Push button switch or keyboard assembly having flexible wire contacts

Claim 2

A push button type electrical switch comprising: a housing, a push button movably supported in said housing, a helical coil spring also supported in said housing and having a first end thereof urged against said push button to maintain said push button normally in a first position, said spring being compressed in response to actuation of said push button from its first position to a second position, at least one fixed contact element also supported in said housing, means connected to said spring at its said first end for selective contacting engagement with said at least one fixed contact element dependent on the position of said push button, and circuit means connected to said spring, whereby actuation of said push button between its said first and second positions selectively opens or closes a circuit between said circuit means and through said spring to said at least one fixed contact element.

Claim 3

The switch of claim 1 in which said connected means comprises an extension of said spring.

Claim 4

The switch of claim 1 in which said circuit means is connected to said spring at a second end thereof remote from said first end.

Claim 5

The switch of claim 2 which further includes means supported in said housing and cooperating with said spring extension to provide a greater amount of resistance to initial actuation of said push button from its said first position and a lesser amount of resistance after said push button has moved a predetermined part of the distance to its said second position.

Claim 6

The switch of claim 4 in which said housing supported means comprises a surface over which moves a portion of said spring extension during movement of said push button from its said first position to its said second position.

Claim 7

The switch of claim 5 in which said surface comprises a first surface portion which is sloped at an obtuse angle to the axis of said spring and a second surface portion which is angled at a small acute angle to said axis.

Claim 8

The switch of claim 1 in which protuberances on both said housing and on said push button are fitted within the center of said spring to support said spring at each end.

Claim 9

The switch of claim 1 in which said second end of said spring is provided with an elongated extension portion which extends through said housing to provide said circuit means.

Claim 10

The switch of claim 2 in which at least a portion of said spring extension is linear and selectively contacts said at least one fixed contact element which also over at least that portion which contacts said spring extension portion is linear.

Claim 11

The switch of claim 5 in which said spring extension comprises a first portion which extends perpendicular to the axis of said spring, a second portion connected to said first portion and extending substantially parallel to the spring axis, and a third portion connected to said second portion and forming an angle with said second portion, said third portion moving over said surface of said means supported in said housing.

Claim 12

The switch of claim 10 in which said at least one fixed contact element comprises a pair of linearly extending wires which lie in spaced parallel relationship to each other on said surface of said housing supported means to selectively contact said third portion of said spring extension.

Claim 13

The switch of claim 1 in which a light-emitting diode is supported within the coils forming said spring.

Claim 14

A key set comprising: a. a first plurality of conductors formed in parallel rows, b. a second plurality of conductors formed in parallel columns, c. a plurality of push button switches each associated with a single conductor of a selected row and a single conductor of a selected column, each said push button switch comprising: a. a housing, b. a push button movably supported in said housing, c. a helical coil spring also supported in said housing and having a first end thereof urged against said push button to maintain said push button normally in a first position, said spring being compressed in response to actuation of said push button from its first condition to a second position, d. first and second fixed contact elements also supported in said housing and being respectively connected with said first and second plurality of conductors, e. means connected to said spring at its said first end for selective contact engagement with said first and second fixed contact elements dependent on the position of said push button, f. and circuit means connected to said spring, whereby actuation of any said push button between its said first and second positions selectively opens or closes a circuit between said circuit means and through said spring to one or the other of said contact elements.

Claim 15

A key set comprising: a. a first plurality of conductors formed in parallel rows, b. a second plurality of conductors formed in parallel columns, c. a plurality of push button switches each associated with a single conductor of a selected row and a single conductor of a selected column, each said push button switch comprising: a. a housing, b. a push button movably supported in said housing, c. a helical coil spring also supported in said housing and having a first end thereof urged against said push button to maintain said push button normally in a first position, said spring being compressed in response to actuation of said push button from its first condition to a second position, d. first and second fixed contact elements also supported in said housing and being respectively connected with said first and second plurality of conductors, e. means connected to said spring at its said first end for selective contact engagement with said first and second fixed contact elements dependent on the position of said push button, f. and circuit means connected to said spring, whereby actuation of any said push button between its said first and second positions selectively opens or closes a circuit between said circuit means and through said spring to one or the other of said contact elements.

Claim 16

A push button type electrical switch comprising: a housing, a push button movably supported in said housing, a helical coil spring also supported in said housing and having a first end thereof urged against said push button to maintain said push button normally in a first position, said spring being compressed in response to actuation of said push button from its first position to a second position, at least one fixed contact element also supported in said housing, a non-helical extension of said first end of spring, a contoured cam surface for engagement by at least a portion of said spring extension during movement of said push button between its said first and second positions said cam surface having a first portion so angled relative to the direction of movement of said spring extension which engages said cam surface to provide a relatively high resistance force to actuation of said push button between its first and second positions, said cam surface having a second portion so angled relative to said direction of movement to provide a substantially lesser resistance to said actuation of said push button.

Claim 17

A push button type electrical switch comprising: a housing, a push button movably supported in said housing, a helical coil spring also supported in said housing and having a first end thereof urged against said push button to maintain said push button normally in a first position, said spring being compressed in response to actuation of said push button from its first position to a second position, at least one fixed contact element also supported in said housing, a non-helical extension of said first end of spring, a contoured cam surface for engagement by at least a portion of said spring extension during movement of said push button between its said first and second positions said cam surface having a first portion so angled relative to the direction of movement of said spring extension which engages said cam surface to provide a relatively high resistance force to actuation of said push button between its first and second positions, said cam surface having a second portion so angled relative to said direction of movement to provide a substantially lesser resistance to said actuation of said push button.