GB2494155A - Hanging mechanism for a keyboard or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

A hanging mechanism provides a means of hanging a computer keyboard 24 or similarly shaped object from a top edge of a computer screen 13 or other substantially vertical surface. The mechanism has brackets with loops 11, 12 that compress flat under a weight of the keyboard 24 when in normal use but automatically extend as the keyboard 24 is lifted up to the top of the screen 13, this makes it very quick and convenient to hang the keyboard 24 up on the screen 13 when it is not required, thus freeing desk space it would otherwise be occupying. A toothed comb 14 may be fixed via an adhesive surface 16 to the top edge of the screen 13. The toothed comb constrains movement of the keyboard 24 across the vertical surface. Brackets 11, 12 may be an integral part of the keyboard 24 or may be attachments to an existing keyboard 24.

Description

Mechanism allowing a keyboard to be hung from the top of a computer screen in a single movement The invention relates to a mechanism that can form part of or be an integral part of a computer keyboard. The mechanism lets user simply lift the keyboard from its normal position on a desk and place it securely on top of a computer screen. This allows the desk-space that would otherwise be occupied by the keyboard to be used for other purposes until the keyboard is needed once again.

rith computers being ever more common there are many places where one or more computer keyboards compete for space with other items. On desktops, tables, kitchen work surfaces, bars, and counters they are taking up space that may be needed for books, notepads, food or other items. In many cases, the keyboard is not in use all of the time yet it is taking up a substantial portion of the available space. As the surfaces become ever more cluttered, keyboards are also at risk of damage -either from being pushed right off the surface or having liquids spilled into them.

In laboratories, on exhibition stands, on engineers' desks and many other environments there may be several computers in close proximity, each of which normally needs its own keyboard. Computers arc becoming more common while the cost of living and working space is increasing. The space on one's desktop is thus becoming more precious.

The move away from desktop computers to laptops has not helped in this regard.

while the laptop is more convenient to take home than a desktop computer, it actually uses more space on the desktop. It is often connected to a "docking station" which then allows a "fiJI-size" or "standard" keyboard to be connected to it.

The recent trend towards touch-screen interfaces, now prevalent on mobile phones, is extending to desktop computers and while this paradigm works well for control of applications, an on-screen keyboard is no substitute for a fill-sized keyboard -at least for anyone who types with more than one finger at a time. What it does mean is that there may be long periods of time when thc keyboard is not required -making it all the more frustrating that it is taking up so much space on the work surface.

Several products exist to try and improve this situation. Reduced size keyboards trade off fewer keys for smaller size. Keyboard switches and emulators allow a single keyboard to control multiple computers -but are expensive, especially if some of the keyboards they replace are seldom used. These are therefore typically found in rack-mounted systems where space is at a premium and on financial traders' desks where immediate access to multiple systems is essential. Keyboard drawers allow a keyboard to be slid out or the way under the dcsk when not in use -but these restrict the location of the keyboard; often cost much more than the keyboard they hold and are not easily moved to another desk. Screen mounting stands can raise the computer screen so that a keyboard can slide under it but while the old cathode ray tube (CRT) screens were at least as deep as a keyboard, today's flat panel displays are much less deep and may even be mounted flush against a wall or panel so that the stand is much deeper than the screen itself hence does not save much, if any, space.

I

It would therefore be beneficial if a computer keyboard could simply be picked up from its normal, horizontal position on a desk and placed vertically on top of the computer screen with which it is associated. Ideally this is achieved in a single movement, without the need to manipulate any attachments on the keyboard or screen. Likewise, returning the keyboard to its normal position should simply be a matter of lifting it off the top of the screen and placing it back on the work surface.

Unlike the alternatives discussed above, the invention is cheap to make and easy to affix to existing keyboards or build into new keyboard designs without affecting their normal operation.

