1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard, and more particularly, to a keyboard with an optional metal support for strengthening its structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical computer keyboard comprises a base plate, a cover plate mounted above the base plate with a plurality of movable keys installed on top, and a membrane installed between the base plate and the cover plate for sensing depression of the overlying keys. Some keyboards further comprise a metal support for increasing structural strength and quality. As this may be costly, some computers forego the metal support in the interest of cost savings.
The metal support, if present, serves to support the membrane as the overlying keys are depressed. Therefore, the base plate must be specially designed to accommodate the metal support. If this base plate is then used for a keyboard without the metal support, an empty space is left by the missing metal support between the base plate and the cover plate causing a loss of support of the membrane and subsequent improper key functioning. A solution to this problem is to create a new mold for a thinner base plate thereby directly supporting the membrane. However, this solution drives costs unacceptably high. An alternate solution is to produce an array of protruding ribs on the original mold of the base plate used for keyboards with the metal support. Unfortunately, although these ribs give support to the membrane, they also permanently interfere with installation of the metal support when needed.