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US 6,455,795 B1Granted
Key switch improved in feel of actuation and return speed during operation by finger
AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorsTakahiro Murakami, Hideki Ito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a key switch in which a stem extending from a key top is slidably inserted into a seat formed on a housing; and longitudinal grooves extending in the direction of the axis X of reciprocating movement of the stem are formed in the circumferential surface of the stem which is in contact with the inner surface of the seat.
Claims9
A key switch comprising:
- a key top that is reciprocally movable along an axis;
- and
- a stem extended from said key top, said stem moving in one direction along the axis of reciprocating movement to thereby actuate a switch member when said key top is pressed by a finger, and returning to an original position when the finger is removed from said key top;
- wherein said stem is slidably inserted in a seat formed in a housing of said key switch, said stem having an outer surface disposed adjacently to an inner surface of said seat, and
- wherein a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal grooves are formed extending in the direction of said axis, said longitudinal grooves being formed in the outer surface of said stem so as to form sliding portions there between, said sliding portions having a surface area that is greater than a surface area of the longitudinal grooves, said sliding portions being in sliding contact with the inner surface of said seat.
2 more elements
A key switch according to claim 6, wherein said pawls are disposed outwardly from said stem, and wherein said catch holes are disposed outwardly from said seat.
A key switch comprising:
- a housing having a seat and a plurality of catch holes;
- a switch member disposed in said housing;
- a key top that is reciprocally movable along an operational axis of said key switch between an original position and a depressed position, said key top being movable from the original position to the depressed position when pressed by a finger to thereby actuate said switch member, and movable from the depressed position to the original position when the finger is removed from said key top;
- a stem extending from a lower side of said key top along the operational axis of said key top, said stem having a generally circular cross-section comprising a plurality of convex sliding portions and a plurality of concave grooves longitudinally disposed along the operational axis of said key top, each of the sliding portions being disposed between an adjacent pair-of grooves and having an outer surface configured to slidably engage an inner surface of said seat;
- and
- a plurality of pawls extending from the lower side of said key top, said pawls being spaced outwardly from said stem and configured to engage the catch holes of said housing so as to prevent said key top from being disengaged from said housing,
- wherein the sliding portions each has a width that is greater than a width of the grooves, and
- wherein said sliding portions are each are coated with a lubricant containing fine particles of one of fluoroplastics and silicone resin.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.