CA1211531A - Keyboard arrangement - Google Patents
Keyboard arrangementInfo
- Publication number
- CA1211531A CA1211531A CA000425890A CA425890A CA1211531A CA 1211531 A CA1211531 A CA 1211531A CA 000425890 A CA000425890 A CA 000425890A CA 425890 A CA425890 A CA 425890A CA 1211531 A CA1211531 A CA 1211531A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- printed circuit
- circuit board
- foamed plastic
- keyboard arrangement
- keyboard
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
- H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2207/00—Connections
- H01H2207/022—Plug
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2217/00—Facilitation of operation; Human engineering
- H01H2217/028—Facilitation of operation; Human engineering on planes with different or alterable inclination, e.g. convex plane
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2223/00—Casings
- H01H2223/054—Mounting of key housings on same printed circuit
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2239/00—Miscellaneous
- H01H2239/01—Miscellaneous combined with other elements on the same substrate
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2239/00—Miscellaneous
- H01H2239/024—Miscellaneous with inductive switch
Landscapes
- Push-Button Switches (AREA)
- Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
Abstract of disclosure A keyboard arrangement wherein key elements (22) are mounted on a printed circuit board (23) requires a good support of said board to withstand the operation forces. This support is achieved by a foamed plastic molded body (27) filling the entire remaining space below a cover (21). The evaluation circuitry (26) is arranged on a separate printed circuit board (25) which is interconnected with the printed circuit board carrying the key elements via a connector (24). This results in a small keyboard arrangement, in a foamed plastic molded body of simple design and in an easy replacement of the evaluation circuitry in case of failure.
(Fig. 2)
(Fig. 2)
Description
5;3~
The present invention relates to a keyboard arrange--mint wherein keys are mounted on a printed circuit board.
For keyboard arrangements of this kind it is compel-story that the printed circuit board carrying the keys has to be supported or that the key operation forces are taken over by another element. For this reason known keyboard arrangements of this kind were provided ego with blind plates in front of or behind the printed circuit board. Blind plates in front of the printed circuit board are usually metallic plates pro-lo voided with a corresponding cut-out for each of the keys into which the keys could be inserted and are fixed by resilient notches as notches 254 of the key element known from Swiss Patent No 596 460 whereas its electrical terminals may be soldered into a printed circuit board arranged behind the key elements. It is obvious that this blind plate is relatively expensive due to the large number of cut-outs needed. Metallic blind plates behind the printed circuit board have to be insulated against the latter whereas blind plates of insulate in material have to be of sufficient thickness or have to be I provided with ribs resulting in heavy or bulky elements.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard arrangement having a good support for the printed circuit board without the drawbacks of the known supports.
According to the present invention, there is provided a keyboard arrangement comprising, in combination: a foamed plastic body; a generally flat printed circuit board mounted on one side of said foamed plastic body and having a free end portion extending away from and generally parallel to said side of said foamed plastic body and said end portion having print ted electrical circuits thereon for connection to an external , ~,~
-lo-circuit; a plurality of key elements mounted on said printed circuit board and being respectively electrically connected to said circuits, a utilization device removably attached to and electrically connected to said free end portion of said print ted circuit board; and r a cover member mounted over said printed circuit board and enclosing said foamed plastic body and said utilization device.
The invention will be best understood from the follow-in description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 shows the plan view of a keyboard arrangement including two keyboards;
Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the keyboard arrangement according to Figure l; and Figure 3 shows the plan view of a keyboard arrange-mint including three keyboards sloped against each other.
Figure 1 shows the plan view of a keyboard arrangement including two keyboards and Figure 2 shows a sectional view of this arrangement. The keyboard arrangement according to Figure 1 includes a cover 11 having openings for an alpha-numeric keyboard 12 and for a keyboard 13 including e.g. lung-lion keys. From the sectional view of Figure 2 it can be seen that the cover 21 rises with a small tilt angle from a bearing surface - not shown -, continues to rise over the keyboard after a small offset, is bent twice after the keyboard and goes then elf I
The present invention relates to a keyboard arrange--mint wherein keys are mounted on a printed circuit board.
