Vertical Ergonomic Keyboard with Adjustable Key Ledges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ergonomic keyboards and keys-input devices fail to provide a neutral posture, leading to unnecessary stress and injury for users, as they often require operators to pronate their forearms, lack adjustability, and do not support the natural curvature of the hand, resulting in discomfort and fatigue.
Innovation Solution
The development of ergonomic, adjustable, separable, and wireless keys-input devices with palm and hypothenar rests, featuring differing-depth key-ledges, domed keys, and two-way scalloped thumb-keys, designed to accommodate a neutral posture and allow for customizable orientations, enabling easy access and reduced finger extension, with modular housings that can be used in various positions or attached to chairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional ergonomic keyboards are used, then key input functionality is provided, but they cause unnecessary stress and force to fingers, wrists, forearms, and shoulders due to requiring pronated forearm position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional keyboard orientation by presenting keys on a vertically-oriented surface rather than a horizontal surface. This inversion allows operators to input keys from a neutral posture with forearms parallel to the floor, eliminating the harmful pronated position required by conventional keyboards while maintaining full key input functionality
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-position keyboards are used, then simple structure is maintained, but they cannot accommodate personalized wrist-neutral postures or adjust to different operator preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustability by allowing the vertical key surface to be rotated about a vertical axis, enabling operators to adjust the horizontal angle to match their personalized wrist-neutral postures. This dynamic feature accommodates different operator preferences and body dimensions while maintaining a relatively simple rotational mechanism
3Object-affected harmful factors
If horizontal key surfaces are used, then keys are easily accessible, but they force operators to pronate forearms and push elbows out, causing stress on upper arms and shoulders
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional horizontal key surface into a vertical orientation. This inversion allows keys to remain easily accessible while eliminating the requirement for pronated forearms and pushed-out elbows, thereby removing the harmful stress on upper arms and shoulders associated with horizontal keyboard surfaces
4Adaptability or versatility
If non-separable keyboard halves are used, then unified structure is maintained, but they cannot be positioned at custom distances to match operator shoulder widths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the keyboard into separable left and right halves, each with its own vertical key surface. This segmentation allows each half to be independently positioned at custom distances from the center, enabling operators to match the distance between keyboard halves to their personal shoulder widths, while maintaining a relatively simple modular structure
Data Source
AI summary
Dual, ergonomically ideal, neutral-posture, wireless-and-programmable, joinable keys-input devices/housings (FIGS. 1A and 1B): with hinged ratcheted bases to allow additional operator-preferred keys-input planes of key-address; with hypothenar- and palm-rests; with customizable domed keys set in a customizable four-stair-stepped-key-ledges-configuration to match the natural curl and reach of operators' relaxed fingers; with the same domed keys arrayed to provide closer reach for the fingers with less extension of said fingers; with elevated and dedicated little-finger keys for ease of access; with two-way scalloped thumb-levers operable by simply dropping the relaxed thumbs; with joiner-rings for uniting the devices/housings; with built-in bolts-accesses for attachment to chair- or desk-arms; with embedded lenses for wireless transmission, projection, or remote control, or other; with integrated microphone for voice commands or recording; with a plurality of keys for possible alphanumeric input; with additional utility keys. Other embodiments obtain.