Typewriting machines – Means auxiliary to typewriting function – Frame – casing – or support for typewriter
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-29
2001-01-30
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Means auxiliary to typewriting function
Frame, casing, or support for typewriter
C400S691000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179500
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard device and particularly to a keyboard body positioning and fixing structure in a keyboard device having a keyboard body and a case which accommodates the keyboard body therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional keyboard generally has a keyboard body with a large number of key tops attached thereto and a case which accommodates and holds the keyboard body therein. The case is of a combined structure comprising an upper case which covers the upper surface side of the keyboard body and a lower case which covers the lower surface side of the keyboard body, the upper case having window portions through which a large number of key tops are exposed. The reason for adopting this structure is that this structure facilitates the keyboard assembling work. The keyboard body has several kinds of key groups different in function, including ordinary types of input keys, ten keys, and function keys. The key groups are partitioned and somewhat spaced from one another by beam portions each disposed between adjacent window portions formed in the upper case.
Recently, in the field of information processors such as personal computers, there has been an increasing demand for the reduction of size, thickness and weight from the standpoint of space saving and portability improvement. With such a demand as background, also in the field of keyboard as an input device of an information processor, a demand has been being raised to the effect that the keyboard itself should be reduced in size, thickness and weight. In this connection, for reducing the size of conventional keyboards having the above structure, there has been proposed a keyboard in which the number of beam portions for partitioning key groups is decreased, the spacing between adjacent key groups is made smaller, and the width of an outer frame portion is reduced. According to this keyboard, the reduction in size of the keyboard can be implemented in comparison with the other conventional keyboards of the foregoing structure because the key group-to-key group spacing is narrowed and the external frame is reduced in width. Further, the reduction in weight of the keyboard can be attained by using a light-weight resin as the material of the case.
However, although the reduction in size and weight of the keyboard can be attained by making some improvement with respect to the structure and material, other inconveniences have occurred.
For example, at the time of installing the keyboard body into the case, it is necessary to effect positioning of the keyboard body accurately with respect to the case. But, since there is no beam portion crossing above the keyboard body, the positioning of the keyboard body relative to the case is inevitably performed along an edge portion of the keyboard body. In this type of a conventional keyboard, such a positioning is conducted at an end portion of an edge extending in the longitudinal direction of the keyboard body. In such a positioning method, it has been difficult to attain a satisfactory positioning accuracy particularly at the opposite-side end portion. Usually, therefore, a slight clearance is formed between window edges in the upper case and the key tops located on the outermost periphery so as to prevent mutual contact. However, there has been the problem that the clearance is not uniform throughout the whole of the keyboard. Such a problem may be avoided by providing positioning portions at both ends, but in this case an extra space is required for such positioning portions.
The keyboard body is fixed to the lower case with screws or the like from the back side of the lower case so as not to be visible in the normal state of use. No matter how simplified the structure of the case may be for the reduction in size and weight of the keyboard, the case and the keyboard body must not become easily disengaged from each other at their fixed portions when a slight shock is exerted on the keyboard. It is necessary that the keyboard body be held and fixed positively at a predetermined position in the case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished for solving the above-mentioned problems and it is an object of the invention to provide a keyboard device having a structure which permits a keyboard body to be positioned and fixed reliably relative to a case.
For achieving the above-mentioned object, the keyboard device of the present invention has a generally rectangular keyboard body with a plurality of key tops attached to the upper surface thereof and a case which accommodates the keyboard body therein, the case comprising an upper case which covers the upper surface side of the keyboard body and a lower case which covers the lower surface side of the keyboard body, the upper case having window portions through which the key tops are exposed, in which keyboard device a first body-side engaging portion is provided centrally of a longitudinally extending side of the keyboard body, a first upper case-side engaging portion for engagement with the first body-side engaging portion is provided centrally in the longitudinal direction of the upper case, and a first lower case-side engaging portion for engagement with the engaged portion of the first body-side engaging portion and the first upper case-side engaging portion is provided centrally in the longitudinal direction of the lower case.
In the conventional keyboard device the positioning of the keyboard body is performed at a longitudinal end of the keyboard body and therefore there occurs a large positional deviation at the opposite-side end portion, whereas in the keyboard device of the present invention the positioning is effected at an engaging portion positioned centrally in the longitudinal direction of the keyboard body, that is, the distance from the positioning portion up to an end portion of the keyboard body is short, so that sufficiently high positioning accuracy is obtained even at the end portion and the clearance between the window edges of the upper case and the key tops positioned at the outermost periphery can be made uniform throughout the whole of the keyboard. Further, since all of the three members, namely keyboard body, upper case and lower case, are engaged with one another centrally in the longitudinal direction of the keyboard body, the positioning accuracy among the three members is improved to a greater extent.
According to one example of a more concrete mode, the first body-side engaging portion, the first upper case-side engaging portion and the first lower case-side engaging portion are formed by projections projecting from the keyboard body, upper case and lower case, respectively, the projection as the first body-side engaging portion being held grippingly between the projections as the first upper and lower case-side engaging portions.
According to this construction, when the above first engaging portions are regarded as both positioning means and fixing means, the keyboard body is fixed firmly between the upper and lower cases because the projection as the first body-side engaging portion is held grippingly between the projections as the upper and lower case-side engaging portions
In the above keyboard device of the present invention, preferably, a second body-side engaging portion is provided centrally of the side opposite to the side where the first body-side engaging portion of the keyboard body is provided, and a second case-side engaging portion for engagement with the second body-side engaging portion is provided centrally in the longitudinal direction of at least one of the upper and lower cases. In this case, engaging portions for engagement with the case are respectively provided centrally of the two opposed sides extending in the longitudinal direction of the keyboard body, and thus the positioning of the keyboard body relative to the case is effected by those two engaging portions.
Thus, by positioning the keyboard body and the case relative to each other at the two opposed sides,
Ito Hideki
Oura Nobuhiro
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Hilten John S.
Nguyen Anthony H.
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