Electrostatic capacitance-type input device
View Patent ↗An electrostatic capacitance-type input device includes a first member made of a non-conductive resin, a second member formed together with the first member and made of a conductive resin, a determination unit configured to determine the presence or absence of an input operation of an operator for the second member, based on a change in electrostatic capacitance of the second member, a circuit substrate in which the determination unit is mounted, the circuit substrate being fixed to an inner side portion of a cover member, and a conductive elastic member configured to lie between the second member and the circuit substrate and maintain an electrical connection between the second member and the circuit substrate using an elastic force.
1. An electrostatic capacitance-type input device comprising:
a first member made of a non-conductive resin;
a second member formed together with the first member and made of a conductive resin;
a determination unit that determines the presence or absence of an input operation of an operator for the second member, based on a change in electrostatic capacitance of the second member;
a circuit substrate in which the determination unit is mounted, the circuit substrate being fixed to an inner side portion of a cover member; and
a coil spring that lies between the second member and the circuit substrate and maintains an electrical connection between the second member and the circuit substrate using an elastic force,
the second member including an electrode frame portion and a spring holding portion that contains the coil spring.
2. The electrostatic capacitance-type input device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second member includes an operation region whose electrostatic capacitance is changed based on an input operation of the operator,
at least an outer side portion of the operation region within the second member is covered by the first member, and
the determination unit determines the presence or absence of an input operation of the operator for the operation region covered by the first member.
3. The electrostatic capacitance-type input device according to claim 1 , wherein
an LED is mounted, in the circuit substrate, at a position corresponding to an operation region whose electrostatic capacitance is changed based on an input operation of the operator, and
the first member includes a light guiding portion made of a light guiding resin and configured to guide outgoing light from the LED to the operation region.
4. The electrostatic capacitance-type input device according to claim 3 , wherein
the first member and the second member are integrated with each other by forming the first member after formation of the second member, and
a position of a gate of a mold for forming the first member is arranged at a position corresponding to an inner side portion of the light guiding portion.
5. The electrostatic capacitance-type input device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first member and the second member are movable in accordance with elastic extension or contraction of the conductive elastic member with respect to the circuit substrate,
a switch member that generates a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of a pressing force is mounted in the circuit substrate, and
the switch member outputs a signal indicating an on-state in a case of being pressed by movements of the first member and the second member to a circuit substrate side, caused by the operator, and generates a signal of an off-state in a case where a pressing force caused by the first member and the second member is released.