JP3650501B2 - Key top with cap - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an operation unit that is an input unit of an electric / electronic device, and more particularly to a key top with a cap that can be used for various purposes.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a copying machine as an example of a conventional electric / electronic device. The copying machine 1 has a box shape as a whole, and devices such as an optical system, a photosensitive member, and a developing device are arranged inside. There is a pressure plate 2 which is folded in two on the upper surface of the copying machine, and a contact glass is provided therebelow. The pressure plate is lifted, a document is placed on the contact glass, and the document is sandwiched by the pressure plate 2 from above. Copy papers of various sizes are accommodated in the copy trays 3 and 4.
[0003]
In front of the pressure plate 2 of the copying machine 1, there is a case 5 for an operation unit, in which a liquid crystal display panel 6 is provided in the center, and a plurality of key tops 8 are arranged on both sides thereof. The operator presses the key top 8 with his / her finger, designates the copy size, the number of copies, the shading, and the like, and presses the start key which is one of the key tops while checking the contents on the display panel 6 to make a copy.
[0004]
6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the key tops 8 provided in the case 5 of the operation unit in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the conventional key top 8 is shaped like a round cylindrical dish, and a ridge 8a is formed at the lower end of the cylinder, that is, at the edge of the dish. There is a protrusion 8b extending downward in the center of the dish. The key top 8 is inserted from below into a hole 5a drilled in the case 5, and is prevented from coming out upward with a flange 8a. Below the case 5, there is a circuit board 9, and the key switch 10 is disposed on the circuit board 9 so as to face the tip of the protrusion 8 b of each key top 8.
[0005]
When the operator pushes the key top 8 downward with the finger, the protrusion 8b turns on the key switch 10. When the finger is released, the key top 8 rises and the key switch 10 is turned off.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above configuration, the key top 8 cannot be removed from the case 5 because of the hook 8a. If it can be removed, there is a possibility that a finger may directly touch the circuit board 9 from the hole 5a where the key top is lost. Also, if left unattached, dust, especially metal foreign matters such as staples and clips, may enter and the circuit board 9 may be short-circuited. For this reason, the key top 8 cannot be removed from the case 5 without using tools, jigs and the like.
[0007]
Further, the conventional key top 8 has a gap between the case 5 and the surrounding dust easily enters the circuit board 9 from here, which causes a failure.
Furthermore, even when the key top is severely soiled or when it is attempted to replace the key top due to blurring of characters printed on the key top surface, the key top cannot be easily replaced.
[0008]
Recently, antibacterial processing has become a hot topic, but antibacterial agents are very expensive and are often coated. For example, if the surface of the key top (the surface touched by the finger) is coated with a thin film of several μm to several hundred μm, there is an advantage that the amount of the antibacterial agent used can be reduced. There is a drawback. When added to a resin or the like, it is durable but expensive.
[0009]
In addition, although products that use Braille are increasing, adding Braille to all of the same products is not preferable because there is a feeling of foreign objects for those who do not need Braille.
In addition, for a woman with long nails, the conventional key top has an unpleasant feeling because the tip of the nail easily hits the case 5 of the operation unit.
[0010]
The present invention has been conceived from such a fact, and an object of the present invention is to provide a key top with a cap that can easily cope with a case where it is soiled or faintly printed. Also, if you need braille, you can easily replace it with braille, extend your nails, and even people can operate without feeling uncomfortable, and cheap and long-lasting antibacterial processing is possible It aims to provide a key top with a cap.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a flexible elastic material having a fitting hole formed in the upper surface of a key top having a ridge formed at the lower end, and a protrusion that is pushed into the fitting hole to be fitted. A cap made of is removably attached to the key top, covers the exposed portion of the key top, and the key top is fitted in a hole in the case so that the cap is free from gaps between the case and the key top. It is characterized in that the inner peripheral portion of the hole of the case is sandwiched between the end portion of the cap and the flange of the key top.
[0012]
The cap is made colorless and transparent, Braille is provided on the surface of the cap, the surface central portion of the cap is raised to form a mountain-shaped portion, an antibacterial agent is added to the cap, the key top is a case The cap can be fitted in the through hole so that the cap covers the gap between the case and the key top.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a key top with a cap according to the present invention. The key top 20 of the present invention shown in the figure is the same as a conventional key top in that the outer shape is a cylindrical dish shape and a ridge 20a is formed at the lower end. However, the key top 20 of the present invention is characterized in that a fitting hole 20c is formed on the back surface of the central protrusion 20b on the upper surface. Then, the wedge-shaped protrusion 21a of the cap 21 is pushed into the fitting hole 20c and fixed.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the cap. The cap 21 is made of a flexible and elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin, and has a shape in which a protrusion 21a is erected at the center of a shallow cylindrical dish. The diameter d of the protrusion 21a is slightly larger than the diameter D of the fitting hole 20c, and the protrusion 21a is pushed into the fitting hole 20c so that the cap 21 does not come off easily.
[0015]
The key top 20 passes through the hole 5 a of the case 5 from the bottom up, and the cap 21 covers the exposed portion of the key top 20, that is, the entire portion protruding above the case 5. In particular, it is desirable that the outer edge of the cap 21 hides the gap between the key top 20 and the case 5, and the outer edge end surface 21 b is in close contact with the case 5.
[0016]
Since the cap 21 is made of rubber made of a flexible material, the cap 21 bends as shown in FIG. Note that the stroke of the key top 20 is about 0.5 mm.
[0017]
When characters or the like are printed on the key top 20, if the cap 21 is opaque, the characters on the key top 20 cannot be seen. Therefore, it is preferable to print the same characters as the key top on the cap 21. If the characters on the cap 21 become thin after use for a long time or the cap 21 becomes dirty, only the cap 21 is removed and replaced with a new cap. Even if the cap 21 is removed, the key top 20 is not removed, so that the circuit board 4 is not touched from the outside.
[0018]
Alternatively, the cap 21 may be made of a transparent material so that characters printed on the key top 20 can be seen through the cap. With such a configuration, there is no character on the cap 21, so the same cap can be used for any key top, and the cap can be shared, which is advantageous in terms of cost.
[0019]
FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the cap 21 is provided with Braille 21c. With such a configuration, it is possible to provide a key top with Braille only for consumers who need Braille, and it is possible to solve the problem that it is an obstacle to those who do not need Braille. The cap of this embodiment also has a protrusion 21a on the back surface.
[0020]
FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the center portion of the surface of the cap is hemispherically raised to form a mountain-shaped portion 21d. A finger 25 for operating the key top 20 is also shown. With such a configuration, even if the nail 25a of the finger 25 is long, the tip of the nail does not hit the case 5 and there is no discomfort.
[0021]
In each of the above embodiments, the antibacterial agent may be added to the cap material while keeping the shape of the cap as it is. Depending on the type of antibacterial agent, about 1% is added for ABS.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a fitting hole is formed in the upper surface of the key top, and a cap made of a flexible elastic material having a protrusion that is pushed into the fitting hole to be fitted is attached to and detached from the key top. Since it is attached and covers the exposed part of the key top, even if the cap is dirty or printing is faint, it can be easily replaced with a new cap. Moreover, there is no worry that the cap can be easily removed. Furthermore, since it is detachable, the color of the cap can be easily changed according to the preference of the user.
[0023]
In addition, even when the function of the same key top is changed, characters or pictures indicating a new function can be printed on a new cap and easily exchanged, and erroneous operation can be prevented.
[0024]
If the cap is colorless and transparent, the printed characters and pictures on the key top can be confirmed. Since it is not necessary to print on the cap, the printing cost can be reduced. Moreover, since the types of caps do not increase, management is easy.
[0025]
Since it can be easily replaced with a braided cap, it can be easily adapted to only those who need it. It won't get in the way of unwanted people.
If the cap covers the gap between the key top and the case, the appearance will be improved and dust can be prevented from entering the case.
[0026]
If the crest portion is formed by raising the center of the surface of the cap, a person with a long nail can be given a sense of security without worrying about hitting the tip of the nail against the case. Further, since the contact area with the finger is smaller than in the case of a flat surface, a sense of security can be given to those who do not want to touch much.
[0027]
If an antibacterial agent is added to the cap, the antibacterial agent may be added to the minimum necessary part to be touched by the hand, and the cost can be reduced. Moreover, a clean feeling can always be maintained from the easiness of cap replacement. Moreover, since it is not an antibacterial coat, the effect is permanent.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing a configuration of a key top with a cap according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is an inoperative state, and FIG. 1B is an operational state.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cap of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cap according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional copying machine.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional key top.
[Explanation of symbols]
5 Case 5a Hole 20 Key top 20c Fitting hole 21 Cap 21a Protrusion 21c Braille 21d Angle part

Claims (5)

A fitting hole is formed in the upper surface of the key top having a ridge formed at the lower end, and a cap made of a flexible elastic material having a protrusion to be pushed into the fitting hole and fitted is detachably attached to the key top. the exposed portion of the key top has covered, further the key top is fitted in the through-state hole of the case, the cap covers the gap between the case and the keytop, the end portion and the key top of the cap A key top with a cap, characterized in that the inner periphery of the hole of the case is sandwiched between the top of the cap.  The key top with a cap according to claim 1, wherein the cap is colorless and transparent.  The key top with a cap according to claim 1, wherein braille is provided on a surface of the cap.  The key top with a cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a chevron-shaped portion is formed by raising the center of the surface of the cap.  5. The key top with a cap according to claim 1, wherein an antibacterial agent is added to the cap.

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