JPS62212715A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the input of both alphabet and HIRAGANA (cursive form of Japanese syllabary) characters by enabling plural key switches to move freely in a single direction of the array of those switches. CONSTITUTION:Plural key switches 2 showing characters and symbols to be supplied are provided two dimensionally on a keyboard main body 1. These switches 2 from the row directional key units 3-1-3-4 set to four rows respectively in the prescribed pitches and can move left freely. Here the units 3-2-3-4 are set against the 3-1 so that these units 3-1-3-4 have an array equal to that of an English typewriter. When an array switch lever 4 is moved left, a pushing member 6 presses the units 3-2-3-4 to secure a key array of a Japanese typewriter where the left ends of units 3-1-3-4 are made even. Thus it is possible to easily secure the switch between the keyboard of an English typewriter and that of a Japanese HIRAGANA typewriter by means of the lever 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a keyboard device in which a plurality of keys displaying characters and symbols in two modes, such as an English mode and a Japanese mode, are two-dimensionally arranged. .

[Prior Art] Generally, this type of keyboard device is a JI keyboard device shown in FIG.
Various key switch layouts have been considered depending on the character type of human data, such as the S type for human input of English characters and the one for hiragana input shown in Figure 7, allowing the user to choose the layout that best suits their purpose. I needed to buy a new keyboard. Recently, as keyboard devices have become more multifunctional, conventional
By mixing the keyboard devices used according to the character type into a predetermined shape layout, you can press 2 f with one key.
A device for inputting character data in an ffi type mode is also being considered.

As an example, there is a keyboard device that mixes a keyboard with an English typewriter layout and a Japanese 50-syllabary layout.

The current JIS type English typewriter layout as shown in Figure 6 uses the alphabet as native language characters, and furthermore,
It was born out of a special key-pressing method known as the so-called blind touch, in which keys are pressed with both hands without looking at the letters on the key tops, resulting in a special key arrangement. Not only is it difficult for people who are not familiar with the English typewriter layout to memorize the mixed hiragana layout, but it is also extremely difficult to input hiragana characters using the specially arranged keys. There was a problem.

On the other hand, a keyboard layout with a 50-syllabary layout as shown in Figure 7 makes it very easy to remember the order of hiragana characters.
Although it is easy to use even for those using a keyboard for the first time, even if this keyboard layout is mixed with an English character keyboard layout, the key operation will be very difficult for people who are used to the English typewriter type keyboard layout. The problem was that the board was rather difficult to handle.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to solve such problems,
To provide a key-powered device capable of easily inputting English characters and hiragana characters.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve such an object, the present invention arranges a plurality of key switches two-dimensionally displaying character and symbol codes in two types of key layout modes. , is characterized in that a plurality of key switches are movable in one direction of the arrangement.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show the external appearance of an embodiment of the keyboard device of the present invention, in particular, FIG. 1 shows the state of the human-powered key arrangement for English characters, and FIG. 2 shows the state of the human-powered key arrangement for hiragana characters. shows.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a keyboard body, and on this keyboard body 1, a plurality of key switches 2 on which characters and symbols to be input are displayed are arranged two-dimensionally.

These key switches 2 form, for example, row direction key units 3-1 to 3-4 arranged at a predetermined pitch in each of four rows arranged in the horizontal direction.

The key units 3-2 to 3-4 are movable to the left in the figure. For example, the key units 3-1 to 3-4 are arranged in an English type key arrangement.
~3-4 are placed relative to the key unit 3-1.

Reference numeral 4 denotes an arrangement switching lever that moves the positions of the key units 3-2 to 3-4, and when the switching lever 4 moves in the left-right direction, the pressing member 6 moves the key units 3 through the interlocking member 5.
-2 to 3-4 should be moved.

7-1 to 7-3 are key units 3-2 to 3-, respectively.
4. Close the gap in the area surrounded by diagonal lines. These blind boards 7-1 to 7-3 are key units 3-2 to 3
-4 moves to the left in the figure, respectively.

In FIG. 2, when the arrangement switching lever 4 is moved to the left in the figure, the holding member 6 presses the key units 3-2 to 3-4, and as shown in FIG. 1-3
These key units 3-1 to 3 are arranged so that the leftmost rows of the keys 3-4 and 3-4 are in the same order, which is a so-called Japanese type keyboard layout.
The inter-row pitch of each key switch 2 of -4 is set. In this example, the hiragana key code is displayed starting from the top left.
Although they are arranged in the order of "Aiueo", it is also possible to arrange them in the order of "Aiueo" from the top right instead of doing this.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the key unit 3-3 as an example of the key units 3-2 to 3-4.

