JP3347009B2 - Method for fixing touch panel of portable electronic device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a portable electronic device, and more particularly to a method for fixing a touch panel and an LCD (liquid crystal display).

A touch panel, whether portable or installed, is installed so as to cover the screen of an information display device such as a cathode ray tube or an LCD of an electronic device, and performs input to the device by touching it with a finger or a pen. It is a transparent glass-like electronic device. Therefore, the touch panel and the LCD are parallel to each other and are mounted inside the electronic device at a certain distance, and further, it is necessary to provide an opening in the housing of the device in order to expose the operation part of the touch panel.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Considering the usage conditions of portable electronic equipment, it is considered that the operation of the equipment without any trouble even in outdoor use, especially in rainy weather, is an important factor. Since the operation around the touch panel and the LCD requires the provision of a large opening in the housing of the device, it is necessary to first consider this opening to prevent rainwater or the like from entering the device. In addition, not only rainwater and the like but also dust and dirt can enter the same situation.

A method of mounting a touch panel and an LCD, which satisfies these conditions while further improving the small size, light weight, vibration resistance and drop resistance, is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-199160, which is considered to be a very excellent method. . Without adopting this method, the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof properties of the equipment can be changed with touch panel and LC.
Considering the periphery of D, the following two methods can be considered as conventional techniques. (FIGS. 5A and 5B). The touch panel and the LCD are fixed with a double-sided tape while being kept at a fixed interval, packing such as rubber or sponge is provided around the opening of the housing, and the touch panel is pressed together with the LCD from the inside of the device and fixed with screws or the like.

[0005] By attaching the touch panel itself to the inside of the housing opening of the device with double-sided tape, the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof of the device is made possible, and the LCD is fixed while maintaining a certain distance independently from the further inside. .

FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing a conventional technique in which an opening around a touch panel is provided with waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof properties. FIG. 5A shows the conventional technique, and FIG. Respectively.

FIG. 5A shows a force for crushing the packing 11 transmitted to the packing 11 via the LCD frame 12, the LCD 13, the spacer 14, and the touch panel 15. As described above, it is necessary to transmit a uniform force over the entire circumference of the packing 11 in order to realize waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof of the device. LC
It is important that the D frame 12 is held uniformly over the entire circumference. Therefore, in the case where the LCD 13 is a TAB system as shown in FIG. 3 described later, the TAB is directly pressed, which causes a trouble such that the device is not displayed due to the disconnection of the TAB or the like. Even if the shape of the LCD frame 12 is devised so as to hold the LCD 13 avoiding the TAB portion, the reliability of the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof of the device is impaired.

FIG. 5B shows a touch panel 16 fixed with a double-sided tape 17. In this case, the pressing force at the time of inputting the touch panel from the front side of the device also
Most of the holding force of 6 depends on the adhesive strength of the double-sided tape 17. Therefore, it is necessary to select a strong adhesive force for the double-sided tape 17. As a result, when the touch panel is damaged due to an operator accidentally dropping the device, it becomes very difficult to replace the touch panel.

[0009] In addition, as described in JP-A-7-19916
The design point for improving the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof reliability of the device common to the mounting method of Japanese Patent Publication No. 0 and the prior art is how to apply a uniform and sufficient force to the touch panel and to the opening of the housing. To crush the packing provided in This means that if there is a part that cannot hold the reaction force that crushes the packing, it will not only allow foreign matter such as water / dust to enter the equipment from there, but also the touch panel will be used by being pressed with a finger or pen. This is because if the touching force sinks the touch panel inside the housing, the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof property of the device becomes low in reliability.

[0010]

A first problem is that a TAB (Tape Au) is used in a display device of a portable electronic device.
In order to apply an LCD equipped with "tomed Bonding", the specifications of the device are limited in the related art. TAB connects electrical signals between the liquid crystal surface of the LCD and the control board, and has the disadvantage of being very weak against external forces, but is less expensive than one that uses a heat seal instead of TAB. is there.

[0011] The reason is that, when the LCD (FIG. 3) in which the TAB is mounted on the back side of the LCD display surface is considered to be mounted by the above-mentioned conventional technique, the LCD of the prior art is uniform over the entire circumference from the back side. It is necessary to hold down with sufficient force to make the equipment waterproof / drip-proof / dustproof.
This is not possible given that B is very vulnerable to external forces. In addition, in the method of the prior art, the stronger the adhesive force of the double-sided tape to which the touch panel is attached, the more difficult it is to separate the touch panel from the housing during disassembly and maintenance of the device. If it is damaged, replacing the touch panel is a very time-consuming operation.

The second problem is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-199160.
In the mounting method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11-157, the method is limited to a heat seal type LCD, and an inexpensive TAB type LCD cannot be used.

The reason is that in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-199160, waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof properties are realized by covering the entire periphery including the side surfaces of the LCD with rubber and the like. Even improving the reliability of the equipment. But,
A TA as shown in FIG.
In LCDs with B, rubber is mounted near or in contact with TAB, which is impossible considering that TAB is extremely weak against external force. Since the force is transmitted to the TAB, it is possible to anticipate the occurrence of an obstacle such as a screen not being displayed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device by using a TAB type LCD instead of a costly heat-sealing type LCD to provide a low-priced product while avoiding a costly heat-sealing type LCD. Provide a method for fixing a touch panel and an LCD of a portable electronic device that maintains the reliability of waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof properties and maintains maintainability so that a touch panel can be easily replaced when disassembling and maintaining the device. Is to do.

[0015]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for fixing a touch panel of a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of:
(Tape Automated Bonding) type LCDs are mounted inside the housing in parallel with each other at a fixed distance, and the periphery of the touch panel is housed in a first frame made of an insulating material such as rubber. The second frame having high rigidity is made of a material, the second frame is fixed to a housing, and the packing provided around the opening of the touch panel of the housing is sandwiched between the housing and the touch panel. It is characterized by.

[0016]

In the present invention, the first and second frames are adapted to waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof the opening around the touch panel.
AB (Tape Automated Bondin)
g) LCD.

That is, in the present invention, the touch panel is covered with a first frame made of an insulating material such as rubber, and is further housed in a second frame made of metal or a special material in order to further increase rigidity. By incorporating it, it has a structure to transmit the force of crushing packing such as rubber or sponge for waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof around the opening of the housing by the touch panel without using the LCD.

As a result, the LCD can be freely selected irrespective of the TAB system / heat sealing system. Thus, the most expensive component of portable electronic equipment, LC
A relatively inexpensive TAB because D can be selected freely
LCDs can be adopted, so that significant cost reduction can be realized and inexpensive products can be provided. In addition, since the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof reliability of the device is maintained, and the device is easily disassembled and maintained, it is beneficial for both the user of the device and maintenance personnel.

[0020]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a)
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view at the time of assembling of FIG. In FIG. 1A, the sheet metal frame 4 accommodates the rubber frame 3 and the rubber frame 3 accommodates the touch panel 2, respectively, and has a size without rattling.

FIG. 2 (b) shows a state where the sheet metal frame 4 containing the touch panel 2 and the rubber frame 3 of FIG. 1 (a) is assembled to the housing (table) 1 with screws 5, and further the housing (bottom) 6 is assembled. It is in a state where it is. In this figure, the operator of the device applies a pressing force in the direction of the arrow when inputting from the touch panel 2. However, since the touch panel 2 is held by the sheet metal frame 4, it does not sink into the housing due to the pressing force.

FIG. 2 shows the touch panel 2 and the LC inside the device.
It shows the state of attachment of D7, in which the LCD 7 and the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof packing 8 are added in order to approach an actual device. FIG.
(B) is a front view in the direction of the arrow.

The touch panel 2 is housed in a rubber frame 3 and a sheet metal frame 4 as in the case of FIG. When assembling this assembly into the housing (table) 1, the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof packing 8
Is sandwiched between the housing (table) 1 and the touch panel 2 to have a dimensional relationship of crushing. Further, the LCD 7 is arranged on the back side of the touch panel 2, covered with the LCD frame 9, and fixed with the screw 5. When the LCD 7 is of the TAB type as shown in the figure, it is not possible to hold the LCD 7 by pressing the TAB section 10, so that the LCD frame 9 is made to avoid the TAB section 10 as shown in FIG. In this case, the outer periphery of the LCD 7 is not uniformly pressed.

However, as in the case of FIG. 1B, the touch panel 2 is held by the sheet metal frame 4 in the pressing force when inputting the touch panel 2 from the front side of the device, and the touch panel 2 is placed inside the housing. There is no sinking, and the amount of crushing of the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof packing 8 does not change, so that the reliability of the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof of the device is not reduced, and the LCD 7 is a TAB method. Can be implemented.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the back side of the TAB type LCD. According to this figure, two of the four sides on the back side are TA
The state covered by B10 can be confirmed.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an exploded perspective view of a main part, and (b) is a perspective view at the time of assembling (a). (A) In the figure, the sheet metal frame 4 houses the rubber frame 3 and the rubber frame 3 houses the touch panel 2 respectively.
The dimensions have no backlash. As for the material of each element, the sheet metal frame 4 is made of aluminum, which is lightweight and inexpensive, and the rubber frame 3 is made of NB.
An inexpensive general material having an R (nitrile rubber) hardness of about 60 is sufficient. Regarding the dimensional relationship, the clearance of each element may be set to zero in consideration of the contractility of the rubber frame 3, or the rubber frame 3 and the touch panel 2 may not be brought into contact over the outer periphery of the touch panel 2 as shown in the drawing. If only a part is used, the contractility of the rubber frame 3 can be further exhibited.

FIG. 2B shows a state in which the sheet metal frame 4 accommodating the touch panel 2 and the rubber frame 3 shown in FIG. It is in a state where it is. In this figure, the operator of the device applies a pressing force in the direction of the arrow when inputting from the touch panel 2.

However, since the touch panel 2 is held by the sheet metal frame 4, it does not sink into the housing due to the pressing force. If the sheet metal frame 4 does not secure sufficient rigidity against the pressing force, the material and shape of the sheet metal frame 4 may be changed to secure the rigidity corresponding to the pressing force. Specific means for increasing the rigidity include changing the thickness of the plate, changing to a highly rigid material such as stainless steel, and adding a bending process. The force input with a finger to the touch panel 2 is 10 kg.
It is sufficient to consider f or less, and there is no problem with these measures.

Next, in order to approach the actual equipment, the LCD 7
The state where the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof packing 8 is added will be described.

FIG. 2 shows the touch panel 2 and the LC inside the device.
It is a figure which shows the attachment state of D7, (a) is sectional drawing, (b) is a front view in the arrow direction.

The touch panel 2 is housed in a rubber frame 3 and a sheet metal frame 4 as in the case of FIG. When assembling this assembly into the housing (table) 1, the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof packing 8
Is sandwiched between the housing (table) 1 and the touch panel 2 to have a dimensional relationship of crushing. Waterproof / Dripproof / Dustproof packing 8
Is a sponge-like packing with a closed-cell structure that does not change its elasticity over time. In addition, the thickness and the amount of crushing are adjusted by the elasticity so that a dimensional relationship for maintaining a high packing effect state is established. Next, LCD
7 is arranged on the back side of the touch panel 2, covered with the LCD frame 9, and fixed with the screw 5. LCD7 is set to T as shown
In the case of the AB system, it is not possible to hold the LCD 7 by holding down the TAB section 10, so that the LCD frame 9 is
The LCD frame 9 is not in a state in which the outer periphery of the LCD 7 is uniformly pressed on the LCD frame 9.

However, as with the case of FIG. 1 (b), the touch panel 2 is held by the sheet metal frame 4 as well as the pressing force when inputting the touch panel 2 from the front side of the device, and the touch panel 2 is placed inside the housing. There is no sinking, and the amount of crushing of the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof packing 8 does not change. Therefore, the reliability of the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof of the device is not reduced, and the LCD 7 is a TAB system. It is possible to implement even if.

In FIG. 2, the touch panel 2 and the LC
The mutual positional relationship of D7 is determined by the screw 5. If more accurate mutual positioning is required, positioning holes and pins that fit into the sheet metal frame 4 and the LCD frame 9 are provided to increase the positioning accuracy. The fixing method is also the sheet metal frame 4 and the LCD frame 9.
If they are not fastened together and fixed with separate screws, separation of the assembly process and enhancement of the holding force of the touch panel 2 can be achieved.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of the back side of the TAB type LCD. According to this figure, two of the four sides on the back side are TA
The state covered by B10 can be confirmed.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment showing the state of attachment of the touch panel 2 and the LCD 7 inside the device similarly to FIG. 2A.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof packing 8, which is provided alone, is wound around the front surface of the touch panel 2 in the second embodiment. Is configured to delete.

[0040]

The first effect is that a TAB type LCD can be applied to a display device of a portable electronic device.
As a result, the cost of the LCD, which is the most expensive device, can be significantly reduced, and an inexpensive product can be provided.

The reason is that a TAB type LCD can be mounted on a device without impairing the usability of the user of the device.

The second effect is that the reliability of waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof of devices around the touch panel can be maintained while applying the TAB type LCD.

The reason for this is that a force provided to compress and crush the packing provided around the opening of the touch panel of the housing can be transmitted without using the LCD.

A third effect is that, even though the TAB type LCD is applied, the touch panel replacement maintenance is not deteriorated.

The reason for this is that the force provided by compressing and crushing the packing provided around the opening of the touch panel of the housing can be transmitted without using an LCD, and thus the waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof of the devices around the touch panel can be transmitted. Therefore, it is not necessary to attach the touch panel directly to the housing with a double-sided tape.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of the present invention and a first embodiment, wherein FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of a main part, and FIG.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a mounting state of a touch panel and an LCD inside the device according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view and FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the back side of a TAB type LCD.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a case where waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof properties are provided at an opening around a touch panel according to the related art, and FIG.
1 is a cross-sectional view of a first conventional technique, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a second conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 housing (front) 2 touch panel 3, 3a rubber frame 4 sheet metal frame 5 screw 6 housing (back) 7 LCD 8 waterproof / drip-proof / dust-proof packing 9 LCD frame 10 TAB 11 packing 12 LCD frame 13 LCD 14 spacer 15 Touch panel 16 Touch panel 17 Double-sided tape

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-250320 (JP, A) JP-A-1-187626 (JP, A) JP-A-7-302167 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 160524 (JP, A) Actually open 1-147438 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A touch panel and a TAB (Tape Au)
(bonded) LCDs are mounted inside the housing at a fixed distance in parallel with each other, and the periphery of the touch panel is housed in a first frame of an insulating material such as rubber.
And, further contained in the second frame of high rigidity made them from metal or special material, said second frame is fixed to the housing, the opening periphery of the touch panel of the housing and the housing between the touch panel A method for fixing a touch panel of a portable electronic device, comprising interposing a packing provided in a portable electronic device.