KR102584241B1 - Touch sensor module, window stack structure including the same and image display device including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The touch sensor module of embodiments of the present invention includes a touch sensor layer including sensing electrodes and traces branching from the sensing electrodes, an optical layer covering the sensing electrodes on the touch sensor layer, and the trace on one end of the touch sensor layer. It is electrically connected to the circuit connection structure and includes a first curved portion that is convex toward the optical layer. The optical and mechanical stability of the touch sensor module can be improved through the curved portion of the circuit connection structure.

Description

Touch sensor module, window laminate including same, and image display device including same {TOUCH SENSOR MODULE, WINDOW STACK STRUCTURE INCLUDING THE SAME AND IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a touch sensor module, a window laminate including the same, and an image display device including the same. More specifically, it relates to a touch sensor module including a sensing electrode and an insulating structure, and a window laminate and an image display device including the same.

As information technology has recently developed, demands for the display field are also being presented in various forms. For example, various flat panel display devices with features such as thinner, lighter, and lower power consumption, such as liquid crystal display devices and plasma display devices, Electro Luminescent Display devices and Organic Light-Emitting Diode Display devices are being researched.

Meanwhile, a touch panel or touch sensor, which is an input device attached to the display device and allows the user to input commands by selecting the instructions displayed on the screen with a person's hand or an object, is combined with the display device to provide an image display function and Electronic devices with information input functions are being developed.

In addition, the image display device includes optical members or optical films for improving image quality, such as polarizers and retardation films. For example, when the optical member and the touch sensor are placed adjacent to each other, tolerances, steps, or gaps are created between the optical member and an external circuit connected to the touch sensor, which may result in optical disturbance and deterioration of image quality. You can. Additionally, the optical member may be damaged during the bonding process for connecting the external circuit.

For example, as in Korean Patent Publication No. 2014-0092366, touch sensors or touch screen panels combined with various image display devices have recently been developed. However, as described above, research is needed to improve compatibility with optical members and touch sensors.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2014-0092366

One object of the present invention is to provide a touch sensor module with improved optical, electrical, and mechanical reliability.

One object of the present invention is to provide a window laminate including a touch sensor module with improved optical, electrical, and mechanical reliability.

One object of the present invention is to provide an image display device including a touch sensor module with improved optical, electrical, and mechanical reliability.

1. A touch sensor layer including sensing electrodes and traces branching from the sensing electrodes; An optical layer covering the sensing electrodes on the touch sensor layer; and a circuit connection structure electrically connected to the traces on one end of the touch sensor layer and including a first curved portion convex toward the optical layer.

2. The touch sensor module of 1 above, wherein a bonding portion bonded to the traces is defined by one end of the circuit connection structure, and the bonding portion and the optical layer are spaced apart from each other to form a gap.

3. The touch sensor module of 2 above, wherein the first bent portion extends from the bonding portion to at least partially block the gap.

4. The touch sensor module of 3 above, wherein the first bent portion is in contact with the side wall of the optical layer.

5. The touch sensor module of 2 above, wherein the first bent portion is bent from the bonding portion toward the top of the touch sensor layer.

6. The touch sensor module of 5 above, wherein the circuit connection structure further includes a second curved part facing the first curved part and curved in a downward direction of the touch sensor layer.

7. The touch sensor module of 6 above, wherein the circuit connection structure further includes an extension part extending in the longitudinal direction of the touch sensor module between the first curved part and the second curved part.

8. The touch sensor module of 7 above, further comprising an adhesive pattern for bonding the extension portion and the bonding portion to each other.

9. The touch sensor module of 2 above, further comprising a conductive intermediary structure disposed between the bonding portion of the circuit connection structure and the traces.

10. The touch sensor module of 9 above, wherein the conductive intermediary structure includes an anisotropic conductive film (ACF).

11. The touch sensor module of 1 above, wherein the optical layer includes at least one of a polarizer, a polarizer, a retardation film, a reflective sheet, a brightness enhancement film, or a refractive index matching film.

12. The touch sensor module of 1 above, wherein the circuit connection structure includes a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

13. Window board; And a window laminate comprising the touch sensor module according to any one of items 1 to 12 laminated on one surface of the window substrate.

14. Display panel; and a touch sensor module according to any one of 1 to 12 above, which is stacked on the display panel.

15. The image display device of 14 above, further comprising a main board disposed below the touch sensor module, wherein an end of the circuit connection structure of the touch sensor module is bent and electrically connected to the main board.

