Components
OwnerDale Purcocksinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Switches and keyboards, and methods and apparatus for manufacturing same, which may employ an arrangement comprising a plurality of resiliently flexible biasing members (20) that are joined directly to one another, in a substantially side-by-side configuration to form a continuous, flexible string (10) of biasing members.
Claims110
An arrangement comprising a plurality of resiliently flexible biasing members that are joined directly to one another, in a substantially side-by-side configuration to form a continuous, flexible string of said biasing members.
A method of making an arrangement of a plurality of resiliently flexible biasing members that are joined directly to one another, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) molding a first length of interconnected biasing members in a mold having a plurality of adjacent molding formations interconnected by connecting passages arranged in a line, there being a first formation at one end and a last formation at the opposite end of the line, with a first biasing member being formed in the first formation;
- (b) removing said first molded length, advancing it relative to the mold until the first biasing member registers with the last formation of the mold, and inserting the first member in said last formation;
- and
- (c) molding a second length of members, the first member of said first length being caused to be joined to said second length of members.
Apparatus for making an arrangement of a plurality of resiliently flexible biasing members that are joined directly to one another comprising:
- (a) a mold having a plurality of molding formations interconnected by connecting passages and arranged in a line for molding a length of interconnected biasing members, there being a first formation at one end and a last formation at the opposite end of the line;
- (b) gripping means for releasably engaging a biasing member molded in said first formation;
- and
- (c) progressing means for moving the gripping means between said first and last formations in order to remove a biasing member formed in said first formation from said first formation, advance said biasing member along the length of the line and position it in the last formation of the mold.
A method of placing a component on a body using a placing head, the component being one of a string of components integrally joined to one another, the method including the steps of:
- feeding the string to the placing head;
- engaging at least the last component at a free end of the string with the placing head;
- positioning the placing head at the desired position with respect to the body;
- releasing and placing the last component on the body;
- and
- cutting the string to separate the last component from the string.
Apparatus for placing a component on a body, the component being one of a string of components:
- a placing head including engaging means to releasably engage at least the last component at the free end of the string, cutting means to separate the last component from the string, and actuating means to place the separated last component on the body;
- a movable support member supporting the placing head;
- support moving means for moving the support member from a starting position to an end position and back again in a first direction;
- and
- string support means to support the string in a path from a receptacle to the placing head.
A placing head for placing a component on a body, the component being one of a string of components integrally joined to one another, the placing head comprising:
- engaging means for releasably engaging at least the last component at the free end of the string;
- cutting means for separating the last component from the string;
- and
- actuating means to cause the separated last component to be placed on the body.
A method of placing components on a body, each component being one of a string of components joined to one another, the method including the steps of:
- feeding a plurality of strings of components to a row of desired spaced positions along an elongate indexing member;
- releasably attaching an end component of each string to the indexing member;
- separating each end component from its respective string;
- transferring the row of separated components from the indexing member to an elongate placing member, the components being releasably attached to the elongate placing member;
- and
- transferring the separated components in a row from the placing member to the body;
- each step being performed substantially simultaneously on all of the components in a row.
Apparatus for placing components on a body, each component being one of a string of components joined to one another, the apparatus comprising:
- an elongate indexing member, the indexing member having engaging means for releasably engaging at least one component of each string with an indexing member;
- means for separating an end component from each string;
- an elongate placing member, the, placing member having transfer means for releasably receiving components from the indexing member, and at least one of the indexing and placing members being movable to a position in which components can be transferred from the indexing member to the placing member;
- and
- means for moving at least one of the body and the placing member to a position in which components can be transferred from the placing member to the body.
A multi-stage placing assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of placing apparatuses, arranged at spaced positions along a path;
- and
- conveyor means to move bodies on which components are to be placed along the path;
- wherein said placing apparatus comprises an elongate indexing member, the indexing member having engaging means for releasably engaging at least one component of each string with an indexing member;
- means for separating an end component from each string an elongate placing member the placing member having transfer means for releasably receiving components from the indexing member;
- and at least one of the indexing and placing members being movable to a position in which components can be transferred from the indexing member to the placing member;
- and means for moving at least one of the body and the placing member to a position in which components can be transferred from the placing member to the body.
A switch comprising;
- a button,
- a housing,
- a pair of contacts, and
- an elastomeric member received in a recess in the housing for biasing the button away from the contacts, wherein the elastomeric member has a resilient body portion and a peripheral body rim around the body portion;
- and wherein the switch further comprises, a clamp connected to or formed integrally with either the housing or the elastomeric member, for securing at least a portion of the rim to the housing to create a fluid-tight seal therebetween, said clamping means being movable between an open configuration in which said elastomeric member can be introduced into or removed from said recess and a sealed configuration in which said fluid-tight seal between said housing and said elastomeric member is created.
A method of assembling a switch comprising
- providing a button, a housing, a pair of contacts and an elastomeric member having a resilient body portion and a peripheral body rim around the body portion,
- introducing said elastomeric member into a recess in the housing, and
- creating a fluid-tight seal between at least a portion of the rim and the housing.
A switch comprising
- a button,
- a housing, and
- an elastomeric member received in a recess in the housing for biasing the button away from a pair of contacts, wherein the elastomeric member has a resilient body portion and a peripheral body rim around the body portion;
- and wherein the switch further comprises a device securing a portion of the rim to the housing to create a fluid-tight seal between the outer surface of the housing and the upper surface of the elastomeric member.
A mechanism for a switch comprising:
- a housing;
- and
- an elastomeric member received in a recess in the housing for biasing a button of a switch away from a pair of contacts, wherein the elastomeric member has a resilient body portion and a peripheral body rim around the body portion, and wherein the mechanism further comprises means, for securing the rim to the housing so as to create a fluid-tight seal between the portion of the recess in the housing surrounding the upper surface of the elastomeric member and the atmosphere in which the mechanism is located.
A keypad including a plurality of switches, the keypad comprising a housing member formed with a row of recesses, a unitary resilient member received at least partly in at least one of the recesses, and a clamping means for each recess trapping the resilient member in the recess, thereby to create a fluid-tight seal between said resilient member and said housing member.
A switch comprising a housing, a button and an elastomeric member substantially contained in the housing for resiliently biassing the button away from the housing, wherein the housing is configured to be directly connected, or otherwise directly joined to, one or more other housings.
A switch comprising a housing, a button, an elastomeric member substantially contained in the housing for resiliently biassing the button with respect to the housing, and a plurality of interlocking formations for connecting the housing of one switch to the housing of an adjacent switch.
A keypad comprising a plurality of switches, each switch comprising a housing, a button, a substantially planar switch member provided with a plurality of pairs of spaced contacts with a pair of contacts being in register with each of the switches, and means for resiliently biasing the button away from the switch member, and means for connecting the switches to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.