Patent ID: 6677843
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
A method of making a magnetically coupled pushbutton plunger switch, comprising the steps of:making a hard keycap and a post out of at least one substantially rigid material such that the hard keycap is attached to a top end of the post; making a sleeve and a base out of at least one substantially rigid material such that the sleeve is attached to the base, the sleeve having a lumen; forming a fastener with a fastener head; forming a magnetic armature with a central hole; forming a magnetic coupler with an aperture; fixing the magnetic coupler to the base such that the aperture is substantially an extension of the lumen; inserting at least part of the post into the lumen; securing the magnetic armature to a bottom end of the post using the fastener such that the fastener head at least partially covers the central hole; and securing the base in spaced relation to a membrane switch assembly such that a user-provided actuation force, when applied against the hard keycap, causes the post to transfer sufficient force against the magnetic armature to cause the magnetic armature to break away from coupled engagement with the magnetic coupler until the fastener head physically contacts the membrane switch assembly, thereby closing the magnetically coupled pushbutton plunger switch.