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Patent EP1028443A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
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EP1028443A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Key switch device, keyboard and electronic apparatus with key switch device

Assignee: Brother Industries Ltd
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Filing: 2000-02-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2020-02-10
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Abstract

Abstract In a key switch device 3, a guide member 10 constructed of a first and a second links 14 and 15, which guides a vertical movement of a key top 9, is movably mounted on a support plate 2 with a mounting member 6 provided with a rotatably supporting portion 7 which rotatably supports a rotatable shaft 18 formed at a lower end of the first link 14 and a slidably supporting portion 8 which slidably supports a slidable shaft 20 formed at a lower end of the second link 15. The mounting member 6 is fixed on the support plate 2 with a first, second, and third adhesive layers 24, 25, and 26. <IMAGE>

Inventors

  • 👤 Mitsumasa Kako
  • 👤 Isao Mochizuki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 15:18
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H3/00; H01H3/02; H01H3/12; H01H3/122; H01H3/125; H01H2219/00; H01H2219/002; H01H2219/018; H01H2239/00; H01H2239/058; H01M; H01M6/00; H01M6/14; H01M6/18; H01M6/181

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim 123 words
A key switch device (3) including: a key top (9); a plate member (2) disposed below the key top; a guide member (20) provided with a first link and a second link which are mutually movably connected; and a switching section (11) which is disposed on the plate member and performs a switching operation in association with a vertical movement of the key top; wherein the key switch device includes: a first shaft (18) formed at a lower end of the first link; a second shaft (15) formed at a lower end of the second link; and a mounting member (6, 30, 40) for movably supporting the first and second shafts, the mounting member being fixed on a surface of the plate member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 123 words
A key switch device (3) including: a key top (9); a plate member (2) disposed below the key top; a guide member (20) provided with a first link and a second link which are mutually movably connected; and a switching section (11) which is disposed on the plate member and performs a switching operation in association with a vertical movement of the key top; wherein the key switch device includes: a first shaft (18) formed at a lower end of the first link; a second shaft (15) formed at a lower end of the second link; and a mounting member (6, 30, 40) for movably supporting the first and second shafts, the mounting member being fixed on a surface of the plate member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
The key switch device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting member is formed in a chipped configuration having a unit length of the key switch device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 59 words
The key switch device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the key switch devices are disposed on the plate member, and the mounting member has a length required to movably support the first shaft of the first link and the second shaft of the second link of the guide member in each of the key switch device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
The key switch device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting member is fixed on the surface of the plate member with an adhesive applied to the surface of the plate member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 50 words
The key switch device according to claim 1, wherein the plate member is a support plate (2) disposed below the key top, and the support plate and the mounting member are made of metal material, and the mounting member is fixed on the surface of the support plate by welding.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
The key switch device according to claim 5, wherein the mounting member is fixed on the surface of the support plate by soldering.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 24 words
The key switch device according to claim 5, wherein the mounting member is fixed on the surface of the support plate by laser welding.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
The key switch device according to claim 5, wherein the mounting member is fixed on the surface of the support plate by ultrasonic welding.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 37 words
The key switching device according to claim 1, wherein the plate member is a membrane switch member (MS disposed below the key top, and the mounting member being fixed on a surface of the membrane switch member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 48 words
The key switch device according to claim 9, wherein the membrane switch member includes a film sheet with a switching electrode, the switching member performs a switching operation in cooperation with the film sheet and the switching electrode in association with a vertical movement of the key top.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 56 words
The key switch device according to claim 9, wherein the membrane switch member includes a membrane switch sheet (MS) having a pair of an upper film sheet (S1) and a lower film sheet (S2), the switching member performs a switching operation with the membrane switch sheet in association with a vertical movement of the key top.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 27 words
The key switch device according to claim 11, wherein the mounting member is formed in a chipped shape having a unit length of the key switch device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 59 words
The switch device according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of the key switch devices are disposed on the membrane switch member, and the mounting member has a length required to movably support the first shaft of the first link and the second shaft of the second link of the guide member in each of the key switch devices.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 34 words
The key switch device according to claim 9, wherein the mounting member is fixed on the surface of the membrane switch member with an adhesive applied to the surface of the membrane switch member.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 45 words
The key switch device according to claim 1, wherein the plate member is a circuit board (60) disposed below the key top, the circuit board having a switching circuit formed thereon and the mounting member being fixed on an upper surface of the circuit board.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 27 words
The key switch device according to claim 16, further comprising a fixing area formed on the circuit board, for fixing the mounting member on the circuit board.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 30 words
The key switch device according to claim 17, wherein the fixing area is a metal land pattern (62, 63) formed when the switching circuit is formed on the circuit board.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 28 words
The key switch device according to claim 18, wherein the mounting member is made of metal, the mounting member being fixed to the metal land pattern by soldering.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 53 words
The key switch device according to claim 18, wherein the mounting member includes at least a first mounting member and a second mounting member, and the metal land pattern includes at least a first land pattern to fix the first mounting member and a second land pattern to fix the second mounting member.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 36 words
The key switch device according to claim 20, wherein the first mounting member slidably supports the second shaft of the second link and the second mounting member rotatably supports the first shaft of the first link.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 100 words
The key switch device according to claim 21, wherein the first mounting member has a slidably supporting portion (8, 32, 42) to slidably support the second shaft of the second link between both fixing ends formed at both sides of the first mounting member, each fixing end being fixed on the first land pattern and the second mounting member has a rotatably supporting portion (7, 31, 41) to rotatably support the first shaft of the first link between both fixing ends formed at both sides of the second mounting member, each fixing end being fixed on the second land pattern.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 48 words
The key switch device according to claim 22, wherein the first land pattern has a slidably supporting area corresponding to the supporting portion of the first mounting member and the second land pattern has a rotatably supporting area corresponding to the supporting portion of the second mounting member.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 50 words
The key switch device according to claim 23, wherein the second shaft of the second link is slid while contacting with the supporting area of the first land pattern and the first shaft of the first link is rotated while contacting with the supporting area of the second land pattern.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 58 words
The key switch device according to claim 23, wherein the supporting area of the first land pattern separates from fixing areas where both the fixing ends of the first mounting member are fixed and the supporting area of the second land pattern separates from fixing areas where both the fixing ends of the second mounting member are fixed.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 116 words
The key switch device according to claim 23, further comprising an insulating resist film (IF) applied on the first and second land pattern; fixing areas formed both sides of the first land pattern by applying the insulating resist film to the first land pattern so as to expose both sides of the first land pattern, both fixing ends of the first mounting member being fixed on the fixing areas; and fixing areas formed both sides of the second land pattern by applying the insulating resist film to the second land pattern so as to expose both sides of the second land pattern, both fixing ends of the second mounting member being fixed on the fixing areas.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 27 words
The key switch device according to claim 26, wherein both the supporting areas of the first and second land pattern are covered by the insulating resist film.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 62 words
The key switch device according to claim 27, wherein the second shaft of the second link is slid while contacting with the insulating resist film corresponding to the supporting area of the first land pattern and the first shaft of the first link is rotated while contacting with the insulating resist film corresponding to the supporting area of the second land pattern.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 19 words
The key switch device according to claim 18, wherein the circuit board is constructed from a rigid circuit board.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 19 words
The key switch device according to claim 18, wherein the circuit board is constructed from a film circuit board.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 48 words
The key switch device according to claim 9, wherein the membrane switch member is made transparent, the key switch device further comprises an electro-luminescent sheet disposed below the membrane switch member, the electro-luminescent sheet backlighting the key top when a predetermined voltage is applied to the electro-luminescent sheet.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 55 words
The key switch device according to claim 31, wherein the membrane switch member includes a transparent membrane switch sheet having a pair of an upper transparent sheet and a lower transparent sheet, and the switching member performs a switching operation with the membrane switch sheet in association with a vertical movement of the key top.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 29 words
The key switch device according to claim 32, wherein the mounting member is fixed on an upper transparent surface of the upper film sheet of the membrane switch sheet.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 63 words
The key switch device according to claim 1, wherein the plate member is a support plate (2) and a film circuit board disposed on the support plate and below the key top (9), the film circuit board having a switching circuit and a through-hole formed thereon and the mounting member being fixed on an upper surface of the support plate through the through-hole.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 34 words
The key switch device according to claim 34, wherein the support plate and the mounting member are made of metal, the mounting member being fixed to the support plate through the through-hole by soldering.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 122 words
A keyboard provided with a key switch device including: a key top; a plate member disposed below the key top, the plate member having a switching circuit formed thereon; a guide member provided with a first link and a second link which are mutually movably connected; a switching member which performs a switching operation with the switching circuit on the plate member in association with a vertical movement of the key top; a first shaft formed at a lower end of the first link; a second shaft formed at a lower end of the second link; and a mounting member for movably supporting both the first and second shafts, the mounting member being fixed on an upper surface of the plate member.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 122 words
A keyboard provided with a key switch device including: a key top; a plate member disposed below the key top, the plate member having a switching circuit formed thereon; a guide member provided with a first link and a second link which are mutually movably connected; a switching member which performs a switching operation with the switching circuit on the plate member in association with a vertical movement of the key top; a first shaft formed at a lower end of the first link; a second shaft formed at a lower end of the second link; and a mounting member for movably supporting both the first and second shafts, the mounting member being fixed on an upper surface of the plate member.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 126 words
An electronic apparatus having a keyboard provided with a key switch device including: a key top; a plate member disposed below the key top, the plate member having a switching circuit formed thereon; a guide member provided with a first link and a second link which are mutually movably connected; a switching member which performs a switching operation with the switching circuit on the plate member in association with a vertical movement of the key top; a first shaft formed at a lower end of the first link; a second shaft formed at a lower end of the second link; and a mounting member for movably supporting both the first and second shafts, the mounting member being fixed on an upper surface of the plate member.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim 126 words
An electronic apparatus having a keyboard provided with a key switch device including: a key top; a plate member disposed below the key top, the plate member having a switching circuit formed thereon; a guide member provided with a first link and a second link which are mutually movably connected; a switching member which performs a switching operation with the switching circuit on the plate member in association with a vertical movement of the key top; a first shaft formed at a lower end of the first link; a second shaft formed at a lower end of the second link; and a mounting member for movably supporting both the first and second shafts, the mounting member being fixed on an upper surface of the plate member.

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