CAPACITIVE COUPLING SWITCH AND ACTUATOR

• US 3,693,059 A
• Filed: 06/17/1971
• Issued: 09/19/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard H. Harris
• Original Assignee: Richard H. Harris
• Inventors: Harris, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, E. A.
• Application Number:
  US05/154,112
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 317/246,249R 200/159A,DIG.1
• US Class Current: 200/600
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/12 by making use of variations in capacitance , i.e. electric circuits therefor

Abstract

A variable capacitance switch element is disclosed in which varying capacitance is effected by increasing the active surface area of a capacitive coupling member in proximity to a second capacitive plate. The structure of the variable capacitive element is such that the capacitance of the device varies in nearly linear fashion with the depression of an actuator member.

Claims

1. In a capacitive key switch mechanism having a key actuator, dielectrically insulated conductive members and a movably mounted capacitive coupling member for capacitively coupling said conductive members, the improvement comprising:

said capacitive coupling member being a resilient conformable bowed spring means which flattens, upon being moved by said key actuator into contact with said dielectrically insulated conductive members, into a capacitive coupling relationship with said members to produce nearly linear capacitance and key force variation in response to movement of said movably mounted capacitive coupling member, said resilient coupling member further providing, by its resilience, a restoring force to return said key actuator to its unactuated position on the release of force thereon.

2. A capacitive key switch device as descriBed in claim 1, wherein said movably capacitive coupling member has an O-shaped profile in a plane perpendicular to the place occupied by said dielectrically insulated conductive member and is mounted for reciprocation in said vertical plane by a movable mounting means.

3. A capacitive key switch device as described in claim 1, wherein said movably capacitive coupling member has a U-shaped profile in a plane perpendicular to the plane occupied by said dielectrically insulated conductive member and is mounted for reciprocation in said vertical plane by a movable mounting means.