JP2009093813A - Key switch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a key switch panel capable of improving operability of key inputs, by illuminating a plurality of key switches arrayed on a switch substrate and a key top fitted in correspondence to the key switches brightly and easy to the eyes. <P>SOLUTION: For the key switch panel 21 provided with a switch substrate 22 with a plurality of key switches 25 arrayed at a given interval, a display substrate 32 arranged on the switch substrate 22 and equipped with key tops 33 at corresponding positions to the key switches 25, and light-emitting substrates 35 arranged between the switch substrate 22 and the display substrate 32 for illuminating key operating parts 41 consisting of the key switches 25 and the key tops 33, each light-emitting substrate 35 is provided with a light-shielding plate 36 arranged at an underside of the display substrate 32 avoiding the key tops 33, an LED 37 arranged on an underside of the shielding plate 36, and a light guide member 38 fitted around the LED 37. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an illuminated key switch panel used as an input device for various electronic devices such as a mobile phone and a portable information terminal.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a thin and flat type key switch panel has been adopted as an input device in an electronic device such as a cellular phone. Such a key switch panel is composed of a switch board on which a plurality of key switches are arranged, and a display board which is placed on the switch board and printed with numbers, letters, etc. corresponding to the key switches. Yes. In many cases, a plurality of light emitting elements (LEDs) are arranged between the switch substrate and the display substrate to brightly display characters or the like applied to the display substrate.

  The LED is arranged between a plurality of key switches arranged on the switch board, and illuminates an adjacent key switch and a display board arranged on the key switch.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, a light guide plate 15 is disposed on the switch substrate 12 on which a plurality of key switches 14 are disposed, and a display substrate 18 having a key top 17 is disposed on the light guide plate 15. There is a key switch panel 11 having a structure in which a light shielding substrate 19 that shields light from a portion excluding the key top 17 is disposed on the display substrate 18 (see Patent Document 1). In the key switch panel 11, the light guide plate 15 emits light by disposing the LED 16 at one end of the light guide plate 15, and the key top 17 of the display substrate 18 disposed above is illuminated by the light emission. It is like that.
JP 09-055143 A

  In a key switch panel in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged on a switch board, the LEDs are arranged between the key switches and the light emission direction is directed to the display board, so that the entire display board can emit light. The effect of illuminating the key switch and the portion of the display board corresponding to the key switch on which characters or the like are printed is not obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the key switch panel 11 having a structure in which the light guide plate 15 is disposed between the switch substrate 12 and the display substrate 18 and illuminated by the LED 16 disposed at one end of the light guide plate 15, Although the number of LEDs 16 may be small, the key switch 14 and the key top 17 corresponding to the key switch 14 are not particularly illuminated to illuminate the entire light guide plate 15 uniformly. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to see characters or the like applied to the key top 17 and the operability of key input is lowered.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve the operability of key input by illuminating a plurality of key switches arranged on a switch board and a key top provided corresponding to the key switches in a particularly bright and easy-to-see manner. It is to provide a key switch panel that can.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a key switch panel according to the present invention includes a switch board in which a plurality of key switches are arranged at predetermined intervals, and a key top disposed on the switch board and corresponding to the key switch. In a key switch panel comprising: a display board having a light-emitting board that is disposed between the switch board and the display board and that illuminates a key operation unit including the key switch and the key top corresponding to the key switch. The light emitting substrate includes a light shielding plate disposed on a lower surface side of the display substrate avoiding the key top, a light emitting element disposed on a lower surface of the light shielding plate, and a light guide member provided around the light emitting element. It is characterized by having.

  According to the key switch panel of the present invention, the light emission mounted on the light shielding plate and the lower surface side of the light shielding plate between the key operation unit including the key switch provided on the switch substrate and the key top provided on the display substrate. By arranging the element and the light emitting substrate made of the light guide member surrounding the light emitting element, the key operation part can be illuminated with high luminance and efficiency. The light emitting substrate includes a light shielding plate disposed on a lower surface side of the display substrate excluding a portion corresponding to the key top, a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on a lower surface of the light shielding plate, and the plurality of light emitting elements. As a structure having a light guide member formed so as to surround the key operation unit, the light emitted from the light emitting element can be efficiently directed to the key operation unit through the light guide member. Can do. In addition, since the light emitting element is mounted on the lower surface side of the light shielding plate so as to use the light reflection action on the upper surface of the switch substrate, the display substrate corresponding to the place where the light shielding plate is disposed does not emit light. Instead, only the portion corresponding to the key top can be brightly illuminated.

  In addition, the light guide member provided on the light emitting substrate is formed so as to fill a space between the key operation units, thereby guiding light emitted from the light emitting elements toward the adjacent key operation units without leakage. Can do.

  Furthermore, by providing a light reflecting member on the switch substrate, the light emitted from the light emitting substrate can be efficiently applied to the key operation unit.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a key switch panel according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the key switch panel 21 of the present invention includes a switch board 22, a display board 32, and a light emitting board 35 disposed between the switch board 22 and the display board 32. Is done.

  The switch substrate 22 is made of a resin substrate such as glass epoxy or a flexible substrate (FPC), and has an electrode portion (not shown) for mounting the key switch 25 on the surface and a wiring pattern (not shown) extending from the electrode portion. ) Is formed. The key switch 25 includes a fixed contact 23 arranged on the switch substrate 22 at predetermined intervals, and a movable contact 24 formed of a hemispherical tact spring or the like that covers the upper side so as not to contact the fixed contact 23. Yes. The surface of the switch substrate 22 is covered with a thin light reflecting member (reflective sheet) 29 along the surface of the key switch 25. The reflection sheet 29 is provided for obtaining reflection such that light emitted from the light emitting substrate 35 is directed to the key switch 25 or the key top 33. In order to obtain such reflected light, a white or metal color is provided. Formed by a thin sheet of the system. The key switch 25 can be accurately positioned and fixed to the switch board 22 by providing the reflecting sheet 29 with a recess 29a in advance so as to follow the convex shape of the key switch 25.

  The display substrate 32 is formed of a sheet-like resin material such as polyimide or polycarbonate, or a soft resin material such as thin silicon rubber, and a portion corresponding to the movable contact 24 of the key switch 25 is a key top 33. . The key top 33 is transparent or translucent, and a display symbol 34 is printed or engraved on the front surface by numerals or characters indicating the input function of each key switch 25, and the back surface is directed to the movable contact 24. A protruding portion 39 is provided. The protrusion 39 is placed on the key switch 25 of the switch substrate 22 through a hole 40 provided in the light emitting substrate 35 described later. Since the key switch panel 21 of the present embodiment is mounted on a key input unit such as a cellular phone, the display symbol 34 is a numeric key from 0 to 9 or #, *, etc., as shown in FIG. It consists of characters such as symbols and alphabets.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the light emitting substrate 35 has a light shielding plate 36 provided with a hole 40 for penetrating the protrusion 39 and a position on the lower surface of the light shielding plate 36 away from the hole 40. A light emitting element (LED) 37 to be mounted and a light guide member 38 formed on the entire lower surface of the light shielding plate 36 excluding the hole 40 so as to surround the LED 37. The light shielding plate 36 is formed of an epoxy resin having a light shielding property so as not to transmit light, and an electrode portion and a wiring pattern (not shown) for mounting the LED 37 are formed. The LED 37 has a pair of element electrode portions including an anode and a cathode that are conductively connected to the electrode portion on the lower surface, and a side surface and a lower surface excluding the surface mounted on the light shielding plate 36 serve as a light emitting surface 37a. The light guide member 38 is formed of a material having high light guide properties such as acrylic resin, silicon resin, polycarbonate resin, or polyethylene terephthalate resin, and is formed on the light shielding plate 36 so as to surround the side surface of the LED 37. The A driving current for the LED 37 is supplied to each light shielding plate 36 from a power supply line provided on the switch substrate 22.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitting substrate 35 is formed so as to be accommodated in a space portion 42 excluding the key operation portions 41 including the key switch 25 and the key top 33, and each LED 37 is shown in FIG. As described above, they are equally arranged so as to be substantially equidistant from the adjacent key operation portions 41. The LED 37 can be appropriately set in the vicinity of the key top 33 to be lit and displayed, or in a substantially middle portion between a plurality of adjacent key tops 33. In the key switch panel 21 of the present embodiment, the key switch panel 21 is arranged at the center of the four key operation units 41 arranged in a square. However, when the light is emitted more brightly, the key switch panel 21 is also arranged in the outer space of the switch board 22. be able to.

  Next, the action of light emission in the key switch panel 21 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. Light emitted from each LED 37 of the light emitting substrate 35 disposed between the switch substrate 22 and the display substrate 32 is emitted toward the light guide member 38 surrounding the LED 37 and the upper surface of the switch substrate 22. The emitted light is guided so as to spread from the inner peripheral surface of the light guide member 38 toward the outer peripheral surface, and irradiates the vicinity of the key top 33 of the adjacent key operation unit 41. Of the light emitted from the LED 37, the light directed to the upper surface of the switch substrate 22 is reflected by the reflection sheet 29 and irradiates the key operation unit 41 adjacent to the key switch 25. On the other hand, the display substrate 32 in the portion where the light shielding plate 36 is disposed blocks the light from the LED 37, so that a light emitting effect centered on the key operation unit 41 is obtained. The display symbol 34 formed on the display can be brightly displayed.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of a key switch panel in the case where a reflective member 30 having a light reflecting action similar to that of the reflective sheet 29 is provided on the lower surface side of the light shielding plate 36. Thus, by providing the reflection member 30 in the exposed portion of the light shielding plate 36 between the LED 37 and the light guide member 38, the light emitted from the LED 37 can be efficiently guided into the light guide member 38. Thereby, the brightness of the key operation unit 41 can be further increased. The reflection member 30 may be formed on the light guide member 38 excluding the portion where the LED 37 is mounted, and the light guide member 38 may be formed via the reflection member 30.

  FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional structure of the key switch panel 51 in the second embodiment of the present invention. The light emitting substrate 65 in the key switch panel 51 of this embodiment is a block-shaped block formed so as to cover the light shielding plate 66 disposed on the lower surface side of the display substrate 32 and the LED 67 mounted on the lower surface of the light shielding plate 66. The light guide member 68 is used. The light guide member 68 is formed to have a thickness that matches the height in the space 42 defined by the switch substrate 22 and the display substrate 32, and the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface placed on the switch substrate 22 is a key switch. It is cut obliquely so as not to contact 25. In addition, the light guide member 68 is provided with a housing portion 69 for housing the LED 67. Instead of providing such a housing portion 69, the LED 67 may be formed to be sealed with a light guide member 71 without a gap, like a light emitting substrate 70 provided in the key switch panel 61 shown in FIG. The light guide member 71 may be formed by injecting a light guide material such as acrylic resin, silicon resin, polycarbonate resin, or polyethylene terephthalate resin as described above on the light shielding plate 66 on which the LED 67 is mounted. it can.

  According to the light emitting substrates 65 and 70, the light emitted radially from the LED 67 toward the side surface and the bottom surface is directly guided along the outer peripheral surface direction of the light guide members 68 and 71 and is adjacent thereto. The key operation unit 41 can be irradiated. Further, the light reflected by the reflection sheet 29 provided on the surface of the switch substrate 22 is diffused into the light guide members 68 and 71, so that the light guide members 68 and 71 can emit light more brightly. it can. By repeating such a light guiding action and a reflecting action, each key operation unit 41 can emit light brighter than in the case of the key switch panel 21 in the first embodiment. The reflection member 30 can also be provided on the light shielding plate 66 where the light guide members 68 and 71 are formed.

  The LEDs arranged on the light emitting substrate of each of the above embodiments can be configured not only by unifying them with the same light emission color such as white, but also with a mixture of LEDs having a light emission color such as blue or red. By mixing such LEDs having different emission colors, it is possible to obtain the light emission display effects classified for each input function of the key operation unit.

  As described above, according to the key switch panel of the present invention, light emission incorporated between a switch board on which a plurality of key switches are arranged and a display board on which a key top corresponding to the key switch is provided. A portion where the key top is provided because the substrate has a light shielding plate, an LED mounted with a light emitting surface facing the light shielding plate, and a light guide member surrounding the LED. Can be illuminated so as to be bright and easy to see by distinguishing from other parts. The light emitting substrate has a light shielding plate disposed at a position avoiding the key top on which the display symbol is provided, and the key switch is reflected by reflected light or refracted light from the LED mounted on the lower surface of the light shielding plate. Since the key top on the key switch can be illuminated, the part necessary for the actual key operation can be illuminated particularly brightly.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the key switch panel which concerns on this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing of the said key switch panel. It is principal part sectional drawing of the key switch panel formed by providing a reflection member in the light-shielding plate. It is principal part sectional drawing of the key switch panel provided with the light emission board | substrate formed with the block-shaped light guide member. It is sectional drawing of a key switch panel provided with the light emission board | substrate formed so that LED might be sealed with a block-shaped light guide member. It is sectional drawing of the conventional key switch panel.

Explanation of symbols

11, 21, 51, 61 Key switch panel 12, 22 Switch board 14, 25 Key switch 15 Light guide plate 16, 37, 67 LED
17, 33 Keytop 18, 32 Display board 19 Light-shielding board 23 Fixed contact 24 Movable contact 29 Reflective sheet 29a Recessed part 30 Reflective member 34 Display symbol 35, 65, 70 Light-emitting board 36, 66 Light-shielding board 37a Light-emitting surface 38, 68, 71 Light guide member 39 Projection part 40 Hole part 41 Key operation part 42 Space part 69 Storage part

Claims (5)

A switch board on which a plurality of key switches are arranged at predetermined intervals;
A display substrate disposed on the switch substrate and having a key top in a portion corresponding to the key switch;
In a key switch panel provided between the switch substrate and the display substrate, and comprising a light emitting substrate that illuminates a key operation unit including the key switch and the key top corresponding to the key switch.
The light emitting substrate includes a light shielding plate disposed on a lower surface side of the display substrate avoiding the key top, a light emitting element disposed on a lower surface of the light shielding plate, and a light guide member provided around the light emitting element. Key switch panel characterized by having. The key switch panel according to claim 1, wherein the light guide member is formed by a block body surrounding the light emitting element. 3. The key switch panel according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting substrate is disposed between the switch substrate and the display substrate so that the light guide member is accommodated at a position avoiding the key operation unit. The key switch panel according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is disposed on a back surface of the light shielding plate so that a light emitting surface faces an upper surface side of the switch substrate. The key switch panel according to claim 1, wherein the switch substrate is provided with a light reflecting member on a surface facing the light emitting substrate.

Images