KR20130065075A

KR20130065075A - Display assembly, manufacturing method therof and mobile terminal having it

Info

Publication number: KR20130065075A
Application number: KR1020110131777A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 전상국
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2011-12-09
Filing date: 2011-12-09
Publication date: 2013-06-19

Abstract

A display assembly, a method of manufacturing the same, and a mobile terminal including the same are disclosed. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display assembly, a method of manufacturing the same, and a mobile terminal including the same. Forming a wire in a wiring area of an outer circumference of the pattern area; And forming a protective layer in the pattern region and the wiring region. According to the present invention, by performing the protective layer for the pattern region and the wiring region in one process, the process can be shortened and the production cost can be reduced.

Description

DISPLAY ASSEMBLY, MANUFACTURING METHOD THEROF AND MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING IT}

The present invention relates to a display assembly, a method for manufacturing the same, and a mobile terminal including the same. More specifically, by performing a protective layer for a pattern region and a wiring region in one process, the process can be shortened and the production cost can be reduced. A display assembly, a method of manufacturing the same, and a mobile terminal including the same.

A terminal such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, or a mobile phone has various functions, for example, a multimedia device having a complex function such as photographing or photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of music or a moving picture file, (Multimedia player).

The terminal can move It may be divided into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal, depending on whether it is present. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

In order to support and enhance the functionality of the terminal, it is contemplated to improve the structural and / or software portion of the terminal.

In order to obtain a touch signal corresponding to a user's touch input to the terminal, a touch sensor may be provided in the window.

In the related art, the manufacturing process of the touch sensor is complicated and the production cost increases.

The present invention relates to a display assembly, a method of manufacturing the same, and a mobile terminal including the same, which can shorten a process and reduce a production cost by performing a protective layer for a pattern region and a wiring region in one process.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments, a display assembly manufacturing method includes: forming a pattern in a pattern area of one surface of a window; Forming a wire in a wiring area of an outer circumference of the pattern area; And forming a protective layer in the pattern region and the wiring region.

The forming of the protective layer may be performed at substantially the same time with respect to the pattern region and the wiring region.

The method may further include forming a bridge in a cross region of the plurality of wires, and the forming of the protective layer may be performed after the forming of the bridge.

In addition, the display assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object, a window; And a touch circuit formed on one surface of the window to generate a touch signal corresponding to a touch input of the user, wherein the touch circuit includes: a pattern region generating the touch signal in response to the touch input of the user; The wiring region may be provided on an outer circumferential side of the pattern region to transmit the touch signal, and a protective layer may be applied to the pattern region and the wiring region in a single process.

The protective layer may include at least one material of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and UV curable material.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object, the body; And a display assembly provided on a front surface of the body to sense a touch input of a user, wherein the display assembly comprises: a window; And a touch circuit formed on one surface of the window to generate a touch signal corresponding to a touch input of the user, wherein the touch circuit includes: a pattern region generating the touch signal in response to the touch input of the user; The wiring region may be provided on an outer circumferential side of the pattern region to transmit the touch signal, and a protective layer may be applied to the pattern region and the wiring region in a single process.

The apparatus may further include a bonding member positioned in at least a portion of the wiring area and an area corresponding to the at least some area of the body, and attaching the window to the body.

The display assembly according to the present invention, a method for manufacturing the same, and a mobile terminal including the same have the effect of shortening the process and lowering the production cost by performing the protective layer for the pattern region and the wiring region in one process.

1 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 1.
3 is an exploded view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 2.
4 is an exploded view of the front body of FIG. 3.
5 is a cross-sectional view of the front body of FIG. 4.
6 to 9 illustrate a process of manufacturing the touch circuit of FIG. 5.

The above objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and similarities. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail. In addition, the numbers (eg, first, second, etc.) used in the description process of the present specification are merely identification symbols for distinguishing one component from another component.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), and navigation. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may also be applied to fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, etc., except when applicable only to mobile terminals.

1 is a front perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 1.

As shown in the drawing, the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a bar-shaped body. The bar-shaped body may be formed by injecting a synthetic resin or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

In the mobile terminal 100, the front body 101 and the battery cover 102 may be exposed to the outside when the assembly is completed.

The front body 101 may be a front portion of the mobile terminal 100. The front body 101 may include a display 151, an audio output unit 152, a front camera 121a, a user input unit 131, a microphone 122, an interface 170, and the like.

The display 151 may be located in front of the front body 101. The display 151 may display various information necessary for an operation process of the mobile terminal 100. The display 151 may represent a 2D image and / or a 3D image.

The sound output unit 152 may be a speaker for outputting a sign language sound. There may be a plurality of sound output units 151. For example, a plurality of sound output units 152 may be provided for outputting a sign language or outputting a ring tone.

