Movable contact element for panel switch and method of manufacturing panel switch with movable contact element

A method of manufacturing a movable contact element, comprising the steps of:

• forming at least one opening in a film;
• inserting a dome-shaped movable contact into said opening in the film;
• affixing said dome-shaped movable contact within said opening in the film by taping a convex side of said dome-shaped movable contact to a surface of the film;
• and
• attaching a protective film to a surface of the film opposite to the surface to which said dome-shaped movable contact is affixed for temporarily covering a concave side of said movable contact,
• wherein said movable contact is protected from contamination, and
• wherein the attached protective film can be removed when the movable contact element is ready to be combined with structure having at least one fixed contact element to form a panel switch.

A method of manufacturing a panel switch having a movable contact element, comprising the steps of:

• forming at least one opening in a film;
• inserting a dome-shaped movable contact into said opening in the film;
• affixing said dome-shaped movable contact within said opening in the film by taping a convex side of said dome-shaped movable contact to a surface of the film to form said movable contact element;
• attaching a protective film to a surface of the film opposite to the surface to which said dome-shaped movable contact is affixed for temporarily covering a concave side of said movable contact;
• removing the protective film from the film with at least one opening just prior to affixing the movable contact element to structure having at least one fixed contact;
• and
• affixing the movable contact element to said structure having said at least one fixed contact to form said panel switch,
• wherein said movable contact is protected from contamination while awaiting assembly as part of said panel switch.