Described herein are thin keyboard and thin keyboard overlay, as well as novel key assembly for uses on keyboards and keyswitches. The key assembly includes a top plate, a movable keycap, a support plate and flexible rods embedded in the support plate acting as springs. The underside of the movable keycap has at least one or several tapered protrusions which are located above the flexible rods. A vertical downward force on the movable keycap will enable the protrusion to flex the rods horizontally, thus creating a spring like mechanism that will return the movable keycap to its original position once the vertical force is removed.

An input device includes a base plate and a push button rotatably provided on a top surface of the base plate. The base plate has a bearing part protruding from the top surface. The push button has an operation surface part receiving a push down operation and a positioning part rotatably supported by the bearing part. The positioning part positions the push button in the plate thickness direction of the bearing part by an abutting part abutting on a first face of the bearing part and a pushing part resiliently biased toward and pushing a second face of the bearing part.

Low-profile keysets and input devices having such low-profile keysets are described. In one example, the input device includes a support structure having a first and second surface; a bezel having a first and second surface, wherein the first surface of the bezel is adjacent to the first surface of the support structure, and the bezel comprises at least one opening; at least one key cap positioned within the at least one opening of the bezel, wherein each key cap is configured to move between a first and second position to trigger a function of the input device; and a fabric cover layer positioned adjacent to the second surface of the bezel, such that the bezel and the at least one key cap are positioned between the fabric cover layer and the support structure, the fabric cover layer is only adhered to the second surface of the bezel.

An illuminated keyboard includes a light guiding substrate, a support plate, a plurality of keycaps, and a plurality of liftable connecting member. The light guiding substrate has an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface includes a plurality of assembly areas, each of the assembly areas has an assembly structure. The support plate is above the light guiding substrate, and the support plate has a top surface and a bottom surface. The support plate is provided with a plurality of first penetrated portions, each of the first penetrated portions corresponds to the corresponding assembly area, and each of the assembly structures passes through the corresponding first penetrated portion. The keycaps are above the support plate and corresponding to the assembly areas. Each of the liftable connecting members is connected to the corresponding keycap and the assembly structure of the corresponding assembly area.

Systems and methods are disclosed that may be implemented to indicate real time availability of individual key assemblies for user input to an information handling system. In one embodiment, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to retract an individual key assembly of a user input device (e.g., such as keyboard matrix, game controller, game pad, computer mouse, etc.) when the key assembly is, or becomes, unavailable for input to a user application (e.g., such as a computer game) that is executing on a host programmable integrated circuit (e.g., such as host CPU) of an information handling system. Such a retracted key assembly may then be extended when it becomes available for input to the user application.

Example implementations relate to recessed keycaps. In an example, a recessed keycap includes a keyboard frame including recesses that extend at least partially through respective internal faces of the keyboard frame and a keycap including protrusions, where each protrusion of the protrusions is disposed at least partially within and in contact with a respective recess of the recesses to movably couple the keycap to the keyboard frame.

An illuminated glass keycap having a glyph diffuser layer that may diffuse light through a glyph window opened in a background layer. The background layer may be opaque and the glyph window may be transparent. The keycap is adhered to a scissor mechanism positioned above electrical switch circuitry. Included within, below, or adjacent to the scissor mechanism may be one or more light sources positioned to emit light through the keycap, around the perimeter of the keycap, and/or through the background layer.

A keyswitch structure includes a base plate, a keycap, a scissors support connecting the keycap and the base plate, a linking support rotatably disposed on the base plate, a movable part movably disposed relative to the base plate, and a magnetic part on the movable part. The linking support includes a magnetic portion and a driving portion. The magnetic part and the magnetic portion produce a magnetic attraction force therebetween. When the movable part is located at a first position, the magnetic part is located under the magnetic portion, and the magnetic attraction force drives the keycap through the linking support to move away relative to the base plate. When the movable part moves from the first position to a second position, the magnetic part moves away relative to the magnetic portion, so that the magnetic attraction force decreases so as to make the keycap move toward the base plate.

Low-profile keysets and input devices having such low-profile keysets are described. In one example, the input device includes a support structure having a first and second surface; a bezel having a first and second surface, wherein the first surface of the bezel is adjacent to the first surface of the support structure, and the bezel comprises at least one opening; at least one key cap positioned within the at least one opening of the bezel, wherein each key cap is configured to move between a first and second position to trigger a function of the input device; and a fabric cover layer positioned adjacent to the second surface of the bezel, such that the bezel and the at least one key cap are positioned between the fabric cover layer and the support structure, the fabric cover layer is only adhered to the second surface of the bezel.

A push-to-talk assembly includes a metal ring defining an interior aperture and including at least one exterior protrusion configured to couple the metal ring to a surface of the portable communication device. The push-to-talk assembly further includes a button coupled to the metal ring and including a flexible polymer material disposed within the interior aperture and co-molded to the metal ring. The button includes a first side configured to be contacted and pressed, and a second, opposite side configured to face an interior of the portable communication device. The push-to-talk assembly further includes a metal backing plate coupled to the second side of the button.