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US 4,068,369 AGranted
Method of making pushbutton keyboard system
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorPerry W. Kaminski
Life of this patent
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AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorPerry W. Kaminski
Estimating the term…
A keyboard system for an electronic pocket calculator or the like comprises a substrate board having a generally flat surface with a network of circuit paths thereon. The board is provided with switch contacts at a plurality of switching stations and terminals at a margin of the board for electrical interconnection to other electronic components (e.g., to the solid state logic components or the like on the motherboard of the calculator). Conductor paths and the network of circuit paths interconnect the contacts and the terminals. A dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate leaving the portions of the network of circuit paths exposed. A plurality of spaced electrically conductive inner contact portions are disposed on the substrate in electrical communication with certain ones of the exposed circuit paths and a plurality of outer contact portions are disposed on the top of the dielectric layer, an outer contact portion adjacent each inner contact portion, the top surface of the outer contact portion spaced from the substrate a greater distance than the top surface of the inner contact position is spaced from the substrate. A switch actuating electrically conductive disc is placed over each outer contact portion and is resiliently deformable between an initial position in which its outer margin is in contact with the outer contact portion and in which it is clear of the inner contact portion and an actuated position in which the outer margin of the disc remains in contact with the outer contact portion and in which one point of the disc is in contact with the inner contact portion thereby to complete a circuit between the inner and outer contact portions. A sheet of flexible insulative material is adhesively bonded to the keyboard and to the outer faces of the discs for securing the discs in position relative to their respective contact portions for permitting the discs to be deformed to their actuated positions and for sealing the discs to the board.
A method of making low profile keyboard switches comprising the steps of providing a substrate having a first relatively flat surface,
A method of making a low profile keyboard comprising the steps of
A method of making a low profile keyboard comprising the steps of
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.