JP2019096345A - Touch panel device, display device having touch position detection function and manufacturing method of touch panel device - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve detection sensitivity, using a cover substrate formed from plastic, while suppressing deterioration of rigidness.SOLUTION: A touch panel device 20 includes: a touch panel sensor substrate 30 having a base material 32 and detection patterns 41 and 46 disposed on the base material; and a pair of cover substrates 12a and 12b disposed on both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate and holding the touch panel sensor substrate therebetween. The cover substrate is formed from plastic.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel device, a display device with a touch position detection function obtained by combining a touch panel device and a display device, and a method of manufacturing the touch panel device.

  Today, touch panel devices are widely used as input means. The touch panel device includes a touch panel sensor, a detection control unit that processes a signal from the touch panel sensor, and the like. Touch panel devices are often used together with display devices as input means for various devices (for example, ticket vending machines, ATM devices, mobile phones, game machines) incorporating display devices such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays. It is done. In such a device, a touch panel sensor is arranged on the display surface side of the display device, which allows very direct input to the display device. An area of the touch panel sensor facing the display area of the display device is transparent, and this area of the touch panel sensor constitutes an active area that can detect a contact position (approach position).

  A projection-type capacitive coupling type touch panel sensor is known as a touch panel sensor. In the capacitive coupling type touch panel sensor, when an external conductor (typically, a finger) whose position is to be detected comes in contact with (approaching) the touch panel sensor through a dielectric, a strange capacitance is newly generated. The position of the outer conductor on the touch panel sensor is detected based on the change in capacitance caused by the odd capacity. Such a projection-type capacitive coupling touch panel sensor includes a substrate and a plurality of detection patterns provided on the substrate. An electrical signal such as a pulse signal is transmitted to the detection pattern. And the position of the outer conductor on a touch panel sensor can be detected by analyzing the change of the pulse signal which arises due to approach of an outer conductor.

  The touch panel device generally includes a cover substrate (protective cover) disposed on the viewer side of the touch panel sensor in addition to the touch panel sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, an external conductor such as a finger comes in contact with the cover substrate. Therefore, by providing the cover substrate, the touch panel sensor and the display device can be protected from the outside. Such cover substrate is composed of a transparent dielectric such as glass.

  The cover substrate of the touch panel sensor is configured to have a thin thickness because the capacitance between the outer conductor and the detection pattern of the touch panel sensor decreases as the thickness thereof increases and the detection sensitivity of the touch panel device decreases. Is preferred. And as a material which comprises such a thin cover substrate, tempered glass is generally used. The tempered glass is a glass in which a compressive stress layer is formed on the surface of the glass by subjecting the glass to a chemical treatment or the like, and a tensile stress layer is formed on the inside of the glass. In such a tempered glass, even if the impact such as a crack is formed on the surface by applying some striking force to the surface on one side, the damage is enlarged due to the compressive stress layer. Being prevented. For this reason, tempered glass is difficult to be broken.

  On the other hand, in order to reduce the weight and cost of the touch panel device, it is considered effective to use plastic as a material of the cover substrate.

JP, 2013-161201, A

However, in general, the dielectric constant of plastic is low compared to the dielectric constant of tempered glass.
Therefore, when the thickness of the cover substrate made of plastic is equal to the thickness of the cover substrate made of tempered glass, the capacitance between the outer conductor and the touch panel sensor is reduced, and the detection sensitivity of the touch panel device Will decrease.

  In order to improve detection sensitivity, the thickness of the cover substrate may be reduced, but the rigidity of a general plate-like plastic is low compared to the rigidity of a general plate-like tempered glass, so when it is made thinner Has new problems. That is, a thin cover substrate made of plastic is easily bent when an external conductor such as a finger comes in contact with the touch panel device, which may cause the touch panel device to malfunction.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such a point, and a touch panel device with a touch position detection function capable of improving detection sensitivity while suppressing a decrease in rigidity while using a cover substrate made of plastic. It aims at providing a manufacturing method of a display and a touch panel device.

The touch panel device according to one aspect of the present invention is
A touch panel sensor substrate having a substrate and a detection pattern provided on the substrate;
And a pair of cover substrates provided on both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate and sandwiching the touch panel sensor substrate.
The cover substrate is made of plastic.

A touch panel device according to another aspect of the present invention is
A touch panel sensor substrate having a substrate and a detection pattern provided on the substrate;
And a cover substrate in which the touch panel sensor substrate is embedded.
The cover substrate is made of plastic.

In the touch panel device,
The thickness of the cover substrate on the viewer side may be smaller than the thickness of the cover substrate on the display device side.

In the touch panel device,
The substrate may be made of plastic.

In the touch panel device,
The cover substrate may be made of polyethylene terephthalate, acrylic or polycarbonate.

A display device with a touch position detection function according to an aspect of the present invention is
A display device,
A touch panel device disposed on the display surface side of the display device;
The touch panel device is
A touch panel sensor substrate having a substrate and a detection pattern provided on the substrate;
And a pair of cover substrates provided on both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate and sandwiching the touch panel sensor substrate;
The cover substrate is made of plastic.

A display device with a touch position detection function according to another aspect of the present invention is
A display device,
A touch panel device disposed on the display surface side of the display device;
The touch panel device is
A touch panel sensor substrate having a substrate and a detection pattern provided on the substrate;
And a cover substrate in which the touch panel sensor substrate is embedded.
The cover substrate is made of plastic.

A method of manufacturing a touch panel device according to an aspect of the present invention is
Preparing a touch panel sensor substrate;
Bonding a pair of cover substrates to both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate with a transparent adhesive;
Equipped with

A method of manufacturing a touch panel device according to another aspect of the present invention is
Preparing a touch panel sensor substrate;
Installing the touch panel sensor substrate in a mold;
Injecting an injection resin into the mold;
Equipped with

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve detection sensitivity while suppressing a decrease in rigidity after using a cover substrate made of plastic.

It is an exploded view showing a display with a touch position detection function concerning a 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the cross section which cut | disconnected the display apparatus with a touch position detection function in the direction parallel to the 1st direction of FIG. It is a top view which shows the touch-panel sensor board | substrate at the time of seeing from the observer side. It is a top view which shows the case where the 1st detection pattern in the part enclosed with the dashed-dotted line attached with code | symbol III in FIG. 3 is seen from the observer side. It is a top view which shows the case where the 2nd detection pattern in the part enclosed with the dashed-dotted line attached with code | symbol III in FIG. 3 is seen from the observer side. It is an exploded view showing a display with a touch position detection function in a 2nd embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the cross section which cut | disconnected the display apparatus with a touch position detection function in the direction parallel to the 1st direction of FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining the manufacturing method of the touch-panel apparatus of FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining the manufacturing method of a touch-panel apparatus following FIG. 7A.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings attached to the present specification, for the sake of illustration and ease of understanding, the scale, vertical and horizontal dimensional ratios, etc. are appropriately changed from those of a real thing and exaggerated.

First Embodiment
Display Device with Touch Position Detection Function Referring first to FIG. 1, the display device 10 with touch position detection function will be described. FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a display device 10 with a touch position detection function according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the display device 10 with a touch position detection function includes a display device 15 such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and a touch panel device 20 disposed on the display surface 16 a side (observer side) of the display device 15. And have. The illustrated display device 15 is configured as a flat panel display. The touch panel device 20 is adhered to the display device 15 via, for example, an adhesive layer (not shown).

  The display device 15 includes a display panel 16 having a display surface 16 a and a display control unit (not shown) connected to the display panel 16. Display panel 16 includes an active area A1 capable of displaying an image, and an inactive area (also referred to as a frame area) A2 disposed outside active area A1 so as to surround active area A1. . The display control unit processes information on the video to be displayed, and drives the display panel 16 based on the video information. The display panel 16 displays a predetermined image on the display surface 16 a based on a control signal of the display control unit. That is, the display device 15 plays a role as an output device that outputs information such as characters and figures as a video.

  The touch panel device 20 includes a rectangular active area Ab1 corresponding to an area where the touch position can be detected, and an inactive area Ab2 located around the active area Ab1. The active area Ab1 and the inactive area Ab2 are respectively divided corresponding to the active area A1 and the inactive area A2 of the display panel 16.

Touch Panel Device FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the display device with a touch position detection function 10 in a direction parallel to the first direction D1 of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the touch panel device 20 includes a flat touch panel sensor substrate 30 and a pair of cover substrates 12 a and 12 b provided on both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 and sandwiching the touch panel sensor substrate 30. Is equipped. The cover substrate 12 a is disposed on the viewer side of the touch panel sensor substrate 30, and the cover substrate 12 b is disposed on the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor substrate 30. The cover substrates 12 a and 12 b are bonded to the touch panel sensor substrate 30 via, for example, an adhesive layer (not shown).

  Hereinafter, the cover substrates 12 a and 12 b and the touch panel sensor substrate 30 will be described in more detail.

Cover Substrate The cover substrates 12a and 12b are made of plastic. That is, the cover substrates 12a and 12b are configured as plastic moldings. A plastic molding is a member obtained by molding and solidifying a synthetic resin. Alternatively, it is a member obtained by integrating a plurality of members obtained by molding and solidifying a synthetic resin by means of an adhesive layer or the like.

  The synthetic resin is easy to mold because it can be molded at a lower temperature than glass. Therefore, the cover substrate 12 having a desired shape, such as a cover substrate having a curved surface or a bent portion, can be easily manufactured. As a synthetic resin which comprises the cover substrate 12, the material which has sufficient translucency and processability, for example, a polyethylene terephthalate, an acryl, a polycarbonate, or polyester can be used.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the cover substrates 12a and 12b have a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The shape of the cover substrates 12a and 12b in plan view may be another shape according to the shape of the display surface 16a of the display panel 16 and the shape of the touch panel sensor substrate 30, and may be, for example, an elliptical shape.

  In FIG. 2, the thickness of the cover substrate 12a is indicated by a symbol Ta, and the thickness of the cover substrate 12b is indicated by a symbol Tb. Here, the thickness Ta and the thickness Tb are uniform. The thicknesses Ta and Tb are appropriately set according to the detection sensitivity required for the touch panel device 20, the strength required for the cover substrates 12a and 12b, and the like, but are, for example, about 0.5 mm. That is, in the illustrated example, the thickness Ta and the thickness Tb are approximately equal. If the sum of thickness Ta and thickness Tb is equivalent to the thickness of a cover substrate made of plastic provided only on one side of a conventional touch panel sensor substrate, the hardness equivalent to the hardness of such a conventional cover substrate You can get

  In the example of FIG. 2, the surface on the viewer's side of the cover substrate 12a is configured as a flat surface, but is not limited thereto, and is configured as a curved surface that is convex or concave toward the viewer, for example It is also good.

Touch Panel Sensor Substrate The touch panel sensor substrate 30 may have any configuration, but the configuration shown in FIG. 3 will be described as an example.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the touch panel sensor substrate 30 as viewed from the observer side. Here, an example in which the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is configured as a projection-type capacitive coupling type touch panel sensor will be described. The “capacitive coupling” method is also referred to as “electrostatic capacitance” method or “electrostatic capacitance coupling” method in the technical field of touch panels, and in the present case, these “electrostatic capacitance” methods and “electrostatic coupling” methods are used. It is treated as a term synonymous with “capacitive coupling” method etc. A typical capacitive coupling touch panel sensor has a light-transmitting conductive pattern, and an external conductor (typically, a human finger) approaches the touch panel sensor to reach the outside. A capacitor (capacitance) is formed between the conductor of and the conductive pattern of the touch panel sensor. Then, on the basis of the change in the electrical state accompanying the formation of the capacitor, position coordinates of the position at which the outer conductor is approaching on the touch panel sensor are specified. The touch panel sensor substrate 30 according to the present embodiment may be a self-capacitance type or a mutual capacitance type.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the touch panel sensor substrate 30 includes a first surface 32 a facing the viewer and a second surface 32 b facing the display device. A plurality of first detection patterns (detection patterns) 41 provided on the one surface 32a and extending in the first direction D1 and provided on the second surface 32b of the base material 32, and intersecting the first direction D1, for example, And a plurality of second detection patterns (detection patterns) 46 extending in a second direction D2 orthogonal to the one direction D1. As shown in FIG. 3, the first detection pattern 41 and the second detection pattern 46 extend in a band shape, respectively. The plurality of first detection patterns 41 are arranged in the second direction D2 at a constant arrangement pitch, and the plurality of second detection patterns 46 are also arranged in the first direction D1 at a constant arrangement pitch. The arrangement pitch of the first detection pattern 41 and the second detection pattern 46 is determined according to the resolution required for detection of the touch position, and is, for example, several mm. In FIG. 3, the components provided on the first surface 32 a side of the substrate 32 are represented by solid lines, and the components provided on the second surface 32 b side of the substrate 32 are represented by dotted lines. There is.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the base material 32 of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 has a rectangular active area Aa1 corresponding to an area where the touch position can be detected, and a rectangular frame non-active area located around the active area Aa1. And Aa2. Active area Aa1 and inactive area Aa2 are respectively divided corresponding to active area A1 and inactive area A2 of display panel 16.

  The first detection pattern 41 and the second detection pattern 46 described above are disposed in the active area Aa1. Further, on the first surface 32a of the base material 32 in the non-active area Aa2, the plurality of first frame wirings 44a electrically connected to the respective first detection patterns 41 and the outer edge of the base material 32 are arranged. A plurality of first terminal portions 44 b electrically connected to the respective first frame wirings 44 a are provided. Furthermore, on the second surface 32b of the base material 32 in the non-active area Aa2, the plurality of second frame wires 49a electrically connected to the respective second detection patterns 46 and the outer edge of the base material 32 are arranged. And a plurality of second terminal portions 49b electrically connected to the respective second frame wirings 49a.

  Hereinafter, each component of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 will be described.

(Base material)
The base 32 functions as a dielectric in the touch panel sensor substrate 30. As a material which comprises the base material 32, the material which has sufficient translucency, such as a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and a cycloolefin polymer (COP), is used, for example. When the substrate 32 contains, for example, PET, the thickness of the PET is, for example, in the range of 100 to 200 μm. The specific configuration of the base material 32 is not particularly limited as long as the first detection pattern 41, the second detection pattern 46, the frame wirings 44a and 49a, and the terminal portions 44b and 49b can be appropriately held. . For example, a hard coat layer provided on the surface such as a PET layer may be further included in the substrate 32. That is, in the present embodiment, the base material 32 does not mean any specific structure or material, and a base of a pattern such as the first detection pattern 41 or the second detection pattern 46 constituting the touch panel sensor substrate 30. It just means what

  Preferably, the first surface 32 a and the second surface 32 b of the substrate have high flatness so as to transmit image light from the display device 15 with high transmittance. For example, the arithmetic surface average roughness (Ra) of the first surface 32 a and the second surface 32 b of the base material 32 is in the range of 0.004 to 0.010 μm.

(First and second detection patterns)
The first and second detection patterns 41 and 46 of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 may be configured by arranging a plurality of conducting wires made of a metal material in a mesh shape, or transparent conductive such as indium tin oxide (ITO) The material may be used. In the present embodiment, an example of the first and second detection patterns 41 and 46 configured by arranging a plurality of conducting wires in a mesh shape will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

  FIG. 4A is a plan view showing a first detection pattern 41 in a portion surrounded by an alternate long and short dash line denoted by reference numeral III in FIG. 3 as viewed from the observer side, and FIG. 4B is a reference numeral in FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a second detection pattern 46 in a portion surrounded by an alternate long and short dash line having III attached thereto, as viewed from the observer side, that is, a case where the second detection pattern 46 is viewed through the substrate 32; .

  First, the first detection pattern 41 will be described. In the present embodiment, the first detection pattern 41 is a first conductive wire 51 having a light shielding property and conductivity, and is disposed in a mesh shape so that an opening 51 a is formed between the respective first conductive wires 51. It consists of 1 conductor 51. Similarly, the second detection pattern 46 is a second conductive wire 56 having a light shielding property and conductivity, and is arranged in a mesh shape so that an opening 56 a is formed between the respective second conductive wires 56. It consists of 56. Each of the first conducting wire 51 and the second conducting wire 56 includes a metal layer made of a metal material. In addition, the metal layer which comprises the 1st conducting wire 51 and the 2nd conducting wire 56 may be blackened etc. for controlling reflection of light in the surface.

  The ratio of the area occupied by the opening 51a (hereinafter referred to as the aperture ratio) to the entire area of the first detection pattern 41 is sufficiently high, whereby the image light from the display device 15 has an appropriate transmittance and the touch panel As long as the active area Aa1 of the sensor substrate 30 can be transmitted, the size and the shape of the first conductive wire 51 are not particularly limited. For example, in the example shown to FIG. 4A, the 1st detection pattern 41 is comprised by arranging the 1st conducting wire 51 formed in the rhombus along the 1st direction D1. In this case, the first conducting wire 51 is configured such that the acute-angled inner angles of the rhombus inner angles are aligned along the first direction D1. The range of the aperture ratio is appropriately set according to the characteristics of the image light emitted from the display device 15 and the like.

  The line width of the first conducting wire 51 is set in accordance with the required aperture ratio, for example, the width of the first conducting wire 51 is set in the range of 1 to 10 μm, more preferably in the range of 2 to 7 μm There is. By this, it is possible to reduce the influence exerted by the first conducting wire 51 on the image visually recognized by the observer to a negligible extent. Although the thickness of the 1st lead 51 is suitably set up according to the electrical resistance value etc. which are called for to the 1st detection pattern 41, it is within the limits of 0.1-2.0 micrometers, for example.

  As in the case of the first conducting wire 51, also in the second conducting wire 56, as long as the ratio of the area occupied by the opening 56a in the entire area of the second detection pattern 46 can be sufficiently secured, the second conducting wire The size and shape of 56 are not particularly limited. For example, in the example shown to FIG. 4B, the 2nd detection pattern 46 is comprised by arranging the 2nd lead wire 56 formed in the rhombus along the 2nd direction D2. In this case, the second conducting wire 56 is configured such that the obtuse inner angles of the rhombus inner angles are aligned along the second direction D2.

(Frame wiring and terminals)
The first frame wiring 44a and the first terminal portion 44b connected to the first detection pattern 41, and the second frame wiring 49a and the second terminal portion 49b connected to the second detection pattern 46 perform the first detection. It is provided to take out the signals from the pattern 41 and the second detection pattern 46 to the outside of the touch panel sensor substrate 30. The specific configurations of the first frame wiring 44a and the first terminal portion 44b, and the second frame wiring 49a and the second terminal portion 49b are not particularly limited as long as signals can be properly transmitted. For example, the first frame wiring 44 a and the first terminal portion 44 b may be formed simultaneously with the first conductive wire 51 in the same layer configuration as the first conductive wire 51. Similarly, the second frame wiring 49 a and the second terminal portion 49 b may be formed simultaneously with the second conductive wire 56 in the same layer configuration as the second conductive wire 56.

  In FIGS. 3 to 4B, the first detection pattern 41, the first frame wiring 44a and the first terminal portion 44b are provided on the first surface 32a side of the base 32, and the second detection pattern 46, the second frame wiring Although 49a and the 2nd terminal area 49b showed the example provided in the 2nd surface 32b side of substrate 32, it is not restricted to this, they are the 1st surface 32a of substrate 32, or the 2nd surface 32b. It may be provided in either one. In addition, the first detection pattern 41, the first frame wiring 44a, and the first terminal portion 44b are provided on the first surface 32a side of the base 32, and the second detection pattern 46, the second frame wiring 49a, and the second terminal portion 49b. May be provided on one side of an additional base (not shown), and one side of the additional base and the second side 32b of the base 32 may be bonded with a transparent adhesive.

Method of Manufacturing Touch Panel Device Next, a method of manufacturing the touch panel device 20 configured as described above will be described.

  First, the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is prepared. The touch panel sensor substrate 30 can be manufactured by a known manufacturing method.

  Next, a pair of cover substrates 12 a and 12 b are bonded to both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 with a transparent adhesive. As a transparent adhesive, for example, OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive) or OCR (Optically Clear Resin) can be used.

  At this time, air bubbles may enter the transparent adhesive, so it is preferable to remove the air bubbles by heating using an autoclave device before the transparent adhesive is cured. When heating, the base 32 of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is preferably made of plastic. When the base 32 is made of glass, the base 32 may be broken by heating due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the glass and the plastic constituting the cover substrates 12a and 12b.

  And the above-mentioned touch panel device 20 can be obtained by hardening a transparent adhesive.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is provided with the pair of cover substrates 12 a and 12 b provided on both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 and sandwiching the touch panel sensor substrate 30. Thus, the thickness Ta of the cover substrate on the viewer side can be reduced while maintaining the overall thickness of the cover substrates 12a and 12b, that is, the thickness Ta + the thickness Tb. Therefore, since the distance between the outer conductor and the touch panel sensor substrate 30 can be shortened, the capacitance between the outer conductor and the touch panel sensor substrate 30 can be increased. Therefore, after using the cover substrates 12a and 12b made of plastic, it is possible to improve the detection sensitivity while suppressing the decrease in rigidity.

  In addition, since a decrease in the rigidity of the touch panel device 20 can be suppressed, bending can be made difficult when an external conductor such as a finger comes in contact, and malfunction of the touch panel device 20 can be suppressed. By appropriately setting the thickness of the entire cover substrate 12a, 12b, it is difficult to bend with a weak force due to the contact of the outer conductor, and the flexibility of the cover substrate 12a, 12b is used to make the touch panel device 20 a flexible device or a curved surface. It can also be configured as a device.

  Further, weight reduction and cost reduction can be achieved as compared with the case where the cover substrates 12a and 12b are made of tempered glass.

  In addition, even if the cover substrates 12a and 12b are broken, fragments are less likely to scatter than when the cover substrates 12a and 12b are formed of tempered glass.

  Furthermore, in the touch panel device 20, since the metal parts such as the first and second detection patterns 41 and 46 are sealed by the cover substrates 12a and 12b, the possibility that they are exposed to air or moisture can be reduced. . Thereby, since the oxidation etc. of the 1st and 2nd detection patterns 41 and 46 etc. can be controlled, the reliability of touch panel device 20 can be improved. In addition, it is not necessary to provide the touch panel sensor substrate 30 with a protective film that covers the first and second detection patterns 41 and 46 and the like.

The thickness Ta and the thickness Tb may be different. When the thickness Ta of the cover substrate 12a on the observer side is smaller than the thickness Tb of the cover substrate 12b on the display device side, the capacitance between the outer conductor and the touch panel sensor substrate 30 can be further increased. Can be improved.
Moreover, as long as the above-mentioned function is obtained, thickness Ta and thickness Tb may not be uniform.

Second Embodiment
The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is embedded in the cover substrate 12A.

Display Device with Touch Position Detection Function and Touch Panel Device FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the display device 10A with touch position detection function in the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the display device with a touch position detection function 10A in a direction parallel to the first direction D1 of FIG. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the same components as in FIGS. 1 and 2 are assigned the same reference numerals, and in the following, differences will be mainly described.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the display device 10A with a touch position detection function, the configuration of the touch panel device 20A is different from that of the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the touch panel device 20A includes a touch panel sensor substrate 30 and a cover substrate 12A in which the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is embedded. The cover substrate 12A is made of plastic as in the first embodiment.

  The length of the touch panel device 20A in the first direction D1, that is, the length L20 of the cover substrate 12A in the first direction D1 is longer than the length L30 of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 in the first direction D1. Although the illustration is omitted, the length of the touch panel device 20A in the second direction D2, that is, the length of the cover substrate 12A in the second direction D2 is longer than the length of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 in the second direction D2.

  In FIG. 6, the thickness of the cover substrate 12A positioned on the viewer side of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is indicated by symbol Ta, and the thickness of the cover substrate 12A positioned on the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is symbol Tb. It is shown. Here, the thickness Ta and the thickness Tb are uniform.

  Similar to the first embodiment, the thicknesses Ta and Tb are appropriately set according to the detection sensitivity required for the touch panel device 20A, the strength required for the cover substrate 12A, etc. It is 5 mm. That is, in the illustrated example, the thickness Ta and the thickness Tb are approximately equal. Thickness Ta and thickness Tb may be different, for example, thickness Ta may be thinner than thickness Tb.

  Further, unlike the first embodiment, in addition to the surface 30a on the viewer side of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 and the surface 30b on the display device 15 side, both end surfaces 30c and 30d located in the first direction D1 of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 are also It is covered by a cover substrate 12A. Although illustration is omitted, both end surfaces of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 located in the second direction D2 are also covered with the cover substrate 12A.

Method of Manufacturing Touch Panel Device Next, a method of manufacturing the touch panel device 20A configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view for explaining the method of manufacturing the touch panel device 20A of FIG. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view following FIG. 7A for explaining the method for manufacturing touch panel device 20A. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG.

  Here, an example of forming the protective cover 12A by injection molding will be described.

First, as in the first embodiment, the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is prepared.
Next, as shown in FIG. 7A, the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is placed in the mold 60. For example, the mold 60 includes an upper mold 60a and a lower mold 60b. For example, four columnar support members 61 are provided on the lower mold 60 b at positions where the touch panel sensor substrate 30 can be properly supported.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, a space 62 is formed in the mold 60 by combining the upper mold 60a and the lower mold 60b. Thereby, the touch panel sensor substrate 30 supported by the support member 61 is positioned in the space 62.

  Next, an injection resin is injected into the mold 60, that is, the space 62 from the injection holes 63 provided in the upper mold 60 a. Thus, the space 62 is filled with resin. Accordingly, the outer shape of the space 62 is the outer shape of the touch panel device 20A, that is, the outer shape of the protective cover 12A.

  Then, after the resin is cured and the protective cover 12A is formed, the touch panel device 20A can be taken out of the mold 60 to obtain the touch panel device 20A.

  By such a manufacturing method, in the protective cover 12A, a hole is formed at the position of the support member 61. Therefore, it is preferable that the position of the support member 61 be, for example, a position corresponding to the non-active area Ab2. Thereby, there is no possibility that the hole formed in the protective cover 12A affects the display of the image.

  Moreover, in order to perform injection molding, it is preferable that the base material 32 of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 be made of plastic. When the base 32 is made of glass, the base 32 may be broken by the heat of the injection resin due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the glass and the injection resin.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, since the cover substrate 12A embeds the touch panel sensor substrate 30 inside, the end surface of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is covered with the cover substrate 12A. Therefore, the end face of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 can be protected.
In addition, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  On the other hand, in the case of the first embodiment, since the end face of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 is exposed outward, there is a possibility that the end face of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 may be damaged when the touch panel device 20 is transported. . The same applies to a technology in which a cover substrate is provided only on one side of a conventional touch panel sensor substrate. Therefore, in the first embodiment and the prior art, it is necessary to protect the end face of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 or not to damage the end face of the touch panel sensor substrate 30 when transporting the touch panel device 20 or the like. In the second embodiment, such labor can be omitted.

  While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof as well as included in the scope and the gist of the invention.

10, 10A Display Device with Touch Position Detection Function 12a, 12b, 12A Cover Substrate 15 Display Device 20, 20A Touch Panel Device 30 Touch Panel Sensor Substrate 32 Base Material 41 First Detection Pattern (Detection Pattern)
46 Second detection pattern (detection pattern)
60 mold

Claims (9)

A touch panel sensor substrate having a substrate and a detection pattern provided on the substrate;
And a pair of cover substrates provided on both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate and sandwiching the touch panel sensor substrate.
The touch panel device, wherein the cover substrate is made of plastic. A touch panel sensor substrate having a substrate and a detection pattern provided on the substrate;
And a cover substrate in which the touch panel sensor substrate is embedded.
The touch panel device, wherein the cover substrate is made of plastic.   The touch panel device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the cover substrate on an observer side is smaller than a thickness of the cover substrate on a display device side.   The touch panel device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base material is made of plastic.   The touch panel device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover substrate is made of polyethylene terephthalate, acrylic, or polycarbonate. A display device,
A touch panel device disposed on the display surface side of the display device;
The touch panel device is
A touch panel sensor substrate having a substrate and a detection pattern provided on the substrate;
And a pair of cover substrates provided on both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate and sandwiching the touch panel sensor substrate;
The display device with a touch position detection function, wherein the cover substrate is made of plastic. A display device,
A touch panel device disposed on the display surface side of the display device;
The touch panel device is
A touch panel sensor substrate having a substrate and a detection pattern provided on the substrate;
And a cover substrate in which the touch panel sensor substrate is embedded.
The display device with a touch position detection function, wherein the cover substrate is made of plastic. Preparing a touch panel sensor substrate;
Bonding a pair of cover substrates to both sides of the touch panel sensor substrate with a transparent adhesive;
And a method of manufacturing a touch panel device. Preparing a touch panel sensor substrate;
Installing the touch panel sensor substrate in a mold;
Injecting an injection resin into the mold;
And a method of manufacturing a touch panel device.

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