JPH0764688A - Input device for display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To clearly recognize a picture to be inputted and to surely make an input by integrally holding a light guidance member individually projecting a picture on a display panel and a depression switch at the position corresponding to the individual picture. CONSTITUTION:A control switch 5 consists of a frame overcoat case 6 to be fitted to the switch supporting part of an input panel, keytop member 7 where a summit part 7A is fitted to a control hole 6A of the case 6 to be depressed freely, base 10 keeping the keytop member 7 tilted against a supporting frame part 6B of the case 6 by the spring force of a return spring 8 and incorporating a switch unit 9, and light guidance member 11 fixed to a transparent space 10A of the base 10. In operating the key, the display data on the display panel can be recognized through the summit part 7A of the keytop member 7. Thus, the input can be performed with the enough depression like the display data directly being depressed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display panel input device. More specifically, by pressing an image area displayed on the panel, data or information corresponding to the displayed image can be input. Display panel input device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional type of input device for a display panel of this type has a film-like operation unit for displaying an image on the panel by a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, etc. There is known a so-called touch panel type input device that is configured by stacking together. Such a touch panel type input device is used not only in automatic payment machines of financial institutions but also in operating panels of machine tools and input / output devices of office automation equipment. Inductive type, capacitance change type and the like have been used. In addition, for the operation, a display area to be input is generally pressed with a fingertip or a pen tip.

[0003]

However, in any of the above-mentioned conventional display panel input devices, since the operation distance by pressing for input is none or too short, the sense of input feeling is not recognized. Is insufficient, especially for input devices that substitute for keys. In addition, the non-contact type electromagnetic induction type has a complicated structure in order to avoid the influence of magnetism, and the capacitance change type has a problem that it does not work when operated with a fingertip such as a glove. .

An object of the present invention is to provide an input device for a display panel, which pays attention to the above-mentioned conventional problems, and which enables an operation for sure input while clearly recognizing a target image to be input. .

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a light guide which is arranged in parallel along a display panel capable of displaying an image and which individually projects the image on the display panel. Means, a push-down switch means capable of individually inputting data or information relating to the image, and means for integrally holding the switch means and the light guiding means at positions corresponding to the individual images. It is characterized by.

[0006]

According to the present invention, since the display image on the display panel is transmitted and output together with the switch means by the light guide member, the image is visually recognized and, through the switch means in a sufficient operation stroke, Information corresponding to the image can be input.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of the configuration according to the present invention. Here, 1 is an input panel as an input device according to the present invention, 2
Is a display panel (display device) using liquid crystal or plasma, and the input panel 1 and the display panel 2 are held in a state where a predetermined interval is maintained by a frame body or the like (not shown). Three
Is, for example, input data (hereinafter referred to as display data) individually displayed on the display panel 2 in a limited area, and 4 is provided in the input panel 1 corresponding to each display data 3, and the operation switch 5 is provided. Is a switch support portion fixed in a fitted state. It should be noted that FIG. 1B shows a cross section in a state where the respective members shown in FIG. 1A are assembled.

Next, the structure of the operation switch 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in these figures, the operation switch 5 includes a frame-shaped outer case 6 fitted to the switch support portion 4 of the input panel 1, and an operation hole 6 of the outer case 6.
A key top member 7 in which the top portion 7A is press-fitted to A, and the key top member 7 is kept in a state of being biased toward the support frame portion 6B of the outer casing 6 by the spring force of the return spring 8 and the micro switch. Type switch unit 9
And a light guide member whose periphery is fixed to the see-through space 10A of the base 10 by press fitting or adhesion (in the case of this example, an image guide (trade name) as described later was used. ) 11 and.

Incidentally, at least the top portion 7A of the key top member 7 is constructed so as to maintain the translucency, and is preferably formed of transparent plastic or the like. 7B is a spring supporting hole formed in the key top member 7. Also, 10
B is a support rod of the return spring 8 provided on the base body 10 side, and 10C is a built-in portion of the switch unit 9. The above-mentioned members are combined together, and the base body 6 is fixed to the fixing hole 6C. The engaging projection 10D of 10 is engaged, and the outer case 6
By gripping the lower end portion of the base body 10 with the clip metal fitting 12, an individual operation switch 5 as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B is obtained.

In each of the operation switches 5 thus configured, as shown in FIG. 3, the top portion 7 of the key top member 7 is
By pressing A in the direction of arrow P with a fingertip or the like, the return spring 8
The key top member 7 is lowered along the inner surface of the outer case 6 against the spring force of, and the switch unit 9 is turned on, for example, to enter the display data or the information related to the display data. be able to. In addition, it is also possible to configure that the "on / off" is repeated each time the key top member 7 is pressed by selecting the type of the switch unit 9. Further, when the key operation is performed, the display data 3 (see FIG. 1) on the display panel 2 is visually recognized by the light guide member 11 as being transmitted to the top portion 7A of the key top member 7, so that the display data 3 is directly pressed. It is possible to perform an input operation with a feeling of doing and with a sufficient pressing stroke.

The image guide used as the light guide member 11 in this example is an optical fiber in which a small diameter optical fiber having a diameter of 0.125 mm is heated and melted in a state of being focused in the same direction, and is completely adhered and integrated. Therefore, the display data 3 on the display panel 2 can be floated and expressed by the operation switch 5 on the input panel 1 arranged at a distance from the display panel 2. Further, although the light input surface and the light output surface of the image guide are the same in this embodiment, the output image can be enlarged / reduced by changing the area ratio. In the case of a small size, the key top member 7 of the operation switch 5 can be enlarged and expressed.

4 to 6 show another embodiment of the present invention.
In this example, the key top member is of a one-sided type.
In these figures, reference numeral 15 is an operation switch according to the present embodiment, 16 is an outer case thereof, 17 is a key top member, and 19 shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 is incorporated in the switch incorporating portion 10C of the base body 10. It is a reed switch.
Also in this example, at least the top portion 17 of the key top member 17
A is transparent, 17B is hinge hole, 17
Reference numeral C denotes a mounting hole into which the pressing member 21 is fitted and fixed together with the magnet 20, and the magnet 20 together with the key top member 17 is reed switch 1 by the spring force of the return spring 8 as shown in FIG.
It is kept separated from 9. Further, 10E is a hinge pin projecting from both side surfaces of the base body 10. The hinge pin 10E has a hinge hole 17B in the key top member 17.
Are fitted to keep the key top member 17 swingable around the hinge pin 10E.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the structure of the attachment device provided in the outer case 16 for fixing the operation switch 15 having such a structure to the input panel 1, which is based on the first embodiment described above. It goes without saying that also in the case of the operation switch 5, the outer case 6 can be similarly configured. Also,
In FIG. 6, (A) shows the state before the operation switch is operated, and (B) shows the pressed state of the key top member 17 during the operation. In FIG. 6, 16A are locking claws formed at the four corners of the outer case 16, and since the outer case 16 is formed of an elastic body such as plastic, its elasticity is utilized to interpose the locking claws 16A, Operation switch 15 is input board 1
Can be attached and fixed to.

In the case of this example, as shown in (B), the depressing member 21 of the key top member 17 is depressed in the direction of arrow P, so that the magnet 20 (see FIG. 4) held by the depressing member 21 is reed. It is possible to bring the switch 19 close to the switch 19 and put the switch 19 in the “on” state, for example. In addition, 19A is a terminal wire of the reed switch 19.

FIG. 7 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. This example is different from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 in that an identification lamp (for example, an LED lamp) 22 for identifying the ON / OFF state of the switch 19 or the presence / absence of input near the switch 19 is provided.
The number of the LED lamps 22 may be one or two. That is, it becomes possible for the operator to clearly recognize the presence / absence of the input by the presence / absence of the lighting of the LED lamp 22 or a combination of the presence / absence of the lighting.

Although FIG. 7 shows an example in which it is applied to the embodiment of the form shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, it can be similarly applied to the form shown in FIGS.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the image guide (product name) is used as a suitable light guide member to be held on the substrate, but the light guide member is not limited to this, and it is not limited to this. It goes without saying that it can be configured by incorporating a new glass product similar to the above, a lens system such as a rod lens, or an optical lens that has been generally used in the past.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, images are displayed side by side along a display panel which can be freely displayed.
Light guiding means for individually transmitting the image on the display panel,
The man-machine comprises the push-down switch means capable of individually inputting data or information relating to the image, and the means for integrally holding the switch means and the light guiding means at the positions corresponding to the individual images. In a display device such as a display panel used as an interface,
By pressing the operation switch provided corresponding to the area where the input data or information is displayed, it becomes possible to input the display data or the information, and it is sufficient to visually check the displayed input data or information. Since it is possible to clearly recognize the input through the operation process, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation due to insufficient pressing, while making the most of the functional characteristics of the panel display device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a configuration according to the present invention by an exploded perspective view (A) and a sectional view (B).

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a configuration of an operation switch according to the present invention.

3 is a configuration diagram showing the operation switch shown in FIG. 2 along a cross section (A) taken along the line AA ′ and a cross section (B) taken along the line BB ′.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing another configuration example of the operation switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the operation switch shown in FIG. 4 along a cross section (A) taken along the line AA ′ and a cross section (B) taken along the line BB ′.

6A and 6B are explanatory views showing the exterior and operation of the operation switch shown in FIG. 4 by FIGS.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing still another configuration example of the operation switch according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Panel 2 Display Panel (Display Device) 3 Input Data (Display Data) 4 Switch Support 5,15 Operation Switch 6,16 Outer Case 6A Operation Hole 6B Support Frame 6C Fixing Hole 7,17 Key Top Member 7A, 17A Top part 7B Spring support hole 8 Return spring 9 Switch unit 10 Base 10A Transparent space 10D Engagement protrusion 11 Light guide member (image guide) 20 Magnet 21 Pressing member 22 Identification light

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A light guide unit, which is arranged in parallel along a display panel capable of displaying images, and through which images on the display panel are individually transmitted, and data or information relating to the image can be input individually. An input device for a display panel, comprising: push-down switch means; and means for integrally holding the switch means and the light guide means at positions corresponding to the individual images. 2. The input device for a display panel according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding unit is composed of an assembly of optical fibers. 3. The push-down switch means allows a key top member for transmitting an image on a display panel transmitted through the light guide means, and the key top member can be pushed down on the light guide means. 3. An elastic member to be held, and a switch member that is turned on / off by a pressing operation of the key top member that is pressed against the elasticity of the elastic member. Input device for display panel.