JP2001321732A - Cleaning mechanism of touch panel, cleaning method therefor and display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for keeping a touched surface of a touch panel clean while reducing the load required for maintaining and cleaning the touch panel which is manipulated by the contact with fingers. SOLUTION: In a cleaning mechanism 2, a protective screen 23 is arranged so as to cover the surface of a touch panel 22 integrally fitted to a liquid crystal display panel 21, and is rotationally driven by the wind-up rollers 24a and 24b and a wind-up motor 25. Brushes 26a and 26b in contact with the surface of the protective screen 23 are fixed to the upper and lower parts of the panel 22 so that the soil of the protective screen 23 is wiped out by the brushes 26a and 26b, when the protective screen 23 is transferred by the wind-up motor 25. Further, the brush 26b is wetted with a washing solution in a tank 27 so that the soil is more surely removed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a touch panel cleaning mechanism for automatically cleaning a touch panel attached to a display screen, a touch panel cleaning method, and a display device using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, input devices in which a touch panel is attached to a display screen such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display have become widespread. Since the touch panel can be input so as to directly touch the screen, intuitive operation is possible. For this reason, there is an advantage that even a person who is not good at computer operation can easily operate the computer.

[0003]

Taking advantage of the fact that a touch panel is easy for anyone to use, it can be used for devices intended for an unspecified number of people such as ATMs of financial institutions, various vending machines, game machines, and the like. Many are used. However, since an unspecified number of people directly touch and operate,
There is a problem that the skin is easily stained due to adhesion of sebum and the like. For this reason, the installer has to appropriately clean the touch panel in consideration of the stained state of the touch panel.

[0004] In order to solve this problem, various proposals have conventionally been made. For example, Japanese Patent No. 2709299
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11-163873 discloses a method in which a touch panel is divided into a plurality of areas, and only an arbitrary area is set in a state where input cannot be performed, and the area is cleaned. According to this method, since the portion that does not respond to the operation is cleaned, malfunction during cleaning can be prevented. However, this method is intended only to improve the convenience of cleaning the touch panel, and the problem of requiring human labor for cleaning the touch panel has not been solved yet.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-73202 discloses that
In a touch panel on which a plurality of keys are displayed and arranged, an input control method for changing a key definition when the number of key operations exceeds a set value and averaging the number of operations on the touch panel is disclosed. According to this method, it is possible to avoid a situation in which frequently operated key positions on the touch panel are significantly contaminated, and to prolong the life of the touch panel.
However, this does not reduce the labor required for cleaning.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-124241 discloses a method of coating a surface of a panel which is operated by a finger with a titanium dioxide film. In this method, the dirt on the panel surface is decomposed by the photocatalytic action of titanium, so that cleaning work can be omitted. However, in this method, special processing of the panel surface is required, so that the cost is increased. In addition, since the panel functions as a touch panel, further special processing is required, and the cost is significantly increased. In addition, sufficient consideration is required for cleaning the surface that has been subjected to special processing, and requires a more advanced cleaning technique and meticulous attention than a normal touch panel, and is not a technique that can be easily applied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to reduce the time required for management and cleaning of a touch panel touched by a finger.
Keeping the surface touched by fingers clean.

[0008]

The present invention has the following features in order to achieve the above object. In the following description of the means, a configuration corresponding to the embodiment is exemplified by parentheses as an example. Reference numerals and the like are reference numerals and the like in the drawings described later.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning mechanism for a touch panel (for example, a cleaning mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 2) which is disposed on a display screen, detects presence / absence of contact, and specifies a contact position. A protective sheet (23) covering the surface of the touch panel, a moving mechanism (for example, rollers 24a and 24b and a winding motor 25 shown in FIG. 2) for moving the protective sheet, and the moving mechanism moves the protective sheet. Cleaning means (for example, brushes 26a and 26b shown in FIG. 2) which is disposed on a path for removing dirt attached to the surface of the protective sheet.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of cleaning a touch panel, which is provided on a display screen, detects presence / absence of a contact, and specifies a contact position, wherein the surface of the touch panel is covered with a protective sheet. The protection sheet is moved by a movement mechanism, and dirt attached to the surface of the protection sheet is removed by cleaning means arranged on a path along which the protection sheet is moved by the movement mechanism.

Here, examples of the display screen include a liquid crystal display screen, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) screen, and the like, but a screen using another display method may be used. Examples of the touch panel include a touch panel that detects the presence or absence of a contact by detecting pressure or static electricity using a transparent electrode or a resistive film, and specifies a contact position. As the protective sheet, for example, a transparent resin film-shaped member may be mentioned, but a plate-shaped member may be used.

Therefore, by moving the protection sheet covering the touch panel, the protection sheet is cleaned by the cleaning means, so that the surface where the finger touches the touch panel can be kept clean without manual cleaning. For this reason, especially, a touch panel in an environment that is very dirty, such as a touch panel of a device used by an unspecified number of people,
You will be able to use it comfortably.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning mechanism for a touch panel according to the first aspect, the moving mechanism is disposed at opposite ends of the touch panel, and the two rollers ( 24a, 24
b) and a motor (for example, a winding motor 25 shown in FIG. 2) for rotating one or both of these two rollers.

Here, as the motor, for example, a stepping motor for rotating the roller by a predetermined amount can be cited, but it is of course possible to use another motor.

Therefore, since the protection sheet is wound around the roller disposed at the end of the touch panel, the protection sheet can be easily moved by rotating the roller by the motor. Further, if the protective sheet is made thin, a large amount of the protective sheet can be wound around the roller, and the touch panel can be kept in a cleaner state by frequently moving and cleaning the protective sheet.

Further, in the cleaning mechanism for a touch panel according to the first or second aspect, as in the third aspect,
The cleaning means is a brush (26) which is fixed so as to be in contact with the surface of the protective sheet, and removes dirt by rubbing the surface of the protective sheet when the protective sheet moves.
a, 26b).

Here, the brush is a brush made of felt, non-woven fabric or the like formed using various fibers such as natural fiber such as cotton, chemical fiber such as acrylic, and regenerated fiber such as rayon. The shape and hardness are not particularly limited as long as the protective sheet is not damaged.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, dirt is removed by rubbing the surface of the protective sheet with a brush, so that a cleaning mechanism for keeping the touch panel clean can be easily realized with a low-cost configuration. .

Further, in the cleaning mechanism for a touch panel according to the third aspect, as in the invention according to the fourth aspect, the brush may be soaked with a cleaning liquid.

Here, the washing liquid is, for example, an organic solvent such as alcohol or water, an inorganic solvent, or a substance having a washing effect such as a surfactant or a substance having a bactericidal effect dissolved in these solvents. The resulting solution is mentioned. In addition, a fragrance or the like can be mixed in the cleaning liquid.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the touch panel cleaning mechanism that can be easily configured at low cost, the effect of removing dirt by the brush can be significantly improved. In other words, most of the dirt adhering to the touch panel is sebum adhering to the finger and dust or dust adsorbed by the sebum, and these can be easily and effectively removed by the brush impregnated with the cleaning liquid. Therefore, in the cleaning mechanism of the touch panel, dirt can be more efficiently and reliably removed.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
In the cleaning mechanism for a touch panel described in the above, the cleaning means has an adhesive surface, is arranged such that the surface is in contact with the surface of the protective sheet, and is an adhesive roller (31a) rotatable with movement of the protective sheet. , 31b).

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the adhesive roller having an adhesive surface comes into contact with the surface of the protective sheet, the dirt on the protective sheet surface can be removed by the adhesive force. Therefore, the cleaning mechanism of the touch panel can be easily configured at low cost. Moreover, since the removed dirt is adhered to the surface of the adhesive roller, there is no possibility that the dirt will adhere to the protective sheet again, and the touch panel can be more reliably cleaned.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
In the cleaning mechanism for a touch panel described above, the cleaning unit includes a cleaning mechanism (for example, a cleaning liquid tank 41, a guide 42, and a roller 43 illustrated in FIG. 7) that immerses the protection sheet in a cleaning liquid on a path along which the protection sheet moves. It is characterized by the following.

