ELECTRICAL SWITCH HAVING PLURAL SWITCHING ELEMENTS, AS FOR CONTROLLING A FLASHLIGHT
First Claim
1. An electrical switch comprising:
- a first switch element including;
a first substrate having at least a central electrical conductor and a peripheral electrical conductor thereon;
an electrically conductive first flexible dome disposed on said first substrate in electrical contact with the peripheral electrical conductor thereof and overlying the central electrical conductor thereof, said first flexible dome having a given actuating force,wherein said first flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the central electrical conductor of said first substrate when pressed towards said first substrate with the given actuating force;
a second switch element disposed adjacent the first switch element, said second switch element including;
a flexible second substrate having at least a central electrical conductor and a peripheral electrical conductor thereon;
an electrically conductive second flexible dome disposed on said flexible second substrate in electrical contact with the peripheral electrical conductor thereof and overlying the central electrical conductor thereof, said second flexible dome having an actuating force that is less than the given actuating force of said first flexible dome,wherein said second flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the central electrical conductor of said flexible second substrate when pressed towards said flexible second substrate with a force less than the given actuating force; and
an actuator disposed adjacent said second switch element and urged away therefrom by a spring therebetween,wherein said actuator is movable for exerting force on said second switch element via said spring, and for exerting force on said first switch element via said spring and said second switch element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical switch comprises first and second switch elements each including a respective electrically conductive flexible dome for selectively making an electrical connection. The second switch element is adjacent the first switch element. An actuator is movable for exerting force on the first and second switch elements, wherein the flexible dome of the first switch element makes connection to a first electrical conductor when the actuator moves a first distance and the flexible dome of the second switch element makes the electrical connection to a second electrical conductor when the actuator moves a second distance in addition to the first distance.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. An electrical switch comprising:
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a first switch element including; a first substrate having at least a central electrical conductor and a peripheral electrical conductor thereon; an electrically conductive first flexible dome disposed on said first substrate in electrical contact with the peripheral electrical conductor thereof and overlying the central electrical conductor thereof, said first flexible dome having a given actuating force, wherein said first flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the central electrical conductor of said first substrate when pressed towards said first substrate with the given actuating force; a second switch element disposed adjacent the first switch element, said second switch element including; a flexible second substrate having at least a central electrical conductor and a peripheral electrical conductor thereon; an electrically conductive second flexible dome disposed on said flexible second substrate in electrical contact with the peripheral electrical conductor thereof and overlying the central electrical conductor thereof, said second flexible dome having an actuating force that is less than the given actuating force of said first flexible dome, wherein said second flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the central electrical conductor of said flexible second substrate when pressed towards said flexible second substrate with a force less than the given actuating force; and an actuator disposed adjacent said second switch element and urged away therefrom by a spring therebetween, wherein said actuator is movable for exerting force on said second switch element via said spring, and for exerting force on said first switch element via said spring and said second switch element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electrical switch comprising:
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a first switch element including an electrically conductive first flexible dome, said first flexible dome being flexible for selectively making electrical connection between a first pair of electrical conductors, said first flexible dome having a given actuating force, a second switch element disposed adjacent the first switch element, said second switch element including an electrically conductive second flexible dome, said second flexible dome being flexible for selectively making an electrical connection between a second pair of electrical conductors, wherein said second pair of electrical conductors are flexible and are between said second flexible dome and said first switch element, said second flexible dome having an actuating force that is less than the given actuating force of said first flexible dome, an actuator disposed adjacent said second switch element and urged away therefrom by a spring therebetween, wherein said actuator is movable for exerting force on said second switch element via said spring, and for exerting force on said first switch element via said spring and said second switch element. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electrical switch comprising:
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a housing having walls defining a central cavity and defining at least two passages through the walls of said housing; a first switch element disposed in the central cavity of said housing, said first switch element including; a first substrate adjacent said housing, said first substrate having at least a central electrical conductor and a peripheral electrical conductor thereon, wherein the central electrical conductor and the peripheral electrical conductor extend into or through or into and through a first of said at least two passages; an electrically conductive first flexible dome disposed on said first substrate in electrical contact with the peripheral electrical conductor thereof and overlying the central conductor thereof, said first flexible dome having a given actuating force, wherein said first flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the central electrical conductor of said first substrate when pressed towards said first substrate with the given actuating