Touch screen having undercut spacer dots

• US 20060102460A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Bourdelais, Robert P., Cok, Ronald S., Bickey, Cheryl J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,208,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/512
• 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: H01H 13/703 characterised by spacers between contact carrying layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/032 Conductive polymer; Rubber
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/002 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2211/012 Successive layers, one being conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2211/028 Contacts in depressions of layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2227/024 Spacer elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/044 Injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A touch screen comprising: a) a substrate; b) a first conductive layer located on the substrate; c) a flexible sheet comprising a substantially planar surface and integral compressible spacer dots formed thereon, each integral compressible spacer dot having a base closest to the substantially planar surface and a peak furthest from the substantially planar surface; and d) a second conductive layer located on the substantially planar surface of the flexible sheet, the peaks of the integral compressible spacer dots extending beyond the second conductive layer located on the substantially planar surface; wherein the first and second conductive layers are positioned towards each other and separated by the integral compressible spacer dots. Undercuts are formed around each integral compressible spacer dot, and the second conductive layer is electrically isolated from any conductive layer material deposited on the peaks of the spacer dots while depositing the conductive layer material on the substantially planar surface.

Claims

1. A touch screen comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) a first conductive layer located on the substrate;

c) a flexible sheet comprising a substantially planar surface and integral compressible spacer dots formed thereon, each integral compressible spacer dot having a base closest to the substantially planar surface and a peak furthest from the substantially planar surface; and

d) a second conductive layer located on the substantially planar surface of the flexible sheet, the peaks of the integral compressible spacer dots extending beyond the second conductive layer located on the substantially planar surface;

wherein the first and second conductive layers are positioned towards each other and separated by the integral compressible spacer dots, whereby, when a minimum required activation force is applied to the touch screen at the location of one of the compressible spacer dots, the compressible spacer dot is compressed to allow electrical contact between the first and second conductive layers,

and further wherein the integral compressible spacer dots are formed on the substantially planar surface with first and second cross sections parallel to the substantially planar surface where the first cross section is closer to the base and smaller in cross-sectional area than the second cross section, the second conductive layer is formed by deposition of conductive layer material in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substantially planar surface, and wherein due to the smaller cross-sectional area of the first cross section closer to the base of the spacer dots the second conductive layer is electrically isolated from any conductive layer material deposited on the peaks of the spacer dots while depositing the conductive layer material on the substantially planar surface.

2. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the first cross section of the integral spacer dots is at the base of the spacer dots.

3. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the first cross section of the integral spacer dots is at a position intermediate the base of the spacer dot and the second cross section.

4. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the spacer dot has an average height to maximum width ratio of between 0.5 to 2.5.

5. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional radius at the first cross section at every circumferential point around the spacer dot is less than the cross-sectional radius of the spacer dot at the second cross section at the corresponding circumferential point.

6. The touch screen of claim 5, wherein the cross-sectional radius of the second cross section is at least 20% greater than the cross-sectional radius of the first cross section at every corresponding circumferential point.

7. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the substrate, first conductive layer, flexible cover sheet, and second conductive layer are transparent.

8. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the spacer dots have heights between 10 and 50 micrometers.

9. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the flexible sheet comprises one of the group including:

polymer, polyolefin polymer, polyester, polycarbonate, and a blend of polyester and polycarbonate.

10. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the integral compressible spacer dots comprise cylinder-shaped dots, cube-shaped dots, pyramid-shaped dots, cone-shaped dots, or sphere-shaped dots.

11. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein said spacer dots and cover sheet have a % visible light transmission greater than 92%.

12. The touch screen dots of claim 1, wherein said spacer dots have a spacing of greater than 0.25 millimeter.

13. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein said spacer dots provide elastic deformation for greater than one million actuations.

14. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein said spacer dots comprise polymer with between 1 and 5% weight addition of an inorganic particle having an aspect ratio of at least 10 to 1, a lateral dimension of between 0.01 μ

m and 5 μ

m, and a vertical dimension between 0.5 nm and 10 nm.

15. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein said flexible cover sheet is further provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive opposite said spacer dots.

16. The touch screen of claim 1, wherein the second conductive layer comprises an electrically conductive polymer.

17. The touch screen of claim 16, wherein the conductive polymer comprises one of the group including polypyrrole styrene sulfonate, 3,4-dialkoxy substituted polypyrrole styrene sulfonate, and 3,4-dialkoxy substituted polythiophene styrene sulfonate, poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene styrene sulfonate.

18. The touch screen of claim 16, wherein the conductive polymer comprises polythiophine.

19. The touch screen claimed in claim 1 wherein the substrate is flexible.

20. The touch screen claimed in claim 1 wherein the substrate is rigid.

21. The touch screen of claim 1 wherein the touch screen substrate is a cover or substrate of a flat-panel display device.

22. The touch screen claimed in claim 21, wherein the flat-panel display device is an OLED display device.

23. The touch screen claimed in claim 21, wherein the flat-panel display device is a liquid crystal display device.

24. The touch screen of claim 1 wherein the touch screen substrate is a cover or substrate of a flat-panel lamp.

25. The touch screen claimed in claim 24, wherein the flat-panel lamp is an OLED lamp.

26. A method of making a resistive touch screen, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a substrate;

b) forming a first conductive layer on the substrate;

c) providing a flexible cover sheet comprising a substantially planar surface and integral compressible spacer dots formed thereon, each integral compressible spacer dot having a base closest to the substantially planar surface, a peak furthest from the substantially planar surface, and first and second cross sections parallel to the substantially planar surface where the first cross section is closer to the base and smaller in cross-sectional area than the second cross section;

d) forming a second conductive layer on the flexible cover sheet by deposition of conductive layer material onto the substantially planar surface, such that the peaks of the integral compressible spacer dots extend beyond the second conductive layer deposited on the substantially planar surface, wherein due to the smaller cross-sectional area of the first cross section closer to the base of the spacer dots the second conductive layer is electrically isolated from any conductive layer material deposited on the peaks of the spacer dots while depositing the conductive layer material on the substantially planar surface; and

e) locating the flexible cover sheet over the substrate such that when a force is applied to the flexible cover sheet at the location of one of the compressible spacer dots, the compressible spacer dot is compressed to allow electrical contact between the first and second conductive layers.

27. The method claimed in claim 26, wherein the flexible sheet is provided as a web in a continuous roll, the integral spacer dots are molded in the continuous roll, and the sheet is cut from the roll.

28. The method claimed in claim 26, wherein the spacer dots are formed in the flexible sheet by injection roll molding.

29. The method claimed in claim 26, wherein the spacer dots are formed in the flexible sheet by applying heat and pressure to the flexible sheet by a mold including a reverse image of the spacer dots.