TW202011168A - Curved touch device - Google Patents

Abstract

A spherical touch device is provided. The spherical touch device includes a spherical shell and a touch sensor layer. The spherical shell is a hollow structure, the spherical shell includes an inner surface and an outer surface on opposite sides thereof. The touch layer is attached to the inner surface of the spherical shell. The touch sensing layer includes a plurality of intersecting trunk portions. At least one of the trunk portions is spaced apart to extend a plurality of branch portions.

Description

Curved touch device

The invention relates to the field of touch technology, and relates to a curved touch device, in particular to a spherical touch device.

In recent years, with the advancement of technology, the use of touch modules has become wider and wider, from common cash dispensers, smart phones, tablet computers, to industrial touch computers and so on. However, the current mainstream touch modules on the market are mostly straight type, and the surface of a few touch modules is a 2.5D structure with only a certain curvature on the edge, and has a large curvature surface (such as a spherical surface or an ellipsoidal surface) Touch modules are relatively rare.

In the conventional technology, there are few records about the touch module with a large curvature surface, and the technology related to its specific structure and manufacturing method needs to be improved. Specifically, the expected application range of the spherical curved surface is wide, and the application scenarios of the spherical curved surface are different from the traditional straight type. Designing a spherical touch device with wide application, convenient manufacture and low cost is a technology that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art problem.

A curved touch device includes a spherical shell, the spherical shell is a hollow structure, the spherical shell includes an inner surface and an outer surface on opposite sides thereof; at least one touch sensing layer, the touch sensing A layer is attached to the inner surface of the spherical shell. The touch-sensing layer includes a plurality of intersecting trunk portions, and at least one of the trunk portions extends a plurality of branch portions at intervals.

The curved touch device of the present invention is provided with a touch sensing layer having a main part and a branch part on the inner surface of the hollow spherical shell, so that the spherical touch device has a simple and effective structure, and the main part and the branch part The touch sensing layer forming a hollow structure makes it difficult for air bubbles to be generated when the touch sensing layer is attached to a curved touch device.

The drawings show embodiments of the present invention. The present invention can be implemented in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these examples are provided to make the present invention more comprehensive and complete disclosure, and to make those skilled in the art more fully understand the scope of the present invention.

The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First embodiment

In one embodiment, the curved touch device is a spherical touch device 10, as shown in FIG. 1, which is a perspective schematic view of the spherical touch device 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention. The spherical touch device 10 includes a spherical housing 11 and at least one touch sensing layer 12, the spherical housing 11 is a hollow structure, the spherical housing 11 includes inner and outer surfaces on opposite sides of the housing, and the touch sensing layer 12 is a layered structure with a touch sensing function, the touch sensing layer 12 is attached to the inner surface of the spherical housing 11, and the touch sensing layer 12 can be adhered to the inner surface of the spherical housing 11 by a transparent adhesive , Such as optical adhesive (OCA).

The spherical shell 11 is a transparent or translucent material. In an embodiment, the material of the spherical shell 11 may be an organic substance, such as polycarbonate (Polycarbonate, PC), polyimide (Polyimide, PI), polyethylene naphthalate Polyethylene naphthalate two formic acid glycol ester (PEN) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and cyclic olefin copolymer (COP); material of spherical shell 11 It can also be inorganic, such as silicon dioxide (SiO2).

The spherical shell 11 includes an upper hemisphere 111 and a lower hemisphere 112. The upper hemisphere 111 and the lower hemisphere 112 have the same structure and are symmetrically distributed. The upper hemisphere 111 and the lower hemisphere 112 are buckled to form the spherical shell 11. Dividing the spherical shell 11 into an upper hemisphere 111 and a lower hemisphere 112 which are engaged with each other can provide sufficient operation space for the assembly between the spherical shell 11 and other components.

