KR100404452B1 - Keypad including poly urethane resin - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is an electronic device equipped with a keypad, the keypad is formed of a polyurethane material, and more particularly in a mobile phone that can be easily encountered in everyday life among electronic products operated by pressing a button key, The keypad P disposed between the circuit board 6 and the mobile phone cover 10 is molded of a polyurethane material.

The keypad P is a fabric printing process for printing an operation symbol of a button key on a polyurethane fabric film, and a keypad molding process for inserting and molding the printed polyurethane fabric film between a first mold and a second mold; Here, the keypad forming process includes the step of sending the compressed air through the first mold connected to the compressor by compression molding, and the step of adsorption molding through the second mold connected to the vacuum pump, the button key of the molded keypad It is manufactured by including a post-treatment process to finish after injecting silicon into the inside, it is soft and not slippery, the touch surface is good, not only to give a sense of stability to the user, but also to prevent malfunction of the mobile phone to increase the reliability.

Description

KEYPAD INCLUDING POLY URETHANE RESIN}

The present invention relates to a keypad, and in particular, to a keypad made of polyurethane resin, and an apparatus and method for manufacturing the same.

In general, a keypad having a plurality of numeric keys, letter keys or function keys may be used in ordinary telephones, mobile phones, remote controls, and rice cookers, microwave ovens, medical devices, or car dashboards, safety devices, lubricators or keyboards of computers. It can be used to. For example, a mobile phone is provided with a circuit board having a key switch inside the main body, a keypad including a button key is mounted on the circuit board, and a mobile phone cover is mounted on an upper surface of the keypad.

Keypads containing button keys use rubber to prevent slipping when the user operates them, but rubber keypads often have numbers or symbols printed on the button keys on the keypad that are difficult to distinguish. It becomes difficult, and there is a disadvantage in that it is inconvenient to use.

In order to solve the above-mentioned disadvantage, a keypad made of polycarbonate (polycarbonate), in which numbers or symbols on a button key are printed on the back of the button key, is widely used. 2, there is shown a block diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing a keypad of polycarbonate. The printed polycarbonate fabric film is inserted between the lower mold 11 on which the yaw portion 15 is formed and the upper mold 12 on which the iron portion 13 is formed. Thereafter, the upper mold 12 is lowered to form a keypad by pressing a polycarbonate fabric film. Unexplained reference numeral 17 in the drawings denotes a controller.

In addition, referring to Figure 3, there is shown an explanatory diagram showing the stretched state of the keypad when forming the keypad. As shown, in the case of forming the keypad using a polycarbonate fabric film, since the press molding using the upper and lower molds 12 and 11, the height portion of the button key, that is, both sides S in the vertical direction is Although there is stretching, the stretching does not occur in the top surface (T) and the bottom surface (B) in the horizontal direction, and thus the surface state of the top and bottom surfaces (T and B) and both sides (S) of the keypad are different from each other. There is a problem that damage occurs to the stretched portion and the bending portion (C).

In addition, the keypad of the polycarbonate material is hard and slips well when the button key is pressed, and also has a high adhesion property of foreign substances such as cosmetics, and the touch surface is poor. In addition, there is a problem that a long finger nail user due to the slip of the button key may cause a malfunction by pressing the button incorrectly.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, it is soft and not slippery, low adhesion properties of foreign substances such as cosmetics, good contact surface to provide a sense of stability to the user as well as to increase the reliability of the mobile phone It is an object of the present invention to provide a keypad comprising a urethane resin and an apparatus and method for manufacturing the same.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a keypad characterized in that the button key cover attached to the upper surface of the button key is manufactured separately. The present invention is a sculpture layer is formed inside the button key, In the keypad having a keypad surface layer formed of a polyurethane resin formed in the center of the back surface of the layer contact with the key switch of the circuit board, the button key cover is formed on the upper surface of the button key separately formed A keypad comprising a polyurethane resin is featured. The present invention also includes a keypad comprising a polyurethane resin, wherein an identification symbol including a number or a letter is printed on the button key cover.

In addition, the present invention, the first mold for compression molding the polyurethane raw film; A second mold for adsorbing the polyurethane fabric film; A compressor connected to the first mold for sending compressed air into the first mold; And is connected to the second mold. And a vacuum pump for sucking air from the inside of the second mold.

In addition, the present invention, (a) printing a symbol of the button key on the polyurethane fabric film; (b) inserting the printed polyurethane fabric film between a first mold and a second mold; (c) sending compressed air through the first mold connected to the compressor and compressing the compressed air; (d) sucking air through a second mold connected with the vacuum pump; And (e) injecting silicon, which is a molded object, under the button key of the polyurethane molded plate on which the button key is formed.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing the internal configuration of a mobile phone according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic view showing a keypad manufacturing apparatus of a mobile phone according to the prior art.

3 is an explanatory view showing a stretched state of a keypad during keypad molding according to the prior art;

Figure 4 is a schematic view showing a keypad manufacturing apparatus of the mobile phone according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a vertical transfer portion of the upper mold according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a fixed chuck of the upper and lower molds according to the present invention.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the upper mold and lower mold according to the present invention.

Figure 8 is a plan view showing a horizontal transfer portion of the lower mold according to the present invention.

9 is a process chart showing the manufacturing method of the keypad according to the present invention.

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a polyurethane fabric film produced by the fabric printing process according to the present invention.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a polyurethane molded plate produced by the keypad forming process according to the present invention.

12 is a cross-sectional view showing a mold used in the post-treatment process according to the present invention.

Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the back of the keypad produced by the post-treatment process according to the present invention.

Figure 14 is a perspective view showing a keypad with a button key cover manufactured by another embodiment of the post-processing process according to the present invention, the key numbers or key letters are printed.

(Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing)

2 ; Cell phone body 4; Key switch

6; Circuit board P; Keypad

K; Button 8; Keyhole

1910; Cell phone cover 31; Work table

33; Guide rail 35; Horizontal feeder

37; Lower plate 39; Bottom plate

40; Lower mold 47; Upper mold

51; Upper hot plate 53; Upper plate

55; Fixed chuck 57; Vertical feeder

59; Compressed air delivery tubes 61 for cooling; Compressed air delivery pipe for chuck transfer

63; Compressed air delivery tube for molding 65; Vacuum suction pipe

67; Compressed air delivery pipes for conveyance 71; 1st valve

73; Second valve 75; 3rd valve

77; Fourth valve 79; 5th valve

81; Compressor 83; Vacuum pump

85; Refrigerant circulation plate 87; Cooling mold

* 3291; Cooling fan 93; Refrigerant tank

95; Pump 97; Heat exchanger plate

99; Blower fan 100; cellphone

101; Support plate 103; Drive motor

105; Reducer 107; Motor gear

* 37109; Driven gear 111; Fixed Plate

113; Screw 115,133; cylinder

117; Feed rod 119; chuck

121; Drive motor 45; Fixing protrusion

129; Roller 131; Fixed piece

137; Silicon layer 139; Operation projection

141; Button key cover 200; Molding equipment

300; Chiller 400; Control

P1; Polyurethane fabric film P2; Polyurethane molding plate

S100; Fabric printing process S200; Keypad molding process

S210; Adsorption molding step S230; Crimping Step

S250; Quench forming step S300; Post-treatment process

These objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In addition, this embodiment is only illustrative for the purpose of understanding and is not intended to limit the present invention.

As described above, the present invention will be described by taking an example of a mobile phone which is commonly encountered in our daily lives among various electronic products operated by pressing a key.

1 illustrates a mobile phone according to the present invention, and as shown therein, a circuit board 6 having a key switch 4 is disposed inside the main body of the mobile phone, and a keypad (on the top surface of the circuit board 6) is disposed. P) is mounted, and a mobile phone cover 10 having a keyhole 8 formed thereon on an upper surface of the keypad P. The keypad P includes a button key K formed to protrude.

When the mobile phone cover is placed on the mobile phone main body, the button key of the keypad is coupled to protrude through the key hole of the mobile phone cover. In order to use the mobile phone, the user presses the button key protruding above the key hole of the mobile phone cover. Press to make a call or use other features.

Polyurethane is a material that has both the characteristics of rubber that does not slip well and the characteristics of polycarbonate that can be printed on the back with numbers and symbols. However, such a polyurethane can be deformed at a high temperature, it is difficult to mold in the shape of a button key in a general mold, even when molded, the corner portion is not precisely angled it was not practical to use.

Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view showing a keypad manufacturing apparatus including a polyurethane resin according to the present invention, as shown in the keypad manufacturing apparatus comprising a polyurethane resin is large forming apparatus 200 to make the shape of the keypad (200) ), And a cooling device 300 for cooling the polyurethane molded plate made from the molding device 200 to prevent shrinkage and to protect the ink.

The molding apparatus 200 is slidably movable on a work table 31, a guide rail 33 installed across the work table 31 on an upper surface of the work table 31, and the guide rail 33. Installed on the lower plate 37, one side of the lower plate 37, a horizontal transfer unit 35 for horizontally moving the lower plate 37, and a temperature control unit provided on the upper surface of the lower plate 37 A lower mold 40, a lower mold 40, which is mounted on the lower heating plate 39, a second mold formed with a button key groove 41 of a keypad, and disposed on the lower mold 40. An upper mold 47 which is a first mold, an upper hot plate 51 which is a temperature control part mounted on an upper surface of the upper mold 47, an upper plate 53 formed on an upper surface of the upper hot plate 51, and the Vertical transfer part 57 for moving the upper plate 53 up and down, and one of the work table 31 And a compressor 81 and a vacuum pump (83) disposed on and consists of a compressor 81, a vacuum pump 83 and a controller 400 for controlling the driving of various motors.

The cooling device 300 is for cooling the coolant circulation plate 85 is fixed to the upper surface of the work table 31, the coolant circulation plate 85 is provided on the upper surface of the coolant circulation plate 85, the button key groove (凹) of the keypad is formed It consists of a mold 87, a cooling fan 91 disposed in connection with the control unit 400 on the cooling mold 87, and a heat exchanger connected to the refrigerant circulation plate 85. The heat exchange part includes a refrigerant tank 93 disposed at one side of the work table 31, a pump 95 connected to the refrigerant tank 93 to supply cooling water into the refrigerant circulation plate 85, and the refrigerant. A heat exchange plate (97) installed between the circulation plate (85) and the refrigerant tank (93) to discharge and heat the cooling water circulated inside the refrigerant circulation plate (85), and a blower fan provided at one side of the heat exchange plate (97). 99 and a control unit 400 provided on the other side of the work table 31 to control the driving of the compressor 81, the vacuum pump 83, and various motors.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view showing a vertical transfer portion of the upper mold according to the present invention, as shown in the vertical transfer portion 57 is a support plate 101, the control plate on one side of the support plate 101 A drive motor 103 installed in electrical connection with the 400, a reducer 105 connected to the drive motor 103, and a rotating shaft 106 of the reducer 105 disposed on the lower surface of the support plate 101. A driving gear 107 connected to and rotated, a plurality of driven gears 109 disposed around the driving gear 107 and engaged with the driving gear 107 to rotate, and an upper portion of the support plate 101. The fixing plate 111 is provided spaced apart from the support plate 101 at a predetermined interval, and the screw is installed at the center of rotation of the driven gear 109 and extends upward through the support plate 101 and the fixing plate 111 ( 113).

6 is a cross-sectional view showing a fixed chuck of the upper and lower molds according to the present invention. As shown in this, the fixed chuck 55 is provided with a cylinder 115 protruding from both sides of the upper plate 53, and A feed rod 117 provided at both ends of the cylinder 115, a compressed air delivery pipe 61 for chuck conveyance formed in the center of the cylinder 115, and both ends of the feed rod 117 of the cylinder 115; A chuck 119 installed to be movable up and down, a driving motor 121 connected to the control unit 400 at one side of the chuck 119, and a fixing protrusion 45 protruding from both sides of the lower mold 40. It consists of

Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the upper mold and the lower mold according to the present invention, as shown in the compressed air delivery pipe 63 for molding to one side of the upper mold 47, the upper The compressed air injection pipe 125 is formed in the mold 47 and is connected to the compressed air discharge pipe for forming. A vacuum suction pipe 65 is connected to one side of the lower mold 40, and the lower mold 40 The vacuum suction tube 127 is formed in the interior of the vacuum suction tube 65 is connected.

8 is a plan view showing a horizontal transfer portion of the lower mold according to the present invention, as shown in the horizontal transfer portion 35 is a roller 129 provided on the lower surface of the lower plate 37, the roller ( 129, a guide rail 33 disposed in the longitudinal direction along the work table, a cylinder 133 provided between the guide rail 33, and compressed compressed air connected to one end of the cylinder 133. The delivery pipe 67 and the plate fixing piece 131 which is horizontally moved along the center groove of the cylinder 133 and fixed to the bottom of the lower plate 37.

A compressed compressed air delivery pipe 59 (see FIG. 4) is connected to the compressor 81, and compressed air is injected toward an upper surface of the lower mold 40 at an end of the cooled compressed air delivery pipe 59. The injection nozzle 56 is installed.

Referring to the manufacturing method of the keypad including the polyurethane resin according to the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

The present invention is to form a surface layer of a keypad including a button key made of a polyurethane resin, the polyurethane uses the ESMA-URS XTYPE of NIHON MATAI.

Figure 9 shows a process diagram showing a manufacturing method of the keypad according to the present invention, as shown in this to perform a fabric printing process (S100) for printing the number or code of the button key on the fabric film of polyurethane.

Then, a keypad molding process for placing the printed polyurethane fabric film P1 (see FIG. 10) manufactured by the fabric printing process on the lower mold 40 (see FIG. 4) of the molding apparatus and pressing the upper mold to crimp. (S200).

The keypad forming process will be described in more detail.

The printed polyurethane fabric film P1 is placed on the lower mold 40 on which the yaw groove 41 of the key button is formed. Then, when the operation button (not shown) is pressed, the operation button operates the drive motor 103 (see FIG. 5), which is the vertical transfer unit 57, through the control unit 400, and the operated drive motor 103. Rotates the reducer 105, and the rotated reducer 105 rotates the prime mover 107 through the rotation shaft 106 of the reducer 105. The rotated prime gear 107 rotates a plurality of interlocking driven gears 109 around the prime gear 107, and the driven gear 109 is supported by rotating the screw 113 at the center of the driven gear 109. The plate 101 and the upper plate 53 are lowered.

At the same time, the operation button opens the second valve 73 (see FIG. 4) connected to the compressor 81 through the control unit 400, and the compressed air sent out through the second valve 73 is used for chuck transfer. The compressed air delivery pipe 61 is delivered to the cylinder 115, and the compressed air delivered to the cylinder 115 pushes the transfer rod 117 inside the cylinder to both sides to open the chuck 119.

When the upper mold 47 is in close contact with the upper surface of the lower mold 40, the position sensor attached to one side of the upper mold 47 and the lower mold 40 is the upper, lower mold (47, 40) Detects the position and transmits a signal to the control unit 400, and the signal transmitted to the control unit 400 pulls the transfer rod 117 inside the cylinder 115 through the compressed air delivery pipe 61 for chuck transfer again. Place the chuck 119 inwards.

Then, the driving motor 121 installed on one side of the chuck 119 is operated, and the driving motor 121 is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the chuck 119 by the fixing protrusion 45 of the lower mold 40. The upper and lower molds 47 and 40 are sealed.

After the upper and lower molds 47 and 40 are tightly sealed, the controller 400 opens the fourth valve 77 (see FIG. 4) connected to the vacuum pump 83, and the fourth valve. The air sucked through the 77 is adsorbed to adsorb the printed polyurethane fabric film P1 placed on top of the lower mold 40 through the vacuum suction tube 65 and the vacuum suction tube 127 (see FIG. 7). Perform the molding step (S210).

At the same time, the control unit 400 opens the third valve 75 (see FIG. 4) connected to the compressor 81, and the compressed air discharged through the third valve 75 is a pressurized compressed air delivery pipe ( 63) and the compressed molding step (S230) for pressing the printed polyurethane fabric film (P1) placed on top of the lower mold 40 through the compressed air injection pipe 125 (see FIG. 7).

That is, the upper surface of the printed polyurethane fabric film P1 placed on the upper surface of the lower mold 40 is pressed by compressed air injected through the upper mold 47, and the lower mold 40 is pressed. The suctioned air sucked through is sucked into the recess groove of the lower mold 40, and the shape of the button key K (see FIG. 11) is formed.

At this time, the temperature of the compressed air is adjusted to 60 ° C. to 180 ° C. through the upper hot plate 51 and the temperature sensor 52 installed on the upper surface of the upper mold 47, and installed on the lower surface of the lower mold 40. By adjusting the temperature of the lower mold 40 through the lower hot plate 39 and the temperature sensor, it is possible to increase the moldability of the keypad.

