JPH09147658A - Key board switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure the sealability, and to facilitate the assembling, and to facilitate the various color arrangement by ultrasonic-welding a fixing part of each key top block to an edge of each window hole of a case. SOLUTION: A case 11 is formed with circular window holes 12 corresponding to key tops 21 of a key top block 20, and the back surface side of the edge of the holes 12 are respectively formed with a recessed fixing surface 14 corresponding to the fixing part 27. Each top 21 of the block 20 is inserted into each hole 12 of the case 11, and the surface side of the fixing part 27 is ultrasonic-welded to the surface 14 over the whole circumference without a clearance, and the block 20 is fixed to the case 11. Consequently, the surface side of the fixing part 27 of the block 20 and the surface 14 of the case 11 are tightly fitted to each other so as to integrate the block 20 and the case 11 with each other, and the holes 12 are perfectly closed. The number of part items can be reduced by the integration, and while since the holes 12 are previously closed, the assembling work is facilitated, and the sealability is secured, and various color arrangement of the top 21 and the case 11 and change thereof are facilitated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard switch used for a control panel that needs to be hermetically sealed, such as a remote controller for a water heater installed in a bathroom.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional keyboard switches are, for example,
As shown in FIG. 5, a button 3 for performing a switch operation is inserted into a window hole 2 opened in the case 1 corresponding to the tact switch 6 fixed on the printed wiring board 10, and the case 1
Further, the cover sheet 4 having flexibility is attached onto the button 3 to close the gap between the case 1 and the button 3, thereby ensuring the hermeticity.

In the keyboard switch disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-9878, a key top (button), a thin portion and a case body are integrally molded (injection molding) to form a key top (button) and the case body. Sealing is secured by eliminating the gap between and.

[0004]

When a cover sheet is attached to close the gap between the case and the button as in the keyboard switch shown in FIG. 5, the cover sheet must be firmly attached during the assembly work. There is a problem that it takes time and labor to assemble because it does not happen.
When the key top (button) and the case body are integrally molded (injection molded) to eliminate a gap like the keyboard switch disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 9878, the injection molding is generally limited to a few colors. However, there is a problem that various color schemes cannot be performed.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard switch which has a reliable airtightness, is easy to assemble, and can easily perform various color schemes.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The features of the present invention for solving the conventional problems as described above and achieving the intended purpose are as follows.
A key top, a thin elastic portion made of an elastic material that continuously supports the key top so that the key top can be pressed down and returned, and a fixing portion made of a rigid material that is continuous on the outer peripheral side of the thin elastic portion. Is integrally formed, and the fixing portion of the key top block is ultrasonically welded to the edge of the window hole of the case.

It is preferable that the key top and the case have a light-shielding property, the thin elastic portion has a light transmitting property, and a light emitting means is provided at a position in the case corresponding to the thin elastic portion. It is preferable that a light-transmitting indicator portion is provided inside the top and a light emitting means is provided at a position corresponding to the indicator portion inside the case.

The key top block is two-color injection-molded with a rigid material having a light-shielding property and an elastic material having a light-transmitting property, and the rigid material forms the upper surface side of the key top excluding the indicator portion and the fixing portion. Preferably, the elastic material forms the indicator portion and the back surface side of the key top and a thin elastic portion.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
Referring to FIG.

1 to 3 show a first example of an embodiment of the present invention, in which 10 is a printed wiring board and 1 is a printed wiring board.
Reference numeral 1 is a case, and 20 is a key top block.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the key top block 20 includes a substantially disk-shaped key top 21 and a thin annular elastic portion 25 having a substantially annular shape which is continuous over the entire circumference on the outer peripheral side of the back portion thereof.
And a fixed portion 27 having a substantially quadrangular tubular shape that is continuous on the outer peripheral side over the entire circumference. Also, the key top 21
The indicator part 22 is provided on the surface side of the
A convex portion 23 is provided at the center on the back surface side.

