Keyboard with full-travel, self-leveling keyswitches

A full-travel keyboard, comprising:

• a) a plurality of electrical keyswitches arranged in a keyboard pattern at a plurality of keyswitch locations;
• b) a unitary molded key structure overlying the keyswitches having (1) a plurality of keytops arranged in the keyboard pattern at the keyswitch locations for receiving fingers of a keyboard operator and (2) a keytop support substructure integrally molded with the keytops for supporting the keytops a full-travel distance above respective keyswitches;
• c) said keyboard substructure comprising:
• i) a common base member extending between the keyswitch locations;
• ii) a plurality of individual keytop support means associated with respective keytops, in which individual keytop support means integrally interconnect a respective keytop to the base member (1) for permitting the keytop to move the full-travel distance in a substantially linear path between a non-actuating switch position and a depressed actuating switch position without noticeable lateral movement, and (2) for biasing the respective keytop from the depressed actuating position to the non-actuating position;
• d) individual keytop support means including a hinge element having (1) an upper hinge panel hinged to the keytop for pivotal movement about an upper pivot axis between an extended orientation when the keytop is in the non-actuating position and a contracted orientation when the keytop is in the depressed actuating position, (2) a lower hinge panel hinged to the base element for pivotal movement about a lower pivot axis in coordination with the pivotal movement of the upper hinge panel between the normally expanded orientation and the contracted orientation, and (3) an elastomeric web integrally interconnecting the upper hinge panel and the lower hinge panel enabling the upper and lower hinge panels to pivot about an intermediate pivot axis as the panels move between the expanded orientations and the contracted orientations while preventing lateral movement of the keytop;
• e) said elastomeric web being sufficiently resilient to pivot the hinge panels to their expanded orientation when the keytop is released.

A full-travel keyboard, comprising:

• a) a plurality of electrical keyswitches arranged in a keyboard pattern at a plurality of keyswitch locations;
• b) a unitary molded key structure overlying the keyswitches having (1) a plurality of keytops arranged in the keyboard pattern at the keyswitch locations for receiving fingers of a keyboard operator and (2) a keytop support substructure integrally molded with the keytops for supporting the keytops a full-travel distance above respective keyswitches;
• c) said keyboard substructure comprising:
• i) a common base member extending between the keyswitch locations having apertures formed therein exposing the keyswitches;
• ii) a plurality of individual keytop support means associated with respective keytops surrounding the apertures, in which individual keytop support means integrally interconnects a respective keytop to the base member (1) for permitting the keytop to move the full-travel distance in a substantially linear path between a non-actuating switch position and a depressed actuating switch position without noticeable lateral movement, and (2) for biasing the respective keytop from the depressed actuating position to the non-actuating position;
• d) individual keytop support means including a hinge element having (1) an upper hinge panel hinged by an upper elastomeric web to the keytop for pivotal movement about an upper pivot axis between an extended, substantially vertical, orientation when the keytop is in the non-actuating position and an inward folded contracted orientation underneath the keytop when the keytop is in the depressed actuating position, (2) a lower hinge panel hinged by a lower elastomeric web to the base element for pivotal movement about a lower pivot axis in coordination with the pivotal movement of the upper hinge panel between an expanded, substantially vertical orientation and an inward folded contracted orientation projecting into the aperture, and (3) an elastomeric web integrally interconnecting the upper hinge panel and the lower hinge panel enabling the upper and lower hinge panels to pivot about an intermediate pivot axis as the panels fold inward preventing lateral movement of the keytop as the keytop is depressed;
• e) said elastomeric webs being sufficiently resilient to pivot the hinge panels to their expanded orientations when the keytop is released;
• and
• f) said hinge elements having keyswitch actuating means for projecting into the aperture when the keytop is depressed for actuating the keyswitch.

A keyboard, comprising:

• a) a plurality of electrical keyswitches arranged in a keyboard pattern at a plurality of keyswitch locations;
• b) a plurality of keytops arranged in the keyboard pattern at the keyswitch locations for receiving fingers of a keyboard operator;
• c) a plurality of individual keytop support means associated with respective keytops for (1) permitting the keytop to move in a substantially linear path between a non-actuating switch position and a depressed actuating switch position without noticeable lateral movement, and (2) biasing the respective keytop from the depressed actuating position to the non-actuating position;
• d) individual keytop support means including at least one hinge element coupled to a base element, the hinge element having (1) an upper hinge panel hinged to the keytop for pivotal movement about an upper pivot axis between a normally extended orientation when the keytop is in the non-actuating position and a contracted orientation when the keytop is in the depressed actuating position, (2) a lower hinge panel hinged to the base element for pivotal movement about a lower pivot axis in coordination with the pivotal movement of the upper hinge panel between the normally expanded orientation and the contracted orientation, and (3) a webbing interconnecting the upper hinge panel and the lower hinge panel enabling the upper and lower hinge panels to pivot about an intermediate pivot axis as the panels move between the normally expanded orientations and the contracted orientations while preventing lateral movement of the keytop;
• and
• e) the webbing having a joint of first material integrally interconnecting the upper and lower hinge panels and a resilient second material provided at the joint to urge the hinge panels to their expanded orientation when the keytop is released.

