TOUCH PANEL

• US 20100225613A1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: IWASAKI, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US12/716,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed to face the first substrate, and an insulating liquid confined in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate is provided with linear contacts in a region where the insulating liquid is confined. The linear contacts project at a predetermined height and extend in a predetermined direction. The second substrate is provided with a resistive film, which is formed to correspond to at least the location of the linear contacts.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate disposed to face the first substrate;

an insulating liquid confined in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate;

linear contacts formed on the first substrate in a region where the insulating liquid is confined, the linear contacts projecting at a predetermined height and extending in a predetermined direction; and

a resistive film formed on the second substrate so as to correspond to at least the location of the linear contacts.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising spacers which maintain a constant gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, at least one linear contact being formed between two spacers adjacent in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the linear contacts.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the linear contact extends in a direction along the long-side direction of the touch panel.

4. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the resistive film is made of ITO.

5. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising spacers which are formed on the first substrate so as to project higher than the linear contact and which maintain a constant gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, the resistive film being partly removed at positions corresponding to the spacers to form holes therein, the tips of the spacers being in contact with the second substrate through the holes.

6. The touch panel according to claim 5, wherein each of the spacers and the linear contacts includes a resin portion formed into a projection shape on the first substrate, and a resistive film formed on the first substrate so as to cover the resin portion.

7. The touch panel according to claim 6, further comprising a detection circuit which detects a coordinate position at which the resistive film formed on the first substrate and the resistive film formed on the second substrate are brought into electric conduction.

8. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising spacers which are formed on the first substrate so as to project at a height equal to the height of the linear contacts and which maintain a constant gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, and spacer receivers which are formed of an insulating material on the resistive film so as to expose regions corresponding to the linear contacts and so that the tips of the spacers are in contact with the spacer receivers.

9. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein each of the spacers and the linear contacts includes a resin portion formed into a projection shape on the first substrate, and a resistive film formed on the first substrate so as to cover the resin portion.

10. The touch panel according to claim 9, further comprising a detection circuit which detects a coordinate position at which the resistive film formed on the first substrate and the resistive film formed on the second substrate are brought into electric conduction.

11. The touch panel according to claim 8, further comprising a resistive film formed on the first substrate, wherein each of the spacers and the linear contacts is formed, on the resistive film formed on the first substrate, as a projection made of a conductive material.

12. The touch panel according to claim 11, further comprising a detection circuit which detects a coordinate position at which the resistive film formed on the first substrate and the resistive film formed on the second substrate are brought into electric conduction through the projections.

13. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are joined together by a frame-like seal member, and the insulating liquid is confined in a region enclosed by the seal member.

14. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the insulating liquid transits to liquid crystal at less than 5°

C.

15. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are joined together by a frame-like seal member, and the linear contacts are formed in a region enclosed by the seal member.

16. A touch panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate disposed to face the first substrate;

an insulating liquid confined in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate;

linear contacts formed on the first substrate in a region where the insulating liquid is confined, the linear contacts projecting at a predetermined height and extending in a predetermined direction; and

linear contact receivers formed on the second substrate, the linear contact receivers projecting at a predetermined height and extending in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the linear contacts.

17. The touch panel according to claim 16, further comprising spacers which are formed at a height greater than the addition of the height of the linear contacts to the height of the linear contact receivers and which maintain a constant gap between the first substrate and the second substrate.

18. The touch panel according to claim 17, wherein each of the linear contacts includes a first resin portion formed into a projection shape on the first substrate, and a first resistive film formed on the first substrate so as to cover the first resin portion, and each of the linear contact receiver includes a second resin portion formed into a projection shape on the second substrate, and a second resistive film formed on the second substrate so as to cover the second resin portion.

19. The touch panel according to claim 18, further comprising a detection circuit which detects a coordinate position at which the first resistive film and the second resistive film are brought into electric conduction.

20. The touch panel according to claim 19, wherein the first resistive film and the second resistive film are made of ITO.