JP2000231849A - Member for push-button switch and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a member for a push-button switch, made easy in alteration and revision of design of a display part of the member for a push-button switch, capable of easily adapting to various kinds of information, excellent in artistic design, and sharply improved in visibility. SOLUTION: This member 10 for a push-button switch is made up by interposing a printed sheet 45 with a display part between a translucent key-top 1 and a translucent rubber cover base material 2 by means of a transparent or semitransparent adhesive 3. In the printed sheet 45, an ink accepting layer is formed on one side of a translucent resin sheet 4, a printed layer 5 is provided by printing the light-transmitting display part on the ink accepting layer by a printer by using minute dots of a plurality of colors, and a light-reflective shading layer 7 of reflectivity not less than 50% having a fixed cutting shape 6 is provided on a lower surface of the printed layer 5, or the light-reflective shading layer 7 and a semitransparent white layer 8 are provided thereon.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile communication device such as a portable telephone, a car telephone, a home telephone, an electronic organizer, a measuring instrument, a vehicle-mounted switch, a remote controller, a computer or a data input device or switch of a personal computer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a member for a push button switch used as a component in a device or the like and a method for manufacturing the same. It is about the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, in a push button switch of a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone, an electronic organizer, a measuring instrument, and a remote controller, a push button switch member (cover member) having a key top is housed in an equipment case. It is assembled as a pushbutton switch that opens and closes the circuit when assembled on a circuit board.Pushbutton switch members are often made of plastic key tops, and letters and numerals can be used as needed. , Or a symbol or a symbol is often printed. In recent years, the key top part is formed of transparent resin, characters, numbers, symbols, and other symbols are printed on the back of the key top to protect the printing layer with the key top. Many are light pushbutton switches.

Such a key top for a push button switch uses a transparent thermoplastic resin such as polyester, polycarbonate, acrylic, styrene or the like, or a curable resin such as silicone, urethane, unsaturated polyester, vinyl ester or acrylic. It is formed by injection molding, compression molding, casting molding, transfer molding or the like. And
A symbol is formed on the back surface of the key top by screen printing or pad printing. If necessary, a plurality of key tops formed as described above are adhesively arranged on a rubber cover base material, a polyester disc spring, or the like, and are used by being incorporated in a keyboard portion of a mobile phone or the like.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional key tops, a screen printing method or a pad printing method has been used in order to directly print on the back surface of the key tops. However, in this screen printing method and pad printing method, it is necessary to create a design image called an underprint in accordance with a printing color and further produce a screen plate or an intaglio plate, and furthermore, letters, numerals, and codes Since a printing plate of a shape corresponding to the symbol (hereinafter referred to as a symbol) is used for each color, in the case of multi-color printing, it must be printed as many times as the number of colors to be used. It is difficult to print, and it is virtually impossible to print high-resolution clear photos, illustrations, pictures, and the like. In addition, in the case of small lot multi-type printing, there are problems in that the cost of plate making becomes high, the number of steps required, the delivery time becomes long, and the design change takes time. Furthermore, because the transparent key top has printing on the back side, if the transparent key top is too thick, the printing position will be deep when it is incorporated into other keyboard parts of mobile phones, and it will be difficult for external light to reach, When viewed with light, there is a disadvantage that the color looks dark and dull, resulting in poor visibility. Further, for example, a thin key top having a thickness of 1 mm or less does not impair the visibility, but it is difficult to form the thin key top itself, resulting in a disadvantage that the productivity is low and the productivity is high. there were.

The present invention has been made to eliminate these conventional problems, and can use design data using a computer for the design of a display section of a member for a push button switch, and can easily change and correct the design. Because it is plate printing, it can be easily adapted to various types of information without the cost of plate making, and it is a member for a push button switch with high design that was impossible with conventional screen printing etc. Further, the light reflectance on the lower surface of the printing layer An object of the present invention is to provide a high-quality push button switch member having a light-reflective light-shielding layer of 50% or more, which can improve visibility by external light and obtain a vivid color, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a printing sheet having a display portion is interposed between a light-transmitting key top and a light-transmitting rubber cover substrate via an adhesive. A member for a push button switch provided, wherein the printing sheet is formed by forming an ink receiving layer on one surface of a transparent resin sheet, and using fine dots of a plurality of colors, for example, cyan, magenta, and yellow, on the ink receiving layer. Light transmissive colors, patterns,
A graphic print layer having a display portion consisting of a symbol was provided, and a light-reflective light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more was provided on the lower surface of the print layer to provide a member for a push button switch. (Claim 1)

In order to provide a member for a push button switch according to the present invention, a printing having a display portion between a translucent key top and a translucent rubber cover base material through a transparent or translucent adhesive. In order to form a member for a push button switch by interposing a sheet, the key top is formed of a transparent or translucent thermoplastic or thermosetting resin by a key top forming step, and an ink is formed on one side of the light transmitting resin sheet. A printing layer forming step of forming a receiving layer, and forming a graphic printing layer having a light-transmitting display portion by using a printer using a plurality of small dots of cyan, magenta and yellow in the ink receiving layer by a printer; A printing sheet is manufactured through a light-shielding layer forming step in which a light-reflecting light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more is provided on the lower surface of the substrate, or the light-shielding layer forming step and the translucent white layer forming step. A key top bonding step of bonding the key top manufactured in the key top forming step to the upper surface of the sheet, and a rubber cover for bonding the translucent rubber cover base material to the lower surface of the printing sheet via a transparent or translucent adhesive. Through a base material bonding step, a member for a push button switch is formed. (Claims 2 to 6)

As the key top, a thermoplastic resin such as an acrylic polymer, a polycarbonate polymer, a styrene polymer and a modified polymer thereof is used, and is molded by a molding apparatus such as injection molding or transfer molding. Saturated polyester resin,
Injection molding using thermosetting resins such as diallyl phthalate resin, styrene-based resin, urethane-based resin, silicone-based resin and mixtures thereof, and modified resin, and used as a transparent or translucent keytop molded by a casting molding machine A transparent adhesive, such as an acrylic adhesive, a polyester adhesive, a urethane adhesive, or a thermosetting adhesive, a UV curing adhesive, a solvent adhesive, etc. It is fixed and integrated using an adhesive. Further, in the printing sheet, as a resin sheet for forming a printing layer, a translucent resin sheet such as a polycarbonate-based, polyester-based, or acrylic polymer-based resin is used. Using at least one of an electronic system, an electrostatic image system, a laser exposure heat development transfer system, an ink jet system, a thermal transfer system, and a heating and color developing system, for example, three colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow are used. A graphic print layer having a display portion composed of light-transmissive colors, designs, and symbols formed of minute dots is formed. That is, although the thermoplastic resin sheet is used as the translucent resin sheet, the translucent resin sheet may be made of an amorphous thermoplastic resin, a crystalline thermoplastic resin, or a copolymer or a mixture thereof. Specifically, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate,
Examples thereof include polypropylene, polyacrylate, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride, and a colorless transparent or colored transparent or translucent resin sheet is used. In addition, this resin sheet is polyester-based from the viewpoint of printability and the like,
Polycarbonate, polyacrylic 10 μm to 50
It is good to select a thickness of 0 μm. Further, a printing layer is formed on the resin sheet. Depending on the suitability of the printing method, a receiving layer for the printing ink, for example, in the case of sublimation type thermal transfer printing, a vinyl chloride-based or polyester-based coating layer. Should be formed,
In the case of inkjet printing, a water-absorbing layer for fixing a water-soluble ink may be formed. Further, in order to improve the adhesion, it is optional to perform corona discharge, plasma treatment, UV (ultraviolet irradiation) treatment, primer treatment and the like.

Since this display unit is printed by a printer such as a sublimation type, an ink jet type, a transfer type, and an electrophotographic type, a variety of colors, patterns, symbols, patterns, etc., for example, of three colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow are provided. Performed at once as color printing using dots. That is, it is not a concept of a layered structure at the time of so-called multicolor printing as seen in a method such as conventional screen printing.For example, in the case of a sublimation type, a very small amount of an ink receiving layer applied to the back of a transparent resin sheet is used. All colors are printed at once on the thin ink absorbing layer in units of minute dots of about 0.01 mm to 0.2 mm in diameter. The same applies to the inkjet type and other systems. Since the printing ink is not a dense ink with strong concealing properties, but is also printed in dot units, the symbols, designs, etc. printed on this print layer (even if black) It can be said that it is translucent. In addition, since printing is performed by a printer in units of, for example, three primary color dots, it is generally possible to print subtle halftone color expressions, gradations, photographs, graphic designs, and the like. These three primary colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow (hereinafter referred to as CMY).
Is used, and black is sometimes added to enhance black (hereinafter referred to as CMYK system). For example, if each of the three primary colors expresses the density of 256 gradations, C
It is 16 which is the cube of 256 gradations with three minute dots of MY system.
A substantial full-color expression of 777216 colors becomes possible, and the three primary colors can be printed by an RGB-based (red, green, blue) definition method.

Further, in a printing layer forming step, color design data using a computer design method is supplied to a printer of a sublimation type thermal transfer system or the like, and this is supplied to a C / C printer.
Substantially full-color printing is performed on a transparent or translucent thermoplastic resin sheet using MY-based or CMYK-based inks using small dots of three or several colors, and then, on the lower surface of the printed resin sheet. Printing a printed sheet using a method such as printing, coating, laminating, hot stamping, vapor deposition, sputtering, plating, or the like, with a predetermined cutout symbol, a pattern shape, or other light-reflecting light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more. After forming or further forming a translucent white layer on the lower surface of the light-reflective light-shielding layer by printing, coating, laminating, or the like, the key top and the translucent rubber cover base are provided at predetermined positions on the printing sheet. The material is fixedly integrated through a transparent adhesive.

The printing layer on the translucent resin sheet exists as an ink receiving layer. However, since the actual ink is colored in the ink receiving layer in fine dot units, not only characters and symbols, but also It is also possible to express complicated graphic patterns and photographs. Since the printing layer is printed by fine dots that transmit light, external light is reflected by the light-reflecting light-shielding layer below the printing layer, so that the printing quality can be bright and highly visible. At this time, if the light-reflective light-shielding layer is formed as a metal film by vapor deposition, sputtering, or the like, a vivid print quality having a metallic feeling can be obtained.
Furthermore, if the light-reflective light-shielding layer is formed in a predetermined shape of a blank character, a blank symbol, a blank pattern, or the like, it is possible to form so-called character illumination in which the blank character can be visually recognized even by transmitted light from below. It is possible. At this time, characters, symbols, patterns, etc., which are removed from the light-reflective light-shielding layer, have no layer for reflecting external light, so the visibility in external light is slightly inferior. The visibility can be further improved by forming a translucent white layer on the lower surface of the conductive light-shielding layer. The printing sheet is a printing sheet having at least a three-layer structure including a transparent thermoplastic resin sheet, a printing layer, and a light-reflecting light-shielding layer such as a light-shielding character layer. Also, the size of this print sheet may be the same size as the bottom of the key top,
As shown in the figure, it may be slightly larger than the bottom surface of the key top and may be configured in a flange shape. By doing so, when the push button switch member is incorporated in the outer case, The printed sheet can prevent the key top from coming off and also reliably prevent light leakage in the case of character illumination described below.

Further, if a light-reflecting light-shielding layer is formed on the entire surface, the light-reflecting light-shielding layer does not transmit transmitted light, and becomes a key with high visibility due to reflected light of external light. When a cut-out portion such as a pattern is formed, the cut-out portion functions as so-called character illumination, which allows transmission of light transmitted from a light emitting source disposed below, together with good visibility of external light reflected light. Furthermore, if a translucent white layer is arranged on the back surface of the light-reflective light-shielding layer, this character illumination can be sufficiently illuminated as a character while maintaining good visibility with external light reflected by the translucent white layer. It works.

[0013] Focusing on the design, if the light-reflecting light-shielding layer is made of silver foil or silver ink, the entire design becomes a metallic design that shines silver, and the colored layer corresponding to the silver foil has a colored layer. Red can be red metallic, gray can be dark metallic, yellow can be golden, and 7-color gradation can be like a shining rainbow. it can. The light-reflective light-shielding layer is not limited to silver, and various types such as white, fluorescent, and pearl with high luminance can be selected.

The light-reflective light-shielding layer provided on the printing layer is formed by a method such as thermal transfer, hot stamping, plating, vapor deposition, or sputtering of a metal thin film (aluminum, chromium, gold, silver, copper, etc.). Thus, a predetermined blank shape such as a predetermined blank character, symbol, or design is formed. Alternatively, screen printing or transfer printing of a light-reflective light-shielding ink (an ink that substantially reflects light and does not transmit light, which is highly filled with a metal-based pigment, white pigment, fluorescent dye, pearl pigment, mica powder, etc.). By such a method, a desired pattern shape or the like may be formed. In particular, when a metal thin film or metallic printing is used, a special reflection light design expression of metallic tone can be realized. Also,
If you want only high-intensity visibility of reflected light due to external light and a metallic design expression using a light-reflective light-shielding layer without using the character illumination function, use a thin metal film on the entire surface instead of characters and patterns Or a method of laminating a light-reflective light-shielding sheet. As a preferred example, it is preferable to perform the aluminum transfer film or the light-reflective light-shielding ink on a thermal transfer printer in the same manner as the printing of the printing layer.
Any desired print pattern can be easily created on a computer, and the printing cost can be reduced.

A design made on a computer using such software can be a novel design. For example, it is possible to incorporate high-quality landscape photos and portrait photos, and to draw precise geometric patterns. In addition, since the number of colors is not substantially limited, it is also possible to use a method such as gradation in which the color is gradually changed instead of a single color for each symbol or geometric pattern. As a result, the degree of freedom in designing the key top is increased, and it is possible to flexibly cope with diversifying design needs and increasing the added value of the appearance of the electronic device.

The reason why the light-shielding layer in the print sheet is a light-reflective light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more is as follows. That is, a graphic printing layer having a light-transmitting color, a pattern, and a display portion composed of symbols formed by a plurality of small dots formed by a printing machine is a color that easily transmits light, Since the reflectance is low, especially when placed on the back of the key top of the push button switch and covered with the outer case of the electronic device, the external light is small, the brightness is low, the brightness is low, and the visibility is poor. . In particular, if the light reflectance is 45% or less, the image is not vivid and the image is difficult to read or cannot be read. Therefore, in the present invention, a light-reflective light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more is provided below the printing layer. Has solved this problem. That is, light entering from outside passes through the transparent keytop and the printing layer, and is reflected by the light-reflecting light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more under the printing layer, and this light is visible to the user. As a result, the printed layer appears to have high brightness, high brightness, and high visibility. As a result, even if the push button switch is incorporated in an outer case of an electronic device or the like, it is possible to obtain a highly visible and highly practicable one in which printing can be clearly seen with a small amount of external light.

The reason why a translucent white layer is formed below the light-reflective light-shielding layer of the printing sheet is as follows. In other words, when the light-reflective light-shielding layer is partially formed to form a so-called hollow character, a portion corresponding to the hollow character is viewed through transmitted light with light from a light source disposed below, that is, when viewed as character illumination. Is excellent, but when the lower light source is turned off, the visibility is inferior because the external light is less reflected because of the above reasons. The semi-transparent white layer functions effectively as a supplement to the property. In other words, the translucent white layer has the effect of transmitting light from below when illuminating the character by being translucent, and has the effect of compensating the brightness of the blank character portion and increasing the visibility by external light by being white. The material of the translucent white layer is polyester,
Transparent white colored resin sheets such as polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylic, and polycarbonate, and translucent white colored printing inks are used.The thickness of these is 0.01 mm in consideration of being translucent. 1
mm. As a forming method, if it is a resin sheet, it is easy to laminate and integrate,
If it is in the ink state, a method such as printing, coating, or painting is adopted.

For the above reasons, the printing sheet used for the key top of the present invention has a three-layer structure including a light-transmitting resin sheet, a printing layer, and a light-reflecting light-shielding layer, or a light-transmitting resin sheet. The sheet has a four-layer structure including a resin sheet, a printing layer, a light-reflective light-shielding layer, and a translucent white layer. A light-reflective light-shielding layer is required below the layer. In this case, when viewed as a printed sheet, the order of the translucent resin sheet, the printing layer, the light-reflecting light-shielding layer, and the translucent white layer is from the top, or the printing layer, the light-transmitting resin sheet, the light-reflecting light-shielding layer. The order of the layers and the translucent white layer can be considered, but this order can be arbitrarily selected from the convenience of the manufacturing process.

Here, the translucent white layer is formed by a method such as ink printing, coating, painting, laminating, hot stamping, etc., but is applied to one entire surface of the resin sheet, so that it is industrially simple and inexpensive. It can be formed continuously. For example, for coating, it is possible to apply white ink at high speed with a bar coater or die coater, and for hot stamping, it is possible to arbitrarily stamp white only on necessary parts in about 1 second in a time. it can.

The structure and design of the print sheet will be described in detail. For example, it is assumed that the entire key of the print layer is colored in blue, and brown characters are formed in a part of the key. On the back surface of this printing layer, an aluminum vapor-deposited film having a reflectance of 85% is formed as a light-reflecting light-shielding layer in which only brown characters have a blank character shape. Assuming that a transparent white resin sheet is laminated, the blue part of the entire key can be recognized as a high-brightness metallic color that can be easily recognized even with a small amount of external light due to the light reflection of the aluminum evaporated film, The brown letters inside are also light brown letters that are easy to see due to the light scattering effect of the translucent white layer. Furthermore, only brown characters are illuminated by light from below through the translucent white resin sheet, and the characters are illuminated, resulting in high visibility.

In this example, the light-reflective light-shielding layer is a mere aluminum vapor-deposited film. However, if a hologram decoration is applied to this aluminum vapor-deposited film, it is possible to design a three-dimensionally floating design, such as a hairline. It is also possible to add a fine metal processing pattern, and if the colored layer is yellow instead of blue, it will be visually recognized as gold in combination with silver which is the inherent color of the aluminum vapor-deposited foil. Of course, the printed sheet with high reflectivity obtained in this way is adhered to the transparent key top and emits a lot of reflected light even when incorporated in electronic devices such as mobile phones and audio equipment, so it can be used in dark rooms, in the evening, Vivid even in slightly dark places such as outdoors in the shade,
Since the printing is performed with high visibility, a practically useful keyboard that can prevent problems due to erroneous operations or the like can be provided.

Further, the light-reflective light-shielding layer used in the present invention does not need to be formed in the same contour shape as the printed symbol (for example, character) of the printing layer. Is formed, this cut-out character pattern is hardly visually recognized when viewed with reflected light, and emerges only when transmitted light enters, so that it can be designed as a kind of watermark character. Attach the key top to the print sheet prepared in this way at a position corresponding to the print display section with an adhesive, for example, a transparent urethane-based, epoxy-based, acrylic-based, polyester-based, or silicone-based transparent or translucent adhesive. Then, it is fixed to the rubber cover base material at a predetermined position corresponding to the display portion of the print layer to form a member for a push button switch.

[0023]

According to the present invention, there is provided a push-button switch member comprising a printing sheet having a printing layer on which a display portion such as a symbol is formed, and a transparent thermoplastic resin or a transparent curable resin provided at a position corresponding to the display portion. Key top, and a translucent rubber cover substrate, wherein the configuration of the printing sheet is such that an ink receiving layer is formed on one surface of the translucent resin sheet, and at least the ink receiving layer is formed on the ink receiving layer. A graphic printing layer having a display portion composed of light-transmissive colors, designs, and symbols is provided by using fine dots of a plurality of colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow, and predetermined printing symbols and design shapes are provided on the lower surface of the printing layer. A light-reflecting light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more is provided. Since a printed display portion is formed on a resin sheet by a printer, it can be applied to various kinds of design formation information, and has high definition and high precision. -It can be used as a push button switch member including excellent key tops suitable for small lots and various kinds of products. In addition, by forming a light reflective light shielding layer on the back side of the printed layer, good lightness and saturation can be obtained. A display part with excellent visibility is formed, and it can easily cope with special decorations that make extensive use of metallics, holograms, live-action photographs, computer graphics (CG), etc., and can be designed with high user appeal. . Since the printed portion is covered with the transparent key top, the printed display portion is not worn during use, and the display portion has excellent durability, that is, excellent visibility over a long period of time.

Further, according to the method of manufacturing a member for a push button switch according to the present invention, a design designed on a computer can be reflected on a print display portion without going through steps such as plate making, and high quality printing can be obtained. Since is formed on a translucent resin sheet, it can be manufactured more simply and at lower cost than when printing on a molded article or the like, and a white or silver colored layer can be industrially easily formed. That is, the production cost can be significantly reduced regardless of whether the product is a large-volume product or a small lot product.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which a member 10 for a push button switch is a translucent key top 1.
The printed layer 5 having a display portion on the resin sheet 4 and the light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 having a predetermined cutout symbol are provided on the resin sheet 4 via a transparent or translucent adhesive 3, 9 between the light-transmitting rubber cover substrate 2 and the transparent rubber cover substrate 2. And a print sheet 45 having the following configuration. And
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the key top 1 is formed of a transparent or translucent thermoplastic or thermosetting resin by a molding die 3.
And a key top molding step 11 for molding at 0. An ink receiving layer is formed on one surface of the transparent resin sheet 4 and a display portion including a symbol, a pattern, and a color is formed on the ink receiving layer by fine dots of a plurality of colors. A printing layer forming step 12 in which the printed layer 5 is printed by using the printer 20 including the original design input device 21 to obtain a printed layer 5, and a light reflection having a punched shape 6 corresponding to the symbol or design printed on the printed layer 5 Forming a translucent white layer 8 on the lower surface of the light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 to form a print sheet 45 through a light-reflective light-shielding layer forming step 13 of forming the reflective light-shielding layer 7 on the lower surface of the print layer 5. The key 3 is bonded to the upper surface of the printing sheet 45 by applying a bonding agent 3 with a precision dispenser and bonding and integrating the key top 1 with ultraviolet irradiation means 40. Top glue 14, rubber cover base adhesion step 16. pushbutton switch member 10 from which the by adhesive 9 of a transparent or semi-transparent lower surface for bonding the translucent rubber cover base 2 of the printing sheet 45 is produced.

In this case, the configuration of the printing sheet 45 including the printing layer 5 is such that the transparent resin sheet 4, the printing layer 5, the light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 having the punched shape 6, and the translucent white layer 8 are arranged in this order from the top. However, as in other embodiments of the present invention, the configuration of the printing sheet 45 is from the top, the printing layer 5, the resin sheet 4,
Light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 having cutout shape 6, translucent white layer 8
The order may be as follows. In any case, the printing layer 5 is printed with symbols, photographs, geometric patterns, and the like in full color in accordance with the design data. Layer 7 is formed. In the case where only characters are illuminated by a backlight, a light-reflecting light-shielding layer in the form of a blank character may be used.

In the light-reflective light-shielding layer forming step 13, a metal thin film having a light reflectance of 50% or more is laminated, thermally transferred, hot stamped, vapor-deposited, ion-plated or sputtered, or the light reflectance is 50% or more. The light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 having a predetermined shape such as a symbol or a pattern is formed by a metallic printing method, coating, coating, or the like using the light-reflective ink. The transparent white layer 8 can be formed by polymerization.

In the rubber cover base material bonding step 16, a key top cutting step 15 in which each of the key tops bonded on the printing layer 5 is cut by a carbon dioxide gas laser 50.
And a step of bonding the key tops 1 individually cut in the key top cutting step 15 to the rubber cover base material 2 made of translucent silicone rubber with an adhesive 9 of a transparent or translucent double-sided adhesive tape. Including. Of course, the key top cutting step 15 is not limited to the carbon dioxide gas laser, but may be a punching process using a punching blade.
May be cut in advance here. FIG. 2 (a)
Is a cast molding using a thermosetting resin. In the case of a thermoplastic resin, an injection molding method is generally used.

A reinforcing film can be fixed to the back side of the rubber cover substrate 2 corresponding to the transparent key top 1 of the push button switch member 10 if necessary. Although not shown, the pushbutton switch member 10 is assembled with a circuit board via a click plate or the like and is housed in a casing of a mobile phone or the like, and the tip of the transparent keytop 1 is pressed out of the casing. It can also be used in such a manner that it protrudes as much as possible, and that the dome of the click plate is pressed by a pressing operation to bring the movable contact of the dome into contact with the fixed contact of the circuit board to open and close the circuit.

In the design example of the printing layer 5, symbols and the like corresponding to the functions of the keys are arranged and printed. However, in practice, photographs, CG, high-precision geometric patterns, and the like can be freely arranged. Also, in the case of character illumination, since the light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 is formed on the back side of the printing layer, the outer periphery of the character does not need to be dark-colored black as in the related art, and a freely colored design can be achieved. It is possible. For example, if the outer periphery of a character is colored very lightly and the character to be used as a blank character is darker than this, a light-shielding layer is formed on the back side of the outer peripheral part, so that the part of the character is not exposed to light from below. Can be character illumination that only transmits. In addition, the cutout shape 6 of the light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 does not necessarily have to be the same as the character shape of the print layer 5. For example, the cutout shape 6 can be made slightly larger or a fine mesh shape. There are various designs available.

Next, according to the manufacturing method of the present invention, if necessary, a base sheet for printing is performed on the resin sheet 4 made of a thermoplastic resin. For example, a plasma treatment, a corona discharge, a primer treatment, etc. for improving the adhesion are performed, and then an ink receiving layer, an ink absorbing layer, an ink adhesive layer, or the like for attaching the ink of the printer 20 is coated with a coater. Next, a printed layer 5 such as a predetermined symbol used for a keyboard by a printer 20 is printed on the resin sheet 4 and a light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 having a cutout shape 6 is provided, or a translucent white layer is further provided thereon. 8 is formed into a print sheet 45, the transparent key top 1 is fixed and integrated on the print sheet 45 via a transparent adhesive 3, and the rubber cover base material 2 is bonded under the print sheet 45 with the adhesive 9 To form a push button switch member 10. (FIG. 1) The translucent white layer 8 may be formed by printing, hot stamping, coating, or the like, or a white sheet may be prepared and laminated.

The key top 1 is formed by injection molding, casting or the like using a resin material. However, the back side of the key top 1, that is, the printing sheet 45, The surface to be bonded is desirably as flat as possible. The transparent key top 1 thus prepared is fixed to a predetermined position of the printing sheet 45 via the transparent adhesive 3 and further fixed on the rubber cover substrate 2 to obtain the push button switch member 10. The push-button switch member 10 is assembled on a circuit board to form a switch, that is, is housed in a casing of a mobile phone or the like while being assembled with the circuit board, and constitutes a push-button switch used for inputting a telephone number or the like.

As described above, in this embodiment, a variety of design prints can be easily realized, and a light-reflecting light-shielding layer allows the keyboard to be arranged in the evening or cloudy outdoors, in a dim room, or in a deep position in a case. In such a case, visibility is greatly improved, lightness and chroma are high, and a member for a push button switch can be easily formed with a simple structure. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of a member for a push button switch including a key top with a rich design, and it is also possible to manufacture a member for a push button switch of an illuminated type or a reflective type at a low cost. It can be handled flexibly without increasing costs. And the manufactured push-button switch member has a printed display unit integrated with the back of the key top, and has excellent visibility of the display unit,
High durability can be obtained without abrasion of the display portion.

In the case of character illumination, light from a light source disposed below can be visually recognized through the cutout shape 6 of the light-reflective light-shielding layer 7, so that the printed layer 5 in that portion has good visibility in both lightness and chroma. However, when the light of the light source is not constantly turned on, and when the light of the light source is turned off, the light reflecting
Since there is no, the visibility is slightly inferior. In order to solve this, a translucent white layer 8 is formed. Since the translucent white layer 8 is translucent, when the light source disposed on the lower side is lit, the light does not pass through and does not impair the function as character illumination. By increasing the brightness of the color formed in the light source, the visibility when the light source is turned off can be improved. The composition method is, for example, laminating a translucent white resin sheet or printing using a translucent white ink. In the case of the former, a translucent white polyester sheet, a polycarbonate sheet, an acrylic sheet, etc., having a thickness of 5 to 500 μm Thick ones are selected. In the latter case, it is formed by a method such as screen printing using white ink.

The transparent or translucent adhesive 9 is used to adhere to the translucent rubber cover substrate 2 and is originally
Any adhesive can be used as long as it is not an illuminated key type, and an opaque colored adhesive may be used. The tape can be used to prevent the adhesive from protruding, sagging, and unevenness, and to prevent a hindrance in recent thinned devices, so that high-quality bonding can be achieved.

As the rubber cover substrate 2, a plurality of key tops 1 are arranged and adhered to predetermined positions of the rubber cover substrate 2. As the rubber cover substrate 2, a silicone rubber cover substrate, an EPDM cover substrate, a thermoplastic elastomer cover substrate, or the like is used. It is desirable to perform a surface treatment of the silicone rubber to raise the weight.
As the surface treatment, corona discharge, UV cleaning, EB irradiation, flame treatment, coupling agent or primer application and the like are used. In the embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the silicone rubber is
After the V cleaning treatment, a silane coupling agent is applied to increase the adhesive strength.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the printing sheet 45 provided between the key top 1 and the rubber cover base material 2 is formed from the resin sheet 4, the printing layer 5, and the light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 having the cutout shape 6. That is, it is fixed and integrated with the adhesive 3 and the adhesive 9 of the double-sided adhesive sheet.

The embodiment of FIG. 5 is a modification of the example of FIG. 1, in which the light-reflecting light-shielding layer 7 of the printing sheet 45 is partially arranged. When viewed in terms of transmitted light, on the contrary, only the portion of the light-reflective light-shielding layer 7 does not transmit light and can be used as an outer peripheral illumination key.

[0039]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Example 1 100 transparent key tops having a length and width of about 6 mm × 8 mm and a height of 2 mm were molded by a usual injection molding method using a thermoplastic polycarbonate resin (trade name: NOVAREX 7020 IR) manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation. Also,
As a printing sheet, a color laser printer LP-8000C manufactured by Seiko Epson Corp.
A predetermined print pattern was formed as a print layer on the transparent PET sheet of m. In this printing, symbols, colors, patterns, and the like are printed in a dot unit graphic using three primary color toners. Next, a light-reflective light-shielding layer was formed on the printing surface of the printing sheet using aluminum metal by a vacuum evaporation method. At this time, the thickness of the aluminum vapor-deposited layer is 30
0 °, and as a result, as shown in Table 1, five types were prepared in which the light reflectance of the light-reflective light-shielding layer was changed from 30% to 90%. Next, a UV adhesive manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc. (trade name: Unidick V-42)
21) Irgacure # made by Ciba-Gaikey as a curing agent
The back side of the key top and the PET sheet side (non-printed side) of the printed sheet were bonded with an adhesive containing 2.4 parts of 184. (Adhesion conditions: high pressure mercury tower 80W / c
m, irradiation at a distance of 10 cm for 10 seconds) In this way, a key top with a printing sheet was manufactured. On the other hand, as a rubber cover base material, a material obtained by adding 0.8 parts of a vulcanizing agent C-8A of the company to silicone rubber KE-151u manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. was used and heated and compression-molded for 15 pieces. The transparent rubber cover base material on which the key tops can be arranged was molded. Next, the adhesive surface of the rubber cover substrate was set to a wavelength of 185 nm and a wavelength of 2
Irradiation is performed for about 1 minute using a UV irradiator with a power of 54 nm and a power of 40 W to clean the adhesive surface. Then, an adhesive tape (trade name: Duckliner TL-250) manufactured by Lintec Co., Ltd. is applied to the adhesive surface. A cutout having a shape substantially similar to the bonding surface was adhered, and the key top with the printing sheet was bonded and integrated to obtain a molded product of a member for a push button switch. The member for a push button switch obtained in this manner is assembled in a case of a mobile phone, and at a room brightness (600 lux), the illuminance of a key portion is measured with a measuring instrument: BM-7 manufactured by Topcon Corporation and visually recognized. Table 1 shows the evaluation results. In the molded products of Nos. 3, 4, and 5 obtained in this manner, the printing of the printing sheet can be visually recognized through the transparent key top, and furthermore, since this printing is a fine graphical pattern printing in dot units, It is different from screen printing in the quality of elaborate, virtually infinite color photographs, and of high quality. In addition, even when incorporated in a case such as a mobile phone, it was of high quality because it was reflected by a small amount of external light and was easy to see. Compared to this, the molded products of Nos. 1 and 2 can be seen if exposed to sufficient external light, but when incorporated into a mobile phone case, the external light is insufficient, making it difficult to read, and lacks in print visibility. It became.

[0040]

[Table 1]

Example 2 A transparent key top of approximately 6 mm × 8 mm in height and width and 2 mm in height was used as a curing agent by using a thermosetting unsaturated polyester resin (trade name: Ester C755-1) manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. 1% perhexa 3M manufactured by NOF Corporation
Fifteen pieces were molded by casting heat molding (170 ° C. for 5 minutes). Further, as a printing sheet, a sublimation type thermal transfer color printer “TurePrint35” manufactured by Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
A predetermined printing pattern was printed on a 125 μm transparent PET sheet by using No. 00. In this printing, symbols, patterns, and the like are printed in a dot-by-dot graphic using CMYK color sublimation ink. Next, a print having a predetermined cutout portion as a light-reflective light-shielding layer on the printing surface of the print sheet was printed on a sublimation-type thermal transfer color printer Tru manufactured by Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
ePrint3500, aluminum evaporated foil (trade name: Platinum Silver Ink JP-T32, manufactured by Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.)
0I) was subjected to thermal transfer printing in a predetermined pattern. At this time, the reflectance of the light-reflective light-shielding layer was 60%. A white PET sheet manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. is provided as a translucent white layer on the side on which the light-reflective light-shielding layer having the blank character portion is printed,
Lumirror X-20 (50 μm) (trade name) was pressure-bonded and laminated on the entire surface via an acrylic adhesive. Further, the back side of the key top and the PET sheet side (non-printed side) of the printing sheet were bonded with a UV adhesive (trade name: Diabond UV-147) manufactured by Nogawa Chemical Co., Ltd. (Adhesion conditions: high pressure mercury lamp 80W / cm, distance 15c
m irradiation for 30 seconds) In this way, a total of 15 key tops with a print sheet were manufactured. On the other hand, as a rubber cover base material, a material obtained by blending 0.8 parts of a silicone rubber KE-151u manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. with 0.8 parts of a vulcanizing agent C-8A was heated and compression-molded to obtain 15 rubber cover bases. A translucent rubber cover substrate on which key tops can be placed was molded. Next, the adhesive surface of the rubber cover substrate was set to a wavelength of 185 nm and a wavelength of 2
Irradiation was performed for about 1 minute using a UV irradiator having a power of 54 nm and a power of 40 W to clean the bonded surface, and then the primer KE-1800C manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. was applied to the bonded surface.
Was applied in a small amount and air-dried. Next, an adhesive tape manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. (trade name: Hybon 11-58)
3) The key top with the print sheet and the rubber cover base material are bonded to each other by using a cutout having a shape substantially similar to the bonding surface, and further dried at 100 ° C. 30 to further improve the adhesiveness.
After heating for a minute, a molded product of a member for a push button switch was obtained. In the molded product obtained in this way, the printing of the printing sheet can be clearly seen through the transparent key top, and since this printing is a fine graphical pattern printing in dot units, it is different from screen printing in precision. The quality is close to that of a virtually infinite color photograph, and the quality is high. And, due to the light-reflecting light-shielding layer of aluminum vapor-deposited foil placed on the back side, these prints are shining metallic, and since the letter shape is formed, even when receiving illumination from the back side, Light is partially or selectively transmitted, and a molded product having good visibility, in which patterns such as characters and symbols formed by transmitted light are clearly visible. Example 3 Fifteen transparent key tops each having a length and width of approximately 6 mm × 8 mm and a height of 2 mm were molded by a normal injection molding method using a thermoplastic polycarbonate resin (trade name: NOVAREX 7020 IR) manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation. As a printing sheet, a predetermined printing pattern was formed as a printing layer on a 200-μm transparent PET sheet using a sublimation type thermal transfer color printer TruePrint 3500 manufactured by Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. In this printing, symbols, designs, and the like are printed with CMY color sublimation ink. Next, a Lumitech 1015 film manufactured by Lintec Co., Ltd. having a reflectance of 55% was laminated as a light-reflecting light-shielding layer on the printing surface of the printing sheet using an acrylic adhesive to form a single body.
Further, an adhesive obtained by blending 3.0 parts of Irgacure # 184 (manufactured by Ciba-Gaikey) as a curing agent with a UV adhesive (product name: Unidick V-4221) manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc. Was adhered to the PET sheet side (non-printed side) of the printed sheet.
(Adhesion conditions: high-pressure mercury tower 80 W / cm, irradiation at a distance of 10 cm for 10 seconds) In this way, a total of 15 key tops with a print sheet were manufactured. On the other hand, as a rubber cover base material, silicone rubber KE manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. is used.
Using a material prepared by mixing 1.0 part of the company's vulcanizing agent C-8A with -151u, a translucent rubber cover base material capable of disposing 15 key tops was formed by heat compression molding. Next, the adhesive surface of the rubber cover substrate was set to a wavelength of 185 nm and 254 nm.
After irradiating for about 1.5 minutes using a UV irradiator with a m output of 40 W and cleaning the adhesive surface, an adhesive tape (trade name: Duckliner TL-250) manufactured by Lintec Co., Ltd. was applied to the adhesive surface. ) Was cut out into a shape substantially similar to the adhesive surface, and the above-mentioned key top with print sheet was bonded and integrated to obtain a molded product of a member for a push button switch. In the molded article obtained in this way, the printing of the printing sheet can be visually recognized through the transparent key top, and furthermore, this printing is different from screen printing and has a precision similar to a photograph,
It is of high quality. The light-reflective light-shielding layer disposed on the back surface of the light-shielding layer provides a molded product with good visibility that allows light to be clearly seen in a pattern of transmitted light around the light-shielding layer even when illuminated from the back surface. ing.

