Environmentally sealed inductive sensor assembly

An electrical sensor assembly comprising:

• a housing structure defining an open space within the housing structure, the housing structure including a surface having a region of reduced thickness generally surrounding an actuator area;
• a circuit board mounted to the housing structure in the open space, the circuit board including an inductive sense area;
• a flexible electrically conductive spring structure attached to the circuit board over the inductive sensor area in an non-contacting relationship;
• a stem member extending from the actuator area of the housing structure and having a distal end disposed adjacent to or in contact with the spring structure;
• and
• wherein the spring structure is configured to be flexed toward the inductive sensor area by force exerted by the stem portion when a user exerts force on the actuator area, the flexing of the spring structure resulting in a change of inductance of the inductive sensor area to indicate an actuator push.

An electrical sensor assembly comprising:

• a hollow housing structure defining an open space within the housing structure;
• a circuit board mounted to the housing structure in the open space, the circuit board including an inductive sense area;
• a flexible metal domed spring structure attached to the circuit board over the inductive sensor area in a non-contacting relationship;
• a stem member extending from an actuator area of the housing structure and having a distal end disposed adjacent to or in contact with the spring structure;
• and
• wherein the domed spring structure is configured to be flexed toward and without contacting the inductive sensor area by force exerted by the stem portion when a user exerts force on the actuator area, the flexing of the domed spring structure resulting in a change of inductance of the inductive sensor area to indicate an actuator push.

A control panel for a bathing installation, comprising:

• a hollow housing structure defining an open space within the housing structure and a panel surface;
• an electronic display for displaying information regarding the bathing installation;
• a plurality of actuator regions on the panel surface for conveying user commands to provide or adjust parameter settings of the bathing installation or to control the panel;
• wherein the panel surface is a generally rigid surface permitting limited flexing of said actuator regions in response to force exerted by a user on the actuator regions;
• a circuit board mounted in the open space, the circuit board including an inductive sense area for each actuator region;
• a flexible metal dome spring structure positioned over each inductive sensor area in a non-contacting relationship;
• a stem portion extending from each actuator region of the housing structure and having a distal end disposed adjacent to or in contact with a corresponding spring structure;
• each dome spring structure configured to be flexed toward the inductive sensor area by force exerted by the stem portion when a user exerts force on the actuator region, the flexing of the domed spring structure resulting in a change of inductance of the inductive sensor area to indicate a actuator push;
• and
• resiliently deformable potting material substantially filling open spaces in the hollow housing structure between the top surface and the circuit board, and an open space below the circuit board, the resilient deformability of the potting material enabling flexure of the domed spring structure while providing moisture protection.