EP0055220B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Keyboard arrangement
Assignee: Alcatel Lucent NV
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Filing: 1981-12-18
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Granted: 1986-07-23
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Expires: 2001-12-18
Abstract
Abstract In order to diminish the physical troubles often occurring with the usual keyboard arrangement, the alphanumeric keyboard is subdivided into two keyfields mounted on a support having a wedge-shaped extension towards the operator which extension is used as an arm rest. The keyfields are located in planes rising from the operator side of the keyboard which planes slope downward from the middle to the outside. In addition the keyfields enclose an angle open towards the operator in order to diminish the flexion of the hand with respect to the forearm needed with the prior one-piece keyboard. On both sides of these two keyfields two further keyfields are provided for numerical keys and/or function keys, for instance for data input devices. The additional keyfields are located in planes rising from the operator side of the keyboard without sloping to the outside.
Inventors
- 👤 Werner U. Frey
- 👤 Johannes Rometsch
- 👤 Hans Diem
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:00
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/02; G06F3/0202; G06F3/0219; B; B41; B41J; B41J5/00; B41J5/08; B41J5/10; H; H01; H01H; H01H13/00; H01H13/70; H01H13/84; H01H2217/00; H01H2217/028
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
264 words
Keyboard arrangement for a typewriter or a data input device comprising a keyboard subdivided into keyfields, each keyfield having a plurality of keys and at least two keyfields (1, 2) being disposed with respect to each other in such a manner that the directions of the columns of the two keyfields intersect each other at an aperture angle a open towards the keyboard operator side, that between the keyfields there is left an open field having the shape of an isosceles trapezoid the length of the upper edge of which has no appreciable difference to the spacing of the keys within a key row, and that the centres of the operating surfaces of the keys of the key rows have a height above a basal surface of the keyboard arrangement decreasing from the median line between the two keyfields outwards and from the key row farthest away from the operator side to that being nearest thereto and are disposed in two perpendicular to the operator-side edge of the support (5) at a lateral angle open towards said basal surface (6), that the extension of the resulting intersection line intersects a plane parallel to said basal surface (6) at a front angle y open towards an edge of said support opposite said operator-side edge, characterized in that the keyfields (1 - 4) are arranged on a support (5) settable on a plane surface and having a substantially rectangular basal surface (6), and that the support (5) containing the key fields is provided with an extension (7) toward the operator's side usable as an arm rest.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
264 words
Keyboard arrangement for a typewriter or a data input device comprising a keyboard subdivided into keyfields, each keyfield having a plurality of keys and at least two keyfields (1, 2) being disposed with respect to each other in such a manner that the directions of the columns of the two keyfields intersect each other at an aperture angle a open towards the keyboard operator side, that between the keyfields there is left an open field having the shape of an isosceles trapezoid the length of the upper edge of which has no appreciable difference to the spacing of the keys within a key row, and that the centres of the operating surfaces of the keys of the key rows have a height above a basal surface of the keyboard arrangement decreasing from the median line between the two keyfields outwards and from the key row farthest away from the operator side to that being nearest thereto and are disposed in two perpendicular to the operator-side edge of the support (5) at a lateral angle open towards said basal surface (6), that the extension of the resulting intersection line intersects a plane parallel to said basal surface (6) at a front angle y open towards an edge of said support opposite said operator-side edge, characterized in that the keyfields (1 - 4) are arranged on a support (5) settable on a plane surface and having a substantially rectangular basal surface (6), and that the support (5) containing the key fields is provided with an extension (7) toward the operator's side usable as an arm rest.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the aperture angle a has a value disposed between 5°C and 30°C, that the lateral angle β has a value disposed between 180°C and 140°C, and that the front angle y has a value disposed between 0°C and 15°C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
100 words
Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that adjacent to said keyfields (1, 2) there is provided at least one further keyfield (3, 4) including keys arranged in rows and columns, that the additional keyfield is located in a plane intersecting the plane parallel to said basal plane (6) at the front angle y open towards the side opposite the operator side with an intersecting line being parallel to the operator-side edge of the support (5), and that the direction of the rows of the keys of the additional keyfield is parallel to the operator-side edge of the support (5).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
Arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that on either side of said keyfields (1, 2) there is provided one of said further keyfields (3, 4) including keys arranged in rows and columns.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the two adjacent keyfields (1, 2) include the alphanumeric and functional keys of a typewriter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the two adjacent keyfields (1, 2) include the alphanumeric keys of a data input device, and that at one or either side of said keyfields there is/are provided a further keyfield (3, 4) including numerical and/or function keys.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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