Patent ID: 6130593
Filing Date: 2000-10-10
Classification: G01D,H01H

Abstract:
An electrical switch panel, comprising:a substrate;a non-conductive spacer mounted on the substrate and having at least one opening therein;a set of electrodes disposed on the substrate in said opening and defining at least one pair of spaced contact pads;a coupler layer on the spacer, the coupler layer being a permanent magnet and having an aperture therein;an electrically conductive armature disposed between the coupler layer and the switch contacts in the spacer opening, the armature being made of magnetic material such that the armature is normally held spaced from the switch contacts in engagement with said coupler layer by the magnetic attraction between the coupler layer and armature, the coupler layer aperture permitting an actuating force acting therethrough to separate the armature from the coupler layer and move the armature into engagement with the contact pads; andan overlay disposed on the coupler layer on the side opposite the spacer, the overlay comprising a metallic layer adjacent the coupler layer and a flexible top layer secured to the metallic layer, the metallic layer having at least one opening aligned with the armature, the top layer covering said at least one opening in the metallic layer, the overlay being retained by magnetic attraction between the coupler layer and the overlay.