Abstract: Disclosed is a transparent key which facilitates position control of a marking portion in the direction of thickness of a key. The transparent key has a transparent key body, a color layer which is formed at a bottom surface of the key body, and is visible through the key body at a time of non-illumination, a first area, and a transparent second area covering the first area from a top surface side. Laser marking is performed more easier for the first area than for the second area.

Abstract: A key unit includes a reinforcing plate having a support frame for surrounding and supporting key groups arrayed on a key-operating surface of the key unit. The support frame is formed at least by processing the outer edge of the reinforcing plate, and the key unit is installable to a mobile device directly from an outside of a casing of the mobile device through the support frame, for example, by fitting the support frame into an opening provided on the casing of the mobile device into which the key unit should be incorporated. For a decoration to the support frame or an exposed part of the reinforcing plate, there are used printing, painting, or various film-forming methods with a metal or a nonmetal.

Abstract: Portable phones are getting a trend that s design and thinner configuration becomes more important. Therefore, in order to meet this demand, the entire key top is made of a thin metal, and a thin resin layer is provided on the back surface of the key top and further letter holes are filled with a resin. According to those, the adhesiveness of the key top is improved as well as improvement of hand feeling. In addition, a printed layer for coloring the letters can be provided on the back surface of the key top.

Abstract: Preparing a resin film having a transparency and a thickness of 0.2 mm or less such as PC, PET, PU or the like; drawing the resin film in such a manner to form concave portions at positions corresponding to a plurality of the key tops of the resin film by pinching the resin film between heating drawing dies; forming a pressing element on the undersurface of the film by filling a filler (resin) into the concave portion formed by means of the drawing; and disposing the key tops by means of adhesion, the key tops formed on the top surface of the resin film by means of the resin formation, the mold printing or the like after the formation of the pressing elements, which achieves further thinner configuration of the key sheet with the configuration that the key tops and the pressing elements are disposed, respectively on the top surface and the undersurface of the resin film.

Abstract: Regarding a key sheet having a plurality of key tops provided at a key base made of a transparent or translucent resin, and a key unit using the key sheet, in order to make the key sheet thinner and thereby make a device using the key sheet, e.g., a cellular phone, thinner, the key sheet comprises a key base made of a transparent or translucent resin; a plurality of key tops provided on said key base; and pressing elements or a pressing element sheet having pressing elements provided at a bottom surface thereof, provided at a bottom surface of said key base, wherein said key base is molded, into a sheet form, of a thermoplastic resin which is solid at a room temperature and obtains adhesive force only in a physical change of hot melting and cooling solidification.

Abstract: Mobile phones are in a trend of having thinner configuration due to emphasis on the design. Thus, in order to meet this demand, the present invention aims to thin the key sheet portion as much as possible. The present invention provides a thin key sheet 1 comprising a key top 2 made of a metal or a resin having on the front surface or the back surface indications such as letters, symbols, graphics or the like indicating the functions of keys, a key pad 3 made of a material having rubber elasticity such as a silicone rubber or various elastomers for supporting/fixing the key top, an EL element 8 formed on the back surface of the key top by means of printing, and a printed circuit board 5 on which a switch element is provided at its surface for turning ON/OFF of an electric circuit by the pressing of the key top 2 and on which a circuit pattern involved therewith is formed.

Abstract: Mobile phones are in a trend of having thinner configuration due to emphasis on the design. Thus, in order to meet this demand, the present invention aims to thin the key sheet portion as much as possible. A thin key sheet and a thin key unit incorporating the thin key sheet are configured by providing on its surface a key top 2 made of a metal or a resin with indications such as letters, symbols, graphics or the like indicating the functions of keys are formed on the front surface or the back surface thereof, and switch elements 4 for turning ON/OFF of an electric circuit by the pressing of the key top, together with a printed circuit board 5 on which a circuit pattern involved therewith is formed; and by adhering and fixing the key top 2 and the printed circuit board 5 together via a cushion gasket 3 having appropriate elasticity and a filler layer 14 disposed between the key top and the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A method is provided for marking a key top made of a translucent material with a character, a symbol, or the like, and a process is provided for quickly producing an illumination key unit. The inside of a transparent plastic key top is irradiated intermittently with focused laser light having a wavelength belonging to near infrared region of 1064 nm or less, visible region or near ultraviolet region to form an aggregation of multiple fine carbonization black points and an aggregation of points whitened by fine cracks or bubbling representing a character, a symbol, or the like. After a process capable of being carried out without determining a destination has ended, production is interrupted temporarily or ended and marking is performed by irradiating the top surface of the key top with laser light upon determination of a character, a symbol, or the like, related with the destination.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing key tops for push button switches is provided, which method includes the step of embossing three dimensional shapes formed in a first mold and/or a second mold into a resin member heated to a predetermined temperature by using the first mold and the second mold to integrally form the resin member into a sheet-like resin member including three dimensionally shaped key tops, with a predetermined gap provided between a first face and a second face of the three dimensionally shaped key top, which respectively face the first mold and the second mold.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to utilize a reinforcing plate formed out of a metal or a hard resin introduced into a key unit in order to overcome the weak point that conventional rubber keypads are too soft and lack shape stability, as a design element of equipment including a key unit into which the plate is incorporated. For example, a part of metal reinforcing plate 4 is positively exposed to a position which can be seen from the outside of key unit 1, and various decorations are applied to the exposed part 7 so as to allow it to function as a decorated component. As a location where the reinforcing plate is exposed, there can be cited a part between each key on the key face or an annular part which encircles a plurality of key clusters. A mode may be considered in which the part of the exposed reinforcing plate 4 surrounds each individual key top 2 like a key frame, so as to substitute a key frame which has been conventionally realized by the equipment casing.

Abstract: A method is provided for marking a key top made of a translucent material with a character, a symbol, or the like, and a process is provided for quickly producing an illumination key unit. The inside of a transparent plastic key top is irradiated intermittently with focused laser light having a wavelength belonging to near infrared region of 1064 nm or less, visible region or near ultraviolet region to form an aggregation of multiple fine carbonization black points and an aggregation of points whitened by fine cracks or bubbling representing a character, a symbol, or the like. After a process capable of being carried out without determining a destination has ended, production is interrupted temporarily or ended and marking is performed by irradiating the top surface of the key top with laser light upon determination of a character, a symbol, or the like, related with the destination.

Abstract: A composition for a gasket which comprises (A) 100 parts by weight of a urethane acrylate oligomer having a weight-average molecular weight of 7,000 to 40,000, (B) 40 to 260 parts by weight of a polyether monoacrylate substituted at the end and/or a polyether polyester monoacrylate substituted at the end, and (C) 0.5 to 5 parts by weight of a photopolymerization initiator and has a viscosity of 4,000 to 100,000 centipoises at 25.degree. C.; and a process for producing a gasket by discharging the above composition on a substrate by using an X-Y-Z-driving automatic coating robot and curing the discharged composition by irradiation of ultraviolet light.A gasket can be formed to an accurate shape. Operations of forming and attaching the gasket can easily be conducted, and loss of the used material can be reduced. The gasket has a large tearing strength and a small compression set and is excellent in the flexibility and the sealing property.