Membrane switch having spacer posts

• US 4,463,232 A
• Filed: 06/10/1982
• Issued: 07/31/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toho- Polymer Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toho- Polymer Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Takakuwa, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US06/387,020
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5 A, 200/159 B, 200/86.5, 200/86 R
• US Class Current: 200/513
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/80 characterised by the manner of cooperation of the contacts, e.g. with both contacts movable or with bounceless contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/002 bounceless
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/032 Conductive polymer; Rubber
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/074 elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/058 to avoid tilting or skewing of contact area or actuator

Abstract

Disclosed is a pushbutton-type switch such as used on the keyboard of a small-size electronic computer. The switch includes a main member carrying a movable contact and one or more projections or posts of lesser height than the movable contact. Upon application of finger pressure to the main member, the movable contact is brought into uniform contact with a fixed contact therebelow without chattering, by virtue of the supporting action of the posts.

Claims

1. A pushbutton switch in which a movable contact carried on a deformable support member may be contacted with or separated from an opposing fixed contact for closure or opening of the contacts, said pushbutton switch comprising

a base portion having a flat upper surface mounting said fixed contact,

a pushbutton member having a flat bottom surface mounting said movable contact,

a skirt portion of resilient insulating material coupling said pushbutton member to said base portion and being of sufficient height to position said pushbutton member in an open position in which said movable contact is spaced above said fixed contact and in registry therewith, whereby upon manual depression of said pushbutton member, the resilient skirt portion deforms to permit lowering of said pushbutton member to a closed position in which said movable contact engages said fixed contact,

said pushbutton member being relatively rigid, whereby said pushbutton member is subject to tilting when manually depressed in a centrally-offset region,

and at least one post depending from the flat bottom surface of said pushbutton member and being spaced from and proximate to said movable contact, said post being of lesser height than the thickness of said movable contact and being spaced above said base portion upper surface in the open position of said pushbutton member, said post being made of a material having a high coefficient of friction and being positioned to engage the flat upper surface of said base portion when said pushbutton member is moved to its closed position, whereby to prevent tilting of said pushbutton member relative to said base portion and to retard transverse shifting of said pushbutton member relative to said base portion.

2. A pushbutton switch according to claim 1 in which said post is made of rubber.

3. A pushbutton switch according to claim 1 in which said movable contact is located centrally on the flat bottom surface of said pushbutton portion, and said pushbutton switch includes two depending posts depending from the bottom surface of said pushbutton portion on opposite sides of said movable contact at equal distances therefrom.

4. A pushbutton switch according to claim 1 in which said movable contact is located centrally on the flat bottom surface of said pushbutton portion, and said pushbutton switch includes three depending posts depending from the bottom surface of said pushbutton portion and arranged around said movable contact at equal distances therefrom.

5. A pushbutton switch according to claim 4 in which said posts are arranged in a triangular pattern around said movable contact.