JP2020042603A - Contact operation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a contact operation device that forms a fine micro protrusion on a contact operation surface, improves the appearance, and allows a finger to recognize the existence of a micro protrusion through touch feeling.SOLUTION: A contact operation region is formed on a panel surface. In the contact operation region, a plurality of micro protrusions 30 extending linearly in a first direction are disposed in parallel, and the projection height dimension H3 of the micro protrusions 30 from the surface of the panel is less than 0.05 mm. The micro protrusions 30 are arranged, in a second direction (Y direction), so that they grasp a region 33 having no projection or recess and have a certain interval. The array pitch W5 of the micro protrusions is over six times and 20 times or less the projection height dimension H3 of the micro protrusions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a contact operation device that improves appearance by providing a plurality of fine protrusions in a contact operation area of a panel, and makes it easy to recognize the presence and arrangement of the fine protrusions by a touch feeling with a fingertip.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an invention relating to a touch-type pointing device having a guide line.

  In this touch pointing device, a large number of linear guide lines extending parallel to each other in a first direction are provided on the sensor surface. In the paragraph [0050] of Patent Document 1, regarding the structure shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, “a guide line is formed by alternately forming a raised portion having a width c and a height h, and a groove portion having a width b and a depth h. Adjacent guide lines are arranged at a mutual distance a = b + c with respect to each other. " In Patent Document 1, as shown in paragraph [0057], a preferable dimension of a distance a between adjacent protrusions is 1 mm, and an amplitude h of the unevenness is preferably 0.5 mm.

  According to the invention described in Patent Document 1, as described in paragraph [0058], in the first mode in which the finger is brought into contact with the sensor surface with a small pressure, the finger comes into contact only with the forefront of the raised portion. Friction is almost independent of the direction of motion. On the other hand, when the finger pressure increases, the finger adapts to the shape of the unevenness of the sensor surface, and the second mode in which the movement is guided by the guide line can be achieved.

JP 2010-528381 A "2.3.2 Experimental results" in a paper from the Virtual Reality Society of Japan (TVRSJ Vol.13 NO.1, 2008, "Study on Unevenness Perception Characteristics of Fingertip Skin Sensation")

  In the touch-type pointing device described in Patent Literature 1, the preferable dimension of the distance a between adjacent protrusions is 1 mm, and the amplitude h of the unevenness is preferably 0.5 mm. Non-Patent Document 1 is a paper related to “Study of unevenness perception characteristics by skin sensation of fingertips”. In “2.3.2 Experimental Results”, the heights of the raised portions are 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm. In this case, it is reported that the experiment participant can recognize the shape almost correctly, and when the height dimension is 0.1 mm, the probability that the protruding part can be recognized becomes about 50%. That is, it has been reported that the presence of a protruding portion having a height dimension exceeding 0.1 mm can be recognized by contact with a finger. According to this report, in the invention of Patent Document 1, if the amplitude h of the unevenness is 0.5 mm, which is a desirable value, the height of the raised portion becomes sufficiently large, and the setting of the first mode and the second mode is performed. It is considered possible.

  However, as described in Patent Literature 1, when the amplitude h is 0.5 mm, the height of the protruding portion is too large, so that when the touch-type pointing device is visually observed, the unevenness becomes too clear, The effect of enhancing the design by the arrangement of the fine protrusions aimed at by the present invention cannot be expected. Further, in the invention of Patent Document 1, the height dimension of the raised portion is too large, and when operated with a finger, an uneven state may be excessively recognized by the touch feeling of the fingertip.

  In the paragraph [0057] of Patent Document 1, although the minimum value of the amplitude h of the unevenness is described as 0.05 mm, the height of the raised portion of this size is still large, and the hairline tone of the present invention is aimed at. It is difficult to achieve the appearance.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and has a large number of fine ridges, so that the height dimension of the fine ridges can be extremely small so that a hairline-like appearance can be exhibited. By setting the ratio between the arrangement pitch of the fine ridges and the height of the fine ridges optimally, a contact operation device that enables the presence and arrangement of the fine ridges to be understood with the sense of contact with a finger. It is intended to provide.

