公开(公告)号：EP0059749A4

公开(公告)日：1983-02-09

申请号：EP81902690

申请日：1981-09-09

Applicant: NCR CORP

Inventor： SEARS RONALD JOSEPH ,  GROSS JACK RAMON

IPC: H01H13/48 ,  H01H13/56 ,  H01H13/70 ,  H01H13/702 ,  H01H13/76 ,  H01H13/80

CPC classification number: H01H13/80 ,  H01H13/702 ,  H01H2201/008 ,  H01H2209/014 ,  H01H2215/002 ,  H01H2215/008 ,  H01H2217/02 ,  H01H2221/042 ,  H01H2227/002 ,  H01H2229/018 ,  H01H2229/042

Abstract: A keyboard includes a resilient foam layer (28) having an array of holes (30) therein with the layer (28) being sandwiched between a flexible sheet having dome-shaped areas (34) aligned with said holes and a dielectric member (38), the flexible sheet and dielectric member having electrodes (36, 40) thereon which are arranged to complete a circuit associated with a hole (30) when the flexible sheet and member are moved toward each other. A snap action of the dome-shaped areas (34) in the switch movement provides for improved tactile response and switch travel and reduced switch actuating force. Additional foam layers enhance the operating characteristics of the embodiments. A method of production of the keyboard entails determining the operating parameters of a desired keyboard and selecting the relative density and thicknesses of various resilient layers and flexible sheets in the keyboard to determine the switch actuating force, the extent of travel of the switch, and the location of the "makepoint" of the switch at a position between the start and end of switch travel.

Abstract translation: “膜”型键盘包括弹性泡沫层，其弹性泡沫层具有孔阵列，该层被夹在其上具有电导体的第一和第二柔性膜之间，第一柔性膜和第二柔性膜布置成当第一和第二膜 彼此相向移动。 包括第一柔性膜中的圆顶形区域的实施例提供了“触觉反馈”，并且附加的泡沫层增强了实施例的操作特性。 该方法通常需要确定期望的键盘的操作参数，并且简单地改变键盘中的各种层和柔性膜的相对密度和/或厚度以获得根本上可变的计数器，例如，“makepoint”的位置 在“钥匙旅行”的开始和结束之间切换到各种位置。