JP5248788B2 - Touch panel, manufacturing method thereof, and electronic device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel provided with a decorative film on an upper surface, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device.

  In the present specification, the opposing transparent conductive film is used as a resistance, and voltage is applied to the electrodes provided on the two sides of the resistance surface so that the opposing transparent conductive film is bent by the pressing force and is divided. A device that obtains the coordinates of the pressing point with an electric potential is expressed as “touch panel body”, and a device with a decorative film attached thereto is expressed as “touch panel”.

  As a kind of computer input device, it is placed on the display screen of a liquid crystal display or EL (electroluminescence) display connected to the computer, and pressed from above with a finger or pen according to the instructions displayed on the transparent display screen An analog resistance film type touch panel that can input the position in the display screen to a computer has become widespread.

  In addition, narrow frame touch panels with a wide input area and display area are also used in electronic devices such as mobile phones, small and light portable game machines, and personal digital assistants (PDAs).

  Touch panels used as input devices for electronic devices such as electronic toys and mobile phone terminals have traditionally been frame-fixed types that fix the periphery with a frame, but in this case the input surface is more than the frame. Since it becomes indented, a flat type that is fixed without using a frame is adopted as the apparatus becomes thinner.

  Since the flat type has functional limitations and manufacturing limitations, these improvements have been demanded. Moreover, it has been required for the touch panel to narrow the frame portion constituting the electrode so that the input area is as large as possible.

As a prior art regarding a touch panel, there is a “film laminating method and a film laminate and a touch panel created by the method” disclosed in Patent Document 1.
JP 2004-170804 A

A decorative film for protecting the electrodes is attached to the upper surface of the touch panel body, but it has been difficult to prevent bubbles from entering during the bonding. More specifically, transparent adhesion to the input surface of the touch panel due to the air layer between two functional films with a transparent conductive film or between a glass with a transparent conductive film and a film with a transparent conductive film When the agent is applied, the center is depressed, and as a result, bubbles that cause a hindrance to transparency enter between the adhesive and the film, so that the decorative film cannot be applied to the upper surface. Therefore, conventionally, the decorative film is first bonded to the upper surface of the touch panel body and then cut into a desired size to obtain a touch panel structure.
For this reason, when cut | disconnecting the outer periphery of a touchscreen, the decorative film must also be cut | disconnected simultaneously, and it became the structure where the cross section of a decorative film corresponds with a touchscreen main body.

  However, in the flat type, since the end face of the touch panel is in contact with the outside of the apparatus, countermeasures against static electricity and waterproofing are required so that static electricity and water do not enter from the end face. For this reason, the end surface of the touch panel is required to be resistant to static electricity and waterproof, but it is actually difficult to obtain such an adhesive layer. Therefore, when the touch panel having the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 is applied to the apparatus as a flat type, there is a possibility that sufficient resistance to static electricity and waterproofness at the peripheral portion of the touch panel cannot be obtained.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the problem which concerns, and it aims at providing the touch panel excellent in the tolerance electrical property and waterproofness in a peripheral part, its manufacturing method, and an electronic device.

To achieve the above Symbol object, a first aspect of the present invention, obtained bulge touch panel body top surface needed for adhesion to put large decorative film than the touch panel body and the touch panel body in a closed box and the rigidity of the bulge The step of depressurizing the atmosphere of the touch panel body, the step of applying a transparent adhesive to the decorative film, the step of applying the decorative film to the touch panel body expanded under reduced pressure, and the makeup applied together a step of returning the film and the atmosphere of the touch panel body to atmospheric pressure, there is provided a touch panel, characterized in that said transparent adhesive is manufactured by a step of curing.

Invention of Claim 2 is the electronic device using the touchscreen of Claim 1, Comprising:
The present invention provides an electronic apparatus characterized in that the decorative film that protrudes around the touch panel body is fixed to a casing .

