U.S. patent number RE32,977 [Application Number 07/072,108] was granted by the patent office on 1989-07-04 for key-holding structure of keyboard with curved operating surface of keys.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Satoshi Fukao, Hideo Gotoh, Makoto Suzuki.
United States Patent |
RE32,977 |
Gotoh , et al. |
July 4, 1989 |
Key-holding structure of keyboard with curved operating surface of
keys
Abstract
A keyboard assembly having key-switches, comprising a key holder
plate supporting multiple keys in plural rows and movably across
the thickness of the plate, and further comprising an upper casing
which has a rectangular aperture closed by the key holder plate.
The key holder plate has holes through which the keys extend, and
integral guide portions concentric with the holes and .[.extend.].
.Iadd.extending .Iaddend.toward the rectangular aperture. Opposite
right and left sides of the aperture perpendicular to the rows of
the keys are defined by side walls of the upper casing each of
which has a downward extension toward the key holder plate. The
extension has a convex lower end profile with which the key holder
plate is held in pressed contact by fasteners, with elastic
deformation thereof following the convex lower end profile of the
downward extension, such that a surface generally defined by top
faces of the keys is curved in cross section across the rows of the
keys.
Inventors: |
Gotoh; Hideo (Aichi,
JP), Fukao; Satoshi (Aichi, JP), Suzuki;
Makoto (Aichi, JP) |
Assignee: |
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
(Aichi, JP)
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Family
ID: |
13111164 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/072,108 |
Filed: |
July 9, 1987 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
598920 |
Apr 10, 1984 |
04528428 |
Jul 9, 1985 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Apr 20, 1983 [JP] |
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58-59365[U] |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
200/5A; 200/517;
361/288; 400/488; 200/600; 400/479.1; 361/679.08; 361/679.13;
361/679.58 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01H
13/84 (20130101); H01H 2229/032 (20130101); H01H
2239/006 (20130101); H01H 2221/026 (20130101); H01H
2217/03 (20130101); H01H 2215/008 (20130101); H01H
2223/014 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01H
13/84 (20060101); H01H 13/70 (20060101); H01H
009/00 (); H01H 013/70 () |
Field of
Search: |
;200/5R,5A,DIG.1,159B,302.2,314,340 ;235/145R ;361/398,288
;400/479,479.1,479.2,485,488,489 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Akers, A. L., et al., IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Electronic
Keyboard, vol. 25, No. 11B, Apr., 1985, pp. 6219-6220..
|
Primary Examiner: Scott; J. R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oliff & Berridge
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A keyboard having multiple key-switches each comprising a key
having a finger-pressed top face, a movable electrode and at least
two stationary electrodes, comprising:
an upper casing including a portion which has a rectangular
aperture formed through a thickness of said portion, and a pair of
side walls defining opposite right and left sides of said
rectangular aperture, said side walls each having a downward
extension from one surface of said portion, said downward extension
having a convex profile at its lower end;
a key holder plate supporting the multiple keys in plural rows
perpendicular to said right and left sides and movably in a
direction perpendicular to a plane of the key holder plate, said
key holder plate having holes through which said keys extend in
said direction, and further having integral guide portions formed
concentrically with said holes and extending in said direction
towards said rectangular aperture;
retaining means for holding said key holder plate curved in cross
section across said plural rows, with elastic deformation thereof
in pressed contact with said convex profile of said downward
extension, whereby a surface generally defined by the top faces of
said multiple keys is curved to said convex profile in said cross
section;
a printed circuit board disposed below said key holder plate and
having a pattern of said stationary electrodes such that said
key-switches are operated upon movement of said multiple keys;
and
a lower casing disposed below said printed circuit board and
cooperating with said upper casing to enclose said key holder
plate, said retaining means and said printed circuit board.
2. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said key holder
plate has a plurality of grooves formed parallel to said plural
rows over an entire length thereof, to facilitate said elastic
deformation following said convex profile.
3. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said
multiple keys includes a keystem extending through corresponding
one of said holes, and a keytop fixed to an upper end of said
keystem and having said top face, each of said integral guide
portions comprising an annular portion formed along a peripheral
edge of said corresponding one of said holes and extending towards
said keytop to guide said keystem.
4. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said key holder
plate is made of synthetic resin.
5. A keyboard as set forth in claim 4, wherein said key holder
plate has a plurality of grooves formed parallel to said plural
rows over an entire length thereof, to facilitate said elastic
deformation following said convex profile.
6. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said retaining means
includes plural fixing screws for fastening said key holder plate
to said upper casing.
7. A keyboard as set forth in claim 6, wherein said upper casing
has plural bosses downwardly protruding from said one surface of
said portion, said key holder plate being fastened to lower ends of
said plural bosses with said fixing screws.
8. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said retaining means
comprises a curved retainer plate which is disposed below said
printed circuit board to back the circuit board, said curved
retainer plate being curved such that a distance thereof to said
lower end of said downward extension is constant over an entire
width thereof along said right and left sides.
9. A keyboard as set forth in claim 8, wherein said key holder
plate has plural legs protruding downwardly towards said curved
retainer plate, and is supported at said plural legs by said curved
retainer portions.
10. A keyboard as set forth in claim 8, wherein said curved
retainer plate is fixed to said upper casing.
11. A keyboard as set forth in claim 8, wherein said curved
retainer plate is made from a metal sheet.
12. A keyboard as set forth in claim 8, wherein said lower casing
has at least one upward extension from an inner surface thereof,
said upward extension abutting on a lower surface of said curved
retainer plate to support the curved retainer plate.
13. A keyboard as set forth in claim 12, wherein said at least one
upward extension is a plurality of longitudinal ribs running along
said plural rows and spaced from each other in a direction parallel
to said right and left sides, said longitudinal ribs having
different heights from said one surface of the lower casing.
14. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said printed
circuit board comprises a substrate carrying multiple pairs of
stationary electrodes corresponding to said multiple keys, and
further carrying multiple frustoconical elastic housings
cooperating with said substrate to enclose said multiple pairs of
stationary electrodes, respectively, each of said elastic housings
having a top wall spaced from and opposite to the corresponding
pair of stationary electrodes, said top wall carrying on its inner
surface said movable electrode, said each elastic housing normally
holding, with its elastic biasing force, the corresponding key and
movable electrode in upper positions thereof, and being elastically
deformed, upon depression of said corresponding key, thereby moving
said movable electrode into contact with said corresponding pair of
stationary electrodes via an insulating film, whereby the pair of
stationary electrodes are electrically coupled to each other.
15. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said keys disposed
in one of said plural rows have the same dimensions and shape as
the keys disposed in another of said plural rows.
16. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said key-switches
are capacitive switches.
17. A keyboard as set fortth in claim 16, wherein each of said
key-switches comprises two stationary electrodes provided on said
printed circuit board.
18. A keyboard as set forth in claim 17, wherein said printed
circuit board comprises a substrate carrying multiple pairs of said
stationary electrodes corresponding to said multiple keys, and
further carrying multiple frusto-conical elastic housings
cooperating with said substrate to enclose said multiple pairs of
stationary electrodes, respectively, each of said elastic housings
having a top wall spaced from and opposite to the corresponding
pair of stationary electrodes, said top wall carrying on its inner
surface said movable electrode, said each elastic housing normally
holding, with its elastic biasing force, the corresponding key and
movable electrode in upper positions thereof, and being elastically
deformed, upon depression of said corresponding key, thereby moving
said movable electrode into contact with said corresponding pair of
stationary electrodes via an insulating film, whereby the pair of
stationary electrodes are electrically coupled to each other.
.Iadd.
19. A keyboard having multiple key-switches each comprising a key
having a finger-pressed top face movable electrode means and at
least one stationary electrode, comprising:
an upper casing including a portion which has a rectangular
aperture formed through a thickness of said portion, and a pair of
side walls defining opposite right and left sides of said
rectangular aperture, said side walls each having a downward
extension from one surface of said portion, said downward extension
having a convex profile at its lower end;
a key holder plate supporting the multiple keys in plural rows
perpendicular to said right and left sides and movably in a
direction perpendicular to a plane of the key holder plate, said
key holder plate having holes through which said keys extend in
said direction, and further having integral guide portions formed
concentrically with said holes and extending in said direction
towards said retangular aperture;
retaining means for holding said key holder plate curved in cross
section across said plural rows, with elastic deformation thereof
in pressed contact with said convex profile of said downward
extension, whereby a surface generally defined by the top faces of
said multiple keys is curved to said convex profile in said cross
section;
a printed circuit board disposed below said key holder plate and
having a pattern of said stationary electrode means such that said
key-switches are operated upon movement of said multiple keys;
and
a lower casing disposed below said printed circuit board and
cooperating with said upper casing to enclose said key holder
plate, said retaining means and said printed circuit board.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.
20. A keyboard having multiple key-switches each comprising a key
having a finger-pressed top face comprising:
a key holder plate of generally planar flat shape supporting the
multiple keys in plural rows movably in a direction perpendicular
to a plane of the key holder plate, said key holder plate having
holes through which said keys extend and integral guide portions
formed concentrically with said holes and extending in said
direction;
retaining means for retaining said key holder plate, said retaining
means having a curvature; and
holding means for holding said key holder plate elastically
deformed and downwardly convexed following said curvature, in cross
section across said plural rows of keys, whereby a surface
generally defined by the top faces of said multiple keys is
downwardly convexed in said cross section. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. A
keyboard as set forth in claim 20, wherein said key holder plate
further comprises at least one deformation-facilitating portion
located between adjacent rows of said plural rows of keys.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.22. A keyboard as set forth in claim 21, wherein
said at least one deformation-facilitating portion comprises at
least one groove parallel to and located between said adjacent rows
of keys. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. A keyboard as set forth in claim 22,
wherein each said at least one groove is disposed on a lower
surface of said key holder plate. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. A keyboard
having multiple key-switches each comprising a key having a
finger-pressed top face, movable electrode means and at least one
stationary electrode, comprising:
an upper casing including a portion which has a rectangular
aperture formed through a thickness of said portion;
a key holder plate supporting the multiple keys in plural rows
perpendicular to right and left sides of a said aperture and
movably in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the key holder
plate, said key holder plate having holes through which said keys
extend in said direction and further having integral guide portions
formed concentrically with said holes and extending in said
direction toward said rectangular aperture;
curving means for holding said key holder plate downwardly
convexedly curved in cross section across said plural rows, with
elastic deformation thereof, said curving means having a curvature,
whereby a surface generally defined by the top faces of said
multiple keys is curved substantially following said curvature;
a printed circuit board disposed below said key holder plate and
having a pattern of said stationary electrode means such that each
said key-switch is operated upon movement of its corresponding key;
and
a lower casing disposed below said printed circuit board and
cooperating with said upper casing to enclose said key holder
plate, said curving
means and said printed circuit board. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. A
keyboard comprising:
a plurality of key-switches each including a key having a
finger-pressed top face and means for transferring an electrical
signal upon depression of said top face;
a key holder plate of generally planar flat shape supporting the
multiple keys in plural rows movably in a direction perpendicular
to a plane of the key holder plate, said key holder plate having
holes through which said keys extend and integral guide portions
formed concentrically with said holes and extending in said
direction;
retaining means for retaining said key holder plate, said retaining
means having a curvature; and
holding means for holding said key holder plate elastically
deformed and downwardly convexed following said curvature, in cross
section across said plural rows of keys, whereby a surface
generally defined by the top faces of said multiple keys is
downwardly convexed in said cross section. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. A
keyboard comprising:
a plurality of key-switches each including a key having a
finger-pressed top face, movable electrode means and stationary
electrode means;
an upper casing including a portion which has a rectangular
aperture formed through a thickness of said portion;
a key holder plate supporting the multiple keys in plural rows
perpendicular to right and left sides of a said aperture and
movably in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the key holder
plate, said key holder plate having holes through which said keys
extend in said direction and further having integral guide portions
formed concentrically with said holes and extending in said
direction toward said rectangular aperture;
curving means for holding said key holder plate downwardly
convexedly curved in cross section across said plural rows, with
elastic deformation thereof, said curving means having a curvature,
whereby a surface generally defined by the top faces of said
multiple keys is curved substantially following said curvature;
a printed circuit board disposed below said key holder plate and
having a pattern of said stationary electrode means such that each
said key-switch is operated upon movement of its corresponding key;
and
a lower casing disposed below said printed circuit board and
cooperating with said upper casing to enclose said key holder
plate, said curving means and said printed circuit board. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.27. A keyboard as set forth in claim 26, wherein said
stationary electrode means comprises at least two stationary
electrodes. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a keyboard assembly for providing
electrical outputs corresponding to multiple keys, to signal
utilization electronic devices such as typewriters and other data
processing equipment.
In such a keyboard for electronic devices, a multiplicity of keys
are disposed in plural rows to provide electric signals
corresponding to the keys which have been depressed on their top
faces. To improve ease of operation of the keys, attempts based on
human engineering or ergonomics have been made to arrange the keys
such that an operating surface generally defined by the top faces
of the individual keys is curved to a downwardly convex shape in
cross section across the rows of the keys. There have been proposed
the following two methods to obtain such a curved operating surface
of the keyboard:
The first method uses a curved key holder plate 2 having multiple
guide holes 1, as shown in FIG. 1. The holder plate 2 is made from
a steel plate by shaping it to a suitable curvature in the
transverse cross section. In the guide holes 1, keystem guides 5
are fixedly inserted to slidably guide respective keystems 4 which
carry at their upper ends keytops 3 having the finger-pressed top
faces. In this case, the keys 3, 4 are all equally sized so that an
operating surface 6 defined by the top faces is curved
substantially to the curvature of the key holder plate 2.
In this method, however, it is required to fix the individual
keystem guides 5 in the guide holes 1 formed in the shaped key
holder plate 2. This assembling procedure is cumbersome and
time-consuming, and reduces the efficiency of manufacture of the
keyboard to an appreciable extent, and accordingly pushes up the
cost of manufacture.
While the above method is advantageous in that the key holder plate
2, which is shaped under plastic working from a metal sheet, is
capable of maintaining an initially given curved profile virtually
permanently, the metal plate is required to be relatively thick for
permanency of the original shape, and this inherently increases a
total weight of the keyboard assembly, which may be considered as
an undesired factor in the recent trend in the art toward providing
compact and lightweight equipment.
The second method is illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein an upper casing
7 of a keyboard is provided with integrally formed keystem guides 8
which slidably support respective keystems 9 having keytops 10
fixed to their upper ends. In this method, an operating surface 11
of the keyboard is established by forming the keytops 10 in
different sizes and shapes, depending upon the positions in which
they are disposed. For example, the keytops 10 carried on the
keystems 9 disposed in one of plural rows are formed with a top
face having a curvature which is different from that of the keytops
10 carried on the keystems 9 in another of the plural rows.
Thus, the above second known method requires different kinds of
keytops or keytops and keystems to provide different contours of
top faces of the keys so that the top faces cooperate to form the
curved operating surface 11. This means a need of using different
kinds of molds for forming the different keys, and consequently an
increased cost of manufacture of the keyboard assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an
improved keyboard simple in construction, easy to operate and
economical to manufacture, which has a key holder plate for
supporting keys with their top faces forming a curved operating
surface.