It will be appreciated that while the mechanism has been designed to allow computer keyboards to be placed temporarily on top of their associated screens, the same approach can be used to hold a variety of other objects that are normally used horizontally on top of similarly shaped ledges (i.e. substantially horizontal edges in front of a near vertical drop). For example, clipboards, notebooks, menus, table mats, games boards etc could be hung from the edges of shelves, the top of cupboards, dressers or other furniture.

An exemplary instantiation of the invention is shown in the figures and its operation is described in detail below.

Figure 1 -shows a bracket consisting of a deformable hoop and frame as moulded.

Figure 2 -shows the bracket of Figure 1 with the hoop in its "rest" position.

Figure 3 -shows the bracket of Figure 1 with the hoop in its "compressed" position.

Figure 4 -shows two brackets attached to a keyboard on a desktop.

Figure 5 -shows the keyboard of Figure 4 when lifted and placed on top of a screen.

Figure 6 -shows a "rake" attachment.

Figure 7-shows the keyboard of Figure 4 hanging from a screen to which is affixed the rake of figure 6.

Figure 8 -shows a deformable hoop Figure 9-shows two hoops of Figure 8 built into a keyboard.

A computer keyboard is essentiafly a cuboid, the height of which is much less than its width or depth. The keys are typically horizontal or almost so. The keyboard often has fold-out legs at the back corners allowing the back to be raised to snit personal preferences. The underside of most keyboards is substantially flat or at least is so over areas of at least a few centimetres in each direction. The underside of the keyboard is typically raised off the work surface by at least a few millimetres -often with non-slip rubber feet close to each corner. This allows for the attachment -typically via an adhesive pad -of two or more thin, flat brackets to the underside of the keyboard without lifting the keyboard off the desk.

Each bracket is a structure such as that shown in Figure 1. This figure shows the shape of the bracket as it is formed inside a mould -typically via injection moulding, as a single part using a soft deformable plastic such as polypropylene. The bracket is viewed from the underside and is typically 30mm by 70mm by 3mm in size. Depth is kept to a minimum to avoid lifting a keyboard off the desk when such brackets are fitted beneath the keyboard. The other dimensions are large enough to ensure that a pair of hoops (1) are strong enough to hold the weight of a keyboard.

In its "as-moulded" condition the thin plastic hoop (1) is a pre-shaped "flat spring". A "flat spring" is a flat strip of material which, when deflected by an applied load will store energy and then release it on removal of the applied load. This portion of the bracket which acts as a spring may be considcrcd as a separate simple spring allowing thc rest of the component -the "frame" (2) to be ignored for the purposes of spring calculation and design.

The "flat spring" in this design is of the "simple beam spring" type. One end of the flat spring" hoop is attached to the main body of the bracket by a "living hinge" (3). A living hinge is a thin strip of moulded plastic between two more rigid parts of a component. When a living hinge is flexed, the molecular fibres of the material are stretched and a hinge is developed. the living hinge at this end of the spring allows the entire hoop of the spring to be rotated about this point. The other "free" end of the "flat spring" hoop has a moulded cylindrical guide rod (4) along its width which protrudes beyond each side of the spring.

Once moulded, the hoop is manually deformed in order to locate these guide rod protrusions into the slide grooves (5), (6) on the underside of the main body of the bracket. Once the guide rod (4) ends are located, the natural spring of the hoop pulls them against the stop (7), (8) in the slide grooves (5), (6). The component will remain in this state -its "assembled" state, shown in Figure 2 -due to the stored energy in the spring which was applied to locate the guide rods in the slide groove. The hoop is therefore protmding from the main body of the bracket in its "rest" position.

The bottom face (9) of the bracket is typically coated with an adhesive and this is covered with a removable backing sheet until it is to be affixed to a keyboard. When the backing sheet is removed and the bracket is bonded to the substantially flat contiguous surface on the underside of the keyboard, this traps the spring guide rod (4) between the slide grooves (5), (6) and the flat surface. The guide rod (4) is a loose fit within the slide grooves (5), (6) sufficient to allow free movement, within design limits, paraRel to the said substantially flat contiguous surface.

