Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Low-travel key mechanism for an input device
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Application No.: US15154706Application Date: 2016-05-13
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Publication No.: US09997308B2Publication Date: 2018-06-12
- Inventor: Craig C. Leong , Robert Y. Cao , Bradford J. Zercoe , Dinesh C. Mathew , Bruce E. Berg
- Applicant: Apple Inc.
- Applicant Address: US CA Cupertino
- Assignee: APPLE INC.
- Current Assignee: APPLE INC.
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Cupertino
- Agency: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
- Main IPC: H01H13/70
- IPC: H01H13/70 ; H01H13/705 ; G06F3/02 ; H01H13/88 ; H01H13/10 ; H01H13/85 ; H01H13/86 ; G06F1/16 ; H01H3/12

Abstract:
A key mechanism for an electronic device includes a switch housing and a hinged structure. As one example, the hinged structure can be a butterfly hinge. The switch housing includes switch pin retaining mechanisms on opposing sides of the switch housing. The hinged structure includes two separate wings that are positioned adjacent to each other such that a cavity is formed between the two wings. The two wings are coupled together by coupling elements. The wings of the hinged structure can include switch housing pins on each arm of the wing that extend into the cavity and couple to the switch pin retaining mechanisms in the switch housing. Various configurations of switch pin retaining mechanisms and switch housing pins can be used to attach the hinged structure to the switch housing.
Public/Granted literature
- US20160336127A1 LOW-TRAVEL KEY MECHANISM FOR AN INPUT DEVICE Public/Granted day:2016-11-17
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