JP4829904B2 - Lighting structure with light guide layer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an illumination structure provided with a light guide layer used for mobile devices such as mobile phones, audio devices, game devices and the like.

  Although not shown, the mobile phone is provided with multiple functions such as a telephone and e-mail transmission / reception function, a camera shooting function, a game function, and the like. A plurality of key tops are arranged, and numbers, characters, symbols and the like necessary for operation are arranged and printed on the plurality of key tops (see Patent Document 1).

By the way, recent mobile phones have a desire to partially illuminate the key tops according to the functions to be used, instead of uniformly illuminating all of the key tops to be pressed. For example, if you want to use the telephone transmission / reception function, illuminate only the numeric part of the corresponding key top, and if you want to use the mail transmission / reception function, you want to illuminate only the character part of the corresponding key top. is there.
Various means are conceivable as means for satisfying such a request. As one of them, a liquid crystal display is used for the operation unit, and the key top unit is partially illuminated by switching the liquid crystal display according to the function to be used. Has been proposed.
JP 2004-200093 A

  However, when the liquid crystal display is switched and partially illuminated according to the function used, there is a problem that the liquid crystal display requires a considerable amount of power, and the configuration cannot be simplified and the cost cannot be reduced. is there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an illumination structure including a light guide layer that can reduce necessary power and that can simplify the configuration and reduce the cost. It is said.

In the present invention, in order to solve the above problems, an operation layer facing the contact layer, a light transmissive light guide layer laminated between the contact layer and the operation layer, and a plurality of light guide layers is interposed between, with an intervening layer of bonding the opposing pair of the light guide layer, located around the contact point layer on the outer periphery of the light guide layer and a plurality of light sources for irradiating light, the operation layer A light emitting area is formed, light rays from a light source are guided by each light guide layer and irradiated in the light emitting area direction of the operation layer, and the light emission area of the operation layer is illuminated,
A light transmission layer partially corresponding to the light emitting region of the operation layer is formed on each of the light guide layers, and the light transmission layers of the light guide layers are arranged so as to be shifted in the plane direction so as not to overlap each other. The light beam is irradiated from the scattered transmission pattern of each light guide layer toward the light emitting area of the operation layer, and the light emission area of the operation layer is partially illuminated.

In addition, the light emitting area of the operation layer and the scattering transmission patterns of each light guide layer are made plural, and gradation processing is applied to the plurality of scattering transmission patterns with reference to the light source to obtain a scattering transmission pattern close to the light source and a far scattering transmission pattern. Light can be emitted substantially uniformly.
Further, the light emitting region of the operation layer can be partitioned according to the number of the plurality of light guide layers.

In addition, the light emitting region of the operation layer can be formed in a size that covers the scattered transmission pattern of the plurality of light guide layers in a plan view.
A plurality of light guide layers can be formed from a transparent first light guide layer that contacts the contact layer and a transparent second light guide layer laminated on the first light guide layer. It is.

Further, it is possible to form a light-transmitting pattern corresponding to the scattered transmission pattern of the light guide layer located on the contact layer side on the intervening layer .
Further, the light guide layer located on the operation layer side and any region other than the pattern formation region of the intervening layer may be light-shielding colored .

  Here, in the contact layer in the claims, a plurality of contact portions that exhibit a contact function by pressing operation are arranged, the plurality of contact portions are covered with a flexible protective film, and the protective film is provided under the protective layer. The light guide layer can be contacted. Further, the light emitting area of the operation layer can be used as a key top, and the key top can be partitioned into first and second pattern portions such as a character portion and a design portion, and a character portion and a symbol portion. The plurality of light guide layers can have a two-layer or three-layer structure.

The light source is made of, for example, an LED or an EL (surface light emitter), and may be located at any one of the front, rear, left and right parts and corners around the contact layer. The light emitting area of the operation layer includes at least a transparent or translucent key top. For example, when the plurality of light guide layers have a three-layer structure , the intervening layer is interposed between the first layer and the second layer, and between the second layer and the third layer. Furthermore, the illumination structure including the light guide layer according to the present invention can be applied to at least an operation unit such as a multifunctional mobile phone or an audio player.

  According to the present invention, when a predetermined function of a device device to which the present invention is applied is executed and one light source emits light, the light is incident on the inside from the peripheral surface of the light guide layer and guided and transmitted. A part of the light emitting region of the operation layer is partially illuminated by passing and scattering through the scattered transmission pattern to emit the scattered transmission pattern. In addition, when other functions of the device are executed and other light sources emit light, the light enters the peripheral surface of the other light guide layer and is guided / transmitted, and passes / scatters through the scattering transmission pattern. The scattered transmission pattern is caused to emit light, and after passing through the light guide layer, the remaining part of the light emitting region of the operation layer is partially illuminated.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the power required for illumination, and to simplify the configuration of the illumination structure and reduce costs. Further, since the pair of light guide layers opposed to each other with the intervening layer are bonded, both the light shielding function and the bonding function can be imparted to the intervening layer, and simplification of the laminated structure can be expected.
In addition, if the light emitting area of the operation layer and the scattering transmission patterns of each light guide layer are plural, and gradation processing is performed on the plurality of scattering transmission patterns based on the light source, the scattering transmission pattern close to the light source and the far scattering transmission pattern Can be emitted substantially uniformly.

In addition, if the light guide layer located on the operation layer side and any region other than the pattern formation region of the intervening layer are colored with light-shielding properties, the light guide layer on the contact layer side emits light and the other on the operation layer side. The light guide layer emits light, and the light emission region of the operation layer can be prevented from emitting light .

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. An illumination structure having a light guide layer according to the present embodiment is mounted on a flexible printed wiring board 1 as shown in FIGS. A metal dome layer 2 for a mobile phone, an operation layer 10 that indirectly faces the metal dome layer 2, and a light transmission property that is laminated between the metal dome layer 2 and the operation layer 10. The light guide layer 20, the adhesive layer 30 interposed between the plurality of light guide layers 20, and the light guide layer 20 positioned around the metal dome layer 2 irradiate the peripheral surfaces of the plurality of light guide layers 20 respectively. A plurality of LEDs 40, 40 A are provided, light beams from the LEDs 40, 40 A are guided by the light guide layers 20 and irradiated in the direction of the operation layer 10, and the key top 11 of the operation layer 10 of the mobile phone is illuminated. It is way.

  The metal dome layer 2, the operation layer 10, and the plurality of light guide layers 20 are formed in a laminated structure using an adhesive tape or an adhesive. A plurality of light guide layers 20 sandwiching the adhesive layer 30 are stacked on the surface of the metal dome layer 2, and a flat operation layer 10 is stacked on the surfaces of the plurality of light guide layers 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the metal dome layer 2 has a plurality of metal domes 3 that perform contact functions by pressing operation arranged on the surface, and the plurality of metal domes 3 are covered with a flexible protective film 4. The plurality of light guide layers 20 are in contact with the protective film 4. The protective film 4 is made of polyethylene terephthalate that is stable to light and heat, and is adhered to the surface of the metal dome layer 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation layer 10 is formed into a substantially cross-sectional plate shape having flexibility using a predetermined film, for example, and a plurality of key tops 11 that are light emitting regions are arranged in a flat manner. The

  As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of key tops 11 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the surface direction of the operation layer 10, and each key top 11 has a large number portion 12 for telephone and a small pattern portion 13 for mail. And is formed to be transparent or translucent with light transmission. The pattern portion 13 is formed of, for example, various characters representing English characters and functions. Such a key top 11 functions to turn on and off the metal dome 3 of the metal dome layer 2 via the plurality of light guide layers 20 by being pressed by the user.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the plurality of light guide layers 20 include a transparent first light guide layer 21 that contacts the protective film 4 of the metal dome layer 2, and the surface of the first light guide layer 21. And a transparent second light guide layer 22 bonded through an adhesive layer 30, and the surface of the second light guide layer 22 is bonded to the back surface of the operation layer 10. The first and second light guide layers 21 and 22 are, for example, flexible substantially plate shapes that can be bent using a predetermined molding material in which a silicone resin for reinforcement or reinforcing silica is added to a colorless and transparent silicone polymer. To be molded.

  The first light guide layer 21 is printed with a plurality of scattered transmission patterns 23 partially corresponding to the key tops 11 of the operation layer 10 on the surface, and a silicon oxide film that suppresses a sticky feeling is formed on the back surface. The light beam guided from the LED 40 in the XY direction (see the arrow in FIG. 1) functions to be guided and scattered by the scattering transmission pattern 23 in the direction of the operation layer 10. The plurality of scattered transmission patterns 23 are screen-printed side by side with, for example, white ink, and subjected to gradation processing based on the LED 40.

  That is, the plurality of scattered transmission patterns 23 are dot-printed small so that the scattering transmission pattern 23 close to the LED 40 is large and printed so that the scattering transmission pattern 23 far from the LED 40 emits light strongly. The light is emitted substantially uniformly as a whole. Each scattering transmission pattern 23 is partitioned and formed into a predetermined shape of a plane rectangle, a polygon, a fan shape, and an arc shape by a plurality of dots, and faces the pattern portion 13 of the key top 11, and emits light by transmitting and scattering light rays. To do.

  From the viewpoint of ensuring appropriate light emission, the white ink is prepared, for example, by containing titanium oxide in a silicone-based ink. In addition, the silicon oxide film is nano-sized by instantaneously spraying a small amount of a silane coupling agent together with an oxidation flame onto the back surface of the first light guide layer 21 conveyed by a conveyor by a predetermined processing apparatus. Thinly layered on level size irregularities.

  The second light guide layer 22 has a plurality of scattered transmission patterns 24 partially corresponding to the key tops 11 printed on the surface, and the light guided from the LED 40A in the XY direction is directed toward the operation layer 10 by the scattered transmission patterns 24. Guide and scatter. The plurality of scattered transmission patterns 24 are screen-printed side by side with, for example, white ink, and subjected to gradation processing based on the LED 40A. The plurality of scattered transmission patterns 24 are also dot-printed so that the scattering transmission pattern 24 close to the LED 40A is small and the scattering transmission pattern 24 far from the LED 40A emits strong light, and the second light guide layer 22 is entirely formed. As shown in FIG.

  Each scattering transmission pattern 24 is partitioned and formed into a predetermined shape of a plane rectangle, a polygon, a fan shape, and an arc shape by a plurality of dots, and faces the numeral portion 12 of the key top 11, and emits a surface by light transmission / scattering. To do. The scattered transmission pattern 24 of the second light guide layer 22 is arranged so as to be shifted in the plane direction so as not to overlap the scattered transmission pattern 23 of the first light guide layer 21 in plan view.

  In other words, the scattered transmission patterns 23 and 24 of the first and second light guide layers 21 and 22 are arranged so as not to overlap in the stacking direction of the first and second light guide layers 21 and 22, It is formed to be approximately the same size as the top 11. As described above, the white ink is prepared by containing titanium oxide in a silicone-based ink.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the adhesive layer 30 is made of, for example, a flexible silicone rubber having adhesiveness, and the scattering transmission pattern 23 of the first light guide layer 21 located immediately below the metal dome layer 2 side. A plurality of light-transmitting patterns 31 corresponding to are perforated to form an array. In a region other than the pattern 31 formation region on the surface of the adhesive layer 30, a light-shielding black 32 facing the back surface of the second light guide layer 22 is screen-printed using a pigment.

  The plurality of LEDs 40 and 40A are arranged on one side or the other side of the metal dome layer 2 as shown in FIGS. The plurality of LEDs 40 and 40A include an LED 40 that irradiates a light beam in proximity to the peripheral surface of the first light guide layer 21, and an LED 40A that irradiates a light beam in proximity to the peripheral surface of the second light guide layer 22. And formed with.

  In the above configuration, when the LED 40A emits light when using the transmission / reception function of a cellular phone, light is incident on the inner surface from the peripheral surface of the second light guide layer 22 to be guided and transmitted, and each scattering transmission pattern Each scattered transmission pattern 24 is surface-emitted by passing and scattering through 24, and the numerical part 12 of the key top 11 of the operation layer 10 is partially illuminated.

  On the other hand, when the LED 40 emits light when using the mail transmission / reception function, the light is incident on the inner surface from the peripheral surface of the first light guide layer 21 to be guided / transmitted, and passes / scatters through each scattering transmission pattern 23. Then, each scattering transmission pattern 23 is surface-emitted, and after sequentially passing through the pattern 31 of the adhesive layer 30 and the second light guide layer 22, the pattern portion 13 of the key top 11 of the operation layer 10 is partially illuminated. .

  After the key top 11 of the operation layer 10 partially emits light according to the function of the mobile phone, when the partially emitted key top 11 is pressed, the metal dome 3 of the metal dome layer 2 has a plurality of light guides. A predetermined operation of the mobile phone is executed by pressing through the layer 20 or the adhesive layer 30.

  According to the above configuration, since no liquid crystal display is required for partial illumination of the key top 11 corresponding to the function of the mobile phone, power consumption can be reduced, and the configuration of the illumination structure can be simplified. The cost can be significantly reduced. Further, since the light-shielding black color 32 is printed on the surface of the adhesive layer 30, the entire second light guide layer 22 emits light with the light emission of the first light guide layer 21, and only the pattern portion 13 of the key top 11. Instead, it is possible to effectively prevent and prevent even the numeral portion 12 from being illuminated with a simple configuration.

  In addition, since a plurality of light guide layers 20 are formed from a molding material in which silicone resin or reinforced silica is added to a silicone polymer excellent in weather resistance and discoloration prevention, the strength may be insufficient or the thickness may be reduced. Not at all. In addition, since the light is guided and scattered by the plurality of light guide layers 20, it is not necessary to use a large number of LEDs according to the number of key tops 11, and the cost can be reduced.

  In addition, since the first light guide layer 21 made of silicone rubber is in direct contact with the protective film 4 of the metal dome layer 2, a good tack feeling can be greatly expected, and the thickness can be reduced. Furthermore, since the silicon oxide film, which is an easy-adhesive substance, is actively formed on the back surface of the first light guide layer 21 facing the protective film 4 of the metal dome layer 2, the durability against changes with time is significantly improved. It is possible to prevent and prevent a decrease in reliability, shorten production processes, improve productivity, reduce production costs, reduce defect rates, and reduce environmental impact.

  It should be noted that the operation layer 10 and the key top 11 of the above embodiment may be integrated or separate. Further, the key top 11 may be divided into, for example, a pattern portion 13 and a pattern portion, or a pattern portion 13 and a symbol portion, if necessary. Moreover, if it can suppress that the 2nd light guide layer 22 whole light emission accompanying light emission of the 1st light guide layer 21, the back surface of the 2nd light guide layer 22 and adhesive layer 30 which oppose. Any one of the above may be colored with light shielding (black 32 or the like). Further, in order to improve the light reflection characteristics, at least one of the back surface of the second light guide layer 22 and the adhesive layer 30 may be colored for reflection (white or the like).

  In this case, if necessary, the back surface of the second light guide layer 22 may be colored for reflection, and the adhesive layer 30 may be sequentially laminated with the color for reflection and the color for light shielding. Alternatively, a film layer may be used in place of the adhesive layer 30 and an adhesive may be applied to both the front and back surfaces. Further, even if the plurality of light guide layers 20 are molded from a molding material in which the reinforcing silica is omitted and only the silicone resin is added to the silicone polymer, the silicone resin provides a certain level of reinforcing effect, so that the strength can be ensured. The click feeling of the key top 11 can be improved or the thickness can be reduced.

  Further, the plurality of light guide layers 20 can be formed of a material other than silicone rubber. For example, it can be formed using a transparent acrylic resin or urethane resin having light transparency.

It is side explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the illumination structure provided with the light guide layer which concerns on this invention. It is a plane explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of an illumination structure provided with a light guide layer concerning the present invention. It is an exploded perspective explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of an illumination structure provided with a light guide layer concerning the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Flexible printed wiring board 2 Metal dome layer (contact layer)
3 Metal dome 4 Protective film 10 Operation layer 11 Key top (light emitting area)
12 numeral part 13 pattern part 20 light guide layer 21 first light guide layer 22 second light guide layer 23 scattered transmission pattern 24 scattered transmission pattern 30 adhesive layer (intervening layer)
31 Pattern 32 Black 40 LED (light source)
40A LED (light source)

Claims (4)

An operation layer facing the contact layer, a light transmissive light guide layer stacked between the contact layer and the operation layer, and a pair of opposed lights interposed between the plurality of light guide layers comprising an intervening layer of adhesive a guide layer, and a plurality of light sources for irradiating a light beam on the peripheral surface of the positioned around the contact point layer each light guide layer, to form a light emitting region on the operation layer, each light guide layer A light guide layer for guiding the light from the light source and irradiating the light emitting area of the operation layer in the direction of the light emitting area,
A light transmission layer partially corresponding to the light emitting region of the operation layer is formed on each of the light guide layers, and the light transmission layers of the light guide layers are arranged so as to be shifted in the plane direction so as not to overlap each other. An illumination structure provided with a light guide layer, wherein the light guide layer is irradiated from the scattered transmission pattern of each light guide layer toward the light emitting area of the operation layer to partially illuminate the light emission area of the operation layer.   Multiple light transmission areas on the operation layer and light transmission layers on each light guide layer, and a gradation process is applied to the light scattering layers based on the light source to make the light transmission near the light source and the light scattering transmission pattern nearly uniform. An illumination structure comprising the light guide layer according to claim 1, wherein the light guide layer emits light. The illumination structure provided with the light guide layer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a light-transmitting pattern corresponding to the scattered transmission pattern of the light guide layer located on the contact layer side is formed on the intervening layer .   The illumination structure provided with the light guide layer according to claim 3, wherein the light guide layer located on the operation layer side and any region other than the pattern formation region of the intervening layer are shaded.

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