Adjustable keyboard
First Claim
1. A keyboard including:
- first and second segments, each of said first segment and said second segment having a plurality of keys;
each of said first segment and said second segment having an abutting surface;
connecting means for connecting said first segment and said second segment to each other for enabling relative movement between said first segment and said second segment, for holding said first segment and said second segment in any position to which first segment and said second segment are moved relative to each other including holding said abutting surfaces of said first segment and said second segment in abutting relation, and for enabling disconnection of said first segment and said second segment from each other;
and said connecting means including;
a ball;
a first element on one of said first segment and said second segment having a partial spherical surface for engaging a portion of said ball;
a second element on the other of said first segment and said second segment having a partial spherical surface for engaging another portion of said ball;
and releasably connecting means for releasably connecting said first element, said ball, and said second element to each other to retain each of said first segment and said second segment in any position to which each of said first segment and said second segment is moved.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A keyboard has two segments connected to each other at their rear ends by a connector. The two segments can be pivoted about the connector through 90° in the plane of a support surface for the keyboard. In one embodiment, each keyboard segment may be disposed at a maximum angle of 45° to its support surface in a plane perpendicular to its support surface. Thus, the two segments may be tilted 90° with respect to each other. The two segments may be separated and supported individually through three pivotally mounted supports on its bottom surface. Two of the supports are disposed adjacent the rear corners and pivot on the same axis while the third support is disposed adjacent a lower inner corner of the segment and pivots on an axis perpendicular to the pivot axis of the other two supports. Each of the supports has two legs of different lengths to permit various tilting configurations of each segment with one of the legs having an adjustable length in one embodiment.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A keyboard including:
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first and second segments, each of said first segment and said second segment having a plurality of keys; each of said first segment and said second segment having an abutting surface; connecting means for connecting said first segment and said second segment to each other for enabling relative movement between said first segment and said second segment, for holding said first segment and said second segment in any position to which first segment and said second segment are moved relative to each other including holding said abutting surfaces of said first segment and said second segment in abutting relation, and for enabling disconnection of said first segment and said second segment from each other; and said connecting means including; a ball; a first element on one of said first segment and said second segment having a partial spherical surface for engaging a portion of said ball; a second element on the other of said first segment and said second segment having a partial spherical surface for engaging another portion of said ball; and releasably connecting means for releasably connecting said first element, said ball, and said second element to each other to retain each of said first segment and said second segment in any position to which each of said first segment and said second segment is moved. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A keyboard including:
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first and second segments, each of said first segment and said second segment having a plurality of keys; connecting means for connecting said first segment and said second segment to each other for enabling relative movement between said first segment and said second segment and for enabling disconnection of said first segment and said second segment from each other; and said connecting means including; a first element on said first segment; a second element on said second segment; a third element disposed between said first element and said second element; said first element having cooperating means for cooperating with said third element; releasably connecting means for releasably connecting said first element and said second element to each other and at least said first element and said third element; said cooperating means of said first element being a ball supported by said first element; said third element being fixed to said second element; said third element having a recess to receive said ball; and said third element having retaining means for releasably retaining said ball in said recess in said third element. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A keyboard including:
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first and second segments, each of said first segment and said second segment having a plurality of keys; connecting means for connecting said first segment and said second segment to each other for enabling relative movement between said first segment and said second segment and for enabling disconnection of said first segment and said second segment from each other; and said connecting means including; a first element on said first segment; a second element on said second segment; a third element disposed between said first element and said second element; said first element having cooperating means for cooperating with said third element; releasably connecting means for releasably connecting said first element and said second element to each other and at least said first element and said third element; said third element having an outer spherical surface; said first element having a partial spherical surface for engaging a portion of said outer spherical surface of said third element; said second element having a partial spherical surface for engaging another portion of said outer spherical surface of said third element; and said releasably connecting means including means for releasably connecting said first element, said third element, and said second element to each other to retain each of said first segment and said second segment in any position to which each of said first segment and said second segment is moved.
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25. A keyboard including:
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first and second segments, each of said first segment and said second segment having a plurality of keys; each of said first segment and said second segment having an abutting surface; connecting means for connecting said first segment and said second segment to each other for enabling relative movement between said first segment and said second segment, for holding said first segment and said second segment in any position to which first segment and said second segment are moved relative to each other including holding said abutting surfaces of said first segment and said second segment in abutting relation, and for enabling disconnection of said first segment and said second segment from each other; each of said first segment and said second segment having three pivotally mounted support means disposed on its bottom for supporting each of said first segment and said second segment, each of said three pivotally mounted support means being separately movable between a rest position and a support position in which said pivotally mounted support means extends beyond the plane of the bottom of said first segment or said second segment on which said pivotally mounted support means is pivotally mounted for at least one selected length; two of said three pivotally mounted support means on each of said first segment and said second segment being disposed adjacent the rear of each of said first segment and said second segment; and a third of said three pivotally mounted support means on each of said first segment and said second segment being disposed adjacent said abutting surface of each of said first segment and said second segment and the front of each of said first segment and said second segment. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification