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US 4,421,958 AGranted
Panel keyboard with air permeable spacer
AssigneeNippon Mektron, Ltd.
InventorEiichi Kameda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A membrane switch assembly having an apertured air permeable spacer positioned between a pair of printed circuits. Air may diffuse through the permeable material into and out of the regions which define individual switch cavities during operation.
Claims10
A membrane switch assembly comprising:
- first circuit means, said first circuit means comprising a flexible planar nonconductive substrate having a conductive circuit pattern supported on at least a first surface thereof;
- second circuit means, said second circuit means including a nonconductive substrate having a conductive circuit pattern supported on at least a first surface thereof, said circuit pattern of said second circuit means facing said circuit pattern of said first circuit means and being at least partly in registration therewith;
- and
- nonconductive spacer means, said spacer means being disposed between said first and said second circuit means, said spacer means including at least a first aperture extending therethrough, said aperture being aligned with registered circuit portions on said circuit means whereby electrical contact between registered portions of said circuit pattern of said first circuit means and said circuit pattern of said second circuit means may be established through said spacer means aperture, said aperture cooperating with said circuit means to define a cavity between said first and said second circuit means, said spacer means comprising a sheet of resilient gas permeable material through which gas may flow into or out of said cavity from or to adjacent peripheral regions of the membrane switch assembly.
1 more element
A membrane switch assembly comprising:
- first circuit means, said first circuit means comprising a flexible planar nonconductive substrate having a conductive circuit pattern supported on at least a first surface thereof;
- second circuit means, said second circuit means including a nonconductive substrate having a conductive circuit pattern supported on at least a first surface thereof, said circuit pattern of said second circuit means facing said circuit pattern of said first circuit means and being at least partly in registration therewith;
- and
- nonconductive spacer means, said spacer means being disposed between said first and said second circuit means, said spacer means including at least a first aperture extending therethrough, said aperture being aligned with registered circuit portions on said circuit means whereby electrical contact between registered portions of said circuit pattern of said first circuit means and said circuit pattern of said second circuit means may be established through said spacer means aperture, said aperture cooperating with said circuit means to define a cavity between said first and said second circuit means;
- said spacer means being adhesively bonded to at least one of said circuit means and comprising a sheet of gas permeable material and a film of gas impermeable material on at least a first surface of said sheet of gas permeable material, said film being in abutting relationship to one of said circuit means and having a pattern of apertures therethrough which are in alignment with the apertures in said sheet of gas permeable material.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.