Opaque Keyboard Cover Housing for Touch-Typing Practice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective keyboard covers do not effectively inhibit the view of keys during typing, which is necessary for users learning to type, especially during testing.
Innovation Solution
A housing with an opaque color and a cutout design that covers the keyboard, allowing users to type by memory without seeing the keys, featuring a top wall and peripheral wall with a cutout for hand access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective keyboard cover is used to protect keys from wear and damage, then key protection is improved, but key visibility is worsened (making it difficult for users to locate keys while learning to type)
Solution Approach 1:
The keyboard cover incorporates different regions with different optical properties: opaque regions covering most keys to block visibility and protect them, while transparent or translucent regions at key locations that allow users to see and locate keys. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between protection/obscurement and visibility needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is segmented into multiple functional zones: opaque protective areas for key coverage, transparent indicator areas for key location visibility, and potentially illuminated regions. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of key protection and key location identification.
2Loss of information
If a protective keyboard cover with opaque material is used to inhibit key visibility, then key position memorization is facilitated, but key location identification becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent or translucent regions are pre-positioned at key locations to provide visual guidance before typing begins. Users can locate keys through these transparent areas, then type using memory without visual reference, achieving both memorization facilitation and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover utilizes optical property changes - opaque regions block light to inhibit visibility for memorization, while transparent/translucent regions allow light transmission for key location identification. This optical differentiation resolves the contradiction between obscurement and identification.
3Reliability
If a protective keyboard cover is used during typing practice, then key protection is improved, but typing speed and accuracy are worsened due to reduced key visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The cover provides localized transparency at key positions while maintaining overall opacity for protection. This allows users to quickly locate keys through transparent regions, type accurately using memory, and maintain typing speed while keys remain protected by the opaque cover.
Data Source
AI summary
A keyboard cover device for hiding a keyboard from view while a user is learning to type a housing having a top wall and a peripheral wall being attached to and extending downwardly from the top wall. The peripheral wall has a bottom edge opposite the top wall defining an opening into an inner area. The housing covers an extrinsic computer keyboard positioned within the inner area. The peripheral wall has a cutout extending into the inner area with a height such that the cutout can receive a hand of the user, permitting the user to type while the housing is positioned over the extrinsic computer keyboard. The top wall is an opaque color to inhibit visibility of the extrinsic computer keyboard while the user is typing, facilitating the user in memorizing a position of a key on the extrinsic computer keyboard.