Decorative molded body, key top for a pushbutton switch, and key sheet for the pushbutton switch

Abstract

Disclosed is a decorative molded body, which is structured such that an inside thereof looks three-dimensional from a surface thereof, the decorative molded body being a substituted for a decorative molded body of the related art. A decorative molded body is characterized by including a three-dimensional base pattern layer having, on a bottom surface of a transparent molded body, a transparent printing layer and a brilliant layer containing brilliant particles, in which the brilliant layer is raised brightly and three-dimensionally on the transparent printing layer as a background. The decorative molded body is excellent in design, and structured so that irregular shapes formed of portions where the transparent printing layer is provided and other portions can look three-dimensional from a surface of the molded body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exterior perspective view of a cellular phone;

FIG. 2 is an exterior view of an upper surface of a key sheet including key tops according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the key sheet taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the key top of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are enlarged cross-sectional views showing a process of forming decorative portions of the key top of FIG. 4, in which FIG. 5A is an enlarged cross-sectional view in which a transparent printing layer and a brilliant layer are stacked on each other, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional view in which the brilliant layer is removed by laser;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a key top according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a key sheet including the key tops according to the second embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a key top according to a third embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a key sheet including the key tops according to the third embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a process of forming decorative portions of a key top according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a key sheet including the key tops according to the fourth embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a cover member for a liquid crystal display according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a process of forming a decorative portion of a key top according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a key sheet including the key tops according to the sixth embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. 3.

Claims

1. A decorative molded body, which is structured such that an inside thereof looks three-dimensional from a surface of a molded body, comprising: a three-dimensional base pattern layer including, on a bottom surface of the transparent molded body, a transparent printing layer and a brilliant layer containing brilliant particles, in which the brilliant layer is raised brightly and three-dimensionally on the transparent printing layer as a background.

2. A decorative molded body according to claim 1, wherein a content of the brilliant particles in a total solid content of the brilliant layer is 3 wt % to 85 wt %.

3. A decorative molded body according to claim 1, wherein the brilliant layer contains brilliant particles of one of a scaly type and a scaly foil-like type.

4. A decorative molded body according to claim 1, further comprising a display layer for displaying a character, a symbol, and the like, the display layer being provided separately from the three-dimensional base pattern layer.

5. A decorative molded body according to claim 1, wherein the brilliant layer is made as a translucent layer, and a pigmented layer imparting a background color to the three-dimensional base pattern layer is provided on the bottom surface of the molded body through the brilliant layer, the background color being obtained by blending a color of the brilliant layer with a color of the pigmented layer.

6. A decorative molded body according to claim 1, wherein the brilliant layer is a metal-deposited layer containing brilliant particles formed by deposition.

7. A decorative molded body according to claim 4, wherein the display layer is a layer which is substantially free from containing the brilliant particles.

8. A decorative molded body according to claim 4, wherein the display layer is provided on the bottom surface of the molded body through the brilliant layer, and the brilliant layer is a translucent layer through which the display layer is visually recognizable.

9. A decorative molded body according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional base pattern layer is formed of the transparent printing layer and the brilliant layer.

10. A decorative molded body according to claim 1, wherein the transparent printing layer is formed linearly at equal intervals on the bottom surface of the key top body so that equidistant vertical stripes are looked raised and three-dimensional.

11. A decorative molded body according to claim 6, further comprising: a display layer for displaying a character, a symbol, and the like, the display layer being provided separately from the three-dimensional base pattern layer.

12. A decorative molded body according to claim 11, wherein the brilliant layer is made as a translucent layer, and a pigmented layer imparting a background color to the three-dimensional base pattern layer is provided on the bottom surface of the molded body through the brilliant layer, the background color being obtained by blending a color of the brilliant layer with a color of the pigmented layer.

13. A decorative molded body according to claim 11, wherein the display layer is a layer which is substantially free from containing the brilliant particles.

14. A decorative molded body according to claim 11, wherein the display layer is provided on the bottom surface of the molded body through the brilliant layer, and the brilliant layer is a translucent layer through which the display layer is visually recognizable.

15. A key top for a pushbutton switch, comprising the decorative molded body according to claim 1.

16. A key sheet for pushbutton switches, comprising: the key top according to claim 15; and a base sheet formed of a rubber-like elastic body.