Cherry Electrical Products Corporation

Cherry Mikroschalter Gmbh

Cherry Corporation

Gunter Murmann

Manfred Frank

Gunter Greiner

Gunter Bauer

Jorg Dittrich

Klaus Schuster

Kurt Michel

Walter H Mertel

In an ergonomic keyboard comprising at least two housing sections with separate key pads wherein the two housing sections are interconnected by a joint permitting pivoting and also tilting of the two housing sections relative to each other, the joint comprises a coil spring which extends between, and is connected to, the two housing sections at the end of the housing sections remote from an operator so as to form a universal joint between the two housing sections, and a sector-shaped indexing plate is mounted with one end firmly to one of the housing sections and extends into the other housing section so that it bridges any gap formed between the two housing sections when they are pivoted apart, and the other housing section has a guide pin projecting into a partial circular guide slot formed in the indexing plate and having a center of curvature coinciding with the universal joint pivoting center for guiding the two housing sections relative to each other.

Ergonomic keyboard

In a keyboard housing a housing top with a key pad and a housing bottom with support legs wherein the housing includes a support mat and a multi-layer contact foil set arranged underneath the key pad to be actuated thereby, a metal plate is embedded in a recess formed in the housing bottom below the contact foil set so as to increase weight and rigidity of the housing without the need for special molded housing reinforcement structures, the housing bottom, however, having U-shaped reinforcement web structures with bearing studs at their base areas near the housing bottom and housing legs with bearing holes receiving the bearing studs so as to be pivotally supported thereby, the housing legs having locking grooves and the housing bottom having, between the web structures, engagement tongues with locking ribs for engagement with the locking grooves in the housing legs.

Keyboard

A cursor control device moves from a precise zero rest position to define x-y coordinates for moving a cursor on a computer screen. When an actuating force is removed, the deflected control device is precisely returned to its zero rest position by operation of springs. The device provides relative cursor position data by reference to the zero rest position. The position data is converted to electrical signals which are utilized to position the cursor on the screen.

Cursor device with zero-point resetting

Key module for key-actuated membrane switch panels

A low profile switch key has a base which slidingly supports a pushbutton. The pushbutton is slidingly engaged with a plunger body by a lost motion connection. The plunger body carries cams which control the flexing of contactors to make and break conductive connections with adjacent stationary contacts. A coil spring biases the pushbutton upwardly to its rest position. The sliding lost motion between the pushbutton and plunger body allows the pushbutton to slide by itself over an initial pretravel interval when it is pressed. At the end of the pretravel interval, the pushbutton strikes the plunger body and carries the body downward to complete the key stroke. The plunger body resists sliding movement and therefore provides a perceptible pressure point which indicates actuation of the switch. The stationary contacts and associated overlying cams are interlocked when the pushbutton is depressed to provide a relatively low switch profile with respect to the length of the key stroke.

Low profile switch

The invention relates to a push-button or key switch comprising at least one contact member stationary in a case and a switch blade whose contact tongue is resiliently pivotal from one switching position into another switching position by means of a key push member supported on a return spring.

Push-button key switch

A push-button rotary switch having a switching mechanism including a pair of independent actuators having linear movement into contact with the teeth of a switch position selector ratchet wheel mounted at the center of a rotatable switch-positioning indicator, with the actuators adapted to alternately engage certain of the ratchet teeth so as to rotate the switch-positioning indicator step by step in either direction into different switching positions.

Growing community of inventors

Pegnitz, Germany

Gunter Murmann