Hinged keyboard switch

Claim 2

A switch especially for use as a keyboard switch for assembly on conductor plates of data processing devices, which comprises: a housing having means for connection thereof to a conductor plate and having one of a pair of circuit controlling elements therein, a keyhead having the other of said circuit controlling elements therein, said elements cooperating to control circuit means in response to relative movement of said elements when the keyhead is assembled with said housing, said housing and keyhead each having at least one wall, said walls being in substantially coplanar relation when the keyhead is assembled with said housing portion, detachably interengageable elements of hinge means on the opposed edges of said walls for tilting movement of said keyhead on said housing, spring means acting between said housing and keyhead and biasing said keyhead away from said housing, the said wall of said housing having at least one region extended toward the said wall of the keyhead, said wall of said keyhead having at least one region extending toward the said wall of the housing and said regions being disposed in side by side relation, and a pin in one of said regions and extending laterally into the range of the other of said regions, said other regions having a pin receiving bore therein and a slot parallel to the pin and leading into the bore whereby the pin can be snapped into the bore through the slot in the radial direction.

Claim 3

A switch according to claim 1 in which said pin is in the region extending from the wall of the housing and is offset from the plane of the wall toward the outside of the housing.

Claim 4

A switch according to claim 1 in which the housing has a bottom wall which on the bottom rests on the conductor plate, the upwardly facing side of said bottom wall comprising upstanding resilient fingers, the circuit controlling element in said housing comprising a component which is snapped into engagement with said fingers from above, said component having wire means connected thereto, and hole means in said bottom wall through which said wire means lead for connection of said component to circuit means.

Claim 5

A switch according to claim 1 in which said keyhead has an arm projecting therefrom on the side opposite the hinged connection of the keyhead to the housing, said arm overlapping the housing and extending from the keyhead in the direction of movement of the keyhead on the housing, said arm having a protrusion on the free end thereof, and said housing being formed with a cutout in which said protrusion is moveable, at least one end of said cutout forming an abutment for engagement by said protrusion to halt said keyhead.

Claim 6

A switch especially for use as a keyboard switch for assembly on conduCtor plates of data processing devices, which comprises: a housing having means for connection thereof to a conductor plate and having one of a pair of circuit controlling elements therein, a keyhead having the other of said circuit controlling elements therein, said elements cooperating to control circuit means in response to relative movement of said elements when the keyhead is assembled with said housing, said housing and keyhead each having at least one wall, said walls being in substantially coplanar relation when the keyhead is assembled with said housing portion, detachably interengageable elements of hinge means on the opposed edges of said walls for tilting movement of said keyhead on said housing, spring means acting between said housing and keyhead and biasing said keyhead away from said housing, said keyhead having an arm projecting therefrom on the side opposite the hinged connection of the keyhead to the housing, said housing having a further wall inside which said arm is disposed, said arm and further wall being in substantially parallel adjacent relation, a latching recess formed in the side of said arm which faces said further wall, and a pin in said further wall extending axially into said recess and spring urged in the axial direction on said further wall, said latching recess and pin cooperating releasably to hold said keyhead in depressed component actuating position on said housing.

Claim 7

A switch especially for use as a keyboard switch for assembly on conduCtor plates of data processing devices, which comprises: a housing having means for connection thereof to a conductor plate and having one of a pair of circuit controlling elements therein, a keyhead having the other of said circuit controlling elements therein, said elements cooperating to control circuit means in response to relative movement of said elements when the keyhead is assembled with said housing, said housing and keyhead each having at least one wall, said walls being in substantially coplanar relation when the keyhead is assembled with said housing portion, detachably interengageable elements of hinge means on the opposed edges of said walls for tilting movement of said keyhead on said housing, spring means acting between said housing and keyhead and biasing said keyhead away from said housing, said keyhead having an arm projecting therefrom on the side opposite the hinged connection of the keyhead to the housing, said housing having a further wall inside which said arm is disposed, said arm and further wall being in substantially parallel adjacent relation, a latching recess formed in the side of said arm which faces said further wall, and a pin in said further wall extending axially into said recess and spring urged in the axial direction on said further wall, said latching recess and pin cooperating releasably to hold said keyhead in depressed component actuating position on said housing.

Claim 8

A switch according to claim 5 in which said one wall of said housing has hinge tabs and a spring leaf flexibly joined thereto and projecting toward said keyhead, slots formed in the said one wall of said keyhead for receiving said tabs and leaf endwise, and means formed on said tabs and leaf and on said keyhead for holding said keyhead in assembled relation with said tabs and leaf.

Claim 9

A switch according to claim 5 which includes a flexible dust excluding foil closure member engaging said keyhead at the top and at the bottom engaging said housing and sealing between the keyhead and the housing.

Claim 10

A switch according to claim 5 in which said keyhead has a top wall with a downwardly facing underneath side, said circuit controlling element in said keyhead comprising a member on the underneath side of said top wall, and resilient elements dependant from the underneath side of said top wall and supportingly engaging said member.

Claim 11

A switch according to claim 6 in which said housing is molded from synthetic material and said tabs and leaf are molded integrally therewith.