KR100837266B1 - Keypad - Google Patents

Abstract

A keypad is provided to have a reduced thickness by not providing a sheet for forming pressing protrusions on a lower surface of an elastic sheet. A button sheet(210) includes pressing protrusions(243) on its lower surface. An elastic sheet is provided on the lower surface of the button sheet, includes sheet holes(251) corresponding to the button sheet, and is integrally connected with the button sheet around the sheet holes. The button sheet includes a rubber layer(240) having the pressing protrusions formed thereon and a metal layer(220) provided on the rubber layer. The metal layer includes slits(221) formed in a certain pattern such that they can be pressed along a thicknesswise direction. The button sheet includes a surface layer(230) provided on the metal layer.

Description

Key pad {KEYPAD}

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a personal portable terminal to which a conventional keypad is applied.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a keypad according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a keypad according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a rear view of the button piece for explaining the button piece manufacturing method.

6 is a rear view of the button piece according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a keypad according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

8 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a personal portable terminal to which a keypad is applied according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a keypad according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

200: Key pad 210: Button sheet

220: metal layer 221: slit

230: Surface layer 240: Rubber layer

250: Elastic sheet 251: Seat hole

The present invention relates to a keypad, and more particularly, to a keypad that can simplify the manufacturing process, contribute to thinning, and improve the light transmission efficiency of a light emitting device for illumination.

Recently, personal portable terminals have been widely used as conveniences that anyone can easily carry and use freely anywhere.

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional portable terminal to which the keypad is applied, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of FIG.

1 and 2, the conventional personal portable terminal is rotated relative to the body portion 10 so as to be folded into the body portion 10, the body portion 10 and to open and close the inner surface of the body portion 10. It is composed of a folder unit 20 that is possibly connected.

A display unit 21 for outputting image information is provided on an inner surface of the folder unit 20, and an upper end portion of the folder unit 20 is provided with a sign language unit 22 for transmitting audio from the other party.

The main body 10 includes a front case 11 and a rear case 12 which mutually cooperate to form an accommodating space therein, and inside the printed circuit board 13 for performing various controls. The front case 11 is provided with a keypad 14 having a plurality of keys 14a for inputting information and a talker 15 for transmitting a user's voice. 16) is detachably coupled.

On the upper surface of the printed circuit board 13, a plurality of push control switches 17, called metal domes, which are elastically deformable along a thickness direction to be turned on / off during a push operation, and light emitting elements 18 for illumination. Is provided.

The keypad 14 is formed of a rubber or urethane material so as to be inserted into each of the pad body 14b disposed above the printed circuit board 13 and each key hole 11a of the main body portion 10 to be pressed. A plurality of keys 14a are formed to protrude along the thickness direction at a position corresponding to each push control switch 17, and a force for pressing the keys 14a is applied to the bottom surface of the pad body 14b. A plurality of push protrusions 14c protruding downward along the thickness direction are formed to be effectively transmitted to each push operation switch 17, respectively.

However, in order to form the push protrusion 14c in the conventional personal portable terminal, each key 14a of the keypad 14 is first placed on the upper surface of the pad body 14b, and then each key 14a is attached. The pad body 14b is subjected to a separate manufacturing process for forming the pressing projections 14c again on the bottom surface of the pad body 14b. In the conventional keypad manufacturing process, there is a problem in that the cost increases and productivity decreases due to the increase in the number of assembly processes for separately forming the pressing protrusions 14c, and the pressing protrusions are formed on a separate sheet and attached to the pad body 14b. In some cases, as well as the increase in manufacturing man-hours, the overall thickness of the keypad is increased, which can lead to an increase in the thickness of the personal portable terminal, and may reduce the desire for consumers who prefer a recent thin personal portable terminal.

In addition, a light emitting element 18 is provided on the pad body 14b for aesthetically pleasing or to provide illumination for identifying letters or numbers printed on the upper surface of the key 14a at night. However, the illumination of the light emitting device first passes through the pad body 14b and again passes through each key 14a so that the illumination can be confirmed from the outside. That is, since light is exposed to the outside through two projection processes, light transmission efficiency tends to be lowered.

In addition, since the pad body 14b must be made of only a transparent material, the selection width is reduced in selecting the material of the pad body 14b, and the narrow selection width may cause problems in the strength of the pad body 14b. And ultimately reduce the strength of the entire keypad.

Accordingly, in recent years, the manufacturing process is simple, can be formed in a thin thickness while maintaining a certain shape strength, and various studies on the keypad that can increase the light transmission efficiency for illumination has been made.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, an object of the present invention to provide a keypad that can reduce the manufacturing cost by reducing the separate manufacturing process for forming the push projection.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a keypad that can realize a thinning of a keypad without using a separate sheet for forming a push protrusion.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the thickness of the keypad to pass through the illumination of the light emitting device for aesthetics or to identify the letters or numbers printed on the upper surface of the keypad at night to expose to the outside light emitted from the light emitting device It is to provide a keypad that can increase the transmission efficiency.

According to preferred embodiments of the present invention for achieving the above objects of the present invention, the keypad includes a button sheet and an elastic sheet.

The button sheet is a part where the user presses directly on a part of the body, especially a finger, for key input. On the bottom of each button area where letters, numbers, and special keys are printed, the user presses the button to effectively transmit the force to the metal dome. The protrusion is formed.

The elastic sheet is attached to the above-described button sheet is fixed to the button sheet and formed of an elastic material can be moved up and down in the thickness direction. Thus, it is possible to provide a certain elasticity when the user presses the button sheet, thereby improving the feeling of pressing. In particular, the elastic sheet according to the present invention is provided and attached to the bottom of the button sheet, and a sheet hole corresponding to the button sheet is formed. Thus, the button sheet is integrally connected around the seat hole.

The button sheet may be provided as a metal layer through which the slit is formed to be pushed along the thickness direction, and in some cases, the button sheet is formed of a metal material and cut in units of predetermined button areas so as to be pressed independently of each other. It may be configured to include a plurality of button pieces arranged. In addition, a plastic sheet made of synthetic resin having a high hardness may be applied instead of the button layer of the metal layer or the metal material.

For reference, the keypad of the present invention may be applied to a general personal portable terminal, and as a personal portable terminal, a PDA, a smart phone, a handheld PC, a mobile phone, an MP3 player, or the like, which is made of a folding type, a bar type, a slide type, or the like, may be applied. Can be.

In addition, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the keypad includes a protruding button and an elastic sheet. The protruding button plays the same role as the button sheet described above. Specifically, the user directly presses a part of the body with a finger, for example, to input a key. Accordingly, a print pattern in which letters, numbers, and special keys are printed may be formed on an upper surface of each protruding button, and a user pressing force may be effectively transmitted to the metal dome on the lower surface of the protruding button in which each print pattern is formed. The pressing protrusion is formed. In addition, the protruding button may have a predetermined thickness because it must maintain a constant strength so as not to be damaged by the user pressing force.

Each of the above-described protruding buttons may be attached to the elastic sheet to fix the protruding buttons. And it is formed of an elastic material and can flow up and down in the thickness direction. Thus, when the user presses the protruding button, it can provide a certain feeling of elasticity, thereby improving the feeling of pressing. In particular, the elastic sheet according to the present invention is provided and attached to the bottom of the protruding buttons, and a sheet hole corresponding to each of the protruding buttons is formed. Thus, protruding buttons can be integrally connected around the seat hole.

Therefore, in the keypad according to the present invention, the manufacturing process of separately forming the pressing protrusion on the bottom of the elastic sheet to which the button sheet and the protruding button are attached is omitted, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the keypad may be thinned as a whole by not using a separate sheet for forming the pressing protrusion.

In particular, the light efficiency of the light emitting device for identifying a printing pattern such as letters or numbers at the aesthetics or at night passes through the sheet hole of the elastic sheet and directly reaches the button sheet or the protruding button, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the light emitted from the light emitting device. It can increase. As a result, the lighting effect of a conventional keypad can be realized even with a small power supply, and the battery life can be extended by preventing excessive power consumption, thereby extending the time interval for the user to charge the battery. User convenience can be improved.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited or limited by the embodiments. In describing the present invention, a detailed description of known functions or configurations may be omitted to clarify the gist of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the keypad according to the present invention will be described with an example applied to a personal portable terminal. Here, a personal portable device (Personal Portable Device) is a portable electrical and electronic device, such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), smart phone (smart phone), handheld PC, mobile phone, MP3 player, etc., code division multiplexing Access) module, Bluetooth module, infrared communication module (IrDA), and a predetermined communication module such as a wireless LAN card can be provided, and equipped with a predetermined microprocessor for performing a multimedia playback function terminal having a predetermined computing power Can be used as a generic concept.