In FIG. 3, openings are provided on the upper surface of a key chassis 10 formed by bending a metal plate or the like into an inverted U-shaped groove, and a key switch 2 is housed in each opening. A key switch board 11 provided with a key switch 2 and its wiring is attached to the open bottom of the key chassis lo. The above-mentioned blinding plate 7-3 is attached to the upper part of the left end of the key chassis IO, and the side surface of the left end is
A spring stop plate I is attached to stop a spring, which will be described later.

In this embodiment, the key units 3-1 to 3-4 are integrally arranged with key switches for one row in the horizontal direction. 1
It is also possible to configure each of 3-4 to be further divided and combined.

The key units 3-2 to 3-4 described above are stored in a key case. An example of the structure of the key case is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, key units 3-2 and 3-3 are slidably attached to a key case 20 having a box-shaped frame with an open top.
Compression springs 21 and 22 are fixed to the left side of the
These springs 21 and 22 bias the key units 3-2 and 3-3, respectively. A key unit 3-2 is mounted on the right side plate 20-1 of the case 20.
The side plate 20-1 is provided with an opening into which a holding member 23 for sliding the key units 3-2 and 3-3 can be inserted.
3 acts as a stopper that limits the leftward sliding movement.

The case 20 is fixed inside the keyboard 1 shown in FIG.

In addition, in FIG. 4, the presser member 23 is attached to the key unit 3-2.
and key units 3-2 and 3- separated from 3-3.
It shows a state in which the numbers 3 are arranged in the same order, and in this state it is an English type type key arrangement.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the key units 3-2 and 3-3 are pushed to the left by the presser member 23 so that the key switches 2 are aligned, that is, the key arrangement is for inputting hiragana characters. .

In this embodiment, two key units 3-2 and 3-3 are used.
Although an example has been described in which the key units 3-1 to 3-4 are stored in the key case 20, the key case 20 may naturally store all of the key units 3-1 to 3-4, and the shape of the presser member z3 can also be changed by this combination. Alternatively, for example, when the key units 2-2 to 2-4 are stored in the case 20, the holding member 5 having the shape shown in FIG. 1 may be used.

The biasing distance of the presser member 23 may be set so that the key switches 2 in each row are aligned, and can be determined depending on the pitch between the columns of the key switches 2.

Therefore, the movement of the switching lever 4 in the arrangement shown in FIG.
The key unit 3-
By pressing 2 and 3-3 and fixing the lever 4 with a strong click, it is possible to create a human-powered keyboard arrangement for hiragana characters in which the key switches 2 of the key units 3-2 and 3-3 are aligned. .

In addition, in the embodiment described above, the key units 3-2 to 3-
4 has been described as an example in which the arrangement switching lever 4 can be set to one of two types of key arrangement: an English character-based mode and a hiragana character-based mode by sliding the arrangement switching lever 4 along the key case. A mode changeover switch and a drive motor that slides the key units 3-2 to 3-4 are provided, and the changeover switch drives the motor to automatically move the key unit to a position according to each key arrangement. Good too. Furthermore,
The eight key units 3-2 to 3-4 in each row do not need to be moved as a unit; each key unit 3-2 to 3-3
A switch is provided that is linked to the switching lever 4 or the mode switching switch that can be moved independently for each of the four modes, and instead of pressing a key to select between the English character mode and the hiragana mode, the mode is automatically switched by switching this switch. It is also possible.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the keys in each row can be easily moved in the horizontal direction using the arrangement switching lever.
Operators who are accustomed to key-powered devices prepared for different purposes, such as English typewriter keyboards or hiragana 50-syllabary keyboards, can use a single keyboard device.
It is now possible to reproduce the familiar key layouts, allowing operators to create key positions that suit their individual preferences, reducing typos and type operation fatigue, and for those who operate keyboard devices to On the face of it, since the mode display is clear, there is also the effect that there is no need to check the mode when an operator leaves or is replaced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of the keyboard arrangement for inputting English characters according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of keys for manually inputting hiragana characters according to the embodiment of the invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a part of the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an arrangement of keys for inputting English characters of a conventional keyboard device; FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of arrangement of keys for inputting hiragana characters of a conventional keyboard device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Keyboard, 2... Key switch, 3-1 to 3-4... Key unit, 4... Arrangement switching lever, 5... Interlocking member, 6... Holding member, 7- 1 to 7-3...Blind board, lO...Key chassis, 13...Retaining member, 20...Key case, 21...Spring, 22...Spring, 23...Retainer Element. 11' view No. 4 explaining part of the composition of the tree invention ritual A series
Figure 5: A dou face diagram explaining the operation of the firing sequence.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A plurality of key switches displaying character and symbol codes in two types of key arrangement modes are arranged two-dimensionally, and the plurality of key switches are arranged in one direction of the arrangement. A keyboard device characterized by being freely movable. 2) The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of key switches are arranged in a plurality of rows, and the amount of movement of the key switches in each row is determined independently of each other. Device.