Protective cover of touch key structure, method of fabrication thereof, and touch panel with covered touch key structure

• US 10,642,388 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interface Optoelectronics (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd. (Cloud Software Group), General Interface Solution Limited (General Interface Solution (GIS) Holding Ltd.), Interface Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Interface Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ma, Xian-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Jansen, II, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US16/039,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20190204943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08

Abstract

A protective cover for a touch panel comprises a cover and an adhesive layer formed on a surface of the cover. The protective cover is bulge-shaped, and defines a plurality of gaps. The gaps are regularly spaced from each other. The gaps are located at a joint between the top portion and the connection portion and at a joint between the connection portion and the wing portion. The gap reduces a springback phenomenon of the connection portion after being curved.

Claims

1. A protective cover for protecting a touch key structure of a touch panel, the protective cover comprising:

a cover; and

an adhesive layer formed on a surface of the cover, and configured to bond the cover on the touch panel;

wherein the cover comprises a top portion, two wing portions, and two connection portions;

the connection portions respectively extend from two opposite ends of the top portion and curve towards a same side of the top portion;

each wing portion extends from an end of one of the connection portions away from the top portion, and is parallel with the top portion;

the protective cover defines a plurality of gaps;

the gaps are regularly spaced from each other;

the gaps are located at a joint between the top portion and the connection portion and at a joint between the connection portion and the wing portion;

the gap reduces a springback phenomenon of the connection portion after being curved.

2. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the gaps at the same joint are aligned in a line along a first direction, the first direction is an extending direction of a line where the connection portion curves.

3. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein a width of the gap along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is 0.5 mm.

4. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the protective cover further comprises a protection layer;

the protection layer is pasted on a surface of the adhesive layer away from the cover;

the protection layer covers the adhesive layer on the top region and on a part of each connection portion;

the wing portion are exposed from the protection;

the protection layer protects the adhesive layer in the top portion and in a part of each connection portion from being damaged during a curving fabricating process.

5. The protective cover of claim 4, wherein a thickness of each of the cover and the protection layer is 0.05 mm.

6. The protective cover of claim 4, wherein the gaps at a joint between the top portion and the connection portion pass through the cover, the adhesive layer, and the protection.

7. The protective cover of claim 4, wherein the gaps at a joint between the connection portion and the wing portion pass through the cover and the adhesive layer.

8. A touch panel comprising:

a touch key structure configured to provide a tactile feedback; and

a protective cover located on the touch key structure, and configured to protect the touch key structure, the protective cover comprising;

a cover;

an adhesive layer formed on a surface of the cover, and configured to paste the cover on the touch panel; and

a protection layer formed on a surface of the adhesive layer away from the cover;

wherein the cover comprises a top portion, two wing portions, and two connection portions;

the connection portions respectively extends from two opposite ends of the top portion, and curve towards a same side of the top portion;

each wing portion extends from an end of one of the connection portions away from the top portion, and is parallel with the top portion;

the protection layer is pasted on a surface of the adhesive layer away from the cover;

the protection layer covers the adhesive layer on the top region and on a part of each connection portion;

the wing portions are exposed from the protection;

the protection layer protects the adhesive layer in the top portion and in a part of each connection portion from damage during a curving fabrication process.

9. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein a thickness of each of the cover and the protection layer is 0.05 mm.

10. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein the protective cover defines a plurality of gaps;

the gaps are regularly spaced from each other;

the gaps are located at a joint between the top portion and the connection portion and at a joint between the connection portion and the wing portion;

the gap reduces a springback phenomenon of the connection portion after being curved.

11. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein the gaps at the same joint are aligned in a line along a first direction, the first direction is an extending direction of a line where the connection portion curves.

12. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein a width of the gap along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is 0.5 mm.

13. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein the gaps at a joint between the top portion and the connection portion pass through the cover, the adhesive layer, and the protection layer;

the gaps at a joint between the connection portion and the wing portion pass through the cover and the adhesive layer.

14. A fabricating method for forming a protective cover of a touch panel;

the method comprising;

providing a substrate with a first region, two second regions adjacent to the first region, and two third regions adjacent to the second regions respectively;

forming an adhesive layer on a surface of the substrate for covering the substrate in the first region, the second regions, and the third regions;

forming a protection plate on the adhesive layer for covering the adhesive layer in the first region and a part of the adhesive layer in second regions; and

curving a connecting portion between the first region and the second region and a connecting portion between the second region and the third region to form a protective cover in a bulge-shape;

forming a plurality of gaps regularly spaced from each other at connecting portions between the first region and the second region and at connecting portions between the second region and the third region.

15. The fabricating method of claim 14, wherein the gaps at the same connecting portion are aligned in a line along a first direction, the first direction is an extending direction of a line where the connection portion curves.

16. The fabricating method of claim 15, wherein a width of the gap along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is 0.5 mm.

17. The fabricating method of claim 15, wherein the gaps at the connecting portion between the first region and the second region pass through the cover, the adhesive layer, and the protection;

the gaps at the connecting portion between the second region portion and the third region pass through the cover and the adhesive layer.