DE29700846U1 - Keyboard layout for EDP devices - Google Patents

Description

Applicant:

PEGA Electronics GmbH
Felix-Dahn-Str. 15

70597 Stuttgart

3219 015 F/be 17.01.1997

WP97/1

Title: Keyboard layout for computer devices

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a keyboard arrangement for computer devices.

In many areas of electronic data processing, keyboards are used in which the individual keys can be programmed as function keys, so that a specific operation can be carried out with a single keystroke. For example, this is used in doctor's offices so that the fee for a consultation, examination, etc. can be printed out with a single keystroke. On the other hand, it is also necessary to reprogram certain or additional function keys when changes are made, which can be done with the help of a

for example, a keyboard that is usually used on a PC. In addition, special operations that are not assigned to function keys must be able to be carried out on the computer devices using the usual keyboards. In order to achieve this, the two keyboards have previously been used and connected alternately depending on the computer processing to be carried out. This is extremely cumbersome, especially if switching between the individual keyboards has to be done frequently.

The object of the present invention is therefore to create a keyboard arrangement for computer devices with which the aforementioned disadvantages, i.e. the cumbersome switching from one keyboard to another, is avoided.

To achieve this object, the features specified in claim 1 are provided in a keyboard arrangement for computer devices.

The measures according to the invention result in a uniform housing in which the two keyboard units to be used are always available. This avoids the need to constantly switch back and forth between keyboards and to connect the keyboards to the computer device. It is therefore extremely quick, easy and convenient for the user to switch from one keyboard unit to the other as required.

According to the embodiment according to claim 2, it may be expedient to integrate the keyboard units in the common housing, i.e. both keyboard units are installed in the common housing without their own housing.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is expedient in many cases, especially for existing computer systems, to provide the features according to claim 3. Each keyboard unit has its own individual housing, with which it can be easily inserted into the relevant trough-shaped receptacle of the common housing. In this case, it can be expedient to provide the features according to claim 4 and/or claim 5 in order to firstly be able to replace the individual keyboard units provided with individual housings at any time and/or secondly to fix them in the relevant trough-shaped receptacle after insertion.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the features according to claim 6 are provided, which leads to convenient and clear handling, since the visible plane of the rear keyboard unit projects visually above the plane of the front keyboard unit. In this case, the features according to claim 7 are advantageously provided for the common housing provided with trough-shaped receptacles.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the features according to claim 8 are expediently provided, whereby the features according to claim 9 can also be taken into account in an advantageous manner.

A further advantageous embodiment in terms of handling results from the features according to claim 10.

Further details of the invention can be found in the following description, in which the invention is described and explained in more detail using the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. They show:

Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a keyboard arrangement for computer devices according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a housing for a

Keyboard arrangement for computer devices according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a section along the line III - III of Figure 2, but with keyboard units shown in dash-dotted lines.

The keyboard arrangement 10 shown in Figure 1 has a housing 11 which is made up of a shorter front part 12 and a longer rear part 13. The housing 11 is flat overall, with the rear part 13 being inclined upwards towards the rear compared to the front part 12, at least as far as its visible side 14 is concerned. As a result, the visible side of the wider rear part 13 is raised compared to the visible side of the less wide front part.

A front, space-saving keyboard unit 17, as is usually used for laptops or similar small IT devices, and a rear, larger keyboard unit 18 are integrated into the housing 11. The front keyboard unit 17 has a conventional design and arrangement of keys 19, 20, while the rear keyboard unit has 18 differently designed and labelable keys 21, 22, which essentially all serve as function keys. In a manner not shown, the two keyboard units 17 and 18 are connected to one another within the housing 11 and led to the outside of the housing 11 or the keyboard arrangement 10 by means of a common connecting cable. With such a keyboard arrangement 10 it is possible on the one hand to program the keys 21, 22 of the rear keyboard unit 18 using the keys 19, 20 of the front keyboard unit 17 via the connected computer system, and on the other hand it is possible to program separately

to use both keyboard units 17 and 18 to influence operations to be carried out using the computer system.

