Keyboard switch assembly including actuator member with three active positions

• US 6,525,278 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Villain, Jean-Christophe, Cupif, Bertrand, Brisson, Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): SCOTT, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US09/987,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 200/1.R, 200/5.R, 200/5.A, 200/512-517, 200/520-573, 200/314, 200/315, 200/341-345, 200/329-332, 235/145.R, 379/433.06, 379/433.07, 341/22-35
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

The present invention provides an actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the navigation key type, consisting of a rigid button mounted with limited mobility and a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites. The button has underside formations each intended to come into contact with one of the active sites. Three active sites are disposed at the corners of a triangle, wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed between two of the active sites, alone or in conjunction with the third active site, so as to allow tilting of the button by pivoting on the non-active site toward one of the first two active sites situated on respective sides thereof until the corresponding formation comes into contact with one of the active sites to activate it, for example by compressing it or depressing it.

Claims

1. An actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the navigation key type, comprising:

a rigid button, mounted with limited mobility in rotation, and

a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites,

wherein said button has underside formations each intended to come into contact with a respective one of said active sites as a function of the location, magnitude and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the button,

wherein the plurality of active sites includes three active sites which are disposed in a triangle formation, so as to be disposed at the corners of the triangle formation, and wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed between a first two of said active sites as viewed along one leg of the triangle formation, and wherein said button tilts by pivoting on said non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on respective sides thereof until one of the underside formations comes into contact with one of said active sites to activate said one of said active sites by depressing said one of said active sites, and

wherein activation threshold pressure values for the first two active sites are substantially identical, while an activation threshold pressure value for the third active site is at least twice that of said first two active sites.

2. An actuator member according to claim 1, wherein the non-active bearing site and the third active site define a pivot edge for the button, the triangle formation is formed as an isosceles triangle, and the non-active bearing site is centered on the base of said triangle so as to be disposed between the first two active sites.

3. An actuator member according to claim 1, wherein the non-active bearing site protrudes relative to the first two active sites, allowing tilting of the button in the direction of the third active site until one of the underside formations of the button comes into contact with one of the first two active sites to activate said one of the first two active sites by depressing said one of the first two active sits, by pivoting with corresponding one of said underside formations bearing on a contact area of said one of the first two active sites.

4. An actuator member according to claim 1, wherein contact areas of the underside formations and/or contact areas of the active sites and the non-active bearing site are surface contact areas.

5. A actuator member according to claim 1, wherein contact between the non-active bearing site and the corresponding underside formation is substantially a point contact, the contact area of said non-active bearing site or said underside formation being a surface contact area.

6. An actuator member according to claim 5, wherein the contact between the third active site and the corresponding underside formation is substantially a point contact and the contacts between the first two active sites and the corresponding underside formations are substantially point contacts.

10. An actuator member according to claim 1, wherein the button is mounted by insertion molding.

7. An actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the navigation key type, comprising:

a rigid button, mounted with limited mobility in rotation, and

a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites,

wherein said button has underside formations each intended to come into contact with a respective one of said active sites as a function of the location, magnitude and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the button,

wherein the plurality of active sites includes three active sites which are disposed in a triangle formation, so as to be disposed at the corners of the triangle formation, and wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed between a first two of said active sites as viewed along one leg of the triangle formation, and wherein said button tilts by pivoting on said non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on respective sides thereof until one of the underside formations comes into contact with one of said active sites to activate said one of said active sites by depressing said one of said active sites, and

wherein contact between the non-active bearing site and the corresponding underside formation is substantially a point contact, the contact area of said non-active bearing site or said underside formation being a surface contact area,

wherein the underside formations are dome-shape protruding formations, the active sites are protruding formations, and the cumulative heights of the underside formations and the respective facing active sites are substantially equal to the cumulative height of the non-active bearing site and the corresponding underside formation.

8. An actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the navigation key type, comprising:

a rigid button, mounted with limited mobility in rotation, and

a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites,

wherein said button has underside formations each intended to come into contact with a respective one of said active sites as a function of the location, magnitude and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the button,

wherein the plurality of active sites includes three active sites which are disposed in a triangle formation, so as to be disposed at the corners of the triangle formation, and wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed between a first two of said active sites as viewed along one leg of the triangle formation, and wherein said button tilts by pivoting on said non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on respective sides thereof until one of the underside formations comes into contact with one of said active sites to activate said one of said active sites by depressing said one of said active sites, and

wherein contact between the non-active bearing site and the corresponding underside formation is substantially a point contact, the contact area of said non-active bearing site or said underside formation being a surface contact area,

wherein the first two active sites correspond to opposed commands, and wherein the third active site corresponds to a confirmation command.

9. An actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the navigation key type, comprising:

a rigid button, mounted with limited mobility in rotation, and

a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites,

wherein said button has underside formations each intended to come into contact with a respective one of said active sites as a function of the location, magnitude and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the button,

wherein the plurality of active sites includes three active sites which are disposed in a triangle formation, so as to be disposed at the corners of the triangle formation, and wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed between a first two of said active sites as viewed along one leg of the triangle formation, and wherein said button tilts by pivoting on said non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on respective sides thereof until one of the underside formations comes into contact with one of said active sites to activate said one of said active sites by depressing said one of said active sites, and

wherein contact between the non-active bearing site and the corresponding underside formation is substantially a point contact, the contact area of said non-active bearing site or said underside formation being a surface contact area,

wherein the detector component is of one-piece construction and includes an opening facing the button to house a component for illuminating the button by transmission, the button being made from a translucent material.

11. A device including a keypad including a plurality of keys and at least one multifunction key, for selecting a plurality of functions displayed on display means of said device, wherein the multifunction key includes an actuator member comprising:

a rigid button mounted with limited mobility in rotation; and

a separate detector component having three active sites,

wherein said button has underside formations each capable of contacting with a respective one of the active sites of said detector component,

wherein said active sites are provided in a triangle formation so as to be disposed at the corners of the triangle formation, wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed between the first two of said active sites, when viewed along a leg of the triangle formation, to allow, with the third active site, tilting of said button by pivoting on said non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on respective opposite sides thereof until the corresponding underside formation comes into contact with one of said two active sites in order to activate said one of said two active sites, and

wherein activation threshold pressure values for the first two active sites are substantially identical, while an activation threshold pressure value for the third active site is at least twice that of said first two active sites.