US Patent 7161460 Switching element provided with a foil construction

A switching element provided with a foil construction includes a first supporting foil and a second supporting foil that are kept at a distance from one another via a spacer. The spacer has a recess in at least one active area of the switching element. A contact arrangement includes at least two electrodes and is arranged in the active area of the switching element so that an electrical current between the electrodes is established when both foil layers are pressed together. A structure made of an electrically nonconducting material is placed inside the active area of the switching element and prevents the electrodes from coming into contact in the area of the structure.