Illuminating membrane switch and illuminating keypad using the same
US7235752B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 8, 2006 |
| Grant date | Jun 26, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 8, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H2219/018
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An illuminating membrane switch includes an upper membrane sheet and a lower membrane sheet. The lower membrane sheet includes an electroluminescent device and a plurality of lower lead wires disposed on the illuminating surface of the electroluminescent device. An insulating spacer layer is further disposed on the illuminating surface of the electroluminescent device, and separates the upper lead wires of the upper membrane sheet from the lower lead wire. When a pressing force acting on the illuminating membrane is sufficient, the upper lead wire and the lower lead wire at the pressing position can contact each other through the opening of the insulating spacer layer so as to form a closed circuit. The keyboard can light up the symbols on the surfaces of key caps by light emitted from the illuminating membrane for a user to identify the function or alphabetic input of each key cap, and detect any input from a keystroke.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.