EP1008999A2 - Elektrischer Schalter - Google Patents

Elektrischer Schalter Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1008999A2
EP1008999A2 EP99124286A EP99124286A EP1008999A2 EP 1008999 A2 EP1008999 A2 EP 1008999A2 EP 99124286 A EP99124286 A EP 99124286A EP 99124286 A EP99124286 A EP 99124286A EP 1008999 A2 EP1008999 A2 EP 1008999A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
switch
substrate
membrane
contacts
gap
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99124286A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1008999A3 (de
Inventor
Emmanuel Houze
Anthony Pruvot
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Molex LLC
Original Assignee
Molex LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Molex LLC filed Critical Molex LLC
Publication of EP1008999A2 publication Critical patent/EP1008999A2/de
Publication of EP1008999A3 publication Critical patent/EP1008999A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • H01H13/78—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard characterised by the contacts or the contact sites
    • H01H13/80—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard characterised by the contacts or the contact sites characterised by the manner of cooperation of the contacts, e.g. with both contacts movable or with bounceless contacts
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • H01H13/702—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2201/00—Contacts
    • H01H2201/008—Both contacts movable
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2203/00—Form of contacts
    • H01H2203/036—Form of contacts to solve particular problems
    • H01H2203/038—Form of contacts to solve particular problems to be bridged by a dome shaped contact
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2217/00—Facilitation of operation; Human engineering
    • H01H2217/01—Off centre actuation

Definitions

  • This invention generally relates to the art of electrical switches and, particularly, to a laminated or membrane-type electrical switch.
  • Laminated electrical switches are used in a wide variety of applications and sometimes are called "touch" switches.
  • a switch may include an insulative substrate, such as of plastic material, which mounts or supports thin conductive contacts, such as of stamped sheet metal.
  • a flexible membrane is laminated to the substrate.
  • a spacer layer often is sandwiched between the membrane and the substrate, with an aperture in the spacer layer aligned with the contacts. When the flexible membrane is depressed in the area of the aperture in the spacer layer, it flexes such that its contact engages the contacts on the substrate to close the switch.
  • the membrane may carry only a contact pad, and the substrate supports a pair of switch contacts separated at a gap. The contact pad on the membrane spans the gap and, when the membrane is depressed, the contact pad shorts the pair of contacts on the substrate to close the switch and establish a circuit therethrough.
  • An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical switch of the character described.
  • the electrical switch includes a pair of stamped sheet metal switch contacts opposed to each other at a gap.
  • An insulative substrate supports the contacts and includes a recess below the contacts at the gap. The recess is sufficiently large so that the contacts extend into the recess and can flex relative to each other.
  • a conductive actuator is engageable with the contacts at the gap to close the switch, with either contact being flexible to ensure that the actuator engages both contacts.
  • the insulative substrate is molded of plastic material, and the switch contacts are part of stamped circuitry having portions other than the switch contacts overmolded by the substrate.
  • the conductive actuator comprises a plastic membrane having a depressible tactile dome with a conductive switch pad on the underside thereof engageable with the switch contacts at the gap.
  • the conductive actuator may comprise a tactile metal dome.
  • a spacer layer also may be disposed between the substrate and the conductive actuator, with the spacer layer having an aperture in registry with the recess in the substrate.
  • features of the invention may include a post molded integrally with the substrate and projecting through an aperture in the membrane.
  • the post is deformed to secure the membrane to the substrate.
  • a metal post may project from the substrate through the membrane and crimped over the membrane to secure the membrane to the substrate.
  • the invention is embodied in a laminated or membrane-type electrical switch assembly, generally designated 12.
  • the top of the assembly shown in Figure 1 is substantially covered by an actuator membrane 14, such as of polyester material.
  • the switch assembly has three switches and, correspondingly, actuator membrane 14 has three actuator domes 16.
  • FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of switch assembly 12 and shows an elongated insulative substrate 18 which mounts electrical circuitry described hereinafter.
  • the substrate may be fabricated of dielectric material such as plastic.
  • the electrical circuitry includes a pair of switch contacts 20 for each of the three switches of the assembly. Each pair of switch contacts 20 are separated at a gap 22.
  • switch contacts 20 are variously connected to respective ones of a ground contact arm 24 and three signal contact arms 26a, 26b and 26c.
  • Contact arms 24 and 26a-26c are spring arms on the bottom of switch assembly 12 for engaging appropriate contacts on an associated electrical device.
  • switch assembly 12 may comprise a switch pad in a cellular telephone.
  • Figure 3 shows a top plan view of substrate 18 mounting the electrical circuitry of the switch assembly, including switch contacts 20 separated at gaps 22.
  • the circuitry including switch contacts 20 and contact arms 24 and 26a-26c, is stamped and formed of sheet metal material. As indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3, portions of the stamped circuitry other than the switch contacts and the contact arms are overmolded by the plastic substrate 18. It also can be seen in Figure 3 that one switch contact 20 in each of the three pairs thereof is connected by overmolded circuitry 28 leading to ground contact arm 24.
  • the other switch contact 20 of the left-hand switch is connected by overmolded circuitry 30 leading to signal contact arm 26a.
  • the other contact switch 20 of the center switch is connected by overmolded circuitry 32 leading to signal contact arm 26b.
  • the other contact switch 20 of the right-hand switch is connected by overmolded circuitry 34 leading to signal contact arm 26c.
  • Figure 4 shows an enlarged section through the center switch as viewed in Figure 1. It can be seen that plastic substrate 18 is overmolded around circuitry 28 and 32 leading to switch contacts 20 separated at gap 22. Figure 4 clearly shows that substrate 18 has a recess 34 below switch contacts 20 at gap 22. The recess is sufficiently large so that the contacts extend into the recess and can flex relative to each other in the direction of arrows "A”.
  • Actuator membrane 14 is separated from substrate 18 by a spacer layer 36 having an aperture 37.
  • Each actuator dome 16 of actuator membrane 14 carries a contact pad 38 on the underside thereof.
  • dome 16 when dome 16 is depressed in the direction of arrow "B", contact pad 38 engages switch contacts 20 to short the switch contacts and close the switch, thereby establishing a circuit between signal contact arm 26b and ground contact arm 24.
  • actuator membrane 14 and dome 16 are sufficiently thick to give a tactile indication when the dome is depressed “overcenter” the plane of the membrane to actuate the switch. It is contemplated that the present invention could utilize metal tactile domes instead of the actuator membrane 14 and domes 16.
  • Figures 5 and 6 show the advantages of the invention in ensuring a reliable connection between switch contacts 22.
  • Figure 5 shows a properly aligned push button 40 engaging dome 16 and depressing contact pad 38 on the underside of the dome into engagement with switch contacts 20 at gap 22.
  • push button 40 is not centrally aligned with the gap 22 and may be cocked to one side or the other, as seen in Figure 6. Nevertheless, since switch contacts 20 extend into recess 34, the stamped contacts can flex as represented by the right-hand contact in Figure 6, to ensure that the push button engages both contacts. If the switch contacts were rigid as in the prior art, the cocked push button would engage and abut against the right-hand contact and never engage the left-hand contact, resulting in an incomplete or insufficient connection.
  • Figures 7 and 8 show comparisons between the use of a separate spacer layer 36 as seen in Figure 7 and an integral spacer "buildup" 42 as seen in Figure 8.
  • Figure 7 substantially corresponds to the depiction described above in relation to Figure 4, with the spacer layer having aperture 37 in registry with switch contacts 20.
  • substrate 18 could be built up or made thicker and provided with an aperture 42 in registry with the switch contacts as seen in Figure 8.
  • the alternative of Figure 8 would integrate the spacer directly into the overmolded substrate.
  • actuator membrane 14 can be secured to substrate 18 by an appropriate adhesive.
  • Figures 9-11B show mechanical means for securing the membrane to the substrate. More particularly, referring to Figures 10A and 10B in conjunction with Figure 9, a plurality of securing posts 44 are molded integrally with substrate 18 for projection through apertures 46 in actuator membrane 14. After the membrane is positioned on top of the substrate, with the securing posts 44 projecting through apertures 46, the plastic posts can be deformed as at 44a in Figure 10B to secure the membrane to the substrate. Referring to Figures 11A and 11B in conjunction with Figure 9, a plurality of metal securing posts 48 can be overmolded in substrate 18 for projection through slits 50 in actuator membrane 14.
  • the metal posts can be crimped as at 48a in Figure 11B to secure the membrane to the substrate.
  • both types of mechanical means 44 and 48 are shown utilized in the switch assembly 12 in Figure 9, it is contemplated that only one or the other mechanical means 44 or 48 will be used to secure the actuator membrane 14 to the substrate 18 of a given switch assembly 12.

