Electronic device keyboard with pivot bar tilt mechanism

An electronic device comprising:

• a base housing having a bottom side restable on a generally horizontal support surface, a top side upwardly spaced apart and generally parallel to said bottom side, front and rear sides generally perpendicular to said top side, and an opening in said top side through which the interior of said base housing outwardly extends;
• a lid housing secured to a rear side portion of said base housing for pivotal movement relative to said base housing between a closed position in which said lid housing extends across and parallel to said top side of said base housing, and an open position in which said lid housing extends upwardly from said base housing at an angle to said top side thereof;
• a keyboard structure having a body portion with a top side upon which a series of manually movable key elements are operably disposed, and a front side;
• and
• linkage means for connecting said keyboard structure to said base housing for selective translational and pivotal movement relative thereto, with said lid housing in said open position thereof, between:
• (1) a storage/transport and first use orientation in which said keyboard structure body portion is positioned on and generally parallel to said top side of said base housing with said key elements facing upwardly, said keyboard structure body portion covering said opening in said top side of said base housing, and said front side of said keyboard structure being generally aligned in a front-to-rear direction with said front side of said base housing, and
• (2) a second use orientation in which said keyboard structure body portion is positioned generally forwardly of said base housing, is sloped forwardly and downwardly relative thereto in a manner permitting a front portion of said keyboard structure body portion to be rested on the support surface, and uncovers said opening in said top side of said base housing,
• said base housing having first and second opposite, parallel sides each extending perpendicularly to said top, front and bottom sides of said base housing, and
• said linkage means including a pair of elongated pivot bars each having a first end pivotally connected to one of said first and second opposite, parallel sides of said base housing, and a second end pivotally connected to a side portion of said keyboard structure body portion.