A touch sensor module according to embodiments of the present invention may include an optical layer covering a display area of the touch sensor layer and a circuit connection structure disposed on a bonding area of the touch sensor layer. The circuit connection structure may be curved to at least partially close the gap between the optical layer and the circuit connection structure. Therefore, it is possible to prevent disturbance of the image and optical characteristics due to light leakage or reflection through the gap.

Additionally, the circuit connection structure may be bent toward the upper side of the touch sensor layer and then again toward the lower side of the touch sensor layer, for example, to connect a driving circuit. Accordingly, the tensile force due to bending is distributed or alleviated, thereby suppressing or reducing the phenomenon of falling off or interlayer peeling of the circuit connection structure.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a touch sensor module according to example embodiments.
2 and 3 are plan views showing a schematic structure of a touch sensor layer according to example embodiments.
Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a touch sensor module according to a comparative example.
5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an image display device combined with a touch sensor module according to example embodiments.
Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a window stack and an image display device according to example embodiments.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a touch sensor module that includes a touch sensor layer, an optical layer disposed on the touch sensor layer, and a circuit connection structure, and has improved optical, mechanical, and electrical stability through a curved structure of the circuit connection structure. do.

Additionally, embodiments of the present invention provide a window laminate and an image display device including the touch sensor module.

With reference to the drawings below, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail. However, the following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and serve to further understand the technical idea of the present invention along with the contents of the above-described invention, so the present invention is described in such drawings. It should not be interpreted as limited to the specifics.

In the following drawings, for example, two directions that are parallel to the top surface of the protective film or the touch sensor layer and, for example, intersect each other perpendicularly, are defined as the first direction and the second direction. For example, the first direction may correspond to the longitudinal direction of the touch sensor module, and the second direction may correspond to the width direction of the touch sensor module. Additionally, a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions is defined as the third direction. For example, the third direction may correspond to the thickness direction of the touch sensor module.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a touch sensor module according to example embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1, the touch sensor module is disposed on a touch sensor layer 100, a circuit connection structure 170 connected to one end of the touch sensor layer 100, and a top surface of the touch sensor layer 100. It may include an optical layer 150.

In some embodiments, the touch sensor layer 100 may be disposed on the protective film 50 . The protective film 50 may include, for example, an inorganic insulating film and/or an organic insulating film. For example, cyclic olefin polymer (COP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyacrylate (PAR), polyetherimide (PEI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and polyallylate. (polyallylate), polyimide (PI), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP), polyethersulfone (PES), cellulose triacetate (TAC), polycarbonate (PC), cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), polymethyl meta A polymer film containing crylate (PMMA) or the like may be used as the protective film 50.

In one embodiment, the protective film 50 may be provided as a base layer or base layer for forming the touch sensor layer 100. In one embodiment, the protective film 50 is formed to protect sensing electrodes, traces, etc. during the manufacturing process of the touch sensor layer 100, and may be removed after forming the touch sensor module.

The touch sensor layer 100 may include conductive patterns such as sensing electrodes and traces, and may further include an insulating layer to insulate the conductive patterns from each other. The composition and structure of the touch sensor layer 100 will be described in more detail later with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The optical layer 150 may be stacked on the touch sensor layer 100 to cover the sensing electrodes 110 and 120 (see FIG. 2). According to example embodiments, the optical layer 150 may be arranged to overlap the active area of the touch sensor layer 100 or the display area of the image display device. In some embodiments, the optical layer 150 may cover the remaining portion of the touch sensor layer 100 except for the bonding area B shown in FIG. 2 .

Optical layer 150 may include a film or layer structure known in the art for improving image visibility in an image display device. Non-limiting examples of the optical layer 150 include a polarizer, polarizer, retardation film, reflective sheet, brightness enhancement film, and refractive index matching film. These may be included singly or in a two or more multi-layered structure. In some embodiments, the optical layer 150 may include a polarizer.

The circuit connection structure 170 is disposed on one end of the touch sensor layer 100 and may be electrically connected to traces included in the touch sensor layer 100. In one embodiment, the circuit wiring included in the terminal or pad portion formed at the end of the trace and the circuit connection structure 170 is, for example, a conductive intermediary structure 160 such as an anisotropic conductive film (ACF). can be electrically connected to each other by

The circuit connection structure 170 may include, for example, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). According to example embodiments, the circuit connection structure 170 includes a core layer 175, and lower circuit wiring 174a and upper circuit wiring 174b formed on the bottom and top surfaces of the core layer 175, respectively. can do. In one embodiment, a through via (not shown) may be formed to penetrate the core layer 175 and connect the lower circuit wiring 174a and the upper circuit wiring 174b.

