Patent ID: 6180048
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a keypad member with a character illumination expressed and formed in a colored transparent or colored translucent layer, the method comprising the steps of:forming a colored transparent or colored translucent layer over a surface portion of a keypad member for a contact, the keypad member being made up of rubber molded by using transparent or semitransparent elastic materials, said elastic material is selected from a group consisting of natural rubber (polyisoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitryl rubber, butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, acrylic rubber, silicone rubber, fluoric rubber, urethane rubber, styrene base thermoplastic elastomer, olefin base thermoplastic elastomer, ester base thermoplastic elastomer and urethane base thermoplastic elastomer;applying a dark layer, which is one of a silicone ink black layer, a gray layer or a dark color layer, on said colored transparent or colored translucent layer, said dark layer being applied as an intermediate layer for enhancing optical energy absorption;forming a colored surface layer on said intermediate layer with silicone ink having a color or colors other than black and gray, said surface layer having a thickness set within a range from 50 .mu.m to 15 .mu.m and being substantially unabsorbing of a laser beam and substantially unremovable directly by said laser beam;irradiating said colored surface layer with said laser beam in the shape of characters or figures;burning up said intermediate layer by absorption of the energy of said laser beam; and at the same time, burning up and removing said colored surface layer in the shape of the characters or figures by said burning of said intermediate layer.