TWI467442B - Touch module - Google Patents

Description

Touch module

The present invention relates to a touch module; in particular, the present invention relates to a touch module capable of improving light extraction efficiency and improving touch performance.

Technology has always come from human nature. In the current society, a wide variety of electronic products are becoming more and more human, and thus meet the needs of life. Lightweight, versatile and touch-enabled features are indispensable for developing electronic products. In fact, electronic products with touch functions have gradually penetrated into the lives of modern people. Specifically, the electronic product passes through the touch module to achieve a touch effect. However, how to design a better touch module and effectively improve the touch performance is a major issue today.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a conventional touch screen. In general, a conventional touch screen includes at least one light source 11 , at least one light guide pillar 12 , and a touch plane 13 , wherein the light guide pillar 12 includes a plurality of geometric structures 14 . As shown in FIG. 1, the light source 11 is disposed at one end of the light guide column 12 and emits light. In addition, when the light is incident on the light guide column 12, the light guide column 12 adjusts the light exiting direction of the light through the geometric structures 14, so that the light is emitted to the touch plane 13. However, in the actual situation, the geometry 14 has a more complicated shape and its dimming performance is limited, resulting in that the light cannot be uniformly distributed on the touch plane 13.

Moreover, once the yield is poor during the fabrication of the geometry 14, the touch performance of the touch screen is also affected. In addition, the reflection efficiency of the light guide column 12 also affects the light extraction efficiency of the light. In view of the above factors, the traditional touch screen still has many shortcomings.

In view of the above prior art problems, the present invention provides a touch module that improves light extraction efficiency and evenly distributes light.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a touch module having a light guiding unit to improve light extraction efficiency.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a touch module using a reflective sheet to reduce light loss rate.

One aspect of the present invention provides a touch module including a touch surface and at least one light output module, wherein the touch surface has a first side. In addition, the light output module has a light exiting surface, wherein the light exiting surface extends along the first side.

It should be noted that the light output module includes a light guiding unit and a light source. The light guiding unit includes a reflecting surface, wherein the reflecting surface is disposed along the first side edge and has opposite first and second ends, and the distance between the portion of the reflecting surface closer to the first end and the first side is greater than the closer The distance between the two ends and the first side. The light source and the reflecting surface are both disposed on the back side of the light emitting surface, and the light source is disposed at the first end, and the light source generates light reflected by the reflecting surface and emitted from the light emitting surface.

It is worth noting that the light guiding unit is a reflective material that reflects light to the touch surface. In addition, the extending surface of the reflecting surface has an angle with the light emitting surface, so that the reflected light is not concentrated on the second end of the reflecting surface, but can penetrate the light emitting surface and uniformly enter the touch surface. In other words, since the first end and the second end of the reflecting surface have different distances from the first side, the light emitting direction of the light emitting surface can be adjusted.

Compared with the prior art, the touch module according to the present invention uses the light guiding unit as a reflective substrate, so that the light source is reflected by the reflecting surface to achieve the purpose of adjusting the light emitting direction. In addition, the first end and the second end of the reflecting surface have different distances from the light emitting surface, and the shape of the reflecting surface further includes a curved surface, so that when the light is reflected on the reflecting surface, the light is evenly distributed on the corresponding area of the touch surface. In turn, the touch efficiency is improved.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of the invention.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a touch module is provided to improve light extraction efficiency. In this embodiment, the touch module can be a projected touch module. Specifically, the touch module generates light through the light source, and the light is projected onto the touch surface to achieve a touch effect.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a touch module of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2 , the touch module 1 includes a touch surface 100 and at least one light output module 20 . The touch surface 100 has a first side 111. In addition, the light output module 20 has a light exit surface 200 , wherein the light exit surface 200 extends along the first side edge 111 .

