JPS63304311A - Handy work processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the number of keys and to obtain a compact keyboard by applying such as key switch that can indicate many data with a single key to some or all keys. CONSTITUTION:In a normal and natural state a support part 3 stands still at a position vertical to a printed base board 2 and any one of our contacts is not connected. Under such conditions, a section part 26 of an operation part 4 divided in response to each contact and containing the corresponding character, etc., printed is pushed by a finger. Thus the part 3 is tilted up to a position shown by a chain line and only the contact part corresponding to the pressed part 26 is connected via a contact part. Thus the desired information is selected. In such a constitution, the number of keys forming a keyboard can be extremely decreased. Thus it is possible to obtain a simple keyboard containing a small number of key switches.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a keyboard, and in particular to a handy word processor that allows input of four types of characters with one key alone and is equipped with a compact keyboard composed of a small number of keys. Regarding.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional keyboards have various contact structures, but all keys for inputting characters etc. are composed of an array of key switches that open and close a single contact to instruct one type of input data. . Therefore, in order to select a plurality of pieces of input information with one key, it was necessary to operate the shift key.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

According to the above-mentioned conventional keyboard, basically only one piece of information can be entered with one key.For example, as word processors become more sophisticated, the number of keys that make up the keyboard increases, and the keyboard becomes more complex, making it difficult to use the keyboard at all. This can lead to keyboard allergies among people such as middle-aged and elderly people who have no experience operating electronic devices, and this is one reason why electronic devices are difficult for these people to use.

The object of the present invention is to use a key switch that can instruct a large number of input data with one key for some or all of the keys, to greatly reduce the number of keys, and to configure the key switch with a small number of keys. The goal is to provide a compact keyboard that can be used.

[Means for solving problems]

The above purpose is to provide a printed circuit board having four contacts per key and arranged in a concentric circle, a printed circuit board that maintains a contact part with a slight gap from the contacts, and is arranged at the center position of the four contacts, A key switch consisting of a supporting part that can be operated so that a selected pair of each contact point and each contact part comes into contact with each other, and an operating part that is operated from the outside is used, and the key switches are arranged to form a keyboard. This is achieved by configuring.

[Effect]

When you press the area around the operation part of the above key switch with your finger,
The support part, which is integrally attached to the operation part, falls down and tilts together with the operation part towards the pressed side.Therefore, among the contact parts held by the support part, the position pressed by the finger, that is, the selected position. Only the contact portions make contact with the contacts on the printed circuit board to input or select information.

Note that if a protection mechanism is provided to prevent the support part from tilting in any direction other than the direction in which the contacts are located, the support part will not tilt even if the middle part of two adjacent contacts is pressed with a finger. There is no need to worry about malfunctions due to information being selected at the same time.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to each section. 1st
The figure shows an embodiment of the compact keyboard according to the present invention, which includes 20 key switches 1 that allow four types of character input with one key, and a conventional compact keyboard that instructs one input information with one key. It consists of 5 key switches 7, a total of 25 key switches.

Key switch 7 is frequently used “Space” and “Execution”
It is used to enter keys such as "Cancel", and can be easily used many times, and it is made conspicuous so that it can be easily found.

In particular, the "space" key is about three times as wide as the other keys. The configuration and operation of the key switch 7 may be the same as those of the conventional ones, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

Next, the configuration and operation of the key switch 1 having four contacts will be described below. Key switch 1 is printed circuit board 2
, a support section 3, and an operation section 4, and are attached and fixed by an upper cover 6 and a lower cover 7 of the keyboard.

The printed circuit board 2 is provided with cross-shaped holes 12 having four recesses 10 and corners 11, corresponding to the positions where the key switch 1 is installed.

Around the hole 12, as shown in FIG. 8, a contact portion 15 is provided near each recess 10, which is constituted by a pair of an electrode pattern 13 with a positive potential and an electrode pattern 14 with a negative potential. They are each wired on the printed circuit board 2 and connected to necessary parts.

The support part 3 is composed of an upper lever 16 and a lower lever 17,
The upper lever 16 is formed integrally with the operating section 4. The upper lever 16 and the lower lever 17 are.

The protrusion 20 of the upper lever 16 is press-fitted into the hole 21 of the lower lever 17 to be fixed with a contact plate 19 having four contact portions 18 sandwiched therebetween.

A hemispherical support end 22 is provided at the end of the lower lever 17 on the reaction side of the hole 21, and the support end 22 is connected to a mortar-shaped support end 22 provided at the key switch 1 attachment position of the lower cover 17. The lower lever 17 is rotatably attached to the lower cover 6 from the spherical support portion 23 with the center of the hemispherical surface of the support end 22 as the center of rotation.

