KR20100114765A - Film for touch sensing, touch sensor assembly including the same and method of manufacturing touch sensor assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A film for touch sensing, a touch sensor assembly including the same and a method of manufacturing touch sensor assembly are provided to inform a user the recognition of a contact by emitting light for external contact. CONSTITUTION: A base layer(121) is composed of insulative and ductile material, and having a shape corresponding to the cubic surface to be touched with the cubic surface of the base member. A transparent conductive layer(122) is formed in the base layer to detect the variation of capacitance by the external contact. An emitting device(125) is electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to emit light for the external contact. A first power supply terminal(123) supplies power to the transparent conductive layer. A second power supply terminal(126) is connected to the transparent conductive layer, and supplies power to the light emitting device.

Description

Film for touch sensing, touch sensor assembly and touch sensor assembly manufacturing method including the same {Film for touch sensing, Touch sensor assembly including the same and Method of manufacturing touch sensor assembly}

The present invention relates to a touch sensor assembly capable of inputting a command to an electronic device.

Many electronic devices such as portable devices and automatic teller machines are equipped with touch sensors that can input commands to the device by touching a finger. Such a touch sensor generally forms an adhesive layer on a body of a button or a display panel and arranges the touch sensor on the adhesive layer.

As an example of the touch sensor, a resistive film type and a capacitive type may be provided.

In the resistive touch sensor, the conductive layers spaced apart from each other by a certain distance are contacted by external contact to measure a changed resistance value and detect the presence or absence of the contact and the contact position.

The capacitive touch sensor detects the presence or absence of a contact and the contact position by a change in capacitance. The capacitive touch sensor includes a substrate, a transparent conductive layer, a protective layer, and an electrode terminal. Here, indium tin oxide (ITO) is generally used as a transparent conductive layer constituting a conventional capacitive touch sensor.

ITO exhibits excellent conductivity even when coated with a thin film of 100 nm or less, and has excellent optical properties such as light transmittance in the visible region and environmental resistance. However, the ITO transparent conductive layer has a weak property of ITO itself.

On the other hand, when the touch sensor is formed on the outer surface of the button consisting of a convex or concave three-dimensional surface, the phenomenon may be broken while the deformation occurs in the touch sensor by pressure and heat.

In addition, since the ITO transparent conductive layer requires expensive equipment such as vacuum deposition and chemical etching in the manufacturing process, it is not only economically low, but also requires a vacuum deposition process and a chemical etching process.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide the film for touch sensing which can contact a three-dimensional surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a touch sensor assembly in which a film for touch sensing is formed on a three-dimensional surface.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a touch sensor assembly in which a film for touch sensing and a base member can be integrally formed.

Therefore, the touch sensing film of the present invention is made of a flexible and insulative material, and a base layer formed in a shape corresponding to the three-dimensional surface so as to be in contact with the three-dimensional surface of the base member, and formed on the base layer and electrostatic by external contact. At least one first electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer for sensing a change in capacitance, the light emitting device emitting light upon external contact, and electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to supply power to the transparent conductive layer And a power supply terminal and at least one second power supply terminal electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to supply power to the light emitting device.

The touch sensor assembly of the present invention is a base member including a three-dimensional surface, and integrally formed on the three-dimensional surface of the base member, the transparent conductive layer for sensing the capacitance change due to external contact is made of carbon nanotubes, transparent conductive And a light emitting device electrically connected to the layer to emit light upon external contact.

In addition, the method of manufacturing a touch sensor assembly according to the present invention comprises providing a film for capacitive touch sensing film having a carbon nanotube layer as a transparent conductive layer and a light emitting device electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer, and an injection molding machine. Contacting the touch sensing film to the inner surface of any one of the molds, bonding the molds, and injecting the molten resin into the injection space inside the molds to form a base member, the base member and touch sensing Integrally forming a film for use.

The touch sensing film according to the present invention may be formed on a three-dimensional surface by the transparent conductive layer made of carbon nanotubes. In addition, the light emitting device may emit light when the external contact causes the user to be notified of the contact.

In the touch sensor assembly according to the present invention, even if the touch sensing film is bent under pressure and heat while being formed integrally with the three-dimensional surface of the base member, the electrical properties such as the sheet resistance of the touch sensing film are hardly changed. Thermal deformation does not occur in the film for touch sensing. In addition, the crack may be deformed into a specific shape according to the manufacturer's design without cracking the transparent conductive layer.

In addition, since the touch sensor assembly according to the present invention forms a transparent conductive layer using CNTs, the touch sensor assembly does not have to use expensive equipment such as vacuum deposition and chemical etching. Since it does not have to go through, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, the method of manufacturing a touch sensor assembly of the present invention is not separated from the base member by the external force by the touch sensing film, and can be strongly bonded, rather than applying the adhesive or bonding the touch sensor and the base member with a double-sided tape. The manufacturing process can be simplified.

Hereinafter, the technical configuration of the present invention according to the accompanying drawings in detail.

1 is a perspective view showing a touch sensor assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of a touch sensor assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, the touch sensor assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a base member 110 and a film 120 for touch sensing.

The base member 110 includes a three-dimensional surface. The base member 110 forms the body of the touch sensor assembly 100. The base member 110 is disposed below the touch sensing film 120 to support the touch sensing film 120. As one example of the material of the base member 110, an acrylic resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like may be used. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any material may be used as long as the material for the base member 110 can support the touch sensing film 120. However, the base member 110 may be made of a transparent material. Accordingly, since the touch sensing film 120 and the base member 110 to be described later are made of a transparent material, the entire touch sensor assembly 100 may be made transparent. The transparent touch sensor assembly 100 may be applied to an electronic device. For example, the transparent touch sensor assembly 110 is disposed on one side of the electronic device to allow a user to manipulate the transparent operation button, that is, the touch sensor assembly 110. By the touch sensor assembly 110, the appearance of the electronic device may be beautiful.

Meanwhile, the three-dimensional surface may include all non-planar surfaces such as protruding curved surfaces, drawn curved surfaces, and stepped surfaces.

The touch sensing film 120 is integrally formed with the three-dimensional surface of the base member 110. The touch sensing film 120 is formed by patterning a transparent conductive layer 122 formed of carbon nanotubes to detect a change in capacitance caused by external contact. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials in which a plate-like graphite sheet in which carbon atoms are bonded in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern is rolled in a tube shape having a diameter of several nm to several hundred nm. When the CNT is formed of a thin conductive film on a plastic or film, the CNTs exhibit high transmittance and conductivity in the visible light region, and thus may be used as transparent electrodes.

In addition, the touch sensing film 120 includes a light emitting device 125. The light emitting device 125 may emit all kinds of light such as a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (laser diode), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal device (LCD), a field emission device (FED), and the like. The light emitting device 125 may be applied. The light emitting device 125 may be adhered to the transparent conductive layer by a conductive adhesive. The light emitting device 125 emits light when a part of the user's body is in contact with the touch sensing film 120. The user may see that the touch-sensing film 120 senses his or her touch by viewing the emitted light. That is, the touch sensing film 120 is provided with a light emitting element 125, so that a separate touch notification module generating vibration to notify the user that the touch sensing film 120 has recognized a touch sensor. It is not necessary to install the assembly 100 or the electronic device in which the touch sensor assembly 100 is installed. The detailed structure of the touch sensing film 120 will be described later.

Meanwhile, the transparent conductive layer 122 made of CNTs has excellent flexibility and durability than the transparent conductive layer 122 made of ITO. Accordingly, even when the touch sensing film 120 is bent under pressure and heat in the process of being integrally formed with the three-dimensional surface of the base member 110, electrical characteristics such as the sheet resistance of the touch sensing film 120 may be reduced. The thermal deformation does not occur in the touch-sensing film 120 while being hardly changed. In addition, without cracking in the transparent conductive layer, the touch sensing film 120 may be deformed into a specific shape according to the manufacturer's design.

In addition, since the touch sensor assembly 100 forms the transparent conductive layer 122 using CNTs, the touch sensor assembly 100 does not have to use expensive equipment such as vacuum deposition and chemical etching. Since the process does not need to go through, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, the touch sensor film 120 in the touch sensor assembly 100 may be manufactured by cutting the unit length through the punching process. For example, the touch sensing film 120 is arranged at regular intervals in an area of 1 square meter. In addition, according to the manufacturer's design, the shape of the blade in a specific shape so that the film 120 for touch sensing can be cut, and a plurality of blades are arranged at the same interval to complete the blade assembly. Next, the blade assembly is pressed by applying a momentary force to one surface of the film for the touch sensing. That is, 1m of the touch-sensing film 120 is manufactured, and then a force is momentarily applied to one surface of the touch-sensing film 120 with the blade assembly disposed at intervals of 10 cm. The touch-sensing film 120 is cut by 10 cm in the same shape with a predetermined interval by the blade assembly. This method is possible because the transparent conductive layer 122 of the touch-sensing film 120 is made of CNTs and thus the transparent conductive layer 122 is not broken during the cutting process.

On the other hand, the touch-sensing film 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a base layer 121, the above-mentioned transparent conductive layer 122, the above-described light emitting device 125, and at least one first power supply The terminal 123 and at least one second power supply terminal 126 may be included.

Referring to FIG. 3, the base layer 121 is made of a flexible and insulating material. One surface of the base layer 121 is in contact with the three-dimensional surface of the base member 110. The transparent conductive layer 122 is formed on the other surface of the base layer 121. As the material of the base layer 121, a material having excellent light transmittance and ductility, such as a transparent PET film, may be used.

The first power supply terminal 123 is electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer 122 to supply power to the transparent conductive layer 122.

The second power supply terminal 126 is electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer 122 to supply power to the light emitting device 125. The second power supply terminal 126 may be positioned adjacent to the first power supply terminal 123 and electrically connected to the power supply unit of the electronic device.

The first and second power supply terminals 123 and 126 may be positioned at corner portions of the touch sensing film 120 which are hardly touched by the user. When the touch sensor assembly 100 is disposed in an electronic device (not shown), the first and second power supply terminals 123 and 126 are electrically connected to the power supply unit of the electronic device, and the first and second power supply terminals 123 and 126. ) May be hidden by the housing of the electronic device and not exposed to the outside.

On the other hand, it is preferable that the first power supply terminal 123 and the second power supply terminal 126 are not electrically connected to each other. This is to prevent the light emitting device 125 from being electrically connected to the first power supply terminal 123 to always emit light, and to separate the negative terminal and the both terminals of the light emitting device 125, respectively.

4, the transparent conductive layer 122 (see FIG. 3) is preferably divided into three regions. The transparent conductive layer 122 (see FIG. 3) may include a touch region 122a, a negative terminal region 122b, and both terminal regions 122c. Grooves are formed between the touch region 122a, the negative terminal region 122b, and both terminal regions 122c, and are not electrically connected to each other. The groove may be formed by an etching method, and any method may be used as long as it can electrically fractionate the transparent conductive layer 122 (see FIG. 3). When the electronic device (not shown) is operated in the touch area 122a, electricity is always applied to recognize a user's contact. The negative terminal region 122b electrically connects the negative terminal of the light emitting device 125 and the negative terminal 126a of the second power supply terminal 126. Both terminal regions 122c electrically connect both terminals of the light emitting device 125 and both terminals 126b of the second power supply terminal 126. The divided shape of the transparent conductive layer 122 (refer to FIG. 3) may be any shape as long as the touch region 122a, the negative terminal region 122b, and the both terminal regions 122c are electrically separated from each other. It doesn't matter.

3, the first and second power supply terminals 123 and 126 may be formed of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or the like. In this case, the copper and aluminum may be bonded to the transparent conductive layer 122 by epoxy. Another example of such first and second power supply terminals 123 and 126 may be silver paste. Alternatively, the first and second power supply terminals 123 and 126 may be made of a conductive transparent polymer. Examples of the conductive transparent polymer may be any one of polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polyamine, and polyacetylene. Accordingly, the first and second power supply terminals 123 and 126 may be transparent from the outside, so that the entire touch sensing film 120 may be transparent.

