JPH0338737Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to keytops for keyboards and the like used in computer terminal equipment, office automation equipment, and the like.

[Prior Art] It is necessary to display various characters, figures, etc. on the surface of key tops used in keyboards, etc., but conventionally, these characters, figures, etc. have been displayed by two-color injection molding. Ta. That is, two sets of molds are used to mold an inner member formed into a convex shape such as letters or figures, and then a molding material of a different color from that of the inner member is used to mold the surroundings of the letters, figures, etc. By doing so, it was possible to obtain a molded product with the desired shape and color.

Another technique used is to form characters, etc. on the surface of the key top by printing.

[Problem that the invention aims to solve] However, when the characters displayed on the surface of the key top are complex, such as kanji,
The two-color molding method had the problem that the mold shape was complicated and manufacturing was difficult. Therefore,
Problems arose in that it took longer to deliver and the manufacturing cost increased.

Furthermore, when attempting to display characters with complex shapes using printing technology, depending on the relationship between the background color of the key top and the color of the printing ink,
There was a problem in that it was not always possible to obtain clear displayed characters. In particular, when white characters are printed on the surface of a black key top, the color of the characters becomes an unclear gray, making it difficult to form characters with complex shapes. Ta.

[Purpose of the invention] The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a key top that can be manufactured at a low cost and in a short time, and in which complicated display characters etc. are clearly formed. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a key top having a structure that allows white display characters etc. to be clearly formed on a black background.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, an inner member having a convex display surface formed on the outer surface and at least a predetermined display pattern color of the convex display surface is provided with a display hole and has a color different from the display pattern color. By fitting the outer member outwardly, the convex display surface becomes
The display is configured to be exposed to the outside through the display hole. A mask layer having the same color as the outer member and having a display pattern shaped like a slit is provided on at least the convex display surface, so that the display pattern can be displayed in accordance with the display pattern color of the convex display surface. It is characterized by a configuration in which a pattern shape is expressed.

[Function] In the above structure, the display pattern formed in the shape of a slit in the mask layer exposes the convex display surface of the inner member to the outside in the shape of the display pattern, and the display pattern formed on the outer surface of the key top. The display pattern of complicated characters etc. becomes clear and sharp.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained with reference to an illustrated example.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention;
The figure is a sectional view of the same main part. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner member 1 is made of a white molding material and is a substantially box-shaped member that is open downward.A stem is inserted approximately in the center of the upper inner surface 1a for attachment to a main body such as a key switch. Part 2 is fixedly installed. Further, a rectangular convex portion 3 is provided approximately at the center of the upper outer surface of the inner member 1, forming a convex portion display surface 4.

Next, an outer member 5 made of a black molding material is fitted onto the inner member 1 by secondary molding to form a key top body 8.

The outer member 5 is a substantially box-shaped member that is open downward, and tightly covers the periphery of the convex display surface 4 of the inner member 1. That is, a rectangular display hole 5a matching the shape of the convex portion 3 is formed in the upper center of the outer member 5, and the convex portion 3 is fitted therein. Therefore, the upper outer surface 5 of the outer member 5
b, together with the convex display surface 4, constitutes an upper surface 8a which is a pressing operation surface of the key top body 8.

Next, a black mask layer 6 is formed on the upper surface 8a of the keytop main body 8 by printing. As shown in FIG.
The character shape of the word "delete" is formed into a slit shape. Therefore, among the white convex display surfaces 4 exposed on the upper outer surface 5b of the black outer member 5, the "deleted" portions are not covered with the black mask layer 6.
The character shape will be clearly displayed on the upper surface of the key top T as the white display pattern 7.

Next, the procedure for manufacturing the key top T of this embodiment explained above will be explained.

First, the outer member 5 and the inner member 1 are individually molded and integrated by a two-color molding method to form the key top body 8. Outer member 5 and inner member 1
Since the shape of is simple, the mold used for two-color molding can be easily manufactured at low cost. Therefore, the working time of the entire key top manufacturing process can be shortened and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

Then, a mask layer 6 is printed on the upper surface 8a of the key top main body 8 by a screen printing method, and a slit-shaped display pattern 7 is printed on the convex display surface 4.
Let it come. In this case, the mask layer 6 was formed on the entire surface of the upper surface 8a, but since the mask layer 6 and the outer member 5 are of the same color,
Even if the mask layer 6 is formed only on the convex display surface 4, the display pattern 7 is white on the black base color in terms of appearance.
There is no difference in the fact that it will appear. As mentioned above, when forming the mask layer 6 by the screen printing method, it is desirable to use a paste ink that is compatible with the materials of each member constituting the key top body 8. Moreover, it goes without saying that various printing methods can be applied in addition to the screen printing method. For example, the mask layer 6 having the display pattern 7 can be formed by sublimation printing, pad printing, transfer printing, or the like. In this case, according to sublimation printing, the temperature is raised to impregnate the material of the outer member 5 and the convex display surface 4 with ink, so that the durability of the mask layer 6 and the display pattern 7 is further improved. It turns out.

By the way, in the embodiment described above, the inner member 1 of the key top body 8 is white as the display pattern color, the outer member 5 is black, and the mask layer 6 is black, so that characters, etc. Although the display pattern 7 is shown in white on the key top T, the color is not particularly limited. That is, the display pattern color is a color that would be unclear if printed directly into the ground color, and at least the convex display surface 4 of the inner member 1 is set to the display pattern color, and the color of the outer member 5 is The color of the mask layer 6 may be unified to a ground color different from the display pattern color.

Further, in this embodiment, the kanji characters as the display pattern 7 are displayed only on the upper surface of the key top T, but the location where the display pattern 7 is formed is not particularly limited. For example, as in another embodiment shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the display pattern 7 described in the first embodiment, the side surface 8b of the key top body 8
In addition, another display pattern 17 may be represented by forming another convex display surface 14, another mask layer 16, etc., which have substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment.

Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above, the shape of the convex display surfaces 4, 14 is rectangular, but depending on the shape and size of the display patterns 7, 17, etc.
Other shapes may also be used.

[Effect of the invention] As explained above, according to the invention, the convex display surface of the inner member having the display pattern color is exposed on the outer surface of the outer member, and at least the convex display surface of the inner member is exposed on the outer surface of the outer member. A mask layer having the same color as the member is provided, and the mask layer is configured to form a slit-like display pattern through which the convex display surface can be seen, so that display patterns such as complex display characters can be clearly formed. This has the effect that the key tops can be produced and provided in a short period of time and at low cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same essential part, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention. 1...Inner member, 3...Protrusion, 4...Protrusion display surface, 5
...Outer member, 5a...Display hole, 6...Mask layer, 7
...display pattern.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] an inner member having a convex display surface provided on an outer surface having a predetermined display pattern color; an outer member whose surface is exposed outward, and a mask layer having the same color as the outer member and having a display pattern shaped like a slit is provided on at least the convex display surface. A key top that is characterized by