Keyboard with versatile switch support structures

A keyboard key device comprising a substrate of insulating material having a pair of electrical contact means disposed on said substrate and having circuit path means connected to said contact means, a support member having an opening therein secured over said substrate in spaced relation to said substrate with said opening aligned with said pair of said contact means, and a switch mechanism disposed in said support member opening, said switch mechanism having a housing which is open at one end and which has an aperture opposite said open end, having a contact element which is movable in said housing to a depressed position at said open housing end and which is biased to a retracted position within said housing, and having a plunger means which is movable in said housing to move said contact element to said depressed position and which has a portion thereof extending from said housing aperture to be manually engaged for moving said plunger means, said switch mechanism housing having stop means and resilient detent engaging respective opposite sides of said support member around said support member opening for mounting said switch mechanism on said support member in predetermined positions relative to said pair of said contact means for permitting said contact element to bridge said pair of contact means on said substrate when said contact element is disposed in said depressed position and for disposing said contact element spaced from at least one of said contact means when the contact means is in said retracted position, and cam means and cam follower means incorporated in said switch mechanism externally of said housing, one of said cam means and cam follower means being incorporated on said plunger means and the other of said cam means and cam follower means being incorporated on said housing of said mechanism respectively for regulating relative movement between said plunger means and housing to permit movement of said plunger means to move said bridging element to said depressed position and to retain said element in said depressed position in response to a first manual movement of said plunger means and to permit subsequent movement of said plunger means to allow said bridging element to move to said retracted position under said bias in response to a second manual movement of said plunger means.

A keyboard key device comprising a substrate of insulating material having a pair of electrical contact means disposed on said substrate and having circuit path means connected to said contact means, a support member having an opening therein secured over said substrate in spaced relation to said substrate with said opening aligned with said pair of said contact means, and a switch mechanism disposed in said support member opening, said switch mechanism having a housing which is open at one end and which has an aperture opposite said open end, having a contact element which is movable in said housing to a depressed position at said open housing end and which is biased to a retracted position within said housing, and having a plunger means which is movable in said housing to move said bridging element to said depressed position and which has a portion thereof extending from said housing aperture to be manually engaged for moving said plunger means, said switch mechanism housing having stop means and resilient detent means engaging respective opposite sides of said support member around said support member opening for mounting said switch mechanism on said support member in predetermined position relative to said pair of said contact means, said one support member opening being disposed between two adjacent support member openings and having said switch mechanism disposed in said one support member opening, having a bar-shaped key cap member secured to said plunger means in said switch mechanism to extend over each of said adjacent support member openings for facilitating manual movement of said plunger means in said mechanism, having guide members with mounting portions and guide portions disposed in each of said adjacent support member openings, having slide members secured to said bar-shaped key cap member adjacent each end thereof for slidable movement in said guide portions of said guide members during manual movement of said bar-shaped key cap means, and having spring means interconnecting said slide members for balancing moving of said slides during manual movement of said key cap member, said mounting portions of said guide members each having stop means engaging one side of said support member and having resilient detent means extending through one of said adjacent support member openings to engage an opposite side of said support member around one of said adjacent support member openings for positioning said guide members within said openings.