# US 7,745,751 B2 · Member for push-button switch and method of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 7,745,751 B2
- Document ID: US7745751B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/912,782
- Filed: 2006-04-04
- Published: 2009-03-05
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-05-02
- Assignees: Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masahide Takahashi; Tomohiko Kuwabara; Tsutomu Nagasawa; Toshihiko Egawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745751B2

## CPC

- H01H 13/705: characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
- H01H 13/88: Processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards
- H01H 2219/018: Electroluminescent panel
- H01H 2229/058: Curing or vulcanising of rubbers
- Y10T 29/49105: Switch making
- H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A member for a push-button switch has key top members positioned close to each other through a distance of 1.5 mm or shorter at low cost and with high yield. The member has multiple key top members having resin key top cores and thermoplastic films covering the key top cores other than the lower surfaces thereof. The key top members are formed so that an interval between at least one set of adjacent key top members is 1.5 mm or shorter. In the key top members adjacent to each other through a distance of 1.5 mm or shorter, the maximum thickness of the thermoplastic films covering the key top cores is within the range of 75 to 350 μ, and the ratio of the minimum thickness of the thermoplastic films covering the key top cores to the maximum thickness is within the range of 0.4 to 0.9.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A member for a push-button switch, comprising a plurality of key top members each having a resin key top core and a thermoplastic film covering the key top core except for a bottom thereof, wherein among the key top members, at least two adjacent key top members are arranged from one another at a distance of 1.5 mm or less, the thermoplastic film covering tops of the key top cores in the adjacent key top members arranged at the distance of 1.5 mm or less has a maximum thickness (t0) in a range from 75 to 350 μm, and a ratio (t1/t0) of a minimum thickness (t1) of the thermoplastic film covering sides of the key top cores to said maximum thickness (t0) is in the range from 0.4 to 0.9.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The member for a push-button switch according to claim 1, wherein the key top cores are made of a photocuring resin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The member for a push-button switch according to claim 1, wherein an electroluminescence (EL) phosphor is placed on the key top cores on the side not covered by the thermoplastic film.