JP2004054050A - Touch panel and personal digital assistant equipped with same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch panel that enlarges an effective area to display at the display screen arranged in a display unit. <P>SOLUTION: In the touch panel comprising an insulating substrate 1 (first substrate) and a film 2 (second substrate), the effective area to display on the display screen of an LCD, where the touch panel is installed, is enlarged by bending an electrode installation area 10a on the insulating substrate 1, which is at least one substrate, and arranging it on the housing face side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a touch panel which is mounted on a screen such as a liquid crystal display or a cathode ray tube, and which performs position input by pressing with a finger or a pen in accordance with an instruction on a see-through screen, and a portable information terminal including the touch panel.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a portable information terminal including a conventional touch panel. In the following drawings, the dimensions of each member are partially exaggerated from the actual dimensions for convenience of explanation.
[0003]
As shown in FIG. 5, the portable information terminal has a structure in which a housing frame 21 forms an outer frame, and the inside of the upper surface of the housing frame 21 is hollowed out. The illustration and description of the operation keys and various input / output terminals are omitted because they are not related to the present invention.
[0004]
First, a transparent touch panel (tablet) 23 is provided inside a frame 22 which is the upper surface of the housing frame 21, and a screen displayed on an LCD (not shown) installed below the touch panel 23 is viewed from above the touch panel 23. Operate (touch with a finger or pen) while seeing through.
[0005]
6 is a diagram showing a structure of the touch panel 23 provided in the portable information terminal shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel 23, and FIG. FIG. 6C is a perspective view of a film 32 provided on the touch panel 23.
[0006]
As shown in FIG. 6, the touch panel 23 has the same rectangular shape as the insulating substrate 31 on a resist 33 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the rectangular insulating substrate 31 such as glass, and has a vertical side. Further, a thin transparent film 32 having the same side dimensions as that of the insulating substrate 31 is laminated by being bonded with an adhesive or the like. The X-axis direction coordinates of a portion pressed by a finger, a pen, or the like on a portion of the insulating substrate 31 near the right side and the left side of the input detection unit 34, which is a portion inside the portion where the resist 33 is provided. A pair of X-axis coordinate detection electrodes 35 for detecting the X-axis coordinate detection are printed, and a lead wiring section 36 for supplying power to the X-axis coordinate detection electrode 35 is printed on a portion close to the lower side of the input detection section 34. Is done. A connector 37 for connecting the lead wiring portion 36 to a circuit board (not shown) is formed at one end (the lower left end in the drawing) of the insulating substrate 31. Is extended and printed.
[0007]
Then, on the film 32, a pair of Y-axis coordinate detection electrodes 38 for detecting the coordinates in the Y-axis direction of the pressed location are printed and wired at portions close to the upper side and the lower side on the film 32, A lead wiring portion 36 for supplying power to the Y-axis coordinate detection electrode 38 is printed and wired in a portion close to the left side of the input detection portion 34 for detecting an input by contact with a finger or a pen. A connector 37 for connecting the lead wiring portion 36 to a circuit board (not shown) is formed at one end (the lower left end in the drawing) of the film 32, and the lead wiring portion 36 is provided on the connector 37. Extended and printed wiring.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional touch panel 23, the portion where the X-axis coordinate detecting electrode 35 and the lead wiring portion 36 are provided on the insulating substrate 31 and the Y-axis coordinate detecting electrode 38 and the lead wiring portion 36 on the film 32 are provided. 5 is not a portion where coordinates can be detected when pressed with a finger or a pen or the like, so that these portions are covered with a frame 22 shown in FIG. There was a problem that became narrow.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a touch panel capable of expanding an effective area where a display screen provided on a display device can be displayed, and a portable information terminal including the touch panel. And
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
That is, the touch panel according to claim 1 of the present invention is a touch panel including a substrate mounted on a display device having a display screen, and an electrode disposed in an electrode installation region close to the outer periphery of the substrate. The substrate is bent between a portion overlapping the display screen and the electrode installation region, and the electrodes disposed in the bent electrode installation region are arranged at positions not overlapping the display screen. It is characterized by having the structure described.
