KR20050095192A - Identifing unit for electronic devices and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a structure and a manufacturing method of an identification unit such as a key which is a component of a keypad serving as a signal generating switch in an electronic device such as a mobile phone.

According to the present invention, a metal and / or ceramic material identification member is formed so that numbers, letters, symbols, and / or figures-shaped holes communicate from an upper surface portion to a lower surface portion, and light formed by filling the hole and integrally formed with the identification member. An identification unit for an electronic device comprising a diffusion member and a manufacturing method thereof are provided.

Description

Identification unit for electronic equipment and manufacturing method thereof {IDENTIFING UNIT FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an identification unit for electronic devices and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an identification unit for electronic devices and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein the identification unit, which has been manufactured only of transparent plastics and so far, is made of metal and / or ceramic will be.

As a representative example of the identification unit for an electronic device, a key that is a component of a keypad serving as a signal generating switch in an electronic device such as a mobile phone may be considered. In the following, the key is described as an example of the identification unit.

Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones are diversified in order to make their use more convenient, and the external design is being advanced. In general, a mobile phone is provided with a key as a dial function for making a phone call, as well as various switch devices for performing additional functions such as inputting data or retrieving input data or increasing or decreasing a beep tone.

As such, various keys exposed to the outside while generating a signal are made of a plastic injection molding material. In order to give a beautiful appearance to the exterior material, color inks are applied thereon and then dried, followed by UV coating or metallic properties. To this end, metal thin film deposition may be performed. It is disclosed that the metal thin film layer has better abrasion resistance, heat resistance, water resistance, and chemical resistance than UV coating treatment (see Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2003-0086006 above).

These keys have a flange portion at their periphery, and a base member having protrusions is attached to the bottom of the key to form a keypad, and is inserted into a hole formed in the front housing of the telephone to be provided to the printed circuit board (PCB). It can act as a switch because it can press fixed contacts. In addition, in most cases, a dome-shaped switch having elasticity and restoring force is positioned between the keypad and the printed circuit board so that a user can feel a feeling of operation, and the protrusion of the base member causes the dome switch to be pressed by pressing a key constituting the keypad. When pressurized, the dome switch is inverted to come into contact with the fixed contact provided on the printed circuit board so that the key can be operated.

In order to distinguish the functions of the above keys, the upper surface of the keys is usually printed with Arabic numerals, letters, symbols, and / or figures, and has various shapes depending on the design. Therefore, since it is necessary to make a desired shape in a large quantity, it is manufactured by injecting plastic material as mentioned above, and the base member is made of silicone rubber or synthetic resin having excellent elasticity so that the protrusion can easily press the contacts of the printed circuit board when a key is pressed. Film material and the like. The plastic key and the base member are made of a keypad by applying adhesive and firmly bonding to each other (above, see Republic of Korea Utility Model Publication No. 20-0298944).

Another keypad manufacturing method is printing a number or letter to match the arrangement of keys on a transparent film made of a flat surface, then molding by pressing to have a key shape, and then press the liquid silicone rubber on the surface of the formed film (Korea Patent Publication No. 10-0342959). At this time, the bottom of the key is provided with a dome-shaped space for placing the LED lamp, and the hot press heated to a predetermined temperature so as to prevent distortion of the printed characters due to the expansion of the film while the film is molded to the same thickness. Can also be used.

Numbers or letters are printed on the back side of the transparent film, because the use of the keys does not directly contact the print surface and the finger because the durability of the printed letters can be maintained.

In addition, a keypad having a structure that provides a backlighting effect by forming a light diffusing means around a key portion constituting a keypad of a mobile phone is disclosed (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2002-0088180). Keys with printed surfaces that display numbers or letters using a spray method, silkscreen method or laser marking method are provided with a light emitting diode (LED) element that acts as a light source so that the user can check the function of the key at night. It is installed outside the bottom, and when the light is emitted from the light source, the user can recognize the number or letters printed on the key by the backlighting effect.

The structure of the keypad can be classified into three categories. That is, a dome switch unit surrounding a fixed contact provided on a printed circuit board, a key unit for pressing it to perform a call signal and other functions of a mobile phone, and a light emitting device installed on a printed circuit board to provide backlighting when using a mobile phone. It can be divided into an accommodating groove and a base portion formed with a protrusion for contacting the dome switch.

