US3539958A - Push-button matrix switching device - Google Patents

Push-button matrix switching device Download PDF

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Publication number
US3539958A
US3539958A US802495A US3539958DA US3539958A US 3539958 A US3539958 A US 3539958A US 802495 A US802495 A US 802495A US 3539958D A US3539958D A US 3539958DA US 3539958 A US3539958 A US 3539958A
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United States
Prior art keywords
push
members
coupling members
buttons
button
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Expired - Lifetime
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US802495A
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English (en)
Inventor
Gozewijn Van Gelder
Gerrit Johannes Elzinga
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US Philips Corp
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US Philips Corp
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
    • H04M1/23—Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06C—DIGITAL COMPUTERS IN WHICH ALL THE COMPUTATION IS EFFECTED MECHANICALLY
    • G06C7/00—Input mechanisms
    • G06C7/02—Keyboards
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H36/00—Switches actuated by change of magnetic field or of electric field, e.g. by change of relative position of magnet and switch, by shielding
    • H01H36/0006—Permanent magnet actuating reed switches
    • H01H36/004—Permanent magnet actuating reed switches push-button-operated, e.g. for keyboards

Definitions

  • a push-button swtching device comprising springloaded coupling members, arranged along coordinates and provided with permanent magnets and contacts in artight envelopes actuated by said magnets said device comprising a plurality of push-buttons for the selective actuaton of the coupling members.
  • push-button switching devices the problem arises of constructing a compact form so that, for example, the device can be incorporated in existing apparatus of given dimensions It is furthermore important that the basic constructon of these devices should allow adaptation to diflerent switching codes used in practice without the need for carrying out drastic modifications from the manufacturing point of view.
  • the desired compact construction nvolves furthermore the problem of avoiding magnetic stray fields of adjacent permanent magnets which have to actuate an individual contact.
  • This known constructon has the disadvantage that the orthogonal directions of movement of the push-buttons and the coupling members and the horizontal dspostion of the contacts in artight envelopes require a comparatively large structural volume. Moreover, the nature of this known constructon is less suitable for obtaining devices matching different switching codes.
  • the invention has for its object to provide a construction which obviates said disadvantages.
  • this is achieved by causing the push-buttons and the coupling members to move in the same direction and over substantially equal distances, said direction of movement being parallel to the direction of the parallel longitudinal axes of the contacts in the artight envelopes.
  • At least one coupling member is T-shaped, the transverse arm of which is located in a plane at right angles to the direction of movement of the push-buttons and extends along one of the coordinates, while there is provided preferably one further coupling member having a recess accommodating a tranverse arm of a T-shaped member.
  • a further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterzed in that the device comprises a holder closed at one end by a detachable bottom plate and at the opposite end by a detachable cover plate positioning the coupling members and having apertures accommodating the push-buttons; in the holder the contacts in the airtight envelopes are mounted so that their longitudinal axes are normal to the bottom plate, with the contacts 3,539,958 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 ice extendng through a guide system fixedly arranged between the bottom plate and the cover plate for the coupling members, each of the contacts in the artight envelope being included in printed wiring on the bottom plate.
  • a permanent magnet cooperating with a contact in an artight envelope is formed by two plate-shaped portions arranged side by side in the direction of movement and polarized in opposite senses transversely of their planes, said portions being preferably arranged in two adjacent, slightly ofset recesses, means being provided to urge the two magnet plates in these spaces against stops formed by their relatively staggered positions.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a switching device embodying the invention suitable for use with a socalled 2-out-of-7 code.
  • FIG. 2 shows a developed view of a switching device embodying the invention suitable for use in telephone apparatus.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view like FIG. 1 of a switching device embodying the invention suitable for a so called at the most 3-out-of-5 code.
  • the switching device shown in FIG. 1 comprises twelve push-buttons designated by the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and the symbols 0 and These'push-buttons are arranged in a matrix (4 rows of 3 buttons or else 3 columns of 4 buttons each) and they are adapted to move at right angles to the plane of the drawing.
  • Each push-button actuates two coupling members of diflerent kind by the cooperation between end faces provided at the push-buttons and the coupling members.
