KR100899303B1 - Personal portable device - Google Patents

Abstract

Keypads and personal handheld devices are disclosed that can improve the product's design characteristics and product value, contribute to high quality products, as well as reduce costs and improve productivity by simplifying the structure and manufacturing process. The personal portable terminal includes a terminal body, a light source means provided in the inside of the terminal body, a light transmitting member provided on an upper portion of the light source means, and a scattering pattern integrally formed inside the transparent member so as to have different optical characteristics from the light transmitting member. It includes a keypad that is installed to be exposed to the outside of the terminal body. By this configuration, it is possible to simplify the structure and manufacturing process and to provide a personal portable terminal that can produce a luxurious atmosphere.

Keypad, Translucent Member, Scattering Pattern, Optical, Light Source Means, Personal Mobile Device

Description

PERSONAL PORTABLE DEVICE}

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional personal portable terminal.

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

3 is a perspective view showing the structure of a personal portable terminal to which the keypad is applied according to the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 3.

5 is a perspective view showing the structure of a keypad according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a keypad according to the present invention, a schematic diagram for explaining the process of forming a scattering pattern.

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

8 and 9 are cross-sectional views showing the structure of a keypad according to another embodiment of the present invention.

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

100: terminal body 110: main body

120: folder 130: keypad

131: light transmitting member 133: scattering pattern

140: anti-reflective layer 151: EL sheet

153: light source 155: light guide plate

160: metal sheet

The present invention relates to a keypad and a personal handheld terminal having the same, which can improve the design characteristics and product value of the product, can contribute to the high quality of the product, as well as reduce the cost and productivity by simplifying the structure and manufacturing process. The present invention relates to a keypad and a personal handset that can be improved.

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional personal portable terminal, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I 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 a printed circuit board 13 for performing various controls therein. The front case 11 includes a keypad 14 for inputting various information and a talker 15 for transmitting a user voice, and a battery 16 is detachably coupled to the rear case. It is.

The upper surface of the printed circuit board 13 is provided with a plurality of switches 17, so-called metal dome, and a light emitting element 18 for illumination, which are elastically deformable along the thickness direction so as to be on / off when pressed. It is.

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

However, in the conventional personal portable terminal, the front case 11 and the keys 14a of the keypad 14 of the main body 10 are formed of a material of low hardness (plastic, rubber, synthetic resin, etc.). In order to maintain a constant shape strength, it is necessary to maintain a certain thickness or more, so there is a limit in reducing the thickness, making it difficult to slim down.

Accordingly, in the related art, a keypad in the form of a thin plate using a button sheet formed through plastic injection molding has been presented.

However, in the case of a conventional keypad using a button sheet, in order to display letters or numbers on the button area of the button sheet, a coating layer is formed on the upper surface of the button sheet by spraying, etc., and then corresponds to the light transmitting area through laser marking. Part of the coating layer to be removed, and then there is a problem to go through a number of cumbersome processes, such as forming a UV coating layer to prevent scratches and damage from the outside on the surface of the coating layer. In addition, there is a problem in that the cost is increased and the productivity is lowered due to the increase in the manufacturing labor.

Alternatively, a printed layer for displaying letters or numbers may be formed on the bottom of the button sheet. However, when the button sheet is colored in a predetermined color, the printed layer is not clearly seen, and there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately recognize letters or numbers displayed by the printed layer.

In addition, in recent years, the performance of the personal mobile terminal is also important, but the appearance design is also important. For example, according to a recent survey of handset buyers at a handset maker, the first consideration when purchasing a mobile phone is 'design'. The performance of the handset is also important, but the external design is equally important. However, in the case of the conventional keypad, there is a problem in that the design is limited by simply transmitting light through the light-transmitting area displaying letters or numbers and emitting light, thus satisfying rapidly changing consumer demands. I could not let you.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and can contribute to miniaturization and thinning, as well as to simplify the structure and manufacturing process to reduce the cost and improve productivity, and a personal portable with the same The purpose is to provide a terminal.

In addition, the present invention can be scattered when the light for emitting light passes through the light-transmitting area for displaying the numbers or letters, thereby improving the design characteristics of the product and the personal value with the portable The purpose is to provide a terminal.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a keypad and a method of manufacturing the same, which can contribute to the quality of the product and improve the satisfaction of consumers.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object of the present invention, the personal portable terminal is mutually with the light emitting means and the light transmitting member provided on the top of the terminal body, the light source means provided in the inside of the terminal body; It includes a keypad provided with a scattering pattern integrally formed inside the transparent member to have other optical characteristics and is exposed to the outside of the terminal body.

For reference, in the present invention, the terminal body may be a PDA, a smart phone, a handheld PC, a mobile phone, an MP3 player, or the like, which is formed of a folder type, a bar type, a slide type, or the like.

The light source means is provided inside the main body to supply light necessary for illumination of the keypad, and may include an EL sheet which emits light when power is applied. As the EL sheet, a conventional inorganic EL sheet or organic EL sheet may be used. In some cases, the light source means is disposed on the light source for generating light instead of the EL sheet and on the side of the light source, and is disposed on the bottom of the keypad to guide the light emitted from the light source and to allow a planar light source to be spherical over the entire surface. It may be configured to include.

The light transmissive member may be formed of a conventional light transmissive material such as transparent acrylic or plastic, and in some cases, may also be formed of a translucent material. The light transmissive member may be manufactured in the form of a thin sheet or a film to be pressed along the thickness direction. In some cases, the light transmissive member may be manufactured in the form of a key through plastic injection molding, and the light transmissive member may be manufactured in the form of a single plate or in the form of a plurality of thin pieces which are arranged to be pushed independently of each other.

In addition, the light transmissive member may be colored to have a predetermined color by adding a dye or the like, and the color of the light transmissive member may be variously changed according to required conditions and design specifications. In addition, the surface of the light transmissive member may be glossy or matted, depending on the required conditions.

The scattering pattern is integrally formed inside the translucent member to have different optical characteristics from the translucent member, and the scattering pattern may include a button pattern for displaying numbers, letters, symbols, and the like. In some cases, the scattering pattern may be formed together with the above-described button pattern or independently to form a grid, a circle, a wave pattern, and the like, and may include a decoration pattern for forming a peripheral design. Such a scattering pattern may be formed by conventional femtosecond laser processing, and the scattering pattern formed by femtosecond laser processing may have different refractive index and polarization characteristics and the like from the translucent member.

In addition, the bottom surface of the light transmitting member may be provided with a semi-reflective layer made of a material having a semi-reflective properties. Semi-reflective layer of the method using the difference in brightness of the light, for example, a film or a coating layer (aluminum or silver coating layer) and the like having a conventional semi-reflective properties used in so-called sun glasses or sunglasses may be used. Such a semi-reflective layer may be formed by a method such as deposition, and in some cases, may be printed or manufactured in the form of a film and bonded. In some cases, a reflection reflection layer using light refraction or an electrical property of a polymer material may be applied.

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.

3 is a perspective view showing the structure of a personal portable terminal to which the keypad according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of the keypad according to the present invention.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the personal terminal equipped with a keypad according to the present invention is provided with a terminal body 100, a light source means, a light transmitting member 131 and a scattering pattern 133 to expose the terminal to the outside The keypad 130 is installed in the main body 100.

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 A slide-type personal portable terminal or the like may be applied. Hereinafter, an example in which a foldable 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 upper ends 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. The folder hinge portion (not shown) is formed to be able to be.

The inner surface of the folder unit 120 may be provided with a display unit 121 for outputting image information, the upper end portion may be provided with a receiver 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 may be accommodated, the front case 111 may be provided with a talker 115 for transmitting the user's voice, the rear case 112 may be detachably coupled to the battery 116.

In addition, a front panel of the front case 111 is provided with a keypad 130 for inputting various information, the keypad 130 is external through a keypad hole (not shown) formed in the front case 111 It is installed to be exposed.

The light source means is provided inside the main body to supply light for illumination of the keypad 130. The light source means may include an EL sheet 151 which emits light when power is applied. As the EL sheet 151, an organic EL sheet or an organic EL sheet may be used. EL sheet (Inorganic Electro luminessence Sheet) and the like can be applied. In addition, the EL sheet 151 is provided in close contact with the bottom surface of the keypad 130 and may be interlocked together according to the pressing operation of the keypad 130.

The keypad 130 is integrally formed inside the light transmitting member 131 to have different optical characteristics from the light transmitting member 131 and the light transmitting member 131 provided on the EL sheet 151. The scattering pattern 133 is included.

The translucent member 131 may be formed of a conventional translucent material such as transparent acrylic or plastic, and in some cases, may also be formed of a translucent material. The light transmitting member 131 is manufactured in the form of a thin sheet or a film to be pressed in the thickness direction. For example, the light transmitting member 131 may be formed to a thin thickness of about 1 mm. In addition, the light transmitting member 131 may be colored to have a predetermined color by adding a dye or the like, and the coloring of the light transmitting member 131 may be variously changed according to required conditions and design specifications. In addition, the surface of the light transmitting member 131 may be glossy or matte depending on the required conditions.

The scattering pattern 133 is integrally formed inside the translucent member 131 to have different optical properties from the translucent member 131, and the scattering pattern 133 is for displaying numbers, letters, symbols, and the like. It may be configured to include a button pattern. In some cases, the scattering pattern 133 is formed together with the above-described button pattern or independently to form a grid, a circle, a wave pattern, and the like, and includes a decoration pattern (not shown) for forming a peripheral design. The decoration pattern may be arranged in an area between the button patterns.

On the other hand, Figure 6 is a keypad according to the present invention, a schematic diagram for explaining the process of forming a scattering pattern. As shown in FIG. 6, the scattering pattern 133 may be formed by conventional femtosecond laser processing, and the scattering pattern 133 formed by femtosecond laser processing may have a different refractive index than that of the light transmitting member 131. And polarization characteristics.

Here, femtosecond laser processing is a processing method that can realize precise processing without interposing heat by a multi-photon absorption process, and can process the inside of a material without processing the surface of the material. Say

In other words, "femtosecond" of a femtosecond laser is a unit of time, which means 100 trillion ( ^10-15 ) for one second.The instantaneous light intensity is extremely high and it is very small. By condensing into a region, a multiphoton absorption process occurs and a strong electromagnetic field is generated that can directly ionize the irradiated material without dissipating heat, and the femtosecond laser has a high peak power. The mechanism of absorption of light into the workpiece is different from that of conventional laser processing: condensing femtosecond lasers results in multiphoton absorption at the focusing point and acts on the material without loading the material surface. When irradiated, a part of the energy of the laser light is converted into heat, and the ambient temperature of the irradiated portion or dust generated by irradiation is solid particles floating in the gas. Temperature, which may cause soot, etc.), resulting in heat deformation or heat deformation around the processed part, and breakage or fine gold in the soft or thin material. In this regard, the femtosecond laser can be processed with high accuracy without damaging materials such as semiconductors or soft materials, which cause physical property changes with temperature rise, because no damage occurs due to thermal deformation and thermal deformation. It is.

When the femtosecond laser is irradiated so as to be condensed inside the light transmitting member 131, the light density is increased at one point of the light condensation, and light which is not absorbed under normal conditions by the multiphoton absorption phenomenon is absorbed, and the refractive index and The density and the like are changed and a fine cavity is generated, and the scattering pattern 133 may be formed by adjusting the condensing position of the femtosecond laser.

In addition, when the top surface of the light transmitting member is matted, a scattering pattern may be formed by irradiating a femtosecond laser from the bottom of the light transmitting member to the inside of the light transmitting member, and in some cases, a pass area through which a femtosecond laser may pass may be provided. And a femtosecond laser is irradiated to the inside of the light transmitting member through the passage region.

In addition, the scattering pattern 133 is preferably formed to be closer to the upper surface than the bottom of the light transmitting member 131. More preferably, the scattering pattern 133 is disposed close to the top surface of the light transmitting member 131 by a distance corresponding to 5 to 20% of the height of the light transmitting member 131. That is, when the light transmitting member 131 is colored in a predetermined color and the scattering pattern 133 is disposed close to the bottom of the light transmitting member 131 for a predetermined time or more, the scattering pattern 133 may not be clearly seen. Accordingly, since it may be difficult to accurately recognize the letters or numbers displayed by the scattering pattern 133, the scattering pattern 133 may be formed at a distance corresponding to 5 to 20% of the height of the transparent member 131. It is good to be disposed close to the upper surface.

In addition, in the above-described and illustrated embodiments of the present invention, the scattering pattern 133 is formed by an example of femtosecond laser processing. However, in some cases, the inside of the material may be formed without processing the surface of the material other than the femtosecond laser processing method. The scattering pattern 133 may be formed by a processing method which may be processed.

A semi-reflective layer 140 made of a material having semi-reflective properties may be provided on the bottom surface of the light transmissive member 131. The anti-reflective layer 140 is provided on the bottom surface of the transparent member 131 so that light incident from the outside to the keypad 130 can be reflected back to the outside, and light generated from the bottom of the keypad 130 can be transmitted. To be able. As described above, the anti-reflective layer 140 allows the light incident from the outside and the light generated from the bottom of the keypad 130 to be effectively transmitted to the scattering pattern 133 to pass through the scattering pattern 133. Therefore, the light passing through the scattering pattern 133 may be diffusely reflected and scattered while passing through the scattering pattern 133.

Such a semi-reflective layer 140 is a semi-reflective layer of the method using a difference in brightness of light, for example, a film or coating layer (aluminum or silver coating layer) having the usual semi-reflective properties used in so-called sun glasses or sunglasses, etc. This can be used. In some cases, a semi-reflective layer using light refraction or electrical properties of a polymer material may be applied, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the type and method of the anti-reflective layer. In addition, the semi-reflective layer may be formed by a method such as deposition, and in some cases, may be printed or manufactured in the form of a film and bonded.

As an example, the anti-reflective layer 140 may be formed by depositing a metal thin film, or may be formed by an oxide coating or a nitride coating, and in some cases, may be formed by a multi-coating layer using a metal thin film and an oxide coating together. .

The metal thin film may be formed of a conventional metal material such as nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), gold (Au), and silver (Ag), and the oxide coating may be silica (SiO ₂ ) or titanium oxide (TiO ₂ ). , Tungsten oxide (WO ₃ ), and the like, and the nitride coating may be formed of a material such as silicon nitride (Si ₃ N ₄ ).

The upper surface of the printed circuit board 113 is provided with a plurality of switches 114 to be turned on / off according to the pressing operation of the keypad 130, the bottom of the keypad 130 corresponding to each switch A plurality of push protrusions (not shown) may be provided. This pusher allows the force to press the keypad 130 to be effectively transmitted to each switch.

On the other hand, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a keypad according to another embodiment of the present invention. 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 FIG. 7, the light source means described above is disposed on the side surface of the light source 153, the light source 153 which generates light instead of the EL sheet, and disposed on the bottom surface of the keypad 130. It may be configured to include a light guide plate 155 for guiding the light irradiated from the.

A light emitting diode (LED) may be used as the light source 153, and in some cases, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, an external electrode fluorescent lamp, or the like may be applied. The light guide plate 155 is disposed on the side of the light source 153 to guide the light irradiated from the light source and to implement a planar light source over the entire surface. The light guide plate 155 may be formed in various shapes and various sizes, and may be formed using various materials.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the light source is described as an example in which the light guide plate is disposed on the side of the light guide plate. However, in some cases, the light source may be arranged under the light guide plate.

8 and 9 are cross-sectional views showing the structure of a keypad according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, the above-described keypad may be provided with a metal sheet. That is, the metal sheet 160 may be integrally attached to the bottom surface of the semi-reflective layer 140, and the metal sheet 160 may be formed of a conventional metal material having excellent hardness. For example, the metal sheet may be formed of a metal material such as copper, copper alloy, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, platinum, or nickel. Since the metal sheet is superior in hardness to plastic, it is easy to maintain a rigid form even if it is made thin, and can be easily bent while maintaining a rigid form.

In addition, the metal sheet 160 may be formed with a slit 161 in a predetermined pattern so as to penetrate along a thickness direction in a region corresponding to a button region defined in the light transmitting member 131. Such a structure makes it possible to prevent movement when the button area of one place is pressed and operated to another button area adjacent thereto and to prevent the malfunction thereof. Furthermore, such a structure makes it possible to improve the click feeling of the button area. Such a slit 161 may be freely changed according to required conditions and design specifications, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the shape and structure of the slit.

In addition, since other components except for the metal sheet 160 are the same as the above-described embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the above-described and illustrated embodiments of the present invention, the light transmissive member has been described as an example in the form of a single plate. However, in some cases, a plurality of the light transmissive members in the form of a single plate may be pushed independently of each other. It may be configured to include a light transmitting piece. 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.

That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the keypad 130 ′ includes a light transmitting member 131 ′, and the light transmitting member 131 ′ is provided with a plurality of light transmitting pieces 131 a that are independently operable to be pressed. It may be configured to include). In this case, the plurality of light-transmitting pieces 131a may be attached to the elastic sheet 170, respectively, and may be integrated with the elastic sheet 170. At this time, the elastic sheet 170 may be formed of a conventional material having elasticity and flexibility. As an example, the elastic sheet 170 may be formed of a polyurethane material, and each translucent piece 131a may be bonded to each other through a conventional adhesive such as a transparent silicone material.

The scattering pattern 133 is integrally formed inside each of the translucent pieces 131a by femtosecond laser processing as in the above-described embodiment. In addition, a bottom reflective layer 140 may be provided on the bottom of each of the transparent pieces 131a, and a light source means such as an EL sheet 151 may be provided on the bottom of the elastic sheet 170.

As described above, according to the keypad according to the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same, a button pattern for displaying letters or numbers can be formed inside the light transmitting member, which is cumbersome and complicated such as a coating layer forming process and a laser marking process. The process can be eliminated, and the keypad structure and manufacturing process can be simplified to reduce costs and improve productivity.

In addition, the present invention can be diffused and scattered when the light for light emission passes through the light-transmitting area for displaying the numbers or letters, thereby creating a luxurious atmosphere and improve the merchandise value.

In other words, the present invention enables light to be scattered through a portion displaying numerals or letters, and the illumination of the keypad can be achieved, thereby improving product design characteristics and product value.

As described above, the present invention can contribute to the quality of the product and has the effect of satisfying the rapidly changing needs of consumers.

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 (17)

Terminal body; A light source unit provided inside the main body of the terminal and including a light source for generating light and a light guide plate disposed at a side portion of the light source to guide light emitted from the light source; And A keypad provided at an upper portion of the light source means and a scattering pattern integrally formed in the transparent member so as to have a different optical characteristic from the transparent member, the keypad being provided to be exposed to the outside of the terminal body; Personal mobile terminal comprising a. delete The method of claim 1, The scattering pattern is a personal mobile terminal, characterized in that it comprises a button pattern for displaying numbers or letters. The method of claim 1, The scattering pattern is a personal mobile terminal, characterized in that formed by femtosecond laser processing. The method of claim 1, The scattering pattern has a refractive index different from that of the light transmitting member. The method of claim 1, The scattering pattern is a personal portable terminal, characterized in that disposed closer to the upper surface than the bottom of the light transmitting member. The method of claim 1, Personal light terminal, characterized in that the light transmitting member is colored. The method of claim 1, The surface of the translucent member is a personal portable terminal, characterized in that the matt or glossy. The method of claim 1, Personal portable terminal, characterized in that it is formed of a material having a semi-reflective property further comprises a semi-reflective layer provided on the bottom of the translucent member. The method of claim 1, The light source means is a personal portable terminal comprising an EL sheet. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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