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Ergonomically improved standard keyboard

  • US 5,971,636 A
  • Filed: 12/18/1997
  • Issued: 10/26/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of realigning the relative positions of keys of a standard keyboard comprising:

  • selecting a first set of points, each of said points being aligned along the metacarpophalangeal curve of the human hand of a user when said hand is in a first position, said set of points including points corresponding to a fingerbase of an index, middle, ring and little finger of the hand of said user, said points corresponding to said ring and little fingerbase being closer together than tips of said ring and little finger, said first position being one in which said hand is extending outwardly from a forearm of said user and said forearm is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said keyboard, and placing a centerpoint of a key directly beneath each of said plurality of points, each of said points being generally coincident with the location of a metacarpal joint at the base of the fingers of one hand of said user, and said keys located by said points defining a first set of keys,determining the amount of rotation required to bring said hand from said first position to a second position defined by rotation of said forearm about the user'"'"'s elbow to a forearm position whereby said user'"'"'s hands are adjacent to one another above said keyboard,rotating said first set of keys in unison by said amount corresponding to said rotation of said forearm,rotating each key of said first set of keys, without causing translation of said keys, so that lateral edges of said keys are extending substantially parallel to one another, andmoving each of said keys of said first set of keys laterally toward one another to form a first set of laterally adjacent keys.

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