  • One kind of coupling member designated by X X X X is T-shaped, the transverse arms extending parallel to the plane of the drawing in the X-drection coinciding with the direction of the rows and the central limbs being at right angles to the plane of the drawing.
  • These coupling members are adapted to move at right angles to the plane of the drawing.
  • the other kind of coupling members designated by Y Y Y Y has a complicated shape, which will be described more fully with reference to FIG. 2.
  • These Y-members extend in the Y-direction coincdng with the direction of the columns of said array and they are also adapted to move at right an-gles to the plane of the drawing.
  • the coupling member Y is always actuated by the depression any push-button whichever in an identical manner by the cooperation with all X-members.
  • the places where the coupling members cooperate with each other and the push-buttons cooperate with the members Y Y and Y are shaded in FIG. 1.
  • the cooperation between the pushbuttons and the X-members is not illustrated; this will be apparent from the figure by the overlap of the circum ferential lnes of push-buttons and coupling members.
  • the coupling members are provided with permanent magnets (shown in FIG. 1 in a dotted plan view), which are displaced upon a movement of the coupling members along said contacts designated by the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A.V.C.
  • the push buttons and controlling both the A.V.C. contact may be employed for local communications and for ingress. All contacts formed in the shape of the known dry reed contacts, have their longitudinal axes normal to the plane of the drawing.
  • FIG. 2 shows a switchng device embodying the invention, which may be employed advantageously inter alia by its greater speed in telephone sets instead of the conventional selection units comprising the rotatable dial.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates all essential elements in their basic form and relationship both for the 2-out-of-7 code and the at the most 3-out-of-5 code to be described hereinafter.
  • a substantially cylindrcal plastic holder 1 is closed at one end by a detachable bottom plate 3 and at the opposite end by a detachable cover plate 5. Between the bottom plate and the cover plate a guide system 7 of a synthetic resin forms an integral part of the holder 1 and is made in common herewith by injection moulding.
  • the holder 1 comprises plastics njection-moulded T-shaped coupling members X X and X The central limbs of said coupling members are guided in apertures of the system 7.
  • the figure shows only the central limbs 9 and 11 of the coupling members X and X which are adapted to slide in gudes 13 and 15 of the system 7.
  • Plastics coupling members Y and Y (FIG.
  • FIG. 2 shows only two Y-members) extend transversely of the direction of the arms of the T-shaped coupling members X X and X and are provided With recesses 17 and 19 in which parts of the arms of the members X etc., are freely movable.
  • a transverse arm of the T-shaped coupling member X extends across the recess 19 of the coupling member Y
  • the coupling members have a sliding limb (21 on the coupling member Y by which they are guided in the system 7, all corresponding guide paths of which are identical.
  • a plastic push-button is arranged, each of which comprses a press portion and a sliding limb guided in the system 7.
  • the finger-controlled press portion of the button is hollow, the cavity being divided by a partition into two compartments.
  • the press portion is designated by 23, the sliding limb by 25 and the two compartments by 27 and 29.
  • the compartments of the buttons 2, 3 and 8 nearest the sliding limbs serve for positionng and guiding the T-shaped coupling members X X X X which are provided With guide pieces for this purpose.
  • the guide pieces are designated by 31 and 33.
  • the coupling members Y have similar guide pieces; With the coupling member Y shown completely in FIG. 2 this guide piece is designated by 35.
  • the guide pieces of the Y-members, in contrast to those of the X-rnembers, are guided in slits provided on the innerside of the detachable cover plate 5 (for the sake of clarity the slits are not shown in the figure).
  • the coupling members X are guided on the lower side by their central limbs in the system 7 and on the lower side by means of the press portion of the buttons in the apertures of the cover 5 (see the figure).
  • the cou pling members Y are guided on the lower side by sliding limbs in the system 7 and on the upper side directly in the aforesaid guide slits (not shown) in the cover. Between the bottom plate 3 and the bottom side of all central limbs and sliding limbs springs urge the relevant members towards the cover 5; for the sake of clarity these springs are not shown.
  • An end face (37 of the button 2) located on the lower side of the hollow press portion of the buttons and the upper face of an X-member constitute mutually cooperating end faces of the push-buttons and of the T-shaped coupling members X.
  • a second end face (41 of pushbutton 2) located on the lower side of the hollow press portion of the buttons and extensions of each Y-member (39 of member Y;) constitute mutually cooperating end faces between the push-buttons and the recessed coupling members Y.
  • Bach of the coupling members is provided With at least two communicating, relatively oiset recesses intended for accommodating each two plate-shaped, permanent magnets polarized in opposite senses transversely of their planes (the magnets 43 and 45 for the member X Said recesses are bounded on one side by resilient ridges, for example, 47 and 49 of the member X which hold the two magnets tight on the stops 51 and 53 formed by the offset positions of the two recesses.