[0011]
That is, the touch panel according to claim 1 of the present invention has a structure in which the electrodes on the substrate are arranged at positions not overlapping with the display screen, so that the display of the display screen provided on the display device on which the touch panel is mounted is performed. The available effective area can be expanded.
[0012]
Further, a touch panel according to claim 2 of the present invention includes a first substrate mounted on a display device having a display screen, and a second substrate stacked on the first substrate. First and second electrodes paired with each other in a first electrode installation region adjacent to a first side and a second electrode installation region adjacent to a second side opposite to the first side on one substrate; And a pair is placed in a third electrode installation area near the third side on the second substrate and a fourth electrode installation area near the fourth side opposite to the third side. In a touch panel provided with third and fourth electrodes, each of the first and second electrodes overlaps the display screen of the first substrate between a portion of the first substrate overlapping the display screen and the first electrode installation region. A portion overlapping the display screen of the second substrate between a portion and the second electrode installation region And at least one portion between a portion of the second substrate overlapping the display screen and the fourth electrode installation region, and the bent electrode installation region. Wherein the electrodes are arranged at positions not overlapping the display screen.
[0013]
That is, in the touch panel according to claim 2 of the present invention, at least one of the first and second electrodes on the first substrate and the third and fourth electrodes on the second substrate of the touch panel is With such a structure that the touch panel is not overlapped with the display screen, an effective area in which a display screen provided on a display device on which the touch panel is mounted can be displayed can be widened.
[0014]
Further, a portable information terminal according to claim 3 of the present invention is a portable information terminal including a display device having a display screen and a touch panel mounted on the display screen of the display device, wherein the touch panel is A substrate mounted on a display screen, and an electrode disposed in an electrode installation region close to the outer periphery of the substrate, wherein the substrate is provided between a portion overlapping the display screen and the electrode installation region. And the electrodes arranged in the bent electrode installation area are arranged so as not to overlap the display screen.
[0015]
That is, the portable information terminal according to claim 3 of the present invention has a structure in which the electrodes on the substrate of the touch panel provided in the portable information terminal are arranged so as not to overlap the display screen, so that the touch panel is mounted. The effective area in which the display screen provided on the display device can be displayed can be widened.
[0016]
Further, the portable information terminal according to claim 4 of the present invention is a portable information terminal including a display device having a display screen and a touch panel mounted on the display screen of the display device, wherein the touch panel is A first substrate mounted on a display screen; and a second substrate laminated on the first substrate, and a first electrode disposed close to a first side on the first substrate. A pair of first and second electrodes are respectively arranged in a region and a second electrode installation region adjacent to a second side opposite to the first side, and a third electrode on the second substrate is provided. A pair of third and fourth electrodes arranged in a third electrode installation region adjacent to the side and a fourth electrode installation region adjacent to the fourth side opposed to the third side, respectively; A first electrode mounting area between a portion of the substrate that overlaps the display screen and the first electrode installation area; The display of the second substrate between a portion of the plate overlapping the display screen and the second electrode installation region, and a portion of the second substrate overlapping the display screen and the third electrode installation region; At least one portion between a portion overlapping a screen and the fourth electrode installation region was bent, and the electrodes disposed in the bent electrode installation region were arranged at positions not overlapping the display screen. It is characterized by a structure.
[0017]
That is, in the portable information terminal according to claim 4 of the present invention, the first and second electrodes on the first substrate of the touch panel provided in the portable information terminal and the third and fourth electrodes on the second substrate are provided. By arranging at least one of the electrodes so as not to overlap the display screen, it is possible to widen an effective area where a display screen provided on a display device on which the touch panel is mounted can be displayed. .
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The dimensions of each member in the following drawings are partially exaggerated from the actual dimensions for convenience of explanation.
(1st Embodiment)
First, a touch panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a portable information terminal provided with a touch panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the touch panel 3 provided in the portable information terminal shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the insulating substrate 1 of the touch panel 3 shown in FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a film 2 of the touch panel 3 shown in FIG.