It should be noted that the light output module 20 includes the light guiding unit 30 and the light source 40. The light guiding unit 30 includes a reflecting surface 300, wherein the reflecting surface 300 is disposed along the first side 111 and has a first end 31 and a second end 32 opposite to each other, and the reflecting surface 300 is closer to the first end 31 and the first The distance 311 between the side edges 111 is greater than the distance 321 between the portion closer to the second end 32 and the first side edge 111. In this embodiment, the reflecting surface 30 is a flat surface, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, the reflecting surface 30 is a sloped surface with respect to the light-emitting surface 200. It should be noted that the material of the light guiding unit 30 is a reflective material, wherein the reflective material may be opaque plastic, resin, white plastic or white resin, and is not particularly limited. It should be noted that the light guiding unit 30 has a reflectance corresponding to infrared light of at least 0.8, preferably 0.9. In addition, the light source 40 is an infrared light source, wherein the infrared light source may be an infrared light emitting diode light source and generate near-infrared light, mid-infrared light, and far-infrared light.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the light source 40 and the reflecting surface 300 are both disposed on the back side of the light emitting surface 200 . That is, the light-emitting surface is directed toward the touch surface 100, and the light source 40 and the reflective surface 300 are disposed on the back side of the light-emitting surface 200 with respect to the touch surface 100. Specifically, the light source 40 is disposed at the first end 31, and the light source 40 generates the light 400 reflected by the reflective surface 300 and emitted from the light exit surface 200. It should be noted that since the spacing 311 is larger than the spacing 321 , the reflecting surface 300 and the light emitting surface 200 have a non-parallel correspondence relationship. In the actual situation, the light 400 reflected by the reflecting surface 300 penetrates the light emitting surface 200 at an angle closer to the first side 111 and is evenly contacted at an angle closer to the first side 111. Control surface 100. In other words, the light 400 is transmitted through the reflective surface 300 of the light guiding unit 30 to achieve uniform light output, thereby improving the touch effect.

It should be noted that the outer frame structure of the light output module 20 is an opaque material, preferably a reflective material, in addition to the light surface 200. In other words, the light output module 20 preferably outputs the light 400 to the touch surface 100 through the light exit surface 200, and prevents the light 400 from being emitted through the frame surface of the non-light-emitting surface. In another embodiment, the outer frame structure of the light output module 20 uses a reflective material in addition to the light surface 200, which further improves the utilization rate of the light 400. In addition, the light exiting surface 200 can be packaged by a light transmissive material having a true transmittance for infrared light and comprising a dyed plastic. However, the light output module 20 can have several designs depending on actual needs, and there is no particular limitation.

Please refer to FIG. 3A. FIG. 3A is an exploded view of another embodiment of the light output module of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3A, in this embodiment, the light output module 20A has a frame 90 and a light guiding unit 30A. The shape of the reflecting surface 300A of the light guiding unit 30A is a curved surface, but is not limited thereto. It should be noted that the frame 90 is a lip-shaped frame and has a light-emitting surface 200 and a side surface 910. The light-emitting surface 200 and the side surface 910 are non-solid surfaces. The light guiding unit 30A enters the frame 90 from the light exit surface 200 and is adjacent to the side surface 910. In this embodiment, the material of the frame 90 is selected from dyed plastics, wherein the dyed plastic is capable of penetrating infrared light or light having a wavelength falling between 800 and 900 nm.

Please refer to FIG. 3B. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the light output module of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3B, the reflecting surface 300A in FIG. 3B is more capable of uniformly entering the light receiving surface 100 than the reflecting surface 300 shown in FIG. For example, the normal vector on the reflective surface near the second end 32 faces the center of the touch surface 100, so that when the light 400 is reflected, it penetrates the light exit surface 200 along a vector close to the center of the touch surface 100. Can evenly emit light.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the light output module 20A further includes a first reflecting unit 50 and a second reflecting unit 60. The first reflecting unit 50 and the second reflecting unit 60 sandwich the region between the reflecting surface 300A and the light emitting surface 200, and are respectively adjacent to the reflecting surface 300A and the light emitting surface 200. In this embodiment, the first reflecting unit 50 and the second reflecting portion The unit 60 is a reflective sheet, and the material of the reflective sheet is, for example, selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, tin oxide, indium oxide, or any combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. In practical applications, the first reflecting unit 50 and the second reflecting unit 60 are adhered to the top surface and the bottom surface of the frame 90. Further, in other embodiments, the reflective sheets are disposed on the frame surface of the non-light-emitting surface to improve light extraction efficiency. In another embodiment, the light output module 20A only places the reflective sheets on the surface of the non-light-emitting surface instead of the frame 90, thereby saving material cost.

