Touch sensor structure

• US 10,642,386 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Makelainen, Esa, Haapakoski, Hannu
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Javed, Maheen I
• Application Number:
  US15/107,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20160320873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive 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 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed which includes a first substrate having an outer touch surface and an inner surface; a touch sensor substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface; wherein the first substrate and the touch sensor substrate are configured to form a part of a laminated structure; and wherein a first region of the first surface of the touch sensor substrate is configured to have a shape different to an adjacent region of the inner surface of the first substrate.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first substrate having an outer touch surface and an inner surface, said first substrate having a length and being curved along all of said length; and

a touch sensor substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, said first surface of said touch sensor substrate facing said inner surface of said first substrate, said first surface of the touch sensor substrate having at least one first region, located proximal to an edge of said touch sensor substrate, with a shape different from that of a facing region of the inner surface of the first substrate by diverging therefrom before an electrical interconnection is disposed thereon, thereby forming a gap between said first surface of said touch sensor substrate and said inner surface of said first substrate at said at least one region, said touch sensor substrate otherwise being curved in a manner corresponding to that of said first substrate, said at least one first region having a flat surface facing, and not extending beyond, said inner surface of said first substrate on a side of said gap along said edge of said touch sensor substrate, said inner surface of said first substrate being bonded to said first surface of said touch sensor substrate except in said at least one region, whereby the first substrate and the touch sensor substrate form, in part, a laminated structure.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first substrate is curved around at least one axis.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat surface comprises a flat electrical interconnection area for enabling electrical interconnection to circuitry.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat surface comprises a flat mounting area for mounting circuitry to the touch sensor substrate.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the electrical interconnection, disposed on the flat surface, for electrical connection to circuitry.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a touch sensor controller disposed on the flat surface.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a protective medium disposed between the flat surface and the inner surface.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first region of the first substrate, adjacent to the first region of the touch sensor substrate, is provided with decoration.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first surface of the touch sensor substrate has one or more additional regions, located proximal to an edge of said touch sensor substrate and not laminated to an adjacent region of the inner surface of the first substrate, with shapes different from those of facing regions of the inner surface of the first substrate by diverging therefrom before an electrical interconnection is disposed thereon, thereby forming one or more additional gaps between said first surface of said touch sensor substrate and said inner surface of said first substrate at said one or more additional regions, said one or more additional regions having flat surfaces facing, and not extending beyond, said inner surface of said first substrate on sides of said one or more additional gaps along said edge of said touch sensor substrate.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laminated structure has non-flat first and second opposing major surfaces.

11. A module comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

12. A touch sensitive display comprising:

the apparatus as claimed in claim 1; and

a display.

13. A device comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is configured for at least one of:

wireless communication, mobile telephony and portable handheld use.