KR20070049920A - Super-thin type keypad emitting light - Google Patents

Abstract

The ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to the present invention may be manufactured to be thinner than a metal dome type light emitting keypad by realizing external signal input by having a thin upper, lower contact and a support. In addition, by eliminating the existing metal dome, it prevents deformation and breakage of the EL element appearing in the metal dome, increases light emission efficiency and brightness, and provides an elastic layer to significantly improve the feeling of click and external signal input, and The device includes an anti-noise layer to reduce noise and provide an effect of providing a clean and uniform light emitting surface.

Light-emitting keypad, light output, brightness,

Description

Super-Thin Type Keypad Emitting Light

1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional EL type light emitting keypad;

2 is a cross-sectional view of an ultra-thin light-emitting keypad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view of an ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to another embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a cross-sectional view of an EL device of the ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1: upper substrate 2: printed layer

3: EL device 4: adhesive layer

5: elastic layer 6: top contact

7: support stand 8: lower substrate

81: bottom contact

The present invention relates to a light emitting keypad, and more particularly to an ultra-thin light emitting keypad.

In general, the light-emitting keypad is applied to a communication device such as a mobile phone is used as a switch device for generating a signal or performing various additional functions, and has a function of identifying keys such as numbers or letters at night or in a dark place, Recently, as the thinning of portable terminals is accelerated, ultra-thin light emitting keypads have been developed and applied.

Conventional LED type light emitting keypads used as light sources of light emitting keypads cannot be manufactured in a thin form due to the characteristics of LEDs, and thus keypads are made relatively thick. In addition, the power consumption according to the LED light emission can be shortened the use time of the battery. In addition, the uniformity of light emission is uneven depending on the arrangement position of the LED, which leads to design difficulties.

Therefore, in order to overcome the limitation of the ultra-thin LED of the conventional LED light emitting keypad, the development of an ultra-thin light emitting keypad to which the EL (Electro Luminescence) lamp light emitting method (hereinafter referred to as "EL method") is applied.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional EL type light emitting keypad for solving the above problems, and includes a key top 110, an EL metal dome sheet 120, and a printed circuit board 130, and the EL metal dome sheet 120. ) Is composed of an EL sheet 121, a metal dome 123, and a base tape 122 to realize ultra-thin film and low power consumption.

Looking at the function of the EL-type metal dome keypad, when the key top 110 is pressed by the user, the fixed contact of the metal dome 123 and the printed circuit board 130 by the protrusion 111 located on the back of the key top 110. The terminal 131 is contacted and switched to input a signal.

However, in the conventional EL type light emitting keypad, the EL sheet 121 is continuously pressurized and impacted by the projection 111, so that there is a high risk of damage or breakage of the EL sheet, thus causing a large problem in the reliability of the EL keypad and There is a problem that causes a drop in the click feeling.

In addition, since the relatively thick key top 110 is positioned on the upper part of the EL sheet 121, and the material is made of silicon having low light transmittance, there is a problem that the light output efficiency is significantly reduced and the luminance is reduced.

On the other hand, when the key top and the metal dome are adopted in the keypad, the thickness of the light emitting keypad is relatively thick, so there is an urgent need to replace the key top and the metal dome.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the above problems,

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultra-thin light emitting keypad which can be reduced in thickness by having upper and lower contacts spaced apart from each other instead of the key top and the metal dome of the keypad.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an ultra-thin light-emitting keypad which can prevent deformation and breakage of the EL element due to the keytop and increase light emission efficiency and brightness by removing the keytop that presses the EL device.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultra-thin light emitting keypad capable of providing a clear and uniform light emitting surface by remarkably improving the feeling of click and switching by providing an elastic layer.

