Spacer elements for interactive information devices and method for making same

• US 20020094660A1
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Magna Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mennig, Martin, Getz, Catherine A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,627,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/455
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An interactive information device for use as a touch panel, touch screen, digitizer panel, or pen-input device, and a method for making such a device includes a first, transparent, electrically conductive layer supported by the rigid substrate, a flexible, transparent substrate at least partially aligned with the rigid substrate and having a second, transparent, electrically conductive layer on a surface thereof, the second conductive layer being spaced from the first conductive layer. A plurality of transparent insulating spacer members/dots are positioned on one or both of the conductive layers to allow the conductive layers to engage when the flexible substrate is pressed. The spacer members/dots comprise polymeric material including at least some inorganic material, and more preferably, comprise organic-inorganic nanocomposites having an index of refraction optically matched to the transparent, electrically conductive layer on which they are positioned.

Claims

1. An interactive information device comprising:

at least one rigid, transparent substrate;

a first transparent, electrically conductive layer supported by a surface of said rigid substrate;

a flexible transparent substrate at least partially aligned with said rigid substrate, said flexible substrate having a surface which faces said surface of said rigid substrate, and a second transparent, electrically conductive layer on said surface of said flexible substrate;

said flexible substrate being spaced from said rigid substrate to provide a gap between said conductive layers;

a plurality of insulating spacer members on at least one of said electrically conductive layers whereby said flexible substrate may be flexed by pressing to engage said electrically conductive layers; and

wherein said spacer members comprise polymeric material including at least some inorganic material.

2. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said inorganic material comprises nanoscale particles.

3. The interactive information device of claim 2 wherein said nanoscale particles include nanoparticle metal oxides.

4. The interactive information device of claim 3 wherein said nanoscale particles include a pigment.

5. The interactive information device of claim 3 wherein said nano-particle metal oxides include material selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, barium titanium oxide, silicon oxide, zirconium dioxide, tantalum pentoxide, silver, nickel, molybdenum and platinum.

6. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members have an index of refraction of at least about 1.49 measured at the sodium D line.

7. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members have an index of refraction within the range of about 1.49 to about 2.0 measured at the sodium D line.

8. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members have an index of refraction of about 1.75 to about 1.95 measured at the sodium D line.

9. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members have an index of refraction substantially optically matched to the index of refraction of the transparent, electrically conductive layer on which they are positioned.

10. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said spacer members comprises a width dimension of at least about 15 microns.

11. The interactive information device of claim 10 wherein at least one of said spacer members comprises a height dimension of at least about 3 microns.

12. The interactive information device of claim 10 wherein at least one of said spacer members comprises a height dimension of about 3 microns to about 25 microns.

13. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said spacer members comprises a width dimension of about 15 microns to about 125 microns.

14. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said spacer members comprises a height dimension of at least about 3 microns.

15. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said spacer members comprises a height dimension of about 3 microns to about 25 microns.

16. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members are formed from a compound containing at least one of transparent polymers, polymerizable oligomers, and monomers.

17. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members further contain at least one of a compound for the surface modification of said inorganic material and a cross-linking initiator.

18. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members are formed from a compound which includes a photo initiator and is ultraviolet curable.

19. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members comprise organic-inorganic nanocomposites.

20. The interactive information device of claim 19 wherein said organic-inorganic nanocomposites utilize a network former which is hydrolyzed and prepared initially in paste form.

21. The interactive information device of claim 20 wherein said network former is selected from the group consisting of methyl tetraethylorthosilicate, tetraethylorthosilicate, and glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane.

22. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second transparent, electrically conductive layers comprises a metal oxide.

23. The interactive information device of claim 22 wherein said metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, tin antimony oxide, tin oxide, and fluorine doped tin oxide.

24. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said insulating spacer members are transparent, are spaced from one another, and are located on said first transparent, electrically conductive layer.

25. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said insulating spacer members are transparent, are spaced from one another, and are located on said second transparent, electrically conductive layer.

26. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said insulating spacer members are transparent, are spaced from one another, and are located on both said first and second transparent, electrically conductive layers, said spacer members being spaced apart on said first and second conductive layers such that said spacer members allow said conductive layers to engage one another wherein said flexible transparent substrate is pressed.

28. The interactive information device of claim 27 wherein said nanocomposites utilize a network former which is hydrolyzed and prepared initially in paste form, said network former being selected from the group consisting of methyl tetraethylorthosilicate, tetraethylorthosilicate, and glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane.