  • Each pair of magnet plates is screened, in order to avoid stray fields, 011 its side remote from the associated contact by a strip of ferromagnetic material extending over the two magnet parts and arranged in the coupling from the foregoing that each of the said limbs will not be associated with a contact.
  • the system 7 is provided at the beginning at all places where a contact may be provided in the push-button unit, that is to say in the proximity of the guide member of each lmb, with an aperture for the contact.
  • the contact 61 (and any further contact) is screened on the side opposite the control-magnets concerned by a sheath 65 of electrically conductive material. Near one end of this sheath is provided with an extension 67, which is electrically connected to one of the postions of the contact tongues 69, located outside the envelope of the con tact. Near the other end the sheath 65 is provided with extensions 71 and 73, anchored in apertures 75 and 77 in the bottom plate 3. One of these extensions is elec trically connected to a printed wiring (not shown) on the other side of the bottom plate 3, to which is also connected a portion 79 of one of the contact tongues located near said end.
  • the sheath 65 is furtherrnore provided with a tag 81, by whch it is held in a slit 83 in the cover plate 5 so that the contact 61 and the assocated screening sheath 65 are accurately fixed in place in the device.
  • each push-button is hollow, the cavity being divided by a partition into two compartments (see push-button 3 in FIG. 2).
  • One of these compartments serves for guiding the extensions of the X-member (see push-buttons 2 and 5 in FIG. 2), whereas the other compartment serves for guiding a separate coupling member Z (for example 85), the longitudinal axis of which extends parallel to the direction of movement of the sliding member.
  • this sliding member is guided like the other coupling members in the system 7.
  • the coupling member Z the shape of which diflers frorn that of the coupling members X and Y, is required inter alia for obtaining the so-called at the most 3out-of5 code used in practice.
  • FIG. 3 Shows diagrammatically like FIG. 1 the arrangement for an at the most 3-out-of-5 code.
  • a coupling member Z (herein after designated by Z.,, 2 and Z is provided.
  • the contacts are desgnated by the letters A, B B C C D D K and AVC, thecontacts B B C and C D and D being connected in parallel electrically.
  • the button serves in said at the most 3-ont-of-5 code as the earthconnecting button, whch permits consultation. '1'he button may be ernployed for local communications and ingress. For the sake of clarity a survey is again given of the coupling members and contacts actuated by the various pushbuttons.
  • Pushbutton Coupling members Contacts A.V.O. A+B2+A.V.C Y 2+A.V.C. Y Bi+C1+A.V.C Y 1 A.V.C. X2, Y1, Ze C1+D1+A.V C
  • the items (a) and (b) can be satisfied quite readily, since the system 7 is identical for each code and is only utilized in a different manner.
  • the item (0) can be satisfied by starting from a Y-member having four pairs of eX- tensions, given extensions being removed in accordance with the code to be used.
  • the push-button assembly described above can be manufactured at very low costs in mass production, since it consists for the major part of njection-moulded synthetic resin. It is not necessary to adapt the njection-moulding machines to the Y-members for the various codes, since the differences from the basic form are slight and can be elirninated from the basic form by means of existing, simple machines such as sawing machines and grinding machines.
  • a switching device comprising:
  • each element engages and moves one first member and one second member, and each moved first member engages and moves one additonal second member, whereby the magnets of the three moved members are moved t0 corresponding contacts.
  • each contact is a magnetically operated switch in airtight envelope.
  • a device as defined in claim 1 wherein said frame has a princpal axis, said second means comprise pushbuttons, said first and second members and the pushbuttons, are movable along lines generally parallel to said axis, each contact is a magnetically-operated switch, and the first and second members respectively have longitudinal arm parts extending along perpendicular -X and Y coordinates which are normal to said principal axis.
  • a device as defined in claim 5 wherein there are (a) four first members having fout spaced and parallel arm parts generally in a first plane, and (b) four second members having four spaced and parallel arm parts generally in a second and adjacent overlying plane.
  • each first member forms a T-shape, with its transverse part forming said arm along the X-axis.
  • a device as defined in claim 5 further comprising a plate including circuitry thereon, the contact being elec trically connected thereto.
  • each magnet comprises two permanent magnets formed as plates disposed adjacently and polarized in opposite senses.
  • a device as defined in claim 5 further comprising ferromagnetic screenng means acjacent parts of each FOREGN PATENTS magnet 935,474 8/1963 Great Britain.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Computing Systems (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Switches That Are Operated By Magnetic Or Electric Fields (AREA)
  • Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
US802495A 1968-03-07 1969-02-26 Push-button matrix switching device Expired - Lifetime US3539958A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL6803209A NL6803209A (de) 1968-03-07 1968-03-07

