Switch with conical spring actuator

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 318,483, filed Nov. 5, 198l, now abandoned.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to keyboard switches with capacitive or contact switching elements. More particularly, the invention relates to keyboard switches with springs which bias pushbutton keys upwardly and which provide a desirable overtravel operation for the keys.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Capacitive keyboards utilize a variation in capacitance between at least two capacitor plates to indicate actuation of a key. In operation, one of the capacitive plates is mounted for reciprocating movement with respect to an underlying stationary plate to provide an increased capacitance when a key is pressed. It has been suggested that the movable capacitive plate may be shaped in the form of a conical spring which biases the key upwardly and which is compressed to provide an increased capacitance when the key is pressed.

Membrane switch keys are constructed with a stationary contact and a movable overlying contactor which is mounted on a resilient membrane. In operation, when a key is pressed, the membrane flexes downwardly until the contactor is pressed against the stationary contact. When the key is released, the flexible membrane lifts the contactor away from the its contact. Springs have been used to bias such keys upwardly to a rest position.

In the human engineering of pushbutton switches, it has been found desirable to allow a pushbutton key to move slightly past the point at which it is actuated. This "overtravel" operation allows an operator to naturally stroke the key with enough pressure to reliably actuate a switch. Also, it is advisable to change the tactile feel of the key after switch actuation, so that an operator is signaled when overtravel begins. It is also desirable to sharply define the end of overtravel movement to indicate that the key should be released.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a membrane switch or a capacitive switch with an overtravel operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide such capacitive or membrane switch keys with a spring actuator which biases the keys upwardly and provides the desirable overtravel operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide such switch keys with a spring actuator which has a conical bottom portion that provides a desirable exponentially increasing counter-force to the pressing of a key and a straight cylindrical top portion which provides a linearly increasing counter-force to signal overtravel of the key.

A further object of the invention is to provide a membrane or capacitive switch key with a stop pin which sharply indicates the end of the overtravel movement of the key.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve the objects of the invention and to overcome the problems of the prior art, one embodiment of the switch key of the invention includes a stationary contact and an adjacent movable contactor which is deflected into conductive connection with the stationary contact when a pushbutton key is pressed. The contact is supported on a substrate and the movable contactor is mounted on a resilient membrane which is supported by a spacer over the stationary contact. The spacer has an aperture through which the contactor flexes to press against its underlying contact.

An operating spring provides an upward biasing force for the key. The spring has a conical base which provides an exponentially increasing counter-force when the key is pressed to actuate the underlying switch contacts. The spring has a cylindrical top portion which provides a linearly increasing counter-force as the key is pressed past its switch actuation point and through an overtravel interval. A stop member blocks downward movement of the key at the end of its overtravel interval.

In one embodiment the base coil of the spring is supported in spaced relation to the underlying resilient membrane by slots formed in a switch housing. In another embodiment the base coil is supported by the spacer in concentric relation to the spacer aperture.

Another embodiment of the switch key of the invention includes a conducting stationary base plate. The base plate is covered by a dielectric film and a conducting operating spring is supported on the dielectric film over the plate. The operating spring has a conical base which provides an exponentially increasing counter-force to a switch key when the key is pressed to compress the spring. When the spring is compressed to a predetermined position, it defines an actuation capacitance and, when it is released, it expands to define a rest capacitance less than the actuation capacitance.

The spring has a top cylindrical portion which compresses as the key is pressed past its point of actuation. The compressing cylindrical portion of the spring provides a linearly increasing counter-force against the downward movement of the key and thus provides an overtravel tactile sensation for the key. The key includes a stop member which blocks further downward movement after the key has moved downwardly through a predetermined overtravel interval.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a keyboard with membrane switches having the conical operating spring of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of membrane contacts for the switches of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a keyboard with capacitive switches having the conical operating spring of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a keyboard with membrane switches and conical operating springs supported in slots of a housing.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a keyboard with membrane switches and conical operating springs supported on a membrane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The remaining portion of the specification will describe preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which like reference characters designate identical apparatus.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a membrane switch keyboard. As shown in FIG. 1, the keyboard includes a switch key 1 shown in its rest position and an adjacent switch key 2 which has been pressed down to its actuation position.

