Touch panel assembly for a communication device

• US 10,061,451 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Garcia, Jorge L., Girotti, Nicola, Magana, Salvador P., Nilsen, Ryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/879,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 455566
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/28 Adhesive materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays

Abstract

An improved touch panel assembly (100) is provided. The touch panel assembly (100) comprises a bezel (102), a display (104), a touch panel (108), and a glass lens (110). The assembly (100) is formed to so that the touch panel (108) has a touch panel extension (112) extending beyond the glass lens (110). The touch panel extension (112) allows for a bumper (204) to edge mount to the glass lens (110) between the housing (202) and the module (100) and cover the touch panel extension (112) and sides of the assembly (100).

Claims

1. A touch panel assembly, comprising:

a glass lens;

a touch panel coupled to the glass lens, the touch panel having a touch panel extension that extends beyond the glass lens, wherein the touch panel extension extends only along first and second lengthwise sides of the touch panel;

an adhesive pad bonded only along a full perimeter bottom surface of the touch panel including the bottom surface of the touch panel extension, thereby sealing the bottom surface of the touch panel; and

a shock absorbing bumper coupled along sides of the glass lens, touch panel extension, and the adhesive pad, so as to compressibly fit against a front surface of the touch panel extension, the shock absorbing bumper minimizing exposure of the glass lens for drop protection.

2. The touch panel assembly of claim 1, further comprising a display assembled to the touch panel.

3. The touch panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the touch panel comprises traces for capacitive touch except on the touch panel extension.

4. The touch panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the touch panel is parallel to the cover glass.

5. A communication device, comprising:

a housing comprising an interior bottom wall and interior side walls;

a bezel;

a liquid crystal display (LCD) seated within the bezel;

a touch panel assembled to the LCD;

a glass lens assembled to the touch panel, the touch panel extending beyond the glass lens as a touch panel extension, wherein the touch panel extension extends only along first and second lengthwise sides of the touch panel which align within the interior side walls of the housing;

an adhesive pad bonded only along a full perimeter bottom surface of the touch panel including the bottom surface of the touch panel extension, thereby providing sealing to the bottom surface of the touch panel and to the interior bottom wall of the housing; and

a bumper insertably coupled to the housing to extend to the interior bottom wall and along the interior side walls of the housing and along sides of the glass lens, touch panel extension, and the adhesive pad, so as to compressibly fit against a front surface of the touch panel extension, the bumper minimizing exposure of the glass lens for drop protection.

6. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the bumper is made of shock absorbing material.

7. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the communication device comprises a public safety portable radio or body worn accessory.

8. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the housing is made of polycarbonate or glass filled nylon.

9. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the touch panel is capacitive touch panel.

10. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the adhesive pad is made of acrylic foam material having visco-elastic properties.

11. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the touch panel comprises traces for capacitive touch except on the touch panel extension.

12. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the touch panel extension includes traces for capacitive touch thereby providing a user interface touch zone beyond the width of the glass lens.

13. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the touch panel extension allows for a minimized glass lens width for contouring an outer shape of the communication device inwards.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the minimized glass lens width strengthens edge robustness and minimizes breakage.

15. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the touch panel is parallel to the cover glass.