TW201721386A - Touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention provides a touch panel having excellent impact resistance without requirement of providing a decorative part, and having superior design on the operational side. The touch panel of this invention includes a cover member 19 disposed on an operational side 11b of a substrate 11 at a position inside a lead wiring area E2 in a manner of avoiding the lead wiring area E2 of a lead wiring portion 18 of first electrodes 13 and second electrodes 14, and is produced by performing insert injection-molding with a resin material till a step portion between the cover member 19 and the substrate 11 caused by deposing the cover member 19, to sandwich an outer edge of the substrate 11 from the upper and lower sides, such that the surface of the cover member 19 and the surface of the frame portion 3 are flush.

Description

Touch panel

The invention relates to a projection type capacitive touch panel which can be detected by multi-point detection of a fingertip.

In recent years, electronic devices such as mobile phones, smart devices (such as tablet terminals or e-book readers), and car navigation systems have been designed as an interface to provide intuitive operation and excellent durability. A display device having a touch panel function (a display device having a touch panel: a touch panel device).

The touch panel is a position input device that detects a touch of a pointer such as a finger or a stylus pen to specify a coordinate of the touch position. The detection methods of the touch panel are roughly classified into a resistive film type including an analog resistive film type and a matrix resistive film type, a capacitive type including a surface type capacitive type and a projected type capacitive type, and an optical type including an infrared scanning type and a retroreflective type. Including the surface acoustic wave type and the plate wave type ultrasonic type, various types of touch panels have been put into practical use.

However, in recent years, the demand for the above-described detection methods, particularly the projection type capacitive touch panel, has been increasing. The projection type capacitive touch panel is such that the fingertip is close, that is, the capacitance of the electrode near the fingertip is detected. Change, detecting the positional coordinates on the touch panel from the two electrode columns in the vertical and horizontal directions.

Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of such a projection type capacitive touch panel. The projection type capacitive touch panel 51 of the fifth embodiment is manufactured by the following configuration: a single surface of one of the light-transmitting substrates 52 (the back surface opposite to the surface on the operation surface side) is formed. The sensor unit 54 including the electrode unit 53 that extends from the first electrode (for example, the X electrode) in a plurality of rows of transparent conductive films extending in the first direction (for example, the lateral direction) The second electrode (for example, the Y electrode) of the plurality of rows of the transparent conductive film in the second direction (for example, the longitudinal direction) in which the electrodes intersect is laminated, and the engagement recess 55a of the frame portion 55 is passed through a double-sided tape or the like. The adhesive member 56 has a configuration in which the sensing portion 54 is sandwiched.

Further, on the substrate 52, a pull-out wiring portion 57 which is pulled out from each end portion of the electrode portion (first electrode, second electrode) 53 is formed via the decorative layer 58. Further, a protective layer 59 including a transparent insulating film is formed to cover the electrode portion 53 of the sensing portion 54 and the entire pull-out wiring portion 57. Then, a display device 60 such as a liquid crystal display device is bonded and fixed to the position facing the sensing portion 54 of the substrate 52 by, for example, a bonding material 61 such as a transparent adhesive tape. Such a projection type capacitive touch panel is known, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

[Previous Technical Literature] (Patent Literature)

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-90443

In the touch panel disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pull-out wiring portion 57 of the electrode portion 53 provided on the back surface of the substrate 52 is disposed in a region (outer periphery) other than the operation region, and is provided so as not to be removed from the touch panel by the user. The decorative layer 58 is hidden in a manner seen on the side of the operation surface.

However, in order not to hinder the design of the electronic device equipped with the touch panel, the color of the decorative layer 58 must be matched according to the color of the frame portion 55, and the colors of the parts having different materials are matched with each other, which is very difficult in operation. Further, there is a problem in that the manufacturing steps of the touch panel are increased in order to provide the decorative layer 58, and the manufacturing cost is increased.