Landscapes

  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
EP99124286A 1998-12-08 1999-12-06 Elektrischer Schalter Withdrawn EP1008999A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US20763298A 1998-12-08 1998-12-08
US207632 1998-12-08

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1008999A2 true EP1008999A2 (de) 2000-06-14
EP1008999A3 EP1008999A3 (de) 2001-12-05

Family

ID=22771362

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99124286A Withdrawn EP1008999A3 (de) 1998-12-08 1999-12-06 Elektrischer Schalter

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1008999A3 (de)
CN (1) CN1259749A (de)
TW (1) TW433535U (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2014052153A1 (en) * 2012-09-25 2014-04-03 Animas Corporation Articulating power supply for medical infusion device

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2019044725A1 (ja) * 2017-09-01 2019-03-07 パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社 プッシュスイッチ

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3728509A (en) * 1970-09-26 1973-04-17 Alps Electric Co Ltd Push-button switch with resilient conductive contact member with downwardly projecting ridges
DE2903898A1 (de) * 1978-02-03 1979-08-09 Canon Kk Flaches elektronisches geraet
GB1553772A (en) * 1976-09-10 1979-10-10 Alps Electric Co Ltd Push-button electric switch
FR2447598A1 (fr) * 1979-01-25 1980-08-22 Itt Commutateur a bouton poussoir
DE3333685A1 (de) * 1983-09-17 1985-04-04 Schadow Rudolf Gmbh Elektrischer flachschalter
US4720610A (en) * 1986-12-19 1988-01-19 Amp Incorporated Membrane key switch with anti-inversion feature
EP0531973A2 (de) * 1991-09-10 1993-03-17 Fujikura Ltd. Schnappmembranschalter

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3728509A (en) * 1970-09-26 1973-04-17 Alps Electric Co Ltd Push-button switch with resilient conductive contact member with downwardly projecting ridges
GB1553772A (en) * 1976-09-10 1979-10-10 Alps Electric Co Ltd Push-button electric switch
DE2903898A1 (de) * 1978-02-03 1979-08-09 Canon Kk Flaches elektronisches geraet
FR2447598A1 (fr) * 1979-01-25 1980-08-22 Itt Commutateur a bouton poussoir
DE3333685A1 (de) * 1983-09-17 1985-04-04 Schadow Rudolf Gmbh Elektrischer flachschalter
US4720610A (en) * 1986-12-19 1988-01-19 Amp Incorporated Membrane key switch with anti-inversion feature
EP0531973A2 (de) * 1991-09-10 1993-03-17 Fujikura Ltd. Schnappmembranschalter

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2014052153A1 (en) * 2012-09-25 2014-04-03 Animas Corporation Articulating power supply for medical infusion device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1008999A3 (de) 2001-12-05
CN1259749A (zh) 2000-07-12
TW433535U (en) 2001-05-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3973091A (en) Pushbutton keyboard assembly having pole and inner contacts simultaneously engaged by a bridging contact
US4349712A (en) Push-button switch
US6271491B1 (en) Push button switch including dome-shaped movable contact having reverse function
US6518527B2 (en) Push switch having reduced size
US4343973A (en) Low cost electrical switch
US6946610B2 (en) Push switch
JPH11162286A (ja) スイッチアセンブリ
EP1178508A1 (de) Tastatureinheit
US4197437A (en) Snap-action switch
JP2001525589A (ja) 触覚効果および単一作動部材を有する複数経路電気スイッチ
US6486427B1 (en) Electrical switch
EP0531973B1 (de) Schnappmembranschalter
US4046982A (en) Switch means for short-stroke push-button keys
EP1008999A2 (de) Elektrischer Schalter
KR100339899B1 (ko) 푸시버튼 스위치 및 그 제조방법
JPH11232962A (ja) プッシュオンスイッチ
US5811744A (en) Double electrical switch
EP3806122B1 (de) Kuppelaktuatorstruktur zur verwendung in einem kuppelschalter und kuppelschalter mit einer solchen struktur
JP2976648B2 (ja) プッシュスイッチ
CA1042965A (en) Switch element for short-stroke push-button keys
KR101426490B1 (ko) 슬림형 푸쉬 스위치장치
KR20020083710A (ko) 피씨비형 택트 스위치
KR200241402Y1 (ko) 피씨비형 택트 스위치
JPH0721875A (ja) 押ボタンスイッチ
KR200242989Y1 (ko) 레버스위치

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Free format text: AL;LT;LV;MK;RO;SI

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Free format text: AL;LT;LV;MK;RO;SI

AKX Designation fees paid

Free format text: DE FR GB IT

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 20020606