Patent ID: 6563069
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: B60Q,B60R,H01H

Abstract:
A membrane horn switch assembly for operating a horn, comprising:an upper nonconductive sheet having a portion of a surface covered with a first electrically conductive coating; a lower nonconductive shoot having a portion of a surface covered with a second electrically conductive coating, comprising a first conductive grid and a second conductive grid, said first conductive grid comprising a plurality of first contact members and said second conductive grid comprising a plurality of second contact members each of said plurality of first contact members being interwoven with said plurality of second contact members such that each of said plurality of first contact members are adjacent to four of said plurality of second contact members and each of said plurality of second contact members are adjacent to four of said plurality of First contact members except for the first contact members and the second contact members disposed at a periphery of said second electrically conductive coating, said first electrically conductive coating being in a facially spaced relationship with respect to said second electrically conductive coating; a nonconductive spacer positioned between said first electrically conductive coating and said second electrically conductive coating, said nonconductive spacer having a plurality of openings aligning with portions of said first conductive grid and said second conductive grid; and a plurality of first concentrators and second concentrators depending upwardly from a reaction surface, said plurality of first concentrators being disposed on said reaction surface so as to not make contact with said lower nonconductive sheet, said plurality of first concentrators being disposed outboard of said periphery of said first electrically conductive coating, said plurality of second concentrators selectively communicating portions of said first conductive grid and second conductive grid to provide an electrical connection between said first electrically conductive coating and said second electrically conductive coating when a force is applied to the horn switch assembly, said plurality of first and second concentrators having different lengths so that said plurality of first concentrators maintain the plurality of second concentrators in a faced spaced relationship with said first and second conductive grids in the absence of said force.