Example 1

3 is an exploded perspective view of a keypad according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the above-described and illustrated embodiments of the present invention, a metal sheet in which a slit is formed in a predetermined pattern is applied as a button sheet in a predetermined pattern. However, in some cases, instead of the above-described button sheet, it may be pressed independently of each other. The button sheet may be configured to include a plurality of button pieces that are arranged to be.

In addition, the same or equivalent reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent components as those described above, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the keypad 300 includes a button sheet 310 and an elastic sheet 350, wherein the button sheet 310 includes a metal layer 320 and a surface layer ( 330, a rubber layer 340. In the present embodiment, the button sheet 310 includes a plurality of button pieces U arranged to be pushed independently of each other. The button piece U may be provided by cutting the button sheet 310 in units of a predetermined button area, and a method of manufacturing a button piece will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

The plurality of button pieces U that are arranged to be pushed independently include a metal piece 321 formed of a conventional metal material having excellent hardness. For example, each metal piece 321 may be made of a metal material such as copper, copper alloy, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, platinum, nickel, or the like. Since the metal piece 321 of the metal material is superior in hardness to plastic, it is easy to maintain a hard form even if it is made thin, and can be easily bent while maintaining a hard form.

In addition, a through hole 325 having a shape corresponding to a number, a letter, a symbol, or the like is formed in the button area of the metal piece 321, and the light transmitting area of the button sheet 310 may be defined through the through hole 325. In other words, the light generated from the luminaire disposed below the button sheet 310 may be exposed to the outside through the light transmission area defined by the through hole formed in the button sheet 310.

The surface layer 330 is provided in close contact with the top surface of the metal piece 321. Specifically, the surface layer 330 will be described by way of example including a plurality of printing pieces 333 disposed independently of each other corresponding to each metal piece 321. However, in some cases, each metal piece may be arranged on one film (not shown) formed in a size corresponding to the button sheet instead of the plurality of film pieces.

As such, the surface layer 330 including the plurality of printing pieces 333 may be formed of a transparent or opaque plastic material. For example, each of the printing pieces 333 may be made of polypropylene (PP), aromatic polypropylene (OPP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and acrylic. Butadiene styrene (ABS), it may be formed of a material such as polycarbonate (PC). In addition, a button pattern 321 for displaying numbers or letters may be formed on each of the printing pieces 333.

The rubber layer is provided in close contact with the bottom of the metal layer 320, and the push layer 343 is formed at the bottom of the rubber layer to correspond to the button pattern 332 of each printing piece 333. The rubber layer may include a plurality of rubber pieces 342 disposed independently of each other so as to correspond to each metal piece 321, and in some cases, the rubber layer may be disposed on the button sheet 310 instead of the plurality of rubber pieces 342. Each metal piece may be arranged on one film (not shown) formed in a corresponding size. The pressing projection 343 allows the user to press the force effectively to the switch when the user directly presses each button area for key input.

The elastic sheet 350 is attached to the above-described button sheet 310 to fix the button sheet 310 and formed of an elastic material such as polyurethane and can be moved up and down in the thickness direction. Thus, when the user presses the button sheet 310 can provide a certain feeling of elasticity, thereby improving the feeling of pressing. In particular, the elastic sheet 350 according to the present invention is provided and attached to the bottom surface of the button sheet 310, and a sheet hole 351 corresponding to the button sheet 310 is formed. Thus, the button sheet 310 is integrally connected around the seat hole 351. In this case, in order to adhere the button sheet 310 to the periphery of the sheet hole, the button sheet 310 may be integrally connected using a separate adhesive.