The touch sensing layer 12 has a touch sensing function, and can sense the touch on the surface of the spherical housing 11. The touch sensing layer 12 may be a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The flexible circuit board may sense touch through the circuit on the surface. The touch sensing layer 12 may also be other touch sensing devices. Functional structures. These structures should contain at least conductive materials for sensing touch, such as indium tin oxide (INDIUM TIN OXIDE, ITO) or metal mesh (Metal Mesh).

As shown in FIG. 2, it is a schematic plan view of the touch sensing layer 12 of the spherical touch device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the touch-sensing layer 12 includes at least four trunk portions 121 and a plurality of branch portions 122. The four trunk portions 121 intersect at a central point 120, and each branch portion 121 extends a plurality of branches at intervals The stem 122, the stem 121, and the branch 122 may be strip-shaped, and the touch sensing layer 12 extends and is attached to a specific area on the inner surface of the spherical housing 11.

In an embodiment, the four trunk portions 121 and the branch portions 122 extending therefrom are symmetrical about the center point 120, and the lengths of the two branch portions 122 located on different trunk portions 121 may be equal, and located on the same trunk portion 121. The lengths of the two adjacent branch parts 122 are not equal. The lengths of the plurality of branch parts 122 located on the same main part 121 increase gradually along the extending direction of the main part 121, that is, from the center point 120 to the direction away from the center point 120. Cadres 122 do not intersect each other. In other embodiments, the structures of the four trunk portions 121 and the branch portions 122 extending therefrom are different, and each of the trunk portions 121 and the branch portions 122 may have other structural layouts that meet the requirements.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is a partially enlarged schematic view of the touch sensing layer 12 of the spherical touch device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention along the III-III plane. In an embodiment, the touch sensing layer 12 may further include a first sensing layer 123 and a second sensing layer 124. The first sensing layer 123 and the second sensing layer 124 are interleaved with each other. Both 121 and the branch 122 include at least a portion of the first sensing layer 123 and at least a portion of the second sensing layer 124. In this embodiment, the half of the area of each main body 121 and each branch 122 is the first sensing layer 123, and the other half of the area of each main body 121 and each branch 122 is the second sensing layer 124 , The first sensing layer 123 and the second sensing layer 124 are interwoven to form the touch sensing layer 12, the first sensing layer 123 and the second sensing layer 124 can be insulated by providing an insulating layer or a circuit winding . In one embodiment, the first sensing layer 123 and the second sensing layer 124 may be the same conductive material or the same kind of electrode or have the same touch sensing method. In other embodiments, the first sensing layer The sensing layer 123 and the second sensing layer 124 may be different conductive materials or different types of electrodes or have different touch sensing methods.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the spherical touch device 10 includes two touch sensing layers 12 with the same structure. The two touch sensing layers 12 are located on the inner surfaces of the upper hemisphere 111 and the lower hemisphere 112, respectively. The main portion 121 and the branch portion 122 of the two touch sensing layers 12 are symmetrical about the spherical center of the spherical touch device 10. In other embodiments, the two touch sensing layers 12 on the upper hemisphere 111 and the lower hemisphere 112 may have different structures, and the main portion 121 and the branch portion 122 may be adjusted to other reasonable layouts according to specific needs.

The spherical touch device 10 further includes a processing unit (not shown). The processing unit is located in a hollow area in the spherical touch device 10. The processing unit is located approximately at the center of the spherical housing 11 and the processing unit can be The two central points 120 are electrically connected. The electrical signal sensed by the touch sensing layer 12 is conducted to the processing unit, and the processing unit can analyze the electrical signal of the touch sensing layer 12.

When the spherical housing 11 is held or touched, the touch sensing layer 12 is touched to cause changes in electrical signals, and the processing unit analyzes the changed electrical signals of the touch sensing layer 12 to determine the touched position or hold And provide different feedback solutions accordingly.

The spherical touch device 10 of the present invention is provided with a touch sensing layer 12 having a main portion 121 and a branch portion 122 on the inner surface of a transparent or translucent hollow spherical housing 11, so that the spherical touch device 10 has a simple An effective structure to reduce costs, and the trunk portion 121 and the branch portion 122 constitute a hollow structure of the touch sensing layer 12, so that the touch sensing layer 12 is attached to the curved touch device, especially in this embodiment In the spherical touch device 10 of the example, bubbles are not easily generated.

