JP2001155587A - Operating button unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operating button unit having increased electrostatic resistance with large surface distance, keeping sufficient surface distance even if electric parts are placed near the operating button, and enabling to protect the elastic deformated part in the operating button from hardening and plastic deformation. SOLUTION: The unit is an operating button unit equipped with an operating button 3 which applies operating force to a parts to be operated 5. The operating button 3 comprises a first parts 31 to which an operator applies an operating force with direct touch and a second parts 32 which incorporates an elastic deformation parts 32c and applies operating force to the parts 5 with angular displacement. Surface treatment including metal 31f is made on the surface of the first parts 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation button device for an electronic device, and more particularly to a device having a high electrostatic withstand force and a hardening effect on an elastically deformed portion even when the operation button is subjected to a surface treatment containing metal. The present invention relates to an operation button device capable of preventing plastic deformation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an operation button device in which an elastic deformation portion is integrally formed with an operation button and an operation force is applied to an operated component by angular displacement when an operator applies an operation force has been generally used. It is also common to apply a surface treatment including a high-grade metal to the operation button.

[0003] Such a conventional operation button device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional operation button device.

[0004] Reference numeral 11 denotes an electronic device having a conventional operation button device, and reference numeral 12 denotes a panel constituting a front surface of a housing of the electronic device. An opening 12a is provided in the panel 12, and an operation button 13 is inserted into the opening 12a. At the rear of the operation button 13, there is a tact switch 1 which is a component to be operated.
5 is mounted and mounted on the printed wiring board 14 together with the integrated circuit 16.

The operation button 13 includes an operation section 13a, a fitting hole 13
b, the switch pressing portion 13d, and the hinge portion 13c are integrally formed, and the operation button 13 is locked to the panel 12 by fitting the fitting hole 13b into the pin 12b protruding from the back surface of the panel 12. I have. The portion of the operation button 13 exposed to the outside through the opening 12a is the operation portion 13a. A switch pressing portion 13d is formed on the back surface of the operation portion 13a, and faces a tact switch 15 provided on the back portion of the operation button 13. The hinge portion 13c has a fitting hole 13b.
A groove-shaped thin portion formed in the vicinity of the hinge portion 1
Due to the elastic deformation of 3c, when the operator gives an operation force, the operation unit 13a is angularly displaced with an appropriate restoring force and gives an operation force for pressing the tact switch 15 which is the operated component.

The operation button 13 is formed of a non-conductive resin material, and is plated to form the operation button 13.
The plating film 13e is formed on the entire surface of the substrate.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a creepage distance from the operation button 13 to the integrated circuit 16. When the operator presses the operation section 13 a, the static electricity charged on the human body or the like is discharged to the integrated circuit 16. It is the length of the discharge path.

[0008]

In such an operation button device, an operation button is provided to secure the electrostatic strength of the electronic device 11 by keeping a predetermined creepage distance 17 between the operation button 13 and the integrated circuit 16. There was a problem that electronic components such as the integrated circuit 16 could not be arranged near 13. Since the entire surface of the operation button 13 is covered with the conductive plating film 13e,
The creepage distance 17 with respect to the integrated circuit 16 is the shortest distance between the operation button 13 and the integrated circuit 16.

In order to form the plating film 13e on the operation button 13, it is necessary to mold the operation button 13 with a material suitable for plating, but the material suitable for plating is not an ideal material for forming the hinge portion 13c. In addition, the plating film 13e itself inhibits the elastic deformation of the hinge portion 13c, and there is a problem that the operation feeling of the operation button 13 is not excellent, and the hinge portion 13c is plastically deformed, hardened, or broken.

According to the present invention, the creepage distance is large, the electrostatic proof strength can be increased, the creepage distance can be ensured even when an electronic component is arranged near the operation button, and the elastic deformation formed on the operation button can be ensured. An object of the present invention is to provide an operation button device capable of preventing hardening and plastic deformation of a portion.

[0011]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation button device including an operation button for applying an operation force to a component to be operated. A first component for directly applying an operating force to a user and a second component for forming an elastically deformable portion integrally with the second component and for applying an operating force to the operated component by angular displacement. Which has been subjected to a surface treatment.

As a result, the creepage distance is increased, the electrostatic proof strength can be increased, and even when electronic components are arranged near the operation button, the creepage distance can be ensured and the elastic deformation formed on the operation button can be ensured. Since a metal-containing surface treatment layer is not formed on the portion, hardening and plastic deformation of the elastically deformable portion due to the surface treatment layer can be prevented.

[0013]

An operation button device according to a first aspect of the present invention is an operation button device provided with an operation button for applying an operation force to a component to be operated, wherein the operation button is directly operated by an operator. A first component for applying a touch operation force and an elastic deformation portion are integrally formed, and a second component for applying an operation force to the operated component by angular displacement.
The surface of the first component has been subjected to a surface treatment containing a metal, the creepage distance can be increased, the electrostatic resistance can be increased, and the electronic component is disposed near the operation button. However, the creepage distance can be ensured, and the elastically deformed portion formed on the operation button is not provided with a surface treatment layer containing metal, thereby preventing the elastically deformable portion from being hardened or plastically deformed by the surface treatment layer. be able to.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the operation button device according to the first aspect, the first component is made of a first synthetic resin having a surface treatment layer containing a metal formed by the surface treatment. A two-color molding using a second synthetic resin on which a surface treatment layer containing a metal is not formed by the surface treatment, and only performing the surface treatment on the first component to form a surface treatment layer containing a metal on the first component. By exposing the second synthetic resin in a blank character shape, it is possible to form an index or a pattern composed of characters, pictograms, symbols, and the like.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an operation button device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA, FIG. 3 is an assembly perspective view of the operation button in the operation button device, and FIG. It is an exploded perspective view of an operation button. 4A is a perspective view of the operation buttons as viewed from the panel side, FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the operation buttons as viewed from the printed wiring board side, and FIG. ing.

An electronic apparatus 1 includes an operation button device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 2 denotes a panel constituting the front surface of the housing of the electronic device, and has an opening 2a into which the operation button 3 is inserted. An operation button 3 has a button head 3
1 and a button base 32.

The button head 31 is a component mainly serving as a part exposed to the outside from the opening 2a. The operation unit 31a is pressed by the operator with a fingertip, and the operation of the operation button 3 is indicated by pictograms on the operation unit 31a. And a pin 31b protruding from the rear surface and fitted in the button head fitting hole 32a of the button base 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the button head 31 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, an opaque resin 31e on the outer side, and a transparent resin 31e on the inner side.
It is molded in two colors by d. Pin 31b on outer side
And the index 31c are formed of a transparent resin 31d,
1c is an operation part 31a molded of an opaque resin 31e,
The inner transparent resin 31d is formed so as to be exposed in a blank character shape. Further, the transparent resin 31d has a property that a plating film is not formed even when a plating process is performed, and conversely, the opaque resin 31e has a property that a plating film is formed. By plating a molded product obtained by two-color molding of these two kinds of synthetic resin materials, a plating film 31f is formed on the opaque resin 31e on the outer surface, and the inner surface and the pins 31 are formed.
No plating film is formed on the transparent resin 31d of b and the index 31c. By this plating process, the transparent resin 31d is exposed in the form of a letter on the plating film 31f to form an index 31c.

The other button base 32 is a part that mainly constitutes a part concealed inside the opening 2a.
a, a panel fitting hole 32b, a hinge portion 32c, a switch pressing portion 32d, and an illumination window 32e are integrally formed. The button head fitting hole 32a is a portion where the pin 31b is fitted and the button head 31 is fitted to the button base 32. The panel fitting hole 32b is a portion that is fitted into the pin 2b protruding from the back surface of the panel 2, and the button base 32 to which the button head 31 is fitted is locked to the panel 2. The hinge portion 32c is a groove-shaped thin portion formed in the vicinity of the panel fitting hole 32b. The elastic portion of the hinge portion 32c deforms the operating portion 31 when an operator applies an operating force.
a is angularly displaced with an appropriate restoring force. As the synthetic resin integrally forming the button base 32, a synthetic resin having properties suitable for the hinge portion 32c is used. The switch pressing portion 32d is a portion formed on the back surface of the operation portion 31a and pressing the tact switch 5 provided on the back of the button base 32. The illumination window 32e is provided with an indicator 31 by an LED 7 provided on the back of the button base 32.
An opening formed integrally with the button head fitting hole 32a so that c is illuminated.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a printed wiring board on which a tact switch 5 as an operated component and an integrated circuit 6 as an electronic component are mounted. When the printed wiring board 4 is mounted on the panel 2, a button base 32 The components are arranged such that the tact switch 5 is located at the back of the switch pressing portion 32d. Reference numeral 7 denotes an LED provided behind the button base 32, which illuminates the index 31c through the illumination window 32e.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a creepage distance from the button head 31 to the integrated circuit 6. When the operator presses the operation section 31 a, the static electricity charged on the human body or the like is discharged to the integrated circuit 6. It is the length of the discharge path. If the creepage distance 8 is small, discharge is likely to occur. Therefore, by setting a predetermined creepage distance 8 between the button head 31 and the integrated circuit 6, the electronic device 1
To ensure the electrostatic withstand power of

Next, the procedure for assembling the operation button device will be described. The button base 32 with the button head 31 fitted therein is inserted into the panel fitting hole 32 b with the pin 2 b protruding from the back surface of the panel 2.
Is fitted and locked. At this time, the operation portion 31a is exposed to the outside from the opening 2a by the elasticity of the hinge portion 32c. A printed wiring board 4 on which a tact switch 5 and an integrated circuit 6 are mounted on a further back surface of the button base 32 fitted into the pins 2b.
To panel 2.

The operation of the operation button device configured as described above will be described below.

An operator (not shown) operates the operating section 31a with a fingertip.
Is pressed, the hinge portion 32c is elastically deformed, and the operating portion 31a is retracted by the angular displacement.
The switch pressing portion 32d formed on the back surface of FIG. When the operator releases his / her fingertip from the operation unit 31a, the operation unit 31a moves forward to a position before pressing by the elasticity of the hinge unit 32c, and the switch pressing unit 32d formed on the back surface of the operation unit 31a is moved. Move away from tact switch 5.

When the LED 7 is turned on, the indicator 31c of the button head 31 located further forward is illuminated from the inside through the illumination window 32e of the button base 32 located ahead. Since the transparent resin 31d is exposed in the form of a letter on the plating film 31f of the operation portion 31a, the indicator 31c is beautifully transmitted and illuminated by the light of the LED 7.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the button head 3
1 and the button base 32 are formed as separate parts, and no plating film is formed on the button base 32.
1f is formed between the button head 31 and the integrated circuit 6. As a result, the creepage distance 8 to the integrated circuit 6 is increased as compared with the case where the plating film is formed on the button base 32, and the electrostatic strength of the electronic device 1 can be increased. When the same creepage distance is secured as when the button base 32 is plated, the integrated circuit 6 can be arranged near the operation button 3.

Since the button base 32 need not be formed of a synthetic resin suitable for plating, it can be formed of a synthetic resin suitable for the hinge portion 32c. 32c is not plastically deformed, hardened or damaged.

In this embodiment, the surface treatment including the metal formed on the button head 31 is illustrated by an example of plating. However, painting including metal powder, metal vapor deposition, sputtering, or the like may be used.
Button head 31 molded in two colors with two different synthetic resins
When applied to, a surface treatment layer is formed on one synthetic resin part, and the surface treatment layer is not formed on the other synthetic resin part,
Any surface treatment including a metal may be used.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to increase the creepage distance and increase the electrostatic withstand force even in an operation button device in which the operation button is subjected to a surface treatment containing metal. In this case, the creepage distance can be ensured even when an electronic component is arranged in the vicinity of, and hardening and plastic deformation of the elastically deformed portion due to the surface treatment layer containing metal can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an operation button device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of an operation button in the operation button device.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the operation button.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional operation button device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Operation Button 31 Button Head 31d Transparent Resin 31e Opaque Resin 31f Plating Film 32 Button Base 5 Tact Switch

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An operation button device comprising an operation button for applying an operation force to a component to be operated, wherein the operation button includes a first component for directly applying an operation force to be touched by an operator and an elastic deformation portion. An operation button device comprising: a second component that is molded and applies an operation force to the operated component by angular displacement, and has a surface treatment including metal on the surface of the first component. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first component is a first synthetic resin on which a surface treatment layer containing a metal is formed by the surface treatment.
The operation button device according to claim 1, wherein the operation button device is formed by two-color molding with a second synthetic resin on which a surface treatment layer containing a metal is not formed by the surface treatment.