| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 400490000 | Key-cap or key-stem structure | 33 |
| 20080205961 | Polymeric gel-cushioned keyboard keys - A key assembly for a keyboard. The key assembly includes a plunger assembly having an impact flange and a mantle coupled to the plunger assembly. The mantle includes a gel deformable by an actuation force. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080226375 | THIN KEYPAD ASSEMBLY - A thin keypad assembly with a keypad panel of a smooth surface, a mist surface or a lines layer includes an elastic layer, a carrier and a keypad layer. The elastic layer includes a plurality of support portions, and each support portion has a protrusion. The carrier is installed on a surface of the elastic layer, and the joint surface of the carrier and the elastic layer sequentially includes a ground color layer, a function color layer and a font color layer. The keypad layer has a holder disposed on a surface of the carrier, and a plurality of protruding or flat keycaps are disposed on the holder, and a smooth surface is formed on the surface of the keycap, and the surface of the holder is a mist surface, or the surfaces of both keycap and holder are a lines layer. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080240831 | KEYBOARD WITH ENHANCED IRRADIATION BRIGHTNESS - A keyboard. A membrane circuit assembly is disposed on a base plate. A key base is disposed on the membrane circuit assembly and comprises a first metal conducting portion and a second metal conducting portion. The first and second metal conducting portions are connected to a power source. An activating body is movably connected to the key base and comprises a third metal conducting portion and a fourth metal conducting portion. The third and fourth metal conducting portions are detachably connected to the first and second metal conducting portions, respectively. A light-emitting element is disposed on the activating body and connected to the third and fourth metal conducting portions. A keycap is disposed on the light-emitting element and connected to the activating body. The keycap drives the activating body to move, enabling the third and fourth metal conducting portions to respectively connect to the first and second metal conducting portions. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20090190990 | KEYPAD HAVING THREE-DIMENSIONAL PATTERNS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A keypad having three-dimensional patterns and a method for manufacturing the same. The keypad includes a base layer, a light-guiding plate, a pattern layer, a shielding layer and a keycap layer. The light-guiding plate is overlapped on the base layer. The pattern layer is provided on the light-guiding plate. A plurality of three-dimensional patterns is provided on the front surface of the pattern layer. The shielding layer is coated on the back surface of the pattern layer, and is formed with a plurality of hollowed regions to correspond to the three-dimensional patterns. The keycap layer is overlapped on the pattern layer and formed with a plurality of keycaps to correspond to the three-dimensional patterns. In addition, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing keypad having three-dimensional patterns. Via the above arrangement, the recognition and aesthetic feeling of each three-dimensional pattern can be increased. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20100061789 | SELF-LUMINOUS KEYBOARD WITH BRIGHTNESS-ENHANCED KEYCAPS - A self-luminous keyboard with brightness-enhanced keycaps of the present invention comprises a baseplate, a substrate arranged above the baseplate, a plurality of keycaps coupled to the substrate and able to move up and down, a circuit board triggered by the contact of the keycap to output a signal, and a light emitting element. The substrate has a plurality of via-holes each corresponding to one keycap. There is a light transmission path from the light emitting element through the via-hole to the keycap. In each light transmission path, there is a light concentration member, and the light emitted by the light emitting element is concentrated by the light concentration member and then transmitted to the keycap. Thereby, the brightness of the keycaps is enhanced to be higher than the brightness of the gap between the adjacent keycaps, and the recognizability thereof is promoted. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100272490 | Key Structure of a Keyboard - A key structure of a keyboard, comprising: a backplane and a plurality of key caps. The backplane is concaved a plurality of grooves. A frame is deposed on the groove, and outside of the frame two fixed bases and two positioning columns are correspondingly deposed on the opposite sides. A clamp is deposed on the fixed base. A link bar, consists of a cross bar and two struts. The cross bar and the struts are mutually perpendicular and shown as an upside-down U shape. A key cap, in which a convex column is extended from the inside of the key cap, and two clips are protruded respectively on the opposite sides of the convex column, as well as a slot is deposed on the clip. The clips are adapted to position the cross bar of the link bar to a clamp of a fixed base on the backplane. And two struts are adapted to be held by the positioning column, so that the two struts only can be moved up and down and will not mismatch. Moreover, combining the key cap with the backplane to make the convex column plugging into the frame, therefore the two slots of the clip are adapted to be combined with the two struts. No matter what position of the key cap surface is pressed, the key cap will be affected by the link bar; such will make the key being pressed down completely. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20110110697 | SPECIALIZED KEYS AND ARRANGEMENTS THEREOF FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES - Embodiments of the invention provide an electronic device, such as a laptop PC, with a keyboard having specialized keys. The specialized keys according to embodiments of the invention are chamfer-less, configured with a larger, “D” shaped striking surface having a concavity therein. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110182643 | Keycap and Keyboard Using the Same - A keycap including a body and an ink layer is provided. The ink layer is disposed on the body, and has a blind hole and a through hole. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110243630 | INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, KEYBOARD SYSTEM, AND KEY TOP SYSTEM - An information processing system includes: a first information processing device including a first keyboard with a first key top; and a second information processing device including a second keyboard with a second key top, wherein a first character is denoted on the first key top, and a cold color is more similar to a color of the first character than to a background color, wherein a second character is denoted on the second key top, a warm color is more similar to a color of the second character than to a background color, and the second character is the same to the first character, and wherein an area of the first character is smaller than an area of the second character. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110268487 | KEYBOARD ASSEMBLY AND UNDERLYING DISPLAY DEVICE - The disclosure provides for a computer peripheral in which a display device produces images which may be viewed through a keyboard assembly that is disposed over the display device. Each the key of the keyboard assembly includes a keycap and a mechanical understructure that is configured to guide reciprocating movement of the keycap toward and away from the display device. The mechanical understructure is disposed away from a central portion of the keycap, to permit images produced by the display device to be viewed through the central portion of the keycap. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20120163894 | KEYS AND KEYBOARD COMPRISING THE SAME - A key comprising a light transmitting key base; a three-dimensional cured resin layer disposed on a lower surface of the base; and a pattern layer disposed on a lower surface of the three-dimensional cured resin layer is provided. The three-dimensional cured resin layer may be formed with a microstructure on a lower surface facing the upper surface of the pattern layer. Further, a keyboard comprising the same is also provided. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120189369 | KEYBOARD AND PROTECTIVE COVER THEREOF - A keyboard includes a base, a plurality of keyswitches and a protective cover. The keyswitches are disposed on the base. Each of the keyswitches includes a key cap. The protective cover includes a plurality of hollow protruding portions and a plurality of surface structures. Each of the surface structures is formed on one of the hollow protruding portions. When the protective cover is disposed on the base, each of the hollow protruding portions covers one of the key caps correspondingly. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120201589 | INTERFACE FOR A COMPUTER - An interface for retrofitting to a portable computer such as a notebook or laptop computer, the interface for covering the keyboard and having a plurality of jumbo buttons, each jumbo button for covering more than one key of the keyboard. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120263513 | VIEWING DISPLAY IMAGERY THROUGH A KEYBOARD KEYCAP - A computer peripheral is provided in which depressible keys are situated over a display device. A region on the display device is associated with each key. Each key includes a keycap with a central viewing window for viewing changeable display imagery produced by the display region associated with the key. Each key has a mechanical understructure that guides and constrains movement of the keycap toward and away from the display device. The mechanical understructure is configured to not optically obstruct through-keycap viewing of changeable display imagery produced on the associated region of the display. In many examples, the mechanical understructure is positioned outside of the display region to provide such unobstructed viewing. | 10-18-2012 |
| 20130202340 | KEY DEVICE - A key device includes a casing having a base plate and a frame disposed on the base plate, and a key cap having a press plate and a limiter. The press plate is disposed between the frame and the base plate and exposed from an opening of the frame. The press plate has a pivotal side connected pivotally to the frame or base plate and is movable between unpressed and pressed positions. The limiter is disposed at or near a non-pivotal side of the press plate opposite to the pivotal side and engageable with the base plate or frame to prevent the non-pivotal side from escaping out of the casing. A resilient unit is disposed on the base plate to bias the press plate to the unpressed position. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130230346 | Pressure Sensitive Key Normalization - Pressure sensitive key techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a device includes at least one pressure sensitive key having a flexible contact layer spaced apart from a sensor substrate by a spacer layer, the flexible contact layer configured to flex responsive to pressure to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input, for a computing device, associated with the pressure sensitive key. At least one of the flexible contact layer or the sensor substrate are configured to at least partially normalize an output resulting from pressure applied at a first location of the flexible contact layer with an output resulting from pressure applied at a second location of the flexible contact layer that has lesser flexibility than the first location. | 09-05-2013 |
