Sealed, modular keyboard providing a tactile feel
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A keyboard comprising:
- a printed circuit board;
a switch having a movable contact member adapted for electrical coupling with the printed circuit board;
a generally plane insulating rigid frame having outer and inner faces and forming on the inner face thereof at least one housing having walls, said walls having a free edge surface portion and an inner surface portion, the said inner surface portion being substantially at right angles to the frame and having retaining means and means for securing said frame on to said printed circuit board with the said movable contact member lodged in said housing;
a deformable diaphragm overlaying said frame on the outer face thereof and having at least one surface portion facing said housing and means for securing said surface portion of the diaphragm to the said free edge surface portion, said surface portion of the diaphragm having an aperture and being shaped for snapping displacement with tactile feel;
at least one key member having outer and inner parts and a further part passing through said aperture and secured to said surface portion of the diaphragm, said further part coupling the outer and inner parts together, the outer part being shaped for finger activation and the inner part having a peripheral surface portion shaped for sliding along the said inner surface portion of the wall and having abutting means cooperating with the said retaining means, the inner part having a further surface portion which engages the movable contact member when the outer part has been pushed to an operating position in which the said surface portion of the diaphragm has effected the said snapping displacement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The keyboard comprises a printed circuit (4) serving both as an electrical connection means and as a supporting means for a modular frame (3) including a plurality of square-shaped housings (30) defined by walls (31) and arranged in rows and columns, either contact modules (7) or signal-lamp modules fitted on said printed circuit in said housings, a resilient, sealed diaphragm (1) secured to said frame, keys cooperating with said contact modules through the portions of said keys which face outwardly from said diaphragm and are actuated by an operator finger, and means (105, FIG. 5; 9, FIG. 2) by which a tactile feel can be provided through a snapping, movement.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A keyboard comprising:
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a printed circuit board; a switch having a movable contact member adapted for electrical coupling with the printed circuit board; a generally plane insulating rigid frame having outer and inner faces and forming on the inner face thereof at least one housing having walls, said walls having a free edge surface portion and an inner surface portion, the said inner surface portion being substantially at right angles to the frame and having retaining means and means for securing said frame on to said printed circuit board with the said movable contact member lodged in said housing; a deformable diaphragm overlaying said frame on the outer face thereof and having at least one surface portion facing said housing and means for securing said surface portion of the diaphragm to the said free edge surface portion, said surface portion of the diaphragm having an aperture and being shaped for snapping displacement with tactile feel; at least one key member having outer and inner parts and a further part passing through said aperture and secured to said surface portion of the diaphragm, said further part coupling the outer and inner parts together, the outer part being shaped for finger activation and the inner part having a peripheral surface portion shaped for sliding along the said inner surface portion of the wall and having abutting means cooperating with the said retaining means, the inner part having a further surface portion which engages the movable contact member when the outer part has been pushed to an operating position in which the said surface portion of the diaphragm has effected the said snapping displacement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification