JP6677416B2 - Case for operation panel and display device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation panel used for a display device having a capacitive touch panel and a display device case.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a protective cover glass that protects a capacitive touch panel and allows the user to operate the capacitive touch panel while wearing gloves has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  The protective cover glass described in Patent Literature 1 is an external protective cover glass that is detachably attached to a capacitive touch panel, and has a first main surface and a second main surface that is a back surface thereof. And a conductive layer provided on the first main surface of the glass plate, and a spacer layer provided on the first main surface of the glass plate and separating the conductive layer and the touch panel, When the second main surface of the glass plate is attached to the touch panel with the second main surface as the outside, the glass plate bends when the second main surface of the glass plate is pressed, so that the glass plate responds to the pressed position of the glass plate. This changes the capacitance of the touch panel.

JP-A-2015-69280

  However, according to the conventional protective cover glass, when the protective cover glass is mounted on a display device that displays a plurality of icons, the capacitance changes over a wide area when the glass plate is pressed to select one icon. Therefore, there is a possibility that a malfunction that the next icon is selected may occur.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an operation panel and a display device case that can suppress occurrence of a malfunction even when operated with nails or gloves.

The present invention, in order to achieve the above object, is an operation panel detachably mounted on a capacitive touch panel, wherein a plurality of independent spaces are formed between the touch panel and a surface of the touch panel. A plurality of operation units that are provided, and are pressed through the space toward the surface of the touch panel, and have a conductive and transparent operation sheet, wherein the operation sheet includes the plurality of operation units. Insulating sheet base formed , comprising a conductive layer formed on the back side of the sheet base , the conductive layer, at least two of the plurality of operation units on the back side of the sheet base A plurality of conductive layers are formed continuously over a region corresponding to the operation unit, and the plurality of conductive layers provide an operation panel independently formed in different regions .

  Further, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the operation panel, a case body detachably attached to a display device having the touch panel from the back side thereof, and a surface of the display device provided with the touch panel. And a panel holding case detachably attached to the case body or the display device with the operation panel interposed therebetween from the side.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if it operates with a nail | claw or glove, it becomes possible to suppress generation | occurrence | production of a malfunction.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a display device in a state where an operation panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the display device in a state where the operation unit shown in FIG. 2 is pressed. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of a display device in a state where an operation panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention is mounted. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part in a state where an operation panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention is mounted. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part in a state where an operation panel according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is mounted. 8A and 8B show a display device with an operation panel according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention mounted thereon, wherein FIG. 8A is a front view and FIG. 8B is a side view. 9A and 9B show a display device with an operation panel according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention mounted thereon, wherein FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 8A, and FIG. FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of FIGS. 8 and 9.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings, components having substantially the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a display device in a state where an operation panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG.

  The operation panel 1 is an operation panel detachably mounted on a capacitive touch panel 110 included in the display device 100, and forms a plurality of independent spaces 4 between the operation panel 1 and a surface 110 a of the touch panel 110. And an operation sheet 3 on which a plurality of operation units 31a pressed down toward the surface 110a of the touch panel 110 via the space 4 are provided.

  Specifically, the operation panel 1 includes a spacer 2 joined to the surface 100a of the display device 100, and an operation sheet 3 joined to the surface of the spacer 2 and having transparency and conductivity. By providing the operation sheet 3 on the display device 100 via the spacer 2, a plurality of mutually independent spaces 4 are formed between the surface 110 a of the touch panel 110 and the operation sheet 3 as shown in FIG. 2.

  The spacer 2 is joined to the surfaces 100a and 110a of the display device 100 by the adhesive layer 5A. The operation sheet 3 is joined to the spacer 2 by the adhesive layer 5B.

(Configuration of display device)
The display device 100 is a smartphone in the present embodiment, but may be another display device such as a tablet personal computer (PC) including a touch panel and a display. The display device 100 includes, for example, a touch panel 110, a microphone 130, a camera 140, a power switch (not shown), and the like on the surface 100a side.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel 110 is arranged on the upper side of the housing 101, and a display 111 such as a liquid crystal display is arranged on the back side in an overlapping manner. The touch panel 110 uses, for example, a capacitance method. Touch panel 110 detects the coordinates (x coordinate, y coordinate) of the position where the capacitance has significantly changed by the touch operation. In this embodiment, the touch operation refers to an operation of pressing the operation unit 31a.

