JPH0435851B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an input device used in a display device such as a CRT for a computer terminal, and in particular to a touch-type input device that detects the pressed position when a panel surface is pressed with a pressure pen or the like. This relates to a spacer in.

Conventionally, various types of input devices of this type have been proposed. One of them is the device shown in FIG.

That is, FIG. 1 shows a cross section of the input device.
On a transparent base substrate 1 made of acrylic resin,
One electrode 2 was laminated with a transparent resistance layer 2b made of indium oxide (InO ₃ ) and tin oxide (SnO ₂ ) based on a polyester base film 2a, and a silicone resin was formed on top of this electrode 2. A columnar insulating spacer 3 is provided protrudingly, and on top of the spacer 3, another electrode 4 is formed by laminating a resistive layer 4b on a base film 4a in the same manner as the electrode 2.
The low resistance layer 4b is stacked so as to face the resistance layer 2b of the first electrode 2, and is covered with a transparent protective sheet 5 made of polyester film. As shown in Figure 2 a and b, terminal electrodes 2 made of silver or the like are attached to both ends of one electrode 2.
Terminal electrodes 4c are formed on the other electrode 4 at both ends perpendicular to the terminal electrode 2c, and a voltage is applied alternately between the terminal electrodes 2c and between the terminal electrodes 4c.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
When the protective sheet 5 is pressed, the resistive layer 2b and the resistive layer 4b come into contact, and the voltage is alternately detected in the resistive layers to which no voltage is applied, so that the pressed position can be detected.

As a spacer for such an input device,
Generally, a columnar dot type as shown in FIG. 4 or a lattice type in which square protrusions are regularly arranged adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. 5 are used.

However, in the former case, the columnar protrusions are formed independently, so the spacer as a whole is structurally weak, and in the latter case, the lattice part is continuous in a straight line, so it is protected, for example, by a pressing pen 6. When a straight line is drawn on the sheet 5, the pen tip of the press pen 6 runs only on the protruding lattice portion of the spacer 3, and there is a possibility that the input position cannot be detected.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has excellent strength without each protruding portion of the spacer being independent.
The present invention aims to provide a touch type input device that can reliably detect the position even when a straight line is drawn, and is characterized in that the spacer has a honeycomb structure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of the spacer 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The spacer 3 has a so-called honeycomb structured protrusion in which each side of a hexagon is common to each side of an adjacent hexagon. be. FIG. 7 shows the input device incorporating this spacer 3 viewed from above. As is clear from the figure, the protruding portion of the spacer 3 indicated by the broken line does not continue linearly in the adjacent hexagonal shape. It always has a bent shape.

An example of the manufacturing method of the spacer 3 will be explained with reference to FIG. 8. First, a transparent resistance layer 2b made of indium oxide and tin oxide is laminated on a base film 2a made of transparent polyester to form a sheet-like electrode. Prepare 2. Of course this resistance layer 2
Terminal electrodes 2c for voltage application are formed at both ends of b. A sheet-like photosensitive film 8 is pressed onto the resistance layer 2b of the electrode 2 using a roller 7, as shown in FIG. 8a. This photosensitive film 8 is called a dry film, and commercially available films include T-1015 (manufactured by Liston) and 605F.
(manufactured by Hitachi), which is in the form of a sheet with its own adhesive strength.It adheres to the board by pressing lightly, and has enough adhesive strength to prevent it from being peeled off carelessly. If used, it can be separated from the substrate relatively easily.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8b, the photosensitive film 8
A negative film 9 having a honeycomb pattern printed thereon is layered and masked, and then exposed. After heat-treating, it is developed with a developer as shown in FIG. 8c, the unexposed areas are cleaned, and projections 8a of the exposed photosensitive film 8 are formed on the electrode 2 as shown in FIG. 8d. By heating and drying this, the projections 8a are completed as honeycomb-shaped spacers 3.

To incorporate this spacer 3 into an input device, first place the electrode 2 with the spacer manufactured as described above on the base substrate 1, and then place the electrode 4 on the spacer 3 with its resistance layer 4b facing the spacer 3 side. The protective sheet 5 may then be placed on top of the protective sheet 5.

In this embodiment, the spacer 3 is formed integrally with the lower electrode 2, but it goes without saying that it may be formed integrally with the upper electrode 4.

Further, the spacer 3 of this embodiment is a photosensitive film 8.
Although it is formed integrally with the electrode 2 by using a general photoresist film coated on the electrode 2, it may also be formed integrally with the electrode 2 by printing on the electrode 2. It is also possible. Furthermore, the spacer 3 does not necessarily have to be integrated with the electrode 2,
For example, it may be a single piece of resin molded into a honeycomb shape.

The present invention is as described above, and in particular, two opposing
It is characterized in that the spacer interposed between the sheet-like electrodes has a honeycomb structure.

Therefore, the strength of the spacer itself can be increased, the input position can be detected accurately, and the durability against dropping of the input device and other external forces can be increased.
Furthermore, since the protruding portions of the spacers are not aligned in a straight line but are bent, the input position can be reliably detected even if an input operation that draws a straight line is made.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of the touch input device, Figure 2
The figure shows the electrodes of the touch input device, where a is the lower electrode and b is the upper electrode. FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing the operating state of the touch type input device, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional spacer, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another conventional spacer, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the present invention. FIG. 7 is a partial plan view of a touch-type input device using the spacer of the present invention, FIG. 8 shows the manufacturing process of the spacer, and a shows the photosensitive film lamination process. , b is the exposure process, c is the development process, d
indicates the state after washing. 2...electrode, 3...spacer, 4...electrode.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A resistance layer is formed on almost the entire surface of the base film, and terminal electrodes are formed on both ends. 2.
Two sheet-like electrodes are placed facing each other with a spacer in between so that the respective terminal electrodes are orthogonal to each other,
Applying a voltage alternately between the both terminal electrodes,
In a touch type input device in which the pressed position when both resistive layers are brought into contact with a pressing pen is detected alternately based on the voltage detected from the electrode on the side to which no voltage is applied, the spacer has a honeycomb structure. A touch input device characterized by: