Structured touch switch

1. A structured touch switch which is of an electrostatic capacitance type designed to detect a touch operation based on a variation in electrostatic capacity between electrodes, comprising:

a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic;

a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with said substrate so that a portion of said conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of said substrate, said conductive member being provided at one side of the substrate;

a circuit board that opposes and spaced apart from the substrate; and

a touch detection electrode mounted on the circuit board and provided at said one side of the substrate at a position facing said conductive member in a state, said conductive member and said touch detection electrode defining an open space therebetween,

wherein said substrate is made of a non-conductive resin while said conductive member is made of a conductive resin.

2. The structured touch switch according to claim 1 , wherein a light-emitting device is provided on the circuit board holding said detection electrode, and a substrate side surface of said conductive member is made to allow transmission of light from said light-emitting device.

3. The structured touch switch according to claim 2 , wherein a wall section is formed on said conductive member to surround said light-emitting device so that said wall section shields the light from said light-emitting device.

4. The structured touch switch according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is incorporated into a control panel of an automobile, and is formed into a curved shape according to a shape of the control panel.

5. The structured touch switch according to claim 1 , wherein said touch detection electrode is set in a portion extending from the circuit board toward said substrate, said portion defining said open space.

6. A structured touch switch which is of an electrostatic capacitance type designed to detect a touch operation based on a variation in electrostatic capacity between electrodes, comprising:

a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic;

a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with said substrate so that a portion of said conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of said substrate; and

a touch detection electrode provided at a position directly opposing said conductive member in a state where a space is defined with respect to said conductive member,

wherein a light-emitting device is provided on a circuit board holding said detection electrode, and a substrate side surface of said conductive member is made to allow transmission of light from said light-emitting device.

7. The structured touch switch according to claim 6 , wherein a wall section is formed on said conductive member to surround said light-emitting device so that said wall section shields the light from said light-emitting device.

8. The structured touch switch according to claim 6 , wherein the light-emitting device emits the light in conjunction with an illumination switch of an automobile.

9. A structured touch switch which is of an electrostatic capacitance type designed to detect a touch operation based on a variation in electrostatic capacity between electrodes, comprising:

a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic;

a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with said substrate so that a portion of said conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of said substrate; and

a touch detection electrode provided at a position directly opposing said conductive member in a state where a space is defined with respect to said conductive member,

wherein said substrate is made of a non-conductive resin while said conductive member is made of a conductive resin.

10. A structured touch switch which is of an electrostatic capacitance type designed to detect a touch operation based on a variation in electrostatic capacity between electrodes, comprising:

a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic;

a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with said substrate so that a portion of said conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of said substrate; and

a touch detection electrode provided at a position directly opposing said conductive member in a state where a space is defined with respect to said conductive member,

wherein a switch main unit is made of the conductive member, the switch main unit comprising a top surface section and a wall section extending from the top surface section toward a back side,

wherein the wall section faces the touch detection electrode, so as to establish an electrostatic coupling with the touch detection electrode.

11. A structured touch switch which is of an electrostatic capacitance type designed to detect a touch operation based on a variation in electrostatic capacity between electrodes, comprising:

a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic;

a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with said substrate so that a portion of said conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of said substrate;

a touch detection electrode provided at a position directly opposing said conductive member in a state where a space is defined with respect to said conductive member,

a circuit board provided at a backside of the substrate; and

a supporting member extending from the substrate and being engaged with the circuit board, so as to define a space between the conductive member and the touch detection electrode.

12. A structured touch switch which is of an electrostatic capacitance type designed to detect a touch operation based on a variation in electrostatic capacity between electrodes, comprising:

a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic;

a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with said substrate so that a portion of said conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of said substrate, said conductive member being provided at one side of the substrate; and

a touch detection electrode provided at said one side of the substrate at a position facing said conductive member in a state, said conductive member and said touch detection electrode defining an open space therebetween,

wherein said substrate is made of a non-conductive resin while said conductive member is made of a conductive resin.

13. A structured touch switch which is of an electrostatic capacitance type designed to detect a touch operation based on a variation in electrostatic capacity between electrodes, comprising:

a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic;

a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with said substrate so that a portion of said conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of said substrate, said conductive member being provided at one side of the substrate;

a circuit board that opposes and spaced apart from the substrate; and

a touch detection electrode mounted on the circuit board and provided at said one side of the substrate at a position facing said conductive member in a state, said conductive member and said touch detection electrode defining an open space therebetween,

wherein said substrate is made of a non-conductive resin while said conductive member is made of a conductive resin.