Membrane switch assembly for a handpiece for carrying out medical interventions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9433424-B2
Application number	US-201414553467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A membrane switch assembly for a handpiece for carrying out medical interventions includes a ring-like support surrounding a support interior, and a keypad element arranged on the support and intended to be actuated in order to carry out switching procedures. The keypad element is secured on the support so as to close the support interior in a fluid-tight manner. On an outer circumferential side of the ring-like support, a sealing arrangement surrounds the ring-like support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A membrane switch assembly for a handpiece for carrying out medical interventions, comprising:
a ring-like support surrounding a support interior,
a keypad element arranged on the support and intended to be actuated in order to carry out switching procedures, wherein the keypad element is secured on the support so as to close the support interior in a fluid-tight manner, and,
on an outer circumferential side of the ring-like support, a sealing arrangement surrounding the ring-like support.

2. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the keypad element has a substantially plate-like shape and, to permit the fluid-tight securing on the support, has a securing flange engaging at least partially over a front face of the support and/or has a securing wall engaging in the support interior and bearing on an inner circumferential side of the support.

3. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the keypad element is secured on the support by material bonding.

4. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the sealing arrangement on the outer circumferential side of the support comprises, in at least one sealing element receiving groove, at least one O-ring sealing element.

5. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the support has a substantially round outer circumferential contour.

6. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein a switch arrangement, with at least one switch element that can be acted on by the keypad element, is provided.

7. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the switch arrangement comprises a switch plate arranged substantially in the support interior and carrying at least one switch element.

8. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 7 ,
wherein a positioning formation is provided on the keypad element and/or on the support, and, on the switch plate, a counter-positioning formation is provided that interacts with the positioning formation to predefine a predetermined positioning for the switch plate in the support interior.

9. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 8 ,
wherein one formation of positioning formation and counter-positioning formation comprises at least one positioning projection, and the other formation of positioning formation and counter-positioning formation comprises at least one positioning recess receiving at least one positioning projection.

10. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the keypad element has an actuation region assigned to at least one switch element.

11. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 10 ,
wherein at least one actuation region comprises a first actuation formation provided on an outer face of the keypad element oriented away from the support interior, and/or a second actuation formation provided on an inner face of the keypad element oriented toward the support interior.

12. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 10 ,
wherein an actuation resistance element counteracting the actuation of the keypad element is provided and assigned to at least one switch element.

13. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 12 ,
wherein at least one actuation resistance element is fixed in relation to the switch arrangement by a fixing layer.

14. A handpiece for carrying out medical interventions, comprising at least one membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein a membrane switch seat provided in the handpiece is assigned to and receives the at least one membrane switch assembly.

15. The handpiece as claimed in claim 14 ,
wherein the sealing arrangement bears in a fluid-tight manner on an inner circumferential surface surrounding the membrane switch seat and/or at least one retaining step for the membrane switch assembly is provided on the membrane switch seat.

16. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the keypad element has a substantially plate-like shape and, to permit the fluid-tight securing on the support, has a securing flange engaging at least partially over a front face of the support and has a securing wall engaging in the support interior and bearing on an inner circumferential side of the support.

17. The membrane switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the sealing arrangement is adapted to be secured to housing of the medical device in a fluid-tight manner when the assembly is inserted into the housing.

Assignees

• Storz Karl Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Spycher Raphael
• Simmen Markus

Classifications

• H01H2223/002

  sealed · CPC title

• A61B17/32002

  with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments · CPC title

• H01H2009/066

  having switches mounted on a control handle, e.g. gear shift lever · CPC title

• G05G25/04

  Sealing against entry of dust, weather or the like {(in selector apparatus for gearings, F16H59/0213)} · CPC title

• H01H9/04

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings · CPC title