Expandable and contractible keyboard device

• US 20030137492A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAST Associates LLC
• Original Assignee: RAST Associates LLC
• Inventors: Lahr, Roy J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,882,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• 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 13/86 characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/05 composed of hingedly connected sections

Abstract

An expandable keyboard device includes a plurality of keytops arranged on a plurality of elastic webs. Each web corresponds to a single row of keytops.

Claims

1. A keyboard device, comprising:

a plurality of webs stretchable in a first direction between a contracted position and an expanded position; and

a plurality of keytops arranged on each web, a pitch between adjacent keytops expandable in accordance with expansion of the webs;

wherein the webs are superposable in a second direction.

2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the webs are superposable in the second direction at least when the webs are in the contracted position.

3. The keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising a keyboard decoder device configured to receive output data from keyswitches corresponding to the keytops.

4. The keyboard device according to claim 3, further comprising a battery arranged to power the keyboard decoder device.

5. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein each web is formed of an elastomeric material.

6. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein each web is formed from an iso-linear stretch material.

7. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein each keytop includes at least one label woven into the web.

8. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of webs includes at least five webs arranged to form five keyboard rows.

9. The keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible wiring harness arranged to electrically and logically interconnect the webs.

10. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein an overall width of the webs in the expanded position is between approximately 10.5 inches and 11 inches.

11. The keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising interconnecting circuitry configured to electrically and logically interconnect the webs.

13. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the webs are superposable to form a stacked arrangement of the webs.

14. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the keytops are arranged for single-finger data entry when the webs are in the contracted position.

15. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the keytops are arranged for touch-typing data entry when the webs are in the expanded position.

16. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the webs are formed from an expandable fabric.

17. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein each keytop includes at least one printed top.

18. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the keytops include contrasting colors.

19. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein each keytop includes a differing weave structure.

20. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein a designation is molded into the each keytop.

21. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein each web corresponds to a respective row of keys of the keyboard device.

22. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of webs includes at least three webs arranged to form five keyboard rows.

23. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein an overall width of the webs in the expanded position is between approximately 10 inches and 11 inches.

12. The keyboard device according to claim 12, wherein the interconnecting circuitry includes two sets of connectors.