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
  • H01H13/702—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
  • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
  • H01H13/50—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a single operating member
  • H01H13/52—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a single operating member the contact returning to its original state immediately upon removal of operating force, e.g. bell-push switch
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H2215/00—Tactile feedback
  • H01H2215/002—Longer travel
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H2217/00—Facilitation of operation; Human engineering
  • H01H2217/006—Different feeling for different switch sites
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H2221/00—Actuators
  • H01H2221/036—Return force
  • H01H2221/038—Fluid
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H2221/00—Actuators
  • H01H2221/036—Return force
  • H01H2221/042—Foam

Definitions

• This invention relates to a touch element incorporated in a switch structure for operation by light touch of the finger-tips of an operator, for example for the operation of an electrical typewriter, a computer terminal or other electronic machine into which information must be fed.
• switch means of that kind in which there is no movable element to be moved by the finger-tip in the course of an actuation of the switch e.g. known proximity switches
• there is no relative movement of the finger-tip surface after making contact with the exposed surface of the switch means and accordingly there is no "touch” experienced by the operator who must assume that the mere contacting of the switch means has in fact actuated the switch means.
• OMPI may be far from that which is desirable, in the sense of "touch" for the operator.
• non-shiftable switch means indicates hereinafter a switch means which has no element requiring to be moved by the finger-tip to cause actuation of the switch
• shiftable switch means indicates hereinafter a switch means having an element which requires to be moved by the finger-tip to cause actuation of the switch
• an electrical switch structure for actuation with the finger-tips, comprises switch means having a surface towards which the finger-tip is moved to cause actua ⁇ tion, and a touch element overlying that surface and presenting an exposed face for contacting with the finger-tip, the touch element having between that face and that surface a zone which provides resilient resistance to movement of that face towards that surface.
• the touch element may comprise a simple layer of a resiliently deformable nature overlying the surface of the switch means, the remote face of the layer being exposed for contacting with the finger-tips.
• the resist ⁇ ance zone includes or consists of resilient solid or resilient cellular material.
• the touch element comprises a f nger-contact sheet which is discrete from the resistance zone and on which the exposed face of the touch element is provided.
• the resistance zone may include or consist of gas, liquid, resilient solid or resilient cellular material, or any combination thereof.
• Figure 2 is a schematic vertical section of a second embodiment, suitable for a non-shiftable switch means
• Figure 3 is a schematic vertical section of a
• OMP ⁇ V/IPO third embodiment suitable for a ⁇ cn-shiftable switch means
• Figure 4 is a schematic vertical section of a fourth embodiment, suitable for a shiftable switch means (as hereinbefore defined) ;
• Figure 5 is a schematic vertical section of a fifth embodiment, suitable for a shiftable switch means.
• Figure 6 is a schematic vertical section of a sixth embodiment, suitable for a shiftable switch means.
• a switch structure having a touch element and switch means of non-shiftable type.
• the switch means 1 is for example a known proximity switch. It suffices to state that the switch is actuated by the placing of a finger tip onto, or very near to, the upper surface 2. Such a switch may be operated by simply placing the finger ⁇ tips onto the exposed upper surface 2, but there is a correspondingly "dead" touch for the operator.
• a touch element which comprises a finger-contact sheet 3 which is normally spaced from the upper surface 2.
• the sheet 3 is flexible, or resiliently bendable. Between the sheet 3 and the upper surface 2 there is a zone 4 of a resilient loading medium, which may be
• IP air or other gas at atmospheric pressure, or air or other gas at greater than atmospheric pressure, or a liquid displaceable against resilient loading, or with controlled displacement, or a resiliently deformable material such as an elastomeric or plastics material in solid or cellular state. Any combination of such gas, liquid and material may be provided in the zone 4 between the sheet 3 and the surface 2.
• the zone 4 may be compartmente , provided with different exhaust or displacement paths, or otherwise modified from location to location of switching positions so as to provide different "touch" characteristics at different locations of the sheet 3. This may be useful, for example, to lessen the relative pressure to be applied by a typist's third and fourth fingers. Similarly, the physical characterists of any material included in the zone 4 may be modified from location to location.
• the switch structure has been illus- trated as including boundary spacer means 5 between the sheet 3 and the surface 2, these may be omitted and the sheet 3 caused to contact the surface 2, say at edge portions.
• FIG. 2 is a similar view of a structure in which the discrete sheet 3 is eliminated and is replace in function by the exposed upper face portion 6 of a layer 7 of resiliently compressible material, e.g. a layer of a cellular material.
• Figure 3 is a similar view of a structure in which the components of the touch element are the same as in Figure 1, but with the addition of a lower bounding sheet 8 for the zone 4.
• This provision enables the assembly of sheet 3 and sheet 8, with an intermediate zone 4 of gas, liquid, solid or cellular material, to be manufactured as a separate entity which can be applied to a switch 1.
• FIG. 4 there is shown a combination of touch element with switch means of the shiftable type. It suffices to state that the switch 9 is actuated by movement, with the finger-tip, of an element 10 of the switch in the direction of the arrow "A", with respect to the remainder of the switch 9.
• the element 10 is physically connected to the remainder of the switch, and is situated beneath a finger-contact sheet 11 which is spaced above the switch 9 by a zone 12 having any of the characteristics described above for the zone 4 of Figures 1-3.
• the discrete finger-contact sheet 11 may be eliminated in the manner described for Figure 2.
• Figure 5 shows a construction which is similar to that of Figure 4, and to which the same character- istics and modifications may be applied, but wherein the shiftable switch element 10a_ is normally flush with, or below, the upper surface of the switch 9.
• Figure 6 shows a construction which is similar to that of Figure 4, and to which the same character- istics and modifications may be applied, but wherein the shiftable switch element 10b is carried at the underside of the finger-contact sheet 11 or its equi ⁇ valent.
• the sheet 3 or 11, or the exposed upper face of the material of zone 4 or 12, may be in plate or strip form, and marked with switch indications or left unmarked, and may be physically modified at areas to indicate where finger-tip contact is desired, e.g. provided with raised or depressed areas to assist in seeing, and finding with the finger-tip, the required switch location.
• the desired "touch”, involving extent of movement for switch operation and the desired resistance to finger- tip movement, may be imparted to the switch means irrespective of the natural "touch", or lack of it, in the switch means as manufactured.

Landscapes

• Push-Button Switches (AREA)
• Switches That Are Operated By Magnetic Or Electric Fields (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10507776

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (7)

Citations (6)

• 1980
  • 1980-09-12 DE DE8080901665T patent/DE3070065D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1980-09-12 GB GB8130467A patent/GB2081456B/en not_active Expired
  • 1980-09-12 JP JP50195580A patent/JPS56501142A/ja active Pending
  • 1980-09-12 WO PCT/GB1980/000141 patent/WO1981000787A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1980-09-12 EP EP80901665A patent/EP0042381B1/en not_active Expired
  • 1980-09-12 AT AT80901665T patent/ATE11612T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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