Touch panel

• US 10,331,261 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ho, Kwan-Sin, You, Xiao-Xia, Yang, Jun-Ping, Yun, Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Mistry, Ram A
• Application Number:
  US15/336,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20170123576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch panel includes a substrate, a light-shielding element, a touch sensing layer, a discharge element, and a main bridge element. The substrate has a center area and an edge area surrounding the center area. The light-shielding element is disposed on the edge area of the substrate. The touch sensing layer is disposed on the substrate and a portion of the touch sensing layer is disposed on the light-shielding element. The discharge element is disposed on the light-shielding element and is separated from the touch sensing layer. The main bridge element is connected to the portion of the touch sensing layer disposed on the light-shielding element and the discharging element.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a substrate having a center area and an edge area surrounding the center area;

a light-shielding element disposed on the edge area of the substrate;

a touch sensing layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the touch sensing layer includes a plurality of sensing units and the ends of the sensing units are disposed on the light-shielding element;

a plurality of discharge elements corresponding to the sensing units disposed on the light-shielding element and being separated from the touch sensing layer; and

wherein each of the discharge elements is respectively connected to each of the ends of the sensing units by a main bridge element;

wherein each of the discharge elements is surrounded by a shielding layer disposed on the light-shielding element;

the shielding layer is spaced apart from each of the discharge elements by a gap;

the shielding layer is located between the light-shielding element and the main bridge element, and the main bridge element is electrically insulated from the shielding layer.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the shielding layer is a conducting layer.

3. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein an insulating layer is disposed between the main bridge element and the shielding layer.

4. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the discharge elements are separated from one another, the touch panel further comprising:

a sub bridge element connecting two of the discharge elements.

5. The touch panel of claim 4, wherein the main bridge element and the sub bridge element are connected in series to connect the discharge elements.

6. The touch panel of claim 4, further comprising:

a shielding layer disposed on the light-shielding element, the shielding layer surrounding one of the discharge elements and being spaced apart from the one of the discharge elements by a gap, both the main bridge element and the sub bridge element being electrically insulated from the shielding layer.

7. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein the shielding layer is a conducting layer.

8. The touch panel of claim 6, further comprising:

an insulating layer disposed between the sub bridge element and the shielding layer.

9. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein a plurality of the shielding layers respectively surround the discharge elements.

10. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein two of the discharge elements are separated from each other and are respectively connected to two opposite ends of the main bridge element.

11. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the touch sensing layer comprises:

a first sensing unit extending along a first direction, the main bridge element being connected to one end of the first sensing unit.

12. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein the first sensing unit comprises:

a plurality of sensing pads, the main bridge element being connected to the sensing pad located at the one end of the first sensing unit; and

a plurality of connection elements, each of the connection elements connecting the sensing pads, and the connection elements and the sensing pads being arranged alternately.

13. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the sensing pads and the discharge element are made of a same material and formed in a same process.

14. The touch panel of claim 12, further comprising:

a wire disposed on the light-shielding element and connected to the sensing pad located at the one end.

15. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein the touch sensing layer further comprises:

a second sensing unit extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction.

16. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the discharge element is a conducting layer.