JP2006190498A - Key top, key sheet, push-button device, and manufacturing method of key top - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable to realize intrinsic coloring of an achromatic color with a high brightness and a low-saturation chromatic color with a high brightness, in a key top equipped with a pale-color layer having an achromatic color with a high brightness or a low-saturation chromatic color with a high brightness, wherein a display part in a blank letter on a colored background is formed by laser light. <P>SOLUTION: For the key top with the display part in a blank letter on a colored background, a key top body 2 is equipped with a pale-color layer 3 by way of either an achromatic color with a high-lightness or a low-color-saturation chromatic color with a high brightness, and moreover, the display part 5 in a blank letter on a colored background is formed of a removal edge 6 made by removing the pale-color layer 3 in a given blank-letter shape with laser light. With the above, the key top having clear-white or vivid light-colors can be obtained, that has been likely but not available heretofore. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a key top for a push button switch, a key sheet, a push button device, and a method for manufacturing the key top used in an operation unit of various push button devices such as a mobile phone, a PDA, a car navigation device, and a car audio device.

  A key sheet is mounted on the various push button devices described above. The key sheet has a configuration in which a plurality of key tops are adhered to a base sheet made of a rubber-like elastic body (for example, silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer) with an adhesive. The plurality of key tops can be input by the pressing operation. Therefore, each key top has a display unit for displaying information that can be input by the pressing operation on the top surface or the bottom surface of the key top. Provided.

  Of these, those provided with a display on the top surface of the key top can be broadly divided, and when illuminated by the internal light source of the aforementioned pushbutton device, a letter-like display part that represents letters, symbols, numbers, etc. in a letter-like form. There are a character illumination type that appears relatively bright, and a whole surface illumination type where the remaining portion except the display portion appears relatively bright. Among these, the character illumination type provides a light-shielding layer on the remaining surface excluding the extracted character-like display portion, so that when the key top is illuminated from the lower side, light is transmitted from the extracted character-like display portion, The operator can clearly see characters and the like. The light-shielding layer is not limited to the complete light-shielding that does not transmit any light, but may be a light-transmitting material as long as the extracted character-like display portion appears to shine brightly. .

  As a method for forming a light-shielding layer having a drawn character-like display portion in such a character illuminated type, (1) a method of applying ink in a drawn character shape by screen printing or pad printing, and (2) ink by painting. There is a method (Patent Document 1) in which a light-shielding layer is formed on the top surface of the key top and then light-shielded on the character portion by laser irradiation to remove the light-shielding layer. Among these, the latter laser beam method is a more preferable method because it can easily form a high-quality blank character display portion even for a minute character or the like.

  By the way, as typified by mobile phones and the like, not only excellent functionality, but also the uniqueness of design is a non-negligible element that determines product power. In particular, character illumination that makes the color of the printed layer that has the character-like display part of the appearance achromatic with high brightness such as pure white, or chromatic with high brightness and low saturation such as pale yellow or pink The demand for key tops of type is high. However, with the above-mentioned laser beam method, even if a laser beam is directly irradiated to such an achromatic or chromatic color thin layer, it may remain unremoved and remain beautiful enough to satisfy the required quality. It was almost impossible to form a blank character-like display.

Therefore, the present applicant forms a low-lightness dark intermediate layer such as black or gray on the back surface of the light-colored layer of such achromatic or chromatic color, that is, the key top side, and emits laser light from the light-colored layer side. Developed a technology that removes the light color layer together with the intermediate layer by irradiating the low-brightness and dark intermediate layer (Patent Document 2) and is beautiful enough to satisfy the required quality. Succeeded in forming the display. However, with this technology, since there is a low-lightness and dark intermediate layer on the back side of the light-colored layer, it looks like the intermediate layer shows through, and the light-colored layer looks darker, For example, there is a difficulty in that it is impossible to obtain the original color of a high brightness achromatic color such as pure white or a high brightness / low saturation chromatic color.
JP-A-11-162278 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-172378

  The present invention has been made against the background of the prior art as described above. Its purpose is to create a high-lightness achromatic color or high-lightness for key tops that have a light-colored achromatic color or a light-colored layer of high-lightness / low-saturation chromatic colors that are formed with a laser-shaped display.・ To achieve the original color of low-saturation chromatic colors.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

  That is, the present invention has a light color layer of either a high brightness achromatic color or a high brightness / low saturation chromatic color on the key top body with respect to a key top having a letter-shaped display portion, and The letter-shaped display portion is configured as a key top formed by forming a light-colored layer with a removal edge obtained by removing a light-colored layer into a predetermined letter shape with a laser beam.

  According to the present invention, the key top body is located below the light color layer of either high lightness achromatic color or high lightness / low chroma chromatic color. Therefore, the light color layer does not appear to be dark, and it is possible to realize the original color development of the high lightness achromatic color or the high lightness / low chroma chromatic color. In addition, the letter-shaped display part is formed with a removal edge obtained by removing the light color layer into a predetermined letter shape with a laser beam. A display unit can be realized.

  The present invention relates to a key top having a letter-shaped display portion, the key top body has a light color layer of either a high-lightness achromatic color or a high-lightness / low-saturation chromatic color, and A removal layer formed on the lower side of the light-colored layer with a display shape composed of predetermined characters, symbols, numbers, etc. is irradiated with a laser beam and removed together with the upper light-colored layer. It is configured as a key top characterized by being formed at the edge.

  According to the present invention, the key top body is located below the light color layer of either high lightness achromatic color or high lightness / low chroma chromatic color. Therefore, the light color layer does not appear to be dark, and it is possible to realize the original color development of the high lightness achromatic color or the high lightness / low chroma chromatic color. In addition, the letter-shaped display part is removed together with the upper light-colored layer by irradiating the removal layer formed on the lower side of the light-colored layer with a display shape composed of predetermined characters, symbols, numbers, etc. with laser light. The removal edge is formed. For this reason, even if it is a fine character etc., a high quality extraction character-like display part is realizable. In addition, since the removal layer does not remain below the light-colored layer, the light-colored layer does not appear to be dark, and has a high-lightness achromatic color or a high-lightness / low-saturation chromatic color. The original color can be realized.

  According to the present invention, a key sheet in which a plurality of key tops are arranged on a base sheet made of a rubber-like elastic body is configured as a key sheet including any one of the key tops according to the present invention as a key top.

  According to the present invention, a key sheet having the functions and effects of the key top can be obtained. In other words, it is possible to realize the original color of high-lightness achromatic colors or high-lightness / low-saturation chromatic colors on the key tops, and even high-quality character-like display parts. A key sheet can be obtained.

  The present invention includes a key sheet in which a plurality of key tops are arranged on a base sheet made of a rubber-like elastic body, and a casing in which the key sheets are incorporated, and a plurality of key tops formed in through holes formed through the casing. As for the push button device to be provided, the key top according to any one of the present invention is provided as a key top in the key sheet, and the color of the casing in at least the portion where the key top is arranged depends on the light color layer of the key top. The push button device is characterized in that it has the same color as an achromatic color of high brightness or a chromatic color of high brightness / low saturation.

  According to the present invention, the color of the housing at least in the portion serving as the key top arrangement surface is the same color as the high-lightness achromatic color or the high-lightness / low-saturation chromatic color by the thin color layer of the keytop. It is possible to realize a push button device with high designability in which the color of the casing and the chromatic color of high brightness / low saturation of the key top are the same color. Note that such a push button device is specifically realized as a portable information device such as a mobile phone, a PDA, or a portable music player, or as a stationary information device such as a car navigation device or a car audio device.

  The present invention provides a key top body with a display shape removal layer made up of predetermined letters, symbols, numbers, etc. that can be removed by laser light irradiation, and high brightness achromatic or high brightness / low saturation chromatic colors. A thin color layer of any one is laminated and formed by irradiating the removal layer with laser light from above the thin color layer, so that the removal layer and the laminated portion of the removal layer in the light color layer are simultaneously formed. It is configured as a method for manufacturing a key top that is removed to form a display part with a blank character.

