JP2002124150A - El illumination sheet, el illuminated membrane switch, and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an EL illuminated membrane switch enabled to obtain a good feeling of click, to improve the durability of an EL layer, to reduce the number of parts, and to make the thickness thin. SOLUTION: The EL illuminated membrane switch comprises an EL illumination sheet having an EL layer 30A at the lower surface excluding a click part 41 of an elastic transparent resin sheet 40 of which, a prescribed part is formed into a dome-shaped click part, and a switch sheet 10A composed of an upper contact point sheet 14 having an upper contact point 15, and a lower contact sheet 11 having a lower contact point 12, interposing a spacer 13 between, arranged so that the contact points face each other. The EL illumination sheet is put on the switch sheet interposing the EL layer as a spacer so that the click parts locate on respective contact points.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an EL illuminated sheet, an EL illuminated membrane switch, and an electronic apparatus provided with the switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to simplify the operation of portable telephones and various electronic devices used in a relatively dark place, EL is used.
(Electroluminescence) An illuminated membrane switch or an EL illuminated switch is used. (Conventional Example 1) The configuration of the EL illuminated membrane switch of Conventional Example 1 is shown in FIG.

FIG. 2A is a sectional view of an EL illuminated membrane switch, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 2A.
The switch sheet 10B is formed by placing the lower contact sheet 11 provided with the lower contact 12 and the upper contact sheet 14 provided with the upper contact 15 on the hard plate 18 with the respective contacts facing each other via the spacer 13. Next, a predetermined portion of the flexible transparent resin sheet 40 is heat-molded upward in a dome shape with a mold to form the click portion 41 and the entire surface of the transparent resin sheet excluding the click portion. The EL layer 30B is provided on (or part of) the EL illuminating sheet 20B.

[0004] The manufacturing process of the EL illuminating sheet 20B will be described. A transparent electrode layer 35 is formed on the entire lower surface of the transparent resin sheet 40 in advance.
The light emitting layer 34, the dielectric layer 33, and the entire surface (or a part) of the planar surface except for the portion where the click portion 41 is to be formed under the transparent electrode layer are prepared. The EL layer 30B is formed by sequentially printing and laminating the back electrode layer 32 and the insulating (resist) layer 31. In this case, FIG.
As shown in (1), the ends of the light emitting layer, the dielectric layer, and the back electrode layer are covered with an insulating (resist) layer. Then, by sandwiching the transparent resin sheet in a mold, the dome-shaped click portion is formed by heating to manufacture the EL illuminating sheet 20B.

A switch sheet 10 is provided by placing a lower contact sheet 11 provided with a lower contact 12 and an upper contact sheet 14 provided with an upper contact 15 on a hard plate 18 with the respective contacts facing each other.
Manufacture B. The EL illuminated membrane switch is manufactured by placing the EL illuminated sheet on the switch sheet so that the click portion is located on each contact. When the click portion is pressed downward, the EL illuminated membrane switch deforms the click portion while generating a click sensation to bend the upper contact sheet, thereby bringing the upper and lower contacts into contact. Further, when an AC voltage is applied between the transparent electrode layer and the back electrode layer of the EL layer, the entire luminous body emits light, and passes through the transparent electrode layer and the transparent resin sheet to illuminate the surface of the transparent resin sheet. (JP-A-11-39983) FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an EL illumination switch of Conventional Example 2.

A switch sheet 10C is formed by laminating a printed board 16 provided with the lower contacts 12 and a contact sheet 17 provided with the upper contacts 15 with the upper and lower contacts facing each other with a spacer 13 interposed therebetween. Next, a transparent electrode layer 35, a luminous body layer 34, and a dielectric layer are sequentially formed on the transparent resin sheet as a base in a portion extending between the click portion and the bent portion 42 of the transparent resin sheet 40 provided with the click portion 41 formed in a dome shape. 33, the back electrode layer 32, and the insulating layer 31 are laminated to form an EL layer 30C.
The illuminating sheet 20C is configured.

[0007] The EL illuminating switch is arranged such that the clicked portion of the transparent resin sheet is positioned above each contact.
It is configured by placing a spacer 37 between C and the switch sheet 10C. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an EL illuminated switch according to Conventional Example 3. As shown in FIG. An EL layer formed by sequentially laminating a transparent electrode layer 35, a light-emitting layer 34, a dielectric layer 33, a back electrode layer 32, and an insulating layer 31 around a contact based on the contact sheet 18 provided with the upper contact 15 The switch sheet 10D is configured by placing the contacts on the printed circuit board 16 provided with the lower contacts 12 with the 30D as a spacer so that the contacts face each other.

[0008] The EL illuminated switch is a switch sheet 10D.
The transparent resin sheet 40 provided with a click portion 41 formed in a dome shape thereon is configured by placing the click portion 41 with a spacer 37 interposed therebetween so as to be positioned above each contact. (JP-A-10-222271)

[0009]

In the conventional example 1, the click feeling is poor because the transparent electrode layer which is a part of the EL layer is formed on the lower surface of the click portion. There is a disadvantage that the light of the EL layer irradiated to the click portion is attenuated and the illuminance is reduced. Moisture may intrude from between the transparent electrode layer and the insulating (resist) layer provided on the entire surface of the transparent resin sheet of the EL layer, and the EL layer may be deteriorated.

In the conventional example 2, since the EL layer is provided at the click portion, the flexibility (click feeling) is poor, and there is a problem in the durability of the EL layer. In Conventional Example 3, since there is a distance between the EL layer and the clicked portion to be illuminated, there is a disadvantage that light transmittance is poor and illuminance is reduced.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an EL illuminating sheet of the present invention comprises a click-formed transparent resin sheet having a click portion formed by molding a predetermined portion into a dome shape. An EL layer is provided on the lower surface of the portion excluding the portion. Further, the EL illuminated membrane switch of the present invention includes a switch sheet provided with the EL illuminated sheet and a contact. The EL layer of the EL illuminated sheet is mounted on the switch sheet such that a click portion is located on each contact using the EL layer as a spacer. And configure it.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EL illuminating sheet and EL of the present invention
An embodiment of an illuminated membrane switch will be described. FIG.
(a) is a sectional view of an EL illuminated membrane switch of the present invention. FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. A lower contact sheet 11 provided with a lower contact 12 and an upper contact sheet 14 provided with an upper contact 15 are stacked with spacers 13 facing the upper and lower contacts to form a switch sheet 10A. Further, a pressure-sensitive switch sheet that detects a change in resistance due to pressing of the anisotropic resistance film can be used as the switch sheet.

A transparent electrode layer 35, a light emitting layer 34, a dielectric layer 33, a back electrode layer 32, and an insulation (resist) are formed on the lower surface of the transparent resin sheet 40 having the dome-shaped click portion 41 except the click portion. The EL layer 30A is formed by sequentially laminating the layers 31 and covering the transparent electrode layer, the luminescent layer, the dielectric layer, and the end of the back electrode layer on the dome-shaped space side to form the EL layer 30A, thereby forming the EL illuminating sheet 20A. . The EL illuminated membrane switch is designed so that the click part is located above each contact.
It is configured by placing the EL layer of the illumination sheet as a spacer on the switch sheet.

With this configuration, a good click feeling can be obtained, and the EL layer can be protected from moisture entering the dome-shaped space through the air escape hole. The operation of the above membrane switch is such that when the center of the click portion of the transparent resin sheet is pressed down, the click portion is deformed. The contact contacts the lower contact and conducts. Further, when an AC voltage is applied between the transparent electrode layer of the EL layer and the back electrode layer, the light emitting layer emits light to illuminate the surface of the transparent electrode sheet.

The present invention can provide a durable EL illuminated membrane switch without lowering the illuminance by having the above-described configuration. By mounting the EL illuminated membrane switch of the present invention on an electronic device such as a mobile phone that operates in a relatively dark place, the operation becomes easy, and the size of the device can be reduced.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the click portion is not provided with the transparent electrode layer as shown in the conventional example 1, so that a good click feeling can be obtained and the durability of the EL layer can be improved. Can be enhanced. By covering the entire end of the member forming the EL layer on the side of the dome-shaped space with an insulating (resist) layer, it is possible to further enhance the durability by protecting it from moisture. In addition, since the EL layer is provided around the portion of the transparent resin sheet other than the click portion, the EL layer can also serve as a spacer for obtaining a click feeling, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the thickness can be reduced without being affected by the switch function. Becomes possible. Further, the click portion can be illuminated without lowering the illuminance.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an EL illuminated membrane switch of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an EL illuminated membrane switch of Conventional Example 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an EL illumination switch of Conventional Example 2.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an EL illuminated switch of Conventional Example 3.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10A, 10B, 10C Switch sheet 11 Lower contact sheet 12 Lower contact 13 Spacer 14 Upper contact sheet 15 Upper contact 20A EL illuminating sheet 30A EL layer 31 Insulation (resist) layer 32 Electrode layer 33 Dielectric layer 34 Light emitting layer 35 Transparent electrode Layer 40 Transparent resin sheet 41 Click section

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An EL illuminating sheet wherein an EL layer is provided on a lower surface of a portion other than a click portion of a flexible transparent resin sheet having a click portion formed by molding a predetermined portion into a dome shape. . 2. The EL illuminating sheet according to claim 1, wherein an edge portion of the click portion of the EL layer located in the dome-shaped space is covered with an insulating layer. 3. A switch sheet provided with the EL illuminating sheet according to claim 1 and a contact, wherein the EL layer is mounted on the switch sheet as a spacer so that click portions of the EL illuminating sheet are located on the respective contacts. E characterized by being placed
L illuminated membrane switch. 4. An electronic apparatus comprising the EL illuminated membrane switch according to claim 3.