JP2014201027A - Decorative cover substrate for touch panel and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide, as a decorative cover substrate for a touch panel, a cover substrate light in weight and unaccompanied by cracking, etc.; a decorative cover substrate for a touch panel producible in a favorable productivity by forming thereon a decorative layer roll-to-roll based on a transfer scheme, etc.; and a method for manufacturing the same.SOLUTION: A decorative cover substrate 10 for a touch panel provided by the first embodiment is a decorative cover substrate for a touch panel scheduled to be bonded directly to a hard display panel or laminated on a flexible display panel. A decorative layer 3 is formed as at least the outer frame of a display screen on a transparent cover substrate 1 consisting of a plastic film obtained by forming, within a matrix 6 of an organic polymer consisting of a transparent resin and having a thickness of 0.02-0.35 mm, inorganic particles 7 having an average diameter of 0.5-20 nm in an island-shaped pattern.

Description

  The present invention is an invention of a decorative cover base material for a touch panel used for a touch panel mounted on a mobile electronic terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a notebook PC, or an all-in-one PC, and is an invention of a cover base material that is lightweight and has no cracks. Further, the present invention relates to a decorative cover base material for a touch panel that can be manufactured with high productivity by roll-to-roll and forming a decorative layer by a transfer method or the like and a manufacturing method thereof.

  Conventionally, a cover substrate used for a touch panel mounted on a portable electronic terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet PC is obtained by cutting and polishing a plate glass having a thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 mm as in the invention of Patent Document 1. It is common to use a glass material that has been shaped into a predetermined shape and whose edge has been chemically strengthened to increase its strength. Then, as in the invention of Patent Document 2, a coating film (corresponding to the decorative layer of the present invention) for hiding the wiring is applied to the edge on the surface inside the cover base material, and the outer frame of the portable electronic terminal display In many cases.

However, when a coating film or the like is applied to a glass substrate cover substrate as in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that if the coating film is formed after chemical strengthening treatment, the productivity is poor and it takes a lot of cost and labor. . For this reason, it is actually produced and used in an order in which a chemical strengthening treatment is conservative, a coating film is formed on a large plate glass, and then cut and polished into individual pieces to be shaped into a predetermined shape. It is the actual situation.
Special publication 2012-519344 JP2012-252327

  However, the glass base material produced in the above order is inevitably weak in strength due to the conservative chemical strengthening treatment, so the glass member must be thickened to compensate for it. Absent. As a result, when the total weight of the mobile electronic terminal becomes heavy due to the cover glass having a large specific gravity, or the mobile electronic terminal is accidentally dropped by the consumer due to insufficient strength of the cover base material, the mobile electronic terminal itself is damaged. There was a problem.

  The coating film or the like provided on the edge on the inner surface of the cover base must be thickened because it is necessary to conceal the wiring, or it must be a highly concealed color such as black or white. When the thickness is increased, when the sensor layer (transparent conductive film, etc.) for the touch panel is directly formed thereon, or when the separately manufactured touch panel sensor is laminated thereon, the thickness difference of the coating film, etc. In addition, since the surface irregularities cause problems such as disconnection of the sensor circuit and bubble biting, it was not possible to actually form a thick coating film or the like. As a result, there has been a problem that the outer frame of the portable electronic terminal display has to be limited to a concealed color such as black or white.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the cover base material is a lightweight and non-cracked cover base material, and the decorative layer is formed by a transfer method or the like to form a step difference in the thickness of the decorative layer. An object of the present invention is to provide a decorative cover base material for a touch panel that can eliminate unevenness on the surface and can be manufactured with high productivity by roll-to-roll and a method for manufacturing the same.

  In order to achieve the above object, the first feature of the present invention is that an inorganic particle having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm is formed in an island shape in a matrix of an organic polymer having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.35 mm and made of a transparent resin. A step of continuously transporting and laminating a roll-shaped transparent cover base material made of a plastic film formed on and a roll-shaped transfer sheet on which at least a decorative layer as an outer frame of a display screen is formed; And a step of peeling the base sheet from the transfer sheet and transferring the decorative layer to the transparent cover substrate, and a step of winding the transparent cover substrate to which the decorative layer has been transferred into a roll. It is a manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touch panels.

  The second characteristic configuration of the present invention is a roll made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm are formed in an island shape on a matrix of an organic polymer made of a transparent resin having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.35 mm. A step of continuously transporting and laminating a transparent transparent base material in the form of a roll and a transparent plastic film in a roll form in which a decorative layer as an outer frame of a display screen is formed; It is a manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens provided with the process of winding up the transparent cover base material and the transparent plastic film in which the said decoration layer is formed in roll shape.

