AU2012216601B2

AU2012216601B2 - Foldable keyboard for portable computer

Info

Publication number: AU2012216601B2
Application number: AU2012216601A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Sang-Kyu Ryu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-01-11
Filing date: 2012-08-31
Publication date: 2014-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 2029-01-09
Also published as: AU2012216601A1

Abstract

A foldable keyboard for a portable computer includes a keyboard body which comprises two keyboard pieces hinge-coupled by a hinge unit in order to be unfolded in a direction parallel to a keyboard plane. Another embodiment of the invention is a foldable keyboard, which includes: a guide unit at which a 5 long hole is formed along its length; and a keyboard body which comprises two keyboard pieces hinge-coupled to the guide unit by a hinge unit. The keyboard pieces can be unfolded in a direction parallel to a keyboard plane into its extended state. As the keyboard pieces unfold, the hinge unit slides along the long hole as the keyboard edges, which are facing each other, are stuck together. Thus, the two keyboard pieces are hinge-coupled to each other to reverse their vertical and horizontal directions 0 as the keyboard body is extended. Fig. 2

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: Sang-Kyu Ryu Actual Inventor: Sang-Kyu Ryu Address for Service: C/- MADDERNS, GPO Box 2752, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: FOLDABLE KEYBOARD FOR PORTABLE COMPUTER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

