Leveled touchsurface with planar translational responsiveness to vertical travel
First Claim
1. A key assembly comprising:
- a rigid key configured to be depressed by a user;
a leveling mechanism operatively associated with the key, the leveling mechanism being configured to constrain the key to a level orientation while the key is depressed by the user;
a planar-translation-effecting mechanism operatively associated with the key, the planar-translation-effecting mechanism including one or more ramps that are configured to impart a planar translation to the key while the key travels downward on the one or more ramps as the key is depressed by the user.
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Abstract
Described herein are techniques related to a leveled touchsurface with planar translational responsiveness to vertical travel. Examples of a touchsurface include a key of a keyboard, touchpad of a laptop, or a touchscreen of a smartphone or tablet computer. With the techniques described herein, the touchsurface is constrained to remain in a level orientation during planar translational movement between depressed and unpressed positions along a diagonal line with respect to a vertical axis. Also, with the techniques described herein, a planar-translation-effecting mechanism imparts a planar translation to the touchsurface while it travels vertically (e.g., downward) as the user presses the touchsurface. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A key assembly comprising:
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a rigid key configured to be depressed by a user; a leveling mechanism operatively associated with the key, the leveling mechanism being configured to constrain the key to a level orientation while the key is depressed by the user; a planar-translation-effecting mechanism operatively associated with the key, the planar-translation-effecting mechanism including one or more ramps that are configured to impart a planar translation to the key while the key travels downward on the one or more ramps as the key is depressed by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A human-machine interaction (HMI) apparatus comprising:
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a touchsurface configured to be presented to a user to facilitate, at least in part, human to computer interaction therethrough by the user depressing the touchsurface; a leveling mechanism operatively associated with the touchsurface, the leveling mechanism being configured to constrain the touchsurface to a level orientation while the touchsurface travels downward as the user depresses the touchsurface; a planar-translation-effecting mechanism operatively associated with the touchsurface, the planar-translation-effecting mechanism including one or more ramps that are configured to impart a planar translation to the touchsurface while the touchsurface travels downward on the one or more ramps as the user depresses the touchsurface. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A human-machine interaction (HMI) apparatus comprising:
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a touchsurface configured to be presented to a user to facilitate, at least in part, human to computer interaction therethrough by the user depressing the touchsurface; a leveling mechanism operatively associated with the touchsurface, the leveling mechanism being configured to constrain the touchsurface to a level orientation while the touchsurface travels downward as the user depresses the touchsurface, wherein the leveling mechanism includes one or more ramps positioned under and/or around the touchsurface so as to ameliorate and/or eliminate wobbling, shaking, rotating, and/or tilting of the touchsurface while the touchsurface travels downward as the user depresses the touchsurface; a planar-translation-effecting mechanism operatively associated with the touchsurface, the planar-translation-effecting mechanism being configured to impart a planar translation to the touchsurface while the touchsurface travels vertically, wherein the planar-translation-effecting mechanism includes at least one inclined plane down which the touchsurface rides while the touchsurface travels downward as the user depresses the touchsurface, the at least one inclined plane being configured to impart the planar translation to the touchsurface while the touchsurface travels downward as the user depresses the touchsurface. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification