Patent ID: 6967300

Claim:
A key assembly for an electronic machine, said key assembly comprising: a circuit board having electrical contacts on an upper surface; an elongated flexible key having a center portion and first and second side portions, said first side portion having a first electrically conductive region on its underside that is positioned over a first pair of said electrical contacts of said circuit board and said second side portion having a second electrically conductive region on its underside that is positioned over a second pair of said electrical contacts of said circuit board; and an elastically deformable support that supports a third electrically conductive region on its underside, said elastically deformable support mounted with said third electrically conductive region positioned over a third pair of said electrical contacts of said circuit board, said elastically deformable support also mounted below said center portion of said flexible key, wherein each of said center portion and first and second side portions of said flexible key has an up position and a down position such that, in said up position, the corresponding electrically conductive region does not contact the underlying pair of electrical contacts, and, in said down position, the corresponding electrically conductive region does contact the underlying pair of electrical contacts, and wherein said flexible key is responsive to a downward force such that a sufficient downward force acting on an upper surface of said center portion causes said center portion to transition from its up position to its down position, a sufficient downward force acting on an upper surface of said first side portion causes said first side portion to transition from its up position to its down position, and a sufficient downward force acting on an upper surface of said second side portion causes said second side portion to transition from its up position to its down position.