Collapsible keyboard mechanism with integrated LCD display

• US 6,137,676 A
• Filed: 05/22/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Merkel, Harold S.
• Primary Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US09/083,795
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 400/479, 400/488, 400/490-492, 400/682, 200/5 A, 200/344, 200/345
• US Class Current: 361/679.13
• 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 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information

Abstract

A notebook computer has a collapsible keyboard in which elastomeric key switch domes on the top side of a dome sheet are horizontally shiftable under the keys to selectively underlie and support them for use, or to permit the keys to be collapsed to depressed positions to reduce the thickness of the keyboard in its storage and transport orientation. When the computer display housing lid is closed it contacts and pivotally depresses a small LCD status display structure supported on the top side of the computer base housing rearwardly of the keyboard and linked to the dome sheet in a manner such that the dome sheet is responsively shifted to collapse the keys. When the display housing lid is subsequently opened and disengaged from the LCD status display structure, the LCD status display structure is spring-returned to its original elevated position to responsively shift the dome sheet in a manner causing the elastomeric domes to again underlie and resiliently support the keys in their elevated operating positions.

Claims

1. A collapsible keyboard comprising:

a body portion;

a series of keys carried on said body portion for movement relative thereto in a first direction between extended and depressed positions; and

a shifting structure carried by said body portion and having an actuating portion which is (1) resiliently biased in said first direction toward a first position in which said shifting structure is caused to resiliently support said keys in said extended positions, and (2) movable in said first direction from said first position to a second position in which said shifting structure is caused to permit said keys to collapse from said extended positions to said depressed positions, said actuating portion being partially defined by a display structure pivotally secured to said body portion.

2. The collapsible keyboard of claim 1 wherein said collapsible keyboard is a computer keyboard.

3. The collapsible keyboard of claim 2 wherein said computer keyboard is a notebook computer keyboard.

4. The collapsible keyboard of claim 1 wherein:

said body portion has a top side,

said series of keys are positioned on said top side,

said actuating portion is resiliently biased in an upward direction relative to said body portion, projects upwardly beyond said top side of said body portion when in said first position, and is downwardly movable from said first position to said second position.

5. The collapsible keyboard of claim 1 wherein:

said shifting structure further includes a shiftable portion linked to said actuating portion and being shiftable in opposite directions transverse to said first direction, into and out of supporting engagement with said series of keys, in respective response to movement of said actuating portion to said first and second positions thereof.

6. The collapsible keyboard of claim 5 wherein:

said series of keys are supported on said body portion by scissored arm linkages, and

said shiftable portion includes a dome sheet having a spaced series of elastomeric domes disposed thereon and being releasably engageable with said scissored arm linkages.

7. A collapsible keyboard comprising:

a body portion having a top side;

a series of keys carried on said top side of said body portion for vertical movement relative thereto between extended and depressed positions;

shifting means, carried by said body portion and being horizontally shiftable relative thereto between a first position in which said shifting means resiliently support said series of keys in said extended positions, and a second position in which said shifting means permit said series of keys to collapse to said depressed positions; and

actuating means linked to said shifting means and being resiliently biased toward a first position in which said actuating means project upwardly beyond said top side of said body portion and move said shifting means to said first position thereof, and downwardly movable to a second position in which said actuating means move said shifting means to said second position thereof, said actuating means including a display structure secured to said body portion for pivotal motion relative thereto about a horizontal axis.

8. The collapsible keyboard of claim 7 wherein said collapsible keyboard is a computer keyboard.

9. The collapsible keyboard of claim 8 wherein said computer keyboard is a notebook computer keyboard.

10. The collapsible keyboard of claim 7 wherein:

said shifting means include a dome sheet having, on a side thereof, a spaced series of elastomeric return spring dome members.

11. A collapsible portable computer keyboard comprising:

a body portion having a top side;

a series of keys carried on said top side of said body portion for vertical movement relative thereto between upwardly extended and downwardly depressed positions;

a shifting member having a spaced plurality of resilient key return spring members thereon,

said shifting member being carried by said body portion for horizontal movement relative thereto between a first position in which said key return spring members underlie and resiliently support said keys in said upwardly extended positions, and a second position in which said key return spring members permit said keys to collapse to said downwardly depressed positions; and

an actuating structure linked to said shifting member and being resiliently biased toward a first position in which said actuating structure projects upwardly beyond said top side of said body portion and moves said shifting member to its first position, said actuating structure being downwardly movable from its first position to a second position in which it operates to move said shifting member from said first position thereof to said second position thereof, said actuating structure including a display device.

12. The collapsible portable computer keyboard of claim 11 wherein said collapsible portable computer keyboard is a notebook computer keyboard.

13. The collapsible portable computer keyboard of claim 11 wherein said actuating structure is pivotally interconnected between said body portion and said shifting member.

14. The collapsible portable computer keyboard of claim 13 wherein said display device is an LCD status display device.

15. The collapsible portable computer keyboard of claim 13 wherein:

said display device is pivotally connected to one of said body portion and said shifting member, and

said actuating structure includes a linking member pivotally interconnected between said display device and the other one of said body portion and said shifting member.

16. The collapsible portable computer keyboard of claim 11 wherein:

said shifting member is a dome sheet portion of a multi-layer circuit pad, and

said key return spring members are elastomeric dome members.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a base housing having a top side;

a lid structure carried on said base housing for pivotal movement relative thereto between a closed position in which said lid structure extends across and covers said top side of said base housing, and an open position in which said lid structure is pivoted away from and exposes said top side of said base housing; and

a collapsible keyboard carried on said top side of said base housing and including;

a body portion,

a series of keys carried on said body portion for vertical movement relative thereto between extended and depressed positions, and

a shifting structure carried by said body portion and having an actuating portion which is (1) resiliently biased in an upward direction toward a first position in which said shifting structure is caused to resiliently support said keys in said extended positions, and (2) engageable and downwardly movable by said lid structure, as it is being closed, from said first position to a second position in which said shifting structure is caused to permit said keys to collapse from said extended positions to said depressed positions, said actuating portion being partially defined by a display structure pivotally secured to said body portion.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 wherein said electronic device is a portable computer.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 wherein said portable computer is a notebook computer.

20. The electronic device of claim 17 wherein:

said body portion has a top side,

said series of keys are positioned on said top side of said body portion, and

said actuating portion, when in said first position thereof, and is downwardly movable from said first position thereof to said second position thereof.

21. The electronic device of claim 17 wherein:

said shifting structure further includes a shiftable portion linked to said actuating portion and being horizontally shiftable in opposite directions, into and out of supporting engagement with said series of keys, in respective response to movement of said actuating portion to said first and second positions thereof.

22. The electronic device of claim 21 wherein:

said series of keys are supported on said body portion by scissored arm linkages, and

said shiftable portion includes a dome sheet having a spaced series of elastomeric domes disposed thereon and being releasably engageable with said scissored arm linkages.

23. An electronic device comprising:

a base housing having a top side;

a lid structure carried on said base housing for pivotal movement relative thereto between a closed position in which said lid structure extends across and covers said top side of said base housing, and an open position in which said lid structure is pivoted away from and exposes said top side of said base housing, and

a collapsible keyboard carried on said top side of said base housing and including;

a body portion having a top side,

a series of keys carried on said top side of said body portion for vertical movement relative thereto between extended and depressed positions,

shifting means, carried by said body portion and being horizontally shiftable relative thereto between a first position in which said shifting means resiliently support said series of keys in said extended positions, and a second position in which said shifting means permit said series of keys to collapse to said depressed positions, and

actuating means linked to said shifting means and being resiliently biased toward a first position in which said actuating means project upwardly beyond said top side of said body portion and move said shifting means to said first position thereof, and engageable and downwardly movable by said lid structure, as it is being closed, to a second position in which said actuating means move said shifting means to said second position thereof, said actuating means including a display structure secured to said body portion for pivotal motion relative thereto about a horizontal axis.

24. The electronic device of claim 23 wherein said electronic device is a portable computer.

25. The electronic device of claim 24 wherein said computer keyboard is a notebook computer keyboard.

26. The electronic device of claim 23 wherein:

said shifting means include a dome sheet having, on a side thereof, a spaced series of elastomeric return spring dome members.

27. A portable computer comprising:

a base housing having a top side;

a lid structure carried on said base housing for pivotal movement relative thereto between a closed position in which said lid structure extends across and covers said top side of said base housing, and an open position in which said lid structure is pivoted away from and exposes said top side of said base housing; and

a collapsible keyboard carried on said top side of said base housing and including;

a body portion having a top side,

a series of keys carried on said top side of said body portion for vertical movement relative thereto between upwardly extended and downwardly depressed positions,

a shifting member having a spaced plurality of resilient key return spring members thereon,

said shifting member being carried by said body portion for horizontal movement relative thereto between a first position in which said key return spring members underlie and resiliently support said keys in said upwardly extended positions, and a second position in which said key return spring members permit said keys to collapse to said downwardly depressed positions and

an actuating structure linked to said shifting member and being resiliently biased toward a first position in which said actuating structure projects upwardly beyond said top side of said body portion and moves said shifting member to its first position, said actuating structure being downwardly movable from its first position to a second position in which it operates to move said shifting member from said first position thereof to said second position thereof, said actuating structure including a display device.

28. The portable computer of claim 27 wherein said portable computer is a notebook computer.

29. The portable computer of claim 27 wherein said actuating structure is pivotally interconnected between said body portion and said shifting member.

30. The portable computer of claim 27 wherein said display device is an LCD status display device.

31. The portable computer of claim 27 wherein:

said display device is pivotally connected to one of said body portion and said shifting member, and

said actuating structure includes a linking member pivotally interconnected between said display device and the other one of said body portion and said shifting member.

32. The portable computer of claim 27 wherein:

said shifting member is a dome sheet portion of a multi-layer circuit pad, and

said key return spring members are elastomeric dome members.