Control panel

Abstract

To provide a control panel suitable for a body having a color with a low saturation, a high brightness, or a high transparency.SOLUTION: A control panel 20 comprises a plurality of electrodes 31, a colored layer 42, a conductive material layer 43, and translucent parts 48, 49. The colored layer 42 has a first color. The conductive material layer 43 contains a conductive material and has a second color. The translucent parts 48, 49 transmit light, and respectively formed in the colored layer 42 and the conductive material layer 43. The translucent parts 48, 49 are arranged to correspond to the plurality of electrodes 31. The conductive material layer 43 is separated into a plurality of parts to correspond to the electrodes 31. The parts are electrically isolated from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation panel.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a decorative sheet for forming a capacitance switch operation panel, in which a light-transmitting portion surrounded by a light-shielding portion is formed as a light-transmitting display pattern on a base sheet, and the light-shielding portion is formed of an insulating black ink.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the decorative sheet of Patent Document 1 is used for an operation panel of an electric device, since the light-shielding portion is formed of an insulating black ink, when light is irradiated from the back surface of the operation panel including the decorative sheet, the appearance of the operation panel becomes black. However, when the electric device has a design based on white as a whole, it is preferable that the display panel or the operation panel is also white, and it is not preferable that the appearance of the operation panel is black. Also, in an electric device having a design based on a color with low chroma, high lightness, or high transmittance other than white, it is not preferable that the appearance of the operation panel is black.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an operation panel suitable for cases where the appearance is a color with low chroma, high lightness, or high transmittance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the control panel comprises a plurality of electrodes, a colored layer having a first color, a conductive material layer containing a conductive material and having a second color different from the first color, and light-transmitting portions formed in the colored layer and the conductive material layer corresponding to the plurality of electrodes, through which light is transmitted. The conductive material layer is divided into a plurality of parts corresponding to the plurality of electrodes. The plurality of parts are electrically insulated from each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an operation panel that is suitable when the appearance is a color with low saturation, high brightness, or high transparency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an air purifier equipped with an operation panel according to one example of an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the control panel. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the arrangement of conductive material layers. [Figure 5] This figure shows another example of the arrangement of conductive material layers. [Figure 6] This figure shows yet another example of the arrangement of conductive material layers. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be repeated in the description.

[0010] First, with reference to Figure 1, an example of an operation panel 20 according to an embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an air purifier 10. The air purifier 10 is equipped with an operation panel 20 according to an example of an embodiment. An operation panel 20 is provided in electrical equipment such as electrical appliances to receive operations from the user. The air purifier 10 is an example of an electrical equipment.

[0011] The control panel 20 is provided with multiple touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24. Each of the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 is provided with a first light-transmitting section 48 and a second light-transmitting section 49.

[0012] The control panel 20 is provided, for example, as part of the exterior of the air purifier 10. The control panel 20 is located in a position easily accessible to the user of the air purifier 10, such as on the top or side of the exterior. In Figure 1, a portion of the top surface of the air purifier 10 is the control panel 20.

[0013] The touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 on the control panel 20 are a type of switch (for example, a capacitive switch) that allows the user to operate various functions of the air purifier 10 by touching them with their fingers. In Figure 1, touch keys 21 and 22 are arranged close together. The two touch keys 23 are positioned at a distance from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which touch keys 21 and 22 are arranged. The multiple (six in this case) touch keys 24 are positioned away from touch keys 21 and 22 in the direction in which touch keys 21 and 22 are arranged.

[0014] Furthermore, the shapes of touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 may vary depending on design considerations. In Figure 1, touch keys 21, 22, and 24 are circular, while touch key 23 is elliptical.

[0015] The first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 indicate the positions and functions of the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 to the user. Specifically, the first light-transmitting portion 48 indicates the outlines of the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24. And the second light-transmitting portion 49 indicates the functions of the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24. Although the display of detailed functions is omitted in FIG. 1, the second light-transmitting portion 49 may be, for example, in the shape of a character string (such as "POWER ON / OFF") indicating the functions of the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24.

[0016] Referring to FIG. 2, the structure of the operation panel 20 in the area of the touch key 21 will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1 and shows the structure of the operation panel 20. The operation panel 20 includes a housing plate 29, a flexible substrate 30, electrodes 31, a design sheet 40, a first light-transmitting portion 48, and a second light-transmitting portion 49. The design sheet 40 includes a transparent layer 41, a colored layer 42, and a conductive substance layer 43. The electrodes 31 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24. That is, the operation panel 20 includes a plurality of electrodes 31. Also, the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 are arranged corresponding to the plurality of electrodes 31. The conductive substance layer 43 is also divided into a plurality of parts and arranged corresponding to the plurality of electrodes 31. The thickness and dielectric constant of each layer are also substantially the same for the touch keys 22, 23, and 24 other than the touch key 21, and the difference is within the range of error.

[0017] The housing plate 29 is a part of the housing of the air cleaner 10. The housing plate 29 is a plate made of an insulator such as synthetic resin or glass. As the synthetic resin, for example, polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, etc. are used. The housing plate 29 is the uppermost surface of the operation panel 20, that is, the surface that the user directly touches with a finger.

[0018] A design sheet 40 is disposed below the housing plate 29. As the design sheet 40, for example, a synthetic resin sheet made of a polyester-based resin, a vinyl chloride resin, or the like is used. The design sheet 40 includes a transparent transparent layer 41, a colored layer 42 having a first color, and a conductive substance layer 43 containing a conductive substance and having a second color. The second color is different from the first color. The colored layer 42 is formed, for example, by printing a first color (such as white, light blue, pastel pink, etc.) of ink containing a pigment or a dye on the transparent layer 41 made of a synthetic resin. The conductive substance layer 43 is formed, for example, by printing a second color (such as silver) of ink containing a conductive substance on the colored layer 42.

[0019] Also, in the region of the design sheet 40 corresponding to the touch key 21, a first light-transmitting portion 48 and a second light-transmitting portion 49 are formed. Each of the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 is formed in the colored layer 42 and the conductive substance layer 43. Light passes through the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49. The first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 are, for example, portions where the colored layer 42 and the conductive substance layer 43 are not formed by printing or the like on a part of the transparent layer 41. For example, when the colored layer 42 and the conductive substance layer 43 are formed by printing, masking is performed so that ink does not adhere to the portions that will become the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49. Thereby, the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 are formed.

[0020] A flexible substrate 30 is disposed below the design sheet 40. The flexible substrate 30 is preferably a transparent flexible film made of a transparent material such as transparent polyimide. In the region of the flexible substrate 30 corresponding to the touch key 21, an electrode 31 is disposed. The electrode 31 is preferably a transparent electrode. The transparent electrode is formed, for example, by PEDOT (polyethylenedioxythiophene) or indium tin oxide. When the touch key 21 is a capacitance-type switch, it is preferable that the electrode 31 changes its capacitance when a user's finger touches the touch key 21.

[0021] In the area of ​​the touch key 21, light L is irradiated from below the flexible substrate 30. Even if the flexible substrate 30 and the electrode 31 are transparent, the light L is shielded by the colored layer 42 and the conductive material layer 43. A first light-transmitting portion 48 and a second light-transmitting portion 49 are formed in the colored layer 42 and the conductive material layer 43, respectively, and the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 transmit light L. Therefore, from above the housing plate 29, light that has passed through the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 is observed. If the first light-transmitting portion 48 is shaped like the outline of the touch key 21 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 is shaped like a string of characters indicating the function of the touch key 21, then from above the housing plate 29, light is observed in the shape of the outline of the touch key 21 and the string of characters indicating the function. Therefore, the user can recognize the position and function of the touch key 21 by the shape of the emitted light.

[0022] It is not necessary for both the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 to be formed; either one may be formed. For example, only the first light-transmitting portion 48, which shows the outline, may be formed in accordance with the touch key 21. The first light-transmitting portion 48 allows light to pass through, indicating the position of the touch key 21 to the user through illumination. Even if the second light-transmitting portion 49 is not formed, it is sufficient that an indication of the function of the touch key 21 is visible from outside the operation panel 20. For example, if a string of characters indicating the function of the touch key 21 is printed on the housing plate 29 or design sheet 40, the user can recognize the function of the touch key 21.

[0023] The first color of the colored layer 42 is preferably the same color as the housing plate 29. By having the housing plate 29, which is part of the housing of the air purifier 10, and the colored layer 42 be the same color, the overall appearance of the air purifier 10 and the appearance of the control panel 20, including the touch keys 21, will be the same color. Specifically, if the housing plate 29 is white, the colored layer 42 should also be white. Also, if the housing plate 29 is semi-transparent, the colored layer 42 should also be semi-transparent.

[0024] The conductive material layer 43 preferably contains metal powder as a conductive material. Various metal powders such as copper, silver, and iron can be used as the metal powder. In particular, it is preferable that the conductive material layer 43 contains metal powder such that the second color of the conductive material layer 43 is silver. Because metal powder diffusely reflects light, most of the light incident on the conductive material layer 43 containing metal powder does not pass through the conductive material layer 43. Specifically, it is preferable that the conductive material layer 43 has a transmittance of at least 1% or less of visible light (light with a wavelength of approximately 400 nm to approximately 700 nm) so that most of the visible light is blocked. If the conductive material layer 43 blocks light by diffuse reflection, not only will the light L irradiated from below the flexible substrate 30 not be transmitted upward, but light incident on the conductive material layer 43 from above will also be diffusely reflected. Therefore, even if the housing plate 29 and the colored layer 42 are semi-transparent, the influence of the color of the conductive material layer 43 (second color) on the appearance of the control panel 20 is small, and the appearance of the control panel 20 is observed to be the same color as the colored layer 42 (first color). Furthermore, even if the arrangement of the colored layer 42 and the conductive material layer 43 is slightly misaligned between the first translucent section 48 and the second translucent section 49 due to printing misalignment, the overall appearance of the control panel 20 is observed to be the same color as the colored layer 42 (first color).

[0025] If the housing plate 29 and the colored layer 42 are low-saturation, high-brightness, or highly-transmitting colors, the operation panel 20 can have the appearance of low-saturation, high-brightness, or highly-transmitting colors. Furthermore, the conductive material layer 43, positioned closer to the electrodes 31 than the colored layer 42, shields the light L irradiated from below the flexible substrate 30 and electrodes 31, so that the light L from below does not pass through the colored layer 42 and reach the top of the housing plate 29. In other words, from outside the operation panel 20, it appears as if only the first translucent section 48 and the second translucent section 49 are emitting light. Therefore, even if the colored layer 42 is low-saturation, high-brightness, or highly-transmitting, the shapes of the first translucent section 48 and the second translucent section 49 are not blurred, and the outlines of the touch keys 21 and the strings indicating their functions are clearly displayed to the user.

[0026] The structure of the control panel 20 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the control panel 20, similar to Figure 2, but Figure 3 shows a wider area than Figure 2. In Figure 3, the area below the flexible substrate 30 and the area outside the first light-transmitting section 48 are illustrated.

[0027] Below the housing plate 29, design sheet 40, and flexible substrate 30 of the operation panel 20, a substrate angle 55, connector 35, electronic circuit board 50, and light source 51 are provided. In addition, an insulating portion 45 is provided in the conductive material layer 43 outside the area of ​​the touch key 21 (in Figure 3, the area away from the touch key 21 in the left and right directions).

[0028] The substrate angle 55 is a member that supports the flexible substrate 30. The connector 35 is a connection terminal that electrically connects the flexible substrate 30 and the electronic circuit board 50. The light source 51 is an element that illuminates the touch key 21 from below and is mounted on the electronic circuit board 50. The light source 51 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In Figure 3, the light source 51 is located below the touch key 21, but the light source 51 may be located away from the touch key 21. If the light source 51 is located away from the touch key 21, it is sufficient that light is guided from the light source 51 to the touch key 21 by a light guide plate or the like.

[0029] The electronic circuit board 50 performs electronic processing to receive user operations on the touch key 21 as input to the air purifier 10. If the touch key 21 is a capacitive switch, when the user touches the upper surface of the housing plate 29 in the area of ​​the touch key 21 with their finger, the capacitance of the electrode 31 changes. The change in the capacitance of the electrode 31 is transmitted as an electrical signal to the electronic circuit board 50 via the flexible circuit board 30 and connector 35. The electronic circuit board 50 is equipped with an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The electronic circuit board 50 performs electronic processing on the change in the capacitance of the electrode 31 as an input operation by the user.

[0030] The insulating portion 45 is formed, for example, when printing the conductive material layer 43 onto the colored layer 42, by masking a portion of the colored layer 42, thereby creating an area where ink containing the conductive material is not applied. The conductive material layer 43 is divided into multiple parts and arranged to correspond to the multiple electrodes 31. The insulating portion 45 is formed between the multiple parts of the conductive material layer 43. Therefore, the multiple parts of the conductive material layer 43 are electrically insulated from each other.

[0031] The arrangement of the conductive material layer 43 will be explained with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the conductive material layer 43. Figure 5 is a diagram showing another example of the arrangement of the conductive material layer 43. Figure 6 is a diagram showing yet another example of the arrangement of the conductive material layer 43. For explanatory purposes, in Figures 4, 5, and 6, multiple parts constituting the conductive material layer 43 and the insulating part 45 formed on the conductive material layer 43 are shown in plan view. In addition, the areas of touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 corresponding to the multiple parts constituting the conductive material layer 43 are shown by dashed lines. Note that when the first translucent part 48 shows the shape of the contours of touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24, the areas of touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 are the areas enclosed by the first translucent part 48 in plan view.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the conductive material layer 43 is divided into multiple parts corresponding to the multiple touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 (and their respective electrodes 31). Since the conductive material layer 43 contains conductive material, when a user's finger or the like touches the conductive material layer 43, the capacitance of the corresponding electrode 31 may change. However, the insulating part 45 electrically insulates each part of the conductive material layer 43 from one another. Therefore, even if a user's finger or the like operates on a touch key 21, the user's finger or the like will not touch the conductive material layer 43 including the areas of touch keys 22 and 23 adjacent to touch key 21. In other words, even if a user's finger or the like operates on a specific electrode 31, it will not affect other electrodes 31.

[0033] The spacing between each part of the conductive material layer 43 (i.e., the width of the insulating part 45) is a predetermined distance D K (For example, 20 mm) is preferable to be greater than the distance D. K However, the expected finger size of the user is D F If the distance D is greater than (for example, 15 mm), then user operation on a specific touch key 21 will not affect adjacent touch keys 22 and 23 (and their respective electrodes 31). In other words, if the distance D K If the distance D is 20 mm or less, there is a high possibility that multiple adjacent parts of the conductive material layer 43 will be electrically connected when the user operates a single touch key with their finger. Therefore, the distance D between each part should be K Making them larger prevents accidental operation of touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24.

[0034] In Figure 5, not only are insulating sections 45 positioned between each part of the conductive material layer 43, but the insulating sections 45 also surround the area outside the rectangular region encompassing the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24. In the arrangement of the conductive material layer 43 in Figure 5, for example, areas far from the touch key 21 (for example, areas to the left or below the touch key 21 in the figure) are insulated from the electrode 31 corresponding to the touch key 21 by the insulating section 45. Therefore, even if a user's finger or other object touches an area far from the touch key 21, it will not affect the electrode 31 corresponding to the touch key 21. In other words, malfunctions of the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 are more reliably prevented.

[0035] In Figure 6, the conductive material layer 43 is arranged only in a circular or elliptical area surrounding the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24, with all other parts being insulating parts 45. With the arrangement of the conductive material layer 43 in Figure 6, for example, only contact of the user's finger or other object with the conductive material layer 43 that is approximately the same size as the area of ​​the touch key 21 is registered as an operation to the touch key 21. Therefore, contact of the user's finger or other object with parts other than the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 is not registered as an operation to the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24. In other words, malfunctions of the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 are more reliably prevented. Also, because the area of ​​the conductive material layer 43 is small in Figure 6, if the conductive material layer 43 is formed by printing, the amount of ink containing conductive material required to form the conductive material layer 43 is reduced. In the arrangement of the conductive material layers 43 shown in Figure 6, it is preferable that the spacing between the conductive material layers 43 (i.e., the width of the insulating portion 45) is greater than a predetermined distance (greater than the expected thickness of the user's finger).