According to the invention, there is provided a keyboard having
multiple key-switches each comprising a key having a finger-pressed
top face, a movable electrode and at least two stationary
electrodes. The keyboard comprises: an upper casing including a
portion which has a rectangular aperture formed through a thickness
of said portion; a key holder plate supporting the multiple keys in
plural rows perpendicular to the right and left sides of the
rectangular aperture and movably in a direction perpendicular to a
plane of the key holder plate; a printed circuit board disposed
below the key holder plate and having a pattern of the stationary
electrodes such that the key-switches are operated upon movement of
the respective multiple keys; and a lower casing disposed below the
printed circuit board and cooperating with the upper casing to
enclose the key holder plate and the printed circuit board. The key
holder plate has holes through which the respective keys extend in
said direction, and integral guide portions formed concentrically
with the holes and extending in said direction towards said
rectangular aperture. The upper casing includes a pair of side
walls defining opposite right and left sides of the rectangular
aperture. Each of the side walls has a downward extension from a
lower surface of said portion. The downward extension has a convex
profile at its lower end. The keyboard further comprises retaining
means for holding the key holder plate curved in cross section
across the plural rows of the keys, with elastic deformation
thereof in pressed contact with the convex profile of the downward
extension of the side walls, such that a surface generally defined
by the top faces of the multiple keys is curved to the convex end
profile of the downward extension in the cross section taken along
a line perpendicular to the plural rows of the multiple keys.
In the above construction, the downward extensions formed at the
right and left edges of the rectangular aperture in the upper
casing, permit easy shaping of the key holder plate to support the
keys .[.to.]. .Iadd.so .Iaddend.that their top faces define an
operating surface with a desired downwardly-convex curvature. This
curvature is determined by the lower .[.and.]. .Iadd.end
.Iaddend.profile of the downward extensions of the upper casing,
without forming the keys in different sizes and shapes depending
upon their positions on the key holder plate. Further, the
provision of the guide portions integrally with the key holder
plate to guide the keys eliminates cost and labor which are
otherwise required to insert and fix keystem guides in association
with guide holes as previously discussed in connection with the
prior art keyboards. Further, the fabrication of a planar key
holder plate with integral guide portions according to the
invention is very much easier than the fabrication of a curved key
holder plate with integral guide portions by plastic working on a
metal sheet or by molding of a synthetic resin material. In the
former method of plastic working, it is difficult to shape the
metal sheet to a desired curvature because of the presence of the
guide portions which are formed before the sheet is curved. The
latter method of synthetic resin molding has a problem of mold
release because the guide portions are formed radially. Further,
the key holder plate of the keyboard of the invention is
comparatively light in weight because it is not made from a
relatively thick metal sheet as used in the art. Thus, the keyboard
constructed according to the present invention is simple in
construction, easy and economical to manufacture, as well as easy
to operate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be better understood from reading the following
description of the preferred embodiment taken in connection with
the accompanying drawing in which:
FIGS. 1 and 2 are elevational views in cross section of known
keyboards with keytops defining a curved operating surface;
FIG. 3 is an elevational view in cross section of one embodiment of
a keyboard of the invention;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the keyboard of FIG.
3;
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view in enlargement, showing one of
.Iadd.the .Iaddend.capacitive switches incorporated in the keyboard
of FIGS. 3 and 4;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a bottom side of a key holder
plate for supporting keys; and
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view, showing the capacitive
switch of FIG. 5 in its closed or operated position upon depression
of the key.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 3-7, there is illustrated one preferred form of
a keyboard constructed according to the invention, wherein a
keyboard housing generally indicated at 20 in FIG. 3 includes an
upper casing 21 and a lower casing 22, both made of synthetic
resin. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the upper casing 21 includes a
generally planar portion 21a which has a rectangular opening 23
formed through the thickness of the generally planar portion 21a.
