JP2009277523A - Key pad with hard base and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the occurrence of burrs around a specific part when a keypad with a side-face peripheral part of a hard base covered with rubber at the specific part is manufactured. <P>SOLUTION: The key pad with a hard base 1 includes a plate-like hard base 10 and one or more key tops 12, 13 arranged on a surface side of the hard base 10, and further includes an elastic body 11 at least on a side face periphery of the hard base 10. The elastic body 11 includes an extended part extended along the side face periphery, and the key pad with a hard base 1 includes an inclination part 20 with at least one of either a surface or a rear face of the hard base 10 inclining to a horizontal surface at an end part of the extended part at an peripheral edge of the hard base 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a keypad with a hard base in which a hard base and an elastic body are integrated and a key is arranged on the elastic body, and a manufacturing method thereof.

  In recent years, a keypad provided with a plurality of key tops has been widely used as an input means for electronic devices such as mobile phones and portable information terminals. The electronic device is a device that is strongly required to be reduced in size and thickness due to its portability. For this reason, it is strongly desired to reduce the size and thickness of the mounted keypad.

  As a keypad developed to meet the above-mentioned demands for miniaturization and thinning, an elastic body is integrated with a hard base made of a hard resin plate and having a crosspiece and / or a through hole. There is a keypad in which a resin key top is fixed and the key top can be moved up and down via an elastic body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, as the hard base, a light guide made of a highly translucent resin and having a function of guiding light is adopted, and the light guide 200 is set in a mold 210 as shown in FIG. There is also known a keypad configuration in which 210 is filled with selective adhesive silicone rubber, heated and cured, and light guide 200 and silicone rubber are integrated (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  In the above keypad, since the hard base supports the elastic body as a reinforcing plate, the keypad can be held in the housing of the communication device only by the outer peripheral portion of the hard base. For this reason, it is not necessary to form the crosspiece which covers the upper surface between the some keytops which consist of an elastic body in a housing | casing, and the space | interval of a keytop can be made narrower.

On the other hand, as the design space becomes smaller as the electronic device becomes smaller, there are places where the distance from the key bonding portion of the keypad to the housing of the electronic device becomes shorter. In such a place, a sufficient space for arranging the hard base cannot be provided. In order to solve such a problem, as shown in FIG. 50, a keypad 270 having a form in which the elastic body 250 covers the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base 260 has been developed at the specific location S described above. The keypad 270 shown in FIG. 50 has an advantage that the waterproof property of the electronic device is improved because the specific portion S where the elastic body 250 covers the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base 260 becomes a close contact portion with the housing of the electronic device. Have.
JP 2003-178039 (Claims, FIG. 5) International Publication WO2005 / 093770 (paragraph 0021, claim 7, FIG. 1, FIG. 6)

  However, there is the following demand for the keypad 270 having the form shown in FIG. 49. When a hard base 260 is inserted into a liquid injection molding system (LIIMS) mold shown in FIG. 49 and injection molding is performed, a gate is provided from the direction opposite to the plunger. Clearance is required between the LIMS mold. When the clearance is large, the elastic material overflows beyond the periphery T of the specific portion S that needs to cover the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base 260 when the elastic material is filled. As a result, burrs are generated in the surrounding T after the elastic material is heated and cured. The generation of burrs not only requires a step for removing the burrs but also may cause a reduction in product quality. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent the burrs from being generated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of burrs around a specific portion when the keypad that covers the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base is manufactured at the specific portion.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a keypad with a hard base according to the present invention includes a plate-like hard base and one or more key tops arranged on the surface side of the hard base, and the hard base. The elastic body is provided with an elastic body at least on the outer periphery of the side surface, the elastic body has an extending portion extending along the outer periphery of the side surface, and the front and back surfaces of the hard base at the end of the extending portion on the periphery of the hard base At least one of the surfaces includes an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. When the hard base having such a configuration is used, a part of the upper mold and / or the lower mold comes into surface contact with the inclined portion of the hard base, and the clearance between the upper mold and the lower mold is reduced at the inclined portion. It can be made almost nonexistent. For this reason, the uncured elastic material is difficult to enter other than the space designed in advance, and does not extend beyond the inclined portion to the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base. Therefore, there is almost no burr at the end of the extended portion of the elastic body. Here, the “hard base” means a molded body having a hardness higher than that of the elastic body. Further, the “elastic body” means an elastic body capable of pressing the key top.

  Another keypad with a hard base according to the present invention includes one or two or more penetrating regions penetrating in the thickness direction in the plane of the hard base, and the elastic body partially or entirely of the penetrating region. It embeds, has a configuration in which the key top is disposed on the surface of the elastic body covering the penetrating region, connected to the embedded region and disposed on the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base. For this reason, the uncured elastic material flows to the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base beyond the penetrating region, and stops at the position of the inclined portion formed on the hard base.

  In another keypad with a hard base of the present invention, some or all of the penetrating region is one or two or more opening regions that open to the side of the hard base, and the elastic body extends from the opening region to the side surface of the hard base. It has a configuration that extends along the outer periphery. For this reason, when some or all of the penetrating region is an opening region that opens to the side of the hard base, the elastic body has a form that extends from the opening region along the side surface of the hard base to just before the inclined portion. In addition, there are almost no burrs at the end of the extended portion of the elastic body. Here, the “opening region” is not only a bay-shaped region that completely opens a part of the outside of the penetrating region, but also a part of the hard base in the thickness direction is removed to form a groove. However, it is interpreted broadly so as to include a region connected to the outside through the groove.

  In another keypad with a hard base according to the present invention, the hard base is made of a translucent resin, and the inclined portion is subjected to a light shielding process. For this reason, when a light source is arrange | positioned on the back side of a hard base, it becomes difficult to leak light from an inclined part.

