Darfon Electronics Corp.

A backlight module is configured to illuminate at least one keycap. The backlight module includes a shielding sheet, a lighting board and a protrusion structure. The lighting board includes an illuminant unit and a pair of footprints respectively connecting the illuminant unit. Each of the footprints includes at least one hollow area, and the at least one hollow area overlaps at least a portion of the illuminant unit. The protrusion structure is formed at the shielding sheet. The protrusion structure protrudes towards the light board and at least partially overlaps the pair of footprints, so that the backlight module diffuses light of the illuminant between the protrusion structure and the footprints.

A plastic board suitable for a keyboard having first and second keyswitch sets includes first and second board portions and transverse dividing slots. The first and second board portions have first and second mounting areas respectively corresponding to the first and second keyswitch sets. First dividing slots of the first board portion extend sequentially along a periphery of at least one first mounting area to separate first and second board regions. Second dividing slots of the second board portion extend sequentially along a periphery of at least one second mounting area to separate third and fourth board regions. The transverse dividing slots are formed separately between the first and second board portions to separate the first and third board regions and separate the second and fourth board regions. The first, second, third, and fourth board regions have a feeding point, respectively, to be formed by an injection molding process.

A lighting keyboard comprises a first key and a second key, with a gap region between them. A backlight module for the lighting keyboard comprises a lighting board having a light emitting unit, a light guide panel, and a shielding sheet having a light-reducing pattern corresponding to the first key, which are stacked from top to bottom. The backlight module has a colored material layer on the shielding sheet or the light guide panel and vertically overlapping with the gap region. A light of the light emitting unit is guided by the light guide panel to pass through the light-reducing pattern and form a first color light upward from an inner outlet of the first key, and further to pass through the colored material layer and form a second color light different from the first color light upward from an inner outlet and a boundary of the second key.

A lighting keyboard includes a backlight module and two rows of keyswitches. The backlight module includes a lighting board and a shielding sheet. The lighting board includes plural illuminants aligned into two rows to correspond to the two rows of keyswitches. The shielding sheet includes plural first outlet windows and plural first block patterns disposed within the first outlet windows respectively and form a first row pattern collectively. Each of the first block patterns respectively corresponds to one of the illuminant. The shielding sheet includes at least one second outlet window and plural second block patterns respectively disposed within the at least one second outlet window and formed a second row pattern collectively. Each of the plural second block patterns respectively correspond to one of the plural illuminants. A first window length of the entire contour of the plural first outlet windows is as long as a second window length of the at least one second outlet window. And the first row pattern is not identical to the second row pattern, thereby providing consistent contour halos for the two rows of keyswitches.

An illuminated keyswitch includes a base plate, a keycap, a light source disposed on the base plate, and a light-guiding device. The keycap is connected above the base plate with upward and downward movement. The light-guiding device includes an actuating portion and a light-entry portion connecting the actuating portion. The light-entry portion has a first reflective surface, and is positioned above the base plate such that the first reflective surface is located above the light source. The actuating portion has a second reflective surface far away from the first reflective surface, and is positioned between a bottom surface of the keycap and a switch contact. A light emitted by the light source is directed upward into the light-guiding device, reflected by the first reflective surface and guided by the light-guiding device out of a front face of the actuating portion to uniformly illuminate a translucent region of the keycap.

A keyswitch structure includes a base, an upper casing, and a keycap. The base includes a lower casing and an elastic dome with a hole disposed above the lower casing. The upper casing is fixedly disposed above the base and has an opening. The keycap is detachably connected to the upper casing and has a keycap body and an impact post. The keycap body slidably passes through the opening. The impact post protrudes from the keycap body toward the base and extends into the hole. When the keycap is pressed toward to the upper casing, the key cap squeezes the elastic dome, and the impact post impacts the base to generate a sound. A keyboard includes a plurality of the keyswitch structures. The upper covers of the key structures are formed as a single component, and the lower covers of the key structures are formed as a single component.

A keyboard includes a first keyswitch including a first shielding member and a first Hall sensor, a second keyswitch disposed adjacent to the first keyswitch and including a second shielding member and a second Hall sensor, and a magnet disposed between the first keyswitch and the second keyswitch and spaced apart from the first Hall sensor by a first fixed distance and the second Hall sensor by a second fixed distance. When the first keyswitch is pressed, the first shielding member moves relative the magnet and changes a magnetic field strength of the magnet sensed by the first Hall sensor; when the second keyswitch is pressed, the second shielding member moves relative to the magnet and changes a magnetic field strength of the magnet sensed by the second Hall sensor.

A backlight module includes a lighting board, a light guide panel, a shielding sheet, and a protrusion structure. The lighting board includes two non-intersected traces, a plurality of microstructure regions and at least one illuminant unit. The illuminant unit is connected between the microstructure regions. The microstructure regions do not overlap with the two non-intersected traces. The light guide panel is disposed above the lighting board, and the shielding sheet is disposed above the light guide panel. The protrusion structure is formed on the shielding sheet, protrudes towards the lighting board, and is between the microstructure regions. The protrusion structure diffuses light of the illuminant unit at an early section of its light path to enter into the light guide panel for lateral transmission. The plural microstructure regions reflect and recycle the light at a following section of the light path to jointly enhance the uniformity of illuminating a keycap.

A backlight module for a lighting keyboard comprises a lighting board including light emitting units, a light guide panel disposed on the lighting board and including light guide holes, and a shielding sheet disposed on the light guide panel. Each light emitting unit is located in each light guide hole. The backlight module is divided into regions including a middle region and two first side regions located outside the middle region. The light guide holes include at least one middle light guide hole in the middle region and at least one first light guide hole in the first side region. A distance between a light emitting unit located in the middle light guide hole and a wall of the middle light guide hole is lesser than a distance between a light emitting unit located in the first light guide hole and a wall of the first light guide hole.

A keycap lifting mechanism includes a first support and a second support. Each of the first support and the second support includes a long arm and a plurality of support arms protruding from the long arm. The first support and the second support are pivotally connected with each other around a pivot axis through the support arms of the first support and the second support that are staggered along the pivot axis, and jointly form two support structures and an intermediate support structure between them. Two of the support arms on two opposite sides of the intermediate support structure are not pivotally connected to the adjacent support arms outside the intermediate support structure. A long rectangular keyswitch structure includes a base plate, a keycap, and the above keycap lifting mechanism. In a keycap lifting mechanism, its keycap vertically covers part of an electrical connection structure of its switch circuit board.