Further, the touch panel of Patent Document 1 is a structure in which the frame portion 55 is fitted into the sensing portion 54 and is adhered and fixed by the adhesive member 61, and when a strong impact such as dropping occurs, the sensing portion 54 may be The problem of the frame body falling off.

Further, the electrode portion (first electrode, second electrode) 53 of the sensing portion 54 of the touch panel 51 is connected to a control IC (not shown) from the end portion via the pull-out wiring portion 57, but the pull-out wiring portion 57 is exposed. On the other hand, in the case where it is exposed to the air, corrosion is likely to occur, and the wire is broken. Conventionally, the protective layer 59 made of a transparent insulating film is formed so as to cover the entire portion of the drawn wiring portion 57.

However, after the performance evaluation test of the touch panel 51 on which the protective layer 59 having the transparent insulating film is formed under conditions of high temperature and high humidity (for example, 85 ° C, 85%), it is understood that, according to the specifications of the protective layer, over time The foreign moisture will reach the pull-out through the moisture-permeable protective layer 59. In the wire portion 57, the wire portion 57 is pulled out and corroded. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the corrosion resistance of the pull-out wiring portion 57 with the configuration in which the pull-out wiring portion 57 is covered only by the protective layer 59.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel which is excellent in impact resistance and which does not require a decorative portion and has excellent design on the operation surface side.

In order to achieve the above object, a touch panel according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a first electrode and a second electrode each including a plurality of electrode rows, and is insulated from each other so as to be insulated. a sensing portion of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed on the back surface of the substrate; and a projection type capacitive touch panel in which the frame portion of the injection molding is embedded in the state in which the sensing portion is sandwiched, a cover member is provided on a surface of the substrate so as to cover at least a part of the operation region, so that the cover member and the substrate are The resin material is embedded and injection-molded so as to have an outer edge portion of the substrate from the upper and lower sides so as to have no difference between the cover members and the cover member.

In the touch panel of the first aspect of the invention, in the touch panel of the first aspect, the frame portion is formed to cover at least the surface of the drawn wiring portion.

A touch panel according to a third aspect of the present invention is the touch panel of the first or second aspect, wherein the covering member is a glass material.

The touch panel of the fourth aspect of the present invention is in the first or the In the touch panel of the second aspect, the covering member is a transparent resin material.

In the touch panel of the fourth aspect of the invention, in the touch panel of the fourth aspect, a protrusion is formed in a contact portion of the cover member with the frame portion.

According to the present invention, since it is not necessary to provide a decorative portion that shields the drawn wiring portion from the outside, the wiring portion can be shielded, and the manufacturing cost is lowered. Further, since the frame portion is inserted and molded with respect to the substrate, the substrate can be detached from the frame portion without a strong impact such as dropping, and a highly reliable touch panel can be provided. Further, when the shape of the covering member is designed to be any shape such as a circular shape or a polygonal shape, the design can be arbitrarily changed by merely changing the shape of the covering member while maintaining the generality of the sensing portion.

In addition, the frame body portion is inserted and injection-molded so as to cover at least the region where the electrode is pulled out of the wiring portion, and since the entire pull-out wiring portion is covered with the resin, external moisture is hard to pass, and the pull-out prevention wiring can be sufficiently exhibited. The effect of corrosion.

1‧‧‧ touch panel

2‧‧‧Sensing Department

3‧‧‧ Frame Department

3a‧‧‧ surface

3b‧‧‧ operation button

11‧‧‧Substrate

11a‧‧‧Back (opposite side of operation)

11b‧‧‧Surface (operation surface)

