Composite unibody keyboard
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A keyboard comprising:
- a composite unibody frame having a keypad area with a first frame thickness and first effective density and a palm rest area with a second frame thickness and second effective density, the first frame thickness and first effective density substantially differing from the second frame thickness and second effective density, wherein the composite unibody frame forms substantially an entire supporting structure for the keyboard, and wherein the composite unibody frame includes at least two stiff shell layers and at least one low-density core layer;
a keypad attached to a top side of the composite unibody frame in the keypad area;
one or more electronic components oriented within a cavity formed in the composite unibody frame; and
a back shim attached to a back side of the composite unibody frame and covering the cavity.
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Abstract
The presently disclosed technology includes a composite unibody keyboard that both serves as a bottom case and a top bezel in traditional keyboard design. The unibody keyboard is made of a high-rigidity composite material with varying thicknesses to achieve predetermined design specifications for the keyboard. Areas of the unibody keyboard frame are removed to accommodate various electronic or other components of the keyboard prior to final assembly.
53 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A keyboard comprising:
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a composite unibody frame having a keypad area with a first frame thickness and first effective density and a palm rest area with a second frame thickness and second effective density, the first frame thickness and first effective density substantially differing from the second frame thickness and second effective density, wherein the composite unibody frame forms substantially an entire supporting structure for the keyboard, and wherein the composite unibody frame includes at least two stiff shell layers and at least one low-density core layer; a keypad attached to a top side of the composite unibody frame in the keypad area; one or more electronic components oriented within a cavity formed in the composite unibody frame; and a back shim attached to a back side of the composite unibody frame and covering the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of manufacturing a keyboard comprising:
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forming a composite frame layup having a keypad area with a first frame thickness and first effective density and a palm rest area with a second frame thickness and second effective density, the first frame thickness and first effective density substantially differing from the second frame thickness and second effective density; and curing the composite frame layup to create a composite unibody frame that forms substantially an entire supporting structure for the keyboard, and wherein the cured composite unibody frame includes at least two stiff shell layers and at least one low-density core layer; milling one or more cavities in the composite unibody frame; filling the one or more cavities in the composite unibody frame with one or more electronic components of the keyboard; attaching a back shim to a back side of the composite unibody frame and covering the cavities; and attaching a keypad to a top side of the composite unibody frame in the keypad area. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A keyboard comprising:
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a composite unibody frame having a keypad area with a first frame thickness and first effective density and a palm rest area with a second frame thickness and second effective density, the first frame thickness and first effective density substantially differing from the second frame thickness and second effective density, wherein the composite unibody frame forms substantially the entire supporting structure for the keyboard, and wherein the composite unibody frame includes at least two stiff shell layers and at least one low-density core layer; a keypad attached to a top side of the composite unibody frame in the keypad area; a touchpad oriented within a cavity formed in the composite unibody frame in the palm rest area; and a back shim attached to a back side of the composite unibody frame and covering the cavity formed in the composite unibody frame. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification