JP2555497Y2 - Illuminated key - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a compact illuminated key which is convenient when used at night or in a dark place as a key for various mobile communications such as a mobile phone or a car phone, or as a key for various other terminals. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional illuminated key of this type has a drawback that characters and the like disappear over time because a character printing layer for numbers and symbols is formed on the surface of the key top. Was. In addition, there is a problem that characters and the like displayed on a key at night or in a dark place are not clearly displayed.

[0003]

[Problem to be solved by the invention]
It is an object of the present invention to provide an illuminated key in which characters and the like displayed on the top are always clear, there is no damage with time, and efficient and uniform illumination can be achieved.

[0004]

An illuminated key according to the present invention comprises a non-operating portion and an operating portion connected to the non-operating portion via a skirt portion or a thin portion. In addition to being integrally formed, the operating portion forms an annular flange on the periphery thereof , and includes a button portion protruding upward inside the annular flange portion, such as numerals, symbols, etc. on the upper surface of the button portion. A coating layer is formed of a non-light-transmitting synthetic resin on the sign portion or on the remaining upper surface except the sign portion and its peripheral portion, the side surface of the button portion, and the inside of the annular flange portion , and a primer is formed on the operating portion with the coating layer. It is thermally bonded through In addition, the sign portions such as numbers and symbols formed on the upper surface of the button portion are formed by dot-shaped or partially cut-out light-transmitting convex portions.

[0005]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view when dot characters are formed based on the structure of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing notched characters and characters formed continuously based on the structure of FIG. 1
Is a key pad in which the non-operating portion 1a and the operating portion 1b are integrally formed of a transparent silicone rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, or a thermoplastic elastomer such as polyester or polyimide. . As shown in FIG. 1, the operating portion 1b has a structure in which the operating portion 1b is supported by a thin skirt portion 1c which bulges upward from the upper side of the non-operating portion 1a. A structure in which the operating portion 1b is supported by a thin skirt portion bulging upward from a middle portion or a lower portion of the side surface of the non-operating portion 1a may be used. The thin skirt portion 1c makes a click movement when the switch is turned on and off.

An annular flange 1d is provided at a position connected to the upper end of the skirt portion 1c and at a position corresponding to the periphery of the operating portion 1b.
To form The operating portion 1b has a button portion 1e protruding upward from the inside of the annular flange portion 1d, and a sign portion 2 such as a numeral or a symbol is integrally formed on the upper surface of the button portion 1e with the same material as the operating portion 1b. As a result, a light-transmitting convex portion 2e is obtained. When the marker 2 is formed to project from the translucent protrusion 2e, a dot character 2a is formed as shown in FIG. 2, a cutout character 2b is formed as shown in FIG. As shown, it may be any of the continuous characters 2c. The dot character 2a and the notch character 2b are for eliminating molding defects at the time of molding due to the formation of a closed space in the numeral portion such as the numeral "8" or "0".

[0007] The annular collar portion 1d extends upward at the periphery of the operating portion 1b.
It is formed by a protruding portion and a flat portion 3 inside the protruding portion.
You. The height of the protruding portion of the annular flange portion 1d is determined by the thickness of the coating layer 4 formed of a non-light-transmitting synthetic resin described later and the thickness of the primer 5 for thermally bonding the coating layer 4 to the operating portion 1b. It is formed equivalent to the total thickness. In FIG. 1, the upper surface of the remaining button portion 1e excluding the marker portion 2, the side surface of the button portion 1e, and the annular flange portion 1d
Is formed with a coating layer 4 in which the inside is coated with a non-translucent synthetic resin. At least the flat portion 3 is treated with the primer 5 so that the coating layer 4 can be thermally bonded to the operating portion 1b. In this example
Although not shown, the primer 5 covers the entire adhesive surface of the coating layer 4.
It is desirable to process. In this way, the upper surface of the remaining button portion 1e excluding the marker portion 2, the side surface of the button portion 1e, and the inside of the annular flange portion 1d are covered with the non-light-transmitting synthetic resin. The use of synthetic resin prevents light leakage to the outside with as little coating as possible,
Adjacent frame 6 to enable efficient coating
This is to reduce the frictional resistance between them and make it possible to perform up and down operations smoothly.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this illuminated key, a key top portion 7 formed of a translucent material (a material is not limited as long as it is translucent and may be glass, etc.) is installed on the upper surface of the button portion 1e ( A printed character printing layer 8 such as a numeral or a symbol is formed on the back surface of the key top portion 7, and a colored or uncolored transparent layer is formed on the back surface of the printed character printing layer 8. An optical printing layer 9 is formed. Although not shown in this example, a character printing layer such as a non-translucent number or symbol is formed on the back surface of the key top portion 7 so as to have the opposite relationship to the character shown in FIG. Alternatively, a light-transmitting printing layer may be formed on the back surface including the character printing layer.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show still another embodiment. Although the basic structure is as described above, the major difference is that the non-operating portion 1a is formed without forming the skirt portion 1c.
Forming a thin portion 1f extending in the lateral direction from an appropriate position,
The back surface of b has a structure corresponding to the snap switch 10 and the like.

Thus, light emitted from a light source for illumination (not shown) passes through the working portion 1b and the non-working portion 1a formed of a translucent material, but the surface coating layer 4 and the frame are formed. 6 and a part thereof is reflected inward. The light transmitted through the operating portion 1b is uniformly and clearly illuminated as a dot character 2a as shown in FIG. 2 formed by the translucent convex portion 2e, or as a cut-out character 2b and a continuous character 2c as shown in FIG. You. In addition, when characters are printed, only the character portions emerge from the surroundings.

[0011]

According to the present invention, as can be seen from the above description, the non-operating portion and the operating portion connected to the non-operating portion via the skirt portion or the thin-walled portion are made of a transparent soft rubber such as silicon rubber. In addition to the above, the operating portion forms an annular flange on the periphery thereof , and includes a button portion protruding upward inside the annular flange portion , and a sign portion such as a number or a symbol on the upper surface of the button portion. Alternatively, a coating layer is formed of a non-light-transmitting synthetic resin on the upper surface and the side surfaces of the button portion and the inside of the annular flange portion except for the marker portion and its peripheral portion, and the coating layer is formed on the operating portion via a primer. Because of the thermal bonding, the peeling caused by covering the button part made of translucent soft rubber such as silicon rubber with the covering layer made of non-translucent synthetic resin, which is a different material, will cause the covering layer to become contact it via a primer in thermal adhesion and coating layer on the annular flange portion inside <br/> of By each of the possible is that the structure, even if the key is with respect to the rotation force also would be circular in shape, sufficiently not compete, or rotate the covering layer, without or deviation always covered by repeated use The layer covers the button part in close contact with the button part, and the sign part such as a numeral or symbol on the upper surface of the button part can be clearly seen. In addition, light emitted from the light source for illumination is blocked by the coating layer and the frame, so that light does not leak to the outside, light leakage is efficiently prevented with a small coating, and is always clear and uniform. Irradiated dot characters or notched characters can be displayed. In addition, since the coating layer is formed of a non-light-transmitting synthetic resin, it can move up and down smoothly with little frictional resistance with the frame. In particular, in the case of forming a dot character or a notched character, since the character is made of translucent soft rubber such as silicone rubber, when a closed space is generated by the character, the synthetic resin flows into the closed space. There is no negative effect, and clear characters can be obtained.

A key top portion formed of a translucent material is provided on the upper surface of the button portion, and a printed character printing layer such as a numeral or a symbol is formed on the back surface of the key top portion. Forming a colored or colorless translucent printing layer on the back surface of the character printing layer, or forming a non-translucent character printing layer such as a number or symbol on the back surface of the key top portion; Since the light-transmitting printing layer is formed on the back surface including the characters, the character portion does not appear on the surface of the key top portion, the clear state can be always maintained, and the material of the key top portion is hardened or softened. The sign can be freely selected, and the sign can be made in various colors in contrast with the surroundings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view when a dot character is formed based on the structure of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing notched characters and characters formed continuously based on the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a blank character created based on the structure of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment having no skirt portion.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment having no skirt portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 keypad 1a non-operating portion 1b operating portion 1c skirt portion 1d annular flange portion 1e button portion 2 sign portion 2a dot character 2b cutout character 2c continuous character 2e translucent convex portion 4 coating layer 6 frame 7 Key top part 8 Printed character print layer 9 Translucent print layer

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A non-operating portion and an operating portion connected to the non-operating portion via a skirt portion or a thin portion are integrally formed of a light-transmitting soft rubber such as silicon rubber. Forming an annular collar portion inside the annular collar portion
Has a button part protruding upward , the number on the upper surface of the button part,
A coating layer is formed of a non-light-transmitting synthetic resin on a sign portion such as a sign or the remaining upper surface except for the sign portion and its peripheral edge, the side surface of the button portion, and the inside of the annular flange portion , and the coating layer is formed by an operating portion. To plastic
Illumination type key, characterized in that the heat-bonded through a timer. 2. The illuminated type according to claim 1, wherein the sign portion such as a numeral or a symbol formed on the upper surface of the button portion is formed by a dot-shaped or partially cut-out light-transmitting convex portion. Key.