Display device equipped with a touch panel

• US 20080007538A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kotera, Masamichi, Sato, Hideki, Takashima, Kouichiro, Nakano, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,749,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

A display device equipped with a touch panel may include a device chassis provided with an opening section, a display panel having a display surface disposed accessible through the opening section, a touch panel disposed on the display surface of the display panel and capable at least of selecting a function displayed on the display surface in response to a pressing operation on the touch panel, and a surface sheet for covering the touch panel on the opposite side to the display panel, and closing the opening section to form a substantially the same surface with the device chassis, wherein a reinforcing area for improving resistivity against pressing force applied from the outside may be provided in a predetermined range of the surface sheet.

Claims

1. A display device equipped with a touch panel, comprising:

a device chassis provided with an opening section;

a display panel having a display surface disposed accessible through the opening section;

a touch panel disposed on the display surface of the display panel and capable at least of selecting a function displayed on the display surface in response to a pressing operation on the touch panel; and

a surface sheet for covering the touch panel on the opposite side to the display panel, and closing the opening section to form a substantially the same surface with the device chassis,

wherein a reinforcing area for improving resistivity against pressing force applied from the outside is provided in a predetermined range of the surface sheet.

2. The display device equipped with a touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the reinforcing area is formed integrally with the surface sheet, continuously along the periphery of the opening section, and in a range formed with a predetermined width from an outer edge of the opening section.

3. The display device equipped with a touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the reinforcing area is formed as an opaque layer for covering to hide so that the inside of the device chassis becomes invisible.

4. The display device equipped with a touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the reinforcing area is formed by coating the surface sheet with a coating material for enhancing rigidity.

5. The display device equipped with a touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the reinforcing area is formed by adhering a material for enhancing rigidity on the surface sheet.

6. The display device equipped with a touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the touch panel is provided with an expanded section protruding laterally from an outer edge of the display panel, and the expanded section is provided with an input section for the pressing operation, and

a support section for supporting the expanded section is provided inside the device chassis.

7. The display device equipped with a touch panel according to claim 6,

wherein the support section is formed by folding a part of a support member for supporting the display panel.