Keyswitch

Claim 1

A keyswitch comprising a rectangular housing having a bottom wall and an open upper end, a plunger having a rectangular tubular body extending downwardly in the housing and slidably engaging said housing for movement up and down therein, means limiting upward travel of the plunger to a predetermined elevated position, the lower end of said body being spaced above said bottom wall while the plunger is in said elevated position, said bottom wall being provided with a pair of laterally spaced openings extending substantially vertically therethrough, a pair of spring contact strips rigidly mounted in said openings and projecting below said wall to form terminals, said contact strips also extending up inside the plunger and having normally engaging upper ends, a cross member inside the plunger body and supported thereby between the contact strips, and a coil spring inside the plunger below said cross member and encircling the contact strips but spaced therefrom, the top of said bottom wall being provided with a central recess receiving and positioning the lower end of the spring, said spring normally holding the plunger in said elevated position with said cross member spreading the upper ends of the contacts apart, said downward movement of the plunger in said housing disengaging said cross member from the contacts, the plunger body having legs extending downwardly from its lower corners to slidably engage said housing between said body and bottom wall while the plunger is elevated, and the corners of said bottom wall being provided outwardly of said recess with downwardly extending sockets for receiving said legs when said plunger is depressed.