KR100816439B1 - apparatus for inputting key - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a key input device, and more particularly, to a key input device made thinner than the conventional one by reducing the number of components.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a key input device including a keypad including a plurality of keys, a light emitting means, and a dome switch, comprising: a press pad disposed under the keypad and pressing the dome switch by a pressure applied to the keypad; And an optical film disposed below the pressing pad, the optical film which guides the light generated by the light emitting means toward the keypad and is attached to the dome switch to fix the position of the dome switch.

Keypad, Dome Switch, Silicone Rubber

Description

Key input device {apparatus for inputting key}

1 is a view showing a partial cross section in a conventional key input device,

2 is a plan view of a key input device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA direction of the planar photograph shown in FIG. 2.

*** Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing ***

10: keypad 20: push pad

30: optical film 40: fixed film

50: dome switch 60: printed circuit board

70: frame

110: keypad 111: keyboard

111a: symbol 112: arrow keys

113: special key 120: press pad

121: upper layer 121a: division protrusion

122: shape retaining plate 123: lower layer

123a: pressing projection 130: optical film

140: dome switch 150: printed circuit board

160: frame

The present invention relates to a key input device, and more particularly, to a key input device made thinner than the conventional one by reducing the number of components.

1 is a view showing a partial cross section in a conventional key input device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the configuration of a conventional key input device includes a dome switch 50 by a pressure applied to a keypad 10, a dome switch 50, and a keypad 10 including a plurality of keys. The pressing pad 20 pressing down on the dome switch 50, the fixed film 40 bonded to the dome switch 50 at the upper portion of the dome switch 50, and the dome switch 50 pressed by the pressing pad 20. It includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 60 that generates an arbitrary key signal based on the deformation, and a frame 70 that supports the printed circuit board 60. In addition, the conventional key input device is installed between the LED (not shown) and the pressing pad 20 and the fixing film 40 for smooth key input at night, and the light generated from the LED is directed toward the front surface of the keypad 10. Inducing optical film 30 is further provided.

In the above-described configuration, reference numeral 11 denotes a key used to receive a number or a character, 12 denotes a key for changing direction, 13 denotes a key for a special function, for example, a key for a wireless Internet connection, and a keypad 10 corresponds to It can be made by including keys.

The push pad 20 is preferably made of a material having good light transmittance, and an upper layer portion 21 having a protrusion 21a formed in a space for distinguishing keys, and a push protrusion 23a pressing down the dome switch 50. ) Is formed on the lower layer portion 23, the upper layer portion 21 and the lower layer portion 23, and both sides, respectively, and maintains a shape of a relatively hard material rather than the plates 21 and 23 so as to maintain a constant shape. It consists of a plate 22.

On the other hand, development trends of various electronic products and communication devices are often focused on how thin and compact a device can be made while having the same or superior functions as other companies' products. Such trends are more intense for terminals that are constantly carried by humans such as PDAs and MP3s, and key input devices are also becoming slim.

Therefore, according to the above-described conventional key input device, each component is made thin so that slimming is realized. However, due to structural factors, there is a limit to thinning the thickness to some extent, and as the thickness is thinner, the shape may not be properly maintained, and thus, the original function may not be properly performed.

Furthermore, according to the above-described conventional key input device, the optical film is a structure that is added to the fixed film for its function, resulting in poor touch feeling of the keypad due to the minute gap between the two films. Of course, the touch feeling can be improved by adhering the two films with the adhesive, but the key input device becomes relatively thicker, which is a problem against the slimming trend.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provided with a light emitting means and an optical film for guiding the emitted light to the front for smooth key input at night, the optical film to replace the other parts It is an object of the present invention to provide a thinner key input device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a key input device which improves the touch feeling of a keypad by replacing the fixed film to which the optical film is attached to the dome switch.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a key input device consisting of a keypad, a light emitting means and a dome switch consisting of a plurality of keys, the pressing of the dome switch is disposed under the keypad by the pressure applied to the keypad And an optical film disposed under the pad, the optical film guiding the light generated by the light emitting means toward the keypad and bonded to the dome switch to fix the dome switch. To provide.

In addition, in the present invention, the keypad is characterized in that the separation line for puncturing the plurality of keys from each other.

In addition, a surface of the optical film facing the keypad is characterized in that a predetermined diffusion pattern is imprinted.

Hereinafter, a key input device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail.

