Sheet keys and electronic devices

Abstract

To provide a sheet key and an electronic device capable of inhibiting a switch of the sheet key from being pressed in a state unintended by a user.SOLUTION: A sheet key 1 includes a substrate 2, a switch 3 disposed on one side of the substrate 2, a spacer 4 disposed on one side of the substrate 2 and around the switch 3, and a sheet 5 provided on one side of the spacer 4 and covering one side of the switch 4. The sheet 5 has a convex portion 6 formed from one side around an area corresponding to the spacer 4. The spacer 4 is disposed between the sheet 5 in an area where the convex portion 6 is formed and the substrate 2 in an area corresponding to the convex portion 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet key and an electronic device, and more particularly to a sheet key used in a portable electronic device and an electronic device equipped with the sheet key. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Lightweight and thin sheet keys are sometimes used as operation keys such as power switches of portable electronic devices, sheet-type keyboards, and the like. The sheet key is formed, for example, by arranging a dome switch on a circuit board and then covering it with a sheet.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet key that has been designed to make it easier for the user to identify the position of the key when touching it by raising the periphery of the sheet part above the dome switch, i.e., the periphery of the key top part, in a convex shape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-68169 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, for example, if such a sheet key is arranged on the surface of the housing of a portable electronic device, when the electronic device is carried in a bag, the convex portion of the sheet key may be pressed by the bag or items inside the bag, causing the entire sheet portion above the dome switch to be pressed down, thereby pressing the dome switch. Therefore, for example, if the dome switch on the convex part of the sheet key is a power switch, the power switch of an electronic device may be pressed unintentionally when the user is carrying the device, causing the electronic device to start up without the user's knowledge.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a sheet key and an electronic device that can prevent the switch of the sheet key from being pressed unintentionally by the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the sheet key of the present invention includes a substrate, a switch arranged on one side of the substrate, a spacer arranged on the one side of the substrate around the switch, and a sheet provided on the one side of the spacer and covering the one side of the switch, the sheet being provided on one side of the substrate around an area corresponding to the spacer. One A convex portion is formed, the average inclination angle of the outer slope of the convex portion is larger than the average inclination angle of the inner slope of the convex portion, and the spacer is continuously arranged over the outer region of the region in which the convex portion is formed, the region corresponding to the convex portion, and the inner region of the region in which the convex portion is formed.

[0008] An electronic device of the present invention includes the sheet key described above and a housing in which the sheet key is arranged. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the switch of the sheet key from being pressed unintentionally by the user. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the seat key according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet key according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 11 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet key when the sheet is pressed by a finger. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a projector to which a sheet key according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a convex portion in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration in which a portion of the sheet above the switch on the inside of a convex portion is raised in a dome shape. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a sheet key and an electronic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the up-down direction of the sheet key 1 will be described with the side where the sheet 5 is provided as the top and the side where the board 2 is provided as the bottom, as shown in Fig. 2 described later, but this is for the sake of explanation, and the present invention is not limited to the case where the sheet key 1 is used in this orientation. In addition, in the following, a case where the electronic device is a projector is shown, but the electronic device may be an electronic device other than a projector.

[0012] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a sheet key according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet key according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet key with the sheet pressed by a finger. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a projector to which a sheet key according to the present embodiment is attached. It should be noted that the relative thicknesses of the substrate 2, spacer 4, sheet 5, and convex portion 6 described later and the relative sizes of the switch 3, hole 4a, and convex portion 6 shown in Figures 1 and 2 do not necessarily reflect reality.

[0013] The sheet key 1 is configured to include a substrate 2, a switch 3, a spacer 4, a sheet 5, and a convex portion 6.

[0014] The substrate 2 is configured with a flat or sheet-shaped circuit board such as a printed circuit board or a flexible board. Wiring and the like that is arranged on the substrate 2 by printing or the like is omitted in Figs. 1 and 2. The substrate 2 is formed with a circular conductive portion 7a that is copper-plated, and a conductive portion 7b that is similarly copper-plated on the inside of the circular conductive portion 7a.

[0015] The switch 3 is disposed at a predetermined position on the substrate 2. The switch 3 is, for example, a dome switch, and the outer circumferential edge of the switch 3 is in contact with the conductive portion 7a. 3, when a user presses the sheet 5 located on the inner periphery of the convex portion 6 with his / her finger, the switch 3 is depressed, and the switch 3 comes into contact with the conductive portion 7b formed on the substrate 2, thereby establishing electrical continuity and turning the switch on. Note that a thin dome switch or the like can be used as the switch 3, but a push button switch or the like can also be used.

[0016] Further, a spacer 4 is attached onto the substrate 2. The spacer 4 has, for example, a circular hole 4a formed at a predetermined position, and the switch 3 is disposed within the hole 4a of the spacer 4. That is, the spacer 4 is disposed around the switch 3, and the switch 3 is disposed and housed within a space surrounded by the substrate 2, the spacer 4, and a sheet 5 which will be described later.

[0017] In this embodiment, the spacer 4 is made of a resin plate material such as polycarbonate or PET, but it may be made of other materials. In addition, when the substrate 2 is made of a substrate having flexibility such as a flexible substrate, the spacer 4 serves as a framework of the sheet key 1.