12‧‧‧Electrode

13‧‧‧1st electrode

14‧‧‧2nd electrode

14a‧‧‧Electrode film

15‧‧‧Intersection

16‧‧‧Insulation

17‧‧‧Bridge wiring

18‧‧‧ Pull out the wiring department

19‧‧‧ Covering components

19a‧‧‧ Protrusion

20‧‧‧bonding layer

21‧‧‧Carbon layer

22‧‧‧ display device

51‧‧‧ touch panel

52‧‧‧Substrate

53‧‧‧Electrode

54‧‧‧Sense Department

55‧‧‧ Frame Department

55a‧‧‧Pocket recess

56‧‧‧Adhesive

57‧‧‧ Pull out the wiring department

58‧‧‧Decorative layer

59‧‧‧Protective layer

60‧‧‧ display device

61‧‧‧Adhesive

E1‧‧‧Operating area

E2‧‧‧ Pull out the wiring area

Fig. 1(a) is a plan view showing a sensing portion of the touch panel of the present invention from the back side, and (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of (a).

Fig. 2(a) is a view showing an example of a plane of the touch panel of the present invention, and Fig. 2(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion B-B of the line (a).

Fig. 3 is a view showing when the covering member is provided with a projection for preventing falling off A diagram of a morphological example.

Fig. 4 (a) and (b) are views showing an example of formation of a notch portion formed in a substrate.

Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of a mounting structure of a conventional touch panel.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and other embodiments, embodiments, and operating techniques that can be conceived by those skilled in the art based on this aspect are included in the scope of the present invention.

In addition, in the present specification, the following descriptions are attached with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the terms of the top, bottom, left, and right used for the display direction or position are as shown in the figure, and the upper, lower, and left views of the user are viewed. The right direction is the same.

In the touch panel 1 of the present embodiment, the fingertips are close to each other, that is, the capacitance change of the electrodes near the fingertips is detected, and the positional coordinates of the position coordinates on the touch panel 1 are detected from the two vertical and horizontal electrode columns. Projected capacitive touch panel.

First, the configuration of the touch panel 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 . Further, the touch panel 1 of the present embodiment is illustrated by a rectangular shape as a plan view. However, the shape is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be a shape such as a square, a circle, an ellipse or a polygon.

As shown in any of the first and second figures, the present embodiment The schematic configuration of the touch panel 1 includes the first electrode 13 and the electrode portion 12 of the second electrode 14 which are formed on the back surface of the substrate 11 having light transmissivity (the surface opposite to the surface on which the operation surface is opposed). The sensor unit 2 that is disposed; and the frame portion 3 that is inserted into the injection molding in a state in which the sensor unit 2 is sandwiched in the vertical direction.

The sensor unit 2 has a rectangular plate-shaped substrate 11 as a base as shown in Fig. 1(a). The substrate 11 is formed of an insulating material having light transmissivity, and for example, a glass type or a film type can be used. As the glass substrate 11, for example, an alkali-free glass, a soda lime glass, an aluminosilicate glass or the like is used. Further, as the film type substrate 11, for example, a film made of a resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used.

The first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 as the electrode portion 12 are formed on the back surface of the substrate 11 (the surface opposite to the surface opposite to the surface operated by the fingertip, hereinafter referred to as the operation opposing surface) 11a. In the first electrode 13 , for example, a transparent conductive film such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is patterned by a photolithography technique or the like, and then an etching process is performed, for example, in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of FIG. 1 . A plurality of column electrodes are arranged.

The second electrode 14 is the same as the first electrode 13. For example, a transparent conductive film such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is patterned by a photolithography technique or the like, and then an etching process is performed, for example, in the lateral direction of FIG. The direction) forms a plurality of column electrodes arranged in series.

Next, a method of forming the electrode portion 12 will be described. First, a plurality of first electrodes 13 extending in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of FIG. 1(a) are formed with respect to the operation opposing surface 11a of the substrate 11, and are disposed in a separated state. The plurality of electrode films 14a are placed in the lateral direction (Y direction) of Fig. 1(a). Next, an insulating layer 16 is formed on the first electrode 13 of the intersection portion 15 of the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14. The insulating layer 16 is electrically insulated from the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, and is made of, for example, an insulating material such as an acrylic resin. Then, as shown in FIG. 1(b), a plurality of electrode films 14a are connected to the first electrode 13 in the lateral direction (Y direction) of FIG. 1(a) by bridge wiring (jumping wiring) 17, and the second electrode layer 14a is formed. Electrode 14. At this time, the bridge wiring 17 connecting the electrode films 14a and 14a constituting the second electrode 14 is wired so as to pass through the insulating layer 16. Further, in this example, the rectangular portion on the inner side of the second figure (a) of the electrode portion 12 obtained by the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 is formed as the operation region E1 of the sensing portion 2.

