Keyboard actuatable with the aid of the fingers of at least one hand

• US 4,201,489 A
• Filed: 01/12/1978
• Issued: 05/06/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Createchnic Patent AG
• Original Assignee: Createchnic Patent AG
• Inventors: Zapp, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Pieprz, William
• Application Number:
  US05/868,930
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 400/472-474, 400/479, 400/485, 400/489, 400/715, 400/479.2, 335/207, 335/188, 200/67 F, 200/6 A
• US Class Current: 400/485
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 23/32 Electromagnetic power drives, e.g. applied to key levers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/10 Arrangements of keyboards , e.g. key button disposition
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/28 Multiple-action keys, e.g. keys depressed by two or more amounts or movable in two or more directions to effect different functions or selections
• 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 2217/034 Support for hands or arms
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 36/00 Switches actuated by change of magnetic field or of electric field, e.g. by change of relative position of magnet and switch, by shielding

Abstract

A keyboard which has support frame, or several rows of key units. Each key is movable out of an initial inoperative position by the tip of the index finger. The key of each key unit of a guide key row has a key rod and a top face on one end of the key rod. The tip of a finger rests at random pressure on each top face as, at the opposite end of the key rod, a non-depressable mounting is articulatedly lodged in the support frame and prevents downward depression of the key while permitting tilting toward one or more operational positions.

Each key unit of the guide key row has a magnetic pole to exercise a determined initial attraction on the top face-bearing end of the key rod an doppose tilting movement of the key away from the attracting means, when this movement is initiated by a finger tip.

A stop prevents the magnetic pole on the opposite key side from following the tilting movement of the key, whereby the attractive force of the magnetic pole decreases as the distance of the key therefrom increases due to the process of the tilting movement of the key, so that the finger tip continues to tilt the key involuntarily further until the key is fully shifted to the operational position.

Claims

1. In a keyboard, actuatable with the aid of the tips of fingers of at least one hand, which keyboard comprises a support frame, a first row of key units, each of which comprises a key being movable out of an initial inoperative position in which the tips of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger, respectively, rest on the keys of said first row, the keys of said first row for each hand to be used for operating the keyboard being arranged on a curve, which corresponds to the natural disposition of the finger-tips when the fingers are, without being tensioned, in a slightly curved and spread, but relaxed posture, the improvement of the key of each key unit of said first row having a key rod and a top face on one end of said key rod and destined for having the tip of a finger rest thereon, and, at the end of said key rod opposite said top face, non-depressable mounting means articulatedly lodged in said support frame and being adapted for preventing downward depression of said key while permitting lateral shifting of said key toward at least one determined operational position, thereby permitting random vertical pressure to be exercised by a finger tip on said top face of a key of said first row without causing operational displacement of the latter key, each key unit of said guide key row further comprising:

(a) attracting means adjacent one side of said key, near the end of said key rod bearing said top face and facing away from said operational position, and adapted for exercising a determined initial attraction on said top face-bearing key rod end opposing tilting movement of said key away from said attracting means, when such movement is initiated by a finger tip resting on the top face of said key; and

(b) stop means associated with said attracting means and preventing the latter from following said tilting movement of said key, thereby decreasing the attractive force of said attracting means as the distance of said key therefrom increases due to progress of said lateral tilting movement of said key, and thereby causing said finger tip to tilt said key further until the latter is fully shifted to said operational position.

2. A key unit as described in claim 1, wherein said key rod is mounted is said support frame, in a rest position at right angles to a bearing plane of said support frame, and said unit further comprises at least one contact switch having a stationary and a movable contactor, said key rod bearing said movable contactor near the tiltable key-bearing end thereof, an electrical operating circuit into which said switch is inserted, said switch being opened in a rest position of the key without making contact, thereby interrupting the flow of current through said operating circuit, and being closable by movement of said key away from said rest position, thereby making contact and thereby closing said operating circuit, and said movable contact being so disposed on said key rod as to make electrical contact when said key and key rod are tilted out of their rest position by means of movement of the finger-tip.

3. A key unit as described in claim 2, comprising a plurality of said contact switches about said key rod, and a guide device which permits said key and key rod to be tilted only towards one of the stationary contactors of said contact switches, said guide device comprising a screen which surrounds the key rod and has cut-away portions, with each of which is associated one of the directions of tilting of the key from its rest position, so that the key can be moved into only one of these cut-away portions each time for the purpose of making contact with a contact switch associated with the cut-away portion concerned.

4. A key unit as described in claim 1, wherein said key rod is of ferro-magnetic material, and said attracting means comprise a first ferro-magnetic attracting element arranged substantially parallel to said key rod, with opposite magnetic poles at the respective ends of said key rod and of said first ferro-magnetic attracting element facing one another, thereby establishing magnetic field lines attracting said key rod and said attracting means in inoperative as well as in operative position of said key.

5. A key unit as described in claim 4, further comprising

(a) an electric circuit having a contactor in said support frame facing the side of said key rod away from said attracting means,

(b) conduit means extending through said support frame and said mounting means lodged in the latter and ending at said key rod, and

(c) contact-making means associated with the top face-bearing end of said key rod,

whereby said electric circuit is closed, when said key is tilted and contact is established between said contactor and said contact-making means.

6. A key unit as described in claim 5, wherein said contact-making means comprise a second, electrically conductive attracting means lodged intermediate said contactor and said key rod, and second stop means associated with said second attracting means and preventing the latter from following said key when said key is tilted out of its inoperative position away from said contactor toward said first-mentioned attracting means.

7. A key unit as described in claim 6, wherein said second attracting means is a second ferro-magnetic element disposed substantially in parallel with said key rod, with opposite magnetic poles of said second ferro-magnetic element and of said key rod facing each other.

8. A key unit as described in claim 6, wherein said electric circuit further comprises a second contactor in said support frame facing said first-mentioned attracting means, the latter constituting a second contact-making means in said electric circuit.

9. A key unit as described in claim 8, wherein said first and second attracting means and their respective stop means are disposed on opposite sides of said key rod, and which unit further comprises a third and a fourth attracting means and third and fourth stop means respectively associated therewith, said third and fourth attracting means and stop means being disposed on opposite sides of said key rod, the latter sides extending at a right angle to the sides of said key rod facing respectively said first attracting means and first stop means, on one hand, and said second attracting means and second stop means, on the other hand, of said key rod.

10. A key unit as described in claim 1, wherein said mounting means comprise a ball joint for mounting said key rod in said supporting frame and an element for preventing the key rod from turning about its axis;

or a knuckle joint, said ball joint or knuckle joint being mounted on that end of said key rod remote from said key.

11. An actuating unit as described in claim 1, further comprising a return device for moving the key from an actuated position into the rest position, the return movement of which device is initiated immediately upon completion of contact-making by the key, even when the finger-tip continues to exert tilting pressure, said return device comprising means for limiting movement whereby the returned key is arrested and retained in its rest position and prevented from passing through the latter in the direction toward another contact.

12. An actuating unit as described in claim 11, wherein said return element further comprises at least one pair of frames each having inner edges defining a window which frames are fitted opposite each other for movement in adjacent planes parallel to one another and surround the key rod, and drive means for moving the two frames toward and superimposing one another and comprising electric operating circuit means for causing said drive means to operate immediately upon the completion of contact-making, whereby when the key rod reaches its rest position, the frames bear simultaneously with those of their inner edges facing the key rod on the opposite sides of the latter to arrest said key rod in its rest position, one of the two frames of the said pair being moved in a direction opposite that in which the key has been moved for making contact, and the other being simultaneously moved in the last-mentioned direction by the drive means.

13. An actuating unit as described in claim 12, comprising at least one pair of oppositely disposed contact switches between which the key rod is centrally arranged, and two pairs of said frames, one pair of which frames is associated with the two contact switches and is displaceable along the line of movement passing through the two contact switches, whereas the second pair are displaceable at an angle to said line of movement.

14. An actuating unit as described in claim 13, comprising two of the said pairs of contact switches, there being associated with each of these pairs of contact switches a pair of said frames, the respective lines of contact which extends through the two pairs of contact switches forming a right-angle with one another.