A third characteristic configuration of the present invention is a roll made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm are formed in an island shape on a matrix of an organic polymer made of a transparent resin having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.35 mm. A step of continuously transporting and laminating a transparent cover substrate in the form of a roll, a transparent plastic film in the form of a roll, and a roll-shaped transfer sheet on which a decorative layer as an outer frame of a display screen is formed; Peeling the base sheet from the transfer sheet, transferring the decorative layer to the transparent plastic film, and laminating the transparent plastic film to which the transparent cover substrate and the decorative layer have been transferred. It is a manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens provided with the process wound up in roll shape.

  According to the above first to third characteristic configurations, since it can be continuously produced without interruption, a conventional system in which a large-sized plate glass is intermittently transported and a coating film or the like must be formed for each plate glass. Productivity is significantly improved. And since the manufactured decoration cover base material can be wound up in roll shape, there also exists an effect which can reduce a storage space significantly rather than the conventional system. Furthermore, in the 1st and 3rd characteristic structure, in the case of the decoration layer which is difficult to form directly on a transparent plastic film, it can substitute on a transfer sheet and can form a decoration layer. Therefore, there is also an effect that a portable electronic terminal display having a beautiful appearance and excellent design can be obtained.

  A fourth characteristic configuration of the present invention is a method of continuously unwinding the touch panel decorating cover substrate according to any one of the first to third characteristic configurations wound in a roll shape. A step of irradiating a predetermined portion of the decorative cover base material for touch panel with a laser beam and continuously cutting it into pieces of the decorative cover base material for touch panel. It is a manufacturing method.

  According to this characteristic configuration, the productivity is remarkably improved and the cut surface is clean as compared with the conventional method in which a large plate glass is cut and polished into individual pieces and shaped into a predetermined shape. In the second and third characteristic configurations, when the ratio of the plastic film portion of the decorative cover base material is high and the cut surface of the transparent cover base material is small, it can be easily cut by laser irradiation. Even when a reinforced transparent cover base material is used, the decorative cover base material for touch panel can be easily cut by laser irradiation.

  A fifth characteristic configuration of the present invention is a decorative cover base material for a touch panel for direct bonding to a rigid display panel or lamination on a flexible display panel, and the thickness is 0.02 to 0.35 mm. A decorative layer as an outer frame of a display screen is formed on a transparent cover substrate made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm are formed in an island shape in an organic polymer matrix made of a transparent resin. It is a decorative cover base material for touch panels.

  According to this characteristic configuration, since the transparent cover base material contains inorganic particles, the surface strength is higher than that of a normal plastic cover base material even though the thickness is small, and it is made of an organic polymer matrix. It is possible to withstand the stress applied vertically without cracking. Even if the thickness of the transparent cover substrate is thin, it is directly bonded to a rigid display panel or laminated to a flexible display panel, so that even if the transparent cover substrate is bent, no stress is concentrated on the display panel. . Therefore, even if a consumer accidentally drops the portable electronic terminal, the portable electronic terminal itself is not damaged. Further, since the thickness is small and the specific gravity is lower than that of the glass material, the weight of the entire cover base material is significantly reduced as compared with the conventional cover glass. Furthermore, since it is made of an organic polymer matrix, it does not cause defects such as cracks and cracks unlike glass. Therefore, there is an effect that it is not necessary to polish the cut surface like a cover glass.

A sixth characteristic configuration of the present invention is a transparent film made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm are formed in an island shape on a matrix of an organic polymer made of a transparent resin having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.35 mm. A decorative cover base material for a touch panel in which a cover base material and a transparent plastic film on which a decorative layer as an outer frame of a display screen is formed are laminated.

  According to this characteristic configuration, since the transparent cover base material contains inorganic particles, the surface strength is higher than that of a normal plastic cover base material even though the thickness is small, and it is made of an organic polymer matrix. It is possible to withstand the stress applied vertically without cracking. And even if a transparent cover base material is torn by the stress, since a plastic film is not torn, the whole decoration cover base material is not damaged at all. Therefore, even if a consumer accidentally drops the portable electronic terminal, the portable electronic terminal itself is not damaged.

  According to a seventh characteristic configuration of the present invention, in the sixth characteristic configuration, a ratio of a thickness of the transparent cover base material and the transparent plastic film on which the decorative layer is formed is 1: 1 to 1:10. It is a certain decorative cover base material for touch panels.

  According to this characteristic configuration, since the ratio of the plastic film having a smaller specific gravity than the transparent cover substrate having the same thickness is increased, the weight of the entire cover substrate is reduced. Furthermore, since the cut surface of the transparent cover base material is reduced, the frequency of defects such as rough cross-sectional shapes, warpage, and burrs that occur specifically in the transparent cover base material portion is also reduced in proportion to the proportion of the plastic film. .

  An eighth characteristic configuration of the present invention is the touch panel decorative cover substrate according to the sixth or seventh characteristic configuration, wherein the transparent plastic film on which the decorative layer is formed is an optically isotropic plastic. is there. The ninth feature of the present invention is the sixth to eighth features, wherein the transparent plastic film on which the decorative layer is formed is an acrylic resin, a polycarbonate resin, a cycloolefin resin, It is the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which is either triacetylcellulose-type resin.

  According to the eighth and ninth characteristic configurations, it is possible to obtain a decorative cover base material that is light and does not break, while maintaining substantially the same optical characteristics as those of the conventional cover glass.

  The 10th characteristic structure of this invention is a transfer sheet used for the manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens as described in the 1st or 3rd characteristic structure.

  According to these characteristic configurations, the unevenness of the surface of the formed decorative layer depends on the surface roughness of the base sheet of the original transfer sheet, so the surface roughness of the base sheet is reduced and the smoothness is improved. As long as the thickness of the decorative layer is increased, the unevenness does not increase. Therefore, there is no problem such as disconnection of the sensor circuit or bubble biting due to the irregularities on the surface of the decoration layer, and there is no problem even if the decoration layer is formed thick. As a result, the decorative layer can be sufficiently used even in colors that are not concealed, and there is an effect that the outer frame of the display screen of the portable electronic terminal can have a beautiful appearance with excellent design.

It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which concerns on the 5th characteristic structure of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the transparent cover base material used for the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which concerns on the 5th characteristic structure of this invention from the 9th characteristic structure. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the transfer sheet which concerns on the 10th characteristic structure of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which concerns on the 1st characteristic structure of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which concerns on the 4th characteristic structure of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which concerns on the 6th characteristic structure of this invention from the 9th characteristic structure. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which concerns on the 2nd characteristic structure of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which concerns on the 3rd characteristic structure of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows another example of the manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens which concerns on the 3rd characteristic structure of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a decorative cover base material according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
The touch panel decorative cover base material 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a touch panel decorative cover base material for direct bonding to a hard display panel or for laminating on a flexible display panel. At least a display screen on a transparent cover substrate 1 made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles 7 having an average diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm are formed in an island shape on an organic polymer matrix 6 made of a transparent resin having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.35 mm A decorative layer 3 is formed as an outer frame (FIG. 1).

  First, it is most important that the thickness of the transparent cover substrate 1 is 0.02 to 0.35 mm. In order to protect the internal touch panel sensor and the liquid crystal panel, the conventional type of cover glass uses plate glass with a thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, which is cut and polished to be shaped into a predetermined shape. However, it is common to use glass members whose edges have been chemically strengthened to increase the strength. In this case, the cover glass with a large thickness increases the weight of the entire portable electronic terminal, which hinders carrying. Has occurred. Moreover, when the thickness of the transparent cover base material 1 is thicker than 0.4 mm, it becomes difficult to cut even if the high energy laser beam 5 is irradiated. Therefore, it becomes impossible to continuously cut the decorative cover base material 10 for a touch panel into individual pieces as shown in FIG. 5, and the productivity is greatly reduced. On the other hand, when the thickness of the transparent cover base material 1 is less than 0.02 mm, the transparent cover base material 1 itself is easily broken, and the surface strength is reduced even if many inorganic particles are contained.

  Next, it is necessary to form the transparent cover substrate 1 in an island shape so that the inorganic particles 7 are uniformly distributed in the organic polymer matrix 6 made of a transparent resin (FIG. 2). If the inorganic particles 7 are distributed unevenly in the matrix 6, a problem occurs. That is, the portion where the inorganic particles 7 are densely distributed becomes brittle and easily damaged by impact, and the portion where the inorganic particles 7 are depopulated becomes weak in surface strength and easily damaged. The average diameter of the inorganic particles 7 needs to be 0.5 to 20 nm. Inorganic particles with a diameter of less than 0.5 nm tend to aggregate and are more often distributed unevenly. When the diameter is small, the inorganic particles 7 are buried in the film of the organic polymer matrix 6 and the inorganic particles 7 have high hardness and high tear resistance. The benefits of sex cannot be demonstrated. On the other hand, the inorganic particles having a diameter of more than 20 nm greatly impair the surface smoothness of the transparent cover base material 1. If the proportion of the inorganic particles is large, the surface roughness of the transparent cover base material 1 is significantly increased and added to the surface. It becomes difficult to form the decoration layer 3. Furthermore, when the transparent cover base material 1 and the touch panel substrate are laminated, if the surface roughness of the transparent cover base material 1 is large, it may cause defects such as bubble biting.