Publications (1)

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US3539958A true US3539958A (en) 1970-11-10

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ID=19802958

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US802495A Expired - Lifetime US3539958A (en) 1968-03-07 1969-02-26 Push-button matrix switching device

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Country Link
US (1) US3539958A (de)
JP (1) JPS4617161B1 (de)
AT (1) AT292068B (de)
BE (1) BE729410A (de)
CH (1) CH497037A (de)
DE (1) DE1907743C3 (de)
ES (1) ES364391A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2003429A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1197867A (de)
NL (1) NL6803209A (de)
SE (1) SE384930B (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3702449A (en) * 1971-08-27 1972-11-07 Singer Co Keyboard assembly

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB935474A (en) * 1959-03-21 1963-08-28 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Improvements in or relating to key controlled switching devices
US3292125A (en) * 1965-10-15 1966-12-13 Clary Corp Magnetically key operated switching device
US3448419A (en) * 1965-10-01 1969-06-03 Int Standard Electric Corp Weatherproof pushbutton key set employing sealed contacts operated by a permanent magnet

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB935474A (en) * 1959-03-21 1963-08-28 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Improvements in or relating to key controlled switching devices
US3448419A (en) * 1965-10-01 1969-06-03 Int Standard Electric Corp Weatherproof pushbutton key set employing sealed contacts operated by a permanent magnet
US3292125A (en) * 1965-10-15 1966-12-13 Clary Corp Magnetically key operated switching device

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3702449A (en) * 1971-08-27 1972-11-07 Singer Co Keyboard assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1907743B2 (de) 1979-07-05
GB1197867A (en) 1970-07-08
DE1907743A1 (de) 1969-11-27
JPS4617161B1 (de) 1971-05-12
CH497037A (de) 1970-09-30
DE1907743C3 (de) 1980-03-13
FR2003429A1 (de) 1969-11-07
BE729410A (de) 1969-09-05
SE384930B (sv) 1976-05-24
NL6803209A (de) 1969-09-09
AT292068B (de) 1971-08-10
ES364391A1 (es) 1971-02-01

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