Touch panel including connection electrodes formed differently in first area than second area and display apparatus including the same

• US 10,521,058 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Innam, Lee, Choonhyop
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schnirel, Andrew B
• Application Number:
  US15/207,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20170153726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

A touch panel includes a substrate, detection electrodes, and connection electrodes. The substrate includes a planar surface portion and a curved surface portion adjacent to the planar surface portion in a first direction, the curved surface portion including an active region and another region disposed outside the active region. The detection electrodes are disposed on the substrate. The detection electrodes are arranged in the first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction. The connection electrodes electrically connect adjacent detection electrodes arranged in a same direction as one another. A connection electrode of the connection electrodes connecting detection electrodes adjacent to each other of the detection electrodes arranged in the first direction is disposed in the active region of the curved surface portion. The connection electrode includes a portion extending in a different direction than the first direction.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a substrate comprising;

a planar surface portion; and

a curved surface portion adjacent to the planar surface portion in a first direction, the curved surface portion comprising an active region and another region disposed outside the active region;

detection electrodes disposed on the substrate, the detection electrodes comprising;

first detection electrodes arranged in the first direction and electrically connected to one another; and

second detection electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction and electrically connected to one another; and

connection electrodes electrically connecting adjacent detection electrodes arranged in a same direction as one another, the connection electrodes comprising;

first connection electrodes electrically connecting adjacent first detection electrodes of the first detection electrodes; and

second connection electrodes electrically connecting adjacent second detection electrodes of the second detection electrodes,

wherein;

a connection electrode of the first connection electrodes is disposed in the active region of the curved surface portion, the connection electrode comprising a portion extending in a different direction than the first direction and second direction; and

another connection electrode of the first connection electrodes is disposed in the active region of the planar surface portion, the another connection electrode extending in a straight line shape in the first direction.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein:

the planar surface portion is flat; and

the curved surface portion is curved at determined radius of curvature with respect to the first direction.

3. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein:

some of the first connection electrodes are disposed on the curved surface portion, the some of the first connection electrodes comprising the first connection electrode; and

the some of the first connection electrodes are inclined at a determined angle with respect to the first direction, the determined angle being greater than 0° and

less than 90°

.

4. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein:

the detection electrodes comprise;

additional first detection electrodes arranged in the first direction; and

additional second detection electrodes arranged in the second direction;

the first detection electrodes, the additional first detection electrodes, the second detection electrodes, and the additional second detection electrodes are arranged in an alternating pattern, the first detection electrodes and the additional first detection electrodes being spaced apart from the second detection electrodes and the additional second detection electrodes; and

the first connection electrodes and the second connection electrodes cross one another with an insulating film disposed therebetween.

5. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein the some of the first connection electrodes comprise bent shapes.

6. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein:

some of the first connection electrodes are disposed on the planar surface portion, the some of the first connection electrodes disposed on the planar surface portion comprising the another connection electrode;

the some of the first connection electrodes disposed on the planar surface portion extend in straight line shapes in the first direction; and

the second connection electrodes extend in straight line shapes in the second direction.

7. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein the some of the first connection electrodes comprise doubly bent shapes, the doubly bent shapes comprising portions bent in opposite directions of one another.

8. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein:

in a plan view, each of the some of the first connection electrodes comprises;

a first extension portion connected to a first side of a first detection electrode of the first detection electrodes, the first extension portion extending in the first direction and toward an upper right side of the touch panel;

a second extension portion connected to an end of the first extension portion, the second extension portion extending in the first direction and toward a lower right side of the touch panel; and

a third extension portion connected to an end of the second extension portion, the third extension portion extending in the first direction toward the upper right side of the touch panel; and

the third extension portion is connected to a first detection electrode of the first detection electrodes that is adjacent to the first detection electrode connected to the first extension portion.

9. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein:

some of the second connection electrodes are disposed on the curved surface portion; and

the some of the first connection electrodes and the some of the second connection electrodes comprise bent shapes.

10. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein:

other first connection electrodes of the first connection electrodes are disposed on the planar surface portion; and

the some of the first connection electrodes and the other first connection electrodes comprise bent shapes.

11. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein:

other first connection electrodes of the first connection electrodes are disposed on the planar surface portion;

some of the second connection electrodes are disposed on the planar surface portion; and

the some of the first connection electrodes, the other first connection electrodes, and the some of the second connection electrodes comprise bent shapes.

12. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein the some of the first connection electrodes comprise wavy pattern shapes.

13. The touch panel of claim 3, further comprising:

a wiring part disposed in the another region, the wiring part being connected to some of the first detection electrodes and some of the second detection electrodes.

14. The touch panel of claim 13, wherein:

the wiring part comprises;

first pads electrically connected to the some of the first detection electrodes connected to the wiring part, the some of the first detection electrodes connected to the wiring part being disposed in outermost portions of the active region;

second pads electrically connected to the some of the second detection electrodes connected to the wiring part, the some of the second detection electrodes connected to the wiring part being disposed in outermost portions of the active region;

first signal lines connected to the first pads;

second signal lines connected to the second pads; and

a connection part disposed on the substrate in the another region, the connection part being connected to the first signal lines and the second signal lines;

the first signal lines extend along opposing sides of the active region; and

the second signal lines extend in a portion of the another region disposed between the opposing sides of the active region.

15. The touch panel of claim 14, wherein the first signal lines and the second signal lines comprise at least one of molybdenum, silver, titanium, copper, aluminum, nickel, and silver paste.

16. The touch panel of claim 14, wherein:

some of first signal lines comprise first portions extending in the first direction;

some of the second signal lines comprise second portions extending in the first direction;

the first portions and the second portions comprise zigzag patterns.

17. The touch panel of claim 16, wherein the first portions and the second portions extend while repeatedly bent in a zigzag pattern at angles of greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees with respect to the first direction.

18. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the detection electrodes are diamond shaped.

19. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein:

third detection electrodes of the detection electrodes are disposed on the planar surface portion, the third detection electrodes being diamond-shaped; and

fourth detection electrodes of the detection electrodes are disposed on the curved surface portion and overlap a boundary between the curved surface portion and the planar surface portion, the fourth detection electrodes being circular-shaped or polygon-shaped with greater than four sides.

20. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel configured to display an image; and

a touch panel disposed on the display panel, the touch panel comprising;

a substrate comprising a planar surface portion and a curved surface portion adjacent to the planar surface portion in a first direction, the curved surface portion including an active region and another region disposed outside the active region;

detection electrodes disposed on the substrate, the detection electrodes comprising;

first detection electrodes arranged in the first direction and electrically connected to one another; and

second detection electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction and electrically connected to one another; and

connection electrodes electrically connecting adjacent detection electrodes arranged in a same direction as one another, the connection electrodes comprising;

first connection electrodes electrically connecting adiacent first detection electrodes of the first detection electrodes; and

second connection electrodes electrically connecting adiacent second detection electrodes of the second detection electrodes,

wherein;

a connection electrode of the first connection electrodes is disposed in the active region of the curved surface portion, the connection electrode comprising a portion extending in a different direction than the first direction and the second direction; and

another connection electrode of the first connection electrodes is disposed in the active region of the planar surface portion, the another connection electrode extending in a straight line shape in the first direction.