For keyboard arrangements of this kind it is compel-story that the printed circuit board carrying the keys has to be supported or that the key operation forces are taken over by another element. For this reason known keyboard arrangements of this kind were provided ego with blind plates in front of or behind the printed circuit board. Blind plates in front of the printed circuit board are usually metallic plates pro-lo voided with a corresponding cut-out for each of the keys into which the keys could be inserted and are fixed by resilient notches as notches 254 of the key element known from Swiss Patent No 596 460 whereas its electrical terminals may be soldered into a printed circuit board arranged behind the key elements. It is obvious that this blind plate is relatively expensive due to the large number of cut-outs needed. Metallic blind plates behind the printed circuit board have to be insulated against the latter whereas blind plates of insulate in material have to be of sufficient thickness or have to be I provided with ribs resulting in heavy or bulky elements.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard arrangement having a good support for the printed circuit board without the drawbacks of the known supports.
According to the present invention, there is provided a keyboard arrangement comprising, in combination: a foamed plastic body; a generally flat printed circuit board mounted on one side of said foamed plastic body and having a free end portion extending away from and generally parallel to said side of said foamed plastic body and said end portion having print ted electrical circuits thereon for connection to an external , ~,~
-lo-circuit; a plurality of key elements mounted on said printed circuit board and being respectively electrically connected to said circuits, a utilization device removably attached to and electrically connected to said free end portion of said print ted circuit board; and r a cover member mounted over said printed circuit board and enclosing said foamed plastic body and said utilization device.
The invention will be best understood from the follow-in description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 shows the plan view of a keyboard arrangement including two keyboards;
Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the keyboard arrangement according to Figure l; and Figure 3 shows the plan view of a keyboard arrange-mint including three keyboards sloped against each other.
Figure 1 shows the plan view of a keyboard arrangement including two keyboards and Figure 2 shows a sectional view of this arrangement. The keyboard arrangement according to Figure 1 includes a cover 11 having openings for an alpha-numeric keyboard 12 and for a keyboard 13 including e.g. lung-lion keys. From the sectional view of Figure 2 it can be seen that the cover 21 rises with a small tilt angle from a bearing surface - not shown -, continues to rise over the keyboard after a small offset, is bent twice after the keyboard and goes then elf I
- 2 - Frey 10-5-2-2 back to the bearing surface. On a printed circuit board 23 arranged below the cover 21 there are mounted key elements 22. To the upper end of the printed circuit board 23 there is connected via a connector 24 a further printed circuit board 25 carrying the elements 26 of an evaluation circuitry. Pro-fireball the connector 24 is soldered to the printed circuit board 25 and receives the printed conductors of the printed circuit board 23.
The printed circuit board 23 carrying the key elements 22 is supported by a foamed plastic molded body 27 filling the entire space remaining below the cover 21 and being fixed to the latter. The use of this foamed plastic molded body results in a substantial saving of piece parts and consequently of weight. Besides an easier displacement of the keyboard arrangement which is desired for so-called manager keyboards, i.e. keyboards which are used occasionally only for data outputs and then put away, the saving so weight leads to lighter structures which nevertheless are able to stand fall tests due to the decrease of impingement energy.
A favorable application of the principle to support the keyboard by a foamed plastic molded body results for the keyboard arrangement shown in Fig. 3 which corresponds roughly to the keyboard arrangement described in the European Pat.
Apply. No. 81810506.6, published as EN 0055220 (Frey et at 8-2-2) wherein key-boars 31-33 are sloped against each other and have different tilt angles to a bearing surface in order to achieve an ergonomically ameliorated body carriage of the operator wherein his hands have to be flexed and turned by a smaller amount than with an ordinary one-part or plane keyboard arrangement. In the case of the above mentioned keyboard arrangement it might be advantageous to provide a single foamed plastic molded body with cavities for each keyboard into which the individual keyboards each provided with a rim can be inserted.
The subdivision of the electric circuitry onto two printed circuit boards 23 and 25 interconnected by the connector 24 has the advantage that in the case of a keyboard with transformers for the relatively large printed circuit board containing the primary and secondary windings of the key transformers and carrying the key elements there can be used an inexpensive double-faced printed circuit board having no connections between the two faces, i.e. no through-platings, and requiring no soldering operation. The absence of sol-during points on this printed circuit board allows to have it lain directly on the foamed plastic molded body possibly with an insulating foil in between.
The evaluation circuitry needs through-platings~ but it can be placed on the relatively small printed circuit board 25. Although an additional connector is needed for the interconnection of the two printed circuit boards the three elements together are less expensive than a single printed circuit board of a larger size having through-platings.
5~3~
The printed circuit board 23 carrying the key elements 22 is supported by a foamed plastic molded body 27 filling the entire space remaining below the cover 21 and being fixed to the latter. The use of this foamed plastic molded body results in a substantial saving of piece parts and consequently of weight. Besides an easier displacement of the keyboard arrangement which is desired for so-called manager keyboards, i.e. keyboards which are used occasionally only for data outputs and then put away, the saving so weight leads to lighter structures which nevertheless are able to stand fall tests due to the decrease of impingement energy.