29. The interactive information device of claim 27 wherein said spacer members are formed from a compound containing at least one of transparent polymers, polymerizable oligomers, and monomers.

30. The interactive information device of claim 27 wherein said spacer members are formed from a compound which includes a photo initiator and is ultraviolet curable.

31. The interactive information device of claim 27 wherein said spacer members have an index of refraction of at least about 1.49 measured at the sodium D line.

32. The interactive information device of claim 27 wherein said spacer members have an index of refraction within the range of about 1.49 to about 2.0 measured at the sodium D line.

33. The interactive information device of claim 1 wherein said spacer members have an index of refraction of about 1.75 to about 1.95 measured at the sodium D line.

34. The interactive information device of claim 27 wherein said spacer members have an index of refraction substantially optically matched to the index of refraction of the transparent, electrically conductive layer on which they are positioned.

36. The method of claim 35 including deleting portions of at least one of said first and second electrically conductive layers to provide a touch screen pattern.

37. The method of claim 35 including forming said spacer members by silk screening said material on at least said one electrically conductive layer, and curing said formed spacer members after silk screening.

38. The method of claim 37 including forming said spacer members by silk screening said material on both of said first and second electrically conductive layers, and curing said formed spacer members.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein said curing includes subjecting said spacer members to ultraviolet light.

40. The method of claim 37 wherein said curing includes drying said spacer members at less than about 300 degrees C. for less than about 40 minutes.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein said forming includes substantially matching the index of refraction of said spacer members to the index of refraction of said one transparent, electrically conductive layer.

42. The method of claim 35 wherein said forming of said spacer members includes incorporating nanoscale particles as said inorganic material.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said forming of said spacer members includes incorporating nano-particle metal oxides as said nanoscale particles.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein said forming of said spacer members includes incorporating a pig men t as said nanoscale particles.

45. The method of claim 35 including forming said spacer members to include at least one of a compound for surface modification of said inorganic material, and a cross-linking initiator.

46. The method of claim 35 including forming said spacer members from an organic-inorganic nano-composites.

47. The method of claim 35 wherein said forming includes preparing a paste of said material and silk screening said spacer members onto said one electrically conductive layer from said paste.

48. The method of claim 47 including silk screening said spacer members with a mesh screen such that at least one of said spacer members has a width dimension of at least about 15 microns.

49. The method of claim 48 including silk screening said spacer members with a mesh screen such that at least one of said spacer members has a height dimension of at least about 3 microns.

50. The method of claim 48 including silk screening said spacer members with a mesh screen such that at least one of said spacer members has a height dimension of about 3 microns to about 25 microns.

51. The method of claim 47 including silk screening said spacer members with a mesh screen such that at least one of said spacer members has a width dimension of about 15 microns to about 125 microns.

52. The method of claim 47 including silk screening said spacer members with a mesh screen such that at least one of said spacer members has a height dimension of at least about 3 microns.

53. The method of claim 47 including silk screening said spacer members with a mesh screen such that at least one of said spacer members has a height dimension of about 3 microns to about 25 microns.

27. An interactive information device comprising:

at least one rigid, transparent substrate;

a first transparent, electrically conductive layer supported by a surface of said rigid substrate;

a flexible transparent substrate at least partially aligned with said rigid substrate, said flexible substrate having a surface which faces said surface of said rigid substrate, and a second transparent, electrically conductive layer on said surface of said flexible substrate;

said flexible substrate being spaced from said rigid substrate to provide a gap between said conductive layers;

a plurality of insulating spacer members on at least one of said electrically conductive layers whereby said flexible substrate may be flexed by pressing to engage said electrically conductive layers between said spacer members; and

wherein said spacer members comprise organic-inorganic nanocomposites.

35. A method for making an interactive information device comprising:

providing a rigid, transparent substrate;

providing a first transparent, electrically conductive layer supported by a surface of said rigid substrate;

providing a first flexible, transparent substrate having a second transparent electrically conductive layer on a surface thereof;

forming a plurality of insulating spacer members by depositing portions of a material comprising polymeric material and at least some inorganic material at spaced locations on at least one of said first and second electrically conductive layer; and

securing said first flexible substrate to said rigid substrate such that said first and second electrically conductive layers on said respective substrates are at least partially aligned with one another and spaced from one another by a gap in which said spacer members are positioned whereby said flexible substrate may be flexed by pressing to engage said conductive layers.