TW201710857A - Touch panel and method for printing touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A touch panel is provided, including a visible region and a non-visible region surrounding the visible region, containing: a substrate; a first decorating layer located on the substrate; and a second decorating layer located on the substrate and defining at least one hollow region with the second decorating layer, wherein the second decorating layer closes to the edge of the hollow region of the first decorating layer. A method for printing a touch panel is also provided.

Description

Touch panel and printing method for the same

The present invention relates to a touch panel, and more particularly to a touch-print decorative layer touch panel.

With the rapid development of smart phones and tablets, touch panels are in short supply in the application of such handheld electronic devices, prompting the industry to continuously develop and improve related process technologies, in order to reduce the production cost of touch panels and production. A more personalized touch panel.

Conventionally, in the prior art, the touch panel is divided into a visible area and a non-visible area. The visible area is mainly used for displaying the image image and the touch electrode, and the non-visible area is mostly used for the arrangement of the visible conductive lines and various The illustrated arrangement is typically provided with a decorative layer on the non-visible area for shielding conductive lines and displaying various illustrations. The printed result of the decorative layer directly affects the appearance of the touch panel.

1A and 1B are respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view showing a touch panel in the prior art. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the touch panel 10 has a substrate 100, a sensing layer (not shown), and the sensing layer can be bonded or directly formed on a plane different from the touch operation of the substrate 100. The substrate 100 includes Non-visible area 100a and visible area 100b. The non-visible area 100a usually adopts a decorative layer for shielding the touch panel. On the line. Typically, the non-visible area 100a is formed by printing a single decorative layer 110 on the substrate 100. However, when the printing area of the single decorative layer 110 is large, it is easy to produce the ink overflow 120 at the edge of the printing area, that is, the boundary between the visible area 100b and the non-visible area 100a, the sawing phenomenon occurs, and the edges are uneven. In addition, large-area printing is more prone to problems such as increased labor intensity of wiping screens, increased frequency of wiping screens, and reduced printing efficiency.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a touch panel having a visible area and a non-visible area surrounding the visible area, including: a substrate; a first decorative layer disposed on the substrate; and a second decoration And a layer disposed on the substrate and defining a range of at least one hollow region together with the first decorative layer, wherein the second decorative layer is adjacent to an edge of the hollow region relative to the first decorative layer.

In an embodiment, the second decorative layer at least partially overlaps the first decorative layer and forms an overlapping area and a non-overlapping area therein.

In an embodiment, the first decorative layer is adjacent to the second decorative layer, and the first decorative layer has a width of 100 μm to 2900 μm.

In an embodiment, the first decorative layer is located above the second decorative layer in the overlapping area.

In an embodiment, the second decorative layer is positioned over the first decorative layer to form an overlap.

In an embodiment, the overlap region has a width of 50 μm to 500 μm, and the non-overlapping region has a width of 100 μm to 1000 μm.

In an embodiment, the width of the second decorative layer is less than the width of the first decorative layer.

In an embodiment, the first decorative layer and the second decorative layer are inks of different colors.

In an embodiment, the first decorative layer and the second decorative layer are inks of the same color.

In an embodiment, the non-overlapping regions have a width of from 100 μm to 300 μm.

In one embodiment, the first decorative layer and/or the second decorative layer are printed from a plurality of ink layers.

The present invention also provides a printing method for a touch panel, comprising: providing a substrate; forming a first decorative layer on the substrate; and forming a second decorative layer on the substrate, and the first decoration The layers collectively define a range of at least one hollowed out region, wherein the second decorative layer is adjacent to the edge of the hollowed out region with respect to the first decorative layer, and the width of the second decorative layer is smaller than the width of the first decorative layer; wherein the first decorative layer Adjacent to the second decorative layer.

The present invention also provides another printing method for a touch panel, comprising: providing a substrate; forming a second decorative layer on the substrate, and defining a range of at least one hollow region together with the first decorative layer, wherein The second decorative layer is adjacent to the edge of the hollow region relative to the first decorative layer, and the width of the second decorative layer is smaller than the width of the first decorative layer; wherein the second decorative layer partially overlaps with the first decorative layer and forms a The overlap region and a non-overlapping region have a width of 100 μm to 2900 μm.

The present invention divides the overall printed area into small areas and divides it into small areas for printing. Small area printing requires less ink, which greatly reduces the phenomenon of ink spillage or ink accumulation on the edges of the visible area and the hollow pattern, and can reduce the labor of wiping the screen. Dynamic strength and frequency, which in turn improves printing efficiency and quality.

10‧‧‧Touch panel

30‧‧‧Touch panel

100‧‧‧ protective cover

100a‧‧‧Invisible area

100b‧‧‧visible area

120‧‧ ‧ overflow ink

201‧‧‧ pattern

300‧‧‧Substrate

300a‧‧‧Invisible area

300b‧‧‧visible area

301‧‧‧Operation surface

303‧‧‧Fitting surface

310‧‧‧First decorative layer

310a‧‧‧ ink layer

320‧‧‧Second decorative layer

O‧‧‧Overlapping area

P‧‧‧ non-overlapping areas

1A and 1B are a top view and a cross-sectional view of a touch panel in the prior art; FIG. 2 is a top view of the touch panel in some embodiments of the present invention; and FIGS. 3A and 3B show some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 3C is a flow chart showing a printing method for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4A is a view showing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4B is a flow chart showing a printing method for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 is a view showing a touch panel in a manufacturing process according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a decorative layer of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the invention.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the following drawings are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the elements may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced to clearly show the features of the present invention. In the description and drawings, the same or similar elements will be denoted by like reference numerals. In the method There may be additional operational steps before, during or after the process, and some of the operational steps may be replaced or deleted in the methods of other embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 2, the touch panel 30 is divided into a visible area 300b and a non-visible area 300a surrounding the visible area 300b. The visible area 300b is mainly used for displaying image images and touch operations, while the non-visible area 300a is mostly used for visible. The arrangement of the conductive lines (not shown) and the arrangement of the various diagrams 201 are generally provided with a decorative layer on the non-visible area 300a for defining the respective area ranges of the visible area 300b and the non-visible area 300a, and The effect of shielding the conductive lines. In addition, the decorative layer may be further patterned to define a hollowed out region in which various patterns 201, such as a logo pattern 203, an infrared (IR) hole (not shown), and an icon (icon), are formed. In the embodiment of the present invention, the non-visible area 300a is used to print ink by partitioning at the edge of the visible area 300b and various patterns 201 such as trademark graphics, infrared (IR) holes (not shown) and icons (icon). To carry out the overprinting of the decorative layer.

For details of the overprinting method, please refer to FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIGS. 3A and 3B are a cross-sectional view and a top view of the touch panel 30. The touch panel 30 includes a substrate 300, a first decorative layer 310, and a second decorative layer 320. The first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 are disposed on the substrate 300 and collectively define a range of at least one hollow region, wherein the second decorative layer 320 is adjacent to the edge of the plurality of hollow regions relative to the first decorative layer 310. In addition, the so-called hollow area may be the visible area 300b of the touch panel 30 and/or the pattern 201 formed in the non-visible area 300a of the touch panel 30 is marked with a trademark graphic, an infrared (IR) hole (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, only the visible area 300b is used as an example of the hollow area.

The material of the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 may be selected from oil Ink or photoresist. In addition, in order to make the second decorative layer 320 relatively close to the hollow region have a smaller area of printing, the width of the second decorative layer 320 of the present embodiment is preferably smaller than the width of the first decorative layer 310. Certainly, the widths of the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 may be adjusted according to the range of the non-visible area 300a of the touch panel 30 and/or the actual size of the pattern 201. If the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 are used to define the range of the visible area 300b and the non-visible area 300a in FIG. 3A, the width of the first decorative layer 310 may be, for example, 100 μm to 2900 μm. The width of the second decorative layer 320 may be, for example, 150 μm to 1500 μm, and more preferably 150 μm to 500 μm.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, the second decorative layer 320 partially overlaps the first decorative layer 310 to form the overlapping region O and the non-overlapping region P due to process considerations. In the overlap region O, the second decorative layer 320 is located above the first decorative layer 310. In one embodiment, the overlap region O has a width of 50 μm to 500 μm. The width of the non-overlapping region P is designed to cope with the aforementioned small-area printing. In one embodiment, the non-overlapping region P has a width of 100 μm to 1000 μm, and more preferably has a width of 100 μm to 300 μm. Therefore, the present embodiment allows a conventional single large-area decorative layer to be divided into at least two regions, such as the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320, for small-area printing, which can effectively avoid ink spills and jagged edges. phenomenon.

It is to be noted that, in order to clearly show the relative positions of the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320, different layer patterns are used in the illustration of the present invention to represent the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320, but it is not The materials or colors used to define the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 need to be the same or different.

The substrate 300 can serve as a protective cover for the touch panel 30 (cover Lens). The material of the substrate 300 may be selected from the group consisting of glass, tempered glass, sapphire, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyester film (PC), and the invention is not limited thereto. Furthermore, if the material of the substrate 300 is glass, the formation of the substrate 300 may include a strengthening process to provide a harder protection. In one embodiment, the strengthening process can be a chemical ion exchange process.

In the above, the substrate 300 has an outwardly exposed operation surface 301 and a sticker that will be attached to the board (not shown, for example, a touch substrate having a touch sensing layer or an upper polarizer for a display panel). Face 303. The operation surface 301 is exposed to the outside of the device after the touch device is assembled, and the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 are overprinted on the bonding surface 303.

Next, please refer to FIG. 3C to illustrate a specific process of the touch panel 30. The first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 can be fabricated by a screen printing method. First, the first decorative layer 310 is printed on the substrate 300 with a larger mesh screen; secondly, the first decorative layer 310 is pre-baked to be cured; again, the screen with a smaller mesh is already printed. A second decorative layer 320 is printed on the substrate 300 of a decorative layer 310, and the second decorative layer 320 is partially overlapped with the first decorative layer 310 to form an overlapping area O and a non-overlapping area P, wherein the second decorative layer 320 and the second A decorative layer 310 defines a range of at least one hollow region (such as the visible region 300b) according to the screen design, and the second decorative layer 320 is adjacent to the edge of the hollow region with respect to the first decorative layer 310; finally, the second decoration is pre-baked. Layer 320 is allowed to cure.

In the present embodiment, the material of the second decorative layer 320 may be the same as the first decorative layer 310. In particular, the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 may use ink of the same color. Since the second decorative layer 320 adopts a mesh with a smaller mesh The version can reduce the frequency of wiping the screen by about 20% to 30%, and can improve the printing efficiency by about 20%. Moreover, during the printing process, the amount of ink overflow is greatly reduced, so that the edge of the second decorative layer 320 is flatter than the edge of the first decorative layer 310. In addition, since the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 are inks of the same color, the second decorative layer 320 may further compensate for the edges of the first decorative layer 310 and provide a flatter edge, thereby making the visible region 300b The edge of the cutout region such as the pattern 201 is flatter, and the appearance of the touch panel 30 is improved.

Please refer to FIG. 4A, which is another embodiment of the present invention. The touch panel 30 of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, except that the second decorative layer 320 partially overlaps with the first decorative layer 310 to form an overlapping area O, in the overlapping area O, The first decorative layer 310 is located above the second decorative layer 320.

Please refer to FIG. 4B to illustrate the specific process of the touch panel 30. First, the second decorative layer 320 is printed on the substrate 300 by a screen with a smaller mesh; secondly, the second decorative layer 320 is pre-baked to be cured; and further, the screen with a larger mesh is already printed. The first decorative layer 310 is printed on the substrate 300 of the second decorative layer 320, the second decorative layer 320 is partially overlapped with the first decorative layer 310 to form an overlapping area O, and the second decorative layer 320 is not covered by the first decorative layer. 310 covers the overlapping regions to form a non-overlapping region P. The second decorative layer 320 and the first decorative layer 310 jointly define a range of at least one hollow region (such as the visible region 300b) according to the screen design, and the second decorative layer 320 is adjacent to the edge of the hollow region with respect to the first decorative layer 310. . Finally, the first decorative layer 310 is pre-baked and allowed to cure.

In the present embodiment, the material of the second decorative layer 320 may be the same as the first decorative layer 310. The first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 can adopt the same color The color ink, because the second decorative layer 320 adopts a screen with a smaller mesh size, greatly reduces the amount of ink overflow, so that the edge of the second decorative layer 320 is more flat than the edge of the first decorative layer 310. Therefore, when the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 are inks of the same color, the second decorative layer 320 can block the edge of the first decorative layer 310 to display a flat edge, thereby making the visible area 300b and the pattern The edge of the hollowed out area such as 201 is flatter, and the appearance of the touch panel 30 is improved. In particular, the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 may use inks of different colors. Since the second decorative layer 320 adopts a screen with a smaller mesh, the amount of ink overflow is greatly reduced during the printing process, so that the second Both edges of the decorative layer 320 are flatter than the edges of the first decorative layer 310. Further, since the second decorative layer 320 partially overlaps the first decorative layer 310, the first decorative layer 310 having a larger area can be shielded. The edge is used to achieve a finishing effect, which not only makes the edge of the cutout area such as the visible area 300b and the pattern 201 smoother, but also enables the touch panel 30 to have a multi-color border effect and improves the appearance of the touch panel 30.

Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is substantially the same as the above embodiment. The difference is that the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 of the present embodiment are disposed adjacent to each other. There is no overlap. In this regard, if the printing of the second decorative layer 320 fails during the process, the amount of wasted ink is small and rework is easy.

Please refer to FIG. 6 , which is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 . In one embodiment, the first decorative layer 310 is printed from a plurality of (two or more) ink layers 310a. For example, the first decorative layer 310 is formed by three ink layers 310a. The first decorative layer 310 formed by multiple printing has a stepped structure at the edge portion. In another embodiment, the first The second decorative layer 320 can also be printed from a plurality of ink layers. In this way, the first decorative layer 310 and the second decorative layer 320 can be ensured to achieve good light shielding properties.

It should be noted that the touch panel of the present disclosure may also include other structures, such as a sensing electrode layer, a touch sensing layer, or a touch signal wire. The above structure can be produced by any conventional method or material.

In summary, the present invention provides a printing structure for a touch panel and a method thereof, which utilizes lamination overprinting to divide a large-area printing area in sections and print in sections. The printing near the edge of the hollowed out area is printed in a small area. The small amount of printing requires less ink, which greatly reduces the phenomenon of ink spillage, thereby reducing the labor intensity and frequency of wiping the screen, thereby improving printing efficiency and quality.

While the invention has been described above in terms of several preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make any changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. And the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

300‧‧‧Substrate

300a‧‧‧Invisible area

300b‧‧‧visible area

301‧‧‧Operation surface

303‧‧‧Fitting surface

310‧‧‧First decorative layer

320‧‧‧Second decorative layer

O‧‧‧Overlapping area

P‧‧‧Edge Area

Claims (18)

A touch panel having a visible area and a non-visible area surrounding the visible area, comprising: a substrate; a first decorative layer disposed on the substrate; and a second decorative layer disposed on the substrate A range of at least one hollowed out region is defined in conjunction with the first decorative layer, wherein the second decorative layer is adjacent the edge of the hollowed out region relative to the first decorative layer. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the second decorative layer at least partially overlaps the first decorative layer and forms an overlapping area and a non-overlapping area. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the first decorative layer is adjacent to the second decorative layer, and the first decorative layer has a width of 100 μm to 2900 μm. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the first decorative layer is located above the second decorative layer in the overlapping area. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the second decorative layer is located above the first decorative layer to form an overlap. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the overlap region has a width of 50 μm to 500 μm, and the non-overlapping region has a width of 100 μm to 1000 μm. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the width of the second decorative layer is smaller than the width of the first decorative layer. The touch panel of claim 4, wherein the first device The decorative layer and the second decorative layer are inks of different colors. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein the first decorative layer and the second decorative layer are inks of the same color. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the non-overlapping region has a width of 100 μm to 300 μm. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the first decorative layer and/or the second decorative layer are printed by a plurality of ink layers. A printing method for a touch panel, comprising: providing a substrate; forming a first decorative layer on the substrate; and forming a second decorative layer on the substrate, and defining at least the first decorative layer together a range of hollowed out regions, wherein the second decorative layer is adjacent the edge of the hollowed out region relative to the first decorative layer; wherein the first decorative layer is adjacent to the second decorative layer. A printing method for a touch panel, comprising: providing a substrate; forming a first decorative layer on the substrate; and forming a second decorative layer on the substrate, and defining together with the first decorative layer And a range of the at least one hollow area, wherein the second decorative layer is adjacent to the edge of the hollow area relative to the first decorative layer; wherein the second decorative layer partially overlaps the first decorative layer and forms an overlapping area and a non- An overlap region having a width of 100 μm to 2900 μm. The printing method for a touch panel according to claim 13, wherein the forming step of the first decorative layer is after the forming step of the second decorative layer. The printing method for a touch panel according to claim 13, wherein the first decorative layer is overprinted before the overprinting of the second decorative layer. The printing method for a touch panel according to claim 13, wherein the overlapping region has a width of 50 μm to 500 μm. The printing method for a touch panel according to claim 13, wherein the non-overlapping region has a width of 100 μm to 300 μm. The printing method for a touch panel according to claim 13, wherein the first decorative layer and/or the second decorative layer are formed by overprinting a plurality of ink layers.