Touch Checking Key Tops for Keyboard

Tactile types of keyboards heretofore have been provided on typewriters and on cash registers. A typical tactile keyboard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,827. As pointed out in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,827, the invention therein disclosed is directed to a commercially acceptable touch keyboard for cash registers. However, at the present time, keyboards for cash registers are still appearing without tactile keyboards. With the advent of electronic cash registers with ten-key keyboards on the same, it has been found that it is desirable to provide additional tactile feedback to the operator to supplement the checker's confidence and to improve the productivity of the operator and to minimize ring-up errors of the operator. Tactile keyboards which have heretofore been provided have been unduly complex and thus have made it difficult to manufacture and in addition have made them difficult for operators to utilize and obtain confidence in the same. There is, therefore, need for a new and improved tactile keyboard.

The touch checking key tops are for a computer-type keyboard for use on a cash register. The keyboard consists of a plurality of keys which are arranged in a generally rectangular matrix with the keys being in three rows extending in one direction and three rows extending in a direction substantially at right angles to the other three rows. The keys are assigned digits of 1 through 9. The four keys disposed on the corners of the rectangular matrix having diagonally disposed ridges formed thereon and serving as tactile indicia. The center key top has a dot formed thereon which also serves as tactile indicia to the operator.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide touch checking key tops for keyboards to give tactile feedback to the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide touch checking key tops of the above character which are particularly useful for electronic cash registers.

Another object of the invention is to provide touch checking key tops which make it possible to improve the operator's confidence and productivity and to minimize operator errors.

Another object of the invention is to provide touch checking key tops of the above character which are simple to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide touch checking key tops of the above character which have tactile indicia which can be readily learned by the operator.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment is set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic cash register having as a part thereof a touch checking keyboard incorporating the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan elevational view of the key tops of the keyboard shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a data terminal system of a conventional type as, for example, a series 400 manufactured by Data Terminal Systems of Maynard, Massachusetts. The model 440 of the 400 series is a stand alone electronic cash register 11 which is desired for supermarkets and similar operations.

The electronic cash register 11 is provided with a keyboard 12 having a plurality of keys 13 with ten of the keys being associated with the numerals 0 through 9. One of the ten keys is a zero key 14 whereas the other nine keys are provided within a rectangular matrix, nominally a square and have the numerals 1 through 9 associated therewith as shown in enlarged form in FIG. 2. A number of other keys are provided in the keyboard 12 and are of a type conventionally used by supermarkets. For example, they can indicate the type of products being sold, the taxes to be added and the like. As shown, particularly in FIG. 2, the nine digit keys of the keyboard 12 are arranged in three spaced parallel rows extending in one direction and three spaced parallel rows extending in a direction substantially perpendicular or at right angles to the first named rows. As shown in FIG. 2, the first row counting from the bottom and counting from the left to right has keys which carry the numbers 1, 2 and 3; the second row has numbers 4, 5 and 6; and the third row has numbers 7, 8 and 9.

The keys 13 are provided with key tops 16 formed of a suitable material such as plastic with the side walls being curved and tapered inwardly towards the upper extremities of the same. The key tops also are provided with dish-shaped recesses 17 which are generally rectangular in configuration with rounded corners as shown in FIG. 2. The four key tops provided on the four corners on the rectangular matrix and carrying the numerals 1, 3, 7 and 9 are provided with raised tactile indicators in the form of raised diagonally extending bars or bar-like portions 18 which are disposed within the dish-shaped recesses 17 and which extend inwardly from the corners of the recesses 17 which are on the corners of the matrix. The bars 18 extend inwardly from the corners a distance approximately adjacent the centers of the dish-shaped recesses 17. Thus, it can be seen that the raised bar-like portions 18 extend along the diagonals of the rectangular matrix in such a manner that they extend in a direction towards the center of the matrix. In other words, the four corner key tops are provided with diagonal corner coding which can be readily recognized by the operator touching the keys to provide tactile indication of the keys being touched by the operator.

In addition to the four diagonal corner raised portions or bars 18 there is provided one additional tactile indicator in the form of a raised dot 21 provided in the center key top (assigned the numeral 5) within the center of the dish-shaped region 17. Thus of the total of nine keys, tactile indicators are provided on five of the nine keys with the keys assigned the numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8 being without tactile indicators. It has been found that by providing the coding on the four corner keys and the center key a sufficient number of the keys have been coded so that there is sufficient tactile feedback to the operator to give the operator confidence in the operations carried out by the operator. Since the coding utilized is relatively simple, the coding can be readily learned by the operator. This is particularly advantageous when the keyboard 12 is utilized in connection with an electronic cash register, as for example, in supermarkets where it is desired to improve the productivity of the operator and also to minimize errors.

An electronic cash register 11, as shown in FIG. 1, provides a digital display 26 and also provides a printed tape 27 recording the information which has been inserted through the keyboard 12.

Although the keyboard has been described principally for use with electronic cash registers, it can be appreciated that, if desired, the tactile type keyboard disclosed herein also can be utilized in other applications. The tactile indicators which are provided are relatively simple and are only provided on a small number of the keys so that the cost of manufacture is relatively low. In addition, the tactile indicators utilized are such that they can be readily learned and used by the operator to improve the productivity of the operator and also to minimize errors.