JPH02207428A - Manufacture of key top - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form an overcoating layer with uniform thickness on a top panel of a key top body by inclining an axis of the key top body to the direction in which a printing member is depressed and transferring several times by means of the printing member to the key top body with displacement. CONSTITUTION:An axis alpha of a printing member 8 and that beta of a key top body 9 are inclined to each other with a specific angle theta. The printing member 8 is offset at the left side of the key top body 9 to print an overcoating layer with pad printing. After transfer of ultraviolet curing resin onto a top panel 9a of the key top body 9, the center of the printing member 8 is offset in a right direction of the key top body 9 to repeat the second transfer. The center of the printing member 8 is then corresponded with that of the top panel 9a to repeat the same pad printing so as to form an overcoating layer. Therefore, penetration of air and crinkling, etc., are restricted to form the overcoating layer on entire area of the top panel 9a of the key top body 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing key tops used in keyboards of personal computers, etc., and in particular, a method for manufacturing key tops used in keyboards of personal computers, etc. The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a key top.

[Conventional technology]

Normally, characters, figures, symbols, etc. are displayed on the top surface of this type of key top, but 1. Since the operator operates the key top by pressing the top surface of the key top with a finger, there is a problem in that the display section is easily erased due to friction. Therefore, key tops in which the display part is covered with an overcoat layer are conventionally known in order to provide a display part with high wear resistance.

Methods for overcoating such key tops include a spray method in which ultraviolet curable resin is sprayed onto the top surface of the key top on which the display part is printed, and pad printing in which the ultraviolet curable resin is transferred to the display part using a stamping member such as silicone rubber. However, since the former spray method has drawbacks in terms of yield and finished appearance, the latter pad printing method has attracted attention in recent years, and is widely adopted, especially in the case of high-mix, low-volume production.

Figures 7 and 8 were published by the applicant in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-4509.
This is to explain the conventional pad marking method proposed in the publication, and Figures 7 (A) to (G) are explanatory diagrams showing the transfer process of ultraviolet curing resin, and Figure 8 is the key top after the transfer process is completed. FIG.

In FIG. 8, 6 indicates a key top body, and a desired display part (for example, the letter A shown in the figure) is formed on the top surface of the key top body 6 by pad printing. is overcoated with an ultraviolet curing resin 3 of the same shape by pad printing. The process of forming this overcoat layer will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. First, the etching grooves of the etching plate 1 shown in FIG. 7(A) are filled with ultraviolet curing resin 3 as shown in FIG. 7(B). This etching groove 2 has the same shape as the display part of the key top body 6 described above.
), a stamping member 5 made of silicone rubber is brought into contact with the ultraviolet curing resin 3, and the ultraviolet curing resin 3 is adsorbed onto the lower surface of the stamping member 5. Next, as shown in the same figure (E),
A key top main body 6 on which a display section 4 has already been formed by pad printing is placed directly below the stamping member 5, and the display section 4 is
By pressing the stamping member 5 onto the display section 4, the ultraviolet curing resin 3 is transferred and formed on the upper surface of the display section 4. Finally, the same figure (G)
As shown in FIG. 8, the key top body 6 shown in FIG. 8 is obtained by irradiating the ultraviolet curing resin 3 with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet lamp 7.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the conventional manufacturing method described above, the curvature of the lower surface of the stamping member 5 is set to be sufficiently smaller than the curvature of the top surface of the keytop body 6, and thereby the stamping member 5 is (Step in Figure 7 (E))
This prevented air from being entrained. However, in this case, when the stamping member 5 is separated from the top surface of the key top main body 6 after transfer [step shown in FIG. layer(
There is a problem in that the ultraviolet curing resin 3) tends to wrinkle. These wrinkles become more noticeable as the transfer area of the ultraviolet curing resin 3 increases.
If it is attempted to form the overcoat layer over the entire top surface of the key top body 60 including the display portion 4, there is a problem that the thickness of the overcoat layer becomes non-uniform and the quality deteriorates significantly.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide a high-quality key top in which an overcoat layer can be formed on the top surface of a key top body with a uniform thickness.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a key top, in which a display section is printed on a key top main body, and then a stamping member made of a soft material is pressed onto the display surface to transfer and form an overcoat layer. The overcoat layer is formed by tilting the axis of the key top body with respect to the pressing direction of the stamping member, and transferring the stamping member multiple times while shifting the position of the stamping member with respect to the keytop body. This is a characteristic feature.

[Effect]

According to the key top manufacturing method according to the present invention, since the axis of the key top main body is inclined with respect to the pressing direction of the stamping member, the stamping member comes into contact with the top surface of the key top main body in a rubbing manner, Air entrainment is prevented.

In addition, since the overcoat layer is formed by multiple transfers and these transfers are performed by shifting the relative positions of the stamp member and the key top body, the coating resin that is generated when the stamp member is separated from the key top body is The bias is dispersed and a uniform overcoat layer is obtained.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stamping member and a key top body used in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the lower surface of the stamping member 8 made of a soft material such as silicone rubber has a curved surface. A surface 8a is formed, and a top surface 9a of the key top body 9 is also curved.