Here, the washing liquid is, for example, an organic solvent such as alcohol or water, an inorganic solvent, or a solution obtained by dissolving a substance having a cleaning effect such as a surfactant or a substance having a bactericidal effect in these solvents. The resulting solution is mentioned. In addition, a fragrance or the like can be mixed in the cleaning liquid.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the dirt on the protective sheet can be more reliably removed by immersing the protective sheet in the cleaning liquid for the protective sheet. In particular, among the dirt on the protective sheet, dirt that is difficult to remove, such as sebum and dust adsorbed on the sebum, can be easily and reliably removed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the touch panel cleaning mechanism according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein a time measuring means (for example, the microcomputer 101 and the timer counter 103b shown in FIG. 3) for measuring an elapsed time is provided. And a time-based cleaning control means (for example, a microcomputer 101 for performing the processing shown in step S1 in FIG. 4) for moving the protection sheet when the elapsed time measured by the time measurement means reaches a predetermined time. It is characterized by having.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the protective sheet is moved and cleaned each time a predetermined time elapses, so that the surface of the touch panel can be always kept clean without using manual operation. In particular, dirt such as dust accumulated with the passage of time can be removed at regular time intervals to keep the appearance clean.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the touch panel cleaning mechanism according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the contact detecting means for detecting the contact with the surface of the protective sheet (for example, the touch panel operation shown in FIG. 3) The sensor 106, the microcomputer 101, and the operation number counter 103a), and a contact-by-contact cleaning control unit (for example, step S2 in FIG. 4) that moves the protection sheet when the number of times detected by the contact detection unit reaches a predetermined number. And a microcomputer 101 that performs the processing described in (1).

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the number of times of contact with the surface of the protective sheet reaches a predetermined number, the protective sheet is moved and cleaned. When the protection sheet is touched with bare hands, dirt on the protection sheet is approximately proportional to the number of contacts. Therefore, if cleaning is performed every time the number of contacts reaches a predetermined number, cleaning can be performed according to the amount of dirt. That is, it is possible to eliminate waste such as cleaning with a small amount of dirt, and perform cleaning efficiently.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the seventh or eighth aspect.
In the touch panel cleaning mechanism described above, a detecting unit (for example, an infrared sensor 28 shown in FIG. 3) for detecting the presence or absence of a person in front of the touch panel, and the protection sheet when the detecting unit detects the presence of a person. Cleaning restriction means (for example, step S in FIG. 4)
And a microcomputer 101 for performing the processing shown in FIG.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the movement of the protection sheet is restricted when a person is in front of the touch panel, so that the operation of the touch panel is not disturbed. In other words, if the protection sheet moves when a person operates the touch panel, operation will be hindered.However, when there is a person in front of the touch panel, the movement of the protection sheet is restricted, thereby improving the convenience of the touch panel. While keeping it, the surface that the finger contacts can be kept clean.

[0033] A display device according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention includes a display screen for outputting an image, a touch panel mounted integrally on the display screen to detect the presence or absence of a contact and specify a contact position. 13. A touch panel cleaning mechanism according to any one of Items 1 to 9.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the display device having the display screen and the touch panel, the touch panel is covered with the protection sheet and the cleaning mechanism for cleaning the protection sheet is provided. In addition to the effects of the described invention, the contact surface of the touch panel can be kept clean.

[0035]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] First, FIGS.
The display device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view illustrating the configuration of the display device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the display device 1 is configured such that a display screen 12 is fitted on a front surface of a box-shaped main body case 11, and an input / output interface 14 is provided on a side surface of the main body case 11. An infrared detection window 13 is opened above the display screen 12 on the front surface.

The display screen 12 is provided with a liquid crystal display panel 21 and can display an image as described later. An electronic device or the like external to the display device 1 is connected to the input / output interface 14, and a video signal or the like for displaying a video on the display screen 12 is input via the input / output interface 14.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of the cleaning mechanism 2 incorporated in the display device 1 shown in FIG. 1 in more detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning mechanism 2 in the display device 1 includes a protective sheet 23, rollers 24a and 24b, a winding motor 2 around a liquid crystal display panel 21 and a touch panel 22.
5, brushes 26a and 26b, a tank 27, an infrared sensor 28, and the like.

