WO2004112069A1 - キーユニット及びその製造方法 - Google Patents
キーユニット及びその製造方法 Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2004112069A1 WO2004112069A1 PCT/JP2003/007347 JP0307347W WO2004112069A1 WO 2004112069 A1 WO2004112069 A1 WO 2004112069A1 JP 0307347 W JP0307347 W JP 0307347W WO 2004112069 A1 WO2004112069 A1 WO 2004112069A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- key
- hard base
- pad member
- hard
- hole
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
- H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
- H01H13/702—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
- H01H13/705—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2209/00—Layers
- H01H2209/006—Force isolators
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2209/00—Layers
- H01H2209/01—Increasing rigidity; Anti-creep
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2229/00—Manufacturing
- H01H2229/044—Injection moulding
- H01H2229/048—Insertion moulding
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a key unit used for a mopile device such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc., and particularly to a rigid unit such as a hard resin plate or a metal plate.
- a mopile device such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc.
- PDA personal digital assistant
- the present invention relates to a kit provided with a keypad having a hard base made of a flexible plate.
- a key unit is a type of component that constitutes a mobile device such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA).
- PDA personal digital assistant
- a large number of switch operation keys are provided on one sheet surface. It is a united and arranged unit.
- One key consists of a keypad made of an elastic material such as flexible rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, a key top made of hard resin fixed to the surface, and a switch pressing projection on the back of the keypad. (So-called pusher).
- the keys are connected by a keypad.
- a circuit board having a switch element is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the key unit thus configured, a key switch is formed at a position corresponding to each key.
- the cause of the above problems is that the entire key unit is made of an elastic material that expands and contracts softly, and that the key unit is extremely thin, resulting in insufficient shape stability, and the key unit is deformed when the key is pressed. It is considered that the key top slides in the horizontal direction. In addition, such a key unit has a problem that it is difficult to cope with automatic assembly.
- a key unit provided with a ring-shaped projection (rib) on the back side of the key pad, as shown in Fig. 10 (A), surrounding the center of the key top. Proposed.
- a ring-shaped projection rib
- the conventional key unit adopts a structure in which a light guide plate for key top illumination is placed on the key unit as shown in Fig. 10 (B).
- the demand for thinner keyunits is in conflict.
- the first object of the present invention is to improve the shape stability of the key unit.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a kit that prevents lifting of the top and interference between keys and that can easily cope with automatic assembly.
- the second problem is to eliminate the double structure in which the light guide plate as a separate component is stacked on the key unit.
- the present invention provides a keypad comprising a combination of a flexible pad member made of rubber or thermoplastic elastomer and a hard base made of a rigid plate such as a hard resin plate or a metal plate.
- the kit is formed by a hard base made of a rigid plate such as a hard resin plate or a metal plate while locally utilizing the flexibility of the pad member made of rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.
- the first problem is solved by giving rigidity to the whole. In this case, if a hard resin plate having translucency is used, the hard base itself also functions as the light guide plate, so that the second problem is also solved.
- the structure of the keypad can take two forms.
- the first is to provide the required through-hole or notch (press down the keytop through the keypad in this through-hole or notch) on one flat hard base surface, and then make the through-hole or notch.
- This is a form in which a pad member is formed of rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer in the through hole or the notch so as to cover the notch.
- a switch pressing protrusion is simultaneously and integrally formed on one surface of the pad member, and the switch pressing protrusion is formed on the back surface thereof.
- the key top is arranged at a position corresponding to the tab pressing protrusion.
- the pad member is separated for each through hole or notch.
- the invention described in claim 1 relates to the first embodiment.
- the pad member is formed by rubber or thermoplastic elastomer so as to close the through hole in the hard base, and both sides of the pad member are formed.
- a key top and a switch projection are provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but a pad member is further connected to a through hole and / or a notch in the hard base to cover the hard base. It is a form which was made.
- the upper surface of the portion other than the through hole or notch of the base (the surface of the hard base that faces in the same direction as the surface on which the keytop of the keypad is arranged.
- the back surface is called the “lower surface”.
