Abstract This specification discloses a pushbutton having a spider base configuration with concavities in the legs of the spider. The legs are seated within a keyboard guide means to substantially match the configuration of the pushbutton and the spider base. The concavities receive a spring contactor element having a spider shape with four support legs that help to provide indexing and resilience. The spring contactor also has two electrical contact legs in the form of spider legs which are adapted to span the conductive surfaces of a circuitboard. The support legs and contact legs are both formed as one piece in the spider, thereby compensating for any changes in the metallic nature of structure. Between the electrical contact legs, a boss is provided with the central apex thereof adapted for contact with a central portion of a conductive surface of an underlying circuitboard. This serves to complete a circuit with the surface of the board through the two electrical legs and the boss. The pushbutton can be in an array of pushbuttons within a keyboard or provided as a single operative element. A substantial advantage of the design disclosed herein, is the feature wherein the manual articulation of the switch allows and electrical contact before the switch bottoms out. Specifically, when the spider is depressed, the boss makes contact with the circuitboard prior to the pushbutton bottoming out with respect to a complete compression of the spring contactor element.
A pushbutton switch comprising: a button for manual articulation with a skirt and spider legs having concavities; a board having an electrically conductive surface thereon; a spring contactor with legs which are adapted to be received in the concavities of said button spider legs and which span at least a portion of said electrically conductive surface on said board; a depending extension between said legs of said spring contactor for making electrical contact therethrough to the electrically conductive surface of said board through said legs and said extension; and, a plate overlying said button skirt having an opening and guide means on its interior surface for holding and guiding a portion of said button and providing a projection through the opening of the upper portion of said button for manual articulation thereof above the surface of said plate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
A pushbutton switch comprising: a button for manual articulation with a skirt and spider legs having concavities; a board having an electrically conductive surface thereon; a spring contactor with legs which are adapted to be received in the concavities of said button spider legs and which span at least a portion of said electrically conductive surface on said board; a depending extension between said legs of said spring contactor for making electrical contact therethrough to the electrically conductive surface of said board through said legs and said extension; and, a plate overlying said button skirt having an opening and guide means on its interior surface for holding and guiding a portion of said button and providing a projection through the opening of the upper portion of said button for manual articulation thereof above the surface of said plate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The switch as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: guide means on the underside of said panel for receiving the legs of said spider.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The switch as claimed in claim 2 wherein: said guide means comprise a circumferential wall circumscribing the skirt of said pushbutton at least in part and having openings therein for sliding movement of the legs of the spider of said switch which extend at least into the general wall area of said circumferential walls.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
100 words
The switch as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a contactor element having a plurality of upturned legs which mate against the pushbutton and which hold the pushbutton in substantially equal planar relationship; and, at lest two downwardly turned legs for contact of the electrically conductive surface of the underlying board having a portion therebetween which can extend form the portion between the downwardly depending legs for making an electrical contact with the underlying surface so that when said electrical contactor is depressed, the extension can make contact prior to the time the electrical contact is fully depressed or extended.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The swtich as claimed in claim 4 wherein said electrical extension comprises: a boss.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The switch as claimed in claim 4 wherein: all the legs of said contactor element and the contactor is formed from a single piece of metal.