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US 5,844,546 AGranted
Keyboard with cursor control
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorIsao Mochizuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keyboard including a cursor control for commanding movement of a cursor displayed on a display screen and including at least a post portion and a base plate supporting the post portion; and a base portion supporting a plurality of key switches and including at least two layers sandwiching the base plate.
Claims21
A keyboard, comprising:
- a cursor control for commanding movement of a cursor displayed on a display screen and including at least a post portion and a base plate supporting the post portion;
- and
- a base portion supporting a plurality of key switches and including a base member and a base plate supporting member, the base member having a hole sized to slidably receive the post portion of the cursor control in a close-fitting relationship while permitting the post portion to tilt therewithin, the base plate supporting member and the base member being connected to each other with the base plate sandwiched therebetween to thereby releasably retain the cursor control to the base portion to yield a reduced thickness of the base portion.
A method of assembling a keyboard including a cursor control, the method including the steps of:
- mounting a base plate portion of the cursor control including the base plate portion and a post portion on a reinforcement member;
- and
- mounting a holder member formed with a post portion protrusion hole on the base plate portion, the post portion protrusion hole sized to receive the post portion in a close-fitting relationship while permitting the post portion to tilt therewithin, so that the post portion protrudes through the post portion protrusion hole and so that the base plate portion is sandwiched between the reinforcement member and the holder member.
A method of assembling a keyboard including a cursor control, the method including the steps of:
- mounting a holder member, which is formed with a post portion protrusion hole and weld pins, on a reinforcement member, which is formed with an open portion and, at positions corresponding to the weld pins, weld pin through holes, so that the weld pins pass through corresponding weld pin through holes;
- welding the weld pins in place;
- installing the cursor controller including a base plate and a post portion through the open portion so that the post portion passes through the post portion protrusion hole sized to receive the post portion in a close-fitting relationship while permitting the post portion to tilt therewithin;
- and
- mounting a support cover to the open portion so that the base plate of the cursor controller is sandwiched between the holder member and the support cover.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.