With the component bonded onto a flat contiguous surface, any load (10) applied perpendicularly to the hoop (I) of the "flat spring" will tend to flatten it. Because one end of the hoop (1) is attached to the living hinge (3) it can only rotate about that hinge and is unable to move in any other direction. The "free" end of the spring is however able to move and with the application of sufficient load, the guide rod (4) will slide parallel to the contiguous surface which acts as the slide surface.

As more load (10) is applied perpendicular to the hoop (1) and the free end (4) slides, the hoop begins to flatten until it is eventually almost completely flat and flilly contained within the base part of the bracket -as shown in Figure 3. Because the design (elasticity versus width and thickness) of the "flat spring" ensures that the stress within the spring does not exceed the material's elastic limit, the energy applied to the spring is stored within it. Therefore, upon removal of the applied load, the "flat spring" will try to return to its as-moulded shape (as shown in Figure 1). Because it is constrained within the slide groove however it will return to its "assembled" state (as shown in Figure 2) retaining the stored energy applied to assemble it.

Figure 4 shows a keyboard (24) to which two such brackets are affixed. One of the brackets (12) is visible and is partially compressed by the weight of the keyboard. The dimensions and material of the hoops (11), (12) are chosen such that the load required to fully flatten a pair of the hoops is less than that applied by the weight of the keyboard when placed on a flat surface.

Consider an elliptical flat spring of major diameter 56mm, minor diameter 46mm, chord length of 65mm, thickness of 0.5mm and width of 20mm moulded in a polypropylene material with an Ultimate Tensile Strength of 39 MPa and a modulus of elasticity of 1.9 GPa.

Designed with the above parameters, the spring hoop can be flattened without exceeding the elastic limit of the material. The force required to fully flatten the hoop is 1.5 N. Therefore two such brackets will require a load of 3 N to fully flatten them.

This is a weight of 306 g. The average full size keyboard weighs in excess of 500 g Thus, the components will flatten and not prevent the keyboard from sitting correctly on its own feet -regardless of whether the adjustable keyboard feet (25), (26)are extended as shown or retracted. Although some of the weight of the keyboard will be taken by the hoops (11), (12) rather than the non-slip feet of the keyboard itself, this does not significantly affect the friction between keyboard and work-surface as the weight of the user's hands on the keyboard is typically greater than that of the keyboard itself. Should this be an issue, the outer surface of the hoops can be coated in a non-slip material such as rubber or have small non-slip protuberances giving a similar coefficient of friction to that of the feet themselves.

when the keyboard (24) is lifted from the flat surface the hoops will spring back to their "assembled" state (as shown in Figure 2) and provide a "hook". The hoops in their "assembled" condition protrude from the flat surface to which the brackets arc affixed by a distance sufficient to allow them to be "hooked" onto the edge of any horizontal surface which has a continuous vertical surface falling away from it for a depth equal to or greater than the longitudinal depth of the keyboard, such as a computer screen (13) shown in Figure 5.

With the bracket in its "assembled" state, one end of the hoop (1) is attached to the body of the component by the living hinge (3) and the other end is attached to the body of the component by the sliding joint created between the "flat spring" guide rod (4) and the base part slide grooves (5), (6).

The stored energy which maintains the "assembled" shape gives it a degree of rigidity such that, perpendicular to the flat contiguous surface, no movement is possible between the guide rods and the slide groove in the direction of the load applied due to the weight of the keyboard hanging on the hoops. The hoops are sufficiently rigid perpendicular to the flat contiguous surface for two of them to support the weight of a typical keyboard. Additional brackets can be added to support heavier keyboards.

Ideally, the brackets should be bonded to the flat contiguous surface at a longitudinal distance from the keyboard centre of gravity such that when the keyboard is hung by the "flat spring" hoops (1) it naturally hangs rather than balances about its own centre of gravity. The components should ideally be equally spaced about the longitudinal centre-line of the keyboard at a distance equal to or greater than half the lateral width of the keyboard.

