Keyboard device and electronic equipment using same

• US 8,355,004 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Obata, Yasutoshi, Sato, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US12/916,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/170, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/028 Printed information
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/06 Reflector

Abstract

There is provided a keyboard device with a lamination body, the lamination body comprising: a translucent touch panel; a symbol printing film on which arbitrary symbols are printed; a surface emission layer that illuminates the symbol printing film, wherein the touch panel is arranged on an upper surface side of the symbol printing film, the surface emission layer is arranged on a lower surface side of the symbol printing film, and an input operation surface that is placed on the outermost surface of the keyboard device is flat.

Claims

1. A keyboard device with a lamination body, the lamination body comprising:

a translucent touch panel;

a symbol printing film on which arbitrary symbols are printed;

a surface emission layer that illuminates the symbol printing film,

wherein the touch panel is arranged on an upper surface side of the symbol printing film, the surface emission layer is arranged on a lower surface side of the symbol printing film, and an input operation surface that is placed on the outermost surface of the keyboard device is flat.

2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising a translucent cover panel that laminates to cover an upper surface of the touch panel, an upper surface of the cover panel workable as the input operation surface.

3. The keyboard device according to claim 2, wherein the cover panel is made of a semi-transparent mirror or a smoke panel.

4. The keyboard device according to claim 2, wherein the cover panel is a lamination layer that is composed of a translucent panel and the semi-transparent mirror, and the semi-transparent mirror is directed to the side of the touch panel.

5. The keyboard device according to claim 3, wherein the semi-transparent mirror is one made of a dielectric multilayer.

6. The keyboard device according to claim 4, wherein the translucent panel is made of a translucent acrylic sheet or a translucent polycarbonate sheet.

7. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the symbol printing film is made of a negative symbol printing film where the symbols are printed in a negative condition.

8. The keyboard device according to claim 1 , wherein the touch panel is one fabricated in an electrostatic capacity method.

9. The keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising a vibration motor that is sequentially to be operable when detecting users'"'"' touch to the touch panel.

10. The keyboard device according to claim 1, the symbol printing film and the surface emission layer each partially have openings at their portions that face to each other wherein a fluorescent display tube or a liquid crystal display device is installed within a region of the openings making the symbols viewable through the translucent touch panel.

11. A keyboard device for a personal computer wherein the keyboard device recited in claim 1 is applied.

12. A controller for an electronic equipment wherein the keyboard device recited in claim 1 is applied.

13. A desk calculator wherein the keyboard device recited in claim 1 is applied.