KR20100121801A

KR20100121801A - Structure and fabrication method of haptic touch panel via electroactive polymer

Info

Publication number: KR20100121801A
Application number: KR1020090040675A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 최현환
Original assignee: 최현환
Priority date: 2009-05-11
Filing date: 2009-05-11
Publication date: 2010-11-19

Abstract

The present invention utilizes the mechanical deformation {Deformation} property of the electrical energy of EAP {Electroactive Polymer}, which is a polymer {Polymer} to electrically change size and shape, to the touch input point {TOUCH INPUT POINT} of the transparent thin film. The active {MOVING} cell {CELL} using EAP is composed of three-dimensional protruding cells that can be touched on the touch panel according to the display form of pictures, letters and numbers on the touch screen. The present invention relates to a tactile touch panel, in which a structure and a manufacturing method of the tactile touch panel are provided.

Description

Structure and fabrication method of tactile touch panel using polymer having deformation by electric energy {STRUCTURE AND FABRICATION METHOD OF HAPTIC TOUCH PANEL VIA ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER}

The present invention is rapidly moving from the second generation of the conventional portable terminal using the keypad as a standard input device to the PDA and smartphone employing the touch panel as a basic input device, and as the demand of the touch panel increases rapidly, The demand for the next-generation touch panel that meets various information input needs is increasing, and the conventional two-dimensional touch panel used in the PDA and smart phone is focused on the fact that it does not provide a touch of the keypad. By developing and distributing a new type of touch panel that provides a tactile touch while using it, the user can input keys with only a sense of touch. It is about.

A touch panel is a panel that processes a specific function by detecting a location of a user's hand or an object on a character or a specific location on a screen by inputting a function of an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse. Touchscreen technology is widely used, from PDAs / PMPs, touchpads, and navigation, to haptic phones, where demand is soaring. The device equipped with the touch panel is portable and easy to operate, so it is intuitive and easy to use.However, improvements in accuracy, speed, and character input, such as error input, have yet to be improved compared to mechanical input devices such as a mouse or a keyboard. This exists. The touch panel is composed of a top plate and a bottom plate (Film or Glass) on which a transparent conductive film {ITO: Indium Tin Oxide} is deposited, and is responsible for determining the presence of a touch input, detecting input coordinates, and transmitting information to a controller. The touch panel is classified into a resistive method, a capacitive method, and an IR method according to the implementation method. A resistive method and a capacitive method are mainly used. While the touch screen panel only performs a passive sensor operation for detecting and transmitting contact information and contact position information, the tactile touch panel provided by the present invention is active in response to various information input requirements of users. The present invention relates to a new type of touch panel that provides a touch of a keypad that a conventional two-dimensional input method of touch panel cannot provide. The structure and manufacturing process of the haptic touch panel described above are described. to provide.

Accordingly, the present invention uses a transparent polymer having a deformability by the electric energy used in conventional artificial muscles, etc. {EAP: ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} to make a protrusion on the surface of the touch panel top film and to adjust the height of the protrusion on the screen By displaying the characters and images displayed on the touch panel as a combination of three-dimensional cells, the information on the currently active screen can be confirmed only by touching a hand or an object, and similar to conventional keypad input on the touch panel. Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure and a manufacturing process of a panel for a touch screen that implements an improved touch.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support layer of a film or a transparent insulating film at the bottom, a transparent conductive electrode for applying an electric field on the support layer, and an upper transparent electrode on the transparent conductive electrode. An insulating transparent separator exists to block contact with the insulating transparent separator, and a transparent conductive electrode for applying an electric field exists above the insulating transparent separator, and has an electrical deformability between the lower transparent conductive electrode and the upper conductive electrode plate. There is a polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER: ELCTROMER}. On the upper side of the polymer having the electrical deformability, there is a transparent film or glass cell of a vertically movable type that protrudes above the touch panel upper film, and the upper film which is adjacent to the upper and lower moving parts around the transparent film or glass cell. There is a support layer and a top film. Poly ({ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER}) having an electrical deformability used to make glass or film protrusions on the touch panel is the deformation caused by the repulsion or attraction of the electric dipole {DIPOLE} inside the polymer under an electric field applied externally. As used, high strain {STRAIN} and light transmittance are required. The polymer having the electrical deformability of the present invention {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} has a variety of electrical and mechanical properties depending on the application range and materials, it can be selected and applied in the most suitable form for the touch screen panel.

