IMPROVED KEYBOARD WITH FULL-TRAVEL, SELF-LEVELING KEYSWITCHES AND RETURN MECHANISM KEYSWITCH

摘要

An improved alphanumeric keyboard (10) is illustrated for use in lap top or notebook personal computers (12). The keyboard (10) has a plurality of full-travel, self-leveling keyswitches (14) for actuating printed circuit electrical contacts (22 and 26) when the keyswitch is depressed. The keyboard (10) includes an integral keyswitch structure (40) that has an integral keytop and keytop support substructure (44) supported on a common integral base sheet (46). Each of the keytop support substructures (44) includes hinge members (50a, 50b, 50c and 50d) that are positioned in a rectangular orientation about the keytop (42). Each hinge member has a rigid upper hinge panel (52) and a lower hinge panel (58) that are integreally interconnected to the keytop (42) and the base sheet (46) for maintaining the keytop in a parallelogram orientation as it is depressed to prevent the keytop from moving laterally or wobbling during depression. The hinge panels (52 and 58) are interconnected by resilient webs (54, 60 and 64). In one embodiment, the resilient webs return the keytop to its elevated non-actuating position. In another embodiment, a leaf spring (208) is provided to urge the keytop back to its non-actuating rest position.