2 FOLDABLE KEYBOARD FOR PORTABLE COMPUTER TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a foldable keyboard for a portable computer, in more detail, a foldable 5 keyboard for a portable computer which is mounted in portable computers, such as UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC), expandable to provide convenience for users. BACKGROUND ART It is difficult to reduce the size of keyboards widely used for input devices of computers. for the 0 structure with a plurality of massed keys, including Korean/English character keys, number keys, symbol keys, and function keys. Even if they are manufactured in a small size, it is difficult to input data, due to the size of the general user's hands. In particular, for portable microcomputers rapidly rising in demand in recent years, such as UMPC, a 5 display of 10 inches or less is usually mounted and the integral keyboard mounted in the main body is provided in a very small size, such that the it is inconvenience to use the computer and is required to improve the structure of the keyboard. Removable keyboards that are connected by USBs (Universal Serial Bus) etc. are used to solve the inconvenience of the integral keyboards; however, it is inconvenience to carry the removable keyboards and required to be careful of handling them because 0 there is possibility of loss. In consideration of improvement of the keyboard structure, a keyboard having a structure in which a housing is formed at both side of the main body of a keyboard to accommodate sub-keyboards and the sub-keyboards are taken out and connected to the sides of the main body of the keyboard for use is 5 disclosed in Korean Utility Model Publication No.1995-25665. This sectional keyboard, however, the terminals for electric connection between the main body of the keyboard and the sub-keyboards are worn or exposed to foreign substances due to frequent connection/disconnection, such that bad connection may be caused. 30 For another example, keyboards that can increase in size, using foldable structure is disclosed in Korea Patent Publication No 1998-28435 (Portable computer having a foldable keyboard) and Korea Utility Model Publication No 1999-001643 (Foldable keyboard structure for portable computer). The keyboards disclosed in the documents use a foldable structure for folding the parts of the keyboards and developing them for use. However, this structure increases the entire thickness when being 35 folded, such that it is difficult to achieve a thin portable computer. TECHNICAL PROBLEM It is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable keyboard for a portable computer, in which the keyboard is divided in two foldable pieces, which can be developed without changing the 3 thickness of the keyboard to increase the entire size. TECHNICAL SOLUTION According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a foldable keyboard for a 5 portable computer, the keyboard comprising: a guide unit having an elongate slot longitudinally formed therein, the guide unit having a length corresponding to a length of one edge of a main body of the portable computer and provided to be parallel with the length of the edge; a pair of hinge units installed at the guide unit, each hinge unit sliding along the slot; and 0 a keyboard body including two keyboard pieces respectively hinge-coupled to the guide unit via the respective hinge units. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawings are provided to illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention 5 and make the spirit of the present invention clearer with the following detailed description, and it should be understood that the present invention is construed as not being limited only to the drawings. FIG. I is a perspective view showing the configuration of a swing-typed foldable keyboard according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the swing-typed foldable keyboard shown in 0 FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a side view showing another example of the connector shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a sliding-typed foldable keyboard according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the sliding-typed foldable keyboard shown 5 in FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is a side view showing an example of the hinge unit shown in FIG. 5. <Reference Numerals> 100, 300: keyboard body 101, 301: hinge unit 102, 102': connector 200: main body 30 201: display unit 301a: head 302: guide 302a: slot BEST MODE FOR THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described hereafter in detail with reference to the 35 accompanying drawings. Before describing the embodiments, the words and terminologies used in the specification and claims should not be construed with common or dictionary meanings, but construed as meanings and conception coinciding the spirit of the invention under a principle that the inventor(s) can appropriately define the conception of the terminologies to explain the invention in the optimum method. Therefore, embodiments described in the specification and the configurations shown in the 4 drawings are not more than the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not fully cover the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace those when this application is filed. 5 FIGS. I and 2 show the configuration and the operation of a swing-typed foldable keyboard according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. I and 2, a swing-typed foldable keyboard according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes: a keyboard body 100 composed of two hinge-coupled keyboard pieces 0 100a, 100 to be developed in parallel with the keyboard surface; and a connector 102 mechanically connecting a main body 200 of a portable computer with the keyboard body 100. In this configuration, the keyboard surface implies a plane of the keyboard where a plurality of keys is concentrated, including Korean/English character keys, number keys, symbol keys, and function keys. 5 Although a structure in which the main body 200 of the portable computer is provided at a display unit 201 and the foldable keyboard is connected to the main body 200 is shown in the figures, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be modified such that the configuration of the main body 200 is mounted on the keyboard body 100 and the keyboard body 100 is connected to the display unit 201. Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention is described by way of an example when the !0 main body 200 is provided at the display unit 201. The two keyboard pieces 100a, 100b of the keyboard body 100 are hinge-coupled with corners facing each other connected by a hinge unit 101. In this configuration, the direction of the hinge axis A of the hinge unit 101 is parallel with a normal of the keyboard surface, such that the two keyboard pieces !5 1 00a, 1 00b are developed in parallel with the keyboard surface. The keyboard pieces I00a, I00b are fully developed while turning preferably at a joint angle 0 of 1800 with respect to the hinge unit 101. Therefore, the width and length are exchanged after the keyboard pieces 100a, 100b are developed. That is, when the width and length of the keyboard pieces I 00a, 30 100b are 'b' and 'a', respectively, before developing, the width and the length of the keyboard pieces I 00a, 1 00b become 'a' and 'b', respectively. The two keyboard pieces 100a, I00b of the keyboard body 100 are formed in substantially rectangles having the same area. Therefore, the entire width of the keyboard that is fully developed with respect 35 to the hinge unit 101 is two times the entire length of the keyboard fully folded. It is preferable that one side of the keyboard contacts the lower edge of the main body 200, when fully developing with respect to the hinge unit 101.

