| 摘要 |
<p>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. The shape of the exposed part of the reinforcing plate 4 is arbitrary. For example, letters, symbols, or the like may be formed.</p> |
