Abstract:
The membrane keyboard assembly comprises upper and lower membrane keyboards, a spacer interposed therebetween and a common flexible base including two half portions associated with the upper and lower membrane keyboards. The flexible base has silver paint contact areas and connection lines printed thereon and the silver paint connection lines have gaps at spaced points along their length. Resistive layers are applied on the contact areas and connection lines including the gaps therein so that suppression resistances in series connected across the connection lines are formed. The resistance value of the suppression resistances can be varied by suitably selecting the length and width of the connection lines.
Abstract:
A switching device having a movable contact element characterized by a set of unconnected, curved slots radiating outward from a central key area and equally spaced around the central key area. The radially extending unconnected, curved slots may be sections of a spiral, at least some of which sections overlap each other. Adjustment of the spring rate of the movable contact element is accomplished by adjusting the length of the slots or by regulating the distance of the inner terminus of the slots from a central point of the central key area. The movable contact element either contacts a second contact element for contact switching or approaches the second contact element for capacitive switching.A plurality of the switching elements can be formed in a planar array on a continuous metallic substrate to provide a keyboard. The movable switching elements can be formed on the metallized areas of a printed circuit board.
Abstract:
In a matrix of switches disposed in rows and columns, a plurality of first discrete conductors are deposited on the surface of a first backing member to extend in a first direction and a plurality of second discrete conductors are deposited on the surface of a second backing member to extend in a second direction. Dielectric spacing means is disposed between the first and second backing members to maintain the first and second conductors in a normally spaced relationship. The spacing means defines a plurality of openings each extending between an associated pair of the first and second conductors which define one of the switches. By pressing the associated pair of conductors into relative engagement through the associated opening in the spacing means, a signal on the associated first conductor is switched to the associated second conductor. The second conductors can extend through a pair of the switches and can be bisected therebetween to increase the number of discrete switches in the matrix without increasing the number of conductors. A bar clamp provides an interface between the switches in the matrix and the electronics associated with the controlled operations. A method for making the matrix of switches includes the steps of providing a spool for each of the backing members, the conductors, and the spacing means, and guiding the conductors and the spacing means in a spaced relationship onto the backing member. This process can be performed at high speed with inexpensive materials to significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing the matrix of switches.
Abstract:
Relates generally to the production of electricial signals from a keyboard, each key of which is individually operatively associated with a switching device whose activation to electrical conductive condition is controlled by the displacement of the key. These switches are hermetically sealed from the atmosphere and are electrically scanned in succession at relatively high speeds and at a repetitious rate such that several scanning cycles occur during the normal activation of a selected key. The keyboard mechanism also includes a shift register having one more bit position than the number of switch devices and into which a bit is introduced into the ''''one'''' position at the instant the scan encounters a closed switch of the keyboard. This bit is then shifted through the register in timed relation to the scan of the remaining key switches and unloaded into the last bit position of the register. A detector senses the presence of a bit in both the ''''one'''' position and the last position of the shift register and upon detection of a bit solely in the one position it delivers a signal indicative of the character represented by the actuated key and upon detecting bits in the two extreme positions of the shift register it nullifies the delivery of such a signal.
Abstract:
A magnetic membrane switch includes two opposed sheets of material which are magnetized in such a way that they repel each other. At least one of these sheets is flexible. The sheets are supported so that there is a predetermined spacing between them. The opposed faces of the sheets are provided with a thin metallic pattern. Portions of the metallic pattern can be made to contact one another by pressing on localized sections of the flexible sheet. The resulting contact achieves a switching operation. By placing an alpha-numeric code on one of the sheets, the switch can be utilized as a keyboard.
Abstract:
A contact element for the intermittent contacting of conductor tracks on a circuit board, in particular, for flexible touchpads, for example for flexible input devices in the automobile industry, is made from a metal foam. The metal foam may be at least partly infiltrated by an elastomeric material which can also be the material of construction of the touchpad. The contact element has a very reliable construction which is particularly suitable for high voltage application. A method for production of the contact element, touchpads/input devices with such contact pads and the use of the contact pads is also provided.
Abstract:
A silver-coated stainless steel strip for movable contacts, which has an underlying layer comprising any one of nickel, cobalt, nickel alloys, and cobalt alloys, on at least a part of the surface of a stainless steel substrate, and has a silver or silver alloy layer formed as an upper layer, in which a copper or copper alloy layer with a thickness of 0.05 to 2.0 μm is provided between the silver or silver alloy layer and the underlying layer; and a producing method of the above-described silver-coated stainless steel strip, in which said strip is subjected to a heat-treating in a non-oxidative atmosphere.
Abstract:
In a push-button switch member provided with a movable contact composed of a metal member constituting a contact surface to contact an opposing electrode, a number of holes are formed in the contact surface in a height direction of the metal member, and the holes are filled with a filler formed of a flexible resin.
Abstract:
An actuator body or actuator system (1) for electrical and electronic microdevices comprises at least two switch contacts (5, 7) which by way of a membrane (13) extending across at least one of said contacts can be mutually connected when the membrane is depressed for triggering a switching operation. In the actuating system described at least one of the contacts (5) is positioned in the area of the membrane perimeter and is connected via an electroconductive polymer (17) to a conductor strip (15) located on the inside surface of the membrane facing said contacts. The membrane with its conductor strip is suspended above the other contact (7) in such fashion that it and the conductor strip remain at a distance from that other contact when the system is not being operated. When depressed, the membrane can be deflected to said other contact so as to cause the conductor strip to touch that other contact, establishing the electrical connection between the two contacts (5, 7).