JP2000259350A - Touch panel device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make distinctive an operation feeling that an operator has when operating by providing a sheet with clicks which is made of a transparent material on a touch panel. SOLUTION: On the sheet 5 with clicks which is provided in contact with the top surface of the touch panel 1 and made of a transparent material such as synthetic resin, bumps 5a are formed which buckle to deform with a prescribed load and give a click feeling in a proper area corresponding to the sizes of the fingers of the operator. When a bump 5a is pressed with a finger of the operator or a pen, etc., a 1st gap A1 elastically deforms while giving a click feeling. When the projection part is further depressed, the reverse surface of the bump 5a compresses and deforms an upper thin-film glass plate 6, a 2nd gap A2 bends downward, a pattern electrode 6a formed on the glass plate 6 and a pattern electrode 7a formed on a lower thin-film glass plate 7 comes into contact with each other to electrically conduct to each other, so that the depression position can be detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a cathode ray tube (CRT).
The present invention relates to a touch panel device mounted on a display device such as an LCD or a liquid crystal (LCD).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a touch panel device which detects a change in resistance or a change in capacitance. However, conventionally, this type of device has a structure in which when a finger or the like is pressed, an electrode comes into contact and becomes electrically conductive. Is widely used.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of such a conventional example, and FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the structure.

[0004] A touch panel 21 having an input surface on the upper surface is arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance on an LCD display device 22 and is fixed. The LCD display device 22 is connected to an output terminal of an information processing device (not shown), and the touch panel 21 is also connected to an input terminal of the information processing device.

The LCD display device 22 and the touch panel 21 are both fixed to an upper cover 23, and the upper cover 23 is fixed to a lower cover 24 with screws or the like. Further, these devices are fixed to the stand 25 so as to be adjustable in angle, and are used at an appropriate angle.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the operation of the conventional example.
(A) shows a state before use, and (b) shows a use state touched by a finger.

[0007] As shown in FIG.
Is an upper thin-film glass plate 26 having a pattern electrode 26a formed on its surface, a lower thin-film glass plate 27 having a pattern electrode 27a formed on its surface,
In order to leave a predetermined gap F between 6a and 27a, each is constituted by a plurality of dot spacers 28 arranged in a matrix at an equal pitch of distance G.

As shown in FIG. 2B, when the upper thin glass plate 26 is pressed down with an operator's finger or a pen or the like, the upper thin glass plate 26 is compressed and deformed. When the pattern electrode 26a formed on the thin-film glass plate 26 and the pattern electrode 27a formed on the lower thin-film glass plate 27 come into contact with each other and become electrically conductive, the pressed position can be detected.

FIG. 13 is a characteristic diagram when a conventional touch panel is depressed. The vertical axis shows the load by a finger, and the horizontal axis shows the amount of movement of the upper thin glass plate 26.

[0010]

However, in the apparatus using the touch panel having the above structure, when the operator actually presses the switch, the operation stroke of the touch panel (the amount of movement of the finger) is extremely small, and the operator operates the switch.・ It was difficult to sense non-operation clearly.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a plurality of convex portions which can buckle and deform under a predetermined load to obtain a click feeling. The attached sheet is provided so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the touch panel.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing its structure.

As a basic configuration, as in the conventional example, a touch panel 1 having an input surface on an upper surface is arranged and fixed in parallel on a display device, for example, an LCD display device 2 at a predetermined distance. The LCD display device 2 is connected to an output terminal of an information processing device (not shown), and the touch panel 1 is also connected to an input terminal of the information processing device, and are simultaneously controlled.

An LCD display device 2 and a touch panel 1
Are fixed to the upper cover 3, and the upper cover 3 is fixed to the lower cover 4 with screws or the like.

As a component different from the conventional example, a sheet 5 with a click made of a transparent material such as a synthetic resin is provided so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the touch panel 1 as shown in FIG. The click-fitted sheet 5 is formed with a plurality of convex portions 5a which buckle and deform under a predetermined load and have a click feeling in an appropriate area corresponding to the size of the operator's finger.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are sectional views showing the operation of the first embodiment. FIG. 3A shows a state before use, and FIG.