15. An actuating unit as described in claim 14, wherein said drive means for moving the two frames of each pair of frames towards one another comprise

(a) first electro-magnet means,

(b) a secondary circuit in said operating circuit wherein said electro-magnet means is energized by the flow of current resulting from closing of the respective contact switch,

(c) electrical switch means adapted for maintaining energization of said electro-magnetic means, even after the respective contact switch has again opened, until the respective key is fully returned to its rest position, and

(d) second electro-magnetic means which is adapted to be energized when return movement of the key is completed thereby causing the frames of said pair of frames to move away from each other into their initial positions.

16. An actuating unit as described in claim 15, further comprising a control element adapted for offering, to the finger-pressure, an initial resistance which can be overcome by said pressure, but which, after having been overcome, immediately decreases rapidly when the tilting movement of said key begins, so that once the movement has been initiated it continues in a positive manner until the respective contact is closed.

17. An actuating unit as described in claim 16, wherein each contact switch present comprises a stator element and a tongue member mounted on the key rod or on the support frame, a first stator element and tongue member, being electrically insulated from ground and being connected to said operating circuit, and a second stator element and tongue member being grounded.

18. An actuating unit as described in claim 17 wherein said key rod is a permanent magnet, one pole of which is adjacent the connection of said key rod to the key and the other pole to said mounting of the key rod in the supporting frame, and said tongue member is swingably mounted in the zone of the last-mentioned pole on the key rod and has its own magnetism which is of opposite pole to the magnetism of the key rod, so that the free end of the tongue, in the rest position, forms a magnetic circuit with the key-adjacent pole of the key rod which magnetic circuit is closed through the connection of the tongue to the key rod mounting, said supporting frame comprising a stop element which limits the movement of the free end of the tongue towards the key-adjacent pole of the key rod, so that when the key is moved out of its rest position away from the tongue member, the latter cannot follow this movement whereby said magnetic circuit is broken and the magnetic force of attraction between the free end of the tongue and the key-adjacent pole on the key rod decreases rapidly.

19. A method of actuating a keyboard, actuatable with the aid of the tips of fingers of at least one hand, which keyboard comprises a support frame, a first row of key units, each of which comprises a key being movable out of an initial inoperative position in which the tips of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger, respectively, rest on the keys of said first row and a hand rest for the ball of the thumb or wrist of the said hand;

the keys of said first row for each hand to be used for operating the keyboard being arranged on a curve, which corresponds to the natural disposition of the finger tips when the fingers are, without being tensioned, in a slightly curved and spread, but relaxed posture, wherein the key of each key unit of said guide key row has a key rod and a top face on one end of said key rod and destined for having the tip of a finger rest thereon, and, at the end of said rod opposite said top face, non-depressable mounting means articulatedly lodged in said support frame and being adapted for preventing downward depression of said key while permitting lateral shifting of said key toward at least one determined operational position, attracting means adjacent one side of said key, near the end of said key rod bearing said top face and facing away from said operational position, and adapted for exercising a determined initial attraction on said top face-bearing key rod end opposing tilting movement of said key away from said attracting means, when such movement is initiated by a finger tip resting on the top face of said key;

stop means associated with said attracting means and preventing the latter from following said tilting movement of said key, thereby decreasing the attractive force of said attractive means as the distance of said key therefrom increases due to progress of said lateral tilting movement of said key, and thereby causing said finger tip to tilt said key automatically further until the latter is fully shifted to said operating position, and

(a) resting the said ball of the thumb or wrist of said hand on said hand rest during actuation of the keyboard;

(b) exercising random vertical pressure by the finger tips on the top faces of the keys of said first row,

(c) exercising tilting pressure by one finger tip on the top face of one of said keys toward one of the forward, rearward, right or left sides thereof, strong enough to overcome said initial attraction and tilting said key;

(d) after return of said key and the finger tip thereon to the rest position, exercising tilting pressure as described under (c) to the top surface of the same or another key of said keyboard.