Keyboard apparatus

• US 4,786,766 A
• Filed: 01/15/1988
• Issued: 11/22/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US07/147,016
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5 R, 200/5 A, 200/16 A, 200/183 N, 200/159 B, 200/302.2, 200/314, 200/328, 200/340
• US Class Current: 200/5.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/705 characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/01 Off centre actuation
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/058 to avoid tilting or skewing of contact area or actuator
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/002 Calculator, computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2233/036 with limited freedom

Abstract

The first example of a keyboard apparatus of the invention intends to prevent the inclination and shake of a key button by forming retaining claws so as to project downwardly at locations near the corners of the quadrangular key button. The second example intends to prevent to shake of a small-sized key button by arranging the retaining claws formed for the small key button on a diagonal line of the key button, thereby elongating the distance between the retaining claws. The third example intends to automatically adjust the center of the position of the key button by forming the portion to restrict the top dead point of a key button so as to have almost a complementary zigzag shape.

Claims

1. A keyboard apparatus comprising:

panel means having a single first opening portion and four second opening portions;

input means adjacent a first side of said panel means comprising a pair of conductive members separated by an elastic force and adapted to contact each other due to a pressing force; and

a key button substantially in the shape of a quadrangle arranged adjacent a second side of said panel means, said button comprising a first projecting portion which projects from substantially the center of said key button and four second projecting portions each having an engaging member and each projecting from near one of four corners of said key button, wherein said first projecting portion is inserted through said first opening portion and thereby guided in a predetermined direction by said first opening portion to said first side of said panel means, the end portion of said first projecting portion contacting said input means so as to be biased away from said panel means by the elastic power of said input means, and wherein each of said four second projecting portions is inserted through different ones of said second opening portions to said first side of said panel means, each engaging member of said second projecting portions engaging near to said different one of said second opening portions so as to provide a force against the elastic power of said input means.

2. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said engaging members comprises a hook to stop the movement of the key button by abutting on said first side of said panel means.

3. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said second projecting portions is formed on a different side of said key button.

4. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a pair of said second projecting portions is formed on a single side of said key button.

5. A keyboard apparatus comprising:

panel means having a single first opening portion and two second opening portions;

input means adjacent a first side of said panel means comprising a pair of conductive members separated by an elastic force and adapted to contact each other due to a pressing force; and

a key button substantially in the shape of either of a parallelogram and a trapezoid having at least a single acute angle and a single obtuse angle, arranged adjacent a second side of said panel means, said key button comprising a first projecting portion which projects from substantially the center of said key button and two second projecting portions each having an engaging member and each projecting from near one of two corners on the longer one of two diagonal lines of said key button, wherein said first projecting portion is inserted through said first opening portion and thereby guided in a predetermined direction by said first opening portion to said first side of said panel means, the end portion of said first projecting portion contacting said input means so as to be biased away from said panel means by the elastic power of said input means, and wherein each of said two second projecting portions is inserted through different ones of said second opening portions to said first side of said panel means, each engaging member of said second projecting portions engaging near to said different one of said second opening portions so as to provide a force against the elastic power of said input means.

6. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of said engaging members comprises a hook to stop the movement of the key button by abutting on said first side of said panel means.

7. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said hook formed for the key button is formed outwardly from the key button.

8. A keyboard apparatus comprising:

panel means having a plurality of discrete locations, each location having a first opening portion and a plurality of second opening portions;

a plurality of input means adjacent a first side of said panel means, each of said input means comprising a pair of conductive members separated by an elastic force and adapted to contact each other due to a pressing force; and

a group of key buttons of a keyboard including a plurality of key buttons substantially in the shape of a quadrangle which are arranged adjacent a second side of said panel means, each of said plurality of key buttons comprising a first projecting portion which projects from substantially the center of said key button and a plurality of second projecting portions projecting from said key button wherein said first projecting portion is inserted through said first opening portion and thereby guided in a predetermined direction by said first opening portion to said first side of said panel means, the end portion of said first projecting portion contacting an associated one of said input means so as to be biased away from said panel means by the elastic power of said input means, and wherein each of said second projecting portions is inserted through said second openings to said first side of said panel means, each engaging member of said second projecting portions engaging near to said second opening portions so as to provide a force against the elastic power of said input means,

wherein each of the key buttons locating at one end and the other end of said panel means has a trapezoidal shape, and each of the key buttons arranged at positions sandwiched between said trapezoidal key buttons has a parallelogram shape.

9. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first projecting portion of said key button depresses said input means through said first opening portion of said panel means, and said engaging members of said second projecting portions of the key button restrict the movement of the key button by abutting on the panel means through said second opening portions of the panel means.

10. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each of said engaging members comprises a hook to stop the key button by abutting on said first side of said panel means.

11. A keyboard apparatus comprising:

panel means having at least a first opening portion and a plurality of second opening portions and a plurality of surfaces inclined in different directions relative to a first side of said panel means and formed at said first side of said panel means near said second opening portions;

input means adjacent said first side of said panel means comprising a pair of conductive members adapted to contact each other due to a pressing force; and

a key button substantially in the shape of a quadrangle which is arranged adjacent a second side of said panel means, said key button comprising a first projecting portion and second projecting portions, wherein said first projecting portion projects from substantially the center of the quadrangle to said first side of said panel means so as to be inserted through said first opening portion and to depress said input means, and each of said second projecting portions projects to said first side of said panel means and comprises a plurality of inclined surfaces each complementarily in contact with corresponding one of said surfaces of said panel means, each of said second projecting portions being inserted through different ones of said second opening portions.

12. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said second projecting portions formed for said key button is formed near both ends of a diagonal line of the quadrangular key button.

17. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said inclined surfaces on said panel means are formed in the shape of one of a convex and a concave and said complementary inclined surfaces of said second projecting portion are formed in the shape of the other of said convex and said concave.

13. A keyboard apparatus comprising:

panel means having an opening portion and a plurality of surfaces each inclined in different directions relative to a first side of said panel means and formed at said first side of said panel means near said opening portion;

input means adjacent said first side of said panel means comprising a pair of conductive members adapted to contact each other due to a pressing force; and

a key button having a pressing portion and a flange portion in which one end of said pressing portion abuts on said input means, the end extending through said opening portion of said panel means, and said flange portion is formed with a plurality of complementary inclined surfaces adapted to contact corresponding ones of said inclined surfaces of said panel means on said first side of said panel means.

14. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each of said complementary inclined surfaces are formed on an upper surface of said flange portion formed for said key button.

15. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each of said complementary inclined surfaces are formed so as to project from a side surface of said flange portion formed for said key button.

16. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said inclined surfaces on said panel means are formed in the shape of one of a convex and a concave and said complementary inclined surfaces of said flange portion are formed in the shape of the other of the convex and the concave.

18. A keyboard apparatus comprising:

panel means having an opening portion;

input means adjacent a first side of said panel means comprising a pair of conductive members separated by an elastic force and adapted to contact each other due to pressing force; and

a key button substantially in the shape of either of a parallelogram or a trapezoid having at least a single acute angle and a single obtuse angle, arranged adjacent at least a second side of said panel means, said key button being inserted through said opening portion to said first side of said panel means, the end portion of said key button contacting said input means so as to be biased away from said first side toward a second side of said panel means by the elastic power of said input means.

21. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said keyboard includes a plurality of key buttons substantially in the shape of a parallelogram, said plurality of key buttons being arranged in a matrix.

19. A keyboard apparatus comprising:

panel means having a plurality of discrete locations, each location having an opening portion;

a plurality of input means adjacent a first side of said panel means, each of said input means comprising a pair of conductive members separated by an elastic force and adapted to contact each other due to a pressing force; and

a group of key buttons of a keyboard including a plurality of key buttons substantially in the shape of a quadrangle which are arranged adjacent at least a second side of said panel means, each of said plurality of key buttons being inserted through one of said opening portions to said first side of said panel means, the end portion of said key button contacting said input means so as to be biased away from said first side toward a second side of said panel means by the elastic power of said input means;

wherein each of the key buttons located at one end and the other end of said panel means has a trapezoidal shape, and each of the key buttons arranged at positions sandwiches between said trapezoidal key buttons has a parallelogram shape.

20. A keyboard apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said key button includes a projecting portion for depressing said input means through said opening portion of said panel means.