Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Including keyboard
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-18
2003-01-28
Saras, Steven (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Including keyboard
C345S161000, C345S160000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512510
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard device for use in computers and the like, which has a pointing device using strain gauges incorporated therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional keyboard device will be described with reference to
FIGS. 4 and 5
. The conventional keyboard device comprises a membrane switch S
2
, a pointing device P
2
incorporated in the membrane switch S
2
, and a mounting plate T
2
made of metal for mounting and supporting the membrane switch S
2
and the pointing device P
2
.
The pointing device P
2
comprises, as shown in
FIG. 5
, a mounting member
21
formed of a metal plate, a control member
22
made of synthetic resin, mounted on the mounting member
21
, and having an operating portion
22
a
and a plurality of strain gauges (not shown), a long flexible substrate
23
attached to the control member
22
at one end and made of polyester resin, and connection conductors
24
formed on the flexible substrate
23
so as to electrically connect the strain gauges to the outside.
The flexible substrate
23
includes a base portion
23
a
a long extension
23
b
. The base portion
23
a
is provided with connection conductors
24
to be connected to the strain gauges in the control member
22
, and the extension
23
b
is provided with connection conductors
24
for leading the above connection conductors
24
connected to the strain gauges to the end of the extension
23
b
. A resist
25
made of an insulating material is applied to the surface of the flexible substrate
23
so as to cover and insulate the connection conductors
24
, excluding the connection conductors
24
at the end of the extension
23
b.
In the operation of such a pointing device P
2
, the operating portion
22
a
of the control member
22
is tilted in the X
1
- or X
2
direction to change the resistances of the strain gauges, thereby controlling the horizontal movement of a cursor. Furthermore, the operating portion
22
a
is tilted in the Y
1
- or Y
2
-direction to change the resistances of the strain gauges, thereby controlling the vertical movement of the cursor.
That is, the changes in resistance of the strain gauges are detected as changes in voltage, and a computer reads the voltage changes and controls the cursor so that the cursor moves horizontally or vertically in response to the movement of the operating portion
22
a
in the X
1
- and X
2
-directions, or in the Y
1
- and Y
2
-directions.
The membranes switch S
2
is formed of a polyester resin and includes a rectangular lower film substrate
26
, a rectangular upper film substrate
27
placed at a predetermined distance from the lower film substrate
26
with a spacer (not shown) therebetween, and a rectangular leader portion
28
formed integrally with the lower film substrate
26
and protruding therefrom.
A plurality of contact portions (not shown) and a layout conductor (not shown) connected to the contact portions are formed on the opposing surfaces of the lower and upper film substrates
26
and
27
. The layout conductor is connected to membrane switch terminal portions
29
formed on the leader portion
28
.
When a pressure portion
27
a
of the upper film substrate
27
is pressed, the upper film substrate
27
is bent, and a contact portion thereof contacts a corresponding contact portion of the lower film substrate
26
, whereby a signal is led out to the membrane switch terminal portions
29
via the layout conductor.
The lower and upper film substrates
26
and
27
have holes
26
b
and
27
b
for holding the pointing device P
2
therein. The leader portion
28
has two cut portions
28
a.
The pointing device P
2
is placed inside the holes
26
a
and
27
a
so that the extension
23
b
of the flexible substrate
23
is disposed in no contact with the contact portions between the lower film substrate
26
and the upper film substrate
27
without hindrance (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.
4
). Moreover, the end of the extension
23
b
is drawn out through the two cut portions
28
a
so as to support the extension
23
b
, and the connection conductors
24
and the membrane switch terminal portions
29
are arranged in parallel.
The membrane switch S
2
and the pointing device P
2
thus combined are fixed on the mounting plate T
2
by an appropriate means, such as caulking or bonding, thereby constructing the keyboard device.
The membrane switch terminal portions
29
and the connection conductors
24
in such a keyboard device are connected to an electronic device, such as a computer, and signals from the membranes switch S
2
and the pointing device P
2
are input to the electronic device.
The conventional keyboard device requires the long flexible substrate
23
to lead out signals from the pointing device P
2
to the position of the membrane switch terminal portions
29
, which raises material cost.
Since the long flexible substrate
23
also has a complicated shape in order to avoid the contact portions, the process of preparing the material is not simple, which further raises the costs.
The extension
23
b
of the flexible substrate
23
needs to be passed through and drawn out of the cut portions
28
a
of the leader portion
28
for the purpose of mounting and support, which impairs assembly work efficiency and raises the costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device that achieves a low material cost and a simple process of preparing the material.
In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard device including: a membrane switch having two upper and lower film substrates with a plurality of contact portions
14
a
, and a leader portion formed integrally with the film substrates; and a pointing device incorporated in the area of the membrane switch and having a strain gauge and a flexible substrate for electrically connecting the strain gauge to the outside, wherein the leader portion is provided with a switch terminal portion and a pointing device terminal portion, the film substrates are provided with a lead-out conductor to be led out to the pointing device terminal portion, the flexible substrate is provided with a connection conductor, and the connection conductor is connected to the lead-out conductor adjacent to the pointing device.
This makes it possible to make the flexible substrate substantially shorter than before, and to thereby provide a low-cost keyboard device that achieves a low material cost and a simple process of preparing the material.
Furthermore, there is no need to pass the flexible substrate through the cut portions of the leader portion, as is different from the conventional art. Therefore, it is possible to provide a low-cost keyboard device that achieves high productivity.
Preferably, the flexible substrate includes a base portion on which the strain gauge is disposed, and an extension formed integrally with the base portion and having the connection conductor from the strain gauge formed thereon.
In this case, it is easy to connect and construct the strain gauge and the connection conductor, and to thereby provide a keyboard device that achieves high productivity.
Preferably, the pointing device includes a control member attached to the base portion of the flexible substrate and for operating the strain gauge, and a mounting member formed of a metal plate for mounting the control member thereon. The connection conductor is connected to the lead-out conductor within the surface area of the control member or the mounting member.
In this case, it is possible to establish a substantially short length of connection between the pointing device and the membrane switch, and to thereby provide a low-cost keyboard device that achieves high productivity.
Preferably, the film substrates are made of polyester resin, and the flexible substrate is made of polyimide resin.
Since the strain gauge is formed on the flexible substrate of polyimide resin h
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Saras Steven
Spencer William C.
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