WO2017029800A1

WO2017029800A1 - Input device

Info

Publication number: WO2017029800A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/003716
Authority: WO
Inventors: 習田　浩一; 超史勝野; 紀研池沢; 善幸阿部; 克典熊坂
Original assignee: Ｎｅｃトーキン株式会社
Priority date: 2015-08-20
Filing date: 2016-08-12
Publication date: 2017-02-23
Also published as: TW201712509A; JP2017041108A; JP6086960B2

Abstract

An input device (100) according to this embodiment is provided with: a touch panel (2) for receiving touch input; a housing (6) having a securing step (7) that is provided on the outer peripheral edge (2P) of the touch panel (2) so as to face the back surface (2R) of the touch panel (2), except for a portion of the outer peripheral edge (2P) of the touch panel (2); a first securing member (5) provided to secure the touch panel (2) to the securing step (7) of the housing, the first securing member (5) being formed along the outer peripheral edge (2P) except for the portion of the outer peripheral edge (2P); and a vibration generation member (1) disposed on the back surface side of the touch panel (2) in the one portion of the outer peripheral edge (2P), the vibration generation member (1) causing the touch panel (2) to vibrate.

Description

Input device

The present invention relates to an input device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a switch-equipped display panel having a touch panel, an excitation source, a display panel, and a case. The case contains a touch panel, an excitation source, and a display panel. The excitation source vibrates the entire touch panel. The excitation source is disposed between the peripheral edge of the touch panel and the case. Furthermore, elastic bodies are provided at the four corners of the touch panel. And the peripheral part of a touch panel is supported from the case.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-161602

In Patent Document 1, an excitation source is attached between the case and the touch panel. In addition, it is described that a plurality of terminals are distributed and arranged on the peripheral edge of the touch panel. Further, the touch panel is floated from the case, and the peripheral edge portion is supported from the case via a plurality of elastic bodies. Each elastic body is attached near the four corners of the touch panel.

An excitation source is provided on the touch panel at a location where the touch panel is fixed to the case by an elastic body (see FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1). Therefore, the vibration of the excitation source cannot be efficiently transmitted to the touch panel. Furthermore, the touch panel is supported by the case via an elastic body. Therefore, in-plane variation occurs in the vibration. Thus, with the configuration of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to vibrate the panel appropriately.

The present invention provides an input device capable of appropriately vibrating a panel.

An input device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a panel that receives touch input, and a fixed stage that is provided to face the back surface of the panel at an outer peripheral edge of the panel, and is a part of the outer peripheral edge of the panel A housing having a fixed stage disposed excluding the panel and a panel provided to fix the panel to the fixed stage of the housing, and formed along the outer peripheral edge except for the part of the outer peripheral edge. And a vibration generating member that is disposed on the back side of the panel at the part of the outer peripheral edge and vibrates the panel. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

The input device is formed along the outer peripheral edge and is disposed between the fixed stage and the panel, and is formed along the outer peripheral edge and is disposed between the rigid body and the panel. A second fixing member that fixes the rigid body and the panel, and the first fixing member has elasticity, and is disposed between the rigid body and the fixing stage. You may make it fix the said rigid body and the said housing | casing. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

In the input device, the rigid body and the second fixing member are discontinuous in the part of the outer peripheral edge, and the vibration generating member is the part of the panel in the part of the outer peripheral edge. It may be attached to the back. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

In the above input device, the rigid body and the second fixing member are continuously provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge, and the rigid body has a portion of the casing at the part of the outer peripheral edge. An angle portion extending to the bottom side may be provided, and the vibration generating member may be fixed to the angle portion. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

In the input device, the first fixing member may be attached to the fixing stage and the panel, and the vibration generating member may be attached to the back surface of the panel. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

In the above input device, the panel may be rectangular in plan view, and the fixed stage may be provided except for one of the four sides constituting the outer peripheral edge of the panel. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

In the input device, the panel may have a rectangular shape in plan view, and the fixed stage and the first fixing material may be provided at four corners of the panel. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

An input device according to a different aspect of the present invention includes a panel that receives a touch input, a housing having a fixed stage provided to face the back surface of the panel at an outer peripheral edge of the panel, the panel, and the fixed stage. A rigid body formed along an outer peripheral edge of the panel, and a first fixing member that is disposed between the rigid body and the fixing stage and fixes the rigid body and the housing. A second fixing member that is disposed between the back surface of the panel and the rigid body at the outer peripheral edge, and fixes the rigid body and the panel; and a vibration generating member attached to the back surface of the panel. It is provided. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

In the above input device, the fixed stage may be provided continuously over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

In the above input device, the vibration generating member may be provided only at one end of the panel. According to this configuration, the panel can be vibrated appropriately.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an input device that can appropriately vibrate the panel.

1 is an exploded perspective view of an input device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an XY plan view schematically showing the input device according to the first exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an input device according to a second exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a YZ plan view schematically showing the input device according to the second exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an input device according to a third exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a YZ plan view schematically showing the input device according to the third exemplary embodiment. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of an input device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 6 is a YZ plan view schematically showing an input device according to a fourth embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the input device concerning a comparative example. It is a YZ top view which shows typically the input device concerning a comparative example. It is a figure which shows the ideal vibration in an input device. It is a figure which shows the vibration in a comparative example. It is a figure which shows the vibration in a comparative example. It is a figure which shows the vibration in a comparative example. It is a figure which shows the measurement result of the vibration acceleration in the panel center in an Example and a comparative example. FIG. 6 is an XY plan view schematically showing a planar shape of the non-fixed portion A and the second fixing material 3. FIG. 6 is an XY plan view schematically showing a planar shape of the non-fixed portion A and the second fixing material 3.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
The input device according to the present embodiment is an input device having a touch panel. Further, in order to give the input device a haptic function, the input device includes a vibration generating member (excitation source). The input device according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the input device 100. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the input device 100. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

For clarity of explanation, the figure shows a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. The Z direction is a direction perpendicular to the front surface (touch input surface) of the touch panel 2. The + Z side is the front side that accepts touch input. The X direction and the Y direction are directions along the edge of the rectangular touch panel 2. FIG. 2 is an XY plan view schematically showing the configuration of the input device 100 in the XY plane. 3 shows a YZ section at the center of the input device 100, and FIG. 4 shows a YZ section at the end of the input device 100.

The input device 100 includes a vibration generating member 1, a touch panel 2, a housing 6, and a first fixing material 5. The touch panel 2 receives touch input from the user. For example, a touch panel 2 such as a resistance film type or a capacitance type can be used.

Touch panel 2 has a flat slope shape. Accordingly, the touch panel 2 has a front surface 2F and a back surface 2R that are arranged to face each other. The front surface 2F and the back surface 2R are planes parallel to each other. The front surface 2F is an XY plane on the + Z side, and the back surface 2R is an XY plane on the −Z side. The front surface 2F is a touch input surface that receives input. That is, when the user inputs, the front surface 2F of the touch panel 2 is touched.

In the XY plan view, the touch panel 2 has a rectangular shape. Therefore, the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2 has a rectangular frame shape. That is, the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2 has a rectangular shape in which two end sides along the X direction and two end sides along the Y direction are continuous. The Y direction is the long side of the touch panel 2 and the X direction is the short side. In this specification, the rectangle is not limited to a rectangle having a long side and a short side having different lengths, and includes a square having the same length on all four sides.

The vibration generating member 1 is attached to the back surface 2R of the touch panel 2 at the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2. For example, the vibration generating member 1 is provided only at one end of the touch panel 2. The vibration generating member 1 has an actuator such as a piezoelectric element, for example. The vibration generating member 1 generates vibration in the Z direction. The vibration generated by the vibration generating member 1 is transmitted to the touch panel 2. Thereby, since the touch panel 2 vibrates, the input device 100 can be provided with a haptic function.

The housing 6 accommodates the touch panel 2. Specifically, the housing 6 has a box shape, and the XY plane on the + Z side is open. That is, the housing | casing 6 is a rectangular parallelepiped box which one surface opened. The housing 6 has a bottom portion 6b disposed on the back side (−Z side) and a side wall 6c extending from the bottom portion 6b to the + Z side. And the surface facing the bottom 6b is an open surface. The housing 6 is made of a resin such as ABS resin.

The touch panel 2 is arranged on the open surface of the housing 6. That is, the touch panel 2 covers the open surface of the housing 6. Accordingly, an internal space 8 surrounded by the side wall 6c and the bottom 6b of the housing 6 and the back surface 2R of the touch panel 2 is formed. In the internal space 8, electronic components, circuits, wiring, display panels, etc. (not shown) are arranged.

Furthermore, a fixed stage 7 is provided inside the housing 6. The fixed stage 7 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the side wall 6c. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixed stage 7 is lower than the side wall 6 c of the housing 6. The fixed stage 7 is disposed on the outer peripheral edge 2 P of the touch panel 2 so as to face the back surface 2 R of the touch panel 2.

A first fixing member 5 is disposed between the fixing stage 7 and the touch panel 2. The first fixing material 5 is a double-sided tape or an adhesive. Further, the first fixing material 5 may include an elastic layer such as urethane resin or sponge. Thereby, the 1st fixing material 5 can be given elasticity.

The first fixing material 5 fixes the touch panel 2 to the housing 6. Specifically, the first fixing material 5 is bonded to the back surface 2 R of the touch panel 2 at the outer peripheral edge 2 P of the touch panel 2. Further, the first fixing member 5 is also bonded to the upper surface of the fixing step 7. Thus, the touch panel 2 and the housing 6 are bonded by the first fixing material 5. That is, the touch panel 2 and the housing 6 are fixed via the first fixing material 5. Therefore, the touch panel 2 and the fixed stage 7 are disposed to face each other with the first fixing material 5 interposed therebetween.

Furthermore, the first fixing material 5 is provided along the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2. The first fixing member 5 is provided with an open portion 5a. The opening portion 5a corresponds to one end side among the four end sides constituting the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2. Therefore, the first fixing member 5 has a substantially U shape in the XY plan view. Of the two ends parallel to the X direction, one end on the −Y side corresponds to the open portion 5a. In the XY plan view, the first fixing member 5 is discontinuous.

In the XY plan view, the fixed stage 7 has the same shape as the first fixing material 5. Specifically, the fixed stage 7 is provided along the outer peripheral edge 2 P of the touch panel 2. The fixed stage 7 is provided with an open portion 7a. The opening portion 7a corresponds to one end side among the four end sides constituting the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2. Therefore, the fixed stage 7 is substantially U-shaped in the XY plan view. Of the two ends parallel to the X direction, one end on the -Y side corresponds to the open portion 7a. Therefore, in the XY plan view, the opening portion 7a and the opening portion 5a overlap. The fixed stage 7 has a U-shape that is almost the same size as the first fixing member 5. In the XY plan view, the fixed stage 7 is discontinuous. The first fixing member 5 is provided along the fixing step 7.

As described above, the first fixing member 5 and the fixing stage 7 have the opening portion 5a and the opening portion 7a, respectively. By doing so, a non-fixed portion A is formed on the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2. In the non-fixed portion A, the touch panel 2 is fixed to the housing 6 in a state where the touch panel 2 is free. Specifically, the three end sides of the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2 are restrained, and the one end side is free. Thus, the touch panel 2 becomes free in a part of the outer peripheral edge 2P of the rectangular frame shape.

The first fixing material 5 is provided on the entire side other than the side that becomes the non-fixed portion A. Therefore, except for the non-fixed portion A, as shown in FIG. 4, the fixed stage 7 and the touch panel 2 are fixed via the first fixing material 5 over the entire end side. Thereby, the touch panel 2 can be restrained reliably. The vibration generating member 1 is attached to the non-fixed portion A. That is, the vibration generating member 1 is installed in a place where the touch panel 2 is free.

In this way, a part of the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2 is set as a non-fixed portion A. Specifically, the non-fixed portion A is formed only at one end side of the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2. By doing so, the vibration belly of the touch panel 2 can be brought closer to the attachment position of the vibration generating member 1. Therefore, vibration transmission efficiency and vibration amount can be improved. That is, the position of the belly of the basic vibration mode of the touch panel 2 is close to the non-fixed part A. For this reason, even if the vibration generating member 1 is attached to the outer peripheral edge P, the vibration transmission efficiency can be kept good.

Also, by providing the non-fixed portion A, the touch panel 2 can be linearly elastically deformed at the position where the vibration generating member 1 is attached. Therefore, it is possible to reduce distortion and high-frequency distortion. The non-fixed portion A of the outer peripheral edge 2P is easily bent. Therefore, the touch panel 2 can be vibrated linearly, and the touch panel 2 can be vibrated according to the input signal to the vibration generating member 1.

Furthermore, by providing the non-fixed portion A, it is possible to prevent the vibration of the vibration generating member 1 from leaking to the housing 6. Also, abnormal noise can be reduced. High-frequency sound due to vibration with nonlinear distortion is not generated. Further, since the vibration of the vibration generating member 1 is difficult to be transmitted to the housing 6, no abnormal noise is generated.

The narrow frame of the touch panel 2 can be realized by mounting the vibration generating member 1 on the back surface 2R of the touch panel 2 at the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2. The vibration generating member 1 can be attached near the end face of the touch panel 2. For this reason, it is possible to provide a large-screen display panel that utilizes the entire housing 6.

With such a configuration, desired vibration characteristics can be obtained. Therefore, an excellent haptic function can be realized. In the above description, the vibration generating member 1 is described as being attached to the back surface 2R of the touch panel 2. However, the vibration generating member 1 may be attached to the back surface of the display panel. That is, the touch panel 2 may be a touch panel with a display panel. In this case, the display panel is attached to the inner side of the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2, and the vibration generating member 1 is attached to the outer side of the display panel.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
An input device 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the input device 200. FIG. 6 is a YZ sectional view showing the configuration of the input device 200. The basic configuration of the input device 200 is the same as that of the input device 100 shown in the first embodiment. Therefore, the description common to the first embodiment is omitted as appropriate.

In the second embodiment, a second fixing member 3 and a rigid body 4 are added to the configuration of the first embodiment. In addition, since it is the same as that of Embodiment 1 about structures other than the 2nd fixing material 3 and the rigid body 4, description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

Between the touch panel 2 and the first fixing member 5, the second fixing member 3 and the rigid body 4 are arranged. The second fixing member 3 is disposed in front of the rigid body 4. Specifically, the second fixing material 3 is disposed between the touch panel 2 and the rigid body 4. A rigid body 4 is disposed between the second fixing member 3 and the first fixing stage 5.

The rigid body 4 is a metal plate such as aluminum. The second fixing material 3 is an adhesive, a double-sided tape, or the like, like the first fixing material 5. The second fixing material 3 bonds the touch panel 2 and the rigid body 4 together. Therefore, the second fixing material 3 fixes the touch panel 2 and the rigid body 4. The second fixing material 3 may have elasticity similarly to the first fixing material 5.

The first fixing member 5 has elasticity. Specifically, the first fixing member 5 includes an elastic layer such as urethane resin or sponge. The first fixing member 5 is disposed between the rigid body 4 and the fixing stage 7 to fix the rigid body 4 and the housing 6. That is, the first fixing member 5 bonds the rigid body 4 and the fixing step 7.

The XY planar shape of the rigid body 4 and the second fixing material 3 is the same as that of the first fixing material 5. That is, the rigid body 4 and the second fixing member 3 are provided along the outer peripheral edge 2 P of the touch panel 2. The second fixing member 3 is provided with an opening 3a. The rigid body 4 is provided with an opening 4a. The

open portions

3 a and 4 a correspond to one side of the four end sides constituting the outer peripheral edge 2 P of the touch panel 2. Therefore, the second fixing member 3 and the rigid body 4 are substantially U-shaped in the XY plan view. Of the two ends parallel to the X direction, one end on the −Y side corresponds to the

open portions

3a and 4a. In plan view, the opening

portions

3a and 4a overlap with the opening

portions

7a and 5a. In the XY plan view, the rigid body 4 and the second fixing member 3 are discontinuous.

By attaching the rigid body 4, the secondary resonance frequency in the natural vibration mode of the touch panel 2 can be increased from the use frequency (for example, 200 Hz). Therefore, vibration nodes can be eliminated in the surface of the touch panel 2. Thereby, the whole surface of the touch panel 2 can be vibrated, and in-plane variation can be reduced. That is, a vibration node does not occur in the touch panel 2 surface, and a portion with a small vibration amount cannot be formed. Thereby, a tactile sensation can be obtained in the entire touch panel 2 surface.

In addition, the touch panel 2 is attached to the housing 6 via the first fixing material 5 having elasticity. By doing so, the vibration of the touch panel 2 is less likely to leak into the housing 6. In addition, a mode in which the vibration mode of the touch panel 2 vibrates parallel to the Z-axis direction is added to the flexural vibration. Therefore, the surface of the touch panel 2 vibrates uniformly and greatly. Furthermore, since the non-fixed portion A is provided, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
An input device 300 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the input device 300 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a YZ sectional view showing the configuration of the input device 300. The basic configuration of the input device 300 is the same as that of the

input devices

100 and 200 shown in the first and second embodiments. Therefore, the description common to the first and second embodiments will be omitted as appropriate.

In the present embodiment, the fixed stage 7, the first fixing member 5, the rigid body 4, and the second fixing member 3 described in the second embodiment are combined into a fixed stage 71, a first fixing member 51, a rigid body 41, and The second fixing member 31 is replaced. The fixed stage 71, the first fixing member 51, the rigid body 41, and the second fixing member 31 have shapes different from those of the fixing stage 7, the first fixing member 5, the rigid body 4, and the second fixing member 3, respectively. Yes.

Other than the shapes of the fixing stage 71, the first fixing member 51, the rigid body 41, and the second fixing member 31, the configuration is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. For example, the material, arrangement, and function of each component are the same as in the first and second embodiments.

The fixing stage 71, the first fixing member 51, the rigid body 41, and the second fixing member 31 are not provided with open portions, respectively. Therefore, the fixed stage 71, the first fixing member 51, the rigid body 41, and the second fixing member 31 are each in the shape of a closed rectangular frame. The fixed stage 71, the first fixing member 51, the rigid body 41, and the second fixing member 31 each have a substantially square shape. The fixed stage 71, the first fixing member 51, the rigid body 41, and the second fixing member 31 are formed continuously over the entire periphery of the outer peripheral edge 2 P of the touch panel 2.

As in the second embodiment, the second fixing material 31 is bonded to the touch panel 2 and the rigid body 41. The first fixing member 51 bonds the rigid body 41 and the fixing step 71. Therefore, the entire outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2 is restrained.

The vibration generating member 1 is disposed inside the rectangular frame-shaped fixing step 71, the first fixing member 51, the rigid body 41, and the second fixing member 31. For example, the vibration generating member 1 is attached to the back surface 2 R of the touch panel 2 in a portion inside the first fixing member 51 having a rectangular frame shape.

By attaching the rigid body 41, the secondary resonance frequency in the natural vibration mode of the touch panel 2 can be made higher than the frequency to be used (for example, 200 Hz). Therefore, a vibration node does not occur in the touch panel 2 surface, and a portion with a small amount of vibration cannot be formed. Thereby, a tactile sensation can be obtained in the entire touch panel 2 surface.

In addition, the touch panel 2 is attached to the housing 6 via the first fixing material 51 having elasticity. By doing so, the vibration of the touch panel 2 is less likely to leak into the housing 6. In addition, a mode in which the vibration mode of the touch panel 2 vibrates parallel to the Z-axis direction is added to the flexural vibration. Therefore, the surface of the touch panel 2 vibrates uniformly and greatly.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
An input device 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the input device 400 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a YZ sectional view showing the configuration of the input device 400. The basic configuration of the input device 400 is the same as that of the

input devices

100, 200, and 300 described in the first to third embodiments. Therefore, the description common to the first to third embodiments is omitted as appropriate.

In the present embodiment, the rigid body 41 is replaced with a rigid body 42. The shape of the rigid body 42 is characteristic. In the present embodiment, the second fixing member 31 has a square shape as shown in the third embodiment. The rigid body 42 and the second fixing member 31 are continuously provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge. Furthermore, the fixed stage 7 and the first fixing member 5 have the same configuration as that shown in the first and second embodiments. Specifically, the fixed stage 7 and the first fixing member 5 have

open portions

7a and 5a. In the XY plan view, the fixed stage 7 and the first fixing member 5 are U-shaped.

The rigid body 42 has a closed rectangular frame shape as in the third embodiment. Further, the rigid body 42 has an angle portion 42b. The angle part 42b extends from the rectangular frame part to the −Z side. The rigid body 42 is provided with an angle portion 42b that extends toward the bottom portion 6b of the housing 6 at a part of the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2. The angle part 42b is arrange | positioned corresponding to the

open parts

5a and 7a.

The vibration generating member 1 is attached to the angle portion 42b of the rigid body 42. That is, in this embodiment, the vibration generating member 1 is not attached to the back surface 2R of the touch panel 2. The vibration generating member 1 generates linear vibration along the Y direction.

The vibration of the vibration generating member 1 is transmitted to the touch panel 2 via the angle part 42b which is a part of the rigid body 42. The angle part 42b converts the linear vibration of the vibration generating member 1 into rotational vibration. Here, the angle portion 42b converts the linear vibration into rotational vibration having a rotation axis in a direction parallel to the X axis. As described above, since the rotational vibration is transmitted to the touch panel 2, it becomes easy to cause the touch panel 2 to bend and vibrate. Therefore, the touch panel 2 can be vibrated greatly, and good vibration characteristics can be obtained.

Further, a rigid body 42 is formed in a U-shaped cross section at the outer peripheral edge 2P opposite to the non-fixed portion A. It is possible to reduce the weight by making the cross section of the rigid body 42 into a U shape.

In summary, in the first, second, and fourth embodiments, the first fixing member 5 and the fixing stage 7 are provided with the

open portions

5a and 7a. Therefore, a part of the outer peripheral edge 2P of the touch panel 2 is set as the non-fixed portion A. Thereby, the antinode of the vibration of the touch panel 2 can be brought close to the attachment position of the vibration generating member 1. Therefore, vibration transmission efficiency and vibration amount can be improved. That is, the position of the belly of the basic vibration mode of the touch panel 2 is close to the non-fixed part A. For this reason, even if the vibration generating member 1 is attached to the outer peripheral edge P, the vibration transmission efficiency can be kept good.

Further, by providing the touch panel 2 with the non-fixed part A, the touch panel 2 can be linearly elastically deformed at the position where the vibration generating member 1 is attached. Therefore, it is possible to reduce distortion and high-frequency distortion. The non-fixed portion A of the outer peripheral edge 2P is easily bent. Therefore, the touch panel 2 can be vibrated linearly, and the touch panel 2 can be vibrated according to the input signal.

Furthermore, by providing the non-fixed portion A, it is possible to prevent the vibration of the vibration generating member 1 from leaking to the housing 6. Abnormal noise can be reduced. High-frequency sound due to vibration with nonlinear distortion is not generated. Further, since the vibration of the vibration generating member 1 is difficult to be transmitted to the housing 6, no abnormal noise is generated.

Further, in the second, third, and fourth embodiments, the touch panel 2 and the housing 6 are fixed via the

rigid bodies

4, 41, and 42. By doing so, among the natural vibration modes of the touch panel 2, the secondary or three or more resonance frequencies can be made higher than the use frequency, and the occurrence of vibration nodes in the surface of the touch panel 2 can be prevented. Therefore, the entire touch panel 2 can be vibrated.

Still, by giving elasticity to the

first fixing members

5 and 51, vibration of the touch panel 2 is hardly leaked to the housing 6. In addition, a mode in which the vibration mode of the touch panel 2 vibrates parallel to the Z-axis direction is added to the flexural vibration. Therefore, the surface of the touch panel 2 vibrates uniformly and greatly.

Next, the configuration of the comparative example and the problems that occur in the comparative example will be described. First, the configuration of the comparative example will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the input device 500 according to the comparative example, and FIG. 12 is a YZ sectional view showing the configuration of the input device 500.

11 and 12, the input device 500 includes the housing 6, the touch panel 2, and the second fixing material 31. That is, the input device 500 is not provided with the

rigid bodies

4 and 41. And the housing | casing 6 and the touchscreen 2 are adhere | attached through the 1st fixing material 51. FIG. The first fixing member 51 and the fixing step 71 are formed in a continuous rectangular frame shape. Therefore, the input device 500 is not provided with the non-fixed portion A. A vibration generating member 1 is provided on the back surface 2 R of the touch panel 2.

Hereinafter, problems occurring in the comparative example will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16 are diagrams showing the vibration antinodes of the touch panel 2 and the positions of the

nodes

22 and 23 in the comparative example. Further, FIGS. 13 to 16 show the bending shape of the touch panel 2. That is, FIGS. 13 to 16 respectively show a bending shape 24 of the touch panel 2 viewed from the X direction and a bending shape 25 of the touch panel 2 viewed from the Y direction.

The touch panel 2 has a specific vibration mode determined by the material and shape of the touch panel 2 and the fixed state of the outer periphery of the touch panel 2. When the touch panel 2 is vibrated in the basic vibration mode, it is preferable to attach the vibration generating member 1 to a position close to the center of the touch panel 2 that is the position of the antinode as shown in FIG. That is, the vibration transmission efficiency is improved when the vibration generating member 1 is attached to the center of the touch panel 2.

However, when the touch panel 2 is used in combination with a display panel such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), it is necessary to attach a vibration generating member near the outer periphery of the panel so as not to disturb the display of the LCD or the like. As a result, the vibration transmission efficiency is deteriorated and it is difficult to sufficiently vibrate the touch panel 2. Further, when the vibration generating member 1 is attached in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the touch panel 2, in the comparative example of FIGS. 11 and 12, the portion where the touch panel 2 is fixed is vibrated by the vibration generating member. For this reason, the touch panel 2 generates nonlinear vibration including harmonic distortion, and it is difficult to vibrate the panel according to the signal input to the vibration generating member 1. Therefore, it becomes difficult to design the tactile sensation that is originally desired. In addition, high frequency component sounds that are not desired to be generated may be generated. In addition, vibration easily leaks to the housing 6 and other components such as circuits and wiring attached to the housing 6 also vibrate. Therefore, these parts come into contact with each other, which may cause annoying abnormal noise.

Furthermore, in the haptics function, it is common to vibrate in the vicinity of 200 Hz where the finger touch sensitivity is high. However, when the size of the touch panel 2 increases, the basic vibration mode of the touch panel 2 becomes lower than 200 Hz. Therefore, when trying to vibrate at 200 Hz, the touch panel 2 starts to vibrate in the modes shown in FIGS. In such a case,

vibration nodes

22 and 23 are formed in the surface of the touch panel 2. Therefore, a part with extremely small vibration is generated in the surface of the touch panel 2. That is, a site where sufficient touch is not obtained is formed.

As described above, in the configuration of the comparative example, (a) a sufficient amount of vibration cannot be obtained, (b) the vibration is distorted and cannot be vibrated according to the input signal, and (c) the sound caused by the harmonic distortion. There is a problem that abnormal noise occurs due to contact or contact, and (d) a portion with a small amount of vibration is formed in the touch panel surface. On the other hand, the configurations of Embodiments 1 to 4 can solve the problems (a) to (d). Therefore, excellent vibration characteristics can be obtained, and a good haptic function can be realized.

Example Hereinafter, the measurement result of the vibration acceleration of a present Example and a comparative example is demonstrated. The configuration of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is taken as an example. Specifically, a bimorph piezoelectric element is used as the vibration generating member 1. A piezoelectric element is cantilevered and a weight 1g is attached to the tip. The resonance frequency of the vibration generating member 1 is 200 Hz.

The touch panel 2 is a 10-inch diagonal touch panel having a glass with a thickness of 1.1 mm as a substrate. The second fixing material 3 is a double-sided tape having a thickness of 100 μm mainly composed of acrylic. The rigid body 4 is a rigid body made of aluminum and has a substantially U shape in the XY plan view. Further, here, the rigid body 4 has a U-shaped cross section so as to be light and rigid. The first fixing material 5 is a double-sided tape having sponge-like elasticity using a foam base material for the intermediate layer. The housing 6 is made of ABS resin.

The comparative example has a configuration shown in FIGS. Specifically, the touch panel 2 is a 10-inch diagonal touch panel using glass with a thickness of 1.1 mm as a substrate. The second fixing material 3 is a double-sided tape having a thickness of 100 μm mainly composed of acrylic. The housing 6 is made of ABS resin.

FIG. 17 shows the measurement results of vibration acceleration at the center of the touch panel 2 in the example and the comparative example. FIG. 17 shows the measurement results when a 30 Vp-p sine wave signal is input to the vibration generating member 1 in the range of 150 Hz to 300 Hz.

In the configuration of the embodiment, a large vibration acceleration having acceleration peaks at 200 Hz (resonance frequency of the vibration generating member 1) and 260 Hz (resonance frequency of the basic vibration of the touch panel 2) can be obtained. Therefore, in the configuration of the example, better vibration characteristics can be obtained compared to the configuration of the comparative example.

Although not shown, when a 200 V 30 Vp-p sine wave signal is input to the vibration generating member 1, vibration acceleration of 1 G or more can be obtained in all areas within 1 cm from the outer periphery of the touch panel 2. Therefore, it can be confirmed that good tactile sensation can be obtained in almost all the parts of the touch panel 2.

Modified example.
Next, a modification of the input device will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19 are plan views schematically showing the shapes of the non-fixed portion A and the first fixing member 5 of the input device. FIG. 18 schematically illustrates the planar shape in the first modification, and FIG. 19 schematically illustrates the planar shape in the second modification. Note that the overall configuration of the input device is the same as that shown in Embodiment 1, and thus description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. For example, in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, the housing 6 is omitted.

