Input device

• US 6,773,179 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Darfon Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Darfon Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Chin-Chen, Liao, Jian-Ying, Huang, Mao-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hinze, Leo T.
• Application Number:
  US10/211,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20030026638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 400/472, 400/489, 400/82, D41/302, D41/303, D41/396, 345/168, 345/169, 341/22, 361/680
• US Class Current: 400/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666

Abstract

An external input device for a portable computer or personal digital assistant (PDA) has at least one rotatable sideboard. The sideboard operates in two states. When the sideboard is in the first state, the sideboard protects the key sets, and when the sideboard is in a second state, the sideboard facilitates input operation of user.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a first base, having an edge;

a key set, located on said first base and having a side-surface;

a sideboard, connected pivotally to a near-user end of said edge, said sideboard selectively operating in a first and a second state and

a second base and a connecting board, said first base connected pivotally to said connecting board, said connecting board connected pivotally to said second base;

wherein, said sideboard projects over said first base and covers said side-surface when said sideboard is in said first state, and wherein the height of said sideboard is reduced by pivotal rotation of said sideboard, resulting in said side-surface being exposed, so as to allow a user who operates said key set at said near-user end a better access, when said sideboards is in said second state.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein said key set has a key surface, and, relative to said first base, height of said sideboard has a first value, a height of said key surface has a second value, and wherein said first value is greater than said second value.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input device further comprises a retaining device for selectively biasing said sideboard to operate in said first state.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein said sideboard has a first contact surface configured to touch said edge, and wherein said edge has a protrusion configured to interface with said sideboard, and wherein said protrusion has a second and a third contact surface, and wherein said second contact surface touches said first contact surface when said sideboard is in said first state and said third contact surface touches said first contact surface when said sideboard is in said second state.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein said input device further comprises a plurality of sidewalls located on a portion of said edge not connecting said sideboard, said sidewalls are perpendicular to said first base substantially, and wherein the heights of said sidewalls are respectively equal to the height of said sideboard as said sideboard is in said first state.

6. A foldable input device, comprising:

a first base, having a first edge;

a second base, having a second edge;

a plurality of keys, located on said first and said second base, respectively, each of said keys having a first and a second side-surface respectively;

a first sideboard, connected pivotally to a first near-user end on said first edge, said first sideboard selectively operating in a first and a second state, wherein as said first sideboard is in said first state, said first sideboard projects over said first base and covers said first side-surface, and as said first sideboard is in said second state, the height of said first sideboard is reduced by pivotal rotation of said first sideboard, resulting in said first side-surface being exposed;

a second sideboard, connected pivotally to a second near-user end on said second edge, said second sideboard selectively operating in a first and a second state, wherein as said second sideboard is in said first state, said second sideboard projects over said second base and covers said second side-surface, and as said second sideboard is in said second state, the height of said second sideboard is reduced by pivotal rotation of said second sideboard, resulting in said second side-surface being exposed; and

a connecting board, having a first and a second end, wherein said first and second end are connected pivotally to said first and said second base respectively, resulting in said first base rotating oppositely to said second base, and when a user operates said keys at said first and second near-user end, height of said first and second sideboard are reduced so as to prevent said user from touching said first and second sideboard.

7. The input device of claim 6, wherein said keys has a key surface, and, relative to said first base, the height of said first sideboard has a first value, the height of said key surface has a second value, the height of said second base has a third value, and wherein said first and third value are substantially greater than said second value.

8. The input device of claim 7 wherein a portion of said first edge not connecting said first sideboard and a portion of said second edge not connecting said second sideboard further respectively comprise a plurality of sidewalls, said sidewalls are perpendicular to said first and second bases respectively, height of said sidewalls relative to said first and second base are respectively equal to said first value and said third value as said first and said second sideboard are in said first state.

9. The input device of claim 6, wherein the input device further comprises a retaining device configured to selectively fix said first and second sideboard to operate in said first state.

10. The input device of claim 6, wherein said first sideboard has a first contact surface configured to touch said first edge, said first edge has a first protrusion configured to touch said first sideboard, said first protrusion has a second and a third contact surface respectively, wherein said first contact surface touches said second contact surface as said first sideboard is in said first state, and wherein said first contact surface touches said third contact surface as said first sideboard is in said second state.

11. The input device of claim 6 wherein said second sideboard has a fourth contact surface for touching said second edge, said second edge has a second protrusion for touching said second sideboard, said second protrusion has a fifth and a sixth contact surface respectively, wherein said fourth contact surface touches said fifth contact surface as said second sideboard is in said first state, and wherein said fourth contact surface touches said sixth contact surface as said second sideboard is in said second state.

12. An input device providing data input from a user to a portable computer, the input device comprising first and second bases supporting a set of keys and being rotatably coupled to each other by a connecting board, wherein the first and second base define a shell having sidewalls about the perimeter of the input device, and wherein a rotatable portion of the sidewalls closest the user is configured to rotate between a first state providing access to the key sets and a second state protecting the key sets.