[0042]

According to the present invention, design data using a computer can be used for the design of the display section of the keytop, the design can be easily changed and modified, and since it is plateless printing, the printing speed and printing cost can be reduced. The system is remarkably good, it can be easily adapted to various kinds of design formation information, and it is possible to make a push button switch member with high designability that was impossible with conventional screen printing and pad printing, and the color of the print layer itself is A light intermediate color is also possible, and if the printing method is performed in dot units using minute dot colors, it is possible to substantially express full color, and since the light-reflective light-shielding layer is formed separately, for example, light shielding of aluminum vapor-deposited foil A dark-colored, high-reflectance light-shielding layer that is highly filled with layers and white pigments can be formed, thereby providing a richly designed mark that does not impair the expression of the full-color print layer. And the light-reflecting light-shielding layer has a light reflectance of 50% or more, greatly improving visibility, high brightness and saturation, and high image quality of clear photos, illustrations, pictures, etc. Can be reproduced and the number of colors is not limited, so it can be used as a push button switch member with rich design characteristics, its manufacturing cost can be reduced, the degree of freedom of design increases, and a novel method that can not be obtained with the conventional method The design can be made, and even in the case of small lot multi-kind production, it can be flexibly dealt with without increasing the cost. The manufactured push-button switch member has a printed display unit integrated with the back surface of the transparent key resin unit, has excellent visibility of the display unit, does not wear the display unit, and has high durability. It is. Furthermore, if the outline of the cutout shape of the light-reflective light-shielding layer of the display portion of the push button switch is matched with the outline of the printing such as the character pattern of the printing layer, a character illuminated type can be obtained, which is different from the pattern of the printing layer. By creating a blank character pattern, it is possible to have different display parts when viewing the key with reflected light and when viewing the key with transmitted light. It can be used as a member for a push button switch, and since the printing is formed on a translucent resin sheet, it can be easily manufactured in large quantities at low cost compared to when printing on molded products, etc., and the productivity is greatly improved. In addition to this, production costs can be significantly reduced regardless of whether the product is in large quantities or small lots.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a member for a push button switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of a part of the manufacturing process of the present invention, and (a)
Shows a key top forming step, and (b) shows a printing layer forming step.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a manufacturing process of the present invention in alphabetical order.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Key top 2 Rubber cover base material 3 Adhesive 4 Resin sheet 5 Printing layer 6 Die shape 7 Light reflective light shielding layer 8 Translucent white layer 9 Adhesive 10 Member for pushbutton switch 11 Key top forming process 12 Printing layer forming process 13 Light reflective light shielding layer forming step 14 Key top bonding step 15 Key top cutting step 16 Rubber cover base material bonding step 45 Printing sheet

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Tsukasa Nagasawa 1-406-1, Yoshino-cho, Omiya-shi, Saitama Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. Tokyo plant (72) Inventor Yoshinari Shidoda 1-406, Yoshino-cho, Omiya-shi, Saitama No.1 Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. Tokyo factory F-term (reference) 5G006 FB17 JF27 5G023 AA12 CA19 CA30 CA50

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A member for a push button switch in which a printing sheet having a display portion is interposed between a light-transmitting key top and a light-transmitting rubber cover base material via an adhesive, wherein the printing sheet is made of a light-transmitting material. Form an ink receiving layer on one side of the light-sensitive resin sheet,
The ink receiving layer is provided with a graphic print layer having a light transmissive display portion using fine dots of a plurality of colors, and a light reflective light shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more is provided on the lower surface of the print layer. A member for a push button switch, characterized in that: 2. A push-button switch member comprising a light-transmitting key top and a light-transmitting rubber cover base material, and a printing sheet having a display section interposed therebetween via an adhesive, wherein the printing sheet is transparent. Form an ink receiving layer on one side of the light-sensitive resin sheet,
The ink receiving layer is provided with a graphic print layer having a light-transmitting display portion using fine dots of a plurality of colors, and a light-reflective light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more is provided on the lower surface of the print layer. A member for a push button switch, wherein a translucent white layer is provided on a lower surface of a light reflective light shielding layer. 3. The light-reflective light-shielding layer according to claim 1, wherein the light-reflective light-shielding layer comprises a light-reflective light-shielding layer having a predetermined shape.
Alternatively, the member for a push button switch according to claim 2. 4. An ink-receiving layer is formed on one side of a light-transmitting resin sheet, and a graphic printing layer having a light-transmitting display portion is formed on the ink-receiving layer by using fine dots of a plurality of colors. Light reflectivity 5 on the lower surface of the printing layer
A light-reflecting light-shielding layer of 0% or more is formed to produce a printing sheet, a transparent key top formed of a transparent or translucent resin is adhered to the upper surface of the printing sheet, and a transparent key top is formed on the lower surface of the printing sheet. Alternatively, a method for manufacturing a member for a push button switch, wherein the member for a push button switch is formed by bonding a translucent rubber cover base material through a translucent adhesive. 5. A method for manufacturing the printing sheet, comprising: forming a light-reflecting light-shielding layer having a light reflectance of 50% or more on the lower surface of the printing layer; and forming a translucent white layer on the lower surface of the light-reflecting light-shielding layer. 5. The method for manufacturing a member for a push button switch according to claim 4, wherein 6. A method for forming the light-reflective light-shielding layer, wherein a metal thin film is subjected to predetermined punching by means of thermal transfer, hot stamping, vapor deposition, ion plating or sputtering, or metallic printing with light-reflective light-shielding ink. The method for manufacturing a member for a push button switch according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a light-reflective light-shielding layer having a shape is formed.