The core layer 175 may include resin or liquid crystal polymer. The circuit wires 174a and 174b may include metal, such as copper (Cu) or a copper alloy. The surfaces of the lower circuit wiring 174a and the upper circuit wiring 174b may be covered by the lower coverlay layer 172a and the upper coverlay layer 172b, respectively.

According to example embodiments, a portion of the lower coverlay layer 172a may be removed to expose the lower circuit wiring 174a. After aligning the exposed portion of the lower circuit wiring 174a on the conductive intermediate structure 160, a bonding process including a pressing and/or heating process is performed on the circuit connection structure 170 to form the circuit connection structure 170. It can be bonded to the touch sensor layer 100.

A gap 180 may be formed between the optical layer 150 and the circuit connection structure 170 to provide an alignment margin and prevent damage to the optical layer 150 due to the bonding process.

According to example embodiments, one end of the circuit connection structure 170 may include a first curved portion C1 that is curved in an upward direction of the touch sensor layer 100 . As shown in FIG. 1, the first curved portion C1 may have a curved shape or a U-shape that is convex toward the side wall of the optical layer 150.

The gap 180 may be at least partially blocked or filled in the planar direction by the first bent portion C1. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress image quality deterioration and visibility of the conductive pattern due to light leakage or light reflection that may occur through the gap 180.

Additionally, as the image display device or the touch sensor layer becomes smaller and more highly integrated, the distance of the gap 180 may also decrease. Accordingly, the optical layer 150 may be damaged by the heat generated in the bonding process. However, according to exemplary embodiments, the first curved portion C1 of the circuit connection structure 170 may serve as a blocking pattern for heat transmitted to the optical layer 150. Additionally, the first curved portion C1 may be provided in a pattern that provides a separation distance between the optical layer 150 and the portion of the circuit connection structure 170 where the bonding process is performed.

Accordingly, optical and mechanical stability of the optical layer 150 can be secured through the first bent portion C1.

The circuit connection structure 170 may include an extension portion E extending from the top of the first bent portion C1 back in the first direction. According to example embodiments, the circuit connection structure 170 may be bent again toward the bottom of the touch sensor layer 100 to be connected to, for example, a touch sensor driving integrated circuit (IC). Accordingly, the circuit connection structure 170 may include a second bent portion C2 on the opposite side from the first bent portion C1.

The circuit connection structure 170 may extend again in the third direction through the second bent portion C2. In one embodiment, the other end of the circuit connection structure 170 may be bent again in the first direction and electrically connected to the touch sensor driving IC chip.

In some embodiments, an adhesive pattern 190 may be formed between the bonding portion and the extension portion E of the circuit connection structure 170 where the bonding process is performed. The extension part E may be substantially fixed to the bonding part by the adhesive pattern 190. Therefore, when forming the second curved portion C2, it is possible to prevent the circuit connection structure 170 from falling off from the touch sensor layer 100 or changing the position and shape of the first curved portion C1.

In some embodiments, a point adhesive layer for bonding the optical layer 150 or a passivation layer for protecting the touch sensor layer 100 may be further formed on the upper surface of the touch sensor layer 100. For example, the passivation layer can be partially removed from the bonding area (B) shown in FIG. 2.

2 and 3 are plan views showing a schematic structure of a touch sensor layer according to example embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 2, the touch sensor layer may include sensing electrodes 110 and 120 and traces 130 and 135. According to example embodiments, the sensing electrodes 110 and 120 may be arranged to enable driving using a mutual capacitance method.

An active area where touch sensing is actually implemented from the touch sensor layer 100 may be defined by the area where the sensing electrodes 110 and 120 are arranged. The active area may substantially correspond to a display area where an image of the image display device is implemented.

According to example embodiments, the sensing electrodes 110 and 120 may include first sensing electrodes 110 and second sensing electrodes 120.

The first sensing electrodes 110 may be arranged along the second direction (eg, width direction). Accordingly, a first sensing electrode row extending in the second direction may be formed by the plurality of first sensing electrodes 110. Additionally, a plurality of rows of first sensing electrodes may be arranged along the first direction.