  According to the present invention, the key-top main body is formed by laminating a display-shaped removal layer made up of characters, symbols, numbers, and the like and a light-colored layer, and the removal layer is removed by irradiating laser light, and the thin layer overlapping therewith is removed. By removing the laminated portion in the color layer at the same time, a letter-shaped display portion is formed, so that the removal layer does not remain below the light color layer. Therefore, the light color layer does not appear to be dark, and it is possible to realize the original color development of the high lightness achromatic color or the high lightness / low chroma chromatic color. In addition, since a letter-shaped display portion is formed by laser light irradiation, a high-quality letter-shaped display portion can be realized even for a minute character or the like. Furthermore, since the removal layer is formed in a display shape made up of characters, symbols, numbers, etc., the shape quality of the obtained letter-shaped display portion will not be impaired even if the laser light is irradiated in addition to the removal layer. That is, a slight blur occurs in the irradiation control of the laser light, or a predetermined character-shaped display portion can always be obtained without high precision irradiation control.

  The removal layer in the present invention is a layer that easily absorbs laser light, for example, a dark color layer made of dark ink such as black or a dark color paint, or a metal-containing layer made of a polymer paint containing metal particles, metallic pigments, etc. Composed. As these forming methods, if it is a printing method, for example, it can be carried out by screen printing, pad printing, transfer printing, etc., and if it is a coating method, it is carried out by, for example, spray painting, electrostatic painting, electrodeposition coating, etc. can do. The layer thickness thus formed is preferably 2 μm to 20 μm. This is because if the layer thickness is less than 2 μm, see-through occurs in some places, which may cause unburned laser light in a later process. In addition, if the layer thickness exceeds 20 μm, it is difficult to obtain a layer having a uniform thickness, and the processing time by the laser beam becomes long. .

  As for the key top, key sheet, push button device, and key top manufacturing method according to the present invention as described above, as a key top body, a key top made of a molded body of hard resin, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, etc. A key top made of a rubber-like elastic body can be used. Further, when a light color layer is formed on the top surface of the key top body, a colored layer can be provided on the bottom surface of the key top body. According to this, the color by a colored layer can be provided to the display part of a blank character shape. Furthermore, when a light color layer is formed on the top surface of the key top body, a transparent protective layer that covers the light color layer and prevents damage and wear can be provided.

  According to the key top, the key sheet, the push button device, and the key top manufacturing method of the present invention, the light color layer having the character-shaped display portion has a high brightness achromatic color or a high brightness / low saturation chromatic color. It is possible to realize a key top having a high-quality extracted character-like display portion even if it is a minute character or the like. For this reason, it is a highly productive key that pursues the uniqueness of design with the key tops that were not likely to be white (high lightness achromatic) and vivid light colors (high lightness / low chroma). A sheet and push button device can be realized.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment of Key Top [FIG. 1] ; As shown in FIG. 1, the key top 1 of the present embodiment includes a key top body 2, a light color layer 3 covering an outer surface excluding its bottom surface, and a light color layer. And a transparent protective layer 4 covering 3.

  The light-colored layer 3 is formed with a letter-shaped display portion 5. The display unit 5 is formed by a removal edge 6 obtained by removing the light-colored layer 3 into a predetermined letter shape (in the example shown, a numeral “0” shape) with a laser beam. The above-mentioned transparent protective layer 4 is filled so as to fill the joint.

  The key top body 2 is formed of a colorless and transparent hard resin or a rubber-like elastic body. As such a hard resin, a polycarbonate resin (PC), a polymethyl methacrylate resin (PMMA), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS), a polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), etc. can be used. Synthetic rubbers such as rubber and silicone rubber, and thermoplastic elastomers can be used. Among these, the polycarbonate resin has a particularly high transparency and a small light transmission loss, and therefore can be used as a particularly desirable material when the key top 1 is used as a character illuminated key top.

  The light-colored layer 3 is a layer formed by an ink or a paint having either a high lightness achromatic color or a high lightness / low chroma chromatic color. The light-colored light-colored layer 3 is formed by, for example, white ink formed by a printing method such as screen printing, pad printing, or transfer printing, or a coating method such as spray coating, electrostatic coating, or electrodeposition coating. Consists of white paint formed in Similarly, the light-colored layer 3 composed of chromatic colors with high brightness and low saturation is composed of light colors such as light yellow, light red, light green, and other inks and paints.

  The transparent protective layer 4 is formed of a polymer coating formed so as to cover the light color layer 3 while filling the display portion 5 with joints.

