Patent ID: 8471158

Claim:
A switch assembly comprising: a housing; an elastomeric pad supported by said housing to overlie a circuit board comprising a plurality of lower contacts, said elastomeric pad comprising a plurality of collapsible domes aligned with corresponding ones of said lower contacts, said domes each comprising an upper contact that engages a respective lower contact when collapsed; one or more bridge actuators, each bridge actuator being supported by said housing between said elastomeric pad and a support surface, each actuator having a first end and a second end, each end being aligned with one of said plurality of domes and having an upwardly directed protrusion extending through a corresponding aperture in said support surface; one or more actuator plates supported atop said support surface, each actuator plate having a ramp formed in its underside and aligned adjacent each upwardly directed protrusion such that a sliding movement of said actuator plate over said support surface engages said ramp with said protrusion to cause said protrusion to move in a downward direction towards a respective underlying dome to actuate a corresponding switch.