Abstract:
A keyboard-holding device is provided for detachably holding a keyboard to a stationary support. The keyboard is of the type having keys and having a shell surrounding the keys. The shell has a front surface, a back surface, and a bottom surface. The keyboard-holding device has a first elongate member, a pivot, and a locking mechanism. The first elongate member has a first end and a second end. The pivot is located between the first end and the second ends of the first elongate member. The locking mechanism is attached with respect to the second end for unlockably locking the first elongate member to a holder, said holder fixedly attachable to the support. A fulcrum is rotatably attached with respect to the pivot and fixedly attached with respect to the shell. A spring mechanism provides a restoring force tending to maintain the locking mechanism in locked engagement with the holder, but is manipulable to unlock the shell from the holder.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to mounting devices for computer hardware components, more particularly releasable mounting devices for keyboards.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    It is becoming commonplace for police cruisers to have as standard equipment installed therein a computer with communication capability to a remote source. The computers used within the squad cars typically fall into one of two categories: a common laptop mounted within the squad car or a specially designed, compact terminal with a separate keyboard specially designed for squad car use. This latter two-part configuration involves a keyboard flexibly attached to the terminal. The flexibly-attached keyboards are placed on a shelf or platform.  
           [0003]    In squad cars utilizing the two-part configuration, it is desirable for the officer to be able to remove the keyboard portion and place it on his or her lap as the officer is sitting behind the steering wheel of the cruiser. In this manner, the officer may utilize the ergonomics of the seat (facing in a forward direction) while the officer enters information such as driver&#39;s license requests, reports, etc.  
           [0004]    While it is desirable to have the keyboard easily moveable from the pedestal, which is a support affixed to the squad car, to the officer&#39;s lap, it is also necessary, given high speed chases and other hazardous driving activities of an officer, that the keyboard be secured within the passenger compartment of the cruiser when not in use for data entry. Thus it is the case that in the conventional embodiments of these devices, there is a securing mechanism to hold the keyboard to the pedestal.  
           [0005]    These conventional models have a common drawback. In each case, they require the use of two hands in order to dislodge the keyboard from the pedestal. This is generally characterized by the pressing of a release button or other switch with the one hand while pulling the keyboard from a cradle with the other hand. While a two-handed operation is not impossible for most police officers, it is not desirable.  
           [0006]    There are several problems the two-handed system has over a single (right) handed operation. First and foremost, it is annoying and bothersome as a driver of a police squad car to be required to reach over one&#39;s body with one&#39;s left arm while attempting to twist to reach a unit to the officer&#39;s right. This is exacerbated by the Kevlar vests worn by most officers, which further limit rotational mobility of the officer&#39;s torso. In addition to the vests, unlike civilians, a police officer typically has a utility belt outfit with gun holsters, handcuffs holders, and, in some instances, night sticks, which further limit rotational mobility. Second, in stretching the left arm across the body in a rotational motion of the torso, the left arm loses a bit of its mobility thereby making the removal operation difficult and uncomfortable. Third, the location of the pedestal within the vehicle is limited by the reach of the officer with his or her left arm.  
           [0007]    Alternatively, if a keyboard unit was available such that it could be removed from its base with a single hand, and in particular with the right hand, rather than be limited to distance by the reach of the left arm stretching across the body, the unit can be placed further from the officer within the passenger compartment, but still remain within the reach of the officer. Moreover, if a single-handed mechanism was easy to operate, it would not require divided attention from the officer which is an important safety consideration even in routine traffic stops. Finally, rather than force older officers or those otherwise susceptible to back injury to perform an operation of the present art while in a rotated position, a single-handed operable device, minimizes the risk of back injury.  
         OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is an object of the invention to provide an improved mounting device for a computer keyboard overcoming some of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art, including those referred to above.  
           [0009]    Another object of the invention is to provide a computer keyboard that may be easily mounted to a support in a car.  
           [0010]    Another object of the invention is to provide a keyboard that is removable from a mounting pedestal through the use of one hand.  
           [0011]    It is another object of this invention to provide a keyboard that may be detachably mounted within a car, which maximizes the location options for placement of the mount, while still allowing the driver to access the keyboard without leaving the driver&#39;s seat.  
           [0012]    Still another object of the invention is to provide a device to connect a computer keyboard to a pedestal in a police cruiser which is removable by a police-officer driver without requiring the officer to reach across his or her body.  
           [0013]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a device to connect a computer keyboard to a support that can reduce injuries of a driver due to twisting in an attempt to remove a keyboard from its mount.  
           [0014]    It is still another object of the invention is to provide a device to connect a computer keyboard to a support that is easy to manufacture.  
           [0015]    How these and other objects are accomplished will become apparent from the following descriptions and the drawings.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0016]    The invention involves a keyboard-holding device for detachably holding a keyboard to a stationary support. The keyboard may be of the QWERTY format with common, computer-directed extension, or may be custom. Regardless, the keyboard is of the type having keys and having a shell surrounding the keys. The shell has a front surface, a back surface, and a bottom surface. The keyboard-holding device has a first elongate member, a pivot, and a locking mechanism. The first elongate member has a first end and a second end. The term “first elongate member” includes, but is not limited to, locking levers and rods. The pivot is located between the first end and the second ends of the first elongate member. The locking mechanism is attached with respect to the second end for unlockably locking the first elongate member to a holder, said holder fixedly attachable to the support. A fulcrum is rotatably attached with respect to the pivot and fixedly attached with respect to the shell. By use of the phrase “fulcrum is rotatably attached with respect to the pivot”, applicants are describing relative motion between the first elongate member and the shell, and broadly define fulcrum to allow the phrase to mean any motion between the two components, including a lateral, see-saw motion about the pivot and including a rotational motion about the longitudinal axis of the first elongate member. An elastic device is attached with respect to the shell and with respect to the first elongate member. The elastic device is any compressible spring mechanism which can provide a restoring force tending to maintain the locking mechanism in locked engagement with the holder, but is manipulable to unlock the shell from the holder.  
           [0017]    It is preferable for the spring mechanism to be of a resilient material, such as rubber or mechanical, such as a coiled spring. In some applications a torsional spring is appropriate.  
           [0018]    It is a preferable embodiment of this invention to comprise a second elongate member, such that the coiled spring is attached with respect to the first elongate member and the second elongate member.  
           [0019]    In another preferable embodiment of the device making use of the coiled spring, the coiled spring is attached with respect to the shell and with respect to a portion of the first elongate member between the second end and the pivot. It is another preferable version to attach the coiled spring with respect to the shell and with respect to a portion of the elongate member between the first end and the pivot. In this latter version, it is more preferable for the holder to have a J-shaped catch for engagement with at least one of the surfaces of the keyboard shell. It is even more preferable when using the J-shaped catch to configure the front surface of the keyboard shell to be convex and to be dimensioned to snugly engage the J-shaped catch.  
           [0020]    It is also preferable for the keyboard-holding device utilizing the coiled spring attached with respect to the shell and with respect to a portion of the elongate member between the first end and the pivot to further have a bottom surface configured to be complementary in shape to a discontinuous upper surface of the holder. It is even more preferable wherein the upper surface of the holder has at least one pem.  
           [0021]    A second aspect of the invention is a keyboard-mounting device for mounting a keyboard to a fixed support or pedestal. This keyboard-mounting device has a front face, a back face, and bottom face. The keyboard-mounting device has a substantially flat tray. The tray has a top surface, a fore edge, and an aft edge. The tray also has an attachment mechanism for detachably attaching the tray to the support. The keyboard-mounting device also has a single-handed release mechanism moveably attached with respect to the keyboard to disengageably engage the tray. In this way, with one hand, a person may move the single-handed release mechanism and thereby release the keyboard from the tray.  
           [0022]    It is preferable for this keyboard-mounting device to have the release mechanism include a retaining member for disengageable engagement with the tray. It is more preferable for the release mechanism to have a resilient member with a restoring force tending to maintain the retaining member in locked engagement with the tray.  
           [0023]    It is preferable for the keyboard-mounting device to have the retaining member slidably or rotatably attached with respect to the keyboard.  
           [0024]    In one preferred embodiment, the tray has a J-shaped catch for engagement with at least one of the faces of the keyboard. It is more preferable for the front face to be convex and dimensioned to snugly engage the J-shaped catch.  
           [0025]    In another preferred embodiment, the keyboard-mounting device has a bottom face is configured to be complementary in shape to a discontinuous upper surface of the tray. The discontinuity of the upper surface of the tray can include at least one pem. It is desirable to add a second pem and use the pems as guiding pins extending from the tray to engage complementary concavities in the underside of the keyboard. This latter feature assures proper location of the keyboard on the tray and provides an added measure of security when the keyboard is engaged with the tray.  