Therefore, the keypad 300 according to the present invention can be omitted by the manufacturing process of forming a pressing protrusion separately on the bottom of the elastic sheet to which the button sheet is attached, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, since the separate sheet for forming the pressing protrusion is not attached to the bottom of the elastic sheet, the keypad can be thinned as a whole.

In particular, the light efficiency of the light emitting device for identifying a printing pattern such as letters or numbers at the aesthetics or at night passes through the sheet hole of the elastic sheet and directly reaches the button sheet or the protruding button, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the light emitted from the light emitting device. It can increase. As a result, the lighting effect of a conventional keypad can be realized even with a small power supply, and the battery life can be extended by preventing excessive power consumption, thereby extending the time interval for the user to charge the battery. User convenience can be improved.

5 is a rear view of the button for explaining the button convenience manufacturing method, Figure 6 is a rear view of the button convenience according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, first, the button sheet 310 includes a plurality of button pieces U, and the button pieces U are formed on the upper surface of the metal piece 321 and the metal piece 321. And a printing piece 333 and a rubber piece 342 respectively provided on the bottom.

The metal pieces 321 are initially provided in a metal disc state, ie, a metal layer state, connected by a connecting line 323 having a width that is thinner than each metal piece 321, and are cut together with the surface layer 330 to be cut into each metal piece ( 321 is paired with each print piece 333 to form a button unit. For reference, in FIGS. 5 and 6, a process of forming a button unit by cutting after attaching the metal layer 320 and the surface layer 330 is described as an example, but in practice, the upper and lower surfaces of the metal layer are respectively shown. The surface layer and the rubber layer may be attached and then cut to form a button unit.

 Herein, the button unit refers to a unit disposed independently of each other so that the metal piece 321 and the printing piece 333 form a pair. Such a button unit may be variously changed according to required conditions and design specifications.

In addition, each of the printing piece 333 is preferably provided larger with a certain margin than the metal piece 321 so as to surround the periphery of the corresponding metal piece 321. Such a structure allows the end of the printing piece 333 to cover the outer edge of the metal piece 321 in the process of cutting the film disc and the metal disc. Accordingly, in the process of cutting the film disc and the metal disc, the end of the printing piece 333 may cover the outer edge of the metal piece 321 roundly, and the printing piece 333 may cover the outside of the metal piece 321 formed of a metal material. It can be neatly processed and there is no need to round the end of the button unit.

Further, the cut surface ⓐ of the connecting line 323 connecting the metal pieces 321 in the cut metal piece 321 and the print piece 333 pair approximately coincides with the cut surface ⓑ of the print piece 333. do. That is, the printing piece 333 prevents the cutting surface ⓐ of the connecting line 323 from being exposed to the outside and cleanly processes the outer edges of the pair of metal pieces 321 and the printing piece 333.

In addition, although not described in the present embodiment, the bottom surface of the metal layer may be provided in close contact with the rubber layer to cut together when manufacturing the metal piece and the rubber piece pair to provide a button piece including the metal piece, the rubber piece and the print piece. Can be. At this time, the bottom of the rubber piece may be formed with a pressing projection corresponding to the printing pattern formed on the upper surface of the printing piece.

The elastic sheet 350 is attached to the above-described button sheet 310 to fix the button sheet 310 and formed of an elastic material can be moved up and down in the thickness direction. Thus, when the user presses the button sheet 310 can provide a certain feeling of elasticity, thereby improving the feeling of pressing. In particular, the elastic sheet 350 according to the present invention is provided and attached to the bottom surface of the button sheet 310, and a sheet hole 351 corresponding to the button sheet 310 is formed. Thus, the button sheet 310 is integrally connected around the seat hole 351. In this case, in order to adhere the button sheet 310 to the periphery of the sheet hole, the button sheet 310 may be integrally connected using a separate adhesive.

In addition, the fixing protrusion 352 may protrude in a predetermined pattern on the upper surface of the elastic sheet 350. The fixing protrusion 352 is formed so as to correspond to the interval between the button unit, that is, the button piece, each button piece 312 and the film piece 322 is formed in pairs, the button sheet 310 on the elastic sheet 350 When disposed in the can be disposed between each button unit. The fixing protrusion 352 disposed as described above constrains the periphery of the button unit configured such that the metal piece 321 and the printing piece 333 are paired, and each button unit disposed on the elastic sheet 350 is formed by repetitive external force. It can be prevented from being pushed back.

Therefore, the keypad 300 according to the present invention can be omitted by the manufacturing process of forming a pressing protrusion separately on the bottom of the elastic sheet to which the button sheet is attached, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, the keypad may be thinned as a whole by not using a separate sheet for forming the pressing protrusion.

In particular, the light efficiency of the light emitting device for identifying a printing pattern such as letters or numbers at the aesthetics or at night passes through the sheet hole of the elastic sheet and directly reaches the button sheet or the protruding button, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the light emitted from the light emitting device. It can increase. As a result, the lighting effect of a conventional keypad can be realized even with a small power supply, and the battery life can be extended by preventing excessive power consumption, thereby extending the time interval for the user to charge the battery. User convenience can be improved.

Example 2

7 is a cross-sectional view of a keypad for explaining a keypad according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the keypad 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a protruding button 410 and an elastic sheet 350.

The protruding button 410 may be directly formed on the upper surface a printing pattern for displaying a number or a letter, in some cases may be attached to a separate sheet to form a printing pattern.

In addition, the protruding button 410 is a portion in which the user presses directly on a part of the body, in particular a finger, for a key input, and a force that the user presses on the bottom of each protruding button printed with letters, numbers, and special keys is printed on the printed circuit board. Push projections 443 are formed so that they can be effectively delivered to a switch called a metal dome formed therein. In this embodiment, a rubber layer is provided on the bottom of the protruding button, and a pressing protrusion corresponding to the printing pattern is provided on the bottom of the rubber layer. However, in some cases, the pressing protrusion may be directly formed on the bottom of the protruding button.

Protruding button 410 may be formed of a plastic material, it is preferable to provide such a plastic having a constant thickness in order to maintain the form at the pressure of the user's pressing.

The elastic sheet 450 is attached to the plurality of protruding buttons 410 described above to fix the protruding buttons 410 and formed of an elastic material, such as polyurethane, to move up and down in the thickness direction. Thus, when the user presses the protruding button 410, it can provide a certain feeling of elasticity, thereby improving the feeling of pressing. In particular, the elastic sheet 450 according to the present invention is provided and attached to the bottom of the protruding button 410, and a sheet hole 451 corresponding to each protruding button 410 is formed. Thus, the protruding button 410 is integrally connected around the seat hole 451. In this case, the protruding buttons may be thermocompressed or integrally connected using a separate adhesive to adhere around the seat hole.

In addition, the fixing protrusion 452 may protrude in a predetermined pattern on the upper surface of the elastic sheet 450. The fixing protrusion 452 is formed to correspond to the interval between each protruding button 410. The fixing protrusion 452 disposed as described above constrains the periphery of the protruding buttons 410 and prevents the protruding buttons 410 disposed on the elastic sheet 450 from being pushed out by repetitive external force or the like. .

Therefore, in the keypad 400 according to the present invention, a manufacturing process for separately forming a pressing protrusion on the bottom surface of the elastic sheet to which the protruding button 410 is attached is omitted, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the manufacturing cost. . In addition, since the separate sheet for forming the pressing protrusion is not provided on the bottom of the elastic sheet, the keypad may be thinned as a whole.

In particular, the illumination of the light emitting device for identifying a printed pattern such as letters or numbers at the aesthetics or at night passes through the sheet hole of the elastic sheet and reaches the protruding button directly, thereby increasing the transmission efficiency of the light emitted from the light emitting device. . As a result, the lighting effect of a conventional keypad can be realized even with a small power supply, and the battery life can be extended by preventing excessive power consumption, thereby extending the time interval for the user to charge the battery. User convenience can be improved.

Example 3

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a structure of a personal portable terminal to which a keypad is applied according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure of a keypad according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

8 and 9, the personal portable terminal to which the keypad 200 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is applied includes a terminal body 100, a button sheet 210, and an elastic sheet 250. Key pad 200 is installed in the terminal body to be exposed to.

As the terminal main body 100, a foldable personal portable terminal having a main body portion and a folder portion coupled to each other that can be deployed and folded rotation, which is commonly used in recent years, an input button for inputting a signal and a liquid crystal display device are integrated into the main body portion. Bar-type personal portable terminal provided with, a flip-type personal portable terminal having a flip hinge coupled to the main body so as to open and close the input button area of the bar-type terminal as described above, the slide portion in the main body slides open and close One slide-type personal portable terminal or the like may be applied. Hereinafter, an example in which a folder type personal portable terminal is applied as the terminal body 100 will be described.

The terminal main body 100 is folded to the main body 110 and the main body 110 and a folder portion 120 connected to the main body 110 so as to be relatively rotatable to open and close the front of the main body 110. It is configured to include.

To this end, a pair of main body hinge parts (not shown) are formed at an upper end of the main body part 110 at predetermined intervals, and the lower end of the folder part 120 is rotatably coupled between the main body hinge parts. Folder hinge portion (not shown) is formed so that.

The inner surface of the folder unit 120 is provided with a display unit 121 for outputting image information, the upper end portion is provided with a sign language unit 122 for transmitting the voice from the other party.

The main body 110 includes a front case 111 and a rear case 112 which mutually cooperate to form an accommodating space therein, and inside the printed circuit board 113 for performing various controls. It is accommodated, the front case 111 is provided with a transmitter 115 for transmitting the user's voice, and the rear case 112 is detachably coupled to the battery (not shown).

In addition, a front panel of the front case 111 is provided with a keypad 130 for inputting various information, the keypad 130 is exposed to the outside through the keypad hole 116 formed in the front case 111. It is installed if possible.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the keypad 200 according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a button sheet 210 and an elastic sheet 250.

The button sheet 210 is a portion in which the user presses directly on a part of the body, in particular, a finger for key input, and a force that the user presses on the bottom of each button area where letters, numbers, and special keys are printed is printed circuit board 113. The pressing projection 243 is formed so that it can be effectively transmitted to the switch 113a called a metal dome formed on it.

In detail, the button sheet 210 may include a metal layer 220 through which the slit 221 is formed, a surface layer 230 attached to an upper surface of the metal layer 220, and the metal layer slit through the slit 221. It includes a rubber layer 240 provided on the bottom of the 220.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the button sheet 210 includes a metal layer 220 in which the slit 221 penetrates along the thickness direction in a predetermined pattern so that the button region is defined to be pressed along the thickness direction. The metal layer 220 may be formed of a conventional metal material having excellent hardness. For example, the metal layer 220 may be made of a metal material such as copper, copper alloy, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, platinum, nickel, or the like. Since the metal layer is superior in hardness to plastic, it is easy to maintain a rigid shape even if it is made thin, and can be easily bent while maintaining a rigid shape.

The slit 221 is formed to penetrate in a substantially 'c' shape to form a predetermined button region so that the button region can be connected to the metal layer 220 in a cantilever shape. Therefore, the button region may be elastically flowable along the thickness direction with respect to the metal layer 220, such a structure is moved when the movement of the button region of any one button is moved to the other button region adjacent to it is interlocked To prevent the occurrence of a malfunction. Moreover, such a structure makes it possible to improve the click feeling of the button area.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the slits 221 formed on the metal layer 220 are described as an example in which the slits 221 are formed in an approximately 'c' shape. However, the slits 221 may be freely changed according to required conditions and design specifications. The present invention is not limited or limited by the shape and structure of the slit 221.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the button sheet 210 has been described with an example of applying a metal layer made of a metal material, but in some cases, a plastic film made of a synthetic resin having a high hardness may be applied instead of the metal layer.

In addition, the button sheet may be provided including a rubber layer in which the pressing projection is formed and a surface layer provided on the rubber layer.

In addition, a through hole having a shape corresponding to a number, a letter, or a symbol is formed in the button area of the metal layer 220, and a light transmitting area of the button sheet 210 may be defined through the through hole. In other words, the light generated from the luminaire disposed below the button sheet 210 may be exposed to the outside through a light transmission area defined by the through hole formed in the button sheet 210.

The surface layer 230 is provided in close contact with the upper surface of the metal layer 220, and may be formed of a transparent or opaque plastic material. Letters, numbers, or special characters may be printed on the surface layer 230, and may be formed of various materials to give a good texture when the user presses the keypad 200. In addition, the surface layer 230 may prevent the metal layer 220 from being directly exposed to the outside and damaged.

In the rubber layer 240, a pressing protrusion 243 is formed on a bottom surface of the rubber layer 240 to correspond to each button area having a cantilever shape. The pressing protrusion 243 enables the user to press the button 113a effectively when the user presses each button area directly with a finger for key input.

The elastic sheet 250 is attached to the above-described button sheet 210 is fixed to the button sheet 210 and formed of an elastic material can be moved up and down in the thickness direction. Thus, when the user presses the button sheet 210, it can provide a certain feeling of elasticity, thereby improving the feeling of pressing. In particular, the elastic sheet 250 according to the present invention is provided and attached to the bottom surface of the button sheet 210, and a sheet hole 251 corresponding to the button sheet 210 is formed. Thus, the button seat 210 is integrally connected around the seat hole 251.

Accordingly, the keypad 200 according to the present invention may omit the manufacturing process of separately forming the pressing protrusion on the bottom of the elastic sheet to which the button sheet is attached, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the keypad may be thinned as a whole by not using a separate sheet for forming the pressing protrusion.

In particular, the light efficiency of the light emitting device for identifying a printing pattern such as letters or numbers at the aesthetics or at night passes through the sheet hole of the elastic sheet and directly reaches the button sheet or the protruding button, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the light emitted from the light emitting device. It can increase. As a result, the lighting effect of a conventional keypad can be realized even with a small power supply, and the battery life can be extended by preventing excessive power consumption, thereby extending the time interval for the user to charge the battery. User convenience can be improved.

As described above, according to the keypad according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost by reducing the separate manufacturing process for forming the pressing projection on the bottom of the elastic sheet.

In addition, the keypad according to the present invention does not provide a separate sheet for forming the pressing protrusion on the bottom of the elastic sheet, thereby realizing the thinning of the keypad.

Further, in the keypad according to the present invention, the button sheet and the protruding button are integrally connected by being attached around the seat hole of the elastic sheet. Therefore, since the illumination of the light emitting device for identifying letters or numbers printed on the upper surface of the keypad at the aesthetics or at night is exposed to the outside through the seat hole, the keypad of the keypad which has to pass to the outside is exposed compared to the conventional keypad. Since the thickness is reduced, the light transmission efficiency of the light emitted from the light emitting device can be improved.

As described above, although described with reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art various modifications and variations of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims below I can understand that you can.

Claims (12)

A button sheet including a pressing protrusion on a bottom surface thereof; And An elastic sheet provided on a bottom surface of the button sheet and having a sheet hole corresponding to the button sheet, the elastic sheet being integrally connected to the button sheet around the sheet hole; Key pad comprising a. The method of claim 1, And the button sheet includes a rubber layer in which the push protrusion is formed and a metal layer provided on the rubber layer. The method of claim 2, And the metal layer has slits formed in a predetermined pattern to be pressed along the thickness direction. The method of claim 2, And the button sheet comprises a surface layer provided on the metal layer. The method of claim 1, And the button sheet includes a rubber layer in which the push protrusion is formed and a surface layer provided on the rubber layer. The method of claim 1, And the button sheet is cut and provided in units of a predetermined button area. The method of claim 1, The elastic sheet is a keypad, characterized in that it comprises a fixing projection protruding on the upper surface. The method of claim 1, The elastic sheet is a keypad, characterized in that formed using a polyurethane material. A printing pattern for displaying numerals or letters is formed on an upper surface thereof, and a protrusion button on which a pressing protrusion is formed on a bottom surface thereof; And An elastic sheet provided on a bottom surface of the protruding button and having a sheet hole corresponding to the protruding button, the elastic sheet being integrally connected to the protruding button around the seat hole; Key pad comprising a. The method of claim 9, The elastic sheet includes a fixing protrusion protruding on the upper surface, wherein the fixing protrusion is disposed between each of the protruding buttons. The method of claim 9, The elastic sheet is a keypad, characterized in that formed using a polyurethane material. The method of claim 9, A rubber layer is provided on a bottom surface of the protruding button, and the push protrusion is formed on a bottom surface of the rubber layer corresponding to the printing pattern.

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