- the pad member is connected so as to straddle each through hole or notch, and is joined to the hard base outside the through hole.
- the second problem can be solved by the fifth embodiment in which the hard base and the pad member are made transparent.
- the light source is a light-emitting element such as an LED (light-emitting diode)
- the light-emitting element is arranged at the center of the thickness of the hard base, and the hole for inserting the light-emitting element into a portion other than the through-hole of the hard base is provided. It is preferable to provide a light source installation part such as.
- the light source is a surface light source such as an EL (Electro-Metal Luminescence) element, it is preferable to laminate the surface light source on the hard base of the keypad and / or the pad member.
- EL Electro-Metal Luminescence
- the key unit according to claim 1 of the present invention is made of a rigid plate such as a hard resin plate or a metal plate, and has through holes and / or notches in the plane.
- a key pad formed of a rubber or thermoplastic elastomer plugging the through hole and / or notch of the hard base, wherein the pad member is provided with a switch pressing projection integrally with the pad.
- a key top made of a hard resin is arranged corresponding to the switch pressing projection of the sliding member.
- the pad member is connected to a through hole and / or a cutout of the hard base to cover the hard base.
- the pad member has a structure that covers one or both surfaces of a hard base.
- EL electroluminescence
- the method for manufacturing a key unit according to the present invention includes: forming a hard base made of a rigid plate such as a hard resin plate or a metal plate having through holes and / or notches;
- a rubber or thermoplastic elastomer is inserted into the molding die, and the through holes and / or cutouts of the hard base are made of the rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.
- a key pad is formed by integrally forming a switch pressing projection integrally with the pad member so as to be closed by a pad member made of one piece.
- FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing a structure corresponding to a first embodiment of the key unit of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a side sectional view schematically showing a structure corresponding to a second embodiment of the key unit of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a side sectional view schematically showing a structure corresponding to a third embodiment of the key unit of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a side sectional view schematically showing a structure corresponding to a fourth embodiment of the key unit of the present invention.
- FIGS. 5 (A) to 5 (F) schematically show a key unit structure in the second embodiment when a surface light source such as an EL sheet using an EL element is used as a light source for illuminating the key top.
- FIG. 5 (A) to 5 (F) schematically show a key unit structure in the second embodiment when a surface light source such as an EL sheet using an EL element is used as a light source for illuminating the key top.
- FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a hard base in a key unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state where a pad member is formed so as to cover each through hole of the hard base shown in FIG. 6 to form a keypad.
- FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a state in which a keytop is mounted on the surface of the keypad shown in FIG. 7,
- FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along a cutting line A—A in FIG. (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in (A) and (B).
- FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of a narrow-pitch keyunit having a keypad having a hard base according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 10A and 10B are side sectional views showing a conventional key unit having a light guide plate and a light emitting element, respectively.
- reference numeral 1 denotes a key unit
- 2 denotes a key top
- 3 denotes a keypad
- 4 denotes a hard base
- 4a denotes a light-transmitting hole
- 4b denotes a cutout
- 4c denotes a light source arrangement portion (light emitting element).
- 5 is a pad member
- 5a is a switch pressing projection
- 5b and 5c are film portions
- 6 is an LED
- 7 is a surface light source
- 8 is a circuit board
- 9 is a metal dome.
- the key unit 1 has a keytop 2 and a keypad 3.
- the key top 2 is made of a thermoplastic hard resin such as a polycarbonate (PC) resin or a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin to have a desired shape.
- the keypad 3 comprises a hard base 4 made of a rigid resin such as PC resin and PET resin, or a rigid plate made of metal such as aluminum, stainless steel (such as SUS), and zinc;
- the pad members 5, 5,... are formed of a flexible material such as a plastic elastomer (silicon resin, etc.).
- the hard base 4 has a large number of through holes 4a, 4a,... And notches 4b, 4b,. , And the notches 4b, 4b, ... are closed by pad members 5, 5, ..., respectively.
- each pad member 5 has a switch pressing protrusion 5a protruding toward one side formed in the body, and the other part is formed in a substantially film shape thinner than the thickness of the hand base 4.
- the key top 2 is arranged on a surface of each pad member 5 opposite to the surface on which the switch pressing protrusion 5a is formed.
- Each of the pad members 5 closing the through-hole 4a or the notch 4b has its end face joined to the side wall or the inner peripheral wall 10 of each of the through-hole 4a and each of the notch 4b.
- the pad member 5 exists only in the through hole 4a or the notch 4b of the hard base 4, and the surface of the hard base 4 Does not overlap with Therefore, assuming that the thickness of the key unit 1 is the same in all embodiments, the thickness of the hard base 4 can be maximized and the rigidity can be maximized as compared with other embodiments described later.
- the hard base 4 When the hard base 4 is formed of a metal plate, the hard base 4 can have a function as a grounding member, so that the static electricity charged on the key unit 1 is transferred to the hard base 4 via the hard base 4.
- the key unit 1 can be prevented from adsorbing dust and the like due to the charged static electricity.
- the metal plate is resistant to deformation and has higher shape stability than resin, so it is possible to strictly define the positions of the through-holes 4a and the notches 4b, etc. You can get one.
- the key unit 1 has a key top 2 and a key pad 3 as in the first embodiment.
- the key top 2 is formed in a desired shape with a thermoplastic hard resin such as a PC resin or a PET resin.
- the keypad 3 consists of a hard base 4 made of a rigid resin such as PC resin, PET resin, or a metal such as aluminum, stainless steel, or zinc, and a rubber or thermoplastic elastomer (silicone resin, etc.).
- the pad member 5 is made of an elastic material such as.
- the pad member 5 has substantially the same size as the hard base 4.
- the hard base 4 has a large number of through holes 4a, 4a,... And notches 4b, 4b,. Each of the through holes 4a, 4a,... And the notches 4b, 4b,. Is peeling.
- a switch pressing projection 5a projecting toward one side is formed on the body that covers each through hole 4a or each notch 4b of each pad member 5, and the other part is a hard base. It is formed in an almost film shape thinner than the thickness of 4.
- the key tops 2 are arranged on the surface of each pad member 5 opposite to the surface on which the switch pressing protrusion 5a is formed.
- the pad member 5 is connected to the portion corresponding to the through hole 4a or the notch 4b, and the membrane portion 5b is formed in the body. ing. As a result, the entire surface 11 of the hard base 4 is covered from the upper side in FIG. Note that the thickness of the film-shaped portion 5 b is also formed to be thinner than the thickness of the hard base 4.
- the joining of the hard base 4 and the pad member 5 is performed not only on the side wall Z inner peripheral wall 10 of each through hole 4a but also on the surface 11 of the hard base 4 and thereby, between the two.
- the bonding area can be made larger than that of the first embodiment.
- the key unit 1 according to the third embodiment has a keytop 2 and a keypad 3 as in the first and second embodiments.
- the key top 2 is formed in a desired shape by a thermoplastic hard resin such as a PC resin or a PET resin.
- the keypad 3 is composed of a hard base 4 made of a rigid resin such as a hard resin such as PC resin or PET resin or a metal such as aluminum, stainless steel, or zinc, and a rubber or thermoplastic elastomer (silicone resin or the like).
- a pad member 5 formed of an elastic material.
- the pad member 5 has substantially the same size as the hard base 4.
- the pad member 5 is connected to the portion corresponding to the through hole 4a or the notch 4b of the hard base 4 to form the film portions 5b, 5c.
- the hard base 4 is integrally formed so as to be sandwiched from both upper and lower sides thereof, thereby covering the entire surface 11 of the hard base 4.
- the thickness of the film portions 5 b and 5 c is also formed in a film shape smaller than the thickness of the hard base 4.
- the connection between the hard base 4 and the pad member 5 is performed not only on the side wall Z of the through hole 4a but also on the surface 11 of the hard base 4 so as to sandwich the hard base 4.
- the joint area between the two is maximized in each embodiment, the most robust joint state can be realized, and the hard base 4 and the pad member 5 are once joined. Later, the structure cannot be separated unless it is destroyed.
- the key unit 1 according to the fourth embodiment has a keytop 2 and a keypad 3 as in the second embodiment.
- the key top 2 is formed in a desired shape by a thermoplastic hard resin such as a PC resin or a PET resin.
- Keypad 3 is made of thermoplastic resin such as PC resin or PET resin, thermosetting resin such as methylphenyl silicone resin, epoxy-modified silicone resin, epoxy resin, or ultraviolet curing resin such as acrylic resin.
- the base is formed of a rigid plate made of various kinds of hard resin, such as metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, and zinc, and an elastic base such as rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer (such as silicone resin). And a pad member 5.
- the pad member 5 has substantially the same size as the hand base 4.
- the hard base 4 is formed of a so-called silicone resin such as a methylphenyl silicone resin or an epoxy-modified silicone resin
- the pad member 5 is formed of a silicone elastomer
- the adhesion between the two is strong. It becomes. This is also due to the siloxane bond (-S i -0-S i _) of both of the silicone-based compositions.
- the hard base 4 has through holes 4a, 4a of various shapes in the plane.
- a number of notches 4b, 4b, ... are formed.
- a switch pressing projection 5a protruding toward one side is formed on a portion of each pad member 5 that covers each through hole 4a or each notch 4b, and the other portion is a hard base. It is formed in an almost film shape thinner than the thickness of 4.
- the key top 2 is arranged on a surface of each pad member 5 opposite to the surface on which the switch pressing protrusion 5a is formed.
- the pad member 5 is connected to a portion corresponding to the through hole 4a or the notch 4b, and a film-like portion 5c is formed in the body. I have. Thereby, the entire surface 11 of the hard base 4 is covered from the lower side in FIG. The thickness of the film portion 5c is also formed in a film shape thinner than the thickness of the hard base 4.
- the connection between the node base 4 and the pad member 5 is made not only on the side wall Z inner peripheral wall 10 of each through-hole 4a but also on the surface 11 of the hard base 4, thereby joining the two. The area can be increased compared to the first embodiment.
- the key unit 1 As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the key unit 1 according to the first to fourth embodiments is mounted on an appropriate circuit board 8 when incorporated in a mobile device such as a mobile phone or a PDA. Is done.
- An appropriate contact pattern (not shown) is formed on the circuit board 8, and a metal dome 9 is arranged so as to cover the contact pattern.
- the switch pressing protrusion 5a of the keypad 3 is positioned corresponding to the metal dome 9.
- a key switch is formed by the key top 2, the pad member 5, the switch pressing protrusion 5a, the metal dome 9, and the contact pattern on the circuit board 8.When the key top 2 is pressed, the pad member 5 bends and the switch is pressed.
- the metal dome 9 is deformed via the member 5a, and the contacts on the circuit board 9 are short-circuited to turn on the corresponding key switch.
- the key unit 1 is formed by forming a plurality of light source arrangement portions 4c such as light emitting elements.
- the translucent hard base 4 also serves as the light guide plate, it is not necessary to overlap a separate light guide plate on the key unit 1, which can contribute to the reduction in thickness of the key unit 1.
- the light source arrangement sections 4 c, 4 c,... Are, for example, holes for inserting a light emitting element such as an LED provided on the lower surface of the hard base 4 as shown in FIGS.
- the light source applied to the key unit 1 is not limited to the light emitting element of a point light source such as an LED.
- a light emitting element of a surface light source such as an EL (Electro-Magnetic Luminescence) element may be used. .
- 5 (A) to 5 (F) show examples in which an EL element is used as a light source for illuminating the key tops 2, 2,..., Respectively. That is, the basic structure of the key unit 1 itself is the same as that using an LED or the like as the light source described above (showing an example in which the key unit 1 is applied to the key unit 1 of the second embodiment).
- the light source arrangement portion 4 c such as a hole in the hard base 4
- a surface light source 7 such as an EL element is laminated on the keypad 3.
- the EL element serving as the surface light source 7 is, for example, an EL element having a sheet-like structure in which an EL element composed of a light emitting layer, an electrode, and the like is laminated on a substrate such as a PET film or a PC film. (Since it is well known, its description is omitted.) (Hereinafter, “surface light source” is referred to as “EL sheet”.)
- the EL sheet 7 can be used together with a substrate such as a PET film or PC film, or when it is peeled off from the substrate. Some are used.
- the EL element may be inorganic EL or organic EL.
- the emission color of the EL sheet 7 is not particularly limited, but instead of providing a colored layer having a different color according to the function of each key, a structure in which the emission color of the EL sheet 7 is partially or individually changed. By doing so, it is possible to illuminate each key with a desired color.
- FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B) show the EL pad 7 attached to the keypad 3 using an adhesive or the like.
- FIG. 5 (A) shows an EL sheet 7 on the upper surface of the keypad 3, that is, the surface of the pad member 5 (shown by a thick broken line in the figure. The thin broken line shows the back of each member that does not have a cross section. (The same applies to the following figures in Fig. 5).
- FIG. 5B shows an EL sheet 7 arranged on the lower surface of the keypad 3, that is, on the lower surface 11 of the base 4.
- FIG. 5 (C) shows an EL sheet 7 arranged between the hard base 4 of the keypad 3 and the pad member 5. That is, when molding the keypad 3, the hard base 4 and the EL sheet 7 are arranged in a molding die, and the hard base 4 and the pad member are formed by insert molding in which rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer is injected. The EL sheet 7 is sandwiched between 5 and 5.
- FIG. 5 (D) shows a state in which the EL sheet 7 is embedded in the pad member 5 of the keypad 3. That is, at the time of molding the keypad 3, the hard base 4 and the EL sheet 7 are arranged in a molding die, and are inserted into the pad member 5 by insert molding in which rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer is injected. The EL sheet 7 is embedded and integrated.
- FIG. 5E shows a state in which the EL sheet 7 is embedded in the hard base of the keypad 3. That is, the various hard When molding the hard base 4 with resin, the EL sheet 7 is placed in the mold in advance, and the EL sheet 7 is embedded and integrated into the hard base 4 by insert molding in which various resins are injected there. It is in the state.
- the EL sheet 7 is laminated on the circuit board 8 on which the metal domes 9, '9,... And the contact electrodes are arranged by using an adhesive or the like.
- the EL sheet 7 has flexibility and is partially curved along the surface of the circuit board 8 and the metal domes 9, 9,... Disposed thereon.
- the shape of the light emitting surface can be formed freely, so that illumination is required without using a light guide plate. It is possible to freely arrange the light emitting surface at a location (for example, directly below the key top 2), and since the light source itself is a thin sheet, a light source arrangement part such as a hole is provided in the hard base 4. This eliminates the necessity, so that the thickness of the key unit 1 can be further reduced. Therefore, the entire device using the key unit 1 can be reduced in thickness.
- the method of manufacturing the key unit 1 of the present invention reduces the rigidity of a hard resin plate, a metal plate, or the like having the through holes 4a, 4a, ... and / or the notches 4b, 4b, ....
- a hard base 4 made of a plate having the same and installing the hard base 4 in a molding die, a rubber or thermoplastic elastomer is inserted into the molding die to form a hard base. 4 and the notches 4b, 4b, ... are firmly formed so as to be closed by the pad member 5 made of rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.
- switch pressing protrusions 5a, 5a, ... are integrally formed on the pad member 5 to form a key pad 3, and the pad member 5 A hard resin top 2, 2,... Is incorporated corresponding to the switch pressing projections 5a, 5a,.
- the hard base 4 in order to form the keypad 3 by integrating the hard base 4 and the pad member 5, the hard base 4 is formed separately in advance, and the hard base 4 is used for molding metal. It employs a so-called insert molding method in which it is placed in a mold and rubber or thermoplastic elastomer is injected into the mold. In this case, the hard base 4 is made in advance so that the hard base 4 made of a rigid plate such as a hard resin plate or a metal plate and the pad member 5 made of rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer can be firmly joined. It is desirable to perform an appropriate pre-treatment for activating the surface of the metal.
- Example 1 Example 1
- FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the hard base 4 in the keypad 3 according to the present embodiment.
- the illustrated hard base 4 has through holes 4 a, 4 a,... Of various shapes and notches 4 b, 4 b, and a light source arrangement portion (hole) 4 c for disposing a light emitting element such as an LED. , 4c,... Are provided with two positioning holes on the upper side.
- the eight bases 4 shown in FIG. 6 are formed with through holes 4a, 4a,... Having four types of shapes, and two notches 4b, 4b.
- the large diamond-shaped through hole 4a at the top corresponds to one multidirectional key.
- the left and right rectangular cutouts 4b, 4b on the left and right sides of the second stage are open on the left and right, respectively, and correspond to one key individually.
- the rectangular through hole at the center of the second stage sandwiched between these notches 4b, 4b from the left and right corresponds to the two keys.
- the large through hole 4a at the bottom contains six keys in it.
- FIG. 7 shows a state where pad members 5, 5,...
- FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a keypad 3 composed of.
- the portions hatched by dotted lines are the pad members 5, 5,.... Small circles indicated by broken lines in the plane of each pad member 5 represent the switch suppressing projections 5a, 5a,.
- FIG. 8 (A) is a plan view showing a state where the key units 2, 2,... Are mounted on the surfaces of the pad members 5, 5,... Of the key pad 3 shown in FIG.
- FIG. 8 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line A—A in FIG. 8 (A).
- FIG. 6 (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 6 (A).
- FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a state where the pad member 5, the switch suppressing projection 5 a and the key top 2 are assembled in each through hole 4 a and the notch 4 b.
- Pad members 5, 5,... are formed for each through hole 4a and notch 4b so as to cover the notches 4b, 4b,..., with the key top 2 on the surface and the switch on the back.
- the required number of sets of suppression projections 5a are formed or mounted. Therefore, a pad member 5 is dispersedly arranged for each through-hole 4a and each notch 4b, instead of a keypad consisting entirely of a single sheet-like pad member as in the related art.
- a light-emitting element such as an LED can be arranged in the center of the thickness of the hard base 4 having translucency.
- the light emitted from the light emitting element travels through the hard base 4 and further into the translucent pad member 5 through the through hole 4a or the notch 4b. It is securely guided to the back of key top 2. Since the hard base 4 plays the role of the light guide plate in this way, it is not necessary to overlap the light guide plate as a separate component on the kit, and the thickness can be reduced.
- a surface light source 7 such as an EL sheet 7 as a light source can be provided by being laminated on the keypad 3. Key tops 2, 2,... If the surface light source 7 is used as a light source for illumination, for example, it is possible to illuminate the key top 2 from directly below, and since the light source itself has a thin sheet shape, the key unit 1 Can be made thinner.
- Example 2
- FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the narrow pitch key unit 1A according to the present embodiment. Reference numerals in the figure are common to those in the first embodiment.
- the insertion dimension of the through hole 4a of the keypad 3 is set slightly larger than the dimension of the key tops 2, 2,...
- the unit 1A is set to be small, so that the boundary between the through-hole 4a and the through-hole 4a (bridge) corresponds to the narrow space separating the adjacent key tops 2 and 2. It is located at
- the movement of each key is performed by the through hole 4a of the hard base 4.
- the key top 2 is prevented from lifting up, and the movement of each key is insulated from each other by the rigidity of the hard base 4, so that interference between the keys is prevented.
- the key unit of the present invention is made of a rigid plate such as a hard resin plate or a metal plate, and has a hard base having an in-plane through-hole and / or notch; And a pad member made of rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer for closing the through hole and / or the notch, and a switch member is provided integrally with the pad member, and the pad member is provided with a switch pressing protrusion.
- a key top made of hard resin is arranged corresponding to the switch pressing projection.
- the rigidity of the entire key unit is improved, and the lateral movement of the key top is restricted, so that when the key is pressed, the key top falls under the key window frame of the housing of a mobile phone, PDA, etc. Is effectively prevented.
- the movement of each key is insulated from each other in a narrow-pitch keyboard where a key window frame cannot be used, so that the interference between the key-top lifting keys can be effectively prevented, and the mouth port hand Since the rigidity suitable for handling is provided, automatic assembly can be easily handled.
- the hard base when the hard base is formed of a metal plate, the hard base can be provided with a function as a grounding member, so that the static electricity charged on the cassette is discharged through the hard base.
- the key unit can be prevented from adsorbing dust and the like due to the charged static electricity.
- the metal plate since the metal plate is resistant to deformation and has higher shape stability than resin, it is possible to strictly define the position of the through hole, notch, etc., and obtain a key unit with good dimensional accuracy. .
- the pad member is a hard disk.
- the base is connected to the through holes and / or cutouts of the base to cover the hard base, so that the bonding area between the hard base and the pad member can be widened, and the keypad and, consequently, the entire key unit. Durability can be improved.
- the pad member since the pad member has a structure that covers one or both surfaces of the hard base, the bonding area between the hard base and the pad member is wider than that in the claim.
- the keypad and thus the overall durability of the keyunit can be further improved.
- both the keypad and the keytop have translucency, and a light source installation part such as a light emitting element is provided in a portion other than the through hole and / or the notch of the hard base.
- the hard base plays the role of a conventional light guide branch, and there is no need to stack a light guide plate as a separate component on this key unit, thereby realizing a thin keyunit.
- both the keypad and the keytop have translucency, and a surface light source such as an electroluminescence (EL) element is laminated on the keypad.
- the key unit can be made thinner than when a light emitting element such as an LED is used.
- the key unit and the light source at the other location requiring illumination are integrated into an EL sheet. Forming by means such as this can contribute to a reduction in the manufacturing cost of the entire device.
- a hard base made of a rigid plate such as a hard resin plate or a metal plate having a through hole and / or a notch is formed in advance, and the hard base is formed for molding. After installing in the mold, insert the rubber or thermoplastic elastomer into the mold for molding
- a key pad is formed by fixing a through hole and / or a notch of the base so as to be closed by a pad member made of the rubber or the thermoplastic elastomer, and integrally forming a switch pressing projection on the pad member. Further, a hard resin key top is incorporated so as to correspond to the switch pressing projection of the pad member. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent a problem that a key top is sunk under a key window frame of a device such as a mobile phone and a PDA when a key is pressed, and it is possible to effectively prevent a rise of a key top and interference between keys.
- a method is provided for efficiently producing a key knuckle 1 that can easily cope with automatic assembly.
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2003242205A AU2003242205A1 (en) | 2003-06-10 | 2003-06-10 | Key unit and method for manufacturing the same |
BRPI0318344-0A BR0318344A (pt) | 2003-06-10 | 2003-06-10 | unidade de tecla e método para fabricar a mesma |
PCT/JP2003/007347 WO2004112069A1 (ja) | 2003-06-10 | 2003-06-10 | キーユニット及びその製造方法 |
MXPA05011966A MXPA05011966A (es) | 2003-06-10 | 2003-06-10 | Unidad de tecla y metodo para la manufacturacion de la misma. |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2003/007347 WO2004112069A1 (ja) | 2003-06-10 | 2003-06-10 | キーユニット及びその製造方法 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2004112069A1 true WO2004112069A1 (ja) | 2004-12-23 |
Family
ID=33548976
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2003/007347 WO2004112069A1 (ja) | 2003-06-10 | 2003-06-10 | キーユニット及びその製造方法 |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU2003242205A1 (ja) |
BR (1) | BR0318344A (ja) |
MX (1) | MXPA05011966A (ja) |
WO (1) | WO2004112069A1 (ja) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7635819B2 (en) | 2005-05-19 | 2009-12-22 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Keypad assembly having reflection pattern |
US7999204B2 (en) | 2005-08-05 | 2011-08-16 | Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. | Key frame and cover member for push button switch |
US8017216B2 (en) | 2006-08-02 | 2011-09-13 | Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. | Member for push button switch and method of manufacturing the same |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS6318727U (ja) * | 1986-07-23 | 1988-02-06 | ||
JPH071545U (ja) * | 1993-06-10 | 1995-01-10 | ホシデン株式会社 | キイートップの支持構造及びキイースイッチ |
JP2003007161A (ja) * | 2001-05-22 | 2003-01-10 | You Eal Electronics Co Ltd | 無線電話機用キーパッド |
-
2003
- 2003-06-10 WO PCT/JP2003/007347 patent/WO2004112069A1/ja active Application Filing
- 2003-06-10 AU AU2003242205A patent/AU2003242205A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2003-06-10 MX MXPA05011966A patent/MXPA05011966A/es unknown
- 2003-06-10 BR BRPI0318344-0A patent/BR0318344A/pt unknown
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS6318727U (ja) * | 1986-07-23 | 1988-02-06 | ||
JPH071545U (ja) * | 1993-06-10 | 1995-01-10 | ホシデン株式会社 | キイートップの支持構造及びキイースイッチ |
JP2003007161A (ja) * | 2001-05-22 | 2003-01-10 | You Eal Electronics Co Ltd | 無線電話機用キーパッド |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7635819B2 (en) | 2005-05-19 | 2009-12-22 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Keypad assembly having reflection pattern |
US7999204B2 (en) | 2005-08-05 | 2011-08-16 | Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. | Key frame and cover member for push button switch |
US8017216B2 (en) | 2006-08-02 | 2011-09-13 | Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. | Member for push button switch and method of manufacturing the same |
US8181330B2 (en) | 2006-08-02 | 2012-05-22 | Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. | Method of manufacturing a member for a push button switch |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
BR0318344A (pt) | 2006-07-11 |
MXPA05011966A (es) | 2006-02-02 |
AU2003242205A1 (en) | 2005-01-04 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7250937B2 (en) | Hard base key unit | |
KR101283120B1 (ko) | 전자 장치용 박형 키패드 어셈블리 및 콤포넌트와 방법 | |
US7345250B2 (en) | Keyboard with key supporting structure for portable electronics devices | |
JP4165646B2 (ja) | キーシート | |
US7655878B2 (en) | Key sheet and key sheet manufacturing method | |
EP2323150B1 (en) | Keyboard structure | |
US7465889B2 (en) | Pushbutton switch cover sheet and method of manufacturing the same | |
CN100483588C (zh) | 开关一体型壳体和具有该壳体的电子设备 | |
US6967292B2 (en) | Key sheet | |
US7875815B2 (en) | Key sheet and pushbutton switch | |
JP2008204769A (ja) | 導光シート及びこれを用いた可動接点体とスイッチ | |
US6861600B1 (en) | Integrated switch and backlight assembly | |
US8319671B2 (en) | Keypad structure | |
JP4725279B2 (ja) | キースイッチ構造及びそれを用いた携帯端末装置 | |
JP2001155576A (ja) | 照光式押釦スイッチ用部材 | |
WO2004112069A1 (ja) | キーユニット及びその製造方法 | |
JP2009043653A (ja) | スイッチ用可動接点ユニットおよびそれを用いたスイッチ装置 | |
JP4347679B2 (ja) | キーシート | |
JP5545672B2 (ja) | 防水性スイッチ部材およびそれを備える電子機器 | |
JP4616897B2 (ja) | キーシート | |
KR100880139B1 (ko) | 키 유닛과 키 유닛의 제조방법 | |
JP5619369B2 (ja) | シートスイッチ | |
JP2002075116A (ja) | 押釦スイッチ用カバー部材 | |
US20080036003A1 (en) | Backlighted membrane switch |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CO CR CU CZ DK DM DZ EC EE FI GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IS KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ OM PH PL PT RO RU SC SD SG SK SL TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG UZ VC VN YU ZA ZM ZW |
|
AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE BG CH CY CZ DK EE ES FI GR HU IE LU MC PT RO SE SI SK TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
DFPE | Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101) | ||
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: PA/a/2005/011966 Country of ref document: MX |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 1020057023652 Country of ref document: KR |
|
WWP | Wipo information: published in national office |
Ref document number: 1020057023652 Country of ref document: KR |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: PI0318344 Country of ref document: BR |
|
122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase |