JPH08102235A - Waterproof keyboard apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a waterproof keyboard apparatus for which a flexible board is used and which has improved waterproofing properties. CONSTITUTION: A flexible board 4 which consists of insulating sheets 5, 6 set face to face at a prescribed gap between them and a large number of contact points formed in the inner faces of the sheets 5, 6 to correspond to key operation parts 3 arranged in rows and lines and of which at least the sheet 5 in the upper side between the sheets 5, 6 is made of a flexible material is installed and the whole circumference of the sheets 5, 6 is closed. At the same time, air flow holes 14, 15 to communicate the space 4a between the sheets 5, 6 with outside air are formed in the bottom face of the flexible board 4. When the key operation parts 3 are operated, air is ventilated to and from the space of the sheets 5, 6 and the outside through the air flow holes 14, 15 to allow the sagging of the sheets 5, 6. Moreover, since the air flow holes 14, 15 are formed in the bottom face of the flexible board 4, liquid penetration from the circumference can be prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waterproof keyboard device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A waterproof keyboard is used, for example, as a cash register for selling fresh food.
A conventional example of the waterproof keyboard will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 is a keyboard. This keyboard 1 is formed by assembling a large number of key operating parts 3 on a flat panel-shaped panel 2 so as to be vertically movable.

A flexible board 4 is disposed below the keyboard 1 so as to face it. The flexible board 4 includes insulating sheets 5 and 6 that face each other in the vertical direction with a slight gap, a bottom plate 7 attached to the lower surface of the lower sheet 6, and the sheets 5 and 6 as shown in FIG. And a large number of contacts 8 and 9 formed on the opposing surfaces of. These contacts 8 are arranged directly below the key operation unit 3. Further, connectors 11 and 12 for connecting the contacts 8 and 9 to a cable (not shown) are formed on one side of the sheets 5 and 6. The contacts 8 and 9 and the conductive connection lines that connect these contacts 8 and 9 to the connectors 11 and 12 are patterned with a thin film thickness by a thin film technique or the like.

The sheets 5 and 6 are formed of a material having an insulating property and flexibility, and the peripheral edges of the sheets 5 and 6 are joined by a seal member 10 with some air circulation holes 13 left. There is. Further, the gaps between the sheets 5 and 6 are dispersed and arranged in the central portions of the seal members 10 located at the periphery and the sheets 5 and 6 so that a predetermined gap is formed between the contacts 8 and 9. It is defined by a plurality of columns (not shown) provided.

In such a keyboard device, when a desired key operation unit 3 is pressed, the pressed key operation unit 3 is pressed.
Since a part of the seat 5 located directly below the seat bends downward, the contact 8 located directly below the operated key operation unit 3 comes into contact with the contact 9 arranged directly below it, and the pressed key operation unit 3 is pressed. Information corresponding to No. 3 is input from the input connectors 11 and 12 via a cable. In this case, when the key operation unit 3 is operated, the air in the space 4a formed between the seats 5 and 6 is discharged to the outside in order to easily bend the seat 5 downward, and the key operation unit 3 When the finger is released from, the space 4a and the outside air are communicated with each other by the air circulation hole 13 so that the outside air is taken into the space 4a so as to elastically restore the seat 5.

[0006]

A liquid such as water may drop on the keyboard 1 depending on the environment in which the keyboard device is handled. In this case, the liquid penetrates through the gap between the fitting portion between the panel 2 and the key operation portion 3, travels along the upper surface of the sheet 5 and wraps around the periphery of the flexible board 4,
Due to the capillary phenomenon, the air penetrates into the space 4a between the sheets 5 and 6 from the air circulation hole 13. The degree of invasion due to the capillary phenomenon is inversely proportional to the surface tension of the liquid and the gap between the sheets 5 and 6, and the smaller the gap, the easier water is to infiltrate. As a result, a failure such as a short circuit between the contacts 8 and 9 occurs.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
An insulative sheet having a large number of key operation units arranged in a matrix and forming a space inside each other with a predetermined gap between the key operation units and an inner surface of the sheet corresponding to the key operation units. And a plurality of contact points, at least the upper sheet of the sheet is provided with a flexible board made of a flexible material, while sealing the entire peripheral edge of the sheet,
It is a waterproof keyboard device in which an air circulation hole for communicating a space between the sheets to the outside air is formed on the bottom surface of the flexible board.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, a flexible board is formed by upper and lower two sheets whose contacts are arranged to face each other and a bottom plate which supports a lower sheet. Type keyboard device.

[0009]

According to the invention described in claim 1, when the key operation portion is operated, air is circulated between the inside of the seat and the outside air which are opposed to each other through the air circulation hole, so that the bending operation of the seat is prevented. Allowed, the contacts formed on the opposite sides of the sheet make contact,
Information corresponding to the pressed key operation unit is input. In this case, since the air circulation holes that allow the bending of the sheet are formed on the bottom surface of the flexible board and the entire peripheral edges of the opposing sheets are sealed, the liquid dripping from the keyboard travels on the upper surface of the flexible board to the peripheral edge. Even if it goes around, since the entire peripheral edge of the flexible board is sealed, invasion of liquid into the inside is avoided.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the same effect as that of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained, and further, the strength of the flexible board is increased by the bottom plate.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Portions having the same structures as those described in FIGS. 4 and 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
The flexible board 4 of this embodiment has insulating sheets 5 and 6 which face each other in the vertical direction with a slight gap therebetween, a bottom plate 7 attached to the lower surface of the lower sheet 6, and a sheet as shown in FIG. A large number of contacts 8, 9 formed on the opposing surfaces of 5, 6
And consists of. The entire peripheral edges of the sheets 5 and 6 are sealed by the seal member 10. Then, the bottom surface of such a flexible board 4, that is, the lower sheet 6 and bottom plate 7
And a plurality of air circulation holes 14, 1 arranged at the same position and communicating the space 4a between the seats 5, 6 with the outside air.
5 is formed.

In such a structure, when the key operation portion 3 is operated, the air is circulated between the seats 5 and 6 facing each other and the outside air through the air circulation holes 14 and 15 so that the seat 5 is circulated. The flexing motion of is allowed. The air circulation hole 1
4, 15 are the bottom surface of the flexible board (the lower sheet 6
Also, since the entire peripheral edges of the sheets 5 and 6 which are formed on the bottom plate 7) and face each other are sealed by the seal member 10, it is assumed that the liquid dripping from the keyboard 1 travels on the upper surface of the flexible board 4 and wraps around the peripheral edge. However, since the entire peripheral edge of the flexible board 4 is sealed, it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the inside.

The upper sheet 5 is made of a material having insulating flexibility, and the lower sheet 6 is made of an insulating material having high rigidity, so that the bottom plate 7 is omitted. be able to. However, according to this embodiment, since the lower sheet 6 is attached to the bottom plate 7, the strength of the flexible board 4 can be increased. Further, in place of the keyboard 1 of the present embodiment, a flexible sheet is divided as a key operation unit, and a key name is printed or a character sheet or the like is displayed on each of the divided individual areas to display the flexible keyboard. A sheet (so-called flat keyboard) may be used to press a portion (key operation portion) having an arbitrary key name, and the pressure may bend the portion of the arbitrary contact 8 of the flexible board 4.

[0014]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the key operation portion is operated, air is circulated between the inside of the seat and the outside air which are opposed to each other through the air passage hole, and the seat is bent. When the operation is allowed and the contacts formed on the opposite surface of the sheet come into contact with each other, the information corresponding to the pressed key operation portion can be input, but the air circulation hole that allows the bending of the sheet is a flexible board. Formed on the bottom surface of the sheet, the entire edges of the opposing sheets are sealed, so even if the liquid dripping from the keyboard travels along the upper surface of the flexible board and wraps around the edges, the entire edge of the flexible board is sealed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the inside.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, a flexible board is formed by upper and lower two sheets having contacts arranged opposite to each other and a bottom plate supporting the lower sheet. Therefore, the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 1 can be obtained, and the strength of the flexible board can be increased by the bottom plate.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a relationship between a flexible board and a keyboard.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a lower sheet with contacts omitted.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional side view of a flexible board.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Key operation part 4 Flexible board 4a Space part 5,6 Sheet 7 Bottom plate 8,9 Contact 14,15 Air circulation hole

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An insulative sheet having a large number of key operation units arranged in a matrix vertically and horizontally, facing each other with a predetermined gap therebetween to form a space therein, and the sheet corresponding to the key operation unit. A flexible board having a large number of contacts formed on the inner surface of the sheet, at least the upper sheet of the sheet being made of a flexible material, and sealing the entire peripheral edge of the sheet, and A waterproof keyboard device characterized in that an air circulation hole for communicating the space portion to the outside air is formed on the bottom surface of the flexible board. 2. The waterproof keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein a flexible board is formed by upper and lower two sheets whose contacts are arranged to face each other and a bottom plate which supports the lower sheet.