The switch keys 1 and 2 have cap portions 3 which are affixed to plungers 5 that are slidably mounted in a housing 7 for reciprocating movement in the housing. Each of the keys has a resilient operating spring 9 which may be made of, for example, copper or stainless steel. The operating spring 9 has coils which are shaped to provide a conical base portion 11 and a cylindrical top portion 13.

Each of the springs is supported on a relatively thin, resilient insulating membrane 15 which may be made of a suitable flexible dielectric material such as polycarbonate or a polyester such as poly (ethylene teraphthalate). The resilient membrane 15 supports top conducting metal plates 17 which may be formed on the membrane by conventional photolithographic techniques. An insulating substrate supports bottom conducting plates 19 opposite the plates 17. An insulating spacer 31 with apertures 32 supports the membrane 15. The apertures 32 are aligned so that each top plate 17 is suspended over a corresponding bottom plate 19.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded cut-away perspective view of a portion of the substrate 21, conducting plates 17 and 19, spacer 31 and resilient insulating membrane 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom conducting plates 19 each include a conducting eyelet 23 which is conductively connected to the plate by an intermediate conductive trace 25. The top plates 17 have corresponding conducting eyelets 27 and associated interconnecting conductive traces 29. As indicated above, the flexible insulating membrane 15 is supported in spaced relation to the underlying substrate 21 by the insulating spacer 31. The spacer has apertures 32 which are aligned with the top and bottom plates 17 and 19.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of the plungers 5 has an extention 33 which engages and holds the top cylindrical portion 13 of the spring and thus aligns the top portion of the spring with its key 1,2. A base coil 16 of the spring rests on the flexible insulating membrane 15 and is supported by the spacer 31. Coils of the spring above the base coil are dimensioned to enter the aperture 32 when the key is pressed. The base coil 16 of the spring is supported by the spacer 31 so that there is no downward force on the membrane 15 over the aperture 32 when the switch key is at rest. Force on the membrane in the rest position of the switch key is undesirable, because it could result in permanent displacement of the material of the membrane into the aperture.

As shown in FIG. 1, the operating spring 9 of the switch key 1 biases the key upwardly so that the underlying contacts 17 and 19 are spaced from one another in an open circuit position.

When the key is pressed, for example as shown with respect to the switch key 2, the plunger 5 moves downwardly against an exponentially increasing counterforce which is provided by the conical portion 11 of the spring as the spring is compressed. The exponentially increasing counter-force provides a desirable positive tactile sensation for a switch key operator and indicates to the operator that the key is being pressed to its switch actuation position. As the key is pressed down, the spring 9 flexes the resilient insulating membrane 15 until the top conducting plate 17 contacts its opposite bottom conducting plate 19. The conductive contact of the adjacent plates indicates that the switch key has been actuated.

After the plates 17 and 19 are in contact, the switch key of FIG. 1 continues to move downwardly in response to actuating pressure. This overtravel movement of the key after the switch contacts are closed is desirable from a human engineering standpoint, because it allows an operator to comfortably and rapidly operate switch keys with a minimum of switch actuation errors.

During overtravel movement of the plunger 5, the top portion 13 of the spring provides a linearly increasing counter-force as it compresses. The linearly increasing counter-force gives the operator a distinctive tactile sensation which indicates overtravel movement of the key. Thus, in operation, the operator initially feels a counter-force which exponentially increases to a switch actuation point at which the plates 17 and 19 contact one another. Thereafter the counterforce increases linearly to provide a distinctive overtravel feel. The shape of the operating spring 9 thus provides desirable tactile feedback in operation of the switch of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The extension 33 of each plunger 5 may be dimensioned to abut the membrane 15 and underlying plates 17 and 19 at the end of an overtravel interval to prevent further downward movement of the plunger 5 and thus indicate to the operator that the actuating pressure should be released. The extension 33 may thus enable the operator to avoid applying excessive actuating pressure, thereby insuring a relatively longer life for the components of the key. Downward movement of the switch key may also be arrested by abutment of the key cap 3 against the housing 7 or by compression and resultant stiffening of the cylindrical coils of the spring.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a capacitive keyboard in accordance with the invention. In operation, a switch key 37 is biased upwardly by the conductive operating spring 9 in the manner described with respect to FIG. 1. The spring 9 overlies a stationary capacitive plate 39 which is covered by a dielectric film 41. The spring 9 and its associated capacitive plate 39 thus form a capacitor.

In operation, when the spring 9 is compressed, the coils of its conical portion 11 are pressed adjacent to the underlying stationary plate 39 to provide an increasing capacitance. Switch actuation is indicated when the spring 9 has compressed sufficiently to provide a characteristic switch actuation capacitance.

The conical portion 11 of the spring 9 of FIG. 3 provides an exponentially increasing counter-force as well as an increasing capacitance when the plunger 5 is pressed down. After the actuation capacitance is generated, the plunger 5 continues to move down in response to downward pressure and the top portion 13 of the spring provides a linearly increasing overtravel counter-force. The overtravel counter-force has the desirable operational characteristics previously described with respect to FIG. 1.

When downward pressure on the key is released, the spring 9 resiliently biases the key upwardly to the position indicated for the key 37 of FIG. 3. In the rest position the switch capacitance is reduced to a nominal value.

Two adjacent switch keys have been illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 to facilitate an understanding of the features of the invention. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular number of switch keys. Thus, the term keyboard has been used to describe an apparatus which employs one or more switch keys having the desirable features of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a membrane switch keyboard with a preferred shape of a conical operating spring. As shown in FIG. 4, an hourglass-shaped conical spring 45 has a bottom conical portion 47 and a top cylindrical portion 49. A base coil 51 of the spring is supported in a slot 53 of the housing 7 in spaced relation to the underlying resilient membrane 15. The base coil is supported in spaced relation in order to avoid pressing the surface of the membrane 15 into the aperture 32 of the insulating spacer 31 when the switch key is at the rest position illustrated for a key 55. As explained previously, pressure on the membrane during the rest state of the switch could cause the membrane to permanently settle into the aperture 32 and thus prevent proper operation of the switch.

As shown in FIG. 4, a switch key 57 is pressed to an actuating position at which the conducting plates 17 and 19 are in contact. In the actuating position the top cylindrical coils 49 are not completely compressed together and the base coils 47 have moved into the aperture 32 to flex the membrane downwardly and thus press the plates together.

A key 59 is shown at the end of overtravel movement for the switch. After the actuation point illustrated for the key 57, the key continues to move downwardly until the top cylindrical coils 49 are compressed together. The end of the key stroke of the switch keys of FIG. 4 is sharply defined by abutment of a key cap portion 61 of the key 59 against the top surface of the housing 7.

FIG. 5 illustrates the rest position, switch actuation position and end-of-overtravel position respectively for keys 63, 65 and 67. In the keys of FIG. 5, the base coil 51 rests on the top surface of the membrane 15. However, the base coil does not bias the membrane into the aperture 32, because it is supported by the underlying insulating spacer 31. The coils of the conical portion 47 of the spring above the base coil 51 are dimensioned to move into the aperture 32 and to thus actuate the switch, as shown for the key 57. As explained above, after the switch actuation point, the key continues to move downward over an overtravel interval to the end position shown for the key 67.

The invention may be embodied in forms other than those illustrated in the drawings, without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description. Accordingly, all changes which come within the meaning and range of the equivalents of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.