In the keypad structure, numbers and letters are printed on the key top, which is the upper outer surface of the key, and a plurality of powder coating and ultraviolet (UV) coatings are performed for exterior processing. The key is made of transparent thermoplastic plastic such as polycarbonate, ABS resin, acrylic resin, etc. by injection molding process, powder coating is applied to the surface of the molded key by spray method, and letters or numbers are imprinted on the key top using laser marking machine. In addition, it is equipped with a key of the completed form through a coating process to repeat the UV or urethane transparent coating several times.

However, since the powder coating or coating is performed by the spray method, an unnecessary coating layer may be generated on the bottom surface of the key in addition to the surface of the key (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-0377638). Therefore, after the key processing and painting or coating process is completed, a peeling process is performed to remove the unnecessarily applied foreign matter layer on the bottom surface so as to be firmly adhered to the base part. As described above, the key having the foreign material layer removed is adhered to the silicone or film insert keypad. This process completes the manufacture of the keypad with a key that can be inserted into the hole of the front housing and assembled.

As described above, a keypad commonly used in an electronic device such as a portable terminal is molded by injecting a transparent plastic, and the structure of the keypad is formed to correspond to the position of the key provided on the printing surface and the front housing of the terminal. It is provided with a flange portion and the like to be inserted into the hole to be fastened. In addition, the printing surface formed on the upper surface of the key has a structure that can diffuse the light to the outside in order to maximize the back lighting effect so that the user can check the function of the key at night.

They are, as described above, the step of molding a transparent plastic material, the step of spray coating to print the numbers or letters that can recognize the function of the key, the laser marking or silkscreen method using a laser beam And a surface treatment step of applying or coating a protective layer to protect the printing surface.

However, such keys have difficulty in securing reliability of appearance quality because the printed surface may be erased or the coating layer may be dropped by repeated use of the user. Therefore, although a separate metal plating or thin film coating treatment is performed to improve wear resistance, a process of etching the metal thin film layer must be followed to provide a printing surface capable of providing a backlighting effect.

However, the printing surface provided on the key top is exposed to the outside in the same manner as in the related art, and the phenomenon of being easily damaged or erased in the process of repeatedly pressing a desired key occurs. This problem lowers the beauty of the appearance and does not satisfy the user's desire for durability.

In addition, recently, the functions of portable electronic devices have been diversified. In particular, in the case of mobile phones, key functions are frequently used as numerous functions such as e-mail transmission, messenger use, game functions, and music are added, and various designs and durability Spray color coating, metal plating, or metal thin film deposition are applied to realize the appearance color. However, in the conventional method, when a printed surface having a backlighting effect is provided, each number or letter must be engraved. There is a limit in securing process trouble and durability.

Accordingly, the present invention provides the shapes of numbers, letters, symbols, and / or figures that can impart the function of an identification member or a key to a metal or ceramic material having excellent corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance without a process of printing a separate number or letter. An object of the present invention is to provide an identification unit made of metal and / or ceramic of a portable electronic device that can be imprinted and at the same time provide a backlighting effect, and a method of manufacturing the same.

The identification unit manufactured by the method of the present invention can apply a color painting, plating or thin film deposition process of metals and ceramics to the outer surface of the key for the purpose of adding human friendly functions such as various colors or photocatalysts. Accordingly, the present invention can produce a key exhibiting physical properties inherent in metals or ceramics while fundamentally preventing erasing of numbers, letters or special symbols.

The present invention relates to a structure and a manufacturing method of a key, which is a component of a keypad that acts as a signal generating switch of an electronic device such as a mobile phone, and to a structure and a manufacturing method of a metal or ceramic key having a beautiful appearance and having corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, and durability. It aims to provide.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a metal and / or ceramic material identification member formed so that the holes in the form of numbers, letters, symbols, and / or figures communicate from the upper surface portion to the lower surface portion, and formed in the bottom portion of the identification member to fill the hole. An identification unit for an electronic device comprising a light diffusing member is provided. Here, preferably, the identification member may be a key for the keypad of the electronic device.

In this case, it is preferable that the identification member includes a recess in the bottom face, and the light diffusion member is formed integrally with the identification member by filling the recess and the hole, more preferably in the light diffusion member. A is preferably formed integrally with the identification member to fix the island formed in the hole of the identification member to prevent the island from being separated. Even more preferably, the island may be formed such that an end opposite the upper surface portion of the identification member protrudes more toward the upper surface portion of the identification member than the groove surface, in which case the island has a cross-sectional area inside the hole. It is better that the cross-sectional area at the protrusion is larger.

In addition, the light diffusing member may be a polymer material having transparency, in which case the light diffusing member is any one polymer selected from the group consisting of transparent epoxy resin, color epoxy resin, acrylic resin, ABS resin or It is preferable that it is a plastic material. In addition, the light diffusion member may be made of glass.

In the above case, a plurality of separately formed identification members may be attached to the keypad to constitute one keypad, or a plurality of identification members may be integrally formed to constitute one keypad.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a metal and / or ceramic member identifying member in which a mirror image of numbers, letters, symbols, and / or figures is engraved in a direction from the bottom to the top; Curing the light diffusing material by filling the grooves in which the mirror image of the shape is engraved; Polishing an upper surface portion of the obtained identification member molded body to expose a desired shape on the upper surface portion; A method of manufacturing a metal and / or ceramic identification unit for an electronic device, and 2) a metal and / or ceramic material formed such that a hole in a mirror image of an outline of numbers, letters, symbols and / or figures communicates from the bottom to the top. Obtaining an identification member molded body; Inserting an insert having a cross section corresponding to an island in the middle of the hole into the hole and filling the light diffusing material into the hole to cure; Polishing the insert portion protruding from the upper surface portion of the obtained identification member molded body to expose a desired shape on the upper surface portion; A method of manufacturing a metal and / or ceramic identification unit for an electronic device is provided.

In any case, the identification member molded body may be obtained by injection molding the powder into a mold in which the mirror image of the shape is embossed, followed by a degreasing and sintering process, or by a stamping process separate from press molding. have.

By the way, in the latter case, the identification member molded body may be obtained by 1) mechanically imprinting a mirror image of numbers, letters, symbols, and / or figures in the direction from the bottom to the top, after press molding; After press molding, a mirror image of numbers, letters, symbols and / or figures may be obtained by imprinting with a laser beam from the bottom to the top, and 3) after press molding, numbers, letters, symbols and And / or a hole in the mirror image for the contour of the figure shape may be obtained so as to communicate from the bottom portion to the upper portion thereof, and 4) after press molding, by etching, for the outline of the figure, letter, symbol and / or figure shape. It may also be obtained by allowing a hole in the mirror image to communicate from the bottom to the top.

As described above, the present invention is directed to an identification unit for an electronic device, but is mainly described with reference to a key which is a representative example of the identification unit in the following description. Keypad structure and its manufacturing method are integrally formed into a metal or ceramic key structure to improve the corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, and durability, which are disadvantages of keys made of transparent plastics, and at the same time exhibit a backlighting effect. to provide.

The metal and / or ceramic keys disclosed herein have a color unique to the metal and / or ceramic and are printed in the form of numbers, letters, symbols and / or figures of the key provided on the upper surface of the key, ie the outer protrusions. Since it is formed with respect to the thickness direction of the key is made of the same metal or ceramic material as the key other than the coating or thin film material, it can maintain the beauty of the appearance, excellent durability, and maximize the backlighting effect.

The basic structure of the keypad disclosed in the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2A to 2C. In the present invention, since the key 22 of the keypad is made of metal and / or ceramic which cannot transmit light, in order to easily identify the key by the light diffused from the LED element 44 which will be described later, Numerals, letters, symbols and / or figures-shaped holes 28 are formed in the metal and / or ceramic keys 22 so as to communicate from the top to the bottom of the keys 22, and the holes 28 are light diffused. It is the biggest feature to fill in a member.

