Patent ID: 8760292

Claim:
A data entry device comprising: a housing formed of at least two portions; data entry circuitry located within said housing; at least one case-open switch assembly operative to sense when said housing is opened; and tamper indication circuitry operative to receive an input from said at least one case-open switch assembly and to provide an output indication of possible tampering with said data entry circuitry located within said housing, said at least one case-open switch assembly including: an arrangement of electrical contacts arranged on a base surface, said arrangement of electrical contacts including an outer ring contact, at least one intermediate ring contact, and a central contact, at least one of said outer ring contact and said at least one intermediate ring contact being an anti-tampering contact and being coupled to said tamper indication circuitry; and a resiliently deformable conductive element, which defines a short circuit between said central contact and said at least one intermediate ring contact only when said housing is closed, said resiliently deformable conductive element comprising: an at least partially continuous circumferential flange fixed in electrical contact with said at least one intermediate ring contact; a circumferential portion having a cross sectional configuration which includes two mutually spaced arches; a central portion disposed in a case-open operative orientation at a first distance from said base surface; and a contact portion located interiorly of said central portion and disposed in a case-open operative orientation at a second distance from said base surface, less than said first distance, and in a non-case open operative orientation touching said central contact.