Hinged Support Body for Low-Profile Tilted Keyboards
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional user interface apparatuses, such as keyboards, face challenges in achieving a low-profile and minimal thickness due to cumbersome support mechanisms that are expensive to manufacture, prone to failure, and occupy space, limiting their ability to be fully retracted and maintain a comfortable tilted orientation.
Innovation Solution
A hinged body assembly where the support body is pivotably attached to the main body along its long-edge, allowing for flat storage and angled use, with an overall thickness matching the main body, and incorporating features like power control switches and charging ports within the support body for enhanced functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional support bodies are used to enable tilted orientation, then user comfort is improved, but device thickness increases and low-profile configuration is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support body is nested within the same thickness envelope as the main body, with its top and bottom surfaces lying on reference planes defined by the main body's surfaces when in in-plane orientation. This nesting approach allows the support body to provide tilted orientation functionality without increasing the overall device thickness, resolving the contradiction between user comfort and low-profile configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The support body is made pivotable between in-plane and deployed orientations through a hinge mechanism, allowing dynamic adjustment between flat storage configuration and tilted use configuration. This dynamic capability enables the device to switch between minimizing thickness and providing ergonomic support, resolving the contradiction between low-profile attribute and user comfort.
2Ease of operation
If conventional support mechanisms are used to provide tilted orientation, then support functionality is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The support body is merged with the main body as a single integrated structure of identical thickness, eliminating the need for separate support mechanisms. This merging reduces the number of moving parts and potential failure points, improving reliability while maintaining support functionality through the pivotable connection between the integrated components.
3Length of stationary object
If conventional support bodies are stowed flush or recessed, then low-profile configuration is achieved, but space for operational components is reduced and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support body serves multiple functions: it provides tilted orientation support when deployed, maintains low-profile configuration when in-plane, and its integrated design with the main body eliminates the need for separate support mechanisms. This multi-functionality reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while achieving both low-profile attribute and support functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables a low-profile and minimal thickness configuration while providing built-in ancillary functionality, improving user comfort and reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for separate support structures, and allowing for efficient space utilization.
Implementation Method 1
The hinge portion of the support body is engaged with the hinge portion of the main body for enabling the support body to be pivotable between an in-plane orientation and a deployed orientation relative to the main body
Data Source
AI summary
User interface apparatuses include a main body having a hinge portion integral with a long-edge at a top edge portion of the main body and a support body having a hinge portion integral with a long-edge at a bottom edge portion of the support body. The hinge portion of the support body is engaged with the hinge portion of the main body for enabling the support body to be pivoted between an in-plane orientation and a deployed orientation relative to the main body. Top and bottom surfaces of the support body each lay one of on and inboard of a reference plane defined by a respective one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the main body when the support body is in the in-plane orientation with respect to the main body. An overall thickness of the main body and the support body is preferably about the same.