In the method of forming the electrode portion 12 described above, the bridge wire 17 is used for the second electrode 14. However, the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 may be reversed, and the first electrode 13 may be used. Bridge wiring 17. Further, since the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 are insulated at least at the intersection portion 15, the electrode (the first electrode 13 or the second electrode 14) on one side may be integrally formed with the insulating layer 16 and insulated. The structure of the other electrode (the second electrode 14 or the first electrode 13) is formed on the layer 16.

The first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 formed on the substrate 11 by the above-described forming method are pulled out of the wiring portion 18 so that the respective end portions are pulled out to the end of the substrate 11 as shown in Fig. 1(a). The unit is connected to a control IC (control circuit) not shown.

The pull-out wiring portion 18 is a pull-out wiring region E2 of the U-shaped portion outside the operation region E1 as shown in Fig. 2(a) (image in the figure) In the line region, the wiring drawn from the end portions of the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 is, for example, a metal film such as MAM (Mo/Al/Mo) or APC (Ag. Pd. Cu). A film is formed by sputtering, and a predetermined pattern is formed by etching to the end of the substrate 11.

In this manner, in order to maintain the accuracy of the position sensor, the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 each composed of a linear electrode are electrically insulated, and are disposed on the substrate 11 as XY. In the matrix form, it is not detected which side of which electrode is in the vicinity, but which X-direction electrode and which Y-direction electrode are independently detected, and the position can be calculated from the intersection.

When the frame portion 3 is subjected to the injection molding, the operation surface 11b side of the substrate 11 facing at least the opposite side of the pull-out wiring portion 18 is covered so as to avoid the surface side of the substrate 11 (the operation surface 11b side of the substrate 11). The cover member 19 is disposed at a position inside the pull-out wiring region E2 via the adhesive layer 20 so that the wiring portion 18 of the wiring portion 18 is pulled out.

The cover member 19 is arranged to have a shape that avoids the pull-out wiring area E2 placed on the side of the operation opposing surface 11a when the frame portion 3 is fitted into the injection molding. Since the covering member 19 is disposed on the operation surface 11b of the substrate 11, a step portion is formed between the operation surface 11b of the substrate 11, and the resin material of the frame portion 3 can be entered for landfill when the injection molding is performed. The difference between the sections. Therefore, when the touch panel 1 is used, the frame portion 3 can cover the drawn wiring region E2, and when the touch panel 1 is used, it is not necessary to provide the processing or decorative layer of the substrate 11 itself, and the same as the conventional product. The wiring portion 18 is pulled out from the outside.

The case where the cover member 19 is formed of a glass material has the advantages of high transparency and high-grade feeling according to the texture of the glass (hardness, cold feeling at the time of contact), and resistance to chemical resistance, weather resistance, abrasion resistance, and the like. a variety of use environments.

Further, when the cover member 19 is formed of a transparent resin material (for example, polycarbonate, cellulose triacetate, acrylic resin, or the like), it is easier to scatter the fragments due to breakage or the like than the glass material. The surface of the member forms various coatings (for example, AR coating (anti-reflective coating), AG coating (anti-glare coating), AFP coating (anti-fingerprint coating), etc.), and the frame portion 3 is The resin material is excellent in that the affinity between the resins is good.

Further, when a transparent resin material is used for the covering member 19, as shown in Fig. 3, the portion abutting on the frame portion 3 can be easily formed into a projection 19a having a shape as a covering member 19 by resin molding. The function of the fitting portion with the frame portion 3. In this way, since the attachment protrusion 19a is provided to increase the joint area (contact area) with the frame portion 3, when the touch panel 1 is dropped, the cover member 19 can be prevented from falling off from the frame portion 3. Moreover, the shape and the number of the projections 19a shown in FIG. 3 are an example, and the shape, the size, and the number of the projections 19a are not particularly limited as long as they are fitted to the frame portion 3 and are prevented from falling off.

When the cover member 19 is disposed on the substrate 11, in order to prevent the touch panel 1 itself from becoming too thick, the thickness of the substrate 11 and the thickness of the cover member 19 can be appropriately adjusted according to the thickness of the touch panel 1. For example, when the thickness of the conventional substrate 11 is 1.1 mm, the thickness of the substrate 11 is set to 0.5 mm, the thickness of the covering member 19 is set to 0.6 mm, and the total thickness is 1.1 mm, which is the same as the thickness of the substrate 11 generally used. Further, the covering member 19 is not limited to one sheet, and may be laminated in a plurality of sheets (for example, when the target thickness is 0.6 mm, three sheets of 0.2 mm covering members may be used).

In this manner, at least on the side of the operation surface 11b of the substrate 11, the cover member 19 is disposed at a position further inside than the pull-out wiring region E2, and the frame portion 3 is inserted into the injection molding. The step portion generated between the covering member 19 and the substrate 11 is covered with a resin material. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a decorative layer for shielding the drawn wiring portion 18 as in the conventional device, and the same effect as that of the device for providing the decorative layer can be obtained. . Further, since the resin material can enter the step portion generated by the covering member 19, the surface of the covering member 19 and the frame portion 3 can be flush with each other.

In addition, the covering member 19 may be placed on the operation surface 11b of the substrate 11 by being formed so that at least the drawn wiring region E2 is covered by the resin material of the frame portion 3 when the insertion/ejection molding is performed. For example, as shown in FIG. 4( a ), the resin material processed into the frame portion 3 and the shape of the operation region E1 may be arranged.

Since the resin material used for the frame portion 3 has a high permittivity, the position of the fingertip can be detected by the electrode portion 12 even from the surface 3a of the frame portion 3 on the operation region E1. Therefore, when the covering member 19 is disposed as shown in Fig. 4(a), a part of the operation region E1 is covered with the resin material of the frame portion 3, and the portion covering the operation region E1 is as shown in Fig. 4(b). , the mark of the print operation button 3b is set by the electrode portion 12 When the button functions, it is not necessary to form a press button in the frame portion 3, and the operation function can be easily added.

Further, since the shape of the covering member 19 can be designed to have any shape such as a circular shape or a polygonal shape, the design of the covering member 19 can be arbitrarily changed while maintaining the general shape of the sensing portion 2.

The frame portion 3 is made of, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as a widely used plastic or engineering plastic. The frame portion 3 serves as a surface on the side of the operation surface 11b which serves as the operation region E1 (the region where the fingertip is operated) of the sensing portion 2 to cover the step difference caused by the covering member 19 disposed on the operation surface 11b of the substrate 11. In part, the outer edge of the substrate 11 is sandwiched from the upper and lower sides (front and back) by insert molding, and the surface 3a of the frame portion 3 and the surface of the covering member 19 can be flush and seamless. .

In addition, the frame portion 3 covers at least the lead-out wiring region E2 of the lead-out wiring portion 18 of the electrode portion 12 (the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14) formed on the operation opposing surface 11a side of the substrate 11 Perform embedded injection molding. Thereby, since the lead wire portion 18 is directly covered by the frame portion 3, the reliability of the product can be ensured even under severe conditions as in the performance evaluation test.

Further, in the touch panel 1 having the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the operation opposing surface 11a of the substrate 11 (the surface on which the sensing portion 2 is formed) is adhered, for example, via the adhesive layer 21 such as a transparent adhesive tape. It is fixed to a display device (for example, various display devices such as a liquid crystal display device and an EL display device) 22 .

Thereby, the touch panel 1 is used as a form of an input device The state is provided on the display device 22, and the display device 22 can be provided with a function of a display device (touch panel device) having a touch panel.

As described above, the touch panel 1 of the present embodiment is disposed on the operation surface 11b of the substrate 11 so as to avoid the pull-out wiring region E2 of the pull-out wiring portion 18 of the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 and to cover at least the operation. The cover member 19 is disposed in a part of the region E1, and is formed by insert molding of a resin material into a step portion where the cover member 19 and the substrate 11 are disposed, and the outer edge portion of the substrate 11 is sandwiched from the upper and lower sides. The surface of the covering member 19 and the surface 3a of the frame portion 3 are flush with each other.

In this way, since it is not necessary to provide a decorative portion that shields the drawn wiring portion from the outside, the wiring portion can be shielded from the wiring portion, so that the manufacturing cost is lowered, and there is no need to worry about the adhesion layer of the conventional device. The sandwich structure has a problem that the substrate 11 is detached from the frame portion 3 due to a strong impact such as dropping, and a touch panel having high reliability can be provided.

In addition, when the shape of the covering member 19 is designed to have an arbitrary shape such as a circular shape or a polygonal shape, when the generality of the sensing portion is maintained, the design of the covering member 19 can be arbitrarily changed.

In addition, the frame portion 3 is inserted into the injection molding so as to cover at least the region of the lead-out wiring portion 18 of each of the electrodes of the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, and the entire pull-out wiring portion 18 is covered with a resin. The moisture is hard to pass, and the effect of preventing the corrosion of the wiring portion 18 can be sufficiently exerted.

Further, the conventional structure is such that the pull-out wiring portion 18 is externally The decorative portion is not provided, and the outer shape of the covering member 19 must be enlarged to the position of the decorative portion. However, in the present invention, the frame portion 3 covers a part of the drawn wiring portion 18, and the covering member 19 is sandwiched and manufactured. Therefore, the size of the covering member 19 can be reduced.

In particular, when the covering member 19 is made of a glass material, although one to a plurality of glass sheets are to be treated, since the covering member 19 itself can be made small, the number of processes that can be handled is increased, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, when a transparent resin material is used for the covering member 19, the portion abutting on the frame portion 3 can be easily formed into a shape having a projection 19a having a function as a fitting portion with the frame portion 3 by resin molding. When the protrusion 19a is added to the joint region (contact area) of the frame portion 3, when the touch panel 1 is dropped, the cover member 19 can be prevented from falling off from the frame portion 3.

1‧‧‧ touch panel

3‧‧‧ Frame Department

3a‧‧‧ Surface of the frame body

11‧‧‧Substrate

11b‧‧‧Operation surface

12‧‧‧Electrode

18‧‧‧ Pull out the wiring department

19‧‧‧ Covering components

20‧‧‧bonding layer

21‧‧‧Adhesive layer

22‧‧‧ display device

E1‧‧‧Operating area

E2‧‧‧ Pull out the wiring area

Claims (5)

A projection type capacitive touch panel is provided on a back surface of a substrate having translucency so that a first electrode and a second electrode each including a plurality of electrode rows cross each other and are insulated at an intersection portion thereof a sensing portion of the first electrode and the second electrode; and a frame portion that is inserted into the injection molding in a state in which the sensing portion is sandwiched, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are pulled out A cover member is provided on a surface of the substrate so that at least a part of the operation region is covered by the wiring portion, and the frame portion is such that the cover member and the substrate have no step and are flush with the cover member. The outer edge portion of the substrate is sandwiched from the upper and lower sides by injection molding of a resin material. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the frame portion is formed to cover at least a surface of the drawn wiring portion. The touch panel of claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover member is a glass material. The touch panel of claim 1 or 2, wherein the covering member is a transparent resin material. The touch panel according to claim 4, wherein a protrusion is formed in a contact portion of the cover member with the frame portion.