JP2003140817A - Touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch panel allowing input with uniform pressure, hardly causing the difference between a press-down position and positional information even at four corners of an upper substrate. SOLUTION: In this touch panel, the upper substrate 11 and a lower substrate 12 with a pair of transparent conductive films 11a, 12a disposed, are opposedly arranged at the transparent conductive film faces to stick both substrates with a sticking agent 25, and the upper part of the upper substrate 11 is directly pressed with an input pen to input data. In this constitution, recessed parts 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d are provided as escape parts at four corners of the inner shape of the sticking agent 25 to provide constitution restrained from causing the difference between the press-down position of the input pen and positional information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is used in devices such as computers, various terminals, vending machines, and ATMs, which are arranged on the screen of a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube or the like, and the user can display information according to the instructions on the screen seen through. The present invention relates to a touch panel in which data is input by directly pressing the display screen with a finger or a pen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A touch panel as an input switch integrated with a display device is used by being arranged on the display surface of the display device. The touch panel includes an upper substrate composed of a transparent substrate and a transparent conductive film formed on a lower surface thereof, and a lower substrate composed of a transparent substrate and a transparent conductive film formed on an upper surface thereof.
The transparent conductive films are arranged so as to face each other across a predetermined space.

In this touch panel, when the upper portion of the upper substrate is pressed with an input pen or a finger, the upper substrate is bent and the transparent conductive film of the upper substrate comes into contact with the transparent conductive film of the lower substrate at the pressing point. Then, the coordinates of the contact point are detected by measuring the electric resistance, and the input information is read.

The structure of a touch panel in the prior art will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the structure of a conventional touch panel, and FIG. 7 is a BB line in FIG.
8 is a sectional view showing a cross section, FIG. 8 shows a state when pressed by an input pen, FIG. 8A is a view seen from the upper surface side, and FIG. 8B is a deformation of the upper substrate. It is sectional drawing which shows a state. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a problem in the conventional touch panel.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the conventional touch panel has a lower substrate 12 formed of a material having a high rigidity, such as a transparent glass substrate, and a laminating agent printed along the periphery of the lower substrate 12. 15 and the lower substrate 1 via the laminating agent 15
An upper substrate 11 made of a transparent film attached on top of 2.
It is equipped with

A transparent conductive film resistance film 12a made of a transparent material is formed on opposite surfaces of the lower substrate 12 and the upper substrate 11.
And a transparent conductive film 11a are respectively formed, and a plurality of dot spacers 18 are formed between the transparent conductive film resistance film 12a and the transparent conductive film 11a to maintain a predetermined gap.

The lower substrate 12 and the upper substrate 11 are provided with a pair of electrodes (not shown) electrically connected to the transparent conductive films 12a and 11a, respectively, which are arranged along two opposite sides. For example, when the coordinate values are generated, the electrodes are formed. When a voltage is applied in between, a voltage corresponding to the coordinate value of the pressed point is output through the electrode.

However, due to the structure of the touch panel, it is not possible to press the upper substrate (input side) with the input pen to bring the transparent conductive film resistance film 12a and the transparent conductive film 11a into contact with each other, and to make a point contact. They are brought into contact with each other, and their areas and shapes show different values in the central portion and the peripheral portion of the upper substrate. In addition, the touch panel is accompanied by a device composed of software and hardware for driving the touch panel, and the theoretical center point (depending on location) of the contact surface is processed and corrected by software to detect the touch point. In this case, when the rigidity of the transparent film used as the upper substrate 11 is small, the coordinate value of the touched position and the coordinate value of the output voltage match.

[0009]

However, since it is difficult to thinly print the patch 15 for adhering the upper substrate 11 to the lower substrate 12, it is necessary to input the patch 15 as the patch 15 approaches the printed area. The load required for this increases, and there is also a region in which the opposing transparent conductive film resistance films 12a and 11a are not closed even when pressed. In addition, depending on the location of the upper substrate 11, there may be a case where the coordinate value of the touched position does not match the coordinate value indicated by the output voltage due to the difference in rigidity.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 8, when the four corners of the upper substrate 11 are pressed by the pen 20, flexures (distortions) in both X and Y directions appear in combination, so that not only the input load increases but also At the four corners, a kind of delta-shaped area is formed, and there is a problem that it is difficult to perform appropriate correction because the contact point changes intricately due to a slight shift in the position where the pen 20 is pressed and a difference in the input angle of the pen 20. It was

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a problem in the conventional touch panel. In FIG. 9A, when the input pen is moved straight to draw the line 100, an error occurs between the coordinate value of the pressed position and the coordinate value indicated by the output voltage near the corner. An example is shown in which the straight line is bent toward the patch as shown by the curve 100a. Similarly, FIG. 9 (b) shows an example in which when a line 101 is similarly drawn, a straight line bends to the opposite side of the patch as shown by 101a in the vicinity of the corner. Similarly, in FIG. 9C, when the line 102 is to be similarly drawn, the transparent conductive film does not come into contact with the input pen even if the input pen is pressed near the corner, and the line is interrupted in the middle like the tip 102a. An example is shown.

As described above, the width D1 of the unstable operation area surrounding the stable input area 13 is generated. As a result, the size of the touch panel is increased in order to secure the area of the predetermined stable input region 13. Therefore, there has been a demand for the development of a touch panel in which even the four corners of the upper substrate 11 are unlikely to have a difference between the pressed position and the position information and can be input with uniform pressing.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention solves such a conventional problem and provides a touch panel capable of inputting with a uniform press without causing a difference between the pressed position and the position information even at the four corners of the upper substrate. To provide.

[0014]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a touch panel according to a first aspect of the present invention is a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein an upper substrate and a lower substrate having a pair of transparent conductive films are provided. Faced to each other, the both substrates are pasted together with a pasting agent, in the touch panel where data is entered by directly pressing the upper part of the upper substrate with an input pen, in the four corners of the inner shape of the pasting agent, Each of them is provided with a relief portion so that the difference between the pressed position of the input pen and the position information is unlikely to occur.

A touch panel according to a second aspect of the present invention is the touch panel according to the first aspect, characterized in that the relief portion is a recess.

A touch panel according to a third aspect of the present invention is the touch panel according to the first aspect, characterized in that the relief portion is an opening.

(Operation) As described above, according to the present invention, by providing the relief portions, which are the recesses or the openings, at the four corners of the inner shape of the adhesive for attaching the upper substrate and the lower substrate, respectively. , The input load at the four corners of the upper substrate is reduced,
The variation of the contact of the transparent conductive film is suppressed, and the difference between the pressed position and the position information is reduced. That is, it is possible to realize a touch panel in which a difference between the pressed position and the position information is unlikely to occur. Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (First Embodiment) FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the first embodiment of the touch panel according to the present invention. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the touch panel according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the touch panel in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a top view showing a state of pressing with an input pen. FIG. The touch panel according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The same parts as those of the conventional example are given the same numbers to simplify the description.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the touch panel in this embodiment has a lower substrate 12 formed of a transparent glass substrate or the like, a laminating agent 25 provided along the periphery of the lower substrate 12, and a laminating agent. The upper substrate 11 made of a transparent film is attached to the lower substrate 12 via the agent 25.

A transparent conductive film resistance film 12a made of a transparent material is formed on the surfaces of the lower substrate 12 and the upper substrate 11 which face each other.
And a transparent conductive film 11a are respectively formed, and a plurality of dot spacers 18 are formed between the transparent conductive film resistance film 12a and the transparent conductive film 11a to maintain a predetermined gap. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper portion of the upper substrate 11 is directly pushed by the input pen 20 to input data.

The upper substrate 11 (the substrate on which touch input is performed) is made of a transparent transparent plastic film such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm. Transparent conductive film 1 made of tin-doped indium oxide (hereinafter referred to as ITO)
1a is formed.

The lower substrate 12 is made of a transparent glass plate such as soda lime glass having a thickness of about 1.1 mm, and a transparent conductive film 12a made of ITO is formed on the surface thereof. The transparent conductive film 11a of the upper substrate 11 and the lower substrate 1
2 with the transparent conductive film 12a at a predetermined interval (40 to 300 m
m) and are opposed to each other, and the upper substrate 11 and the lower substrate 1 are
2 and the adhesive agent 25 are attached.

Recesses 25a, 25b, 25c, and 25d each having a circular arc shape in plan view are provided at the four corners of the inner shape of the adhesive patch 25 as relief portions.
In addition, the laminating agent 25 is made of a double-sided tape such as rubber and is used after being die-cut into a predetermined shape.