Second embodiment

In one embodiment, the curved touch device is a spherical touch device 20, as shown in FIG. 4, which is a perspective schematic view of the spherical touch device 20 of the second embodiment of the present invention. The spherical touch device 20 includes a spherical housing 21 and at least one touch sensing layer 22. The spherical housing 21 is a hollow structure. The spherical housing 21 includes inner and outer surfaces on opposite sides of the housing. The touch sensing layer 22 is a layered structure with a touch sensing function, the touch sensing layer 22 is attached to the inner surface of the spherical shell 21, and the touch sensing layer 22 can be adhered to the inner surface of the spherical shell 21 by a transparent adhesive , Such as optical adhesive (OCA).

The spherical shell 21 is a transparent or translucent material. In an embodiment, the material of the spherical shell 21 may be an organic substance, such as polycarbonate (Polycarbonate, PC), polyimide (Polyimide, PI), polyethylene naphthalate Polyethylene naphthalate two formic acid glycol ester (PEN) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and cyclic olefin copolymer (COP); material of spherical shell 21 It can also be inorganic, such as silicon dioxide (SiO2).

The spherical shell 21 includes an upper hemisphere 211 and a lower hemisphere 212. The upper hemisphere 211 and the lower hemisphere 212 have the same structure and are symmetrically distributed. The upper hemisphere 211 and the lower hemisphere 212 are engaged to form the spherical shell 21. Dividing the spherical shell 21 into an upper hemisphere 211 and a lower hemisphere 212 which are engaged with each other can provide sufficient operation space for the assembly between the spherical shell 21 and other components.

The touch sensing layer 22 has a touch sensing function, and can sense touch on the surface of the spherical housing 21. The touch-sensing layer 22 may be a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The flexible circuit board may sense touch through the circuit on the surface. The touch-sensing layer 22 may also be other touch-sensing devices. Functional structures. These structures should contain at least conductive materials for sensing touch, such as indium tin oxide (INDIUM TIN OXIDE, ITO) or metal mesh (Metal Mesh).

As shown in FIG. 5, it is a schematic plan view of the touch sensing layer 22 of the spherical touch device 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the touch-sensing layer 22 includes at least four trunk portions 221 and a plurality of branch portions 222. The four trunk portions 221 intersect at a central point 220, and each branch portion 221 extends a plurality of branches at intervals The stem portion 222, the stem portion 221, and the branch portion 222 may have a bar shape, and the touch sensing layer 22 extends and is attached to a specific area on the inner surface of the spherical housing 21.

In an embodiment, the four trunk portions 221 and the plurality of branch portions 222 extending therefrom are symmetrical about the center point 220, and the symmetric positions or the distances between the center points 220 on the different trunk portions 221 are symmetrical about the center point 220 The lengths of the branch parts 222 may be equal. The lengths of two adjacent branch parts 222 on the same main part 221 are not equal. Among the three branch parts 222 continuously distributed on the same main part 221, the branch parts 222 in the middle part are simultaneously It is longer than the branch 222 on both sides, or the branch 222 in the middle is shorter than the branch 222 on both sides, and the plurality of branch 222 do not intersect each other. In other embodiments, the structures of the four trunk portions 221 and the branch portions 222 extending therefrom are different, and each of the trunk portions 221 and the branch portions 222 may have other structural layouts that meet the requirements.

