Touch sensor assembly

• US 10,429,126 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• 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): Lin, Hang
• Application Number:
  US14/977,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20160178277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 310338
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/28 Other arrangements on doors or windows, e.g. door-plates, windows adapted to carry plants, hooks for window cleaners edge protecting devices for door leaves E06B3/88; special glazing; emergency glazing; double glazing E06B3/66
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

In a sensor assembly, a hole-shaped sensor support portion is formed at a sensor printed circuit board (PCB), a touch sensor is disposed at the sensor support portion, and an elastic member is installed at a rear surface of the sensor PCB. In addition, a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a sensor PCB on which a copper coating film which constitutes a circuit is printed on a top surface of a plastic material, a touch sensor seated on a sensor support portion formed at the sensor PCB, and a cover member which is attached onto a rear surface of the sensor PCB and covers the sensor support portion.

Claims

1. A touch sensor assembly comprising:

a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) having a conductive material forming a printed circuit on a top surface of an insulating substrate;

a sensor support having a hole having a circular shape, the hole passing through the conductive layer and the insulating substrate of the sensor PCB;

a touch sensor including a circular metal plate provided at an upper side of the conductive layer to cover the sensor support, and a ceramic disc provided at a top surface of the metal plate and having a diameter less than that of the sensor support;

a conductive foil covering the conductive layer and the touch sensor; and

elastic members installed at a bottom surface of the sensor PCB corresponding to an outer side of the sensor support.

2. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cover film provided on the bottom surface of the sensor PCB to cover a lower opened end of the sensor support;

and a front panel under which the touch sensor is positioned, wherein the front panel has a front surface that is touched by a user, and wherein the circular metal plate covers an upper opened end of the sensor support.

3. The touch sensor assembly of claim 2, wherein the sensor support is formed in a lengthwise direction of the sensor PCB in a plural number, and the film cover is a sheet having a size to cover all of the plurality of sensor supports.

4. The touch sensor assembly of claim 2, wherein the sensor support is formed in a lengthwise direction of the sensor PCB in a plural number, and the film cover includes a plurality of individual films, each individual film having a size to cover one sensor support.

5. The touch sensor assembly of claim 4, wherein each individual film is provided between a pair of elastic members which face each other around the sensor support.

6. The touch sensor assembly of claim 4, wherein each individual film has a circular shape and the sensor support has a stepped ledge at an inner circumferential surface, wherein each individual film is inserted onto the stepped ledge of the sensor support.

7. The touch sensor assembly of claim 6, wherein a surface of the individual film facing away from the hole of the sensor support and the bottom surface of the sensor PCB are co-planar.

8. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is a piezo sensor.

9. The touch sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a sensor housing configured to accommodate the sensor PCB therein, the sensor housing having a housing body to accommodate the sensor PCB and a housing cover coupled with a top surface of the housing body.

10. The touch sensor assembly of claim 9, further comprising a touch transfer plate provided at an opening formed at the housing cover, wherein the touch transfer plate is movable in the opening in a direction to which a touch pressure is applied so that the touch pressure on a front surface of the touch transfer plate is transferred to the ceramic disc.

11. The touch sensor assembly of claim 10, further comprising a protrusion protruding from a rear surface of the touch transfer plate corresponding to a position of the ceramic disc and being in contact with the ceramic disc.

12. The touch sensor assembly of claim 11, further comprising a conductive line formed on a bottom surface of the conductive foil and electrically connected to the ceramic disc and the circular metal plate.

13. A touch sensor assembly comprising:

a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) having a conductive line printed to form a circuit on an insulating substrate;

a sensor support having a circular shape and passing through at least the conductive line of the sensor PCB;

a touch sensor which includes a circular metal plate covering the sensor support and contacting an upper side of the conductive layer, and a ceramic disc provided at a top surface of the metal plate and having a diameter less than that of the sensor support;

a spacer having a sensor hole formed at a position corresponding to a position of the touch sensor and provided over a top surface of the conductive layer;

a conductive foil provided over a top surface of the spacer and having an inner guide line and an outer guide line on a rear surface of the conductive foil, the inner guide line having a diameter corresponding to a diameter of the ceramic disc and an outer guide line having a diameter corresponding to a diameter of the circular metal plate; and

a film cover to cover a bottom surface of the sensor PCB corresponding to a position of the sensor support.

14. The touch sensor assembly of claim 13, further comprising a central conductive line extending from the center of a rear surface of the conductive foil in a lengthwise direction and electrically connecting the inner guide line and the outer guide line.

15. The touch sensor assembly of claim 14, further comprising a peripheral conductive line forming a mesh or grid shape at a rear surface of the conductive foil corresponding to an inner side of the inner guide line and an outer side of the outer guide line.

16. The touch sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the sensor support is a hole passing through the insulating layer of the sensor PCB.

17. The touch sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the sensor support is formed in a lengthwise direction of the sensor PCB in a plural number, and the film cover is sheet having a size to cover all of the plurality of sensor support portions.

18. The touch sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the sensor support is formed in a lengthwise direction of the sensor PCB in a plural number, and the cover member includes a plurality of individual films, each individual film having a size to cover a corresponding sensor support.

19. The touch sensor assembly of claim 18, wherein each individual film has a circular shape and the sensor support has a stepped ledge at an inner circumferential surface, wherein each individual film is inserted onto the stepped ledge of the sensor support.

20. The touch sensor assembly of claim 19, wherein a surface of the individual film facing away from the hole of sensor support and the bottom surface of the sensor PCB are co-planar.

21. The touch sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the touch sensor is a piezo sensor.

22. The touch sensor assembly of claim 13, further comprising a sensor housing configured to accommodate the sensor PCB therein, the sensor housing having a housing body to accommodate the sensor PCB and a housing cover coupled with a top surface of the housing body.

23. The touch sensor assembly of claim 22, further comprising a touch transfer plate provided at an opening formed at the housing cover, wherein the touch transfer plate is movable in the opening in a direction to which a touch pressure is applied so that the touch pressure on a front surface of the touch transfer plate is transferred to the ceramic disc.

24. The touch sensor assembly of claim 23, further comprising a protrusion protruding from a rear surface of the touch transfer plate corresponding to a position of the ceramic disc and being in contact with the ceramic disc.