Piezoelectric touch sensor array

• US 10,267,556 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Seungje
• Primary Examiner(s): Girardi, Vanessa
• Application Number:
  US14/977,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20160178276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/964 Piezoelectric touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

A touch sensor assembly may include a sensor housing disposed at a bottom surface of an exterior member of a household appliance in which an operation unit on which a user touches is formed; a sensor PCB which is provided inside the sensor housing and has a top surface on which a copper coating or film is formed; a touch sensor, the touch sensor including: a metal plate having a bottom surface in contact with the copper coating or film; and a ceramic element installed on a top surface of the metal plate; a spacer in which a sensor hole is formed at a position corresponding to the sensor and which has a bottom surface attached to a surface of the copper coating or film; a conductive foil attached to a top surface of the spacer and having a bottom surface on which an inner guide line which applies an electric current to the ceramic element and an outer guide line which applies an electric current to the metal plate are printed; and a contact portion formed to protrude from a top surface of the conductive foil corresponding to a position of the inner guide line.

Claims

1. A touch sensor assembly comprising:

a sensor housing provided behind an exterior surface of a household appliance in which an touch input area is provided;

a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) provided inside the sensor housing and having a top surface on which a conductive layer is formed;

a touch sensor, the touch sensor including a metal plate having a bottom surface in contact with the conductive layer and a ceramic element provided on a top surface of the metal plate;

a spacer having a sensor hole formed at a position corresponding to the sensor and having a bottom surface attached to a top surface of the conductive layer;

a conductive foil attached to a top surface of the spacer and having a bottom surface on which an inner guide line configured to apply an electric current to the ceramic element and an outer guide line configured to apply an electric current to the metal plate are printed; and

a contact layer formed to protrude from a top surface of the conductive foil corresponding to a position of the inner guide line.

2. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact layer is printed on the conductive foil.

3. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact layer includes a sheet attached to the conductive foil.

4. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact layer, the ceramic element, and the metal plate have a circular shape, and a diameter of the metal plate is greater than a diameter of the ceramic element.

5. The touch sensor assembly of claim 4, wherein a diameter of the contact layer is less than the diameter of the ceramic element.

6. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a conductive line formed at a bottom surface of the conductive foil, wherein the conductive line includes:

a peripheral conductive line formed inside the inner guide line and outside the outer guide line and forming a mesh or grid shape, and

a central conductive line which extends from a center of the conductive foil in a lengthwise direction of the conductive foil, and connects the inner guide line and the outer guide line.

7. The touch sensor assembly of claim 6, wherein the inner guide line and the outer guide line are a part of the conductive line.

8. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the spacer includes:

a first through hole formed at an edge of one side of the spacer; and

a second through hole formed at an edge of the other side of the spacer,

wherein the first through hole and the second through hole are spaced apart from each other in a lengthwise direction of the spacer.

9. The touch sensor assembly of claim 8, the conductive foil includes a third through hole and a fourth through hole and formed at positions corresponding to positions of the first and second through holes of the spacer.

10. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor housing includes a housing body in which the sensor PCB is disposed, and a housing cover coupled to a top surface of the housing body.

11. The touch sensor assembly of claim 10, further comprising a touch transfer plate which is installed at an opening formed at the housing cover and configured to move vertically and to transmit touch pressure applied to the touch input area to the contact layer.

12. The touch sensor assembly of claim 11, comprising a protrusion which protrudes from a rear surface of the touch transfer plate corresponding to a position of the contact layer and contacts the contact layer.

13. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a sensor support formed at the sensor PCB to support the sensor.

14. The touch sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the sensor support includes a groove smaller than a diameter of the metal plate, and a top surface of the sensor support is covered by the metal plate.

15. The touch sensor assembly of claim 14, wherein a diameter of the sensor support is greater than a diameter of the ceramic element.

16. The touch sensor assembly of claim 14, wherein an edge of the bottom surface of the metal plate contacts the conductive layer, and a central region of the metal plate is bent toward an inside of the sensor support by touch pressure applied to the contact layer.

17. A refrigerator door comprising:

an exterior member having a touch input area for a user to provide at least one touch input;

a sensor housing provided behind the touch input area and a rear surface of the exterior member;

a touch transfer plate movably coupled to the sensor housing, which has a top surface contacting the rear surface of the exterior member, and a bottom surface on which a protrusion is formed;

a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) provided inside the sensor housing and having a conductive layer on a top surface;

a touch sensor having a metal plate and a ceramic element provided on a top surface of the metal plate, the metal plate having a bottom surface in contact with the conductive layer; and

a spacer having a sensor hole corresponding to a position of the sensor and having a bottom surface attached to a top surface of the conductive layer;

a conductive foil attached to a top surface of the spacer and having an inner guide line printed on a bottom surface and configured to apply an electric current to the ceramic element; and

a contact layer formed to protrude from a top surface of the conductive foil corresponding to a position of the inner guide line,

wherein the contact layer contacts the protrusion.

18. The refrigerator door of claim 17, further comprising:

an outer guide line having a diameter greater than a diameter of the inner guide line and is formed at the bottom surface of the conductive foil in a shape which surrounds the inner guide line; and

a conductive line formed at the bottom surface of the conductive foil,

wherein the conductive line includes;

a peripheral conductive line forming a mesh or grid shape and formed inside the inner guide line and outside the outer guide line, and

a central conductive line which extends from a center of the conductive foil in a lengthwise direction of the conductive foil and connects the inner guide line and the outer guide line.

19. The refrigerator door of claim 18, wherein the inner guide line and the outer guide line are a part of the conductive line.

20. The refrigerator door of claim 17, comprising:

a first through hole formed at an edge of one side of the spacer; and

a second through hole formed at an edge of the other side of the spacer,

wherein the first through hole and the second through hole are spaced apart from each other in a lengthwise direction of the spacer.

21. The refrigerator door of claim 20, comprising a third through hole and a fourth through hole which are formed in the conductive foil and are formed at positions corresponding to positions of the first and second through holes of the spacer.

22. The refrigerator door of claim 17, further comprising a sensor support formed at the sensor PCB to support the sensor.

23. The refrigerator door of claim 22, wherein the sensor support includes a groove smaller than a diameter of the metal plate, and a top surface of the sensor support is covered by the metal plate.

24. The refrigerator door of claim 23, wherein a diameter of the sensor support is greater than a diameter of the ceramic element.

25. The refrigerator door of claim 23, wherein an edge of the bottom surface of the metal plate contacts the conductive layer, and a central region of the metal plate is bent toward an inside of the sensor support by touch pressure applied to the contact layer.

26. The refrigerator door of claim 17, wherein the sensor housing includes a housing body in which the sensor PCB is provided, and a housing cover coupled to the housing body.

27. The refrigerator door of claim 26, wherein the touch transfer plate includes an elastic button, wherein the elastic button includes:

a first extension has a first end extending from one side surface of an opened portion of the touch transfer plate and is bent at a second end;

a second extension has a first end extending from one side surface of the opened end portion and is bent at a second end; and

a common region to connect the first extension and the second extension, wherein the protrusion is formed at a center of the common region.

28. The refrigerator door of claim 26, wherein the housing cover includes an opening at which the touch transfer plate is installed.

29. The refrigerator door of claim 28, wherein the opening of the housing cover includes a transfer plate support which protrudes from an inner surface of the opening, surrounds along a shape of the opening, and supports the transfer plate.

30. The refrigerator door of claim 29, wherein the touch transfer plate includes a plurality of hooks which extend from edges of both sides of the touch transfer plate in a direction of a thickness of the touch transfer plate, and the transfer plate support includes a plurality of hook grooves to accommodate the plurality of hooks.

31. The refrigerator door of claim 26, further comprising a plurality of elastic members which are attached to a bottom surface of the sensor PCB, and installation guides which protrude from a bottom surface of the housing body, and support side surfaces of the plurality of elastic members, wherein the plurality of elastic members are disposed to face each other outside the sensor.

32. The refrigerator door of claim 31, wherein the contact layer, the ceramic element and the metal plate are formed in a circular shape, and a diameter of the metal plate is greater than a diameter of the ceramic element.

33. The refrigerator door of claim 32, wherein a diameter of the contact layer is less than the diameter of the ceramic element.