JP2006146624A - Key button illumination structure of electronic appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain key illumination allowing the exertion of the originality of a user at low cost while maintaining mass production. <P>SOLUTION: This key button illumination structure of an electronic appliance has: two connectable and separable cases 102, 103 forming a casing of the electronic appliance 101; a key button 104 formed by forming a plurality of light-transmissive key tops 108 in a sheet state and fitting the key tops in windows of one case; a color light guide sheet 111 performing the color illumination of the key button by performing light-transmissive color painting on the surface of the sheet to the light-transmissive sheet and lapping the sheet over the the sheet; and a plurality of light-emitting diodes 105 loaded on a board 106 fixed to the other case, emitting white light, and serving as a light source for light guided through the color light guide sheet at the connection of one case. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a key button illumination structure of an electronic device that illuminates a key button. In particular, the present invention relates to a key button illumination structure of an electronic device that is easy to obtain a user's uniqueness.

Electronic devices including mobile phones are mass-produced. It is not easy to meet the user's unique needs for electronic devices because of such mass production.
For this reason, for example, recently, third-party painting and dress-up cases have become popular, and the user's uniqueness is given to the electronic device to suit the user's preference.

As for lighting, for example, there is a method of realizing key illumination of a user's preference by using RGB composite color LEDs (light emitting diodes) and controlling with an IC (integrated circuit).
Furthermore, in the lighting relationship, for example, there is a method of using a blue LED to realize user-preferred key lighting.
However, the above-described key illumination method has a problem that the key illumination becomes expensive and it is impossible to realize the key illumination that can give the user's uniqueness at low cost.

The following are related arts related to such problems.
Conventionally, since it is necessary to provide different light sources for each of the plurality of surface illumination buttons and the function display unit, it takes time for the work, and the position of each light source may be mistaken. The light guide plate disposed behind the front plate is configured to guide illumination light to a desired position on the front plate, and a light emitting surface for emitting a desired color is provided at a desired position on the front surface of the light guide plate. There is an illumination structure (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

However, the above Patent Document 1 discloses that the surface of the light guide plate facing the front face button is light-transmitted and emits illumination light guided from the light source to the light guide plate with a desired color. However, as described above, it is impossible to solve the problem that it is not easy to meet the user's unique needs for electronic devices due to the background of mass production.
Further, conventionally, in order to provide a mobile phone having a button key illumination structure in which the color and brightness can be changed for each button key, the mobile phone is provided with an LED for illuminating the button key, and at least one of the button keys is provided. The LED that illuminates the button key from directly below is installed in the part, and the diffusion prevention part that prevents the diffusion of light is provided at least at a part of the periphery of the LED. Because it is possible to control only the button keys in different colors or to flash the light according to the ringtone, it is possible to eliminate the lack of light and color variations that illuminate the button keys (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

However, in Patent Document 2, an LED that illuminates the button key from directly below is installed to prevent light diffusion and to obtain variations in light and color that illuminate the button key. Because of the mass production background, it is impossible to solve the problem that it is not easy to meet the unique needs of electronic devices.
Conventionally, with respect to illuminated panel switches used in the operation unit of mobile phones and automobile phones, etc., it is possible to select the hue of the LED according to the function of each key, and to provide an illuminated panel switch with high brightness and good visibility. In order to provide the information, there are some that are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the positions directly below the plurality of key tops arranged on the operation panel (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

  However, in Patent Document 3 described above, a dedicated LED is provided on the key top so that the color of the key can be selected. As described above, in response to mass production, it meets the user's unique needs for electronic devices. The problem that it is not easy cannot be solved.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-042992 JP 2002-109988 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 05-025620

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a key button illumination structure for an electronic device that realizes key illumination that can provide a user's uniqueness at low cost while maintaining mass production.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a key button illumination structure for an electronic device, and includes two cases that form a casing of the electronic device and can be coupled and separated, and a plurality of key tops that transmit light. The sheet is formed in a sheet shape, and a key button formed by fitting a key top into a window of one case, and a sheet for guiding light is subjected to color painting that transmits light to the surface of the sheet, and the sheet Is mounted on a color light guide sheet for color illumination of the key button and a substrate fixed to the other case, emits white light, and the color guide is connected when one case is joined. Provided is a key button illumination structure for an electronic device, comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes serving as light sources of light that guides a light sheet.

Furthermore, the character displayed on the surface of the key top of the key button is made black, and the periphery of the character is made white.
Furthermore, the character displayed on the surface of the key top of the key button is white, and the periphery of the character is black.
Further, among the plurality of key tops of the key button, the characters displayed on the surface of some of the key tops are white, the characters are black, and the characters displayed on the surface of the remaining key tops are black. Make the surroundings white.

Further, the color light guide sheet performs different color paintings in the upper half and the lower half with respect to the arrangement of the plurality of key tops of the key buttons.
Further, the color light guide sheet performs different color painting for each of a plurality of key tops of the key buttons.
Further, different color paintings are performed in advance on the plurality of color light guide sheets, and any one color light guide sheet can be selected and replaced.
Further, the color light guide sheet is formed of a PET sheet.

Further, a plurality of diodes emitting green light provided instead of the plurality of diodes emitting white light serve as a light source for guiding the color light guide sheet.
Further, a plurality of diodes emitting red light provided instead of the plurality of diodes emitting white light serve as a light source for guiding the color light guide sheet.

Further, in place of the plurality of diodes that emit white light, a plurality of diodes that emit green light provided on one of the upper half and the lower half with respect to the arrangement of the key tops of the key button are provided on the other side. A plurality of diodes that emit green light each serve as a light source that guides the color light guide sheet.
Further, the color light guide sheet is provided in a space around a contact point where the press portion of the key button and the switch of the substrate are contacted.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the illumination color of the key button is mostly dependent on the color light guide sheet, so that an inexpensive LED can be used simply by applying a color desired by the user to the color light guide sheet. However, it is possible to freely realize the illumination of the key button desired by the user, and there is no need to use an expensive blue LED. In particular, since a plurality of LEDs are used for the illumination of the key button, the cost reduction effect is very high.

As a result, it is possible to realize key lighting that can provide the user's uniqueness at low cost while maintaining mass production of electronic devices.
Furthermore, it is possible to effectively use a space formed as a dead space, which is a space around a contact point where the press portion of the key button and the switch of the substrate are contacted, by the color light guide sheet.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline appearance of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, an electronic device 101 including a mobile phone is provided with an upper case 102 and a lower case 103. The upper case 102 and the lower case 103 form a casing of the electronic device 101 and are easily coupled to each other. Separation is possible.

A substrate 106 is provided in a housing formed by the upper case 102 and the lower case 103, and the substrate 106 includes a plurality of electronic components that operate the electronic device 101 and a plurality of LEDs 104 that illuminate a key button 104 described later. The lower case 103 occupies almost the entire surface.
A key button 104 is provided on the surface on the upper case 102 side, and the key button 104 is formed of a key sheet. When the upper case 102 and the lower case 103 are clicked in a coupled state, the click information is transmitted to the substrate 106, A function of giving an operation instruction to the electronic apparatus 101;

A color light guide sheet 111 is provided inside the upper case 102, and the color light guide sheet 111 is overlaid on the key buttons 104 provided on the upper case 102, and has a function of performing color illumination on the key buttons 104.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 for explaining the key button illumination structure of the electronic apparatus.

As shown in the figure, the key button 104 includes a rubber part 107 and a plurality of key tops 108.
The rubber part 107 is a milky white light-transmitting sheet, and a plurality of key tops 108 are provided on the upper side of the rubber part 107, and a presser part 109 corresponding to the key top 108 is provided on the lower side of the rubber part 107. Is provided.

The key top 108 is made of a transparent resin or the like, and characters are displayed on the surface of the key top 108.
The upper case 102 is provided with a plurality of windows 102A, and the key tops 108 of the key buttons 104 are fitted into the windows 102A.
A substrate 106 is positioned below the rubber portion 107, and a switch 106A is provided on the substrate 106. The switch 106A comes into contact with the pusher portion 109 corresponding to the key top 108 by clicking the key top 108, and the pusher portion ON / OFF switching is performed depending on the presence of contact with 109. Thereby, the click information is transmitted to the substrate 106, and an operation command to the electronic device 101 is performed.

Furthermore, the LED 105 provided on the substrate 106 is, for example, an inexpensive LED that emits white light, and illuminates the key button 104 with an illumination color described later.
There is a space 110 between the rubber part 107 and the substrate 106, and a color light guide sheet 111 is provided in the space 110. The space 110 is necessary for the contact between the presser portion 109 and the switch 106 </ b> A, but the space around the contact point is a dead space and is effectively used by the color light guide sheet 111.

The color light guide sheet 111 has light transmittance, and is formed of, for example, a transparent PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet.
Further, transparent color printing is performed on the color light guide sheet 110, or color painting is applied to the user's favorite color, and the color of the color light guide sheet 110 can be changed for each key button 104. Become.

When the LED 105 is illuminated, most of the emitted light is guided through the highly transparent color light guide sheet 111, transmitted through the milky white rubber portion 107, and the key top 108 made of transparent resin or the like is used as the material. Depending on the color light guide sheet 111, color illumination of the key top 108 is performed.
FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the shape of the color light guide sheet 111 in FIG. As shown in this figure, the color light guide sheet 111 is the same size as the rubber part 107 of the key button 104, and a plurality of holes 111A are provided through the presser part 109 corresponding to the key tops 108 of the key button 104. Furthermore, a plurality of holes 111B for accommodating the LEDs 105 are provided.

In color printing and color painting on the color light guide sheet 111, the entire surface of the color light guide sheet 111 may be colored blue, for example, or only the surface corresponding to the key top 108 is blue. May be colored.
Furthermore, half of the surface of the color light guide sheet 111 may be colored blue and the remaining surface may be colored red.

Furthermore, the coloring may be changed for each surface of the portion corresponding to the key top 108 of the color light guide sheet 111.
This is because the color illumination can be adapted to the user's preference by replacing the color light guide sheet 111 printed in color and the user's color painting.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the key button 104 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4A, for example, “SNO”, “RE”, “END”, “1”, “2”, “SNO”, “RE”, “1”, “2”, .. Characters such as “9”, “*”, “0”, “#”, “Fnc1”, “Fnc2”, “Fnc3” are displayed.

This figure (b) shows the back side surface of the key button 104 shown in this figure (a), and the rubber part 107 of the key button 104 is provided with a plurality of pusher parts 109. It has a shape of a protrusion and is arranged corresponding to the center position of the key top 108, and has a function of touching and pressing the switch 106A of the substrate 106 by clicking.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the character display of the key top 108 in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5A, as an example of the character portion 108A displayed on the key top 108 of the key button 104, the character “1” is displayed, the character portion 108A of “1” is made white, and the character portion The peripheral portion 108B except for 108A is blackened.
In this case, when the color light guide sheet 111 is colored in blue, the key top 108 displays characters in blue on a black background.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the character portion 108A of “1” of the key top 108 is made black and the surrounding portion 108B is made white.
In this case, when the color light guide sheet 111 is colored in blue, the key top 108 displays characters in black on a blue background.
As another example, a part of the plurality of key tops 108 of the key button 104, for example, the numeric character portion 108A is black, the surrounding portion 108B is white, and the remaining portions, for example, non-numeric characters are used. The portion 108A may be white and the surrounding portion 108B may be black.

Further, conversely, a part of the plurality of key tops 108 of the key button 104, for example, the numeric character portion 108A is white, the surrounding portion 108B is black, and the remaining portions, for example, non-numeric characters are used. The portion 108A may be black and the surrounding portion 108B may be white.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining assembly of the color light guide sheet 111 to the electronic apparatus 101. As shown in this figure (a), the inner side of the upper case 102 faces the user side, that is, the surface side of the upper case 102 faces the opposite side to the user side.

Further, the key button 104 is placed on the upper case 102 so that the surface of the key button 104 having only the rubber portion 107 faces the user side, that is, the surface of the key button 104 having the key top 108 faces away from the user side. .
As shown in FIG. 5B, the color light guide sheet 111 is further placed on the surface of the key button 104 where only the rubber portion 107 is provided. In this case, the pressing portion 109 of the key button 104 passes through the hole 111 </ b> A of the color light guide sheet 111.

As shown in FIG. 5C, when the upper case 102 and the lower case 103 are joined and the joined state is seen through, the substrate 106 is superimposed on the color light guide sheet 111, and the switch 106A of the substrate 106 is pushed. The LEDs 105 facing the child portions 109 and mounted on the substrate 106 are accommodated in the holes 111B of the color light guide sheet 111, respectively.
In this way, if the substrate 106 is fixed to the lower case 103 with screws and claws, the user can easily work by dropping the key button 104 and the color light guide sheet 111 into the upper case 102. is there.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, since the illumination color of the key button 104 depends mostly on the color light guide sheet 111, an inexpensive LED can be obtained as the LED 105 only by painting the color light guide sheet 111 with a user's favorite color. It is possible to freely illuminate the key buttons 104 that the user prefers, and there is no need to use expensive blue LEDs. In particular, since a plurality of LEDs are used for illumination of the key button 104, the cost reduction effect is very high.

  As a result, it is possible to realize key illumination that can provide the user's uniqueness at low cost while maintaining mass production of the electronic device 101.

In the above description, the LED 105 is an inexpensive LED that emits white light, but may be an inexpensive LED that emits green light. In this case, if the blue ink printed on the color light guide sheet 111 is darkened, the key button 104 is colored blue.
If a CMYK printing color is used, it is possible to reproduce a generally darker color than RGB light coloring.

In addition, even if the LED 105 emits green light, the light emission color of the key button 104 can be variously changed by combining the colors of the color light guide sheet 111.
Further, even if the LED 105 emits red light, the light emission color of the key button 104 can be variously changed by combining the colors of the color light guide sheet 111.

Further, the LED 105 may be an LED that emits red light with an inexpensive upper half, and an LED that emits green light with an inexpensive lower half.
Thereby, the emission color of the key button 104 can be changed between the upper half and the lower half of the key button 104, and the emission color of the key button 104 can be variously changed by the combination of the colors of the color light guide sheet 111.

  Different color printing and color painting may be performed in advance on the plurality of color light guide sheets 111, and the color light guide sheet 111 may be selected and replaced according to user preference.

  In the above description, the present invention is applied to an electronic device including a mobile phone. However, the present invention can also be applied to an electronic device including a PDA (personal digital assistant) having a key button and a personal computer.

It is a perspective view which shows the general | schematic external appearance of the electronic device which concerns on this invention. It is a cross-sectional view about line AA of FIG. 1 explaining the key button illumination structure of an electronic device. It is a figure explaining the shape of the color light guide sheet 111 in FIG. It is a figure explaining the key button 104 in FIG. It is a figure explaining the character display of the key top 108 in FIG. It is a figure explaining the assembly of the color light guide sheet 111 to the electronic device 101. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

101 ... electronic device 102 ... upper case 102A ... window 103 ... lower case 104 ... key button 105 ... LED
106 ... Substrate 106A ... Switch 107 ... Rubber part 108 ... Key top 108A ... Character part 108B ... Peripheral part 109 ... Pusher part 110 ... Space 111 ... Color light guide sheet 111A, 111B ... Hole

Claims (12)

In the key button lighting structure of electronic equipment,
Two cases that form a casing of the electronic device and can be combined and separated;
A key button formed by forming a plurality of key tops that transmit light into a sheet shape and fitting the key tops into a window of one case;
A color light guide sheet for performing color painting that transmits light to the surface of the sheet, superimposing the sheet on the key button, and performing color illumination of the key button, with respect to a sheet that guides light,
A plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on a substrate fixed to the other case, emitting white light, and serving as a light source of light that guides the color light guide sheet when the one case is joined, Electronic key button lighting structure. The key button illumination structure of the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a character displayed on a key top surface of the key button is black and a character is white. The key button illumination structure of the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a character displayed on a surface of a key top of the key button is white and a character is black. Of the plurality of key tops of the key button, the characters displayed on the surface of some of the key tops are white and the surroundings of the characters are black, the characters displayed on the surface of the remaining key tops are black and the surroundings of the characters are 2. The key button illumination structure for an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the key button illumination structure is white. The key button of the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the color light guide sheet performs different color paintings in an upper half and a lower half with respect to an arrangement of a plurality of key tops of the key button. Lighting structure. 2. The key button illumination structure of an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the color light guide sheet performs different color painting for each of a plurality of key tops of the key button. 2. The electronic device key according to claim 1, wherein different color painting is performed in advance on the plurality of color light guide sheets, and any one color light guide sheet can be selected and replaced. Button lighting structure. The key button illumination structure of an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the color light guide sheet is formed of a PET sheet. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of diodes that emit green light instead of the plurality of diodes that emit white light serve as a light source that guides the color light guide sheet. 3. Key button lighting structure. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of diodes that emit red light instead of the plurality of diodes that emit white light serve as a light source that guides the color light guide sheet. 3. Key button lighting structure. Instead of the plurality of diodes that emit white light, a plurality of diodes that emit green light provided in one of the upper half and the lower half with respect to the arrangement of the key tops of the key button, and the green diode provided in the other half The key button illumination structure of the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of diodes that emit light serve as light sources that guide the color light guide sheet. 2. The electronic device key according to claim 1, wherein the color light guide sheet is provided in a space around a contact point where the press portion of the key button and the switch of the substrate are contacted. Button lighting structure.

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