Embodiment of Key Top Manufacturing Method [FIG. 2] ; Next, a method of manufacturing the key top 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, a removal layer 7 that can be removed by irradiation with a laser beam L, which will be described later, is formed on the key top body 2 as a display shape of characters, numbers, symbols, and the like (FIG. 2A).

  The removal layer 7 is a layer that easily absorbs the laser light L, for example, a dark color layer made of dark ink such as black or a dark color paint, or a metal-containing layer made of a polymer paint containing metal particles, a metallic pigment, or a pearl pigment. It is formed. And if it is a printing method, it forms by screen printing, pad printing, transfer printing etc., for example, if it is a coating method, it forms by spray painting, electrostatic painting, electrodeposition coating etc., for example.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the layer thickness of the removal layer 7 shall be 2 micrometers-20 micrometers. This is because if the layer thickness is less than 2 μm, transparency occurs in some places, causing unburned laser light L to occur in a later process. On the other hand, if the layer thickness exceeds 20 μm, it is difficult to obtain a layer having a uniform thickness, and the processing time by the laser light L becomes long. It is.

  After the removal layer 7 as described above is formed, the light color layer 3 is formed on the key top body 2 including the removal layer 7 by the printing method or the coating method described above (FIG. 2B).

  Next, the removal layer 7 is irradiated with laser light L from above the light-colored layer 3 (FIG. 2B). Then, the light color layer 3 is removed together with the removal layer 7 (FIG. 2C). The removed character-like display portion 5 is formed by the removal edge 6 of the trace removed in this way. Thereafter, the key top 1 as shown in FIG. 1 is obtained by forming the transparent protective layer 4 of the light-colored layer 3.

  Next, functions and effects of the embodiment will be described.

  A colorless and transparent key top body 2 is located below the light color layer 3 of either high brightness achromatic color or high brightness / low saturation chromatic color in the key top 1. Therefore, the light color layer 3 does not appear to be dark, and it is possible to realize the original color development of the high lightness achromatic color or the high lightness / low chroma chromatic color.

  The extracted character-like display unit 5 irradiates the removal layer 7 formed on the lower side of the thin color layer 3 with a display shape composed of predetermined characters, symbols, numbers, etc. with the laser light L, and the upper thin color layer 3 is formed at a removal edge 6 that is removed together with 3. For this reason, even if it is a fine character etc., the high quality extraction character-like display part 5 is realizable.

  According to the manufacturing method described above, as described above, the removal layer 7 is formed in a display shape made up of predetermined characters, symbols, numbers, etc., so the removal layer 7 does not remain below the light-colored layer 3. For this reason, the light color layer 3 does not appear to be dark, and it is possible to realize the original color development of the high lightness achromatic color or the high lightness / low chroma chromatic color.

  According to the manufacturing method described above, the removal layer 7 is formed in a display shape composed of characters, symbols, numbers, and the like. The shape quality of 5 is not impaired. That is, it is possible to always form the predetermined letter-shaped display unit 5 even if the laser beam L is slightly irradiated or not highly accurate.

Embodiment of Key Sheet and Mobile Phone [FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view of a key sheet 8 according to an embodiment and a main part of a mobile phone 9 as a “push button device” including the key sheet 8. is there.

  The key sheet 8 includes a plurality of key tops 1 and a base sheet 10 that are arranged between each other. In the drawing, three key tops 1 appear, but actually, a plurality of key tops 1 are provided in a multi-row, multi-column manner in the surface direction of the base sheet 10. The plurality of key tops 1 are formed with display portions 5 each having a different cutout shape by the removal edge 6. These key tops 1 are fixed to the base sheet 10 with a transparent adhesive layer 11. The base sheet 10 is formed of a translucent rubber-like elastic body such as silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. This key sheet 8 is a so-called narrow key sheet in which a plurality of key tops 1 are collectively arranged in a through hole 12a formed through the casing 12 of the mobile phone 9 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-319396 as related prior art literature). See the publication.) Therefore, the base sheet 10 is provided with a reinforcing frame 13 made of hard resin on the upper surface side so that the base sheet 10 is not distorted.

  A substrate 14 is accommodated under the base sheet 10. An illumination light source 14 a is mounted on the substrate 14, and when it emits light, the light is transmitted through the base sheet 10 and the key top body 2, and is illuminated to the outside through the display unit 5 with a letter character.

