ELECTRODE PATTERN STRUCTURE OF A CAPACITIVE TOUCH PANEL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20110221687A1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: LIU, CHEN-YU, Lee, Lu-Hsing
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electrode pattern structure of a capacitive touch panel is provided. The electrode pattern structure of a capacitive touch panel of the present invention, in one embodiment, comprises a substrate, at least one first electrode disposed on said substrate, an insulator disposed on said at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode disposed on said insulator and overlapped with said at least one first electrode at least one intersection, and at least one protective block located on said at least one second electrode and positioned at said at least one intersection.

Claims

1. An electrode pattern structure of a touch panel, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one first electrode disposed on said substrate;

an insulator disposed on said at least one first electrode;

at least one second electrode disposed on said insulator and overlapped with said at least one first electrode at least one intersection of said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode; and

at least one protective block located on said at least one second electrode and positioned at said at least one intersection.

2. The electrode pattern structure of claim 1, wherein said insulator comprises at least one insulator piece positioned at said at least one intersection, and said at least one second electrode crosses over said at least one insulator piece.

3. The electrode pattern structure of claim 2, wherein said at least one protective block covers said at least one insulator piece and the part of said at least one second electrode overlapped with said at least one insulator piece.

4. The electrode pattern structure of claim 2, wherein said at least one protective block stacks on said at least one insulator piece and covers the part of said at least one second electrode overlapped with said at least one insulator piece.

5. The electrode pattern structure of claim 1, wherein said insulator comprises at least one pair of holes situated on the two opposite sides of said at least one first electrode, and said at least one second electrode goes through said at least one pair of holes to be insulated from said at least one first electrode by the insulator.

6. The electrode pattern structure of claim 5, wherein said at least one protective block covers the part of said at least one second electrode located between said at least one pair of holes.

7. The electrode pattern structure of claim 2 or 5, wherein said at least one first electrode comprises at least two separate first conductor cells and at least one first conductive line connecting said at least two separate first conductor cells, and said at least one second electrode comprises at least two separate second conductor cells and at least one second conductive line connecting said at least two separate second conductor cells, and said at least one first conductive line overlap with said at least one second conductive line at said at least one intersection;

8. The electrode pattern structure of claim 1, wherein said at least one protective block is transparent.

9. The electrode pattern structure of claim 1, wherein said substrate, said at least one first electrode, said at least one second electrode and said insulator are transparent.

10. The electrode pattern structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is transparent:

said substrate, said at least one first electrode, said at least one second electrode and said insulator.

18. A touch device having said electrode pattern structure of claim 1 comprising:

a plurality of lines;

a processor;

a housing; and

said electrode patter structure immediately adjacent to an internal surface of said housing, wherein said plurality of lines connect said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode of said electrode pattern structure to said processor.

19. A touch device having said electrode pattern structure of claim 1 comprising:

a display with a polarizer;

a plurality of lines;

a processor; and

said electrode pattern structure immediately adjacent to an internal surface of said polarizer;

wherein said electrode pattern structure is transparent, and said plurality of lines connect said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode of said electrode pattern structure to said processor.

20. A touch device having said electrode pattern structure of claim 1 comprising:

a display;

a plurality of lines;

a processor; and

said electrode pattern structure located on said display;

wherein said electrode pattern structure is transparent, and said plurality of lines connect said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode of said electrode pattern structure to said processor.

21. The touch device of claim 19 or 20, wherein said display is liquid crystal display.

11. A method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure comprising:

a) laying at least one first electrode on a substrate;

b) placing at least one insulator piece on said at least one first electrode;

c) laying at least one second electrode crossing over said at least one insulator piece on said substrate to insulate said at least one second electrode from said at least one first electrode;

d) placing at least one protective block on said at least one second electrode at at least one intersection of said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode.

16. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein said electrode pattern structure is manufactured by photolithography.

17. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein said electrode pattern structure is manufactured by printing.

12. A method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure comprising:

a) laying at least two first conductor cells, at least one first conductive line and at least two second conductor cells on a substrate, wherein said at least one first conductive line connects said at least two first conductor cells;

b) placing at least one insulator on said at least one first conductive line;

c) laying at least one second conductive line on said at least one insulator, wherein said at least one second conductive line connects said at least two second conductor cells;

d) placing at least one protective block on said at least one second conductive line.

14. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 12 or 13, wherein said insulator comprises at least one insulator piece.

15. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 12 or 13, wherein said insulator comprises at least one pair of holes situated on the two opposite sides of said at least one first conductive line at least one intersection of said at least one first conductive line and said at least one second conductive line.

13. A method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure comprising:

a) laying at least one first conductive line on a substrate;

b) placing at least one insulator on said at least one first conductive line;

c) laying at least two first conductor cells, at least two second conductor cells and at least one second conductive line, wherein said at least one first conductive line connects said at least two first conductor cells, and said at least one second conductive line locates on said insulator and connects said at least two second conductor cells;

d) placing said at least one protective block on said at least one second conductive line.