A favorable application of the principle to support the keyboard by a foamed plastic molded body results for the keyboard arrangement shown in Fig. 3 which corresponds roughly to the keyboard arrangement described in the European Pat.
Apply. No. 81810506.6, published as EN 0055220 (Frey et at 8-2-2) wherein key-boars 31-33 are sloped against each other and have different tilt angles to a bearing surface in order to achieve an ergonomically ameliorated body carriage of the operator wherein his hands have to be flexed and turned by a smaller amount than with an ordinary one-part or plane keyboard arrangement. In the case of the above mentioned keyboard arrangement it might be advantageous to provide a single foamed plastic molded body with cavities for each keyboard into which the individual keyboards each provided with a rim can be inserted.
The subdivision of the electric circuitry onto two printed circuit boards 23 and 25 interconnected by the connector 24 has the advantage that in the case of a keyboard with transformers for the relatively large printed circuit board containing the primary and secondary windings of the key transformers and carrying the key elements there can be used an inexpensive double-faced printed circuit board having no connections between the two faces, i.e. no through-platings, and requiring no soldering operation. The absence of sol-during points on this printed circuit board allows to have it lain directly on the foamed plastic molded body possibly with an insulating foil in between.
The evaluation circuitry needs through-platings~ but it can be placed on the relatively small printed circuit board 25. Although an additional connector is needed for the interconnection of the two printed circuit boards the three elements together are less expensive than a single printed circuit board of a larger size having through-platings.
5~3~
3 - Frey 10-5-2-2 In addition this subdivision allows to have a keyboard arrangement as small as it is possible with the desired grid of keys since the evaluation circuitry does not need additional space in the depth or width of the keyboard arrangement, but is arranged where the space is available anyway due to the ergonomically needed slope of the keyboard. The subdivision results also in a simpler design of the foamed plastic molded body and allows an easy exchange of the evaluation circuitry in case of failure.
Claims
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A keyboard arrangement comprising, in combination: a foamed plastic body; a generally flat printed circuit board mounted on one side of said foamed plastic body and having a free end portion extending away from and generally parallel to said side of said foamed plastic body and said end portion having printed electrical circuits thereon for connection to an external circuit; a plurality of key elements mounted on said printed circuit board and being respectively electronically connected to said circuits; a utilization device removably attached to and electrically connected to said free end por-tion of said printed circuit board; and, a cover member mounted over said printed circuit board and enclosing said foamed plastic body and said utilization device.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CH228382 | 1982-04-15 | ||
| CH2283/82-1 | 1982-04-15 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1211531A true CA1211531A (en) | 1986-09-16 |
Family
ID=4230149
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000425890A Expired CA1211531A (en) | 1982-04-15 | 1983-04-14 | Keyboard arrangement |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0093080B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS5916227A (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE15843T1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1211531A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3360872D1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2614120A1 (en) * | 1987-04-17 | 1988-10-21 | C P Clare Electronique | Electronic keyboard |
| DE4004116C2 (en) * | 1990-02-10 | 1997-08-21 | Leybold Ag | Process for coating a plastic substrate, preferably a polymethyl methacrylate substrate, with metals and device for carrying out the process |
| JP3437958B2 (en) * | 2001-01-23 | 2003-08-18 | 株式会社エルコム | Keyboard device and method of manufacturing the same |
Family Cites Families (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA999374A (en) * | 1973-08-15 | 1976-11-02 | Illinois Tool Works Inc. | Magnetic key switch having a removable support assembly |
| JPS57125069A (en) * | 1980-12-19 | 1982-08-04 | Int Standard Electric Corp | Key board device |
-
1983
- 1983-04-13 DE DE8383810150T patent/DE3360872D1/en not_active Expired
- 1983-04-13 AT AT83810150T patent/ATE15843T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1983-04-13 EP EP83810150A patent/EP0093080B1/en not_active Expired
- 1983-04-14 CA CA000425890A patent/CA1211531A/en not_active Expired
- 1983-04-15 JP JP58065735A patent/JPS5916227A/en active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0093080A1 (en) | 1983-11-02 |
| ATE15843T1 (en) | 1985-10-15 |
| DE3360872D1 (en) | 1985-10-31 |
| EP0093080B1 (en) | 1985-09-25 |
| JPS5916227A (en) | 1984-01-27 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |