US 3,950,846 AGranted

Method of forming a deformed, integral switching device

AssigneeXerox Corporation

InventorWendell C. Johnson

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Abstract

A method of forming a switching device having a movable contact that is an integral part of a metallic support substrate and is supported above the support substrate by a plurality of spring-like legs that are also an integral part of the support substrate. One or more of the switching devices is produced by forming one or more groups of curved, unconnected radially extending slots in a metallic substrate to define support legs, plastically deforming the legs defined by the slots past their elastic limit, and then precipitation hardening the complete structure. The slots can be formed by a photomasking technique followed by an acid etch with the etch being performed from both sides of the metallic support substrate. To provide a desired tactile response characteristic, and to assure movement of a central portion of the switching device past the plane of the metallic support substrate, a portion of each of the legs defined by the slots may be removed to thin that portion of each leg. The plastic deformation may be performed in a male-female die mechanism.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A method of making a switching device from a continuous, planar sheet of metallic material with the switching device characterized by a substantially planar, movable central portion coupled to a substantially planar peripheral supporting portion by a plurality of non-planar support legs with the central portion retaining its shape while effecting a switching action, the steps of:

forming in a planar sheet of metallic material a plurality of curved, unconnected slots of substantially uniform width, each of said slots having a smooth curvature and each of said slots radiating outwardly from a central portion of said sheet of metallic material to a peripheral portion of said sheet of metallic material, at least a portion of each of said slots being adjacent at least a portion of at least another of said slots, and
plastically deforming into the shape of heliclines only the portions of said sheet of metallic material between said adjacent slots such that said central portion of said sheet of metallic material is supported above the peripheral portion of said sheet of metallic material by said portions of said sheet of metallic material between said adjacent slots with said central portion of said sheet of metallic material being in a plane parallel to the plane of said peripheral portion of said sheet of metallic material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/508,486Filed 23 Sep 1974
Granted: 20 Apr 1976
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

H01H 13/807
Characterised by the contacts or the contact sites: characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
H01H 13/702
Having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard: with contacts carried by or formed from layers…
H01H 13/785
Characterised by the contacts or the contact sites: characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
H01H 13/80
Characterised by the contacts or the contact sites: characterised by the manner of cooperation of the contacts, e.g. with both contacts movable or…