Touch panel, method for manufacturing the same, and screen input type display unit using the same

• US 20020000979A1
• Filed: 06/20/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Chiba Electronics Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Chiba Electronics Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Majima, Kazuo, Furuhashi, Shoji, Kondou, Yasuaki, Ishii, Kazuo, Suzuki, Shigeki, Chiba, Shinsaku, Yoshida, Kazutoshi
• Application Number:
  US09/883,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20020000979A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10128 Display

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a touch panel, comprising the steps of adhering an upper substrate and a lower substrate to each other, said upper substrate being made of a soft film member with an upper resistance film, said lower substrate being made of a hard plate with a lower resistance film; and subsequently cutting off said upper substrate and said lower substrate.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a touch panel, comprising the steps of:

adhering an upper substrate and a lower substrate with each other, said upper substrate being made of a soft film member with an upper resistance film, said lower substrate being made of a hard plate with a lower resistance film; and

subsequently cutting off said upper substrate and said lower substrate.

2. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said lower substrate is made of a glass plate or a plastic plate.

3. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said lower substrate is cut off after said upper substrate is cut off.

4. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 3, wherein after said upper substrate is cut off by a first blade, said first blade is replaced by a second blade for cutting off said lower substrate, and then said lower substrate is cut off.

5. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said upper substrate and said lower substrate are cut off simultaneously.

6. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to any one of claims 1, wherein said lower substrate is cut off from the side of said upper substrate.

7. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to any one of claims 1, wherein said lower substrate is cut off from a side opposite to said upper substrate.

8. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to any one of claims 1, wherein a first base material which will be cut off to obtain a plurality of said upper substrates and a second base material which will be cut off to obtain a plurality of said lower substrates are adhered to each other, and subsequently said first base material and said second base material are cut off.

9. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to any one of claims 1, wherein:

said touch panel has said upper substrate, said lower substrate and an output printed board for extracting output signals;

said lower substrate has lower wiring electrode leading wires and upper wiring electrode leading wires, said lower-wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said lower resistance film and extending to a leader line connection region of an outer circumferential end portion of an input region, said upper wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said upper resistance film and extending to said leader line connection region;

said lower wiring electrode leading wires and said upper wiring electrode leading wires are connected to said output printed board in said leader line connection region; and

at least a portion of said upper substrate corresponding to said leader line connection region is removed.

10. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 9, wherein before said upper substrate and said lower substrate are adhered to each other, at least said portion of said upper substrate corresponding to said leader line connection region is removed.

11. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 9, wherein after said upper substrate and said lower substrate are adhered to each other, at least said portion of said upper substrate corresponding to said leader line connection region is removed.

12. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 9, wherein before said upper substrate and said lower substrate are cut off, said upper substrate and said lower substrate are connected to said output printed board.

13. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 9, wherein after said upper substrate and said lower substrate are cut off, said upper substrate and said lower substrate are connected to said output printed board.

14. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to any one of claims 9, wherein spacers 2 to 20 μ

m high are formed on said lower resistance film of said lower substrate by a printing method.

15. A touch panel comprising:

an upper substrate having an upper resistance film;

a lower substrate having a lower resistance film; and

an output printed board for extracting output signals;

wherein said lower substrate has lower wiring electrode leading wires and upper wiring electrode leading wires, said lower wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said lower resistance film and extending to a leader line connection region of an outer circumferential end portion of an input region, said upper wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said upper resistance film and extending to said leader line connection region;

wherein said lower wiring electrode leading wires and said upper wiring electrode leading wires are connected to said output printed board in said leader line connection region; and

wherein a portion of said upper substrate corresponding to said leader line connection region is removed to follow a shape of an installation portion of said output printed board.

16. A touch panel comprising:

an upper substrate having an upper resistance film;

a lower substrate having a lower resistance film; and

an output printed board for extracting output signals;

wherein said lower substrate has lower wiring electrode leading wires and upper wiring electrode leading wires, said lower wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said lower resistance film and extending to a leader line connection region of an outer circumferential end portion of an input region, said upper wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said upper resistance film and extending to said leader line connection region;

wherein said lower wiring electrode leading wires and said upper wiring electrode leading wires are connected to said output printed board in said leader line connection region;

wherein a part or all of said lower wiring electrode leading wires and said upper wiring electrode leading wires are laid to be drawn into a side surface of said output printed board along a side of said lower substrate where said leader line connection region exists; and

wherein a side of said upper substrate where at least a portion corresponding to said leader line connection region exists is wholly removed.

17. A screen input type display unit in which a touch panel is installed on a display surface of said display unit, wherein:

said touch panel has an upper substrate having an upper resistance film, a lower substrate having a lower resistance film, and an output printed board for extracting output signals;

said lower substrate has lower wiring electrode leading wires and upper wiring electrode leading wires, said lower wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said lower resistance film and extending to a leader line connection region of an outer circumferential end portion of an input region, said upper wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said upper resistance film and extending to said leader line connection region;

said lower wiring electrode leading wires and said upper wiring electrode leading wires are connected to said output printed board in said leader line connection region; and

a portion of said upper substrate corresponding to said leader line connection region is removed to follow a shape of an installation portion of said output printed board.

18. A screen input type display unit according to claim 17, wherein at least a part of said lower wiring electrode leading wires and said upper wiring electrode leading wires of said lower substrate are laid to be drawn into a side surface of said output printed board along a side of said lower substrate where said leader line connection region exists.

19. A screen input type display unit according to claim 17, wherein an end surface of said upper substrate is located correspondingly to an end surface of said lower substrate.

20. A screen input type display unit according to any one of claims 17, wherein said upper substrate and said lower substrate are opposed to each other through spacers 2 to 20 μ

m high.

21. A screen input type display unit in which a touch panel is installed on a display surface of said display unit, wherein:

said touch panel has an upper substrate having an upper resistance film, a lower substrate having a lower resistance film, and an output printed board for extracting output signals;

said lower substrate has lower wiring electrode leading wires and upper wiring electrode leading wires, said lower wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said lower resistance film and extending to a leader line connection region of an outer circumferential end portion of an input region, said upper wiring electrode leading wires being electrically connected to said upper resistance film and extending to said leader line connection region;

said lower wiring electrode leading wires and said upper wiring electrode leading wires are connected to said output printed board in said leader line connection region;

a part or all of said lower wiring electrode leading wires and said upper wiring electrode leading wires are laid to be drawn into a side surface of said output printed board along a side of said lower substrate where said leader line connection region exists; and

a side of said upper substrate where at least a portion corresponding to said leader line connection region exists is wholly removed.

22. A screen input type display unit according to claim 21, wherein said upper substrate and said lower substrate are opposed to each other through spacers 2 to 20 μ

m high.