According to the present invention including the above-described configuration, the following effects can be obtained.

First, according to the present invention, the tactile touch panel using the polymer having the above-mentioned electrical deformability enables the user to have the shape of an image or a character on a screen as compared to a touch panel that is only responsible for a conventional two-dimensional sensor function. Can be recognized by contacting a combination of three-dimensional grid-shaped protruding cells and provides an active key input method by transmitting whether a key is input to the user through the vertical movement of the grid-shaped protruding cells on the upper panel of the touch panel. .

Secondly, according to the present invention, since the tactile touch panel using the polymer having the electrical deformability {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} can be easily manufactured through the patterning operation of the polymer having the electrical deformability in the conventional touch panel manufacturing process. Provide economics to its implementation.

Thirdly, according to the present invention, the tactile touch panel using the above-described electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} provides a differentiation in related products by implementing a tactile touch on a touch panel that has not existed in the market.

Fourthly, according to the present invention, the tactile touch panel using the above-mentioned electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} uses the touch screen panel by adding the tactile reaction technology on the transparent touch panel with the development of sensor and software technology. Maximizing convenience features will further expand the possibility of creating new applications, which will be a key point in driving the expansion of touch screen panels.

Example 1

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using the above-described polymer having electrical deformability according to the present invention.

1 to 5, according to the present invention, the transparent polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER according to the application of the external electric field of the unit cell of the tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER: EAP} according to the present invention. : EAP} shows a form in which it is expanded to an active state and bent into a BUCKLE form. As shown in FIG. 1, the structure of the tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} includes a conductive transparent electrode for applying a positive or negative voltage on the lower support layer, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. A polymer having an electrical deformability to be placed on the top {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} and a support layer for supporting the polymer layer around the polymer having the electrical deformability and a projection film or glass on the top and a top film surrounding the film or glass It consists of. When an electric field is applied to the electrode at the position where the protrusion is to be made on the top plate through the positive or negative electrode, the length is parallel or perpendicular to the electric field to which the electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} is placed between the electrodes. The expansion is performed and this length expansion pushes the film or glass bonded to the upper portion over the top film. As a result, the upper part of the touch panel is expressed as a grid of three-dimensional protrusions in the form of images or characters displayed on the screen. The electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} used as the mechanical length expansion actuator {ACTUATOR} of the tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} has various forms depending on light transmittance, expansion rate and response speed. EAP {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} is used.For example, EAP {ELECTOACTIVE POLYMER} which exerts actuation {ACTUATION} by mutual repulsion or cohesion of electrical dipoles {DIPOLE} inside polymer by an applied external electric field, large STRAIN and large STRAIN IONIC using DEA {DIELECTRIC ELASTOMER ACTUATOR} which shows RATE and the principle of injecting ions into the polymer and moving them inside the polymer when these ions are applied to the electric field, thereby expanding the injected polymer part and shrinking the ion-deficient polymer part. ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER.

Hereinafter, based on the basic configuration of the tactile touch panel using the polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} having an electrical deformability according to the present invention will be described in detail the preferred embodiments of the transmittance, response time and electrical strain. In addition, the structure applied to the basic configuration of the tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER} according to the present invention and the operation methods according to the structure are applicable to all the embodiments described below. . In addition, in the drawings, the size and shape of the lower support layer film and glass, and the lower electrode and the upper electrode and the electrical deformation between the upper electrode and the lower electrode are exaggerated for convenience and clarity. The material and structure of the tactile touch panel using the polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER}, which has electrical deformability, have the maximum transmittance for the LCD light at the bottom, the short response time of the electrical deformation at the top, and the deterioration of characteristics due to continuous deformation. It shall be of a material and structure which should be low in power consumption.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} according to Example 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a polymer is expanded and bent in a BUCKLE form by being activated by an external electric field of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 1.

