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EP0157035A3 - Mechanical keyboard with membrane switch arrray - Google Patents

Mechanical keyboard with membrane switch arrray Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0157035A3
EP0157035A3 EP84305716A EP84305716A EP0157035A3 EP 0157035 A3 EP0157035 A3 EP 0157035A3 EP 84305716 A EP84305716 A EP 84305716A EP 84305716 A EP84305716 A EP 84305716A EP 0157035 A3 EP0157035 A3 EP 0157035A3
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
membrane
switch
aperture
contacts
actuating member
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP84305716A
Other versions
EP0157035B1 (en
EP0157035A2 (en
Inventor
Allan Ellson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ZF Electronics UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Cherry Electrical Products Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB08408181A external-priority patent/GB2141874B/en
Application filed by Cherry Electrical Products Ltd filed Critical Cherry Electrical Products Ltd
Priority to AT84305716T priority Critical patent/ATE85155T1/en
Publication of EP0157035A2 publication Critical patent/EP0157035A2/en
Publication of EP0157035A3 publication Critical patent/EP0157035A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0157035B1 publication Critical patent/EP0157035B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • H01H13/702—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
    • H01H13/705—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2205/00—Movable contacts
    • H01H2205/032—Several contacts formed in one plate or layer
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2235/00—Springs
    • H01H2235/022—Actuating striker
    • H01H2235/024—Actuating striker formed by knee or dimple of leaf spring

Landscapes

  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)

Abstract

A key actuated membrane switch comprises a key operated switch actuating member 101 in the form of a key module and a membrane switch panel 111. The switch panel consists essentially of three membranes (112, 113, 114), one on top of the other, sealed together with adhesives. The upper and the bottom membranes (112, 113) are each continuous and each has at least one contact (115) and a respective conductor formed on its interior surface. The middle membrane (114) has at least one aperture (117) which defines a switch cell. The two contacts (115) are coaxially aligned with the aperture so that pressure on the upper membrane (112) along the axis of the aperture, causes the two contacts to come together and make a circuit. The membrane package is mounted, preferebly by an adhesive, on a rigid base 120. Pressure is selectively applied to the upper membrane by means of the key operated switch actuating member (101) via the agency of a cantilevered single-arm spring (104) which acts to apply leverage on the upper membrane (112) when the actuating member (101) is operated. The spring has a first portion which extends from the supported end of the spring in a plane parallel to the plane of the upper membrane to the vertical axis of the said contacts, and a
EP84305716A 1984-03-29 1984-08-22 Mechanical keyboard with membrane switch array Expired - Lifetime EP0157035B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT84305716T ATE85155T1 (en) 1984-03-29 1984-08-22 MECHANICAL KEYBOARD WITH KEYBOARD.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08408181A GB2141874B (en) 1983-03-31 1984-03-29 Keyboard with membrane switch array
GB8408181 1984-03-29

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0157035A2 EP0157035A2 (en) 1985-10-09
EP0157035A3 true EP0157035A3 (en) 1987-03-18
EP0157035B1 EP0157035B1 (en) 1993-01-27

Family

ID=10558896

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP84305716A Expired - Lifetime EP0157035B1 (en) 1984-03-29 1984-08-22 Mechanical keyboard with membrane switch array

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0157035B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE85155T1 (en)
DE (1) DE3486059T2 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2594988B1 (en) * 1986-02-21 1989-11-24 Radiotechnique Ind & Comm APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING DATA TRANSFERS WITH A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC CARD
US6591877B1 (en) * 1999-12-01 2003-07-15 Hoshizaki America, Inc. Beverage dispenser unit
DE10113031B4 (en) * 2001-03-17 2004-02-19 Cimosys Ltd., St. Helier Electromotive furniture drive for adjusting parts of a piece of furniture relative to one another
DE102020122745B4 (en) 2020-08-31 2022-03-31 Cherry Europe Gmbh Stabilizer bracket and stabilizer system bracket assembly for stabilizing a keyboard keycap, stabilizer kit and keyboard
US11609130B2 (en) * 2021-01-19 2023-03-21 Uneo Inc. Cantilever force sensor

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3909564A (en) * 1974-08-08 1975-09-30 Amp Inc Keyboard assembly with foldable printed circuit matrix switch array, and key actuator locking slide plate
DE2440265A1 (en) * 1974-08-22 1976-03-11 Kienzle Apparate Gmbh Snap key keyboard structure - has keys snap connected into substructure which has openings in U-shaped formation to accommodate them
FR2330074A1 (en) * 1975-10-30 1977-05-27 Chomerics Inc Plastic sheet pushbutton keyboard - has conductors and contacts on flexible folded over plastic sheet separated by sheet with holes
US4249044A (en) * 1979-04-23 1981-02-03 Oak Industries, Inc. Membrane switch with means for preventing contamination of the interior thereof
US4316066A (en) * 1979-09-10 1982-02-16 International Telephone And Telegraph Corporation Key switch with snap-action contact and resilient actuator
EP0087369B1 (en) * 1982-02-24 1986-04-30 Digital Equipment Corporation Improved electronic keyboard

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3909564A (en) * 1974-08-08 1975-09-30 Amp Inc Keyboard assembly with foldable printed circuit matrix switch array, and key actuator locking slide plate
DE2440265A1 (en) * 1974-08-22 1976-03-11 Kienzle Apparate Gmbh Snap key keyboard structure - has keys snap connected into substructure which has openings in U-shaped formation to accommodate them
FR2330074A1 (en) * 1975-10-30 1977-05-27 Chomerics Inc Plastic sheet pushbutton keyboard - has conductors and contacts on flexible folded over plastic sheet separated by sheet with holes
US4249044A (en) * 1979-04-23 1981-02-03 Oak Industries, Inc. Membrane switch with means for preventing contamination of the interior thereof
US4316066A (en) * 1979-09-10 1982-02-16 International Telephone And Telegraph Corporation Key switch with snap-action contact and resilient actuator
EP0087369B1 (en) * 1982-02-24 1986-04-30 Digital Equipment Corporation Improved electronic keyboard

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
FUJITSU SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL JOURNAL, vol. 16, no. 3, 1980, pages 47-63, Kawasaki, JP; M. ISHIZAWA et al.: "Development and application of mechanical switches" *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3486059T2 (en) 1993-08-26
DE3486059D1 (en) 1993-03-11
ATE85155T1 (en) 1993-02-15
EP0157035B1 (en) 1993-01-27
EP0157035A2 (en) 1985-10-09

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