  In addition, since the bending of the transparent cover base material 1 is likely to occur when the transparent cover base material 1 is thin, the stress applied to the transparent cover base material 1 from the outside is displayed when the internal display panel is made of a fragile glass material. Even if the transparent cover base material 1 is safe, the internal display panel may be broken. Therefore, the display panel is preferably a flexible display panel such as an organic electroluminescence display panel. However, even if it is necessary to use a display panel mainly composed of a hard glass material such as a liquid crystal display panel, if it is laminated by the direct bonding method, the cause of the deflection of the transparent cover substrate 1 is caused. Since the air layer is almost eliminated and the stress is dispersed throughout the display panel, it can be used sufficiently.

  As a direct bonding method, for example, an ultraviolet curable optical adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the decorative cover substrate 10 for a touch panel, laminated on a liquid crystal display panel, and then irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the optical adhesive. The method of making it comprise is mentioned. Alternatively, an optically transparent double-sided adhesive tape that is sticky and optically transparent, a tape on which a pressure-sensitive adhesive is formed, and the like are affixed in advance to the entire surface of the decorative cover substrate 10 for a touch panel, and a liquid crystal display There is also a method of stacking on a panel.

  The decoration layer 3 is a layer that finally becomes an outer frame that covers the outer periphery of the display screen, that is, the routing circuit. The decorative layer 3 may be directly formed on the transparent cover substrate 1, but it is preferable to form it on another transfer sheet 20 and transfer it to the transparent cover substrate 1. This is because the transparent cover substrate 1 contains inorganic particles 7 and thus has a surface roughness larger than that of a normal plastic film, and it is difficult to directly form the decorative layer 3 having an elaborate pattern. In addition, when directly formed, due to a step due to the thickness of the decorative layer 3 or unevenness of the surface, when a sensor circuit or the like is provided on the transparent cover substrate 1 sequentially in the decorative layer 3, a disconnection or the like When another sensor substrate is laminated or directly attached to a display panel or the like, problems such as bubble biting are more likely to occur at the time of bonding. Therefore, when the decorative layer 3 is directly formed on the transparent cover substrate 1, the decorative layer 3 has a simple design with a high concealment property such as black or white that can cover the circuit and the like even if the thickness is thin. It will be limited.

  In that respect, when the decorative layer 3 is formed on another transfer sheet 20 and transferred to the transparent cover substrate 1, the surface of the decorative layer 3 transferred to the transparent cover substrate 1 is transferred. Since the unevenness depends on the surface roughness of the base sheet 21 of the original transfer sheet 20, if the surface roughness of the base sheet 21 is reduced to improve the smoothness, the thickness of the decorative layer 3 is increased. However, the unevenness of the surface of the decorative layer 3 transferred and formed on the transparent cover substrate 1 does not increase. Further, after the decorative layer 3 is provided on the base sheet 21, the colorless and transparent adhesive layer ink layer 22 is formed on the entire surface of the base sheet 21, and the adhesive layer ink is formed to be thicker than the thickness of the decorative layer 3. As a result of this leveling, there is almost no step in the thickness of the decorative layer 3 (FIG. 3). And in the transparent cover base material 1 of this invention, in order to improve surface strength, the inorganic particle 7 must exist in the surface vicinity of the transparent cover base material 1, and it has to become the structure by which some unevenness | corrugations are formed in the surface. However, the surface roughness of the transparent cover substrate 1 is larger than that of the conventional glass substrate. However, when the thickness of the adhesive layer ink layer 22 is large, the surface roughness of the transparent cover substrate 1 is large. Since the adhesive layer ink layer 22 follows, the adhesiveness is also improved. Therefore, if it is formed on another transfer sheet 20 and transferred to the adhesive layer ink layer 22, the sensor circuit is caused by the large surface roughness of the transparent cover substrate 1, the thickness step of the decorative layer 3, and the surface irregularities. There is no problem such as disconnection or foam biting, and there is no problem even if the decoration layer 3 is formed thick. As a result, the decorative layer 3 can be sufficiently used even in colors that are not concealed, and the outer frame of the portable electronic terminal display has a beautiful appearance with excellent design.

  An example of the base sheet 21 is a biaxially stretched polyester film of about 20 to 50 μm that has low surface roughness, excellent smoothness, low cost, and excellent strength and heat resistance. Note that a release layer may be provided on the base sheet 21 in order to improve the transferability of the decorative layer 3 and the adhesive layer ink layer 22. The release layer is preferably made of a melamine resin, a silicon resin, or the like and has a surface average roughness of 15 nm or less.