The liquid crystal display panel 21 is a TFT liquid crystal, DS
A liquid crystal display panel such as a TN liquid crystal;
(FIG. 1). Touch panel 22
Is a touch panel provided so as to cover the screen of the liquid crystal display panel 21 and includes a transparent electrode, a resistive film, and the like. When the touch panel 22 detects a touch operation,
A detection signal indicating the relative position coordinates of the operation position on the touch panel 22 is generated and output to various devices connected to the display device 1.

Rollers 24a and 24b extending in the width direction of the liquid crystal display panel 21 are provided above and below the liquid crystal display panel 21, respectively. Each of the rollers 24a and 24b is rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis extending in the width direction of the liquid crystal display panel 21.

The protective sheet 23 is a transparent or translucent film-like member that covers the surface of the touch panel 22 from the upper end to the lower end, and includes, for example, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride,
It is made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or a copolymer resin. The upper end of the protection sheet 23 is a roller 24a
And the lower end is wound around a roller 24b.

Further, the roller 24a is provided with a winding motor 25.
, And is rotationally driven by the winding motor 25.
The winding motor 25 is a motor connected to the rotation shaft of the roller 24a, and may be, for example, a stepping motor. The winding motor 25 rotates according to the control of the control system 100 described later, thereby rotating the roller 24a.
The protection sheet 23 is moved up and down. Although not shown here, the winding motor 2 is also attached to the roller 24b.
5, the winding motor 25 and the roller 24b may be connected, and the winding motor 25 may rotate the roller 24b.

The brushes 26a and 26b are connected to the touch panel 2
2 are brushes arranged above and below the touch panel 22 along the width direction of the touch panel 22, and are made of felt, nonwoven fabric, or the like. The brushes 26a, 26b are fixed in contact with the front side of the protection sheet 23. For this reason, when the protection sheet 23 moves up and down by the operation of the rollers 24a and 24b, the surface of the protection sheet 23
a, 26b.

Further, a tank 27 is arranged below the touch panel 22 so as to line up with the rollers 24b. The tank 27 is a tank that can store the cleaning liquid. Here, the cleaning liquid is a liquid that exhibits various effects such as cleaning and sterilization, such as various organic and inorganic solvents such as alcohol and water, and a solution obtained by dissolving a surfactant and a bactericide in these solvents.

One end of the brush 26b is connected to the tank 27.
And is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the tank 27. For this reason, the cleaning liquid is sucked out by the brush 26b due to the capillary action, and the brush 26b is entirely infiltrated with the cleaning liquid. For this reason, the stains such as oils and fats on the protection sheet 23 can be effectively removed by the brush 26b, and the bacteria can be removed depending on the type of the cleaning liquid.

That is, since the display device 1 having the touch panel 22 is operated by touching with fingers, the protection sheet 23 is provided.
Various dirt such as sebum and dust adsorbed on the sebum adhere and accumulate on the surface. Conventionally, the administrator has performed cleaning as appropriate, but it has been very troublesome. However, for example, when an advertisement image is displayed by installing the display device 1 at a storefront, if the protection sheet 23 is stained with sebum or dust, the protection sheet 23 only causes the disgust of the customer, and it is difficult to have the customer operate.

According to the display device 1 provided with the cleaning mechanism 2,
The dirt on the protection sheet 23 can be removed by wiping with the brushes 26a and 26b. In addition, by using the tank 27, the cleaning liquid is infiltrated into the brush 26b to more effectively remove dirt from the protective sheet 23, and to obtain effects such as sterilization.

The cleaning liquid stored in the tank 27 is
A substance having a deodorizing effect or a substance containing a fragrance may be used.

The infrared sensor 28 of the cleaning mechanism 2 (FIG. 2)
Is disposed behind the infrared detection window 13 shown in FIG. 1 and detects the amount of infrared light in front of the liquid crystal display panel 21.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system 100 of the display device 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the control system 100 stores a ROM (Read Only Me
mory) 102, RAM (Random Access Memory) 10
3, winding position sensor 105, touch panel operation sensor 1
06 are connected to each other. Also, microcomputer 1
01 has the above-described winding motor 25 and infrared sensor 2
8 is connected.