As described above, according to the touch panel of this embodiment, the concave portions 2 are formed at the four corners of the inner shape of the adhesive 25.
By providing 5a, 25b, 25c, and 25d, even when the four corners of the upper substrate 11 are pressed by the input pen 20, it is possible to avoid combining bending (distortion) in both X and Y directions, and The increase in input load can be suppressed. As a result, the fluctuation of the contact of the transparent conductive film in the vicinity of the four corners of the upper substrate 11 is suppressed, and the unstable operation region can be reduced. As a result, the difference between the pressed position of the input pen 20 and the position information can be reduced. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the value of the width D2 of the unstable operation region surrounding the stable input region 23 becomes smaller than that of the conventional example,
It also contributes to downsizing of touch panels.

The recesses 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d
Is set to an appropriate value in consideration of the rigidity of the upper substrate 11 and the thickness of the tip of the input pen 20. Further, in the present embodiment, the recesses 25a, 25b, 25c, 2
Although 5d has been described by taking an arcuate shape as an example, it is not limited to the arcuate shape, and the same effect can be obtained as long as a recess having an appropriate size such as a square is formed.

(Second Embodiment) FIGS. 4 and 5 are views for explaining a second embodiment of the touch panel according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the touch panel according to this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another example of the touch panel. The touch panel according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The structure of the touch panel according to this embodiment is basically similar to the structure of the touch panel according to the first embodiment as shown in FIG.
The shape of 5 is different from that of the first embodiment. The laminating agent 35 in the present embodiment is divided into four corners with a predetermined width, and the openings 35a, 35 are provided as escape portions.
b, 35c, 35d are provided.

The openings 35a, 35b, 35c, 35
d is provided in a straight line with a predetermined width from the inner shape corner of the laminating agent 35 toward the outer corner portion. The sizes of the openings 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d are set to appropriate values in consideration of the rigidity of the upper substrate 11, the thickness of the tip of the input pen 20, and the like. In addition, the laminating agent 35 is
It is composed of rubber-added epoxy resin, silicone rubber, and other members with appropriate elasticity, and is printed on the lower substrate 12,
The upper substrate 11 is attached.

FIG. 5 shows another example of the touch panel in which the shapes of the openings are different in the second embodiment. Figure 5
As shown in FIG.
a, 45b, 45c, 45d are provided. The openings 45a, 45b, 45c, 45d are used for the adhesive patch 4
It is provided so as to bulge in an arc shape from the corner of the inner shape of 5 to the outer corner. Others are the same as the example shown in FIG.

As described above, also in the touch panel of this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, the shape of the openings provided at the four corners of the adhesive patch is not limited to the shape described in the present embodiment, and similar effects can be obtained if openings of an appropriate size are formed. Needless to say.

[0031]

As described above, according to the touch panel of the present invention,
By providing relief portions composed of recesses or openings at the four corners of the inner shape of the adhesive for attaching the upper substrate and the lower substrate, the input load at the four corners of the upper substrate is reduced, and the transparent conductive film The change in contact is suppressed, and the difference between the pressed position and the position information can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to realize a touch panel in which there is little difference between the position pressed by the input pen and the position information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a touch panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an input state with an input pen in the touch panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a touch panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another example of the touch panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a touch panel in a conventional example.

7 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

8A and 8B are views showing a state when the touch panel in the conventional example is pressed by an input pen, FIG. 8A is a view seen from the upper surface side, and FIG. 8B is a deformation of the upper substrate. It is sectional drawing which shows a state.

9A and 9B are schematic schematic diagrams for explaining problems in a touch panel of a conventional example, FIG. 9A is an example in which a straight line is bent toward the patch, and FIG. 9B is a straight line in the patch. 9 (c) is a diagram showing an example in which a straight line is interrupted in the middle.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Upper substrate 11a transparent conductive film 12 Lower substrate 12a transparent conductive film 13 Stable input area 15 Laminating agent 18 dot spacer 20 input pen 23 Stable input area 25 Laminating agent 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d Recess of adhesive 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d Opening of adhesive 45a, 45b, 45c, 45d Opening of adhesive

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An upper substrate and a lower substrate on which a pair of transparent conductive films are arranged are opposed to each other on the surfaces of the transparent conductive films, the both substrates are bonded with a bonding agent, and the upper portion of the upper substrate is input pen. In a touch panel in which data is entered by directly pressing with, in each of the four corners of the inner shape of the adhesive patch, escape portions are provided respectively, and it is configured that a difference between the pressed position of the input pen and position information does not easily occur. Touch panel characterized by. 2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the relief portion is a recess. 3. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the escape portion is an opening.