Patent ID: 8173913

Claim:
An electrical switch apparatus comprising: a printed circuit board including a switch trace thereon, the switch trace having a first contact area and a second contact area spaced from the first contact area so as to be electrically insulated from the first contact area; a conductive switch dome having a central portion spaced from the printed circuit board and a plurality of contacting portions extending from the central portion; wherein each of the first contact area and the second contact area is contacted by at least one of the plurality of contacting portions of the switch dome when the switch dome is unpressed such that the unpressed switch dome forms a closed switch between the first contact area and the second contact area; and wherein the switch dome is resiliently pressable to urge the central portion of the switch dome toward the printed circuit board and remove the plurality of contacting portions of the switch dome from contact with at least one of the first contact area and the second contact area to open the switch between the first contact area and the second contact area when the switch dome is pressed.