  The casing 12 that accommodates the key sheet 8 and the substrate 14 has at least a color of the arrangement surface side portion 12b of the key top 1 having a high brightness achromatic color or high brightness / low saturation due to the light color layer 3 of the key top 1. It is comprised with the molded object of the hard resin made into the same color as this chromatic color.

  Next, functions and effects of the key sheet 8 and the mobile phone 9 will be described.

  According to the key sheet 8 and the mobile phone 9 of the present embodiment, the same actions and effects as the key top 1 of the first embodiment described above can be achieved. In addition to this, the housing 12 of the mobile phone 9 has a high brightness achromatic color or high brightness / low saturation of the light-colored layer 3 of the key top 1 in the arrangement surface side portion 12b of the key top 1. It is the same color as the original color of chromatic colors. For this reason, it is possible to realize a mobile phone 9 with high designability in which the color of the housing 12 and the high brightness achromatic color or high brightness / low saturation chromatic color of the key top 1 are the same color. Specific examples thereof include, for example, a design in which the housing 12 of the mobile phone 9 and the color of the key top 1 on the appearance are unified to a pure white color (high brightness achromatic color), or a light color, for example, a light color The design can be unified with light colors such as yellow, light red, and light green (chromatic colors with high brightness and low saturation).

Modified Examples of Embodiments The embodiments and examples described above are merely examples, and various modified examples can be implemented. For example, in the key top 1, the light color layer 3 is formed on the top surface of the key top body 2, but it may be formed on the bottom surface. That is, in this case, for example, after forming the light color layer 3 on the bottom surface of the key top body 2, the removal layer 7 having a predetermined display shape is formed on the light color layer 3. The laser light L is transmitted through the key top body 2 and the light-colored layer 3 to irradiate the removal layer 7, thereby removing the removal layer 7 and the light-colored layer 3. Can be formed.

  For the key top 1, a colored layer may be provided on the bottom surface of the key top body 2. By providing such a colored layer, it is possible to hide the lower side through the unprinted character-like display portion 5, or to add color to the unprinted character-like display portion 5. Can be improved. In this case, the transparent adhesive layer 11 may be configured as a colored transparent adhesive layer.

  The transparent protective layer 4 laminated on the light color layer 3 of the key top 1 may be omitted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the key top by one Embodiment, A part (a) is a top view, A part (b) is a SA-SA sectional view taken on the line. The figure which shows the manufacturing process of the key top of FIG. The principal part expanded sectional view which shows the key sheet and mobile phone by one Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Key top 2 Key top main body 3 Light color layer 4 Transparent protective layer 5 Display part 6 Removal edge 7 Removal layer 8 Key sheet 9 Cell phone 10 Base sheet 11 Transparent adhesive layer 12 Case 12a Through-hole 12b Key top arrangement surface 13 Reinforcement frame 14 Substrate 14a Illumination light source

Claims (4)

In key tops that have a letter-shaped display,
The key top body has a light color layer of either high lightness achromatic color or high lightness / low chroma chromatic color, and the character-shaped display part has a light color layer with a predetermined character shape. A key top formed by a removal edge removed by laser light. In a key sheet in which a plurality of key tops are arranged on a base sheet made of a rubber-like elastic body,
A key sheet comprising the key top according to claim 1 as a key top. A key sheet in which a plurality of key tops are arranged on a base sheet made of a rubber-like elastic body, and a casing in which the key sheets are incorporated, and the plurality of key tops are arranged in through holes formed through the casing. In the push button device,
The key top according to claim 1 is provided as a key top on a key sheet, and the color of the casing in at least a portion where the key top is arranged is high achromatic or high brightness / low due to the light color layer of the key top. A push button device characterized by having the same color as a chromatic color of saturation. The key top body has a display shape removal layer made up of predetermined letters, symbols, numbers, etc. that can be removed by laser light irradiation, and a thin layer with either high lightness achromatic or high lightness / low saturation chromatic color. A layer is formed by laminating a color layer, and the removal layer and the layered portion of the removal layer in the light color layer are simultaneously removed by irradiating the removal layer with laser light from above the light color layer. A method for manufacturing a key top for forming a character-like display.

Images