(19)
(11) EP 0 463 335 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
05.08.1992 Bulletin 1992/32

(43) Date of publication A2:
02.01.1992 Bulletin 1992/01

(21) Application number: 91107506.7

(22) Date of filing: 08.05.1991
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5: H01H 13/70, H01R 13/70
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB IT

(30) Priority: 27.06.1990 US 544776

(71) Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Company
Palo Alto, California 94304 (US)

(72) Inventor:
  • Girard, James J.
    Boise, Idaho 83706 (US)

(74) Representative: Baillie, Iain Cameron et al
c/o Ladas & Parry Altheimer Eck 2
80331 München
80331 München (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Control panel and keypad of one piece molded construction


    (57) An operator controlled panel and keypad member for an electronic instrument which includes a plurality of cantilevered beam members (24) secured at only one end thereof to an integral control panel member (14,15) and each being operatively depressed down into electrical contact with control circuitry (22) located on the underside of the panel and forming part of an electronic instrument (12) being controlled by an operator. Thus, by aligning the control panel or keypad member with a given reference point or mark on an instrument housing, all of the cantilevered contacts (28) thereon are also automatically aligned with electrical circuitry (22) within the instrument housing (12). The control panel or keypad member may be of the replaceable snap-on or snap-fit type which is designed to have language-specific, code-specific or numbers-specific indicia (26) thereon dedicated to a single nation or single country language, customs and usage.






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