Separable keyboard and computers having this separable keyboard

• US 5,800,085 A
• Filed: 09/17/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Transpacific Avartar, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Yl-Kwoun
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANISKO, LESLIE J
• Application Number:
  US08/715,319
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 400/682, 400/489, 400/472, 361/680
• US Class Current: 400/489
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/05 composed of hingedly connected sections

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separable keyboard and computers having this separable keyboard which can be separated into two parts. This invention is particularly directed towards notebook or lap top computers. An essential feature of this invention is that the user can control the amount and degree to which the two keyboard halves are separated. Additional features include designs that allow the user to sense whether the keyboards are separating or locking into one of several possible discrete positions, and designs that prevent the keyboard halves from swerving or wobbling.

Claims

1. A separable keyboard, comprising:

a keyboard separable into right and left sections, said keyboard having a top side and a bottom side, each section of said top side having a plurality of keys disposed thereon and each section of said bottom side having an adjustment shaft protruding therefrom; and

a base having both left and right portions, each portion of said base being perforated by a plurality of adjustment slots, each of said adjustment slots having a plurality of discrete positions, said adjustment shafts being inserted into respective adjustment slots, allowing sidewalls of said adjustment slots to flex and enabling said adjustment shafts to be sequentially positioned into said plurality of discrete positions.

2. The separable keyboard of claim 1, said left and right portions of said base each having a pair of recess slots parallel to, adjacent, and on each side of said adjustment slots, said pair of recess slots providing elasticity to said sidewalls of said adjustment slots when said adjustment shafts are moved within respective adjustment slots.

3. The separable keyboard of claim 2, said left and said right portions further comprising:

a pair of swerve preventative projecting shafts protruding from the bottom side of each section of said keyboard; and

a first and a second guiding slot in said base plate, said first and said second guiding slots being parallel to said adjustment slot and said pair of recess slots, one of said pair of swerve preventative projecting shafts being inserted into said first guiding slot and the other of said pair of swerve preventative projecting shafts being inserted into said second guiding slot to prevent each one of said pair of keyboard sections from being inadvertently removed from said base plate.

4. The separable keyboard of claim 3, said adjustment slot traces an arc of a circle.

5. The separable keyboard of claim 4, a first elastic portion being formed between said adjustment slot and one of said pair of recess slots and a second elastic portion being formed between said adjustment slot and said other of said pair of recess slots allowing said first and said second elastic portions to flex as said adjustment shaft is moved between said plurality of discrete positions.

6. A separable keyboard structure for a notebook computer, comprising:

a base, each half of said base being perforated by an adjustment slot, said adjustment slot having resilient and flexible sidewalls providing a plurality of successive discrete positions; and

a keyboard separable into two halves, each half having a top side and a bottom side, said top side having a plurality of keys disposed thereon, said bottom side of each half having a adjustment shaft protruding from said bottom side, said adjustment shaft engaging said adjustment slot of said base and successively moving into said discrete positions in said adjustment slot.

7. The separable keyboard of claim 6, said base being perforated by a pair of recess slots parallel to and near said adjustment slot to provide elasticity and flexibility to said side walls of said adjustment slot when said adjustment shaft moves between said discrete positions.

8. The separable keyboard of claim 7, wherein said base is perforated by a first and a second guiding slot parallel to said adjustment slot to prevent said keyboard halves from inadvertently being removed from said base.

9. The separable keyboard of claim 8, wherein said top plate contains a pair of swerve preventative project shafts for engaging said base at said first and said second guiding slots.

10. A separable keyboard, comprising:

a keyboard separable into right and left sections, said keyboard having a top side and a bottom side, said top side having a plurality of keys disposed thereon and said bottom side having an adjustment shaft and a pair of swerve preventative projecting shafts protruding therefrom; and

a base having both left and right portions, said base being perforated by an adjustment slot, a recess slot, and a guiding slot in both said left and said right sections, said adjustment shaft and a swerve preventative projecting shaft slidably attached to said adjustment slot and said guiding slot respectively allowing left and right sections of said keyboard to rotate about said base and hinder said keyboard from becoming detached from said base.

11. The separable keyboard of claim 10, said adjustment slot, said recess slot, and said guiding slot comprising concentric arcs, wherein an innermost one of said arcs comprises one of said guiding slot, an outermost one of said arcs comprises another one of said pair of guiding slots, and a middle one of said concentric arcs comprises said adjustment slot each accommodating one of said swerve preventative projecting shafts.

12. The separable keyboard of claim 11, wherein second a innermost concentric arc and a second outermost concentric arc each comprise a recess slot, vacant and do not accommodate a keyboard.

13. The separable keyboard of claim 11, wherein said adjustment slot is grooved allowing said accommodated adjustment shaft to naturally flex into one of a plurality of positions.

14. The separable keyboard of claim 13, said recess slot being close to said adjustment slot allowing sidewalls of said adjustment slot to flex as said adjustment shaft moves between any successive two of said plurality of position.