JPS61228999A - Printing method to key top - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention is applicable to word processors that require wear resistance,
The present invention relates to a method for printing characters, patterns, etc. on key tops used in keyboards of computer keyboards, typewriters, etc.

<Prior art> Key tops used in combinators, typewriters, word processors, etc. are now being printed using sublimation dyes. The structure of this is either silk printing or pad printing with sublimable ink on key tops molded with polybutylene terephthalate resin to infiltrate the resin, or predetermined characters are printed on transfer paper using ink containing sublimable dye. , print a pattern on it, and then apply it to polybutylene terephthalate resin.

This method involves sublimation transfer by applying heat and pressure onto a plastic molded product made of polycarbonate resin or the like, allowing the dye to penetrate into the plastic to obtain letters and patterns.

In the latter method, conventionally, 100 to 200 individual key tops are arranged on a specific jig, and transfer paper printed with ink containing sublimable dye is placed on the arranged key top group so that the ink surface is the key top. The non-printing surface of the transfer paper is placed facing the side and pressed with a heated rubber to transfer the sublimable dye into the molded product, thereby printing characters and patterns on the molded product.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, with these methods, it is possible to print (transfer painting) a large number of key tops at once.

The painted key tops in the jig must be ejected from the jig once, and the key tops that have been taken out must be removed again.
When assembling it into a keyboard, it is always necessary to assemble it into a predetermined location on the keyboard. This kind of work is time-consuming and time-consuming.

There is also the possibility of errors occurring during work, so a built-in keyboard requires an inspection process to ensure that the arrangement of each character and key top is correct. These steps are a major factor in increasing the manufacturing cost of the assembled keyboard.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is made by applying a sublimable dye to a base sheet as one constituent layer, such as a light pattern, etc. Place the ink layer of the transfer sheet toward the key top side incorporated in the keyboard, press the transfer sheet with two upper and lower clamp plates having a shape that surrounds the keyboard, and place it at a predetermined position on the key top. Then, insert the pressing fixing rod between the sides of the key tops, raise the entire keyboard, and fix the key tops in a state where they are pushed to the lower limit. Characteristics include forming letters, patterns, etc. on the top surface of the key top by lowering and pressurizing a heated rubber having substantially the same shape as the top surface of the key top, and then removing the base material sheet. This is a method of printing on key tops.

Next, the present invention will be explained using the drawings.

The method of printing on key tops of the present invention relates to a method of sublimation transfer or normal thermal transfer of characters and patterns onto key tops (2) incorporated on a keyboard (1) as shown in FIG. The top surface of the key tops (2) on the keyboard (1) is usually a concave curved surface, and if each row is an ABCDE row from the cloth in the figure, the key tops (2) of each row are As shown in Figure 1, there are cases where the top surfaces are on the same plane, and there are also cases where the key tops are arranged in a so-called step sculpture, instead of being on the same plane, as shown in Figure 1. The angle h' may also be different in sequence. Also, the key tops on the keyboard (1) (
2) Ha.

From a functional point of view, the switch is turned on and off by pressing the top surface of the key top (2) with a person's finger. In the method of the present invention, a transfer sheet (3) on which characters and patterns are printed using ink containing a sublimable dye is placed with the ink side facing downward, and a clamp plate (4) is used to clamp the transfer sheet (3). 3) Press all four sides,
Magnify the image of the specific mark on the transfer sheet (3) with a TV camera, and transfer it to the predetermined image position.) (3) If b = does not exist, clamp the correction for the position error! Execute by moving (4).

To correct the position of a transfer sheet (3) with good reproducibility. Next, lift the key top (2) inserted onto the keyboard (1) along with the board, and attach the key top pressing fixing rod (5).
Touch the side of the key top (2) to the keyboard (
1) so that the key top (2) is pushed fully into the keyboard surface, and the top surface of the key top (2) is almost in contact with the bottom surface of the transfer sheet (3), and the iron plate (7) is pushed up. Lower the heated rubber (6) that has been baked to bring the transfer sheet (3) into contact with the top surface of the key top (2).

The sublimable dye on the transfer sheet (3) is sublimated and permeated onto the key tops (2) to print one character and a picture.

Here, details of each device and one part of the jig will be explained.

First, the transfer sheet (3) may be an ink containing a sublimable dye or a sheet having a normal heat-sensitive adhesive layer, but these inks may be printed using gravure printing, offset printing, or silk printing. Paper or a plastic film such as a stretched polyester film can be used as the printing base material. In addition, in these printed materials, the top surface value and position of the key top (2) and the characters and patterns printed during transfer are received by the camera, and the transfer sheet (3) is It is possible to accurately know the current position and recognize the difference from the original position of the transfer sheet (3).

The clamp plate (4) uses two window-shaped clamp iron plates having a rectangular shape slightly larger than the entire surface of the keyboard (1).
Silicone rubber or the like is buried as a backing material in the surface that holds the transfer sheet (3), and the upper and lower clamp plates (4) can be opened and closed using an air cylinder or the like. The key top pushing fixing rod (5) is fixed to the machine body 1 so that it is always in the same position, and as the keyboard (1) rises from below, the key top (2) is first attached to the key top pushing fixing bar (5). When the sides of the keyboard (1) touch and the keyboard (1) further rises, the key top (2) is relatively pushed to its lower stroke limit.