In some embodiments, first sensing electrodes 110 adjacent to each other in the second direction may be physically or electrically connected to each other by a connection portion 115. For example, the connection portion 115 may be formed integrally with the first sensing electrodes 110 at the same level and may be provided as a substantially single member with the first sensing electrodes 110 .

The second sensing electrodes 120 may be arranged along the first direction (eg, longitudinal direction). In some embodiments, the second sensing electrodes 120 may each be physically spaced apart into island-type unit electrodes. In this case, the second sensing electrodes 120 adjacent to each other in the first direction may be electrically connected to each other by the bridge electrode 125.

As the plurality of second sensing electrodes 120 are connected to each other by bridge electrodes 125 and arranged in the first direction, a second sensing electrode row extending in the first direction may be formed. Additionally, a plurality of second sensing electrode rows may be arranged along the second direction.

The sensing electrodes 110 and 120 and/or the bridge electrode 125 may include metal, alloy, or transparent conductive oxide.

For example, the sensing electrodes 110 and 120 and/or the bridge electrode 125 are silver (Ag), gold (Au), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), and palladium (Pd). , chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), vanadium (V), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) , zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), or alloys thereof (eg, silver-palladium-copper (APC)). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The sensing electrodes 110, 120 and/or the bridge electrode 125 are, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO), and cadmium. It may also contain a transparent conductive oxide such as tin oxide (CTO).

In some embodiments, the sensing electrodes 110 and 120 and/or the bridge electrode 125 may include a stacked structure of transparent conductive oxide and metal. For example, the sensing electrodes 110 and 120 and/or the bridge electrode 125 may have a three-layer structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer, a metal layer, and a transparent conductive oxide layer. In this case, as flexible characteristics are improved by the metal layer, signal transmission speed can be improved by lowering resistance, and corrosion resistance and transparency can be improved by the transparent conductive oxide layer.

In some embodiments, the bridge electrode 125 may be formed on an insulating layer (not shown). The insulating layer may at least partially cover the connection portion 115 included in the first sensing electrode 110 and may at least partially cover the second sensing electrodes 120 around the connection portion 115. The bridge electrode 125 penetrates the insulating layer and can be electrically connected to the second sensing electrodes 120 that are adjacent to each other with the connection portion 115 in between.

The insulating layer may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide or silicon nitride, or an organic insulating material such as acrylic resin or siloxane resin.

The traces 130 and 135 may include a first trace 130 extending from each of the first sensing electrode rows and a second trace 135 extending from each of the second sensing electrode rows.

A bonding area B may be allocated to one end of the touch sensor layer 100 or the protective film 50. Traces 130 and 135 may extend from the periphery of the active area and gather into the bonding area B.

For example, the first traces 130 may branch from each first sensing electrode row on both sides of the touch sensor layer 100 and extend in the first direction. The first traces 130 may be bent in the second direction and then again in the first direction to enter the bonding area B.

In some embodiments, the first traces 130 may be alternately distributed on both sides of the touch sensor layer 100 . Since the first traces 130 are evenly distributed on both sides of the touch sensor layer 100, for example, stress that occurs when the touch sensor layer 100 is bent can be uniformly distributed. Additionally, since the first traces 130 are alternately disposed on both sides, an alignment margin between neighboring first traces 130 can be increased.

The second traces 135 may branch from each second sensing electrode row and extend to the bonding area B in the first direction.

The end portions of the traces 130 and 135 may be collected in the bonding area B and provided as a connection portion (pad portion or terminal portion) electrically connected to the circuit connection structure 170. A first connection part 140 and a second connection part 145 are defined from the first trace 130 and the second trace 135, respectively, and may be disposed in the bonding area P.

The traces 130 and 135 may include substantially the same or similar conductive material as the sensing electrodes 110 and 120 .

The circuit connection structure 170 described with reference to FIG. 1 may be bonded to the connection portions 140 and 145 through the conductive intermediary structure 160 on the bonding area (B). A gap 180 may be defined by the space of the remaining bonding area B between the optical layer 150 and the circuit connection structure 170 in the plane direction of FIG. 2 . As described above, the first bent portion C1 of the circuit connection structure 170 may be located within the gap 180.

Referring to FIG. 3, the sensing electrodes 127 and traces 137 of the touch sensor layer 100 may be arranged to be driven in a self-capacitance manner.

