JP2013235305A - Touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch panel which reduces the number of components and also makes an external surface planar.SOLUTION: A touch panel 10 is a hybrid of a resistive film system and an optical system, so that the number of components (the number of components such as a light receiving element and a light emitting element) is reduced as compared with the case in which both a pressed portion in a panel longer-side direction and a pressed portion in a panel shorter-side direction are detected in the optical system. A light emitting element 32, a reflective member 38, and a light receiving element 34 are disposed on a first substrate 14 side relative to a second substrate 18 and therefore the external surface of the touch panel 10 can be made planar.

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel.

  The touch panel described in Patent Document 1 is an optical touch panel, and a light emitting device (light emitting element) and a photo detector (light receiving element) are arranged on both sides of the touch panel. A light guide is attached to the light emitting device, and a light guide is attached to the photo detector. The light emitted from the light emitting device is turned 90 degrees by the light guide, travels in the direction along the display surface of the display system, enters the light guide, and is guided to the light receiving surface of the photodetector. Touching the display surface with a finger or the like prevents light from entering the light guide and detects the presence of the finger or the like.

JP 2006-155616 A

  However, in the structure of a conventional optical touch panel, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged on a substrate, and a bezel for covering these elements is provided to protect these elements. That is, the bezel protrudes outward from the substrate.

  The subject of this invention is flattening the outer surface of a touch panel, after reducing a number of parts.

  In the touch panel according to claim 1 of the present invention, the first substrate, the second substrate arranged to face the plate surface of the first substrate, and a part of the plate surface of the second substrate are pressed from the outside. The detection part which detects the press part in the 1st direction along the plate surface of the 1st substrate by a resistance film system, and a press part changes to the 1st substrate side, and with respect to the 2nd board A light emitting member disposed on the first substrate side and emitting light toward the first direction along the plate surface of the second substrate on the first substrate side, and the second substrate with respect to the second substrate And a plurality of light receiving members arranged on a first substrate side along a second direction intersecting with the first direction and receiving light emitted from the light emitting member.

  According to the said structure, about the press site | part of a 1st direction, it detects with a resistive film system by using a detection member. Further, the pressing portion in the second direction intersecting the first direction is detected by blocking the light emitted from the light emitting member from reaching the light receiving element. That is, the pressing portion in the first direction is detected by the resistance film method, and the pressing portion in the second direction is detected by the optical method. Furthermore, the light emitting element and the light receiving element are arranged on the first substrate side with respect to the second substrate.

  Thereby, it is possible to flatten the outer surface of the touch panel while reducing the number of parts of the pressed parts in both the first direction and the second direction as compared with the case where the pressed parts are detected by the optical method.

  The touch panel according to a second aspect of the present invention is the touch panel according to the first aspect, wherein the first substrate includes one end surface and the other end surface opposite to the one end surface, and the light emitting member receives light. A light emitting device arranged to enter from the one end surface and exit from the other end surface, and disposed on the first substrate side with respect to the second substrate, and reflects light emitted from the other end surface A reflective member that is folded back in the first direction so as to pass between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the light receiving member receives light folded in the first direction by the reflective member It arrange | positions so that it may carry out.

  According to the said structure, the light radiate | emitted from the light emitting member injects from the one end surface 14A of a 1st board | substrate, and radiate | emits from the other end surface 14B. Furthermore, the light emitted from the other end surface 14B is folded back in the first direction so as to pass between the first substrate and the second substrate by the reflecting member, and the light receiving member receives the folded light.

  In this way, the light is folded back by the reflecting member, so that the light emitting member and the light receiving member are arranged on the same side with respect to the first substrate.

  Thereby, routing of the wiring connected to the light emitting member and the light receiving member can be simplified.

  The touch panel according to a third aspect of the present invention is the touch panel according to the second aspect, wherein the light emitting member emits diffused light diffused in the second direction, and the reflective member diffused light emitted from the light emitting member. Is folded as parallel light.

  According to the above configuration, the light emitting member emits diffused light that diffuses in the second direction, and the reflective member returns the diffused light emitted from the light emitting member as parallel light, and receives the parallel light returned by the reflective member. The member receives light.

  As described above, the reflecting member turns back the diffused light emitted from the light emitting member as parallel light, so that the number of light emitting members can be reduced as compared with the number of light receiving members.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to flatten the outer surface of the touch panel while reducing the number of components.

It is sectional drawing which showed the touchscreen which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the touchscreen which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which showed the light emitting element used for the touchscreen which concerns on embodiment of this invention, a light receiving element, a 1st board | substrate, a reflective member, etc. FIG. (A) (B) It is the top view and bottom view which showed the light receiving element and light emitting element which are mounted in the mounting board | substrate used for the touchscreen in this embodiment. It is the perspective view which showed the light emitting element used for the touchscreen which concerns on embodiment of this invention, a light receiving element, a 1st board | substrate, a reflective member, etc. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) (B) It is an expanded sectional view showing the touch panel concerning the embodiment of the present invention. (A) (B) It is the expansion perspective view which showed the touchscreen which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  An example of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the touch panel according to the present embodiment has a rectangular shape (rectangular shape) in a plan view, and an arrow X shown in the drawing indicates the longitudinal direction of the touch panel (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “panel longitudinal direction”). , Arrow Y indicates the short direction of the touch panel (hereinafter simply referred to as “panel short direction”), and arrow Z may be described as the thickness direction of the touch panel (hereinafter simply referred to as “panel thickness direction”). Is).

(overall structure)
As shown in FIG. 6, the touch panel 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate 14 as an example of a first substrate in which glass transparent to visible light is formed in a rectangular shape, An example of a second substrate that is disposed opposite to the substrate 14 and that is formed of glass transparent to visible light in the same rectangular shape as the first substrate 14 and is longer than the first substrate 14 in the panel longitudinal direction. As a second substrate 18. About this 2nd board | substrate 18, when it combines with a liquid crystal display device, it arrange | positions so that it may become the surface side, and it becomes a side pressed by a user at the time of use. For this reason, the plate thickness of the second substrate 18 is made thinner than the plate thickness of the first substrate 14 and is easily deformed.

(Detection structure of the pressed part in the panel longitudinal direction)
Next, the detection structure 26 as an example of a detection member used for detecting a pressed portion of the touch panel 10 in the panel longitudinal direction (an example of the first direction) will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the plate surface of the first substrate 14 facing the second substrate 18 has, for example, a tin-doped indium oxide that is conductive and transparent to visible light ( A first transparent electrode 12 made of so-called ITO is formed.

  Similarly, the plate surface of the second substrate 18 facing the first substrate 14 side is made of, for example, a tin-doped indium oxide (so-called ITO) that is conductive and transparent to visible light. Two transparent electrodes 16 are formed with a gap from the first transparent electrode 12. Note that the second transparent electrode 16 is formed at least in a portion facing the first transparent electrode 12.

  Further, spacers 20 having a rectangular cross section are respectively sandwiched between the first substrate 14 and the second substrate 18 along the side in the panel longitudinal direction of the first substrate 14 formed in a rectangular shape. Is provided.

  With this configuration, in a state where the second substrate 18 is not pressed, there is a gap between the first transparent electrode 12 formed on the first substrate 14 and the second transparent electrode 16 formed on the second substrate 18. It is free from contact (see FIG. 2). The spacer 20 also functions as a seal member that seals between the first substrate 14 and the second substrate 18.

  Further, on the surface of the second substrate 18 facing the first transparent electrode 12 side, as shown in FIG. 6, a pair of extraction electrodes 24 made of a conductive material such as metal (for example, Ag) is provided. Is provided. The pair of extraction electrodes 24 has one end connected to a pair of first portions 24A arranged in parallel along the pair of sides in the panel longitudinal direction on the second substrate 18 and the first portion 24A. , And a second portion 24B having the other end drawn to the end of the second substrate 18.

  With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the first transparent electrode 12 and the second transparent electrode 16 are brought into contact with each other by pressing the second substrate 18, depending on the contacted portion. Thus, the resistance value of the second transparent electrode 16 changes. Thereby, the press site | part of the touch panel 10 in a panel longitudinal direction is detected.

  As described above, the detection structure 26 includes the first transparent electrode 12, the second transparent electrode 16, and the extraction electrode 24, and the pressed portion of the touch panel 10 in the longitudinal direction of the panel is detected by the resistance film method. It has become.

(Pressing part detection structure in the panel short direction)
Next, a structure and the like used for detecting the pressed portion of the touch panel 10 in the panel short direction (an example of the second direction) will be described.

[Mounting board]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, a mounting substrate 30 is provided on one side (right side in the drawing) in the panel longitudinal direction with respect to the first substrate 14 so as to extend in the panel short direction. The mounting substrate 30 and the light emitting element 32 and the light receiving element 34 described later are disposed on the first substrate 14 side with respect to the second substrate 18. Further, the mounting substrate 30 is thinner than the first substrate 14, and the surface 30A of the mounting substrate 30 (the surface facing the second substrate 18) is in the surface of the first transparent electrode 12 and in the panel thickness direction. The mounting substrate 30 is arranged so as to be in the same position. An insulating film, wiring, devices, and the like are laminated on the front surface 30A and the back surface 30B of the mounting substrate 30.

[Light emitting member]
The light emitting member 28 includes a light emitting element 32 that emits light and a reflecting member 38 that reflects light emitted from the light emitting element 32.

[Light emitting element]
On the back surface 30B of the mounting substrate 30, one light emitting element 32 composed of infrared LEDs or the like is mounted on the center side in the longitudinal direction of the mounting substrate 30 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the light emitting element 32 is disposed so as to face the one end surface 14 </ b> A of the first substrate 14. Infrared light L (hereinafter simply referred to as “light L”) emitted from the light emitting element 32 is incident from one end surface 14A of the first substrate 14 as shown in FIGS. While diffusing in the hand direction (diffused light), the light is emitted from the other end surface 14B of the first substrate 14.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, one end of a light emitting element wiring 36 formed on the back surface 30B of the mounting substrate 30 is connected to the light emitting element 32, and the other end of the light emitting element wiring 36 emits light. It is connected to an element driving device 40 that drives the element 32. One end of the control wiring 44 is connected to the element driving device 40, and the other end of the control wiring 44 is connected to a control microcomputer 52 that controls the element driving device 40.

[Reflection member]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the light is emitted from the light emitting element 32 on the other side (left side in the drawing) in the panel longitudinal direction with respect to the first substrate 14 and from the other end surface 14B of the first substrate 14. A reflecting member 38 that reflects the emitted light L is provided. The reflecting member 38 is disposed on the first substrate 14 side with respect to the second substrate 18. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the reflecting member 38 first reflects the light L emitted from the other end surface 14B of the first substrate 14 toward the second substrate 18 in the panel plate thickness direction. Then, the light is reflected in the longitudinal direction of the panel at each portion in the short direction of the panel so as to pass between the first substrate 14 and the second substrate 18. That is, the diffused light L diffused in the panel short-side direction is converted into parallel light L along the panel longitudinal direction by the reflecting member 38.

〔Light receiving element〕
On the other hand, on the surface 30A of the mounting substrate 30, as shown in FIG. 4 (A), a plurality of light receiving members arranged in a line along the lateral direction of the panel and constituted by infrared phototransistors or the like. As an example, the light receiving elements 34 are mounted at equal intervals.

  As shown in FIG. 5, these light receiving elements 34 receive light L (parallel light) that is reflected by the reflecting member 38 and passes between the first substrate 14 and the second substrate 18. It has become.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, one end of a light receiving element wiring 46 formed on the surface 30A of the mounting substrate 30 is connected to the light receiving element 34, and the other end of the light receiving element wiring 46 is Each is connected to an element driving device 48 for driving the light receiving element 34. One end of the control wiring 50 is connected to the element driving device 48, and the other end of the control wiring 50 controls the element driving device 48 provided on the back surface 30B of the mounting substrate 30 through the through hole 50A. It is connected to the control microcomputer 52 (see FIG. 4B).

  With this configuration, when the first transparent electrode 12 and the second transparent electrode 16 are in contact with each other by pressing the second substrate 18, as shown in FIG. The electric signal level of the light receiving element 34 that is blocked and cannot receive the light L changes. Thereby, the press site | part of the touch panel 10 in a panel transversal direction is detected.

  From the above, the pressed part of the touch panel 10 in the panel short direction is detected by the optical method.

(Support member)
Next, the support members 56 and 62 that support the end portions (edges) in the panel longitudinal direction of the first substrate 14 and the second substrate 18 will be described.

  A support member 56 that supports the other end portion (the other end edge) of the first substrate 14 and the second substrate 18 in the longitudinal direction of the panel and supports the reflecting member 38, as shown in FIG. It is provided extending in the hand direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the support member 56 is stepped on the inner side (side on which the reflecting member 38 is disposed) when viewed from the short side of the panel. The support member 56 has a staircase portion 56A that supports the second substrate 18, and a staircase that is disposed on the first substrate 14 side in the panel plate thickness direction with respect to the staircase portion 56A and supports the reflecting member 38. A portion 56B is formed.

  Furthermore, a facing surface 56C that faces a part of the end surface of the first substrate 14 is formed at the front end portion (right end portion in the drawing) of the staircase portion 56B. The facing surface 56C and the end surface of the first substrate 14 are formed. Is fixed by an adhesive member (not shown).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, rectangular wall portions 56D facing the panel short direction are formed at both ends of the support member 56 in the short direction of the panel so as to sandwich the staircase portion 56B. ing. The top surface of the wall portion 56D (the surface facing the second substrate 18 side) is in contact with the spacer 20, and the side surface of the wall portion 56D (the surface facing the first substrate 14 side) is the first surface. 1 is bonded and fixed to an end face of the substrate 14 by an adhesive member (not shown).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a sealing member 58 having an L-shaped cross section that seals between the staircase portion 56 </ b> A and the second substrate 14 is disposed between the staircase portion 56 </ b> A and the second substrate 14. Has been.

  Here, the shapes of the support member 56 and the seal member 58 are determined so that the support member 56 and the seal member 58 do not protrude in the panel plate thickness direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the second substrate 18.

  On the other hand, the support member 62 that supports one end portion (one end edge) of the first substrate 14 and the second substrate 18 in the panel longitudinal direction and supports the mounting substrate 30 is, as shown in FIG. It is provided extending in the hand direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the support member 62 is stepped on the inner side (the side on which the mounting substrate 30 is disposed) when viewed from the short side of the panel. The support member 62 is provided with a stair part 62A for supporting the second substrate 18 and the first substrate 14 side in the panel plate thickness direction with respect to the stair part 62A, and the light emitting element 32 and the light receiving element 34. And a staircase portion 62B on which the mounting substrate 30 on which is mounted is disposed.

  The end face 30C extending in the panel longitudinal direction of the mounting substrate 30 is bonded and fixed to the wall surface constituting the staircase portion 62B with an adhesive (not shown) or the like.

  Furthermore, a facing surface 62C that faces a part of the end surface of the first substrate 14 is formed at the front end portion (left end portion in the figure) of the staircase portion 62B, and this facing surface 62C and the end surface of the first substrate 14 are formed. Is fixed by an adhesive member (not shown).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, rectangular wall portions 62 </ b> D facing the panel lateral direction are formed at both ends of the support member 62 in the longitudinal direction of the panel so as to sandwich the staircase portion 62 </ b> B. Yes. The top surface (the surface facing the second substrate 18 side) of the wall portion 62D is in contact with the spacer 20, and the side surface (the surface facing the first substrate 14 side) of the wall portion 62D is the first surface. 1 is bonded and fixed to an end face of the substrate 14 by an adhesive member (not shown).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a sealing member 64 having an L-shaped cross section that seals between the staircase portion 62 </ b> A and the second substrate 14 is disposed between the staircase portion 62 </ b> A and the second substrate 14. Has been.

  Here, the shapes of the support member 56 and the seal member 58 are determined so that the support member 56 and the seal member 58 do not protrude in the panel plate thickness direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the second substrate 18.

(Action / Effect)
Next, functions and effects of the touch panel 10 will be described. The touch panel 10 is used by, for example, overlapping the first substrate 14 side of the touch panel 10 on a liquid crystal display device (not shown).

  When the second substrate 18 is pressed with a finger, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the second substrate 18 is deformed, and the second transparent electrode 16 and the first transparent electrode 12 are pressed. Contact at the site.

  When the 2nd transparent electrode 16 and the 1st transparent electrode 12 contact, the resistance value of the 2nd transparent electrode 16 detected using the extraction electrode 24 changes according to this contacted part. Thereby, the press part of the touch panel 10 in a panel longitudinal direction is detected.

  On the other hand, under the control of the control microcomputer 52, the light L (diffused light) emitted from the light emitting element 32 is incident from one end surface 14A of the first substrate 14 as shown in FIGS. The light is emitted from the other end surface 14B of the first substrate 14 while diffusing in the direction.

  The light emitted from the other end surface 14B of the first substrate 14 is first reflected by the reflecting member 38 toward the second substrate 18 side in the panel plate thickness direction, and then the first substrate 14 and the second substrate 18. Reflected in the longitudinal direction of the panel so as to pass between them (see FIG. 1). That is, the diffused light L diffused in the panel short direction is converted into parallel light L along the panel longitudinal direction by the reflecting member 38.

  Here, as described above, when the second transparent substrate 18 is pressed with a finger and the first transparent electrode 12 and the second transparent electrode 16 come into contact with each other at the pressed portion, FIG. 7B shows. As described above, the optical path of the pressed portion is blocked, and the electric signal level of the light receiving element 34 that cannot receive the light L changes. Due to the change in the electric signal level, the pressed portion of the touch panel 10 in the short direction of the panel is detected.

  As described above, the pressing portion of the touch panel 10 in the panel longitudinal direction is detected by the resistance film method, and the pressing portion of the touch panel 10 in the panel short direction is detected by the optical method.

  As described above, the touch panel 10 is a hybrid type of a resistive film method and an optical method, which is compared with the case where both the pressing portion in the panel longitudinal direction and the pressing portion in the panel short direction are detected by the optical method. Thus, the number of parts (number of parts such as light receiving elements and light emitting elements) can be reduced.

  Further, since the light emitting element 32, the reflecting member 38, and the light receiving element 34 are disposed on the first substrate 14 side with respect to the second substrate 18, the outer surface of the touch panel 10 can be planarized. .

  Further, by providing the reflection member 38 that turns back the light L, the light emitting element 32 and the light receiving element 34 can be arranged on the same side in the panel longitudinal direction.

  Further, by arranging the light emitting element 32 and the light receiving element 34 on the same side in the longitudinal direction of the panel, it is possible to route the wiring as compared with the case where the light emitting element and the light receiving element are opposed to each other with the substrate interposed therebetween. It can be simplified.

  Further, by using the spacer 20, the support members 56 and 62, and the seal members 58 and 64, the inside of the touch panel 10 is sealed, and the waterproofness and dustproofness of the touch panel 10 can be improved.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the degree of deformation of the second substrate 18 varies depending on the pressing force, so that the number of light L to be blocked changes. As a result, the electrical signal level of the light receiving element 34 changes, so that the pressing force can be easily increased or decreased as compared with the case where both the pressing portion in the panel longitudinal direction and the pressing portion in the panel short direction are detected by the resistance film method. Can be detected.

  In addition, the number of light emitting elements 32 is larger than that in the case where the parallel light L is emitted from the light emitting element by emitting the diffused light L from the light emitting element 32 and converting the diffused light L into the parallel light L by the reflecting member 38. Can be reduced.

  Moreover, the pressing part of the touch panel 10 in the panel short direction is detected by an optical method, so that both the pressing part in the panel longitudinal direction and the pressing part in the panel short direction are detected by the resistance film method. Thus, it is easy to change to a panel with a multi-touch (pressing two places at the same time) function.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It is clear to the contractor. For example, in the above embodiment, the diffused light is emitted by the light emitting element, but it may be parallel light. In this case, the same number of light emitting elements as the light receiving elements are required, but the shape of the reflecting member can be simplified.

  In the above embodiment, the light emitting element 32 and the light receiving element 34 are arranged on the same side with respect to the first substrate 14, but the light emitting element and the light receiving element are arranged so as to face each other with the first substrate interposed therebetween. May be.

10 touch panel 14 first substrate (an example of a first substrate)
14A One end surface 14B The other end surface 18 Second substrate (an example of a second substrate)
26 Detection structure (an example of a detection member)
28 Light emitting member 32 Light emitting element 34 Light receiving element (an example of a light receiving member)
38 Reflective member

Claims (3)

A first substrate;
A second substrate arranged to face the plate surface of the first substrate;
A part of the plate surface of the second substrate is pressed from the outside, and the pressing portion is deformed to the first substrate side, so that the pressing portion in the first direction along the plate surface of the first substrate becomes the resistance film. A detection member to be detected by a method;
A light emitting member disposed on the first substrate side with respect to the second substrate, and emitting light toward the first direction along the plate surface of the second substrate on the first substrate side;
A plurality of light receiving members that are arranged along a second direction intersecting the first direction on the first substrate side with respect to the second substrate and receive light emitted from the light emitting member;
Touch panel equipped with. The first substrate includes one end surface and the other end surface opposite to the one end surface;
The light emitting member
A light emitting element arranged so that light enters from the one end face and exits from the other end face;
It is disposed on the first substrate side with respect to the second substrate, reflects light emitted from the other end surface, and folds back in the first direction so as to pass between the first substrate and the second substrate. A reflective member,
The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving member is disposed so as to receive light folded back in the first direction by the reflecting member. The light emitting member emits diffused light that diffuses in the second direction,
The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the reflecting member folds diffused light emitted from the light emitting member as parallel light.

Images