In this state, the top surface of the key top (2) and the transfer sheet (3)
The heated rubber (6) and the rubber burn-in should be placed in a position where they are almost in contact with each other, and the heated rubber (6) and rubber burn-in should be placed on the iron plate (the force is lowered and the key top (2)
) and the transfer sheet (3), and place the transfer sheet (
3) Transfer or sublimate the ink above onto the key top (2).

The important thing here is the key top pressing fixing rod (5)
If not, the descending heating rubber (6) will first contact the transfer sheet (3), and then the heating rubber (6) will remain in weak contact with the transfer sheet (3), key top (2) and heating rubber (6). 6), the whole continues to descend to the lower stroke limit of the key top (2). During this time, the characters, patterns, etc. drawn with ink on the transfer sheet (3) may become distorted.
This may result in double copying, or in the case of sublimation ink, the dye may begin to sublimate, causing letters, patterns, etc. to bleed or bleed.

For this reason, the key top pressing fixing rod (5) is necessary and essential for the present invention, and its structure has a cross section that follows the shape of the side surface of the key top (2) as shown in Figure 2. It may also be a mesh-like material that presses down the squares of the key tops (2). In addition, the surface of the heating rubber for transfer (6) preferably has a surface shape that is approximately the same as the state in which the key top (2) on the keyboard (1) is pressed to the lower limit stroke, as shown in Fig. 1. As shown in the figure, if the angles of the top surface of the key top (2) are different, the surface of the heating rubber (6) should also have the same angle as the top surface of the key top (2). )
The iron plate on which the heated rubber (6) is baked must have the same surface as the surface of the heated rubber. In other words, the heated rubber (6) must have a uniform thickness throughout, and the surface temperature of the heated rubber must be kept constant. Because heated rubber (6
) is a flat iron plate (7), the thickness of the heating rubber (6) is different at each location, and due to the poor heat conduction of the rubber, the surface temperature of the heating rubber (6) will be lower than that of the thicker parts of the rubber. This is because it becomes relatively low and causes problems in transfer.

The thickness of this heating rubber (6) is preferably 14-5-
The one is good.

<Example> Key tops molded from polybutylene terephthalate resin (PBT resin) were assembled onto a keyboard, and two sets of keyboards were fixedly mounted on a tray, which was used as one unit for painting.

On the other hand, C.I. Disperse Blue 241 (C, 1,
One side of the transfer film, in which characters and patterns are gravure printed on a biaxially stretched polyester film using an ink containing a black dye mainly Disperse blue 241), with the ink side facing downward, and clamped on all sides with clamp plates. Using a TV camera with a square mark of 5III11, the position coordinates in the camera were identified, and the shift of the square mark from its original position was corrected using a stellar wrapping motor attached to a clamp plate.

Furthermore, place the tray on which two sets of plain keyboards are placed on the movable table (8) K shown in Figure 1, raise the movable table (8) to raise the keyboard, and push the key tops up on the fixed bar for pushing the key tops. , press it to the keyboard side to the lower stroke limit and fix it, then lower the heated rubber heated to 195 ° C, stick the transfer film on the top surface of the key top for 40 seconds, heat it, and dye the obtained key top. The characters and patterns were sharp, and two sets of products with painted key tops set on the keyboard were obtained with one transfer process.

<Effect of the invention> As explained above, the characters on the key top of the present invention.

The printing method for designs, etc. is a direct transfer method to the key tops that are pre-installed on the keyboard.As with the traditional method, after lining up and painting the individual key tops on a special jig, Furthermore, there is no need to manually assemble the key tops onto the keyboard, and since the plain key tops are assembled onto the keyboard and then painted, there are no mistakes in assembly, and the process is greatly streamlined, making production easier. Efficiency is improved and overall costs can be significantly reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a device used in the method, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a key top pressing fixing rod.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) The ink layer of the transfer sheet, one of which is an ink layer containing sublimable dye for letters, patterns, etc., on the base sheet, is directed toward the key top side incorporated in the keyboard. Press down the transfer sheet with two upper and lower clamp plates having a shape that surrounds the key top and place it at a predetermined position on the key top, insert a pressing fixing rod between the sides of the key top, and raise the entire keyboard. The key tops are fixed in a state where they are pushed in to the lower limit, and a heated rubber whose shape is approximately the same as the top surface of the key tops is lowered from the base sheet side of the transfer sheet to all the key tops to be printed on the keyboard. A method of printing on key tops, which comprises applying pressure to form characters, pictures, etc. on the top surface of the key tops, and then removing the base sheet. 2) A patent characterized in that the heating rubber side surface of the iron plate that holds the heating rubber has the same shape as the heating rubber surface, and the heating rubber has a uniform thickness of 1 to 5 mm. A method of printing on key tops according to claim 1. 3) Two sets of keyboards incorporating plain key tops are placed and fixed in parallel on metal trays, and at the same time characters, pictures, etc. are printed. How to print on keycaps.