The microcomputer 101 reads various control programs stored in the ROM 102 and
To the winding motor 2 based on the detection results of the infrared sensor 28 and the touch panel operation sensor 106 and referring to the detection results of the winding position sensor 105.
5 is driven to clean the protection sheet 23 (FIG. 2).

The ROM 102 stores control programs executed by the microcomputer 101 and data related to these programs. The RAM 103 includes the microcomputer 10
1 is provided with a work area (not shown) for temporarily storing programs and data to be executed, and stores an operation number counter 103a and a timer counter 103b.

The operation number counter 103a is a counter that is incremented (+1) each time the number of operations on the touch panel 22 is detected by the touch panel operation sensor 106, and the value of the operation number counter 103a indicates the number of operations on the touch panel 22. .

The timer counter 103b is a counter that is incremented (+1) every time a predetermined time has elapsed, and the count value indicates the elapsed time.

The count values of the operation counter 103a and the timer counter 103b can be reset under the control of the microcomputer 101. The ROM 102 and the RAM 103 are both PR
It is configured by a semiconductor storage element such as an OM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, and a flash memory.

The winding position sensor 105 is connected to the roller 24
a and 24b (FIG. 2) are sensors for detecting the winding state of the protective sheet 23.
3 and the winding amount of the rollers 24a and 24b. When the winding motor 25 is a stepping motor, the winding position sensor 105 determines the position of the protection sheet 23 based on the movement amount of the protection sheet 23 corresponding to one operation of the winding motor 25. You may make it detect.

The touch panel operation sensor 106 generates a detection signal and outputs it to the microcomputer 101 every time a touch operation on the touch panel 22 is detected. Note that the detection signal from the touch panel operation sensor 106 is different from the detection signal generated by the touch panel 22, and may be information indicating only the presence or absence of a contact without information on a contact location.

Next, the operation of the display device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. After the power of the display device 1 is turned on, the microcomputer 101 sets the touch panel operation sensor 106
Every time a detection signal is input from the
3a is incremented (+1), and the count value of the timer counter 103b is updated each time a predetermined time elapses.

Then, the microcomputer 101 determines whether or not the elapsed time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time by referring to the count value of the timer counter 103b (step S1). Here, the elapsed time is the time since the cleaning of the protection sheet 23 was performed last time.

Here, when the count value of the timer counter 103b indicates a time longer than a predetermined time (step S
1; Yes), the microcomputer 101 proceeds to step S3. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, it is determined whether or not the number of times of operation of the touch panel 22 is equal to or more than the predetermined number by referring to the count value of the operation number counter 103a (step S2).

If the count value of the operation number counter 103a has not reached the predetermined number (step S
2; No), the microcomputer 101 returns to step S1. If the count value of the operation number counter 103a is equal to or more than the predetermined number (step S2; Yes), the microcomputer 101 proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the microcomputer 101 acquires the detection state of the infrared sensor 28 and
It is determined whether or not the presence of a person located in front of is detected. For example, when the display device 1 is installed in a store and displaying an advertisement for a customer, the operation of the cleaning mechanism 2 must not disturb the operation of the customer. It is preferable that the cleaning mechanism 2 does not operate as much as possible while the customer is watching the screen. Therefore, the cleaning mechanism 2 detects a person in front of the display device 1 from the detection result of the infrared sensor 28. However, in step S3, it is possible to ignore a person who passes in a very short time, a person who is separated by a predetermined distance or more, and a person who has not moved for a predetermined time or more.

If it is determined in step S3 that a person is present, the microcomputer 101 stands by and the microcomputer 101 drives the take-up motor 25 to protect the display device 1 in a state where no person is present. The sheet 23 is cleaned (step S4). Further, the microcomputer 101 resets the operation number counter 103a and the timer counter 103b, and ends the processing. And the microcomputer 10
1 repeatedly executes the processing of steps S1 to S5 in FIG.

Therefore, the protection sheet 23 is cleaned every time a predetermined time elapses or every time the protection sheet 23 is operated a predetermined number of times, so that the protection sheet 23 can always be kept clean. In addition, cleaning can be performed without requiring any manpower.

In addition, the presence or absence of a person in front of the display device 1 is detected by the infrared sensor 28, and cleaning is not performed in a state where a person is present. It can be kept clean.

In this embodiment, the tank 27
Although only the brush 26b is infiltrated by the cleaning liquid therein, the present invention is not limited to this, and the brush 26a may be infiltrated by the cleaning liquid. Further, the shapes of the brushes 26a and 26b, the shapes of the rollers 24a and 24b, and the detailed configuration including the driving mechanism can be arbitrarily configured.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of a cleaning mechanism 3 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the cleaning mechanism 3 shown in FIG. 5, portions having the same configurations as those of the display device 1 and the cleaning mechanism 2 in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

In the cleaning mechanism 3, cylindrical adhesive rollers 31a and 31b are provided along the upper and lower ends of the touch panel 22 in place of the brushes 26a and 26b in the cleaning mechanism 2. The adhesive rollers 31a and 31b
The protective sheet 23 is in close contact with the surface, and its rotation axis is rotatably fixed, and is rotatable with the movement of the protective sheet 23.

The adhesive rollers 31a and 31b are rollers having an adhesive force on the surface, and include a flexible material such as a synthetic resin, an adhesive, a plasticizer, and the like. Therefore, when the protection sheet 23 moves, the adhesive roller 31 is moved.
When a and 31b rotate, dirt and dust such as dust, dust, and hairs attached to the surface of the protection sheet 23 can be removed. Further, since the dust removed by the adhesive rollers 31a and 31b is adsorbed by the adhesive force of the adhesive rollers 31a and 31b, the dust does not adhere to the protective sheet 23 again, so that the protective sheet 23 can be kept clean.

Further, the adhesive rollers 31a and 31b may be removed and washed with water so that dust is removed, the adhesive strength is restored, and the adhesive rollers 31a and 31b can be used again. Alternatively, the adhesive rollers 31a, 31b
The sheet having an adhesive surface may be configured to be stacked in a plurality of layers, and may be used several times by peeling off a layer to which dust or the like adheres.

Note that, as in the first embodiment, each part of the cleaning mechanism 3 in the second embodiment is configured to be connected to the control system 100 (FIG. 3).
8, the detection state and operation number counter 103a,
Of course, it is also possible to operate according to the count value of the timer counter 103b.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of a display device 1a according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the display device 1a shown in FIG. 6, portions having the same configuration as the display device 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure of the cleaning mechanism 4 provided in the display device 1a shown in FIG. 6. In the cleaning mechanism 4 shown in FIG. Portions having the same configuration as those of the display devices 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the display device 1a includes a display screen 12, an infrared detection window 13, and an input / output interface 14 in a main body case 11, and a cleaning liquid tank 41 in a lower portion of the main body case 11. ing.
The cleaning liquid tank 41 is, for example, a cup having a U-shaped cross section, and can store liquid therein.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning mechanism 4 incorporated in the display device 1a includes a liquid crystal display panel 21 and a touch panel 2
2, a roller 24a, a protection sheet 23 attached to the roller 24a, a winding motor 25 for rotating the roller 24a, an infrared sensor 28, and the like.

The cleaning liquid tank 41 is disposed along the lower end of the touch panel 22. In the cleaning liquid tank 41, a rod-like guide 42 extending in the longitudinal direction is disposed. Further, a roller 43 parallel to the guide 42 is provided above the cleaning liquid tank 41 and on the back side of the protection sheet 23.
Has been fixed.

The protection sheet 23 has a roller 24a at the upper end.
And the lower end reaches the inside of the cleaning liquid tank 41. The lower end of the protection sheet 23 is
1 is folded by the guide 42 in the roller 43
It is wound up.

Further, along the upper end of the touch panel 22,
A brush 44 in contact with the surface of the protection sheet 23 is fixed, and a wiping brush 45 is similarly fixed to the lower end of the touch panel 22.

