KR20080068406A - Keypad of portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a keypad of a portable terminal, comprising: a plurality of key tops; A silicon pad disposed on lower surfaces of the key tops and protruding the key tops to the outside of the terminal; A printed circuit disposed on a bottom surface of the silicon pad and provided with dome switches corresponding to the key tops; And a protective film disposed between the silicon pad and the printed circuit and covering a whole surface of the printed circuit. In addition, the present invention provides a keypad of a portable terminal, comprising: a plurality of key tops; A printed circuit disposed on lower surfaces of the key tops and generating a signal as the key tops are operated; And a keypad disposed between the key tops and the printed circuit and including a protective film surrounding one surface of the printed circuit. The keypad of the portable terminal having the above configuration protects the printed circuit from foreign matter penetrating through the key tops.

Description

Keypad for mobile terminal {KEYPAD FOR PORTABLE TERMINAL}

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a portable terminal having a keypad according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the keypad shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line A-A`. FIG.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

201: key top 202: silicon pad

203: printed circuit 204: protective film

231: dome switch 241: floating groove

The present invention relates to a portable terminal, and more particularly, to a keypad of a portable terminal used as an input device.

In general, a portable terminal refers to a mobile communication device that allows a wireless communication between a base station, a counterpart user, or a mobile communication service provider while being carried by a user. In the early days when mobile communication services were commercially available, such mobile terminals were limited to simple voice calls and short text transmission / reception services. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile terminals have gradually expanded to areas such as video calls, video services, and mobile banking. . To this end, the portable terminal includes a display, a speaker, and the like as an output device for outputting voice, image, text information, and the like. The device includes a keypad, a microphone and the like. The keypad is widely used not only for portable terminals but also for most electronic and electrical products such as living and kitchen appliances, video and audio devices, and communication devices.

Meanwhile, the keypad includes key tops, a silicon pad, and a printed circuit, and a plurality of key tops are arranged on the silicon pad. The printed circuit includes a dome switch disposed on the bottom surface of the silicon pad and arranged correspondingly to the arrangement of the key tops. When the key tops are operated, the dome switch is deformed so that the printed circuit generates a signal corresponding to the value displayed on the key tops. Thus, the user can input the character information by operating the keytops or select menus of the terminal.

However, since a general keypad is configured such that the key tops can operate independently of each other, a gap is formed between the key tops. Through this gap, foreign substances such as dust or liquid are introduced into the keypad from the outside. At this time, when foreign matter reaches the printed circuit, the printed circuit may not operate normally or may be damaged.

In order to protect the keypad from foreign matters, a protective cover is disposed on one surface of the keypad, but when one keytop is operated, a problem occurs that the keytops arranged adjacent to the keytop to be operated are simultaneously operated due to the interference of the protective cover. Was done.

In order to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a keypad of a portable terminal that can prevent damage or malfunction of the printed circuit due to foreign matter.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a keypad of a portable terminal that can prevent the operation of other adjacent keys at the same time when operating any one key.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a keypad of a portable terminal,

A plurality of key tops;

A silicon pad disposed on lower surfaces of the key tops and protruding the key tops to the outside of the terminal;

A printed circuit disposed on a bottom surface of the silicon pad and provided with dome switches corresponding to the key tops; And

Disclosed is a keypad of a portable terminal having a protective film disposed between the silicon pad and a printed circuit and covering an entire surface of the printed circuit.

The present invention provides a keypad of a portable terminal,

A plurality of key tops;

A printed circuit disposed on lower surfaces of the key tops and generating a signal as the key tops are operated; And

Disclosed is a keypad of a portable terminal disposed between the key tops and a printed circuit and having a protective film surrounding one surface of the printed circuit.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a portable terminal 100 having a keypad 200 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the portable terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a body housing 101 and a cover housing 102 rotatably coupled to the body housing 101. Side hinge arms 111 are formed on both sides of the upper end of the body housing 101 to face each other, and a center hinge arm rotatably coupled between the side hinge arms 111 at a lower end of the cover housing 102. 121 is formed. As the center hinge arm 121 is coupled between the side hinge arms 111, the cover housing 102 is rotatably coupled to the body housing 101, and as the cover housing 102 rotates. One surface of the body housing 101 is opened and closed.

One surface of the cover housing 102 is provided with a display 123. The display 123 is composed of various types of devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a thin film transistor (TFT), and an output device for displaying a current time, terminal status information, data transmission / reception information, and the like. Used as

A keypad 200 is provided on one surface of the main body housing 101, and a discharge port 113 is formed on both sides. The keypad 200 includes key tops 201, a silicon pad 202, a printed circuit 203, and a protective film 204, and faces the display 121 as the cover housing 102 rotates. Done.

The key top 201 is composed of a plurality. One side thereof is exposed to one side of the body housing 101, and the signal values assigned to each side are printed. That is, when the key tops 201 are manipulated, a signal corresponding to the signal value indicated on the operated key tops 201 is generated.

In addition, the key tops 201 are separated from each other, so that a gap is formed between each of the key tops 201. Thus, each of the keytops 201 can be operated independently without interference by the other keytops 201.

The silicon pad 202 is disposed on the lower surfaces of the key tops 201 and exposes the key tops 201 to one surface of the body housing 101. Support protrusions 221 protrude from the bottom surface of the silicon pad 202. The support protrusions 221 are installed corresponding to the positions of the key tops 201 disposed on the silicon pad 202.

The silicon pad 202 is manufactured in a shape that is easy to mount to the body housing 101. For example, by manufacturing a mold having a shape of a silicon pad corresponding to the shape of each terminal, and injecting molten silicon into the mold, the silicon pad 202 is molded.

The printed circuit 203 is disposed on a lower surface of the silicon pad 202, and one side of the printed circuit 203 is disposed to correspond to the key tops 201 and spaced apart from each other. When the key tops 201 are operated, the dome switches 231 are in contact with the support protrusions 221. As the key top 201 moves closer to the printed circuit 203, the support protrusion 221 contacts the dome switch 231 to deform the dome switch 231. At this time, the dome switch 231 accumulates the elastic force to recover to its original shape. As the dome switch 231 is operated, the printed circuit 203 generates a signal corresponding to the signal value printed on the key top 201, and the generated signal executes a menu or performs an operation such as voice transmission and reception. Let's go. When the external force that deforms the dome switch 231 is removed, the dome switch 231 restores its original shape.

The protective film 204 is disposed between the silicon pad 202 and the printed circuit 203 as a material having water resistance and insulation, and accommodates the dome switches 231 while covering one surface of the printed circuit 203. do. In addition, the protective film 204 may be in close contact with the surface of one surface of the printed circuit 203 or in contact with the surface of the elements mounted on the printed circuit 203.

A flow groove 241 extending along the dome switches 231 is recessed on one surface of the protective film 204, disposed between the key tops 201, and connected to the outlet 113. Accordingly, the protective film 204 discharges the penetrated foreign matter to the outside of the body housing 101 to protect the printed circuit 203 from the foreign matter.

The protective film 204 is deformed to correspond to the deformation of the dome switch 231, and the dome switches 231 are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the printed circuit 203, and thus, the dome switch 231. If one of them is deformed, it does not interfere with the other dome switches 231. Thus, while the protective film 204 surrounds one surface of the printed circuit 203, the dome switches 231 operate independently of each other.

The keypad 200 configured as described above is accommodated in the body housing 101 in the order of the printed circuit 203, the protective film 204, the silicon pad 202, and the key tops 201. In this case, when one surface of the body housing 101 is opened, one surface of the key tops 201 is exposed to the outside. Foreign matter, such as dust or liquid, may penetrate into the body housing 101 through a gap between the key tops 201.

Although the foreign matter flowing into the main body housing 101 penetrates close to the printed circuit 203 through the key tops 201 and the silicon pad 202, the protective film 204 may cause the printed circuit 203. The foreign matter flows along the flow groove 241 on the protective film 204 without reaching the printed circuit 203 as it surrounds one side of the. The flow groove 241 is connected to the discharge port 113, foreign matter may be discharged to the outside of the main body housing 101 through the discharge port 113.

In this embodiment, the outlet 113 is shown on both sides of the main body housing 101. As the terminal 100 is inclined to the left or the right, the foreign matter located in the protective film 204 is discharged to the outside of the body housing 101 through the discharge port 113. In addition, the outlet 113 may be formed on the bottom surface of the body housing 101. In this case, as the upper end of the terminal 100 is lifted up, the foreign matter located in the protective film 204 is discharged to the outside of the main body housing 101 through the discharge port 113.

In addition, when the protective film 204 is disposed to be inclined with respect to the outlet 113, the flow groove 241 is also inclined toward the outlet 113. The foreign matter penetrating through the key tops 201 flows along the flow groove 241 under the action of gravity, and is discharged to the outside of the body housing 101 through the discharge port 113.

In the foregoing detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the keypad of the portable terminal according to the present invention includes a key top, a printed circuit, and a protective film between the key tops and the printed circuit. In particular, the protective film is a water-resistant, insulating material and the flow path is disposed on one side thereof to discharge the foreign matter penetrated from the key tops to the outside to protect the printed circuit from the foreign matter. In addition, as the protective film accommodated the dome switches spaced apart from each other, one of the keytops was pressed without interference with the other keytops.

Claims (9)

In the keypad of a portable terminal, A plurality of key tops; A silicon pad disposed on lower surfaces of the key tops and protruding the key tops to the outside of the terminal; A printed circuit disposed on a bottom surface of the silicon pad and provided with dome switches corresponding to the key tops; And And a protective film disposed between the silicon pad and the printed circuit to cover an entire surface of the printed circuit. The method of claim 1, The protective film surrounding the printed circuit is further provided with a flow groove recessed between the dome switches, When foreign matter penetrates through the keytops, the foreign matter is located in the flow groove, the keypad of the portable terminal. The method of claim 2, A discharge port connected to the flow groove is further provided on the appearance of the terminal The keypad of the mobile terminal, characterized in that the foreign matter penetrated through the key top is discharged to the outside of the terminal through the outlet through the flow groove. The method of claim 3, wherein The outlet of the keypad of the portable terminal, characterized in that formed on both sides of the terminal. The method of claim 1, The protective film is a keypad of a portable terminal, characterized in that the water-resistant material and insulating material. In the keypad of a portable terminal, A plurality of key tops; A printed circuit disposed on lower surfaces of the key tops and generating a signal as the key tops are operated; And The keypad of the portable terminal, which is disposed between the key tops and the printed circuit, and has a protective film surrounding one surface of the printed circuit. The method of claim 6, A flow groove recessed along one of the key tops on one surface of the protective film; And A discharge port connected to the flow groove is further provided on the appearance of the terminal The keypad of the mobile terminal, characterized in that the foreign matter penetrated through the key top is discharged to the outside of the terminal through the outlet through the flow groove. The method of claim 7, wherein The outlet of the keypad of the portable terminal, characterized in that formed on both sides or the bottom surface of the terminal. The method of claim 6, The protective film is a keypad of a portable terminal, characterized in that the water-resistant material and insulating material.

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