JP2000100281A - Membrane switch provided with el display - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thin and low-cost membrane switch provided with an EL display to be used for a portable electronic device or the like. SOLUTION: An emboss film having a curved part is disposed on a surface of an ITO film having a transparent conductive film 8 on a back surface, and an EL light emitting surface comprising an EL printed layer 9, a resist printed layer, and a dielectric layer is disposed on the transparent conductive film 8 by printing. After an electrode part to be connected to the dielectric layer and the transparent conductive layer 8 is formed, an insulation layer is formed, and a printed contact part 10 is formed on the insulation layer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inexpensive ultra-thin membrane switch with an EL display used for portable electronic equipment and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, in an illuminated switch using electroluminescence (EL), an EL manufactured in advance has been used.
The film is used on the switch display. For switches with a built-in display unit for numbers and the like, LE
A D element is arranged on the display unit, or a segment display having a required number of digits is arranged inside the switch in advance.

[0003]

The conventional membrane switch with EL display uses an EL film prepared in advance in the switch display section and is effective for light emission over a wide area. It is not suitable for a switch having a small light emitting portion, such as forming a light emitting surface. Further, in a switch having a built-in display unit for numbers and the like, an LED element is arranged on the display unit, and a segment display having a required number of digits is arranged inside the switch in advance. And the manufacturing cost is also high. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems An embossed film having a curved portion formed on the surface of an ITO film having a transparent conductive film on the back surface is provided, and an EL light emitting surface is provided by printing via the transparent conductive film. Set up. In addition, the EL
The light emitting surface is composed of an EL light emitting printing layer, a resist printing layer, and a dielectric layer. After forming an electrode portion connected to the dielectric layer and the transparent conductive film, an insulating layer is formed on the back surface, and the insulating layer is formed. Form printed contacts. Further, the EL light emitting surface comprises at least one 7-segment display unit.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Since an EL light emitting surface is provided by printing on an embossed membrane switch having a curved portion, an illuminated membrane switch having a click feeling can be provided at low cost. The EL light emitting surface includes an EL light emitting printing layer, a resist printing layer, and a dielectric layer. After forming an electrode portion connected to the dielectric layer and the transparent conductive film, an insulating layer is formed on the back surface, and Since the printed contact is formed on the insulating layer, it is possible to minimize the distortion applied to the EL light emitting surface when the operation is pressed, and to obtain a membrane switch with an EL display having a long illuminating life and excellent durability. Furthermore, since the EL illuminating surface is formed into at least one 7-segment, the EL illuminating section itself can perform segment display, eliminating the need for a liquid crystal or the like and providing an inexpensive switch with an extremely thin numerical display function. can do.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present embodiment will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a first embodiment of a membrane switch with an EL display according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part thereof. In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a top sheet made of a translucent member processed with a key embossed portion 2. The key embossed portion 2 is covered with a mask printing portion 4 except for the character printing portion 3 and the key embossed portion 2. Is transmitted through the key embossed portion 2.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a spacer A, which has a punching portion 6 for securing a stroke accompanying the pressing operation of the key emboss portion 2, and a punching portion for eliminating the influence of air sealed at the time of each key operation. 6 are connected.

Reference numeral 7 denotes an ITO film having a transparent conductive film 8 formed on the entire back surface, and is adhered to the top sheet 1 via the spacer A5. The key embossed portion 2 of the topsheet 1 on the transparent conductive film 8 side of the ITO film 7
The EL print layer 9 and the resist print layer 14 are formed on the surface excluding the EL print layer 9 in the portion corresponding to the above, and the dielectric layer 15 is printed in the portion corresponding to the EL print layer 9. The dielectric layer electrode section 12 connected to the layer 15 and the ITO electrode section 11 of the transparent conductive film 8 are led out to a tail section 13.

The above-mentioned printing layers are formed on the entire surface of the insulating layer 16.
After covering with the key, the printed contact portion 1 corresponding to the key embossed portion 2
0 is printed.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a contact sheet.
It has a comb-shaped printed contact portion 21 corresponding to 0, forms a circuit from each comb-shaped printed contact portion 21 to the tail portion 22, and is bonded to the ITO film 7 via a spacer B18.

In each of the drawings, the adhesive material necessary for bonding is omitted, and FIG. 2 is particularly emphasized in the height direction.

The membrane switch with an EL display thus configured can make an illuminated membrane switch having a click feeling extremely thin. In addition, since the EL light emitting surface is provided on the transparent conductive film 8 by printing, an EL member is used only for a necessary portion, so that an inexpensive EL without waste can be obtained.
A display-equipped membrane switch can be provided.

Further, the EL print layer 9 is provided on the key embossed portion 2.
, The distortion applied to each print layer can be suppressed to a minimum.
A membrane switch with L display can be obtained.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a membrane switch with an EL display according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a sectional perspective view of a main part thereof. In these figures, 31 is a top sheet having a key embossed portion 32, 35 and 48 are spacers, and 50 is a contact sheet having a comb-shaped printed contact portion 51. Reference numeral 37 denotes an ITO film, on the back surface of which an EL print layer 33 is printed in a seven-segment figure shape, and a dielectric layer and the like are also formed corresponding to each segment (not shown) to control a voltage applied to the segment. Thus, the configuration is such that numbers from 0 to 9 can be turned on.

In the membrane switch with an EL display having such a configuration, since the EL illuminating section itself can display a number, an extra-thin switch with a numerical display function can be inexpensively manufactured without requiring a separate numeric display or the like. Can be provided.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are front views showing another embodiment of the membrane switch with EL display of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows an example in which an EL light-emitting portion 69 is arranged below the key embossed portions 62 and 92 which are squeezed into a square shape. FIG. This is an example in which the EL light emitting unit 99 is configured.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In a membrane switch in which an embossed film having a curved portion is disposed on the surface of an ITO film having a transparent conductive film formed on the back surface, an EL light emitting surface is disposed on the transparent conductive film side by printing. Since only necessary parts can be illuminated, it is possible to provide an inexpensive membrane switch with EL display without waste. (2) Since the EL light emitting surface is provided by printing on the embossed membrane switch having the curved portion, an illuminated membrane switch having a click feeling can be provided at low cost. (3) The EL light-emitting surface includes an EL light-emitting printing layer, a resist printing layer, and a dielectric layer. After forming an electrode portion connected to the dielectric layer and the transparent conductive film, an insulating layer is formed on the back surface.
In addition, since the printed contact is formed on the insulating layer, it is possible to minimize the distortion applied to the EL light emitting surface when the operation is pressed, and to obtain a membrane switch with an EL display having a long illumination life. (4) Since the EL light emitting surface is composed of at least one 7-segment display unit, the EL illuminating unit itself performs segment display, so that an extremely thin switch with segment display can be provided at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a membrane switch with an EL display according to the present invention.
It is an exploded perspective view showing an example.

FIG. 2 is a first membrane switch with an EL display according to the present invention.
It is principal part sectional drawing showing an Example.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the membrane switch with an EL display according to the present invention.
It is a front view showing an Example.

FIG. 4 is a second embodiment of the membrane switch with an EL display according to the present invention.
It is a principal part sectional perspective view showing an Example.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing another embodiment of the membrane switch with an EL display of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing another embodiment of the membrane switch with EL display of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an external view of a conventional switch with a display.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 31, 61, 91 Surface sheet 2, 32, 62, 92 Key embossed part 3, 63 Character printing part 4 Mask printing part 5 Spacer A 6, 19 Punching part 7, 37 ITO film 8 Transparent conductive film 9, 33 EL print layer 10 Print contact section 11 ITO electrode section 12 Dielectric layer electrode section 13, 22 Tail section 14 Resist print layer 15 Dielectric layer 16 Insulating layer 18 Spacer B 20, 50 Contact sheet 21, 51 Comb-type print contact section 35, 48 Spacer 69, 99 EL light emitting unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ITO film having a transparent conductive film on a back surface, an embossed film having a curved portion formed on a surface thereof, and an EL light emitting surface provided by printing via the transparent conductive film. Characteristic membrane switch with EL display. 2. The EL light emitting surface comprises an EL light emitting print layer, a resist print layer, and a dielectric layer. After forming an electrode portion connected to the dielectric layer and the transparent conductive film, an insulating layer is formed on the back surface. 2. The membrane switch with an EL display according to claim 1, wherein a printed contact is formed on said insulating layer. 3. The membrane switch with an EL display according to claim 1, wherein said EL light emitting surface is formed of at least one 7-segment display section.