Keyboard Patents

JavaScript disabled or not supported

It appears you have prevented JavaScript from running in your web browser or are using a web browser that does not support JavaScript. Admiral Shark's Keyboards presently requires JavaScript for quality-of-life features like switching between light/dark mode, navigating via title or image and copying search query links, and is necessary for the keyboard matrix simulators, keyboard property modals, interactable slideshows and image size optimisation. Please consider enabling JavaScript or using a web browser that supports it for a fully-featured and correctly working experience. If you have suggestions for reducing JavaScript dependency, feel free to let me know.

This is a preview of upcoming Admiral Shark's Keyboards content. This page is considered work-in-progress and should be treated as such.

A gallery of patents that describe technologies or illustrate designs relating to IBM and family keyboards, typewriters and keypunches. This includes keyswitch/actuator designs, ornamental designs (overall appearance), integrated pointing devices such as TrackPoints, and host systems such as PCs, laptops, terminals, consoles and electronic typewriters. All illustrations provided are from the patents themselves, which are believed to be within the public domain. A total of 112 patents have been recorded. The patent list is currently filtered to 1 patent(s).

U.S. Utility Patent 4,859,820 (US4859820A)

Patent diagrams of AT&T's quiet key switch at rest (left) and pressed (right)

Applied 31 Mar 1988

Published 22 Aug 1989

Expired 31 Mar 2008

More info

Name	Quiet key switch
Inventors	Casimer Gotfryd, Stephen L. Kay, Hartland P. Klotz, Robert M. Wentzel
Assignees	AT&T
Description	An invention of a membrane-driven buckling spring keyswitch designed to be quieter than IBM's 1983 predecessor (US4528431A). Compared to it, AT&T embedded a foam cylindrical core towards the bottom of the buckling spring to suppress spring ping whilst not affecting its operation otherwise. It is presently unknown if this design was implemented, though contemporary "floss mods" applied to IBM buckling spring keyboards achieve a similar effect.