TOUCH PANEL, AND TOUCH PANEL DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20140240623A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsubara, Kunio, Misaki, Katsunori
• Granted Patent: US 9,207,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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

Abstract

Provided is a touch panel configured to minimize electrode disconnection caused by swelling of the insulating layer during the production process. The touch panel is equipped with: an insulating substrate; first island-shaped electrodes (111) disposed along a first direction; second island-shaped electrodes (121) disposed along a second direction intersecting the first direction; a connecting member (112) for connecting together the first island-shaped electrodes (111); an insulating film (15) formed covering a portion of the connecting member (112); and a relay electrode (122) for connecting together the second island-shaped electrodes (121) over the insulating film (15). The relay electrode (122), in a section thereof that overlaps the connecting member (112) in a plan view, is narrower in width, in a direction perpendicular to the second direction, than the width of the insulating film (15). A pair of edges (15a) and (15b) of the insulating film (15) is covered by the first island-shaped electrode (111), the second island-shaped electrode (121), or the relay electrode (122).

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising:

an insulating substrate;

first island-shaped electrodes formed on the substrate and arranged along a first direction;

second island-shaped electrodes formed on the substrate and arranged along a second direction that intersects with the first direction;

a connecting member that connects the first island-shaped electrodes;

an insulating film formed so as to cover at least a portion of the connecting member; and

a relay electrode connecting the second island-shaped electrodes over the insulating film;

wherein a width of the relay electrode in a direction perpendicular to the second direction is less than a width of the insulating film in the direction perpendicular to the second direction in a portion of the relay electrode overlapping the connecting member in a plan view, and

wherein a pair of edges of the insulating film across from each other is covered by the first island-shaped electrodes, the second island-shaped electrodes, or the relay electrode.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the insulating film is rectangular in a plan view and four corners thereof are covered by the first island-shaped electrodes, the second island-shaped electrodes, or the relay electrode.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein at least 1 μ

m each of the pair of edges of the insulating film across from each other are covered.

4. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the relay electrode is 10 to 50 nm in thickness.

5. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pair of edges of the insulating film across from each other are covered by the relay electrode.

6. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pair of edges of the insulating film across from each other are covered by the first island-shaped electrodes.

7. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pair of edges of the insulating film across from each other are covered by the second island-shaped electrodes.

8. The touch panel according to claim 5, wherein a length from an edge face of the insulating film substantially parallel to the second direction to an edge face of the relay electrode substantially parallel to the second direction is 20 μ

m or less in the portion of the relay electrode overlapping the connecting member in a plan view.

9. A display device equipped with a touch panel, comprising:

a liquid crystal display device; and

the touch panel according to claim 1.

10. The touch panel according to claim 7, wherein a length from an edge face of the insulating film substantially parallel to the second direction to an edge face of the relay electrode substantially parallel to the second direction is 20 μ

m or less in the portion of the relay electrode overlapping the connecting member in a plan view.