[0018] A sheet 5 is attached to one surface of the spacer 4, and the sheet 5 is disposed so as to cover the upper part of the switch 3 at the portion of the hole 4a of the spacer 4. In plan view, the size of the holes 4a formed in the spacer 4 is smaller than the size of the inside of a convex portion 6, which will be described later, of the sheet 5. Moreover, the spacer 4 is provided in the entire area corresponding to the convex portion 6 of the sheet 5 in plan view.

[0019] The sheet 5 is flexible, and as shown in FIG. 3, when the user presses the portion of the sheet 5 corresponding to the hole 4a of the spacer 4, i.e., the portion 5a of the sheet 5 above the switch 3 (one side) from above (one side) downward (to the other side), this portion 5a of the sheet 5 bends downward, enabling the switch 3 to be pressed. The sheet 5 is made of a resin sheet such as PET or polycarbonate, but can also be made of other materials.

[0020] Moreover, a convex portion 6 that is raised upward is formed around the periphery of a portion 5a of the sheet 5 above the switch 3 (one surface side). The convex portions 6 can be formed by, for example, subjecting the sheet 5 to a sheet molding method or by embossing the sheet 5 .

[0021] The convex portion 6 may be formed, for example, in a circular or rectangular shape when viewed from above (one side) and may be provided around the entire circumference of the portion of the sheet 5 above the switch 3, or it may be provided so that a part or multiple parts of the convex portion 6 are cut out. In either case, the switch 3 is disposed below the sheet 5 on the inner side of the convex portion 6.

[0022] In the present invention, the spacer 4 is interposed between the convex portion 6 and the substrate 2 directly below it. Therefore, even if the convex portion 6 is pressed from above, the spacer 4 is located directly below the convex portion 6, so that the convex portion 6 cannot move downward.

[0023] The spacer 4 is disposed between the sheet 5 in the region where the convex portion 6 is formed and the substrate 2 in the region corresponding to the convex portion 6. In other words, there is contact between the sheet 5 in the region where the convex portion 6 is formed and the spacer 4 in the region corresponding to the convex portion 6, and between the spacer 4 in the region corresponding to the convex portion 6 and the substrate 2 in the region corresponding to the convex portion 6, and there is no gap, so the convex portion 6 cannot be pressed down. An adhesive may be applied between the spacer 4 and the substrate 2. Alternatively, the substrate 2 including the switch 3 may be covered with a transparent sheet.

[0024] Next, the operation of the sheet key 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the convex portion 6 is formed on the sheet 5 (one side) in, for example, a circular shape so as to protrude upward, so that the user can easily determine the position of the switch 3 by looking at or touching the convex portion 6. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, when a user presses the sheet 5 on the inside of the convex portion 6 with a finger or the like, the sheet 5 becomes concave, and a switch 3 such as a power switch (including a keyboard key, etc.) is pressed and concave, so that the central conductive portion 7 in contact with the central part of the switch 3 and the outer conductive portion 7 that was in contact with the switch 3 before the sheet 5 was pressed become conductive, allowing the switch to be pressed reliably.

[0025] Furthermore, when a portable electronic device 10 in which the sheet key 1 of this embodiment is arranged on the surface of the housing 11, such as the electronic device 10 (projector) shown in Figure 4, is carried in a bag or the like, even if the convex portion 6 of the sheet key 1 is pressed by the bag or items inside the bag, the convex portion 6 will not be pressed downward because the spacer 4 is present on the other side below the convex portion 6, extending from one side of the substrate 2 to the other side of the sheet 5 on which the convex portion 6 is formed. Therefore, even if the convex portion 6 of the sheet key 1 is pressed, the situation does not occur in which the portion of the sheet 5 on the upper side, which is one surface side of the switch 3, is pressed down and the switch 3 is pressed.

[0026] As described above, with the sheet key 1 and electronic device 10 (projector) of this embodiment, even if the convex portion 6 of the sheet key 1 is pressed when the electronic device 10 is placed in a bag, the spacer 4 is interposed between the convex portion 6 and the substrate 2 directly below it, extending from one side of the substrate 2 to the other side of the sheet 5 on which the convex portion 6 is formed, so that the portion of the sheet 5 above the switch 3 is prevented from being pressed down and the switch 3 is prevented from being pressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the switch of the sheet key from being pressed unintentionally by the user, and to prevent the occurrence of a situation such as the electronic device 10 being started up without the user's knowledge. This makes it possible to prevent light from being irradiated accidentally from the projection port 8 (see FIG. 4) of the electronic device 10 (projector).

[0027] In addition, as shown in Fig. 5, which is an enlarged view of Fig. 2, in this embodiment, the convex ridge portion 6 is formed such that the inner slope 6a has a gentle inclination and the outer slope 6b has a steep inclination. That is, the average inclination angle of the outer slope 6b of the convex ridge portion 6 is larger than the average inclination angle of the inner slope 6a of the convex ridge portion 6. In this way, if the inner slope 6a of the convex portion 6 is gently inclined, when the user's finger pressing down the switch 3 touches the inside of the convex portion 6, the finger is guided towards the centre of the convex portion 6 and towards the switch 3 (not shown in Figure 5; it is located at the bottom centre of the figure; same below), so that the user can reliably press down the switch 3.

