I - What should be searched :

Any prior art document should be published before July 19, 2006. However, novelty
destroying prior art document may also be patent applications filed in Europe or in France
before July 19, 2006 and published after this date.

I.a - First object of the search

The invention is disclosed in EP2047491. Here-below you will find additional information on the
claimed key.

Fig.1 : Copy of Figure 2 of EP2047491 with color green for the cap 6 and yellow for key body 3.
The red arrows point on vertical pins that center cap 6 on key body 3 and lock the rotation of cap
6 on top of key body 3.

Fig. 2 : A view similar to the Fig. 2 of EP2047491. In this view, the cap 6 is gray, the key body
is rose, the membrane is green, the piston is gray.
Fig. 3 : Perspective view of the cap 6 (green) on top of the key body 3 (yellow). The red
arrows point on vertical pins that center cap 6 on key body 3 and that lock the rotation of
cap 6 on top of key body 3.

In addition, in France, patent EP2047491 was hold valid because the claimed key comprises the
following features :
a) a planar edge 31 which surrounds a pilot point 32 protruding on a surface of said edge 31,
b) a planar edge 61 surrounding a protruding pilot point 62, this pilot point 62 being hollow in such
a way as to be adapted on the pilot point 32 of the key body 3, and
c) there is protruding pin on the planar edge 31 that cooperates with the planar edge 61 to center
cap 6 on top of key body 3 and to prevent cap 6 from rotating around pilot point 32.

Note that feature c) is not in the claims. However, the scope of Claims 1 and 5 were interpreted as
comprising feature c). Thus, feature c) has to be considered as part of Claims 1 and 5 even if it is
not literally in the wordings of Claims 1 and 5.

You should search a key that comprises all the features of Claims 1 and 5 of patent EP2047491
and, in addition, feature c).

For your information, we already have prior art like EP1460665, EP0091284 and DE19703394.
However, they are not relevant enough because none of them discloses features a), b) and c) of claims 1
and 5.
I.b - Second object of the search :

Fig. 4 : Embodiment of a key without planar Fig. 5 : Embodiment of a key without planar
edge 31. The cap 6 is gray and the key edge 31. The cap 6 is "transparent" and the
body 3 is rose. key body 3 is rose.

Fig. 6 : 3D view of the key body without Fig. 7 : 3D view of caps. The cap has a
planar edge planar edge used to maintain it inside the
keyboard but not used for locking the
rotation or for centering the cap.

Fig. 4 and 5 shows another possible embodiment of the key. This other embodiment of the key is
identical to the object of the first search, except for the following differences :
- the planar edge 31 is omitted,
- the pilot point 32 of the key body has lateral flat vertical side, and
- the pilot point 62 of cap 6 has corresponding internal lateral flat vertical side.
The planar edge of the cap 6 has been preserved because it ensures the function of retaining the
cap within the keyboard. To this end, the planar edge of cap 6 comes into contact with the rear face
of a front panel of the keyboard. In this embodiment, the planar edge of cap 6 is not use to prevent
rotation of the cap 6 or to center cap 6 on top of key body 3.
In this other embodiment, centering of cap 6 on top of key body 3 and locking of the rotation of cap
6 on key body 3 is ensured by the form-fitting connection between the flat lateral sides of key body
3 and cap 6. Note that the circumference of cap 6 is annular (circular). Thus, without the form-
fitting connection, cap 6 could rotate around key body 3. Note also that the centering and the
locking of the rotation is only carried out by the form-fitting connection and not by other element
like the aperture in which cap 6 is introduced or similar element.

You should search a key that is identical to the claimed key of patent EP2047491 except that
planar edge 31 is omitted and the rotation locking of cap 6 as well as the centering of cap 6 is
ensured by the above form-fitting connection between the flat lateral sides of key body 3 and cap
6.
If you don't find a key having all this features, do at least cite documents showing a key having :
- a cap, circumference of which is circular, and
- a similar form-fitting connection between the key body and the cap.

For example, note that a document like FR2750792 is not relevant enough because the rotation
locking of cap 46 on top of key body 28 is also achieved by form-fitting connection between cap 46
and the periphery of the aperture in which cap 46 is housed (because the circumference of cap 46
and of the aperture are oblong and not circular).