Apparatus Pertaining to Hinged Rows of Keycaps
A keyboard comprises a plurality of physically-discrete keycap rows, wherein each of these rows is hingeably coupled to at least one adjacent row. These physically-discrete keycap rows can be stored in a manner somewhat akin to a rolled-up state (such that, for example, at least two of the physically-discrete keycap rows are disposed substantially back-to-back when in a collapsed and stored state). Such a keyboard can be disposed, at least in part, within a sliding tray that moves these rows between a collapsed state and a deployed state.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of physically-discrete keycap rows, wherein each of the physically-discrete keycap rows is hingeably coupled to at least one adjacent one of the physically-discrete keycap rows.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a portable communication device.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a housing configured to receive the plurality of physically-discrete keycap rows in a non-deployed collapsed state.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
a display disposed on a first surface of the housing.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a sliding tray configured to move the physically-discrete keycap rows between a collapsed state and a deployed state.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the physically-discrete keycap rows includes at least one guide pin and where the sliding tray includes at least one track that receives and guides the at least one guide pin.
7 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the sliding tray includes at least one component configured to both urge at least one of the physically-discrete keycap rows to the deployed state and to provide support beneath at least two of the physically-discrete keycap rows when in the deployed state.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the physically-discrete keycap rows comprise, at the least, a QWERTY keyboard.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the physically-discrete keycap rows are configured to selectively pivot about hinged couplings to move between a collapsed state and a deployed state.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least two of the physically-discrete keycap rows are disposed substantially back-to-back when in the collapsed state.
11 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus comprises a portable communications device having a display and wherein the physically-discrete keycap rows are configured to be disposed at one end of the display when in the collapsed state.
12 . A portable communication device comprising:
a housing;
a display supported by the housing;
a sliding tray configured to move between a stowed position and a deployed position;
a keyboard at least partially disposed within the sliding tray and being comprised of a plurality of physically-discrete keycap rows, wherein each of the physically-discrete keycap rows is hingeably coupled to at least one adjacent one of the physically-discrete keycap rows.
13 . The portable communication device of claim 12 wherein the physically-discrete keycap rows are configured to selectively pivot about hinged couplings to move between a collapsed state and a deployed state.
14 . The portable communication device of claim 13 wherein at least two of the physically-discrete keycap rows are disposed substantially back-to-back when in the collapsed state.