Abstract:
A manufacturing method of keypad panel includes the steps of preparing a mold formed by assembling a mold base, a transparent mold cavity and a fixed board; coating an ultraviolet curing resin on surfaces of the mold base and the transparent mold cavity of the mold; attaching a transparent or non-transparent plastic thin film onto the ultraviolet curing resin; compressing the ultraviolet curing resin flatly to squeeze the space and eliminate the air remained between the thin film and the ultraviolet curing resin as well as the ultraviolet curing resin and the transparent mold cavity; and performing a light projection to pass light through the transparent mold cavity to cure the ultraviolet curing resin, so as to complete manufacturing the keypad panel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a keypad panel, and more particularly to a manufacturing method of a keypad panel. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0004]    Keypad panel applied to a product such as a mobile phone tends to be lightweight, super thin, backlight and modulated, and also emphasizes on a diversified appearance and an integral design. Technically, the keypad panel tends to reduce the number of component modules and the gap between keys, and features a backlight, a metal appearance, a soft or silk texture, and a high integrity, and thus the design and technology of a keypad panel become important subjects for the research and development of mobile phones. 
         [0005]    In the manufacture of a traditional keypad panel of a mobile phone, it is necessary to prepare a mold  100  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) composed of an opaque male mold  200  and a female mold  300 . The male mold  200  includes a plurality of openings  201 , and a lateral side of the opening  201  includes a screw hole  202 , and the opening  201  is provided for fixing a transparent mold plate  203  with a light transmittance, and a surface of the transparent mold plate  203  includes a first model  204  having a protruded keypad panel, and a lateral side of the first model  204  includes a through hole  205  for passing through a screw  206  to secure the transparent mold plate  203  to the opening  201 . The female mold  300  includes a plurality of second models  301  corresponding to the first models  204 . In the manufacture of a keypad panel, a plastic material is injected between the male mold  200  and the female mold  300 , and then the plastic will fill up the space between the first and second models  204 ,  301  of the male mold  200  and the female mold  300 . During a light projection, light will pass through the transparent mold plate  203  to cure the plastic, so as to complete manufacturing the keypad panel. 
         [0006]    Since the manufacture of the keypad panel requires securing the transparent mold plates  203  to the male mold  200  one by one, therefore the manufacturing process of the keypad panel takes more manufacturing time and procedures for assembling the male mold. If one of the second models  301  of the female mold  300  is damaged, it is necessary to replace the whole female mold  300 , and thus causing a waste of female mold  300 . Furthermore, when the light curing projection is performed, light can be projected from a lateral side of the male mold  200  only, but cannot be projected from a lateral side of the female mold  300 , and thus the light projecting direction is limited, and the keypad panels of a particular model can be made one at a time only. 
         [0007]    In addition, when the transparent mold plate  203  uses a through hole  205  at its diagonal to pass a screw  206  through the opening  201  of the male mold  200 , a seam may be created when the opening  201  and the transparent mold plate  203  are engaged with each other at their lateral sides, since the opening  201  and the transparent mold plate  203  are not secured by any screw  206 , and a plastic leak occurs easily, when the plastic is injected into the male and female molds  200 ,  300 . 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a simple and easy mold, so as to make the installation of the mold easier without a plastic leak, and allow manufacturers to perform a light curing from the top or the bottom of the mold. Manufacturer simply requires changing a transparent mold core of the mold for the manufacture of different models of keypad panels. 
         [0009]    To achieve the foregoing objectives, the present invention provides a manufacturing method of a keypad panel, and the method comprises the steps of preparing a mold composed of a mold base, a transparent mold core and a fixed plate; coating an ultraviolet curing resin onto surfaces of the mold base and the transparent mold core of the mold; attaching a transparent or non-transparent plastic thin film on top of the ultraviolet curing resin after the ultraviolet curing resin is coated; pressing the ultraviolet curing resin flatly to squeeze the air between the thin film and the ultraviolet curing resin, and between the ultraviolet curing resin and the transparent mold core, and between the mold base and the transparent mold core to the outside to prevent any remaining air; and finally performing a light projection to allow light to pass through the transparent mold core to solidify the ultraviolet curing resin, so as to complete manufacturing the keypad panel after the ultraviolet curing resin is cured. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mold for manufacturing a prior art keypad panel; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of manufacturing a keypad panel of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a mold of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a section view of an assembly as depicted in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an application of a mold in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of another application of a mold in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a schematic enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a light illumination in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is an exploded view of another mold of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a section view of an assembly as depicted in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a schematic view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    The technical characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2  for a flow chart of manufacturing a keypad panel of the present invention, the manufacturing method of a keypad panel comprises the following steps: 
         [0024]    In Step  100 , a mold  10  is prepared (as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ), wherein the mold  10  comprises: a mold base  1 , a transparent mold core  2  and a fixed plate  3 . The mold base  1  includes an opening  11  thereon, and an internal periphery of the opening  11  includes a stairway-like joint portion  12  for installing the transparent mold core  2 , and the opening  11  is provided for exposing a surface  23  of the transparent mold core  2 . A containing space  13  is extended from the joint portion  12  of the mold base and interconnected with the opening  11 , such that when the transparent mold core  2  is installed into the opening  11 , the fixed plate  3  can be installed into the containing space  13  to press the transparent mold core  2 , and the periphery of the transparent mold core  2  can be attached with the internal periphery of the opening  11 . Further, a surface  17  of the mold base  1  includes a positioning portion  14  and a groove  15 , wherein the positioning portion  14  is provided for positioning a thin film (not shown in the figure), and the groove  15  is provided for preventing a plastic overflow. The interior of the mold base  1  includes a plurality of screw holes  16  in the containing space  13  for securing a plurality of screws  4 . The periphery of the main body  21  of the transparent mold core  2  includes a stairway-like joint edge  22 , such that when the transparent mold core  2  and the mold base  1  are installed, the joint edge  22  of the transparent mold core  2  is connected onto the joint portion  12 . The surface  23  of the transparent mold core  2  includes a model  24  having the shape of a keypad panel and provided for forming the shape of the keypad panel. The fixed plate  3  has an opening  31  provided for passing and projecting a light onto the transparent mold core  2 , and the diagonal of the opening  31  has a plurality of through holes  32  provided for passing and securing a screw  4  into a screw hole  16  of the mold base  1 , so as to install the fixed plate  3  into the containing space  13  of the mold base  1 . 
         [0025]    In Step  102 , an ultraviolet curing resin  5  is dispensed onto the surface  17  of the mold base  1  or the surface  23  of the transparent mold core  2  of the mold as shown in  FIG. 5 , after the mold is assembled. 
         [0026]    In Step  104 , a plastic thin film  6  is attached, wherein the plastic thin film  6  is made of a transparent or non-transparent plastic material, and the thin film  6  includes a positioning hole  61  sheathed onto the positioning portion  14  of the mold base  1  and pressed into the ultraviolet curing resin  5  as shown in  FIG. 5 . In this preferred embodiment, the plastic thin film  6  is printed with a printed circuit board or a touch panel. 
         [0027]    In Step  106 , the ultraviolet curing resin is pressed flatly, and a scraper or a roller  7  is used for scraping the plastic thin film  6  to squeeze the air between the plastic thin film  6  and the ultraviolet curing resin  5 , and between the ultraviolet curing resin  5  and the model  24  of the transparent mold core  2  to the outside, so as to prevent air from remaining between the plastic thin film  6  and the ultraviolet curing resin  5  and between the ultraviolet curing resin  5  and the model  24  to form bubbles as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In the scraping or roll pressing process, the ultraviolet curing resin  5  is overflowed and the ultraviolet curing resin  5  may flow into the groove  15 . 
         [0028]    In Step  108 , an ultraviolet light is projected as shown in  FIG. 8 , and an ultraviolet lamp  8  is installed at the bottom of the mold base  1  and corresponding to the transparent mold core  2 , such that when the ultraviolet lamp  8  is lit, the produced ultraviolet light  81  passes through the opening  31  of the fixed plate  3  and then through the main body of the transparent mold core  2 , so as to solidify the ultraviolet curing resin  5 . If the plastic thin film  6  is opaque, the ultraviolet lamp  8  can be installed at the bottom of the mold base  1 . If the plastic thin film  6  is transparent, the ultraviolet lamp  8  can be installed at the top the mold base  1  to project an ultraviolet light  81  onto the ultraviolet curing resin  5 . 
         [0029]    In Step  110 , the keypad panel is removed to complete manufacturing the keypad panel after the projection of ultraviolet light  81  is finished. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10  for another preferred embodiment of the present invention and a section view of an assembly as depicted in  FIG. 9  respectively, the mold  9  of the invention comprises: a mold base  91 , a transparent mold core  92  and a fixed plate  93 . 
         [0031]    The mold base  91  includes a plurality of openings  911 , and the internal periphery of each opening  911  has a stairway-like joint portion  912  for connecting the transparent mold core  92 , while the opening  911  is provided for exposing the a surface  923  of the transparent mold core  92 . A containing space  913  with a plurality of joint portions  912  are jointly extended from the mold base  91  and the containing space  913  is interconnected with the opening  911 , such that when the transparent mold core  92  is installed into the opening  911 , the fixed plate  93  can be installed into the containing space  913  to press the transparent mold core  92 , and the periphery of the transparent mold core  92  can be attached with the internal periphery of the opening  911 . Further, the surface  917  of the mold base  1  includes a cylindrical positioning portion  914  and a rectangular groove  915 , and the positioning portion  914  is provided for positioning a thin film (not shown in the figure), and the groove  915  is provided for the use of a plastic overflow. The interior of the mold base  91  includes a plurality of screw holes  916  disposed in the containing space  913  for securing screws  94 . 
         [0032]    The periphery of a main body  921  of the transparent mold core  92  includes a substantially stairway-like joint edge  922 , such that when the transparent mold core  92  and the mold base  91  are installed, the joint edge  922  of the transparent mold core  92  can be coupled onto the joint portion  912 . Further, the surface  923  of the transparent mold core  92  includes a model  924  in the shape of a keypad panel to form the shape of the keypad panel. 
         [0033]    The fixed plate  93  includes an opening  931  for passing and projecting a light onto the transparent mold core  92 , and the diagonal of the opening  931  has a plurality of through holes  932  for passing and securing a screw  94  into a screw hole  916  of the mold base  91  to install the fixed plate  93  into the containing space  913  of the mold base  91 . 
         [0034]    After a plurality of transparent mold cores  92  are installed sequentially into the opening  911  of the mold base  91 , the fixed plate  93  is installed into the containing space  913  of the mold base  91 , and a piece of fixed plate  93  is used to press the plurality of transparent mold cores  92 , and this design facilitates installing, removing or changing a transparent mold core  92 . Further, the transparent mold core  2 ,  92  can be changed to manufacture various kinds of keypad panels. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 11  for a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mold and its manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention are used for the production of a keypad panel  301  applied in a mobile phone  20 . In the manufacture of the keypad panel  201  of the mobile phone  20 , manufacturers simply need to change the transparent mold core of the mold into a pattern of the keypad panel  30  of the mobile phone  20  to produce the keypad panel  201  of the mobile phone  20 . 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 12  for a schematic view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mold and its manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention are used for the production of a keypad panel  301  applied in an automobile meter panel  30 . In the manufacture of the keypad panel  301  of the automobile meter panel  30 , manufacturers simply need to change the transparent mold core of the mold to produce dedicated keypad panels  201  of the automobile meter panel  30 . 
         [0037]    While the invention is described in by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, the aim is to cover all modifications, alternatives and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.