[0019]
This portable information terminal has a rectangular insulating substrate 1 made of glass or the like (a first substrate for X-axis coordinate detection) and the same rectangular shape as the insulating substrate 1, and has vertical and horizontal dimensions insulated. The touch panel 3 includes a transparent film 2 (second substrate for detecting the Y-axis coordinate) which is the same as that of the substrate 1. The touch panel 3 is mounted on a display screen 17 provided on an upper surface 16 of an LCD (display device) 4, and the insulating substrate 1 and the film 2 are fixed to the side surface 6 of the housing via the attachment 5. Further, a resist 7 is provided on the outer peripheral portion on the insulating substrate 1, and the film 2 is laminated on the resist 7 by bonding the film 2 with an adhesive or the like. On the insulating substrate 1, an input detecting unit 9 for detecting an input by contact with a finger or a pen is provided inside the resist 7. The X-axis direction coordinates are detected in a pair of electrode installation areas 10a (first electrode installation area and second electrode installation area) close to the outer periphery (right side and left side in FIG. 2) of the insulating substrate 1. A pair of X-axis coordinate detecting electrodes 10 (first and second electrodes) are printed and wired. Here, in the first embodiment, the insulating substrate 1 has a structure that is bent between a portion overlapping the display screen 17 on the LCD 4 and the electrode installation region 10. That is, the electrode installation area 10a on the insulating substrate 1 where the X-axis coordinate detection electrode 10 is printed and wired is bent vertically downward with respect to the LCD 4 so that the electrode installation area 10a does not overlap the display screen 17 of the LCD 4. Has been. In addition, a portion close to the right side and the left side of the film 2 is bent vertically downward with respect to the LCD 4 corresponding to the bent portion (electrode installation region 10a) on the insulating substrate 1. A cushioning material 14 such as rubber is interposed between the frame 15 formed on the upper surface of the housing and the film 2 to prevent the touch panel 3 from being damaged by an impact on the housing side surface 6.
[0020]
A plurality of dot spacers 8 as insulators are provided on the insulating substrate 1, and a lead wiring section 11 for supplying power to the X-axis coordinate detecting electrode 10 is provided along the outer periphery of the input detecting section 9. Printed wiring. Further, a connector 12 for connecting to a circuit board (not shown) is formed at one end (lower left end in the figure) of the insulating substrate 1, and a lead wiring portion 11 is extended and printed on this connector 12. You. Note that there is an interval D1 between the dot spacer 8 and the film 2.
[0021]
On the film 2, a pair of Y-axis coordinate detecting electrodes 13 (third electrode and fourth electrode) for detecting the Y-axis direction coordinates of the pressed portion of the film 2 are provided. The lead wiring portion 11 that is printed and wired in the upper electrode installation region 13a (the third electrode installation region and the fourth electrode installation region) and supplies power to the Y-axis coordinate detection electrode 13 extends along the outer periphery of the film 2. Printed wiring. A connector 12 for connecting to a circuit board is formed at one end (lower left end in the figure) of the film 2, and a lead wiring portion 11 is extended and printed on the connector 12.
[0022]
In manufacturing the film 2, the electrode 13 for Y-axis coordinate detection and the lead wiring portion 11 are folded in a state where the film 2 is not printed, and then the Y-axis coordinate detection electrode 13 and the lead wiring portion are bent. It is more preferable to print and wire the Y-axis coordinate detecting electrode 13 and the lead wiring section 11 on the flat film 2 before bending the printed wiring 2 than to print the wiring 11. However, for this purpose, when the film 2 is bent, it is necessary to prevent the load on the film 2 itself from damaging the lead wiring portion 11 connected to the X-axis coordinate detecting electrode 10. Therefore, when the film 2 is bent, the bent portion is not made into a right angle, but when the film 2 is bent as shown in FIG. Since the load applied to the lead wire 2 is reduced, it is possible to prevent the lead wiring portion 11 from being damaged. The necessity of the roundness of the film 2 similarly applies to the insulating substrate 1. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2A, the electrode installation area 10 a of the insulating substrate 1 is rounded so as not to overlap the display screen 17 on the LCD 4, and then the film 2 is insulated via the resist 7. In order to laminate the film on the substrate 1, the portion of the film 2 close to the right side and the left side is rounded and bent so as to have a curvature smaller than the curvature when the electrode installation region 10a of the insulating substrate 1 is bent. That would be good.