The invention according to claim 3 is a method for manufacturing a touch panel, wherein a touch panel body and a decorative film larger than the touch panel body are placed in a sealed box to obtain a bulge on the top surface of the touch panel body necessary for bonding and the firmness of the bulge. The step of depressurizing the atmosphere of the touch panel body, the step of applying a transparent adhesive to the decorative film, the step of applying the decorative film to the touch panel body expanded under reduced pressure, and the makeup applied together The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a touch panel, comprising: a step of returning the atmosphere of the film and the touch panel body to atmospheric pressure; and a step of curing the transparent adhesive.
The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 3, the transparent adhesive is subjected to defoaming treatment in advance.
The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 3 or 4, wherein when the decorative film is attached to the touch panel body, the decorative film is attached to the touch panel body while being supported by a plate-like member. And after hardening the said transparent adhesive agent, the said plate-shaped member is spaced apart from the said decorative film, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the touch panel excellent in the tolerance electrical property and waterproofness in a peripheral part, its manufacturing method, and an electronic device can be provided.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In FIG. 1, the cross section of the decorative film 11 and the touch panel main body before bonding is shown. In FIG. 2, the cross section of the decorative film 11 after apply | coating the touchscreen main body and the transparent adhesive 1 under pressure reduction is shown. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the decorative film 11 is pressed against the touch panel body via the flat plate 9. FIG. 4 shows a state in which a touch panel is mounted on the casing 51 in which the LCD 41 is installed.
As shown in FIG. 1, the touch panel body includes a film 13, a transparent conductive film 14, a transparent conductive film substrate and a transparent plastic plate 21, a transparent conductive film 24, an electrode pin 31, an electrode pin 32, a pin portion insulating resin 33, and a touch panel. An electrode lead FPC 34 and an insulating paste 35 are provided. The touch panel body uses two transparent conductive films 14 and 24 facing each other as a resistance, and a voltage is applied to electrodes (not shown) provided on both sides of both ends of the resistance surface so that the opposing transparent conductive films 14 and 24 are bent by the pressing pressure. The coordinates of the pressing point are obtained with the potential divided at the point of contact. The transparent conductive film 14 is formed by forming a transparent conductive film 14 made of indium tin oxide or the like on a film 13 such as polyethylene terephthalate on the input side. It consists of a transparent plastic assembly plate 21.

  The touch panel electrode lead-out FPC 34 for connecting the touch panel has wiring for connecting the potential divided by the electrode pins 31 and 32 to the outside. The electrode pins 31 and 32 are arranged so as not to protrude to the operation surface side of the decorative film 11 and are insulated by a pin portion insulating resin 33.

  The air layer 2 between the transparent conductive films 14 and 24 constituting the touch panel body is shielded from outside air. The air layer 2 sandwiched between the transparent conductive films 14 and 24 is formed by bonding the film 13 and the plastic assembly plate 21 under atmospheric pressure.

  The touch panel manufacturing process will be described. FIG. 5 shows the flow of the touch panel manufacturing process.

  The transparent adhesive 1 is subjected to a “defoaming process” for removing the contained air by placing it under reduced pressure.

  The decorative film 11 and the touch panel body are put in a sealed box and the surroundings are decompressed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the atmospheric pressure is adjusted so as to obtain the bulge of the upper surface of the touch panel body necessary for adhesion and the firmness of the bulge (step S1). At this time, it is necessary to set the pressure so that the film 13 does not cause plastic deformation, but if it is a touch panel body used for a general electronic device, if it is adjusted in the range of 0.5 to 0.9 atm, The swelling of the upper surface of the touch panel body necessary for bonding and the firmness of the swelling can be obtained.

  The transparent adhesive 1 is applied to the decorative film 11 (Step S2), and is pasted on the upper surface of the touch panel body (Step S3). In order to ensure the bonding, as shown in FIG. 3, the decorative film 11 is pressed against the touch panel body through the flat plate 9. Thereafter, the pressure reduction is released to return to atmospheric pressure, and then the pressing by the flat plate 9 is released (step S4). Thereafter, the decorative film 11 is fixed on the touch panel body by curing the transparent adhesive 1 (step S5).

  When the touch panel is mounted on an electronic device, the decorative film 11 that protrudes around the touch panel body is attached to the casing 51, so that the touch panel is placed at a predetermined position on the LCD 41 of the casing 51 as shown in FIG. Fix it. Double-sided tape can be used for fixing to the housing 51.

  Thereby, the clearance gap between the peripheral part of a touch-panel main body and the housing | casing 51 will be block | closed by the decorative film 11, and static electricity and water will not penetrate | invade here. Therefore, it is possible to realize a flat-type touch panel excellent in electrostatic resistance and water resistance at the peripheral portion.

  Further, conventionally, the effective input area has been reduced because the bonding width of the touch panel main body (gluing margin of the insulating paste 35) has to be widened as a countermeasure against static electricity or waterproofing. Since the touch panel includes a decorative film 11 that is larger than the touch panel body, the decorative film 11 can ensure electrostatic resistance and water resistance at the periphery of the touch panel body. Can be secured widely.

  Furthermore, since the shape of the decorative film 11 is not limited by the shape of the touch panel body, the degree of freedom in design can be improved. In addition, by making only the decorative film 11 different, touch panels with different appearances can be configured.

In addition, the said embodiment is an example of suitable implementation of this invention, and this invention is not limited to this.
In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the touch panel body is supported by the transparent plastic plate 21 is taken as an example, but a glass plate may be used instead of the plastic plate 21.
As described above, the present invention can be variously modified.

It is a figure which shows the touchscreen main body and decorative film which are used for the touchscreen which concerns on suitable embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which expanded the upper surface of the touchscreen main body by pressure reduction. It is a figure which shows the state affixed on the touchscreen main body. It is a figure which shows the state which mounted the touchscreen in the electronic device by the flat type. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing process of a touchscreen.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transparent adhesive 2 Air layer 9 Flat plate 11 Decorative film 12 Decorative film printing 13 Film 14, 24 Transparent conductive film 21 Transparent conductive film substrate and transparent plastic plate 31, 32 Electrode pin 33 Pin part insulating resin 34 Touch panel electrode lead-out FPC
35 Insulation glue 41 LCD
51 housing

Claims (5)

A step of depressurizing the atmosphere in the touch panel body so as to obtain a firmness of bulge said the deformation of bulging of the touch panel body top surface needed for adhesion to put large decorative film than the touch panel body and the touch panel body enclosure, Applying a transparent adhesive to the decorative film, attaching the decorative film to the touch panel body expanded under reduced pressure, returning the atmosphere of the bonded decorative film and the touch panel body to atmospheric pressure; A touch panel manufactured by the step of curing the transparent adhesive. An electronic device using the touch panel according to claim 1,
An electronic apparatus, wherein the decorative film that protrudes around the touch panel body is fixed to a casing. A touch panel manufacturing method,
A step of depressurizing the atmosphere in the touch panel body so as to obtain a firmness of bulge said the deformation of bulging of the touch panel body top surface needed for adhesion to put large decorative film than the touch panel body and the touch panel body enclosure,
Applying a transparent adhesive to the decorative film;
Attaching the decorative film to the touch panel body expanded under reduced pressure;
A step of returning the atmosphere of the decorative film and the touch panel body to the atmospheric pressure,
And a step of curing the transparent adhesive.   The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 3, wherein the transparent adhesive is subjected to defoaming treatment in advance.   When affixing the decorative film to the touch panel body, the decorative film is affixed and pressed to the touch panel body while the decorative film is supported by the plate-shaped member, and the transparent adhesive is cured, and then the decorative member is 5. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 3, wherein the touch panel is separated from the film.

Images