Computer keyboard having top molded housing with rigid pointing stick integral and normal to front surface of housing as one unit part to be used with strain sensors in navigational control

摘要

A computer keyboard has a pointing stick integrally molded into and projecting from a surface of a plastic housing. Keyboard keys extend through holes in the same plastic housing. Strain-sensitive resistors are formed in a small location onto a circuit substrate. The same circuit substrate that carries the strain-sensitive resistors also carries conductive pads for the key switches. The strain-sensitive resistor location is bonded to the housing adjacent the pointing stick, but on an opposite surface of the housing from the pointing stick protrusion.