The front camera 121a may be positioned to photograph the user side. For example, the user may conduct a video call with another user based on his / her own image captured by the front camera 121a.

The user input unit 131 is manipulated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100, and may include a plurality of operation units. The user input unit 131 may be detected as capacitive and light may be generated when a user input is applied.

The user input unit 131 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion, or may be a tactile manner in which the user operates while having a tactile feeling. For example, it may be a physical button.

The user input unit 131 may be assigned a high frequency of use or a major function. For example, a function such as starting, terminating, or adjusting sound of the mobile terminal 100 and / or the application may be allocated to the user input unit 131.

The microphone 122 may be a device for acquiring a voice or the like of the user. The microphone 122 may be located below the mobile terminal 100.

The interface 170 may include a USB port for connecting with an external device.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 1.

As shown in the drawing, the mobile terminal 100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may have the battery cover 102 exposed on its rear surface. The earphone jack 171, the antenna 124, and the rear camera 121b may be positioned on the rear surface of the battery cover 102 that is exposed.

The earphone jack 171 may be an interface for outputting sound output from the mobile terminal 100 through the earphone. The earphone jack 171 may include not only a terminal for transmitting an audio signal but also a terminal for receiving an operation signal for adjusting a function of the mobile terminal 100 through a button provided in the earphone.

The antenna 124 may be used to obtain a broadcast signal for viewing a DMB or the like. For example, in order to smoothly receive a broadcast signal, the user may draw out the antenna 124 from the body and use the same.

The rear camera 121b may be located at the rear side of the mobile terminal 100. The rear camera 121b may capture a stereoscopic image.

The camera flash 123 may be located adjacent to the rear camera 121b. The camera flash 123 may operate at the time of photographing an image.

3 is an exploded view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 2.

As shown in the drawing, the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a battery cover 102, a rear body 103, and a front body 101.

The battery cover 102 may be coupled to the rear of the mobile terminal 100. That is, it is coupled to the rear of the mobile terminal 100, which means that it can play a role of protecting the internal components such as the battery (250). The battery cover 102 may be formed by injecting a polycarbonate (PC) material. The battery cover 102 may include a coupling hole to which the rear camera 121b and the like may be coupled.

The rear body 103 substantially constitutes a body of the mobile terminal 100. That is, the body of the mobile terminal 100 may be configured by combining the front body 101 and the rear body 103, which will be described below. The rear body 103 may be provided with a battery coupling hole 251 to which the battery 250 may be coupled.

The front body 101 may constitute a front side of the mobile terminal 100. The main PCB 230 and the rear camera 121b may be located in the front body 101. In addition, the front body 101 may include a window 242 of FIG. 4 and an LCD layer 243 of FIG. 4.

4 is an exploded view of the front body of FIG. 3.

As shown in the drawing, the front body 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention inserts a front frame 241, a window 242, an LCD layer 243, and a front frame 241. It may include a blocking plate 244 that is injected.

The front frame 241 can form the skeleton of the front body 101. The front frame 241 may be injection molded using a magnesium (Mg) alloy or the like. Injection molding using a magnesium alloy may be easy to maintain the quality of the injection molded product to a certain level or more. That is, in the case of injection using a magnesium alloy, it means that injection of a relatively complicated shape may be possible. However, in the case of injection using a magnesium alloy, it may not be easy to inject below a certain thickness. For example, when less than 0.4 mm, the rigidity of the injection molding using a magnesium alloy may not be secured. Therefore, injection molding using magnesium may be performed on a part having a complex shape or a certain thickness or more with various ribs while constituting the entire skeleton such as the front frame 241.

The window 242 may be positioned substantially at the front of the front body 101. The window 242 is made of tempered glass or the like and may be substantially transparent. Since the window 242 is provided on the front of the front body 101, the user's satisfaction with the mobile terminal 100 may be increased. For example, it can be expected to improve the touch on the mobile terminal 100, which means that the degree of completeness in terms of design can be increased.

The LCD layer 243 may be coupled to the lower side of the front frame 241. For example, the window 242 may be coupled to one side of the front frame 241, and the LCD layer 243 may be coupled to the other side.

The LCD layer 243 may display an image based on the control signal of the controller (180 of FIG. 1). The LCD layer 243 may display a 2D image and / or a 3D image. The size of the LCD layer 243 is substantially the same as the display window area 255 provided in the front frame 241.

The blocking plate 244 may be coupled to the front frame 241 under the LCD layer 243. The blocking plate 244 may be insert injected into the front frame 241. That is, although it is a separate part produced through a separate process, it means that it can be treated as one part when the assembly process is completed.

