Push button device

Abstract

To provide a push button device capable of visually recognizing only necessary information according to an angle at which a key is visually recognized.SOLUTION: An electronic register 100 comprises a key 110 (key top 111) having a first surface 111a and a second surface 111b which is disposed on a nearer side of the electronic register 100 than the first surface 111a. The key 110 is provided so that the second surface 111b is located at a higher position than the first surface 111a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a push button device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Cash registers equipped with various types of keys have been disclosed in the past (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 3-63281 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the cash register disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, information indicating the characters and functions assigned to each key is usually written on the top surface of the key. With this cash register, for example, if a foreign language is also written on the top surface of the key, or if a single key has characters corresponding to multiple functions assigned to it, the amount of information becomes so large that it may confuse the user.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to provide a push button device that allows only necessary information to be visually recognized according to the angle at which the key is viewed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a push button device according to the present invention comprises: a button unit having a first surface and a second surface disposed on the front side of the device relative to the first surface; The button portion includes: The second surface is provided at a higher position than the first surface. It is characterized by:

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, another push button device according to the present invention is a button portion having a first surface and a second surface formed so as to slope downward from a front end of the first surface toward the front side; A cap that covers the button portion; Equipped with The cap has a cover surface that covers the front surface of the second surface. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to visually recognize only the necessary information according to the angle at which the key is viewed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an electronic register. [Diagram 2] 1 is an enlarged side view of the electronic cash register showing the key portion. FIG. [Diagram 3] (a) is an image diagram of a user operating the device while looking at the keyboard at an elevation / depression angle of -60° (depression angle of 60°), and (b) is an image diagram of a user operating the device while looking at the keyboard at an elevation / depression angle of -90° (depression angle of 90°). [Figure 4] 1A is a diagram showing the key when viewed at an elevation / depression angle of -60° (depression angle of 60°), and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the key when viewed at an elevation / depression angle of -90° (depression angle of 90°). [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a side view showing a modified key. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] First, the configuration of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of an electronic cash register (push button device) 100 of this embodiment. In Fig. 1, the front side as viewed from a user operating the keyboard unit 11 is indicated as "front", the back side as "rear", the left side as "left", and the right side as "right".

[0012] 1, the electronic cash register 100 is an electronic cash register with an integrated drawer. The electronic cash register 100 has a register unit 10 and a printing unit 20 at an upper portion, and a drawer unit 30 at a lower portion. The electronic cash register 100 also has a control unit (not shown) built into the housing B for controlling the register unit 10, the printing unit 20, the drawer unit 30, etc.

[0013] The register unit 10 includes a keyboard unit 11, a main display unit 12, and a customer display unit (not shown). The keyboard unit 11 and the main display unit 12 are provided on the top surface B1 of a housing B. As shown in Fig. 1, the top surface B1 of the housing B on which the keyboard unit 11 and the main display unit 12 are arranged is formed so that the front side is lower and the back side is higher, that is, the top surface B1 is slanted downward toward the front side (for example, a downward slope of 10 to 20 degrees).

[0014] The keyboard unit 11 includes numeric keys and various function keys, and receives key inputs from the user and outputs the operation information to the control unit.

[0015] The main body display unit 12 is a display device that allows a user operating the electronic cash register 100 to visually recognize information such as the amount.

[0016] The customer display unit (not shown) is a display device that allows a customer who has purchased an item to visually confirm information such as the item price, the total price, etc. This customer display unit is provided on the rear surface (not shown) of the electronic cash register 100.

[0017] The printing unit 20 prints and outputs receipts, journals, and the like on paper in accordance with the control signals output from the control unit.

[0018] The drawer unit 30 is a drawer for storing money, gift certificates, etc., and has an opening mechanism that opens under the control of the control unit.

[0019] Next, a detailed description will be given of key 110, which has information in Japanese (e.g., "subtotal") and information in a foreign language (e.g., "SUB TOTAL") written on it, among the various keys constituting keyboard section 11. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a portion of key 110 when electronic cash register 100 is viewed from the side, which is the left-right direction in Fig. 1.

[0020] 2, the key 110 includes a key top (button portion) 111 and a movable shaft 112. The key 110 has the key top 111 covered with a cap 120.

[0021] The key top 111 has a two-surface structure with a first surface 111a and a second surface 111b that is located higher than the first surface 111a via a step portion 111c. The above-mentioned information in a foreign language, "SUB TOTAL," is printed on the first surface 111a. The information in Japanese, "SUBTOTAL," is printed on the second surface 111b.

[0022] The key top 111 is formed so that the first surface 111a is inclined downward toward the back of the device 100 with respect to a plane perpendicular to the movable direction DR of the movable shaft 112. On the other hand, the second surface 111b is inclined downward toward the front of the device 100. Specifically, the second surface 111b is formed so that it is inclined downward by 30° toward the front from the upper end 111c1 of the step portion 111c when the first surface 111a is parallel to the horizontal plane. Here, the upper end 111c1 of the step portion 111c is set to a height such that when the user looks at the keyboard unit 11 at an elevation / depression angle of −60° (depression angle of 60°) (see FIG. 3(a)), the characters “SUB TOTAL” printed on the first surface 111a are blocked by the step portion 111c and cannot be seen. That is, the height of the upper end 111c1 is set so that the line of sight of the user when viewing the upper end 111c1 does not intersect at least in the area where "SUB TOTAL" is printed on the first surface 111a. In other words, the key top 111 (key 110) may be provided such that a virtual line segment VL extending from the end (upper end 111c1 of the step portion 111c) on the second surface 111b on the back side of the device 100 to the first surface 111a and extending in a vertical direction from the end of the second surface 111b on the back side of the device 100 to the second surface 111b intersects with the area on the back side of the part on the first surface 111a where the characters "SUB TOTAL" are printed, or the virtual line segment VL does not intersect with the first surface 111a.

[0023] When the key 110 is arranged on the keyboard section 11 so that the movable direction DR of the movable shaft 112 is perpendicular to the upper surface B1 of the housing B, the key top 111 is provided so that the first surface 111a is parallel to the installation surface (horizontal surface) of the device 100, i.e., the elevation / depression angle of a straight line L1 perpendicular to the first surface 111a is +90° (elevation angle 90°). On the other hand, the second surface 111b is provided so that it is inclined downward by 30° from the upper end portion 111c1 of the step portion 111c toward the front side, i.e., the elevation / depression angle of a straight line L2 perpendicular to the second surface 111b is +60° (elevation angle 60°).

[0024] The cap 120 is for covering the upper surface (first surface 111a, second surface 111b, and step portion 111c) and side surfaces of the key top 111, and is made of, for example, a transparent resin material. The cap 120 has a first cover surface 121 that is approximately parallel to the first surface 111a of the key top 111, and a second cover surface 122 that covers the second surface 111b and is a surface that is continuous with the first cover surface 121, and is shaped without a recess. This is to eliminate the difficulty in pressing the key 110 caused by the step portion 111c of the key top 111.

[0025] Next, the appearance of the keys 110 when operating the keyboard unit 11 will be described. Fig. 3(a) is an image diagram when a user operates the keyboard unit 11 while looking at it at an elevation / depression angle of -60° (depression angle of 60°). Fig. 3(b) is an image diagram when a user operates the keyboard unit 11 while looking at it at an elevation / depression angle of -90° (depression angle of 90°).

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3(a), when a user looks at the keyboard unit 11 at an elevation / depression angle of −60° (depression angle of 60°), the user looks directly at the second surface 112 of the key 110 (key top 111) (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, such a case is assumed as a case where a user (Japanese language user) who uses Japanese as the main language operates the keyboard unit 11. Therefore, when a Japanese language user looks at the key 110 (key top 111) at an elevation / depression angle of −60° (depression angle of 60°), as shown in FIG. 4(a), the visibility of the characters “SUB TOTAL” printed on the first surface 111a is limited, and the characters “SUB TOTAL” printed on the second surface 111b are viewed from the front. Therefore, in such a case, it is possible to make only the characters “SUB TOTAL” necessary for a Japanese language user visible.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3(b), when a user looks at the keyboard unit 11 at an elevation / depression angle of −90° (depression angle of 90°), the user will be looking directly at the first surface 111a of the key 110 (key top 111) (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, such a case is assumed as a case where an English user (English user) operates the keyboard unit 11. This is in consideration of the fact that an English user is taller than a Japanese user. Therefore, when an English user looks at the key 110 (key top 111) at an elevation / depression angle of −90° (depression angle of 90°), as shown in FIG. 4(b), the characters “SUB TOTAL” printed on the second surface 111b will be viewed from an oblique direction, and the characters “SUB TOTAL” printed on the first surface 111a will be viewed from the front. In such a case, the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on the second surface 111b of the key top 111 become difficult to see, while the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on the first surface 111a become easier to see, so that the characters "SUB TOTAL" can be made to stand out compared to the characters "SUB TOTAL".

[0028] As described above, the electronic register 100 has a key 110 (key top 111) having a first surface 111a and a second surface 111b arranged closer to the front of the device 100 than the first surface 111a, and the key 110 is arranged so that the second surface 111b is higher than the first surface 111a. Therefore, according to electronic register 100, when key 110 is viewed from the front side of second surface 111b, stepped portion 111c limits the visibility of first surface 111a, and only the letters "SUB TOTAL" printed on second surface 111b can be seen, preventing confusion caused by the letters "SUB TOTAL" being printed on first surface 111a and the letters "SUB TOTAL" being printed on second surface 111b.

