JP2011107766A - Holding structure of touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a holding structure of a touch panel, having a simple configuration, having high dust resistance and drip resistance, and allowing effective transmission of vibration of the touch panel to an operator. <P>SOLUTION: The holding structure includes: a displaying panel 12; the touch panel 14 performed with input operation; and a support frame 20 holding a peripheral part of the displaying panel 12 over the whole periphery, and supporting the touch panel 14. The holding structure includes: a piezoelectric element 13 imparting the vibration to the touch panel 14 by the operation of the touch panel 14; and a casing 16 holding the displaying panel 12 and the touch panel 14 through the support frame 20, and having an opening part 16a wherein the touch panel 14 is exposed. The holding structure also includes a flexible substrate 14a integrally positioned on a front surface side of the touch panel 14. The flexible substrate 14a is a size larger than a glass substrate 14b on a touch panel 14 rear face side over the whole periphery. A peripheral part of the flexible substrate 14a is held by a peripheral part rear face of the opening part 16a of the casing 16 and the support frame 20 fixed to the casing 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel holding structure that is provided on a display or an operation unit of various electronic devices and used as an input device.

  Conventionally, electronic devices having a touch panel function as input means on a display surface have been widely used. One of the touch panel structures is a resistive touch panel. In this touch panel, a transparent ITO (indium oxide) film is provided in a predetermined pattern on the surface of the touch panel glass, electrodes are connected to the end of the ITO film, and the peripheral part is covered with an overcoat. is there. Then, a dot spacer is provided between two panel substrates, a flexible substrate made of an upper layer PET resin or the like on which an ITO film is deposited and a lower layer glass substrate. When pressed, the ITO films on the upper and lower panels come into contact with each other, and the resistance at that time The pressed position on the panel is detected by the value.

  This touch panel device is placed on a liquid crystal panel or the like to perform input operations by directly touching the display surface. Even if the ITO films on the upper and lower panel substrates come into contact with the touch panel surface, Was uneasy with no sense of whether the contacts were closed or not. Therefore, there is a touch panel having a so-called force feedback function that detects a pressing operation, vibrates the touch panel, and gives an operator a feeling of operation.

  The touch panel device 1 having the force feedback function is used for, for example, a handy type information device as shown in FIG. 5, and as shown in FIG. 6, the liquid crystal panel 2 and the touch panel 4 are made of resin or the like. 6 and the touch panel 4 is exposed from the opening 6a. The liquid crystal panel 2 is provided with a circuit board 7 and is held by a chassis 8. As described above, the touch panel 4 has a structure in which a flexible circuit board 4a having a conductor pattern formed on the surface thereof, such as a PET resin, is provided on the front surface side, and a glass having a conductor pattern formed on the glass surface on the back surface side. It is comprised by the board | substrate 4b. Furthermore, a force feedback piezoelectric element is attached to the side edge of the touch panel 4.

  Further, the touch panel device 1 having a force feedback function absorbs and holds the vibration of the touch panel 4 due to the piezoelectric element, and between the liquid crystal display panel 2 and the touch panel 4 in the housing 6, rubber or the like is provided at four corners or the like. The elastic support 5 is provided, and a slight gap 6 b is formed between the periphery of the opening 6 a of the housing 6 and the surface of the touch panel 4.

  On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a touch panel that does not have a force feedback function and has a dust-proof and drip-proof structure on the surface of the touch panel is disclosed. There is also a structure in which a sealing material is bonded to the back side of the substrate. Also, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a structure has been proposed in which the peripheral portion of the touch panel is held by a rubber packing, and the rubber packing is held by a peripheral member of the housing opening and a fixing member such as a chassis. .

JP 2002-229672 A JP 2000-276254 A

  In the case of the touch panel device having the force feedback function shown in FIG. 6 of the background art, there is a gap 6b between the peripheral edge of the housing opening 6a and the surface of the touch panel 4 in order to vibrate the touch panel. In addition, there is a problem that water droplets easily enter, and the liquid crystal panel 2 and other electronic elements are likely to be adversely affected.

  On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, by touching and fixing the surface of the touch panel and the periphery of the housing opening, the dust resistance and drip resistance are enhanced, but the vibration of the touch panel is also suppressed. There is a problem that the force feedback function deteriorates.

  The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the background art described above, and has a simple structure, high dustproof / drip-proof properties, and the touch panel holding structure that effectively transmits the vibration of the touch panel to the operator. The purpose is to provide.

  The present invention includes a display panel that constitutes a display screen, a touch panel that is located outside the display panel and is used for input operation, and holds the peripheral edge of the display panel over the entire circumference. A support frame that supports the touch panel in parallel with the display panel; a piezoelectric element that is provided on a side edge of the touch panel and that vibrates the touch panel by operating the touch panel; and the support frame through the support frame A display panel, a housing that holds the touch panel and has an opening through which the touch panel is exposed, and a flexible resin sheet that is provided integrally with the touch panel on the surface side of the touch panel, , Formed larger than the glass substrate on the back side of the touch panel over the entire circumference, the peripheral edge of the resin sheet, Body is a holding structure of a touch panel that is held by a fixed support member against the periphery backside and the housing of the opening of the.

  The support member and the support frame are provided integrally. Furthermore, the support member is also used by the support frame supported by the chassis in the housing. The peripheral edge of the resin sheet is held over the entire periphery by a holding protrusion formed on the rear surface of the peripheral edge of the opening of the housing and a protrusion edge of the upper surface of the support member.

  The resin sheet may be a flexible substrate of the touch panel or a resin protective sheet attached to the surface side of the touch panel. You may adhere | attach the peripheral part of the flexible substrate or protective sheet which is the said resin sheet, and the back surface of the said housing | casing opening part periphery with a double-sided tape or an adhesive agent.

  Since the touch panel holding structure of the present invention is fixed to the housing with a resin sheet integrally provided on the surface side of the touch panel, the touch panel having a force feedback function is supported flexibly, The vibration caused by the piezoelectric vibrator is generated on the surface of the touch panel without being attenuated, and the operator can surely obtain an operational feeling. Moreover, dust and water droplets do not enter the housing from the housing opening.

  In addition, by providing the support member integrally with the support frame, it is possible to improve the dustproof and moistureproof properties for the space between the touch panel and the display panel. In particular, by using the support member also as a support frame, more reliable support, dustproofness and dripproofness can be obtained, and a force feedback effect can be obtained well. Furthermore, by adhering with an adhesive, better dustproof and dripproof properties can be obtained.

  By using the resin sheet holding the touch panel also as the flexible substrate of the touch panel, the cost of the holding structure can be reduced, and a good force feedback function and dustproof / dripproof properties can be obtained. Or, by using the resin sheet holding the touch panel together with the protective sheet that covers and protects the touch panel surface, it is possible to obtain a good force feedback function and dustproof / drip-proof properties. It can be made highly durable.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a touch panel device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the holding structure of the touch panel of 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the touch-panel apparatus of 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the holding structure of the touchscreen of 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the conventional touch panel device. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the holding structure of the conventional touch panel.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention, and a touch panel device 10 according to this embodiment exemplifies that used in a portable information terminal device. The touch panel is used as an input device that is also used as various display panels, such as other computer displays, car navigation devices, ATMs, ticket vending machines, and the like. The touch panel device 10 includes a display panel 12 such as a liquid crystal display panel or an EL display panel, and a touch panel 14 on which an input operation is performed. The housing 16 accommodates the display panel 12 and the touch panel 14 and is molded from a resin or the like. have. The casing 16 has a shape obtained by dividing a substantially rectangular box into two in the horizontal direction, and includes a front part 16c in which an opening 16a is formed and an opening 16a is formed, and a front part having a size symmetrical to the front part 16c. It comprises a back surface portion 16 d that fits with 16 c to form a housing 16. Further, a circuit board 18 having various circuits (not shown), a power source, and other electronic components are accommodated in the housing 16 and fixed to a chassis 19 provided integrally with the back surface portion 16 d of the housing 16.

  The touch panel 14 has a known structure. For example, a flexible substrate 14a made of a PET resin sheet is located on the front surface side of the touch panel 14, and a glass substrate 14b is provided on the back surface side thereof, and faces each other with a predetermined interval. A transparent ITO film is formed by vapor deposition or the like as a predetermined pattern and contact electrodes on the surfaces of the flexible substrate 14a and the glass substrate 14b facing each other, and input / output electrodes are connected to the ends of the ITO film. . Then, by providing dot spacers between the two upper and lower substrates on which the ITO film is formed and facing each other and pressing the flexible substrate 14a side, the front-side flexible substrate 14a and the back-side glass substrate 14b face each other. The contact point of the ITO film contacts, and the pressed position on the touch panel 14 can be detected by the resistance value at that time. The flexible substrate 14a is formed to be slightly larger than the glass substrate 14b over the entire circumference, and a resin sheet as the flexible substrate 14a extends and is positioned around the glass substrate 14b.

  A piezoelectric element 13 having a predetermined length for exhibiting a force feedback function is attached to the outer surfaces of a pair of side edge portions of the glass substrate 14b of the touch panel 14 facing each other. The length of the piezoelectric element 13 does not have to be the entire length of one side of the touch panel 14, but is preferably about ½ or more of one side. The piezoelectric element 13 is embedded in an elastic adhesive and bonded to the glass substrate 14 b of the touch panel 14.

  The touch panel 14 and the display panel 12 are fitted in a support frame 20 made of a resin or rubber such as urethane or silicone having a certain strength. As shown in FIG. 1, the support frame 20 has a rectangular frame shape, a rectangular side wall part 22, a protruding edge part 22 a formed on the entire upper surface of the side wall part 22, and the side wall part 22. The panel receiving portion 24 extends from the central portion of the inner peripheral surface at a right angle in the inner direction at a constant width over the entire circumference. The panel receiving portion 24 includes a display panel receiving surface 24a on the back side and a touch panel receiving surface 24b facing outward.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the support frame 20 is assembled in the frame of the support frame 20 from the back side, and the entire periphery of the display panel 12 is a panel receiving portion. The display panel receiving surface 24a of 24 is abutted and positioned. The peripheral edge of the display panel 12 and the display panel receiving surface 24a are bonded with an adhesive. In addition, about the said location, since the side wall part 22 surrounds the circumference | surroundings of the panel 12 for a display, it does not necessarily need to adhere | attach. The touch panel 14 is fitted into the touch panel receiving surface 24 b of the support frame 20. In this state, the piezoelectric element 13 at the side edge of the touch panel 14 is accommodated in a space depending on the thickness of the panel receiving portion 24.

  The support frame 20 holds the display panel 12 and the touch panel 14, is accommodated in the housing 16, and is supported by the chassis 19 via the circuit board 18. In this state, as shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral portion of the flexible substrate 14 a of the touch panel 14 includes a holding projection 16 b formed over the entire periphery of the peripheral portion rear surface of the opening 16 a of the housing 16, and a support frame. It is sandwiched and held and fixed by the projecting edge portion 22a formed on the upper surface portion of the 20 side wall portions 22 over the entire circumference. Thereby, the opening part 16a of the housing | casing 16 is closed by the flexible substrate 14a of the touch panel 14, and the penetration | invasion of the dust and the water | moisture content from the opening part 16a is prevented.

  Each piezoelectric element 13 is connected to a piezoelectric element drive circuit (not shown) for providing a force feedback function that generates vibrations in the piezoelectric element 13 and gives a feeling of operation to the presser. In addition, a cable (not shown) is connected to the electrode on the side edge of the touch panel 14 so that input information can be transmitted to the control unit in the housing 16.

  Next, the effect of the touch panel holding structure of the touch panel device 10 of this embodiment will be described below. Since the touch panel 14 having a force feedback function is fixed to the housing 16 by a flexible substrate 14a that constitutes the touch panel 14 and is located on the surface side thereof, the glass substrate 14b of the touch panel 14 is easily vibrated freely. The vibration caused by the piezoelectric vibrator 13 is generated on the surface of the touch panel 14 without being attenuated, and the operator can surely obtain an operational feeling. Moreover, it is possible to reliably prevent dust and water droplets from entering the housing 16 from the opening 16a of the housing 16.

  In particular, by holding the touch panel 14 itself by the flexible substrate 14a of the touch panel 14, the touch panel device can be made thinner, the cost of the holding structure of the touch panel 14 can be reduced, and a good force feedback function and dustproof / dripproof properties can be obtained. Can do. Since the display panel 12 and the touch panel 14 are surrounded by the side wall 22 of the support frame 20 on the entire periphery, the space between the display panel 12 and the touch panel 14 is hermetically sealed. Dust does not enter the door. Furthermore, it is also possible to form a conductor pattern or an electrode on the holding projection 16b of the opening 16a of the housing 16 or the side wall 22 of the support frame 20 and connect it to the end electrode of the flexible substrate 14a. Furthermore, assembly man-hours and costs can be reduced.

  Next, a second embodiment of the touch panel holding structure of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the same members as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In the touch panel 14 of this embodiment, the flexible substrate 14a and the glass substrate 14b constituting the touch panel 14 are formed to have the same size. And the flexible protective sheet 17, such as PET resin, is affixed on the surface of the flexible substrate 14a. The protective sheet 17 is formed to be slightly larger than the touch panel 14, and the resin sheet by the protective sheet 17 extends over the entire circumference of the touch panel 14.

  In this embodiment, the touch panel 14 includes a supporting protrusion 16b formed on the back surface side of the peripheral edge of the opening 16a of the housing 16 with the peripheral edge of the protective sheet 17 affixed to the touch panel 14 being supported. It is sandwiched and held and fixed by a projecting edge portion 22a formed over the entire circumference on the upper surface portion of the side wall portion 22 of the frame body 20. Thereby, the opening part 16a of the housing | casing 16 is closed by the flexible substrate 14a of the touch panel 14, and the penetration | invasion of the dust and the water | moisture content from the opening part 16a is prevented. Further, the entire periphery of the protective sheet 17 is formed over the entire periphery, the holding protrusion 16 b formed on the rear surface side of the periphery of the housing 16, and the upper surface of the side wall 22 of the support frame 20. And is held and fixed by the protruding edge portion 22a. Thereby, dustproofness and dripproofness are further improved, and it is possible to cope with a larger display panel 12. Further, since the flexible substrate 14a is not sandwiched, the stress generated in the conductor pattern of the flexible substrate 14a is small, and the durability can be further increased.

  Note that the touch panel holding structure of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the peripheral edge of the flexible substrate or protective sheet, which is a resin sheet positioned around the glass substrate of the touch panel, and the peripheral edge of the housing opening. You may adhere | attach a back surface with a double-sided tape or an adhesive agent. Similarly, you may adhere | attach the upper surface part of a supporting member, and the peripheral part of a resin sheet with a double-sided tape or an adhesive agent. Thereby, it is possible to obtain even better dustproof and dripproof properties. In addition, the support member may be provided separately from the touch panel and the support frame body of the display member, and may be any member as long as the resin sheet can be reliably fixed in the housing. Furthermore, the touch panel format can be combined with various types. The piezoelectric element for force feedback may be provided on at least one side of the touch panel, and may be provided on two or more sides.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Touch panel apparatus 12 Display panel 13 Piezoelectric element 14 Touch panel 14a Flexible substrate 14b Glass substrate 16 Housing | casing 16a Opening part 16b Holding projection part 17 Protection sheet 18 Circuit board 19 Chassis 20 Support frame body 22 Side wall part 22a Projection part 24 Panel receptacle Part

Claims (7)

  A display panel that constitutes a display screen, a touch panel that is located outside the display panel and is used for input operation, holds a peripheral edge of the display panel over the entire circumference, and displays the touch panel. A support frame that is supported in parallel to the panel, a piezoelectric element that is provided at a side edge of the touch panel and that vibrates the touch panel by operating the touch panel, and the display panel via the support frame. A housing having an opening for holding the touch panel and exposing the touch panel; and a flexible resin sheet integrally provided with the touch panel on a front surface side of the touch panel, the resin sheet being provided on the back surface of the touch panel Formed around the entire circumference of the glass substrate on the side, and the peripheral edge of the resin sheet is the opening of the housing Holding structure of the touch panel, wherein a peripheral portion rear surface that is held by a fixed support member relative to the housing of the.   The touch panel holding structure according to claim 1, wherein the support member and the support frame are integrally provided.   The touch panel holding structure according to claim 2, wherein the support member is also used by the support frame supported by a chassis in the housing.   The peripheral edge of the resin sheet is held over the entire periphery by a holding protrusion formed on the back surface of the peripheral edge of the opening of the housing and a protruding edge of the upper surface of the support member. The touch panel holding structure according to 2 or 3.   The touch panel holding structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a peripheral edge portion of the resin sheet is adhered to the back surface of the peripheral edge portion of the opening and the upper surface of the support member over the entire periphery.   The touch panel holding structure according to claim 1, wherein the resin sheet is a flexible substrate of the touch panel. The touch panel holding structure according to claim 1, wherein the resin sheet is a protective sheet attached to a surface side of the touch panel.

Images