Keyboard with elastic member disposed on touch panel

摘要

A keyboard including a touch panel having an input operation surface; and an elastic plate-like member disposed and superimposed on the input operation surface of the touch panel. The elastic plate-like member is locally and elastically deformable by a pressing force. The elastic plate-like member includes an input region adapted to be elastically deformed toward the input operation surface by the pressing force so as to permit input operation of the touch panel, and a non-input region not permitting input operation of the touch panel irrespective of presence or absence of elastic deformation by the pressing force.

主权项

1. A keyboard comprising:
a touch panel, including
first and second electrode plates separated by a plurality of dot spacers, each electrode plate including a substrate and a conductive coating provided on a surface of the substrate with the conductive coating of the first electrode plate facing the conductive coating of the second electrode plate,an input region capable of accepting input operation of said touch panel, anda non-input region that does not accept input operation of said touch panel, a first density of the dot spacers arranged in the non-input region being higher than a second density of the dot spacers arranged in the input region; and an elastic plate-like member, disposed on said touch panel, having a substantially flat outer surface and including first and second portions corresponding to and extending across said input region and said non-input region, respectively, the first portion having an entirely uniform first thickness less than a second thickness of the second portion.