Patent ID: 8599047

Claim:
An assembly comprising: a user-engageable portion configured to operate as a keyboard element on a keyboard; a switch configured to close in response to a keypress at the user-engageable portion; and at least one electrical contact configured to cause an actuator that is mechanically or physically coupled to the user-engageable portion to move in response to the switch closing, the movement being in a direction that is generally orthogonal to a direction effective to cause the switch to close; wherein the actuator is coupled to an electrically-deformable material, the electrically deformable material responding to an electrical impulse provided by the at least one electrical contact to thereby cause the user-engageable portion to move in the direction that is generally orthogonal to the direction effective to cause the switch to close; and wherein the electrically-deformable material comprises a first magnet, the user-engageable portion has a second magnet, and the first magnet moves away from the second magnet when the electrically deformable material responds to the electrical impulse.