JP2017016184A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyboard device capable of preventing a mounted small article such as a clip from falling into a keyboard casing.SOLUTION: A keyboard device 2 comprises: a plurality of keys provided on an upper surface part of a casing; and an article mount part 25 provided at a position other than positions of the keys on the upper surface part and mounting thereon a small article such as a staple of a stapler or a clip. The article mount part comprises a fixedly attachment member such as a magnet 25b fixedly attaching the small article to the article mount part in such a manner as to prevent the small article from falling into the casing. If the keyboard device includes a magnetic card reader, a shield part 31 is provided between the magnetic card reader 24 and the other elements to shield magnetism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a keyboard device.

  Conventionally, a keyboard device has been used as an input device of an information processing device such as a POS (Point of Sales) terminal or a computer. For example, a keyboard device of a POS terminal installed in a store is used for a transaction operation of a product with a customer.

  Some of such keyboard devices have a concave article placement portion. This article placement section is used for placing small articles such as pens and seals used for business transactions with customers, or staples and clips removed during a transaction.

  However, a small article placed on the article placement unit may fall into the keyboard device from the gap between the keys, causing a malfunction of the keyboard device.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a keyboard device that does not drop a small article placed inside.

  The keyboard device according to the embodiment includes a plurality of keys provided on an upper surface portion of a housing, an article placement portion provided on a position other than the key on the upper surface portion, and a small article placed on the article placement portion. A fixing member that is fixed to the article placement portion.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a POS terminal and a keyboard device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the keyboard device. FIG. 3 is an AA partial cross-sectional view of the keyboard device according to the second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, the keyboard device according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described below.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of a POS terminal 1 and a keyboard device 2 according to the first embodiment.

  The POS terminal 1 is a device that performs sales registration and settlement of products purchased by customers. The POS terminal 1 executes sales registration processing and accounting processing for products purchased by customers. In the sales registration process, a bar code or the like attached to a product is optically read, or the product name or price (product information) of the product based on the product code input by operating the keyboard device 2 is displayed. A process for storing product information in a buffer. The payment process refers to a process executed based on the display of the total amount of the product and the deposit received from the customer based on the product information stored in the buffer with the sales registration process.

  The POS terminal 1 is electrically connected to the keyboard device 2 through the communication line 3 and inputs information input from the keyboard device 2. The POS terminal 1 has a main body unit 11 and a display unit 12.

  The main unit 11 includes a power supply unit that supplies power to the inside, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, which are computer configurations, and controls the POS terminal 1. A control unit (both not shown) and the like are incorporated.

  The display unit 12 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays product information of products registered for sales, payment information of products for which payment processing has been performed, and the like. The display unit 12 displays various keys related to the operation of the POS terminal 1. A touch panel 13 is provided on the surface of the display unit 12. The POS terminal 1 inputs a key signal of the key by touching the touch panel 13 at a position corresponding to the key displayed on the display unit 12.

  The keyboard device 2 is arranged and used immediately before the POS terminal 1. The keyboard device 2 includes a substantially rectangular casing 20 whose width direction W is longer than the depth direction D. In addition, the back side 28 of the housing 20 of the keyboard device 2 is slightly higher than the front side 27. The upper surface portion 26 that is the upper surface of the keyboard device 2 includes a horizontal portion 30 that is a flat surface on the back side 28, and an inclined surface 29 that descends from the horizontal portion 30 toward the near side 27.

  The keyboard device 2 includes a plurality of keys 21 on an inclined surface 29. Keys 21 are a PLU (Price Look Up) key for inputting a product code for specifying a product related to sales registration processing of the POS terminal 1, a numeric key for inputting a number, a closing key for inputting the end of a transaction with a customer, In order to set the POS terminal 1, an alphabet key for inputting various information is included. The key 21 includes a preset key in which frequently used functions are preset. In the embodiment, a PLU key is arranged on the left side of the keyboard device 2, and a numeric key, a tightening key, an alphabet key, and a preset key are arranged on the right side of the keyboard device 2. The keyboard device 2 transmits information corresponding to the operated key 21 to the POS terminal 1 via the communication line 3.

  Further, the keyboard device 2 includes a key switch 22 and a lamp 23 on the left side of the horizontal portion 30. The key switch 22 is a switch for switching the operation mode of the POS terminal 1 by rotating the key. The lamp 23 is composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and lights up according to the operation mode of the POS terminal 1.

  The keyboard device 2 also includes a card reader 24 at a position on the right side of the horizontal portion 30 (a position other than the key 21 of the housing 20). The card reader 24 is a device for reading card information stored in a magnetic stripe such as a credit card used for card settlement in transactions with customers. The card information includes a card number for identifying the card, personal information of a customer who owns the card, and the like. The card reader 24 has a slit 24 a along the width direction W.

