An operation switch includes a concave portion in which an inner peripheral surface is constituted by a first inclined surface that is reduced in diameter toward a bottom portion from an external surface of a frame and a cylindrical portion that is formed in a pressing type operation button mounted on the concave portion and in which an outer peripheral surface is constituted by a second inclined surface that has a gradient larger than a gradient of the first inclined surface and faces the inner peripheral surface of the concave portion.

A button deck includes a substrate and a two-part non-penetrating pushbutton assembly with an upper portion positioned on an upper surface of the substrate and a lower portion positioned on a lower surface of the substrate. The upper portion includes a button face positioned in a button frame that is coupled to the upper surface of the substrate. The button face is configured to be pressed to move within the button frame toward the upper surface of the substrate. The upper portion and the lower portion are configured to work together to provide a signal to an EGM that the button face has been pressed. The pushbutton assembly is non-penetrating because it does not provide any penetration points through the substrate of the button deck.

A rotational operation unit includes a rotational operation member that is rotatable, an annular magnet configured to integrally rotate with the rotational operation member, and a magnet holding member configured to rotatably hold the magnet and including an undulated portion configured to generate a click sense as the rotational operation member rotates. The magnet includes a positioner configured to determine a position relative to the magnet holding member.

A method for assembling an electro-permanent magnet (EPM) key assembly of an information handling system may comprise disposing a pair of scissor plate mounts framed onto a base contact assembly upward through a cap support plate opening within a cap support plate comprising a printed circuit board with pressure sensors to record keystrokes for mounting the EPM key assembly, operably connecting the base contact assembly to the cap support plate, disposing a ferromagnetic flange operably coupled to rotate with at least one scissor plate about a hinge downward through the cap support plate opening, operably connecting the pair of scissor plates to the base contact assembly such that each of the pair of scissor plates may rotate away from one another in the presence of downward force on a key cap, and situating the key cap atop the pair of scissor plates.

An electronic device includes an enclosure and a keyboard positioned within the enclosure. The keyboard includes a substrate and a key mechanism. The key mechanism includes a keycap support mechanism, a keycap supported by the keycap support mechanism and movable relative to the substrate, a ferromagnetic component attached to the keycap support mechanism, and a selectively magnetizable magnet. The selectively magnetizable magnet system may include a magnetizable material and a coil configured to selectively magnetize and demagnetize the magnetizable material. The key mechanism may include a collapsible dome biasing the keycap toward the extended position.

An electro-permanent magnet (EPM) key assembly of an information handling system may comprise a pair of scissor plates operably connected to a base contact assembly including an EPM such that each of the pair of scissor plates may rotate away from one another in the presence of downward force on a key cap situated atop the pair of scissor plates for actuation of the EPM key assembly; the EPM comprising a low-coercivity magnet and a high-coercivity magnet; wherein an application of a first current pulse applied to an electrically conductive wire coiled around the low-coercivity magnet places the EPM in a first on state to assert a first magnetic field on a ferromagnetic flange operatively coupled to rotate with at least one scissor plate about a hinge; and wherein an application of a second current pulse applied to the electrically conductive wire places the EPM in a second on state to increase the magnetic field on the ferromagnetic flange.

An electropermanent magnet key assembly of an information handling system comprising an electropermanent magnet (EPM) having a low-coercivity magnet and a high-coercivity magnet, wherein the EPM is capable of an on state generating a magnetic field and an off state disabling the magnetic field, a key cap, situated atop a pair of scissor plates, capable of downward movement, via action of the scissor plates, from a raised, neutral position in which a surface of the key cap is moved to a depressed position below the neutral position, wherein the downward movement of the key assembly may record a keystroke, a flange operably connected a first scissor plate of the pair of scissor plates and extending opposite of a hinge of the first scissor plate, such that the flange is attracted toward the magnetic field of the EPM situated beneath the pair of scissor plates to urge the first scissor plate to push the key cap to the neutral position in an on state, and a spring exerting a biasing force to rotate a rocker arm toward the flange for urging the flange away from the EPM opposite to the attraction of the magnetic field of the EPM, wherein the effect of the biasing force on movement of the flange is lesser than the effect of the magnetic field generated by the EPM on movement of the flange in the on state.

Provided are a switch and an operation device which can expand the application range of switches using magnets, etc. A switch incorporated in an operation device includes a movable member with a first end side fixed and a second end side swinging when receiving a pressing, and a pressing member which presses the movable member, and further includes a permanent magnet (magnet) on the tip of the movable member, and a magnetic field detection part which detects a magnetic field. In response to an operation on the operation device, the pressing member of the switch presses the movable member downward. The magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet (magnet) and detected by the magnetic field detection part changes due to the pressing of the pressing member, and the switch outputs a signal based on the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field detection part.

An electro-permanent magnet (EPM) key assembly of an information handling system may comprise a pair of scissor plates operably connected to a base contact assembly including an EPM such that each of the pair of scissor plates may rotate away from one another in the presence of downward force on a key cap situated atop the pair of scissor plates for actuation of the EPM key assembly; the EPM comprising a low-coercivity magnet and a high-coercivity magnet; wherein an application of a first current pulse applied to an electrically conductive wire coiled around the low-coercivity magnet places the EPM in a first on state to assert a first magnetic field on a ferromagnetic flange operatively coupled to rotate with at least one scissor plate about a hinge; and wherein an application of a second current pulse applied to the electrically conductive wire places the EPM in a second on state to increase the magnetic field on the ferromagnetic flange.

An electropermanent magnet key assembly of an information handling system comprising an electropermanent magnet (EPM) having a low-coercivity magnet and a high-coercivity magnet, wherein the EPM is capable of an on state generating a magnetic field and an off state disabling the magnetic field, a key cap, situated atop a pair of scissor plates, capable of downward movement, via action of the scissor plates, from a raised, neutral position in which a surface of the key cap is moved to a depressed position below the neutral position, wherein the downward movement of the key assembly may record a keystroke, a flange operably connected a first scissor plate of the pair of scissor plates and extending opposite of a hinge of the first scissor plate, such that the flange is attracted toward the magnetic field of the EPM situated beneath the pair of scissor plates to urge the first scissor plate to push the key cap to the neutral position in an on state, and a spring exerting a biasing force to rotate a rocker arm toward the flange for urging the flange away from the EPM opposite to the attraction of the magnetic field of the EPM, wherein the effect of the biasing force on movement of the flange is lesser than the effect of the magnetic field generated by the EPM on movement of the flange in the on state.