The curved surface 8a of the stamping member 8 is formed to be somewhat wider than the top surface 9a of the key top body 9, and as shown in FIG. 2, the radius of curvature of the curved surface 8a and the top surface 9a is R+.
=1811. R2=22111, and in the case of this embodiment, the curvature of the curved surface 8a of the stamp member 8 is set to be quite close to the curvature of the top surface 9a of the key top body 9.

Next, a process of forming an overcoat layer on the top surface 9a of the key top body 9 using the stamping member 8 will be explained.

First, a desired display portion (letter A in this embodiment) 10 is printed on the top surface 9a of the key top body 9. This step is performed by a known pad printing method, that is, a printing method in which ink filled in the etching groove is transferred to the top surface 9a via a soft stamping member (not shown).

Next, an overcoat layer is formed using the stamping member 8 over the entire top surface 9a of the key top main body 9 on which the display portion 10 is printed in this manner. In this case, the axis α of the stamping member 8 and the axis β of the key top body 9 are tilted by a predetermined angle θ (θ=6° in this embodiment) as shown in FIG. 3, and the stamping member 8 is tilted as shown in FIG. As shown in (a), the key top body 9 is offset to the left side, and in this state, the overcoat layer is pad printed.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are explanatory views of the pad printing process as seen from the front and right sides of the key top body 9, respectively. First, an etching plate (not shown) is used to apply ultraviolet curing to the curved surface 8a of the stamp member 8. After adsorbing the resin 11, the stamping member 8 is lowered in the axial direction as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (&), and the curved surface 8 is
Press a onto the top surface 9a of the key top body 9. At this time, since the key top main body 9 is arranged so that the top surface 9a is inclined with respect to the curved surface 8a, the curved surface 8a is
Rub the top from the rear to the front (from right to left in Figure 3). Therefore, even if the curvature of the curved surface 8a is brought closer to the top surface 9a as in this embodiment, the ultraviolet curing resin 1
There is almost no possibility that air will be caught between 1 and the top surface 9a. Thereafter, the stamping member 8 is raised as shown in FIG. 4.5(C), and the ultraviolet curing resin 11 is transferred to a predetermined thickness, for example, about 7 μm, over the entire area of the top surface 9a including the display section 10. At this time, the curved surface 8a having a smaller curvature than the top surface 9a is sequentially spaced apart from both left and right ends of FIG. Since the curvature is close to that of curved surface 9a, the amount by which the ultraviolet curing resin 11 is pulled toward the center of the curved surface 8a that leaves the top surface 9a last is reduced, and wrinkles caused by this are almost eliminated. Note that the slight wrinkles that occur in this way are caused by the fact that the center of the stamping member 8 is offset to the left with respect to the key top body 9, as shown in FIG. 6(a). Located to the left of center.

If the ultraviolet curing resin 11 is transferred onto the top surface 9a of the key top body 9 as described above, as shown in FIG. 6(b),
The center of the stamping member 8 is offset to the right of the key top body 9, and in this state, pad printing similar to the first time is repeated to perform a second transfer. As a result, an overcoat layer having a thickness of about 14 μm is formed, but the slight wrinkles generated in the ultraviolet curing resin 11 during the second transfer are located to the right of the center of the top surface 9a.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6(C), the center of the stamping member 8 is aligned with the center of the top surface 9a, and in this state, pad printing is repeated in the same way as the first and second times, and the final print is made. An overcoat layer with a thickness of about 20 μm is formed on the substrate. At this time, the stains generated in the first and second steps are smoothed out by the curved portion 8a of the stamping member 8 pressed against the top surface 9a in the third step, and an overcoat layer with a uniform thickness is formed. It is formed.

Finally, the ultraviolet curing resin 11 is cured using an ultraviolet lamp (not shown), and the top surface 9 including the display section IO is cured.
A key top body 9 is obtained in which an overcoat layer is formed over the entire area a.

In this way, according to the above embodiment, both the display section 10 and the overcoat layer (ultraviolet curing resin 11) can be formed by the pad printing method, so that the yield and quality of materials can be improved. Further, since the overcoat layer can be formed into a uniform film over the entire top surface of the key top body 9, a high-quality display section with high wear resistance can be provided.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, an overcoat layer can be formed over the entire top surface of the key top body while suppressing air entrainment and wrinkles, making it possible to provide high-quality key tops at low cost. can.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 6 illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the stamping member and the key top body, and FIG.
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing the curvature of the stamp member and the key top body, Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the inclined state of the stamp member and the key top body, and Figures 4, 5, and 6 are pads of the overcoat layer. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional overcoat layer pad printing process, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of the key top body. 8... Stamp member, 8a... Curved surface, 9
...Key top body, 9a...Top surface,
10... Display section, 11... Ultraviolet curing resin. Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 1 Figure 6 Figure 4 (a) (b) (a) Figure 5 (b) (C) (C)

Claims (1)

[Claims] In the method for manufacturing a key top, the axis of the key top body is aligned with the axis of the key top body by pressing a stamp member made of a soft material onto the display surface to transfer and form an overcoat layer. A method for manufacturing a key top, characterized in that the overcoat layer is formed by tilting the stamp member in a direction and transferring the stamp member multiple times while shifting the position of the stamp member relative to the key top main body.