Coding keyboard and electrical switch therefor

Claim 2

In a switch, an elongated, deformable, resilient tube; an electrically conductive liquid substantially filling said tube; and an actuator including a tube contacting edge portion, said actuator being mounted relative to said tube to laterally displace at least a central segmental length of the tube to crimp said segmental length of the tube across said edge portion whereby to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube.

Claim 3

In a switch as set forth in claim 1, said edge portion including a knife edge disposed to extend transversely of said tube.

Claim 4

In a switch as set forth in claim 1, said edge portion being provided by a spring member having an end engaged with said central segmental length of said tube.

Claim 5

In a switch as set forth in claim 1, said actuator being reciprocable in a direction laterally of said tube between tube crimping and tube releasing positions.

Claim 6

In a switch as set forth in claim 4, there being included a spring operably coupled to said actuator for yieldably biasing the latter toward its tube crimping position.

Claim 7

In a switch as set forth in claim 4, said actuator including a spring member having an end providing said tube contacting edge portion, said end being engaged with said central segment of said tube and said spring member being reciprocable as a part of said actuator.

Claim 8

In a switch as set forth in claim 4, there being biasing means provided to urge said actuator toward its tube crimping position, said actuator including a manually engageable element operable for manually forcing said actuator toward its tube releasing position.

Claim 9

A switch comprising: a housing having a cavity therein; an elongated, deformable, resilient tube extending through said cavity, the ends of said tube being supported against movement by said housing; an electrically conductive liquid substantially filling said tube; and an actuator supported by the housing for reciprocation along a path extending through the cavity adjacent the tube, said actuator including a tube contacting edge portion disposed for contacting and laterally displacing at least a central segmental length of the tube within said cavity when said actuator moves in one direction along said path, said actuator being movable in said one direction to crimp said length of said tube across said edge portion whereby to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube.

Claim 10

A switch comprising: a housing having a cavity therein; an elongated, deformable, resilient tube extending through said cavity, the ends of said tube being supported against movement by said housing; an electrically conductive liquid substantially filling said tube; and an actuator supported by the housing for reciprocation along a path extending through the cavity adjacent the tube, said actuator including a tube contacting edge portion disposed for contacting and laterally displacing at least a central segmental length of the tube within said cavity when said actuator moves in one direction along said path, said actuator being movable in said one direction to crimp said length of said tube across said edge portion whereby to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube.

Claim 11

A switch as set forth in claim 8 wherein biasing means is included to yieldably urge said actuator in said one direction along said path.

Claim 12

A switch as set forth in claim 8 wherein said actuator includes a manually engageable element extendinG externally of said housing, said element being operable for manually forcing said actuator in the opposite direction along said path, there being included an over-center device which normally yieldably resists movement of said actuator in said opposite direction.

Claim 13

A switch as set forth in claim 10 wherein said device comprises a cricket spring extending across said path.

Claim 14

A switch as set forth in claim 8 wherein said edge portion includes a knife edge disposed to extend transversely of said tube.

Claim 15

A switch as set forth in claim 8 wherein said edge portion is defined by a spring member having an end engaged with said central segmental length of said tube.

Claim 16

A switch as set forth in claim 8 wherein is included a pair of contacts, each contact being disposed in closing relationship to a respective end of the tube and in contacting relationship relative to the liquid therein, said tube being disposed in a generally U-shaped configuration with the contacts extending outwardly of the housing and generally in the same direction, said edge portion being disposed for contacting the tube at the bight of the U-shaped configuration.

Claim 17

A switch as set forth in claim 14 further comprising: a number of elongated contact elements; a contact element mounting member mounted on the housing adjacent said contacts and having a plurality of elongated contact element receiving openings extending therethrough in the same direction as said contacts, said openings being relatively disposed for simultaneous individual alignment with a corresponding plurality of conductors of an electrical conducting means which means comprises a plurality of elongated, side-by-side conductors; said contact elements being disposed in preselected of said openings representing a predetermined coded combination electronic signal; and an electrically conductive structure mounted on said contact element mounting member and having a plurality of resilient extensions, said extensions each overlying one end of one of said contact element receiving openings, said extensions each being disposed for yieldably contacting, in electrical current transmitting relationship, the proximal end of a contact element in the opening which it overlies whereby to yieldably urge the element toward the opposite end of each opening, said conductive structure being disposed in electrical current transmitting relationship relative to one of said contacts, the other contact being disposed for contacting one of the conductors of said conducting means.

Claim 18

In an electrical switch keyboard device, a frame; an elongated electrical conducting means fixedly mounted on the frame including a plurality of generally parallel, laterally spaced conductors supported by said frame against displacement; and at least one push-button switch mounted on the frame adjacent the conducting means and said switch including an electrical contact and at least one electrical contact element, means for yieldably biasing the contact element toward a corresponding conductor and into electrical current transmitting connection therewith, and a switching mechanism operable to make and break an electrical circuit between said contact and said element.

Claim 19

In an electrical switch keyboard device, a frame; an elongated electrical conducting means fixedly mounted on the frame including a plurality of generally parallel, laterally spaced conductors supported by said frame against displacement; and at least one push-button switch mounted on the frame adjacent the conducting means and said switch including an electrical contact and at least one electrical contact element, means for yieldably biasing the contact element toward a corresponding conductor and into electrical current transmitting connection therewith, and a switching mechanism operable to make and break an electrical circuit between said contact and said element.

Claim 20

In an electrical switch keyboard device as set forth in claim 16 said device including a plurality of said switches, each switch having its contact element located for connection with a different conductor.

Claim 21

In an electrical switch keyboard device as set forth in claim 17, each of said switches having its contact disposed in electrical connection with a common conductor adapted for providing electrical current to all of the switches simultaneously, one of the elements of each switch being disposed in electrical connection with another common conductor whereby to facilitate detection of a condition when more than one switch is actuated simultaneously.

Claim 22

In an electrical switch keyboard device as set forth in claim 16 wherein said switch has at leasT two contact elements, said elements being electrically connected in parallel and being located for connection with a different predetermined conductor, said biasing means being operable for biasing each of the elements of the switch toward a corresponding conductor.

Claim 23

In an electrical switch keyboard device as set forth in claim 16 said switch including a contact element mounting member having a plurality of elongated contact element receiving openings extending therethrough, said mounting member being disposed with its openings each aligned with one of said conductors, each of said contact elements being elongated and extending through a corresponding opening.

Claim 24

In an electrical switch keyboard device as set forth in claim 20 said means for yieldably biasing the elements toward the conductors comprising an electrically conductive member having a plurality of resilient extensions, there being a resilient extension overlying the end of each opening remote from said conducting means, said extensions each being disposed for yieldably contacting the proximal end portion of a contact element in the corresponding opening and urging the element through its opening and toward a corresponding conductor.

Claim 25

In an electrical switch keyboard device as set forth in claim 20, said member having an opening for each conductor, there being a contact element in only certain of said openings representing a preselected combination of conductors whereby said switch is preconditioned upon actuation to transmit a preselected coded combination electrical signal.

Claim 26

A push button switch adapted for transmitting a preselected coded combination of electrical impulses to an electrical conducting means having a plurality of elongated, side-by-side electrical conductors, said switch comprising: a pair of electrical contacts; a switching mechanism operable to make and break an electrical circuit between the contacts including a manually operated actuator element; a number of elongated contact elements; a contact element mounting member having a plurality of elongated contact element receiving openings extending therethrough, said openings being relatively disposed for simultaneous individual alignment with respective corresponding conductors, said contact elements being disposed in only certain of said openings corresponding to a preselected coded combination electrical signal; and an electrically conductive member mounted on said mounting member and having a plurality of resilient extensions, there being a resilient extension overlying one end of each of said openings disposed for yieldably contacting, in electrical current transmitting relationship, the proximal end of a contact element in the corresponding opening whereby to yieldably urge the element in the direction of its opposite end and into electrical transmitting relationship with a corresponding conductor, said conductive member being disposed in electrical current transmitting relationship relative to one of the contacts of the mechanism, the other contact of the mechanism being disposed for contacting one of said conductors in current conducting relationship therewith.

Claim 27

A push button switch adapted for transmitting a preselected coded combination of electrical impulses to an electrical conducting means having a plurality of elongated, side-by-side electrical conductors, said switch comprising: a pair of electrical contacts; a switching mechanism operable to make and break an electrical circuit between the contacts including a manually operated actuator element; a number of elongated contact elements; a contact element mounting member having a plurality of elongated contact element receiving openings extending therethrough, said openings being relatively disposed for simultaneous individual alignment with respective corresponding conductors, said contact elements being disposed in only certain of said openings corresponding to a preselected coded combination electrical signal; and an electrically conductive member mounted on said mounting member and having a plurality of resilient extensions, there being a resilient extension overlying one end of each of said openings disposed for yieldably contacting, in electrical current transmitting relationship, the proximal end of a contact element in the corresponding opening whereby to yieldably urge the element in the direction of its opposite end and into electrical transmitting relationship with a corresponding conductor, said conductive member being disposed in electrical current transmitting relationship relative to one of the contacts of the mechanism, the other contact of the mechanism being disposed for contacting one of said conductors in current conducting relationship therewith.

Claim 28

A switch as set forth in claim 23 wherein said contact elements comprise diodes.

Claim 29

A switch as set forth in claim 23 wherein said mechanism includes an elongated, deformable, resilient tube and an electrically conductive liquid substantially filling said tube, said contacts being disposed in tube closing and liquid contacting relationship at opposite ends of the tube, said actuator element including a tube contacting edge portion, said actuator element being mounted relative to said tube to laterally displace at least a central segmental length of the tube to crimp said segmental length of the tube across said edge portion whereby to part the liquid and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube.

Claim 30

In a switch, an elongated, deformable, resilient tube; an electrically conductive lIquid substantially filling such tube; an actuator including a tube contacting edge portion, said actuator being mounted to reciprocate in a direction laterally of said tube between tube crimping and tube releasing positions by displacing at least a central segment of the tube and crimping said segment across said edge portion whereby to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube; a coil spring urging said actuator toward its tube crimping position; a push button separable from said actuator and manually operable to force said actuator toward its tube releasing position; and a disc member frictionally retained on said actuator beneath said push button to transmit biasing force of said coil spring to said actuator.

Claim 31

In a switch, an elongated, deformable, resilient tube; an electrically conductive lIquid substantially filling such tube; an actuator including a tube contacting edge portion, said actuator being mounted to reciprocate in a direction laterally of said tube between tube crimping and tube releasing positions by displacing at least a central segment of the tube and crimping said segment across said edge portion whereby to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube; a coil spring urging said actuator toward its tube crimping position; a push button separable from said actuator and manually operable to force said actuator toward its tube releasing position; and a disc member frictionally retained on said actuator beneath said push button to transmit biasing force of said coil spring to said actuator.

Claim 32

In a switch, an elongated, deformable, resilient tube, an electrically conductive liquid substantially filling such tube; and an actuator including a tube contacting edge portion, and a second tube contacting portion disposed on the opposite side of the tube from said edge portion, said actuator being mounted relative to said tube to reciprocate in a direction laterally of said tube between tube crimping and tube releasing positions by displacing at least a central segment of the tube and crimping said segment across said edge portion whereby to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube, said second tube contacting portion having engagement with the tube proximal the crimp therein to assist in straightening the crimp in the tube as the actuator moves toward its tube releasing position.

Claim 33

In a switch, an elongated, deformable, resilient tube, an electrically conductive liquid substantially filling such tube; and an actuator including a tube contacting edge portion, and a second tube contacting portion disposed on the opposite side of the tube from said edge portion, said actuator being mounted relative to said tube to reciprocate in a direction laterally of said tube between tube crimping and tube releasing positions by displacing at least a central segment of the tube and crimping said segment across said edge portion whereby to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube, said second tube contacting portion having engagement with the tube proximal the crimp therein to assist in straightening the crimp in the tube as the actuator moves toward its tube releasing position.

Claim 34

A switch comprising: a housing having a cavity therein; an elongated, deformable, resilient tube extending through said cavity, the ends of said tube being supported against movement by said housing; an electrically conductive liquid substantially filling said tube; and an actuator supported by the housing for reciprocation along a path extending through the cavity adjacent to the tube, said actuator including a coil spring having one end thereof connected to and reciprocable as a part of said actuator and the other end provided with hook means engaged with at least a central segment of said tube within said cavity for laterally displacing said central segment when said actuator moves in one direction along said path, said actuator being movable in said one direction to crimp said segment of said tube across said hook means of said coil spring to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube.

Claim 35

A switch comprising: a housing having a cavity therein; an elongated, deformable, resilient tube extending through said cavity, the ends of said tube being supported against movement by said housing; an electrically conductive liquid substantially filling said tube; and an actuator supported by the housing for reciprocation along a path extending through the cavity adjacent to the tube, said actuator including a coil spring having one end thereof connected to and reciprocable as a part of said actuator and the other end provided with hook means engaged with at least a central segment of said tube within said cavity for laterally displacing said central segment when said actuator moves in one direction along said path, said actuator being movable in said one direction to crimp said segment of said tube across said hook means of said coil spring to part the liquid in said tube and open an electrical circuit intermediate the ends of said tube.