[0029] The electronic register 100 also has a cap 120 that has a first cover surface 121 that is approximately parallel to the first surface 111a of the key top 111, and a second cover surface 122 that covers the second surface 111b and is continuous with the first cover surface 121. Therefore, according to the electronic register 100, by providing the cap 120, it is possible to eliminate the difficulty in pressing the key 110 caused by the presence of the stepped portion 111c on the key top 111.

[0030] In addition, since key 110 (key top 111) is provided so that second surface 111b is inclined downward toward the front side of device 100, the characters "SUBTOTAL" printed on second surface 111b can be easily seen.

[0031] [Variations] Next, a modified example of the electronic cash register 100 described above will be described. This modified example is characterized in that the visibility of the first surface 211a of the key 210 (key top 211) is restricted by a cover surface 221 provided on the cap 220. Note that the same components as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a side view showing a key 210 of this modified example. 5, the key 210 includes a key top (button portion) 211 and a movable shaft 112. The key 210 has the key top 211 covered with a cap 220.

[0033] The upper surface of the key top 211 is configured with a two-surface structure consisting of a first surface 211a and a second surface 211b adjacent to the first surface 211a. The characters "SUB TOTAL" are printed on the first surface 211a. The characters "SUB TOTAL" are printed on the cover surface 221 of the cap 220, which will be described later.

[0034] The cap 220 is for covering the upper surface (first surface 211a and second surface 211b) and side surfaces of the key top 211, and is made of a transparent resin material. The cap 220 has a cover surface 221 that covers the front surface of the second surface 211b of the key 210. For example, the characters "Subtotal" are printed in white on this cover surface 221, and the other parts are printed in black. In addition, the cover surface 221 is provided so as to be approximately parallel to the second surface 211b of the key top 211 when the cap 220 is attached to the key top 211.

[0035] Therefore, when the user looks at the key 210 (key top 211) at a predetermined angle (for example, elevation / depression angle -60° (depression angle 60°)), the cover surface 221 limits visibility of the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on the first surface 211a, and only the characters "SUBTOTAL" printed on the cover surface 221 are visible. Here, the upper end 221a of the cover surface 221 is set at a height such that, when the user looks at the keyboard part 11 from the above angle, the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on the first surface 211a are blocked by the cover surface 221 and cannot be seen. In other words, the height of the upper end 221a is set so that the line of sight of the user when viewing the upper end 221a of the cover surface 221 does not intersect at least within the area where "SUB TOTAL" is printed on the first surface 211a of the key 210. In other words, cap 220 is provided such that a virtual line segment VL extending from the end of cover surface 221 on the rear side of device 100 (upper end 221a of cover surface 221) toward first surface 211a and extending vertically from the end of cover surface 221 on the rear side of device 100 toward cover surface 221 intersects with first surface 211a in an area rearward of the portion where the words "SUB TOTAL" are printed, or such that the virtual line segment VL does not intersect with first surface 211a.

[0036] On the other hand, when the user looks at key 210 (key top 211) from directly above (at an elevation / depression angle of -90° (depression angle of 90°)), the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on cover surface 221 of cap 220 are viewed from an oblique direction, and the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on first surface 211a of key 210 are viewed from the front through cap 220. Therefore, in such a case, while the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on cover surface 221 of cap 220 become difficult to view, the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on first surface 211a of key 210 become easier to view, so that the characters "SUB TOTAL" can be made to stand out compared to the characters "SUB TOTAL".

[0037] As described above, the modified electronic register 100 comprises a key 210 (key top 211) having a first surface 211a and a second surface 211b formed so as to slope downward from the front end of the first surface 211a to the front side, and a cap 220 covering the key 210, and the cap 220 has a cover surface 221 covering the front of the second surface 211b of the key 210. Therefore, according to the modified electronic cash register 100, when key 210 is viewed from the front side of second surface 211b, the cover surface 221 of cap 220 limits the visibility of first surface 211a, and only the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on second surface 211b can be seen, thereby preventing confusion caused by the characters "SUB TOTAL" being printed on first surface 211a of key 210 and the characters "SUB TOTAL" being printed on second surface 211b.

[0038] In addition, cap 220 has the word “Subtotal” printed in white on cover surface 221, with the remaining portions printed in black, so that cover surface 221 can appropriately limit visibility of first surface 211a of key 210.

[0039] Although the present invention has been specifically described based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the characters "SUB TOTAL" are printed on the first surface 111a of the key top 111, but the characters printed on the first surface 111a may be characters in a foreign language corresponding to the "subtotal" printed on the second surface 111b, such as the German characters "Zwischensumme."