The touch sensor layer 100 may include sensing electrodes 127 that each have an independent island pattern shape and are provided as individual sensing domains. Additionally, the traces 137 may branch to each sensing electrode 127 and extend to the bonding area B. The distal ends of the traces 137 may be gathered in the connection area B and electrically connected to the circuit connection structure 170.

Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a touch sensor module according to a comparative example. Detailed descriptions of structures/configurations that are substantially the same or similar to those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 4 , one end of the circuit connection structure 170 may be electrically connected to the traces of the touch sensor layer 100 through a bonding process as described above. After the bonding process, the other end of the circuit connection structure 170 may be bent directly toward the bottom of the touch sensor layer 100 to connect it to the touch sensor driving IC chip.

In the case of the comparative example, since the tensile force is directly transmitted to the circuit connection structure 170 in the bending process, the bonding force and mechanical stability in the bonding area B may be reduced. Accordingly, the circuit connection structure 170 may easily fall off or peel off due to external impact.

Additionally, as the tensile force propagates directly to the bonding portion, the circuit wires 174a and 174b within the circuit connection structure 170 may be damaged or separated.

However, according to the above-described exemplary embodiments, the first curved portion C1 may be formed first before bending the circuit connection structure 170 to the lower side of the touch sensor layer 100. Accordingly, the tensile force applied when forming the second bent portion C2 can be alleviated or reduced.

In addition, the extension portion E of the circuit connection structure 170 can be fixed through the adhesive pattern 190 to effectively block the propagation of the tensile force.

Accordingly, while improving the mechanical stability of the circuit connection structure 170, the speed and reliability of signal transmission from the touch sensor driving IC chip can also be improved.

5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an image display device combined with a touch sensor module according to example embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the image display device includes a display panel 360 and a main board 370, and may include a touch sensor module according to the exemplary embodiments described above. The touch sensor module may include a touch sensor layer 100 and an optical layer 150 covering the active area or display area of the touch sensor layer 100.

One end of the circuit connection structure 170 may be electrically connected to the touch sensor layer 100 through the conductive intermediate structure 160 formed in the bonding area (B). After the bonding process, the circuit connection structure 170 may be bent toward the top of the touch sensor layer 100 and then fixed by the adhesive pattern 190.

The circuit connection structure 170 may be bent toward the lower side of the touch sensor layer 100 again. The other end of the circuit connection structure 170 may be bent in the longitudinal direction (eg, first direction) of the image display device and electrically connected to the main board 370. For example, the circuit connection structure 170 may be connected to the bonding pad 375 formed on the bottom of the main board 300. A touch sensor driving IC chip may be mounted on the main board 370.

In some embodiments, the other end of the circuit connection structure 170 may be inserted between the display panel 360 and the main board 370 and electrically connected to a circuit member formed on the upper surface of the main board 370.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a window stack and an image display device according to example embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the window stack 250 may include a window substrate 230 and a touch sensor module according to the above-described exemplary embodiments. For example, the touch sensor module may include a touch sensor layer 200 and an optical layer 210 stacked on the display area of the touch sensor layer 200. In FIG. 6 , the circuit connection structure 170 is omitted for convenience of explanation, and may be disposed in the image display device as described in FIG. 5 .

The window substrate 230 includes, for example, a hard coating film, and in one embodiment, a light blocking pattern 235 may be formed on the periphery of one surface of the window substrate 230. The light blocking pattern 235 may include, for example, a color printing pattern and may have a single-layer or multi-layer structure. The bezel portion or non-display area of the image display device may be defined by the light blocking pattern 235.

The optical layer 210 may include various optical films or optical structures included in the image display device as described in FIGS. 1 to 3, and in some embodiments, may include a coated polarizer or a polarizing plate. The coated polarizer may include a liquid crystal coating layer containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound and a dichroic dye. In this case, the optical layer 210 may further include an alignment film to provide alignment to the liquid crystal coating layer.

For example, the polarizing plate may include a polyvinyl alcohol-based polarizer and a protective film attached to at least one side of the polyvinyl alcohol-based polarizer.

The optical layer 210 may be directly bonded to the one surface of the window substrate 230 or may be attached through the first point adhesive layer 220.

The touch sensor layer 200 may be included in the window laminate 250 in the form of a film or panel. In one embodiment, the touch sensor layer 200 may be coupled to the optical layer 210 through the second point adhesive layer 225.

As shown in FIG. 6, the window substrate 230, the optical layer 210, and the touch sensor layer 200 may be arranged in that order from the user's viewing side. In this case, since the sensing electrodes of the touch sensor layer 200 are disposed below the optical layer 210 including a polarizer or polarizer, pattern visibility can be more effectively prevented.

In one embodiment, the window substrate 230, the touch sensor layer 200, and the optical layer 210 may be arranged in that order from the user's viewing side.

The image display device may include a display panel 360 and the above-described window stack 250 coupled to the display panel 360 and including a touch sensor module according to example embodiments.

The display panel 360 may include a pixel electrode 310, a pixel defining film 320, a display layer 330, an opposing electrode 340, and an encapsulation layer 350 disposed on the panel substrate 300. You can.

The panel substrate 300 may include a flexible resin material, and in this case, the image display device may be provided as a flexible display.

A pixel circuit including a thin film transistor (TFT) is formed on the panel substrate 300, and an insulating film covering the pixel circuit may be formed. The pixel electrode 310 may be electrically connected to, for example, a drain electrode of a TFT on the insulating film.

The pixel defining layer 320 may be formed on the insulating layer to expose the pixel electrode 310 to define the pixel area. A display layer 330 is formed on the pixel electrode 310, and the display layer 330 may include, for example, a liquid crystal layer or an organic light-emitting layer.

An opposing electrode 340 may be disposed on the pixel defining layer 320 and the display layer 330. The counter electrode 340 may be provided as, for example, a common electrode or cathode of an image display device. An encapsulation layer 350 for protecting the display panel 360 may be stacked on the counter electrode 340 .

In some embodiments, the display panel 360 and the window laminate 250 may be coupled through a point adhesive layer 260. For example, the thickness of the point adhesive layer 260 may be greater than the thickness of each of the first and second point adhesive layers 220 and 225, and the viscoelasticity at -20 to 80°C may be about 0.2 MPa or less. In this case, noise from the display panel 360 can be shielded, and damage to the window laminate 250 can be suppressed by relieving interfacial stress during bending. In one embodiment, the viscoelasticity may be about 0.01 to 0.15 MPa.

C1: first bend C2: second bend
50: protective film 100: touch sensor layer
110: first sensing electrode 115: connection part
120: second sensing electrode 125: bridge electrode
127: sensing electrode 130: first trace
135: second trace 137: trace
140: first connection part 145: second connection part
150: Optical layer 160: Conductive intermediate structure
170: circuit connection structure 180: gap

Claims (15)

A touch sensor layer including sensing electrodes and traces branching from the sensing electrodes;
An optical layer covering the sensing electrodes on the touch sensor layer; and
A touch sensor module, comprising a circuit connection structure electrically connected to the traces on one end of the touch sensor layer and including a first curved portion that is convex toward the optical layer and contacts a sidewall of the optical layer.
The touch sensor module of claim 1, wherein a bonding portion bonded to the traces is defined by one end of the circuit connection structure, and the bonding portion and the optical layer are spaced apart from each other to form a gap.
The touch sensor module of claim 2, wherein the first bent portion extends from the bonding portion to at least partially block the gap.
delete The touch sensor module of claim 2, wherein the first curved portion is bent from the bonding portion toward an upper side of the touch sensor layer.
The touch sensor module of claim 5, wherein the circuit connection structure further includes a second curved part facing the first curved part and curved in a downward direction of the touch sensor layer.
The touch sensor module of claim 6, wherein the circuit connection structure further includes an extension part extending in the longitudinal direction of the touch sensor module between the first curved part and the second curved part.
The touch sensor module of claim 7, further comprising an adhesive pattern for bonding the extension portion and the bonding portion to each other.
The touch sensor module of claim 2, further comprising a conductive intermediary structure disposed between the bonding portion and the traces of the circuit connection structure.
The touch sensor module of claim 9, wherein the conductive intermediary structure comprises an anisotropic conductive film (ACF).
The touch sensor module of claim 1, wherein the optical layer includes at least one of a polarizer, a polarizer, a retardation film, a reflective sheet, a brightness enhancement film, or a refractive index matching film.
The touch sensor module of claim 1 , wherein the circuit connection structure includes a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).
window board; and
A window laminate comprising the touch sensor module according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 12 laminated on one surface of the window substrate.
display panel; and
An image display device stacked on the display panel and including a touch sensor module according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 12.
The method according to claim 14, further comprising a main board disposed below the touch sensor module,
An end of the circuit connection structure of the touch sensor module is bent and electrically connected to the main board.