The present invention is a contact operation device provided with a panel in which at least a part of the surface is a contact operation region, and a sensor that detects a finger that has contacted the contact operation region,
In the contact operation area, a plurality of fine ridges extending in a first direction are provided, and the fine ridges have a protrusion height dimension from the surface of the panel of less than 0.05 mm,
The fine ridges are arranged at regular intervals in a second direction intersecting the first direction with a region having no protrusion and no concave portion interposed therebetween, and are arranged in a second direction of the fine ridges. The arrangement pitch is more than 6 times and not more than 20 times the height of the protrusion.

  In the contact operating device of the present invention, the protrusion height is preferably 0.01 mm or more, and more preferably 0.01 mm or more and 0.03 mm or less.

  In the contact operating device of the present invention, it is preferable that the arrangement pitch of the fine protrusions in the second direction is more than 6 times and not more than 15 times the height of the protrusion.

  Further, in the contact operating device of the present invention, it is preferable that the arrangement pitch of the fine ridges in the second direction is at least three times the width of the fine ridges in the second direction.

  In the contact operation device of the present invention, on both sides of the fine ridge, a sub ridge having a smaller protrusion height dimension than the fine ridge is provided, and between the adjacent sub ridges, a protrusion and It is preferable that a region where no concave portion exists is located.

  The touch operation device of the present invention can be configured such that the panel has a decorating region that is non-translucent, and the fine ridge is provided at a position overlapping the decorating region. .

  In the contact operation device of the present invention, a plurality of fine ridges extending parallel to the first direction are formed in the contact operation region, and the height of the fine ridges from the panel surface is as small as less than 0.05 mm. Therefore, the hairline-like appearance is exhibited, and the design is good. In particular, when the fine ridge is provided at a position overlapping the decorative region, the hue of the decorative region and the fine ridge having a hairline tone can provide a good appearance.

  In addition, by setting the arrangement pitch in the second direction of the fine protrusion having a height dimension of less than 0.05 mm to be more than 6 times and not more than 20 times the protrusion height dimension, it is possible to obtain a fine touch feeling with a finger. You will be able to recognize the presence of ridges and their arrangement.

  Note that a hairline-like appearance can be obtained even when the fine protrusions are formed at a high density by setting the arrangement pitch of the fine protrusions to be less than six times the protrusion height dimension. However, in the case where the fine ridges are formed at a high density, the resistance when the finger in contact with the fine ridges is moved in the direction intersecting with the fine ridges becomes extremely small, so that the fingers intersect with the fine ridges. Almost no operational feeling when moving in the direction of movement. On the other hand, as in the present invention, when the arrangement pitch of the fine ridges is coarsened and the arrangement density of the fine ridges is low, a feeling of resistance is felt when the finger is moved in a direction intersecting the fine ridges. This makes it possible to cause a difference in the sense of resistance between when the finger is moved along the direction in which the fine ridge extends and when the finger is moved in the direction in which the fine ridge extends. You will be able to recognize the difference in direction.

  Conversely, if the protrusion height of the ridge is increased, for example, to 0.1 mm or more, even if the ridge is arranged at high density, a resistance is generated when a finger touching the ridge is moved. Become. Therefore, unlike the present invention, the phenomenon that the resistance when the finger is slid in the intersecting direction is generated or not generated due to the difference in the arrangement pitch of the ridges is not seen. In other words, when the fine ridges are arranged at an arrangement pitch exceeding six times the height of the protrusion, a phenomenon that a difference in resistance is caused according to the difference in the moving direction of the finger is caused by the protrusion height of the fine ridge. It can be realized only by making the dimension as fine as less than 0.05 mm.

  Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that sub-projections having a smaller projection height than the fine projections are provided on both sides of the fine projections. With this structure, the shape of the fine ridge can be precisely formed, and defects of the fine ridge are less likely to occur.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structure of a vehicle interior of an automobile including a contact operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 2A and 2B show a front panel provided in the contact operation device shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. In the contact operating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, an arrangement structure of fine ridges in a contact operation area is described. (A) is a pressing surface of a mold member used in a method of manufacturing fine ridges. FIG. 2 (B) is a measurement explanatory diagram in which the surface roughness of a fine ridge on the panel surface corresponding to a portion obtained by cutting the surface panel shown in FIG. 2 (B) along line III-III was measured. Measurement explanation diagram, FIG. 4A is a view for explaining an arrangement structure of fine ridges in a contact operation area in a contact operation device of a comparative example, and FIG. 5A shows the surface roughness of a pressing surface of a mold member used in a method of manufacturing a fine ridge. (B) is a measurement explanatory diagram in which the surface roughness of the fine ridge on the panel surface is measured, It is a perspective view of a resin film having a surface layer and a printing layer, which describes a method for manufacturing the contact operating device of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the resin film shown in FIG. 5 taken along line VI-VI. (A) shows a step of shaping the resin film shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 into a three-dimensional shape by a vacuum forming method or a pressure forming method, (B) is an explanatory view showing the three-dimensionally shaped resin film, Explanatory diagram showing a step of transferring fine ridges to the surface layer of a three-dimensional resin film, (A) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the resin film shown in FIG. 8 taken along the line IX-IX, (B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a fine ridge transferred to the surface layer of the resin film, (A) shows the manufacturing method of the contact operating device of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a step of transferring fine protrusions to a surface layer by a mold member, (B) Is a cross-sectional view showing the fine ridge transferred to the surface layer, FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing the contact operating device of the comparative example shown in FIG. Further showing a method of manufacturing a fine ridge as a comparative example, an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a step of transferring the fine ridge to the surface layer by a mold member,

FIG. 1 shows the structure of the interior of the vehicle 1.
In the cabin of the automobile 1, a steering wheel 2 is provided in front of a driver's seat, and an instrument panel 3 and a dashboard 4 are provided in front of and on both sides of the steering wheel 2. A center console 5 is provided beside the driver's seat, and a shift lever 6 is provided on the center console 5.

  An information display unit 10 is provided on the dashboard 4 in front of the windshield glass. The information display unit 10 can be switched between a storage position along the upper surface of the dashboard 4 and a display position standing up from the dashboard 4. The information display unit 10 has a built-in display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel or an electroluminescence display panel, and an information image generated by the display panel is displayed on an information display screen 11 of the information display unit 10.

  A contact operation device 15 is provided on the center console 5. The contact operation device 15 has a front panel 20. As shown in FIG. 2A, the front panel 20 is formed by integrating a three-dimensional resin film 21 located on the front side and a panel body 28 made of synthetic resin located on the back side. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the resin film 21 is configured by laminating a film base 22 and a surface layer 23. The film base 22 is translucent and is formed of a polycarbonate resin or the like. The surface layer 23 is a so-called hard coat layer, and is formed of a UV-curable urethane acrylate resin. A decorative layer 24 is overlaid on the back of the film substrate 22. The decorative layer 24 is a printing layer (ink layer) formed on the back surface of the film substrate 22 by a screen printing method or the like. The panel main body 28 shown in FIG. 2A is made of a light-transmitting synthetic resin, and is formed of a polycarbonate resin. The panel main body 28 and the resin film 21 are integrated by an in-mold molding method.

  In the front panel 20, the surface layer 23 is directed forward (in a direction toward the interior of the vehicle), and the decorative layer 24 is directed inward of the device of the contact operation device 15. FIG. 2B is a front view of the front panel 20. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 (B), in the front panel 20, the non-light-transmitting area where the decorative layer 24 is formed on the back surface of the resin film 21 is the decorative area 21 a, and the decorative layer 21 The regions where 24 is not formed are the light transmitting regions 21b, 21c and 21d. The contact operation device 15 is provided with a display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel or an electroluminescence display panel behind the front panel 20. The image formed on the display panel can be seen through the light-transmitting regions 21b, 21c, and 21d from the vehicle interior side.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2B, a contact operation area 25 is provided on at least a part of the surface of the resin film 21 constituting the front panel 20. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2B, the contact operation area 25 is formed in a range that extends to the lowermost light-transmitting area 21d and the surrounding decorative area 21a. As shown in FIG. 9B, in the contact operation area 25, a large number (plurality) of fine ridges 30 are formed so as to protrude from a surface 23 a of the surface layer 23 of the resin film 21 facing the vehicle interior. The fine ridges 30 extend linearly and parallel to each other in the first direction (X direction) at regular intervals in the second direction (Y direction) of the front panel 20.

  In the front panel 20, an electrostatic sensor is provided between the resin film 21 and the panel main body 28 or on the back of the panel main body 28 facing the inside of the device. The electrostatic sensor is formed by forming a plurality of light-transmitting electrodes such as ITO on a light-transmitting base film, and when an operator's finger comes into contact with the surface of the front panel 20, a gap between the electrode and the finger is generated. The contact position of the finger can be detected by the change in the capacitance of the finger. The electrostatic sensor is provided in a range including at least the contact operation area 25.

  In the contact operation device 15, a display for guiding various operations is performed on the translucent regions 21b, 21c, and 21d by the display panel. When the user touches and operates the contact operation area 25 based on the guidance display, the movement of the finger is detected by the electrostatic sensor. The operation result is displayed on an information display screen 11 of an information display unit 10 provided on the dashboard 4. The operated device that is operated by the contact operation device 15 and information is displayed on the information display unit 10 is, for example, an air conditioner, an audio device, a car navigation device, and the like. Alternatively, an operation necessary for automatic driving may be performed by the contact operation device 15, and the information may be displayed on the information display screen 11 of the information display unit 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 (B) and 9 (B), in the contact operation area 25, a large number of fine ridges 30 extending linearly and parallel to the X direction on the surface 23a of the surface layer 23 of the resin film 21. By being formed, two effects can be expected. The first effect is to determine whether the finger is moving in the first direction (X direction) or the second direction (Y direction) when touching and operating the contact operation area 25 with the finger. It becomes easy to confirm only by the touch feeling, and when the driver operates the contact operation device 15 in a blind state, the operation becomes easy. The second effect is that when the contact operation area 25 is viewed, the surface of the front panel 20 has a hairline-like appearance due to the reflection of light, which is excellent in design. In particular, in the region where the contact operation region 25 and the decorative region 21a overlap, the surface of the hue of the decorative layer 24 is separated from the surface of the film substrate 22 and the surface layer 23 by the transparent thickness to obtain a hairline-like fine protrusion. Since the ridges 30 are visible, the decorative area 21a has a metal hairline-like appearance.

  FIG. 3B shows details of actually manufacturing the contact operation region 25 of the contact operation device 15 of the embodiment of the present invention on the surface layer 23, and FIG. 4B shows a contact operation device as a comparative example. Details showing the actual production of the fifteen contact operating areas 25 are shown. FIGS. 3B and 4B show that the surface 23a of the surface layer 23 on which the fine ridges 30 were actually manufactured was scanned in the second direction (Y direction) using a surface roughness meter. 5 is a measurement graph of surface roughness at the time. FIG. 3A is a measurement graph of the surface roughness obtained by scanning the pressing surface 41a of the mold member 40a used to transfer the fine ridge 30 of FIG. 3B in the second direction (Y direction). FIG. 4A shows the measurement of the surface roughness obtained by scanning the pressing surface 41b of the mold member 40b used for transferring the fine ridge 30 in FIG. 4B in the second direction (Y direction). It is a graph.

  FIG. 10A shows the shape of the pressing surface 41a of the same mold member 40a used for manufacturing the contact operation area 25 of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. (B) schematically shows the ideal shape of the fine ridge 30 transferred to the surface 23a of the surface layer 23 by the pressing surface 41a in the contact operation area 25 of the embodiment.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 10 (A), the pressing projection 41 is formed on the pressing surface 41a of the mold member 40a with a constant arrangement pitch W1 in the second direction (Y direction). 42 are formed. The pressing protrusion 42 has, at the top thereof, pressing front ends 42a, 42a divided in the Y direction, and a molding recess 43 sandwiched between the two pressing front ends 42a. In addition, a recess 44 is formed between the adjacent pressing protrusions 42, that is, between the adjacent pressing tip portions 42a. Each of the cross-sectional shapes obtained by cutting the molding concave portion 43 and the concave portion 44 in the Y direction is a V-shaped (triangular) concave portion having a corner at the bottom facing inward of the mold member 40a. The cross-sectional shape obtained by cutting the pressing tip portion 42a in the Y direction is a V-shaped (triangular) convex portion whose corner is directed toward the surface of the mold member 40a. The pressure tip portions 42a, 42a, the formed concave portion 43, and the concave portion 44 are formed in a linear shape that is continuous in the first direction (X direction).

  The V-shaped opening angle α of the molding concave portion 43 and the V-shaped opening angle β of the concave portion 44 may be different, but in the mold member 40a shown in FIGS. 3A and 10A, The opening angle α and the opening angle β are the same. As shown in FIG. 3A, the depth dimension of the recess 44 from the tip corner of the pressing tip 42a is larger than the depth H1 of the molding recess 43 from the tip corner of the pressing tip 42a. H2 is larger. Also, the opening width dimension W3 of the depression 44, ie, the dimension W3 between the tip corners of the pressing tip 42a, is greater than the opening width W2 of the molding recess 43, ie, the dimension W2 between the tip corners of the pressing tip 42a. Is wide.

  The step of forming the fine protrusions 30 using the mold member 40a is performed in a softened state in which the surface layer 23 is not cured by ultraviolet rays. As shown in FIG. 10A, the pressing surface 41 a of the mold member 40 a is brought into contact with the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23, and the softened surface layer 23 is formed at the bottom of the concave portion 44 (the bottom corner and its periphery). The mold member 40a is pressed against the surface layer 23 at such a pressure that does not make contact with the mold member 40a. In this pressing operation, a part of the softened surface layer 23 pushed away by the pressing front end portion 42a enters the inside of the V-shaped forming recess 43 sandwiched between the two pressing front end portions 42a, 42a. At the same time, another part of the surface layer 23 moves to the inside of the concave portion 44 which is deeper and wider than the molding concave portion 43 and has a large volume. Therefore, the pressure tip 42 a can be deeply penetrated into the inside of the surface layer 23, and the softened surface layer 23 is sufficiently filled in the inside of the molding recess 43.

  After transferring the fine ridges 30 to the surface layer 23 by the mold member 40a, the surface layer 23 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the surface layer 23, and the forming of the fine ridges 30 is completed. As shown in FIGS. 10 (A) and 10 (B), the surface layer 23 in the softened state sufficiently penetrates into the inside of the molding recess 43, so that the fine ridges 30 have a precise sectional shape following the shape of the molding recess 43. Molded into Also, defects of the fine ridges 30 extending linearly in the X direction are less likely to occur.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 (A) and 10 (B), the pressing protruding portions 42 a of the mold member 40 a bite into the softened surface layer 23, so that the fine ridge 30 having a precise shape is formed by the forming recess 43. However, as a result of the pressing tips 42 a, 42 a biting into the softened surface layer 23, a part of the surface layer 23 that has moved into the recess 44 rises to form the sub-ridge 31. As can be seen from the surface roughness graph of FIG. 3B, the protrusion height of the sub-projection 31 based on the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23 is the fine projection based on the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23. 30 is smaller than the protrusion height dimension H3. Therefore, even if the finger is applied to the surface 23a, the sub-projection 31 does not contact the finger, and the operation feeling by the finger is not affected. In the portion where the concave portion 44 of the mold member 40a faces, the sub-projection 31 and the sub-projection 31 are separated from each other without interfering with each other in the Y direction, and the adjacent sub-projection 31 and the sub-projection 31 A flat region 33 in which no protrusion and no concave portion exists (at least a flat region in which no protrusion exists) is provided between them. That is, in the contact operation area 25 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3B, the protrusion 23 projecting higher than the fine ridge 30 does not exist on the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23, and the adjacent fine ridge 30 does not exist. Between the ridges 30, there is provided a flat region 33 in which there are no protrusions and recesses.

  As shown in FIG. 3B and FIG. 10B, a number of fine ridges 30 linearly extending in the X direction are formed at a sufficient interval in the Y direction, and the fine ridges adjacent in the Y direction are formed. Since there is no protrusion having a larger height than the protrusion 30 between the small protrusions 30, even if the height H 3 of the fine protrusion 30 from the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23 is minute, the contact operation area 25 is not provided. When the touched finger is slid, it becomes easy to recognize whether the finger is moving in the X direction or the Y direction by the touch feeling of the fingertip. Therefore, when an operator such as a driver performs a blind operation by touching the contact operation area 25 with a finger, the operation state is easily recognized, and an erroneous operation is less likely to occur. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 (B) and FIG. 10 (B), a hairline-like surface pattern is formed in the contact operation area 25 by forming the fine ridges 30 having a minute height at intervals. When the touch operation area 25 is operated with a finger, the presence and arrangement of the fine ridges 30 can be easily recognized by the touch feeling of the finger.

