U.S. patent application number 10/439938 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-18 for type of splash-resistant modular keyboard for computers.
Invention is credited to Wu, Lee Hong.
Application Number | 20040226248 10/439938 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33417937 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040226248 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wu, Lee Hong |
November 18, 2004 |
Type of splash-resistant modular keyboard for computers
Abstract
A new kind of splash-resistant modular keyboard for computers
that separates keyboard components into two groups. One group of
components becomes a detachable and user-serviceable keycap module,
while the other group stays as the base module. The detachable
module contains essentially the keycap portion that contributes to
more malfunctioning of present day keyboard. The base module has a
bay that receives the detachable keycap module, and contains the
electrical circuitry membrane and PCB that has longer durability
than the keycap portion. Drain holes at lower end of the bay will
allow liquid spillage, or when using water/solution to clean the
bay, to flow out of the bay. Depending on applications, the
detachable keycap module can be further broken into more
sub-modules. Keyboards manufactured following present invention are
modular in nature, and are conducive to reducing the costs for
keyboard services and exchanges, costs for curing future
environmental hazards and costs for fitting suitable user keycaps
for swapping among different languages and computer
applications.
Inventors: |
Wu, Lee Hong; (Lake Forest,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAW OFFICES OF J.F. LEE
17800 CASTLETON STREET
SUITE 383
CITY OF INDUSTRY
CA
91748
US
|
Family ID: |
33417937 |
Appl. No.: |
10/439938 |
Filed: |
May 16, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/600 ;
52/577 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01H 13/70 20130101;
H01H 2223/004 20130101; H01H 2229/062 20130101; G06F 1/1616
20130101; G06F 1/1662 20130101; G06F 1/1656 20130101; H01H 2223/05
20130101; G06F 3/0202 20130101; H01H 2223/052 20130101; H01H
2229/022 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/600 ;
052/577 |
International
Class: |
E04B 005/04; E04C
002/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A new type of splash-resistant and modular-keycap keyboard for
desktop and notebook/laptop computers, comprising: a. A
keycap-module removably sitting in a bay sized to fit the shape of
said keycap module on the top surface of a desktop keyboard or
notebook/laptop computer; b. Material forming the bay with means to
lower one end of the bay and containing a plurality of holes so
that liquids will gravitate towards the holes and out of the bay;
c. Water sealing mechanism around the inside lower rim of the
material forming the bay, so that any liquid spillage or splash
will not get inside the body of the keyboard or notebook/laptop
computer; d. Means for mounting so that said keycap-module can be
easily mounted to and removed from the material forming the
bay.
2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein said keycap-module is made up
of individual keycaps, keycap holding mechanism, frame and optional
key actuating mechanism.
3. The keyboard of claim 2 wherein said keycap-module can be
subdivided into two, three or more sub-keycap-modules.
4. The keyboard of claim 2 or 3 wherein the said means for mounting
said key-cap module to the material forming the bay is by one or a
plurality of screws in the top-down orientation, so that a user can
remove said keycap-module by removing the screws and unseat the
keycap-module away from the material forming the bay.
5. The keyboard of claim 2 or 3 wherein the said means for mounting
said keycap-module to the material forming the bay is by one or a
plurality of snap-in tabs, so that a user can remove said
keycap-module by depressing said snap-in tabs from its engaged
cavity and unseat the keycap-module away from the material forming
the bay.
6. The keyboard of claim 2 or 3 wherein the said means for mounting
said keycap-module to the material forming the bay is by one or a
plurality of latch-hinge mechanisms, so that a user can remove said
keycap-module by unlatching and unhinging said keycap-module and
unseat said keycap-module away from the material forming the
bay.
7. The keyboard of claim 2 or 3 wherein the said means for mounting
said keycap-module to the material forming the bay is by one or a
plurality of slidable locking pins on the material forming the bay
with corresponding holes on said keycap-module, so that a user can
remove the keycap-module by sliding the pins to disengage the
slide-lock and unseat the keycap-module away from the material
forming the bay.
8. The keyboard of claim 2 or 3 wherein the said means for mounting
said top keycap-module to said bottom base-module is by one or a
plurality of tab-like hooks on said keycap-module, so that a user
can remove the top keycap-module by slightly prying away the hooks
and unseat the top keycap-module away from the bottom
base-module.
9. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein said water sealing mechanism is
a strip of rubber tightly laid around the inside lower rim of the
material forming the bay, but not blocking the plurality of holes.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is related to a prior application
filed by the same inventor. Said prior application's filing date
was Jun. 26, 2002, having application Ser. No. 10/180423. The
present application is further related to a second application
filed by the same inventor. Said second application's filing date
was Oct. 15, 2002, having application Ser. No. 10/272,584.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to keyboards for
computers where a top portion containing the keycaps is
replaceable, removable and user-serviceable. More particularly, the
present invention helps to solve the industry problems enumerated,
but not limited by, below:
[0003] A. Voluminous amount of keyboards still under warranty are
being returned for repair/exchange due to malfunctions that are
user-serviceable in nature. The amount of money that will be saved
by avoiding such repair/exchange is estimated at least in the
millions every year across the industry.
[0004] B. Substantially lesser amount of metal and rare metal
contained in the bottom portion of a keyboard will not become scrap
metal causing environmental hazards some years down the road
because the bottom portion has long durability than the top
portion. People are waking up to the potential hazards created by
cast away computers, cell phones and other consumer electronics.
Tremendous amount of money will be saved because of the reduced
costs to cure the potential environmental hazards.
[0005] C. Chances of breakdown on the non-removable part of the
keyboard is greatly reduced due to the fact the liquid spillage
will not accumulate in the holding (aka bay) area.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Modern day keyboards for computers come in an integrated
package, along with the computer system units when sold. Users can
plug in the keyboard cord to a port at the back of the system unit
and can then start to type on the keyboard when the desktop
computer is working.
[0007] Latest generations of computers are more compact than ever
before. The whole system (CPU, memory, I/O ports, DVD/HD/Floppy
drives and other optional equipment or connection ports) can
arguably be in a single package the size of a keyboard, so that a
user merely sees and uses the "keyboard" to work on the computer.
In this type of new generation computer, keyboard becomes
integrated and on top of the system, similar to the notebook/laptop
computers today.
[0008] Most keyboards carry limited product warranty, on the
condition that users do not take apart, disassemble or remove parts
of keyboard in any way. Any such action voids the product warranty.
If the keyboard develops any malfunction, the only recourse under
the warranty is to have it returned for repair or exchange. Some
manufacturers have sticker(s) covering one or more screws used to
fasten the keyboard parts together. Any breaking or removal of such
sticker(s) will also void the warranty.
[0009] In today's technology, most keyboards have fairly high
quality and durability. However, in the real-life working
environment, keyboards are destined to encounter some foreign
objects that tend to cause problems, including, just to name a few,
grease from fingers, liquid spillage, dusts and particles in the
atmosphere. Without any means to clear the accumulated foreign
matter away, inevitably the mechanical functionality of the
keyboard is adversely affected.
[0010] Typical symptoms include, keycaps stuck in the holding
chimneys by the accumulation of dried coffee, grease or dusts. Due
to the "void the warranty" restriction, the only solution is to
return the keyboard for repair service or in exchange for a new
one. Since the keyboard industry in general does not factor in the
cost of recycling keyboard components, the cost of sending out a
new keyboard to users is lower than the labor cost of diagnosing,
fixing and re-assembling a returned keyboard. Hundreds of thousands
of returned keyboards gravitated towards storage bins, warehouses
and even garbage dumps each year, while no one bothers to figure
out how to make the best use of the re-useable resources and come
up with a more environmentally sound solution to the problem.