  The decorative layer 3 includes a vinyl resin, a polyamide resin, a polyester resin, an acrylic resin, a polyurethane resin, a polyvinyl acetal resin, an alkyd resin, and the like as a binder, and an appropriate color pigment or dye as a colorant. It is good to use the coloring ink to contain. As a forming method, a normal printing method such as screen printing, offset printing, gravure printing, flexographic printing, or the like may be used. The thickness of the decorative layer 3 is generally about 0.5 to 10 μm. The decorative layer 3 may be composed of a metal thin film layer or a combination of the metal thin film layer and the print layer. The metal thin film layer expresses metallic luster and is formed by a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, an ion plating method, a plating method, or the like. In this case, metals such as aluminum, nickel, gold, platinum, chromium iron, copper, tin, indium, silver, titanium, lead, and zinc, and alloys or compounds thereof can be used depending on the metallic luster color to be expressed. The thickness of the metal thin film layer is generally about 0.05 μm. Moreover, when providing a metal thin film layer, in order to improve adhesiveness with another layer, you may provide a front anchor layer and a rear anchor layer. Further, a release layer may be provided in order to make the release from the base sheet 21 smooth.

  The adhesive layer ink layer 22 is preferably formed using a colorless and transparent ink using a polyamide resin, an acrylic resin, a cycloolefin resin, or the like as a binder. As a forming method, a method using various coaters such as a direct coater method, a lip coater method, and a reverse coater method that can increase the thickness other than the normal printing method may be used. It is important that the thickness of the adhesive layer ink layer 22 is dry and thicker than the thickness of the decorative layer 3 in order to reduce the level difference due to the thickness of the decorative layer 3. In addition, since leveling property on the surface of the adhesive layer ink layer 22 is also required, it is preferable to add a leveling agent such as a modified silicon type to the adhesive layer ink.

  In addition to the decorative layer 3 and the adhesive layer ink layer 22, the transfer sheet 20 may be provided with a transparent conductive film as a touch sensor or a drawing circuit. Transparent conductive films include metal oxide films such as tin oxide, indium oxide, antimony oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium oxide, and indium tin oxide (ITO), as well as conductor fibers (that is, metal nanofibers, metal nanowires, and carbon nanotubes) ) And PEDOT (polyethylenedioxythiophene) and other thiophene-based conductive polymers. Examples of the routing circuit include a circuit made of a conductive metal such as silver, copper, tin, nickel, aluminum, and palladium, or a silver paste or copper paste.

  The manufacturing method of the decorative cover base material 10 for touchscreens concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention is from the roll-shaped transparent cover base material 1 and the roll-shaped transfer sheet 20 in which the decorating layer 3 is formed, It is preferable that the transparent cover substrate 1 and the transfer sheet 20 on which the decorative layer 3 is formed are continuously conveyed and laminated to form a roll, and then wound into a roll (FIG. 4). Since it is continuously conveyed and rolled up, it can be produced continuously without interruption and storage space can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the productivity is remarkably improved as compared with the conventional method in which large-sized plate glass is intermittently conveyed and a coating film or the like must be formed for each plate glass. Even if the decorative layer 3 is a metal thin film layer or the like that is difficult to form directly on the transparent cover substrate 1, the decorative layer 3 is formed on the transfer sheet 20 instead. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a portable electronic terminal display having a beautiful appearance that cannot be obtained by a conventional method excellent in design.

  In the transfer method, the transparent cover base material 1 and the transfer sheet 20 are conveyed to the gap between the metal roll 25 and the rubber roll 26 or the gap between the rubber roll 25 and the rubber roll 26, and the metal roll 25 or the rubber roll 26 is moved up and down. 1 and a transfer method by applying a pressing force to the transfer sheet 20 (FIG. 4). Alternatively, there may be mentioned a method in which a laminating apparatus equipped with a transfer belt is used instead of the metal roll or rubber roll, and the pressure is applied in a planar shape instead of a linear shape.

  If the content of the inorganic particles 7 must be increased in order to further improve the surface hardness and laceration resistance, adhesion can be achieved even if an adhesion auxiliary additive such as a silane coupling agent is added to the adhesive layer ink layer 22. There may be a lack of power. In that case, it is preferable to previously form an optical adhesive such as acrylic on either the transparent cover substrate 1 or the adhesive ink layer 22 of the transfer sheet 20. As a forming method, a coater or a printing machine is placed on the line from the roll until it is laminated, and an ultraviolet curable optical adhesive is applied in synchronism with the speed of lamination, and the transfer device is An efficient and preferable method is to place an ultraviolet irradiation device in the vicinity and irradiate ultraviolet rays at the moment when the transparent cover substrate 1 and the transfer sheet 20 are laminated to cure the optical adhesive.

  Since the roll of the decorative cover base material 10 for a touch panel that has been wound up is an aggregate in which a large number of decorative cover base materials 10 for a touch panel are connected vertically and horizontally, it is necessary to cut them into individual pieces. . In order to perform continuous and efficient cutting to each individual piece size, the decorative cover base material 10 for touch panel is continuously conveyed, and the laser beam 5 is irradiated in synchronization with the conveyance speed. A method of obtaining the decorative cover base material 11 for a touch panel by cutting into a size is efficient and preferable (FIG. 5). In this method of cutting by irradiating the laser beam 5, the cut surface of the transparent cover substrate 1 is also clean. In addition, since the decoration cover base material 10 for touch panels also contains the matrix 6 of the organic polymer, when the content of the inorganic particles 7 is relatively small, a method of cutting by a punching process with a cutting blade is employed. It is also possible.

[Second Embodiment]
Description of the portions overlapping with the decorative cover base material 10 for touch panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be omitted.

  The decorative cover base material 10 for a touch panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention has an island shape in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm are formed in an organic polymer matrix having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.35 mm and made of a transparent resin. It consists of a laminate of a transparent cover substrate 1 made of a plastic film formed on and a transparent plastic film 4 on which a decorative layer 3 as an outer frame of a display screen is formed (FIG. 6).

  First, the decorative cover base material 10 for a touch panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be configured so that the thickness ratio of the transparent cover base material 1 and the plastic film 2 is 1: 1 to 1:10. is important. This is because by increasing the ratio of the plastic film 2 having a small specific gravity, the weight of the entire decorative cover base material 10 for touch panel is reduced as compared with the conventional method. Furthermore, since the cut surface of the transparent cover base material 1 is reduced, the frequency of problems such as rough cross-sectional shapes and warpage / burrs that occur specifically in the transparent cover base material 1 portion is also reduced in proportion to the thickness. Therefore, when the ratio is from 1: 4 to 1:10, even when the content of the inorganic particles 7 is relatively large, no problem occurs in punching with a cutting blade used for normal film cutting. Further, even when the ratio is 1: 1 to 1: 4 and the content of the inorganic particles 7 is relatively large, if the transparent cover substrate 1 is cut by laser irradiation, the transparent cover base Since the cut surface of the material 1 is clean, the above-described problems are unlikely to occur.

  Next, the transparent plastic film 2 is preferably a plastic substrate having optical isotropy, which has optical transparency close to glass, light transmittance, retardation value, and haze value. This is because even a plastic film that appears to be colorless and transparent may be less visible than glass when viewed through a liquid crystal screen or the like. Examples of such a preferable material for the transparent plastic film 2 include acrylic resins, polycarbonate resins, cycloolefin resins, and triacetyl cellulose resins. These plastic films may be a single material, or may be an alloy or a multilayer product (for example, a laminated film of an acrylic resin and a polycarbonate resin). Furthermore, these plastic films can also be used as polarizing films by adjusting the stretching direction and the strength thereof, and the polarizing film layers that are usually provided on a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display can be reduced.

  The thickness of the transparent plastic film 2 varies greatly depending on the material and usage method, but is preferably 0.02 to 1.5 mm. When the thickness is 1.5 mm or more, it is difficult to form a plastic film even if it is a plastic film, and when the thickness is less than 0.02 mm, wrinkles are generated when the transparent cover substrate 1 is laminated, and the productivity is lowered. It is. In the case of the usage method in which the decorative cover base material 10 for touch panel itself has a certain impact resistance and rigidity, a plastic film mainly composed of a relatively thick polycarbonate resin of about 0.5 to 1.5 mm is used. preferable. On the other hand, in the case of a usage method in which the decorative cover base material 10 for a touch panel is directly bonded to a liquid crystal display panel and the display panel itself has rigidity, or in a usage method of laminating with another sensor substrate, a display panel or other A plastic film mainly composed of a triacetyl cellulose resin, an acrylic resin, and a cycloolefin resin having a thickness of about 0.05 to 0.5 mm capable of protecting the sensor substrate is preferable. In the case of a flexible display panel in which the decorative cover base material 10 for touch panel is attached to an organic electroluminescence display panel or the like and finally used by bending, the thickness is sufficiently thin and about 0.02 to 0.2 mm. Of these, a plastic film mainly composed of cycloolefin resin and triacetyl cellulose resin is preferable.

  The decorative layer 3 is a layer that finally becomes an outer frame that covers the outer periphery of the display screen, that is, the routing circuit, and is provided on the surface of the transparent plastic film 2. The decorative layer 3 may be directly formed on the plastic film 2, but it is preferable to form it on another transfer sheet 20 and transfer it to the plastic film 2. When it is directly formed on the plastic film 2, due to a step due to the thickness of the decorative layer 3 or unevenness of the surface, when a sensor circuit is provided on the plastic film 2 sequentially in the decorative layer 3, disconnection or the like When a defect occurs and another sensor substrate is stacked or directly pasted on a display panel or the like, a defect such as bubble biting occurs at the time of bonding. Therefore, when the decorative layer 3 is directly formed on the plastic film 2, the decorative layer 3 is limited to a simple design having a high concealment property such as black or white that can cover the circuit and the like even if the thickness is thin. Will be.

