Electrical input devices can be produced using a multi-material 3D-printing process. The electrical input devices can include a non-conductive material portion and a conductive material portion. The non-conductive and conductive material portions are integrally formed during a single 3D-printing process. Deformation of the electrical input devices cause an electrical variance of the conductive material portion that is responsive to the deformation. Some electrical input devices described provide digital responses, and some electrical input devices described provide analog responses. The described techniques can be used to manufacture complex finished devices in a single 3D-print run, and, in some examples, without the need for post-processing or assembly.

A button unit is suspended vertically and has a button body with an actuating surface and a shaft extending downwardly therefrom. An X-Y sensor unit is arranged below the button body for detecting X-Y positions on the actuating surface. The X-Y sensor unit has one opening such that the shaft can move therethrough. One transfer element is elastically suspended below the shaft and moved downwardly upon downward movement of the shaft. A Z sensor unit is arranged below the transfer element. The Z sensor unit has a detection element for detecting downward movement of the transfer element. The X-Y sensor unit may include a capacitive sensor. The Z sensor unit may include an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a magnetic sensor. The shaft and the extension may include a translucent material to form a light guide for illuminating the button body via a light source.

A switch device and a music generation device are provided. A switch device comprising: a switch; a housing; a movable shaft that moves along an axis direction of the movable shaft with respect to the housing to press the switch; an elastic member that biases the movable shaft to one end side of the movable shaft in the axial direction; and an arm for pressing the switch at a position eccentric from an axis of the movable shaft, wherein the switch is outside a range of the movable shaft in a view in the axial direction.

A sliding mechanism includes a first member, a second member harder than the first member and a plurality of particulate third members sandwiched between the first member and the second member and disposed to be slidable on the second member. The sliding mechanism is applicable to a keyboard apparatus. In particular, the sliding mechanism is applicable to a portion that slides according to a depression of a key in the keyboard apparatus.

In a key switch (10), an inner dome (Din) starts to deform once a distal end portion (21) of the inner dome (Din) comes into contact with a base surface (93a) after an outer dome (Dout) starts to deform. A thick portion (25) extending straight and having a uniform wall thickness in a click generating portion (CL) has the thickness less than or equal to the minimum thickness of a thick portion (23) of an after stroke portion (AF). The degree of inclination of the thick portion (25) with respect to a center line (C0) (direction of pressing) is larger than that of the thick portion (23) with respect to the center line (C0) (c>a). Before the after stroke portion (AF) undergoes large deformation, the click generating portion (CL) undergoes buckling to cause a sudden decrease in a reaction force and generate a click feeling.

Electrical input devices can be produced using a multi-material 3D-printing process. The electrical input devices can include a non-conductive material portion and a conductive material portion. The non-conductive and conductive material portions are integrally formed during a single 3D-printing process. Deformation of the electrical input devices cause an electrical variance of the conductive material portion that is responsive to the deformation. Some electrical input devices described provide digital responses, and some electrical input devices described provide analog responses. The described techniques can be used to manufacture complex finished devices in a single 3D-print run, and, in some examples, without the need for post-processing or assembly.

A button includes a button unit suspended vertically in Z direction in a frame and which has a button body with an upper actuating surface and at least one shaft extending vertically downwardly from the button body. An X-Y sensor unit is arranged vertically below the button body and fixed to the frame for detecting X-Y positions on the actuating surface. The X-Y sensor unit has one opening such that the shaft can vertically move therethrough. One transfer element is elastically suspended vertically below the shaft and moved vertically downwardly upon downward movement of the shaft. A Z sensor unit arranged vertically below the transfer element is fixed to the frame. The Z sensor unit has at least one detection element for detecting vertical downward movement of the transfer element. The X-Y sensor unit may include a capacitive sensor. The Z sensor unit may include an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a magnetic sensor. The button may be illuminated by the shaft, where the shaft and the extension include a translucent material to form a light guide connected to the button body. A light source is located vertically below the shaft, so the light of the light source leaves upwardly and enters the shaft from below. An optical device deflecting the light that entered the shaft from the light source in a horizontal direction is arranged in the vertical upper area of the light guide above the shaft.

A button is disclosed, which includes a button unit suspended movably vertically in Z-direction in a fixed frame and having a button body with an upper actuating surface and at least one central shaft extending vertically downwardly from the button body and extending at an upper end below the button body horizontally into an extension. The shaft and the extension having a translucent material such that they commonly form a light guide which is fixedly connected to the button body. The button additionally includes a light source vertically below the shaft. Light from the light source leaves vertically upwardly and enters the shaft from below. The button further includes a first optical device arranged in the vertical upper area of the light guide above the shaft for deflecting light that has entered the shaft from the light source in a horizontal direction into a plane of the extension.

A to-be-depressed member includes an elastic dome. A sectional shape of the dome orthogonal to an axis line (X2) of the dome is line-symmetric about a symmetry axis (Ax). The dome has a three-dimensional shape that is symmetric with respect to a virtual plane (Sx) containing the symmetry axis and the axis line. During a swinging movement responsive to a depressing operation, an opposed surface of an opposed member relatively approaches and contacts a distal end of the dome to deform the dome so as to generate a reactive force. As for an angle defined between the axis line of the dome and a normal line (X1) of the opposed surface, the angle (0) in an initial state falls in a range from a first angle variation amount from the initial state to a first-contact state to a second angle variation amount from the initial state to a depression-completed state.

A button is disclosed, which includes a button unit suspended movably vertically in Z-direction in a fixed frame and having a button body with an upper actuating surface and at least one central shaft extending vertically downwardly from the button body and extending at an upper end below the button body horizontally into an extension. The shaft and the extension having a translucent material such that they commonly form a light guide which is fixedly connected to the button body. The button additionally includes a light source vertically below the shaft. Light from the light source leaves vertically upwardly and enters the shaft from below. The button further includes a first optical device arranged in the vertical upper area of the light guide above the shaft for deflecting light that has entered the shaft from the light source in a horizontal direction into a plane of the extension.