Keyboard

• US 20060171758A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Kleve
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Kleve
• Inventors: Kleve, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US11/045,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20060171758A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/489
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

The invention comprise a one hand keyboard having thumb and finger receptacles for the thumb and fingers to signal the entire alphabet of a language, all numbers, and all essential punctuation with the fingers tips and thumb that need only move the them a fraction of or less than an inch and the alphabet may arranged in alphabetical order to provide signals for use, by the fingers and thumb, to type the letters of the alphabet to form written communications with words and etc., with the signals, while the signals are arranged on the keyboard in alphabetical order.

Claims

1. A finger mechanism comprising a frame, a elongated finger receptacle having a recessed socket bottom end for receiving the finger tip of the finger;

a link member having a forward and rearward pivot, said finger the receptacle having an upper end pivot mounted to the forward pivot of the link member, with said forward pivot mounting of said link member at a location at least somewhat adjacent the first joint of the finger tip to the first section of the finger of many average length finger tip;

said link member at its rearward end pivotally mounted to the frame, at a location customarily adjacent the second joint of the finger so that the link member approximates an average length of many operator'"'"'s fingers from the first to the second joint;

so that when the operator moves the receptacle with his finger tip and first and second joints of the finger, the receptacle and link member will more closely follow and imitate their movement for easier movement of the receptacle and link member by the operator'"'"'s finger tip;

said frame having a front, rear, and bottom switch, said finger receptacle having a front, rear and bottom face for engagement and actuation of front, rear, and bottom switch, with said front switch in front of the receptacle, the bottom switch beneath the receptacle, and the rear switch to the rear of the receptacle;

whereby, the operator may with his finger tip in the receptacle push his finger tip forward to move the receptacle forward to engage and actuate the forward switch, and the forward movement of the receptacle lowers the receptacle link and straightens the joint connection between the receptacle and the front pivot of the receptacle link, and similarly, the forward movement of the operator'"'"'s finger lowers the first finger section of the operator'"'"'s finger and straightens the joint connection between the finger tip and first finger link; and

whereby, when the operator pushes his finger tip rearward to cause the receptacle rear face to engage and actuate the rear switch, the rearward movement of the receptacle raises the linkage member of the receptacle;

similarly, the rearward movement of the operator'"'"'s finger raises the finger sections of the operator'"'"'s finger;

8. A thumb receptacle for a keyboard according to claim 1 wherein said thumb receptacle includes a thumb receptacle arm support, said thumb receptacle pivotally mounted on said arm support to pivot about at least a somewhat near horizontal plane;

switch means on said arm support on each side of said thumb receptacle whereby when an operator places his thumb in the receptacle, the operator may pivot the receptacle with his thumb to one side to activate one of said switches or pivot the thumb receptacle to the other side on said one said arm to activate the other of the switches;

switch means on said apparatus on each side of said thumb arm whereby said operator may pivot said thumb receptacle and said thumb arm with his thumb to one side or the other to activate one of said switch means on each side of said arm;

one of said switch means activating a “

back space”

function of a keyboard upon its activation, another of said switch means activating a“

space bar”

function of a keyboard, upon its activation.

9. A thumb receptacle according to claim 8 wherein a third of said switches activating a“

enter”

function of a keyboard and a fourth of said switch means activating a “

capitol lock ”

function of a keyboard.

10. A thumb receptacle according to claim 9 wherein switch means are provided beneath said thumb receptacle and wherein the thumb receptacle is pivotally mounted on said arm to pivot downward to engage said switch whereby an operator may pivot said thumb receptacle downward with his thumb to engage and activate said switch, said switch beneath said thumb receptacle providing the letters “

a”

“

j” and

numeral;

1″

.

2. A keyboard for one hand comprising a four finger receptacles and one thumb receptacle;

a front and rear signal switch adjacent each of said four finger receptacles with said finger receptacles being movably mounted on a upright stands to engage the two signaling switches in a back and forth movement of the receptacles by an operator four fingers, and a shift switch adjacent each finger receptacle with said finger receptacles movably mounted to selectively engage a shift switch for each finger receptacle with the downward movement of the finger receptacle;

a thumb receptacle beside said finger receptacles mounted on a thumb stand, a signal switch adjacent said thumb receptacle engagable by said thumb receptacle movement by the operator'"'"'s in the thumb receptacle to engage a signaling switch;

electrical circuitry means for said thumb signal switch and finger receptacle'"'"'s signal switches providing a signal to said signal switches for a third of the alphabet, two of said shift switches for the finger receptacles selectively shifting the signal of the finger signal switches and thumb signal switch to the second or third third of the entire alphabet, respectively, by the downward movement of the finger receptacle by the respective operator'"'"'s finger causing the activation of the respective shift switch.

3. A keyboard according to claim 2 wherein the alphabet is arranged in alphabetical order beginning with the thumb signal switch and the succeeding finger receptacles signal switch in left to right forward and left to right backward order of the finger receptacle signal switches for each third of the alphabet.

4. A keyboard for one hand according to claim 3, wherein circuitry means to activate numbering signals for said thumb and four finger receptacle signaling switches upon the downward by the downward movement of said third finger receptacle to activate its shifting switch;

with said third downward shifting switch being a push on push off switch whereby the switch once pushed will remain on by selecting numbers by movement of the selected fingers receptacle either back or forth or the thumb downward with the numbers arranged in numerical order beginning with the thumb signal switch and the succeeding finger receptacles signal switch in left to right forward and left to right backward order of the finger receptacle signal switches.

5. A keyboard for one hand according to claim 3, wherein said circuitry means includes means to activate punctuation signals for said finger receptacle switches upon the downward engagement of said fourth of said downward shifting switches by the downward movement of said fourth finger receptacle.

6. A one hand right handed operated keyboard having four movable finger receptacles and one thumb receptacle for receiving and being moved by the four fingers and thumb, respectively, of one hand by an operator;

said four finger receptacles being laterally adjacent one another and extending downward with said thumb receptacle being to the laterally left of the finger receptacles, signal switch means adjacent to the front and to the rear of each of said finger receptacles to provide a set of eight signals for said finger receptacles and actuatable by movement of the finger receptacles by the operator'"'"'s fingers;

a signal switch adjacent the thumb receptacle and actuatable by movement of the thumb receptacle by the operator moving his thumb;

shifting switch means adjacent each finger receptacle and actuatable in response to the downward movement of the respective finger receptacle by the operator'"'"'s finger to change the set of signals provided to the eight signal switching means of the finger receptacles and the thumb signal switch.

7. A keyboard according to claim 6 with said finger receptacles each having levering means movably by the downward movement of the finger receptacle to shift the signals.