Keypad and method of separating a crosslinked cured resin layer thereof

Abstract

The present invention related a keypad (1) in which a keypad main body (4) composed of a thermoplastic elastomer has formed thereon a cross-linked cured resin layer (5) of a cross-linked cured resin that is separable from the keypad main body (4) by swelling with a predetermined solvent, or a method of separating the keypad main body (4) and the cross-linked cured resin layer (5). The keypad main body (4) is made of a thermoplastic elastomer and has the cross-linkage curing resin layer (5) placed thereon, which eliminates defects of a display layer (6) placed on the thermoplastic elastomer surface exhibiting low abrasion resistant properties and the display layer readily disappearing and which not only renders the display layer (6) to hardly disappear even if a key is repeatedly used, but also allows the cross-linked cured resin layer (5) to readily separate from the keypad main body (4) when the resin layer (5) is swelled with a solvent, thereby making it possible to individually and readily recycle the cross-linked cured resin layer (5) and the keypad main body (4) and to obtain a recycled article of high quality.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.