ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITY TYPE TOUCH PANEL, DISPLAY DEVICE AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITY TYPE TOUCH PANEL

• US 20110157086A1
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Optrex Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Atsushi, Ozeki, Masao
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electrostatic capacity type touch panel having on one surface of a transparent substrate, a plurality of columns of column electrodes extending in a first direction and a plurality of columns of column electrodes extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction,

such column electrodes extending in the first direction and such column electrodes extending in the second direction being eclectically disconnected from each other by an electrically insulating layer provided at least in a part of each intersection region of the column electrodes, and at least one of the two intersecting column electrodes being electrically connected by a bridge wire provided in the intersection region.

Claims

1. An electrostatic capacity type touch panel comprising a transparent substrate, a plurality of columns of column electrodes present on one surface of the transparent substrate and extending in a first direction and a plurality of columns of column electrodes present on said one surface of the transparent substrate and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;

such a string of column electrode extending in the first direction being electrically disconnected from such a column electrode extending in the second direction by an electrically insulating layer provided at least in a part of an intersection region of the column electrodes, and at least one of the two intersecting column electrodes being electrically connected by a bridge wire provided in the intersection region.

2. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the column electrodes extending in the first direction and the column electrodes extending in the second direction are arranged on the same surface of the transparent substrate so as not to overlap with one another except for an intersecting portion of one of intersecting column electrodes present at each intersection region.

3. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first column electrode and the second column electrode is constituted by a column electrode pattern including a plurality of electrode units and connecting wires connecting the electrode units.

4. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first column electrode and the second column electrode is constituted by a column electrode pattern including a plurality of electrode units arranged so as to be disconnected from one another and so as not to overlap with the other column electrode, and bridge wires each connecting adjacent electrode units included in the column electrode pattern so as to sandwich an electrically insulating layer between the bridge wire and the other column electrode present between the electrode units.

11. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 1, which further comprises a transparent electrode on the entire surface of a substrate present on the other side of the column electrodes formed on the transparent substrate, from a surface to be touched.

14. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the electrode unit is polygonal.

17. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 1, wherein at least the column electrode patterns are each made of a transparent electrically conductive film.

20. A display device with an electrostatic capacity type touch panel function comprising a display device and the electrostatic capacity type touch panel as defined in claim 1, that is laminated on a viewer side surface of the display device via a resin layer.

5. An electrostatic capacity type touch panel comprising a transparent substrate, a plurality of columns of column electrode patterns arranged on one surface of the transparent substrate and each including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along a first direction, and a plurality of columns of column electrode patterns arranged on said one surface of the substrate and each including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along a second direction intersecting the first direction;

each electrode pattern of the second direction including connecting wires each connecting adjacent electrode units of the plurality of electrode units included in the electrode pattern;

each connecting wire being provided at least in a part of a region where the electrode pattern including the connecting wire intersects another electrode pattern so that the connecting wire is provided through a space between electrode units of said another electrode pattern so as to be isolated from the electrode units;

the electrostatic capacity type touch panel further comprising an electrically insulating layer covering each region where a wiring region required to connect electrode units of each column electrode pattern of the first direction, that is not connected by a connecting wire, overlaps with the connecting wire of the column electrode pattern of the second direction provided through a space between the electrode units; and

the electrostatic capacity type touch panel further comprising a bridge wire connecting the electrode units included in the column electrode pattern of the first direction in a state that the electrically insulating layer is sandwiched between the bridge wire and the connecting wire of the column electrode pattern of the second direction.

6. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 5, wherein adjacent electrode units included in the column electrode pattern of the first direction have electric conduction with each other by the bridge wire to constitute the column electrode extending in the first direction, and adjacent electrode units included in the column electrode pattern of the second direction have electric conduction with each other by the connecting wire to constitute the column electrode extending in the second direction.

9. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the column electrode patterns of the first direction and the column electrode patterns in the second direction are arranged so as not to overlap on the same plane of the transparent substrate.

12. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 5, which further comprises a transparent electrode on the entire surface of a substrate present on the other side of the column electrodes formed on the transparent substrate, from a surface to be touched.

15. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the shape of the electrode unit is polygonal.

18. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 5, wherein at least the column electrode patterns are each made of a transparent electrically conductive film.

21. A display device with an electrostatic capacity type touch panel function comprising a display device and the electrostatic capacity type touch panel as defined in claim 5, that is laminated on a viewer side surface of the display device via a resin layer.

7. An electrostatic capacity type touch panel comprising a transparent substrate, a plurality of columns of column electrode patterns arranged on one surface of the transparent substrate and each including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along a first direction, and a plurality of columns of column electrode patterns arranged on said one surface of the transparent substrate and each including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along a second direction intersecting the first direction,

at least one of such a column electrode pattern of the first direction and such a column electrode pattern of the second direction, that intersect each other, further including at least one connecting wire for connecting at least one pair of adjacent electrode units in the plurality of electrode units included in the electrode pattern;

each connecting wire being provided at least in a pair of a region where the electrode pattern intersects another electrode pattern so that the connecting wire is provided through a space between electrode units of said another electrode pattern so as to be isolated from the electrode units;

the electrostatic capacity type touch panel further comprising an electrically insulating layer covering a region where a wiring region required to connect electrode units of the column electrode pattern of the first direction or the column electrode pattern of the second direction, that are not connected by the connecting wire, overlaps with the other electrode pattern present between the electrode units;

the electrostatic capacity type touch panel further comprising a bridge wire connecting electrode units that are not connected with the connecting wire, so that the electrically insulating layer is sandwiched between the bridge wire and said the other electrode pattern present between the electrode units.

8. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 7, wherein adjacent electrode units included in the column electrode pattern of the first direction have electric conduction by a bridge wire or a connecting wire to constitute the column electrode extending in the first direction, and

adjacent electrode units included in the column electrode pattern of the second direction have electric conduction by the bridge wire or the connecting wire to constitute a column electrode extending in the second direction.

10. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 7, wherein the column electrode patterns of the first direction and the column electrode patterns in the second direction are arranged so as not to overlap on the same plane of the transparent substrate.

13. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 7, which further comprises a transparent electrode on the entire surface of a substrate present on the other side of the column electrodes formed on the transparent substrate, from a surface to be touched.

16. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 7, wherein the shape of the electrode unit is polygonal.

19. The electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 7, wherein at least the column electrode patterns are each made of a transparent electrically conductive film.

22. A display device with an electrostatic capacity type touch panel function comprising a display device and the electrostatic capacity type touch panel as defined in claim 7, that is laminated on a viewer side surface of the display device via a resin layer.

23. A process for producing an electrostatic capacity type touch panel, comprising a transparent electrode pattern-forming step of forming on the same surface of a transparent substrate a transparent electrode pattern including a column electrode pattern extending in a first direction and including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along the first direction, and a column electrode pattern extending in a second direction and including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along the second direction, and a connecting wire connecting electrode units constituting at least one of the column electrode patterns and provided at least in a part of an intersection region where the column electrode pattern extending in the first direction intersects the column electrode pattern extending in the second direction;

a bridge-wiring pattern-forming step of forming a bridge-wiring pattern including a bridge wire connecting electrode units constituting the column electrode pattern not having the connecting wire, the electrode units being disposed in the intersection region so as to be isolated from the connecting wire of the other column electrode pattern to prevent electric conduction with the connecting wire; and

an electrically insulating layer-forming step between the transparent electrode pattern forming step and the bridge-wiring pattern forming step, the electrically insulating layer-forming step being a step of forming an electrically insulating layer covering at least a region where the connecting wire included in the transparent electrode pattern overlaps with the bridge wire included in the bridge-wiring pattern.

24. The process for producing an electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 23, comprising, in the following order, a transparent electrode pattern-forming step of forming on the same surface of a transparent substrate a transparent electrode pattern including a column electrode pattern extending in a first direction and including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along the first direction, a column electrode pattern extending in a second direction and including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along the second direction, and a connecting wire connecting electrode units constituting at least one of the column electrode patterns and provided at least in a part of an intersection region where the column electrode pattern extending in the first direction intersects the column electrode pattern extending in the second direction;

an electrically insulating layer-forming step of forming an electrically insulating layer covering a region where a wiring region necessary to connect electrode units constituting the column electrode pattern having no connecting wire, the electrode units being disposed so as to be isolated from the connecting wire in the intersection region so as to avoid electrical conduction with the connecting wire, overlaps with the connecting wire provided through a space between the electrode units, to form an electrically insulating layer; and

a bridge-wiring pattern-forming step of forming a bridge-wiring pattern including a bridge wire connecting electrode units disposed so as to be isolated from the connecting wire in the intersection region so as not to have electric conduction with the connecting wire, and so as to sandwich the electrically insulating layer between the bridge wire and the connecting wire present through a space between the electrode units.

25. The process for producing an electrostatic capacity type touch panel according to claim 23, comprising, in the following order, a bridge-wiring pattern forming step of forming on the same surface of one side of the transparent substrate a bridge-wiring pattern including a bridge wire to be disposed at a predetermined portion of the surface of the transparent substrate for connecting electrode units constituting a column electrode pattern having no connecting wire, the electrode units being disposed so as to be isolated from a connecting wire to so as to have electric conduction with the connecting wire in the intersection region included in the transparent electrode pattern, the transparent electrode pattern including a column electrode pattern extending in a first direction and including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along the first direction, a column electrode pattern extending in a second direction and including a plurality of disconnected electrode units arranged along the second direction, and a connecting wire provided at least in a part of an intersection region where the column electrode pattern extending in the first direction intersects the column electrode pattern extending in the second direction, so that the connecting wire connects electrode units constituting one of the column electrode patterns;

an electrically insulating layer-forming step of forming an electrically insulating layer covering an intermediate portion of the bridge wire included in the bridge-wiring pattern so that both ends of the bridge wire are exposed; and

a transparent electrode pattern-forming step of forming the transparent electrode pattern at a position whereby the electrode units constituting the column electrode pattern having no connecting wire in the transparent electrode pattern, are connected by the bridge wire for connecting the electrode units, so that the electrode units have electrical conduction from each other.