5 The connector 102 functions as mechanically connecting the keyboard body 100 to the main body 200 such that the keyboard body 100 can be selectively connected to or disconnected from the main body 200. For this configuration, the connector 102 is formed in a strip shape or a rod shape, with one end is fixed to the hinge unit 101, such that it can be inserted into the main body 200 or into the rear side 5 through one side (e.g. the lower edge) of the main body 200. As shown in FIG. 3, a connector 102' may be a multistep pipe composed of a plurality of pipes having different diameters, with one end fixed to the hinge unit 101 and the other end fixed to one side (e.g. the lower edge) of the main body 200, to be adjustable in length. 0 Though not shown in the figures, a hinge structure is provided at one side of the connector 102 to substantially hinge-couple the keyboard body 100 with the main body 200. Although it is preferable to use a common USB cable as an interface for transmitting data between the keyboard body 100 and the main body 200, this configuration is not limitative and various 5 technologies known in the art can be obviously used. Next, the operation of a swing-type foldable keyboard according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to FIG. 2. !0 When using the keyboard, a user has to pull and separate first the keyboard body 100 from the main body 200, as shown in FIG. 2A. At this time, the main body 200 and the keyboard body 100 are spaced with the connection maintained by the connector 102. Thereafter, as the two keyboard pieces I00a, I00b of the keyboard body 100 are developed to the left 25 and right, as shown in FIG. 2B, the keyboard pieces I00a, I00b are turned at the joint angle 8 of 1800 with the width and the length exchanged, such that they are fully developed and the keyboard with the keys arranged is achieved, as shown in FIG. 2C. In this operation, it is possible to closely contact and stably fix the width of the keyboard body 100 to the lower edge of the main body 200 by appropriately adjusting the length of the connector 102. 30 Though not shown in the figures, it is preferable to use a structure fitting a protrusion in a hole between the keyboard body 100 and the main body 200 in order to stably maintain the developed position. 35 FIGS. 4 and 5 show the configuration and the operational principle of a sliding-typed foldable keyboard according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a sliding-typed foldable keyboard according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes: a guide 302 fixed to a main body 200 of a portable computer; and a 6 keyboard body 300 composed of two keyboard pieces 300a, 300b respectively hinge-coupled to the guide 302 to be developed in parallel with the keyboard surface and connected in the length direction of the guide 302. In this configuration, the keyboard surface implies a plane of the keyboard where a plurality of keys is concentrated, including Korean/English character keys, number keys, symbol keys, 5 and function keys. Although a structure in which the main body 200 of the portable computer is provided at a display unit 201 and the foldable keyboard is connected to the main body 200 is shown in the figures, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be modified such that the configuration of the main body 200 0 is mounted on the keyboard body 100 and the keyboard body 300 is connected to the display unit 201. Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention is described by way of an example when the main body 200 is provided at the display unit 201. The guide 302 has a length corresponding to the lower edge of the main body 200, in which a slot 302 5 is longitudinally formed. The guide 302 can be removably connected to the main body 200 or may be integrally formed with the main body 200 as a portion of the main body 200 in another embodiment. The two keyboard pieces 300a, 300b of the keyboard body 300 are respectively hinge-coupled to the guide 302 at the outer corners, by different hinge units 301. In this configuration, the direction of the !0 hinge axis A of the hinge unit 301 is parallel with a normal of the keyboard surface, such that the two keyboard pieces 300a, 300b are developed in parallel with the keyboard surface. The keyboard pieces 300a, 300b are fully developed while turning with respect to the hinge units 301, respectively. Therefore, the width and length are exchanged after the keyboard pieces 300a, 300b are Z5 developed. That is, when the width and length of the keyboard pieces 300a, 300b are 'b' and 'a', respectively, before developing, the width and the length of the keyboard pieces 300a, 300b become 'a' and ' , respectively. The two hinge units 301 for the two keyboard pieces 300a, 300b are inserted in the slot 302a of the 30 guide 302 to be slidable along the slot 302a. As shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the hinge 301 has heads 301a at both ends, in which the head has a diameter larger than the shaft diameter corresponding to the width of the slot 302a and slides on the surface of the guide 301. The two keyboard pieces 300a, 300b of the keyboard body 300 are formed in substantially rectangles 35 having the same area. Therefore, the entire width of the keyboard that is fully developed with respect to the hinge units 301 and slide to be in contact is two times the entire length of the keyboard fully folded. Though not shown in the figure, the keyboard body 300 and the guide 302 or the guide 302 and the 7 main body 200 may be hinge-coupled. Further, a predetermined long groove may be formed at the edges contacting the main body 200 of the keyboard pieces 300a, 300b, for strong connection with the main body 200. Further, in the two keyboard pieces 300a, 300b, a predetermined pattern of prominences and depressions may be formed at the edges facing each other in close contact to be 5 engaged with each other, in order to stably maintain the connection between the keyboard pieces when using the keyboard. Although it is preferable to use a common USB cable as an interface for transmitting data between the keyboard body 300 and the main body 200, this configuration is not limitative and various 0 technologies known in the art can be obviously used. Hereafter, the operation of the sliding-typed foldable keyboard according to a preferred embodiment is described with reference to FIG. 5. 5 As shown in (a) of FIG. 5, with the keyboard fully folded, as a user fully develops the two keyboard pieces 300a, 300b of the keyboard body 300 to the left and right, the keyboard pieces 300a, 300b are turned with respect to the hinge units 301 and developed with the width and length exchanged, as shown in (b) of FIG. 5. !0 Thereafter, as the two keyboard pieces 300a, 300b are moved toward each other, the hinge units 301 of the keyboard pieces 300a, 300b slide along the slot 302a of the guide 302, and as shown in (c) of FIG. 5, the edges facing each other of the keyboard pieces 300a, 300b are in close contact with each other, thereby achieving a keyboard with the keys arranged. !5 A detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments of the invention is provided above along with accompanying figures that illustrate by way of example the principles of the invention. While the invention is described in connection with such embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to any embodiment. On the contrary, the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims and the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications, and 30 equivalents. For the purpose of example, numerous specific details are set forth in the description above in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The present invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the present invention is not unnecessarily obscured. 35 Throughout this specification and the claims that follow unless the context requires otherwise, the words 'comprise' and 'include' and variations such as 'comprising' and 'including' will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

8 The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge of the technical field. 5 INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, it is possible to expand and use a small keyboard for a portable computer, such as UMPC, such that it is easy to input data. Further, since a keyboard is integrally connected with a portable computer by hinge units, it is possible to easily handle the computer and 0 easily apply the present invention to portable computers with a wide screen. Further, it is possible to achieve a thin portable computer, because the thickness of the keyboard is kept constant even if the keyboard is developed.

Claims

1. A foldable keyboard for a portable computer, the keyboard including: a guide unit having an elongate slot longitudinally formed therein, the guide unit having a 5 length corresponding to a length of one edge of a main body of the portable computer and provided to be parallel with the length of the edge; a pair of hinge units installed at the guide unit, each hinge unit sliding along the slot; and a keyboard body including two keyboard pieces respectively hinge-coupled to the guide unit via the respective hinge units. 0

2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein each of the keyboard pieces rotates horizontally with respect to the corresponding hinge unit in a state the hinge units are positioned at both ends of the guide unit respectively, so that the width and length of each of the keyboard piece are exchanged. 5

3. The keyboard of claim 2, wherein the hinge units slide along the slot toward a central position of the length of the guide unit, so that edges of the keyboard pieces facing each other are in contact with each other.

4. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the keyboard body includes two connection portions, each 0 connection portion being formed at one corner of the respective keyboard pieces to connect the two keyboard pieces to the hinge units respectively.

5. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the slot is formed at a substantially entire length of the guide unit. 5

6. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein each of the hinge units includes a hinge shaft vertically inserted into the slot and two hinge heads respectively provided at both ends of the hinge shaft, each head having a diameter larger than a width of the slot. 30

7. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the guide unit is attachable/detachable to the main body of the portable computer.

8. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the guide unit is integrated with the main body of the portable computer. 35

9. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein each of two keyboard pieces is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and two keyboard pieces have the same rectangular size and each of the keyboard pieces has a width and a length 2 times than the width. 10

10. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein an outer corner of each of the keyboard pieces is coupled to the corresponding hinge unit.

11. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein a groove with an elongate groove is formed in each of the 5 keyboard pieces at an edge thereof being in contact with the main body of the portable computer, for strong fixation of the keyboard pieces to the main body.

12. The keyboard of claim 3, wherein the edges of the keyboard pieces being in contact with each other are fixed to each other via a protrusion and depression pattern formed at each of the edges of the 0 keyboard pieces.

13. A foldable keyboard substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.