Patent ID: 6940030

Claim:
Apparatus for a hinge key switch, comprising: a keyboard mounting plate; a key cap, comprising: a top surface which is easily manipulated for manual depression; a circular extension integrally connected to and extending from an underside of the key cap; and a finger integrally connected to and extending from a rear end of the key cap and ending in a snap hook, wherein the finger passes substantially vertically through a first slot in the keyboard mounting plate, and wherein the snap hook cooperates with an underside of the keyboard mounting plate, thus creating a hinge point around which the key cap can move; a dome-shaped rubber spring, held in place by the keyboard mounting plate, biased towards the key cap and which contacts the circular extension; and a stopper mechanism which places limits on movement of the key cap around the hinge point, wherein when the key cap is manually depressed, the key cap rotates around the hinge point, and when the manual depression is removed, the rubber spring returns the key cap to its original position.