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AssigneeKey Concepts, Inc.
InventorDonald A. Duncan
Estimating the term…
A capacitive pressure-sensitive and displacement-sensitive sensor apparatus and method in which first electrode means comprising a thin resilient conductive inclined or arcuate plastic sheet having a plurality of resilient projections protruding from the inner surface of the sheet and with said projections pressure-deformable by application of pressure thereat from the outer surface of the sheet cooperates with a second relatively flat electrode facing and coextensive with the projections and separated from the same by a thin dielectric layer therebetween, the first electrode extending inclinedly or arcuately over the second electrode such that when force is applied to the resilient first electrode along said outer surface thereof, as by a portion of means such as a keyboard key contacting the same, it approaches the second electrode and dielectric layer through air in a fashion which causes the resilient deformable projections along the inclined or arcuate inner surface thereof to contact said dielectric layer sequentially in a predictable order.
A capacitive pressure-sensitive and displacement-sensitive sensor apparatus having, in combination, first electrode means comprising a thin resilient conductive inclined or arcuate plastic sheet having a plurality of resilient projections protruding from the inner surface of the sheet and with said projections pressure-deformable by application of pressure thereat from the outer surface of the sheet, a second relatively flat electrode facing and coextensive with the projections and separated from the same by a thin dielectric layer therebetween, the first electrode extending inclinedly or arcuately over the second electrode such that when force is applied to the resilient first electrode along said outer surface thereof, as by a portion of means such as a keyboard key contacting the same, it approaches the second electrode and dielectric layer through air in a fashion which causes the resilient deformable projections along the inclined or arcuate inner surface thereof to contact said dielectric layer sequentially in a predictable order.
A method of capacitive displacement and pressure sensing with the aid of a pair of capacitive electrodes one of which is resiliently deformable and inclinedly or arcuately overlies the other to define an air space therebetween with a dielectric layer carried by said other electrode and with the said one electrode comprising resilient conductive projections along its inner surface adjacent said air space, said method comprising applying the displacement and pressure force to a predetermined portion of the outer surface of said one electrode and in the direction toward said other electrode and into said air space therebetween;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.