4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a polymer is expanded and slightly bent in a BUCKLE form by being activated by a weak external electric field of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a polymer is expanded and bent in a BUCKLE type by being activated by a strong external electric field of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-section of two unit cells of a tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating two unit cells of a tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 1 being activated by an external electric field to expand the polymer and bend in a BUCKLE form. FIG.

FIG. 8 illustrates a unit cell including a transparent conductive electrode on a lower portion of the electrically deformable polymer and a transparent conductive electrode on the upper portion of the tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} according to another embodiment of the present invention. Perspective view.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an upper transparent conductive electrode and a polymer {EAP} of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} of FIG. 8 spaced apart from a lower transparent conductive electrode.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {EAP} illustrated in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a polymer is expanded and slightly bent in a BUCKLE form by being activated by a weak external electric field of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a polymer is expanded and bent in a BUCKLE form by being activated by a strong external electric field of a unit cell of a tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-section of two unit cells of a tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {EAP} illustrated in FIG. 8.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating two unit cells of a tactile touch panel using an electrically deformable polymer {EAP} shown in FIG. 8 being activated by an external electric field to expand the polymer and bend in a BUCKLE form. FIG.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a touch panel including four unit cells according to a basic configuration of a tactile touch panel using the electrically deformable polymer {EAP} illustrated in FIG. 8.

100: transparent conductive electrode

101: Polymer having electrical deformability {POLYMER}

102: transparent conductive electrode

103: lower support layer film or glass {GLASS}

104: polymer support layer separator on the top

105: transparent conductive electrode on the electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER}

106: transparent conductive electrode under the electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER}

107: Transparent adhesive layer on top of the electrically deformable polymer {ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER}

108: upper film or glass {GLASS} cell

109: top film or glass {GLASS} cell support layer separator

Claims

Lower transparent film {FILM} or glass {GLASS} support layer; And

A transparent conductive electrode on the support layer; And

A transparent polymer cell having electrical deformability on the transparent conductive electrode; And

Transparent film or glass {GLASS} cell bonded on the transparent polymer cell; And

Adjacent transparent film support layers surrounding said transparent polymer and film or glass cell; And

A touch panel composed of a protective film unit cell for protecting the transparent film or glass {GLASS} cell and the film support layer.

The touch panel of claim 1, further comprising a unit cell having a transparent insulating separator on the lower transparent conductive electrode.

The unit cell according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the unit cell of uneven transparent film or glass is formed on a transparent polymer cell having electrical deformability; And

An uneven transparent film support layer surrounding the uneven transparent film or glass {GLASS} cell; And

A touch panel comprising the unit cell of the protective film for protecting the film or film of the uneven form of the glass {GLASS} cell and the transparent film support layer of the uneven form.

The touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the touch panel is made of a unit cell made of a polymer having electrical deformability composed of DEA {DIELECTRIC ELASTOMER ACTUATOR}.

The touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the touch panel is made of a unit cell made of a polymer having electrical deformability composed of ionic EAP.

Lower transparent film {FILM} or glass {GLASS} support layer; And

A transparent conductive electrode on the transparent support layer; And

A transparent conductive electrode having flexibility on the transparent polymer cell having the electrical deformability; And

A transparent insulating separator on the transparent conductive electrode having the flexibility; And

A transparent adhesive layer for bonding an upper film or glass to the upper portion of the transparent insulating separator; And

Transparent film or glass {GLASS} cell on the said transparent adhesive layer; And

A film support layer surrounding the transparent film or glass cell; And

The touch panel of claim 6, further comprising a unit cell having a transparent insulating separator on the lower transparent conductive electrode.

The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein the unit cell of the transparent film or glass of the irregular shape on the transparent polymer cell having each electrical deformability; And

The touch panel according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the touch panel is made of a unit cell made of a polymer having electrical deformability composed of DEA {DIELECTRIC ELASTOMER ACTUATOR}.

The touch panel according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the touch panel is made of a unit cell made of a polymer having an electrically deformable structure composed of ionic EAP (IONIC ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER).