Membrane keyboard switch mounting
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDominic A. Gostomski, Jr., Jerry G. Price
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multilayer membrane switch structure is disclosed wherein the flexible membrane is fixedly attached to a support frame member by a pattern of adhesive regions, the regions positioned in locations corresponding to the switch locations of the structure. The adhesive engagement of the bottom surface of the membrane structure stabilizes the bottom electrical contact and, at the same time, leaves open regions between the adhesive regions which will accommodate air which is exhausted from the switch cavity through a hole formed in the bottom layer of the multilayered switch structure into communication with the open regions between the adhesive regions. Thus, the open regions act to exhaust the air in a switch cavity when the switch is activated.
Claims13
A keyboard comprising
- a matrix multilayer switch comprising:
- a first flexible sheet with a first and second surface with electrical circuit paths and plural switch contacts deposited on said first surface thereof;
- a second flexible sheet with electrical circuit paths and plural switch contacts deposited on a first surface thereof;
- a spacer sheet with at least an aperture formed therein, positioned between said first and second flexible sheets and with said aperture aligned with portions of said electrical circuits on each of said sheets to form a passage through which said circuit on said second flexible sheet may contact said circuit on said first flexible sheet and with said first surfaces in face-to-face relation with faces of said spacer,
- at least a zone of adhesive interposed between said spacer and each of said flexible sheets to form a multilayer structure with each of said spacer and sheets restricted from movement with respect to each other in the plane of said spacer sheet;
- and
- a rigid support plate and adhesive engaging a first surface thereof, said multilayer switch adhesively attached to said rigid support plate, said adhesive engaging said rigid support plate comprising at least a spot of adhesive localized at and positioned between said support plate and said multilayer switch and adjacent said each of said switch contacts and engaging said second surface of said first flexible sheet, thereby stabilizing said electrical circuit path on said first flexible sheet, the substantial portion of the remainder of said second surface remaining without adhesive, and
- an actuator means aligned with and operable manually to actuate said multilayer switch, comprising a keybutton and a switch engaging member operable upon displacement of said keybutton to deflect switch contacts on said second sheet into contact with said switch contacts on said first sheet.
A keyboard comprising:
- a membrane switch structure having a plurality of switch positions having a laminate of at least three layers and a rigid support member, with said member selectively adhered to said laminate with spots of adhesive positioned between said member and said laminate in areas corresponding to each of said switch positions, said middle layer of said laminate comprising a hole formed at the position corresponding to each of said switch positions, thereby defining in cooperation with the other two layers a cavity, and air exhausting means communicating between said cavity and the portion of space between said laminate and said support member having no adhesive adhering the laminate and said support member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.