JPH04316118A - Thin keyboard with light emitting element and method for mounting light emitting element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily mount a light emitting element on the FP wiring board of a keyboard which is used as an information inputting means for various kinds of information processors, especially, a thin keyboard on which the light emitting element is exposed near push buttons. CONSTITUTION:A thin keyboard is provided with a switch element 2 composed of FP wiring boards 21 faced to each other with a spacer 22 in between, light emitting element chip 7 mounted on the tip of a tongue-like piece 27 formed on the boards 21, and panel 4 holding plural push buttons 1 in freely slidable state, and is constituted by fixing the chip 7 protruding from the surface of the panel 4 through an angular hole 42 formed through the panel 4 to the panel 4 by inserting a pin 43 into the gap of the hole 42.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard used as a means for inputting information in various information processing devices, and more particularly to a thin keyboard in which a light emitting element is exposed near a push button and a method for mounting the light emitting element.

[0002] In recent years, thin keyboards have been widely used as a means for inputting information in various information processing devices including personal computers, word processors, etc., as they are low in cost and lightweight, and occupy a small space. In such a thin keyboard, for example, a push button for switching modes is required to have a light emitting element exposed near it, and to indicate that the mode has been switched by lighting the light emitting element. However, in conventional thin keyboards in which a plurality of pushbutton switches are configured by combining a plurality of pushbuttons held by a panel with switch elements made of a flexible printed wiring board, the light emitting elements exposed on the surface of the panel are printed using flexible printing. Because there is no proper way to connect to the wiring board, the assembly of thin keyboards with light emitting elements exposed near the push buttons requires a lot of labor. Therefore, there is a demand for a thin keyboard in which light emitting elements can be easily mounted on a flexible printed circuit board.

0003

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a conventional thin keyboard. In the figure, a conventional thin keyboard is composed of a plurality of push buttons 1, a switch element 2, and a rubber elastic body 3. The push button 1, which contacts the switch element 2 through the rubber elastic body 3, is slidably held by a panel 4. has been done. Further, the sheet-shaped switch element 2 is held between a panel 4 and a support plate 5 disposed on the back surface.

The switch element 2 consists of two flexible printed wiring boards (hereinafter referred to as FP wiring boards) 21 and a spacer 22 made of polyethylene terephthalate or the like interposed between the FP wiring boards 21. The contacts 23 formed together with the conductive pattern 24 face each other through the holes 25 of the spacer 22 .

In such a keyboard, when the push button 1 slidably held by the panel 4 is pressed, the rubber elastic body 3 deforms and comes into contact with the switch element 2, and the pressing force of the push button 1 is applied to the switch element 2. Ru. As a result, the portions of the FP wiring board 21 to which the pressing force was applied are bent, and the bending contacts 23 come into contact with each other.

A light emitting element 6 is projected near the push button 1 which is slidably held by the panel 4, and a tube-shaped conductive wire is attached to the lead terminal 61 of the light emitting element 6 which is bent into an L shape. The conductive rubber 62 is attached to the FP wiring board 21 by the support arm 41 hanging from the panel 4.
It is pressed against the upper conductor pattern 26.

The push button 1 has a window 11 made of a light-transmitting resin at least at a position facing the light emitting element 6 on the top of the head, and a voltage is applied through the conductive pattern 26 and the conductive rubber 62 to light the light emitting element 6. Then, the light from the light emitting element 6 is configured to leak to the upper surface of the push button 1 through the light-transmitting window 11.

[0008]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, conventional thin keyboards tend to have dimensional errors when bending the lead terminal of the light emitting element into an L shape, and if the length of the lead terminal varies, the distance from the light emitting element to the push button This causes a difference in brightness and causes a change in brightness. Further, there is a problem in that a large amount of manpower is required to assemble the keyboard because the lead terminals of the light emitting elements are accurately bent into an L-shape and then the conductive rubber is inserted and then attached to the panel.

An object of the present invention is to provide a thin keyboard in which light emitting elements can be easily mounted on an FP wiring board.

0010

[Means for Solving the Problems] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a thin keyboard according to the present invention. The same objects are represented by the same symbols throughout the figures.

The above problem is solved by a switch element 2 consisting of FP wiring boards 21 facing each other with a spacer 22 in between, a light emitting element chip 7 mounted on the tip of a tongue-like piece 27 formed on the FP wiring board 21, and a plurality of It has a panel 4 that slidably holds the push button 1, and a square hole 42 provided in the panel 4.
This is achieved by the thin keyboard with a light emitting element of the present invention, in which the light emitting element chip 7 protrudes from the surface through the square hole 42 and is fixed to the panel 4 by inserting the fixing pin 43 into the gap of the square hole 42.

0012

[Operation] In Fig. 1, the F
It has a panel that slidably holds a switch element made of a P wiring board, a light emitting element chip mounted on the tip of a tongue piece formed on an FP wiring board, and a plurality of push buttons. The thin keyboard of the present invention, in which a light emitting element chip protrudes from the surface through a square hole and is fixed to a panel by inserting a fixing pin into the gap between the square holes, allows the light emitting element to be easily mounted on an FP wiring board. It can be realized.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figure, the thin keyboard according to the present invention is composed of a plurality of push buttons 1, a switch element 2, and a rubber elastic body 3. The push button 1, which contacts the switch element 2 via the rubber elastic body 3, is slidably moved by a panel 4. being held. Further, the sheet-shaped switch element 2 is held between a panel 4 and a support plate 5 disposed on the back surface.

The switch element 2 consists of two FP wiring boards 21
and a spacer 22 interposed between the FP wiring board 21 and the contact 23 formed together with the conductor pattern 24 inside the FP wiring board 21 and facing each other through the hole 25 of the spacer 22. Further, one of the FP wiring boards 21 has a tongue-shaped piece 27.
The light emitting element chip 7 is mounted on the tip of the tongue-like piece 27.

In this keyboard, when the push button 1 slidably held by the panel 4 is pressed, the rubber elastic body 3 deforms and comes into contact with the switch element 2, and the pressing force of the push button 1 is applied to the switch element 2. Ru. As a result, the portions of the FP wiring board 21 to which the pressing force was applied are bent, and the bending contacts 23 come into contact with each other.

A square hole 42 is formed near the push button 1 slidably held by the panel 4, and the light emitting element chip 7 mounted on the tongue-shaped piece 27 of the FP wiring board 21 is inserted into the square hole 42. It is made to protrude through the surface. and square hole 42
The light emitting element chip 7 is fixed to the panel 4 by inserting a fixing pin 43 into the gap.

The push button 1 has a window 11 made of a light-transmitting resin at least at a position facing the light emitting element chip 7 on the top of the head, and a voltage is applied to the light emitting element chip 7 through a conductor pattern (not shown) to light it up. Then, the light emitting element chip 7
The light is configured to leak to the upper surface of the push button 1 through a light-transmissive window 11.

[0018] As described above, the switch element composed of the FP wiring boards facing each other with a spacer interposed therebetween, the light emitting element chip mounted on the tip of the tongue-like piece formed on the FP wiring board, and the plurality of push buttons are slidably arranged. The thin keyboard of the present invention has a panel for holding the light emitting element chip, which is protruded from the surface through a square hole provided in the panel, and is fixed to the panel by inserting a fixing pin into the gap between the square holes. This eliminates the need to process the lead terminals, making it possible to significantly reduce the amount of labor required for assembly. Further, it is possible to reduce variations in the distance from the light emitting element to the push button, which causes a change in brightness. That is, it is possible to realize a thin keyboard in which light emitting elements can be easily mounted on the FP wiring board.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a thin keyboard in which light emitting elements can be easily mounted on an FP wiring board.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a thin keyboard according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a conventional thin keyboard.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 push button 2
Switch element 3 Rubber elastic body
4 Panel 5 Support plate
7 Light emitting element chip 11 Window
21 FP wiring board 22 Spacer 23
Contact 24 Conductor pattern 25
Hole 27 Tongue-shaped piece
42 Square hole 43 Fixing pin

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A switch element (2) consisting of flexible printed wiring boards (21) facing each other with a spacer (22) in between, the tip of a tongue-shaped piece (27) formed on the flexible printed wiring board (21). It has a panel (4) that slidably holds a light emitting element chip (7) mounted on the panel and a plurality of push buttons (1). A thin keyboard with a light emitting element, characterized in that the light emitting element chip (7) protruding from the panel is fixed to the panel (4) by inserting a fixing pin (43) into the gap of the square hole (42). . 2. A panel (4) slidably holding a switch element (2) consisting of a flexible printed circuit board (21) facing each other via a spacer (22), and a plurality of push buttons (1). When configuring a thin keyboard in which a light emitting element is exposed near the push button (1), a light emitting element chip ( 7)
is directly mounted, and the square hole (4) provided in the panel (4) is
2) and projected onto the surface through the light emitting element chip (7).
) is fixed to the panel (4) by inserting a fixing pin (43) into the gap of the square hole (42).