As an example of a portable electronic device, in the case of a mobile phone, as shown in FIG. 1, a front housing 10 having a key insertion hole, a keypad 20 having a plurality of keys, and a key 22 of the keypad are pressed against an elastic force when pressed. And a dome switch portion 30 in contact with the fixed contact on the substrate, a circuit board portion 40, and a bottom housing 50 for accommodating them together with the front housing 10. 2A to 2C illustrate cross-sectional views of keypads assembled to cellular phones according to different embodiments of the present invention. When the user presses the key 22, the light diffusing member 24 formed in the rear recess of the key is shown. The projection 26 integrally formed in the < RTI ID = 0.0 >) < / RTI > presses the dome switch 32 and contacts the fixed contact 42 on the circuit board 40, thereby giving a signal, and the dome switch 32 is immediately recovered by the elastic force. The circuit board is provided with the appropriate number of LED lamps 44 at the appropriate positions for the back lighting effect, so that the user can easily operate the keys at night through the light diffusion member.

In the present invention, since the key 22 is made of metal and / or ceramic, holes 28 in the form of numbers, letters, symbols, and / or figures are formed so as to communicate from the top portion to the bottom portion of the key 22. The hole 28 is filled with a light diffusing member so that light diffused from the LED lamp is diffused through the hole so that the user can easily identify the shape of numbers, letters, symbols and / or figures printed on the upper surface of the key 22. To be able. In this case, since the light diffusing member 24 is formed integrally with the key, the island 23 formed in the center of the hole of the key constituting the letter, for example, an island of a triangular cross section formed in the middle of the "4" character can be fixed. This prevents the part corresponding to this island from being dislodged during use.

To this end, as shown in FIG. 2B, the island 23 has an end opposite to the upper surface of the key more protruding than the groove surface, or more preferably within the hole 28. It is also possible to configure the cross-sectional area at the protrusion 23a to be larger than the cross-sectional area to reliably prevent the departure of the island.

In the above case, since the color of the light diffusion member is different from the color of the key itself, the user can easily identify each individual key even when there is no light of the LED lamp during the day, and the LED lamp emits light at night. The emitted light diffuses through the light diffusing member and diffuses through the hole 23 in the upper surface of the key 22 so that the user can easily identify each individual key.

2A and 2B show a case in which the entire keypad is integrally formed, otherwise it is also possible to obtain a keypad according to the present invention by manufacturing each individual key to have the above configuration and then attaching it onto the light diffusing member. 2c shows a diagram in this case. The light diffusing member 24 is formed integrally with the recessed portion and the hole 23 of the bottom of each individual key 22, and in this case as well, the part corresponding to the island 23 is fixed by the light diffusing member so The keypad according to the invention can be obtained by preventing and adhering these individual keys to a keypad, preferably also a keypad 20 which is also made of a light diffusing member. Even in this case, the keypad 20 includes a projection 26 that pushes the dome switch 32. When the LED lamp 44, which is installed at an appropriate number at an appropriate position of the circuit board 40, emits light, a light diffusing material The light diffused through the keypad 20 and the light diffusing member 24 formed by the light diffuses through the hole 28 of the metal and / or ceramic key, so that the user can easily identify the individual key 22. do.

As described above, the identification unit according to the present invention can be representatively applied to a key for an electronic device. However, on the same principle, it is also applicable to other identification units used in electronic devices. For example, letters such as “Anycall”, “Cyon”, “Motorola”, and “Nokia” are engraved in order to mark each company's logo or trademark on a mobile phone. It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied equally.

The present invention will be described in more detail through the manufacturing process of the keypad having the above structure. The following description focuses on the process for manufacturing each individual key, but as described above, the principle of the present invention can be applied as it is to manufacture the entire keypad integrally in consideration of mass productivity.

First, FIGS. 3A to 3D show a structure that has a backlighting effect on a metal or ceramic key formed by a powder injection molding method, and a method of manufacturing the key. The key 100 may mold an epoxy or transparent plastic that can press the dome switch in contact with the key top portion 101, the flange portion 102, and a fixed contact installed on the printed circuit board while acting as a light diffusion passage. It includes a recess 103 that can be.

Numbers, letters, or symbols for recognizing a user's key function are formed in a thickness direction from an upper surface of the recess 103 to an upper surface of the key top portion 101. Since the numbers, letters or symbols are embossed with a certain thickness as the mirror image 104 in the injection molding mold, the numbers, letters or symbols formed in the thickness direction of the key top part after the powder injection molding are in the form of intaglio grooves. It may be positioned in the thickness direction of the key top portion 101 so as to be connected to the groove portion 103.

As described above, the injection molded key 100 is degreased and sintered to give strength, and then polymer or glass having transparency is put or molded into the recess 103 and cured. The polymer having transparency may be any of transparent epoxy, color epoxy, acrylic resin, ABS resin and the like.

In addition, the insert injection method may be used as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4E to provide printing surfaces of various designs of numbers, letters or symbols.

After molding the concave portion 103 of the key formed as described above with a light diffusing material, the upper surface 105 of the key top portion 101 was polished to have a groove-shaped number located in the thickness direction of the key top portion 101. B Expose characters or symbols to the outside. If the thickness of the key top portion 101 is "B" and the depth of the grooves connected to the bottom space 103 is "D", the polishing is performed at least "D".

As described above, the numbers, letters, or symbols revealed on the outer surface through the polishing process have a printing structure filled with the light diffusing material. After polishing, the upper surface 105 of the key top portion 101 is completed in the shape of a print of the normal image.

The key having the above structure may be adhered to a keypad made of a light diffusing material, and light emitted from a light emitting element provided under the keypad may be diffused to the outside to allow a user to recognize a key function.

The key structure of the present invention is made of a metal or ceramic material, and because the printed surface is formed integrally in the structure of the key is excellent in durability, there is no problem that the printed surface is erased due to the repeated pressing action of the key.

In addition, the key of the present invention may exhibit a unique color of a metal or ceramic material, and the mirror may be polished, so that the key does not need to be plated, painted, or coated with a thin film to improve the appearance.

When applying thin film coating with metal or ceramic material different from key material to give new color or functionality, the coefficient of thermal expansion is similar to that of key. You can.

The type of metal or ceramic that can be used in the key structure of the present invention is not limited to a specific material, and the molding method of the key is not limited to the powder injection molding method, but a general press molding method or an etching method may be used.

5A to 5E illustrate a structure and a manufacturing method of a key exhibiting a backlight effect by using a metal plate of a thin plate or a thick plate having excellent plastic deformation properties instead of the metal or ceramic powder. The key 200 having the shape and dimensions of the desired key can be formed by using a cold or hot press method or a cold or hot forging method. As shown in FIG. 3, the key has a key top portion 201 and a flange portion 202 structure, and has a recess portion 203 structure capable of molding an epoxy or transparent plastic material serving as a light diffusion passage. The upper surface of the bottom space is provided by stamping numbers, letters, or special function recognition symbols in a mirror image (FIG. 5B) using a mechanical or laser beam method.

The light diffusing material is filled and molded into the recess 203 of the key manufactured as described above (204), and then the upper surface of the key top 210 is polished 205 to the thickness direction of the key top 201. The printing surface of the groove-shaped numbers, letters or symbols located at is exposed to the outside as the normal image 206. The printing surface has the printing surface of the normal image 206 when viewed by the user, and the backlighting effect is exerted upon the operation of the key.

After forming the key 200 by pressing or forging as described above, another method of printing the numbers, letters and symbols of the desired key design in the form of a groove is blanking (punching) as shown in Figure 6a or 7A may be provided by an etching method. However, the blanking method or the etching method has a structural limitation in providing numbers, letters and symbols of various designs while the backlighting effect is exerted. Therefore, in order to provide numbers, letters, and symbols according to a design, an insert injection method may be used as shown in FIG. 2. For a more detailed description of the preferred embodiment is as follows.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Example 1

As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, first, an injection mold having a shape of a desired key 100 and having a number, a letter, or a figure that can be recognized by a user as an embossed mirror image was manufactured.

Injection molding injection stock containing 40-60% of the injection molding metal or ceramic powder, such as stainless powder, cobalt alloy powder, zirconia powder, or alumina powder, having an average particle size of 10 microns or less, in a volume fraction of the polymer binder, is injected into the mold. Molded.

Polymer binders contained in the injection molded product were completely degreased through a degreasing process to obtain a sintered compact having a sintered density of at least 97% relative density at 1200-1600 ° C.

The sintered key 100 includes a letter-shaped groove 104 of numbers and letters in an intaglio form in the thickness direction of the key top portion 101 from the groove portion 103 which is the bottom space of the key, and the key top portion 101. The upper surface 105 of has a sintered structure.

The light generated from the light emitting device is diffused into the recess 103 and the letter-shaped groove 104, which is the bottom space of the sintered key 100, so that the backlighting effect can be exerted. Thermosetting transparent epoxy or plastic or color epoxy was discharged and then hardened and molded to form a light diffusion member 106 (FIG. 3B).

As described above, the outer protruding surface 105 of the key top portion 101 on which the light diffusing member 106 was hardly molded was subjected to parallel mirror polishing to a depth "D" at which the printed layer was exposed (FIG. 3C). As described above, the upper surface 105 of the key top portion after the parallel mirror polishing has a printing structure in which the numbers or letters of the normal image are exposed (FIG. 3D).

The key manufactured as described above is attached to the keypad and acts as a key exerting a backlighting effect. The metal-ceramic material used in the present embodiment is excellent in corrosion resistance, and has the characteristics of gloss and beauty inherent in the material. Using the process of FIGS. 3A to 3D, the material of the key is not limited to a specific metal or ceramic material, and a powder capable of powder injection molding may be applied.

Example 2

As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4E, first, as shown in FIG. 3A, a mold having a mirror image of an embossed number, letters, or figures that can be recognized by a user having a shape of a desired key 200 is manufactured. In addition, the sintered key 200 after injection molding includes holes 207 in the shape of numbers and letters in the form of intaglio grooves in the thickness direction of the key top portion 201 from the groove portion 203 which is the bottom space of the key. The upper surface 205 of the key top portion 201 has a sintered structure. In this case, there is a part that is difficult to completely install the original designed numbers, letters or symbols in the injection mold embossed, for example, in the case of the letter "4" shown in Figure 4a there is a portion corresponding to the middle island, Holes 207 of the letter-shaped outer shape of numbers and letters were injection molded to completely penetrate to the upper surface of the key top portion 201 (FIG. 4A).

Then, as in Example 1, the obtained key was degreased and then sintered. In order to print the shape of the letter originally designed in the sintered key structure, the sintered key 200 is placed in a separate mold 209 as described above, and FIGS. 4B and 4C corresponding to islands of the key top portion 201 are provided. The light diffusing member 206 was formed by molding the light diffusing material together with the recess 203 together with the recess 203 except for the portion “A” by the insert injection method (FIGS. 4B and 4C).

As described above, the upper surface 205 of the key top portion 201 in which the light diffusing material is hard molded is subjected to parallel mirror polishing to a depth at which the printed layer is exposed to a desired shape (FIG. 4D). The upper surface 205 of the key top portion after the parallel mirror polishing as described above has a printing structure in which the numbers or letters of the normal image are exposed to the outer surface (FIG. 4E), and the keys manufactured as described above are adhered to the keypad and have a backlighting effect. Acts as a key to exert.

Example 3

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5E, first, an aluminum alloy is press-molded with a key 300 having a desired shape so that the key 300 has a key top portion 301, a flange portion 302, and a recess 303. Subsequently (FIG. 5A), numbers, letters or symbols are mechanically engraved or laser beams are imprinted in the shape of a mirror image with respect to the upper surface of the recess 303 of the key thus formed (FIG. 5B). A thermosetting transparent epoxy or plastic or color epoxy is used to diffuse the light emitted from the light emitting device into the recess 203 of the key 300 and the groove stamped in a letter shape to the outside to exert a backlighting effect. After discharging, the powder was hardened and molded to form a light diffusion member 306 (FIG. 5C).

As described above, the upper surface 305 of the key top portion 301 in which the light diffusion member 306 was hard molded was subjected to parallel mirror polishing to a depth "D" at which the printed layer was exposed (FIG. 5D). As described above, the upper surface 305 of the key top portion after the parallel mirror polishing has a printing structure in which the numbers or letters of the normal image are exposed (FIG. 5E).

Example 4

As shown in Figs. 6A to 6E, the key 400 consisting of the key top portion 401, the flange portion 402 and the groove portion 403 is press-molded with aluminum alloy, and then blanked the desired number, letter or symbol. Punched in the manner of to make the appearance of the letters (Fig. 6a). The molded key 400 formed as described above is placed in a separate mold 409, and the printing structure having an intaglio groove shape except for the “A” portion of the key top portion is inserted together with the bottom space 403 as in the second embodiment. By molding the light diffusing material by the injection method, a key 400 filled with the light diffusing member 406 was manufactured (FIGS. 6B and 6C).

As described above, the outer protruding surface of the key top portion 401 in which the light diffusing material was hardly molded was subjected to parallel mirror polishing to a depth at which the printed layer was exposed (FIG. 6D). After the parallel mirror polishing as described above, the upper surface 405 of the key 400 has a printing structure in which the numbers or letters of the normal image are exposed to the outside, and the keys manufactured as described above are adhered to the keypad to achieve a backlighting effect. Acts as a key (FIG. 6E).

Example 5

As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7E, the key top portion 501 and the flange portion 502 are preformed in the shape of the key by pressing, and then the recess 500 is formed by etching the key 500. It was. After printing the desired number or letter on the upper surface of the bottom surface of the key 500 formed as described above to have an intaglio groove structure (FIG. 6A), a transparent plastic serving as a light diffusion method as in the second embodiment is used. Molding and curing were performed to form the light diffusing member 506 (FIGS. 7B and 7C). As in the second embodiment, the letter structure of the design that is difficult to be etched causes only the letter external part to be etched, and is placed in a separate mold 509 to form a print structure having an intaglio groove except for the “A” portion of the key top portion. The key was manufactured by molding a light diffusing material together with an insert injection method together with the bottom space 503.

As described above, the upper surface of the key top portion 501 in which the light diffusing material is hard molded is subjected to parallel mirror polishing to a depth at which the printed layer is exposed (FIG. 7D). The upper surface 505 of the key top portion after the parallel mirror polishing as described above has a printing structure in which the numbers or letters of the normal image are exposed to the outside, and the keys manufactured as described above are attached to the keypad to serve as a backlighting effect. (FIG. 7E).

According to the present invention, the key structure is formed by integrally forming a printed surface in the structure of a metal or ceramic key, which can improve corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, and durability, which are disadvantages of a key made of a transparent plastic, and at the same time exhibit a backlighting effect. Provide the production method.

The metal or ceramic key disclosed in the present invention has a color unique to the metal or ceramic, and the key top is made of a metal or ceramic material in which the printing form of the function recognition number, letter or symbol provided on the outer protruding surface of the key top portion is not a coating material. Since it is formed in the intaglio with respect to the thickness direction of the beautiful appearance can be maintained, excellent durability and has the effect that the backlighting effect can be maximized.

In the method of manufacturing a key structure disclosed in the present invention, a metal or ceramic powder is mixed with a polymer binder to produce a feedstock for injection, and the shape and printing structure of the key for which the feedstock is desired are described. Injection into the mold having a cavity (cavity), including the polymer contained in the injection material is removed and sintered, can be molded into the desired key dimensions and shapes, and another method is to use a powder press method It can be molded using.

Numerals, letters or symbols for recognizing the function of the user can be exposed to the outer surface by a method of grinding or etching (corrosion) in the thickness direction of the molded key top portion. A key provided in the above manner is bonded to a key pad, and the printing surface of the key has a backlighting effect by diffusing light generated from the light emitting device to the outside.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile phone to which a keypad is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2A to 2C are cross-sectional views illustrating keypads assembled to cellular phones according to different embodiments of the present invention, respectively.

Figures 3a to 3d is a metal or ceramic key manufactured by a powder injection molding of metal or ceramic powder, or a molding method such as epoxy or transparent plastic, which serves as a press diffusion and a light diffusion channel according to an embodiment of the present invention. Show the manufacturing process.

4A to 4E are each manufactured by molding a metal or ceramic powder by injection molding and sintering, and molding a method such as epoxy or transparent plastic, which serves as a light diffusion path by an insert injection method, according to another embodiment of the present invention. Shows the process for producing a metal or ceramic key.

5a to 5e respectively form a metal by a press method according to another embodiment of the present invention and then print the numbers, letters or symbols mechanically or by using a laser beam in the intaglio groove structure, the role of light diffusion path Shows a manufacturing process of a metal key manufactured by molding an epoxy or a transparent plastic.

Figures 6a to 6e respectively show a manufacturing process of a metal key manufactured by molding an epoxy or a transparent plastic that serves as a light diffusion path by the injection molding method after forming the metal in a press method according to another embodiment of the present invention .

Figures 7a to 7e is a metal key fabricated by molding the metal by an etching method and molding an epoxy or transparent plastic, which serves as a light diffusion path by the insert injection method according to another embodiment of the present invention, respectively Show the process.

Claims (19)

A metal and / or ceramic material identification member formed so that the holes in the form of numerals, letters, symbols, and / or figures communicate from the upper surface portion to the lower surface portion, and a light diffusing member formed in the bottom portion of the identification member to fill the hole. Identification unit for electronic equipment, characterized in that. The method of claim 1, And the identification member is a key for a keypad of the electronic device. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the identification member includes a recess in the bottom face, and the light diffusing member is integrally formed with the identification member by filling the recess and the hole. The method of claim 3, And the light diffusing member is formed integrally with the identification member to fix an island formed in the hole of the identification member to prevent the island from being separated. The method of claim 4, wherein And the island is formed so that an end opposite to the upper surface portion of the identification member protrudes further from the upper surface portion of the identification member than the groove surface. The method of claim 5, And the island has a larger cross-sectional area at the protrusion than a cross-sectional area inside the hole. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The light diffusing member is an electronic device identification unit, characterized in that the polymer material having transparency. The method of claim 7, wherein The light diffusing member is any one polymer or plastic material selected from the group consisting of a transparent epoxy resin, a color epoxy resin, an acrylic resin and an ABS resin. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The light diffusing member is a glass material identification unit, characterized in that the material. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, An identification unit for an electronic device, characterized in that a plurality of separately formed identification members are attached to the keypad to constitute one keypad. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, An identification unit for an electronic device, characterized in that a plurality of identification members are integrally formed to constitute one keypad. Obtaining a metal and / or ceramic material identifying member molded body in which a mirror image of numbers, letters, symbols and / or figures is engraved from the bottom part toward the top part; Curing the light diffusing material by filling the grooves in which the mirror image of the shape is engraved; Polishing an upper surface portion of the obtained identification member molded body to expose a desired shape on the upper surface portion; A method of manufacturing a metal and / or ceramic identification unit for an electronic device. Obtaining a metal and / or ceramic material identifying member molded body formed such that a hole in a mirror image of an outline of numbers, letters, symbols and / or figures is in communication from the bottom to the top; Inserting an insert having a cross section corresponding to an island in the middle of the hole into the hole and filling the light diffusing material into the hole to cure; Polishing the insert portion protruding from the upper surface portion of the obtained identification member molded body to expose a desired shape on the upper surface portion; A method of manufacturing a metal and / or ceramic identification unit for an electronic device. The method according to claim 12 or 13, The identification member molded body is obtained by injection molding a powder into a mold in which a mirror image of the shape is embossed, followed by a degreasing and sintering process. The method according to claim 12 or 13, The said identification member molded object is obtained by the stamping process separate from press molding, The manufacturing method of the metal and / or ceramic identification unit characterized by the above-mentioned. The method of claim 13, The identification member molded body is obtained by mechanically imprinting a mirror image of numbers, letters, symbols and / or figures in the direction from the bottom part to the top part part after press molding. . The method of claim 13, The identification member molded body is obtained by stamping a mirror image of numbers, letters, symbols, and / or figures after press molding with a laser beam in the direction from the bottom to the top. Way. The method of claim 13, The said identification member molded object is obtained by making the hole of the mirror image with respect to the outline of a number, a letter, a symbol, and / or a figure shape communicate with it from the bottom part to an upper part part by blanking after press molding. Manufacturing method of ceramic identification unit. The method of claim 13, The said identification member molded object is obtained by press-molding, so that the hole of the mirror image with respect to the outline of a number, a letter, a symbol, and / or a figure may communicate from a bottom part to an upper part by etching. Manufacturing method of ceramic identification unit.