When the user touches the transparent conductive layer 122 in a state in which power is supplied to the transparent conductive layer 122 through the first power supply terminal 123, the touch sensing film 120 having the above structure is provided. The transparent conductive layer 122 senses a change in capacitance caused by the contact to determine whether the user touches a specific area of the touch sensor assembly 100. At the same time, the controller of the electronic device, not shown, supplies power through the second power supply terminal 126 to emit light from the light emitting device 125. The user may check that the touch sensor assembly recognizes his contact and transmits an input signal to an electronic device (not shown) based on the emitted light. On the contrary, in a dark place around the user, the light emitting device 125 always emits light, and when the user touches a part of the body to the touch sensing film 120, the light emitting device 125 corresponding to the contacted position. It is also possible to flash).

As described above, the conventional touch sensor is generally made of a flat surface, and because it is vulnerable to bending, it is difficult to adhere to the three-dimensional surface formed, the touch-sensing film 120 is a transparent conductive layer 122 is carbon Since it is made of nanotubes can be formed on a three-dimensional surface.

Meanwhile, the touch sensing film 120 and the light emitting device 125 may be operated independently of each other. For example, the plurality of light emitting devices 125 may emit light from the left end to the right end, or vice versa, regardless of the user's contact. The plurality of light emitting devices 125 may alternately emit light, and the entire light emitting device 125 may repeat light emission and blink at the same time. In addition, when the electronic device is a device capable of playing music files, it is also possible to emit light in conjunction with the music sound. The touch sensor assembly 100 operated as described above may be provided at one side of the electronic device to emit light in various ways, so that the user may feel an aesthetic effect.

Meanwhile, at least one fractional groove 124 may be formed in the touch sensing film 120 to fractionate the transparent conductive layer 122. The fractional grooves 124 are formed in the transparent conductive layer 122 at regular or irregular intervals. As an example of a method of forming the fractional groove 124 in the transparent conductive layer 122, dry etching may be used. Dry etching is a process using a reaction by a laser beam or a gas plasma, and is also referred to as dry etching because it does not use chemical weakness used in wet etching.

Fractional grooves 124 formed by the above-described method allows one transparent conductive layer 122 to be divided into several pieces. As shown in FIG. 3, three fractional grooves 124 are formed in one touch sensing film 120 so that the transparent conductive layer 122 is formed into four touch zones A, B, C, and D. Can be fractionated and each touch zone A, B, C, D is not electrically connected. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, when the user touches a finger with the A touch zone, the user's touch is not detected in the adjacent B touch zone.

In this case, it is preferable that the light emitting device 125 is formed to correspond one-to-one to each of the fractionated transparent conductive layers 122. This is to inform that when the user touches any one of the plurality of touch zones, the touch zone senses the user's touch. For example, when a user touches a finger with the touch area A, the light emitting device 125 of the touch area A emits light. The light emitting device 125 serves to inform the user that the touch is sensed.

In addition, the first and second power supply terminals 126 may be formed to correspond one-to-one to each of the divided transparent conductive layers 122. This is to allow current to be supplied to each of the divided transparent conductive layers 122 and the light emitting devices 125.

Meanwhile, any one of letters, figures, and patterns corresponding to each of the transparent transparent layers 122 may be formed in the base member 110. Since the touch-sensing film 120 is made of a transparent material, the user can check the letters, pictures and patterns formed on the base member 110 through the transparent touch-sensing film 120. The figure shown in the base member 110 is a "back (111a), go to the next (111b), go to the fraction groove 124 (111c), the power on / off ( 111d) ", and these figures may change depending on the manufacturer's design. When the user touches a touch area among the plurality of touch areas A, B, C, and D, the user may know which command is input to the electronic device, not shown.

Meanwhile, the touch sensing film 120 and the base member 110 may be integrally formed by an in-mold injection method.

3 and 5, an in-mold injection method for integrally forming the touch sensing film 120 and the base member 110 will be described.

First, a capacitive touch sensing film 120 having a carbon nanotube layer as the transparent conductive layer 122 is provided. Next, the touch sensing film 120 is in close contact with an inner surface of any one of the molds of the injection molding machine. Here, a plurality of through holes are formed on the inner wall of the mold to which the touch sensing film 120 is in close contact, and the through holes and the suction pump communicate with each other. Then, the bleeding pump is operated to bring the touch sensing film 120 into close contact with the mold. In this process, the touch sensing film 120 is deformed into a curved state 120b in the flat state 120a shown in FIG. 3 to correspond to the shape of the inner surface of the mold as shown in FIG. 6. Here, the touch-sensing film 120, since the transparent conductive layer 122 is made of CNTs do not thermally deform or break during the deformation process.

Next, the molds are combined to seal the inside of the molds from the outside.

Finally, the base member 110 is formed by injecting molten resin into the injection space inside the molds through an injection device through holes formed in the molds to which the touch sensing film 120 is not in close contact with each other. 110 and the touch sensing film 120 are integrally formed.

In the touch sensor assembly 100 manufactured by the above method, the touch sensing film 120 and the base member 110 are integrally formed so that the touch sensing film 120 is separated from the base member 110 by an external force. Not separated, can be strongly bonded, and the manufacturing process can be simplified than the method of applying the adhesive or bonding the touch sensor and the base member with a double-sided tape or the like.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and any person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may have various modifications and equivalent other embodiments. Will understand. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a touch sensor assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a plan view of a touch sensor assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a perspective view of the touch sensing film and the base member, respectively, in the touch sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shape of a transparent conductive layer in the touch sensing film shown in FIG. 3.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V 'of the touch sensor assembly according to the preferred embodiment shown in FIG.

6 is an exploded perspective view of a touch sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: touch sensor assembly 110: base member

120: film for touch sensing 121: base layer

122: transparent conductive layer 123: first power supply terminal

124: groove for fractionation 125: light emitting element

126: second power supply terminal

Claims (7)

In the touch sensing film for contacting the base member including a three-dimensional surface to detect external contact, A base layer made of a soft and insulating material, the base layer having a shape corresponding to the three-dimensional surface so as to be in contact with the three-dimensional surface of the base member; A transparent conductive layer formed on the base layer to sense a change in capacitance caused by external contact; A light emitting device electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to emit light upon external contact; At least one first power supply terminal electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to supply power to the transparent conductive layer; And And at least one second power supply terminal electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to supply power to the light emitting device. The method of claim 1, At least one fractional groove for fractionating the transparent conductive layer is formed, The light emitting device is formed to correspond one-to-one to each of the fractionated transparent conductive layers, The first and second power supply terminal is a touch sensing film, characterized in that formed to correspond to each one of the transparent transparent layer. A base member including a three-dimensional surface; And A light emitting device that is integrally formed on the three-dimensional surface of the base member, the transparent conductive layer for sensing the capacitance change due to external contact is made of carbon nanotubes, and is electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to emit light upon external contact. Touch sensing film comprising a; Touch sensor assembly comprising a. The method of claim 3, The touch sensing film is: A base layer made of a flexible and insulating material, one surface of which is in contact with the three-dimensional surface of the base member, and the other surface of which the transparent conductive layer is formed; At least one first power supply terminal electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to supply power to the transparent conductive layer; And At least one second power supply terminal electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer to supply power to the light emitting device; Touch sensor assembly comprising a. The method of claim 3, The touch sensing film is formed with at least one fractional groove for fractionating the transparent conductive layer, The light emitting device is formed to correspond one-to-one to each of the fractionated transparent conductive layers, The first and second power supply terminals are formed to correspond one-to-one to each of the fractionated transparent conductive layers, The base member, the touch sensor assembly, characterized in that any one of letters, pictures and patterns corresponding to each of the divided transparent conductive layer is formed. The method of claim 3, The touch sensing film and the base member is a touch sensor assembly, characterized in that formed integrally by the in-mold injection method. Providing a film for capacitive touch sensing using a carbon nanotube layer as a transparent conductive layer and having a film type electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer; Contacting the touch sensing film to an inner surface of one of molds of an injection molding machine; Joining the molds; Integrally forming the base member and the touch sensing film while forming a base member by injecting molten resin into an injection space inside the molds; Touch sensor assembly manufacturing method comprising a.

Images