Collapsible keyboard

• US 20030063939A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Winky
• Granted Patent: US 6,623,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/70 having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/05 composed of hingedly connected sections
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/052 reductible in size, e.g. for transportation
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/125 using a scissor mechanism as stabiliser

Abstract

A collapsible keyboard comprises at least one keyboard module, and each keyboard module has a plurality of keyswitches arranged in array pattern. At least one membrane circuit is provided to connect the plurality of keyswitches. When the keyboard is in an operation state, each keyswitch having a predetermined separation with adjacent keyswitch, and the separation is the same as that in a standard keyboard. To shrink the keyboard, the plurality of keyswitches can be arranged in a collapsed state to reduce the transverse size of the keyboard, the lengthwise size of the keyboard, or both sizes.

Claims

1. A collapsible keyboard comprising at least one keyboard module, each keyboard module having a plurality of keyswitches arranged in array pattern, each keyswitch having a predetermined separation with adjacent keyswitch, at least one membrane circuit being provided to connect the plurality of keyswitches and enable the plurality of keyswitches to arranged in a collapsed state, whereby a separation between two adjacent keyswitches is reduced and the keyboard has a reduced size.

2. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the keyswitch comprises a key cap, a lever assemble and a base, the lever assemble having a top portion connected to bottom of the key cap and a bottom portion connected to top of the base.

3. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 2, wherein the lever assemble is of scissors structure.

4. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 2, further comprising a slidable structure provided between two adjacent bases.

5. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 4, wherein the slidable structure is composed of a sliding surface and a sliding plate arranged on a portion of the base bridging two adjacent keyswitches.

6. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the keyswitches are moved to collapse one of a transverse size and a lengthwise size of the keyboard.

7. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the predetermined separation is equal to that in standard keyboard.

8. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 1, further comprising a slidable structure provided between two adjacent keyswitches.

9. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 8, wherein the slidable structure is composed of a sliding surface and a sliding plate arranged between two adjacent keyswitches.

10. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 1, further comprising an outer cover having at least one accommodating space therein and a plurality of movable plates, the movable plates being received in the accommodating space and the keyboard module being mounted on the movable plates.

11. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 10, wherein the outer cover has two covering plates and a pivotal plate, both sides of the pivotal plate being pivotally connected to one lateral side of the two covering plates, respectively;

each of the covering plates having an accommodating space for receiving the two movable plates and the corresponding keyboard modules.

12. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 10, wherein the keyboard modules on the two covering plates are staggered to each other such that the keyswitch on the keyboard modules is embedded into a dent formed among the plurality of keyswitches.

13. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 10, wherein each of the two movable plates has a slanting slot, and each of the accommodating spaces has a guiding pin slidably fit in the slanting slot.

14. The collapsible keyboard as in claim 10, wherein each of the movable plates has a fixed side on an outer lateral side thereof.