Full travel, sealed, fully backlighted keyboard

Claim 2

A keyboard adapted to be fixedly secured in a housing, comprising: a removable panel having a plurality of keys, said keys having an upper surface having a light translucent region; a board having electrical circuitry, including contact lands; a translucent membrane disposed between all of said keys on said panel and said board and forming a liquid tight seal between said panel and said board, said membrane comprising: a main body, a plurality of flexible, resilient domes formed integrally with said main body, one dome being associated with each of said keys, and a gasket integrally formed with said main body of said membrane and extending around a perimeter of said membrane, said gasket configured to be received by a correspondingly formed channel in the housing to provide a liquid-tight seal between said membrane and the housing, wherein said main body, said gasket and said domes form a continuous, seamless, unitary membrane adapted to operate with the housing to form a water impermeable barrier between said board and said panel; a source of illumination disposed on said board, light from said source of illumination passing through said domes on said membrane and through said upper surface of said keys; and an electrically conductive surface associated with each of said domes and disposed on a side of said membrane facing said board, depression of a key on said keyboard causing deformation of an associated dome to urge said electrically conductive surface of said associated dome into contact with an associated one of said lands on said board.

Claim 3

The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said keys comprises a hollow interior for allowing light to pass from said source of illumination through said upper surface of said key.

Claim 4

The keyboard as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a status indicator display disposed on said upper surface of at least one of said keys; a light pipe having a lower end and extending from an associated dome of said one of said keys to said status indicator display on said upper surface of one of said keys; and a dedicated source of light disposed on said board directly below said lower end of said light pipe, said dedicated source of light being selectively illuminated in response to a status of said one of said keys.

Claim 5

The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein said source of illumination comprises two light emitting diodes associated with each of said keys.

Claim 6

The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said domes comprises: a portion for supporting an associated one of said keys; a first web interconnecting said portion with a main body of said membrane; a projection extending downwardly toward said board, said projection having an electrically conductive surface on a lower end thereof and on a side of said membrane facing said board; and a second web interconnecting said portion and said projection, depression of an associated key causing deformation of said first web and movement of said projection toward an associated contact land on said board, further depression of said associated key after said electrically conductive surface touches said associated contact land causing deformation of said second web and movement of said portion toward said board.

Claim 7

The keyboard as recited in claim 1, further comprising guide walls surrounding each of said keys and wherein each of said keys comprises a pair of spaced, opposed, flexible fingers having a projection on a distal end for engagement with shoulders on said guide walls for limiting upward travel of said keys and for allowing each of said keys to be removed from said panel by deflection of said fingers.

Claim 8

The keyboard as recited in claim 1 further comprising: a housing to which said board and said membrane are secured; and a plurality of flexible resilient fingers disposed on said panel each of said fingers having a projection which removably engages an associated shoulder on said housing to secure said panel to said housing and to allow removal of said panel by deflection of said fingers, said panel being removable independently of said membrane and said board.

Claim 9

A keyboard as recited in claim 1 further comprising: a spacer bar having a length and a direction of elongation; a dome formed integrally with said membrane and being associated with said spacer bar, said dome being elongated in said direction of elongation of said spacer bar, said dome having a length of elongation less than said length of elongation of said spacer bar; a stabilizer bar, said stabilizer bar having two ends extending into slots formed in said spacer bar; and a clasp disposed on said panel for restraining said stabilizer bar, said clasp preventing movement of said stabilizer bar and said spacer bar about an axis perpendicular to said direction of elongation.

Claim 10

A keyboard comprising: a housing having a top surface and a lower surface; a board having electrical circuitry including contact lands on a face and being secured to said lower surface of said housing; a removable panel having a plurality of keys, each of said keys having a stop limiting upward travel of said keys, light translucent regions in an upper surface and a hollow interior, said panel being removably mounted to said top surface of said housing; a light translucent, unitary, seamless, continuous water impermeable membrane disposed between said board and all of said keys of said panel, said membrane having a main body; a gasket formed integrally with said body of said membrane and extending around a perimeter of said membrane, said gasket being received by a correspondingly formed channel in said lower surface of said housing to provide a liquid tight seal between said board and said panel; a plurality of flexible domes formed integrally with said membrane, said domes, said main body of said membrane and said gasket forming a continuous, seamless, unitary, water impermeable barrier between said board and said panel, one of said domes being associated with each of said keys, each of said domes comprising: an upper support portion upon which a lower edge of an associated key rests, said support portion being urged upwardly against said lower edge of said key; a first web interconnecting said support portion with said main body of said membrane; at least one projection extending downwardly from said support portion toward said board, said projection having an electrically conductive surface formed on a side thereof facing an associated contact land on said board; a second web interconnecting said projection and said support portion, depression of said associated key causing deformation of said first web until said projection contacts said associated contact land, further depression of said associated key producing deformation of said second web; and a stop formed on a lower surface of said support portion for limiting travel of said support portion toward said board; and a light source associated with each of said keys and being mounted on said board, said light source emitting light which passes through an associated dome and through said hollow portion of said associated key and said upper surface of said associated key.

Claim 11

A keyboard comprising: a housing having a top surface and a lower surface; a board having electrical circuitry including contact lands on a face and being secured to said lower surface of said housing; a removable panel having a plurality of keys, each of said keys having a stop limiting upward travel of said keys, light translucent regions in an upper surface and a hollow interior, said panel being removably mounted to said top surface of said housing; a light translucent, unitary, seamless, continuous water impermeable membrane disposed between said board and all of said keys of said panel, said membrane having a main body; a gasket formed integrally with said body of said membrane and extending around a perimeter of said membrane, said gasket being received by a correspondingly formed channel in said lower surface of said housing to provide a liquid tight seal between said board and said panel; a plurality of flexible domes formed integrally with said membrane, said domes, said main body of said membrane and said gasket forming a continuous, seamless, unitary, water impermeable barrier between said board and said panel, one of said domes being associated with each of said keys, each of said domes comprising: an upper support portion upon which a lower edge of an associated key rests, said support portion being urged upwardly against said lower edge of said key; a first web interconnecting said support portion with said main body of said membrane; at least one projection extending downwardly from said support portion toward said board, said projection having an electrically conductive surface formed on a side thereof facing an associated contact land on said board; a second web interconnecting said projection and said support portion, depression of said associated key causing deformation of said first web until said projection contacts said associated contact land, further depression of said associated key producing deformation of said second web; and a stop formed on a lower surface of said support portion for limiting travel of said support portion toward said board; and a light source associated with each of said keys and being mounted on said board, said light source emitting light which passes through an associated dome and through said hollow portion of said associated key and said upper surface of said associated key.

Claim 12

The keyboard as recited in claim 9, further comprising: a second source of illumination associated with at least one of said keys, said second source of illumination being disposed on a same side of said membrane as said board, said second source of illumination being selectively illuminated in response to a status condition of said at least one associated key; a display on said upper surface of said at least one associated key; and a light pipe disposed within said interior of said keys, for conducting light emitted from said second source of illumination to said display on said upper surface of said at least one associated key.

Claim 13

The keyboard as recited in claim 9, wherein said keys are removably secured to said panel.

Claim 14

A keyboard adapted to be fixedly secured in a housing, comprising: a removable panel having a plurality of keys including a plurality of first keys and at least one second key, said first and second keys having an upper surface having a light translucent region; a board having electrical circuitry, including contact lands; a translucent membrane disposed between all of said keys on said panel and said board and forming a liquid tight seal between said panel and said board, said membrane comprising: a main body, a plurality of flexible, resilient domes formed integrally with said main body, one dome being associated with each of said keys, and a gasket formed integrally with said main body and extending around a perimeter of said membrane, said gasket configured to be received by a correspondingly formed channel in said. housing in such a manner as to provide a liquid-tight seal between said membrane and the housing, wherein said main body, said gasket and said domes form a continuous, seamless, unitary membrane adapted to operate with the housing to form a water-impermeable barrier between said board and said panel; a plurality of first illumination sources disposed on said board, each associated with a particular one of said first and second keys of said board, light from said first illumination source passing through said associated domes on said membrane and through said upper surface of said associated first key; at least one second illumination source, each associated with one of said at least one second key, said one or more second illumination sources being disposed on a same side of said membrane as said board; a display on said upper surface of said at least one associated second key; a light pipe, disposed within said interior of said at least one second key, for conducting light emitted from said associated second source of illumination to said display on said upper surface of said at least one second key; and an electrically conductive surface associated with each of said domes and disposed on a side of said membrane facing said board, wherein depression of a key on said keyboard causes deformation of an associated dome to urge said electrically conductive surface of said associated dome into contact with an associated one of said lands on said board.

Claim 15

A keyboard adapted to be fixedly secured in a housing, comprising: a removable panel having a plurality of keys including a plurality of first keys and at least one second key, said first and second keys having an upper surface having a light translucent region; a board having electrical circuitry, including contact lands; a translucent membrane disposed between all of said keys on said panel and said board and forming a liquid tight seal between said panel and said board, said membrane comprising: a main body, a plurality of flexible, resilient domes formed integrally with said main body, one dome being associated with each of said keys, and a gasket formed integrally with said main body and extending around a perimeter of said membrane, said gasket configured to be received by a correspondingly formed channel in said. housing in such a manner as to provide a liquid-tight seal between said membrane and the housing, wherein said main body, said gasket and said domes form a continuous, seamless, unitary membrane adapted to operate with the housing to form a water-impermeable barrier between said board and said panel; a plurality of first illumination sources disposed on said board, each associated with a particular one of said first and second keys of said board, light from said first illumination source passing through said associated domes on said membrane and through said upper surface of said associated first key; at least one second illumination source, each associated with one of said at least one second key, said one or more second illumination sources being disposed on a same side of said membrane as said board; a display on said upper surface of said at least one associated second key; a light pipe, disposed within said interior of said at least one second key, for conducting light emitted from said associated second source of illumination to said display on said upper surface of said at least one second key; and an electrically conductive surface associated with each of said domes and disposed on a side of said membrane facing said board, wherein depression of a key on said keyboard causes deformation of an associated dome to urge said electrically conductive surface of said associated dome into contact with an associated one of said lands on said board.

Claim 16

The keyboard as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said keys comprises a hollow interior for allowing light to pass from said associated one or more illumination sources through said upper surface of said key.

Claim 17

The keyboard as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said keys comprises side walls having a catch basin adapted to collect fluids rolling off said keys.

Claim 18

The keyboard as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said domes comprises: a portion for supporting an associated one of said keys; a first web interconnecting said portion with a main body of said membrane; a projection extending downwardly toward said board, said projection having an electrically conductive surface on a lower end thereof and on a side of said membrane facing said board; and a second web interconnecting said portion and said projection, depression of an associated key causing deformation of said first web and movement of said projection toward an associated contact land on said board, further depression of said associated key after said electrically conductive surface touches said associated contact land causing deformation of said second web and movement of said portion toward said board, wherein said first and second webs respond to the application of force from said associated one of said keys in accordance with a predetermined force-displacement relationship.