Rolly Keyboard Wound Key Assembly and Scroll Wheel

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Solution Overview

Problem

Portable devices such as smartphones and tablets face inconvenience in character input due to the limitations of virtual keyboards, necessitating the development of a more practical and portable keyboard solution that also supports scrolling functionality.

Innovation Solution

A rolly keyboard with a polygonal columnar shape, featuring a scroll wheel and key assembly with keys arranged in lines that can be wound into a compact form, along with an optical mouse and light detection units for enhanced functionality, allowing easy carrying and improved input capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a physical keyboard is made portable, then character input convenience is improved, but device size and portability become problematic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacter input convenienceVSAvoidkeyboard size

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The key assembly is wound around a cylindrical body in a nested configuration, allowing the keyboard to be compact when not in use and easily portable, while still providing full keyboard functionality when deployed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The keyboard transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can be wound and unwound, enabling both compact portability and full operational functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Volume of moving object

If a virtual keyboard is used on mobile devices, then portability is improved, but character input efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice portabilityVSAvoidcharacter input efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The keyboard uses a flexible key assembly that can be wound into a compact form factor suitable for mobile devices, while providing tactile feedback and full keyboard functionality when deployed, bridging the gap between virtual and physical keyboards

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Adaptability or versatility

If scrolling functionality is added to the keyboard, then navigation capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation capabilityVSAvoidkeyboard structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The scroll wheel is integrated into the existing cylindrical body structure, allowing a single component to serve both as the winding mechanism for the key assembly and as the scrolling control, eliminating the need for separate scrolling hardware

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11366530B2Rolly keyboard

Publication Date: 2022.06.21 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

The present invention relates to a rolly keyboard. The rolly keyboard comprises: a body having a polygonal columnar shape; a scroll wheel formed in the body; a key assembly coupled to the body, wherein the key assembly comprises a plurality of key line portions in which the keys are disposed in each of a plurality of lines, wherein the plurality of key line portions are wound in the polygonal columnar shape of the body. Thus, scrolling can be accomplished by the scroll wheel.