Input device and electronic apparatus having the same

• US 7,190,355 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawashima, Toshitaka, Kayama, Shun, Ohsako, Junichi, Kataoka, Yasuhiro, Nakayoshi, Hirokazu, Motoyama, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US10/684,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20040080490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345174-178, 345104-105, 345/173, 503/201, 200512-517
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 electronic apparatus having an input device, the input device comprising:

a sheet-type switch portion having a first sheet, a second sheet, a first electrode, and a second electrode, said first and second electrodes being between said first sheet and said second sheet, said first electrode being structurally adapted to come into electrical contact with said second electrode; and

a reversible chromatic layer having at least two coatings, each of said at least two coatings being structurally adapted to exhibit thermochromism, said first sheet being between said reversible chromatic layer and said first electrode.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet-type switch portion includes a spacer between said first sheet and said second sheet, said spacer being adjacent said first and second electrodes.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said spacer is formed from an insulating material.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein a void is between said spacer and another spacer, said first and second electrodes being disposed within said void.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first coating of said at least two coatings has a temperature-dependent chromatic characteristic different than a second coating of said at least two coatings.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first coating is laterally adjacent to said second coating.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first coating is in contact with said second coating.

8. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second coating is on said first coating, a portion of said second coating being removed to expose said first coating.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a heat-insulating layer, said sheet-type switch portion being between said heat-insulating layer and said reversible chromatic layer.

10. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said heat-insulating layer is between said sheet-type switch portion and a circuit board, said heat-insulating layer being adapted to prevent heat generated by electronic parts on said circuit board from conducting toward said reversible chromatic layer.

11. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reversible chromatic layer is located on a front surface of said sheet-type switch portion and exposed outward within a window provided to a housing of said electronic apparatus.

12. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an input operation is effected by direct contact with said reversible chromatic layer.

13. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first sheet is structurally adapted to be plastically deformed.

14. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an input operation is effected by direct contact with said second sheet.

15. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second sheet is structurally adapted to be plastically deformed.