[Object] To provide a push switch with a good click feel and a small operation sound.

[Solution] A push switch includes a movable contact (20) including a dome part (21a) that is shaped like a dome and configured to be inverted in shape when pressed, and a fixed contact (10) including a first fixed contact (10a), the movable contact (20) being configured to be brought into contact with and away from the first fixed contact (10a). The push switch is configured such that an operating load necessary to press the movable contact (20) gradually increases after the movable contact (20) starts to be pressed, decreases thereafter when the dome part (21a) is inverted, and increases again when the movable contact (20) is further pressed, and the dome part (21a) contacts the first fixed contact (10a) after an inflection point at which the decreased operating load starts to increase again.

An input device and a manufacturing method of the input device are provided. The input device includes a circuit board and a plurality of mechanical switches. The circuit board has a first surface, a second surface and a plurality of conductive sheets, the second surface and the first second surface are opposed each other. A plurality of holes are formed on the circuit board and the conductive sheets are disposed at one side of the first surface in pairs around the hole, and each of the conductive sheets has a coupling section bent toward the first surface along the direction of the second surface. The mechanical switches are detachable from the circuit board, and each mechanical switch includes a plunger and a plurality of pins. Each of the plungers has a positioning column embedded in the hole. One end of the pin is connected to the plunger, and the other end of the pin passes through the circuit board and is attached to the coupling section of the conductive sheets for the mechanical switch to be electrically connected to the circuit board.

A key activation system for use in an electronic device, such as a handheld communication device is provided. The system comprises an activation mechanism associated with a key in the system, a first feedback system and a second feedback system. The activation mechanism is associated with the key activation system and provides a first feedback sense when the activation mechanism has triggered the first activation condition. The second feedback system provides a second feedback sense indicating when the key triggers the second activation condition. In the system, the second feedback system operates independently from the activation mechanism and the first activation condition is triggered before the second activation condition when the activation mechanism is initially engaged. An activation mechanism may be centrally located for a set of keys.

A magnetically detented keyboard structure includes a baseplate (1) which may be formed of plastics material or steel, or other material as desired. Steel offers the advantage of electromagnetic radiation shielding, electrical grounding pos- sibilities and high structural integrity, but moulded and/or plated plastics material can offer much the same, with the exception of the same high physical strength. A number of individual locator posts (2) (of which only one appears in the figure) are formed integrally with the baseplate (1) by slitting and stamping in the case of a steel or metallic plate, or by moulding in the case of plastic. The posts (2) are spaced at regular intervals correlated with the desired keybutton spacings and positions in the assembled keyboard.

A circuitboard (3) of insulating material such as an epoxy laminate, sheet polyamide or the like, has apertures (4), preferably die cut therein to facilitate registering the circuit card (3) precisely over the locator posts (2) on the baseplate (1). Circuitry (12) in the desired artwork pattern is formed using well known techniques on the surface of the circuitboard (3). A contact (11) which may be spherical as shown, or hemispherical or any other generally convex domed shape, is attached to the circuitry (12) as a contact. Two of these contacts (11) are used for each key actuator position, but only one is shown in the figure, the other lying directly behind it.

A moldable, impulse operation synthetic resin keyboard, and a method of fabricating the same, are provided wherein the keyboard achieves essentially standard, tactile feel and feedback, mechanical N-key rollover protection, and precise, reliable output. The preferred embodiment of the keyboard includes a synthetic resin base plate having a plurality of elongated, cantilever mounted flippers, along with a plurality of elongated, laterally spaced, inwardly and opposedly extending, pivotal, key-supporting arms. Upon depression of a key, the associated flipper is deformed until a release point is reached, whereupon the flipper is disengaged, allowing the flipper to quickly return to its rest position. A keyboard output is developed as the flipper, during overtravel thereof past its rest position, strikes a signal-generating assembly. An alternative embodiment of the keyboard includes a plurality of depressible keys mounted on respective upright synthetic resin flaps designed to collapse upon key depression and engage and move an underlying, resilient, U-shaped shifting member; the member in turn engages and shifts another U-shaped resilient element which supports one or more upstanding encoding posts. When the U-shaped element reaches a cocked position it is disengaged from the shifting member and allowed to snap back toward the original rest position thereof independently of subsequent return movement of the key and shifting member. The snap back motion is sensed and a corresponding key output signal developed.