  The display device 100 includes a control unit that controls each unit of the display device 100. The control unit performs control based on a touch operation on the touch panel 110 or another operation (flick, swipe, pinch-in / pinch-out, etc.), and also performs display control on the display 111. That is, the control unit displays a plurality of icons 111a (see FIG. 3) arranged in a matrix on the display 111 as an initial screen. When any one of the icons 111a is touched by pressing the operation unit 31a, the touch panel 110 transmits a coordinate signal indicating the coordinates of the selected icon 111a to the control unit. The control unit executes the function assigned to the icon 111a corresponding to the transmitted coordinate signal. When another operation such as flicking is performed on the spacer 2, the control unit performs display control on the display 111 based on the other operation.

(Structure of spacer)
The spacer 2 has, for example, substantially the same size as the surface 100a of the display device 100. By covering the entire surface 100a of the display device 100 with the spacer 2, it functions as a protective sheet for protecting the surface 100a. When the function of the protection sheet is not required, the spacer 2 may have a smaller size, for example, approximately the same size as the operation sheet 3. The spacer 2 has a thickness of, for example, 0.1 to 2 mm. The stroke of the operation sheet 3 in the pressing direction of the operation section 31a described later is determined by the spacer 2, so that the thickness of the spacer 2 may be determined according to the stroke of the operation section 31a.

  A plurality of openings 21 are formed in the spacer 2 at positions corresponding to a plurality of icons 111 a displayed on the display 111 of the display device 100. Further, openings 22 and 23 are formed in the spacer 2 at positions corresponding to the microphone 130 and the camera 140, respectively. The spaces 4 formed by the openings 21 do not need to be sealed, and the adjacent spaces 4 may communicate with each other by a slit or the like.

  The spacer 2 is formed of, for example, a transparent resin material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin and polycarbonate (PC) resin.

(Composition of operation sheet)
As shown in FIG. 2, the operation sheet 3 includes a sheet base 30 and a conductive layer 32 formed on the back surface of the sheet base 30. The operation sheet 3 only needs to be transparent enough to identify the icon 111a displayed on the display device 100 in a state where the conductive layer 32 is formed on the sheet substrate 30, and may be translucent, for example. The conductive layer 32 may be formed on the surface of the sheet substrate 30.

(Structure of sheet base material)
A plurality of protrusions 31 are formed on the sheet base 30 at positions corresponding to the plurality of openings 21 of the spacer 2 so as to protrude to the opposite side from the touch panel 110. The sheet substrate 30 has a thickness of, for example, 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the protrusion 31 has a flat operation section 31a operated by contact with a finger or the like, and a slope 31b around the operation section 31a. The height h of the operation unit 31a is determined in consideration of operability. The height h of the operation unit 31a is, for example, 0.2 to 0.7 mm. The inclination angle θ of the inclined portion 31b is, for example, 130 to 170 °. The height H of the space 4 is determined in consideration of the touch operation detection accuracy and operability. The height H of the space 4 is, for example, 0.5 to 2.5 mm. The operation unit 31a may not be flat, and may be, for example, a dome-shaped bulge on the opposite side to the touch panel 110. Further, the number of the icons 111a displayed on the display 111 may be smaller than the number of the operation units 31a.

  The sheet substrate 30 is formed from a transparent resin material such as, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin and polycarbonate (PC) resin. The plurality of protrusions 31 are formed by embossing the sheet base 30.

(Configuration of conductive layer)
The conductive layer 32 is formed, for example, by printing or applying a transparent conductive ink in which metal particles made of gold, silver, or the like having excellent conductivity are dispersed in a resin composition on the sheet substrate 30. The thickness of the conductive layer 32 is, for example, 0.5 to 5 μm. The conductive layer 32 is formed on the entire back surface of the sheet substrate 30. The conductive layer 32 may be formed on the back surface of the protrusion 31 independently of each protrusion 31 to have an area larger than the area thereof. Is preferably formed so as to be continuous. Thus, when the operation unit 31a is pressed, a large change in capacitance can be obtained.

(Operation of display device)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the display device 100 in a state where the operation unit 31a of the sheet base 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 is pressed. When the operation unit 31a of the sheet base 30 shown in FIG. 2 is pressed down with the insulating gloves 6, the protrusion 31 is deformed into a shape protruding downward as shown in FIG. It approaches or touches the surface 110a of the touch panel 110. The capacitance at the position 110b of the touch panel 110 corresponding to the pressed portion in FIG. 4 changes most. Touch panel 110 transmits a coordinate signal indicating the coordinates of position 110b to the control unit. The control unit executes the function assigned to the icon 111a corresponding to the transmitted coordinate signal. When the protrusion 31 is pressed, the space 4 is compressed, so that it is desirable to provide an air escape.

(Operation and Effect of First Embodiment)
According to the first embodiment, the following operations and effects are achieved.
(1) Even if the operation unit 31a is pressed down with the insulating gloves 6, the conductive layer 32 of the operation panel 1 approaches the touch panel 110, so that the capacitance is changed and the corresponding icon 111a is selected. Can be.
(2) When an independent space 4 is not provided for each operation unit 31a, when one operation unit 31a is pressed, the adjacent icon 111a may be selected or may become unresponsive. By providing the independent space 4 in the above, it is possible to suppress malfunction and no reaction.
(3) By providing the operation unit 31a at the top of the protrusion 31, a touch operation on the touch panel 110 is not detected by touching the operation unit 31a, and a touch operation is detected by pressing the operation unit 31a. Therefore, occurrence of erroneous operation can be suppressed.
(4) Since the operating section 31a sinks when pressed, a click feeling is obtained.

[Second embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of a display device in a state where an operation panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention is mounted. In the first embodiment, the spacer 2 is used, but in the present embodiment, the spacer 2 is omitted. Hereinafter, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The operation panel 1 according to the second embodiment includes an operation sheet 3 joined to the front surfaces 100a and 110a of the display device 100. The operation sheet 3 is joined to the surfaces 100a and 110a of the display device 100 by the adhesive layer 5B.

  In the operation sheet 3, since the periphery of the protrusion 31 protruding on the opposite side to the touch panel 110 is joined to the surfaces 100a and 110a of the display device 100, as shown in FIG. A plurality of spaces 4 independent of each other are formed between the space 3 and the sheet 3.

  The height h of the operation unit 31a may be larger than that of the first embodiment so that the height H of the space 4 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment.

  According to the second embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the number of components can be reduced because the spacer 2 can be omitted.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part of a display device in a state where an operation panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention is mounted. In the first embodiment, the projection 31 is provided on the operation sheet 3, but in the present embodiment, the projection 31 is omitted. Hereinafter, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The operation panel 1 according to the third embodiment includes a spacer 2 joined to the surfaces 100a and 110a of the display device 100, and an operation sheet 3 joined to the surface of the spacer 2. As in the first embodiment, the spacer 2 is joined to the surfaces 100a and 110a of the display device 100 by the adhesive layer 5A, and the operation sheet 3 is joined to the spacer 2 by the adhesive layer 5B.

  By providing the operation sheet 3 on the display device 100 via the spacer 2, a plurality of independent spaces 4 are formed between the front surfaces 100 a and 110 a of the display device 100 and the operation sheet 3 as shown in FIG. Is done.

  The operation sheet 3 does not have the protrusion 31, but a portion corresponding to the opening 21 of the spacer 2 becomes the operation portion 31 a.

  The thickness of the spacer 2 may be larger than that of the first embodiment so that the height H of the space 4 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment.

  According to the third embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the icon 111a can be selected even when the operation unit 31a is pressed while the insulating gloves 6 are worn, and a malfunction or no reaction occurs. The state can be suppressed, and the embossing for forming the protrusion 31 on the sheet base 30 can be omitted.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a main part of a display device in a state where an operation panel according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is mounted. In the first embodiment, the conductive layer 32 is formed on the back surface of the sheet base 30. In the present embodiment, the conductive layer 32 is omitted and the sheet base 30 is changed to a conductive material. It is. Hereinafter, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The operation panel 1 according to the fourth embodiment includes a spacer 2 joined to the surfaces 100a and 110a of the display device 100, and an operation sheet 3 joined to the surface of the spacer 2. By providing the operation sheet 3 on the display device 100 via the spacer 2, a plurality of spaces 4 independent from each other are formed between the front surfaces 100 a and 110 a of the display device 100 and the operation sheet 3 as shown in FIG. Is done. The spacer 2 is joined to the surfaces 100a and 110a of the display device 100 by the adhesive layer 5A, and the sheet substrate 30A is joined to the spacer 2 by the adhesive layer 5B.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the operation sheet 3 is configured by a sheet base 30A having transparency and conductivity. The sheet substrate 30A is formed by dispersing metal particles having excellent conductivity, such as gold and silver, in a resin composition. Note that the sheet base 30A may be composed of three or more layers, and the intermediate layer may be a conductive layer.

  According to the fourth embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the step of printing or applying the conductive ink can be omitted.

[Fifth Embodiment]
8 and 9 show a display device with an operation panel according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention mounted thereon, wherein FIG. 8 (a) is a front view, FIG. 8 (b) is a side view, and FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 8A, and FIG. 9B is an enlarged view of a portion C of FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of FIGS. 8 and 9.

  In the first embodiment, the operation panel 1 is directly mounted on the display device 100. However, in the present embodiment, the operation panel 1 is mounted via a case mounted on the display device 100. Hereinafter, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The case 7 of the present embodiment is mounted on the case main body 70 mounted on the display device 100 from the back surface 100b side of the display device 100, and mounted on the case main body 70 via the operation panel 1 from the front surface 100a side of the display device 100. And a panel holding case 71. Note that the panel holding case 71 may be configured to be mounted on the display device 100.