The planar portion 21a has a pair of side walls 24 and 25 which
define opposite right and left sides of the rectangular aperture
23. Each of the side walls 24, 25 has a downward extension 24a, 25a
from the lower surface of the planar portion 21a. The downward
extension 24a, 25a has a convex profile at its lower end. The
planar portion 21a is further provided with plural downward bosses
26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 which protrude downwardly from
the lower surface of the planar portion 21a.
To the downward bosses 30, 31, 32 and 33, there is fixed a curved
retainer plate 34 with fixing screws 35, 36, 37 and 38,
respectively. This retainer plate 34 is formed with a predetermined
curvature in cross section taken along a line parallel to the right
and left sides of the rectangular aperture 24, 25. The curved
retainer plate 34 is supported at its lower surface by three upward
extensions in the form of longitudinal ribs 39, 40 and 41 which
extend from an inner surface of the lower casing 24 such that upper
ends of the ribs 39-41 abut on the lower surface of the curved
retainer plate 34. The longitudinal ribs 39-41 run in a direction
perpendicular to the right and left sides of the rectangular
aperture 23, and are spaced from each other in a direction parallel
to these sides.
A printed circuit board 42 rests on an upper surface of the curved
retainer plate 34. The printed circuit board 42 and the retainer
plate 34 are fastened to the lower ends of the downward bosses 26,
27, 28 and 29 of the upper casing 21 with fixing screws 43, 44, 45
and 46, respectively, such that the printed circuit board 42 backed
by the retainer plate 34 is also curved following the shape of the
retainer plate 34. The circuit board 42 comprises a substrate which
carries on its upper surface a printed pattern of conductors, i.e.,
multiple pairs of stationary electrodes 50 as shown in FIG. 5. The
substrate (42) further carries, also on its upper surface, an
elastomeric member 48 which is formed with multiple frusto-conical
or inverted-cup-shaped elastic housings 47 made of rubber, each of
which cooperates with the substrate to enclose the corresponding
pair of stationary electrodes 50, 50. Each frusto-conical housing
47 has a top wall 47a which is spaced from and opposite to the
stationary electrodes 50. A sponge member 49 is bonded at one
surface thereof to an inner surface of the top wall 47a of the
frusto-conical housing 47. The sponge member 49 carries on the
other surface thereof a movable electrode 51 made of flexible
aluminum foil which is covered with a thin insulating film 51a made
of flexible synthetic resin, such that the movable electrode 51
faces the stationary electrodes 50 via the insulating film 51a.
This movable electrode 51 cooperates with the pair of stationary
electrodes 50, 50 to constitute a variable capacitor.
A key holder plate 52 made from synthetic resin, is supported on
the curved retainer plate 34. The key holder plate 52 has front and
rear legs 53 which run parallel to opposite front and rear sides 57
and 58 of the rectangular aperture 23. These legs 53 protrude
downwardly from a lower surface of the key holder plate 52 toward
the curved retainer plate 34, such that the plate 52 encloses the
printed circuit board 42 and the elastic housings 47. At the same
time, the key holder plate 52 closes the rectangular aperture 23
formed in the upper casing 21. Thus, the key holder plate 52 has
dimensions sufficient to cover or close the rectangular aperture
23. As indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a multiplicity of holes 52a are
formed in the key holder plate 52 in plural rows parallel to the
front and rear legs 53, or perpendicular to the right and left
sides of the rectangular aperture 23. Along the peripheral edge of
each of these holes 52a, is integrally formed an annular guide
portion .[.52.]. .Iadd.56 .Iaddend.which .[.are.]. .Iadd.is
.Iaddend.concentric with the .[.holes.]. .Iadd.hole .Iaddend.52a
and extends perpendicular from an upper surface of the plate 52
towards the rectangular aperture 23, to support a key which
consists of a keystem 55 and a keytop 54 fixed to .Iadd.the
.Iaddend.upper end of the keystem 55. The keystem 55 is inserted
through the hole 52a and the annular guide portion 56, such that
the key (keystem 55) is slidably movable in a direction
perpendicular to the plane of the key holder plate 52. Thus, a
multiplicity of keys (54, 55) are supported in plural rows parallel
to the front and rear legs 53, i.e., perpendicular to the right and
left sides of the rectangular aperture 23 defined by the side walls
24, 25.
