Input device and electronic apparatus having the same

• US 20040080490A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hirokazu Nakayoshi, Junichi Ohsako, Shigeki Motoyama, Shun Kayama, Toshitaka Kawashima, Yasuhiro Kataoka
• Original Assignee: Hirokazu Nakayoshi, Junichi Ohsako, Shigeki Motoyama, Shun Kayama, Toshitaka Kawashima, Yasuhiro Kataoka
• Inventors: Kawashima, Toshitaka, Kayama, Shun, Ohsako, Junichi, Kataoka, Yasuhiro, Motoyama, Shigeki, Nakayoshi, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/00 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/06 Temperature sensitive
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H

Abstract

An input device and an electronic apparatus using such an input device capable of providing visual amusement at the time of operating thereof and allowing the down sizing and thinning are provided. The input device has a reversible chromatic layer exhibiting color change in response to temperature change, and a sheet-type input portion laminated on the reversible chromatic layer and activates ON operation upon being pressed.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a reversible chromatic layer exhibiting color change in response to temperature change; and

a sheet-type input portion laminated on said reversible chromatic layer and activates ON operation upon being pressed.

2. The input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reversible chromatic layer is located on a front surface of said sheet-type input portion and an input operation is effected by direct contact with said reversible chromatic layer.

3. The input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reversible chromatic layer is located on a rear surface of said sheet-type switch portion and an input operation is effected by direct contact with said sheet-type switch portion.

4. The input device as claimed in claim 2, wherein heat required to cause temperature change of said reversible chromatic layer is provided through the direct contact thereto with a part of a human body.

5. The input device as claimed in claim 3, wherein heat required to cause temperature change of said reversible chromatic layer is provided from an inner portion of an electronic apparatus.

6. An electronic apparatus having an input device, wherein said input device comprising:

a reversible chromatic layer exhibiting color change in response to temperature change; and

a sheet-type input portion stacked on said reversible chromatic layer and activates ON operation upon being pressed.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said reversible chromatic layer is located on a front surface of said sheet-type input portion and exposed outward within a window provided to a housing of said electronic apparatus, and

an input operation is effected by direct contact with said reversible chromatic layer.

8. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said sheet-type input portion is exposed outward within a window provided to a housing of said electronic apparatus,

said reversible chromatic layer is located on a rear surface of said sheet-type input portion, and

an input operation is effected by direct contact with said sheet-type switch portion.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein heat required to cause temperature change of said reversible chromatic layer is provided through the direct contact thereto with a part of a human body.

10. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein heat required to cause temperature change of said reversible chromatic layer is provided from an inner portion of an electronic apparatus.