Video display and touchscreen assembly, system and method

• US 20060231818A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells-Gardner Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wells-Gardner Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lube, Robert R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 256/12.500
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1607 Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A touch screen assembly for use with a display, such as, for example, a flat panel display. The touch screen assembly includes a transparent panel, preferably in the form of a panel of tempered glass adhered to a touch screen panel. Consoles having touch screen assemblies are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A touch screen assembly, comprising:

a panel of transparent material having a panel front side and a panel back side opposite the panel front side;

a touch screen device having a device front side and a device back side opposite the device front side, the touch screen device being positioned a predetermined distance away from the panel front side, the touch screen device being positioned in an orientation generally corresponding to the orientation of the panel front side; and

an adhesive interposed between at least a portion of the panel front side and the device back side, the adhesive being attached to at least a portion of the panel front side and the device back side.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a UV curable adhesive.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the panel of transparent material is glass.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the panel of transparent material is plastic.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the adhesive has a periphery, and further including a gasket interposed between the panel front side and the device back side, the gasket being positioned at the adhesive periphery.

6. The assembly of claim 1, further including a video display positioned adjacent the panel back side, the video display being positioned in an orientation generally corresponding to the orientation of the touch screen device.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the video display is removably attached to the panel back side.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the display includes a display screen and a frame having a plurality of sides surrounding the display screen, and further including at least one frame adhesive interposed between the panel back side and at least one frame side.

9. The assembly of claim 6 further including:

a console housing, the console housing including a console front side, the console front side including an opening disposed in the console front side, the console housing further defining a console interior, and wherein the touch screen assembly is disposed within the console interior and the touch screen front side is viewable through the opening; and

a controller disposed within the console interior, the controller being configured to receive an input signal from the touch screen device and provide a video signal to the video display, and wherein the controller is in communication with the touch screen device and the video display.

10. A method of making a unitary touch screen assembly for use with a display, comprising:

providing a panel of transparent material in a predetermined orientation;

providing a touch screen device;

orienting the touch screen device in a position corresponding to the orientation of the panel of transparent material;

positioning the touch screen device a predetermined distance from the panel of transparent material to define a space therebetween;

disposing a curable and optically clear adhesive into the space; and

curing the adhesive to form a unitary touch screen assembly.

11. The method of claim 10, further including providing a video display in a position corresponding to the orientation of the touch screen device, the video display including a display screen;

and

positioning the video display behind the panel of transparent material, the video display screen being visible through the touch screen device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the panel of transparent material includes a panel perimeter, and further including interposing a gasket between the panel and the touch screen device, the gasket being positioned adjacent the panel perimeter.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the panel perimeter includes a plurality of opposed straight sides, and wherein the gasket extends continuously along at least three of the sides.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the adhesive is a UV curable adhesive, and further including providing a UV light source;

and

curing the adhesive by exposing the assembly to the UV light source for a predetermined amount of time.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the touch screen device includes a device front side and a device back side opposite the device front side, the adhesive being adhered to the device back side, further comprising:

providing a console, the console including a console housing, the console housing including a console front side, the console front side including an opening disposed in the console front side, the console housing further defining a console interior; and

disposing the assembly within the console interior, the device front side being viewable through the opening.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing a controller within the console interior;

and

configuring the controller to receive signals from the touch screen device and provide signals to the video display.

17. A method of protecting a video display having a touch sensitive device operably associated therewith, comprising:

interposing an adhesive between a touch screen device and a rigid panel of transparent material, the adhesive bonding to both the touch screen device and the rigid panel to form a unitary touch screen assembly; and

removably attaching the unitary touch screen assembly to a video display.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the touch screen device is spaced apart a predetermined distance from the rigid panel of transparent material.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the adhesive is a UV curable adhesive;

and

the rigid panel of transparent material is tempered glass.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein removably attaching the unitary touch screen assembly to a video display includes providing at least one pliable, adhesive strip between the rigid panel of transparent material and the video display, the strip having opposed sides, the opposed sides each including adhesive disposed on at least a portion of each side;

adhering the rigid panel of transparent material to a first strip side; and

adhering the video display to a second strip side.