JPH08153442A - Embossed sheet switch, and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve heating resistance, life, switch touch, and economic property by forming a dome by means of embossing with one contact formed by etching a copper foil layer laminated on an insulating resin film inside. CONSTITUTION: A copper laminated plate having a copper foil layer integrally laminated on a plastic film 1a such as PET is etched to leave the copper foil layer part forming one electric contact 1b of a switch and a conductor 11. The laminated plate is embossed to form a semi-spherical dome part 1, and a base member 5 such as insulating resin is arranged on the lower side of an edge part 1f around it through a spacer 3. The other electric contact 7 is provided on the member 5 opposite to the contact 1b, and connected to an external electric circuit through a conductor 9. According to such a constitution, a clear click tough and an excellent reversing strength can be provided when the dome part 1 is pushed and reversed. At the etching, the cross copper foil layer may be left as a reinforcing part around the contact 1b.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet-shaped thin embossed sheet switch, and more particularly, to an embossed dome-shaped portion having an electric contact therein for pushing the electric contact. The present invention relates to a sheet switch and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Examples of embossed sheet switches of this type include metal dome membrane switches and PEs.
There is a T-emboss switch.

The metal dome membrane switch is composed of a pair of opposed electric contacts and a spacer. The metal dome membrane switch is made of metal above the opposed electric contacts in order to give a click feeling when the switch is pushed. A dome-shaped click plate is provided. This metal dome membrane switch is characterized by having a good click feeling due to the dome-shaped portion made of metal and having excellent high temperature storage characteristics.

On the other hand, the PET embossing switch is composed of a sheet of insulating resin (PET).
An electrical contact is attached to the ET sheet by printing, and the PET sheet is embossed to form a dome-shaped portion. By pushing the dome-shaped portion, the electrical contact provided inside the dome-shaped portion is formed. To be in contact with the other electric contact provided facing each other. The PET embossing switch configured as described above is characterized in that the number of constituent members is small, the switch operation is stable, that is, inversion failure does not occur, and the life characteristics are good even when the dome shape has a small diameter.

[0005]

In the conventional metal dome membrane switch described above, when the diameter of the dome-shaped portion is reduced due to the space saving of the switch portion on which the switch is mounted, the life characteristics are deteriorated and the number of assembly steps is increased. There is a problem that is increased.

Further, the conventional PET embossing switch is
Since the material is PET, that is, plastic, for example, when this switch is applied to a vehicle or the like, the dome-shaped portion is easily deformed due to the high temperature in the passenger compartment, and the switch feel is dull (no sharpness) and there is fatigue. There is a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above,
An object of the present invention is to provide an embossed sheet switch having a high heat resistance property, a long life, a good switch feeling, and an economical method, and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the embossed sheet switch of the present invention comprises a copper clad laminate in which a copper foil layer is integrally laminated on an insulating resin film. Are etched to form one electrical contact, and the one electrical contact is placed inside, and a dome-shaped embossed portion formed by embossing a portion including the electrical contact into a dome shape, and the dome-shaped embossed portion. The gist of the present invention is to have the other electrical contact provided so as to face the one electrical contact so that the one electrical contact comes into contact when the portion is pushed.

The embossed sheet switch of the present invention is characterized in that the dome-shaped embossed portion has a reinforcing portion formed by etching the copper foil layer of the copper clad laminate into a predetermined shape.

Further, in the method for manufacturing an embossed sheet switch of the present invention, one of the electrical contacts is formed by etching the copper foil layer of a copper clad laminate in which a copper foil layer is integrally laminated on an insulating resin film, A portion of the copper clad laminate including one of the electrical contacts as a center is embossed into a dome shape so that the one electrical contact is on the inside, and the other electrical contact is arranged opposite to the one electrical contact. The point is to do.

[0011]

In the embossed sheet switch of the present invention, when a dome-shaped embossed portion formed by embossing a copper clad laminate into a dome shape is pushed, an electrical contact formed by etching inside the dome-shaped embossed portion. Contacts the other opposing electrical contact to close the switch.

Further, in the embossed sheet switch of the present invention, the reinforcing portion is formed by etching the copper foil layer of the copper clad laminate to a predetermined shape to reinforce the dome-shaped embossed contact portion.

Further, in the method for manufacturing an embossed sheet switch of the present invention, the copper foil layer of the copper clad laminate is etched to form one electrical contact, and the one electrical contact is on the inside. A portion of the plate including one electric contact as a center is embossed into a dome shape, and the other electric contact is arranged so as to face the one electric contact.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of an embossed sheet switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. The embossed sheet switch shown in the same figure is a hemispherical copper clad laminate (hereinafter referred to as CCL) obtained by embossing a copper foil layer integrally laminated on a plastic film made of, for example, PET (insulating resin) or polyimide. It has the dome-shaped part 1 formed in the uppermost part.

This dome-shaped portion 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG.
The CCL is formed by integrally laminating b. However, in the normal state before the CCL is not processed as the dome-shaped portion 1, the CCL has a copper foil layer portion 1b on the plastic film 1a. Such a copper foil layer is integrally laminated on the entire surface. And C formed in this way
The copper foil layer of CL is etched to leave only the copper foil layer portion 1b as shown in FIG. 2, and the remaining C of the copper foil layer portion 1b is left.
CL is embossed so that the copper foil layer portion 1b is centered on the inner side, whereby the dome-shaped portion 1 shown in FIG. 2 is formed.

The copper foil layer portion 1b formed at the center of the inside of the dome-shaped portion 1 constitutes one electrical contact 1b of the present embossed sheet switch. In the following description, the one electrical contact will be described. Also uses the same reference numeral 1b.

A dome-shaped portion 1 constructed as shown in FIG.
Has an edge 1f extending around it, a spacer 3 is provided below the edge 1f as shown in FIG. 2, and an insulating resin material or the like is provided through the spacer 3. A base member 5 made of is disposed so as to face the dome-shaped portion 1.

On the base member 5, another electrical contact 7 is provided at a portion of the dome-shaped portion 1 facing the one electrical contact 1b made of a copper foil layer. The electric contact 7 is configured to be connected to an external electric circuit via a conductor 9, and also the one electric contact 1
Similarly, b is also connected to an external electric circuit via the conductor 11, but this conductor 11 is formed by etching the copper foil layer of the CCL.

Further, in FIG. 1, upper and lower sheets made of an anisotropic conductive tape or the like are provided in a portion of the spacer 3 sandwiched by the edge portion 1f of the dome-shaped portion 1 and the base member 5 from the dome-shaped portion 1. A connecting portion 13 is provided, whereby an electric circuit such as one electric contact 1b formed on the upper plastic film 1a and an electric circuit such as the other electric contact 7 formed on the lower base member 5 are appropriately formed. Is configured to connect.

In the embossed sheet switch configured as described above, the plastic film 1a and the copper foil layer portion 1b are used.
The dome-shaped portion 1 composed of CCLs integrally laminated with each other is pushed downward in the drawing against the elasticity of the dome-shaped portion 1 made of the plastic film 1a, so that the inside of the dome-shaped portion 1 is One electrical contact 1b provided
Comes into contact with the other electrical contact 7, thereby closing the present embossed sheet switch. Then, the signal of which the contact is closed is transmitted to the external electric circuit through the conductors 9 and 11.

When the dome-shaped portion 1 is pushed in this way,
The dome-shaped portion 1 is composed of CCL in which a plastic film 1a and a copper foil layer are integrally laminated, and has both the strength of metal and the flexibility of the plastic film 1a.
Further, since no adhesive material is used for the integral lamination, this embossed sheet switch can have a clear click feeling when the dome-shaped portion 1 is inverted, and there is no sag as in the past, and excellent inversion. Have strength.

In this case, in FIG. 3 (a), (b),
As shown in (c), the strength is improved by forming a reinforcing portion with a copper foil layer around the electrical contact 1b of the dome-shaped portion 1 by an etching treatment, and the shape of the reinforcing portion improves the click feeling. Can be adjusted.

That is, FIG. 3 (a) shows a structure in which a copper foil layer is left in a cross shape around the electrical contact 1b of the dome-shaped portion 1 by etching to form a reinforcing portion. FIG.
(B) is a structure in which the copper foil layer is left by etching in only one direction from the electrical contact 1b of the dome-shaped portion 1 to form a reinforcing portion and also to have the function of the conductor 11. is there. In addition, in FIG. 3C, the copper foil layer around the electrical contact 1b of the dome-shaped part 1 is shown in FIG.
The diameter of the dome is larger than that of the dome, and is configured as a reinforcing portion.

As described above, the electrical contacts 1 of the dome-shaped portion 1
The switch can be reinforced by forming a copper foil layer around b around the dome-shaped portion 1 by etching.
Even if the diameter is small, the life can be extended, and the click feeling of the switch can be adjusted by the size and shape of the reinforcing portion. Further, the copper foil layer left as a reinforcing portion by the etching treatment in this way can also achieve a shielding effect due to its shape.

Further, the embossed sheet switch configured as described above can be manufactured by press working like the conventional PET embossed switch described above, and new equipment is not required.

Further, in the embossed sheet switch of this embodiment, it is not necessary to attach the electric contact by printing as in the conventional PET embossed switch, and the electric contact is integrally laminated on the plastic film as CCL.
The joint is strong, and the conventional printing process is not required, so that the economy can be achieved.

In FIG. 4, a copper foil layer is left in a lattice shape on the plastic film 1a around the embossed sheet switch shown in FIG. 1 by an etching process to form a shield layer.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By embossing the dome-shaped embossed part on the part including the electrical contact formed by etching the copper foil layer of the copper clad laminate in which the copper foil layer is integrally laminated on the insulating resin film Since it has excellent heat resistance and reversal strength, it can provide a long life and a high switch feel even with a small diameter. In addition, since it can be manufactured by the conventional embossing press processing, new equipment is not required, and the conventional printing process is not required, so that it is possible to achieve economy. Furthermore, when the copper foil layer of the copper-clad laminate is etched into a predetermined shape to form a reinforcing portion or the like, the switch structure can be strengthened,
A shield effect can be achieved by the shape of the reinforcing portion.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a configuration of an embossed sheet switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a dome-shaped portion used in the embossed sheet switch shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a copper foil layer around a dome-shaped portion of an embossed sheet switch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a shield layer in which a copper foil layer is left in a lattice pattern on a plastic film around the embossed sheet switch shown in FIG. 1 by an etching process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Dome-shaped part 1a Plastic film 1b Copper foil layer part (one electrical contact) 3 Spacer 5 Base member 7 Other electrical contact

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A copper-clad laminate in which a copper foil layer is integrally laminated on an insulating resin film, and the copper foil layer is etched to form one electrical contact, and the one electrical contact is Inside, a dome-shaped embossed portion formed by embossing a portion including the electrical contact into a dome shape, and the one electrical contact so that when the dome-shaped embossed portion is pushed, the one electrical contact contacts An embossed sheet switch having one electric contact and the other electric contact provided so as to face the electric contact. 2. The embossed sheet switch according to claim 1, wherein the dome-shaped embossed portion has a reinforcing portion formed by etching the copper foil layer of the copper-clad laminate into a predetermined shape. 3. A copper foil layer of a copper clad laminate in which a copper foil layer is integrally laminated on an insulating resin film is etched to form one electrical contact, and the one electrical contact is on the inside. Manufacture of an embossed sheet switch, characterized in that a portion including one electrical contact of the copper clad laminate as a center is embossed into a dome shape, and the other electrical contact is arranged so as to face the one electrical contact. Method.