\rhile the above arrangement allows the keyboard to hang from the edge of the screen, it will be appreciated that it is only held there by its own weight. In some cases, a firmer attachment may be required. For example, on board a ship there may be sideways forces as the ship rolls and pitches. In this case, a simple "rake" (14) as shown in Figure 6 can be used. This has many vertical "teeth" (15) and an adhesive backed surface (16) allowing it to be firmly affixed to the top of the screen from which the keyboard is to hang.

When stuck to the top of a screen or other ledge (as shown in Figure 7) the teeth (15) engage with the hoops (1) as the keyboard is lowered onto them. This limits sideways movement to the difference between the thickness of the material from which the hoops (11), (12) are made and the gaps between the teeth (15). Movement backwards and forwards is limited to less than the height of the hoop (I) and is normally much less due to the curvature of the hoop. When a rake such as this is used, the keyboard can only be removed from the edge of the screen by lifting it up so that the hoops (11), (12) disengage from the teeth.

While the invention has been described thus far in terms of a bracket suitable for attachment to an existing keyboard, it can also bc designed into a keyboard. Figure 8 shows a hoop (16) with a guide rod (17), (18) at each end. Figure 9 shows how a pair of such hoops (20), (21) can be clipped into mating holes and slots (22), (23) of similar profile to the frame (2) of the bracket of Figure 1 but moulded into the underside of a keyboard (19). Figure 9 shows the keyboard lying upside down, allowing the loops (20), (21) to assume their "rest"position. Such an arrangement reduces the amount of material used and avoids the need for adhesives that may weaken over time.

When a keyboard is hanging on a screen as shown in Figure 5, the hoops are very visible to anyone behind the screen and one can also be seen from each the side of the screen. The outer surface of the hoops may be printed with advertising copy.

Claims (4)

1. <claim-text>CLAIMS1. A mechanism for hanging a computer keyboard or other substantially planar object normally used in the horizontal plane from the top edge of a substantially vertical surface.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A mechanism according to Claim I in which the means of attachment extend automatically as the object to bc hung is lifted from the surface on which it normally rests.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A mechanism according to Claim 2 consisting of one or more hoops extending from the underside of said keyboard.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A mechanism according to Claim I in which the mechanism is in the form of an attachment to an existing keyboard or other substantially planar object.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A mechanism according to Claim 1 in which the mechanism is an integral part of a keyboard or other substantially planar object.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A mechanism according to Claim 1 in which the mechanism is compressed by the weight of the keyboard so as not to alter the position, angle or height of the keyboard when in use.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A mechanism according to Claim 2 in which the means of attachment are moulded in the shape of hoops thus returning to this shape when not compressed by the weight of the keyboard.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A mechanism according to Claim 1 in which movement of the keyboard along or across the said substantially vertical surface is constrained by means of a toothed comb attachable to the top edge of the surface from which the keyboard is to be hung.* Amendment to the claims have been filed as followsCLAIMSI. A mechanism for hanging computer peripheral equipment that has an underside normally in contact with a substantially horizontal work-surface from a top edge of a substantially vertical surface said mechanism comprising one or mote projections which, in use, are configured to automatically retract as said equipment is placed on said work-surface and are configured to automatically project from said underside when said equipment is lifted from said work-surface.
2. 2. A mechanism according to Claim [in which said projections are in the form of curved hoops extending from the underside of said equipment.
3. 3. A mechanism according to Claimi in which said mechanism is in the form of an attachment to existing said equipment.
4. 4. A mechanism according to Claim I in which said mechanism is an integral part of said equipment.3. A mechanism according to Claim I in which said projections retract sufficiently under the weight of said equipment so as not to alter the position, angle or height of said equipment when in use 6. A mechanism according to Claim 2 in which said hoops are moulded in the ". : shape of hoops thus, in use. returning to this shape when not pressed flat by * the weight of said equipment.7. A mechanism of Claim I in which said substantially vertical surface is a computer display. ** * * . . * ** 0 ** * I * a *. a a * *4</claim-text>