GB2456921A

GB2456921A - A cover to physically prevent the pressing of a caps-lock key on a keyboard

Info

Publication number: GB2456921A
Application number: GB0902747A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roy David Marsh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-02-19
Filing date: 2009-02-19
Publication date: 2009-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 2029-02-19
Also published as: GB0902747D0; GB2456921B

Abstract

To disable the Caps Lock key of a keyboard, a cover 16 is provided to prevent physical actuation of the key. The cover overlies the Caps Lock key while leaving all other keys unobstructed. The cover may be carried around by the person that needs it (eg on a key-ring) . The full functionality of the keyboard is restored, for all other users, by removing the cover from the keyboard. The cover may be sold flat and bent in to shape along pre-arranged hinges. The cover has a top surface 12 and two dependent walls 14, 16 each having a removable detent 18, 20 that can be used to hook the cover onto a keyboard. The surface of the cover may include a panel to carry advertising material.

Description

Device for blocking input to computer This invention is in the field of computer input devices.

More particularly, it relates to a device for blocking inadvertent input to a computer from the Caps Lock key of a keyboard.

It has long been well-known that many less than expert keyboard users are irritated by one particular key on the left-hand side of a standard QUERTY (or QUERTZ) keyboard, that is characterised by the sign of an arrow pointing downwards and is generally known as the Caps Lock key. After pushing that key, alphabetical letters are entered into the computer as upper case letters (and when one deliberately opts with an extra keystroke for a capital letter, the activation of the caps lock feature converts that upper case letter into a lower case letter. For those typists who are not constantly watching the screen, the outcome can be very frustrating.

There have been, over the years, numerous proposals how to "disable's the Caps Lock key of a keyboard. The most crude is to use a blade to physically remove the key from the keyboard. More sophisticated disabling techniques involve tweaks to the programming of the computer that receives input from the keyboard. It is one object of the invention to

improve on these prior art disabling techniques.

The present invention is characterised by a cover for the Caps Lock key, the cover having a generally rectangular top surface that physically prevents a stroke of a finger above the keyboard from depressing the key.

One advantage of the cover is that it is removable from the keyboard. Keyboards for inputting computers are often operated by a plurality, or a multitude, of different users.

While one of these users might be very happy with a disabled Caps Lock key, others might find that very distressing. The cover of the invention is a personal tool, which its particular owner can carry around, for using on different keyboards (full-sized keyboards have more or less the same shape and size, so that the cover ought to fit on more or less all full-sized text input keyboards) The top surface of the cover can carry advertising material.

In that way, the cover will be of interest to those looking for marketing gimmicks (since it is very cheap to produce and easy to give away as promotional material) Conveniently, structure is provided at the periphery of the top surface that depends from the top surface and will stand on a surface of the keyboard, thereby to stop downward finger pressure on the top surface of the cover from depressing the Caps Lock key. For example, a pair of flanges might depend from the two long edges of the top surface of the cover. They can be connected to the top surface by living hinges, whereby the device can be sold flat (or kept flat by the user, until it is needed for a keyboard) . Otherwise, the depending structure might comprise a plurality of legs.

In any case, the structure is conveniently resilient enough for the cover to be a snap-fit onto the keyboard, so that it will not inadvertently fall off when the keyboard is moved.

Any depending structure from the top surface might conveniently include latch surfaces or some other re-entrant surface at or near the lower edge of any depending structure, to extend beneath the base of the Caps Lock key (or an adjacent key of the keyboard).

Interesting is that the Caps Lock key is adjacent the lef t-hand side of the keyboard and the keyboard as such is often provided in a large and generally rectangular aperture of a keyboard base, which therefore provides a frame around the keyboard. One envisages providing the blocking device with a detent that, in use, extends beneath the frame edge to the left of the Caps Lock key. Any such structure might conveniently provide the pivotal axis of a hinge whereby the blocking device can be hinged away from the Caps Lock key, allowing use of that key, without having to detach the blocking device from the keyboard base. If the detents are not needed, they can be broken off, conveniently at a zone of weakness deliberately provided between the blocking device and the root end of any detent that is for extending beneath the edge of the frame of the keyboard base.

A wall that depends from the top surface of the blocking device, between the Caps Lock key and the key to the right of the Caps Lock key on the keyboard, is not strictly necessary but might be attractive if only for cosmetic purposes. That end wall again might conveniently be linked to the top surface by a living hinge. Otherwise, if a "lay-flat" facility is not required, then the blocking device could take the form of a cap or crown over the Caps Lock key, with at least three and possibly all four sides of the rectangle as walls. A crown configuration might be particularly interesting for marketing purposes, just as a gold crown on an individual tooth can adorn a set of teeth in the mouth of a human person.

The top surface could extend to the left of the Caps Lock key, to overlie the frame of the keyboard. It could be adhered to the frame, under the surface extension. It could provide a base for more advertising material.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the single Figure of drawings which shows a typical full-sized text input keyboard for a computer, in which the Caps Lock key occupies the usual position, half-way up the left-hand end of the keyboard array.

The drawing Figure shows in a bubble the blocking device 10 of the invention with its rectangular cover 12 (in reality, the length of the cover, from left to right in the drawing, will ordinarily be significantly longer than the length of the cover in the direction up and down the keyboard, towards and away from the user.

On one long side of the rectangular top surface 12 is a depending wall 14 and on the opposed long side another depending wall 16. Each of these depending walls exhibits a detent 18 and 20 respectively, in the bottom left-hand corner of the wall, these detents serving to hook underneath the left-hand edge of the frame of the keyboard base, to the left of the Caps Lock key.

One can imagine the blocking device 10 pivoting about the detents 18 and 20. With clockwise rotation to the blocking position, little buttons 24 and 26 at the lower right-hand corner of each of the two depending walls 12 and 16 respectively, can engage under the base edge of the Caps Lock key 10. Alternatively, the buttons can point outwardly and engage under the rim of the keys above and below the Caps Lock key on the keyboard.

In use, with the cap 10 over the Caps Lock key, the bottom edges of the depending walls 14 and 16 rest on keyboard structure beneath its key set, and so block downward movement of the top surface 12. This has the consequence that inadvertent finger pressure on the top surface 12 fails to depress the Caps Lock key situated beneath that surface.

When the keyboard is to be used by a skilled user who prefers that the cover 10 is taken away, it can be removed easily, to enable full functionality of the Caps Lock key for that user.

The user who needs the blocking device can carry it around with him, perhaps on a key ring, ready for the next occasion when it is needed.

Claims

Claims 1. A device for blockage of an inadvertent input to a computer from the CAPS LOCK key on the left-hand side of a QUERTY (or QUERTZ) keyboard that lies within a frame of a keyboard base, the key having a rectangular form with a first pair of relatively longer sides parallel to the length direction of the keyboard and a second pair of relatively shorter sides that are parallel to the shorter dimension of the keyboard (towards and away from the user) , the device being characterised by a cover for the CAPS LOCK key alone, the cover having a generally rectangular top surface that physically prevents a stroke of a finger above the keyboard from depressing the key and leaves all other keys of the keyboard with their full functionality.
2. Device as claimed in claim 1, the cap including a panel in the top surface that can carry advertising material.
3. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover has structure that depends from the periphery of the top surface, said structure serving to stand on the keyboard and resist downward finger pressure on the top surface.
4. Device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the structure comprises a pair of flanges that depend respectively from the two long edges of the top surface of the cover.
5. Device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the structure comprises a plurality of legs.
6. Device as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the structure is resilient enough for the cover to be a snap-fit on the key that it covers.
7. Device as claimed in claim 6, and including a re-entrant surface at the lower edge of the depending structure, that can extend below the base of the key.
8. Device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and including a detent that, in use, extends under the adjacent edge of the frame of the keyboard base.
9. A package as claimed in claim 8, wherein the detent is connected to the remainder of the device through a zone of weakness, allowing the detent to be parted from the remainder of the device, if desired. * * * * *..* * U * USS * U. * . S... *.**

S U... * S* S U.

9. Device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the detent is connected to the remainder of the device through a zone of weakness, allowing the detent to be parted from the remainder of the device, if desired.

10. Device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is so constructed and arranged that it can be sold flat, in a package of minimal thickness, for folding into the functional shape by a user, after removal from the packaging and prior to installation on a keyboard.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. A flat package of minimal thickness containing a device adapted to be folded into a functional shape by a user after removal from the package, the device being for blockage of an inadvertent input to a computer from the CAPS LOCK key on the left-hand side of a QWERTY (or QWERTZ) keyboard that lies within a frame of a keyboard base, the key having a rectangular form with a first pair of relatively longer sides parallel to the length direction of the keyboard and a second pair of relatively shorter sides that are parallel to the shorter dimension of the keyboard (towards and away from the user), the device, when folded into the functional shape, comprising a cover f or the CAPS LOCK key alone, the cover having a substantially rectangular top surface that physically prevents a stroke of a finger above the keyboard from depressing the key and leaves all other keys of the keyboard with their full functionality.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1, the cover of the device including a panel in the top surface that can carry advertising material.

3. A package as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when folded into the functional shape, the cover of the device has : .s structure that depends from the periphery of the top surface, said structure serving to stand on the keyboard and resist downward finger pressure on the top surface. *Se.

* , 4. A package as claimed in claim 3, wherein the structure . .: comprises a pair of flanges that depend respectively from the two long edges of the top surface of the cover.

5. A package as claimed in claim 3, wherein the structure comprises a plurality of legs. g

6. A package as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the structure is resilient enough for the cover to be a snap-fit on the key that it covers.

7. A package as claimed in claim 6, and including a re-entrant surface at the lower edge of the depending structure, that can extend below the base of the key.

8. A package as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and including a detent that, in use, extends under the adjacent edge of the frame of the keyboard base.