The key holder plate 52 has, in its lower surface, four parallel
grooves 59 of generally U-shaped cross section which are formed
parallel to the front and rear legs 53 and between the adjacent
rows of the holes 52a. These parallel grooves 59 are provided to
facilitate elastic deformation of the key holder plate 52 in
pressed contact with the convex lower ends of the downward
extensions 24a, 25a of the side walls 24 and 25, which cooperate
with the curved retainer plate 34 to provide the key holder plate
52 with a suitable curved configuration. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5,
the frusto-conical housing 47 of the elastomeric member 48 biases
the keystem 55 toward its upper position in which a lower end 55a
of the keystem 55 is held in abutting contact with an outer surface
of the top wall 47a of the housing 47 and forced against the lower
surface of the key holder plate 52, as illustrated in FIG. 5. In
this condition wherein the movable electrode 51 is spaced from the
stationary electrodes 50 on the printed circuit board 42, a
capacitive switch constituted by the keystem 55, keytop 54, movable
electrode 51, stationary electrodes 50, etc. is placed in its
non-operated position.
As indicated above, the key holder plate 52 is installed such that
the right and left ends of the upper surface thereof are held in
pressed contact with the convex lower end profiles of the downward
extensions 24a, 25a of the side walls 24, 25 of the upper casing
21, respectively, with the front and rear legs 53 supported on the
curved retainer plate 34 which is screwed to the upper casing 21.
With this arrangement, the key holder plate 52 is subject to
elastic deformation to a curvature corresponding to the convex
profile of the downward extensions 24a, 25a, whereby an operating
surface 60 of the keyboard defined by the top faces of the
individual keytops 54 is curved to a desired downwardly convex
shape corresponding to the curvature of the key holder plate 52, in
cross section taken along a line parallel to the right and left
sides of the rectangular aperture 23, i.e., perpendicular to the
rows of the keys (54, 55). It is noted, in this connection, that
the retainer plate 34 has a curvature equal to the curvature of the
convex profile of the downward extensions 24a, 25a. Stated the
other way, the retainer plate 34 is curved such that a distance
thereof to the lower end of the downward extensions 24a, 25a is
constant over an entire width thereof along the right and left
sides of the rectangular aperture 23.
Each of the capacitive switches constructed as described above, is
operated in the following manner.
Upon depression of the keytop 54 while it is located at its upper
position, the keystem 55 is moved downward while being guided by
the annular guide portion 56, whereby the top wall 47a of the
frusto-conical housing 47 is forced down by an integral lower end
55a of the keystem 55. As a result, the assembly of the sponge
member 49 and the movable electrode 51, fixed to the inner surface
of the top wall 47a of the housing 47, is moved toward the printed
circuit board 42, and the movable electrode 51 covered by the
insulating film 51a is brought into contact with the pair of
stationary electrodes 50, 50, as shown in FIG. 7. Thus, the two
stationary electrodes 50 are capacitively coupled to each other,
and a high frequency signal is transferred from one of the
electrodes 50 to the other. Since the movable electrode 51 is
carried by the elastic sponge member 49 bonded to the top wall 47a
of the elastic housing 47, the movable electrode 51 covered by the
insulating film 51a may be held in close and perfect contact with
the other surfaces of the stationary electrodes 50, through elastic
deformation of the sponge member 49, thereby assuring a stable
transfer of the high frequency signal of sufficiently high level
between the two stationary electrodes 50.
When the operator's finger pressure is released from the keytop 54,
the resilient force of the elastic housing 47 causes the keystem 55
and the movable electrode assembly 49, 51, 51a to be moved upward
to their original upper position, whereby the movable electrode 51
is separated from the stationary electrodes 50, and the signal
transfer between the two stationary electrodes 50 is ceased.
