H - Electricity – 03 – M
Patent
H - Electricity
03
M
340/187
H03M 11/00 (2006.01) H01H 13/70 (2006.01) H03M 11/20 (2006.01) H01H 1/26 (2006.01)
Patent
CA 1233893
ABSTRACT This disclosure is related to magnetic snap actuation keyboards and is specifically directed to improvements in snap actuators. As disclosed, the snap actuator of the invention is an angled magnetically permeable plate. One leg of the angled plate is attracted to a strip magnet placed on a circuitboard, and this particular portion of the plate also has two spring fingers that make contact with spherical or domed contacts on the circuitboard, or, in the alternative, have formed dome portions in the end of each finger for contacting flat contacts on the circuitboard so that a wiping action that is resistant to contamination results. The other leg of the angled plate serves as a lever arm to which key button pressure is applied. The angle between the plates or the edge of the strip magnet serves as a fulcrum for pivoting the plate under the influence of key pressure. When key pressure has built up sufficiently, the magnetic attraction is substantially broken and the angled plate is suddenly released, thereby breaking contact with the circuit contacts and allowing the circuit voltage to be sensed. During unactuated times, the actuator plate is contacting the contacts, electrically shorting them together, and one of the contacts is connected to ground potential so that no output is present. All of the contacts and interconnecting circuitry can be formed using printed circuit techniques on a circuitboard and the magnets can be in the form of plastic compound strip magnets which are later laid down on top of the circuitboard. The individual actuator plates can be easily positioned over locator posts rising up from a baseplate at regular interval spacings and the posts can also be used for registering the position of the printed circuit so that the individual actuators regis- tered on their posts are also precisely positioned for the circuitry on the circuitboard.
483704
Bolda Frank J.
Mcknight John P.
Sturm Russell J.
Barrett B.p.
International Business Machines Corporation
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