In the first and second modifications, the vibration generating member 1 is provided only at one end of the touch panel 2 as in the first to fourth embodiments. The vibration generating member 1 is disposed in the non-fixed portion A. And in the modification 1 and the modification 2, the shape of the 1st fixing material 5 differs. Specifically, in the first modification, the first fixing material 5 is not provided at the two corners of the touch panel 2. That is, the first fixing material 5 is not provided on the entire one end side of the outer peripheral edge 2 P of the touch panel 2. In other words, the first fixing member 5 is provided only on the three end sides of the outer peripheral edge 2P. Therefore, the first fixing member 5 is bonded to two of the four corners of the touch panel 2. A non-fixed portion A of the touch panel 2 is formed on the entire one end side of the touch panel 2. In other words, one end side of the touch panel 2 is completely unfixed.

On the other hand, in the second modification, the first fixing member 5 is provided at the four corners of the touch panel 2. That is, the 1st fixing material 5 is provided in the whole 3 edge side of the outer periphery 2P of the touchscreen 2, and the both ends of 1 edge side. Therefore, the first fixing material 5 is bonded to all the four corners of the touch panel 2. The non-fixed portion A of the touch panel 2 is only a part of one end side of the touch panel 2. In other words, the four corners of the touch panel 2 are fixed to the fixed stage 7. In this way, higher strength can be obtained by fixing the four corners of the touch panel 2. The shapes of the first and second modifications can be applied to the input device 100, the input device 200, or the input device 400 of the first, second, and fourth embodiments.

The present invention has been described with reference to the above-described embodiment and examples. However, the present invention is not limited only to the configuration of the above-described embodiment and examples, and the scope of the invention of the claims of the claims of this application Of course, various changes, modifications, and combinations that can be made by those skilled in the art are included.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-162441 filed on August 20, 2015, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vibration generating member 2 Touch panel

2P Outer periphery

2F Front surface

2R Rear surface 3 2nd fixing material 3a Opening part 4 Rigid body 4a Opening part 5 1st fixing material 5a Opening part 6 Case 7 Fixing stage 7a Opening part 8

Internal space

100, 200, 300, 400 input device

Claims

A panel that accepts touch input,
A fixed stage provided to face the back surface of the panel at the outer peripheral edge of the panel, and a housing having a fixed stage arranged excluding a part of the outer peripheral edge of the panel;
A first fixing member provided to fix the panel to the fixed stage of the housing, and formed along the outer peripheral edge excluding the part of the outer peripheral edge;
An input device comprising: a vibration generating member that is disposed on the back side of the panel at the part of the outer peripheral edge and vibrates the panel.
A rigid body formed along the outer peripheral edge and disposed between the fixed stage and the panel;
A second fixing member formed along the outer peripheral edge and disposed between the rigid body and the panel, and fixing the rigid body and the panel;
The input device according to claim 1, wherein the first fixing member has elasticity and is disposed between the rigid body and the fixing stage to fix the rigid body and the housing.
In the part of the outer periphery, the rigid body and the second fixing material are discontinuous,
The input device according to claim 2, wherein the vibration generating member is attached to the back surface of the panel at the part of the outer peripheral edge.
The rigid body and the second fixing member are continuously provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge,
The rigid body is provided with an angle portion that extends toward the bottom side of the housing in the part of the outer peripheral edge,
The input device according to claim 2, wherein the vibration generating member is fixed to the angle portion.
The first fixing member is attached to the fixing step and the panel;
The input device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating member is attached to a back surface of the panel.
In plan view, the panel is rectangular,
The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fixed stage is provided except for one of four sides constituting an outer peripheral edge of the panel.
In plan view, the panel is rectangular,
The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fixing stage and the first fixing material are provided at four corners of the panel.
A panel that accepts touch input,
A housing having a fixed stage provided to face the back surface of the panel at the outer periphery of the panel;
A rigid body disposed between the panel and the fixed stage and formed along an outer peripheral edge of the panel;
A first fixing member that is disposed between the rigid body and the fixed stage and fixes the rigid body and the housing;
A second fixing member disposed between the back surface of the panel and the rigid body at the outer peripheral edge, and fixing the rigid body and the panel;
An input device comprising: a vibration generating member attached to a back surface of the panel.
The input device according to claim 7, wherein the fixed stage is continuously provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge.
10. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating member is provided only at one end of the panel.