The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 26, 2017
Filed:
Sep. 10, 2014
Empire Technology Development Llc, Wilmington, DE (US);
Michael Alan Marrs, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Douglas E. Loy, Chandler, AZ (US);
EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
Disclosed are tactile keys and methods for their production and use. The tactile key may include a substrate; a conductive layer disposed on at least one region of the substrate; a porous layer disposed on at least a portion of the conductive layer; an insulating layer disposed on regions of the substrate that surround the conductive layer and the porous layer to form a well, the well having sidewalls defined by the insulating layer, and a bottom surface at least partially defined by the porous layer; an electroactive polymer composition disposed in the well; and a flexible layer having a conductive coating on at least a portion of a surface facing the electroactive polymer composition, the flexible layer covering the well and at least a portion of the insulating layer surrounding the well. When the tactile key is depressed, an electric field is activated causing the electroactive polymer composition to move towards the flexible layer to provide a tactile feedback.