Patent ID: 6547463
Filing Date: 2003-04-15
Classification: B41J,G06F,H01H

Abstract:
A collapsible keyboard comprising:a mounting member including a backbone portion which extends in a transverse direction and which has left and right lateral edges opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction, and front and rear ends opposite to each other in the transverse direction, and front and rear mount portions extending respectively and upwardly from said front and rear ends and terminating respectively at front and rear uppermost surfaces; left and right subframes, each including a major base wall having proximate and distal lateral sides opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction, and front and rear sides opposite to each other in the transverse direction, and front and rear link walls extending respectively and upwardly from said front and rear sides and terminating respectively at front and rear upper edge portions, said front and rear link walls respectively including front and rear linking areas which are located adjacent to both said front upper edge portion and said proximate lateral side, and to both said rear upper edge portion and said proximate lateral side respectively, and which are pivoted to said front and rear mount portions about a pivot axis in the transverse direction respectively at front and rear pivotal points that are adjacent to said front and rear uppermost surfaces respectively; left and right wing members, each including proximate and distal edge portions opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction, and forward and rearward sides opposite to each other in the transverse direction, said proximate edge portions of said left and right wing members being hinged to said left and right lateral edges of said backbone portion respectively so as to place said left and right wing members in folded or spread positions where said distal edge portions of said left and right wing members are respectively close to or remote from each other; left and right couplers disposed to respectively link said front link walls of said left and right subframes at left and right coupled areas outboard to a respective one of said front linking areas, to said forward sides of said left and right wing members at left and right engaged areas outboard to said proximate edge portions, respectively, such that when said left and right wing members are in the folded or spread positions, said left and right subframes are placed in collapsed or deployed positions, where said distal lateral sides of said left and right subframes are respectively close to or remote from each other; and left and right sets of pluralities of keys respectively disposed on said left and right subframes in an arrangement standing unaltered when said left and right subframes change from the collapsed position to the deployed position.