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EP0240192A2 - Membranschalter - Google Patents

Membranschalter Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0240192A2
EP0240192A2 EP87302141A EP87302141A EP0240192A2 EP 0240192 A2 EP0240192 A2 EP 0240192A2 EP 87302141 A EP87302141 A EP 87302141A EP 87302141 A EP87302141 A EP 87302141A EP 0240192 A2 EP0240192 A2 EP 0240192A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
conductors
conductor
conductive material
membrane
layer
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP87302141A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0240192A3 (de
Inventor
William Phelan
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.)
Chrome Print Ltd
Original Assignee
Chrome Print 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
Application filed by Chrome Print Ltd filed Critical Chrome Print Ltd
Publication of EP0240192A2 publication Critical patent/EP0240192A2/de
Publication of EP0240192A3 publication Critical patent/EP0240192A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • 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
    • H01H13/703—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 spacers between contact carrying layers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2211/00—Spacers
    • H01H2211/006—Individual areas
    • H01H2211/01—Ink
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2211/00—Spacers
    • H01H2211/006—Individual areas
    • H01H2211/014—Individual areas universal
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2211/00—Spacers
    • H01H2211/022—Spacers for larger actuation area
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2227/00—Dimensions; Characteristics
    • H01H2227/024—Spacer elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2239/00—Miscellaneous
    • H01H2239/03—Avoiding erroneous switching

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a membrane switch of the kind having a static circuit surmounted by a dynamic circuit of which discrete portions of one circuit may be electrically connected to discrete portions of the other by means of deformation of a membrane covering the dynamic circuit.
  • An example of a known form of membrane switch comprises a base layer of non-conductive material, a static circuit in the form of a first electrical conductor or conductors mounted on said base layer, a spacer layer having at least one aperture therein which is coincident with said first conductor or conductors, a dynamic circuit in the form of a second electrical conductor or conductors, coincident with said aperture facing said first electrical conductor or conductors, and a resilient membrane covering said second conductor or conductors by means of which membrane the second conductor or conductors may be moved into contact with the first conductor or conductors by finger pressure and moved out of contact by the resilience of the membrane and the air pressure contained between the two conductive layers.
  • the first or second conductor or conductors may be applied to the base layer and membrane by printing.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a membrane switch having a relatively large touch area e.g. greater than 15mm x 15mm, which does not give rise to unwanted contact between the opposed conductors.
  • a membrane switch would be desirable for use in operating a motor vehicle horn or as an emergency press button in a hospital.
  • a membrane switch comprising a base layer of non-­conductive material, a static circuit in the form of a first electrical conductor or conductors mounted on said base layer, a spacer layer having at least one aperture therein which is coincident with said first conductor or conductors, a dynamic circuit in the form of a second electrical conductor or conductors coincident with said aperture facing said first electrical conductor or conductors, and a resilient membrane covering said second conductor or conductors, characterized within the area in that bounded by the aperture a dis-continuous layer of non-conductive material is provided between said first conductor or conductors and said second conductor or conductors, whereby the first conductor or conductors is/are spaced from the second conductor or conductors until the resilient membrane is depressed by the user and contact is made between the opposed first and second conductors in zones free of the non-conductive material.
  • first and second electrical conductors are printed on the base layer and membrane respectively and the non-conductive material is printed in a uniform pattern on the second conductor or conductors or on the membrane.
  • the membrane switch shown in Figure 1 comprises a base layer 10 of non-conductive material supporting a static circuit in the form of a first continuous conductor 11 which is printed onto the surface of layer 10.
  • a deformable membrane 12 carrying a dynamic circuit in the form of a second continuous conductor 13 printed thereon is spaced from said base layer 10 by a spacer layer 14 provided with an aperture 15.
  • the two conductors 11, 13 are disposed just within the periphery of the aperture.
  • the conductor 13 has a discontinuous layer of a non-conductive material 16 printed thereon in intersecting lines over substantially the whole area bounded by the aperture. In this manner the two conductors 11,13 are held apart by contact of the material 16 with the layer 11 expecially in examples in which the aperture is more than 15mm x 15mm e.g. 100 mm x 65 mm, where otherwise the membrane may tend to sag over its relatively wide span.
  • the discontinuous layer shown in Figure 2 is in the form of a squared grid having a thickness of from 10 - 20 ⁇ , preferably 15 ⁇ , a line spacing of from 3.5 - 15mm, preferably 5mm, between centres and a line width of from 0.25 - 1mm, preferably 0.5mm.
  • the pattern shown in Figure 3 is similarly dimensioned to the square pattern of Figure 2 with the exception that alternate vertical lines have been omitted from alternate horizontal rows, so as to form a "brick-wall" pattern.
  • the dimensions and spacing may be as in the example of Figure 2. This facilitates depression by the user's finger in that at each junction of a vertical and horizontal line three lines meet, as shown encircled at 17 in Figure 3, and thus offer less resistance than in the Figure 2 example where four lines meet at each juncture.
  • the discontinuous non-conductive layer is formed as a matrix of dots spaced apart by 3.5 - 15 mm, preferably 5mm, each dot having a diameter of from 0.25 to 1mm, preferably 0.5mm.
  • the base layer, spacer and membrane may all be made of polyester or polycarbonate resin.
  • the base layer may be from 0.5 to 1.0mm in thickness and the membrane from 0.125 to 0.25mm.
  • the conductive layers are each about 15 ⁇ thick and by providing a spacer having a thickness of about 0.125 to 0.5mm, the clearance in the normal unoperated condition the clearance between the non-conductive layer 16 and the conductive layer 11 is much greater than 15 ⁇ .
  • the non-conductive discontinuous layer 16 may be printed onto the membrane 12 so that it appears as a pattern of dots disposed within the spaces of a dis-continuous conductive layer 13 also printed on the membrane 12.
  • the non-conductive layer 16 has a greater thickness than the conductive layer.
  • the switch comprises a base layer 10 on which is printed a static circuit 11 within the area of an aperture 15 in a spacer 14.
  • the membrane 12 is arranged over the space so that the conductive and non-conductive layers 13, 16 of the pattern shown in Figure 5 are located within the boundary of the aperture 15.
  • the pattern may be varied in dependance upon the pressure required to operate the switch. In all the examples a single pressure level is required to operate the switch at any selected point over the touch area.
  • the non-conductive layer may be formed by screen printing a two-part epoxy resin ink (e.g. 10 parts printing colour (other than black) mixed with 1 to 2.75 parts catalyst as supplied by MarlerPak).
  • a two-part epoxy resin ink e.g. 10 parts printing colour (other than black) mixed with 1 to 2.75 parts catalyst as supplied by MarlerPak.
  • a non-conductive layer may be printed on both opposing conductive layers.

Landscapes

  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
EP87302141A 1986-03-15 1987-03-12 Membranschalter Withdrawn EP0240192A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8606457 1986-03-15
GB868606457A GB8606457D0 (en) 1986-03-15 1986-03-15 Membrane switch

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0240192A2 true EP0240192A2 (de) 1987-10-07
EP0240192A3 EP0240192A3 (de) 1988-10-26

Family

ID=10594697

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87302141A Withdrawn EP0240192A3 (de) 1986-03-15 1987-03-12 Membranschalter

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0240192A3 (de)
GB (1) GB8606457D0 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU593927B2 (en) * 1986-08-04 1990-02-22 Standard Telephones And Cables Pty. Limited Improved pushbutton
WO2004079761A1 (en) * 2003-03-04 2004-09-16 Young-Woo Lee Membrane switch and its application to acoustic strip wallpaper and picture board
EP2372738A1 (de) * 2010-03-31 2011-10-05 Dav Steuermodul

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4317013A (en) * 1980-04-09 1982-02-23 Oak Industries, Inc. Membrane switch with universal spacer means
GB2084405A (en) * 1980-09-22 1982-04-07 Rogers Corp Electrical switch
GB2107933A (en) * 1981-10-16 1983-05-05 Shinetsu Polymer Co Key board unit
FR2520923A1 (fr) * 1982-01-29 1983-08-05 Sharp Kk Clavier a membrane

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4317013A (en) * 1980-04-09 1982-02-23 Oak Industries, Inc. Membrane switch with universal spacer means
GB2084405A (en) * 1980-09-22 1982-04-07 Rogers Corp Electrical switch
GB2107933A (en) * 1981-10-16 1983-05-05 Shinetsu Polymer Co Key board unit
FR2520923A1 (fr) * 1982-01-29 1983-08-05 Sharp Kk Clavier a membrane

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU593927B2 (en) * 1986-08-04 1990-02-22 Standard Telephones And Cables Pty. Limited Improved pushbutton
WO2004079761A1 (en) * 2003-03-04 2004-09-16 Young-Woo Lee Membrane switch and its application to acoustic strip wallpaper and picture board
EP2372738A1 (de) * 2010-03-31 2011-10-05 Dav Steuermodul
FR2958445A1 (fr) * 2010-03-31 2011-10-07 Dav Module de commande

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8606457D0 (en) 1986-04-23
EP0240192A3 (de) 1988-10-26

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Inventor name: PHELAN, WILLIAM