In the second embodiment of a keyboard arrangement 10' shown in Figures 2 and 3, a housing 11' is also provided which is one piece. The housing 11' has a front part 32 with a front recess 34 and a rear part 33 with a rear recess 35. In this embodiment too, the parts 32 and 33 and the recesses 34 and 35 are of different lengths and widths or depths. The recesses 34 and 35 are completely delimited on the circumference by an edge, so that they are approximately trough-shaped. The front recess 34 of the housing 11' has a horizontal base 36, while the rear recess 35 has a base 37 which slopes backwards towards the base 36. While the inclined base 37 merges into the horizontal base 36 via a recess to form an edge of the front recess 34, the flat underside 38 of the housing 11' runs horizontally overall. Both the side edges 41, 42 of the front recess 34 and the side edges 43, 44 of the rear recess 35 are designed to rise diagonally towards the rear, but merge into one another via a bend. The rear side edges 43 and 44 merge into the rear edge 47 in their rear area via an inclined surface 46.

The recesses 34 and 35 in the housing 11' serve to accommodate keyboard units 17' and 18', which are only indicated by dash-dot lines and each provided with an individual housing 51, 52. In other words, each of the keyboard units 17', 18' is integrated in an individual housing 51 or 52, which individual housing can be inserted into the relevant front or rear recess 34, 35. The keyboard units 17', 18 provided with individual housings 51, 52 can be easily removed from the housing 11 and reinserted.

In order to keep the keyboard units 17', 18' integrated in the individual housings 51, 52 fixed in the recesses 34 and 35, a strip 35 is provided on the rear edge 47 that slightly overlaps the rear recess 35. This allows the rear individual housing 52 with the rear keyboard unit 18' to be inserted with part of its housing edge under the strip.

53. The same applies to the front edge 48, which is provided with a strip 54 that slightly overlaps a front area of the front recess 34. This allows the front individual housing 51 with the front keyboard unit 17' to be placed with an edge area under this strip.

54 when inserted into the front recess 34.

While in the housing 11 according to Figure 1 the transition from the rear part 13 to the front part 12 is laterally via a recess 23

This is achieved in the housing 11' by means of wedge-shaped edges 56, 57.

In a manner not shown, in the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3, the cable connection of the front keyboard unit 18' can be guided along a groove on the underside of the housing 11 to the rear side thereof, where it is to be connected to the rear keyboard unit 18'.

Claims (1)

PROTECTION CLAIMS Keyboard arrangement (10, 10') for EDP devices, characterized by two keyboard units (17, 18; 17', 18') arranged one behind the other, which are inserted in a flat housing (11, 11'). Keyboard arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the keyboard units (17, 18) are integrated into the common housing (11). Keyboard arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the keyboard units (17', 18') each housed in an individual housing (51, 52) are each inserted with their individual housing (51, 52) into one of two trough-shaped receptacles (34, 35) of the common housing (11) located one behind the other. Keyboard arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the individual housings (51, 52) can be detachably inserted into the trough-shaped receptacles (34, 35) of the common housing (H'). Keyboard arrangement according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the trough-shaped receptacles {34, 35) of the common housing (H') are upper or lower transverse edge (47, 48) is provided with a cover strip (53, 54) which limits the receptacles (34, 35) at the top. Keyboard arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear part (13, 33) of the flat housing (11, 11') is inclined relative to its front part (12, 32). Keyboard arrangement according to claims 3 and 6, characterized in that the bottom (37) of the rear trough-shaped receptacle (35) is inclined towards the rear in a rising manner relative to the essentially horizontal bottom (36) of the front trough-shaped receptacle (34). Keyboard arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front keyboard unit (17, 17') has a smaller base area than the rear keyboard unit (18, 18'). Keyboard arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the front keyboard unit (17') is a space-saving keyboard unit, for example used in a laptop, and the rear keyboard unit (18') is formed by a keyboard unit to be programmed. 10. Keyboard arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two keyboard units (17, 18; 17', 18') are connected by cables within the common housing (11, 11').