The key top 20 is integrally molded (two-color injection molding) with two kinds of materials. First, the upper surface side (excluding the indicator portion 22) of the key top 21 and the fixing portion 27 are made of ABS (acrylonitrile). ·butadiene·
It is made of a rigid material such as styrene) having a light shielding property, and then the back surface side of the key top 21, the indicator portion 22 and the thin elastic portion 25 are made of an elastic material such as polyester elastomer and are transparent. , A material having a light-transmitting property (light-transmitting property) such as semitransparent. A recess is formed on the back surface side of the indicator portion 22, and the indicator portion 22 is formed thinner than the other parts of the key top 21.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the case 11 is provided with a circular window hole 12 corresponding to the key top 21 of the key top block 20, and on the back surface side of the edge of the window hole 12, The fixed surface 14 corresponding to the fixed portion 27 is recessed. The case 11 is made of a rigid material such as ABS and having a light shielding property.

The key top 21 of the key top block 20 is inserted into the window hole 12 of the case 11, and the fixing portion 2
The key top block 20 is fixed to the case 11 by ultrasonically welding the front surface side of the reference numeral 7 to the fixing surface 14 over the entire circumference without any gap. Therefore, the key top block 20 and the case 11 are integrated by bringing the surface side of the fixing portion 27 of the key top block 20 into close contact with the fixing surface 14 of the case 11, and the window hole 12 of the case 11 is completely formed. Has been closed to.

Further, the printed wiring board 1 is provided in the case 11.
0 is accommodated, the tact switch 6 is mounted and fixed on the printed wiring board 10 at a position corresponding to the convex portion 23 of the key top 21, and at a position corresponding to the indicator portion 22 and the thin elastic portion 25. Light emitting diode (chip)
9 and 9 are mounted and fixed.

The keyboard switch constructed as described above is a key top block 2 integrally molded (injection molded).
Since 0 is ultrasonically welded and integrated to the case 11 to reduce the number of parts and the window hole 12 of the case 11 is closed in advance, the assembling work can be facilitated, and
The tightness can be ensured. Although it is difficult to ultrasonically weld an elastic material such as an elastomer, the fixing portion 27 of the key top block 20 and the case 11 are AB.
Since they are made of a rigid material such as S, they can be ultrasonically welded together appropriately.

Also, the key top block 20 and the case 1
Since 1 is not integrally molded (injection molded) from the beginning, but is integrated by ultrasonic welding after molding, it is possible to easily perform a wide variety of color arrangements for the key top 21 and the case 11. Can be easily changed.

When the keyboard switch is used, when the key top 21 is pushed with a finger, the thin elastic portion 25 is deformed, the tact switch 6 is operated through the convex portion 23, and when the finger is released, the thin elastic portion is released. A switch operation is performed so that 25 is restored and returned to the original state. The thin elastic portion 25
Since is made of an elastic material such as an elastomer, it can be suitably deformed and restored.

Further, the indicator portion 2 having translucency
2 and the thin elastic portion 25 can be illuminated simultaneously or separately by the light emitting diodes 9 in the case 11. When the thin elastic portion 25 is illuminated, the outer peripheral side of the key top 21 is illuminated in a ring shape.
You can get the visual effect that
It can give a high-class feeling.

FIG. 4 shows a second example of the embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 111 is a case. The same parts as those in the first example are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

A rectangular window hole 112 is opened in the case 111, and the fixing surface 11 corresponding to the fixing portion 27 of the key top block 20 is provided on the surface side of the edge portion of the window hole 112.
4 is recessed. The case 111 is made of a rigid material such as ABS and having a light shielding property.

Then, the back surface side of the fixing portion 27 of the key top block 20 is ultrasonically welded to the fixing surface 114 of the case 111 over the entire circumference without any gap, and the key top block 2
0 and the case 111 are integrated, and the case 111
Window 112 is completely closed.

Therefore, the key top block 20 has the first
Ultrasonic welding can be performed on the back surface side of the case 11 as in the example, or ultrasonic welding on the front surface side of the case 111 as in the second example.

The case where the indicator portion 22 and the thin elastic portion 25 have a light-transmitting property and are illuminated by the separate light emitting diodes 9 and 9 has been described. May be configured to not
Also, both may be illuminated by one light emitting diode 9. Alternatively, the entire key top 21 may be transparent, and the entire key top 21 may be illuminated.

Further, the upper surface side of the key top 21 and the fixed portion 2
7 is made of a rigid material such as ABS, and the key top 2
The case where the back surface side of 1 and the thin elastic portion 25 are made of an elastic material such as an elastomer has been described.
Is made of a rigid material such as ABS, and has a thin elastic portion 25.
May be made of an elastic material such as an elastomer, and the entire key top 21 may be made of the same elastic material as that of the thin elastic portion 25.

[0026]

As described above, in the keyboard switch according to the present invention, the key top, the thin elastic portion continuous to the outer peripheral side of the key top, and the fixed portion continuous to the outer peripheral side of the thin elastic portion are integrally molded. By ultrasonically welding the key top block formed as described above to the edge portion of the window hole of the case through the fixing portion, the airtightness (waterproofness) can be secured and the assembling work can be facilitated. A wide variety of color arrangements can be performed, and the color arrangement can be easily changed. Further, by forming the thin elastic portion of an elastic material, the key top can be supported so that it can be pressed down and returned.
On the other hand, by forming the fixed part with a rigid material,
Ultrasonic welding can be suitably performed.

Further, by using a key top and a case having a light-shielding property and a thin elastic portion having a light transmitting property (light transmitting property), the light emitting means is provided at a position corresponding to the thin elastic portion in the case. It is possible to obtain a visual effect by illuminating the outer peripheral side of the key top in a ring shape, so that the key top can be seen as if it were raised, and it is possible to give a high-class feeling.

Further, by providing a light-transmitting indicator part inside the key top and providing a light emitting means at a position corresponding to the indicator part in the case, the outer side and the inner side of the key top are illuminated simultaneously or separately. Therefore, various illumination patterns can be obtained.

Then, the key top block is two-color injection-molded with a rigid material having a light-shielding property and an elastic material having a light-transmitting property, and the rigid material forms the upper surface side excluding the indicator part of the key top and the fixed part. By forming the indicator portion and the back surface side of the key top and the thin elastic portion with an elastic material, the key top having a light-shielding property, the light-transmitting indicator portion, and the thin elastic portion having elasticity and light transmitting property It is possible to preferably integrally form the rigid fixing portion.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a first example of an embodiment of a keyboard switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a key top block in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a second example of the embodiment of the keyboard switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing an example of a conventional keyboard switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Tact Switch 9 Light Emitting Diode (Light Emitting Means) 10 Printed Wiring Board 11,111 Case 12,112 Window Holes 14,114 Fixed Surface 20 Key Top Block 21 Key Top 22 Indicator Part 23 Convex Part 25 Thin Elastic Part 27 Fixed Part

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A key top, a thin elastic part made of an elastic material that continuously supports the key top so that the key top can be pressed down and returned, and a rigid material continuous to the outer peripheral side of the thin elastic part. A keyboard switch comprising a key top block integrally formed with a fixing part made of, and the fixing part of the key top block is ultrasonically welded to an edge of a window hole of a case. 2. The key top and the case have a light-shielding property,
The keyboard switch according to claim 1, wherein the thin elastic portion is translucent, and a light emitting means is provided at a position corresponding to the thin elastic portion in the case. 3. The keyboard switch according to claim 2, wherein a translucent indicator portion is provided inside the key top, and a light emitting means is provided at a position corresponding to the indicator portion inside the case. 4. The keytop block is two-color injection-molded from a rigid material having a light-shielding property and an elastic material having a light-transmitting property, and the rigid material forms a top surface side of the keytop excluding an indicator portion and a fixed portion. The keyboard switch according to claim 3, wherein the elastic material forms the indicator portion and the back surface side of the key top and a thin elastic portion.