TWI421891B - Keypad - Google Patents

Description

Button unit

The present invention relates to a button unit that is applied to a mobile device, such as a portable mobile phone.

The button unit constitutes an important component of a mobile device such as a portable mobile phone. On the mobile phone, a button panel surface can be integrated with a plurality of operation button protrusions, which are usually made of a hard resin material. A plurality of key pads are generally provided under the operating button, the key pads being made of a soft material such as silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. The universal application of such a button unit brings great convenience to the user's information input on the mobile phone. Due to the development of mobile phone technology, especially the trend of thinning mobile phones, and the increasing demands on the appearance of mobile phones, the button unit with a prominent keycap has gradually evolved into a completely flat button unit. , that is, the operation button does not protrude from the button panel settings.

The two types of button units are the types of buttons that are commonly used in mobile devices in the industry today. In the production and assembly process, the surface treatment of the button unit is usually completed first, and then the laser surface is laser-etched by the laser surface to form a certain metallization layer of the button unit. After the pattern and text, the button will be shipped to the customer. However, the drawbacks of this type of assembly are also becoming more and more obvious. Because mobile phones need to be sold all over the world, for different regions, the button units need to correspond to different words and symbols. According to the current production and assembly mode, when A slow-moving mobile phone in a regional or a language version can result in a large inventory of already-equipped mobile phones, causing losses to mobile phone manufacturers and vendors.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a button unit that can solve the above problems.

The object to be achieved by the present invention is to reduce the inventory of the multi-symbol (language) version of the button unit by changing the production process of the button unit, and the customer flexibly adjusts the requirements of the laser engraving symbol according to the sales situation.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: the button unit comprises a plurality of button bodies, and the upper surface of each button body is sequentially provided with a bottom color layer, a top color layer and a surface layer, a top color layer and a surface layer, from bottom to top. The hollow portion having a certain shape is formed, and the hollow portion forms a digit, a pattern or a symbol, wherein a transparent protective layer is further disposed between the top color layer and the bottom color layer, and is transparent when the laser beam illuminates the hollow portion of the button body. The protective layer protects the underlying layer and prevents the underlying layer from being etched by the laser beam to cause color loss.

Compared with the prior art, the button unit of the present invention can be assembled with the mobile device first, and all the processes except the marking before the whole shipment are completed, and then the marking is performed according to the shipping place of the mobile device, and the multi-symbol (language) version button is lowered. The inventory of the unit. Moreover, in the marking process, the button unit can ensure that the underlying layer is not etched by the laser to prevent the lack of keyboard color.

1‧‧‧Key unit

10‧‧‧Key body

20‧‧‧ground layer

30‧‧‧Transparent protective layer

40‧‧‧ top color layer

50‧‧‧ surface layer

60‧‧‧镂空部

The first figure is a perspective view of the button unit of the present invention; the second figure is a cross-sectional view of the button unit shown in the first figure that has not been subjected to laser etching; The third figure is a cross-sectional view of the button unit shown in the first figure after laser etching; the fourth picture is a schematic diagram of the button unit shown in the first figure after the mobile phone is assembled without laser etching; the fifth picture is the first picture The schematic diagram of the button unit after the mobile phone is assembled and subjected to laser etching.

The invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to the first to fifth figures, the button unit 1 of the present invention includes a button body 10, a base layer 20, a transparent protective layer 30, a top color layer 40, and a surface layer 50, from bottom to top. Each of the foregoing layers is sequentially superposed on the corresponding layers to form the button unit 1 in common.

As the bottom layer of the button unit 1, the button body 10 is usually made of a soft and elastic plastic material such as enamel rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. The button body 10 can be transparent. The button body 10 is planar. As shown in the first figure, the button body 10 is arranged in the form of a mobile phone demand. The button body 10 shown in the fourth figure is in a state before the marking, but is viewed on the finished mobile phone. The sign of the digit key or the letter key is formed by marking the corresponding layer covered by the laser on the button body 10 in the subsequent manufacturing process, as shown in the fifth figure.

The upper surface (not labeled) of the button body 10 is attached with a ground layer 20, which may be attached to the button body 10 by spraying colored paint or by printing colored ink. In addition, the color of the ground layer 20 is determined by the manufacturer or the customer according to the color of the mobile phone to which the button unit 1 is matched.

The bottom layer 20 is coated with a transparent protective layer 30 formed of a transparent paint, the transparent protective layer The underlying color layer 20 can be exposed to a color, and the color of the underlying layer 20 is different from the color of the top color layer 40.

A top color layer 40 is attached to the transparent protective layer 30. The top color layer 40 and the bottom color layer 20 are colored paint or colored ink, and the top color layer 40 is attached to the transparent protective layer 30 by spraying or printing.

The surface layer 50 is formed of a UV material (a polyurethane-based ultraviolet curable resin having abrasion resistance). After the button body 10 and the top color layer 40 are attached to each other, the ultraviolet curable resin is adhered to the top color layer 40, and the ultraviolet curable resin is hardened on the top color layer 40 by the ultraviolet light for a certain period of time. The surface of layer 40 produces a surface layer 50 that resists abrasion.

After all the aforementioned layers of the button unit 1 are sequentially attached to each other, the button unit 1 is assembled with the mobile phone, and the assembled mobile phone performs the character marking process on the button according to the place of sale, as shown in the fourth figure. As shown in the fifth picture. The specific operations are as follows:

Irradiating the surface of the button unit 1 with a laser beam in a range of wavelengths, the laser beam partially etching the surface layer 50 and the top color layer 40 below the surface layer 50 into a hollowed portion 60 having a shape The shape of the hollow portion 60 is a digit, a pattern or a symbol (for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, #, ^*, etc.). The transparent protective layer 30 serves to protect the underlying layer 20 from the lack of color caused by the etching of the underlying layer 20 by the laser beam.

After the etching is completed, the color of the button body 10 viewed by the user from the front of the mobile phone is the color of the top color layer 40 passing through the surface layer 50, and the hollowed out portion 60 (number, pattern or symbol) on the button unit 1 is marked. The color in the middle layer is passed through the bottom layer 20 The color of the protective layer 30 is transparent. The color difference between the top color layer 40 and the ground color layer 20 allows the user to see the digits or symbols of the keyboard surface without the backlight.

This manufacturing method not only prevents economic loss to the seller and the manufacturer due to the slow sales of certain mobile phones, but also prevents the laser beam from damaging the bottom color when marking due to the setting of the transparent protective layer 30. Layer 20 reduces the color loss of digits, patterns or symbols caused by damage to the bottom layer 20 due to excessive laser beam energy.

In summary, the present invention has indeed met the requirements of the invention patent, and has filed a patent application according to law. However, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art will be able to make equivalent modifications or variations in accordance with the spirit of the present invention. It should be covered by the following patent application.

10‧‧‧Key body

20‧‧‧ground layer

30‧‧‧Transparent protective layer

40‧‧‧ top color layer

50‧‧‧ surface layer

60‧‧‧镂空部

Claims (9)

A button unit comprises a plurality of button bodies, wherein the upper surface of each button body is sequentially provided with a bottom color layer, a top color layer and a surface layer from bottom to top, and the surface layer is a resin material which is adhered to the surface of the top color layer by ultraviolet irradiation. Located at the outermost surface of the button body, the color of the top color layer is different from the color of the ground color layer. The button unit has a hollow portion formed by partially etching the surface layer and the top color layer under the surface layer by a laser beam, and the hollow portion is formed. A digit, a pattern or a symbol; wherein a transparent protective layer for protecting the underlying layer from the laser beam and missing the color is further disposed between the top color layer and the bottom color layer. The button unit of claim 1, wherein the underlying layer is attached to the upper surface of the button body by colored paint spraying or ink printing. The button unit of claim 2, wherein the transparent protective layer is a transparent or translucent paint applied to the underlying layer. The button unit of claim 3, wherein the top color layer is attached to the transparent protective layer by means of colored paint coating or ink printing. The button unit of claim 1, wherein the surface layer is formed by UV irradiation of a UV material. a button unit, which is finally mounted on a mobile device. The structure of the button unit before being mounted on the mobile device includes at least one body, and a bottom color layer, a transparent protective layer, a top color layer and a bottom layer which are sequentially attached from the bottom surface of the button to the top surface. a surface layer, a top layer, and a hollow portion on the surface layer which are not marked. In the structure after being mounted on the mobile device, the surface layer and the top color layer of the button unit have a hollow portion formed by etching a laser beam, and the bottom portion The color layer is protected by a transparent protective layer and is not etched by the laser beam to lose color. . The button unit of claim 6, wherein the top color layer is attached to the transparent protective layer by means of colored paint coating or ink printing. The button unit of claim 6, wherein the surface layer is formed by UV irradiation of a UV material. The button unit of claim 6, wherein the under color layer and the top color layer are different in color.