2 is a planar photograph of a key input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a key input device applied to a mobile phone. Of course, it should be noted that the key input device of the present invention is not limited to the mobile phone. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA direction of the planar photograph shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the configuration of the key input device according to the present invention comprises a keypad 110, a plurality of keys are formed; Dome switch 140; A printed circuit board 150 placed below the dome switch 140 and generating an arbitrary key signal according to the location of the dome switch 140, i.e., when contacted with the top portion; A push pad 120 that is placed under the keypad 110 and pushes the dome switch 140 by the pressure applied to the keypad 110; The dome switch 140 is adhered to the bottom surface, the optical film 130 and the printed circuit are placed under the press pad 120 and guide the light generated from the LED (not shown) toward the front surface, that is, the keypad 110. And a frame 160 supporting the substrate 150.

In the above-described configuration, the keypad 110 is seated in the inner space of the key plate 111, the round donut-shaped direction key 112, the direction key 112 forming a plurality of function keys, as shown in FIG. For example, it comprises a special key 113 for performing the function of the wireless Internet access. Here, the dividing line for dividing a key is perforated in the keypad 111.

In addition, the keypad 110 is deposited by using a laser, a metal, for example, a metal, such as nickel, by heating a particle and applying the particles to a surface contacting the press pad 120. The metal may be manufactured by a peeling process of peeling off the metal in the form of a symbol 111a as shown in FIG. 2 or by a printing process.

In addition, the material of the keypad 110 is preferably a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylic (ACRYL) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).

Next, the press pad 20 is preferably made of a material having good light transmittance, and is inserted into a space between the keys 111, 112, and 113 and a separator line perforated in the keypad 111, and the optical film. An upper layer 121 formed with a division protrusion 121a through which light guided through 130 is transmitted; A lower layer part 123 on which a pressing protrusion 123a for pushing down the dome switch 140 is formed; In order to prevent sagging and to maintain a constant shape, the upper and lower layers 121 and 123 may include a shape retaining plate 122 of a relatively hard material. Here, the upper / lower layer portions 121 and 123 and the shape retaining plate 122 may be simultaneously bonded by double-sided molding.

In addition, the upper layer 121 and the lower layer 123 is made of silicon rubber (silicon rubber), the shape maintaining plate 122 is preferably implemented by PET, PC or nylon film. In addition, the upper surface of the shape maintaining plate 122, that is, the surface contacting with the portion of the symbol 111a formed on the keypad 110 may be printed in various colors.

Next, the LED is preferably located on one side of the optical film 130, whereby the optical film 130 guides the light generated from the LED to the front surface of the film.

In addition, the material of the optical film 130 is preferably implemented by a PC, the light guided to the front surface of the film on the upper surface of the optical film 130, that is, the surface facing the pressing pad 120 diffuses toward the keypad 110. It is preferable that a fine diffusion pattern to be imprinted is imprinted. And, the light generated by the LED by the diffusion pattern is uniformly transmitted to the outside through the sign 111a portion and the division projection 121a.

In addition, the dome switch 140 is adhered to the lower surface of the optical film 130 to fix the position of the dome switch 140. Accordingly, as the optical film 130 replaces the conventional fixed film 40 as shown in FIG. 1, manufacturing cost and manufacturing process are reduced, and further, it helps to provide a thinner key input device. In addition, by adding the function of the fixed film 40 to the optical film 130 itself, the lifting phenomenon, which has been pointed out as a conventional problem, is eliminated, thereby improving the touch feeling of the keypad.

Here, it is preferable that the optical film 130 and the dome switch 140 are bonded by double-sided tape.

The key input device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

According to the key input device of the present invention as described above, by adding other functions to the optical film, the number of parts is reduced, so that the thickness of the device is thinner, the cost is reduced, and the manufacturing process is reduced, thereby improving productivity. It is effective.

In addition, the touch of the keypad is not good due to the minute gap between the optical film and the fixed film for fixing the position of the dome switch, bar, the optical film has the effect that the problem is improved by replacing the function of the fixed film.

Claims (3)

In the key input device consisting of a keypad consisting of a plurality of keys, a light emitting means and a dome switch, A push pad disposed below the keypad and pressing the dome switch by a pressure applied to the keypad; And an optical film disposed below the pressing pad and configured to guide the light generated by the light emitting means toward the keypad and to be bonded to the dome switch to fix the position of the dome switch. The method of claim 1, The keypad is a key input device, characterized in that the perforated separation line for distinguishing a plurality of keys from each other. The method according to claim 1 or 2, A key diffusion device is characterized in that a predetermined diffusion pattern is imprinted on the optical film.

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