As shown in FIG. 6, it is a partially enlarged schematic view of the touch sensing layer 22 of the spherical touch device 20 of the second embodiment of the present invention along the VI-VI plane. In an embodiment, the touch sensing layer 22 may further include a first sensing layer 223 and a second sensing layer 224. The first sensing layer 223 and the second sensing layer 224 are interleaved with each other. Both 221 and the branch portion 222 include at least a portion of the first sensing layer 223 and at least a portion of the second sensing layer 224. In this embodiment, the half of the area of each main body 221 and each branch 222 is the first sensing layer 223, and the other half of the area of each main body 221 and each branch 222 is the second sensing layer 224 , The first sensing layer 223 and the second sensing layer 224 are interwoven to form the touch sensing layer 22, and the first sensing layer 223 and the second sensing layer 224 can be insulated by providing an insulating layer or a circuit fold . In one embodiment, the first sensing layer 223 and the second sensing layer 224 may be the same conductive material or the same type of electrode or have the same touch sensing method. In other embodiments, the first sensing layer The sensing layer 223 and the second sensing layer 224 may be different conductive materials or different types of electrodes or have different touch sensing methods.

As shown in FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the spherical touch device 20 includes two touch sensing layers 22 having the same structure, and the two touch sensing layers 22 are located on the inner surfaces of the upper hemisphere 211 and the lower hemisphere 212, respectively. The main portion 221 and the branch portion 222 of the two touch sensing layers 22 are symmetrical about the spherical center of the spherical touch device 20. In other embodiments, the two touch sensing layers 22 located on the upper hemisphere 211 and the lower hemisphere 212 respectively can have different structures, and the trunk portion 221 and the branch portion 222 can also be adjusted to other reasonable layouts according to specific needs.

The spherical touch device 20 further includes a processing unit (not shown). The processing unit is located in a hollow area within the spherical touch device 20. The processing unit is located approximately at the center of the spherical shell 21. The processing unit can be The two central points 220 are electrically connected. The electrical signal sensed by the touch sensing layer 22 is conducted to the processing unit, and the processing unit can analyze the electrical signal of the touch sensing layer 22.

When the spherical housing 21 is held or touched, the touch sensing layer 22 is touched to cause changes in electrical signals, and the processing unit analyzes the changed electrical signals of the touch sensing layer 22 to determine the touched position or hold And provide different feedback solutions accordingly.

Third embodiment

In one embodiment, the curved touch device is a spherical touch device 30. As shown in FIG. 7, it is a three-dimensional schematic view of the spherical touch device 30 of the third embodiment of the present invention. The spherical touch device 30 includes a spherical housing 31 and at least one touch sensing layer 32. The spherical housing 31 is a hollow structure. The spherical housing 31 includes inner and outer surfaces on opposite sides of the housing. The touch sensing layer 32 is a layered structure with a touch sensing function, the touch sensing layer 32 is attached to the inner surface of the spherical housing 31, and the touch sensing layer 32 can be adhered to the inner surface of the spherical housing 31 by a transparent adhesive , Such as optical adhesive (OCA).

The spherical shell 31 is a transparent or translucent material. In an embodiment, the material of the spherical shell 31 may be an organic substance, such as polycarbonate (Polycarbonate, PC), polyimide (Polyimide, PI), polyethylene naphthalate Polyethylene naphthalate two formic acid glycol ester (PEN) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and cyclic olefin copolymer (COP); material of spherical shell 31 It can also be inorganic, such as silicon dioxide (SiO2).

The spherical housing 31 includes an upper hemisphere 311 and a lower hemisphere 312. The upper hemisphere 311 and the lower hemisphere 312 have the same structure and are symmetrically distributed. The upper hemisphere 311 and the lower hemisphere 312 are coupled together to form the spherical housing 31. Dividing the spherical housing 31 into an upper hemisphere 311 and a lower hemisphere 312 which are engaged with each other can provide sufficient operation space for the assembly between the spherical housing 31 and other components.

The touch sensing layer 32 has a touch sensing function, and can sense touch on the surface of the spherical housing 31. The touch-sensing layer 32 may be a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The flexible circuit board may sense touch through the circuit on the surface. The touch-sensing layer 32 may also be other touch-sensing devices. Functional structures. These structures should contain at least conductive materials for sensing touch, such as indium tin oxide (INDIUM TIN OXIDE, ITO) or metal mesh (Metal Mesh).