In the cleaning mechanism 4 shown in FIG. 7, when the protection sheet 23 moves downward, the protection sheet 23 enters the cleaning liquid tank 41. Since the cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 41, the protection sheet 23 is cleaned with the cleaning liquid. Therefore, dust such as sebum and dust adhered to the protection sheet 23 can be reliably removed.

The cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 41 is
It is a liquid that exhibits various effects such as washing and sterilization, such as various organic and inorganic solvents such as alcohol and water, and a solution in which a surfactant and a bactericide are dissolved in these solvents. Therefore, in the display device 1a, dirt such as sebum on the protection sheet 23 can be reliably removed.

When the protection sheet 23 moves upward, the protection sheet 23
After passing through the cleaning liquid tank 41 and being wiped off by the wiping brush 45, it moves to a position where the front surface of the touch panel 22 is protected. When the surface of the protective sheet 23 moves onto the touch panel 22, there is no danger of operation since there is no dampness with the cleaning liquid.

Further, if the cleaning liquid tank 41 is configured to be removable, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 41 may be replaced periodically with fresh one in the display device 1a, so that it can be easily managed with a small amount of labor. The cleaning mechanism 4 capable of keeping the operation surface of the touch panel 22 clean can be provided.

Note that, as in the first embodiment, each part of the display device 1a according to the third embodiment is configured to be connected to the control system 100 (FIG. 3). State and operation counter 103
a) It is of course possible to operate according to the count value of the timer counter 103b.

[0084]

According to the cleaning mechanism for a touch panel according to the first aspect of the present invention and the method for cleaning a touch panel according to the tenth aspect, by moving the protective sheet covering the touch panel, the protective means cleans the protective sheet. Therefore, the surface where the finger touches the touch panel can be kept clean without performing manual cleaning. For this reason,
In particular, a touch panel in a very dirty environment such as a touch panel of a device used by an unspecified number of people can be used comfortably.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the protection sheet is wound on the roller disposed at the end of the touch panel, the protection sheet can be easily moved by rotating the roller by the motor. Further, if the protective sheet is made thin, a large amount of the protective sheet can be wound around the roller, and the touch panel can be kept in a cleaner state by frequently moving and cleaning the protective sheet.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since dirt is removed by rubbing the surface of the protective sheet with a brush, a cleaning mechanism for keeping the touch panel clean can be easily realized with a low-cost configuration.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the touch panel cleaning mechanism that can be easily configured at low cost, the effect of removing dirt by the brush can be significantly improved. In other words, most of the dirt adhering to the touch panel is sebum adhering to the finger and dust or dust adsorbed by the sebum, and these can be easily and effectively removed by the brush impregnated with the cleaning liquid. Therefore, in the cleaning mechanism of the touch panel, dirt can be more efficiently and reliably removed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the adhesive roller having an adhesive surface comes into contact with the surface of the protective sheet, the dirt on the protective sheet surface can be removed by adhesive force. Therefore, the cleaning mechanism of the touch panel can be easily configured at low cost. Moreover, since the removed dirt is adhered to the surface of the adhesive roller, there is no possibility that the dirt will adhere to the protective sheet again, and the touch panel can be more reliably cleaned.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, dirt on the protective sheet can be more reliably removed by immersing the protective sheet in the cleaning liquid. In particular, among the dirt on the protective sheet, dirt that is difficult to remove, such as sebum and dust adsorbed on the sebum, can be easily and reliably removed.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the protective sheet is moved and cleaned each time a predetermined time elapses, so that the surface of the touch panel can be always kept clean without using manual operation. In particular, dirt such as dust accumulated with the passage of time can be removed at regular time intervals to keep the appearance clean.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the number of times of contact with the surface of the protective sheet reaches a predetermined number, the protective sheet is moved and cleaned. When the protection sheet is touched with bare hands, dirt on the protection sheet is approximately proportional to the number of contacts. Therefore, if cleaning is performed every time the number of contacts reaches a predetermined number, cleaning can be performed according to the amount of dirt. That is, it is possible to eliminate waste such as cleaning with a small amount of dirt, and perform cleaning efficiently.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the movement of the protection sheet is restricted when there is a person in front of the touch panel, so that the operation of the touch panel is not disturbed. In other words, if the protection sheet moves when a person operates the touch panel, operation will be hindered.However, when there is a person in front of the touch panel, the movement of the protection sheet is restricted, thereby improving the convenience of the touch panel. While keeping it, the surface that the finger contacts can be kept clean.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the display device including the display screen and the touch panel, the touch panel is covered with the protection sheet and the cleaning mechanism for cleaning the protection sheet is provided. In addition to the effects of the described invention, the contact surface of the touch panel can be kept clean.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view illustrating a configuration of a display device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a cleaning mechanism 2 included in the display device 1 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system 100 of the display device 1 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the cleaning mechanism 2 shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a cleaning mechanism 3 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view illustrating a configuration of a display device 1a according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a cleaning mechanism 4 included in the display device 1a illustrated in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a Display device 11 Main body case 12 Display screen 13 Infrared detection window 14 Input / output interface 2, 3, 4 Cleaning mechanism 21 Liquid crystal display panel 22 Touch panel 23 Protection sheet 24a, 24b Roller 25 Take-up motor 26a, 26b Brush 27 Tank 28 Infrared sensor 100 Control system 101 Microcomputer 102 ROM 103 RAM 31a, 31b Adhesive roller 41 Cleaning liquid tank 42 Guide 43 Roller 44 Brush 45 Wiping brush

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3B116 AA08 AB03 AB32 AB42 BA02 BA22 BB01 BC07 3B201 AA08 AB03 AB32 AB42 BB09 BB92 BB94 BB95 BC07 5B087 AA00 AB05 AC15 CC05 CC12 CC25

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning mechanism for a touch panel, which is disposed on a display screen and detects the presence or absence of a contact and specifies a contact position, comprising: a protection sheet covering a surface of the touch panel; A cleaning mechanism for a touch panel, comprising: a mechanism; and a cleaning unit disposed on a path along which the protection sheet is moved by the movement mechanism, for removing dirt attached to the surface of the protection sheet. 2. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism is disposed at opposite ends of the touch panel, and two rollers for winding the protective sheet, and a motor for rotating one or both of the two rollers. The touch panel cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The cleaning means is a brush which is fixed so as to contact the surface of the protective sheet and which removes dirt by rubbing the surface of the protective sheet when the protective sheet moves. The touch panel cleaning mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: 4. The touch panel cleaning mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the brush is impregnated with a cleaning liquid. 5. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit has an adhesive surface, the surface being in contact with the surface of the protective sheet, and an adhesive roller rotatable with movement of the protective sheet. The touch panel cleaning mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: 6. The touch panel cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning means includes a cleaning mechanism for immersing said protective sheet in a cleaning liquid on a path along which said protective sheet moves. 7. A cleaning apparatus further comprising: a timer for counting an elapsed time; and a time-based cleaning controller for moving the protection sheet when the elapsed time counted by the timer reaches a predetermined time. The touch panel cleaning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: 8. A contact detecting means for detecting contact with the surface of the protective sheet, a cleaning control means for each contact for moving the protective sheet when the number of times detected by the contact detecting means reaches a predetermined number. The cleaning mechanism for a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: 9. It further comprises detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of a person in front of the touch panel, and cleaning limiting means for restricting movement of the protective sheet when the detecting means detects the presence of a person. The cleaning mechanism for a touch panel according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: 10. A cleaning method for a touch panel, which is provided on a display screen, detects presence / absence of contact, and specifies a contact position, wherein a surface of the touch panel is covered with a protection sheet, and the protection sheet is moved by a moving mechanism. Moving the protection sheet by the moving mechanism to remove dirt attached to the surface of the protection sheet by a cleaning unit disposed on a path along which the protection sheet is moved. 11. A display screen for outputting an image, and a touch panel mounted integrally on the display screen to detect presence / absence of contact and specify a contact position. And a cleaning mechanism for the touch panel.