As shown in (a), the touch panel 1
Is an upper plate having a pattern electrode 6a formed on its surface;
For example, an upper thin glass plate 6 and a pattern electrode 7 on its surface
a, for example, a lower thin film glass plate 7 and 2
It is composed of a plurality of dot spacers 8 for providing a predetermined gap A2 between the two pattern electrodes 6a, 7a. The gap A2 corresponds to the gap F of the conventional example.

The convex portion 5a of the sheet 5 with a click has a gap A1 between the upper thin glass plate 6 of the touch panel 1 and the flat portion 5b of the sheet 5 with a click is in contact with the upper thin glass plate 6. . The number of the convex portions 5a is provided in a matrix in a number required for input.

As shown in FIG. 2B, when the convex portion 5a of the click-fitted sheet 5 is pressed down by the operator's finger or pen or the like, the first gap A1 is moved downward with a click feeling. Elastically deform.

When pressed further downward, the lower surface of the protruding portion 5a compresses and deforms the upper thin film glass plate 6, and the second gap A
2, the pattern electrode 6a formed on the upper thin-film glass plate 6 and the pattern electrode 7a formed on the lower thin-film glass plate 7 come into contact with each other, and the position where the pattern electrode 6a is pressed down is electrically pressed. It becomes detectable.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram when the touch panel is depressed as described above. The vertical axis indicates the load by a finger, and the horizontal axis indicates the amount of movement of the convex portion 5a.

When the convex portion 5a is pressed down, the first gap A1 is formed.
By moving, the operator gets a click feeling,
Further, the second gap A2 is moved to detect electrical continuity.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of dot spacers.
The dot spacers 8 are basically arranged in a matrix at a small pitch of the distance C, but at a position corresponding to the lower part of the convex portion 5a of the clicked sheet 5, that is, at the hatched portion 7b, the distance B is wide. They are arranged at a pitch.

Although the arrangement of the dot spacers 8 is also shown in FIG. 3, when the convex portion 5a of the click-fitted sheet 5 is pressed with a finger as shown in FIG. The load due to the pressing is also applied to the portion 5b.

However, since at least two dot spacers 8 are provided below the flat portion 5b, no bending occurs between the dot spacers 8, so that the two pattern electrodes 6a and 7a do not come into contact with each other. .

As described above, in the first embodiment, since the click-fitted sheet 5 made of a transparent material is provided on the touch panel 1, the operational feeling when the operator operates is clear, and the apparatus is inexpensive. Can be provided.

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

As a basic configuration, as in the first embodiment, the touch panel 11 having an input surface on the upper surface is
It is arranged and fixed in parallel at an arbitrary distance on the display device 2. The LCD display device 2 is connected to an output terminal of an information processing device (not shown), and the touch panel 11 is connected to an input terminal of the information processing device, and is controlled at the same time. The LCD display device 2 and the touch panel 11 are both fixed to the upper cover 3, and the upper cover 3 is fixed to the lower cover 4 with screws or the like.

Unlike the first embodiment, the touch panel 1
The lower sheet 12 is placed so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the first sheet 1, the clicked sheet 5 made of a transparent material is adhered thereon, and the upper sheet 1 made of an opaque member is further placed thereon
3 are adhered.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are sectional views showing the operation of the second embodiment. FIG. 7A shows a state before use, and FIG.

As shown in FIG.
Is the same as the touch panel 1 of the first embodiment except that the dot spacers 14 are arranged at the same pitch of the distance E.

However, the gap A2 in the first embodiment
Is the gap D3 here.

The click-fitted sheet 5 is formed with a plurality of convex portions 5a which are buckled and deformed by a predetermined load and provide a click feeling. The gap between the click-formed sheet 5 and the upper thin-film glass plate 6 is defined as a gap D1 here. .

The lower sheet 12 has a thickness D2 and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin having a certain strength against compressive deformation. An opening is formed at a position corresponding to the convex portion 5a to form a lattice. Is configured.

The upper sheet 13 is made of an opaque member, for example, a synthetic resin, and is formed in a lattice shape with openings formed at positions corresponding to the convex portions 5a, similarly to the lower sheet 12.

