difficulty.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the support structure 3 further includes a third support portion 33 and a fourth support portion 34, the third support portion 33 is provided with a second through hole 331, the first key 11 is provided on the fourth support portion 34, and the second key 12 is provided on the third support portion 33; the key shift lever 2 is simultaneously inserted into the first through hole 321 and the second through hole 331, so that the first contact 21 is disposed opposite to the first key 11, and the second contact 22 is disposed opposite to the second key 12.

In particular, the support structure 3 further comprises a third support 33 and a fourth support 34. The third supporting portion 33 is used for supporting the second button 12, the fourth supporting portion 34 is used for supporting the first button 11, the second through hole 331 is formed in the third supporting portion 33, the button shift lever 2 can be simultaneously penetrated into the second supporting portion 32 and the third supporting portion 33, and after the button shift lever 2 is triggered by the second button 12, the spring assembly at the corresponding position can timely reset the button shift lever 2, so that the next triggering action can be carried out. The accuracy and the control efficiency of the whole mechanism are improved. In addition, the fourth supporting portion 34 is located at the top of the first end of the key shift lever 2, so that when the key shift lever 2 moves along the axial direction, the first key 11 is directly triggered, and the operation efficiency is also improved.

The application also provides an electronic device, which comprises a shell 5 and the key mechanism in the embodiment; the key mechanism is arranged in the shell 5, and the second end of the key deflector rod 2 is exposed out of the shell 5.

Specifically, referring to fig. 1 to 3, when the key mechanism in the present application is applied to an electronic device, the whole key mechanism may be assembled as a whole, and then disposed in the electronic device, and the first key 11 and the second key 12 are respectively connected to the circuit of the electronic device, so as to implement different functions of the electronic device. Meanwhile, in the assembling process, the second end of the key deflector rod 2 is exposed out of the shell 5 of the electronic equipment, so that the operation is convenient. From the appearance of the electronic equipment, only one key deflector rod 2 operation part can realize a plurality of functions, the external structure of the electronic equipment is simplified while the functionalization is considered, and the appearance aesthetic feeling is improved. The supporting structure 3 and the housing 5 of the electronic device may be an integrally formed structure. In the above embodiments, the electronic device may be a mobile phone, a PAD, a smart watch, a VR, an AR, a smart glasses, and the like, which is not limited in this application.

In the above embodiments, the differences between the embodiments are described in emphasis, and different optimization features between the embodiments can be combined to form a better embodiment as long as the differences are not contradictory, and further description is omitted here in consideration of brevity of the text.

Although some specific embodiments of the present application have been described in detail by way of illustration, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above illustration is only for purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. The scope of the application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A key mechanism, comprising:

the trigger assembly, the key deflector rod and the supporting structure;

the trigger assembly comprises a first key and a second key, and the first key and the second key are both arranged on the supporting structure;

the key deflector rod is movably arranged on the supporting structure and is configured to move along the axial direction of the key deflector rod and swing along the radial direction of the key deflector rod; the first end of the key deflector rod is provided with a first contact and a second contact, the first contact is pressed to trigger the first key under the condition that the key deflector rod moves along the axial direction, and the second contact is pressed to trigger the second key under the condition that the key deflector rod swings along the radial direction;

an elastic assembly is arranged between the key deflector rod and the supporting structure, and the elastic assembly is configured to enable the key deflector rod to restore to an initial position after moving along the axial direction or swinging along the radial direction.

2. The key mechanism according to claim 1, wherein there are at least two second keys, the number of the second contacts is the same as that of the second keys, and each of the second contacts is opposite to the second key, and when the key lever swings in a radial direction, one of the second contacts presses against the opposite second key to activate the opposite second key.

3. The key mechanism of claim 2, wherein the first contact protrudes axially beyond the key paddle and the second contact protrudes radially beyond the key paddle; the second contacts are uniformly distributed along the axial direction, and the included angles of the two adjacent second contacts are equal.

4. The key mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a position-limiting portion is disposed between the first end and the second end of the key lever, and the support structure includes a first support portion having a cavity, and the key lever passes through the cavity such that the position-limiting portion is disposed in the cavity to limit a range of motion of the key lever in the axial direction or the radial direction.

5. The key mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said stopper portion is spherical, said cavity has a shape matching said stopper portion, said stopper portion moves axially in said cavity when said key lever moves axially, and said stopper portion rotates in said cavity when said key lever swings radially.

6. The key mechanism of claim 4, wherein the first support portion includes a support cover and a support ledge, the support cover and the support ledge snap-fit to form the cavity.

7. The key mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the supporting structure further comprises a second supporting portion, the second supporting portion is provided with a first through hole, and the key deflector rod is inserted into the first through hole; the elastic assembly comprises at least two springs, one end of each spring is connected with the key driving lever, and the other end of each spring is connected with the second supporting part, so that the key driving lever is movably connected with the supporting structure.

8. The key mechanism according to claim 7, wherein said key driver has a hole for hanging, said second support portion has a hook, said holes and said hooks are respectively the same as said springs, and one end of each of said springs is connected to one of said holes, and the other end of each of said springs is connected to one of said hooks.

9. The key mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the supporting structure further comprises a third supporting portion and a fourth supporting portion, the third supporting portion is provided with a second through hole, the first key is disposed on the fourth supporting portion, and the second key is disposed on the third supporting portion; the key driving lever penetrates through the first through hole and the second through hole simultaneously, so that the first contact is arranged opposite to the first key, and the second contact is arranged opposite to the second key.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing and the key mechanism of any one of claims 1-9;

the key mechanism is arranged in the shell, and the second end of the key deflector rod is exposed out of the shell.

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