JP2000011808A - Manufacture of membrane switch and keyboard device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the manufacturing efficiency and minimize the using quantity of an adhesive without deteriorating the adhesive strength in the manufacture of a membrane switch. SOLUTION: In the manufacturing method of a membrane switch, an adhesive 3 prior to adhesion to a rubber cap 2 is made into an adhesive film 3a having a uniform thickness by an adhesive film forming jig 4 in the adhesive adhering process of adhering the adhesive 3 to the rubber cap 2, the rubber cap 2 is pressed onto the adhesive film 3a, the adhesive film 3a is transferred to the rubber cap 2 to adhere it. According to this, the positions of the adhesive 3 and the rubber cap 2 are never slipped, and the waste of the adhesive can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a membrane switch, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a membrane switch when a rubber cap is bonded to an electrode sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional method for manufacturing a membrane switch will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a membrane sheet 21 composed of a pair of upper and lower electrode sheets formed with a plurality of contact portions (not shown) facing each other is positioned and placed on a table 22. Next, a screen plate 23 having a plurality of mask portions 23a formed at positions corresponding to a plurality of contact portions (not shown) of the membrane sheet 21.
Over the membrane sheet 1. Next, an adhesive 24 is put on the screen plate 23, and the adhesive 24 is extended by moving the squeegee 25 in the direction of arrow A, and a plurality of adhesive films 24a are formed by printing from the mask portion 23a on the surface of the membrane sheet 21. I do.

In this printing process, the membrane sheet 21 is pulled in the direction of arrow A by the movement of the squeegee 25 in the direction of arrow A, and the adhesive film 24a after printing is transferred to the rubber cap 26 held by the rubber holder 26. The position was sometimes shifted from 27. As a countermeasure, printing is performed in a state where the periphery of the membrane sheet 21 is completely adhered to the table 22 with cellophane tape (not shown) or the like. Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the plurality of dome-shaped rubber caps 27 held by the rubber holder 26 are aligned with the plurality of adhesive films 24 a formed by printing on the membrane sheet 21, and the rubber cap 27 is formed. To the adhesive film 24a of the membrane sheet 21 by pressing. A conventional membrane switch has been assembled by such a manufacturing method.

[0004]

In the conventional method for manufacturing a membrane switch, the periphery of the membrane sheet 21 is adhered to a table 22 with a cellophane tape, and an adhesive film 24a is formed.
Was formed by printing. For this reason, the process of printing and forming the adhesive film 24a takes time, and the manufacturing efficiency is deteriorated. When the rubber cap 27 held by the rubber holding member 26 is bonded to the adhesive film 24a printed on the membrane sheet 21, the positioning variation of the rubber holding jig 26, or the screen plate 23 made of silk is squeegeeed. Also, the rubber cap 27 and the adhesive film 24a may be displaced due to the extension at 25. Even if the rubber cap 27 and the adhesive film 24a are displaced, the adhesive strength is not reduced.
The outer dimensions of the adhesive film 24a are larger than the size of the bonding portion of the rubber cap 27. Therefore, the amount of the adhesive used has increased, and the cost of the conventional membrane switch has increased. An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a method for manufacturing a membrane switch which has good manufacturing efficiency and can reduce the amount of adhesive used.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a membrane switch, comprising: a pair of upper and lower electrode sheets in which contact portions are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap. A membrane sheet consisting of
In a membrane switch composed of a rubber cap adhered to one surface of the membrane sheet,
An adhesive adhering step of adhering an adhesive to the rubber cap, and an adhering step of adhering the rubber cap after the adhesive is adhered to the surface of the membrane sheet, wherein in the adhesive adhering step, the rubber cap is attached to the rubber cap. The adhesive before adhering is formed into an adhesive film having a uniform thickness with an adhesive film forming jig, and the rubber cap is pressed onto the adhesive film, thereby attaching the adhesive film to the rubber cap. Was transferred to and adhered to.

[0006] A second aspect for solving the above-mentioned problem is as follows.
As a means for solving the problem, in the adhesive applying step, a concave portion having a predetermined depth is provided in the adhesive film forming jig, a leveling jig is positioned on the concave portion, and the adhesive is injected into the concave portion. Then, the adhesive was flattened in the recess with the leveling jig to obtain the adhesive film.

[0007] Further, a third aspect for solving the above-mentioned problem is as follows.
As a means for solving the problem, the depth of the recess is set to 0.1 to
mm, and the thickness of the adhesive film is formed to be the same as the depth of the recess.

[0008] A fourth aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems.
As a means for solving the problem, in the adhesive applying step, a rubber holding jig that sucks and holds a plurality of the rubber caps at a time is positioned on the adhesive film, and the plurality of rubber caps are attached to the adhesive film. , And the adhesive is transferred and adhered to the plurality of rubber caps at once.

A fifth aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems.
As a means for solving the problem, in a state where the rubber cap is aligned and held on the rubber holding jig in accordance with the positions of the plurality of contact portions of the membrane sheet, the adhesive adhering step and the adhering step are performed. Production method.

[0010] A sixth aspect for solving the above-mentioned problems.
As a means for solving the problem, the keyboard device of the present invention has a configuration using a membrane switch to which the rubber cap is adhered by the manufacturing method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a method for manufacturing a membrane switch according to the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of a membrane switch according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a view for explaining an adhesive film forming step according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating an adhesive application step according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating an adhesive step according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a keyboard device according to the present invention, and FIG.
1 is a plan view of a keyboard device according to the present invention.

First, the structure of a membrane switch formed by the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of upper and lower electrode sheets 1b which oppose contact portions 1a, 1a with a predetermined gap are provided. , 1c, the spacer sheet 1d is provided to form the membrane sheet 1. A rubber cap 2 made of silicon rubber or the like is attached to one surface of the membrane sheet 1 by bonding with an adhesive 3.

The rubber cap 2 has a dome-shaped support wall 2a formed therein and is hollow inside. A pipe-like projection 2 for attaching a key top 13 described later is provided on the upper outside of the ceiling of the dome-like support wall 2a.
b is formed to protrude. A substantially conical protrusion 2c is formed downward at a predetermined length inside the support wall 2a facing the protrusion 2b. An annular bonding portion 2d is formed below the support wall 2a. The rubber cap 2 is attached to the surface of the membrane sheet 1 with an adhesive 3 transferred and attached by a method described later on the lower surface of the adhesive portion 2d.

Although the membrane sheet 1 shown in FIG. 1 is partially enlarged for easy understanding, the actual membrane sheet 1 is formed by combining thin films, so that it is very large. It is thin. In the membrane switch having such a configuration, when the protrusion 2b of the rubber cap 2 is pressed downward, the support wall 2a is elastically deformed, and the protrusion 2c inside the hollow falls down to the upper electrode sheet 1b. Then, the protrusion 2c presses the upper electrode sheet 1b on the contact portion 1a, and the upper contact portion 1a is moved to the lower contact portion 1a.
Abut. The upper and lower contact portions 1a, 1a are electrically connected.

The membrane switch having such a configuration
The manufacturing method of the present invention for bonding the rubber cap 2 to the membrane sheet 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. First, as shown in FIG. 2, in the adhesive attaching step of attaching the adhesive 3 to the rubber cap 2, a predetermined depth B is formed on the surface of the adhesive film forming jig 4 formed in a horizontally long flat plate shape. The concave portion 4a is formed, and a predetermined amount of the viscous adhesive 3 is injected into the concave portion 4a. The depth dimension B of the recess 4a is 0.1 mm
From 0.2 mm. Next, the leveling jig 5 is positioned on the concave portion 4a, and the leveling jig 5 is moved in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. 2 so that the adhesive 3 piled on the concave portion 4a is placed in the concave portion 4a. When smoothing is performed, an adhesive film 3a having a uniform thickness can be obtained. This adhesive film 3
a is 0.1 m, which is the same as the depth of the recess 4 a.
It is formed in a size of m to 0.2 mm.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the rubber holding jig 6 used in the step of holding the rubber cap 2 on the rubber holding jig 6 and applying the adhesive 3 has a dome shape of the rubber cap 2. Carved into the same shape as the outer shape,
A plurality of holding parts 6a are provided, and a ventilation groove 6b connected to a suction port 6c at an upper central part of the rubber holding jig 6 is provided in a ceiling part of the holding part 6a. The plurality of holding portions 6a are formed in alignment with the positions of the plurality of contact portions 1a formed on the membrane sheet 1.

To hold the rubber cap 2 on the holding portion 6a, the rubber cap 2 is inserted into a holding portion 6a formed by aligning a plurality of rubber holding jigs 6, and a suction device (not shown) is operated. Then, the air in the ventilation groove 6b is sucked from the suction port 6c. Then, the rubber cap 2 inserted into the holding portion 6a is sucked, and the plurality of rubber caps 2 can be sucked and held on the rubber holding jig 6. Therefore, even if the rubber holding jig 6 is turned downward as shown in FIG. 3, the rubber cap 2 does not fall down.

As shown in FIG. 3, a rubber holding jig 6 holding such a plurality of rubber caps by suction is attached to a rubber cap 2 with a downward facing, and an adhesive film 3a formed on an adhesive film forming jig 4. On top. Then, the rubber holding jig 6 is moved downward in the direction of arrow D, and the adhesive film 3 is moved.
When the rubber cap 2 is pressed against the a and then the rubber holding jig 6 is moved upward, the adhesive film 3a at the portion where the lower surface of the bonding portion 2d is pressed is peeled off from the adhesive film forming jig 4. Thus, the adhesive 3 can be transferred and attached to the plurality of rubber caps 2 at a time.

Next, the bonding step of bonding the rubber cap 2 to which the adhesive 3 has been applied to the surface of the membrane sheet 1 includes:
As shown in FIG. 4, the seat mounting table 7 is disposed below,
On the surface of the sheet mount 7, the membrane sheet 1 positioned by a plurality of positioning pins (not shown) is placed. When a rubber holding jig 6 for holding the rubber cap 2 to which the adhesive 3 has been transferred and adhered is positioned on the membrane sheet 1 by a positioning jig (not shown), the plurality of rubber caps 2 1a.

The rubber holding jig 6 in this state is lowered to the surface of the membrane sheet 1, and the rubber cap 2 is pressed against the membrane sheet 1. Then, the suction of the suction device (not shown) connected to the suction port 6c is released,
When the rubber holding jig 6 is moved upward, the rubber cap 2 is separated from the holding portion 6a, and the plurality of rubber caps 2 are bonded to the membrane sheet 1 at one time. And
The membrane sheet 1 with the rubber cap 2 bonded thereto is
When heated at a predetermined temperature, the adhesive hardens and the rubber cap 2 is firmly adhered to the membrane sheet 1.

A keyboard device using such a membrane switch manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a support substrate 10 made of metal is provided at the lowermost portion. The support substrate 10 has a first locking portion 1a having a trapezoidal cross section and a second engaging portion 1b having a U-shaped cross section. It is provided so as to protrude. Also, the supporting substrate 10
Above, a membrane switch is mounted at a predetermined position, and the first and second locking portions 10a and 10b protrude from the membrane sheet 1.

A link mechanism L is provided at the first and second locking portions 10a and 10b.
It is composed of a support member 11 and a second support member 12. A sliding lock pin 11a is provided at the lower end of the first support member 11, and the slide lock pin 11a is slidably engaged in the first locking portion 10a. A pivot 11b is provided at the center of the first support member 11, and a pivot 11c is provided at the upper end. The second support member 1
2 is provided at its lower end with a rotation locking pin 12a, which is rotatably engaged with the second locking portion 10a. The pivot hole 1 is provided at the center of the second support member 12.
2b, the first support member 1 is provided in the pivot hole 12b.
The first and second support members 1 are fitted with one pivot shaft 11b.
1 and 12 are integrated so that link operation is possible.

Further, the key top 13 is made of a resin material, and the operation surface 13a on the upper surface has a structure as shown in FIG.
Various symbols are formed by printing or engraving. On the lower surface, a rotation shaft 11c of the first support member 11 is provided.
And a support shaft 13c for slidably supporting the slide shaft 12c of the second support member 12. The projection 2b of the rubber cap 2 is located at the center of the lower surface of the key top 13. The link mechanism L and the key top 13 as described above are attached to the plurality of rubber caps 2 of the membrane sheet 1,
A keyboard device as shown in FIG.

In the operation of the keyboard device as described above, when the key top 13 is pressed, the support wall 5a of the rubber cap 5 is elastically deformed, and the inner protrusion 5c presses the surface of the membrane sheet 1. Then, the upper contact portion 1a moves downward, comes into contact with the lower contact portion 1a, and the upper and lower two contact portions 1a, 1a are electrically connected, so that the keyboard device of the present invention is switched.

[0025]

According to the method for manufacturing a membrane switch of the present invention, in the adhesive bonding step, the adhesive before being bonded to the rubber cap is coated with an adhesive film having a uniform thickness using an adhesive film forming jig. Formed, and the rubber cap was pressed against the adhesive film to transfer and adhere the adhesive film to the rubber cap.Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the positional displacement between the adhesive and the rubber cap. It does not waste adhesive. In addition, since it is not necessary to use a consumable screen plate as in the conventional method, the cost of the membrane switch can be reduced.

Also, a second method for solving the above-mentioned problem is described.
As a means for solving the problem, in the adhesive applying step, a concave portion having a predetermined depth is provided in the adhesive film forming jig, a leveling jig is positioned on the concave portion, and the adhesive is injected into the concave portion. Then, this adhesive is flattened in the concave portion with the leveling jig to obtain the adhesive film, so that a uniform adhesive film can be obtained, and waste of the adhesive can be prevented. it can.

[0027] Further, a third aspect for solving the above-mentioned problem is as follows.
As a means for solving the problem, the depth of the recess is set to 0.1 to
mm, and the thickness of the adhesive film is formed to be the same as the depth of the recess, so that a uniform and thin adhesive film can be obtained.

Further, a fourth aspect for solving the above-mentioned problem is as follows.
As a means for solving the problem, in the adhesive applying step, a rubber holding jig that sucks and holds a plurality of the rubber caps at a time is positioned on the adhesive film, and the plurality of rubber caps are attached to the adhesive film. Is pressed, and the adhesive is transferred and attached to the plurality of rubber caps at once, so that the operation of attaching the adhesive to the rubber cap can be made more efficient,
A method for manufacturing a membrane switch with high manufacturing efficiency can be provided.

Further, a fifth aspect for solving the above-mentioned problem.
As a means for solving the problem, in a state where the rubber cap is aligned and held on the rubber holding jig in accordance with the positions of the plurality of contact portions of the membrane sheet, the adhesive adhering step and the adhering step are performed. Since the rubber cap is bonded, the rubber cap can be bonded by pressing the rubber cap against the membrane sheet. As a result, a tensile force or the like is not applied to the membrane sheet as in the related art,
The periphery of the membrane sheet does not have to be adhered with cellophane tape or the like, and the production efficiency can be improved.

[0030] A sixth aspect for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
As a means for solving the problem, the keyboard device of the present invention uses a membrane switch to which the rubber cap is bonded by the manufacturing method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, so that a low-cost membrane switch is used. And the cost of the keyboard device can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a main part of a membrane switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the production of an adhesive film according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an adhesive film forming step according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a bonding step according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part of the keyboard device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the keyboard device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a method for manufacturing a conventional membrane switch.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a bonding step of a conventional membrane switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Membrane sheet 1a Contact part 1b Upper electrode sheet 1c Lower electrode sheet 1d Spacer 2 Rubber cap 2a Support wall 2b Projection 2c Projection 2d Adhesive part 3 Adhesive 3a Adhesive film 4 Adhesive film forming jig 5 Straightening jig 6 Rubber holding jig 6a Holding section 6b Ventilation groove 6c Suction port 7 Sheet mounting base 10 Support substrate 10a First locking section 10b Second locking section 11 First supporting member 12 Second supporting member 13 Key top

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A membrane switch comprising: a membrane sheet comprising a pair of upper and lower electrode sheets facing a contact portion with a predetermined gap; and a rubber cap adhered to one surface of the membrane sheet. An adhesive bonding step of bonding an adhesive to a rubber cap, and a bonding step of bonding the rubber cap after the bonding of the adhesive to the surface of the membrane sheet, wherein the adhesive bonding step includes bonding to the rubber cap. The adhesive before forming an adhesive film having a uniform thickness with an adhesive film forming jig, pressing the rubber cap on the adhesive film, and applying the adhesive film to the rubber cap. A method for producing a membrane switch, wherein the membrane switch is transferred and adhered. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive film forming step includes providing a concave portion having a predetermined depth in the adhesive film forming jig, positioning a leveling jig on the concave portion, and injecting the adhesive into the concave portion. Then, the adhesive is flattened in the recess with the leveling jig,
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive film is obtained.
A method for manufacturing the membrane switch described in the above. 3. The depth of the recess is 0.1 to 0.2 mm.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the adhesive film is set to be the same as the depth of the recess. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: positioning a rubber holding jig holding and sucking the plurality of rubber caps at a time on the adhesive film; and attaching the plurality of rubber caps to the adhesive film. 4. The method for manufacturing a membrane switch according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is transferred to and adhered to the plurality of rubber caps at a time. 5. The method according to claim 5, wherein said rubber cap is aligned with and held by said rubber holding jig in accordance with positions of said plurality of contact portions of said membrane sheet. The method for manufacturing a membrane switch according to claim 4, wherein the method is performed. 6. A keyboard device using a membrane switch to which the rubber cap is adhered by the method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.