Input device

• US 4,503,286 A
• Filed: 07/01/1983
• Issued: 03/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Utagawa, Ikuo, Kubo, Yoshizo
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US06/510,331
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 178/20, 338/99, 338/114
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A new and efficient input device of an electrode contact type which has a high mechanical strength and durability and can assure accurate detection of coordinates. The input device comprises an elastic flexible insulator spacer having a conductive element embedded therein which may be a gauze of thin wires of a good conductive material knit into the form of a grid. Upon depression of an outermost insulator protective sheet, a portion of the spacer is deformed to expose the conductive element below and above therefrom thereby to short-circuit the element to first and second resistor layers under and on the spacer, respectively.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

an insulator sheet;

a first resistor layer formed uniformly on said insulator sheet;

a plurality of terminal leads formed at opposite ends of said first resistor layer;

an elastic, flexible insulator spacer mounted on said first resistor layer and having a conductive element embedded therein;

a second resistor layer formed on said insulator spacer;

a plurality of second terminal leads connected to those opposite ends of said second insulator layer which extend perpendicularly to said opposite ends of said first resistor layer, and an insulator protective sheet mounted to cover an upper surface of said second resistor layer;

a position in coordinates in two intersecting axial direction being detected from potentials associated with the position of contact of said conductive element with said first and said second resistor layers.

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein said conductive element embedded in said insulator spacer is a gauze of thin wires of a good conductive metal material which are knit into the form of a grid.

3. An input device according to claim 1, wherein said insulator spacer is made of a foamed silicon material.