| 20140119802 | Pressure Sensitive Key Normalization - Pressure sensitive key techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a device includes at least one pressure sensitive key having a flexible contact layer spaced apart from a sensor substrate by a spacer layer, the flexible contact layer configured to flex responsive to pressure to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input, for a computing device, associated with the pressure sensitive key. At least one of the flexible contact layer or the sensor substrate are configured to at least partially normalize an output resulting from pressure applied at a first location of the flexible contact layer with an output resulting from pressure applied at a second location of the flexible contact layer that has lesser flexibility than the first location. | 05-01-2014 |
| 20140186085 | PRESS KEY - A press key includes: a base plate; a key cap including a top plate and a frame, the frame having a frame wall that surrounds a frame opening and that is formed with upper journal retention members and upper slide retention members; and a restoring unit including first and second support members. The first and second support members have upper end portions and lower end portions. The first and second support members extend through the frame opening. The upper end portion of the first support member is pivotally retained between the upper journal retention members and the top plate. The upper end portion of the second support member is slidably retained between the upper slide retention members and the top plate. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140341630 | Method And Apparatus Pertaining To Web-Coupled Keyboard Keys - A plurality of keyboard keys are grouped into at least a first group of keyboard keys and a second group of keyboard keys. Webbing serves to physically couple together the keyboard keys of the first group of keyboard keys. Similarly, but discretely, webbing also serves to physically couple together the keyboard keys of the second group of keyboard keys. So configured, the keyboard keys of the first group are not physically coupled via such webbing to any keyboard keys of the second group. By one approach the aforementioned webbing comprises an integral part of the keyboard keys and comprises, for example, a part of a film that conformally overlies adjacent ones of the keyboard keys. These teachings will accommodate forming such a film and the main body of the keyboard keys using thermoforming and injection molding processes to form-in-place such keys. | 11-20-2014 |
| 400491000 | Including cushioning means (e.g., yieldable surface) | 5 |
| 20090148219 | REDUCED IMPACT KEYBOARD WITH CUSHIONED KEYS - A keyboard for use with a computing device and a method of manufacturing a keyboard key are provided. One disclosed keyboard includes a plurality of keys, each key having a key cap including a perimeter wall and a void positioned within the perimeter wall and opening to a top of the key cap. Each key further includes a cushion having a top portion configured to be contacted by a digit of a user and a bottom portion configured to be fitted within the void in the key cap. The cushion being may be configured to absorb an impact force directed against the key during a keystroke. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20100232861 | PROTECTIVE SHEET AND INPUT DEVICE - An input device of the present application includes a plurality of input portions. The input device of the present application has a protective sheet capable of covering at least regions between the input portions. The protective sheet is formed of a plurality of layers including at least a first layer and a second layer. The first layer contains a material having elasticity. The second layer contains a material having a buffering property. With such a configuration, an input device can be realized, which includes a protective sheet that is unlikely to be broken even after the use for a long period of time. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20120328349 | KEYBOARD OVERLAY FOR OPTIMAL TOUCH TYPING ON A PROXIMITY-BASED TOUCH SCREEN - A keyboard overlay for use on a touch screen is disclosed, as well as novel key structures for use on overlays. The keyboard overlay and key structures have novel structures which can provide finger resting resistance, deceleration during actuation, pre-actuation cues, finger positioning cues, key identification cues, and other desired aspects of a keyboard optimized for touch typing. Methods for stowing and deploying the keyboard overlay to align with the virtual keyboard of a touch screen are also disclosed. The disclosed keyboard overlay can provide optimal touch typing characteristics for use on all known types of touch screens. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20130129398 | KEYPAD OVERLAY DEVICE FOR TOUCH SENSITIVE KEYPADS - A keypad overlay device adapted for placement on top of a touch-sensitive, digital keypad of an electronic device is shown. The keypad overlay device includes a plurality of open key cells, each key cell having an open top, a bottom membrane defining an opening therethrough, a side wall member defining an opening therein, and an open, force sensitive membrane disposed between the opening of the bottom membrane and the side wall member. The open, force sensitive membrane being adapted to during use, provide a resistance to the fingers of the operator. Each open key cell may be placed on top of the corresponding key of the digital keypad and the key icons of the digital keypad are visible through the open key cells of the overlay device. | 05-23-2013 |
| 400491100 | Including underlying air cushion | 1 |
| 20090162124 | KEYBOARD - A keyboard is used to provide comfort to users' wrists. The keyboard includes a main body, a cable, and an air cushion. The cable is connected to the main body. The air cushion is connected to the cable. | 06-25-2009 |
| 400493000 | Including character-bearing disc on key cap | 1 |
| 20110142523 | KEY TOP MEMBER FOR PUSH BOTTOM SWITHC STRUCTURE - A key top member used in an input device includes a base sheet, a lower colored layer coated on the base sheet and coated with a transparent protecting layer thereon, an upper layer coated on the protecting layer, and a top layer coated on the upper layer. The top layer and the upper colored layer are pierced with open indicating an displaying symbol. | 06-16-2011 |
| 400494000 | Having raised or recessed character | 2 |
| 20120093556 | KEYBOARD KEY OF INPUT DEVICE - A key includes a frame with a top, a fluorescent layer coated on the top, and a symbol protruding up from the fluorescent layer. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20130336700 | KEYBOARD WITH ULTRA-DURABLE KEYS - A keyboard includes a plurality of keys, and a keyframe into which the plurality of keys are assembled. Each of the keys includes: i) a plunger on which a character is printed, and ii) a keycap made of a transparent material. The keycap covers at least a portion of a top of the plunger. | 12-19-2013 |
| 400495000 | Including means for mounting key cap or key stem | 6 |
| 20090103964 | Key switch arrangement having an illuminating function - A key switch arrangement is able to accomplish the compatibility with a normal keyboard in respect of profile without increasing the height of the keyboard and reduce the cost without adding new members for a light source. The key switch arrangement includes a key-top having an optically transparent key-top having a cutout letter part formed thereon, an optically transparent membrane sheet having a contact, an optically transparent plate member arranged under the membrane sheet, and a light source arranged in the membrane sheet. The light source emits light to pass the plate member and the membrane sheet to illuminate the cutout letter part on the key-top. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20100074668 | Keyboard Device - In a keyboard device, a frame function part is provided integrally in a frame to engage with a component of the keyboard device excluding the frame. Integrated continuous parts are formed at the frame and extend continuously over a key zone including a plurality of keys. The integrated continuous part receives external force directly or via the frame function part or allows a component constructed separately from the frame to mount on the integrated continuous part. A connection rib is formed in the frame such that the connection rib extends in a direction intersecting a direction along which the keys are arranged side-by-side. The integrated continuous parts are formed at positions deviated with respect to each other, when viewed from a side of the frame. The integrated continuous parts are connected to each other only by the connection rib. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20110002724 | Pillow Keycap for a Keyboard - A keyboard includes a base having sets of mounts formed thereon. The keyboard also includes a set of keycaps. Each keycap includes a key top and a support mechanism, which is coupled to the key top and coupled to an associated one of the sets of mounts. The support is configured to lower and raise the key top. Each of the key tops includes a convex-rounded edge surrounding a concave-rounded base. A radius of curvature of the convex-rounded edge is approximately 1.0 to 3.0 millimeters, and a radius of curvature of the concave-rounded base is approximately 32 to 33 millimeters. The keyboard further includes a control circuit coupled to the base and configured to detect downward movement of the keycaps and send a transmission signal to a computer wherein the transmission signal includes information for one of the keycaps downward movement. | 01-06-2011 |
| 20110188915 | Press Key Structure of Keyboard - A press key structure includes a keycap, a base, and two crossed pivotal support stands. Both ends of the two support stands are abutted against the keycap and the base, and the keycap and the base includes pivot lugs for pivotally coupling axle portions at both ends of the support stands, and an inverted hook disposed at each pivot lug, and the axle portions at both ends of the support stands are prevented from sliding freely out the pivot lugs without the interference by the inverted hook. During an assembling process, the two crossed pivotal support stands are latched with the pivot lugs on a side of the base first, and then latched with the pivot lugs on a side of the keycap to achieve the fixing effect, and finally the top of the keycap is pressed gently to complete the assembling process. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20130170884 | INPUT DEVICE - An input device in an environment where pressure changes. The input device comprises a plate layer, a circuit layer, a keypad layer, a protection layer, and a sealed and liquid-tight space. The keypad layer is attached to the plate layer. The sealed and liquid-tight space is formed between the plate layer and the keypad layer. The circuit layer is disposed in the sealed and liquid-tight space. Furthermore, the plate layer has a first hole, and the circuit layer has a second hole corresponding to the first hole. The protection layer is attached to the plate layer and corresponds to the sealed and liquid-tight space. The air permeable rate of the protection layer is between 10% and 50% so that the inside pressure and the outside pressure of the input device can reach an equilibrium. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20160147312 | KEY STRUCTURE - A key structure comprises a bottom board, a key cap and two first balance plates. The two first balance plates are plate shaped, disposed between the bottom board and the key cap, and symmetric to each other. An upper end of each of the two first balance plates is connected to the key cap. A lower end of each of the two first balance plates is connected to the bottom board. Thereby, a key structure is formed which provides a normal tactile feel while saving space, thereby achieving a slim design. | 05-26-2016 |
