JP2005227893A - Coordinate input device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coordinate input device equipped with a couple of electrodes and a spacer arranged between those electrodes, the coordinate input device being constituted so that a user does not feel a touch on the spacer and a circumference of the spacer hardly becomes a dead zone. <P>SOLUTION: The coordinate input device 10 is equipped with a fixed electrode 11 provided on a substrate 15, a flexible counter electrode 13 arranged apart from and opposite it, a key top 14 on the flexible counter electrode 13, and the spacer 12 installed between the fixed electrode 11 and flexible counter electrode 13; and the flexible counter electrode 13 is made of conductive rubber and the thickness of the flexible counter electrode 13 is twice as large as the height of the spacer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention inputs a two-dimensional position such as a multidirectional switch used in various electric / electronic devices such as a portable terminal, a control device, and an in-vehicle device, and a joypad (game controller) used in a computer or a game machine. The present invention relates to a coordinate input device.

  Conventionally, a coordinate input device used in a mobile terminal or an in-vehicle device moves a pointer icon displayed on the display to a predetermined position by pressing the key top, and the target is selected from the options displayed on the display. As a coordinate input device that makes it possible to select an instruction, a gold-plated fixed electrode provided on a wiring board and a flexible counter electrode opposite to the fixed electrode are provided, and the flexible counter electrode is formed of conductive rubber. , Using a flexible counter electrode as a resistance film, a coordinate input device that detects X and Y coordinates in a time-sharing manner, or forming a resistance film with carbon paste or the like on two polyester films, A coordinate input device is known in which one is a fixed electrode and the other is a flexible counter electrode, and each detects X and Y coordinates.

  In these coordinate input devices, the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode are held apart from each other except during the pressing operation, and both are brought into contact when the pressing operation is performed, and the contact potential on the resistance film is detected by the other electrode.

  When the first type of coordinate input device is used for a pointing device such as a portable wireless terminal, the fixed electrode on the substrate is made of a conductive electrode made of conductive rubber having a substantially spherical shape as a resistance film, and opposed to each other. The contact position by pressing operation is detected by a fixed electrode as a contact potential on the resistance film (Patent Document 1).

  In this case, as a means for separating the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode, a method is adopted in which the flexible counter electrode is held by a bellows portion provided at a position corresponding to the outer periphery of the fixed electrode of the flexible counter electrode. Yes. However, with this method, a separation distance of about 0.5 mm must be ensured from the processing accuracy of the flexible counter electrode, and it is not possible to cope with the recent thinning of portable wireless terminals, and it is difficult to control the operation load. is there.

  Further, in the second coordinate input device, a dot or mesh spacer is printed on one or both of the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode with, for example, an insulating ink such as silicone rubber. There is known a method for holding the two pieces apart.

  This method has a problem that the feel of the spacer is transmitted to the user when pressed by a finger or a pen, and the operation feeling is uncomfortable. In addition, since a region where the pair of resistive films are difficult to contact even when pressed, a so-called dead zone is generated, and when the dead zone is pressed, it becomes impossible to detect the coordinates of the pressed position. There was a problem that.

  In consideration of such a problem, a configuration in which both of a pair of opposing electrodes are flexible electrodes is disclosed (Patent Document 2). Specifically, the pair of flexible electrodes is formed by applying conductive ink on the surface of the elastic layer, and the elastic layer constituting the lower flexible electrode constitutes the upper flexible electrode It has higher flexibility than the elastic layer. Preferably, the upper elastic layer is a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet, and the lower elastic layer is a polyurethane sheet. In addition, the spacer is provided by pattern-printing insulating ink on one of the flexible electrodes, or by performing patterning by etching after uniform printing. In this configuration, when the spacer is pressed into the lower flexible electrode, the feel of the spacer can be softened, and the area of the dead zone around the spacer can be reduced.

  However, in this configuration, since the spacer bites in, there is a problem that excessive mechanical stress is applied to the conductive ink layer constituting the lower flexible electrode. For this reason, the resistance value of the conductive ink layer may change due to long-term use, and the coordinate input device may malfunction, or the conductive ink layer may be peeled off due to wear, causing the coordinate input device to malfunction. .

Furthermore, heat treatment in the process of drying and curing the spacer due to the chemical reaction of the insulating ink solvent or etching solution during patterning of the spacer, or due to mechanical stress due to shrinkage during curing of the insulating ink As a result, the resistance value of the conductive ink layer fluctuates, which makes it difficult to make product quality uniform.
JP 2001-344066 A JP-A-11-167462

  The present invention is a coordinate input device in which a fixed electrode and a flexible counter electrode spaced apart from the fixed electrode are provided, and a spacer is provided between these two electrodes. An object of the present invention is to provide a coordinate input device configured to be softened.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a coordinate input device configured to prevent electrode deterioration due to mechanical stress during operation.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a coordinate input device in which the manufacturing process can be simplified by allowing the flexible counter electrode and the spacer to be integrally formed.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a fixed electrode provided on a substrate, a flexible counter electrode made of conductive rubber disposed so as to face and separate from the fixed electrode, and an upper portion of the flexible counter electrode are provided. A coordinate input device comprising: a key top; and a spacer that is installed between the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode and that holds the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode apart when not operated. One of the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode is a resistive film.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the thickness of the flexible counter electrode is twice or more the height of the spacer.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the thickness of the key top is formed so as to be thin at a central portion of the key top and thicker toward an outer peripheral portion. To do.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of any one of the first to third aspects, the flexible counter electrode has a substantially spherical shape on the surface facing the fixed electrode, The arrangement density of the spacers is different between the central part and the peripheral part.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the spacer and the flexible counter electrode are integrally formed of the conductive rubber, and the spacer is An insulating means for electrically insulating from the fixed electrode is provided.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the fifth aspect, the insulating means is characterized in that a part of the fixed electrode is covered with an insulating coating.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the fifth aspect, the insulating means has a form in which a part of the fixed electrode is removed.

  According to an eighth aspect of the invention, in addition to the configuration of the fifth aspect, the insulating means is an insulating coating that covers a part of the spacer.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the fixed electrode provided on the substrate, the flexible counter electrode made of conductive rubber disposed so as to be opposed to the fixed electrode, and the upper portion of the flexible counter electrode A coordinate input device comprising: a key top provided; and a spacer that is installed between the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode and that holds the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode apart from each other when not operated. Since either one of the flexible counter electrode and the flexible counter electrode is a resistive film, a coordinate input device configured to reduce the mechanical stress and soften the feel of the spacer is provided by the flexibility and durability of the conductive rubber it can.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the thickness of the flexible counter electrode is twice or more the height of the spacer, so that the mechanical stress and the feel of the spacer are reduced. Furthermore, the coordinate input device reduced can be provided.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the thickness of the key top is thin at the center portion of the key top and is formed so as to increase toward the outer peripheral portion. When pressing with a finger, it fits with the shape of the finger, and it is easy to transmit the force of the fingertip, and it is easy to grasp the position according to the shape. Therefore, it is possible to provide a coordinate input device that can easily and accurately perform operations such as moving the pointer even when the vehicle is being driven without directly viewing the key top.

  According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 3, the flexible counter electrode has a substantially spherical shape on the surface facing the fixed electrode, Since the arrangement density of the spacers is different between the central portion and the peripheral portion, there is an effect that when the finger is pressed directly, the force of the fingertip can be more easily transmitted, and an appropriate resistance can be obtained when pressing.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 4, the spacer and the flexible counter electrode are integrally formed of conductive rubber, and the spacer is fixed electrode. Therefore, the coordinate input device can be provided in which the manufacturing process is simplified.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the fifth aspect, since the insulating means covers a part of the fixed electrode with insulation, the insulating polymer material or the like is patterned on the fixed electrode. The insulating means can be easily formed by printing.

  According to the seventh aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the fifth aspect, since the insulating means has a form in which a part of the fixed electrode is removed, the removal pattern when the fixed electrode is printed is formed. Thus, the insulating means can be easily formed.

  According to the eighth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the fifth aspect, since the insulating means is an insulating coating that covers a part of the spacer, the end of the spacer is held by holding the flexible counter electrode. Insulating means can be formed more easily by immersing the film in a liquid polymer material.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
Embodiment 1 of the Invention

  The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The contents of the first embodiment of the present invention correspond to claims 1 and 2.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a coordinate input device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The coordinate input device 10 includes a fixed electrode 11 provided on a substrate 15, a flexible counter electrode 13 disposed so as to be opposed to the fixed electrode 11, and a key top 14 above the flexible counter electrode 13. The spacer 12 is provided between the fixed electrode 11 and the flexible counter electrode 13, and the flexible counter electrode 13 is made of conductive rubber.

  More specifically, the fixed electrode 11 is formed by performing gold plating on the upper surface of an insulating substrate 15 formed of plastic, for example. The spacer 12 is formed in a dot shape or a mesh shape by, for example, pattern-printing insulating ink on the fixed electrode 11 and then drying and curing the ink.

  A key top 14 formed of a plastic sheet or the like is bonded to the upper portion of the flexible counter electrode 13 formed of conductive rubber, and the key top 14 is instructed to the user to be pressed. Symbols such as letters and arrows are printed and decorated.

  In this configuration, the flexible counter electrode 13 is a resistor, and the fixed electrode 11 is a detection electrode for detecting the potential of the resistor. When the key top 14 is pressed, the flexible counter electrode 13 comes into contact with the fixed electrode 11, and this contact position is detected as a contact potential of the resistor to function as the coordinate input device 10. Yes. Since the configuration and operation of the contact position detection circuit will be described in detail in connection with the fifth embodiment of the present invention, description thereof is omitted here. In accordance with this, in each drawing, electrodes and the like for connection with the contact position detection circuit are not shown.

  In Patent Document 2, the flexible counter electrode 13 is preferably formed by applying an elastic sheet made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or polyurethane and a thin electrode layer on the surface of the elastic sheet facing the fixed electrode. In such a configuration, the thin electrode layer gradually deteriorates in a long-term use due to stress due to contact with the spacer 12, and in an extreme case, from an elastic sheet. Problems such as peeling off occur. For example, while safety is particularly emphasized, such as in-vehicle equipment, a problem arises in equipment that is assumed to be handled roughly during operation. Therefore, conductive rubber that is superior in durability as in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is more desirable to use

  Hereinafter, the reason why the thickness of the flexible counter electrode 13 formed of conductive rubber is set to be twice or more the height of the spacer 12 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram when the coordinate input device is pressed when the flexible counter electrode formed of conductive rubber is thin. In FIG. 2, the thickness of the flexible counter electrode 13 made of conductive rubber is made thinner, for example, in a configuration in which the thickness of the flexible counter electrode 13 is almost the same as the height of the spacer 12. Then, the flexible counter electrode on the upper side of the flexible counter electrode 13, that is, on the key top 14 side when the flexible counter electrode 13 and the fixed electrode 11 are pressed until they almost contact each other at the lower part of the pressed portion. 13 schematically shows the internal pressure distribution.

  FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram when the coordinate input device is pressed when the flexible counter electrode formed of conductive rubber is thick. In FIG. 3, the same pressure distribution is schematically shown in the configuration in which the thickness of the flexible counter electrode 13 formed of conductive rubber is made thicker and is at least twice the height of the spacer 12 as in the present invention. It was shown to. The flexible counter electrode 13 is locally bent greatly around the area in contact with the spacer 12. However, when the flexible counter electrode 13 is thin as shown in FIG. Is transmitted to the upper part of the flexible counter electrode 13 without being sufficiently relaxed.

  On the other hand, when the thickness of the flexible counter electrode 13 is increased as shown in FIG. 3, the region until the local deformation due to the contact with the spacer 12 reaches the upper portion of the flexible counter electrode 13. Is sufficiently relaxed, so that the pressure is transmitted as an extremely uniform pressure distribution above the flexible counter electrode 13. In other words, for example, when the upper part of the flexible counter electrode 13 is pressed with a finger, in the case of FIG. 2, the feel of the unevenness of the spacer 12 is excessively felt and the operation feeling is uncomfortable. Since a large stress is locally applied to the bonding surface of the conductive counter electrode 13, the key top 14 may be peeled off after a long period of use.

On the other hand, in the case of FIG. 3, the unevenness of the spacer 12 is hardly felt by the user and the operation feeling is good, and at the same time, it is extremely on the bonding surface between the key top 14 and the flexible counter electrode 13. Since only a uniform pressure acts, the stress on the bonding surface is extremely small. Further, since the feeling of operation is good in this way, the user can push the key top 14 deeply enough, so that the flexible counter electrode 13 and the fixed electrode 11 made of conductive rubber are used as shown in FIG. Makes contact with substantially the entire lower surface of the pressed portion, and as a result, the dead zone around the spacer 12 can be narrowed.
[Embodiment 2 of the Invention]

  The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The contents of the second embodiment of the present invention correspond to claims 5 to 8.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the coordinate input device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The coordinate input device 10 includes a fixed electrode 11 provided on a substrate 15, a flexible counter electrode (flexible resistance film) 13 disposed so as to be spaced apart from the fixed electrode 11, and a flexible counter electrode 13. An upper key top 14 and a spacer 12 disposed between the fixed electrode 11 and the flexible counter electrode 13 are provided. The flexible counter electrode 13 and the spacer 12 are integrally formed of conductive rubber. In addition, an insulating means for electrically insulating the spacer 12 from the fixed electrode 11 is provided.

  In such a configuration, the flexible counter electrode 13 and the spacer 12 can be integrally molded using conductive rubber as a material by injection molding using a mold, so that the spacer 12 is retrofitted to the configuration. And there exists an advantage that a manufacturing process is simplified.

  In FIG. 4, the insulating means for electrically insulating the spacer 12 from the fixed electrode 11 is an insulating coating 16 provided on the fixed electrode 11 region. For example, the insulating ink may be formed by pattern printing on the fixed electrode 11 region below the spacer 12 and then drying and curing. In addition, since the spacer 12 contacts with the fixed electrode 11 and deforms when pressed, it is desirable that the area of the insulating coating 16 is larger than the area of the spacer 12 when pressed.

  The insulating means that electrically insulates the spacer 12 and the fixed electrode 11 may have other configurations.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing another aspect of the coordinate input device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. For example, in FIG. 5, the insulating means is a removal pattern provided on the fixed electrode 11. That is, the resistance film removing portion 17 to which the fixed electrode 11 is not applied is provided over an area larger than the area when the spacer 12 is pressed onto the fixed electrode 11. When the fixed electrode 11 is formed by screen printing, the fixed electrode 11 may be printed and formed so that this area becomes a removal pattern.

  Another configuration of the insulating means will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing still another aspect of the coordinate input device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In FIG. 6, the insulating means is an insulating coating 16 provided at the end of the spacer 12 facing the fixed electrode 11. Such an insulating coating 16, for example, immerses the end of the spacer 12 in a container filled with insulating ink while holding the flexible counter electrode 13 horizontally, and then adheres to the end of the spacer 12. The ink can be easily formed by drying and curing.

  As described above, several configurations of the insulating means for electrically insulating the spacer 12 and the fixed electrode 11 have been described. Of course, it is not determined in advance which is the best. The most suitable one may be selected in consideration of various situations in which the person in charge of manufacturing is placed. When the side facing the fixed electrode 11 of the flexible counter electrode 13 is formed in a flat shape, it is easy to uniformly attach the insulating ink to the end of the spacer 12 by dipping. It is the simplest in the manufacturing process that it is set as this structure. On the other hand, when the side facing the fixed electrode 11 of the flexible counter electrode 13 is formed in a substantially spherical shape, an insulating means is provided on the fixed electrode 11 as shown in FIGS. Better.

Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
Embodiment 3 of the Invention

  Hereinafter, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The contents of the third embodiment of the present invention correspond to claim 3.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the coordinate input device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an example particularly suitable for application to an in-vehicle terminal device. In FIG. 7, the key top 14 is different in that the thickness of the key top 14 is thin at the center of the key top 14 and becomes thicker toward the outer periphery. In an in-vehicle terminal device, there are cases where a place to be pressed on the key top 14 cannot be visually confirmed as in the case of being operated during driving of the vehicle, but the key top as shown in FIG. If it is the structure of 14, the discrimination | determination of a press location can be easily performed only by the touch touched with the finger | toe. In addition, the shape in which the depression is provided in the key top 14 as shown in FIG. 7 is a shape that fits well with the finger, so that it is easy to transmit the force of the fingertip, and the operation such as movement of the pointer can be performed accurately even during operation. is there.

Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
[Embodiment 4 of the Invention]

  Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The content of the fourth embodiment of the present invention corresponds to claim 4.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of main parts of a coordinate input device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. This is shown as a more preferable example when applied to a vehicle-mounted terminal device. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram seen from above the flexible counter electrode 13 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

  Differences from the coordinate input device 10 shown in FIG. 7 are as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the flexible counter electrode 13 has a substantially spherical surface facing the fixed electrode 11, and the spacer 12 on the fixed electrode 11 as shown in FIG. The arrangement density is different between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the fixed electrode 11, and is arranged slightly densely in the central portion and sparsely toward the peripheral portion. As already described, in the in-vehicle terminal device, it may not be possible to visually confirm the portion to be pressed on the key top 14, so first touch the key top 14 with a finger and hold the finger at the center. It is desirable that the cursor displayed on the terminal is moved by an operation of applying a finger force from the central portion of the key top 14 toward the peripheral portion. In this case, rather than forming the flexible counter electrode 13 in a flat shape, the flexible counter electrode 13 is formed in a substantially spherical shape corresponding to the depression of the key top 14. It is possible to control the cursor with higher accuracy. However, when the flexible counter electrode 13 is formed in a substantially spherical shape, the flexible counter electrode 13 is in contact with the fixed electrode 11 while rolling, so that the operational feeling with respect to input tends to be poor. Therefore, in the configuration according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the spacers 12 are arranged at different densities in the central portion and the peripheral portion of the fixed electrode 11, so that the finger is moved from the central portion of the key top 14 toward the peripheral portion. When the force is applied, the spacer 12 has an appropriate resistance to improve the operational feeling.

Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
[Embodiment 5 of the Invention]

  The fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the fixed electrode 11 is a resistive film.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 10, power supply electrodes 11X1 and 11X2 facing in the X direction and power supply electrodes 11Y1 and 11Y2 facing in the Y direction are provided on the substrate 15 by etching or silver paste printing, and carbon The fixed electrode 11 is formed by providing a resistive film 13a by printing a paste. A flexible counter electrode 13 made of conductive rubber is arranged on the upper portion, and a detection electrode 14a provided on the substrate 15 so as to be connected to the flexible counter electrode 13 includes the flexible counter electrode 13 and the fixed electrode 11. Is detected as a contact potential of the fixed electrode 11.

  FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration shown in FIG. 10 when viewed in a cross section including the power feeding electrodes 11X1 and 11X2, and also serves as an explanatory diagram of a circuit for detecting a contact potential. In FIG. 11, the spacer 12 is integrally formed with the flexible counter electrode 13.

  Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the contact position detection circuit will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  First, the circuit configuration will be described.

  The power supply electrodes 11X1 and 11X2 in the X direction are connected to switches 12X1 and 12X2, respectively. When these switches are turned on, the X direction of the fixed electrode 11 that is a resistance film is passed through the power supply electrodes 11X1 and 11X2. A predetermined voltage Vx can be applied. Similarly, switches 12Y1 and 12Y2 (not shown) are also connected to the power supply electrodes 11Y1 and 11Y2 in the Y direction so that a predetermined voltage Vy can be applied in the Y direction of the fixed electrode 11. The flexible counter electrode 13 is connected to a main power supply line (not shown) across a pull-up resistor, and is connected to an input terminal of a comparator. Further, the fixed resistor is also connected to the A / D terminal (actually connected via the detection electrode 14a).

  Next, the operation of the circuit will be described.

  While the flexible counter electrode 13 and the fixed electrode 11 are separated from each other, the switch is in a standby state, that is, only the X-direction switch 12X2 is ON, and the other X-direction switch 12X1 and the Y-direction switch Assume that 12Y1 and 12Y2 are in an OFF state. Since the flexible counter electrode 13 and the fixed electrode 11 are separated from each other, the output of the comparator is OFF.

  When the flexible counter electrode 13 is pressed by the user and the flexible counter electrode 13 contacts one point of the fixed electrode 11, the potential of the flexible counter electrode 13 pulled up by the pull-up resistor Rc is descend. When this potential becomes equal to or lower than the reference voltage Vref of the comparator, the output of the comparator is turned on. With this as a trigger, the switch 12X1 is turned on, and the voltage Vx is applied to the fixed electrode 11 via the power supply electrodes 11X1 and 11X2. In this state, the potential at the contact point is measured via the A / D terminal connected to the flexible counter electrode 13, thereby detecting the contact position in the X direction.

  Subsequently, the X-direction switches 12X1 and 12X2 are turned OFF, the Y-direction switches 12Y1 and 12Y2 are turned ON, and the contact position in the Y direction is detected in the same manner as described above. Hereinafter, as long as the flexible counter electrode 13 and the fixed electrode 11 are in contact with each other and the output of the comparator is ON, the position detection of the contact point in the X direction and the Y direction is alternately performed by time-sharing at a predetermined time. To do.

  When the pressing of the flexible counter electrode 13 is stopped, the flexible counter electrode 13 and the fixed electrode 11 return to the separated state and the output of the comparator is turned OFF, only the switch 12X2 is turned ON, and the other switches 12X1 and 12Y1 , 12Y2 are turned OFF and the standby state is restored.

  As described above, the configuration of the detection circuit for the contact position between the fixed electrode 11 and the flexible counter electrode 13 when the fixed electrode 11 is a resistance film and the flexible counter electrode 13 is a potential detection electrode of a resistor. And explained the operation. Such a circuit can also be applied to a configuration in which the flexible counter electrode 13 is a resistance film and the fixed electrode 11 is a resistor potential detection electrode as described in the first embodiment of the present invention. In that case, in the above description, the roles of the fixed electrode 11 and the flexible counter electrode 13 may be interchanged to constitute a circuit.

  12 to 13 show other aspects of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 12 is a plan view of the resistance film 13a provided on the substrate 15. The resistance film 13a is formed in a lattice shape having openings. By printing the dot-like spacers 12 made of liquid silicone rubber in the openings 13b of the resistance film 13a, the spacers 12 can be installed without affecting the resistance value of the resistance film 13a. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration illustrated in FIG. 12 as viewed in a cross section including the power supply electrodes 11X1 and 11X2.

  By adopting the configuration according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the resistance value of the resistance film 13a is adjusted to the carbon paste or the carbon paste printing film thickness, and furthermore, the aperture ratio of the lattice opening when the lattice is formed. By doing so, for example, it becomes possible to freely control independently from the physical property value of the conductive rubber such as rubber hardness.

  Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

It is principal part sectional drawing of the coordinate input device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram at the time of the press of a coordinate input device in case the thickness of the flexible counter electrode formed with conductive rubber is thin. It is a conceptual diagram at the time of the press of a coordinate input device in case the thickness of the flexible counter electrode formed with conductive rubber is thick. It is principal part sectional drawing of the coordinate input device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing showing another aspect of the coordinate input device which concerns on the same Embodiment 2. FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing showing another aspect of the coordinate input device which concerns on the same Embodiment 2. FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing of the coordinate input device which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing of the coordinate input device which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is the conceptual diagram which looked at the fixed electrode which concerns on the same Embodiment 4 from the upper part. It is a perspective view of the coordinate input device which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing for demonstrating the circuit structure of the coordinate input device which concerns on the same Embodiment 5. FIG. It is the top view which looked at the fixed electrode which concerns on the same Embodiment 5 from the upper part. It is principal part sectional drawing showing another aspect of the coordinate input device which concerns on the same Embodiment 5. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Coordinate input device 11 Fixed electrode 12 Spacer 13 Flexible counter electrode 14 Key top 15 Board | substrate 16 Insulation coating 17 Electrode removal part

Claims (8)

A fixed electrode provided on a substrate, a flexible counter electrode made of conductive rubber disposed so as to be spaced apart from the fixed electrode, a key top provided on an upper portion of the flexible counter electrode, and the fixed electrode A coordinate input device provided between the flexible counter electrode and provided with a spacer that holds the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode apart when not operated;
One of the fixed electrode and the flexible counter electrode is a resistance film, and the coordinate input device is characterized in that: The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the flexible counter electrode is twice or more a height of the spacer. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the key top is formed so that a thickness of the key top is thin at a central portion of the key top and becomes thicker toward an outer peripheral portion. The flexible counter electrode is characterized in that the shape of the surface facing the fixed electrode is substantially spherical, and the arrangement density of the spacers is different between the central portion and the peripheral portion. The coordinate input device according to any one of 1 to 3. The spacer and the flexible counter electrode are integrally formed of the conductive rubber, and insulating means for electrically insulating the spacer from the fixed electrode is provided. 5. The coordinate input device according to any one of 4 above. The coordinate input device according to claim 5, wherein the insulating means covers a part of the fixed electrode with insulation. The coordinate input device according to claim 5, wherein the insulating unit has a form in which a part of the fixed electrode is removed. The coordinate input device according to claim 5, wherein the insulating means is an insulating coating that covers a part of the spacer.

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