Abstract: A battery assembly is provided for holding a battery and for supplying power to an integrated circuit. When the battery is removed from the battery assembly, the battery assembly provides a LOW level signal to either the high voltage input (Vdd) of the integrated circuit or the reset port of the integrated circuit. The battery assembly includes a battery holder, a negative electrode attached to the battery holder and electrically connected to the a negative power line related to the integrated circuit, and a positive electrode also attached to the battery holder and connected to a positive power line to provide power to the integrated circuit. The positive and negative electrodes are disposed such that the battery may be held between the positive and negative electrodes, with positive and negative terminals of the battery in electrical contact with the positive and negative electrodes. The negative electrode includes an electrically conductive extension.

Abstract: A financial transaction terminal is designed to receive both smart cards and debit cards and includes an access port for inserting or removing security modules such as SIM or SAM modules. A security switch arrangement is provided about the access port to protect the now accessible components of the terminal. Such a terminal provides the uncompromised physical security of a debit terminal with the flexibility and capabilities of a smart card terminal.

Abstract: A line coupling assembly contains a carrier plate of an electrically insulating material with first and second opposite surfaces. A first electrically conductive layer at least partially covers the first surface. A first line section is arranged on the first surface so as to be electrically insulated from the first layer. A second electrically conductive layer at least partially covers the second surface. A second line section is arranged on the second surface so as to be electrically insulated from the second layer. A line segment runs from the first surface to the second surface. First and second switches for bilateral electrical connection of the line segment to the first and second layers or to the first and second line sections are arranged on the first and the second surfaces, respectively.

Abstract: An improved flexible substrate for a touchpad, with the flexible substrate having conductive ink for forming a sensor array. A printed circuit board is also used, but only for the components which need to connect to the array, and not the array, thus giving a smaller printed circuit board. The printed circuit board can have the components compactly mounted on it taking advantage of the close spacing available in PC board technology. The PC board itself has wider spacing on its contacts at its outer edges, allowing it to be attached by conductive glue to the flexible substrate.

Abstract: A flexible circuit board includes a plurality of discrete circuits for use with different types of rechargeable battery packs. Conductive traces formed on the circuit board include gaps which cause certain portions of the circuitry to be disconnected from the circuit rendering that portion of the circuit inactive. The process of bridging the gaps by attaching one or more components over the gaps causes the corresponding inactive portion of the circuit to be activated. By selectively activating certain portions of the circuit, a desired result is obtained.

Abstract: An objective of the invention is to provide a power window switch apparatus for an automobile such that the circuit boards within the case which hold the electronic components could be soldered on one side only, thereby reducing production cost and making it easier to lead the wiring pattern around the boards despite the space limitations imposed by the car door. The freedom with which the circuit boards could be designed is also increased. Circuit boards are built into a case facing each other at right angles to the surface on which operating knobs are arranged in a row. This arrangement makes it easy to solder modular switches and wiring terminals of the connector to the circuit boards on one side only. It also makes it possible to increase the surface area of the circuit boards to the very limit of the height restriction imposed on the switch apparatus by the automobile door.

Abstract: An electronic appliance with a construction capable of maintaining a desired contact space between the control switch of its control circuit board coupled between first and second cases mating with each other and the control shaft of its control knob. A plurality of elastic members are provided at the second case to apply a resilience force generated therefrom to the control circuit board when they receive a force applied to the first case upon assembling the first case with the second case via the control circuit board, so that the control circuit board can move toward the first case in such a manner that an accurate contact space is maintained between the control knob fixedly mounted to the first case and the control switches of the control circuit board. Accordingly, an improvement in productivity and reliance is achieved.

Abstract: A telephone handset having a housing, a loudspeaker, and microphone arranged to be brought into operating proximity with a user. A rocker member (41) extends through a side surface (16) of the housing and is arranged to be resiliently pushable in a first direction (46) and resiliently pushable in a second direction (47). A first switch (26) and a second switch (27) are mounted to a circuit board (25) in the housing; each arranged to cooperate with the rocker member so that the first switch is activated when the rocker member is pushed in the first direction and the second switch is activated when the rocker member is pushed in the second direction. The rocker member itself pivots about a pivot (31) directly mounted to the circuit board. Connection of the rocker member on the pivot directly on the circuit board facilitates fabrication of the circuit board into the housing without the constraint of ensuring, at this stage, that the rocker member co-operates with the switches mounted to the circuit board.

Abstract: The apparatus permits non-disruptive addition and removal of PCMCIA modules from a host device. The host device includes a signal bus connected to mating pins of the card header. The card header has a three-sided frame into which a module is inserted. A switch disposed on an edge of the header is responsive to insertion and de-insertion of the module. The length of the mating pins vary where selected mating pins of the card header have a first length for detecting substantially complete insertion and partial de-insertion of the module, and pins of a second length for applying bus signals to the module. Pins of a third length facilitate applying electrical power to the module. The computer is responsive to the switch and the mating pins such that the signal bus is deactivated to prevent corruption of the bus signals when the switch detects insertion of the module. The signal bus remains deactivated until the module is in communication with pins of a first length, whereupon the signal bus is then reactivated.

Abstract: A monitor control panel mounting structure which includes a control panel pivoted to the housing of a monitor and turned about an axis, a mount fixedly connected to the control panel at the bask side to hold a set of control buttons, wherein the monitor housing has a plurality of tracks extending outwards; the control buttons have a respective lever respectively moved in the tracks, the levers of the control buttons being respectively moved to respective switches on the main board of the monitor for permitting the switches of the main board to be operated through the control buttons when the control panel is turned outwards to move the mount out of the monitor housing, the levers of the control buttons being moved away from the switches of the main board when the control panel is turned inwards to move the mount to the inside of the monitor housing.

Abstract: A structure for contact points of a shift switch used in a computer. The structure includes an elastic contact plate disposed under the shift switch and having projecting contact points to contact the corresponding conductive contact portions of the circuit board. A sloped slot is formed between adjacent contact portions to separate the contact portions from each other and to avoid detachment and scattering of the conductive material of the contact portions. The contact points are designed with an elongated shape so as to provide a smooth sliding motion of the contact points through the sloped slots.

Abstract: A switch is provided which is simple in constitution and can be efficiently mounted on a circuit board, and a method of efficiently mounting the switch on the board is also provided. In particular, a switch device comprises a circuit board including a conductor pattern; a fixed contact member provided on a land portion of the conductor pattern; a movable contact member movable to touch/detach with the fixed contact member; a casing for receiving the movable and fixed contact members; locking member for fitting the casing to the circuit board, the locking member being provided in the casing; a holding member for holding the movable contact member with respect to the fixed contact member in one of the touched and detached condition, the holding member being provided in the casing.

Abstract: A universal reconfigurable printed circuit board that provides multiple sockets that can receive field reprogrammable logic devices, hard-wired interconnection circuits, or field reprogrammable interconnection devices interchangeably. Optimized interconnection topologies provide a large number of options for a variety of applications. A versatile interface circuit is used to interface with a personal computer bus during board configuration, and then can be reconfigured to perform application-specific functions.

Abstract: A button assembly for a television receiver control box, wherein a center button is located within a cluster of outer buttons. The outer buttons are cantilevered from the truss of a button plate that is mounted to a printed circuit board which has a plurality of microswitches. Located within the cluster of outer buttons is a center button. The center button is cantilevered from a button bracket that is mounted to a front panel of the control box. The buttons extend through corresponding openings in the front panel. Each button has a column that engages a corresponding microswitch when the button is depressed.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus comprises a case having a main surface and a side surface, and an operating member mounted on the side surface of the case for operating a switch function associated with the electronic apparatus. A substrate having a main surface and a side surface is disposed within the case. A printed wiring circuit is disposed on the main surface of the substrate. First and second conductive patterns are disposed in spaced relationship from each other on the side surfaces of the substrate and are connected to the printed wiring circuit. An elastic insulating member having first and second surfaces is disposed between the substrate and the operating member. A conducting element is fixedly attached to the first surface of the insulating member in facing and spaced apart relationship to the first and second conductive patterns.

Abstract: A cam actuated control device (10) is provided. The control device (10) includes at least two momentary switches (13, 14) which are surface mounted on a circuit substrate (12). An actuating member (20) having a contoured cam surface (25) is movably positioned proximate to the switches (13, 14) such that movement of the actuating member (20) selectively actuates the switches (13, 14) to produce a binary encoded output.

Abstract: A substrate 70 carrying a button plate 54 having an actuating button, and a switch element 72, is arranged at the back side of a front panel of an outer housing 1, and is supported by a bracket 74 screwed to the outer housing 1. The actuating button 52 and the switch element 72 may be positioned easily, while the LED 64 or the remote controlling light receiving section 68 may also be positioned simultaneously. The button plate 54 is not distorted in contradistinction from the case in which the button plate 54 is screwed directly.

Abstract: This is a pen cursor structure for a positional digitizing device such as a digitizing tablet or a pen-driven computer. It comprises a structure of an electrically insulating material having a plurality of areas for receiving and carrying electrical components, an inner structure having a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within the areas and a plurality of electrical traces interconnecting the plurality of electrical contacts. The structure is curved about a longitudinal axis to fit within an outer, hollow, pen-shaped housing.

Abstract: A bell alarm unit is attached to the actuator-accessory unit of a molded case circuit breaker. The bell alarm unit consists of a microswitch, printed wire board connector and external wire conductors integrally encapsulated within a plastic composition to provide strain relief to the electrical connections between the printed wire board and the external wire conductors.