[0036] Furthermore, in order to make the sensitivity of touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 uniform, the area of ​​the conductive material layer 43 may differ for each of the touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24. For example, if the length of the electrical wiring from the electrode 31 to the arithmetic unit on the electronic circuit board 50 differs between touch key 21 and touch key 22, it is desirable that the area of ​​the conductive material layer 43 on the side with the longer wiring length be larger. Electrodes 31 with longer wiring lengths tend to have lower sensitivity, but sensitivity increases when the area of ​​the conductive material layer 43 is larger. Therefore, by adjusting the area of ​​the conductive material layer 43, the sensitivity of touch keys 21, 22, 23, and 24 can be made uniform. In addition, it is desirable that not only the conductive material layer 43, but also the electrodes 31 have different areas according to their wiring lengths.

[0037] According to the above-described configuration of the control panel 20, the colored layer 42 can be a low-saturation color (e.g., saturation of 50% or less), a high-brightness color (e.g., a brightness of 50% or more), or a highly transparent color (e.g., a transparency of 50% or more). Therefore, the control panel 20 can have the appearance of a low-saturation color, a high-brightness color, or a highly transparent color. For example, the control panel 20 can be a light color such as white, light blue, or pastel pink, or it can be semi-transparent. Furthermore, since the conductive material layers 43 are electrically insulated from each other, even if a user operates a specific electrode 31 with their finger, it will not affect other electrodes 31.

[0038] The order in which the transparent layer 41, the colored layer 42, and the conductive material layer 43 are arranged is not limited to the order described in the above configuration. It is sufficient that the conductive material layer 43 is positioned inside the colored layer 42 in the optical path of light irradiated from the inside to the outside of the air purifier 10. For example, the colored layer 42 may be positioned above the transparent layer 41, and the conductive material layer 43 may be positioned below the transparent layer 41.

[0039] Furthermore, the method for forming the colored layer 42 and the conductive material layer 43 is not limited to printing. For example, the colored layer 42 and the conductive material layer 43 may be formed by etching or vapor deposition. Also, the transparent layer 41 is not necessarily provided. For example, the colored layer 42 may be formed by a material having a first color, and the first translucent portion 48 and the second translucent portion 49 may be formed by embedding a transparent material in a part of the colored layer 42, or by cutting out a part of the colored layer 42.

[0040] Furthermore, the method for forming the insulating portion 45 is not limited to providing an area where the ink containing the conductive material is not applied. For example, an insulating material may be placed in the area of ​​the insulating portion 45. Alternatively, after the conductive material layer 43 is placed over the entire colored layer 42, the conductive material layer 43 may be removed from the area that will become the insulating portion 45 by etching or the like.

[0041] Alternatively, the design sheet 40 may be placed below the transparent flexible substrate 30. Even if the design sheet 40 is placed below the flexible substrate 30, the conductive material layer 43 blocks light from below, while the first light-transmitting portion 48 and the second light-transmitting portion 49 allow light to pass through. Therefore, from the outside of the operation panel 20, only the outlines of the touch keys 21 and the strings indicating their functions appear to be emitting light.

[0042] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. The drawings schematically show each component in order to facilitate understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown may differ from the actual dimensions due to the convenience of drawing creation. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible without substantially departing from the configuration of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0043] The present invention is an operating panel and has industrial applicability. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 10 Air purifiers 20 Control Panel 21 touch keys 22 touch keys 23 Touch Keys 24 touch keys 29. Enclosure plate 30 Flexible circuit boards 31 electrode 35 connectors 40 design sheets 41 Transparent layer 42 Colored layer 43 Conductive material layer 45 Insulation part 48 1st transparent part 49 2nd transparent part 50 Electronic circuit boards 51 Light source 55 Circuit board angle

Claims

1. A plurality of electrodes for detecting capacitance, A colored layer having the first color, A conductive material layer containing a conductive material and having a second color different from the first color, A light-transmitting portion is formed in the colored layer and the conductive material layer corresponding to the plurality of electrodes, and light is transmitted through it. Equipped with, The conductive material layer is divided into multiple parts that overlap the multiple electrodes, The aforementioned multiple parts are electrically insulated from each other, forming an operating panel.

2. The control panel according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material layer is closer to the electrode than the colored layer.

3. The control panel according to claim 1, wherein the first color is white.

4. The operation panel according to claim 1, wherein the colored layer is semi-transparent.

5. The control panel according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material layer contains metal powder.

6. The operation panel according to claim 1, wherein the second color is silver.

7. The operation panel according to claim 1, wherein the interval between the plurality of parts is greater than a predetermined distance.

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