  In order to form a hairline-like surface pattern in the contact operation area 25, the height dimension of the fine ridge 30 (projecting from the surface of the surface panel 20) with reference to the surface 23a of the surface layer 23 shown in FIG. (Height dimension) H3 is preferably less than 0.05 mm, and more preferably 0.01 mm or more and less than 0.05 mm. Furthermore, it is preferable that it is in the range of 0.01 mm or more and 0.03 mm or less. When the fine ridges 30 are superimposed on the decorative area 21a, the color of the decorative area 21a and the thickness of the translucent resin film 21 give a metallic hairline-like appearance. .

  In order to be able to recognize the moving direction of the contacted finger with the touch feeling of the fingertip in the contact operation area 25 in which the minute protrusion 30 having the minute height is formed, the fine operation shown in FIG. It is preferable that the arrangement pitch W5 of the ridges 30 exceeds six times the height H3 of the fine ridges 30 (6 · H3 <W5). Further, it is preferably more than 6 times and not more than 20 times (6 · H3 <W5 ≦ 20 · H3), and more preferably more than 6 times and not more than 15 times (6 · H3 <W5 ≦ 15 · H3).

  In the measured value of the surface roughness of the pressing surface 41a shown in FIG. 3A, the depth dimension H1 of the molding recess 43 is 0.03 mm, and the depth dimension H2 of the depression 44 is 0.07 mm. The opening width W2 of the forming recess 43 is 0.06 mm, the opening width W3 of the recess 44 is 0.14 mm, and the arrangement pitch of the adjacent pressing protrusions 42 (the arrangement pitch of the adjacent forming recesses 43). W1 is 0.2 mm. The opening angle α of the molding concave portion 43 of the mold member 40a and the opening angle β of the concave portion 44 are both 90 degrees.

  In the measured value of the surface roughness of the surface layer 23 shown in FIG. 3B, the entire height H4 of the fine ridge 30 is 0.03 mm according to the depth H1 of the molding recess 43. As shown in FIG. 10 (A), since the pressure tip 42a of the mold member 40a bites into the surface layer 23, the height H3 of the fine ridge 30 with respect to the surface 23a of the surface layer 23 is equal to 0. 02 mm. Also, the arrangement pitch W5 of the fine ridges 30 shown in FIG. 3B is 0.2 mm corresponding to the arrangement pitch W1 of the forming recesses 43 on the pressing surface 41a. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the relationship between the protrusion height H3 of the fine protrusion 30 and the arrangement pitch W5 is (10 · H3 = W5).

  As a result of actually manufacturing the fine ridge 30 having the dimensions shown in FIG. 3 and performing a sensitivity test of touching the contact operation area 25 with a finger, the height of the fine ridge 30 from the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23 (the surface panel Despite the extremely small height H3 of 0.02 mm from the surface of the surface 20, the presence and arrangement of the fine ridges 30 can be recognized by the touch feeling of the finger, and the finger is moved in the first direction. It was possible to distinguish between sliding in the (X direction) and sliding in the second direction (Y direction).

  According to the measurement results of FIG. 3, in order to enable the presence and arrangement of the fine ridges 30 having minute height dimensions to be recognized by the touch feeling of the fingertip, the second direction ( The relationship between the width dimension in the (Y direction) and the arrangement pitch W5 is also important. The maximum width dimension of the fine protrusion 30 in FIG. 3B is equivalent to the opening width dimension W2 (= 0,06 mm) of the molded concave portion 43 shown in FIG. Since the arrangement pitch W5 of the fine ridges 30 is 0.2 mm, the arrangement pitch W5 is 3.33 times the maximum width dimension of the fine ridges 30. Therefore, the arrangement pitch W5 is preferably three times or more the maximum width dimension of the fine protrusion 30. It is more preferably 3 times or more and 10 times or less, and further preferably 3 times or more and 5 times or less.

  FIG. 11 shows the shape of the pressing surface 41b of the same mold member 40b as that in which the contact operation area 25 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 4 was manufactured, and the comparative example transferred to the surface 23a of the surface layer 23 by the pressing surface 41b. The shape of the fine ridge 30 is schematically shown.

