Ergonomic keyboard

• US 20030035677A1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hernan Camacho, Robert Granadimo
• Original Assignee: Hernan Camacho, Robert Granadimo
• Inventors: Camacho, Hernan, Granadimo, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 6,840,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/472
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/10 Arrangements of keyboards , e.g. key button disposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0208 Arrangements for adjusting the tilt angle of a keyboard, e.g. pivoting legs for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1667
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/807 characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/028 on planes with different or alterable inclination, e.g. convex plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/034 Support for hands or arms
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/022 other then row-column disposition

Abstract

An ergonomic keyboard having a mount and a plurality of keys arranged in a plurality of unbroken adjacent rows is provided. Each row is comprised of an arcuate portion, a left portion, and a right portion. The left and right portions extend tangentially from the left and right sides of the arcuate portion, respectively. The arcuate portion, of each row is convex to the user side of the keyboard, and at least two keys in each arcuate portion are elongated. Alphanumeric indicia on the keys can be arranged in the QWERTY pattern.

Claims

1. An ergonomic keyboard, comprising:

a. a mount;

b. a plurality of keys on said mount arranged in a plurality of unbroken adjacent rows, each row comprised of an arcuate portion, a left portion and a right portion, said left and right portions extending tangentially from the left and right sides of the arcuate portion, respectively, and said arcuate portion of each unbroken row being convex to the user side of the keyboard and comprising at least two elongated keys, the elongation of said elongated keys increasing as said plurality of rows approach the user side of the keyboard.

2. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 1, wherein two keys in the arcuate portion of each unbroken concave row are elongated.

3. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly in a direction away from the user side of the keyboard.

4. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 3, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly from approximately 5°

to 40°

with respect to the horizontal.

5. An ergonomic keyboard according to claims 3, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly from approximately 15°

to 25°

with respect to the horizontal.

6. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 3, further comprising:

a. a wrist support positioned adjacent to the keyboard on the high side of the downward slope.

7. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 1, further comprising:

a. a wrist support pivotally attached to said mount; and

b. support legs pivotally attached to said wrist support, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly in a direction away from the user when said support legs are in a down position.

8. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 7, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly from approximately 5°

to 40°

with respect to the horizontal.

9. An ergonomic keyboard according to claims 7, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly from approximately 15°

to 25°

with respect to the horizontal.

10. An ergonomic keyboard, comprising:

a. a mount;

b. a plurality of keys arranged in four unbroken adjacent rows and having a QWERTY typing layout, each row comprised of an arcuate portion, a left portion and a right portion, said left and right portions extending tangentially from the left and right sides of the arcuate portion, respectively, and said arcuate portion of each unbroken row being convex toward the user side of the keyboard and comprising at least two elongated keys, the elongation of said elongated keys increasing as said unbroken rows approach the user side of the keyboard.

11. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 10 wherein two keys in the arcuate portion of each unbroken row are elongated, one key bearing the number 6 and one bearing the number 7 in one of said four rows, one key bearing the letter T and one bearing the letter Y in another of said four rows, one key bearing the letter G and one bearing the letter H in another of said four rows, and one key bearing the letter B and one bearing the letter N in another of said four rows.

12. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 10, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly in a direction away from the user side of the keyboard.

13. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 12, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly from approximately 5°

to 40°

with respect to the horizontal.

14. An ergonomic keyboard according to claims 12, wherein the upper surface of said amount slopes downwardly from approximately 15°

to 25°

with respect to horizontal.

15. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 12, further comprising:

a. a wrist support positioned adjacent to the keyboard on the high side of the downward slope.

16. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 10, further comprising:

a. a wrist support pivotally attached to said mount; and

b. support legs pivotally attached to said wrist support, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly in a direction away from the user when said support legs are in a down position.

17. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 16, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly from approximately 5°

to 40°

with respect to the horizontal.

18. An ergonomic keyboard according to claims 16, wherein the upper surface of said amount slopes downwardly from approximately 15°

to 25°

with respect to horizontal.

19. An ergonomic keyboard, comprising:

a. a mount;

b. a plurality of keys on said mount arranged in a plurality of unbroken adjacent rows, each row comprised of an arcuate portion, a left portion and a right portion, said left and right portions extending tangentially from the left and right sides of the arcuate portion, respectively, and said arcuate portion of each unbroken row being convex to the user side of the keyboard and comprising at least two elongated keys, the elongation of said elongated keys increasing as said plurality of rows approach the user side of the keyboard;

C. a wrist support pivotally attached to said mount; and

d. support legs pivotally attached to said wrist support, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly away from the user when said support legs are in a down position.

20. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 19, wherein two keys in the arcuate portion of each unbroken row are elongated.

21. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 19, wherein:

said plurality of keys is arranged in four unbroken rows; and

the keys in said four rows are arranged in a QWERTY typing layout.

22. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 21, wherein two keys in the arcuate portion of each unbroken row are elongated, one key bearing the number 6 and one bearing the number 7 in one of said four rows, one key bearing the letter T and one bearing the letter Y in another of said four rows, one key bearing the letter G and one bearing the letter H in another of said four rows, and one key bearing the letter B and one bearing the letter N in another of said four rows.

23. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 19, wherein the upper surface of the mount slopes downwardly from approximately 5°

to 40°

with respect to the horizontal when the support legs are in the down position.

24. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 19, wherein the upper surface of the mount slopes downwardly from approximately 15°

to 25°

with respect to the horizontal when the support legs are in the down position.

25. An ergonomic keyboard according to claims 19, wherein:

the stroking surface of the keys within a row of said plurality of rows lie in a common oblique plane that slopes upwardly in a direction away from the user; and

each row of said keys has an upward slope that is greater than or equal to 0°

with respect to the horizontal when the support legs are in the down position.

26. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 25, wherein:

the back of the keys in a particular row of keys is lower than the front of the keys in the adjacent row on the user side of the keyboard; and

the further a row of keys is from the user side of the keyboard, the greater its upward slope.

27. An ergonomic keyboard according to claims 23, wherein:

the stroking surface of the keys within a row of said plurality of rows lie in a common oblique plane that slopes upwardly in a direction away from the user; and

each row of said keys has an upward slope that is greater than or equal to 0°

with respect to the horizontal when the support legs are in the down position.

28. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 27, wherein:

the back of the keys in a particular row of keys is lower than the front of the keys in the adjacent row on the user side of the keyboard; and

the further a row of keys is from the user side of the keyboard, the greater its upward slope.

29. An ergonomic keyboard according to claims 24, wherein:

the stroking surface of the keys within a row of said plurality of rows lie in a common oblique plane that slopes upwardly in a direction away from the user; and

each row of said keys has an upward slope that is greater than or equal to 0°

with respect to the horizontal when the support legs are in the down position.

30. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 29, wherein:

the back of the keys in a particular row of keys is lower than the front of the keys in the adjacent row on the user side of the keyboard; and

the further a row of keys is from the user side of the keyboard, the greater its upward slope.

38. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 23, wherein:

the stroking surface of the keys within a row of said plurality of rows lie in a common oblique plane that slopes upwardly in a direction away from the user; and

each row of said keys has an upward slope that is greater than or equal to 0°

with respect to the horizontal when said support legs are in the down position.

39. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 38, wherein:

the back of the keys in a particular row of keys is lower than the front of the keys in the adjacent row on the user side of the keyboard; and

the further a row of keys is from the user side of the keyboard, the greater its upward slope.

31. An ergonomic keyboard, comprising:

a. a mount;

b. a plurality of keys located on said mount and arranged in a plurality of adjacent rows;

c. a wrist support pivotally attached to said mount; and

d. support legs pivotally attached to said wrist support, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly away from the user when said support legs are in a down position.

32. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 31, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly from approximately 5°

to 40°

with respect to the horizontal.

33. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 31, wherein the upper surface of said mount slopes downwardly from approximately 15°

to 25°

with respect to the horizontal.

34. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 31, wherein:

the stroking surface of the keys within a row of said plurality of rows lie in a common oblique plane that slopes upwardly in a direction away from the user; and

each row of said keys has an upward slope that is greater than or equal to 0°

with respect to the horizontal when said support legs are in the down position.

35. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 34, wherein:

the back of the keys in a particular row of keys is lower than the front of the keys in the adjacent row on the user side of the keyboard; and

the further a row of keys is from the user side of the keyboard, the greater its upward slope.

36. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 32, wherein:

the stroking surface of the keys within a row of said plurality of rows lie in a common oblique plane that slopes upwardly in a direction away from the user; and

each row of said keys has an upward slope that is greater than or equal to 0°

with respect to the horizontal when said support legs are in the down position.

37. An ergonomic keyboard according to claim 36, wherein:

the back of the keys in a particular row of keys is lower than the front of the keys in the adjacent row on the user side of the keyboard; and

the further a row of keys is from the user side of the keyboard, the greater its upward slope.