In that respect, when the decorative layer 3 is formed on another transfer sheet 20 and transferred to the plastic film 2, the surface of the decorative layer 3 transferred to the plastic film 2 is not uneven. Since it depends on the surface roughness of the base sheet 21 of the transfer sheet 20, the plastic film can be obtained even if the thickness of the decorative layer 3 is increased as long as the surface roughness of the base sheet 21 is reduced to improve the smoothness. The unevenness of the surface of the decorative layer 3 transferred and formed in 2 does not increase. Further, after the decorative layer 3 is provided on the base sheet 21, a colorless and transparent adhesive layer ink layer 22 is provided on the entire surface of the base sheet 21, and the thickness of the adhesive layer ink is increased. Due to the leveling, there is almost no step in the thickness of the decorative layer 3 (FIG. 2). Therefore, if it is formed on another transfer sheet 20 and transferred to the plastic film 2, problems such as disconnection of the sensor circuit and foam biting may occur due to the thickness difference of the decorative layer 3 and the surface unevenness. There is no problem even if the decorative layer 3 is formed thick. As a result, the decorative layer 3 can be sufficiently used even in colors that are not concealed, and the outer frame of the portable electronic terminal display has a beautiful appearance with excellent design.

  The adhesive layer ink layer 22 is preferably formed using a colorless and transparent ink using an acrylic resin, a cycloolefin resin, or the like as a binder. The formation method can be formed by the same method as the adhesive layer ink layer 22 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the adhesive layer ink layer 22 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the adhesive layer ink layer 22 is dry and less than the thickness of the decorative layer 3 in order to reduce the level difference due to the thickness of the decorative layer 3. It is important to make it thicker. Further, since the leveling property of the surface of the adhesive layer ink layer 22 is also necessary, it is preferable to add a leveling agent such as a modified silicon type to the adhesive layer ink.

  The manufacturing method of the decorative cover base material 10 for touch panels which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is from the roll-shaped transparent cover base material and the roll-shaped transparent plastic film in which the decorating layer 3 is formed, It is preferable that the transparent cover substrate 1 and the plastic film 4 on which the decorative layer 3 is formed are continuously conveyed to form a laminate, and then wound into a roll shape to be manufactured (FIG. 7). Since it is continuously conveyed and rolled up, it can be produced continuously without interruption and storage space can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the productivity is remarkably improved as compared with the conventional method in which large-sized plate glass is intermittently conveyed and a coating film or the like must be formed for each plate glass.

  Moreover, the manufacturing method of the decoration cover base material 10 for touchscreens concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention is a roll in which the roll-shaped transparent cover base material, the roll-shaped transparent plastic film, and the decoration layer are formed. The transparent cover substrate 1, the plastic film 2 and the transfer sheet 20 are continuously conveyed and laminated from the transfer sheet 20, and the base sheet 21 is peeled and removed from the transfer sheet 20 and then wound into a roll. It is more preferable if it can be manufactured by taking (FIG. 8). In this manufacturing method, even if the decorative layer 3 is a metal thin film layer that is difficult to form directly on the transparent plastic film 2, the decorative layer 3 is formed on the transfer sheet 20 instead. This is because it is possible to obtain a portable electronic terminal display having a beautiful appearance that cannot be obtained by a conventional method excellent in design.

  In addition, when the transparent cover base material 1 and the transparent plastic film 2 are hard to adhere | attach, it is preferable to form optical adhesives, such as an acryl type | system | group, beforehand in either one. As a forming method, a coater or a printing machine is placed on a line from the roll until it is laminated, and an ultraviolet curable optical adhesive is applied in synchronization with the speed of the lamination, and then the roll is laminated. An efficient and preferable method is that the optical adhesive applied by placing an ultraviolet irradiation device on the line until it is wound up is wound with ultraviolet light. Alternatively, an adhesive optically transparent optically transparent double-sided tape or a tape on which a pressure-sensitive adhesive is formed is previously laminated on either the transparent cover substrate 1 or the transparent plastic film 2. There is also a method.

  In the laminating method, the transparent cover substrate 1, the plastic film 2, and the transfer sheet 20 are conveyed to the gap between the metal roll 25 and the rubber roll 26, or the gap between the rubber roll 25 and the rubber roll 26, and the metal roll 25 or the rubber roll 25 is moved up and down. There is a method of applying a pressing force to the transparent cover substrate 1, the plastic film 2, and the transfer sheet 20 (FIGS. 7 and 8). Alternatively, there may be mentioned a method of laminating in a planar shape instead of a linear shape using a laminating apparatus equipped with a transfer belt instead of the metal roll or rubber roll.

In FIG. 8, the decorative layer 3 and the adhesive layer ink layer 22 are formed on the side surface opposite to the transparent cover substrate 1, but may be provided on the surface side of the transparent cover substrate 1. However, in that case, the decoration layer 3 cannot be continuously provided in the process as shown in FIG. 8. First, the plastic film 2 and the transfer sheet 20 are laminated and decorated on the plastic film 2. After the layer 3 is provided, the manufacturing method is a process as shown in FIG. 9 in which the layer 3 is continuously conveyed and laminated with the transparent cover substrate 1.

  The touch panel decorative cover base material 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention can be cut into individual pieces in the same manner as the touch panel decorative cover base material 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. . In the method of cutting by irradiating this laser beam 5, the cut surface of the transparent cover substrate 1 is also clean, and the occurrence of defects such as warpage and burrs is relatively small. The plastic film 2 is a material that can be easily cut by irradiation with the laser beam 5. As a result, it is possible to manufacture the decorative cover base material 11 for a touch panel having a very beautiful cross section with high productivity.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transparent cover base material 2 Transparent plastic film 3 Decoration layer 4 Transparent plastic film in which the decoration layer is formed 5 Laser beam 6 Organic polymer matrix 7 Inorganic particle 10 Decorative cover base material 11 for touch panel Decorative cover substrate 20 transfer sheet 21 base sheet 22 adhesive layer ink layer 25 metal roll or rubber roll 26 rubber roll

Claims (10)

A roll-shaped transparent cover substrate made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5-20 nm are formed in an island shape in an organic polymer matrix made of a transparent resin having a thickness of 0.02-0.35 mm, and at least a display A step of continuously conveying and laminating a roll-shaped transfer sheet on which a decorative layer as an outer frame of the screen is formed; and
Peeling the substrate sheet from the transfer sheet, transferring the decorative layer to the transparent cover substrate,
The manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens provided with the process of winding up the said transparent cover base material in which the said decoration layer was transferred in roll shape. A roll-shaped transparent cover substrate made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5-20 nm are formed in an island shape in an organic polymer matrix made of a transparent resin having a thickness of 0.02-0.35 mm, and a display screen A step of continuously conveying and laminating a roll-shaped transparent plastic film in which a decorative layer as an outer frame is formed; and
The manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens provided with the process of winding up the laminated | stacked said transparent cover base material and the transparent plastic film in which the said decoration layer is formed in roll shape. A roll-shaped transparent cover substrate made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5-20 nm are formed in an island shape in a matrix of an organic polymer made of a transparent resin with a thickness of 0.02-0.35 mm, and a roll shape A step of continuously transporting and laminating the transparent plastic film and a roll-shaped transfer sheet on which a decorative layer as an outer frame of the display screen is formed,
Peeling the substrate sheet from the transfer sheet, transferring the decorative layer to the transparent plastic film, and
The manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens provided with the process of winding up the laminated | stacked said transparent cover base material and the said transparent plastic film with which the said decoration layer was transferred in roll shape. A step of continuously unwinding the decorative cover base material for a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wound up in a roll shape;
A decorative cover for a touch panel, comprising a step of irradiating a predetermined portion of the unwrapped decorative cover base material for the touch panel with a laser beam and continuously cutting the decorative cover base material for the touch panel into pieces. A method for producing a substrate. A decorative cover base material for a touch panel for direct bonding to a rigid display panel or laminating on a flexible display panel,
An outer frame of a display screen on a transparent cover substrate made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm are formed in an island shape in an organic polymer matrix made of a transparent resin having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.35 mm A decorative cover base material for a touch panel, on which a decorative layer is formed. A transparent cover substrate made of a plastic film in which inorganic particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm are formed in an island shape in an organic polymer matrix made of a transparent resin having a thickness of 0.02 to 0.35 mm;
A decorative cover base material for a touch panel in which a transparent plastic film on which a decorative layer as an outer frame of a display screen is formed is laminated.   The decorative cover base material for touchscreens of Claim 6 whose ratio of the thickness of the said transparent cover base material and the transparent plastic film in which the said decoration layer is formed is 1: 1-1: 10.   The decorative cover base material for touchscreens of Claim 6 or Claim 7 whose transparent plastic film in which the said decoration layer is formed is an optically isotropic plastic.   The transparent plastic film on which the decorative layer is formed is any one of an acrylic resin, a polycarbonate resin, a cycloolefin resin, and a triacetyl cellulose resin. The decorative cover base material for touchscreens of description.   The transfer sheet used for the manufacturing method of the decorating cover base material for touchscreens of Claim 1 or Claim 3.

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