JPH05250069A - Input device with track ball - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a hand from touching a track ball to cause erroneous operations when the track ball is not used, and to facilitate the operation of a keyboard or the like by saving the track ball from a plane where an input means such as the keyboard is provided. CONSTITUTION:A track ball unit 7 housing a track ball 6 is inserted to a housing hole 2a provided higher than the installing plane of a keyboard 1 for one step. A lock lever 5 is protruded and provided at an operating hole 2b of a main body case 2 provided adjacently to the housing hole 2a and when the track ball unit 7 is pushed down to a regulated position against the energization of a spring provided at the lower part, the track ball is locked at that position. Therefore, when the track ball unit 7 is pushed down, it does not stand out in the vision to the keyboard 1, and the keyboard 1 can be easily operated. Further, malfunction can be prevented when the track ball 6 is touched by the hand or the like.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device with a trackball in which an electronic device such as a computer is provided with a trackball (pointing device) together with an input means such as a keyboard for inputting information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a central processing unit such as a computer, especially a display for displaying an input has been integrated.
This display is laid down on the keyboard, and in a thin box type laptop computer or notebook type personal computer that is convenient to carry, it is placed close to the input means such as the keyboard and switch board for inputting this. There is an input device with a trackball in which a trackball is installed on the same surface and input can also be performed by operating the trackball.

[0003]

However, in such an input device with a trackball, since the trackball and the input means such as a keyboard are close to each other,
If you accidentally touch the trackball while inputting from the input means,
This has been a cause of erroneous operations such as the output being input.

Further, in such an input device with a trackball, since the input means such as a keyboard and a switchboard and the trackball are installed close to each other on the same plane, the input device such as a keyboard and a switchboard. At the time of operating the input means, a trackball that does not need to be operated jumps into the visual sense, which makes it difficult to operate.

Furthermore, in a personal computer such as a notebook computer in which a display such as a liquid crystal is installed so that it can be raised and lowered, and the display is laid down on a keyboard to form a thin box,
Since the trackball protrudes from the keyboard surface, the display surface cannot hit the trackball, and the display cannot be laid down until the input means surface such as the keyboard and the display surface come into contact with each other. There was also.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems in the conventional input device with a trackball, prevents the trackball that does not need to be operated from being touched by the hand, and causes an erroneous operation. When not in use, the rate at which the trackball enters the visual field is reduced to facilitate the operation of the keyboard, etc., and the display can be laid down until it comes into contact with the input means surface of the keyboard, etc., so that it can be made into a thin box type. The purpose is to

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a trackball-equipped input device for achieving the above object, which is a trackball-equipped input device comprising input means such as a keyboard and a trackball. The feature is that the trackball is installed so that it can appear and disappear on the input surface where the trackball is installed.

[0008]

The input device with trackball according to the present invention is such that when the trackball is used, the trackball is exposed to the installation surface or raised to the same surface by the operation of the operating member, and the conventional input device with trackball. To be able to operate the trackball in the same way as.

When the trackball is not used,
The trackball is stored below the installation surface, and when the keyboard is input, the rate of the trackball entering the visual field is reduced to facilitate keyboard operation, and the display can be laid down until it touches the keyboard surface. Thus, it can be made into a thin box-like shape that is easy to carry.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to a notebook personal computer shown in the drawings. A liquid crystal display 3 is rotatably pivoted on the back side of a main body case 2 of a personal computer having a keyboard 1 provided on the upper front side.

On the back side of the installation surface of the keyboard 1 of the main body case 2, there is a surface that is one step higher than the installation surface of the keyboard 1. The accommodation hole 2a provided on this surface and the back surface of the accommodation hole 2a. A trackball unit 7 in which a trackball (pointing device) 6 is housed is inserted into a housing hole 5a of a lock lever 5 housed between the backboard 4 and the backboard 4.

The lock lever 5 is provided with an operation piece 5b. The operation piece 5b protrudes from the operation hole 2b of the main body case 2 provided in the vicinity of the accommodation hole 2a to the upper surface, and the operation piece 5b of the lock lever 5 is provided. A spring 8 is installed at one end to urge the lock lever 5 toward one side.

Further, the trackball unit 7 and the back plate 4
A spring 9 for urging the trackball unit 7 upward is installed between the and, and locking projections whose lower side is an inclined surface 7a are provided on front and rear side surfaces of the trackball unit 7. 7b is provided in a protruding manner, and locking grooves 5c are provided on the front and rear side surfaces of the accommodation hole 5a of the lock lever 5.

Stoppers 7c are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the trackball unit 7, and the stoppers 7c are inserted into the guide holes 4a of the back plate 4 and their descending positions are restricted. When 7 is pressed against the urging force of the spring 9 to the above-mentioned restricted position, the locking groove 5 of the lock lever 5 is formed by the inclined surface 7a.
By pushing c against the urging force of the spring 8, the locking projection 7b enters the lower side of the locking groove 5c and is locked at that position.

Further, if the operating piece 5b of the lock lever 5 is pushed against the urging force of the spring 8 toward the side opposite to the trackball unit 7, the locking groove 5c is retracted from the position of the locking projection 7b. The lock of the trackball unit 7 is released, and the trackball unit 7 is lifted to the same plane as the accommodation hole 2a by the bias of the spring 9.

The trackball unit 7 is connected to a required circuit by a flexible print cord 10 and can input a rotation locus of the trackball 6 when the trackball 6 is rotated with the palm of the hand.

Therefore, when the trackball unit 7 is pushed down against the bias of the spring 9, the trackball 6 is locked at a position lower than the surface of the accommodation hole 2a, so that the keyboard 1 is pressed. It becomes inconspicuous in the visual sense, and it becomes easy to operate the keyboard 1.

At the same time, the hand operating the keyboard 1 does not touch the trackball 6 to input an erroneous operation to move the trackball 6, and when the display 3 is laid down on the keyboard 1, the display 3 is the main body. Case 2
You can lie down without creating a gap above.

When the operation piece 5b is pushed toward the trackball unit 7, the trackball unit 7 is unlocked and the trackball unit 7 is in the raised position. Therefore, the operation is performed as in the conventional input device. Can be done.

In addition to the embodiments described above, the present invention allows the trackball 6 to be retracted from the surface on which the keyboard 1 is installed, so that the trackball 6 appears on the installation surface of the keyboard 1 from the retracted position by operating the operation member. The means is not limited to the above as long as it can be done. The present invention is not limited to the notebook personal computer, but can be widely applied to small electronic devices such as word processors (word processors).

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the trackball can be retracted from the surface on which the input means such as the keyboard is provided. Therefore, the trackball is visually recognized when the input means such as the keyboard is operated. The rate of entry into the trackball is reduced, the operation can be facilitated, and erroneous operation of touching the trackball with the hand can be prevented.

When a display such as a liquid crystal is put on an input means such as a keyboard to form a thin box type convenient for carrying, the trackball may be an obstacle to putting the display on the keyboard. Instead, it is suitable for use in, for example, a notebook personal computer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a notebook personal computer that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the same.

3 is a perspective view of the disassembled state of FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 keyboard 2 body case 3 display 5 lock lever 5a locking groove 6 trackball (pointing device) 7 trackball unit 7a locking projection

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An input device with a trackball, which comprises an input means such as a keyboard and a trackball, wherein the trackball is installed so as to be retractable from an input surface on which the trackball is installed. Input device with trackball.