  The keyboard device 2 also includes an article placement unit 25 at a position between the lamp 23 of the horizontal unit 30 and the card reader 24 (a position other than the key 21 of the housing 20). The article placement portion 25 has a concave portion 25 a having a concave shape along the width direction W.

  The slit 24 a of the card reader 24 and the article placement unit 25 are arranged in a substantially straight line along the width direction W of the keyboard device 2 in the horizontal unit 30. That is, the card reader 24 and the article placement unit 25 are arranged in a substantially straight line in the width direction W at a position above the key 21 of the keyboard device 2. By disposing in such a position, the card reader 24 and the article placement unit 25 do not interfere with the operation of the key 21.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the card reader 24 and the article placement section 25 as viewed from the front side 27, taken along the line AA of FIG. In FIG. 2, the card reader 24 includes a head 24b for reading card information from a magnetic stripe near the center of the slit 24a. The head 24b reads the card information magnetically stored in the magnetic stripe when the card scanned through the slit 24a passes through the head 24b.

  The operator inserts a card into the left end of the slit 24a, and scans the card in the arrow Y direction along the slit 24a from the left to the right. The card reader 24 reads card information from the scanned card. Thereafter, the operator pulls out the scanned card from the right end of the slit 24a to the right.

  The article placement unit 25 is fixedly provided with a magnet 25b at a position facing the recess 25a in the housing 20. The position facing the recess 25a may be a position in contact with the opposite side of the bottom surface 25c of the article placement section 25 in the housing 20 or a position away from the opposite side of the recess 25a. The magnet 25b places a small article, which is a metal among the small articles placed on the article placement section 25, on the bottom surface 25c of the concave portion 25a by being attracted (fixed). That is, the article placing unit 25 places the small article in a fixed manner. The small article refers to an article that an operator who operates the POS terminal 1 needs in a transaction with a customer. For example, the staple C2 and clip C1 of the stapler used to fasten paper such as slips, and writing instruments such as pencil C3, ballpoint pen, eraser, and seals. In the embodiment, small articles such as staples C2 and clips C1 formed of metal are attracted to the bottom surface 25c of the recess 25a by the magnetic force of the magnet 25b and placed on the article placement unit 25. Since the pencil C3 is non-metallic, it is placed on the article placement unit 25 without being attracted to the bottom surface 25c of the recess 25a by the magnetic force of the magnet 25b.

  The magnetic force of the magnet 25b is weak enough to attract small articles, but the installation position of the magnet 25b is as far away from the head 24b of the card reader 24 as possible. By separating the distance between the head 24b for magnetically reading card information and the magnet 25b, the influence of magnetism from the magnet 25b is reduced when the card information is read by the head 24b. The mitigation of the influence of magnetism here may be either not affected by magnetism at all or reducing the influence of magnetism.

  Further, by installing the magnet 25b at a position away from the head 24b of the card reader 24, the metal small article is attracted to the left side of the article placement unit 25 (the side where the key switch 22 and the lamp 23 are provided). And placed. Small articles such as writing instruments and seals that are not attracted by the magnet 25b are placed on the right side (card reader 24 side) of the article placement unit 25. Therefore, the article placement unit 25 can separately place small articles that are attracted by the magnet 25 b and small articles that are not attracted by the magnet 25 b, and can organize the small articles in the article placement unit 25. it can.

  In addition, the depth of the center part of the recessed part 25a of the article mounting part 25 is about several mm. Therefore, when taking out a small article from the article placing portion 25, it can be taken out without any trouble even if it is attracted to the magnet 25b.

  In addition, the keyboard device 2 includes a shield part 31 (relaxation part) inside the housing 20 and between the card reader 24 and the article placement part 25. The shield part 31 is made of a ferromagnetic material (for example, iron or nickel) that blocks magnetism. Therefore, the shield part 31 blocks all or part of the magnetism emitted from the magnet 25b provided in the article placement part 25. Such a shield part 31 reduces the influence of magnetism from the magnet 25b when the card information is read by the head 24b. The shield part 31 preferably has a plate-like shape in which a flat blocking surface 31a is formed in a direction perpendicular to the magnetism (lines of magnetic force) radiated from the magnet 25b. In addition, the shield part 31 is desirably formed so as to surround the head 24b. If it is the shield part 31 of such a shape, magnetism can be interrupted | blocked efficiently.

  According to such 1st Embodiment, the metal small articles mounted in the article mounting part 25 of the keyboard apparatus 2 are attracted | sucked and hold | maintained at the article mounting part 25 with the magnetic force of the magnet 25b. Therefore, the small article placed on the article placement unit 25 does not fall into the keyboard device 2 from the gap between the keys 21.

