KEYBOARD/KEYBOARD ENCLOSURE

• US 20190332187A1
• Filed: 07/08/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin R. Stoops
• Original Assignee: Kevin R. Stoops
• Inventors: Stoops, Kevin R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches

Abstract

A keyboard/keyboard enclosure is provided. The keyboard/keyboard enclosure includes front and rear shells removably connected together and made of a durable metal material such as aluminum. The enclosure defines a cavity and various features for positioning and/or restraining a PCB within the cavity. A keypad is positioned on the front surface of the front shell. End caps extend into the cavity from opposed ends of the front and rear shells, thereby selectively securing the front and rear shells together and/or further positioning and/or restraining the PCB within the cavity.

Claims

1. A keyboard moveable between an assembled configuration and a disassembled configuration, the assembled configuration of the keyboard comprising:

a front shell portion having a first end and an opposed second end;

a rear shell portion removably connected to said front shell portion so as to form opposed first and second ends of the keyboard and a cavity extending therebetween;

a circuit board (“

PCB”

) positioned within said cavity, said PCB being displaced from the first end of the keyboard; and

a first end cap extending from said first end of the keyboard towards said PCB,

wherein said first end of the keyboard defines a first opening for receiving said first end cap, said first opening being defined at least partially by said first end of said front shell and a first end of said rear shell.

2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein said front and rear shell portions are made from aluminum.

3. The keyboard of claim 1, further comprising:

a keypad selectively positioned in a first position over a generally flat and substantially solid front surface of said front shell; and

a keypad card moveable to a first position over said keypad from a second position displaced from said keypad,

wherein said keyboard is configured to retain said keypad in its first position while said keypad card is moved between its first and second positions, and

wherein a front surface of said front shell portion defines a recessed area, said recessed area being configured to receive at least part of said keypad.

4. The keyboard of claim 3, wherein said keypad includes embossed buttons included as part of a unitary keypad membrane.

5. The keyboard of claim 1, further comprising holes extending through an end wall of said first end cap, said holes being associated with a speaker mounted in said cavity.

6. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of said front shell is exposed when the keyboard is in the disassembled configuration, said inner surface defining a first longitudinal slot that is configured to selectively receive a first longitudinal edge of the PCB.

7. The keyboard of claim 6, wherein said inner surface of said front shell further defines a longitudinal ledge opposed to said first longitudinal slot, wherein said front shell is configured to restrain the PCB in at least two degrees of translational freedom and at least two degree of rotational freedom when the second longitudinal edge of the PCB is positioned adjacent to the longitudinal ledge of the front shell.

8. The keyboard of claim 7, wherein an inner surface of said rear shell defines a longitudinal ledge displaced from said longitudinal ledge of said front shell when the keyboard is in the assembled configuration, thereby defining a second longitudinal slot opposed to said first longitudinal slot, wherein said rear shell is configured to further restrain the PCB in a third degree of rotational freedom.

9. The keyboard of claim 8, further comprising an indexing feature for indexing the PCB in a third degree of translational freedom.

10. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein said first end cap comprises a feature for selective engagement with a first end of the PCB, thereby inhibiting the PCB from moving in a first direction along the third degree of translational freedom.

11. The keyboard of claim 10, further comprising a second end cap extending from a second end of said front shell, said second end cap comprising a feature for selective engagement with a second end of the PCB, thereby inhibiting the PCB from moving in a second direction along the third degree of translational freedom, thereby restraining the PCB in the third degree of translational freedom.

12. The keyboard of claim 11, wherein said second end of the keyboard defines a second opening for receiving said second end cap, said second opening being defined at least partially by said second end of said front shell and a second end of said rear shell.

13. The keyboard of claim 12, wherein one of said first and second end caps is longer than the other of said first and second end caps such that the PCB is positioned off-center within said cavity.

14. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein said second end of the keyboard defines a second opening for receiving a second end cap, said second opening being defined at least partially by said second end of said front shell and a second end of said rear shell.

15. The keyboard of claim 14, wherein one of said first and second end caps is longer than the other of said first and second end caps such that the PCB is positioned off-center within said cavity.

16. A method of moving an enclosure from a disassembled configuration to an assembled configuration, the enclosure being configured to hold a circuit board (“

PCB”

) within a cavity of the enclosure, the method comprising;

engaging the PCB with a front shell of the enclosure while the enclosure is in the disassembled configuration, thereby restraining the PCB in at least one degree of translational freedom, at least one degree of rotational freedom, and at least one direction along a second degree of translational freedom;

installing a rear shell to the front shell such that the PCB is restrained in the second degree of translational freedom and in a second and third degree of rotational freedom; and

installing a first end cap to a first end of the front shell such that a distal end of the first end cap engages with a first end of the PCB, thereby inhibiting the PCB from moving in a first direction along a third degree of translational freedom,

wherein the first end of the enclosure defines a first opening for receiving the first end cap, the first opening being defined at least partially by respective first ends of the front and rear shells.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein an inner surface of the front shell is exposed when the enclosure is in the disassembled configuration, the inner surface defining a first longitudinal slot that is configured to selectively receive a first longitudinal edge of the PCB.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the inner surface of the front shell further defines a longitudinal ledge opposed to the first longitudinal slot, and wherein an inner surface of the rear shell defines a longitudinal ledge displaced from the longitudinal ledge of the front shell when the enclosure is in the assembled configuration, thereby defining a second longitudinal slot opposed to the first longitudinal slot.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising installing a second end cap to a second end of the front shell such that a distal end of the second end cap engages with a second end of the PCB, thereby inhibiting the PCB from moving in a second direction along the third degree of translational freedom, wherein the second end of the enclosure defines a second opening for receiving the second end cap, the second opening being defined at least partially by respective second ends of the front and rear shells.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein one of the first and second end caps is longer than the other of said first and second end caps such that the PCB is positioned off-center within the cavity.