  Also in the comparative example, the pressing protrusions 42 are arranged at a constant pitch in the Y direction on the pressing surface 41b of the mold member 40b shown in FIGS. , Two pressing tips 42a, 42a, and a molding recess 43 sandwiched between the two pressing tips 42a and the pressing tips 42a. The cross-sectional shape of the pressing tip portion 42a is a V-shaped (triangular) convex portion with a corner directed to the surface side. The cross-sectional shape of the molding concave portion 43 is a V-shaped (triangular) concave portion provided with a corner at the bottom facing inward of the mold member 40b. Also on the pressing surface 41b of the mold member 40b, a recess 44 is formed between the pressing protrusions 42 adjacent in the Y direction (the pressing tip 42a adjacent in the Y direction).

  In the comparative example of FIG. 4A, the depth dimension Ha of the molding recess 43 of the pressing surface 41b is 0.02 mm, the depth dimension Hb of the depression 44 is 0.03 mm, and the opening width dimension Wb of the molding recess 43 is The opening width dimension Wc of the depression 44 is 0.06 mm, and the arrangement pitch Wa of the adjacent pressure projections 42 is 0.1 mm. The opening angle between the molding concave portion 43 and the concave portion 44 is 90 degrees, which is the same as that of the mold member 40a in FIG. Also in the mold member 40b, the molding concave portion 43, the pressing tip portion 42a, and the concave portion 44 extend linearly parallel to each other in the X direction.

  Also in the comparative example, when the contact operation region 25 is formed, the pressurizing tip portion 42a bites into the softened surface layer 23, and the fine ridge 30 is formed in an accurate shape following the shape of the forming concave portion 43. In the measurement result of the surface roughness shown in FIG. 4B, the maximum height dimension Hd of the fine ridge 30 is 0.02 mm according to the depth dimension Ha of the molding recess 43. The height Hc of the fine ridge 30 based on the surface 23a of the surface layer 23 is 0.01 mm because the pressurizing tip 42a bites into the surface layer 23.

  In the pressing surface 41b of the mold member 40b shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 11, the opening width dimension Wb of the molding recess 43 is larger than the arrangement pitch Wa of the adjacent molding recesses 43. As a result, the depression 44 Are relatively narrow. The arrangement pitch Wa (0.1 mm) is 2.5 times the opening width dimension Wb (0.04 mm) of the molding recess 43. Therefore, in the measured value of the surface roughness in FIG. 4B, the height He of the sub-projection 32 based on the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23 is smaller than the height projection He based on the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23. The height Hc is equal to, or rather larger than, the height Hc. The arrangement pitch of the fine ridges 30 is 2.5 times the maximum width dimension of the fine ridges 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 4B and 11, in the comparative example, a sub-projection 32 having a height equal to or higher than the height of the fine projection 30 is provided between adjacent fine projections 30. It is provided continuously. Therefore, when the finger touches the contact operation area 25 as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the effect that the presence and the arrangement state of the fine ridges 30 can be recognized by the contact feeling of the finger cannot be obtained.

FIG. 12 shows a method of manufacturing a fine protrusion as a comparative example.
The pressing surface 141 of the mold member 140 used in the comparative example of FIG. 12 is provided with V-shaped forming recesses 143 spaced from each other in the Y direction. No part is provided. When the mold member 140 is pressed against the softened surface layer 23, the flat surface 141a of the pressing surface 141 hits the surface 23a of the surface layer 23, and the pressing surface 141 cannot be pushed further toward the surface layer 23 beyond that. . Therefore, the surface layer 23 in the softened state cannot sufficiently enter the molding recess 143, and it is difficult to form the fine ridge 130 transferred to the surface layer 23 exactly following the molding recess 143.

  Next, a series of steps of a method for manufacturing the contact operating device of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and the comparative example shown in FIG. 4 will be described.

  FIG. 5 shows a step in which the resin film 21 is fed out, and FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the resin film 21 shown in FIG. 5 taken along the line VI-VI. In the resin film 21, a surface layer 23 before being cured by ultraviolet rays is superimposed on one surface (front surface) of the film substrate 22, and the other surface (back surface) of the film substrate 22 is screen-printed or the like. The decorative layer 24 is formed. By providing the decoration layer 24, as shown in FIG. 5, the decoration region 21a and the light-transmitting regions 21b, 21c, and 21d are formed on the film substrate 22.