Subsequently, after performing the compression molding step S230 and the adsorption molding step S210, the controller 400 opens the fifth valve 79 (see FIG. 4) connected to the compressor 81. The compressed air sent out through the fifth valve 79 moves the stationary piece 131 of the cylinder 133 (see FIG. 8) past the conveying compressed air delivery pipe 67, and the stationary piece 131 is The lower plate 37 and the lower mold 40 connected to the fixing piece are moved along the guide rail 33.

As such, when the lower mold 40 is transferred, the controller 400 opens the first valve 71 (see FIG. 4) connected to the compressor 81, and is discharged through the first valve 71. Compressed air is delivered to the injection nozzle 56 through the compressed air discharge pipe 59 for cooling, and compressed air delivered to the injection nozzle 56 is injected onto the upper surface of the lower mold moved along the guide rail 33. Thus, the polyurethane molded plate on the upper surface of the lower mold 40 is cooled for 2 to 3 seconds.

Subsequently, the cooled polyurethane molded plate is separated from the lower mold 40 of the molding apparatus 200, and then transferred to the cooling mold 87 of the cooling apparatus 300. At this time, the groove shape of the cooling die 87 is formed in the same shape as the groove of the lower mold 40 of the molding apparatus 200.

When the polyurethane molded plate is moved by an operator or a transfer robot, the keypad is sensed by the position sensor 89, and the detected signal is transmitted to the controller 400 to be connected to the vacuum pump 83. The valve 77 and the control valve 68 are opened, and the air sucked through the fourth valve 77 and the control valve 68 adsorbs the polyurethane molded plate. As such, the cooling fan 91 on the upper side of the cooling die 87 is rotated in the state where the polyurethane molded plate is adsorbed.

In addition, the control unit 400 drives the coolant driving pump 95 under the work table 31, the pump 95 circulates the coolant in the coolant tank 93, and the coolant is a cooling die ( The temperature of the cooling die 87 is lowered by circulating inside the refrigerant circulation plate 85 installed in contact with the lower surface of the 87. The cooling water may be used in place of another refrigerant.

In this way, by rapidly cooling the polyurethane molded plate with cooling water and blowing for 3 to 8 seconds, not only the shrinkage is prevented, but also the product is not lost, and the ink printed on the polyurethane molded plate can be protected.

Subsequently, the inside of the button key K of the polyurethane molded plate P2 (see FIG. 11) is filled with silicon as a model to form a silicon layer 137 (see FIG. 13), and the silicon layer 137 On the back of the) is formed an operation projection 139 (see Fig. 13) which is operated in contact with the key switch of the mobile phone, and performs a post-processing step (S300) to cut to fit the size of the mobile phone.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a separate mold used in the post-treatment process according to the present invention, as shown therein put a polyurethane molded plate (P2) on the lower mold 151, and then the button key (K) The silicon 153 is injected into the inside of each.

Then, pressing the upper mold 155 having the operation protrusion shape 157 formed on the lower surface to complete the manufacture of the keypad including the polyurethane resin.

The keypad including the polyurethane resin manufactured as described above is stretched on both the height part of the key button, that is, both the vertical side and the upper and lower surfaces in the horizontal direction, and thus all surface states of the keypad are the same. This can reduce damage to stretched and bent sections.

Figure 14 shows another embodiment of the post-treatment process according to the present invention, as shown in the manufacturing process by attaching the button key cover 141, which is separately molded and manufactured on the upper surface of the button key (K) of the keypad with an adhesive By carrying out the button key cover adhesion step, the product's marketability can be further enhanced. A number or letter is printed on the button key cover 141.

At this time, before applying the adhesive, the polyurethane molding plate (P2) can be put in a vacuum furnace to improve the adhesiveness by plasma treatment.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art, which are included in the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

As described above, the keypad including the polyurethane resin of the electronic product according to the present invention is soft and non-slip, has low adhesion properties of foreign substances such as cosmetics, and has a good contact surface, which not only gives the user a sense of stability but also improves the reliability of the mobile phone. In addition, it is possible to attach the button key cover 141, which is separately molded and manufactured on the upper surface of the button key K of the keypad, to further increase the merchandise of the product.

Claims (4)

delete delete A keypad is formed inside the button key, and a protrusion is formed at the center of the rear surface of the molding layer to contact the key switch of the circuit board, and the keypad has a keypad surface layer formed of polyurethane resin. Keypad comprising a polyurethane resin, characterized in that attached to the button key cover is formed molded separately. The keypad of claim 3, wherein an identification symbol including numbers or letters is printed on the button key cover.