  The present invention further includes a plate-like hard base and one or more key tops arranged on the surface side of the hard base, and an elastic body at least on the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base. The body has an extending portion extending along the outer periphery of the side surface, and at the end of the extending portion at the periphery of the hard base, at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the hard base is in a horizontal plane. In a method of manufacturing a keypad with a hard base having an inclined part inclined, a step of inserting the hard base into a lower mold having a recess for inserting the hard base, and a part of the inner surface of the mold in the inclined part The process of clamping the hard base with the lower mold and the upper mold so as to make surface contact with each other, and the uncured elastic material in the mold formed by the upper mold and the lower mold Supplying the elastic material into the mold inner space without overflowing the position of the inclined portion from the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base, and curing the elastic material filled in the inner mold space Including. When such a manufacturing method is used, a part of the inner surface of the upper mold and / or the lower mold comes into surface contact with the inclined portion of the hard base, and the clearance between the upper mold and the lower mold is almost reduced at the inclined portion. It can be made non-existent. For this reason, the uncured elastic material is difficult to enter other than the space designed in advance, and does not extend beyond the inclined portion to the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base. Therefore, almost no burrs are present at the end of the extended portion of the elastic body.

  Further, another manufacturing method of a keypad with a hard base according to the present invention includes one or two or more penetrating regions penetrating in the thickness direction in the surface of the hard base, and the elastic body is a part of the penetrating region. Alternatively, a method of manufacturing a keypad with a hard base that has a structure in which the whole is buried, connected from the buried area, is arranged on the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base, and the key top is arranged on the surface of the elastic body that covers the penetration area. It is. For this reason, the uncured elastic material flows to the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base beyond the penetrating region, and stops at the position of the inclined portion formed on the hard base.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a keypad with a hard base. In the keypad with a hard base described above, one or more of the through regions are opened to the side of the hard base. The elastic body extends from the opening region along the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base. For this reason, although an elastic body is extended along the side surface of a hard base from an opening area | region, it does not exceed an inclination part. Therefore, there is almost no burr at the end of the extended portion of the elastic body.

  According to the present invention, when producing a keypad in which the elastic body covers the outer peripheral side surface of the hard base at a specific location, it is possible to prevent burrs from occurring around the specific location.

  Embodiments of a keypad with a hard base and a manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention will be described below. In addition, in each figure, although the structure part which does not attach | subject the code | symbol exists, it has abbreviate | omitted in consideration of the legibility of drawing. The code | symbol of the said structural part is the same code | symbol as the same or similar structural part which has attached | subjected the code | symbol.

“First Embodiment”
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a keypad with a hard base (hereinafter simply referred to as “keypad”) according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along line AA. 3 and 4 are a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along line BB and CC, respectively. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the keypad. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the elastic rubber is fixed to the hard base and before each key top is fixed to the keypad. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion E in FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the portion E in FIG. 6 when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the hard base. In each figure, the elastic rubber portion is shown in a lattice pattern.

1. Form of Keypad and its Components The keypad 1 includes one hard base 10 and elastic rubber (preferred example of an elastic body) 11 distributed and arranged at 17 positions when viewed from the front surface of the hard base 10. And a total of 18 key tops 12 and 13 disposed on the top surface of each elastic rubber 11.

(1) Hard base The hard base 10 is colorless and transparent or colored and transparent, and is a decorative polycarbonate flat plate. Light from a light source (not shown) is part of each key top 12, 13 or It has a function as a light guide that leads to the entire area. However, the function of the hard base 10 as a light guide is not essential. Further, the hard base 10 may be a plate made of a resin other than polycarbonate (for example, ABS, acrylic), metal, glass, or ceramics, as long as the material is harder than the elastic rubber 11.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the hard base 10 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, and a total of seven protruding holders for holding the keypad 1 on a casing (not shown) are provided around the hard base 10. A portion 10a is provided. In addition, in the hard base 10, 17 through regions 30 penetrating in the thickness direction of the hard base 10 in the plane are arranged in the form of six rows on the left and right rows and five rows on the center row. One of the penetrating regions 30 has a cross shape and is arranged at the uppermost stage of the central row. The through region 30 disposed in the uppermost stage of each of the left and right rows is an opening region 30 a that opens to the outer peripheral side of the hard base 10. The shapes of the five penetrating regions 30 on the left and right sides arranged below the opening region 30a and the four penetrating regions 30 below the cross-shaped penetrating region 30 are rectangular.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the through regions 30 of the hard base 10 are connected to each other by concave portions 10 c formed in the vertical direction for each column. The recess 10 c is recessed from the back surface of the hard base 10 toward the front surface. In addition, five light source insertion portions 10b are arranged in the vertical direction between the through regions 30 in the left and right rows and the through regions 30 in the center row. The light source insertion portion 10 b is a rectangular recess that is recessed from the back surface of the hard base 10 toward the front surface. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, the inner surface of the penetration region 30 of the hard base 10 is a smooth surface.

  At each corner formed by the peripheral edge of each opening region 30a and the upper side of the hard base 10, one inclined portion 20 that inclines downward from the front side surface of the hard base 10 toward the upper side direction (Y direction) is provided. Is formed. Further, there is one inclined portion 20 that is located in the left and right side directions of the hard base 10 relative to each opening region 30a and that is inclined downward toward the side (X direction) at each upper end portion of the region. It is formed one by one.

  The inclination angle (θ) of the inclined portion 20 shown in FIG. 9 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably 15 degrees or more and less than 75 degrees, and more preferably 30 degrees or more and less than 60 degrees. When the inclination angle is 15 degrees or more, more preferably 30 degrees or more, the length of the inclined portion 20 can be made relatively shorter than the length of the hard base 10, and the area of the keypad 1 can be reduced. In addition, it becomes easy to meet the demand for thinning. On the other hand, when the inclination angle is less than 75 degrees, more preferably less than 60 degrees, the contact area between the upper mold or the lower mold and the inclined portion 20 can be increased, and the generation of burrs can be further reduced.