The lower sheet 12 and the upper sheet 13 are narrowed and adhered so as to sandwich the flat part 5b of the clicked sheet 5.

As shown in (b), when the convex portion 5a of the click-fitted sheet 5 is pressed by the operator's finger or pen or the like, the first gap D1 and the thickness D of the lower sheet 12 are reduced.
2 is elastically deformed downward with a click feeling downward.

When pressed further downward, the lower surface of the convex portion 5a compresses and deforms the upper thin-film glass plate 6, and the second gap D
3, the pattern electrode 6a formed on the upper thin film glass plate 6 and the pattern electrode 7a formed on the lower thin glass plate 7 come into contact with each other, and the position where the pattern electrode 6a is pressed down is brought into electrical conduction. It becomes detectable.

FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram when the touch panel is depressed. The vertical axis shows the load by the finger, and the horizontal axis shows the amount of movement of the convex portion 5a.

When the convex portion 5a is depressed, the first gap D1 is formed.
The operator can feel a click by moving by the sum of the thickness of the lower sheet 12 and the thickness D2 of the lower sheet 12, and further move the second gap D3 to detect electrical conduction.

At this time, although a load due to pressing is applied to the flat portion 5b of the clicked sheet 5, since the lower sheet 12 has a certain strength or more, it is not compressed and deformed, and the upper thin film glass is not deformed. No partial pressure is applied to the plate 6. For this reason, the upper thin film glass plate 6 hardly bends, so that the two pattern electrodes 6a and 7a
But never touch.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the arrangement of dot spacers.
The dot spacers 14 are each arranged in a matrix at an equal pitch of the distance E.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, the amount of movement of the convex portion 5a is increased by the thickness D2 of the lower sheet 12, so that the click feeling is reduced. There is an effect that can be obtained more reliably.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, by providing a sheet with a click made of a transparent material on a touch panel, an operational feeling when an operator operates is clarified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram of touch panel pressing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an arrangement of dot spacers.

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram of touch panel pressing.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an arrangement of dot spacers.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a conventional example.

FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the structure of a conventional example.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the operation of the conventional example.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a conventional touch panel pressing characteristic.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 11 Touch panel 2 LCD display device 5 Sheet with a click 5a Convex part 5b Flat part 6 Upper thin glass plate 7 Lower thin glass plate 6a, 7a Pattern electrode 8, 14 Dot spacer 12 Lower sheet 13 Upper sheet

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An upper plate and a lower plate each having a pattern electrode formed on a surface thereof and arranged so that the pattern electrodes face each other, and a predetermined gap is provided between the pattern electrodes of the upper plate and the lower plate. A plurality of dot spacers arranged in a matrix in order to provide a touch panel device mounted on a display device, having a plurality of convex portions capable of buckling and deforming to obtain a click feeling with a predetermined load, A sheet with a click formed of a transparent material; the upper plate and the lower plate; and the plurality of dot spacers arranged at a wide pitch at positions corresponding to the convex portions and at a narrow pitch at positions other than the positions. A touch panel device comprising: a touch panel; wherein the sheet with click is provided so as to be in contact with an upper surface of the touch panel. 2. An upper plate and a lower plate each having a pattern electrode formed on a surface thereof and arranged so that the pattern electrodes face each other, and a predetermined gap is provided between the pattern electrodes of the upper plate and the lower plate. A plurality of dot spacers arranged in a matrix in order to provide a touch panel device mounted on a display device, having a plurality of convex portions capable of buckling and deforming with a predetermined load to obtain a click feeling; A sheet with a click formed of a transparent material; a touch panel including the upper plate and the lower plate; and the plurality of dot spacers; and an opening formed at a position corresponding to the convex portion, and the sheet with a click. A touch panel device, comprising: a lower sheet bonded thereto; and the lower sheet is provided so as to be in contact with an upper surface of the touch panel. 3. A touch panel device, wherein an upper sheet having an opening formed at a position corresponding to the convex portion is adhered to an upper surface of the sheet with a click according to claim 2. 4. The touch panel device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of dot spacers are arranged in a matrix at an equal pitch.