GB2327208A

GB2327208A - Waterproof keyboard assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2327208A
Application number: GB9714858A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chin Wen Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-07-15
Filing date: 1997-07-15
Publication date: 1999-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-15
Also published as: CA2360122A1; GB9714858D0; DE29713756U1; GB2327208B; FR2767089B3; FR2767089A3

Abstract

The assembly 2 includes a mold frame 23 having a plurality of keys 24 mounted thereon and a soft, seamless and flexible rubber pad 22 having carbon pills 221 for contacting a circuit board 21 by depression of a corresponding key. The assembly is formed by mounting the circuit board onto the frame by engaging the circuit board mounting holes 211 with the frame mounting posts 231 such that the rubber pad in between is compressed tightly and all of its edges are extended to form a sealing effect with the interior of the frame.

Description

WATERPROOF KEYBOARD ASSERBLY The invention relates to a keyboard assembly, and more particularly to an improvement which can meet a waterproofing requirement under accidental damping situations.

It is well known in the art that keyboards have various application in telephone sets, calculators, control panels, tele-communicating devices, computers, and so on. Especially in an automatic office or an automanufacturing field, the keyboard utilization seems to be inevitable.

However, in order to reduce the cost, keyboards in the art are not specifically designed to be waterproofing. Thus, in case of water merging, circuit short-cut of the keyboard becomes an unavoidable problem.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a keyboard assembly in the art is shown explodedly. The keyboard assembly 1 comprises a first circuit board 11, a first rubber pad 12, a first mold frame 13, and a plurality of first keytops 14.

In the first mold frame 13, there exists a plurality of penetrating first button entry 132 arranged in a square array. Circumscribing each of the first button entry 132 is a first entry brim 133 to be a counter part to a first keytop rim 141 of the first keytop 14. The first entry brim 133 is the stop for the first keytop 14 to be positioned in the corresponding button entry 132. Also, the keyboard assembly 1 in the art also comprises a plurality of first mounting posts 131 on the surface facing the first rubber pad 12.

The first rubber pad 12 is a soft sheet with a plurality of first conductive pills 121 arrayed on the surface facing the first circuit board 11 at each corresponding location to each first keytop 14.

The first circuit board 11 is the counter part to the first rubber pad 12, with circuit on the surface facing the first rubber pad 12. The first circuit board 11 also comprises a plurality of first mounting holes 111 as counter parts to the first mounting posts 131 extruding from the first mold frame 13.

Along one side edge of the first circuit board 11 is the first output pins 112 of the keyboard assembly 1.

While assembling aforesaid keyboard assembly 1, the first circuit board 11 is pressed to firmly engage the first mold frame 13 by the first mounting holes 111 and the first mounting posts 131, and to encompass the first keytops 14 and the first rubber pad 12 in between.

In application, one of the first keytops 14 is depressed to press down the corresponding first conductive pill 121 of the first rubber pad 12, and thus the corresponding first conductive pill 121 touches the surface of the first circuit board 11 so that a specific signal is sending out of the keyboard assembly 1 via the first output pins 112.

Apparently, the keyboard assembly 1 in the art described above is not a waterproof device. In case that water emerges over the first mold frame 13, the water will enter the space between the first rubber pad 12 and the first circuit board 11 through the splits between the first keytops 14 and the first mold frame 13, as well as the abysses in and around the first rubber pad 12.

Thus, short-cutting will be inevitable and dysfunction this keyboard assembly 1 in the art.

However, in generally speaking, keyboards with waterproofing application, such as those used to anti severe environment, pressure resist, or underwater application, are equivalent to high pricing. Regarding the financing, it is unconvincing to use such high-pricing keyboards in ordinary application just for the reason of avoiding accidental short-cutting.

Moreover, the cost in upgrading all keyboards to be waterproofing is substantial, and sometimes can't be afforded by limited budget in some business.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a waterproof keyboard assembly which is capable of proceeding normal operation under an accidental watering environment.

The present invention comprises a mold frame, a plurality of keytops mounting in the mold frame, a soft and seamless rubber pad to seal from sides of the mold frame, and a circuit board separated from the mold frame by the rubber pad. To assemble the present invention, the circuit board is pressed firmly onto the mold frame via mounting means locating on the edges of facing surfaces of the mold frame and the circuit board, and to hold the rubber pad and keytops firmly in between. The mounting means can be screwing or pin-hole combination by ultra-sonic welding or any other thermal welding method available.

Waterproofing provided by the present invention is achieved by firmly squeezing the seamless rubber pad to extend all its edges, and thus forming a sealing effect to separate possible emerging water, which entering from the mold frame, from the space forming between the circuit board and the rubber pad. Therefore, the possibility of short-cutting can be reduced to a substantial extend. Preferably, waterproofing can be synthesized by providing a surrounding interior circum-slot to the mold frame and a corresponding extruding pad rim to the rubber pad.

Moreover, the keytops and the rubber pad according to the present invention can be manufactured as a unique compact part with a plurality of keytops bulging from the rubber pad surface to meet various application.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a simplestructured keyboard assembly for waterproofing, which is competitive in its low manufacturing cost.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a waterproof keyboard assembly for upgrading a keyboard device in the art without changing any other components of the device.

All these objects are achieved by the waterproof keyboard assembly described below.

The present invention will now be specified with reference to its preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a keyboard assembly in the art.

FIG.2 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the waterproof keyboard assembly in accordance with the present invention.

FIG.3 is a perspective view of the third rubber pad of another preferred embodiment of the waterproof keyboard assembly in accordance with the present invention.

The invention disclosed herein is directed to a waterproof keyboard assembly. In the following description, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that variations of these specific details are possible while still achieving the results of the present invention.

In other instance, well-known components are not described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a waterproof keyboard assembly in accordance with the present invention is illustrated explodedly. The waterproof keyboard assembly 2 can meet the waterproofing requirement in case of accidental water emerging, and comprises a second circuit board 21, a second rubber pad 22, a second mold frame 23, and a plurality of second keytops 24.

The second mold frame 23 is the installation platform for accommodating the block-shaped second keytops 24, the second rubber pad 22, and the second circuit board 21, and further has a plurality of penetrating second button entries 233 arranged in shape of a square array.

Circumscribing each of the second button entry 233 is a second entry brim 234 to be a counter part of a second keytop rim 241 of the second keytop 24.

The second entry brim 234 provides a stop for the second keytop 24 to be positioned in the corresponding second button entry 233. Also, the second mold frame 23 further comprises a plurality of mounting points surrounding edges of the second mold frame 23 surface facing the second rubber pad 22.

The second rubber pad 22 is a soft, seamless, and flexible sheet pad to be installed onto the second mold frame 23 surface, further comprising a plurality of second conductive pills 221 attached to the opposite surface thereof to the second mold frame 23 surface where the second mounting points locate, at each corresponding position of each second keytop 24.

Preferably, the second conductive pills 221 are carbon pads.

The second circuit board 21 is mounted adjacent to the second rubber pad 22 surface, where the second conductive pills 221 locate, for generating a signal while one of the second conductive pills 221 is pressed to contact the second circuit board 21 surface through depressing the corresponding second keytop 24. The second circuit board 21 further comprises a plurality of counter mounting points surrounding edges thereof to go with the mounting points of the second mold frame 23. Along one side edge of the second circuit board 21 is the second output pins 212 of the waterproof keyboard assembly 2.

Preferably, the mounting points of the second mold frame 23 are a plurality of second mounting posts 231 extruding from the surrounding edges of the second mold frame 23 surface, and the counter mounting points of the second circuit board 21 are a plurality of corresponding second mounting holes 211 surrounding edges of the second circuit board 21.

Alternatively, the mounting points and the counter mounting points are a plurality of mounting holes surrounding edges of the second mold frame 23 and corresponding mounting posts surrounding edges of the second circuit board 21, respectively.

Also preferably, mounting points and the counter mounting points are a plurality of mounting screws and corresponding mounting holes, respectively.

By finn combination of the mounting points of the second mold frame 23 and the counter mounting points of the second circuit board 21, the second circuit board 21 compresses the second rubber pad 22 (who has an original thickness enough to be squeezed and expended to a further thinner and wider sheet) onto the second mold frame 23 and thus renders a seal function by squeezing the seamless second rubber pad 22 in between to prevent the water outside the second mold frame 23 from entering the second circuit board 21. Also, such firm combination can be achieved by ultra-sonic welding or any other thermal welding method available.

In application, one of the second keytops 24 is depressed to press down the corresponding second conductive pill 221 of the second rubber pad 22, and thus the corresponding second conductive pill 221 touches the surface of the second circuit board 21; so that a specific signal is sending out of the waterproof keyboard assembly 2 via the second output pins 212.

Preferably, as shown in Fig. 2, waterproofing of the preferred embodiment can be synthesized by providing a surrounding interior circumslot 232 to the second mold frame 23 and a corresponding extruding pad rim 222 to the second rubber pad 22.

Referring now to Fig. 3, a third rubber pad 22b of another preferred embodiment of the waterproof keyboard assembly in accordance with the present invention is illustrated perspective. The third rubber pad 22b is manufactured by putting the second rubber pad 22 and the second keytops 24 of the aforesaid embodiment, the waterproof keyboard assembly 2 shown in Fig. 2, together as a unique compact part. In the preferred embodiment, the mold frame, the circuit board, and corresponding positions of the keytops and conductive pills are all similar to those describing in aforesaid embodiment.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to three preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A waterproof keyboard assembly, which is an improved keyboard structure in waterproofing, comprising: a mold frame, which is the installation platform of the keyboard assembly, further comprising a plurality of through button entries therein and a plurality of mounting points surround edges thereof; a plurality of keytops, which are block-shaped push buttons to be positioned in the button entries of the mold frame; a rubber pad, which is a soft, seamless, and flexible pad to be installed onto the mold frame surface; further comprising a plurality of conductive pills attached to the opposite surface thereof to the mold frame surface where the mounting points locate, at each corresponding position of each keytop; and a circuit board, which is mounted to the rubber pad surface with the conductive pills, for generating a signal while one of the conductive pill is pressed to contact the circuit board surface under the depressing from the corresponding keytop, further comprising a plurality of counter mounting points surrounding edges thereof to go with the mounting points of the mold frame; and, by firm combination of the mounting points of the mold frame and the corresponding counter mounting points, the circuit board compresses the rubber pad onto the mold frame and thus renders a seal function by squeezing the seamless rubber pad in between to prevent the water outside the mold frame from entering the circuit board.

2. The waterproof keyboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said mounting points and said counter mounting points are mounting posts and corresponding mounting holes, respectively.

3. The waterproof keyboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said mounting points and said counter mounting points are mounting holes and corresponding mounting posts, respectively.

4. The waterproof keyboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said mounting points and said counter mounting points are mounting screws and corresponding mounting holes, respectively.

5. The waterproof keyboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said seal function by squeezing the seamless rubber pad is achieved by providing circum-slot surrounding inside the mold frame and the corresponding pad rim extruding toward the circum-slot from edge of the rubber pad.

6. The waterproof keypad assembly according to claim 1, wherein said conductive pills of the rubber pad are carbon pads.

7. A waterproof keyboard assembly, which is an improved keyboard structure in waterproofing, comprising: a mold frame, which is the installation platform of the keyboard assembly, further comprising a plurality of through button entries therein and a plurality of mounting points surround edges thereof; a rubber pad, which is a soft, seamless, and flexible pad to be installed onto the mold frame surface; further comprising a plurality of keytops thereof bulging toward said each button entry of the mold frame and a plurality of conductive pills thereof attached to each corresponding position of each keytop on the opposite surface thereof to the keytops; and a circuit board, which is mounted to the rubber pad surface with the conductive pills, for generating a signal while one of the conductive pill is pressed to contact the circuit board surface under the depressing from the corresponding keytop, further comprising a plurality of counter mounting points surrounding edges thereof to go with the mounting points of the mold frame; and, by firm combination of the mounting points of the mold frame and the corresponding counter mounting points, the circuit board compresses the rubber pad onto the mold frame and thus renders a seal function by squeezing the seamless rubber pad in between to prevent the water outside the mold frame from entering the circuit board.

8.The waterproof keyboard assembly according to claim 7, wherein said mounting points and said counter mounting points are mounting posts and corresponding mounting holes, respectively.

9.The waterproof keyboard assembly according to claim 7, wherein said mounting points and said counter mounting points are mounting holes and corresponding mounting posts, respectively.

1 0.The waterproof keyboard assembly according to claim 7, wherein said mounting points and said counter mounting points are mounting screws and corresponding mounting holes, respectively.

11.The waterproof keyboard assembly according to claim 7, wherein said seal function by squeezing the seamless rubber pad is achieved by providing circum-slot surrounding inside the mold frame and the corresponding pad rim extruding toward the circum-slot from edge of the rubber pad.

12.The waterproof keypad assembly according to claim 7, wherein said conductive pills of the rubber pad are carbon pads.