KR100816440B1 - Key input device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a key input device, and more particularly, to a key input device made thinner than the conventional one by reducing the number of components.

In addition, a keypad consisting of a plurality of keys; Dome switch; And a press pad disposed under the light emitting means and the keypad, the press pad pressing down the dome switch by the pressure applied to the keypad, wherein the press pad includes an upper layer on which the keypad is placed, and presses the dome switch. It is formed between the lower layer and the upper layer and the lower layer formed with a pressing projection and made of a harder material than the upper layer and the lower layer to maintain the shape of the pressing pad and guide the light generated by the light emitting means toward the keypad. Optical films.

Keypad, Dome Switch, Silicone Rubber

Description

Key input device {apparatus for inputting key}

1 is a view showing a partial cross section in a conventional key input device,

2 is a plan view of a key input device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA direction of the planar photograph shown in FIG. 2.

*** Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing ***

10: keypad 20: push pad

30: optical film 40: fixed film

50: dome switch 60: printed circuit board

70: frame

110: keypad 111: keyboard

111a: symbol 112: arrow keys

113: special key 120: press pad

121: upper layer 121a: division protrusion

122: optical film 123: lower layer

123a: pressing projection 130: fixed film

140: dome switch 150: printed circuit board

160: frame

The present invention relates to a key input device, and more particularly, to a key input device made thinner than the conventional one by reducing the number of components.

1 is a view showing a partial cross section in a conventional key input device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the configuration of a conventional key input device includes a dome switch 50 by a pressure applied to a keypad 10, a dome switch 50, and a keypad 10 including a plurality of keys. The pressing pad 20 pressing down on the dome switch 50, the fixed film 40 bonded to the dome switch 50 at the upper portion of the dome switch 50, and the dome switch 50 pressed by the pressing pad 20. It includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 60 that generates an arbitrary key signal based on the deformation, and a frame 70 that supports the printed circuit board 60. In addition, the conventional key input device is installed between the LED (not shown) and the pressing pad 20 and the fixing film 40 for smooth key input at night, and the light generated from the LED is directed toward the front surface of the keypad 10. Inducing optical film 30 is further provided.

In the above-described configuration, reference numeral 11 denotes a key used to receive a number or a character, 12 denotes a key for changing direction, 13 denotes a key for a special function, for example, a key for a wireless Internet connection, and a keypad 10 corresponds to the above. It can be made by including keys.

The push pad 20 is preferably made of a material having good light transmittance, and an upper layer portion 21 having a protrusion 21a formed in a space for distinguishing keys, and a push protrusion 23a pressing down the dome switch 50. ) Is formed on the lower layer portion 23, the upper layer portion 21 and the lower layer portion 23, and both sides, respectively, and maintains a shape of a relatively hard material rather than the plates 21 and 23 so as to maintain a constant shape. It consists of a plate 22.

On the other hand, development trends of various electronic products and communication devices are often focused on how thin and compact a device can be made while having the same or superior functions as other companies' products. Such trends are more intense for terminals that are constantly carried by humans such as PDAs and MP3s, and key input devices are also becoming slim.

Therefore, according to the above-described conventional key input device, each component is made thin so that slimming is realized. However, due to structural factors, there is a limit to thinning the thickness to some extent, and as the thickness is thinner, the shape may not be properly maintained, and thus, the original function may not be properly performed.

Furthermore, according to the above-described conventional key input device, the optical film is a structure that is added to the fixed film for its function, resulting in poor touch feeling of the keypad due to the minute gap between the two films. Of course, the touch feeling can be improved by adhering the two films with the adhesive, but the key input device becomes relatively thicker, which is a problem against the slimming trend.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provided with a light emitting means and an optical film for guiding the emitted light to the front for smooth key input at night, the optical film to replace the other parts It is an object of the present invention to provide a thinner key input device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a key input device to improve the touch feeling of the keypad by changing the optical film to a position other than between the pressing pad and the fixed film.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a keypad having a separation line for distinguishing a plurality of keys from each other, a push pad disposed under the keypad and pressing the dome switch by pressure applied to the keypad, A key input device comprising a dome switch and a light emitting means, wherein the push pad is formed between an upper layer portion on which the keypad is mounted, a lower layer portion formed with a pressing protrusion for pressing the dome switch, and between the upper layer portion and the lower layer portion, and the upper layer portion and the lower layer portion. It is made of a harder material, while maintaining the shape of the pressing pad and at the same time, the optical film for guiding the light generated by the light emitting means toward the keypad; characterized in that it comprises a.

The material of the upper layer and the lower layer is silicon, the material of the optical film is polycarbonate, and a constant diffusion pattern is imprinted on the optical film.

Hereinafter, a key input device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail.

2 is a planar photograph of a key input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a key input device applied to a mobile phone. Of course, it should be noted that the key input device of the present invention is not limited to the mobile phone. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA direction of the planar photograph shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the configuration of the key input device according to the present invention comprises a keypad 110, a plurality of keys are formed; Dome switch 140; A printed circuit board 150 placed below the dome switch 140 and generating an arbitrary key signal according to the location of the dome switch 140, i.e., when contacted with the top portion; A push pad 120 that is placed under the keypad 110 and pushes the dome switch 140 by the pressure applied to the keypad 110; The fixed film 130 and the printed circuit board 150 installed between the dome switch 140 and the push pad 120 and bonded to the dome switch 140 at the upper portion of the dome switch 140 to fix its position The support includes a frame 170.

In the above-described configuration, the keypad 110 is seated in the inner space of the key plate 111, the round donut-shaped direction key 112, the direction key 112 forming a plurality of function keys, as shown in FIG. Special functions of, for example, comprises a special key 113 to perform the function of wireless Internet access. Here, the dividing line for dividing a key is perforated in the keypad 111.

In addition, the keypad 110 is deposited by using a laser, a metal, for example, a metal on a transparent material in a vacuum state, and depositing the metal on the surface where the particles come into contact with the press pad 120, and using a laser. The metal may be manufactured through a peeling process of peeling off the metal in the form of a symbol 111a as shown in FIG. 2, or may be manufactured by a printing process.

In addition, the keypad 110 is preferably implemented with a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylic (ACRYL) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).

Next, the pressing pad 120 is preferably made of a material having good light permeability, and the division protrusion inserted in the separation line punctured in the space between the keys 111, 112, and 113 and the keypad 111 ( The upper layer 121 having the 121a formed thereon, the lower layer 123 having the pressing protrusion 123a pressing down the dome switch 140, and the upper layer 121 and the lower layer 123 disposed between the LED (not shown). It includes an optical film 122 for guiding the light emitted toward the front, that is, the keypad 110. In particular, it is preferable that the upper and lower layer portions 121 and 123 and the optical film 122 are simultaneously bonded by double-sided molding.

In addition, the upper layer 121 and the lower layer 123 is preferably implemented by silicon rubber (silicon rubber).

Next, the optical film 122 is preferably implemented as a PC of a relatively hard material than the upper and lower layers 121 and 123. Accordingly, in addition to the function of inducing light, the pressing pad 120 sags. And keep the shape constant.

Next, the LED is preferably located on one side of the optical film 130, whereby the optical film 130 guides the light generated from the LED to the front surface of the film.

In addition, a fine diffusion pattern for diffusing the guided light toward the keypad 110 is preferably imprinted on the upper surface of the optical film 130, that is, the surface facing the press pad 120. Light generated from the LED is uniformly transmitted to the outside through the symbol 111a and the division protrusion 121a. In addition, the portions corresponding to the symbols 111a on the upper surface of the optical film 122 may be printed in various colors.

Next, the dome switch 140 is adhered to the lower surface of the fixing film 130. Here, it is preferable that the fixing film 130 and the dome switch 140 are bonded by double-sided tape.

The key input device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

According to the key input device of the present invention as described above, by adding other functions to the optical film, the number of parts is reduced, so that the thickness of the device is thinner, the cost is reduced, and the manufacturing process is reduced, thereby improving productivity. It is effective.

In addition, the touch of the keypad was not good due to the minute gap between the optical film and the fixed film for fixing the position of the dome switch. Thus, by changing the position of the optical film to a position other than the press pad and the fixed film. There is an effect that the problem is improved.

In addition, since the optical film is placed directly below the keypad, there is an effect to implement the key illumination at a lower power than conventional.

Claims (4)

Key input device consisting of a keypad having a perforated separation line for distinguishing a plurality of keys from each other, a press pad disposed under the keypad and pressing the dome switch by pressure applied to the keypad, a dome switch, and a light emitting means. To The pressing pad is, An upper layer on which the keypad is mounted; A lower layer formed with a pressing protrusion for pushing down the dome switch; And An optical film formed between the upper layer and the lower layer and made of a material harder than the upper layer and the lower layer to maintain a constant shape of the pressing pad and to direct light generated by the light emitting means toward the keypad; Key input device comprising. The method of claim 1, Key input device, characterized in that the material of the upper layer and the lower layer is silicon. The method of claim 2, A key diffusion device is characterized in that a predetermined diffusion pattern is imprinted on the optical film. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Key input device, characterized in that the material of the optical film is polycarbonate.

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