Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Actuators
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-15
2003-12-02
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Actuators
C400S490000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06657146
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pushbutton selector switches. More specifically, the present invention relates to a ball and alignment rib with a retainer for mounting floating button clusters.
2. Description of the Background Art
Assemblies wherein button clusters are mounted to bezels have seen increasing utility and are often found in devices such as computer interfaces, joysticks, automotive mirror controls and the like. One application for bezel mounted buttons is in telecommunication devices such as televisions and associated peripherals (i.e., control boxes, remotes, video players and the like). These bezel mounted button clusters allow a user to select responses to menu prompts in a quick and efficient manner using a minimal user interface.
However, bezel mounted floating button clusters require careful and meticulous design in order to enable the actuator of the bezel mounted floating button cluster to close an appropriate contact or switch. Often, the motion enabling device, or hinge, allows some translational motion of the actuator that may allow the actuator to miss the switch, or become “hung-up”, i.e., stuck, upon the switch or other surrounding structure. Additionally, some bezel mounted floating button clusters have a “mushy” or indistinct feel that causes the user to hesitate during selection and rely on a display to confirm that the desired selection was made.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a bezel mounted floating button cluster that can be easily aligned with its bezel providing good positional accuracy in relation to the bezel and the button. Furthermore, such bezel mounted floating button clusters should have an ease of assembly, and allow the builders or assemblers to assemble the button cluster to the bezel without fear that the button cluster will come away from the bezel or become misaligned with the bezel during assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disadvantages associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of a ball and alignment rib for mounting bezel mounted floating button clusters. Specifically, the alignment rib for the bezel mounted floating button cluster of the present invention comprises a carrier rib, upon which is disposed a tapered rib, upon which is mounted a semi-spherical ball reinforced by an enlarged post. The alignment rib mates to an aperture in the bezel mounted floating button cluster, the aperture is formed such that the semi-spherical ball passes through the formed aperture causing a retention rib to flex slightly into a vertical slot which is disposed directly next to the tapered slot of the bezel mounted floating button cluster. After the tapered hole has received this semi-spherical ball, the retention rib elastically forms to its previous position, and forms around the bezel mounted carrier rib, thus aligning and securing the bezel mounted floating button cluster.
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Search Report for German Appln. No. 10112210.1 dated Apr. 5, 2002.
Bradley P. Austin
Lin Reitseng
Nguyen Nhung
Shedd Robert D.
Thomson Licensing S.A.
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