JPH1196844A - Luminous switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate luminous uneveness and realize thinning and lightening of a switch by embossment forming a transparent or translucent thermoplastic resin located on the uppermost layer of an electroluminescence element(EL element) and a transparent electrode layer on the next layer into a dome-shape so as to make them a click-type spring part and cutting out the central part of the EL element in the lower layers under the spring part to make it a hollow structure. SOLUTION: A transparent or translucent thermoplastic resin 3 having a transparent electrode layer 4 located on the uppermost layer of an EL element is formed into a dome-shape through embossment forming, and an insulating layer 11 is formed on the inside surface of the dome-like transparent electrode layer 4. An upper contact part 10 is formed at the central part of the insulating layer 11 comprising the central part corresponding to the upper dome part of other parts composed of the EL element such as a luminescent layer 5, a dielectric layer 6, a back electrode layer 7 and an insulating layer 8 located on the lower side is cutout. A lower electrode 13 is formed on a lower substrate 12. In this case, because the transparent electrode layer 4 is so structure through embossment forming as to produce click touch, the thinning of the switch can be realized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a mobile communication device,
The present invention relates to an illuminated switch used for an operation panel of a measuring device, a medical device, an in-vehicle electronic device, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional click-type illuminated switch, a self-illuminated tact switch as shown in FIG. 3 or a switch in which a light emitting diode (LED) 22 is arranged beside a switch 21 as shown in FIG. It is known.

The applicant of the present invention has proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 7-219450 an illuminated switch of a planar light emitting body as shown in FIG. The illuminated switch according to the present invention includes a planar light emitting element EL.
Are arranged directly below the transparent key 23, and there is no unevenness in illumination.

[0004]

In the case of using the self-illuminated tact switch shown in FIG. 3, the product itself becomes thick, and it is not possible to cope with thinning and weight reduction of the device.

[0005] As shown in FIG.
A switch using 2 as a light source has a limitation in the absolute number of light emitting diodes that can be used in one product due to the large power consumption of the LED.
D is arranged. Therefore, the brightness varies depending on the key.

Further, even if the number of switches is small and can be arranged on each key, especially when the switch is arranged directly under the key, the structure becomes complicated and a large cost is required.

Further, even in the case of the illuminated switch of a planar light emitting body disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-219450, portable devices tend to be smaller and lighter, so that further reductions in thickness and weight are required. .

[0008]

According to the present invention, an EL element is used as a backlight of an illuminated switch, which can be made thin without uneven illumination, and a transparent or translucent thermoplastic resin at the uppermost layer of the EL element. Embossed in a dome shape with the next transparent electrode layer to serve as a click-type spring part, and a hollow structure in which the central part of the lower EL element is cut off to use the lower EL element as a spacer In addition, the thickness and weight have been further reduced.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention has a thickness of 75 to 250 .mu.m.
A transparent or translucent thermoplastic resin 3 with an uppermost transparent electrode layer 4 of an EL element such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate was formed into a dome shape by embossing. If the thickness of the resin is less than 75 μm, the resilience is weak and the reversal phenomenon is likely to occur. If the thickness exceeds 250 μm, the embossability becomes weak.

Further, an insulating layer 11 is formed on the inner surface of the dome-shaped transparent electrode layer 4.

Then, an upper contact portion 10 is formed at the center of the insulating layer 8. The central portion corresponding to the upper dome portion of the light emitting layer 5, the dielectric layer 6, the back electrode layer 7, and the insulating layer 8 constituting another EL element located below is cut off. 13 are formed. These EL elements can be easily formed by known techniques such as screen printing and vapor deposition. The hemispherical embossed shape can also be easily formed by a known technique using a mold, a jig, or the like.

Further, the lowermost insulating layer 8 is preferably formed thick to double as a spacer.

[0013]

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.

A transparent electrode layer 4 such as ITO is formed on the lower surface of the transparent thermoplastic resin 3 capable of bending elastic deformation into a film shape by vapor deposition or the like, and this is embossed into a dome shape. An insulating layer 11 processed by etching or printing is arranged, and a contact portion 10 corresponding to a lower electrode 13 of a lower substrate 12 is provided. 6, a back surface electrode layer 7 and an insulating layer 8 are laminated by screen printing in the same manner as in the structure of a known EL element to form a hollow planar luminous body.

In order to obtain a better click feeling, a spacer 9 having an appropriate thickness is provided on the laminated lowermost insulating layer 8, and the lower electrode 13 and the upper contact portion 1 provided on the lower substrate 12 are provided.
Match 0. The upper portion has a structure in which a display unit 1 is fixed with an adhesive 2.

The spacer is omitted by giving the insulating layer 8 a thickness.

[0017]

Embodiment 2 FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention.

A transparent thermoplastic resin 3 capable of bending elastic deformation is embossed into a dome shape, and a contact portion 10 corresponding to the lower electrode 13 of the substrate 12 is provided at the center inside the dome shape. Outside the position, the transparent electrode layer 4, the light-emitting layer 5, the dielectric layer 6, the back electrode 7, and the insulating layer 8 are sequentially laminated by screen printing in the same manner as the known EL element structure to form a hollow planar light-emitting body. Then, the inner end face of the transparent electrode layer 4 was used as an insulating surface 14.

[0019]

By making the structure of the PET film, which is the upper transparent electrode of the EL, embossed so as to give a click feeling, the switch shown in FIG. 5 has a thickness of 0.6 mm. In comparison, the switch of the example of the present invention was 0.375 mm in thickness, and could be reduced in thickness by 0.225 mm. Further, since the light emitting element is an EL which is a planar light emitting body, there is no uneven illumination. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly illuminate the switch surface.

According to the present invention, the size and weight of a small portable device can be further reduced.

Further, the click can be easily adjusted by the laminated lowermost insulating layer or spacer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conventional self-illuminated tact switch;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an illumination switch using a conventional LED.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a conventional illumination switch of an EL element.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Display part 2 Adhesive 3 Transparent thermoplastic resin 4 Transparent electrode layer 5 Light emitting layer 6 Dielectric layer 7 Back electrode layer 8 Insulating layer 10 Upper contact part 11 Insulating layer 12 Lower substrate 13 Lower electrode 14 Insulating surface

Claims (3)

[Claims] An electroluminescent device (hereinafter referred to as E)
L element), the transparent or translucent thermoplastic resin of the uppermost layer of the EL element and the transparent electrode layer of the next layer are embossed into a dome shape to form a click type spring portion. An insulating layer is disposed inside the resin dome, a contact portion is provided in the center, and other EL elements below the dome-shaped spring portion are a light emitting layer, a dielectric layer, and a back electrode. An illuminated switch characterized in that a layer and a central part of an insulating layer are cut off. 2. An electroluminescent device (hereinafter referred to as E).
L element), a transparent or translucent thermoplastic resin in the uppermost layer of the EL element is embossed into a dome shape to form a click type spring portion, and a contact is provided inside the resin dome. And a central portion of the other lower EL elements corresponding to the dome-shaped spring portion, namely, the transparent electrode layer, the light emitting layer, the dielectric layer, the back electrode layer, and the insulating layer. An illuminated switch, characterized in that a centrally cut end surface of the surface electrode layer is an insulating surface. 3. The illuminated type according to claim 1, wherein a display portion made of a translucent rubber or a thermoplastic resin is entirely or partially mounted on an upper surface of the dome-shaped spring portion. switch.