Electronic device with protection panel, protection panel, and method of fabricating protection panels

• US 20070181456A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimizu, Jun, Yamada, Shinya, Hashimoto, Takao, Kusuda, Yasuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,554,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/443
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate

Abstract

In a protection panel for electronic device display window provided with a protection panel main body composed of transparent resin and with a decoration layer having a transparent window section, a transparent lower electrode is formed on an upper surface of the protection panel main body. The protection panel main body is bonded, in its peripheral portions, to a transparent resin film on a lower surface of which a transparent upper electrode is formed via an air layer in a position opposite to the transparent lower electrode. The decoration layer is formed on at least one surface of a transparent resin cover film bonded to an upper surface of the transparent resin film.

Claims

1. An electronic device with protection panel comprising:

a protection panel in which a decoration layer having a transparent window section is formed;

a casing in which the protection panel is fitted into a panel fitting section having an opening, in a manner without a gap therebetween and such that outer surfaces of the protection panel and the casing are flush with each other; and

a display device located on a lower side of the protection panel and arranged so as to be visually recognizable from an outside through the transparent window section, wherein

the protection panel comprises;

a transparent protection panel main body an upper surface of which is provided with a transparent lower electrode and a lower circuit provided around the transparent lower electrode so as to be covered by the decoration layer;

a movable electrode film in which a transparent upper electrode provided in a position opposite to the transparent lower electrode in the protection panel main body land an upper circuit provided around the transparent upper electrode so as to be covered by the decoration layer are provided on a lower surface of a transparent resin film, and arranged on an upper side of the protection panel main body via an air layer, in which peripheral portions thereof are bonded to the transparent protection panel main body; and

a cover film which is made of transparent-resin, and is provided on an upper surface of the transparent resin film, and on at least one surface of which the decoration layer is formed.

2. An electronic device with protection panel according to claim 1, wherein the decoration layer is formed on a lower surface of the cover film.

3. An electronic device with protection panel according to claim 2, wherein the cover film has the same outer dimensions as the transparent resin film and the protection panel main body.

4. An electronic device with protection panel according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the cover film is treated by hard coat processing, low reflection processing, antifouling processing, or any combination thereof.

11. An electronic device with protection panel according to claim 2, wherein an upper surface of the cover film is treated by hard coat processing, low reflection processing, antifouling processing, or any combination thereof.

12. An electronic device with protection panel according to claim 3, wherein an upper surface of the cover film is treated by hard coat processing, low reflection processing, antifouling processing, or any combination thereof.

5. A protection panel for electronic device display window comprising:

a transparent protection panel main body an upper surface of which is provided with a transparent lower electrode and a lower circuit provided around the transparent lower electrode;

a movable electrode film in which a transparent upper electrode provided in a position opposite to the transparent lower electrode sin the protection panel main body and an upper circuit provided around the transparent upper electrode so as to be covered by a decoration layer are provided on a lower surface of a transparent resin film, on at least one side of which the decoration layer having a transparent window section and covering the lower circuit is formed, and in which peripheral portions thereof are bonded and arranged on the transparent protection panel main body such that an air layer is formed on an upper side of the protection panel main body; and

a cover film which is made of a transparent-resin and is provided on an upper surface of the transparent resin film, and on at least one surface of which the decoration layer is formed;

whereby

the protection panel is fitted and retained in a panel fitting section having an opening in a casing, in a manner without a gap and such that outer surfaces of the protection panel and the casing are flush with each other, so that a display device, which is located on a lower side of the protection panel and arranged so as to be visually recognizable from an outside through the transparent window section, is protected.

6. A protection panel according to claim 5, wherein the decoration layer is formed on a lower surface of the cover film.

7. A protection panel according to claim 6, wherein the cover film has the same outer dimensions as the transparent resin film and the protection panel main body.

8. A protection panel according to claim 5, wherein an upper surface of the cover film is treated by hard coat processing, low reflection processing, antifouling processing, or any combination of these.

13. A protection panel according to claim 6, wherein an upper surface of the cover film is treated by hard coat processing, low reflection processing, antifouling processing, or any combination of these.

14. A protection panel according to claim 7, wherein an upper surface of the cover film is treated by hard coat processing, low reflection processing, antifouling processing, or any combination of these.

9. A method of fabricating protection panels for electronic device display window, comprising:

forming a plurality of transparent lower electrodes and a plurality of lower circuits provided around the transparent lower electrodes, on an upper surface of a transparent plate member;

forming transparent upper electrodes provided in positions opposite to the transparent lower electrodes and upper circuits formed around the transparent upper electrodes, on a lower surface of a transparent resin film, on at least one side of which decoration layer are formed so as to mask respective lower circuits, each decoration layer having a transparent window sections;

bonding the plate member and the transparent resin film in such a manner that peripheral portions of the transparent lower electrodes and the said transparent upper electrodes are bonded together while an air layer is formed on an upper side of the plate member, and bonding a transparent-resin made cover film to the transparent resin film so as to bring into the transparent-resin made cover film of which the decoration layers, each of which has the transparent window section and masks each upper circuit and each lower circuit, are formed on at least one surface, into an opposite of the transparent resin film surface which is provided on an upper surface of said transparent resin film and on which the transparent upper electrodes are provided; and

cutting together the plate member, the transparent resin film, and the cover film having been bonded, in an outside of the transparent lower electrodes and the transparent upper electrodes and along an inner periphery of the decoration layer, so that protection panels are obtained.

10. A method of fabricating protection panels for electronic device display window according to claim 9, wherein the decoration layers are formed by contacting and bonding the transparent-resin made cover film, of which the decoration layers are constituted on at least one surface, to an opposite of the transparent resin film surface which is provided on an upper surface of said transparent resin film and on which the transparent upper electrodes are provided.