[0011] In the case of notebook/laptop computers, or in the case of
the new generation compact computers, when a problem occurs that
relates to the keyboard, the only recourse a user has is to send
back the whole system unit for repair/exchange.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0012] The present invention examines the structure of a typical
keyboard for modern day computers, and proposes a new modular
keyboard design that helps to solve the industry problems.
[0013] Modern day keyboards for desktop computers are usually
produced by using an upper and a lower enclosures (the outer shells
for the finished keyboard product) to sandwich all internal
components, which typically include keycap component, key-actuating
mechanism, top holding plate, circuitry membrane and PCB, bottom
holding plates/frame, and other optional components. Reference FIG.
1 and FIG. 2.
[0014] Since each manufacturer may have different assembly method,
or may combine one part into another (bigger) part, understandably
the components in FIGS. 1 and 2 are just typical and not
exhaustively representative.
[0015] From top to bottom (in the usual orientation of daily
usage), these typical internal components (excluding the top/bottom
enclosures) are listed and explained below:
[0016] 1. keycap component: includes the following typical
sub-components
[0017] a. individual keycap with alpha-numeric characters and other
control keys for any specific language. The surface of each keycap,
printed or labeled with character(s) for visual identification, is
for human fingers to type on.
[0018] b. keycap holding mechanism to provide for the vertical
up-down travel of each keycap when pressed down and then popped
back. The mechanism can be in the form of a chimney, as in FIG. 2,
or in the form of a scissor switch, as in FIG. 1.
[0019] c. frame for the holding mechanism to sit on. In today's
manufacturing process, the frame and the holding mechanism is
usually an integrated structural piece.
[0020] 2. top holding plate: optional, serves to hold down the key
actuating mechanism and protect the components beneath.
[0021] 3. key actuating mechanism: provides resistance and position
restoration for the up-down travel of each keycap. There are some
variations as to the type of mechanism used for keyboard, to name a
few:
[0022] a. Rubber dome (sheet): most common today, which uses
dome-shaped material corresponding to each keycap.
[0023] b. Coil spring: vertical placement of coil springs along the
up-down travel of each keycap, common for earlier generation
keyboards; classical way of providing resistance and position
restoration for each keycap.
[0024] c. Flexible metal plate.
[0025] d. Buttons formed by sealed air bubbles on rubber or plastic
material.
[0026] 4. circuitry membrane and PCB: the combined circuitry
membrane and PCB (printed circuitry board) electronically determine
which of the keycap is being pressed down and send that information
to the computer for further processing.
[0027] 5. bottom holding plate: used to hold the aforesaid
components in place.
[0028] It is well known in the industry that these components are
just typical, because a lot of variations exist due to different
designs and manufacturing processes. For example, in earlier
keyboard models, the coil springs (key actuating mechanism) are
integrated with and became part of the keycap component.
[0029] FIGS. 1 and 2 sum up the structural allocation of a typical
keyboard for computers. As most people can experience, these
typical keyboards cannot be separated into two or more modules that
can be physically removed, detached, replaced, swapped or
serviced.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0030] One object of present invention seeks to greatly reduce the
costs of diagnosing, fixing and reassembling a returned keyboard,
or exchange for a new one, when warranty still applies.
[0031] A further object of present invention is to create a
keyboard manufacturing technology that is environmentally friendly
and is conducive to elimination of future environmental
hazards.
[0032] A still further object of present invention is to reduce the
liquid spillage that stay in the keyboard holding area, thus
creating moisture which tend to adversely affect other system
components of the computer.
[0033] A still further object of present invention is to allow easy
maintenance and cleaning of the keyboard by spraying clean water or
other solution at the keyboard since the keyboard holding area (aka
bay) has drainage to channel out the water or solution containing
dust or other particles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate the preferred
embodiment of the invention and together with the description,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0035] For reason of definition, and for further explanation of
present invention, the term "keycap module" will be used to denote
the module that contains, minimally, the keycaps, keycap holding
mechanism and frame for keycap holding mechanism.
