Patent ID: 7388576

Claim:
A keypad structured to be incorporated into a handheld electronic device, the keypad comprising: a contact apparatus comprising a plurality of electrical contacts; a button apparatus comprising a number of key sets, each key set of at least a portion of the number of key sets comprising a pair of keys and a support, the pair of keys being disposed on the support; a primary conductor portion comprising a number of primary conductors that are elastically deflectable between a relaxed position and a deflected position, each primary conductor of at least a portion of the number of primary conductors in the deflected position electrically connecting together a pair of electrical contacts of the plurality of electrical contacts; a secondary conductor portion comprising a number of secondary conductors that are movable between a first position and a second position, each secondary conductor of at least a portion of the number of secondary conductors in the second position electrically connecting together a pair of electrical contacts of the plurality of electrical contacts; the pair of keys comprising a first key and a second key, the first key being movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the second key being movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position; a primary conductor of the number of primary conductors which corresponds with the key set being in the deflected position when the first key is in the actuated position; a first secondary conductor of the at least a portion of the number of secondary conductors which corresponds with the first key being in the second position when the first key is in the actuated position; the primary conductor which corresponds with the key set being in the deflected position when the second key is in the actuated position; and a second secondary conductor of the at least a portion of the number of secondary conductors which corresponds with the second key being in the second position when the second key is in the actuated position.