JP6188882B1 - Manufacturing method of glass substrate for touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a touch panel transparent substrate capable of searching for a specific touch area while preventing erroneous operation without relying on vision in a touch panel in which a plurality of icons are arranged on a display screen. A transparent substrate according to the present invention is a glass substrate 100 for a touch panel arranged in a display area of a display device and configured to accept a touch operation from a user, and an icon displayed on the display device. The operation recess 16 is provided at a position corresponding to the arrangement position of. The operation recess 16 has at least a touch part 18 and an operation part 20. Furthermore, the operation recess 16 corresponding to the main icon is configured to have a convex and concave identification portion at the bottom of the touch portion 18. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a manufacturing method applicable glass substrates on the touch panel to accept the touch operation from a user, a method of manufacturing a glass substrate for the touch panel capable of touching the operating portion without particular user to visually recognize.

  In recent years, a touch panel has been adopted in a wide range of fields as an interface when a user operates a device because of an advantage that an intuitive operation is possible. The touch panel transparent substrate is disposed on the side where the touch panel is exposed to the user, and is configured to accept a touch operation performed while the user visually recognizes an icon or the like displayed on the display device. Due to the improvement of the design due to the flatness of the transparent substrate and high transparency, the movement to replace with a touch panel has spread to devices that conventionally used physical buttons and keyboards. For example, some operation panels for controlling air-conditioning equipment, audio, etc. mounted on automobiles and the like and operation panels equipped with home appliances are operated by a touch panel.

  However, the touch panel detects the position where a change in pressure or capacitance occurs when an icon or the like displayed on the display device is touched, and accepts the operation, so the transparent substrate is often flat. . Therefore, when a visually handicapped person operates, or when operating in a situation where the touch operation area cannot be accurately visually recognized, the area to be touched cannot be found, and the operation takes time, or the touch operation cannot be performed suitably. Sometimes happened.

  Thus, there is a technology in the related art that allows a touched area to be recognized by forming a recess in a glass substrate on the surface of the touch panel (for example, Patent Document 1). By forming such a recess, the user can easily recognize the area to be touched by the touch of a finger, so that it is possible to perform an accurate touch operation without looking at the screen.

2013-120589 gazette

  In the touch panel substrate as described above, a desired touch position can be found by sliding a finger along a groove formed on the substrate. However, it is suitable for gradual adjustment of volume and light quantity because it has only a groove part with a certain depth, but there are multiple small operation icons on the screen. Therefore, it is difficult to specify a desired icon from among them. For this reason, when an operation of touching a specific icon among a plurality of icons in the icon arrangement area is necessary, there is a disadvantage that it is necessary to visually check the screen every time the touch operation is performed.

An object of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a glass substrate for a touch panel capable of searching for a specific touch area while preventing erroneous operation without relying on vision in a touch panel in which a plurality of icons are arranged on a display screen. Is to provide.

A glass substrate according to the present invention is a transparent substrate for a touch panel that is arranged in a display area of a display device and configured to accept a touch operation from a user, and is placed at an arrangement position of an icon displayed on the display device. At least one operation concave portion provided at a corresponding position is provided. Operation recess has a convex identifying portion provided on the bottom. The glass substrate includes a step of covering the transparent substrate with a protective film so as to expose the portion of the concave portion for operation while protecting the portion of the convex identification portion, and the step of etching the transparent substrate covered with the protective film; And a step of peeling and further etching the protective film at the location of the convex identification portion, and manufacturing by a method for manufacturing a glass substrate for a touch panel.

  Since the operation concave portion is provided at a position corresponding to the icon arrangement position, the user can easily operate the touch by touching the operation concave portion. The identification unit has a convex shape or a concave shape so that it can be sensed when the user touches the operation concave portion. By having the identification portion in the operation recess, it is possible to identify even if the user cannot visually recognize the icon. Examples of the identification unit include a configuration that identifies the corresponding numeric keypad by the number of irregularities, a configuration that imitates braille or symbol marks, a configuration that imitates characters, etc., but is not limited thereto. is not.

Further, the glass substrate is a glass substrate having a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm, it is preferable that the identification unit has an uneven height or depth of from 20% to 50% of the thickness. By providing unevenness with a size in this range, the user can sufficiently sense the touch, and can comfortably touch the operation recess without being caught by a finger when touching.

If the glass substrate for touch panels of this invention is used, it will become possible to look for a specific touch area | region, preventing a misoperation without relying on vision, in the touch panel by which the several icon is arrange | positioned on a display screen.

It is a figure which shows the operation panel which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the glass substrate arrange | positioned at the user side of the operation panel. It is a figure which shows the formation method of the recessed part for operation, and a convex-shaped identification part. It is a figure which shows the formation method of the recessed part for operation, and a recessed identification part.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a glass substrate for a touch panel according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a touch panel 10 made of glass. The user is configured to perform a desired operation by touching the touch panel 10. The touch panel 10 has an information display area 12 and an operation icon display area 14. The information display area 12 is configured to display an operation screen or the like. A plurality of operation icons 142 are displayed in the operation icon display area 14 of the operation panel 10. The user operates the device by touching an icon displayed on the operation panel.

A glass substrate 100 is disposed on the surface of the operation panel 10 exposed to the user side. FIG. 2 is a view showing the glass substrate 100. As the glass substrate, tempered glass, soda glass or alkali-free glass is preferably used, and tempered glass is particularly preferably used. As the tempered glass, chemically tempered glass or heat tempered glass can be used. Although the thickness of the glass substrate 100 is not specifically limited, From the viewpoint of strength, a thickness of about 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm is preferable .

  FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a main surface of the glass substrate 100 on the user side. A plurality of operation recesses 16 are formed in the main surface of the glass substrate 100. The operation recess 16 is formed at a position corresponding to the operation icon 142 displayed on the operation panel 10. The operation recess 16 includes a touch part 18 and an operation part 20. In addition, the identification unit 22 is provided at the bottom of the touch unit 18 of the operation recess 16 corresponding to the operation icon 142 serving as a key.

  The touch unit 18 is formed with a recess so as to follow the shape of the displayed operation icon 142, so that the user can recognize the arrangement area of the operation icon 142 without looking at the operation panel 10, and the user's finger Is configured to fit. In this operation panel 10, the touch unit 18 is formed on the assumption that the user operates with a finger. However, when operating using an operation assisting tool such as a stylus pen, the size of the operation assisting tool is large. In consideration of this, the recess may be formed.

  The operation unit 20 is a linear recess formed so as to be continuous with the touch unit 18 and extend outside the touch unit 18. The length of the operation unit 20 may be a width that allows the user to recognize the presence of the operation unit 20 while tracing the outline of the touch unit 18 with a finger. In addition, the extending direction of the operation unit 20 can be appropriately changed in consideration of the formation position of the recess, the design of the touch panel, and the like. The depth of the operation unit 20 is preferably the same as the depth of the touch unit 18. Furthermore, the depth of the touch part 18 and the operation part 20 is preferably half or less of the thickness of the glass substrate 100. By making the depth less than half of the thickness of the glass substrate 100, it is possible to prevent the strength of the glass substrate 100 from being lowered.

  The identification unit 22 has a convex shape or a concave shape and is provided at the bottom of the touch unit 18. The identification unit 22 has irregularities that can be sensed when the user touches the bottom of the touch unit 18. By having this identification part 22, it becomes possible to recognize and operate which operation icon 142 it is without visually observing. Further, in the case of the operation icon 142 having a plurality of recesses such as a numeric keypad, the operation recess 16 having the identification unit 22 at the center can be arranged so that the icons placed in the vicinity can be touched without observing. become. The height (or depth) of the unevenness of the identification unit 22 is preferably designed to be about 40 to 100% of the depth of the touch unit 18 and the operation unit 20. By designing in this way, it can be sufficiently sensed when the user touches the identification unit 22, and the operation recess 16 can be touched comfortably without being caught by a finger.

  The operation recess 16 configured as described above can input desired numerical values and symbols and perform operations by swiping the operation unit 20 after touching the touch unit 18. Further, even in a situation where it cannot be visually observed, the position of the operation icon can be accurately grasped by the identification unit 22. In the situation where it cannot be visually observed, the identification unit 22 is searched for by hand, but it is not recognized unless swiped from the touch unit 18 to the operation unit 20, so there is no fear of erroneous operation when searching for the operation icon 142.

  Moreover, you may make it the identification part 22 arrange | position as braille to the main icon of a touchscreen. For example, it can be used in a universal design by being placed on an icon for opening and closing an elevator door, a power supply icon for home appliances, or the like. In addition, it is possible to easily adjust the volume and the enlargement / reduction of the map by forming the identification unit 22 on the slider formed by the concave portion. The identification part 22 may use what roughened the bottom part of the touch part 18, and when forming a rough surface in a slider, you may process so that it may gradation.

  From here, one Embodiment of the formation method of the recessed part 16 for operation which has the identification part 22 in the glass substrate 100 is described using FIG. 3 (A)-(E). FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a preparation stage for forming a recess in the glass substrate 100 before processing. A protective film 30 is pasted on the main surface of the glass substrate 100, and patterning is performed in a region corresponding to the display icon. At this time, patterning is performed so that the protective film 32 in the region corresponding to the identification unit 22 remains.

  Etching is performed by bringing hydrofluoric acid into contact with the glass substrate 100 subjected to patterning as shown in FIG. By etching in this way, it becomes possible to form a groove at a location where the glass not covered with the protective films 30 and 32 is exposed as shown in FIG. At this time, the convex portions that are protected by the protective film 32 and remain without being etched are formed as the identification portions 22. The height of the identification portion 22 can be adjusted according to the etching amount of the etching process shown in FIGS. 3 (A) to 3 (B).

  FIG. 3C shows a state in which the protective film 32 is peeled after the identification portion 22 is formed. The protective film may be peeled off by a physical force or by a peeling solution. Further, instead of the protective film 32, it is possible to use a resist that is cured by ultraviolet rays. In the case of using a resist, the resist can be removed without controlling the resist during the etching process by controlling the irradiation time of ultraviolet rays.

  FIG. 3D is a diagram illustrating a state in which hydrofluoric acid is brought into contact with the operation concave portion 16 and the identification portion 22 illustrated in FIG. Here, by controlling the etching amount, it is possible to form the operation recess 16 in a shape that fits the user's finger. By processing the glass substrate 100 in this manner, it is possible to form a convex identification portion 22 in the operation concave portion 16 as shown in FIG.

  Moreover, you may form the identification part 22 so that it may become concave shape as shown to FIG. 4 (A) and FIG. 4 (B). When forming the concave identification part 22, as shown to FIG. 4 (A), it is good to form the concave part 16 for operation after forming the concave identification part 22 in the glass substrate 100 first.

  In this embodiment, it is configured to perform etching by bringing a glass substrate and hydrofluoric acid into contact with each other, but there are a spray method and a dip method as an etching method, but if fine irregularities are formed, a spray method is used. Is preferably adopted. Etching hydrofluoric acid by spraying enables efficient supply of hydrofluoric acid to the glass irregularities. Moreover, since the wall surface of a recessed part can be gently formed by spraying at an angle, when a user touches, it becomes possible to use without a sense of incongruity.

  The identification unit 22 may form numbers and symbols. When the identification part 22 is made into a number or a symbol, it can be easily formed by making the patterning before forming the identification part 22 into a shape of a number or a symbol. Further, the identification unit 22 may be a rough surface processed by blasting or the like. If the concave portion is formed by etching after the region to be the concave portion for operation 16 is blasted, it is possible to form a rough surface with a good touch feeling in the concave portion for operation 16.

  The glass substrate 100 for touch panels can be manufactured by processing as mentioned above. When the glass substrate 100 is mass-produced, it is preferable that the glass substrate 100 is divided from a large glass substrate by a cutting means such as laser, scribe, and etching to obtain a plurality of glass substrates 100.

  The above description of the embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10- Operation panel 12- Display area 14- Operation icon display area 142- Operation icon 16- Operation recessed part 18- Touch part 20- Operation part 22- Identification part 30, 32-Protective film 100- Glass substrate

Claims (1)

A glass substrate for a touch panel that is arranged in a region of a display device and configured to accept a touch operation from a user, and is provided at a position corresponding to a touch operation region where the user performs some touch operation In a method of manufacturing a glass substrate for a touch panel , comprising at least one operation recess, wherein the operation recess has a convex identification portion provided on a bottom .
Covering the glass substrate with a protective film so as to expose the location of the concave portion for operation while protecting the location of the convex identification portion;
Etching the glass substrate coated with a protective film;
Peeling the protective film at the location of the convex identification part and further etching,
Of manufacturing a glass substrate for a touch panel, comprising:

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