In this embodiment, the reflectance of the first reflecting unit 50 and the second reflecting unit 60 is not less than 0.95, preferably not less than 0.98. In practical applications, after the light source 40 generates the light 400, the light 400 is not only incident on the reflective surface 300A but also on the surface adjacent to the reflective surface 300A and the light exit surface 200. Therefore, the touch module 1 transmits the first reflection unit 50 and the second reflection unit 60 to reduce the light absorption rate, and improve the reflectance of the light 400 in the light output module 20A, thereby improving the overall light extraction efficiency.

In addition, the light output module 20A further includes a penetrating unit 70. As shown in FIG. 3B, the penetrating unit 70 is formed on the light exiting surface 200, and the transmittance of the penetrating unit 70 corresponding to the light source 40 is not less than 0.95. In this embodiment, the penetrating unit 70 is a dye-transparent plastic, and the transmittance is preferably 0.98, but not limited thereto. In practical applications, the penetrating unit 70 is selected to penetrate the infrared light to increase the transmittance of the infrared light such that light of other wavelengths cannot pass through the penetrating unit 70. In other words, the penetrating unit 70 can ensure that the output light 400 is infrared light, so that the light of other wavelengths can affect the touch performance, and the visible light can be prevented from leaking out of the light exiting surface 200.

Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the light output module of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the light output module 20B includes a light guiding unit 30B. The reflecting surface 300B of the light guiding unit 30B has a reflective layer 301, and the reflective layer 301 has a reflectance of not less than 0.95, preferably 0.98. It should be noted that the reflective layer 301 is disposed on the reflective surface 300B such that the light 400 has a better reflective effect on the reflective layer 301. In this embodiment, the reflective layer 301 is a reflective sheet, and the material of the reflective layer 301 is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, tin oxide, indium oxide, or any combination thereof. However, in other embodiments, the reflective layer 301 can be a reflective coating layer, wherein the reflective coating layer comprises a white reflective coating or other color coating and reflects infrared light.

Please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the light output module of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the light output module 20C includes a light guiding unit 30C, wherein the light guiding unit 30C has a reflecting surface 300C. It should be noted that a plurality of first microstructures 310 are formed on the reflective surface 300C, and the reflectivity of the first microstructures 310 is not less than 0.8.

In a practical case, the first microstructures 310 are arranged in parallel from the first end 31 to the second end 32, and the width 333 of the first microstructure 310 is not less than 8 μm. In this embodiment, the width 333 of the first microstructure 310 is preferably 10 μm. In addition, the first microstructure 310 is a triangular prism, wherein the side of the triangular prism is attached to the reflective surface 300C. However, in other embodiments, the shape of the first microstructures 310 may be an angular vertebra, a cone, a corner post, or any combination of the above shapes, without particular limitation. In addition, in another embodiment, the first microstructures 310 are preferably integrally formed with the light guiding unit 30C, and are not particularly limited. In practical applications, the first microstructures 310 reflect the light 400 at more angles, and further adjust the light exiting direction of the light 400 so that the reflected light 400 is more evenly distributed on the touch surface 100.

As shown in FIG. 5, the penetrating unit 70 includes a plurality of second microstructures 710 formed on a plane facing the touch surface 100 and changing the light outgoing direction of the light 400. For example, the shape of the second microstructure 710 may be an angular vertebra, a cone, a corner post, or any combination of the above shapes, without particular limitation. In practical applications, the second microstructure 710 further adjusts the distribution of the light 400 on the touch surface 100 to achieve improved light uniformity.

Please refer to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the touch module of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the touch module 1A includes the light output module 20B of FIG. It is to be noted that the touch module 1A further includes at least one detecting unit 80. The detecting unit 80 is disposed at one end of the touch surface 100 with respect to the light source 40, and senses the light 400 output from the light emitting surface 200. When the user touches the touch surface 100, the detecting unit 80 senses the change of the light 400 in the touch surface 100 to determine whether the touch surface 100 is touched. In an actual case, the detecting unit 70 may be a CMOS infrared photodetector, but is not limited thereto.

