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US 5,516,996 AGranted
Keyboard apparatus
AssigneeBtc Corporation
InventorYoung-Hyun Shin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keyboard apparatus according to this invention has a key button being formed with a key stem in a body to directly assemble with a key holder and separate from it. The key apparatus has a movable contact and a fixed contact of membrane structure, and has a key switch above the contact portion. The key switch comprises a rubber spring being formed above the contact position, a key holder to receive and guide a key button from upper side, and key button.
Claims7
A keyboard apparatus comprising;
- a main frame;
- a plurality of fixed contacts arranged on said main frame in a predetermined positional relationship;
- a plurality of movable contacts disposed above each of said plurality of fixed contacts with a predetermined gap therebetween;
- a plate of interconnected rubber springs, a respective one of said plurality of rubber springs disposed on each of said movable contacts and having a cup shaped portion of resilient rubber opened toward said movable contact;
- a plurality of key buttons, a respective one of said plurality of key buttons supported elastically on each of said rubber springs for up-and-down travel movement between a rest position and a depressed position, and having a key top portion for allowing depression by a finger of an operator and a key stem portion extending from a lower surface of said key top portion, a lower end of said key stem portion pressing said movable contact in said depressed position to bring said movable contact into contact with said fixed contact;
- a plurality of key holders mounted on said main frame, each of said key holders having a key stem guide portion for receiving said key stem portion to guide said up-and-down travel movement of said key button, and a cup shaped rubber spring receiving portion for receiving and contacting at least a portion of said cup shaped portion of said rubber spring;
- and
- hooking means for connecting together said key button and said key holder.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.