Patent ID: 8899852

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a housing; a keyboard comprised of a plurality of keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments that are hingeably coupled to one another, wherein the keyboard is configured to have a deployed configuration and a non-deployed configuration, the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments being all disposed on a back side of the housing and facing outwardly away from a back side of the apparatus when in the non-deployed configuration and being disposed substantially planar with respect to the housing and facing outwardly away from a front side of the apparatus when in the deployed configuration, and wherein, when the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments move from the non-deployed configuration to the deployed configuration, individual ones of the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments reach their respective deployed configuration one-by-one; a plate hingeably coupled to one of the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments and configured to move with the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments when the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments move back and forth between the non-deployed configuration and the deployed configuration, wherein the plate has recesses formed therein to receive segment hinges when the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments are in the deployed configuration to thereby dispose the plate closely to an underside surface of the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments and thereby provide physical support for the keycap-bearing physically-discrete segments when in the deployed configuration.