[0028] Furthermore, if the outer slope 6b of the convex portion 6 is formed with a steep incline as in this embodiment, even if a foreign object comes toward the switch 3 from the surface direction of the sheet 5, the foreign object will be caught on the steep outer slope 6b of the convex portion 6, thereby making it possible to prevent the foreign object from climbing over the convex portion 6 and entering the switch 3 side and causing the switch 3 to be pressed down. Furthermore, in this case, if the inclination of the inner slope 6a of the convex portion 6 is formed gently as described above, the thickness of the convex portion 6 in the surface direction of the sheet 5 (horizontal direction in FIG. 5) becomes thicker. Therefore, even if a foreign object hits the convex portion 6 from the surface direction of the sheet 5, the convex portion 6 will not easily deform, and it is possible to prevent the foreign object from climbing over the convex portion 6 and entering the switch 3 side, causing the switch 3 to be pressed down.

[0029] 6, it is also possible to form a central portion 5b of the sheet 5 on one side above the switch 3 inside the convex portion 6 so as to be raised, for example, in a dome shape. The method of raising the central portion 5b can be the same as for the convex portion 6, for example, by subjecting the sheet 5 to a sheet molding method or embossing the sheet 5. With this configuration, when foreign object A moves from above toward switch 3, the raised shape of central portion 5b can change the direction of movement of foreign object A from the direction toward switch 3 to the direction toward outer convex portion 6 (i.e., lateral direction), thereby increasing the probability of preventing foreign object A from pressing down switch 3. This improves the effect of reducing erroneous operation of switch 3 due to foreign object A.

[0030] 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. The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are set forth below. The claim numbers in the appended claims are the same as those in the claims originally attached to this application. [Note] <Claim 1> A substrate; A switch disposed on one surface side of the substrate; a spacer disposed on the one surface side of the substrate and around the switch; a sheet provided on one surface side of the spacer and covering one surface side of the switch; Equipped with the sheet has a convex portion formed on one surface around a region corresponding to the spacer, The sheet key is characterized in that the spacer is disposed between the sheet in an area where the convex portion is formed and the substrate in an area corresponding to the convex portion. <Claim 2> 2. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein an average inclination angle of an outer slope of the convex portion is larger than an average inclination angle of an inner slope of the convex portion. <Claim 3> A substrate; A switch disposed on one surface side of the substrate; a spacer disposed on the one surface side of the substrate and around the switch; a sheet provided on one surface side of the spacer and covering one surface side of the switch; Equipped with the sheet has a convex portion formed on one surface around a region corresponding to the spacer, A sheet key, wherein an average inclination angle of an outer slope of the convex portion is greater than an average inclination angle of an inner slope of the convex portion. <Claim 4> 4. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein a size of the hole formed in the spacer is smaller than a size of the inside of the convex portion of the sheet in a plan view. <Claim 5> 5. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is provided over an entire area of ​​the sheet corresponding to the convex portion in a plan view. <Claim 6> 6. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein the switch is a dome switch, and when the sheet inside the convex portion is pressed, the dome switch is depressed to come into contact with a conductive portion formed on the substrate, thereby establishing electrical continuity and turning on the switch. <Claim 7> 7. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is formed by raising an inside of the convex portion on the one surface side of the switch. <Claim 8> A sheet key according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a housing in which the sheet keys are arranged; An electronic device comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 Sheet key 2. Board 3 Switch 4 Spacer 5 Sheets 5a The part of the sheet above the switch 5b Center part of the seat above the switch 6 Convex part 6a Inner slope of convex part 6b Outer slope of convex part 6c Edge of convex part 7 Conductive Part 8 Projection port 10 Electronic equipment

Claims

1. A substrate; A switch disposed on one surface side of the substrate; a spacer disposed on the one surface side of the substrate and around the switch; a sheet provided on one surface side of the spacer and covering one surface side of the switch; Equipped with the sheet has one convex portion formed on one surface around a region corresponding to the spacer, an average inclination angle of an outer slope of the convex portion is larger than an average inclination angle of an inner slope of the convex portion; the spacer is continuously disposed across an outer region of the region in which the convex portion is formed, an area corresponding to the convex portion, and an inner region of the region in which the convex portion is formed.

2. 2. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein a size of the hole formed in the spacer is smaller than a size of the inside of the convex portion of the sheet in a plan view.

3. 3. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is provided over an entire area of ​​the sheet corresponding to the convex portion in a plan view.

4. 4. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein the switch is a dome switch, and when the sheet inside the convex portion is pressed, the dome switch is depressed to come into contact with a conductive portion formed on the substrate, thereby establishing electrical continuity and turning on the switch.

5. 5. The sheet key according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is formed by raising an inside of the convex portion on the one surface side of the switch.

6. A sheet key according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a housing in which the sheet keys are arranged; An electronic device comprising:

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