DUAL-SUBSTRATE CAPACITIVE TOUCH PANEL

• US 20130277197A1
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• 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: MI, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches

Abstract

A capacitive touch panel sequentially has a first transparent substrate, a lower touch sensitive layer, a lower conductor layer, a lower insulation layer, a lower conductive adhesive layer, a flexible circuit board, a transparent insulation adhesive laver, an upper insulation layer, an upper conductive adhesive layer, an upper conductor layer, an upper insulation ink layer, an upper touch sensitive layer and a second transparent substrate. The aforementioned structure allows fabrication of the capacitive touch panel to be separated into a lower panel fabrication process and an upper panel fabrication process. The two independent fabrication processes prevent the capacitive touch panel from being damaged in one of the processes when the process is completed, thereby increase the yield in production and further facilitate producing large-size touch panel.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a lower panel comprising;

a first transparent substrate having a first circuit surface;

a lower touch sensitive layer mounted on the first circuit surface of the first transparent substrate; and

a lower conductor layer mounted on the first circuit surface of the first transparent substrate and electrically connected to the lower touch sensitive layer;

an upper panel comprising;

a second transparent substrate having a second circuit surface;

an upper touch sensitive layer mounted on the second circuit surface of the second transparent substrate;

an upper insulation ink layer made of opaque material, mounted on an edge portion of the upper touch sensitive layer, and having a plurality of upper through slots formed through the upper insulation ink layer, wherein each of the plurality of upper through slots is filled in with an upper conductive layer; and

an upper conductor layer mounted on the upper insulation ink layer and electrically connected to the upper touch sensitive layer via the upper conductive layer; and

a transparent insulation adhesive layer interposed between the upper panel and the lower panel.

2. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the color of the upper conductive layer is identical to the color of the upper insulation ink layer.

3. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower panel further comprises a lower insulation layer mounted on the lower conductor layer and having a lower indentation to partially expose the lower conductor layer.

4. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lower panel further comprises a lower conductive adhesive layer mounted in the lower indentation of the lower insulation layer to cover the exposed portion of the lower conductor layer.

5. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper panel further comprises an upper insulation layer mounted on the upper conductor layer and having an upper indentation to partially expose the upper conductor layer.

6. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the upper panel further comprises an upper conductive adhesive layer mounted in the upper indentation of the upper insulation layer.

7. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a flexible circuit board attached to the lower conductive adhesive layer, extending outwardly beyond the first transparent substrate, and electrically connected to the lower touch sensitive layer through the lower conductive adhesive layer.

8. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a flexible circuit board attached to the upper conductive adhesive layer, extending outwardly beyond the second transparent substrate, and electrically connected to the upper touch sensitive layer through the upper conductive adhesive layer.

9. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an upper protection layer,

wherein the flexible circuit board has a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface is attached to the lower conductive adhesive layer;

and

the upper protection layer is bonded to the top surface of the flexible circuit board and a side of the second transparent substrate.

10. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a lower protection layer bonded to the bottom surface of the flexible circuit board and a side of the first transparent substrate.

11. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper conductive adhesive layer is formed of at least one chosen from anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and anisotropic conductive paste (ACP).

12. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate are made of one or more materials selected from a group consisting of glass, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulfone (PES), triacetyl cellulose (TAC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene (PE), polyimide (PI), composite material of polycarbonate (PC) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).

13. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the upper insulation ink layer is selected from the group consisting of opaque black ink and opaque white ink.

14. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper conductive layer is at least one chosen from conductive silver paste and conductive carbon paste.

15. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the upper touch sensitive layer is selected from the group consisting of Indium Tim Oxide (ITO), Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) and Titanium Oxide (TiO₂).

16. A capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a first transparent substrate having a first circuit surface;

a lower touch sensitive layer mounted on the first circuit surface of the first transparent substrate;

a lower conductor layer mounted on the first circuit surface of the first transparent substrate and electrically connected to the lower touch sensitive layer;

a transparent insulation adhesive layer mounted on the lower touch sensitive layer;

an upper conductor layer mounted on the transparent insulation adhesive layer;

an upper insulation ink layer made of opaque material, mounted on the upper conductor layer, and having a plurality of upper through slots formed through the upper insulation ink layer, wherein each of the plurality of upper through slots is filled in with a upper conductive layer;

an upper touch sensitive layer mounted on the transparent insulation adhesive layer, partially covering the upper insulation ink layer, and electrically connected to the upper conductor layer via the upper conductive layers in the corresponding. upper through slots of the upper insulation ink layer; and

a second transparent substrate mounted on the upper touch sensitive layer and the upper insulation ink layer and having a second circuit surface in contact with the upper touch sensitive layer and the upper insulation ink layer.

17. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the color of the upper conductive layer is identical to the color of the upper insulation ink layer.

18. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a lower insulation layer, wherein the lower insulation layer is mounted on one surface of the lower conductor layer and the lower touch sensitive layer is mounted on the other surface of the lower conductor layer and the lower insulation layer has a lower indentation to partially expose the lower conductor layer.

19. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a lower conductive adhesive layer mounted in the lower indentation of the lower insulation layer to cover the exposed portion of the lower conductor layer.

20. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 16, further comprising an upper insulation layer, wherein the upper insulation layer is mounted on one surface of the upper conductor layer and the upper touch sensitive layer is mounted on the other surface of the upper conductor layer and the upper insulation layer has an upper indentation to partially expose the upper conductor layer.

21. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 20, further comprising an upper conductive adhesive layer mounted in the upper indentation of the upper insulation layer.

22. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a flexible circuit board attached to the lower conductive adhesive layer, extending outwardly beyond the first transparent substrate, and electrically connected to the lower touch sensitive layer through the lower conductive adhesive layer.

23. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a flexible circuit board attached to the upper conductive adhesive layer, extending outwardly beyond the second transparent substrate, and electrically connected to the upper touch sensitive layer through the upper conductive adhesive layer.

24. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 22, further comprising an upper protection layer, wherein

the flexible circuit board has a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface is attached to the lower conductive adhesive layer;

and

the upper protection layer is bonded to the top surface of the flexible circuit board and a side of the second transparent substrate.

25. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a lower protection layer bonded to the bottom surface of the flexible circuit board and a side of the first transparent substrate.

26. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 21, wherein the upper conductive adhesive layer is formed of at least one chosen from anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and anisotropic conductive paste (ACP).

27. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate are made of one or more materials selected from a group consisting of glass, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulfone (PES), triacety cellulose (TAC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene (PE), polyimide (PI), composite material of polycarbonate (PC) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).

28. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the material of the upper insulation ink layer is selected from the group consisting of opaque black ink and opaque white ink.

29. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the upper conductive layer is at least one chosen from conductive silver paste and conductive carbon paste.

30. The capacitive touch panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the material of the upper touch sensitive layer is selected from the group consisting of Indium Tim Oxide (ITO), Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) and Titanium Oxide (TiO₂).