JPH06202134A - Film liquid crystal member and electric equipment provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a film liquid crystal member dealing with making electronic equipment thin. CONSTITUTION:An upper flexible substrate 2 and a lower flexible substrate 3 are arranged via a spacer 4, and a liquid crystal member is filled in the inside of them. A columnar connection terminal 10 is provided at the lower flexible substrate 3, and it is connected to an electrode for display provided at the surface of both flexible substrates 2, 3 facing each other. A protruding plate 11 in which a switch contact electrode 12 is formed, is provided at the lower flexible substrate 3, and the protruding plate 11 is made to be opposite to a switch member on an electronic equipment side by bending. The switch contact electrode 12 is connected to the connection terminal 10 with draw-out lines 13, 14. Since a signal is directly inputted from the switch contact electrode 12 to the electrode for display by operating a switch member, the electronic equipment can be made thin while attaining simple structure.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film liquid crystal member and electronic equipment using the film liquid crystal member as a display means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In electronic devices such as electronic timepieces, electronic calculators, electronic organizers and communication devices, film liquid crystal members are used for the purpose of thinning display devices. This film liquid crystal member displays predetermined information visually by inputting a display signal, but if the display content needs to be changed according to the mode of the electronic device, a key operation member is provided in the device case of the electric device. At the same time, a key switch for performing a key input of the key operation member is provided so as to be connected to the film liquid crystal member.

[0003]

Therefore, in the conventional electronic equipment, the route for changing the contents displayed on the film liquid crystal member is complicated, the number of parts is large, and the structure is complicated, so that the electronic equipment is thin. There was a limit to the conversion.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device having a simple structure and capable of being thinned, and a film liquid crystal member applicable to this electronic device. And

[0005]

An electronic device according to the present invention has a device case in which a display opening is formed on an upper surface and a key operation member is arranged on a side face, and an electronic case is arranged in the display opening of the device case. And a film liquid crystal member having a switch portion which is bent outside the display portion and which is arranged so as to face the key operation member and has a key contact formed thereon.

In another electronic device of the present invention, an analog movement having a pointer shaft to which a pointer is attached protrudes upward, a through hole through which the pointer shaft of the analog movement penetrates, and the periphery of the through hole is formed. It is characterized in that it has a display unit located and a film liquid crystal member having a switch unit bent outside the display unit and having a key contact formed therein.

The film liquid crystal member of the present invention applied to such an electronic device is formed inside a spacer on a pair of flexible substrates arranged with a spacer interposed between the flexible substrates. A plurality of display electrodes, a liquid crystal member disposed inside the spacer, a switch contact electrode formed outside the spacer on the flexible substrate, and a row of electrodes drawn from the switch contact electrode and the plurality of display electrodes. It is characterized by having a plurality of arranged connection terminals.

[0008]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the film liquid crystal member of the present invention. In the film liquid crystal member 1, a sheet-shaped upper flexible substrate 2 and a sheet-shaped lower flexible substrate 3 are combined in a state of facing each other via a spacer 4. The lower flexible substrate 3 and the upper flexible substrate 2 have substantially the same size except for the portions where the connection terminals 10 and the switch contact electrodes 12 which will be described later are formed. As shown by the chain line in FIG. 1, the spacer 4 is provided over the entire circumference of the upper flexible substrate 2 and serves as a sealing means for joining the outer peripheral portion of the upper flexible substrate 2 and the lower flexible substrate 3. A liquid crystal member 5 is arranged between the spacer 4 and the flexible plates 2 and 3 (see FIG. 2). Further, a plurality of display electrodes for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal member 5 to make it visible as character data are formed on the opposing surfaces of the flexible substrates 2 and 3 (not shown). The polarizing plate 6 is laminated on the outer surface of the upper flexible substrate 2, and
A polarizing plate 7 and a reflecting plate 8 are laminated on the outer surface of the lower flexible substrate 3. By attaching the film liquid crystal member 1 to an electronic device with the upper flexible substrate 2 on the front side, it is possible to visually display character data. In the present embodiment, the central portion of the film liquid crystal member 1 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, a through hole 9 is formed, which allows a pointer shaft 37 of an analog boomment 31 described later to be inserted (see FIG. 4). The spacer 4 is provided so as to cover the entire circumference of the through hole 9 as well, thereby preventing the liquid crystal member from leaking from the portion where the through hole 9 is formed (see FIG. 1).

In such a film liquid crystal member 1,
A plurality of connection terminals 10 are formed in rows on the lower surfaces of both end portions of the upper flexible substrate 2 which are located outside the lower flexible substrate 3. Each connection terminal 10 is connected to a display electrode formed on the opposing surfaces of the upper and lower flexible substrates 2 and 3, and outputs a display signal (voltage) to the corresponding display electrode. On the other hand, small strip-shaped projecting plates 12 are integrally connected to a plurality of locations on the lower flexible substrate 3.
Each of the projecting plates 12 is provided so as to be positioned outside the spacer 4, and a switch contact electrode 12 formed of a conductor pattern is formed on the upper surface thereof. Further, each switch contact electrode 12 is provided with a lead wire 13, and the lead wire 13 and the lead wire 14 drawn out from the row-shaped connection terminals 10 are superposed at the crossover portion 15, and a connecting member (not shown) is used. By being electrically connected, the switch contact electrode 12 and the connection terminal 10 are electrically connected. As a result, the signal input to the switch contact electrode 12 is output to the electronic circuit described later via the connection terminal 10. In the present embodiment, the lead wires 13 and 14 and the crossover portion 15 are provided inside the spacer 4, and the spacer 4 ensures the fixing. The protruding plate 11 is formed so as to extend from the lower flexible substrate 3 and has flexibility similar to that of the substrate 3. Therefore, this protruding plate 11
2, the switch contact electrode 12 formed on the protruding plate 11 can be displaced in a direction other than the plane direction of the film liquid crystal member 1 by this bending.

FIG. 3 shows an electronic wristwatch as an electronic device using the film liquid crystal member 1 having the above structure. This electronic wristwatch includes a device case (watch case) 20 having a display opening 22 formed on the upper surface thereof, and a watch module 30 provided in the device case 20. A watch glass 21 is fitted into the display opening 22 on the upper surface of the device case 20, and push-button type key operation members 23 are attached to a plurality of positions on the side surface of the device case 20.

FIG. 4 shows a timepiece module 30 arranged in the equipment case 20, and the structure of the timepiece module 30 will be described below with reference to FIG. The clock module 30 includes a circuit board 33 on which an analog movement 31 and an electronic circuit 32 including an LSI are mounted, and a battery 34 for supplying power.
And a housing 35 as a support member to which these are attached. Further, the film liquid crystal member 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is attached to the upper part of the housing 35, and a transparent dial plate 36 for covering the film liquid crystal member 1 is attached. A pointer shaft 37 projects upward from the analog movement 31. The pointer shaft 37 penetrates through the through hole 9 of the film liquid crystal member 1 and is penetrated through the dial plate 36, and a plurality of pointers 38 serving as an hour hand, a minute hand and a second hand are attached to the withdrawn end portion. There is. The film liquid crystal member 1 visually displays the time and other information around the pointer shaft 37. The electronic circuit 32 controls the operation of the analog movement 31 and the film liquid crystal member 1. That is, the electronic circuit 32 supplies a clock signal for driving the time display to a step motor (not shown) of the analog movement through a connection member (not shown), and the connection terminal 10 through an electric connection member (not shown). It is electrically connected to, and inputs a switch signal and outputs a display signal. A plurality of switch plates 39 are arranged on the side surface of the housing 35 as shown in FIG. Each switch plate 39 is provided at a position facing the key operation member 23 of the device case 20, and when the key operation member 23 is pressed, the switch plate 39 is displaced so as to be pushed in by the contact of the tip end surface thereof, whereby switching is performed. Be seen.

With respect to such a timepiece module 30, the film liquid crystal member 1 is arranged so that the projecting plate 11 thereof faces the switch plate 39. That is, each protruding plate 11 is bent downward as shown in FIG. 3, and the switch contact electrode 12 (see FIG. 1) formed on the protruding plate 17 is provided so as to face the switch plate 39. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 40 is a double-sided adhesive tape that adheres the back surface of the protruding plate 11 bent in this way to the outer surface of the housing 36. Reference numeral 41 is a back cover attached to the lower surface of the device case 20.

In the electronic wristwatch constructed as described above, when the key operation member 23 on the side surface of the device case 20 is pressed, the switch plate 39 is pushed in, whereby the switch plate 39 is pushed.
Contacts the switch contact electrode 12 of the film liquid crystal member 1. As a result, the switch signal is directly input to the electronic circuit 32 via the connection terminal 10 of the film liquid crystal member 1, and the display content is switched. Therefore, the signal input path to the film liquid crystal member 1 is simplified, the number of parts for that is reduced, the structure is simplified, and the thickness can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but various modifications can be made. For example, the present invention can be applied to electronic devices other than the pointer-type electronic wrist watch, such as digital watches, electronic calculators, and communication devices. Further, in these electronic devices, since the analog movement is unnecessary, it is not necessary to form a through hole for the pointer shaft to penetrate in the film liquid crystal member.

[0015]

As described above, the film liquid crystal member of the present invention enables signal input through a simple path, and the electronic equipment using this film liquid crystal member has a simple structure and can be made thin.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a film liquid crystal member of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a film liquid crystal member.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an example of an electronic device of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a timepiece module in an electronic device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 film liquid crystal member 2 upper flexible substrate 3 lower flexible substrate 4 spacer 9 through hole 10 connection terminal 11 switch contact electrode 20 device case 23 key operating member 31 analog movement 37 pointer shaft

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A pair of flexible substrates arranged via a spacer, a plurality of display electrodes formed inside the spacer on opposite surfaces of the pair of flexible substrates, and a liquid crystal arranged inside the spacer. A member, a switch contact electrode formed outside the spacer on the flexible substrate, and a plurality of connection terminals that are drawn from the switch contact electrode and the plurality of display electrodes and arranged in a row. A film liquid crystal member. 2. The film liquid crystal member according to claim 1, wherein the switch contact electrode is led out to a connection terminal via a spacer. 3. A device case in which a display opening is formed on an upper surface and a key operation member is arranged on a side surface, a display unit arranged in the display opening of the device case, and the outside of the display unit. A film liquid crystal member having a switch part that is bent and is arranged so as to face the key operation member and has a key contact formed therein, and an electronic device including the film liquid crystal member. 4. An analog movement in which a pointer shaft to which a pointer is attached protrudes upward, a through hole through which the pointer shaft of this analog movement penetrates, and a display portion located around this through hole and the outside of this display portion. An electronic device including a film liquid crystal member, comprising: a film liquid crystal member having a switch portion that is bent in one direction and has a key contact formed therein.