  The display device 100 according to the present embodiment differs from the display device 100 according to the first embodiment in that the side surface has a shape bulging outward in an arc shape and that 35 icons 111a are displayed. Other configurations are the same as those of the display device 100 of the first embodiment. Note that the number of displayed icons 111a may be less than 35.

(Configuration of operation panel)
In the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the operation panel 1 includes the spacer 2 and the operation sheet 3, and the spacer 2 and the operation sheet 3 are different from those in the first embodiment. Shapes are different.

  The spacer 2 does not cover the entire surface 100a of the display device 100, and has a slightly larger size than a region where the icon 111a is displayed. In the first embodiment, 20 openings 21 of the spacer 2 are formed, but in the present embodiment, 35 openings 21 are formed.

  In the first embodiment, twenty protrusions 31 of the sheet base 30 are formed, but in the present embodiment, thirty-five are formed.

(Case configuration)
The case main body 70 has locking portions 70 a to 70 f that lock on the side surface of the display device 100. The locking portions 70a to 70c have an area that locks from the side surface of the display device 100 to the surface 100a. The locking portions 70 d to 70 f have an area that locks to the side surface of the display device 100. The case body 70 is formed of, for example, a resin such as polycarbonate.

  The panel holding case 71 has an opening 71a so that all the operation units 31a are exposed. Further, the panel holding case 71 has locking portions 71b to 70d that lock to the side surfaces 70g to 70i of the case main body 70. The panel holding case 71 is formed of, for example, a resin such as polycarbonate.

(How to attach)
Next, a method of attaching the case 7 and the operation panel 1 to the display device 100 will be described.

  First, the case body 70 is mounted from the back surface 100b side of the display device 100. The locking portions 70 a to 70 f of the case main body 70 lock on the side surface of the display device 100.

  Next, the spacer 2 and the operation sheet 3 are arranged in this order on the front surface 100 a of the display device 100, and the panel holding case 71 is attached to the case body 70 from above the operation sheet 3. The locking portions 71b to 70d of the panel holding case 71 are locked to the side surfaces 70g to 70i of the case main body 70.

  According to the fifth embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the operation panel 1 can be mounted on the display device 100 without using an adhesive layer. The operation panel 1 can be easily changed according to the number of icons 111a displayed by the display device 100. The spacer 2 and the operation sheet 3 may be joined to the display device 100 by an adhesive layer.

[Modification]
The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and implementations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the external display device in which the touch panel is arranged on the display has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, a built-in type in which a touch panel and a display are integrated may be used.

  In each of the above embodiments, the case where an icon is selected has been described, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a case where a character such as a number is input.

  Also, some components of the above embodiments can be omitted without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to display devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, handy terminals for vending machines used by service personnel, mobile phones, and portable game machines.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Operation panel, 2 ... Spacer, 3 ... Operation sheet, 4 ... Space, 5A, 5B ... Adhesive layer, 6 ... Gloves, 7 ... Case, 21, 22, 23 ... Opening, 30, 30A ... Sheet base material, 31 ... Protrusion, 31a ... Operation part, 31b ... Inclination part, 32 ... Conductive layer, 70 ... Case body, 70a-70f ... Locking part, 70g-70i ... Side, 71 ... Panel holding case, 71a ... Opening, 71b- 70d: locking portion, 100: display device, 100a: front surface, 100b: back surface, 101: housing, 110: touch panel, 110a: front surface, 110b: position, 111: display, 111a: icon, 130: microphone, 140 ... camera

Claims (4)

An operation panel detachably mounted on a capacitive touch panel,
A conductive and transparent member provided with a plurality of operating portions that are provided so as to form a plurality of independent spaces between the touch panel surface and the touch panel through the space toward the surface of the touch panel. With an operation sheet
The operation sheet includes an insulating sheet base on which the plurality of operation units are formed, and a conductive layer formed on a back surface of the sheet base ,
The conductive layer is a plurality of conductive layers continuously formed on a back surface of the sheet base material over a region corresponding to at least two of the plurality of operation units, and the plurality of conductive layers Is an operation panel independently formed in different areas . The operating seat, the front SL provided between the sheet substrate and the touch panel, a spacer having a plurality of openings forming said plurality of spaces, the operation panel of claim 1, further comprising. The operation unit is formed to protrude to the opposite side to the touch panel,
Operation panel according to claim 1 or 2. An operation panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , and
A case body detachably attached to the display device having the touch panel from the back side thereof,
A panel holding case detachably attached to the case body or the display device with the operation panel interposed therebetween from the surface side of the display device where the touch panel is provided;
Case for a display device comprising:

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