           [0026]    A keyboard-mounting device facilitating easy, single-handed detachment from a support pedestal would be an important improvement in the art.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 is a top view of a mounting bracket.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3 is a side view of the mounting bracket.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the housing and bracket with the locking mechanism released.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the housing in partial engagement with the bracket and with the locking mechanism released.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 is a side view of the locking lever.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 is a rear view of the locking lever.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8 is a top view of the locking lever.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of another preferred embodiment of this invention utilizing a rubber spring mechanism.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the housing and bracket with the locking mechanism and pems engaged.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 11 is a front view of the thumb pad.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the floor of the housing.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 13 is a front view of the housing showing the nose and front-pem slots.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the bracket and housing engaged.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 15 is a back view of the bracket and housing engaged.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 16A is a front sectional view of one back wall embodiment.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 16B is a front sectional view of another back wall embodiment with the housing engaged with the mounting bracket.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 17 is a back view of the bracket and housing of another preferred embodiment engaged.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 18 is a top view of a mounting bracket for use with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 17.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 19 is a back view of another preferred embodiment with the bracket in engagement with the housing.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the locking mechanism of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 19.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the locking mechanism of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 19 with attaching components removed. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0049]    [0049]FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a device  10 . Device  10  has a plastic housing  12  containing keycap/switch combinations  14  attached in a typical array (e.g. comprising the alphabet in QWERTY format with other word-processing keys such as “shift” and “space bar”, function keys, and a numeric pad).  
         [0050]    A floor  16  of housing  12  is nestled in a mounting bracket  18  (better seen in FIGS. 4 and 15). Mounting bracket  18  can be of any rigid, non-fragile material, but metals such as aluminum or steel are preferred for their strength at relative thin dimensions, cost, and ease of fabrication. Extending up from back of housing  12  is a back wall  20 . Back wall  20  is shown perpendicular to floor  16 , but such angular relationship is not required by the invention. In practice, the angle will be dictated by the ergonomics and aesthetics of the pedestal and components. As it is desirable for the locking mechanism to be depressed in a roughly horizontal manner, it is desirable for disengagement that back wall  20  to be vertical with respect to the user&#39;s body; therefore, if the pedestal leaves the bracket  18  in a significant angle with respect to horizontal, it may be desirable for back wall  20  to be at an angle greater than 90° with respect to the remainder of housing  12 .  
         [0051]    [0051]FIGS. 2 and 3 show mounting bracket  18 . Mounting bracket  18  has a front housing-receiving-tray section  24  and a rear housing-receiving-tray section  26 . Located between front and rear housing-receiving-tray sections  24 ,  26 , is pedestal-mounting section  28 .  
         [0052]    As best seen in FIG. 3, upper surface  30  of pedestal-mounting section  28  is recessed a distance “d” from a plane established by front and rear top surfaces  32 ,  34 , of front and rear housing-receiving-tray sections  24 ,  26 , respectively. Spaced throughout pedestal-mounting section  28  are eight mounting holes  36 . It is easily seen that eight is not a required number of holes; any number of fasteners capable of sturdy connection are sufficient. As seen in FIG. 14, seven mounting holes  36  are provided. Mounting holes  36  extend through mounting bracket  18  to allow bolts  38  to extend therethrough to secure mounting bracket  18  to pedestal  40  (shown in FIG. 4). Pedestal  40  is pre-fixed in the squad car to provide a support for device  10 .  
         [0053]    The recess between top surfaces of housing-receiving-tray sections  32 ,  34  and upper surface  30  is designed to accommodate heads of bolts  38 .  
         [0054]    Four pems  42  are spaced around front and rear housing-receiving-tray sections  24 ,  26 . Pems  42  extend up from top surfaces  32 ,  34 .  
         [0055]    Along a front mounting edge  44  of front housing-receiving-tray section  24  is J-hook catch  46  providing an interior concave receiving-portion  48 . At an upstanding back mounting edge  50  of rear housing-receiving-tray section  26  is a horizontal ledge  52 .  
         [0056]    Housing  12  has a forward nose  54  extending convexly along a portion of the front of housing  12 . Along back wall  20  is a pivot  56 . For ease of manufacture by molding, pivot  56  consists of upwardly-facing knuckles  58   a  and downwardly-facing knuckles  58   b , each with rod-receiving troughs  59 , aligned such that an axle rod  60  may extend therethrough (as best seen in FIGS. 14 and 15).  
         [0057]    Referring to FIGS.  5 - 8 , attached to housing  12  by means of axle rod  60  is locking lever  62 . Locking lever  62  has an upper end  64  and a lower end  66 . Locking lever  62  also has a front face  68  and a back face  70 . Extending perpendicularly out from front face  68  are two pivot tabs  72 . Drilled through pivot tabs  72  are rod holes  74  designed to be slightly larger than the diameter of axle rod  60  to allow axle rod  60  to extend therethrough and to then allow locking lever  62  to rotate freely about axle rod  60 . Upper front corner  76  of pivot tab  72  is rounded to facilitate the pivoting motion. Lower front corner  78  of pivot tab  72  makes an angle of about 69° with respect to front face  68 . As can be seen, tabs  72  may be easily manufactured from a rectangular blank of sheet metal by means of pre-drilling rod holes  74 , stamping the body of tabs  72  out from the blank, and bending the tabs  72  out perpendicular to front face  68 .  
         [0058]    Upper end  64  is preferably configured to have a thumb grip member  80 . It is preferable for thumb-grip member  80  to be ergonomically designed. As illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, and  8 , thumb-grip member  80  can be fabricated inexpensively by curving the upper portion of a sheet metal blank.  
         [0059]    As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and  5 , attached to locking lever  62  at a point between pivot  54  and upper end  64  is a compressible spring  82  with a restoring force. Spring  82  is also attached to back wall  20 , in a manner such that spring  82  tends to force back wall  20  and upper end  64  away from each other. It is well-understood that other means are equally acceptable to provide a restoring force; such means include, but are not limited to a torsional spring about the axle rod or a resilient rubber-like portion placed between the back wall  20  and upper end  64  (as seen in FIG. 9).  
         [0060]    Lower end  66  of locking lever  62  is hooked to allow engagement with horizontal ledge  52  of mounting bracket  18 . As seen in FIG. 4, when finger pressure is applied to upper end  64  to pull upper end  64  toward back wall  20 , locking lever  62  is rotated about pivot  54 , releasing lower end  66  from horizontal ledge  52 . Similarly, as seen in FIG. 1, when pressure is released, restoring force from spring  82  directs upper end  64  of locking lever  62  away from back wall  20  thereby engaging lower end  66  with horizontal ledge  52 .  
         [0061]    To facilitate application of finger pressure, thumb pad  84  is attached to upper wall  20 . As seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, thumb pad  84  has thumb pad screw holes  86  to allow thumb pad  84  to be either screwed or riveted to back wall  20  through complementary back-wall screw holes  86  in back wall.  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 12 shows floor  16 . Back pem-receiving holes  90  are concavities with square-shaped boundaries having a width substantially similar to the diameter of the head of pem  42 , to totally surround pem  42  when engaged (as also seen in FIG. 10). When engaged such that back pems  42  are enclosed by back pem-receiving holes  90 , any horizontal direction by the housing  12  is prevented. Front pem-receiving holes  92 , as illustrated in FIG. 12 and  13 , are also concavities with square-shaped boundaries having a width substantially similar to the diameter of the head of pem  42 , but are open to the front of housing  12  creating a slot. In such slotted front pem-receiving hole version, front pem-receiving holes  92  act as guides in the installation process, to easily center housing in left/right horizontal direction. To further act as efficient guides, alternatively, front pem-receiving holes  92  may have flared walls open to front of housing  12 , as illustrated in FIG. 14, in order to more easily “catch” front pems  42  and direct housing  12  to the proper location on mounting bracket  18 . Front pem-receiving holes  92  may also be fully bordered to be identical to back pem-receiving holes  90 .  
         [0063]    [0063]FIGS. 1, 4,  5 , illustrate the engagement and disengagement process. To install and engage device  10 , mounting bracket  18  is first affixed to pedestal  40  through bolts  38 . Housing  12  is angled into mounting bracket  18  such that nose  54  engages concave receiving portion  48  of the J-hook catch  46 . If front pem-receiving holes  92  are of the fully-bordered version, front pems  42  must be remote from J-hook catch  46  to allow for clearance of nose  54  and floor  16  to enter concave receiving portion  48  (as seen in FIG. 5). If front pem-receiving holes  92  are of the slotted version, front pems  42  are preferably in relative close proximity to the concave receiving portion  48 , as clearance is not necessary between the pem  42  and the J-hook catch  46  (as seen in FIGS. 2, 3, and  14 ).  
         [0064]    Through finger pressure applied to upper end  64 , spring  82  is depressed, and locking lever  62  is rotated (counter-clockwise in the figures) about axle rod  60 . Floor  16  is then brought in contact with rear top surface  34 , with pems  42  engaging pem-receiving holes  90 ,  92  (as seen in FIGS. 10 and 14).  
         [0065]    Finger pressure is released from upper end  64  allowing restoring force of spring  82  to rotate locking lever  62  (clockwise as illustrated in the figures) about axle rod  60 , thereby engaging lower end  66  with ledge  52 . Housing  12  is now secure from motion in the horizontal plane by pems  42  and J-hook catch  46 ; housing  12  is now secure from motion in the vertical direction by J-hook catch  46  and lower end  66 .  
         [0066]    To remove housing  12  from mounting bracket  18 , with the exception of the fixation of mounting bracket  18  to pedestal  40 , the steps of the previous two paragraphs are reversed.  
         [0067]    As illustrated in FIGS. 16A and 16B, back wall  20  is not required to extend along the entire back of housing  12 . Rather, aesthetically pleasing back-wall configurations are possible. Nonetheless, it is desirable for back wall  20 , regardless of design, to be wider than locking lever  62  (as seen in FIG. 15).  
         [0068]    Moreover, as seen in FIGS. 14 and 16B, mounting bracket  18  may be smaller in area than housing  12 ; such attribute allows for utilization of unencumbered portions an undersurface  96  for other purposes, such as a small light bulb  98  powered by the power source of the keyboard.  
         [0069]    [0069]FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate another embodiment of the locking mechanism. As shown in FIG. 17, housing  12  is nestled in a mounting bracket  18   a . Mounting bracket  18   a  is similar to mounting bracket  18  illustrated in FIG. 2, with the exception that ledge  50  does not extend along the entire upstanding back mounting edge  50  of mounting bracket  18   a , but ends at a ledge terminus  100 . Vertically extending is padded grip  102 , which is integral with back wall  20 . Pivotally attached to padded grip  102  is scissor lever  104  by means of rivet  106 . A handle  108  of scissor lever  104  is designed to be dispensed from padded grip  102  no more than the distance of the palm to fist knuckle of the index finger of a statistically average patrolperson, to allow for easy grasping by the patrolperson. Squeezing handle  108  of scissor lever  104  toward padded grip  102  compresses spring  82  producing disengaging movement of a lower arm  110 . Lower arm  110  has lower end  66  (as earlier seen in FIG. 6) which is hooked to engage ledge  54 . As spring  82  is compressed, lower end slides off terminus  100 , releasing housing  12  from mounting bracket  18   a.    
         [0070]    In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, rotational motion is  20  utilized to release housing  12  from mounting bracket  18 . As shown, housing  12  is nestled in mounting bracket  18 . Locking mechanism  112  is comprised of nob  114  and rotational shaft  116 . Rotational shaft  116  has a catch member  120 , which is similar in function to lower end  66 , i.e. to engage ledge  54 . Catch member  120  is integral with the lower end of rotational shaft  116 . Rotational shaft  116  is affixed to back wall  20  by means of inner yoke portion and outer yoke portion,  122   a  and  122   b  respectively. Inner yoke  122   a  is integral with back wall  20  of housing  12 . Inner yoke  122   a  has a semi-cylindrical notch to accommodate shaft  116 . Outer yoke  122   b  also has a semi-cylindrical notch such that when inner and outer yoke portions  122   a ,  122   b  are affixed to each other by means of screws  124 , shaft  116  may be retained in the cylindrical aperture created thereby. It is more preferable if shaft is circumferentially threaded and cylindrical aperture of affixed inner and outer yoke portions  122   a ,  122   b  have complementary circumferential threads to allow for rotation therein. As seen in FIG. 21 (with housing  12  and inner and outer yoke portions  122   a ,  122   b  removed for clarity), nob  114  may be rotated such that catch member  120  may engage ledge  54 . Torsional spring  126  is affixed to shaft  116  and further engages back wall  20  such that as nob is rotated to disengage catch member  120  from ledge  54 , potential energy is created in torsional spring tending to re-engage catch member  120  with ledge  54  upon release of hand pressure to nob  114 . Once nob  114  causes catch member  120  to disengage ledge  54 , of course, housing  12  may be released from mounting bracket  18 .  
         [0071]    While the principles of the invention have been shown and described in connection with but a few embodiments, it is to be understood clearly that such embodiments are by way of example and are not limiting.