Key mechanism having a snap action

A key mechanism in a keyboard having a keylever mounted between frames and operable in a depressional path, the key mechanism comprising:

• a resilient member having one end in the depressional path of said keylever and a free end;
• means supporting said resilient member intermediate said one end and said free end;
• and
• an element independent of and cooperable with said resilient member for restraining movement of said free end during initial depressional movement of said keylever causing said resilient member to deflect about said supporting means accumulating energy within said resilient member, said element releasing said free end upon further depression of said keylever causing said free end to move in a direction opposite from said depressional movement of said keylever in response to release of said energy.

A keylever assembly for biasly supporting a keylever, which assembly comprises:

• a frame means;
• an elongated resilient flat spring pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said frame means, said flat spring has a top and a bottom surface;
• and
• structure means on the keylever for engageably coupling the keylever with one end of said flat spring, said structure means includes a first abutment on the keylever extending in a first direction for engagement with said top surface near said one end of said flat spring and a second abutment on the keylever extending in a second direction opposite said first direction for engagement with said bottom surface near said one end of said flat spring, said first and second abutments being horizontally misaligned and vertically overlapping for engageably coupling the keylever with said one end of said flat spring, said one end being flexed when coupled between said first and second abutments causing said one end to be pretensioned for biasly supporting the keylever.