[0036] The term "base module" will denote the module that contains,
minimally, the circuitry membrane and PCB. As a matter of practice,
in a keyboard produced following the teachings of present
invention, anything on the keyboard other than the "keycap-module"
is the "base module". Therefore, base module can be the system unit
of a notebook/laptop computer, or, in the case of new generation
computer, the system unit of a desktop computer, excluding the
display monitor.
[0037] Depending on specific manufacturing technique, present
invention allows the component of key actuating mechanism to be
allocated into the keycap module or the base module.
[0038] The cavity left in the base module when keycap module is
removed is referred to as keycap bay.
[0039] Drain holes on the keycap bay are also referred to as water
channeling mechanism.
[0040] A brief description of the drawings is as follows:
[0041] FIG. 1 shows the typical components and embodiment of a
keyboard for notebook/laptop computers.
[0042] FIG. 2 shows the typical components and embodiment of a
keyboard for desktop computers.
[0043] FIG. 3 shows the exploded view where the keycap module is
removed from the base module, with water channeling mechanisms
(holes) and water sealing mechanism indicated. A method for
mounting keycap module to the keycap bay of base module is also
shown.
[0044] FIG. 4 shows the keycap module is removed form the base
module, in this case, the system unit of a notebook/laptop
computer. Water sealing mechanism around the inside edge of keycap
bay is also shown.
[0045] FIG. 5 shows the keycap module can be broken into
sub-modules; or can be in the form of a foldable type.
[0046] FIG. 6 shows an implementation of the water channeling
mechanism by using drain holes and tilting the system unit of a
notebook/laptop computer so that liquids will gravitate towards the
drain holes and flow out of the keycap bay.
[0047] FIG. 7 shows an implementation of the water channeling
mechanism using drain holes, with keycap module sitting in the
keycap bay.
[0048] FIG. 8 shows the application of present invention to desktop
computer keyboards using keycap sub-modules.
[0049] FIG. 9 shows a cross-section view of the components for a
desktop computer keyboard applying water sealing mechanism and
water channeling mechanism.
[0050] FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of the components for a
notebook/laptop computer keycap applying water sealing
mechanism.
[0051] FIG. 11 shows that keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by screws in the top-down orientation.
[0052] FIG. 12 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by snap-in tabs on the sides of the keycap
module to the grooves located on the sides of the base module.
[0053] FIG. 13 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by yet another form of snap-in mechanism. In
this drawing, upper enclosure of the traditional desktop computer
keyboard is part of the keycap module.
[0054] FIG. 14 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by employing a latch-hinge mechanism.
[0055] FIG. 15 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by employing tabs with holes extending from the
sides of keycap module, and corresponding cavities on the sides of
the base module with sliding locking pins.
[0056] FIG. 16 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by horizontally sliding the keycap module into
the base module.
[0057] FIGS. 17 and 18 shows two examples of implementation by
present invention with assembled keycap module sitting in the
keycap bay, along with portions of base module forming water
sealing environment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0058] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the typical components of a keyboard are
shown. Terms "keycap module" and "base module" as used herein are
defined in prior section.
[0059] Base module corresponds to the remaining components of a
keyboard unit not belonging to the removable keycap module. As a
matter of practice, the base module will at least have the
electrical circuitry/PCB component. From top to bottom, the
components will include top holding plate, key-actuating mechanism,
electrical circuitry membrane/PCB, and bottom holding plate.
[0060] The upper enclosure (the hard plastic casing of a keyboard
for a traditional desktop computer) can be grouped into the keycap
module, as shown in FIG. 13.
[0061] Depending on specific manufacturing or assembly needs,
key-actuating mechanism (such as rubber dome sheet, or coil spring)
may be group into the keycap module or the base module.
[0062] FIG. 3 shows drain holes serving as the water channeling
mechanism at one end of the keyboard; the whole keyboard unit is
elevated on one side, causing the side with drain holes to be
lower. Watering sealing mechanism around the inside rim of the
keycap bay is shown. Rubber strips or sheets are preferred material
for achieving the water sealing, without blocking the drain holes
on the lower end of the keycap bay.
[0063] FIG. 3 also shows an implementation of a mounting method:
tabs on the side of keycap module can be snapped in to grooves on
the inside rim of the keycap bay.
[0064] FIG. 4 shows water sealing mechanism around the inside edge
of the keycap bay for a notebook/laptop computer.
[0065] FIG. 5 shows the present invention encompasses the type of
keycap module where it can be broken into sub-modules, or it is of
a foldable type.
[0066] FIG. 6 shows how the drain holes function as the water
channeling mechanism. With the system unit tilted up a little at
one side opposite to the side containing the drain holes, liquid
spillage will gravitate towards the drain holes; causing the liquid
to flow out of the keycap bay.
[0067] A drain hole on the side of the bay is shown.
[0068] To tilt one end up, traditional pull-out tabs at the bottom
of a keyboard can be used. Alternatively, the base module may
contain system unit of the computer, and may be manufactured to be
thinner on the side of the drain holes and thicker on the other
side, to create the required tilt for liquid to flow downwards.
[0069] FIG. 7 shows a keycap module sitting in its bay with some
drain holes.
[0070] FIG. 8 shows the bay can be broken into sub-bays,
corresponding to keycap sub-module implementations.
[0071] FIG. 9 top drawing shows the keycap module away from the
bay. This is the desktop computer keyboard construct.
[0072] FIG. 9 bottom drawing shows the keycap bay having beneath it
two layers of water sealing mechanism used in a traditional type
keyboard construct: one above the holding plate, one (extra layer)
below the holding plate.
[0073] FIG. 10 shows the exploded view of present invention with
keycap module away from the bay. The system unit of the
notebook/laptop computer is broken apart to show the relative
vertical position of water sealing mechanism.
[0074] FIG. 11 to 16 show the various methods of mounting keycap
module to the bay and to the base module.
[0075] FIG. 11 shows the mounting method by using screws in the
top-down orientation. Alternatively, keycap module can be mounted
by bottom-up screws.
[0076] FIG. 12 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by snap-in tabs on the sides of the keycap
module to the grooves located on the sides of the base module. This
figure is the same as FIG. 3.
[0077] FIG. 13 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by yet another form of snap-in mechanism. In
this drawing, upper enclosure of the traditional desktop computer
keyboard is part of the keycap module.
[0078] FIG. 14 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by employing a latch-hinge mechanism.
[0079] FIG. 15 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by employing tabs with holes extending from the
sides of keycap module, and corresponding cavities on the sides of
the base module with sliding locking pins to engage or disengage
the tabs. The allocation of tabs/cavities can be reversed, that is,
the tabs can be on the sides of the base module, while the sliding
locking pins are on the sides of the keycap module.
[0080] FIG. 16 shows the keycap module can be mounted and secured
to the base module by horizontally sliding the keycap module into
the base module. A number of tabs and hooks are used to engage and
disengaged the keycap module.
[0081] FIG. 17 shows an example of implementation by present
invention where portions of the base module are assembled to the
under surface of the keycap bay by bottom-up screws. Note that
waterchanneling mechanism (drain holes) is at the bottom level of
keycap bay to allow liquids to flow out.
[0082] FIG. 18 shows another example of implementation by present
invention where an all-around rubber seal (T-shape) is used as the
watering sealing mechanism. This rubber seal will be laid around
the inside rim of the keycap bay. Note that openings on the rubber
seal will be made corresponding to the positions of the drain holes
(water channeling mechanism) around lower portion of the keycap bay
on the base module.
* * * * *