JP2008269803A - Input device, and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input device wherein flexion during key operation and a problem of durability are solved, and on top of that, wiring can be simplified and assembling work is also simplified, by using an independent display device for each key, and to provide an electronic apparatus carrying the input device. <P>SOLUTION: In this input device, wiring is carried out by disposing a display device 30 to be disposed under a key top 40 by dividing it for every key, and pasting an electrode 33 provided on the back side of the display device 30 to a conducting part 22 integrally molded with a key rubber 20 by using an anisotropic conductive material 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device in which a display device is arranged under a key top, and an electronic apparatus equipped with the input device.

Conventionally, characters and the like are printed on the keys of the mobile phone terminal. However, the operation is complicated due to the increase in functions, and many keys are required to be displayed.
Patent Document 1 discloses a key display device that is configured by incorporating a display device inside a key top mounted on a key base.
JP 2002-354079 A

  However, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, if a display device is incorporated in the key top, or if, for example, an independent display device is used for each key, there is no disclosure in Patent Document 1, but wiring becomes complicated and the key is complicated. Deflection and durability problems during operation occur, and it is disadvantageous in terms of assembly and cost.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an input device capable of simplifying wiring and simplifying assembling work after solving problems of deflection and durability during key operation, and an electronic device equipped with the input device. It is.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the input device according to the first aspect of the present invention is configured such that the display device disposed under the key top is divided and arranged for each key, and the conductive portion integrally formed with the key rubber An electrode provided on the back side of the display device is wired with an anisotropic conductive material and wired.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the input device according to the first aspect, the contact portion provided below the key rubber is connected to the electrode on the substrate in succession to the conductive portion on the key rubber. And

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the input device according to the first aspect, the thin portion having the conducting portion is formed integrally with the end portion of the key rubber, and the block shape has a slit for inserting the thin portion. The intermediate portion of the thin portion is inserted into the slit of the press member, the presser member is tilted sideways, and the conductive portion is interposed through the thin portion under the presser member tilted sideways. The contact portion in a state of being folded 180 degrees is positioned, and this contact portion is connected to an electrode on the substrate.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus including the input device according to any one of the first to third aspects.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to solve problems of deflection and durability during key operation, simplify wiring, and simplify assembly work.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
1 to 4 show the configuration of Embodiment 1 of an input device mounted on an electronic apparatus to which the present invention is applied. 10 is a substrate, 20 is a key rubber, 30 is a display device, 40 is a key top, and 50 is An anisotropic conductive material 60 is a transparent adhesive. FIG. 2 shows only three keys for convenience of explanation.

  As shown in the figure, on the upper surface of the substrate 10, a metal dome 11 is provided corresponding to each key position, and an electrode 12 corresponding to each key is provided. A key rubber 20 is disposed on the substrate 10.

  On the lower surface of the key rubber 20, a convex portion 21 is integrally formed corresponding to each key position. In addition, on the upper surface of the key rubber 20, a conduction portion 22 corresponding to each key is integrally formed. The conductive portion 22 is composed of a plurality of pattern electrodes, and is continuous with the contact portion 23 that protrudes downward through the end surface of the key rubber 20. A display device 30 divided for each key is disposed at each key position of the key rubber 20.

  The display device 30 is obtained by enclosing a display material 32 such as a liquid crystal in a transparent substrate 31. A lower electrode 33 that penetrates to the internal display material 32 is integrally formed on the lower surface of the transparent substrate 31. A transparent upper electrode 34 positioned on the display material 32 is integrally formed in the transparent base material 31. The upper electrode 34 is exposed on the lower surface through the end surface of the transparent substrate 31. A transparent key top 40 corresponding to each key is disposed on the display device 30.

  In the above, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the positions of the metal dome 11 and the convex portion 21 are aligned and the key rubber 20 is overlapped with the positions of the electrode 12 and the contact portion 23 on the substrate 10. As a result, the contact portion 23 under the key rubber 20 is electrically connected to the electrode 12 on the substrate 10. Then, the display device 30 is bonded onto the key rubber 20 with the anisotropic conductive material 50 interposed therebetween. Further, the key top 40 is pasted on the display device 30 with the transparent adhesive 60.

  Here, by pressing the anisotropic conductive material 50 between the display device 30 and the key rubber 20 with a housing of an electronic device (not shown), the lower electrode 33 below the display device 30 against the conductive portion 22 on the key rubber 20. The terminals of the upper electrode 34 are electrically connected to each other through the pressed anisotropic conductive material 50.

  Since the input device has such a structure, when the key is depressed, as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (b), the key rubber 21 of the key rubber 21 is inserted via the key top 40 and the display device 30 that are depressed with a finger. The convex portion 21 pushes the metal dome 11 on the substrate 10. As a result, a predetermined input process corresponding to the depressed key is performed, and at the same time, the display device 30 corresponding to the depressed key causes the display material 32 to be generated by the current flowing between the lower electrode 33 and the upper electrode 34. Driven to perform a predetermined display process.