force; a second switch element disposed in the central cavity of said housing adjacent the first switch element, said second switch element including; a flexible second substrate adjacent the first switch element, said flexible second substrate having at least a central electrical conductor and a peripheral electrical conductor thereon, wherein the central electrical conductor and the peripheral electrical conductor extend into or through or into and through a second of said at least two passages; an electrically conductive second flexible dome disposed on said flexible second substrate in electrical contact with the peripheral electrical conductor thereof and overlying the central conductor thereof, said second flexible dome having an actuating force that is less than the given actuating force of said first flexible dome, wherein said second flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the central electrical conductor of said flexible second substrate when pressed towards said flexible second substrate with a force less than the given actuating force; an actuator button disposed in an opening of said housing adjacent said second switch element; and a coil spring disposed between said actuator button and said second switch element for urging said actuator button away from said second switch element, wherein said actuator button is movable in the opening of said housing for exerting force on said second switch element via said coil spring, and for exerting force on said first switch element via said coil spring and said second switch element. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An electrical switch comprising:
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a first switch element including an electrically conductive first flexible dome for selectively making electrical connection to a first electrical conductor and having a first given actuating force; a second switch element adjacent the first switch element, the second switch element including an electrically conductive second flexible dome for selectively making an electrical connection to a second electrical conductor; wherein the second electrical conductor is between the second flexible dome and the first switch element, the second flexible dome having a second given actuating force; and an actuator movable for exerting force on the second switch element via a spring, and for exerting force on the first switch element via the spring and the second switch element. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. An electrical switch comprising:
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a first switch element including an electrically conductive first flexible dome for providing a first normally open switch contact and having a first given actuating force, a second switch element adjacent the first switch element, the second switch element including an electrically conductive second flexible dome for providing a second normally open switch contact and having a second given actuating force, said second switch element including a flexible electrical conductor between said first switch element and the second flexible dome; and an actuator movable for exerting force on the second switch element via a spring, and for exerting force on the first switch element via the spring and the second switch element, wherein the actuator moves a distance for closing the first and second normally open contacts that is substantially longer than an actuating distance of said first and second flexible domes. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. An electrical switch comprising:
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a first switch element including an electrically conductive first flexible dome for selectively making electrical connection to a first electrical conductor; a second switch element adjacent the first switch element, the second switch element including an electrically conductive second flexible dome for selectively making an electrical connection to a second electrical conductor; and an actuator movable for exerting force on the first and second switch elements, wherein the first flexible dome of the first switch element makes the electrical connection to the first electrical conductor when the actuator moves a first distance and wherein the second flexible dome of the second switch element makes the electrical connection to the second electrical conductor when the actuator moves a second distance in addition to the first distance. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An electrical switch comprising:
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a first switch element including an electrically conductive first flexible dome for providing a first normally open switch contact; a second switch element adjacent the first switch element, the second switch element including an electrically conductive second flexible dome for providing a second normally open switch contact; and an actuator movable for exerting force on the first and second switch elements, wherein force is exerted on at least one of the first and second switch elements via a spring, wherein the actuator moves a distance for closing the first and second normally open contacts that is substantially longer than an actuating distance of the first and second flexible domes. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An electrical switch comprising:
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a first switch element including; an electrically conductive first flexible dome in electrical contact at its periphery with a first electrical conductor and overlying a first central electrical conductor, said first flexible dome having a first actuating force, wherein said first flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the first central electrical conductor when pressed towards said first central electrical conductor with at least the first actuating force; a second switch element disposed adjacent the first switch element, said second switch element including; an electrically conductive second flexible dome in electrical contact at its periphery with a second electrical conductor and overlying a second central conductor, said second flexible dome having a second actuating force, wherein said second flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the second central electrical conductor when pressed towards said second central electrical conductor with a force at least the second actuating force; and an actuator and a spring, wherein said actuator is movable for exerting force on said first and second switch elements, and wherein said actuator is movable for exerting force on at least one of said first and second switch elements via said spring. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification