Portable Computer Having a Separable Keyboard Which Moves in Response to Movement of a Display Unit

This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 from an application for a Portable Computer Having A Separable Keyboard earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on 18 Jul. 1995 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 17540/1995.

The present invention relates to a portable computer having a keyboard that separates for ergonomic reasons. More specifically, this invention is about a keyboard that can separate apart and move back together again automatically in response to the opening and closing of the lid.

There has been increasing interest in adapting keyboards used with desk-top computers to the particular anatomical needs of the human body. There is, in fact, a trend toward designing the key arrangement on keyboards so that use of a computer, even for long periods, does not over strain the body, and specifically, the wrists. For example, it is now known that if the right and left sides of the keyboard are slightly spread, strain to the wrists can be eliminated, even after extended periods of computer use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,001 for a Maximum Comfort Keyboard to Lichtenberg discloses an ergonomically adjustable keyboard. Among the adjustments is the ability to pivotally rotate both halves of the keyboard away from each other at an angle desired by an individual user. This embodiment is discussed in column 8, lines 43-59.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,728 for a Keyboard to Goldstein discloses a keyboard that, among other things, can pivotally rotate apart at an angle desired by the user. A ball and socket type hinge is used to control the angle of separation between the two halves of the keyboard. Goldstein's invention is directed towards keyboards used in computer terminals.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,367 for a Pivotable Keyboard Arrangement to Braun et al. discloses a keyboard for typewriters and for computer terminals that, among other features, can be pivotally separated. Column 3, lines 44-65 disclose how the two halves of the keyboard can be rotated apart at an angle as desired by the user.

Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,652 for an Adjustable Keyboard to Huellemeier et at. discloses a keyboard that pivots apart. The keyboard is divided into two halves. Each half is monolithically attached to a pivot in the rear center corner. The rear, exterior corner of each half rotates backwards. As there are an infinite amount of angles possible, the keyboard halves are not restricted to opening to a predetermined angle. To rotate the keyboards apart, the user twists a lever. Huellemeier et al '652 is not limited to notebook or portable computers.

New designs in the prior art of portable computers allow the keyboard to spread to get the beneficial effects of reducing strain on the wrists. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,460 for an Ergonomic Laptop Computer and Ergonomic Keyboard to Bowen which describes a slidably separable keyboard for a laptop computer. Several embodiments are disclosed. One embodiment slidably separates the keyboard, another embodiment folds the keyboard open or closed.

However, the spreading and closing operation of a keyboard is cumbersome, and there is therefore a need for a keyboard that automatically rotates in response to the pivoting of the lid about the base housing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,037 for a Flexing Keyboard Structure for a Notebook Computer to Clancy discloses a keyboard for a notebook computer that flexes automatically when the lid is opened and automatically flexes back to a flat topography when the lid is closed. The keyboard flexes to better accommodate the fingers of a user. Since this ergonomic feature is tied to the opening and the closing of the lid, a step is saved by the user in that the user does not have to adjust the keyboard once the lid is opened. What I have found to be needed is a notebook computer where both keyboard halves rotate in response to the pivoting of the lid onto the base housing.

The present invention has been made in an effort to fulfil the above need.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable computer having a separable keyboard in which the re-merging of the keyboard is automatically accomplished in response to the closing of a lid.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a portable computer having a separable keyboard in which the keyboard sections may be manually rotated apart to one of several discrete angles after the lid has been opened.

These and other objects may be achieved by providing a portable computer that includes a base housing, a keyboard spread over the base housing, and a lid that can be folded over the base housing. The keyboard is separated into two sections and a corner of each keyboard section is connected to a hinge which is connected to the base housing. A keyboard spring biases the two keyboard sections together into juxtaposition, and the keyboard sections may be manually spread apart by a user once the lid is opened. A plurality of lever grooves are formed to allow the keyboard sections to be maintained in a spread-apart state despite the keyboard bias spring. Levers, attached to the base housing, engage the lever grooves, maintaining the keyboard sections in a separated state. When the user is finished working on the notebook computer, the user closes the lid, which results in releasing the levers from the lever grooves, causing the keyboard sections to rotate back into juxtaposition automatically.

A more complete appreciation of this invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view showing a portable computer having a separable keyboard in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and in this drawing, two sections of a keyboard are shown in a merged state;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a hinge link between a base housing and a lid taken along line II-II' of FIG. 1 where the lid is in an open state and the keyboard sections are in juxtaposition;

FIG. 3 illustrates a portable computer having a separable keyboard in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and in this drawing, two sections of a keyboard are in a separated state;

FIG. 4 looking in the direction of IV-IV' is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a hinge link between a base housing and a lid taken along line IV-IV' of FIG. 3 where the lid is in an open position and the two keyboard sections are maintained spread apart from each other;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a hinge link between a base housing and a lid when the lid is being folded over the base housing and the keyboard sections are being released from a separated state and allowed to return to a juxtaposition; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of C in FIG. 4 showing the lever catch portion retained in a lever groove preventing a keyboard section from rotating closed.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 81 indicates a base housing, reference numeral 82 indicates a lid, and reference numeral 83 refers to a keyboard of notebook computer 70. Base housing 81 typically houses a disk drive, a power supply, a microprocessor, memory, and sometimes a modem. Lid 82 generally contains a display unit on the underside that becomes visible to the user when lid 82 is rotated open from base housing 81. Keyboard 83, the structure of the union between keyboard 83 and base housing 81, and the link structure between base housing 81 and lid 82 of notebook computer 70 having a separable keyboard feature according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will first be explained.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, keyboard 83 is divided into two keyboard sections 83a and 83b. Hinge portion 13 includes hinge axis 85, mounted on rear ledge 62 of base housing 81 between left keyboard section 83a and right keyboard section 83b. Hinge axis 85 is inserted through holes 51 and 52 in left keyboard section 83a and right keyboard section 83b respectively, keeping left keyboard section 83a and right keyboard section 83b rotatably attached to base housing 81 of notebook computer 70. Keyboard sections 83a and 83b are perforated by lever grooves 86 (three shown on each side) that are placed in such a way as to correspond to the circumference of a circle made with hinge axis 85 as its center. Lever grooves 86 are placed on rear ledge 62 opposite holes 51 and 52 of keyboard sections 83a and 83b respectively.

On the underside of each of keyboard sections 83a and 83b, keyboard spring fixing parts 88 are formed which fix each end of keyboard spring 87. Keyboard spring 87, bent roughly into a V-shape, is centered on hinge axis 85 of base housing 81. Thus, keyboard spring 87 serves to both bias both keyboard sections 83a and 83b together into juxtaposition and to attach the keyboard sections 83a and 83b to base housing 81.

A means to maintain separation between keyboard sections 83a and 83b will now be explained with reference to FIG. 2. The merging structure of base housing 81 and lid 82 includes lid hinge axes 89, which are fixed to both sides of the bottom part of lid 82. The lid hinge axes 89 each include lever 11, fixed on both corners of base housing 81, and an oval cam 10, fixed to and moving together with lid hinge axis 89. Hinge axis 89 rotates oval cam 10 which causes lever 11 to rotate which causes lever 11 to disengage lever groove 86 of keyboard section 83a or 83b.

Levers 11 are fixed in hinge brackets 15, which extend downward from both sides of base housing 81, and are able to pivot on hinge pins 151. Oval cams 10 are formed, each having a lobe or large diameter portion 111 and small diameter portion 113. Levers 11 each include first distal portion 101, which cams with lobe 111 of rotating oval cam 10, pivot portion 103, through which hinge pin 151 passes through, and second distal portion 105, having pointed portion 107 which are inserted into lever grooves 86 when keyboard sections 83a and 83b are separated. Lever springs 12 are compressed between lever ledges 63 of base housing 81 and second distal portion 105 of rotatable levers 11 causing levers 11 to be biased so as to engage grooves 86 of keyboard 83. Second distal portions 105, responding to the camming action of lever grooves 86 on pointed portions 107, can easily be pushed against the bias of lever springs 12 when keyboard sections 83a and 83b are separated.

The following describes the separation operation of the present invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment with reference to FIGS. 1-4. First, FIG. 1 shows the present invention in a state where lid 82 is opened from base housing 81. In this state, if the user manually spreads keyboard sections 83a and 83b apart and to a desired angle against the tension of keyboard spring 87, keyboard sections 83a and 83b can be maintained in a separated state as pointed portions 107 of lever 11 engage with lever grooves 86 in rear ledge 62 of base housing 81. As this is done, lever 11 rotate on pivot pins 151 and, as is shown in FIG. 2, rotate in a clockwise direction against the pressure of lever springs 12. Next, if the user continues to adds more pressure and continues to rotatably separate keyboard sections 83a and 83b away from each other, pointed portions 107 of second distal portions 105 of levers 11 are eventually moved to and inserted into another lever groove 86 formed in rear ledge 62 of keyboard sections 83a and 83b. The spread-apart state of keyboard sections 83a and 83b is shown in FIG. 3. A detailed view of the lever mechanism in the spread-apart state can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 6.

When choosing how far to rotate keyboard sections 83a and 83b, the user can choose which lever groove 86 that is most comfortable for him or her. Because of the elasticity of lever springs 12 and because of the angle of pointed portions 107 of lever 11, another lever groove 86 can be chosen by moving each of keyboard sections 83a and 83b to the desired position. Pointed portion 107 of lever 11 can easily slide out of one groove and into another in response to the manual force applied by the user in spreading the keyboard sections apart.

The following describes the process of folding lid 82 after work on the notebook computer 70 is finished. In the present invention, keyboard sections 83a and 83b, which are manually spread apart by the user, can also be manually closed. However, for the convenience of the user, keyboard sections 83a and 83b can also be dosed automatically by simply folding lid 82 onto base housing 81. To accomplish this, cams 10 are attached to hinge axis 89. As lid 82 rotates with respect to base housing 81, cams 10 also rotate with respect to base housing 81. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, plane dd' defines defines the plane formed by base housing 81. Angle theta defines the angle between plane dd' and a line extending through the lobe 111 of oval cam 10 and the rotational axis of oval cam 10. When lid 82 is in an open position, angle theta lies above plane dd', as is shown in FIGS. 2 & 4. As lid 82 is folded over base housing 81, angle theta decreases to zero and then becomes negative, as lobe 111 of oval cam 10 extends below plane dd', as shown in FIG. 5. When angle theta extends beneath plane dd', lobe 111 of oval cam 10 cams with first distal portion 101 of lever 11, causing lever 11 to rotate about pivot 151 and causing second distal portion 105 to rotate upwards, causing pointed portion 107 of second distal portion 105 of lever 11 to lift out of groove 86 in rear ledge 62 of left keyboard section 83a, releasing left keyboard section 83a from its separated state and allowing it to return automatically to a juxtaposition with keyboard section 83b because of the bias of spring 87. The same process occurs simultaneously for on the right side of notebook computer 70 with right keyboard section 83b. Thus, keyboard sections 83a and 83b automatically return from their separated state to a juxtaposition in response to folding lid 82 on to base housing 81.

If the keyboard structure of the present invention is applied to portable computers, the keyboard sections can be placed at an angle suitable for the user and, by being able to do so, the wrists are not overstrained even after operating the computer for an extended period of time. In addition, after finishing work on the computer, by merely folding the lid over the base housing, the keyboard sections can be automatically merged.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.