[0040] In addition, in the above embodiment, for example, if the main users (major users) of the electronic cash register 100 are users whose native language is English, the words "SUB TOTAL" may be printed on the second surface 111b of the key 110, and characters in another language, such as "Subtotal," may be printed on the first surface 111a.

[0041] Furthermore, in the above embodiment or modified example, the characters "SUB TOTAL" are printed on the first surface 111a or 211a of key top 111, and the characters "SUB TOTAL" are printed on the second surface 111b or 211b of key top 111, but the characters printed on the first surface 111a or 211a of key top 111 and the second surface 111b or 211b of key top 111 are not limited to this and may be characters indicating the function or role of the key.

[0042] In addition, in the above modified example, the word "Subtotal" is printed in white on cover surface 221 of cap 220, and the rest of the part is printed in black, but it is also possible to attach a piece of paper (printed material) on which the word "Subtotal" is printed in white, and the rest of the part is printed in black, to the inside of cover surface 221.

[0043] In addition, while the above embodiment has been described with respect to the keyboard section 11 of the electronic cash register 100, the present invention is not limited to this and may be, for example, other devices having the key structure of the present invention, such as a PC keyboard or an operation switch.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the key top 111 is provided such that the first surface 111a is parallel to the installation surface (horizontal surface) of the device 100, and the second surface 111b is provided to have a downward inclination of 30° from the upper end 111c1 of the step portion 111c toward the front side, but the installation angles of the first surface 111a and the second surface 111b are merely examples. The installation angles of the first surface 111a and the second surface 111b are not limited to the above-mentioned installation angles as long as they can achieve the effect of the present invention that only the characters "SUBTOTAL" on the second surface 111b can be viewed according to the angle at which the key 110 is viewed. Specifically, for example, the first surface 111a may be provided so that the elevation / depression angle of a straight line L1 perpendicular to the first surface 111a is within a predetermined angle range (for example, less than +90° (elevation angle 90°) and greater than +45° (elevation angle 45°)), and the second surface 111b may be provided so that the elevation / depression angle of a straight line L2 perpendicular to the second surface 111b is within a predetermined angle range (for example, less than +90° (elevation angle 90°) and greater than +45° (elevation angle 45°)).

[0045] In the above modified example, with regard to cover surface 221 of cap 220, when a user looks at key 210 (key top 211) at a predetermined angle (for example, elevation / depression angle of -60° (depression angle of 60°)), it is sufficient that cover surface 221 limits visibility of the characters "SUB TOTAL" printed on first surface 211a, and cover surface 221 is not limited to being arranged approximately parallel to second surface 211b of key top 211.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 100 Electronic Cash Register 10 Register section 11 Keyboard section 110,210 keys 111,211 Keytops 111a,211a 1st page 111b,211b 2nd side 111c Step 112 Movable axis 120,220 Cap 221 Cover surface 12 Main unit display 20 Printing Department 30 Drawer section B-Case B1 top surface

Claims

1. a button unit having a first surface and a second surface disposed on the front side of the device relative to the first surface; The button portion includes: The second surface is provided at a higher position than the first surface. A push button device characterized by the above.

2. The button portion includes: a virtual line segment extending from a rear end of the second surface of the device to the first surface, and extending in a vertical direction from the rear end of the second surface of the device to the second surface, the virtual line segment being provided so as to intersect in an area on the rear side of a portion on which information on the first surface is written; 2. The push button device according to claim 1,

3. The button portion includes: a virtual line segment extending from a rear end of the second surface of the device to the first surface, and the virtual line segment extending from the rear end of the second surface of the device in a vertical direction to the second surface is provided so as not to intersect with the first surface; 2. The push button device according to claim 1,

4. The cap further includes a first cover surface that is substantially parallel to the first surface, and a second cover surface that covers the second surface and is continuous with the first cover surface.

2. The push button device according to claim 1,

5. The button portion is provided such that the second surface is inclined downward toward the front side of the device.

2. The push button device according to claim 1,

6. a button portion having a first surface and a second surface formed so as to slope downward from a front end of the first surface toward the front side; A cap that covers the button portion; Equipped with The cap has a cover surface that covers a front surface of the second surface. A push button device characterized by the above.

7. The cap is a virtual line segment extending from a rear end of the cover surface of the device to the first surface, and extending in a vertical direction from the rear end of the cover surface of the device to the cover surface, is provided so as to intersect in an area on the rear side of a portion on which information on the first surface is written; 7. The push button device according to claim 6,

8. The cap is a virtual line segment extending from a rear end of the cover surface of the device to the first surface, and extending in a vertical direction from the rear end of the cover surface of the device to the cover surface so as not to intersect with the first surface; 7. The push button device according to claim 6,

9. The cap has a predetermined printing applied to the cover surface, or a predetermined printed matter attached to the cover surface.

7. The push button device according to claim 6,

Images