Inventors:
Victor V. Aromin - West Warwick RI, US
Assignee:
Tower Manufacturing Corporation - Providence RI
International Classification:
H01L 41/08
Abstract:
A piezoelectric switch includes a piezoelectric element which is electrically connected to a printed circuit board by a pair of wires. A unitary plastic carrier is designed to retain both the piezoelectric element and the printed circuit board fixedly mounted thereon. In turn, the plastic carrier is sized and shaped to be co-axially disposed within the interior cavity of a generally cylindrically-shaped protective housing, wherein the plastic carrier is provided with at least one flexible finger which is configured to snap-fit into engagement within an annular groove formed in the inner surface of the housing so as to retain the carrier in place within the interior cavity. With the carrier fixed in place within the housing, an adhesive spacer disposes the piezoelectric element in contact with the inner surface of a touch plate provided in the housing. Accordingly, in use, the application of a tactile input onto the outer surface of the touch plate in turn causes the approximate center of the piezoelectric element to slightly deform. In response thereto, the piezoelectric element generates an output signal which passes to the printed circuit board.
