JP2007272644A - Transparent touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve relative position accuracy between an upper electrode substrate and a lower electrode substrate in a matrix type capacitance transparent touch panel for detecting an intersection between a transparent conductive material of the upper substrate and a transparent conductive material of the lower substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The matrix type capacitance transparent touch panel is provided, in which a plastic transparent substrate with a plurality of beltlike transparent conductive materials arranged in parallel at an interval is bent inward or outward so that the beltlike transparent conductive materials face each other at 45 degrees as the upper substrate and the lower substrate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a transparent touch panel mounted on a display device such as a liquid crystal, and more particularly to a matrix type transparent touch panel.

In electronic devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), notebook PCs, OA devices, medical devices, or car navigation systems, touch panels are widely used as input means for these displays.
As shown in Patent Document 1, a typical resistive film type touch panel is formed by forming a transparent resistive film such as ITO on one side of a transparent base film so that the resistive films face each other at a certain interval. It has an arranged configuration and is used by being arranged on a display surface such as an LCD (liquid crystal display).

  At the time of driving, when the user presses an arbitrary position on the film with a resistance film with a finger or a pen, the resistance films come into contact with each other at the pressed position to energize, and the resistance value from the reference position to the contact position of each resistance film The pressed position is detected from the size of. Thereby, the coordinates of the contact portion on the panel are recognized, and an appropriate interface function is achieved. The resistance film type includes an analog type and a matrix type, but Patent Document 1 illustrates an analog type.

  Moreover, as a touch panel of another detection method, there is a capacitive type as shown in Patent Document 2. There are an analog type and a matrix type in the capacitance type, but in Patent Document 2, a matrix type is exemplified.

JP 2000-89914 A Special table 2003-511799 gazette

The matrix type detects the intersection between the transparent conductor and the transparent conductor. Therefore, in order to increase the detection resolution, it is required to make the transparent conductor thin and dense, and in order to suppress detection position errors, the relative positional accuracy of the upper and lower surfaces becomes important. An object of the present invention is to improve the relative positional accuracy of the upper and lower surfaces.

The transparent touch panel according to the first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a transparent plastic substrate on which a plurality of strip-shaped transparent conductors are arranged in parallel at intervals is bent so as to face each other.

A transparent touch panel according to a second aspect of the present invention is the transparent touch panel according to the first aspect, characterized in that the strip-shaped transparent conductors on the opposing surfaces are orthogonal to each other.

A transparent touch panel according to a third aspect of the present invention is the transparent touch panel according to any one of the first and second aspects, wherein the strip-shaped transparent conductor is bent so as to be located inside.

A transparent touch panel according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the transparent touch panel according to any one of the first and second aspects, wherein the strip-shaped transparent conductor is bent so as to be located outside.

  As described above, the transparent touch panel according to the present invention is produced by bending a plastic transparent substrate in which a plurality of strip-shaped transparent conductors are arranged in parallel with an interval between an upper substrate and a lower substrate constituting the transparent touch panel. The relative positional accuracy between the upper substrate and the lower substrate is good, and the input position detection accuracy is good.

Hereinafter, the matrix-type capacitive transparent touch panel of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, since each drawing is drawn so that the configuration is easy to understand, it is not an actual size ratio but is partially enlarged or reduced.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a transparent touch panel according to the present invention. One transparent conductive film 30 is bent so that the transparent conductor 32 becomes the inner surface with the transparent support 60 interposed therebetween, and the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 are configured to be a transparent touch panel.

The transparent conductors 32 of the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 are in a band shape and are at positions orthogonal to each other. The touch position of the transparent touch panel can be known from the position of the strip-shaped transparent conductor 32 with the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 closest to the touch point when a finger or a pen is touched.

Transparent Conductive Film FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a transparent conductive film 30 constituting a transparent touch panel, and the transparent conductive film 30 includes a transparent plastic substrate 31 and a thin transparent conductor 32. The transparent plastic substrate 31 used in the present invention includes transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethersulfone (PES), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), and polyamide (PA). For example, a plastic film or a laminate thereof is used. The thickness is typically 2 to 200 μm.

Next, as a method for forming the transparent conductor 32, a general method for forming a thin transparent conductor on a transparent plastic substrate is a PVD method such as a sputtering method, a vacuum deposition method or an ion plating method, or a CVD method. Methods, coating methods and printing methods. The material for forming the transparent conductor is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include indium-tin composite oxide (ITO), tin oxide, copper, aluminum, nickel, chromium, and the like. May be formed. In addition, an undercoat layer for improving transparency and adhesion may be provided before forming the transparent conductor.

Band-shaped conductor FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a band-shaped transparent conductor. A plurality of strip-shaped transparent conductors 2 are arranged in parallel at intervals on a transparent plastic substrate. Between the strip-shaped transparent conductor and the strip-shaped transparent conductor is a non-conductive portion 3. The strip-shaped transparent conductor 2 is made by patterning a thin film transparent conductor on the surface of the transparent conductive film.

Patterning is performed by forming a desired pattern-shaped mask on a thin transparent conductor of a transparent conductive film, and then etching with an acid solution to remove only unnecessary portions of the conductor, followed by a stripping agent such as an alkaline solution. There is a method of removing the patterned mask by dissolution or the like.
Another method is to create a pattern by ablating a conductor with a laser.

Further, instead of peeling off only unnecessary portions of the conductor, only the necessary portions may be formed or coated. The patterning process may be performed continuously for a long length or may be performed on a single wafer. The width of the conductor is usually 10 μm or more, but the overall length is not constant, and there may be a wide width portion or a narrow width portion. For example, it may be wide at the point where the conductors of the upper substrate and the lower substrate intersect. . Although the conductor is continuous in FIG. 3, the conductor may be intermittently processed if necessary.

Cut-out of touch panel substrate FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which a transparent conductive film is cut out for a touch panel. A plurality of parallel strip-shaped transparent conductors 2 are cut out at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the side of the substrate. The cut out substrate is bent from the center to produce a transparent touch panel, but in the case of a small size, a plurality of substrates may be cut out as one substrate.

5 and 6 are examples of conventional patterns of an upper substrate and a lower substrate. Of course, the patterns of the upper substrate and the lower substrate may be interchanged, but the strip-shaped transparent conductor 12 and the strip-shaped transparent conductor 22 are parallel to the sides of each substrate, and the upper substrate and the lower substrate are separated.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an example of patterning a strip-shaped transparent conductor. The touch panel is bent at the center line 4 of the substrate, and the left side of the substrate becomes the upper substrate 10 and the right side becomes the lower substrate 20. Therefore, the strip-shaped transparent conductor is divided near the center line. Further, since the outer peripheral electrode is provided at the peripheral portion of the substrate, the strip-shaped transparent conductor is removed. That is, the peripheral portion of the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 becomes the nonconductive portion 5.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which an external extraction electrode is provided on a patterned strip-shaped transparent conductor.
The external extraction electrode 6 is formed of a conductive ink, and is heated and bonded to an external electric wire or a flexible connector. In some cases, a lead-out line may be provided from each external extraction electrode 6 so that the connection with the external circuit is gathered at one place. The heat bonding process may be performed after the substrate is bent.

Bonding of upper substrate and lower substrate In FIG. 1, one transparent conductive film 30 is bent so that the transparent conductor 32 becomes an inner surface with the transparent support 60 interposed therebetween, and the upper substrate 10. The lower substrate 20 is configured as a transparent touch panel.

Since the plurality of parallel strip-shaped transparent conductors 2 are cut out at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the side of the substrate, the strip-shaped transparent conductors of the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 are orthogonal to each other. Although it is possible as a transparent touch panel to cut out at an angle other than 45 degrees, it is preferable to cut out at an angle of 45 degrees. The transparent conductive film 30 and the transparent support 60 are fixed with a transparent adhesive or an adhesive. In general, the entire surface is bonded with an acrylic transparent adhesive.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of another example of the transparent touch panel according to the present invention. Unlike FIG. 1, a single transparent conductive film 30 is bent with a transparent support 60 sandwiched therebetween so that the transparent conductor 32 becomes an outer surface, and the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 are configured to form a transparent touch panel. ing. Since the plurality of parallel strip-shaped transparent conductors 2 are cut out at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the sides of the substrate, the strip-shaped transparent conductors of the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 are orthogonal to each other. The transparent conductive film 30 and the transparent support 60 are fixed with a transparent adhesive or an adhesive. In the case of FIG. 9, an insulating coat or film is laminated on the surface to maintain insulation, and the transparent support 60 may be omitted.

In any case, a part of the bent portion may be subjected to punching cut or slit processing, or a reinforcing film may be bonded. The transparent touch panel having the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 is bonded to a display device such as a liquid crystal, but a functional film such as a polarizing plate or a retardation plate may be laminated between the liquid crystal device. The same functional film or surface may be provided with a hard coat or antifouling coat on the input side of the transparent touch panel.

    The present invention can be used for a matrix type transparent touch panel.

An explanatory view of an example of a transparent touch panel by the present invention. Explanatory drawing of the transparent conductive film of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the strip | belt-shaped transparent conductor of this invention. Explanatory drawing of an example which cut out the transparent conductive film for the touchscreen of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the pattern of the conventional upper board | substrate. Explanatory drawing of the pattern of the conventional lower board | substrate. Explanatory drawing of an example which patterned the strip | belt-shaped transparent conductor of this invention. Explanatory drawing of an example which provided the external extraction electrode in the patterned strip | belt-shaped transparent conductor of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the other example of the transparent touchscreen by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2, 12, 22 Strip-shaped transparent conductors 3, 5, 13, 23 Non-conductive portion 4 Center line 6 External lead electrode 10 Upper substrate 20 Lower substrate 30 Transparent conductive film 31 Transparent plastic substrate 32 Transparent conductor 60 Transparent support

Claims (4)

A transparent plastic substrate in which a plurality of strip-shaped transparent conductors are arranged in parallel at intervals,
A transparent touch panel that is folded to face each other. The transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the strip-shaped transparent conductors on the opposing surfaces are orthogonal to each other. The transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the strip-shaped transparent conductor is bent so as to be positioned inside. The transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the strip-shaped transparent conductor is bent so as to be located outside.

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