  At the time of the above key depression, as shown in FIG. 1B, the display device 30 divided for each key is not subjected to a bending load or is difficult to apply. Therefore, the problem of durability can be solved.

As described above, according to the input device mounted on the electronic apparatus of the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) It is difficult to apply a bending load to the display device 30, and the flexibility of the display device 30 does not matter.
(2) Since the display device 30 does not provide resistance when the key is pressed, the key pressing force can be reduced.
(3) Wiring can be simplified and assembly work can also be simplified.

(Embodiment 2)
5 to 7 show the configuration of Embodiment 2 of the input device mounted on the electronic apparatus to which the present invention is applied. As in Embodiment 1 described above, the anisotropic conductive material 50 is provided on the key rubber 20. The display device 30 is attached and the key top 40 is pasted on the display device 30 with the transparent adhesive 60, 70 is a pressing member, and 80 is a housing.
In the second embodiment, the connection structure of the conduction portion 22 of the key rubber 20 to the electrode 12 on the substrate 10 is changed in the input device having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment.

  That is, in the second embodiment, the thin portions 25 and 26 having the conductive portion 22 on the upper surface are integrally formed at the end portion of the key rubber 20 as illustrated. In the illustrated example, the thin portion 25 is formed to have the same width as the key rubber 20, and then the narrow thin portion 26 is formed. The thin portion 26 is almost twice as long as the thin portion 25. ing. The conduction portion 22 is formed by printing conductive ink on the key rubber 20, vapor deposition, sputtering, or the like.

  Further, the pressing member 70 has a block width that is substantially the same width as the key rubber 20 and higher than the key rubber 20, and is disposed on the substrate 10 so as to be laid down under the thin portion 25. A slit 71 for inserting the thin portion 26 together with the conductive portion 22 on the upper surface is formed near the upper surface of the block-shaped pressing member 70.

  The thin portion 26 of the key rubber 20 is inserted into the slit 71 of the holding member 70 as shown by the arrows in FIGS. At this time, the thin portion 26 is inserted into the slit 71 from the end surface (see the boundary portion B) of the thin portion 25 to the intermediate portion C on the distal end side. With the insertion state maintained, as shown in FIG. 5B, the presser member 70 is turned 90 degrees clockwise with respect to the thin portion 25 and tilted sideways so that the end face of the presser member 70 is the end face of the key rubber 20 main body. (Refer to the boundary portion A) and the contact portion 23 in a state where the conductive portion 22 is folded back 180 degrees via the thin portion 26 under the pressing member 70 is positioned.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the thin portions 25 and 26 in a state in which the contact portion 23 below the end of the key rubber 20 is overlapped on the electrode 12 on the substrate 10 and the pressing member 70 is covered are indicated by arrows. In addition, it is held in a state where it is pressed by a casing 80 of an electronic device (not shown). The pressing of the casing 80 is permitted by compressive deformation of the upper and lower thin portions 25 and 26 of the pressing member 70.

In the above embodiment, a display device in which a display material such as liquid crystal is sealed in a transparent base material is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other structures such as EL and electronic paper are available. May be a display device.
In addition, it is needless to say that other specific detailed structures can be appropriately changed.

1 shows a configuration of Embodiment 1 of an input device mounted on an electronic device to which the present invention is applied, and is a longitudinal sectional view (a) showing a state before the key is pressed and a longitudinal sectional view (b) showing a state when the key is pressed. It is. It is the perspective view which showed the key top on the key rubber of FIG. 1, a display device, etc. FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded enlarged view of FIG. 3. The structure of Embodiment 2 of the input device mounted in the electronic device to which this invention is applied is shown, the longitudinal cross-sectional view (a) which showed the relationship between a key rubber and a pressing member, and the time of bending by the pressing member of a key rubber It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view (b) shown. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the key rubber and the pressing member in FIG. 5. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed the key top on the key rubber of FIG. 5, a display device, etc.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Board | substrate 11 Metal dome 12 Electrode 20 Key rubber 21 Convex part 22 Conductive part 23 Contact part 24 Thin part 25 Thin part 30 Display device 31 Transparent base material 32 Display material 33 Lower electrode 34 Upper electrode 40 Key top 50 Anisotropic conductive material 60 Transparent adhesive 70 Presser member 71 Slit 80 Case

Claims (4)

The display device to be placed under the key top is divided and arranged for each key.
An input device characterized in that an electrode provided on the back side of the display device is attached to a conductive portion integrally formed with a key rubber by an anisotropic conductive material and wired.   The input device according to claim 1, wherein a contact portion provided below the key rubber is connected to an electrode on the substrate continuously with the conduction portion on the key rubber. While integrally forming a thin portion having the conductive portion at the end of the key rubber,
Providing a block-shaped presser member having a slit for inserting the thin portion,
Insert the middle part of the thin part into the slit of the holding member,
Position the contact portion in a state where the conducting portion is folded back 180 degrees through the thin portion under the presser member that has been laid down sideways,
The input device according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is connected to an electrode on the substrate.   An electronic apparatus comprising the input device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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