When the blocking plate 244 and the front frame 241 are coupled, the front frame 241 forms the outer circumference of the front body 101 and the blocking plate is the inner circumference of the front body 101. It can be to form.

The blocking plate 244 may be formed of a material different from that of the front frame 241. For example, the front frame 241 may be a magnesium (Mg) alloy, whereas the blocking plate 244 may be a plate-shaped metal material. Since the plate is made of metal, the blocking plate 244 may be formed by pressing.

5 is a cross-sectional view of the front body of FIG. 4.

As shown in the drawing, the front body 101 of the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a window 242 coupled to the front body 101 and a lower surface of the window 242. And a bonding member 90 for bonding the touch circuit 50, the LCD layer 243 positioned below the window 242, and the window 242 on which the touch circuit 50 is formed to the front frame 241. Can be.

As described above, the window 242 may be located at the front of the mobile terminal 100. The window 242 is made of a substantially transparent material, and an image displayed on the LCD layer 243 may be observed through the window 242.

When the image is observed through the window 242, the user may perform a touch operation on the window 242. For example, an operation of selecting a specific menu or button may be performed by touching a menu image or a button image. The touch operation of the user with respect to the window 242 may be sensed by the touch circuit 50 formed on the rear surface of the window 242.

The touch circuit 50 may be formed on the lower side surface of the window 242. When the user touches the upper surface of the window 242, the touch circuit 50 located on the lower surface of the window 242 may generate a touch signal corresponding thereto.

The touch signal generated by the touch circuit 50 may include information such as the start of a touch operation by the user, the location of a specific point touched by the user, and the end of the touch operation by the user. For example, when the user touches the (X, Y) point, the touch circuit 50 may generate information that the specific point of the window 242 is touched and that the specific point is the (X, Y) point. have. Furthermore, when the touch on the point (X, Y) is terminated, the touch circuit 50 may generate information indicating that the touch is terminated.

The touch signal generated by the touch circuit 50 may be transmitted to the controller (not shown). The controller (not shown) may determine whether a touch action, a drag action, a flicking action, or the like for a specific menu or button is input based on the received touch signal.

The touch circuit 50 may be formed through a touch circuit generation process using the window 242 as a base. Details of the touch circuit generation process will be described in the corresponding sections. Through the touch circuit generation process, the conductive layer 10, the wiring 20, the pattern 30, and the protective layer 40 may be formed.

The conductive layer 10 may be a substantially transparent material. Therefore, even if the conductive layer 10 is located in the window 242, the user can observe the image displayed on the LCD layer 243 through the window 242.

The conductive layer 10 includes indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), conductive polymer, and carbon nanotubes (CNT, Carbon). NanoTube) such as transparent and electrically conductive materials can be used.

The conductive layer 10 may be formed on the window substrate 111 by a dry coating such as sputtering or a wet coating such as spraying or dipping.

The wiring 20 may be provided in the wiring area PA corresponding to the non-active area DA of the LCD layer 242. The non-active area DA may also be referred to as an LCD bezel and may mean an area in which an image is not displayed on the LCD layer 242.

The wiring area PA may be located at the outer circumferential side of the window 242. For example, it may be located in all or part of an outer portion of the window 242.

The wiring 20 may be any one or two or more alloys selected from metals such as silver (Ag), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), or ITO, ATO, AZO, or conductive polymer. It may be formed of a conductive material, such as CNT.

The pattern 30 may be provided in the pattern area CA corresponding to the active area AA of the LCD layer 242. The active area AA may mean an area in which an image is substantially displayed on the LCD layer 242.

The pattern 30 may be an X-axis sensor pattern (or Rx sensor pattern) and a Y-axis sensor pattern (Tx sensor pattern), or a Y-axis sensor pattern (Tx sensor pattern) and an X-axis sensor pattern (or Rx sensor pattern). have. When the user touches the window 242, whether the touch is detected and / or the touch point may be detected by the pattern 30. Information detected through the pattern 30 may be transmitted to the controller (not shown) through the wiring 20. In forming the X-axis sensor pattern and the Y-axis sensor pattern, a process of forming a bridge at a point where each pattern crosses may be further included. The bridge insulates the point where the pattern crosses, so that the X-axis sensor pattern and the Y-axis sensor pattern are not electrically interfered.

The protective layer 40 may include at least one material of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, UV curable material, and thermosetting material. The protective layer 40 of such a material can shield the wiring 20 and the pattern 30. By shielding the wiring 20 and the pattern 30 by the protective layer 40, the phenomenon in which the wiring 20 and the pattern 30 are damaged by an external force can be prevented. In addition, since the protective layer 40 shields the wiring 20 and the pattern 30, the effect of insulating the wiring 20 and / or the pattern 30 can be expected.

The protective layer 40 may be formed through one process. That is, the protective layer 40 that shields the wiring area PA and the pattern area CA may be formed through a single process. Therefore, the process can be simplified compared to the case of forming the passivation layer 30a for the wiring region PA after the process of forming the insulating layer 30b of FIG. 9 for the pattern region CA. have. Therefore, the production cost of the display assembly 50 can be reduced. The protective layer 40 may proceed after the step of forming the bridge. That is, after the process of preventing the X-axis sensor pattern and the Y-axis sensor pattern from interfering with each other, the wiring area PA and the pattern area CA may be shielded.

The bonding member 90 allows the window 242 and the front frame 241 to be coupled to each other. That is, the bonding member 90 may serve to attach the window 242 having the touch circuit 50 to the body of the mobile terminal 100.

The bonding member 90 may be attached to the window 242 at a point corresponding to at least a portion of the wiring area PA. That is, the bonding member 90 does not shield the active area AA of the LCD layer 243 on which the image is displayed.

6 to 9 illustrate a process of manufacturing the touch circuit of FIG. 5.

As shown in these figures, the touch circuit (50 in FIG. 5) of the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention to be generated in the window 242 through the process of deposition, etching, coating, etc. sequentially Can be.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the conductive layer 10 may be deposited on one surface of the window 242 through a film deposition process such as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) or CVD. have.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the photoresist 24 may be applied onto the deposited conductive layer 10. The portion to which the photoresist 24 is applied may be a region substantially corresponding to the pattern region (CA in FIG. 5).

After applying the photoresist 24, masking may be patterned in that area using a mask (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 7B, after the masking is patterned, the first conductive material 22 may be formed. The first conductive material 22 may serve as a wiring (20 of FIG. 5) through a subsequent process.

As illustrated in FIG. 8A, the second conductive material 22 may be coated on the entire surface of the window 242 including the first conductive material 22. After applying the second conductive material 22, the first and second photoresists 26 and 36 may be formed.

The first photoresist 26 may serve to generate a configuration corresponding to the wiring 20, and the second photoresist 36 may serve to generate a configuration corresponding to the pattern 30.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the pattern 20 and the wiring 30 may be formed by irradiating UV in a state where the first and second photoresists 26 and 36 are formed, and then passing through a predetermined process. have.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the protective layer 30 can be applied to the formed pattern 20 and the wiring 30. The protective layer 30 may be formed through a single process. Therefore, the process can be simplified as compared with the conventional case of forming each of the pattern 20 and the wiring 30.

An advantage of the formation of the protective layer 30 through a single process is that FIG. 9 (b) in which the first and second protective layers 30a and 30b are formed on the pattern 20 portion and the wiring 30 portion, respectively. As compared with the conventional case shown in the following can be more clearly understood.

As shown in FIG. 9B, when the first and second protective layers 30a and 30b are separately formed, a first process for forming the first protective layer 30a and the second protective layer 30b are performed. Had to go through a second step to form a separate. On the contrary, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the protective layer 30 may be formed through a single process, thereby simplifying the process and reducing the production cost.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, such modifications or variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

100: mobile terminal 10: conductive layer
20: wiring 30: pattern
40: Protective layer

Claims

Forming a pattern in a pattern region of one surface of the window;
Forming a wire in a wiring area of an outer circumference of the pattern area; And
And forming a protective layer in the pattern region and the wiring region.

The method according to claim 1,
Forming the protective layer,
And substantially simultaneously with respect to the pattern region and the wiring region.

The method according to claim 1,
Forming a bridge at an intersection of a plurality of the wires;
Forming the protective layer,
And after the step of forming the bridge.

window; And
A touch circuit formed on one surface of the window to generate a touch signal corresponding to a user's touch input,
The touch circuit,
A pattern area generating the touch signal in response to a touch input of the user;
A wiring area provided on an outer circumferential side of the pattern area to transmit the touch signal;
And a protective layer applied to the pattern region and the wiring region in a single process.

5. The method of claim 4,
The protective layer may be formed,
Display assembly comprising at least one material of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, UV curable material, heat curable material.

body; And
It is provided on the front of the body, and includes a display assembly for detecting a user's touch input,
The display assembly,
window; And
A touch circuit formed on one surface of the window to generate a touch signal corresponding to a user's touch input,
The touch circuit,
A pattern area generating the touch signal in response to a touch input of the user;
A wiring area provided on an outer circumferential side of the pattern area to transmit the touch signal;
And a protective layer applied to the pattern region and the wiring region in a single process.

The method of claim 6,
And a bonding member positioned in at least a portion of the wiring area and an area corresponding to the at least partial area of the body and attaching the window to the body.