JP3252984B2 - Small electronic device using keyboard - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small electronic device using a keyboard, such as a notebook personal computer, an electronic organizer, and a calculator, and more particularly to a device using a solar cell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Portable electronic devices of this type generally use a battery as a power source, and solar batteries attached to a small portion other than a keyboard are used for a portable electronic device. Since only a small light receiving area of about 10 to 20% of the surface area of the device can be obtained,
There is a problem in that it is limited to a very small one and cannot be applied to a notebook personal computer or the like.

The present invention provides a keyboard part which can be used as a power generation area by a solar cell, and which can use a solar cell as an operating power source even in a small electronic device requiring relatively large power such as a notebook personal computer. The purpose is to do.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a flexible sheet having a solar cell integrally provided on a flat keyboard is overlaid on a flat keyboard, and a transparent sheet is placed on the solar cell. A key mark composed of letters, numbers or symbols is written at a position corresponding to a key contact on the transparent sheet.

[0005]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, the solar cell can exhibit power generation capability even in the keyboard area, and as a result, a large power generation capability can be obtained. In addition, the key marks on the transparent sheet on the keyboard, which are marked with characters or the like, do not contribute or generate only a small amount of power, but their area is at most 10-20% of the area of the keyboard. A much larger power generation capacity will be obtained.

[0006]

FIG. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of a small electronic device according to the present invention (enlarged sectional view taken along the line E--E in FIG. 2), and FIG. 1B is a contact structure inside the keyboard. FIG. 2C is a perspective view showing a use state, FIG. 2A is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a notebook personal computer as an embodiment in an open state.

In FIG. 2, 1 is a flat keyboard,
Reference numeral 2 denotes a display, 14 denotes a flexible solar cell provided on a keyboard, and 13 denotes a key mark composed of letters, numbers or symbols written on a portion where the transparent sheet is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the flat keyboard 1 has, as an example, fixed contacts 4 and 5 made of a conductive film on a printed circuit board 3.
A spacer 7 made of an insulating material (an opening 7a is formed in a portion facing the fixed contacts 4 and 5 of the spacer 7) is provided thereon, and a flexible sheet 8 made of rubber or the like is fixed thereon. The movable contact 6 is fixed to a portion of the lower surface facing the opposed portion of the fixed contacts 4 and 5.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a flexible sheet as a solar cell substrate on which a solar cell 12 of amorphous silicon or the like is integrally provided on the surface. Reference numerals 9 and 10 denote protection sheets for integrally covering the front and back surfaces of these laminates. Flexible sheet (the back sheet 9
Is not always necessary), and at least the surface sheet 10 is a transparent sheet. These 9 to 12 constitute a flexible solar cell 14. The back sheet 9 is partially or entirely fixed to the flexible sheet 8. As the flexible sheets 9 and 10, for example, polyethylene terephthalate or the like is used. As the flexible sheet 11 as a solar cell substrate, polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, or the like is used because of its flexibility and heat resistance. However, other resins can be used as long as they are suitable for this use.
The key mark 13 is marked by printing or the like.

In this keyboard, as shown in FIG. 1C, when the key mark 13 is pressed, the flexible solar cell 14 is bent, and the movable contact 6 is fixed to the fixed contacts 4,5.
To make a key operation signal.

As described above, a flat keyboard is used as the keyboard 1 and the flexible solar cells 14
, The keyboard area can also be used as a power generation area by the solar cell. Even if the light opaque or semi-transparent area (about 10 to 20%) by the key mark 13 is subtracted, it is much wider than before. Power generation area is obtained. Therefore, even a small electronic device such as a notebook personal computer that requires relatively large power can be operated only by the solar cell. Of course, a solar cell may be used in combination with a dry cell, a storage battery, or a commercial power supply, and the solar cell may be used as a charging power supply.

As the flat keyboard 1, in addition to the contact type, a non-contact type using a Hall element, a magnetoresistive element, a transformer, a capacitor, an optical transistor or the like can be used.

[0013]

According to the present invention, since the solar cells are provided over a wide area, a much larger power generation capacity than in the prior art can be obtained. For this reason, it becomes possible to operate an electronic device such as a notebook personal computer that requires a large amount of power using a solar cell.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view (an enlarged partial sectional view taken along EE in FIG. 2) showing an embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B shows an example of a contact structure inside a keyboard thereof. Perspective view,
FIG. 2C is a sectional view corresponding to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the notebook personal computer of the embodiment in an opened state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flat keyboard 2 Display 3 Printed circuit board 4, 5 Fixed contact 6 Movable contact 7 Spacer 8, 9 Flexible sheet 10 Transparent sheet 11 Flexible sheet 12 Solar cell 13 Key mark 14 Flexible solar cell

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 3/02 G06F 15/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A flexible sheet having a solar cell integrally provided on a surface thereof is superimposed on a flat keyboard, a transparent sheet is placed on the solar cell, and characters, numerals or characters are placed at positions corresponding to key contacts on the transparent sheet. A small electronic device using a keyboard, wherein a key mark consisting of a symbol and a symbol is written.