(2) Elastic rubber The elastic rubber 11 is made of translucent silicone rubber, and is fixed to the hard base 10 so as to embed the penetrating region 30 formed in the hard base 10, as shown in FIG. Yes. The elastic rubber 11 may be a rubber other than silicone rubber, or a thermoplastic elastomer instead. When a thermosetting elastomer is employed as the elastic rubber 11, heating is performed in the curing process. On the other hand, when a thermoplastic elastomer is employed as the elastic rubber 11, cooling is performed in the curing process. Each elastic rubber 11 is provided with a protruding portion 11b protruding in the surface direction of FIG. 6 as a pedestal region to which the key tops 12 and 13 are fixed. The area of the protrusion 11 b is smaller than the area of the through region 30. The region of the elastic rubber 11 other than the protruding portion 11 b is formed so as to be substantially flush with the surface of the hard base 10. The elastic rubber 11 that embeds the cross-shaped penetrating region 30 is formed with a total of five protruding portions 11b at each side and in the center. Each elastic rubber 11 that embeds the other penetrating region 30 is formed with one protruding portion 11b.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the elastic rubber 11 in which the opening region 30a is embedded, the extending portion 11a extending from the upper side to the side side of the hard base 10 has an upper side and a side side (however, the protruding holding portion 10a). Projecting outside the hard base 10. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1, when the keypad 1 is viewed from the front side, the extending portion 11a of the elastic rubber 11 is exposed. As shown in FIG. 8, the extending portion 11 a includes the left boundary line of the inclined portion 20 formed on the upper side of the hard base 10 and the upper boundary line of the inclined portion 20 formed on the side side of the hard base 10. It extends to. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the extending portion 11 a exposes the step surface 11 d (end portion of the extending portion 11 a) at the upper boundary line of the inclined portion 20 formed on the side of the hard base 10. It will be in the form. The same applies to the left boundary line of the inclined portion 20 formed on the upper side of the hard base 10.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the elastic rubber 11 is connected to the back surface of the hard base 10 in an up-and-down direction between the island-like region in which each through-region 30 formed in the hard base 10 is embedded and each island-like region. The connecting region 11e is formed. In the island-shaped region, one pressing element 11 c is formed at a position corresponding to the position of each protrusion 11 b formed on the front side of the hard base 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the connection region 11 e connects the island-like regions while wrapping around the back side of the hard base 10, and forms a part of the back surface of the hard base 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the elastic rubber 11 is molded so as to be in close contact with the smooth inner surface of the penetrating region 30 of the hard base 10.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, light from a light source (for example, an LED) disposed in the light source insertion portion 10 b is in the area between the key tops 12 and 13 on the front side surface of the hard base 10. In order not to leak light from the gap between the key tops 12 and 13, a light shielding film 16 having a surface color similar to that of the key tops 12 and 13 or a black light shielding film 16 is attached. The color of the back surface of the light shielding film 16 (the surface to be bonded to the hard base 10) is preferably white or metallic so that the light from the light source can be reflected. Instead of the light shielding film 16, light shielding printing or coating may be performed on the surface of the hard base 10.

(3) Key Top As shown in FIG. 7, the key tops 12 and 13 are fixed on the protruding portion 11 b via the adhesive layer 14. The key top 12 is a flat plate made of acrylic resin having a rectangular shape when viewed from the plane. The key top 12 is arranged according to the position of the elastic rubber 11. Specifically, a total of 16 key tops 12 are arranged on the front surface of the hard base 10, two in each of the left and right columns above the hard base 10 and 12 in four rows and three rows below the hard base 10. . The key top 12 is an input key.

  On the other hand, the key top 13 is a flat plate made of acrylic resin like the key top 12. The key top 13 includes one square frame-shaped key top 13 and one square key top 13 disposed in the square frame. The two key tops 13 are disposed in the upper center portion of the hard base 10. The square-shaped key top 13 is a key that can be selectively pressed up, down, left, or right when selecting a menu, searching an address book, selecting a telephone call list, and the like. The square key top 13 is a key to be pressed at the time of determination. The key tops 12 and 13 may be key tops made of resin other than acrylic resin (for example, polycarbonate, ABS), metal, glass, or ceramics.

2. Keypad Manufacturing Method (1) Shape of Lower Mold FIG. 11 is one mold constituting a mold for LIMS used in the process of fixing elastic rubber to the hard base, and the hard base is inserted. It is a top view which shows a part of lower die for this. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the lower mold 50 is a mold made of stainless steel, aluminum, iron, or steel, and includes a convex frame 51 that surrounds the outer periphery of the hard base 10, and an inner side of the frame 51. In addition, an insert recess (recess) 52 that is recessed from the frame 51 to the back side of the sheet of FIG. 11 is provided. A columnar protrusion 52a having a position and shape that can be inserted into the light source insertion portion 10b of the hard base 10 is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 52. The columnar protrusion 52a can be used for alignment when the hard base 10 is inserted. Continuing from the recess 52, a recess 53 for placing a plurality of protruding holding portions 10a formed around the hard base 10 is formed on the inner surface of the frame 51 so as to match the position of the protruding holding portion 10a. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the plurality of first projecting portions 55 having a rectangular shape when viewed from the plane at a position of each penetration region 30 of the hard base 10 in the recess 52 is slightly smaller than the outer shape. Is formed. In this embodiment, the protruding height of the first protrusion 55 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the hard base 10 and lower than the bottom surface position of the recess 52. However, the height of the first protrusion 55 may be the same as or larger than the thickness of the hard base 10. A second protrusion 56 having a smaller area than each first protrusion 55 is formed on each first protrusion 55. The first protrusions 55 arranged at the positions of the key tops 12 are each formed with one second protrusion 56 having a rectangular shape. Each of the rectangular second protrusions 56 is formed with one hole 57. On the other hand, on the cross-shaped first protrusion 55 arranged at the position of the key top 13, one second protrusion 56 having a cross shape having a slightly smaller area than the first protrusion 55. Is formed. A total of five holes 57 are formed in the four sides and the center of the cross-shaped second protrusion 56. The hole 57 is for forming the presser 11c. Only when each of the key tops 12 and 13 is pressed, the presser 11c comes into contact with a switch disposed on the back side of the keypad 1, and when each of the keytops 12 and 13 is not pressed, the presser 11c is separated from the switch. Because.

  In the recess 52, a space 58 for forming the extending portion 11 a of the elastic rubber 11 is formed from the upper side to the left and right side surfaces of FIG. 11. The position of the end 58 a in the vertical and horizontal directions of the space 58 is the position of the boundary line of the inclined portion 20 when the hard base 10 is inserted into the recess 52.

