Claims
- 1. A keyboard for use with electronic devices, comprising:
a fixed keyboard section with a first plurality of keyswitches, a rotatable keyboard section with a second plurality of keyswitches; the rotatable keyboard section being rotatable from a first position to a second position, wherein the rotatable keyboard section is expandable and contractible.
- 2. A keyboard according to claim 1, wherein in the first position the rotatable keyboard section covers the fixed keyboard section.
- 3. A keyboard according to claim 2, wherein in the second position the fixed keyboard is exposed.
- 4. A keyboard according to claim 1, further comprising:
a protective door assembly which can cover the keyboard sections.
- 5. A keyboard according to claim 4, wherein the protective door assembly comprises a right protective door and a left protective door.
- 6. A keyboard according to claim 1, further comprising:
at least a pair of legs mounted on the rotatable keyboard section.
- 7. A phone comprising:
a phone assembly with a housing, a speaker, a microphone, and a numeric keypad; and an expandable keyboard attached to the phone assembly.
- 8. A phone according to claim 7, wherein the expandable keyboard is attached to the phone assembly so that it may be rotated.
- 9. A phone according to claim 7, wherein the expandable keyboard has an expandable portion and a fixed portion.
- 10. A phone according to claim 9, wherein the expandable portion of the expandable keyboard may be rotated.
- 11. A phone according to claim 7, further comprising:
a display which is movable between a first position and a second position.
- 12. A phone according to claim 11, wherein the display is rotatable.
- 13. A phone according to claim 7, wherein the numeric keypad is on a first side of the phone assembly, and the expandable keyboard is on a second side of the phone assembly.
- 14. A phone according to claim 3, further comprising:
a movable display which may be adjusted so that it can be viewed from either the first side or the second side of the phone assembly.
- 15. A phone according to claim 4, wherein the display is rotatable.
- 16. A phone according to claim 7, further comprising:
at least a pair of legs mounted on the expandable keyboard.
- 17. An expandable keyboard comprising:
a keyboard housing which is extendible from a contracted position to an expanded position; at least one elastic belt, the elastic belt attached to the housing; and a plurality of keyswitch assemblies, each keyswitch assembly attached to the elastic belt so that when the keyboard housing is extended from a compressed position to an expanded position the key pitch is increased, a plurality of keytops associated with the plurality of keyswitch assemblies, the keytops being rotatable between a vertical position and a horizontal position.
- 18. A keyboard according to claim 17, further comprising:
a plurality of elastic cords associated with the plurality of keytops for biasing the keytops into the vertical position.
- 19. A keyboard according to claim 17, further comprising:
a plurality of non-stretchable cords associated with the plurality of keytops for urging the keytops into the horizontal position when the keyboard is extended from the compressed position to the expanded position.
CROSS REFERENCE
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/558,866, filed Apr. 26, 2000. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/178,936, filed Feb. 1, 2000, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/221,114, filed Jul. 27, 2000, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/233,965, filed Sep. 20, 2000, and Provisional Application No. 60/255,295, filed Dec. 13, 2000.
Provisional Applications (4)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60178936 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
|
60221114 |
Jul 2000 |
US |
|
60233965 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
|
60255295 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09558866 |
Apr 2000 |
US |
Child |
09775291 |
Feb 2001 |
US |