As an aspect for achieving the above object,

The present invention provides an EL device formed under the upper substrate; An elastic layer formed under the EL device; A support formed to contact a plurality of regions below the elastic layer; An upper contact formed between the supports and formed below the elastic layer; A lower substrate in contact with the support bottom; And a lower contact formed on the lower substrate so as to be spaced apart from the upper contact by a predetermined distance.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an EL device formed under the upper substrate; A support formed in contact with a plurality of areas under the EL device; A plurality of elastic layers formed between the supports and formed under the EL device; An upper contact formed under the elastic layer; A lower substrate in contact with the support bottom; And a lower contact formed on the lower substrate so as to be spaced apart from the upper contact by a predetermined distance.

Further, there is provided an ultra-thin light-emitting keypad which further comprises an ink layer between the upper substrate and the EL device.

Further, there is provided an ultra-thin light-emitting keypad which further comprises an adhesive layer formed on the rear surface of the EL device.

Further, the EL device provides an ultra-thin light emitting keypad characterized in that it is formed by screen printing.

In addition, the lower substrate provides an ultra-thin light emitting keypad, characterized in that the flexible printed circuit board.

Further, the EL device provides an ultra-thin light emitting keypad characterized by including an EL system for emitting light and a noise prevention layer under the EL system.

In addition, at least one of the ink layer, the support, the elastic layer, the top contact and the bottom contact provides an ultra-thin light-emitting keypad, characterized in that formed by screen printing.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of an ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, an ink layer 2 formed below the upper substrate 1, an EL device 3 formed below the ink layer, an elastic layer 5 formed below the EL device, and multiple regions below the elastic layer. A support 7 formed to be in contact with the support, an upper contact 6 formed between the support and formed below the elastic layer, a lower substrate 8 contacting the lower part of the support, and a predetermined distance between the upper contact and the upper portion of the lower substrate. It characterized in that it comprises a lower contact 81 formed to correspond to be spaced apart. The ink layer may be omitted and may serve as an ink layer on the upper substrate itself. Further, an adhesive layer 4 may be further included between the EL device 3 and the elastic layer 5.

The upper substrate 1 is not particularly limited, but a substrate having an ultra-thin elasticity is preferable, and it is preferable to have an excellent light transmittance. PC injections or resins such as PET and polyurethane may be selected. The substrate may be a film type. Although the thickness of the upper substrate 1 is not limited, it is preferable that the thickness of 100 ~ 400㎛.

The ink layer 2 is a layer for displaying the keys of the keypad and implements the front shape of the keypad, and is formed by applying ink for the keypad to the lower part of the upper substrate 1 by spraying, screen printing, or deposition. The thickness is not limited but 5 to 10 mu m is preferred.

The EL device 3 is a light emitting area, and its structure and manufacturing method are not particularly limited, and the structure and manufacturing method of the EL device 3 disclosed or used in the technical field of the present invention can be selected without limitation. The thickness is preferably 100 to 150 µm in consideration of ultra-thinness and light emitting performance. By placing the EL device 3 close to the front of the keypad, the light output efficiency is further maximized. In addition, since the light loss does not occur due to the key top of the conventional silicon material, the luminance is relatively increased.

A more preferable EL device 3 and a manufacturing method which can be applied to the present invention will be described later with reference to FIG.

The elastic layer 5 is provided to facilitate the manipulation of the keypad, to improve the feeling of click, and to enable more accurate switching.

That is, when the user presses a predetermined key, the elastic layer 5 is provided so that only the region of the predetermined key is bent specifically, thereby preventing the region of the unwanted key from bending and switching to realize accurate switching. In addition, the click feeling is improved due to the elastic force of the elastic layer 5, and the keypad can be operated with less force, thereby enabling the smooth operation of the keypad.

The elastic layer 5 can be formed entirely in the lower part of the EL device 3.

The material of the elastic layer 5 may be used without limitation as long as the material has good elasticity, and more preferably, an ultra-thin metal plate or an ultra-thin plastic plate is preferable. As for thickness, 100-200 micrometers is preferable. In addition, in order to smoothly operate the key, it is preferable to internally etch or cut the mold. In the case of using an ultra-thin metal plate, it is preferred to be covered with an insulator (not shown) to prevent a short with the upper contact.

In the method of forming the elastic layer 5 on the EL device 3, it is preferable that a separate adhesive layer 4 be provided and bonded to each other because of excellent adhesive strength. At this time, as the adhesive method, a screen-printed printing adhesive may be used or an adhesive tape may be used. If necessary, the elastic layer may be formed using screen printing.

The support 7 serves to support the upper contact 6 and the lower contact 81 to be spaced at a predetermined interval. The support is not limited, but preferably, silicone or polymer resin may be selected. It can be formed by the method of screen printing. In particular, it is easy to use a double-sided tape in the process. Although the thickness (height) of the support is not limited, it is preferable to have a thickness such that the distance between the upper and lower contact points can be clicked with a good click feeling without causing a short phenomenon between the upper and lower parts. . For example, it is preferable to have a thickness in the range of 100 ~ 300 ㎛.

The upper contact 6 is formed between the supports, the lower portion of the elastic layer as shown. The upper contact can be used without limitation as long as it is a conductive material, and a conductive polymer such as thin metal, conductive ink or polyaniline, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polythiophene, or the like can be used. The upper contact can be easily formed by a screen printing method. The thickness of the upper contact is not limited, but may be within the range of 10 ~ 30㎛.

The lower substrate 8 is not limited, but is preferably a printed circuit board, particularly a flexible printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes a lower contact corresponding to the upper contact and spaced apart from the upper contact. The thickness of the lower contact point is not limited but may be in the range of 10 to 30 μm.

It is preferable that the separation distance between the upper and lower contacts has a minimum distance at which a short circuit does not occur. Although not limited, as an example, the separation distance is preferably within the range of 100 ~ 200㎛.

Ultra-thin light-emitting keypad according to an embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured to be thinner than the metal dome-type light-emitting keypad by realizing switching by having a thin formed upper, lower contact (6, 81) and the support (7).

Ultra-thin light-emitting keypad according to an embodiment of the present invention when the user presses the key of the keypad is elastically deformed elastic layer 5 provided on the lower portion of the specific key is the upper contact 6 is pressed downward and spaced apart On the other hand, the bottom contact contacts and a signal is input. When the user releases the key press, the circle is restored to the circular shape by the elastic force of the elastic layer 5, and the upper and lower dot points are separated again, and the signal input is released.

3 is a cross-sectional view of an ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, between the ink layer 2 formed under the upper substrate 1, the EL device 3 formed under the ink layer, the support 7 formed so as to be in contact with a plurality of regions below the EL device, and the support member. A plurality of elastic layers 5 formed in the lower part of the EL device, an upper contact 6 formed under the elastic layer, a lower substrate 8 in contact with the lower part of the support, and a predetermined upper contact on the lower substrate. It comprises a lower contact 81 formed to correspond to be spaced apart.

A different point from the above-described embodiment is that the elastic layers 5 are spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction so as to correspond to the regions where the upper contact 6 is formed. As a result, the support 7 comes into contact with the EL device 3 or the adhesive layer 4. This spaced structure allows for more accurate signal input. Since other configurations are the same as the above-described embodiment, description thereof will be omitted.

4 is a sectional view of one embodiment of an EL device 3 of the ultra-thin light-emitting keypad of the present invention. 4 is only one embodiment, it will be apparent that variations and partial omission of the stacking order of the illustrated structure are all included in the scope of the present invention.

It is preferable that the structure of the EL device 3 of the present invention is configured as shown in FIG.