The keyboard of the present embodiment comprising the components
which have been discussed above, is assembled in the following
way.
In assembling the keyboard, the printed circuit board 42 is first
placed on the curved retainer plate 34. Then, the elastomeric
member 48 with the integrally formed elastic housings 47 is set on
the printed circuit board 42. In the meantime, the keystems 55 with
the lower ends 55a are set in the key holder plate 52 such that the
keystems 55 are slidably movable through the holes 52a and annular
guide portions 56. The keytops 54 are then secured to the keystems
56. The key holder plate 52 is placed on the curved retainer plate
34 such that the printed circuit board 42 and the elastomeric
member 48 are enclosed by the two plates 34 and 52. Subsequently,
an assembly of these components 34, 42, 48 and 52 superposed one on
another is secured to the upper casing 21 with the fixing screws
43, 44, 45 and 46 threaded to the respective downward bosses 26,
27, 28 and 29, such that the right and left ends of the key holder
plate 52 are kept in pressed contact with the lower ends of the
downward extensions 24a, 25a of the side walls 24, 25, and such
that the keytops 54 project out of the rectangular aperture 23.
Successively, the curved retainer plate 34 is further fastened to
the upper casing 21 with the fixing screws 35, 36, 37 and 38
threaded to the respective downward bosses 30, 31, 32 and 33, in
order to assure that the key holder plate 52 is held curved, due to
elastic deformation thereof, exactly to the convex lower end
profiles of the downward extensions 24a, 25a. When the assembly 34,
42, 48 and 52 is secured to the upper casing 21 with the screws
43-46 and 35-38, the key holder plate 52 is comparatively easily
curved with the aid of the grooves 59 formed therein, and the
curved retainer plate 34 serves to hold the printed circuit board
42 and the elastomeric member 48 as well as the key holder
.[.plte.]. .Iadd.plate .Iaddend.52, in their curved postures. With
the key holder plate 52 retained in its curved posture as described
above, the multiple keys of the same dimension are supported by the
plate 52 so that the top faces of the keytops 54 define an
operating surface .[.with.]. .Iadd.which .Iaddend.is downwardly
convexed to a curvature substantially identical to that rendered to
the key holder plate 52.
Finally, the lower casing 22 is coupled to the upper casing 21 to
form the keyboard housing 20.
As described above in detail, the key holder plate 52 has the
annular guide portions 56 formed integrally therewith on its upper
surface, and the plural U-shaped parallel grooves 59 in its lower
surface. The integral formation of the guide portions 56 eliminates
otherwise required cost and labor for fixing separate guide
portions to a pre-shaped holder plate as used in the known
keyboard. The provision of the grooves 59 contributes to easier
shaping of the key holder plate 52 to the convex profile of the
downward extensions 24a, 25a of the side walls 24, 25, so that the
keys 54, 55 may be disposed with the top faces of the keytops 54
located substantially on a surface which is downwardly curved to a
convex shape corresponding to the curvature of the key holder plate
52, without varying the dimensions and/or shapes of the keys
according to the rows in which they are disposed. Thus, the
keyboard constructed according to the invention is simple in
construction, economical to manufacture and easy to operate.
Further, the use of the sponge member 49 to support the movable
electrode 51 on the inner surface of the top wall 47a of the
elastic housing 47, undergoes elastic deformation upon depression
of the keytop 54, which permits perfect contact of the movable
electrode 51 with the stationary electrodes 50 over the entire
areas of their opposite surfaces, even under condition that the
printed circuit board 42 is curved. Consequently, the capacitive
switch including the stationary and movable electrodes 50, 51, and
the keytop and keystem 54, 55, may be operated with increased
switching reliability.
While the described embodiment represents the preferred form of a
keyboard of the present invention, it is to be understood that
modifications and variations are possible in the light of the
foregoing teachings, and without departing from the scope of the
invention defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *