JP5294345B2 - Switch button, switch device, and electronic device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch device as a user interface of an electronic device, and more particularly to a switch button that is interposed between a switch and a user and transmits a button operation by the user to the switch.

  This type of switch device has a switch and a switch button.

  In general, the switch button is printed with assignment information such as what operation the switch device performs on the electronic device (a coating layer is formed). For example, the characters are printed on the operation buttons of the switch device for inputting characters to the information processing apparatus.

  Such printing is often performed on the back surface of the switch button in order to prevent the paint layer from being worn by the button operation by the user.

  A switch device in which assignment information is printed on the back side of the switch button is disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.

  The switch device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a membrane switch as a switch and a plastic film as a switch button. The plastic film is formed by embossing it into a dome shape after design printing of characters and the like is performed on the back side.

  Further, the switch device disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a dome-type switch as a switch and a switch button. The switch button includes a button body and a button sheet. The button body is made of a transparent material, and has a concave portion formed on the back side thereof, a first colored layer formed on the entire back surface including the concave portion, and a second colored layer formed on the first colored layer excluding the concave portion. And have a layer. The button sheet is interposed between the dome-shaped switch and the button body, and transmits a button operation by the user via the button body to the dome-shaped switch.

Registered Utility Model No. 3040415 JP 2001-6479 A

  The switch buttons in this type of switch device, including those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, are always in contact with the paint layer on the switch or button sheet, or the paint layer is operated by the user with a button. Since the structure is in contact with the surface, the coating layer may be worn when the switch device is used for a long period of time. In this case, the user cannot identify the assignment information of the switch device, or the peeled coating powder hinders electrical connection of electronic elements such as switches.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a switch button in which a coating layer does not wear when the switch device is used for a long period of time.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a switch device having a switch button as described above.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus having the switch device as described above.

  According to the present invention, a switch button that is applied to a switch device having a switch and a switch button and transmits a button operation by a user to the switch is formed on a button body made of a transparent material and on the back surface of the button body. A switch button having a recess and a coating layer formed on at least the bottom of the bottom and side surfaces of the recess is obtained.

  An assignment display portion that can be distinguished from the coating layer from the front side of the button body may be formed on the bottom surface of the recess.

  The assignment display portion may be formed by a laser marking method before the coating layer is formed. Alternatively, the assignment display portion may be formed by a laser marking method after the coating layer is formed.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a switch device having the switch and the switch button.

  The switch button may be transmissively illuminated when a portion of the switch located below the concave portion of the switch button emits light. Alternatively, the switch button further includes a flange extending outward from the periphery of the recess, and the switch device includes a light source provided in a portion adjacent to the flange of the switch button, and the switch button May be transmitted and illuminated by the light source.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, an electronic apparatus having the switch device as a user interface, receiving a button operation by a user as a change in an electric signal, and executing an operation according to the button operation can be obtained.

  The switch button according to the present invention does not wear the coating layer when the switch device is used for a long period of time.

It is a figure which shows the switch apparatus by Example 1 of this invention, (a) and (b) show the state at the time of a steady state, (c) and (d) show the state at the time of button operation. (A) And (b) is a figure for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the switch button by Example 1 of this invention, (a)-(c) shows an unprocessed stage, (d)-(f ) Indicates a laser marking step, and (g) to (i) indicate a coating step. (A) And (b) is a figure which shows the switch apparatus by Example 2 of this invention. (A) And (b) is a figure which shows the switch apparatus by Example 3 of this invention.

  The switch button according to the present invention is a switch button that is applied to a switch device having a switch and a switch button, and transmits a button operation by a user to the switch by a back surface contacting the switch.

  In particular, the switch button has a button body made of a transparent material, a recess formed on the back surface of the button body, and a coating layer formed on at least the bottom surface and the side surface of the recess.

  In the switch button according to the present invention, since the coating layer is formed only in the concave portion formed on the back surface in contact with the switch, the coating layer is not worn when the switch device is used for a long period of time.

  Embodiments of a switch button and a switch device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the switch button 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied to a switch device having a dome-shaped switch 10 and the switch button 20, and the back surface contacts the switch 10. Thus, the button operation by the user is transmitted to the switch 10.

  The switch device is mounted as a user interface in a housing 100 of an electronic device such as an information processing device (not shown). The electronic device accepts a button operation by the user as a change in an electrical signal, and executes an operation according to the button operation.

  The dome type switch 10 has a base portion 11 and a rubber contact portion 12. A pair of first and second contacts are formed on the surface of the base portion 11 (not shown). Further, a third contact is formed on the back side of the top surface of the rubber contact portion 12 (not shown).

  2 (g) to 2 (i), in particular, the switch button 20 includes a button main body 21 made of a transparent material, a concave portion 22 formed on the back surface of the button main body 21, a concave bottom surface 22a, and a concave side surface. It has the coating layer 24 formed in the recessed part bottom face 22a at least among 22b. In the present embodiment, the coating layer 24 is formed on both the concave bottom surface 22a and the concave side surface 22b.

  The button main body 21 further has an operation surface 21a and a collar portion 21b.

  An assignment display portion 23 that can be distinguished from the coating layer 24 from the front side (operation surface 21 a side) of the button body 21 is also formed on the bottom surface 22 a of the concave portion 22.

  The assignment display portion 23 is formed by a laser marking method before the coating layer 24 is formed because a general printing method (silk printing, pad printing, etc.) cannot be applied when the concave portion is deep as in this embodiment.

  Specifically, the surface of the recess bottom surface 22a is cut by laser marking on the switch button in the state shown in FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (c), as shown in FIGS. 2 (d) to 2 (f). When the user visually recognizes from the front side of the button main body 21, it looks different from the non-processed portion of the bottom surface 22a of the recess. Furthermore, when the coating layer 24 is formed on the bottom surface 22a of the recess including the processed part and the non-processed part as shown in FIGS. 2 (g) to (i), the appearance of the processed part and the non-processed part becomes more prominent. It becomes like this.

  Note that the assignment display portion 23 may be formed by a laser marking method after the coating layer 24 is formed. In this case, the bottom surface of the concave portion is cut together with the coating layer by laser marking, and when the user visually recognizes from the front side of the button main body 21, it looks different.

  Now, in the switch device of this embodiment having the dome-shaped switch 10 and the switch button 20, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the rubber contact portion 12 of the dome-shaped switch 10 is It has a dome-like shape. Inside the dome-shaped switch 10, the third contact on the back side of the top surface of the rubber contact portion 12 is separated from the first and second contacts on the surface of the base portion 11, so the first contact and the second contact Are not electrically connected to each other.

  When the user performs a button operation, the back surface of the switch button 20 comes into contact with the rubber contact portion 12 of the dome-shaped switch 10, so that the button operation by the user is transmitted through the switch button 20, and FIG. ) And (d), the rubber contact portion 12 is crushed, and the third contact on the back side of the top surface short-circuits the first contact and the second contact on the surface of the base portion 11. The first and second contacts are connected to an electronic circuit of the electronic device, and a button operation by the user is accepted as a change in an electrical signal, and the electronic device performs an operation corresponding to the button operation.

  When the user finishes the button operation, the rubber contact portion 12 having elasticity is automatically restored to a dome-like shape as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and the rubber contact portion 12 is restored. The third contact on the back side of the top surface is separated from the first and second contacts on the surface of the base portion 11, and the first contact and the second contact return to a state in which they are not electrically connected to each other. .

  The second embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment in that a switch button in the switch device is transmitted and illuminated. For this reason, the same or similar parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

  3 (a) and 3 (b), the switch device according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a dome-shaped switch 210, a switch button 20, and an LED (not shown) as a light source. .

  The dome-type switch 210 includes a base portion 11 and a rubber contact portion 212 made of a material having elasticity and light transmission.

  The LED as the light source is provided in the rubber contact portion 212 on the base portion 11 and has a flat shape so as not to disturb the stroke of the dome-shaped switch 210.

  Further, the switch button 20 has the light-transmitting property of the coating layer 24 or the light-transmitting property of the assignment display portion 23 when the assignment display portion is formed by laser marking after the coating layer is formed. have.

  And the rubber contact part 212 which is a part located under the recessed part 22 of the switch button 20 of the dome-shaped switch 210 emits light by the LED, so that the switch button 20 is transmitted and illuminated.

  The third embodiment of the present invention is different from the second embodiment in the structure related to the transmitted illumination of the switch button. For this reason, the same or similar parts as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  4A and 4B, the switch device according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes the dome-shaped switch 10, the switch button 320, and the LED 330 as a light source.

  The switch button 320 has a collar portion as in the first and second embodiments, but the collar portion 321b extends further outward from the periphery of the recess 22 than in the first and second embodiments.

  The LED 330 as a light source is provided in a portion adjacent to the end of the collar portion 321b of the switch button 320. However, the LED 330 is arranged such that light is incident on the collar portion 321b regardless of the stroke position of the switch button 320 at a position that does not obstruct the stroke of the dome-shaped switch 10 and according to the stroke range of the switch button 320. Is provided.

  Moreover, although LED330 is directly provided adjacent to the collar part 321b in the figure, you may interpose a photoconductive member between LED330 and the collar part 321b. This photoconductive member is made of a material having optical transparency and has a shape that takes into account the stroke of the dome-shaped switch 10 or the switch button 320.

  Further, since the switch button 20 is illuminated particularly on the thick portion of the button body 21 itself outside the coating layer 24 and the assignment display section 23, the coating layer 24 and the assignment display section 23 do not necessarily have light transmission. You don't have to. On the contrary, the coating layer 24 may have a high light reflectance, and the coating layer 24 may function as a reflector for transmitted illumination.

  The switch button 320 is transmitted and illuminated by the LED 330.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims of the present application. It goes without saying that there is.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,210 Dome type switch 11 Base part 12, 212 Rubber contact part 20, 320 Switch button 21 Button body 21a Operation surface 21b, 321b Gutter part 22 Recessed part 22a Recessed part bottom face 22b Recessed part side face 23 Assignment display part 24 Paint layer 100 Case 330 LED

Claims (5)

In a switch button that is applied to a switch device having a switch and a switch button, and the back surface of the switch abuts the switch, the button operation by the user is transmitted to the switch.
A button body made of a transparent material;
A recess formed on the back surface of the button body;
A coating layer formed on at least the bottom of the bottom and side surfaces of the recess ;
A switch button , comprising: an assign display portion that is formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion by a laser marking method prior to the formation of the paint layer, and that can be distinguished from the paint layer from the front side of the button body .   A switch device comprising the switch and the switch button according to claim 1. 3. The switch device according to claim 2 , wherein the switch button is transmitted and illuminated when a portion of the switch located below the concave portion of the switch emits light. 4. The switch button further has a flange extending outward from the periphery of the recess,
The switch device has a light source provided in a portion adjacent to the collar portion of the switch button,
The switch device according to claim 2 , wherein the switch button is transmitted and illuminated by the light source. A switch device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 as a user interface, an electronic device receiving a button operation by the user as a change in electrical signal, and executes an operation corresponding to the button operation .

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