FIG. 7 shows a step of forming the resin film 21 into a three-dimensional shape.
In the step shown in FIG. 7A, a three-dimensional mold 51 having a molded concave part 52 is used, and the resin film 21 is shaped into a three-dimensional shape that matches the shape of the front panel 20 by a vacuum forming method or a pressure forming method. By shifting to a vacuum forming method or a pressure forming method in a step before the surface layer 23 is cured by ultraviolet rays, the resin film 21 can be easily formed into a three-dimensional shape even when the surface layer 23 exists. In the step of FIG. 7B, the resin film 21 shaped into a three-dimensional shape is trimmed, and unnecessary edges 21e are cut off.

  Next, the process proceeds to the step of FIG. 8, in which the fine ridges 30 are formed on the surface layer 23 of the resin film 21. In this step, the mold member 40a shown in FIG. 10A or the mold member 40b shown in FIG. 11 is placed on the worktable 53 heated by the heater. The mold members 40a and 40b are installed with the pressing surfaces 41a and 41b facing upward. The resin film 21 shaped into a three-dimensional shape is placed in a direction in which the surface layer 23 contacts the pressing surfaces 41a and 41b, and the surface layer 23 of the resin film 21 is applied to the pressing surfaces 41a and 41b using the pressing roller 54. Apply pressure. At this time, the surface layer 23 of the resin film 21 superimposed on the mold members 40a and 40b is heated by the heater and is in a softened state, and the pressing surfaces 41a and 41b cause the fine protrusions 30 to be formed on the softened surface layer 23. Is transferred.

  After the fine ridges 30 are transferred to the surface 23 a of the surface layer 23, the surface layer 23 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the surface layer 23, and the shape of the fine ridges 30 is determined. Thereafter, the resin film 21 and the panel main body 28 are integrated by the in-mold molding method, and the front panel 20 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is completed.

  In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, the plurality of fine ridges 30 extend linearly in parallel with each other in the X direction. 30 may have a curved portion such as a wavy shape, or may be formed in a zigzag shape, and extend in parallel with each other in the X direction that is the first direction.

15 Contact Operation Device 20 Surface Panel 21 Resin Film 21a Decorative Areas 21b, 21c, 21d Light-Transmissive Area 22 Film Base 23 Surface Layer 24 Decorative Layer 25 Contact Operation Area 28 Panel Body 30 Fine Protrusion 31, 32 Secondary Protrusion 33 Regions 40a, 40b where protrusions and recesses do not exist Mold members 41a, 41b Pressing surface 42 Pressing protrusions 42a Pressing tips 43 Molding recesses 44 Depressions H1, Ha Depth dimensions H2, Hb of molding recesses Depth dimension H3, Hc Height dimension W2, Wb of the fine ridge Opening dimension dimension W3, Wc of the forming concave section Opening dimension dimension of the concave section

Claims (7)

A panel in which at least a part of the surface is a contact operation area, and a sensor that detects a finger that has contacted the contact operation area,
In the contact operation area, a plurality of fine ridges extending in a first direction are provided, and the fine ridges have a protrusion height dimension from the surface of the panel of less than 0.05 mm,
The fine ridges are arranged at regular intervals in a second direction intersecting the first direction with a certain distance interposed therebetween, in a region where the protrusions and the concave portions do not exist, and a second direction of the fine ridges is provided. The contact operation device is characterized in that the arrangement pitch of the contact operating devices is more than 6 times and not more than 20 times the projecting height dimension.   The contact operating device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion height dimension is 0.01 mm or more.   3. The contact operating device according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion height dimension is 0.01 mm or more and 0.03 mm or less.   4. The contact operating device according to claim 1, wherein an arrangement pitch of the fine protrusions in the second direction is more than six times and less than or equal to 15 times the height of the protrusion. 5.   The contact operation device according to claim 1, wherein an arrangement pitch of the fine protrusions in the second direction is at least three times a width dimension of the fine protrusions in the second direction.   On both sides of the fine ridge, sub-protrusions whose protrusion height dimension is smaller than the fine ridges are provided, and between adjacent sub-ridges, a region where a protrusion and a concave portion do not exist is located. The contact operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein:   The contact according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the panel has a decorating region that is non-translucent, and the fine ridge is provided at a position overlapping the decorating region. Operating device.

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