Claims
- 1. In a keyboard having a baseplate; a key having a keytop on which is an actuation surface; a key support projecting from said baseplate and maintaining said key in translational sliding relation with said support along an actuation path approximately normal to the baseplate with the actuation surface facing away from the baseplate; a movable conductive contact shifting with the key's translation along the actuation path; a fixed conductive contact in the path of and facing the movable conductive contact and making electrical contact with the movable electrical contact when force on the keytop causes the movable conductive contact to approach the baseplate; and a spring contacting both the key and the baseplate to urge the key away from the baseplate, an improved arrangement of the keyboard's elements wherein the support comprises a cylindrical projection having an end spaced from the baseplate, an axis extending along the actuation path, and a bore extending along the actuation path from the end of the projection toward the baseplate; wherein the key includes a projection extending from a surface of the key opposite the actuation surface, said key projection's external surface conforming with the cylindrical projection's bore so as to guide translation of the key along the actuation path; wherein the key projection and cylindrical projection cooperatively comprises a means for retaining the key projection within the bore of the cylindrical projection; and wherein the spring comprises a resilient boot in surrounding relation to the cylindrical projection, said boot having an aperture through which the key projection passes; said improved arrangement further including a membrane having an aperture through which the cylindrical projection passes, said membrane carrying the fixed electrical contact at a point adjacent both the cylindrical projection and the baseplate.
- 2. The improved keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein the movable conductive contact comprises a conductive resilient ring carried on the boot, said ring approximately concentric with the axis of the cylindrical projection.
- 3. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the baseplate has a top surface which defines a plane and the cylindrical projection's bore extends through the plane of the top surface of the baseplate.
- 4. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical projection's bore extends completely through the baseplate.
- 5. The improved keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein the fixed conductive contact comprises a conductive ring approximately concentric with the axis of the cylindrical projection.
- 6. The improved keyboard arrangement of claim 5, wherein the movable conductive contact comprises a conductive resilient ring carried on the boot, said ring approximately concentric with the axis of the cylindrical projection.
- 7. The improved keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein the movable conductive contact comprises a conductive ring in surrounding relation to the cylindrical projection within and attached to the boot and moving along the actuation path with translation of the key.
- 8. The improved keyboard arrangement of claim 7, wherein the fixed conductive contact comprises on the membrane an inner and an outer conductive ring each approximately concentric with the cylindrical projection and made of conductive material, and wherein the internal and external edges of the conductive ring comprising the movable conductive contact are in approximate alignment with the inner and outer conductive rings respectively.
- 9. The improved keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein the key projection further comprises on the end thereof, at least one tab projecting outwardly from the axis of the cylindrical projection and in mating and retaining engagement with a slot in the cylindrical projection adjacent the baseplate.
- 10. The improved keyboard arrangement of claim 9, wherein the key projection comprises a pair of approximately parallel arms each carrying a tab at its end, each tab projecting away from the other, and the cylindrical projection has a pair of opposed slots in each of which is engaged the tab of one arm.
- 11. In a keyboard having a baseplate; a key having an actuation surface; a key support comprising a cylindrical projection projecting from said baseplate and supporting said key for translational sliding relative to said support along an actuation path approximately normal to the baseplate; a movable conductive contact shifting with the key's translation along the actuation path; a fixed conductive contact in the path of and facing the movable conductive contact and making electrical contact with the movable electrical contact when force on the key causes the movable conductive contact to approach the baseplate; and a spring supporting the key and supported by the baseplate and urging the key away from the baseplate, an improved arrangement for the movable conductive contact and the spring, comprising a resilient boot supported at a first end by the baseplate and at a second end supporting the key, said boot surrounding said cylindrical projection and a portion of said key and having an aperture through which a portion of the key passes, said boot exerting force on the key urging the key away from the baseplate, and said boot further having an internal structure carrying the movable conductive contact adjacent the cylindrical projection.
- 12. The improved keyboard movable conductive contact and spring arrangement of claim 11 wherein the movable conductive contact comprises a resilient material having a conductive surface facing the fixed conductive contact.
- 13. The improved keyboard movable conductive contact and spring arrangement of claim 11 wherein the movable conductive contact comprises at least a segment of a conductive ring depending from the interior surface of the boot and at least partially encircling the portion of the key which passes through the boot's aperture and the cylindrical projection.
- 14. The improved keyboard movable conductive contact and spring arrangement of claim 13 wherein the conductive ring comprises a resilient material having a conductive surface facing the fixed conductive contact.
- 15. A keyboard, comprising:
- a base plate having at least one projection thereon, each said projection having a bore therethrough;
- a membrane having a number of holes, said holes being located so as to be concentric with said projections, said membrane further having at least one fixed contact; and
- switch actuation means, comprising:
- at least one key, said key having first and second surfaces, said second surface having a projection which rides in said bore, said key being moveable axially along said bore;
- key return means having a first side next to said membrane supported by said membrane and said base plate, and formed with a hole therethrough, said projection of said base plate and said projection of said key passing through said key return means; and
- a movable contact mounted on said key return means adapted to contact one of said fixed contacts to complete an electrical path upon depression of said key.
- 16. The keyboard of claim 15, wherein:
- said fixed contact consists of first and second substantially circular rings formed to be concentric with said holes.
- 17. The keyboard of claim 15, wherein:
- said movable contact is comprised of a ring of conductive material formed on said first side of said key return means.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/511,493, filed Apr. 20, 1990 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
3721319 |
Dec 1985 |
DEX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
511493 |
Apr 1990 |
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