(Second Embodiment)
From here, 2nd Embodiment is described using FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of the POS terminal 1 and the keyboard device 2 according to the second embodiment. Note that the items described with reference to FIG. 1 also apply to the second embodiment, but since they have already been described as the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here. In FIG. 3, the description of the same configuration as in FIG. 2 is omitted.

  In FIG. 3, the article placement portion 25 is provided with an adhesive member 25d on the bottom surface 25c of the recess 25a instead of the magnet 25b. The adhesive member 25d has adhesiveness, and is, for example, an adhesive sheet made of a silicon material or a urethane elastomer material. The adhesive member 25d is fixedly attached to the bottom surface 25c or formed integrally with the bottom surface 25c.

  The article placement portion 25 is provided with an adhesive member 25d over substantially the entire recess 25a. Such an article placement unit 25 holds, for example, a small metal article such as a staple C2 or a clip C1 that is adhered (fixed) to the bottom surface 25c. The article placement unit 25 also holds a writing instrument such as a pencil C3, a ballpoint pen, an eraser, and a small article such as a seal sticking (adhering) to the bottom surface 25c. That is, the article placement unit 25 places all the small articles placed on the article placement unit 25 in a fixed manner. In the embodiment, the clip C1, the staple C2 and the pencil C3 are placed on the article placement unit 25 in a state of being adhered to the bottom surface 25c by the adhesive member 25d. In the second embodiment, the shield part 31 is not provided.

  According to the second embodiment, the metal small article placed on the article placing portion 25 of the keyboard device 2 and the non-metallic small article such as a writing instrument or a seal are attached to the adhesive member 25d. Depending on the nature, it is adhered and held on the article placement portion 25. Therefore, the small article placed on the article placement unit 25 does not fall into the keyboard device 2 from the gap between the keys 21. Further, the small article placed on the article placement unit 25 does not fall from the keyboard device 2 to the outside.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  For example, in the embodiments, staples C2 and clips C1, pencils C3, writing tools such as ballpoint pens and erasers, and seals are illustrated as small articles. However, any small articles can be placed on the article placement unit 25. May be.

  In the embodiment, the article placement unit 25 is provided in parallel with the card reader 24 in the width direction W. However, the article placement unit 25 may not necessarily be in parallel with the card reader 24 in the width direction W. Further, the keyboard device 2 may not include the card reader 24.

  Further, in the embodiment, the article placement unit 25 is provided on the back side 28 of the key 21, but it may not necessarily be on the back side 28 and may be a position other than the key 21.

  Moreover, in 2nd Embodiment, although the sheet | seat of the silicon raw material or the urethane raw material was illustrated as the adhesive member 25d, other adhesive members may be sufficient.

  In the second embodiment, the adhesive member 25d is provided on substantially the entire recess 25a. However, the adhesive member 25d is not necessarily provided on the entire recess 25a, and the adhesive is placed at a position where the clip C1 or the staple C2 of the stapler is placed. The adhesive member 25d need not be provided at the position where the adhesive member 25d is provided and the pencil C3 is placed. In this case, the clip C1 and the staple C2 of the stapler are adhered to the adhesive member 25d, but the pencil C3 is not adhered to the adhesive member 25d. Therefore, the pencil C3 can be smoothly taken out from the article placement unit 25.

  In the embodiment, the keyboard device 2 connected to the POS terminal 1 has been described. However, the keyboard device 2 may be connected to an information processing device other than the POS terminal 1. Further, the keyboard device 2 may not be connected to other devices.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 POS terminal 2 Keyboard apparatus 21 Key 24 Card reader 24a Slit 24b Head 25 Article mounting part 25a Recessed part 25b Magnet 25c Bottom face 25d Adhesive member 26 Upper surface part 27 Front side 28 Back side 29 Inclined surface 30 Horizontal part 31 Shield part 31a Blocking surface

JP 2009-9479 A

Claims (5)

A plurality of keys provided on the upper surface of the housing;
An article placement unit for placing a small article provided at a position other than the key on the upper surface part;
A fixing member that fixes the small article to the article placement section;
Keyboard device equipped with. A card reader for reading information stored in the card at a position other than the key of the housing;
The article placement unit and the card reader are arranged side by side in the width direction of the housing,
The keyboard device according to claim 1. The fixing member is a magnet;
Provided between the article placement unit and the card reader is a relaxation unit that reduces the influence of the magnet on reading the card by the card reader,
The keyboard device according to claim 2. The fixing member is a magnet;
The card reader includes a head for magnetically reading the information,
The magnet and the head are arranged apart from each other in the width direction so as to mitigate the influence of the reading of the information by the head.
The keyboard device according to claim 2. The key is disposed on the front side of the housing, and the article placement unit is disposed on the back side.
The keyboard device according to claim 1.

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