[0023]
When the insulating substrate 1 and the film 2 are bent, the mounting fixture is taken into consideration in consideration of the thickness D2 of the film 2, the thickness D3 of the insulating substrate 1, the width D4 of the LCD 4, and the distance D5 between the insulating substrate 1 and the film 2. It is folded so that it can be fixed to the housing side surface 6 and the frame 15 via the cushioning material 5 and the cushioning material 14.
[0024]
As described above, since the electrode installation area 10a on the insulating substrate 1 is bent and arranged on the side surface 6 of the housing, that is, without being overlapped with the display screen 17 on the LCD 4, the X-axis on the display screen 17 of the LCD 4 is formed. The effective area in the direction can be increased.
[0025]
(Second embodiment)
Further, instead of bending the electrode installation region 10a on the insulating substrate 1 as described in the first embodiment, the electrode installation region 13a on the film 2 may be bent. The second embodiment will be described below.
[0026]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a touch panel 3 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 (a) is a perspective view of an insulating substrate 1 of the touch panel 3, and FIG. FIG.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 3A, the film 2 has a pair of electrode installation areas 13 a (third electrode installation area and near the outer periphery (upper side and lower side in FIG. 3A)) on the film 2. A pair of Y-axis coordinate detection electrodes 13 (third and fourth electrodes) for detecting the coordinates in the Y-axis direction are printed and wired in the (fourth electrode installation region). Here, in the second embodiment, the film 2 has a structure that is bent between a portion overlapping the display screen 17 on the LCD 4 and the electrode installation area 13a. That is, the electrode installation area 13a on the film 2 where the Y-axis coordinate detection electrode 13 is printed and wired is bent vertically downward with respect to the LCD 4 so that the electrode installation area 13a does not overlap the display screen 17 of the LCD 4. ing.
[0028]
At this time, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the insulating substrate 1 is rounded so that regions close to the upper side and the lower side thereof correspond to the bent portion (electrode installation region 13a) of the film 2. The electrode installation area 13a of the film 2 laminated on the insulating substrate 1 may be bent so as to have a curvature smaller than the curvature when the insulating substrate 1 is bent.
[0029]
In this manner, by bending the electrode installation area 13a on the film 2 so as not to overlap the display screen 17 on the LCD 4, the effective area in the Y-axis direction on the display screen 17 of the LCD 4 can be expanded.
[0030]
(Third embodiment)
Further, as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, not both the electrode installation region 10 a on the insulating substrate 1 and the electrode installation region 13 a on the film 2 may be folded, but both of them may be folded. The third embodiment will be described below.
[0031]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a touch panel 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 (a) is a perspective view of an insulating substrate 1 of the touch panel 3, and FIG. FIG.
[0032]
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the touch panel 3 has an electrode installation area 10 a of the insulating substrate 1 and a portion close to the right side and the left side of the film 2 laminated on the insulating substrate 1. The LCD 4 is bent vertically downward so as not to overlap the display screen 17 on the LCD 4. Also, the electrode mounting area 13a of the film 2 of the touch panel 3 and the portion close to the upper side and the lower side of the insulating substrate 1 laminated under the film 2 are placed on the LCD 4 so as not to overlap the display screen 17 on the LCD 4. It has a structure that can be bent vertically downward. Here, the shape of the bent portion of the insulating substrate 1 and the film 2 is a right angle, but if the bent portion of the insulating substrate 1 and the film 2 is rounded as shown in FIGS. Also, disconnection of the lead wiring portion 11 can be prevented.
[0033]
As described above, the electrode setting area 10a on the insulating substrate 1 and the electrode setting area 13a on the film 2 are bent so as not to overlap with the display screen 17 on the LCD 4, so that the X-axis on the display screen 17 of the LCD 4 is The effective area in the direction and the Y-axis direction can be widened.
[0034]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified in an implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. For example, the touch panel 3 used in the first to third embodiments has a two-layer structure in which the film 2 is laminated on the insulating substrate 1, but can be applied to touch panels having other laminated structures. is there.
[0035]
The touch panel 3 used in the first to third embodiments includes at least an electrode installation area 10a adjacent to the right side and left side of the insulating substrate 1 and an electrode installation area 13a adjacent to the upper side and lower side of the film 2. The electrode installation area near one side may be bent so as not to overlap the display screen 17 on the LCD 4.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the electrodes of the touch panel are arranged at positions not overlapping the display screen of the display device, it is possible to widen the effective area where the display screen provided on the display device can be displayed. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of a portable information terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary perspective view of a touch panel provided in the portable information terminal shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a touch panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a touch panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a portable information terminal including a conventional touch panel.
6 is a diagram showing a structure of a touch panel provided in the portable information terminal shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
1. Insulating substrate 2 Film 3 Touch panel 4 LCD (display device)
5 mounting fixture 6 housing side 7 resist 8 dot spacer 9 input detection unit 10 X-axis coordinate detection electrode 10a electrode installation area 11 lead wiring unit 12 Connector 13, Y-axis coordinate detection electrode 13a, electrode installation area 14, buffer material 15, frame 16, top surface 17, display screen 21, housing frame 22, frame 23, touch panel 31, An insulating substrate 32, a film 33, a resist 34, an input detection unit 35, an electrode 36 for X-axis coordinate detection, a lead wiring unit 37, a connector 38, an electrode for Y-axis coordinate detection

Claims (4)

A substrate mounted on a display device having a display screen, and a touch panel including an electrode disposed in an electrode installation region close to the outer periphery of the substrate,
The substrate is bent between a portion overlapping the display screen and the electrode installation region, and the electrode disposed in the bent electrode installation region is arranged at a position not overlapping the display screen. A touch panel comprising: A first substrate mounted on a display device having a display screen, and a second substrate laminated on the first substrate, wherein a first substrate adjacent to a first side on the first substrate is provided. A pair of first and second electrodes is disposed in a first electrode installation region and a second electrode installation region adjacent to a second side opposed to the first side, respectively. Third and fourth electrodes forming a pair with each other are respectively disposed in a third electrode installation region adjacent to the third side and a fourth electrode installation region adjacent to the fourth side opposed to the third side. In touch panels,
The second electrode installation area between the portion of the first substrate overlapping the display screen and the first electrode installation area, and the second electrode installation area of the first substrate between the area overlapping the display screen and the second electrode installation area; At least one portion between the portion overlapping the display screen of the substrate and the third electrode installation region and the portion overlapping the display screen of the second substrate and the fourth electrode installation region is bent; A touch panel having a structure in which the electrodes arranged in the bent electrode installation area are arranged at positions not overlapping the display screen. A display device having a display screen, and a portable information terminal including a touch panel mounted on the display screen of the display device,
The touch panel has a substrate mounted on the display screen, and an electrode disposed in an electrode installation region close to the outer periphery of the substrate,
The substrate is bent between a portion overlapping the display screen and the electrode installation region, and the electrodes arranged in the bent electrode installation region are arranged so as not to overlap the display screen. A portable information terminal, characterized in that: A display device having a display screen, and a portable information terminal including a touch panel mounted on the display screen of the display device,
The touch panel has a first substrate mounted on the display screen, and a second substrate stacked on the first substrate,
First and second pairs of a first electrode installation region adjacent to a first side on the first substrate and a second electrode installation region adjacent to a second side opposite to the first side. The electrodes of each are arranged,
Third and fourth pairs forming a third electrode mounting region adjacent to a third side on the second substrate and a fourth electrode mounting region adjacent to a fourth side facing the third side. The electrodes of each are arranged,
The second electrode installation area between the portion of the first substrate overlapping the display screen and the first electrode installation area, and the second electrode installation area of the first substrate between the area overlapping the display screen and the second electrode installation area; At least one portion between the portion overlapping the display screen of the substrate and the third electrode installation region and the portion overlapping the display screen of the second substrate and the fourth electrode installation region is bent; A portable information terminal having a structure in which the electrodes provided in the bent electrode installation area are arranged at positions not overlapping the display screen.

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