(2) Manufacturing process FIG. 13: is a top view which shows the state which inserted the hard base (the hatched part in FIG. 13) in the recessed part of the lower metal mold | die. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line HH in a state in which a hard base is inserted into the recess of the lower mold and the upper mold is clamped from above. FIG. 17 is a perspective view for explaining a situation in which the elastic rubber material extending along the side surface of the hard base is blocked at the position of the inclined portion of the hard base. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the main manufacturing process of the keypad.

  The first process for manufacturing the keypad 1 is a process of inserting the hard base 10 into the recess 52 of the lower mold 50 (step S101). In a state where the hard base 10 is inserted into the concave portion 52, a gap exists between the first protrusion 55 and the hard base 10 as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. Thereafter, when the elastic rubber material is supplied, the size of the lower mold 50 and the through region 30 of the hard base 10 is designed so that the elastic rubber material can enter the gap. Further, a gap (not shown) exists between the back surface side of the recess 10 c of the hard base 10 shown in FIG. 10 and the recess 52 of the lower mold 50. For this reason, the area other than the hard base 10 in the gap and the recess 52 is an area where the elastic rubber material flows and the elastic rubber 11 is formed in the subsequent process.

  Following step S101, the upper mold 60 and the lower mold 50 are clamped (step S102). As shown in FIG. 16, the upper mold 60 faces the lower mold 50 side so that the horizontal surface 61 and the vertical surface 62 are in contact with the top surface and the side surface of the protrusion 11b. 11b, a horizontal plane 63 in contact with the hard base 10, a slope 64 in contact with the inclined portion 20 from the horizontal plane 63, a horizontal plane 65 in succession from the slope 64 to the recess 52 of the lower mold 50, and the horizontal plane 65 The vertical surface 66 that rises vertically and faces the vertical surface 71 of the lower mold 50, and the horizontal surface 67 that faces the top surface of the frame 51 continues from the vertical surface 66. In the state where the upper mold 60 and the lower mold 50 are clamped, there is almost no space other than the space V shown in FIG. When the inclined surface 64 of the upper mold 60 is designed to come into surface contact with the inclined portion 20 of the hard base 10, the clearance between the horizontal surface 65 and the concave portion 52 and the clearance between the vertical surface 66 and the vertical surface 71 are made almost zero. Because it can.

  Next, the uncured elastic rubber material is injected into the space formed between the upper mold 60 and the lower mold 50 (step S103). As shown in FIG. 17, the elastic rubber material flows from the upper side of the hard base 10 in the direction indicated by the thick dotted line f, but cannot extend beyond the boundary with the inclined portion 20 and is smooth. A stepped surface 11d is formed. As a result, the elastic rubber material is filled only in the space V, and no burrs are generated from the stepped surface 11d.

  Next, a curing process (step S104), separation between the upper mold 60 and the lower mold 50 (step S105), application of the light shielding film 16 (step S106), and adhesion of the key tops 12 and 13 (step S107) are performed. The keypad 1 is completed.

“Second Embodiment”
FIG. 19 is a plan view of a keypad with a hard base (hereinafter simply referred to as “keypad”) according to the second embodiment. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along line BB. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along the line CC. FIG. 22 is a rear view of the keypad. FIG. 23 is a plan view showing a state in which the elastic rubber is fixed to the hard base and before each key top is fixed to the keypad. FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. FIG. 25 is an enlarged view of a portion E in FIG. FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the portion E in FIG. 23 when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 27 is a plan view of the hard base. In each figure, the elastic rubber portion is shown in a lattice pattern.

  In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for configurations that are the same as those in the first embodiment, and redundant descriptions of the configurations are omitted.

  The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the central portion of the upper side of the hard base 10 is opened to form a substantially cross-shaped opening region 30a, and the inclined portion 40. Is provided only on the left and right sides of the hard base 10, the inclined portion 40 is formed on the back surface of the hard base 10, and the elastic rubber 11 does not protrude in the side surface direction of the hard base 10. Hereinafter, these differences will be mainly described.

1. Form of Keypad and Its Components (1) Hard Base As shown in FIGS. 19 and 27, the hard base 10 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the plane, and on the three side surfaces excluding its upper side, Two protruding holding portions 10a for holding the keypad 1 are provided in a housing (not shown). As shown in FIG. 27, one of the penetrating regions 30 is a substantially cross-shaped opening region 30a having an upper side opened, and is arranged at the uppermost stage of the central row. Further, the through region 30 arranged at the uppermost stage in each of the left and right columns is also an opening region 30a. Except for the three opening regions 30a, the through region 30 has no opening.

  As shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 24, on the back side surface of the hard base 10, it is a region located in the left and right sides of the hard base 10 relative to the left and right uppermost opening region 30a, and at each upper end of the region Are each formed with one inclined portion 40 inclined upward from the back surface to the side (X direction). The inclination angle (θ) of the inclined portion 40 shown in FIG. 26 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably 15 degrees or more and less than 75 degrees, more preferably 30 degrees or more and less than 60 degrees, for the same reason as in the first embodiment. .

(2) Elastic rubber As shown in FIG. 23, the elastic rubber 11 embedding the opening region 30a is substantially flush with the upper side surface and the left and right side surfaces of the hard base 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 25, the left and right lower end portions of the elastic rubber 11 burying the opening region 30 a extend to the upper boundary line of the inclined portion 40 formed on the left and right sides of the hard base 10. As a result, as shown in FIG. 26, the elastic rubber 11 in which the opening region 30a is embedded has a form in which the step surface (the end portion of the extending portion 11a) 11d is exposed at the upper boundary line of the inclined portion 40.

2. Keypad Manufacturing Method (1) Shape of Lower Mold FIG. 28 is one mold constituting a mold for LIMS used in the process of fixing elastic rubber to the hard base, and the hard base is inserted. It is a top view which shows a part of lower die for this.

  The lower mold 50 has an inclined surface 59 that is inclined upward at a position in surface contact with the left and right inclined portions 40 when the hard base 10 is inserted. The recess 52 has a size having a gap with the upper side of the hard base 10 when the hard base 10 is inserted into the recess 52.

(2) Manufacturing Process FIG. 29 is a plan view showing a state in which a hard base (the hatched portion in the figure) is inserted into the recess of the lower mold. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in FIG. FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H-H in a state where a hard base is inserted into the recess of the lower mold and the upper mold is clamped from above. The flowchart of the manufacturing process is the same as that described in the first embodiment.

  The first step of manufacturing the keypad 1 is a step of inserting the hard base 10 into the recess 52 of the lower mold 50. In a state where the hard base 10 is inserted into the concave portion 52, a gap exists between the second projecting portion 56 and the hard base 10 as shown in FIG. 30. Thereafter, when the elastic rubber material is supplied, the size of the lower mold 50 and the through region 30 of the hard base 10 is designed so that the elastic rubber material can enter the gap. Further, a gap (not shown) exists between the back surface of the recess 10 c of the hard base 10 and the recess 52 of the lower mold 50 shown in FIG. 27. For this reason, the area other than the hard base 10 in the gap and the recess 52 is an area where the elastic rubber material flows and the elastic rubber 11 is formed in the subsequent process.

  Next, the upper mold 80 and the lower mold 50 are clamped. As shown in FIG. 31, the opposing surface of the lower mold 50 to the upper mold 80 side is a slope 59 that is in contact with the inclined portion 40 from the bottom surface of the recess 52, and a horizontal plane that extends outward from the slope 59. 70, a vertical surface 71 rising vertically from the horizontal plane 70, and a top surface of the frame 51 extending outward from the vertical surface 71. On the other hand, the surface of the upper mold 80 that faces the lower mold 50 side extends outwardly from the horizontal surface 81, the vertical surface 82, and the vertical surface 82 that are in contact with the top and side surfaces of the protrusion 11b, respectively. A horizontal surface 83 that contacts the lower portion of 11b, the surface of the hard base 10 and the horizontal surface 70 of the lower mold 50, and a vertical surface 84 that rises vertically from the horizontal surface 83 and faces the vertical surface 71 of the lower mold 50. And a horizontal plane 85 that continues from the vertical plane 84 and faces the top surface of the frame 51. The vicinity of the inclined portion 40 of the hard base 10 is in contact with the bottom surface of the recess 52 of the lower mold 50, the inclined surface 59 of the lower mold 50, and the horizontal surface 83 of the upper mold 80.

  In the state where the upper mold 80 and the lower mold 50 are clamped, there is almost no space other than the space V shown in FIG. When the inclined surface 59 of the lower mold 50 is designed to be in surface contact with the inclined portion 40 of the hard base 10, the clearance between the horizontal plane 70 and the horizontal plane 83 and the clearance between the vertical plane 84 and the vertical plane 71 are made almost zero. Because it can.

  Next, an uncured elastic rubber material is injected into a space formed between the upper mold 80 and the lower mold 50. As shown in FIG. 26, the elastic rubber material flows from the upper side of the hard base 10 in the direction indicated by the thick dotted line f, but cannot extend beyond the boundary with the inclined portion 40 and is smooth. A stepped surface 11d is formed. As a result, the elastic rubber material is filled only in the space V, and no burrs are generated from the stepped surface 11d.

  Next, a curing process (step S104), separation between the upper mold 80 and the lower mold 50 (step S105), application of the light shielding film 16 (step S106), and adhesion of the key tops 12 and 13 (step S107) are performed. The keypad 1 is completed.

“Third Embodiment”
FIG. 32 is a plan view showing a state in which the elastic rubber is fixed to the hard base and before each key top is fixed to the keypad. FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 in the first embodiment. FIG. 34 is an enlarged view of portion E in FIG.

  In the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the configurations that are the same as those in the first embodiment, and redundant descriptions of the configurations are omitted.

  The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the central portion of the upper side of the hard base 10 is opened to form a substantially cross-shaped opening region 30a, and the inclined portion 20 Is provided only on the left and right sides of the hard base 10, the elastic rubber 11 does not protrude in the side surface direction of the hard base 10, and a part of the inner peripheral surface of the through region 30 of the hard base 10 is the through region 30. The light shielding film 16 is affixed to the inclined portion 20. Among these differences, the central portion of the upper side of the hard base 10 is opened to form a substantially cross-shaped opening region 30a, and the inclined portion 20 is provided only on the left and right sides of the hard base 10. The fact that the elastic rubber 11 does not protrude in the side surface direction of the hard base 10 is the same as that of the second embodiment, and thus the redundant description is omitted. Therefore, only a part of the inner peripheral surface of the penetration region 30 of the hard base 10 protruding toward the hole side of the penetration region 30 and the point where the light shielding film 16 is attached to the inclined portion 20 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 33, a part of the inner peripheral surface of the through region 30 of the hard base 10 is a protruding step portion 15 that protrudes toward the hole side of the through region 30. The elastic rubber 11 is in close contact with the protruding step portion 15 at a portion where the elastic rubber 11 is fixed to the penetrating region 30. For this reason, the contact area of the hard base 10 and the elastic rubber 11 is increased, so that the fixing stability of the members 10 and 11 can be improved. As a more specific example of the action / effect, it is possible to effectively prevent the elastic rubber 11 from being separated from the hard base 10 when the mold is separated in step S105. Also, as shown in FIGS. 32 and 34, one inclined portion 20 is formed on each of the left and right sides of the hard base 10. The inclined portion 20 is a portion inclined downward from the front side surface of the hard base toward the side (X direction). A suitable angle range of the inclination angle (θ) of the inclined portion 20 is the same as that in each of the above embodiments. A light shielding film 16 is attached to the surface of the inclined portion 20. The light shielding film 16 is the same film that is attached to the gap between the key tops 12 and 13 on the surface of the hard base 10. Thereby, the light leakage from the inclination part 20 can be prevented.

“Fourth Embodiment”
FIG. 35 is a plan view of a keypad with a hard base according to the fourth embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as “keypad”). 36 and 37 are a cross-sectional view of the keypad shown in FIG. 35 taken along the line BB and the cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I, respectively. FIG. 38 is a plan view showing a state in which the elastic rubber is fixed to the hard base and before each key top is fixed to the keypad. FIG. 39 is an enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. FIG. 40 is an enlarged view of portion E in FIG. FIG. 41 is a perspective view of the portion E in FIG. 38 as viewed obliquely from above. 42 is a cross-sectional view of the hard base shown in FIG. 40 taken along the line JJ. In each figure, the elastic rubber portion is shown in a lattice pattern.

  In the fourth embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for configurations common to the above-described embodiments, and redundant description of the configurations is omitted.

  The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the central portion of the upper side of the hard base 10 is opened to form a substantially cross-shaped opening region 30a, and the inclined portion 20 Are provided only on the left and right sides of the hard base 10, the inclined portion 20 is inclined downward, the elastic rubber 11 is located on the inner side of the side surface of the hard base 10, and the hard base 10 This is that the inner peripheral surface of the through region 30 is recessed. Among these differences, the central portion of the upper side of the hard base 10 is opened to form a substantially cross-shaped opening region 30a, and the inclined portion 20 is provided only on the left and right sides of the hard base 10. Since this is common to the second embodiment, a duplicate description thereof is omitted. Accordingly, the inclined portion 20 is inclined downward upward, the elastic rubber 11 is inside the side surface of the hard base 10, and the inner peripheral surface of the through region 30 of the hard base 10 is depressed. I will explain it with emphasis.

1. Form of keypad and its constituent members (1) Hard base It is an area in the left and right sides of the hard base 10 rather than the left and right opening areas 30a, and the upper end of each area is in the upward direction (Y direction). One inclined portion 20 that is inclined downward is formed one by one. The inclination angle (θ) of the inclined portion 20 shown in FIG. 41 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably 15 degrees or more and less than 75 degrees, and more preferably 30 degrees or more and less than 60 degrees, for the reasons described in the above embodiments. . Further, as shown in FIG. 39, a part of the inner peripheral surface of each penetrating region 30 of the hard base 10 is a recess 18 that is recessed inward.

(2) Elastic Rubber As shown in FIGS. 38 and 40, the elastic rubber 11 extends to the inner boundary line of each of the left and right inclined portions 20 above the hard base 10, but extends further outside. Not out. For this reason, the area of the elastic rubber 11 is on the inner side of the side surface of the hard base 10 above the keypad 1. The left and right end surfaces 11f of the elastic rubber 11 above the keypad 1 are exposed above the inclined portions 20, as shown in FIGS. The exposed surface is in a position not exceeding the inner boundary line of each inclined portion 20.

2. 43. Keypad Manufacturing Method FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of an inclined portion in a state where a hard base is inserted into a lower mold, an upper mold is arranged from above, and the upper mold and the lower mold are clamped It is.

  As shown in FIG. 43, the lower mold 50 has a facing surface facing the upper mold 90 side, a bottom surface of the recess 52 that contacts the back surface of the hard base 10, a vertical surface 71 that rises vertically from the bottom surface, and a vertical surface. The top surface of the frame 51 extends outward from 71. On the other hand, the surface of the upper mold 90 facing the lower mold 50 side is a horizontal surface 91 that contacts the front surface of the hard base 10, a slope 92 that contacts the inclined portion 20, and a slope 92 that contacts the inclined portion 20. A horizontal plane 93 that extends outward and faces the bottom surface of the recess 52 of the lower mold 50, continues vertically from the horizontal plane 93, and continues from the vertical plane 94 that faces the vertical plane 71 of the lower mold 50. And has a horizontal surface 95 that extends outward and faces the top surface of the frame 51. The vicinity of the inclined portion 20 of the hard base 10 is in contact with the bottom surface of the recess 52 of the lower mold 50, the inclined surface 92 of the upper mold 90, and the horizontal surface 91 of the upper mold 90.

  In a state where the upper mold 90 and the lower mold 50 are clamped, there is almost no space between the upper mold 90 and the lower mold 50. When the inclined surface 92 of the upper mold 90 is designed to come into surface contact with the inclined portion 20 of the hard base 10, the clearance between the bottom surface of the recess 52 and the horizontal surface 93 and the clearance between the vertical surface 94 and the vertical surface 71 are almost zero. Can be. As a result, even if the elastic rubber material flows as indicated by a thick dotted line f shown in FIG. 41, the elastic rubber material cannot extend outward from the position of the end surface 11f in contact with the upper mold 90, and the position of the end surface 11f is first. Does not cause burrs.

  Next, after the injection of the elastic rubber material, the curing process (step S104), the separation of the upper mold 90 and the lower mold 50 (step S105), the application of the light shielding film 16 (step S106), the key tops 12, 13 Bonding (step S107) is performed, and the keypad 1 is completed.

“Fifth Embodiment”
FIG. 44 is a partial cross-sectional view of a keypad with a hard base (hereinafter simply referred to as “keypad”) according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 45 is a perspective view when the vicinity of the inclined portion shown in FIG. 44 is viewed obliquely from above.

  In the fifth embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for configurations common to the above-described embodiments, and redundant description of the configurations is omitted.

  The fifth embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the inclined portion is inclined upward and downward. Hereinafter, this point will be described mainly.

1. Form of keypad and its components (1) Hard base

  In each of the left and right sides of the hard base 10 with respect to each opening region 30a, the upper end of each region has an inclined portion 110 inclined downward and laterally inclined toward the side (X direction). Both inclined portions 120 are formed.

  The inclination angle (θ1) of the inclined portion 110 shown in FIG. 45 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably 7.5 degrees or more and less than 37.5 degrees, more preferably 15 degrees or more and less than 30 degrees. The inclination angle (θ2) of the inclined portion 120 with respect to the horizontal plane is also preferably 7.5 degrees or more and less than 37.5 degrees, and more preferably 15 degrees or more and less than 30 degrees. θ1 and θ2 may be the same angle or different angles. When the inclination angles (θ1, θ2) are 7.5 degrees or more, more preferably 15 degrees or more, the lengths of the inclined portions 110 and 120 may be made relatively short with respect to the length of the hard base 10. This makes it easy to meet the demands for reducing the area and thickness of the keypad 1. On the other hand, when the inclination angle is less than 37.5 degrees, more preferably less than 30 degrees, the contact area between the upper mold and the inclined part 110 or the contact area between the lower mold and the inclined part 120 may be increased. And the occurrence of burrs can be further reduced.

(2) Elastic Rubber As shown in FIG. 45, the side lower end portion of the elastic rubber 11 extends to the upper boundary line of the inclined portion 110 and the inclined portion 120 formed on both sides of the hard base 10. As a result, the elastic rubber 11 has a form in which each step surface 11d is exposed at the upper boundary line of the inclined portion 110 and the inclined portion 120.

2. Manufacturing Method of Keypad FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the inclined portion with the hard base inserted in the lower mold. 47 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the inclined portion in a state where the lower die and the upper die shown in FIG. 46 are clamped.

  As shown in FIG. 46, the surface facing the upper mold 100 side of the lower mold 50 is a bottom surface of the recess 52 that contacts the back surface of the hard base 10, and a slope that extends outward from the bottom surface. The inclined surface 120 is in surface contact with the inclined portion 120, the horizontal surface 70 extends outward from the inclined surface 59, the vertical surface 71 rises vertically from the horizontal surface 70, and the top surface of the frame 51 extends outward from the vertical surface 71.

  The upper mold 100 is opposed to the lower mold 50 side by a horizontal plane 101 and a vertical plane 102 that are in contact with the top and side surfaces of the protrusion 11b, respectively, and extends from the vertical plane 102 to the outer surface. A horizontal plane 103 in contact with the horizontal plane, a slope extending outwardly downward from the horizontal plane 103, and a slope 104 in surface contact with the inclined portion 110, extending outward from the slope 104, and extending to the horizontal plane 70 of the lower mold 50 A horizontal plane 105 facing the vertical plane 71 of the lower mold 50 and a vertical plane 106 facing the vertical plane 71 of the lower mold 50, extending outward from the vertical plane 106 and facing the top surface of the frame 51. Have The vicinity of the inclined portion 110 and the inclined portion 120 of the hard base 10 is in contact with the bottom surface and the inclined surface 59 of the recess 52 of the lower mold 50, and the inclined surface 104 and the horizontal surface 103 of the upper mold 100. In the state where the upper mold 100 and the lower mold 50 are clamped, there is almost no space other than the space V between the upper mold 100 and the lower mold 50.

  As described above, when the inclined surface 104 of the upper mold 100 is in surface contact with the inclined portion 110 of the hard base 10 and the inclined surface 59 of the lower mold 50 is in surface contact with the inclined portion 120 of the hard base 10, Each clearance between 105 and the horizontal surface 70 and between the vertical surface 106 and the vertical surface 71 can be made almost zero. As a result, even if the elastic rubber material flows as indicated by a thick dotted line f shown in FIG. 45, it cannot extend from the step surface 11d toward the inclined portions 110 and 120, and no burrs are generated from the step surface 11d.

  Next, after the injection of the elastic rubber material, the curing process (step S104), the separation between the upper mold 100 and the lower mold 50 (step S105), the application of the light shielding film 16 (step S106), the key tops 12, 13 Bonding (step S107) is performed, and the keypad 1 is completed.

"Differences between each embodiment and conventional form"
FIG. 48 is a diagram showing a conventional manufacturing method in which the inclined portion is not formed on the hard base for comparison with the manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 48, the lower mold 50 has a vertical surface 71 rising vertically from the bottom surface of the recess 52, and a top surface of the frame 51 extending outward from the vertical surface 71. The upper mold 130 has a horizontal surface 131 and a vertical surface 132 that contact the top surface and the side surface of the protrusion 11b, a horizontal surface 133 that extends outward from the vertical surface 132 and a surface on the front side of the hard base 10, and a vertical surface from the horizontal surface 133. And a vertical surface 134 that faces the vertical surface 71 of the lower mold 50, and a horizontal surface 135 that extends outward from the vertical surface 134 and faces the top surface of the frame 51.

  In the state where the upper mold 130 and the lower mold 50 are clamped, the outer frame of the hard base 10 has a horizontal surface 133 of the upper mold 130, a vertical surface 71 of the lower mold 50, and a recess as shown in FIG. 48. Surrounded by the bottom surface of 52. However, it is necessary to provide a clearance for inserting the hard base 10 into the lower mold 50 (W space shown in FIG. 48). When the unvulcanized elastic rubber material is poured, this W space flows along the outer side surface 140 of the hard base 10 in the surface direction of FIG. 48 and causes burrs after vulcanization.

  On the other hand, in the keypad 1 according to each embodiment of the present invention, since the inclined portions 20, 40, 110, and 120 are formed on the hard base 10, the W space shown in FIG. 48 does not occur. In addition, the lower mold 50 and the upper mold 60, 80, 90, 100 can be designed. Therefore, the keypad 1 without burrs can be manufactured without extending the elastic rubber 11 beyond a desired shape.

"Other forms"
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications.

  For example, each of the embodiments described above includes two or more inclined portions, but may include one inclined portion. Further, even when two or more inclined portions are formed on the hard base 10, unlike the above-described embodiments, the inclined portion 20 that inclines downward from the surface on the front side of the hard base 10, and the hard base You may equip another place with the inclination part 40 which inclines upwards from the surface of 10 back side. Further, the fourth embodiment includes two inclined portions 20 that are inclined downward from the surface toward the upper side of the hard base 10. You may form in.

  The opening region 30a is not essential, and an inclined portion is provided at a portion where the elastic rubber material is filled in the penetrating region 30 having no opening and the elastic rubber material extending from the front surface or the back surface of the hard base 10 is stopped. May be formed. Further, all the through regions 30 may be set as the opening regions 30a. Further, the elastic rubber 11 may be disposed on the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base 10 without being connected from the location of the penetrating region 30. In this case, the uncured elastic rubber material flowing around the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base 10 is squeezed at the position of the inclined portion and cured by the subsequent curing process.

  The keypad with a hardware base according to the present invention can be used for an input device such as an electronic device such as a mobile phone and a portable information terminal, and a keyboard.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a keypad with a hard base (keypad) according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along line AA. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along line BB. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along the line CC. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the keypad. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the elastic rubber is fixed to the hard base and before each key top is fixed to the keypad. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion E in FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the portion E in FIG. 6 when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the hard base. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a part of a lower mold for inserting a hard base, which is one mold constituting a LIMS mold used in the process of fixing elastic rubber to a hard base. is there. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a state in which the hard base (the hatched portion in the figure) is inserted into the recess of the lower mold. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line HH in a state in which a hard base is inserted into the recess of the lower mold and the upper mold is clamped from above. FIG. 17 is a perspective view for explaining a situation in which the elastic rubber material extending along the side surface of the hard base is blocked at the position of the inclined portion of the hard base. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the main manufacturing process of the keypad. FIG. 19 is a plan view of a keypad with a hard base (keypad) according to the second embodiment. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along line BB. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad taken along the line CC. FIG. 22 is a rear view of the keypad. FIG. 23 is a plan view showing a state in which the elastic rubber is fixed to the hard base and before each key top is fixed to the keypad. FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. FIG. 25 is an enlarged view of a portion E in FIG. FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the portion E in FIG. 23 when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 27 is a plan view of the hard base. FIG. 28 is a plan view showing a part of a lower mold for inserting the hard base, which is one of the molds of the LIMS mold used in the process of fixing the elastic rubber to the hard base. is there. FIG. 29 is a plan view showing a state in which the hard base (the hatched portion in the figure) is inserted into the recess of the lower mold. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in FIG. FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H-H in a state where a hard base is inserted into the recess of the lower mold and the upper mold is clamped from above. FIG. 32 is a plan view showing a state in which the elastic rubber is fixed to the hard base and before each key top is fixed to the keypad. FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 in the first embodiment. FIG. 34 is an enlarged view of portion E in FIG. FIG. 35 is a plan view of a keypad with a hard base (keypad) according to the fourth embodiment. 36 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad shown in FIG. 35 taken along line BB. 37 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad shown in FIG. 35 taken along the line II. FIG. 38 is a plan view showing a state in which the elastic rubber is fixed to the hard base and before each key top is fixed to the keypad. FIG. 39 is an enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. FIG. 40 is an enlarged view of portion E in FIG. FIG. 41 is a perspective view of the portion E in FIG. 38 as viewed obliquely from above. 42 is a cross-sectional view of the hard base shown in FIG. 40 taken along the line JJ. FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the inclined portion in a state where the hard base is inserted into the lower mold, the upper mold is arranged from above, and the upper mold and the lower mold are clamped. FIG. 44 is a partial cross-sectional view of a keypad with a hard base (keypad) according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 45 is a perspective view when the vicinity of the inclined portion shown in FIG. 44 is viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the inclined portion with the hard base inserted into the lower mold. 47 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the inclined portion in a state where the lower die and the upper die shown in FIG. 46 are clamped. FIG. 48 is a diagram showing a conventional manufacturing method in which the inclined portion is not formed on the hard base for comparison with the manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the method to manufacture the conventional keypad. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the conventional keypad.

Explanation of symbols

1 Keypad (keypad with hard base)
10 Hard base 11 Elastic rubber (elastic body)
11a Extension part 11d Step surface (end part of extension part)
20 Inclined portion 30 Penetration region 30 Open region 40 Inclined portion 50 Lower mold 52 Insert recess (recess)
58 Space 60 Upper mold 80 Upper mold 90 Upper mold 100 Upper mold 110 Inclined portion 120 Inclined portion

Claims (7)

A plate-shaped hard base,
One or more key tops arranged on the surface side of the hard base;
In a keypad with a hard base comprising
An elastic body is provided at least on the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base,
The elastic body has an extending portion that extends along the outer periphery of the side surface,
A keypad with a hard base, characterized in that at the edge of the extension part at the periphery of the hard base, there is an inclined part in which at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the hard base is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. . The hard base has one or more penetrating regions penetrating in the thickness direction in the plane thereof,
The elastic body is embedded in part or all of the penetrating region, and is connected to the embedded region and disposed on the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base,
The keypad with a hard base according to claim 1, wherein the key top is disposed on a surface of the elastic body covering the penetrating region. Some or all of the penetrating regions are one or more open regions that open to the side of the hard base,
The keypad with a hard base according to claim 2, wherein the elastic body extends along an outer periphery of a side surface of the hard base from an opening region thereof. The hard base is made of a translucent resin,
The keypad with a hard base according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inclined portion is subjected to a light shielding process. A plate-like hard base and one or more key tops arranged on the surface side of the hard base are provided, and an elastic body is provided on at least the outer periphery of the hard base, and the elastic body is the outer periphery of the side surface. An extension part extending along the edge of the hard base, and at least one of the front and back surfaces of the hard base is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane at the end of the extension part at the periphery of the hard base. In a method for manufacturing a keypad with a hard base comprising a portion,
Inserting the hard base into a lower mold having a recess for inserting the hard base;
Clamping the hard base with the lower mold and the upper mold so that a part of the mold inner surface is brought into surface contact with the inclined portion;
The uncured elastic material is supplied to the mold inner space formed by the upper mold and the lower mold, and does not overflow from the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base beyond the position of the inclined portion. Filling the inner space of the mold with the elastic material,
Curing the elastic material filled in the mold inner space;
A method for manufacturing a keypad with a hard base, comprising: The hard base has one or more penetrating regions penetrating in the thickness direction in the plane thereof,
The elastic body is embedded in part or all of the penetrating region, and is connected to the embedded region and disposed on the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base,
The method for manufacturing a keypad with a hard base according to claim 5, wherein the key top is disposed on a surface of the elastic body covering the penetrating region. Some or all of the penetrating regions are one or more open regions that open to the sides of the hard base;
The method of manufacturing a keypad with a hard base according to claim 6, wherein the elastic body extends from the opening region along the outer periphery of the side surface of the hard base.

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