A keyboard, comprising:

• a) a plurality of electrical keyswitches arranged in a keyboard pattern at a plurality of keyswitch locations;
• b) a plurality of keytops arranged in the keyboard pattern at the keyswitch locations for receiving fingers of a keyboard operator;
• c) a plurality of individual keytop support means associated with respective keytops for (1) permitting the keytop to move in a substantially linear path between a non-actuating switch position and a depressed actuating switch position without noticeable lateral movement, and (2) biasing the respective keytop from the depressed actuating position to the non-actuating position;
• d) individual keytop support means including at least one hinge element coupled to a base element, the hinge element having (1) an upper hinge panel hinged to the keytop for pivotal movement about an upper pivot axis between a normally extended orientation when the keytop is in the non-actuating position and a contracted orientation when the keytop is in the depressed actuating position, (2) a lower hinge panel hinged to the base element for pivotal movement about a lower pivot axis in coordination with the pivotal movement of the upper hinge panel between the normally expanded orientation and the contracted orientation, (3) a webbing interconnecting the upper hinge panel and the lower hinge panel enabling the upper and lower hinge panels to pivot about an intermediate pivot axis as the panels move between the normally expanded orientations and the contracted orientations while preventing lateral movement of the keytop, and (4) a panel stop for holding the upper and lower hinge panels in a selected arrangement when the panels are in their expanded orientations;
• and
• e) the upper and lower hinge panels being configured to fold outward as the keytop is depressed.

A keyboard comprising:

• a) a plurality of electrical keyswitches arranged in a keyboard pattern at a plurality of keyswitch locations;
• b) a plurality of keytops arranged in the keyboard pattern at the keyswitch locations for receiving fingers of a keyboard operator;
• c) a plurality of individual keytop support means associated with respective keytops for (1) permitting the keytop to move in a substantially linear path between a non-actuating switch position and a depressed actuating switch position without noticeable lateral movement, and (2) biasing the respective keytop from the depressed actuating position to the non-actuating position;
• d) individual keytop support means including at least one hinge element coupled to a base element, the hinge element having (1) an upper hinge panel hinged to the keytop for pivotal movement about an upper pivot axis between a normally extended orientation when the keytop is in the non-actuating position and a contracted orientation when the keytop is in the depressed actuating position, (2) a lower hinge panel hinged to the base element for pivotal movement about a lower pivot axis in coordination with the pivotal movement of the upper hinge panel between the normally expanded orientation and the contracted orientation, and (3) a webbing interconnecting the upper hinge panel and the lower hinge panel enabling the upper and lower hinge panels to pivot about an intermediate pivot axis as the panels move between the normally expanded orientations and the contracted orientations while preventing lateral movement of the keytop;
• e) the upper and lower hinge panels being configured to fold outward as the keytop is depressed;
• and
• f) the keytop has an actuation means for actuating the associated keyswitch when the hinge element is moved to the contracted position.

A keyboard comprising:

• a) a plurality of electrical keyswitches arranged in a keyboard pattern at a plurality of keyswitch locations;
• b) a plurality of keys arranged in the keyboard pattern at the keyswitch locations, individual keys comprising a keytop for receiving a finger of a keyboard operator and keytop support means for supporting the keytop a distance above a respective keyswitch, the keytop support means (1) permitting the keytop to move in a substantially linear path between a non-actuating switch position and a depressed actuating switch position without noticeable lateral movement, and (2) biasing the respective keytop from the depressed actuating position to the non-actuating position;
• c) individual keytop support means including at least one hinge element having an upper hinge panel, a lower hinge panel, and a webbing for interconnecting the upper and lower hinge panels, the hinge element being foldable between an extended orientation when the keytop is in the non-actuating position and a contracted orientation when the keytop is in the depressed actuating position;
• and
• d) the keytop support means being formed of a composite material consisting essentially of a resilient substance, polypropylene, and a fibrous substance.