JP2012123439A - Touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch panel used for various electronic devices which is easy for viewing a display of a display element on the back and for operating.SOLUTION: The surface layer part of at least one of a top face of an upper substrate 1 or a lower face of a lower substrate 8 is formed in a tin-rich layer 9 where particles 9A of tin oxide or the like are richly dispersed. Therefore, even when glass is used in the upper substrate 1 and the lower substrate 8, it is possible to prevent sodium, calcium, etc. inside the substrate from whitening by the tin-rich layer 9, and visibility of the display element on the back is prevented from being damaged. Thus, a touch panel easy for viewing a display and operating can be obtained.

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel used mainly for operating various electronic devices.

  In recent years, as various types of electronic devices such as mobile phones and electronic cameras have become highly functional and diversified, a light-transmissive touch panel is mounted on the front surface of a display element such as a liquid crystal display element, and the display element on the back side is attached through this touch panel. The number of devices that switch various functions of devices by pressing the touch panel with a finger or pen while watching the display is increasing, and there is a need for a display device on the back that is easy to see and operate. ing.

  Such a conventional touch panel will be described with reference to FIG.

  In addition, in this drawing, in order to make the configuration easy to understand, the dimensions are partially enlarged.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional touch panel, in which 1 is a film-like and light-transmissive upper substrate, 2 is a thin plate such as glass and light-transmissive lower substrate, A light-transmissive upper conductive layer 3 such as indium tin oxide is formed, and a lower conductive layer 4 is formed on the upper surface of the lower substrate 2.

  A plurality of dot spacers (not shown) are formed on the upper surface of the lower conductive layer 4 by an insulating resin at predetermined intervals, and a pair of upper electrodes (not shown) are formed at both ends of the upper conductive layer 3. A pair of lower electrodes (not shown) are formed at both ends in the direction orthogonal to the upper conductive layer 3 of the lower conductive layer 4.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes a substantially frame-shaped spacer formed on the outer peripheral inner edge between the upper substrate 1 and the lower substrate 2, and the upper substrate is coated with an adhesive (not shown) formed on the upper and lower surfaces or one surface of the spacer 5. The outer periphery of 1 and the lower board | substrate 2 is bonded together, and the touch panel is comprised so that the upper conductive layer 3 and the lower conductive layer 4 may oppose with a predetermined space | gap.

  The touch panel thus configured is arranged on the front surface of a display element such as a liquid crystal display element and attached to an electronic device, and a pair of upper and lower electrodes are connected to an electronic circuit (not shown) of the device. Electrically connected.

  In the above configuration, when the upper surface of the upper substrate 1 is pressed with a finger or a pen according to the display of the display element on the back surface of the touch panel, the upper substrate 1 is bent, and the upper conductive layer 3 at the pressed portion is the lower conductive layer 4. To touch.

  Then, a voltage is sequentially applied from the electronic circuit to the pair of upper and lower electrodes, and the electronic circuit detects the pressed portion by the voltage ratio between both ends of the upper conductive layer 3 and both ends of the lower conductive layer 4 in the direction orthogonal thereto. Various functions of the device are switched.

  That is, when, for example, a plurality of menus are displayed on the display element on the back surface of the touch panel, when the upper surface of the upper substrate 1 on the desired menu is pressed, the operated position is determined by the voltage ratio between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. Is detected by the electronic circuit, and a desired menu can be selected from a plurality of menus.

  As prior art document information related to the invention of this application, for example, Patent Document 1 is known.

JP 2009-93398 A

  However, in the above conventional touch panel, for example, when a thin glass plate is used for the lower substrate 2, the glass contains sodium, calcium, etc., so that the touch panel is used for a long time in extremely high humidity. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the fine particles 6 in the surface layer portion on the lower surface of the lower substrate 2 change to white, which may make it difficult to see the display on the back of the touch panel. .

  The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel in which the display on the back display element is easy to see and easy to operate.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a touch panel by forming a surface layer of at least one of the upper surface of the upper substrate or the lower surface of the lower substrate in a tin-rich layer. For example, when glass is used for the lower substrate However, the surface layer on the lower surface of the lower substrate is formed in a tin-rich layer in which a large amount of tin oxide or the like is dispersed, thereby preventing whitening of sodium, calcium, etc. inside the lower substrate. It is possible to obtain a touch panel that is easy to see and operate without impairing the visibility.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect that it is possible to realize a touch panel in which the display of the display element on the back surface is easy to see and easy to operate.

Sectional drawing of the touchscreen by one embodiment of this invention Cross-sectional view of a conventional touch panel

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In addition, in this drawing, in order to make the configuration easy to understand, the dimensions are partially enlarged.

  Further, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those described in the background art section, and the detailed description will be simplified.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a film-like light-transmitting upper substrate such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethersulfone, or polycarbonate. A light transmissive upper conductive layer 3 such as indium tin oxide or tin oxide is formed on the lower surface by sputtering or the like.

  Reference numeral 8 denotes a light-transmitting lower substrate having the same film shape as that of the upper substrate 1 or a thin plate such as glass. On the upper surface, a light-transmitting lower conductive layer 4 such as indium tin oxide or tin oxide is sputtered. The surface layer portion on the lower surface of the lower substrate 8 is formed in a tin rich layer 9 in which a large amount of fine particles 9A such as tin oxide are dispersed.

  A plurality of dot spacers (not shown) are formed on the upper surface of the lower conductive layer 4 with an insulating resin such as epoxy or silicone at predetermined intervals, and a pair of silver or carbon or the like is formed on both ends of the upper conductive layer 3. A pair of lower electrodes (not shown) are formed at both ends of the upper conductive layer 3 (not shown) in the direction orthogonal to the upper conductive layer 3 of the lower conductive layer 4.

  Further, 5 is a spacer such as polyester, epoxy, or nonwoven fabric, which is formed in a substantially frame shape on the outer peripheral inner edge between the upper substrate 1 and the lower substrate 8, and acrylic or The outer periphery of the upper substrate 1 and the lower substrate 8 is bonded together by an adhesive (not shown) such as rubber, and the upper conductive layer 3 and the lower conductive layer 4 are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. Has been.

  When a thin plate-like glass is used for the lower substrate 8, the formation of the tin-rich layer 9 on the surface layer portion of the lower surface is performed by the so-called float method in which the molten glass is flowed over the molten metal liquid. By manufacturing, it can be formed relatively easily.

  That is, molten tin is put into a tank of a predetermined length, and the molten glass is poured thereon to manufacture the lower substrate 8 by a float method in which a glass plate having a predetermined thickness is formed. As a result, a surface layer portion in which fine particles 9A such as tin oxide are dispersed is formed on the lower surface of the glass plate in the manufacturing process, so that it is easy to form the lower substrate 8 in which the tin rich layer 9 is formed on the surface layer portion of the lower surface. It becomes possible.

  The touch panel thus configured is arranged on the front surface of a display element such as a liquid crystal display element and attached to an electronic device, and a pair of upper and lower electrodes are connected to an electronic circuit (not shown) of the device. Electrically connected.

  In the above configuration, when the upper surface of the upper substrate 1 is pressed with a finger or a pen according to the display of the display element on the back surface of the touch panel, the upper substrate 1 is bent, and the upper conductive layer 3 at the pressed portion is the lower conductive layer 4. To touch.

  Then, a voltage is sequentially applied from the electronic circuit to the pair of upper and lower electrodes, and the electronic circuit detects the pressed portion by the voltage ratio between both ends of the upper conductive layer 3 and both ends of the lower conductive layer 4 in the direction orthogonal thereto. Various functions of the device are switched.

  That is, when, for example, a plurality of menus are displayed on the display element on the back surface of the touch panel, when the upper surface of the upper substrate 1 on the desired menu is pressed, the operated position is determined by the voltage ratio between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. Is detected by the electronic circuit, and a desired menu can be selected from a plurality of menus.

  At this time, even when glass is used for the lower substrate 8, the surface layer portion of the lower surface of the lower substrate 8 is formed in the tin-rich layer 9 in which fine particles 9A such as tin oxide are dispersed. Even when the touch panel is used for a long time in high humidity, whitening of sodium, calcium, etc. inside the lower substrate 8 can be prevented.

  In other words, the tin-rich layer 9 formed on the surface layer of the lower surface of the lower substrate 8 prevents moisture from entering the inside of the substrate 8 from the outside, and whitening of sodium and calcium contained in the glass does not occur. By doing so, the visibility of the display element on the back surface of the touch panel is prevented from being impaired, the display on the display element is easy to see, and the operation can be easily performed.

  In the above description, the structure in which the tin-rich layer 9 is formed on the surface layer of the lower surface of the lower substrate 8 has been described. However, when glass is used for the upper substrate 1, the surface layer of the upper surface of the upper substrate 1 Even when the tin-rich layer 9 in which a large amount of fine particles 9A such as tin oxide are dispersed is formed, the present invention can be implemented and the same effect can be obtained.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, at least one surface layer portion of the upper surface of the upper substrate 1 or the lower surface of the lower substrate 8 is formed on the tin-rich layer 9 in which fine particles 9A such as tin oxide are dispersed. Even when glass is used for the substrate 1 and the lower substrate 8, the tin-rich layer 9 can prevent whitening of sodium, calcium, and the like inside the substrate, so that the visibility of the display element on the back surface is not impaired. It is possible to obtain a touch panel that is easy to see and operate.

  The touch panel according to the present invention has an advantageous effect that the display on the display element on the back surface is easy to see and can be easily operated, and is mainly useful for operation of various electronic devices.

1 Upper substrate 3 Upper conductive layer 4 Lower conductive layer 5 Spacer 8 Lower substrate 9 Tin rich layer 9A Fine particles

Claims (1)

A light transmissive upper substrate having an upper conductive layer formed on the lower surface and a light transmissive lower substrate having an upper conductive layer formed on the upper surface and facing the upper conductive layer with a predetermined gap therebetween. A touch panel in which at least one surface layer portion of the upper surface of the substrate or the lower surface of the lower substrate is formed in a tin-rich layer.

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