Hand controller multiple circuit switch

Claim 1

An electrical switch for use in a hand controller for use in controlling the motion of a cursor on a video display, wherein said hand controller includes a first portion containing a portion of a spherical surface convexly mounted thereon and a second portion containing a flat surface over a part thereof, said first and second portions being arranged so that said flat surface on said second portion is capable of being rocked over said portion of a spherical surface on said first portion, and includes deflectible spring means extending between said first and second portions for restoring said first and second portions to their nominal positions in the absence of a disturbing force applied thereto; wherein said electrical switch means is mounted on the bottom of said flat plate between said flat plate and said portion of a spherical surface and wherein said electrical switch means comprises: a top portion attached to said flat plate, said top portion comprising a substantially flat sheet of insulative material containing thereon a first electrically conductive surface at all points on the side not facing said flat plate except a portion in the middle thereof at said nominal positions of said first and second portions; a bottom portion beneath said top portion containing thereon on the side facing said top portion a second electrically conductive surface, wherein said second electrically conductive surface has an outer periphery of substantially the same shape as the outer periphery of said first electrically conductive surface and wherein said second electrically conductive surface is arranged to lie directly beneath said first electrically conductive surface, and further wherein said second electrically conductive surface contains four triangular-shaped portions, the base of each triangular shaped portion abutting a selected portion of the periphery of said bottom portion and the sides of each triangular shaped portion intersecting said periphery such that each triangular-shaped portion is electrically separated from the two adjacent triangular-shaped portions; and wherein said second electrically conductive surface includes: selected conductive fingers extending from each of said sides of said triangular-shaped portions toward but not in contact with the two adjacent triangular-shaped portions such that the fingers extending from one triangular-shaped portion to an adjacent triangular-shaped portion are interdigitated with the fingers extending from the adjacent triangular-shaped portion to the one triangular-shaped portion; and an annular band of insulative material separating the outer periphery of said first electrically conductive surface from said second electrically conductive surface with an air space formed between said first electrically conductive surface and said second electrically conductive surface such that said first electrically conductive surface is not in contact with said second electrically conductive surface except in response to rocking pressure applied to said flat plate, whereby rocking movement of said flat plate and resultant contact with said spherical surface between said first and second electrically conductive surfaces activates the switch means at that position.