TOUCH SENSOR INCLUDING ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PATTERN

• US 20150083568A1
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: KANG, Sung Ku, PARK, Mi-Ae, KIM, Jung-Yun
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/046 responsive to excess voltage appearing at terminals of integrated circuits protection by specific structural integration design H01L27/0248
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9602 characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960705 Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe

Abstract

A touch sensor including an electrostatic discharge pattern. The touch sensor includes: touch electrodes disposed in a touch region of a touch panel and configured to sense a touch; and a connection wire disposed in the touch region and connected to the touch electrode. A width of the connection wire is less than a width of the touch electrode, and an electrostatic discharge pattern is disposed adjacent a bottleneck portion, which is a part where the touch electrode and the connection wire are connected to each other.

Claims

1. A touch sensor, comprising:

a touch panel comprising a touch region;

touch electrodes disposed in the touch region and configured to sense a touch, the touch electrodes each comprising an electrostatic discharge pattern configured to discharge static electricity accumulated in the touch electrode; and

connection wires respectively connected to the touch electrodes and disposed adjacent to the electrostatic discharge patterns,

wherein a width of each of the connection wires is less than a width of each of the touch electrodes.

2. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein each electrostatic discharge pattern comprises a first electrostatic discharge path and a second electrostatic discharge path.

3. The touch sensor of claim 2, wherein the first electrostatic discharge path and the second electrostatic discharge path of each touch electrode are both directly connected to one of the connection wires.

4. The touch sensor of claim 3, wherein:

the first electrostatic discharge path and the second electrostatic discharge path are adjacent to each other in the touch electrode; and

an opening is formed between the first electrostatic discharge path and the second electrostatic discharge path.

5. The touch sensor of claim 4, wherein a width of the first electrostatic discharge path and the second electrostatic discharge path is equal to or less than the width of the connection wire.

6. The touch sensor of claim 5, wherein the width of the connection wire is equal to or greater than about 10 um, and equal to or less than about 100 um.

7. The touch sensor of claim 6, wherein the touch electrode comprises a transparent conductive material comprising ITO (indium tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide), a metal nanowire, a conductive polymer, or a thin metal layer.

8. The touch sensor of claim 7, wherein the touch electrodes and the connection wires are disposed in the same layer.

9. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic discharge patterns comprise an electrostatic discharge protruding portions protruding from the touch electrode.

10. The touch sensor of claim 9, wherein the electrostatic discharge protruding portion protrudes from the touch electrode and extends substantially parallel to an edge of the touch electrode or to the connection wire.

11. The touch sensor of claim 10, wherein the electrostatic discharge protruding portion comprises a first electrostatic discharge protruding portion and a second electrostatic discharge protruding portion that protrude from the touch electrode and extend in different directions from each other.

12. The touch sensor of claim 11, wherein a width of the electrostatic discharge protruding portion is equal to or less than the width of the connection wire.

13. The touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the width of the connection wire is equal to or greater than about 10 um, and equal to or less than about 100 um.

14. The touch sensor of claim 13, wherein the touch electrode comprises a transparent conductive material comprising ITO (indium tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide), a metal nanowire, a conductive polymer, or a thin metal layer.

15. The touch sensor of claim 14, wherein the touch electrodes and the connection wire are disposed in the same layer.

16. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic discharge pattern comprises an electrostatic discharge comb pattern formed in the touch electrode.

17. The touch sensor of claim 16, wherein the electrostatic discharge comb pattern extends from inside the touch electrode to outside thereof.

18. The touch sensor of claim 17, wherein the electrostatic discharge comb pattern is not directly connected to the connection wire.

19. The touch sensor of claim 18, wherein a width of the electrostatic discharge comb pattern is equal to or less than the width of the connection wire.

20. The touch sensor of claim 19, wherein the width of the connection wire is equal to or greater than about 10 um, and equal to or less than about 100 um.