Claims
- 1. A lighted keyboard comprising:
a keyboard housing; at least twenty-six key members constructed of a substantially hard non-deformable material, said key members including a key cap and a vertically projecting keyshaft, said key members being depressably positioned within said keyboard housing and being constructed at least partially of a substantially translucent material for communicating light rays through said key members; a biasing means underlying said key members for biasing said key members in an upward direction; a circuit board underlying said plurality of key members, said circuit board being operational to produce signals in response to depression of said key members; a light source for producing light rays; and a light pipe connected to said light source, said light pipe not independently light producing but instead provides for channeling light from said light source to a plurality of said key members, said light pipe being positioned adjacent to a plurality of key shafts to enable said light pipe to transmit light laterally along a portion of its length upon the exterior of a plurality of key members to illuminate a plurality of said key members.
- 2. The lighted keyboard of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises an upper clamshell member having a plurality of bores forming sidewalls for receiving said plurality of key members, a plurality of said sidewalls having openings for allowing light to project from said light pipe through said openings to illuminate a plurality of said key members.
- 3. The lighted keyboard of claim 2 wherein said light pipe is attached to a plurality of said sidewalls.
- 4. The lighted keyboard of claim 1 wherein said housing further comprises an upper clamshell member having a plurality of bores forming sidewalls for receiving said plurality of key members, a plurality of said sidewalls being at least partially translucent for allowing light to project from said light pipe through said openings to illuminate a plurality of said key members.
- 5. The lighted keyboard of claim 4 wherein said light pipe is attached to a plurality of said sidewalls.
- 6. The lighted keyboard of claim 1 wherein said light pipe includes notches on its exterior surface, said notches positioned adjacent to said key members to transmit light from said light pipe upon said key members.
- 7. The lighted keyboard of claim 1 wherein said light source includes one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs).
- 8. The lighted keyboard of claim 6 wherein said light source includes one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs).
- 9. The lighted keyboard of claim 1 wherein said biasing means is an elastic diaphragm.
- 10. The lighted keyboard of claim 8 wherein said biasing means is an elastic diaphragm.
- 11. A lighted keyboard comprising:
a keyboard having an upper clamshell member including a substantially translucent region for communicating light rays through said clamshell member to provide illuminated indicia, said indicia indicating the function of at least one key member; at plurality of key members constructed of a substantially hard non-deformable material, said key members including a key cap and a vertically projecting keyshaft, and said key members being depressably positioned within said keyboard housing; a biasing means underlying said key members for biasing said key members in an upward direction; a circuit board underlying said plurality of key members, said circuit board being operational to produce signals in response to depression of said key members; and a light source for producing light rays; said light source providing light for communication to said clamshell member to illuminate said indicia.
- 12. The lighted keyboard of claim 11 wherein said light source is a luminescent planar sheet underlying said upper clamshell member.
- 13. The lighted keyboard of claim 11 further comprising a light pipe positioned underlying said indicia, said light pipe channeling light from said light source to illuminate said indicia.
- 14. The lighted keyboard of claim 11 wherein said at least one key member is constructed at least partially of a substantially translucent material, said light source communicating light rays to said key member so as to at least partially illuminate said key member.
- 15. The lighted keyboard of claim 12 wherein said at least one key member is constructed at least partially of a substantially translucent material, said light source communicating light rays to said key member so as to at least partially illuminate said key member.
- 16. The lighted keyboard of claim 13 wherein said at least one key member is constructed at least partially of a substantially translucent material, said light source communicating light rays to said key member so as to at least partially illuminate said key member.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/899,960 filed on Jul. 6, 2001, which in turn is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/836,628 filed on Apr. 16, 2001, which in turn is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/500,735, filed on Feb. 9, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,183 issued Apr. 17, 2001, which in turn is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/396,141, filed on Aug. 15, 1999, now abandoned.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09396141 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09500735 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09899960 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10294396 |
Nov 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09836628 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
09899960 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09500735 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09836628 |
Apr 2001 |
US |