TACTILE KEYCAP

• US 3,822,776 A
• Filed: 01/26/1973
• Issued: 07/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Albert R. Pratt
• Original Assignee: Albert R. Pratt
• Inventors: Pratt, Albert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pulfrey, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rader, R. T.
• Application Number:
  US05/326,919
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 197/98,102,103,104 235/145,146 340/365
• US Class Current: 400/491.3
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/12 Construction of key buttons

Abstract

A keycap for attachment to the keys of a keyboard such as used on typewriters, computers, key punchers and the like, comprising a shell carried by a key-mounted hub, and spring means between the shell and hub for providing a sensory indication of key operation to the operator when the key is depressed, which spring means may be a click or snap to simultaneously also provide an audible signal.

Claims

1. A tactile keycap and key combination comprising a key shaft, a hub on said shaft, a shell encasing said hub and having an end portion overlying an adjacent end portion of said hub, a spring between said adjacent end portions of the shell and hub for normally maintaining said portions in spaced relation, said shell having a skirt overlyiing a longitudinally extending circumferential side wall of the hub, and separate resilient means disposed between said skirt and said wall and movable longitudinally of the hub for creating an abrupt mechanical shock capable of being sensorily detected by an operator'"'"''"'"'s finger on said shell.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said shell and wall have adjacent spaced parallel surfaces, one of said surfaces is provided with a pair of adjacent parallel circumferential grooves, a rubber ring is disposed in one of said grooves, and the opposite of said surfaces frictionally engages the ring whereby relative movement of the shell and hub causes rolling movement of the ring between grooves.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said grooves are located in the surface of the hub wall, and the ring is normally disposed in the groove nearest said end portion of the hub.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said grooves are located in said surface of the skirt, and the ring is normally disposed in the groove farthest from said end portion of the hub.