Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Capacitive switch
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-07-24
Scott, J. R. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Capacitive switch
Reexamination Certificate
active
06265682
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a touch switch in an indirect touch method for electric and electronic products, and a method for fabricating an electrified layer thereof, and in particular to a touch switch, and a method for fabricating an electrified layer thereof which can improve convenience and safety, by providing a method for forming an electrified layer on a surface of a ferroelectric material, such as glass, mica and epoxy, and a touch switch using the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
A conventional touch switch will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional view partially illustrating the conventional touch switch.
As shown therein, the conventional touch switch includes a control button
10
plated with a plating film and pushed for operating a function key of the electric or electronic products, one end portion of which being fixed by a screw
12
to one inner portion of a cabinet
11
, another portion of which being exposed to an outer portion of the cabinet
12
, thus composing a touch unit
12
a.
A groove unit
12
b
is formed at an inner portion of the touch unit
12
a
of the control button
10
. A conductive resin
14
is provided having its lower portion disposed at the groove unit
12
b
. A pin
13
is inserted into an upper portion of the conductive resin
14
.
In addition, a printed circuit board
15
is disposed at an upper portion of the control button
10
. Here, the pin
13
is protruded through the upper surface of the printed circuit board
15
.
A copper thin plate
17
is provided at the upper surface of the printed circuit board
15
, separately from the protruding portion of the pin
13
by a predetermined distance in order to generate an electrification phenomenon
16
with the pin
13
through which a slight current is transmitted. When the slight current generated by the electrification phenomenon between the copper thin plate
17
and the pin
15
is transmitted, a microcomputer
18
operates the function key.
The operation of the conventional touch switch will now be explained.
When the user touches the touch unit
12
a
of the control button 10 disposed at the cabinet
11
with his finger
20
in order to operate the function key of the electric or electronic product, the slight current flowing through the body of the user is transmitted to the conductive resin
14
via the plated control button
10
.
The slight current transmitted to the conductive resin
14
generates the electrification phenomenon
16
between the pin which is protrudingly installed in the printed circuit board
14
and the copper thin plate
17
which is separated from the pin
13
by a predetermined distance and provided on the upper surface of the printed circuit board
14
.
The slight current is transmitted to the microcomputer
18
according to the electrification phenomenon, thereby operating the function key.
However, the conventional touch switch has a disadvantage in that a static electricity generated from the electric or electronic product is accumulated in the control button and discharged through the body of the user, when the user touches the touch unit of the control button, thereby causing an electric shock. Conversely, the static electricity accumulated in the body of the user may be instantly transmitted to the microcomputer through the printed circuit board, thereby causing a defect of the electric or electronic product.
In addition, the plated control button is used as a medium for transmitting the slight current flowing through the body of the user to the conductive resin, thereby causing an environment contamination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a touch switch an d a method for fabricating an electrified layer thereof which can improve convenience and safety, by providing a method for forming an electrified layer on a surface of a dielectric material, such as glass, mica and epoxy, in order to increase electrification of electrons, and a touch switch using the same.
In order to achieve the above-described object of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating an electrified layer, including: a step of forming an editing plate by spreading and drying an emulsion on a surface of a net, editing a film, adhering it on a surface of the emulsion, and exposing it to an ultraviolet light; a step of putting the editing plate on the surface of a glass plate, printing a mixture of silver powder and ceramic powder, and removing the editing plate; and a step of forming an electrified layer by heating the glass plate where the mixture is printed, and performing an air cooling operation thereon.
There is also provided a touch switch device including: a printed circuit board fixed in a cabinet; a touch member consisting of a dielectric material, one side portion of which being spread with an electrified layer consisting of an electrified material; and a conductive member connecting the portion of the touch member spread with the electrified layer to the printed circuit board.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3887848 (1975-06-01), Larson et al.
patent: 4056699 (1977-11-01), Jordan
patent: 4064688 (1977-12-01), Sasaki et al.
patent: 4211497 (1980-07-01), Montgomery
patent: 4244040 (1981-01-01), Fondiller et al.
patent: 4304976 (1981-12-01), Gottbreht et al.
patent: 4751625 (1988-06-01), Lin
patent: 5917165 (1999-06-01), Platt et al.
Fleshner & Kim LLP
LG Electronics Inc.
Scott J. R.
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