Abstract:
Keyboards for use in calculators, control equipment and the like, and which include a circuit board supporting electrical pathways, an insulator separator having openings registerable with portions of the pathways, a non-conductive elastomeric layer supporting a plurality of non-selfsupporting flexible conductive members or pathways and contactors thereon, said flexible conductive circuit contactors registerable with said openings whereby pressure applied to said elastomeric layer causes one or more of said contactors to extend through one or more openings to make electrical contact with portions of one or more circuit pathways supported by said board.
Abstract:
A keyboard structure which includes a circuit board or the like having a plurality of contacts, an insulator layer having a plurality of holes therethrough, said holes positioned above said board to expose said contacts, composite means comprising an electrically non-conductive elastomeric layer having adhered thereto and covering a major portion of one side thereof, a thin flexible electrically conductive non-selfsupporting and nonelastomeric plastic layer having electrically conductive particles dispersed therethrough, and means for pushing the nonconductive layer and the conductive layer through said holes to make electrical contact with contacts.