The lower lever 17 is provided with a spring holder 24 adjacent to the hemispherical support end 22, and a trapezoidal spring 25 is attached between the spring holder 24 and the back surface of the printed circuit board 2. The lower lever 17 is biased toward the lower cover 17 by the trapezoidal spring 25, but since its mounting portion is universally supported by the hemispherical support end 22 and the mortar-shaped spherical support portion 23, the key switch When the support part 1 is not operated from the outside, the support part 3 stands still in a state perpendicular to the printed circuit board 2 as shown by the solid line in FIG.

In this state, as shown in FIG.
It is held in a position opposite to that with an appropriate gap.

The manual key operation of the key switch 1 configured as described above will be described below.

As mentioned above, in the normal natural state, the support part 3 is stationary in a position perpendicular to the printed circuit board 2 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 7, and none of the contact parts are connected. As shown in FIG. 4, by pressing with your finger the section 26 of the operating section 4 that is sectioned corresponding to each contact point and printed with corresponding characters, the support section 3 moves to the position shown by the chain line in FIG. is tilted, and only the contact portion 15 corresponding to the partition portion 26 pressed by the finger is connected by the contact portion 18, and the information desired to be input is selected.

In Figure 4, move key switch 1 forward to 111 +
I have shown the state where you are inputting the number 1, but you can also move it in three other directions as shown by the dashed arrow.For example, if you want to input the character C11, move key switch 1 toward you. Bye. The same applies to the other key switches 1.

As shown in FIG. 9, the size of the lower lever 17 of the support part 3 is slightly smaller than the size of the part surrounded by the corner 11 of the hole 12 of the printed circuit board 2, and the lower lever 17 is attached to the contact point. Since the contact portion 15 is not tilted in any direction other than the direction in which the contact portion 15 is provided, there is no fear that a plurality of contact portions 15 may be connected simultaneously by the contact portion 18 and malfunction.

Figure 5 shows another example of the keyboard shown in Figure 1 with a different key arrangement.It is also possible to change the key arrangement and make it more vertically long, allowing you to choose the shape that suits your purpose. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the number of keys constituting the keyboard can be greatly reduced in a word processor as shown in FIG. It is possible to provide a simple and neat keyboard consisting of a small number of key switches.

Therefore, the user is not overwhelmed by a large number of key switches, and it is possible to create a simple, easy-to-operate keyboard that even people who are not familiar with keyboards can easily start using.

In addition, since the size and pitch of the key switches can be made almost the same as those of conventional ones, the keyboard can be made much smaller by reducing the number of key switches, as shown in Figure 6 (
Compared to the conventional word processor shown in (a), it is possible to provide an extremely compact and handy word processor as shown in (b) of the same figure. As a result, it was common knowledge that conventional word processors were used by placing them on a desktop or desktop, but if the keyboard of the present invention is used to miniaturize the word processor, the word processor can be used without being placed on a desk ring, and can be used as a desktop electronic computer. This enables a new way of using the word processor, such as holding it in one hand, and expands the uses of the word processor, such as replacing a conventional memo pad or using it on a train or airplane. If it is easier to operate the word processor vertically from the perspective of holding it in the hand, then the key layout of the keyboard can be made vertically as shown in Figure 5, and the keyboard layout can be made more horizontally as shown in Figure 6 (C). It is also possible to provide a word processor with reduced width.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a conventional word processor, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a keyboard of a conventional word processor, and FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the effects of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 and 9 respectively show enlarged perspective views of the vicinity of the surface of the printed circuit board of the embodiment. 1...Key switch, 2...Printed circuit board, 3...
・Support part, 4... Operation part, 7... Key switch, 1
2... Hole, 20th +41 $31D 4th flash opening zl th g opening

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A key switch is used for some or all of the keys, making it possible to input four types of characters using a certain key alone without requiring the operation of other keys. Handy word processor. 2. In claim 1, by inputting an input operation that tilts the key forward, backward, left, and right, the
A handy word processor characterized in that one of the contacts is selected and connected. 3. In claim 1, a printed circuit board having four contact portions formed in pairs with two types of electrode patterns per key, and a printed circuit board having contact contact portions at portions facing the contact portions, respectively. , while holding the contact contact portion with a slight gap between the printed circuit board and the contact portion, the contact portion can contact any of the four contacts, and operates so that two contact portions are not connected at the same time. 1. A handheld word processor comprising a flexible support part and an operation part fixed to the support part for operating the support part by an external operation and connecting necessary contact parts.