Compared with the prior art, the touch module according to the present invention uses the light guiding unit as a reflective substrate, so that the light source is reflected by the reflecting surface to achieve the purpose of adjusting the light emitting direction. In addition, the first end and the second end of the reflecting surface not only have different distances from the light emitting surface, but the shape of the reflecting surface further includes a curved surface, so that when the light is reflected on the reflecting surface, the light is evenly distributed on the touch surface. In one embodiment, the reflective surface of the light guiding unit has a reflective layer, wherein the reflectivity of the reflective layer is preferably 0.98, which can improve the reflection efficiency and improve the touch efficiency.

The features and spirit of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover various modifications and equivalents within the scope of the invention as claimed.

11‧‧‧Light source

12‧‧‧Light guide

13‧‧‧ touch surface

14‧‧‧Geometry

1, 1A‧‧‧ touch module

100‧‧‧ touch surface

200‧‧‧Glossy

300, 300A‧‧‧reflecting surface

300B, 300C‧‧‧ reflecting surface

400‧‧‧Light

111‧‧‧First side

20, 20A‧‧‧Light output module

20B, 20C‧‧‧Light output module

30, 30A‧‧‧Lighting unit

30B, 30C‧‧‧Lighting unit

40‧‧‧Light source

50‧‧‧First reflection unit

60‧‧‧second reflection unit

70‧‧‧ penetration unit

80‧‧‧Detection unit

90‧‧‧ frame

31‧‧‧ first end

32‧‧‧second end

311, 321‧‧ ‧ spacing

301‧‧‧reflective layer

310‧‧‧First microstructure

333‧‧‧Width

710‧‧‧Second microstructure

910‧‧‧ side

1 is a schematic structural view of a conventional touch screen;

2 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a touch module of the present invention;

3A is an exploded view showing an embodiment of the light output module of the present invention;

3B is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a light output module of the present invention;

4 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the light output module of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the light output module of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the touch module of the present invention.

1A. . . Touch module

20B. . . Light output module

30B. . . Light guide unit

40. . . light source

31. . . First end

32. . . Second end

80. . . Detection unit

100. . . Touch surface

111. . . First side

200. . . Glossy surface

300B. . . Reflective surface

301. . . Reflective layer

400. . . Light

Claims (11)

A touch module includes: a touch surface having a first side; and at least one light output module having a light exiting surface, wherein the light exiting surface extends along the first side, the light output mode The group includes: a light guiding unit, including a reflecting surface on a side adjacent to the first side, wherein the reflecting surface is disposed along the first side and has a first end and a second end, and The distance between the portion of the reflecting surface closer to the first end and the first side is greater than the distance between the portion closer to the second end and the first side; and a light source and the reflecting surface are disposed on the light emitting surface The light source is disposed at the first end, and the light source generates a light reflected by the reflective surface and exits the light emitting surface to enter the touch surface at an angle closer to the first side. The touch module of claim 1, wherein the reflective surface is formed with a plurality of first microstructures, and the reflectivity of the first microstructures is not less than 0.8. The touch module of claim 2, wherein the shapes of the first microstructures are vertebral cones, cones, corner posts or any combination of the above shapes. The touch module of claim 2, wherein the first microstructures are arranged in parallel from the first end to the second end, and the width of the first microstructure is not less than 8 μm. The touch module of claim 1, wherein the shape of the reflective surface Contains surfaces. The touch module of claim 1, wherein the light output module further comprises: a first reflective unit and a second reflective unit, wherein the first reflective unit is coupled to the second reflective unit A region between the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface is adjacent to the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface. The touch module of claim 6, wherein the first reflective unit and the second reflective unit are reflective sheets, and the reflectivity of the first reflective unit and the second reflective unit is not less than 0.95 . The touch module of claim 1, wherein the light source is an infrared light source. The touch module of claim 1, wherein the light output module further comprises: a penetrating unit formed on the light emitting surface, the penetration rate of the penetrating unit corresponding to the light source is not less than 0.95 . The touch module of claim 9, wherein the penetrating unit comprises: a plurality of second microstructures formed on a plane facing the touch surface and changing a light exiting direction of the light. The touch module of claim 1, further comprising: at least one detecting unit, wherein the light is output from the light emitting surface with respect to the light source and disposed at one end of the touch surface.