HANDHELD ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND TOUCH PANEL THEREOF

• US 20090033634A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: SHIH, CHIN CHUNG, LU, HSUEH LIN
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

A handheld electronic apparatus comprises a touch panel, a front cover and a display panel. The front cover has a support portion with a first opening. The touch panel is placed on the support portion and covers the first opening. The touch panel comprises a touch panel body and a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The touch panel body has a first substrate having a notch configured to accommodate one end of the flexible printed circuit connected to the touch panel body. When the touch panel is assembled with the front cover, the flexible printed circuit will not be too-sharply bent due to the notch design.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic apparatus, comprising:

a front cover comprising a support portion, wherein the support portion has a first opening;

a touch panel placed on the support portion and covering the first opening, the touch panel comprising;

a touch panel body, wherein the touch panel body comprises;

a first substrate placed on the support portion and covering the first opening, with the first substrate having a notch;

a first transparent conductive layer placed on the first substrate;

a second transparent conductive layer placed above the first transparent conductive layer;

a second substrate placed on the second transparent conductive layer;

a plurality of spacers placed between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer; and

a flexible printed circuit connected to the touch panel body, wherein one end of the flexible printed circuit is placed between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the flexible printed circuit is electrically connected to the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the flexible printed circuit extends in a curved manner and a portion of the flexible printed circuit is accommodated in the notch; and

a display panel placed below the touch panel body.

2. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein a border of the touch panel body and the front cover are substantially at the same level.

3. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch panel body further comprises an insulation layer placed between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, and the insulation layer surrounds the plurality of spacers.

4. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support portion further comprises a second opening, and the flexible printed circuit penetrates through the second opening.

5. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 4, wherein the front cover further comprises a third opening adjacent to the second opening, and the third opening is configured to expose a guide key.

6. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch panel body further comprises:

a glue layer placed on the first substrate; and

a third substrate placed between the glue layer and the first transparent conductive layer.

7. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a main circuit board electrically connected to another end of the flexible printed circuit.

8. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rear cover assembled with the front cover to accommodate the display panel.

9. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises glass or plastic.

10. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible printed circuit has a bending radius between 0.2 and 1.5 mm.

11. The handheld electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the notch has a longitudinal depth between 0.2 and 1.5 mm along an extension direction of the flexible printed circuit.

12. A touch panel, comprising:

a touch panel body, comprising;

a first substrate having a notch;

a first transparent conductive layer placed on the first substrate;

a second transparent conductive layer placed above the first transparent conductive layer;

a second substrate placed on the second transparent conductive layer;

a plurality of spacers placed between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer; and

a flexible printed circuit connected to the touch panel body, wherein one end of the flexible printed circuit is placed between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the flexible printed circuit is electrically connected to the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the flexible printed circuit extends in a curved manner, and a portion of the flexible printed circuit is accommodated in the notch.

13. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the touch panel body further comprises an insulation layer placed between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, and the insulation layer surrounds the plurality of the spacers.

14. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the touch panel body further comprises:

a glue layer placed on the first substrate; and

a third substrate placed between the glue layer and the first transparent conductive layer.

15. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the first substrate comprises glass or plastic.

16. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the flexible printed circuit has a bending radius between 0.2 and 1.5 mm.

17. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the notch has a longitudinal depth along an extension direction of the flexible printed circuit between 0.2 and 1.5 mm.

18. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the first and second transparent conductive layers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, aluminum doped zinc oxide, cadmium tin oxide, zinc oxide and zirconium dioxide.