Compressible housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10515770-B2
Application number	US-201716076548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Examples relate to a compressible housing. An electronic switch may include a circuit board. A first conductive surface may be coupled to the circuit board and a second conductive surface may be located proximate to the first conductive surface. A compressible spacer may be located between the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface to space the first conductive surface away from the second conductive surface. Further, a compressible housing may deform when under compression and may cause, via deformation of the compressible spacer, the first conductive surface to contact the second conductive surface.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An electronic switch comprising:
a circuit board;
a first conductive surface coupled to the circuit board;
a second conductive surface located proximate to the first conductive surface;
a compressible spacer between the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface to space the first conductive surface away from the second conductive surface; and
a single, integral housing that is compressible to deform when under compression and cause, via deformation of the compressible spacer, the first conductive surface to contact the second conductive surface, wherein the second conductive surface is included within a body of the compressible housing.

2. The electronic switch of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive surface comprises a metallic coating on a substrate.

3. The electronic switch of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the second conductive surface is disposed within a cutout included in the compressible housing to couple the second conductive surface to the compressible housing.

4. The electronic switch of claim 3 , wherein a second portion of the second conductive surface is outside the cutout in the compressible housing.

5. A scanning device, comprising:
a circuit board;
a first conductive surface coupled to the circuit board;
a second conductive surface located proximate to the first conductive surface;
a compressible spacer between the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface to space the first conductive surface away from the second conductive surface;
a single, integral housing that is compressible to deform when under compression and cause the first conductive surface to contact the second conductive surface via deformation of the compressible spacer;
an optical scanner coupled to the circuit board to capture a barcode pattern; and
a processor to read the captured barcode pattern.

6. The scanning device of claim 5 wherein circuit board activates the optical scanner when the second conductive surface contacts the first conductive surface.

7. The scanning device of claim 5 , wherein the circuit board deactivates the optical scanner when the second conductive surface breaks contact with the first conductive surface.

8. The scanning device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is activated in response to activation of the optical scanner.

9. The scanning device of claim 5 , wherein the compressible housing comprises between 15% and 33% of an overall surface area of the scanning device.

10. The scanning device of claim 5 , wherein the compressible housing comprises between 25% and 33% of an overall surface area of the scanning device.

11. The scanning device of claim 5 , wherein the compressible housing comprises between 15% and 25% of an overall surface area of the scanning device.

12. The scanning device of claim 6 , wherein the compressible housing is rubber, silicone rubber, or combinations thereof.

13. The scanning device of claim 6 , wherein the second conductive surface is formed from a conductive material selected from gold, silver, copper, or combinations thereof.

14. A method, comprising:
compressing a single, integral housing that is compressible to cause deformation of a compressible spacer and cause a first conductive surface to contact a second conductive surface;
activating an optical scanner in response to the contact of the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface; and
releasing the compressible housing to cause the first conductive surface to break contact with the second conductive surface by reformation of the compressible spacer.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein activating the optical scanner includes activating a circuit to trigger a plurality of lights contained within the optical scanner.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Gregory Scott

Classifications

• H01H13/04 Primary

  Cases; Covers · CPC title

• H01H2221/09

  Flexible integral part of housing · CPC title

• H01H2221/042

  Foam · CPC title

• H01H2003/007

  the contacts being actuated by deformation of a flexible housing · CPC title

• G06K7/1404

  Methods for optical code recognition · CPC title