Glass keyboard, and method for producing a glass keyboard

• US 6,617,983 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2000
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karl-Otto Platz
• Original Assignee: Karl-Otto Platz
• Inventors: Platz, Karl-Otto
• Primary Examiner(s): EDWARDS JR, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US09/623,880
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 341/34, 341/22, 345/173, 200/512, 200/5.A
• US Class Current: 341/34
• 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 2207/008 Adhesive means; Conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/084 Glass

Abstract

In a glass keyboard comprising a keyboard surface (4) made from a flexible thin glass pane (2) and at least one carrier material pane (6), each pane being provided with an electroconductive layer (8,10) on the faces facing each other, wherein the opposing electroconductive layers (8,10) are kept at a distance to each other with the aid of a spacer (12), and wherein the electroconductive layers (8,10) touch each other when pressure is applied to the flexible thin glass layer (2) at the essentially localized place of pressure application, it is provided that the electroconductive layers (8,10) on the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6) are connected with conductors (62,66) which are led out at a side edge of the keyboard surface (4), that a flexible flat multiple cable (64,68) is connected with the conductors (62,66) of the electroconductive layers (8,10) via contacts (74,75), and that the flat multiple cable (64,68) comprising the contacts (74,75) is arranged between the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6).

Claims

1. A glass keyboard comprising a keyboard surface (4) made from a flexible thin glass pane (2) and at least one carrier material pane (6), each pane being provided on opposing faces with an electroconductive layer (8, 10), the opposing electroconductive layers (8, 10) being kept at a distance from each other by a spacer (12), the electroconductive layers (8, 10) touch each other when pressure is applied to the flexible thin glass pane (2) at an essentially localized area of pressure application, the electroconductive layers (8, 10) on the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6) being connected with respective conductors (62, 66) which are led out at a side edge of the keyboard surface (4), flexible flat multiple cables (64, 68) being connected respectively with the conductors (62, 66) of the electroconductive layers (8, 10) via contacts (74, 75),the flat multiple cables (64, 68) and the contacts (74, 75) being arranged between the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6), and the flat multiple cables (64, 68) are in side-by-side relationship to each other.

2. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that the flat multiple cables (64,68) have a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the spacer (12).

3. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that between the contacts (74) connected with the conductors (62,66) of a flat multiple cable (68) recesses (70) are left open.

4. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that a microprocessor (76) is integrated in a flat multiple cable (64,68).

5. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that the carrier material pane (6) is slightly larger than the flexible thin glass pane (2) such that the marginal area (28) of the carrier material pane (6) protrudes on all sides beyond the marginal area (20) of the thin glass pane (2).

6. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that the margin of the thin glass pane (2) is stabilized by means of a cured plastic material (16).

7. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that the keyboard surface (4) made from the flexible thin glass pane (2) is of flat configuration in the marginal area (20) and displays a slight convexity-to the outside in the switching area (24).

8. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that the thickness of the thin glass pane (2) ranges between approximately 0.1 and approximately 0.5 mm, preferably between 0.175 and 0.4 mm.

9. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that the spacer (12) is arranged exclusively in the marginal area (20,28) of the keyboard surface (4) between the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6), and that the remaining portion of the keyboard surface is adapted for localized switching at any location without any further spacer being provided.

10. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that the spacer (12) in the marginal area is formed by a plastic material curing under UV-light.

11. Glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that at the free end of the flat multiple cables (64,68) a multiple plug connector (72) is connected.

12. Glass keyboard according to claim 11 characterized in that the microprocessor (76) is integrated in the multiple plug connector (72).

13. The glass keyboard according to claim 1 characterized in that the conductors (62) are on the thin glass pane (2), and the conductors (66) are on the carrier material pane (6).

14. Glass keyboard according to claim 13 characterized in that the first flat multiple cable (64) is electroconductingly glued to the thin glass pane (2) and the second flat multiple cable (68) is electroconductingly glued to the carrier material pane (6).

15. Glass keyboard according to claim 13 characterized in that the flat multiple cables (64,68) are arranged at a lateral distance to each other between the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6).

16. A method of producing a glass keyboard comprising the steps of providing a keyboard surface (4) made from a flexible thin glass pane (2) and at least one carrier material pane (6), the panes having an electroconductive layer (8, 10) on respective faces facing each other, maintaining the opposing electroconductive layers (8, 10) at a distance to each other by a spacer (12), effecting contact between the electroconductive layers (8, 10) by applying pressure to the flexible thin glass pane (2) at an essentially localized area of pressure application, leading the electroconductive layers (8, 10) peripherally outwardly from between the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6) by conductors (62, 66) at a side edge of the keyboard surface (4), electrically connecting flexible flat multiple side-by-side cables (64, 68) respectively with the conductors (62, 66) of the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6) and gluing the flexible flat multiple cables (64, 68) respectively to the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6), and subsequently gluing the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6) to each other using an adhesive as a spacer (12) which at least in part sets-off gaps in each of which is housed conductors (74, 75) of said respective flat multiple cables (64, 68).

17. Method according to claim 16 characterized in that the flat multiple cables (64,68) are used as spacer (12) in the marginal area (20,28) of the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6).

18. Method according to claim 16 characterized in that the outer edge in the marginal area (20) of the thin glass pane (2) is stabilized by means of a highly viscous and quick-curing plastic material (16) prior to joining the thin glass pane (2) and the carrier material pane (6).

19. Method according to claim 16 characterized in that the carrier material pane (6) is cut so as to be slightly larger than the flexible thin glass pane (2) such that the marginal area (28) of the carrier material pane (6) protrudes beyond the marginal area (20) of the thin glass pane (2).