公开(公告)号：US5668358A

公开(公告)日：1997-09-16

申请号：US679933

申请日：1996-07-15

申请人： Paul Charles Wolf ,  Raymond John Stein

发明人： Paul Charles Wolf ,  Raymond John Stein

IPC分类号： H01H3/12 ,  H01H13/705 ,  H01H13/70

CPC分类号： H01H13/705 ,  H01H2221/032 ,  H01H3/122

摘要： A reconfigurable keyboard includes at least two key switches which each has a plunger housing projecting from a top surface thereof, and a multi-switch key cap engageable with the key switch and having at least one dimension that is sufficient to span the at least two key switches. The key cap includes one active switch post to which a plunger is attached, the plunger being reciprocally movable in the plunger housing of one key switch for actuating the key switch when the key cap is depressed, and at least one passive switch post which is also reciprocally movable in the plunger housing of another key switch without actuating the switch when the key cap is depressed. The key cap is selectively positionable anywhere on the keyboard in either a horizontal or a vertical direction. Each key switch further includes four openings each of which are located in a corner of the top surface of the key switch. The openings are symmetric with respect to a diagonal line intersecting opposite corners of the key switch surface and accommodate the selective vertical or horizontal engagement of a clip in two key switch surfaces for retaining a key leveling torsion bar connected to the multi-switch key cap, corresponding to the selective orientation of the key cap on the keyboard.

摘要翻译： 可重新配置的键盘包括至少两个键开关，每个键开关具有从其顶表面突出的柱塞壳体，以及可与键开关接合的多开关键帽，并具有足以跨越至少两个键的至少一个尺寸 开关。 钥匙盖包括一个活塞开关柱，柱塞被安装到该活塞开关柱上，柱塞在一个钥匙开关的柱塞壳体中可往复运动，用于在钥匙盖被压下时致动钥匙开关，以及至少一个无源开关柱 当钥匙盖被按下时，可以在另一个钥匙开关的柱塞壳体中相互移动而不致动开关。 钥匙盖可以选择性地定位在键盘上的水平或垂直方向的任何地方。 每个钥匙开关还包括四个开口，每个开口位于钥匙开关顶表面的拐角处。 开口相对于与键开关表面的相对角相交的对角线是对称的，并且适应夹具在两个键开关表面中的选择性垂直或水平接合，用于保持连接到多开关键帽的键平衡扭力杆， 对应于键盘上的键帽的选择性取向。