Highly recyclable keypad with a key top and method of separating the same

• US 20020172354A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polymatech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Polymatech Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishi, Kengo
• Granted Patent: US 7,099,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/433.07
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/70 having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/028 Adhesive

Abstract

A keypad with a key top (6) according to the present invention is a keypad with a key top (6) manufactured by bonding a keypad (1) made of a thermoplastic elastomer to a key top (5) made of a thermoplastic resin and being molded as a separate member from the keypad (1) with an adhesive (3) made from a reaction curing resin that swells when contacted with an organic solvent. A keypad with a key top (6) can be easily separated into a separate keypad (1) and a separate key top (5) by making this adhesive that bonds the keypad with the key top (6) swell when contacted with an organic solvent. Therefore, this keypad with the key top (6) is excellent in recyclability.

Claims

1. A keypad with a key top, comprising:

a keypad made of a thermoplastic elastomer; and

a key top which is made of a thermoplastic resin and is molded as a separate member from the keypad,

the keypad and the key top being bonded with an adhesive made of a reaction curing resin that swells when contacted with an organic solvent.

2. A keypad with a key top according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is an adhesive made from a reaction curing resin, and the adhesive swelling due to contact with an organic solvent exhibits a weight increase of 2% by weight or greater.

3. A keypad with a key top according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is an adhesive made from a reaction curing resin that swells when contacted with an alcoholic organic solvent having less than 10 carbon atoms.

4. A keypad with a key top according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive is an adhesive made from a reaction curing resin that swells when contacted with an alcoholic organic solvent having less than 10 carbon atoms.

5. A keypad with a key top according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:

a keypad is made of at least one thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of styrene thermoplastic elastomers, ester thermoplastic elastomers and urethane thermoplastic elastomers;

a key top is made of at least one thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate resins, acrylic resins, styrene resins and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resins; and

an adhesive is made from at least one reaction curing resin selected from the group consisting of urethane resins, epoxy resins, amino resins, acrylic resins and crosslinked cyanoacrylate resins.

6. A method of separating a key top and a keypad from a keypad with a key top,

the keypad with the key top including:

the keypad made of a thermoplastic elastomer; and

the key top which is made of a thermoplastic resin and is molded as a separate member from the keypad,

the keypad and the key top being bonded with an adhesive made from a reaction curing resin that swells when contacted with an organic solvent,

the method comprising swelling the adhesive with the organic solvent, to thereby separates the key top and the keypad from the keypad with the key top.

8. A method of separating a key top and a keypad from a keypad with a key top according to claim 6, wherein the organic solvent is an organic solvent that makes the adhesive made from a reaction curing resin swell so as to exhibit a weight increase of 2% by weight or greater.

10. A method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the organic solvent is an alcoholic organic solvent having less than 10 carbon atoms.

7. A method of separating a key top, a keypad, and an adhesive from a keypad with a key top,

the keypad with the key top including:

the keypad made of a thermoplastic elastomer; and

the key top which is made of a thermoplastic resin and is molded as a separate member from the keypad,

the keypad and the key top being bonded with an adhesive made from a reaction curing resin that swells when contacted with an organic solvent,

the method comprising swelling the adhesive with the organic solvent, to thereby separate the key top, the keypad, and the adhesive from the keypad with the key top.

9. A method of separating a key top, a keypad, and an adhesive from a keypad with a key top according to claim 7, wherein the organic solvent is an organic solvent that makes the adhesive made from a reaction curing resin swell so as to exhibit a weight increase of 2% by weight or greater.