Keyboard switch with printed wiring board structure and its method of manufacture
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsDudley Bruce Johnson, Stephen Leroy Hanni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printed wiring board comprised of a plurality of keys or switches, which form a keyboard, for entry of data or changing the function of an electrical circuit. Each key comprises a flexible conductive actuating element and at least two conductive contacts which are affixed in a nonplanar relationship to the substrate of a printed wiring board. The actuating element is caused to come in contact with the conductive contacts when the actuating element is depressed, thus closing the switch.
Claims19
A momentary contact switch comprising:
- (a) a metallic sheet substrate having at least one major surface of insulating material and having at least one indentation on said major surface;
- (b) at least one first contact disposed on said major surface in the region of said at least one indentation;
- (c) a second contact affixed to said substrate, being disposed in spaced relation to said at least one first contact, and having a top surface of said second contact located above a top surface of said at least one first contact;
- and
- (d) an actuating element having at least one surface of conductive material, mounted on said second contact and being disposed over at least part of said indentation, the conductive surface of said actuating element being electrically connected to said second contact and in spaced relation to said first contact;
- (e) said first and second contacts being electrically connectable by the conductive surface of said actuating element to provide an electrically conductive path between said first and said second contacts in response to depression of said actuating element into said indentation.
A momentary contact switch comprising:
- (a) a metallic sheet having at least one major surface of insulating material and having at least one indentation on said major surface being disposed over a similar indentation on said metallic sheet;
- (b) at least one first contact disposed in said at least one indentation;
- (c) a second contact affixed to said insulating material, being disposed in spaced relation to said at least one first contact, and having a top surface of said second contact located above a top surface of said at least one first contact;
- and
- (d) a metallic actuating element, mounted on said second contact and being disposed over at least part of said indentation and being electrically connected to said second contact and in spaced relation to said first contact;
- (e) said first and said second contacts being electrically connectable by said metallic actuating element to provide an electrically conductive path between said first and said second contacts in response to depression of said metallic actuating element.
A momentary contact switch comprising:
- (a) a metallic sheet having at least one major surface of insulating material and having at least one indentation on said major surface;
- (b) at least one first contact disposed in said at least one indentation;
- (c) a second contact disposed on said insulating material in spaced relation to said at least one first contact, said second contact having a top surface disposed above a top surface of said at least one first contact;
- and
- (d) a metallic actuating element disposed in contact with said second contact and disposed at least partially over said indentation, said at least one first contact and said second contact being electrically connected by said element in response to depression of said element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.