As shown in FIG. 8, it is a schematic plan view of the touch sensing layer 32 of the spherical touch device 30 of the third embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the touch-sensing layer 32 includes at least four trunk portions 321, a plurality of branch portions 322, and a plurality of protrusion portions 325. The trunk portion 321, the branch portions 322, and the protrusion portions 325 may be arc-shaped, touch The control sensing layer 32 extends and adheres to a specific area on the inner surface of the spherical housing 31.

In this embodiment, the four trunk parts 321 intersect at a central point 320, and each branch part 321 extends a plurality of branch parts 322 at intervals, and half of the branch parts 322 located on the same trunk part 321 are not different from other branch parts 322 is connected, the other half is connected to another branch 322 on the other trunk 321 adjacent to it, where any two adjacent branches 322 located on the same trunk 321, one of which is connected to the branch of the adjacent trunk 321 The trunk 322 intersects, and the other does not intersect with any other branch 322. The adjacent four branches 322 located on different trunks 321 are connected to form a complete arc. A plurality of protrusions 325 extend from the arc. The protruding portion 325 does not intersect the trunk portion 321 or other branch portions 322.

In one embodiment, the four trunk portions 321 and the branch portions 322 extending therefrom are symmetrical about the center point 320. In other embodiments, the structures of the four trunk portions 321 and the branch portions 322 extending therefrom are different Each main part 321 and branch part 322 may be other structural layouts that meet the requirements.

As shown in FIG. 9, it is a partially enlarged schematic view of the touch sensing layer 32 of the spherical touch device 30 of the third embodiment of the present invention along the plane of IX-IX. In an embodiment, the touch sensing layer 32 may further include a first sensing layer 323 and a second sensing layer 324. The first sensing layer 323 and the second sensing layer 324 are alternately arranged with each other. Both 321 and the branch 322 include at least a portion of the first sensing layer 323 and at least a portion of the second sensing layer 324.

In this embodiment, the half of the area of each trunk 321 and each branch 322 is the first sensing layer 323, and the half of the area of each trunk 321 and each branch 322 is the second sensing layer 324 , The first sensing layer 323 and the second sensing layer 324 are interwoven to form the touch sensing layer 32, and the first sensing layer 323 and the second sensing layer 324 can be insulated by providing an insulating layer or a circuit fold .

In one embodiment, the first sensing layer 323 and the second sensing layer 324 may be the same conductive material or the same type of electrode or have the same touch sensing method. In other embodiments, the first sensing layer The sensing layer 323 and the second sensing layer 324 may be different conductive materials or electrodes of different types or have different touch sensing methods.

As shown in FIG. 7, in one embodiment, the spherical touch device 30 includes two touch sensing layers 32 with the same structure. The two touch sensing layers 32 are located on the inner surfaces of the upper hemisphere 311 and the lower hemisphere 312 respectively The main portion 321 and the branch portion 322 of the two touch sensing layers 32 are symmetrical about the spherical center of the spherical touch device 30. In other embodiments, the two touch sensing layers 32 respectively located on the upper hemisphere 311 and the lower hemisphere 312 can have different structures, and the trunk portion 321 and the branch portion 322 can also be adjusted to other reasonable layouts according to specific needs.

The spherical touch device 30 further includes a processing unit (not shown). The processing unit is located in a hollow area within the spherical touch device 30. The processing unit is located approximately at the center of the spherical housing 31. The processing unit can be The two center points 320 are electrically connected. The electrical signal sensed by the touch sensing layer 32 is conducted to the processing unit, and the processing unit can analyze the electrical signal of the touch sensing layer 32.

When the spherical housing 31 is held or touched, the touch sensing layer 32 is touched to cause changes in electrical signals, and the processing unit analyzes the changed electrical signals of the touch sensing layer 32 to determine the touched position or hold And provide different feedback solutions accordingly.

It can be understood that although the above embodiments are described by taking the spherical touch device as an example, the invention is not limited to the spherical curved touch device, but the invention can also be applied to other curved touch devices, such as an olive touch Control device, etc. The curved touch device includes a curved shell, the curved shell includes an inner surface and an outer surface on opposite sides thereof; at least one touch sensing layer, the touch sensing layer is attached Attached to the inner surface of the spherical shell, the touch-sensing layer includes four intersecting main parts, and at least one main part is extended with a plurality of branch parts at intervals. The touch sensing layer in the curved device may be any of the touch sensing layers in the first embodiment to the third embodiment.

The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

10, 20, 30: spherical touch device 11, 21, 31: spherical shell 111, 211, 311: upper hemisphere 112, 212, 312: lower hemisphere 12, 22, 32: touch sensing layer 120, 220, 320: center point 121, 221, 321: main staff 122, 222, 322: cadres 123, 223, 323: the first sensing layer 124, 224, 324: second sensing layer 325: protrusion

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a spherical touch device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

2 is a schematic plan view of the touch sensing layer of the spherical touch device according to the first embodiment of the invention.

3 is a partially enlarged schematic view of the touch sensing layer of the spherical touch device along III-III according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a schematic perspective view of a spherical touch device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

5 is a schematic plan view of a touch sensing layer of a spherical touch device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

6 is a partially enlarged schematic view of the touch sensing layer of the spherical touch device along VI-VI according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a schematic perspective view of a spherical touch device according to a third embodiment of the invention.

8 is a schematic plan view of a touch sensing layer of a spherical touch device according to a third embodiment of the invention.

9 is a partially enlarged schematic view of the touch sensing layer of the spherical touch device along IX-IX according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

10: spherical touch device

11: spherical shell

111: upper hemisphere

112: Lower Hemisphere

12: Touch sensing layer

Claims (10)

A curved touch device, the improvement of which includes: a spherical shell, the spherical shell is a hollow structure, the spherical shell includes an inner surface and an outer surface on opposite sides of the spherical shell; at least one touch sensing layer, The touch-sensing layer is attached to the inner surface of the spherical shell. The touch-sensing layer includes a plurality of intersecting trunk portions, and at least one of the trunk portions extends a plurality of branch portions at intervals. The curved touch device according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensing layer includes a first sensing layer and a second sensing layer, and the first sensing layer is adjacent to the second sensing layer and contact. The curved touch device according to claim 2, wherein each of the trunk portion and the branch portion includes at least a portion of the first sensing layer and at least a portion of the second sensing layer. The curved touch device according to claim 2, wherein the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer are insulated from each other. The curved touch device according to claim 1, wherein the lengths of two adjacent branches located on the same trunk portion are not equal, and the four trunk portions intersect at one point. The curved touch device according to claim 5, wherein: the lengths of the plurality of branch portions located on the same trunk portion extend away from the intersection of the plurality of trunk portions along the direction in which the trunk portions extend The direction of the intersection point gradually increases, and the plurality of branch cadres do not intersect each other. The curved touch device according to claim 5, wherein: among the three consecutively distributed branch parts located on the same trunk part, the branch part located in the middle is more than the branch parts located on both sides Long, or, the branch in the middle is shorter than the branch on the two sides, and the plurality of branches do not intersect each other. The curved touch device according to claim 5, wherein: the adjacent branch portions located on different main portions are connected to form a complete arc, and a plurality of protrusions extend from the arc, so The protruding portion does not intersect the trunk portion or other branch portions. The curved touch device according to claim 8, wherein: half of the branch parts located on the same trunk part are not connected to any other branch part, and the other half of the branch parts are connected to another The branch portion adjacent to the main portion is connected. The curved touch device according to claim 1, wherein the spherical shell includes upper and lower hemispheres with the same structure and symmetrical distribution, and the upper and lower hemispheres are engaged to form the spherical shell, so The number of the touch sensing layer is two, and the two touch sensing layers are respectively located in the upper hemisphere and the lower hemisphere.

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