In other words, the EL device 3 has an electrostatic shielding layer 31, a dispersion layer 32, an insulating layer 33, a front electrode layer 34, a light emitting layer 35, a dielectric layer 36, The back electrode layer 37, the insulating layer 38, and the noise prevention layer 39 are sequentially stacked. The front electrode layer 34, the light emitting layer 35, the dielectric layer 36 and the back electrode layer 37 form an EL system which is a light emitting structure of the EL device 3. The static shielding layer 31 and the dispersion layer 32 may be omitted.

The manufacturing method of the EL device 3 is preferably formed under the ink layer 2, and is preferably formed by screen printing for thinning.

Except for the static shielding layer 31, the dispersion layer 32, the noise prevention layer 39 in the above configuration is well known in the art, and accordingly, the static shielding layer 31, the dispersion layer 32, noise Forming the prevention layer 39 is a great feature of the present invention and will be described below.

The electrostatic shielding layer 31 is formed to prevent damage to the circuit components and the EL system due to external static electricity generation and serves to discharge the generated static electricity to the printed circuit board 8 or the device case through the ground terminal. . The material may be preferably used as the material is made of a material having high electrical conductivity. Thus, materials such as carbon, copper, silver, and gold may be used.

The dispersion layer 32 serves to improve the dispersibility of light generated in the emission layer 35. Since the dispersion layer 32 is required to transmit light, the dispersion layer 32 is preferably configured as a material having good transmittance, and may include various materials for improving light dispersion. Preferably, various pigments, glass beads, calcium carbonite and the like can be selected.

The noise prevention layer 39 serves to block noise generated when the EL device 3 is operated by an AC power source. This noise prevention layer 39 is preferably configured to be located on the back surface of the EL device 3. The noise can be effectively blocked by using a material with high electrical conductivity. Examples thereof include, but are not limited to, carbon, copper, silver, gold, and the like.

The above embodiments are intended to describe the present invention in detail, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, modifications, modifications, omissions, etc. that can be applied within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are defined by the claims. It is included in the scope of the present invention.

That is, it is included in the scope of the present invention even if it is formed in the reverse order of the manufacturing procedure in the manufacturing procedure. That is, after forming a back layer, it can also manufacture in order of laminating | stacking an elastic layer, an EL device (the formation of the internal structure can also be reversed), an ink layer, and a board | substrate.

Also, in Fig. 3, the EL device may be formed to be specific only on the upper portion of the elastic layer.

Due to the above characteristic configuration, the following effects are provided. That is, the ultra-thin light-emitting keypad according to the present invention may be manufactured to be thinner than the metal dome-type light-emitting keypad by realizing a signal input having a thin upper, lower contact and a support. In addition, by eliminating the key top, it prevents deformation and breakage of the EL element due to the key top, increases light emission efficiency and brightness, and provides an elastic layer to significantly improve the feeling of click and switching accuracy, and includes a noise prevention layer on the EL device. It provides the effect of reducing noise and providing a clean and uniform light emitting surface.

Claims (8)

An EL device formed under the upper substrate; An elastic layer formed under the EL device; A support formed to contact a plurality of regions below the elastic layer; An upper contact formed between the supports and formed below the elastic layer; A lower substrate in contact with the support bottom; And And a lower contact formed on the lower substrate so as to be spaced apart from the upper contact by a predetermined distance. An EL device formed under the upper substrate; A support formed in contact with a plurality of areas under the EL device; A plurality of elastic layers formed between the supports and formed under the EL device; An upper contact formed under the elastic layer; A lower substrate in contact with the support bottom; And And a lower contact formed on the lower substrate so as to be spaced apart from the upper contact by a predetermined distance. The ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an ink layer between the upper substrate and the EL device. The ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an adhesive layer formed on the rear surface of the EL device. The ultra-thin light-emitting keypad according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the EL device is formed by screen printing. The ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower substrate is a flexible printed circuit board. The ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the EL device comprises an EL system for emitting light and a noise preventing layer under the EL system. The ultra-thin light emitting keypad according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the ink layer, the support, the elastic layer, the upper contact, and the lower contact is formed by screen printing.

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