Layered border for touch sensor device

• US 10,005,265 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2014
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Hecht, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eslami, Tabassom Tadayyon
• Application Number:
  US14/182,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20140158298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 427108, 345177, 345173
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/02 performed by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0254 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/02 characterised by a sequence of laminating steps, e.g. by adding new layers at consecutive laminating stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

Multi-layered paint on a border of a surface acoustic wave touch device may reduce attenuation. The touch substrate has a front surface and a back surface where the front surface has a touch region. Multi-layered paint is formed on the back surface to form a border along the touch substrate. The multi-layered paint includes a mirror layer and a color layer. The surface acoustic waves propagate over at least a portion of the border region such that the surface acoustic waves propagate on the multi-layered paint without excessive wave attenuation.

Claims

1. A method for forming a surface acoustic wave touch device, the method comprising:

forming a multi-layered material stack with a layer of opaque light reflective material over a layer of color material on a border region of a touch substrate; and

positioning a transducer and an acoustically reflective array over the layer of opaque light reflective material in a configuration to propagate surface acoustic waves on the multi-layered material stack and the touch substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the multi-layered material stack comprises:

depositing the layer of color material on the touch substrate,

depositing the layer of opaque light reflective material directly on the color material, and

sintering the multi-layered material stack.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the multi-layered material stack comprises depositing the layer of color material as a white paint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the transducer and the acoustically reflective array comprises placing the transducer and the acoustically reflective array directly on the layer of opaque light reflective material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch substrate comprises glass.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch substrate defines a front surface and a back surface, and wherein the multi-layered material stack is formed on the back surface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein positioning the transducer comprises positioning the transducer to propagate surface acoustic waves on the front surface over at least a portion of the border region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the touch substrate comprises a rounded connecting surface connecting the front and back surfaces, the surface acoustic waves propagating over the rounded connecting surface.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the layer of color material is between the back surface and the layer of opaque light reflective material.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein positioning the transducer comprises placing the transducer on the layer of opaque light reflective material such that the multi-layered material stack prevents viewing of the transducer through the front surface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer of opaque light reflective material comprises a non-white layer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer of opaque light reflective material comprises a mirror layer formed from fired paint.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the fired paint is formed with aluminum flakes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-layered material stack is less than 50 microns thick.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-layered material stack comprises dried ink.