Flexible keyboard

• US 7,091,436 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Inventors: Serban, Bogdan
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad, Elvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISHMAN, MARINA
• Application Number:
  US10/499,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20050095934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 200/508, 200/511, 200512-517, 290/51
• US Class Current: 200/512
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/036 Variable resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/0085 Layered switches integrated into garment, clothes or textile
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/01 Woven wire screen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2418 Coating or impregnation increases electrical conductivity or anti-static quality

Abstract

A flexible data input device including a first textile layer and a second textile layer, which are arranged spaced apart from each other by a spacer. The spacer includes apertures delimiting the active zones of the data input device. The two textile layers are electroconductive in the active zones and a material with pressure-variable resistance is applied in the active zones, at least on one of the textile layers.

Claims

1. A flexible data input device, comprising:

a first textile layer; and

a second textile layer,

said first and second textile layers being arranged a certain distance apart from each other by a spacer, said spacer including openings that define active areas of the data input device, wherein said first and second textile layers are electrically conductive in the active areas, and wherein a material exhibiting pressure-variable resistance is applied in the active areas on one of said first and second textile layers, wherein the material exhibiting pressure-variable resistance is in electrical contact with the other one of said first and second textile layers when a pressure greater than a certain value is applied to the active areas and is spaced apart from the other one of said first and second textile layers when a pressure less than the certain value is applied to the active areas.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material exhibiting pressure-variable resistance is applied in a form of a continuous layer in the active areas on said at least one of said first and second textile layers.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material exhibiting pressure-variable resistance is applied in a form of spaced-apart spots in the active areas on said at least one of said first and second textile layers.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material exhibiting pressure-variable resistance is applied in the active areas in a form of microscopic granules.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second textile layers include a metal coating in a region of the active areas.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first textile layer and said second textile layer each have a metal coating in a form of adjacent bands, said first and second textile layers being oriented so that said metal coatings in the form of bands of said first textile layer and said second textile layer intersect in the active areas.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first textile layer has a continuous metal coating and said second textile layer has a metal coating in a form of isolated sections arranged at locations of the active areas.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spacer comprises a compressible woven or nonwoven member.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spacer comprises a noncompressible woven or nonwoven member.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spacer comprises a granulated material applied to one of said first and second textile layers.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second textile layers are laminated to said spacer.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second textile layers are stitched to said spacer.

13. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein conducting layers serving for contacting the metal coatings are deposited on said first and second textile layers.

14. A flexible data input device, comprising:

a first textile layer; and

a second textile layer,

said first and second textile layers being arranged a certain distance apart from each other by a spacer, said spacer including openings that define active areas of the data input device, wherein said first and second textile layers are electrically conductive in the active areas, wherein the material exhibiting pressure-variable resistance is applied to each of said first and second textile layers in the active areas, and wherein the materials exhibiting pressure-variable resistance, applied to each of said first and second textile layers in the active areas, are in mutual electrical contact when a pressure greater than a certain value is applied to the active areas and are mutually spaced apart when a pressure less than the certain value is applied to the active areas.