JP2630383B2 - Key top manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a wear-resistant key top used for a keyboard of a personal computer or the like, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a key top having a good material yield. The present invention relates to an improvement in an overcoating method that allows a coating to be performed and the thickness of an overcoating film to be freely changed.

(Prior Art) Generally, characters, figures, symbols, and the like are displayed on the upper surface of a keytop by tampo printing. However, since this display is easily erased due to friction, it has been conventionally performed to apply an abrasion-resistant overcoating to its surface. FIG. 4 shows this conventional key top overcoating method. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes a key top main body, and characters, figures, symbols, and the like are displayed on the upper surface of the key top main body 21 by stamp printing. The overcoating is applied to the upper surface of the key top main body 21 by spraying an ultraviolet curable resin 22 from above, and then irradiating the ultraviolet curable resin 22 with ultraviolet light to cure the ultraviolet curable resin, thereby forming a film on the surface. .

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the above conventional overcoating method, when the ultraviolet curable resin is sprayed toward the upper surface of the key top body 21, the ultraviolet curable resin is applied even to the side surface where overcoating is unnecessary. In addition, it is scattered to the periphery of the key top main body, and there is a problem that the yield of the material is low.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to improve the yield of materials by applying an ultraviolet curable resin by a tampo method.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, a step of forming a display portion such as characters and symbols on the surface of the key top body by a tampo printing method, Forming an etching groove having fine irregularities, filling the etching groove with an ultraviolet curable resin covering the display unit, and filling the etching groove with the ultraviolet curable resin on a printing surface of the display unit. It comprises a step of transferring by a printing method, a step of applying a matting powder to the ultraviolet curable resin, and a step of irradiating the ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet rays to cure the resin.

(Operation) In the method of the present invention, a step of forming a display portion such as characters and symbols on the surface of the key top body by a tampo printing method, forming an etching groove having fine irregularities on an etching plate, and forming the etching groove in the etching groove A step of filling an ultraviolet curable resin covering the display unit, a step of transferring the ultraviolet curable resin filled in the etching groove onto a printing surface of the display unit by a tampon printing method, Since it is composed of a step of applying an erasing powder and a step of irradiating the ultraviolet-curable resin with ultraviolet light to cure the resin, the ultraviolet-curable resin is applied only to the place where the tampo contacts, and the key top body Coating on the side of the product and does not spatter around the periphery, and therefore, the material yield is significantly higher than that of the conventional spray coating method. And the appearance quality of the key top is not impaired.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an application step of an ultraviolet curable resin, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a key top surface showing an application step of silica, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of an etching plate of another embodiment.

In the coating method of the present invention, the etching groove 2 of the etching plate shown in FIG. 1 (A) is filled with an ultraviolet curable resin 3 mixed with a silica-based powder 4 as shown in FIG. 1 (B). As shown in FIGS. 1 (C) and 1 (D), a key top body 6 is disposed below the tampon 5 as shown in FIG. The tampon 5 is pressed into contact with the upper surface of 6, whereby
As shown in FIG. 1 (F), the ultraviolet curable resin 3 is transferred onto the upper surface of the key top main body 6, and as shown in FIG. The surface is spray-coated with a mixture of a silica-based powder 8 and a solvent by a spray 7 to blow off the solvent as shown in FIG. 1 (H), and finally, as shown in FIG. 1 (I). The ultraviolet curing resin 3 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the resin.

In this embodiment, a solventless type is used as the ultraviolet curable resin 3 to be filled in the step shown in FIG. 1B among the above steps. This is because the amount of the ultraviolet curable resin 3 entering the etching groove due to the evaporation of the solvent does not change, a constant film thickness can be maintained, and continuity can be improved. .

In the step shown in FIG. 1 (G), when a mixture of a silica-based powder and a solvent is applied by spraying, the silica-based matting silica mixed with the UV-curable resin 3 in the process up to that point. As shown in FIG. 2 (A), the powder 4
2 (B), since it is pushed into the inside of the ultraviolet curing resin 3 and the surface becomes glossy and the matting effect is reduced.
As shown in the figure, a silica-based powder 8 having a particle size of several microns is adhered to the surface of the ultraviolet-curable resin 3 in a wet state, thereby obtaining a matting effect.

In this embodiment, FIGS. 1 (A) to 1 (F)
The steps up to the step are the same as in tampo printing, and a tampo printing machine can be used.

In the case of using the method of this embodiment, the UV-curable resin 3 is applied to the surface of the keytop main body by the tampo method. The material is not applied to the side surface and is not scattered around the periphery, and therefore, the yield of the material is remarkably improved as compared with the conventional spray coating method.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the etching groove 2 of the etching plate 1 has a matte-like fine unevenness, thereby preventing the ultraviolet curable resin from wrinkling during overcoating. There is no sense of incongruity between the uncoated surface and the overcoated surface, and the quality is improved.

Further, the thickness of the ultraviolet curable resin can be freely changed by changing the depth of the etching groove, so that it is possible to easily cope with a design change.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, a method of applying an ultraviolet-curable resin to the surface of the key top body by a tampo method is employed, so that the ultraviolet-curable resin is applied only to a portion where the tampo is in contact, It is not applied to the side of the key top body or scattered around the key waste.
Significantly improved material yield compared to traditional spray-on application methods, which can reduce manufacturing costs and provide keytops at a lower cost, while also protecting keyboards with keytops. There is an effect that the transfer of the film and the subsequent irradiation of ultraviolet light can be performed, and the keyboard device can be assembled in a series of steps.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the matting powder is applied to the UV-curable resin to perform matting, and the shrinkage due to the curing of the UV-curable resin is absorbed by fine irregularities, thereby preventing the occurrence of wrinkles. This has the effect of preventing the overcoating portion from being illuminated due to the overcoating, and improving the appearance quality of the key top by eliminating the sense of incongruity with the surface on which the overcoating is not performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1 to 3 show one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1A to 1I are explanatory views showing an application step of an ultraviolet curable resin, and FIG. 2 is a view showing an application step of silica. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the key top surface shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a plan view of an etching plate of another embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a conventional process of applying an ultraviolet curable resin. 3 ... UV curable resin, 5 ... Tampo, 6 ... Key top body

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A step of forming a display portion for characters and symbols on the surface of a key top body by a tampo printing method, forming an etching groove having fine irregularities on an etching plate, and covering the display portion with the etching groove. Filling the UV-curable resin into the etching groove, transferring the UV-curable resin to the printing surface of the display unit by a tampon printing method, and applying a matting powder to the UV-curable resin. And a step of irradiating the ultraviolet-curable resin with ultraviolet light to cure the resin.