Input device

• US 20060017708A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kusunoki, Hisanori, Murakami, Tetsuo, Nakanishi, Akira, Fukui, Toshiharu
• Application Number:
  US11/133,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20060017708A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An input device is provided by piling up a plurality of touch panels in which an upper conductive layer of an upper substrate and a lower conductive layer of a lower substrate are disposed to oppose each other with a predetermined distance therebetween. Thus, inputting operations such as selection of a menu item or drawing of a character and determination of the item or character can be performed without tilting the input device downward but keeping it stationary and, hence, reliable actuation free from operating error can be attained.

Claims

1. An input device comprising a plurality of piled up touch panels,

each touch panel being made up of an upper substrate with an upper conductive layer formed on a bottom face thereof and a lower substrate with a lower conductive layer formed on a top face thereof, wherein

the upper conductive layer and the lower conductive layer are arranged to oppose each other with a predetermined distance therebetween.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

one of the touch panels is actuatable with an operating force smaller than an operating force to actuate another touch panel laid beneath the same.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of dot spacers are provided between the upper conductive layer and the lower conductive layer and the dot spacers in one of the touch panels and the dot spacers in another touch panel laid beneath the same have different diameters.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of dot spacers are provided between the upper conductive layer and the lower conductive layer and the dot spacers in one of the touch panels and the dot spacers in another touch panel laid beneath the same are disposed at different intervals.

5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the upper substrate and the lower substrate have different thicknesses.

6. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the upper substrate and the lower substrate are made of different materials.

7. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the lower substrate of one of the touch panels and the upper substrate of another touch panel laid beneath the same are formed integral.