Patent ID: 7324091

Claim:
A keyboard structured to be incorporated into an electronic device, the keyboard comprising: a printed circuit board having a plurality of electrical contacts; a primary conductor portion including a number of primary conductors, each one of said primary conductors being elastically deflectable between a relaxed position and a deflected position, each one of said primary conductors in the deflected position electrically connecting together a pair of the electrical contacts; a secondary conductor portion including a number of secondary conductors, each one of said secondary conductors being elastically deflectable between a relaxed position and a deflected position, each one of said secondary conductors in the deflected position electrically connecting together a pair of the electrical contacts; a number of keys, each one of said keys being cooperable with a corresponding one of said primary conductors and at least a first corresponding one of said secondary conductors; the primary conductors and the secondary conductors being disposed between the printed circuit board and the keys; and each one of said keys being movable between an initial position, a first terminal position, and a second terminal position, said each one of said keys in the first terminal position deflecting the corresponding one of said primary conductors to its deflected position, said each one of said keys in the second terminal position deflecting the corresponding one of said primary conductors and said at least a first corresponding one of said secondary conductors to their deflected positions.