TOUCH PANEL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE TOUCH PANEL

• US 20150185889A1
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazuto
• Granted Patent: US 9,507,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/10 Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/34 Electrical apparatus, e.g. sparking plugs or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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: Y10T 156/1044 of parallel stacked sheets only

Abstract

To prevent disconnection of a touch panel to which a three-dimensional shape has been imparted, the touch panel includes a first electrode layer that is formed upon a first base material sheet and includes material having flexibility. The first electrode layer has a first electrode part and a first mount part extending from the first electrode part. A first routing circuit layer is formed upon the first mount part. A second electrode layer is formed upon a second base material sheet and includes material which has flexibility. The second electrode layer has a second electrode part and a second mount part extending from the second electrode part. A second routing circuit layer is formed upon the second mount part. A first bonding layer bonds the first base material sheet to the second base material sheet. A second bonding layer bonds the second base material sheet to a protective layer.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A touch panel having a three dimensional shape, the touch panel comprising:

a first base material;

an electrode layer formed on a first surface of the first base material and containing a flexible material;

a routing circuit layer formed on the first surface of the first base material and electrically connected to the electrode layer;

a second base material; and

a bonding layer bonding the first surface of the first base material and the second base material and containing a macromolecular material that is set by the irradiation or elimination of energy rays.

9. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein

the electrode layer includes an electrode part and a mount part that extends from the electrode part;

and

the routing circuit layer is formed on the mount part.

10. The touch panel according to claim 9, wherein

a portion of the first base material corresponding to the mount part is bent.

11. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein

the routing circuit layer contains an electrically conductive material whose tensile elongation is 10% or greater.

12. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein

at least part of the routing circuit layer includes a portion that elongates in directions diagonal to wiring directions of the routing circuit layer.

13. A method of manufacturing a touch panel having a three dimensional shape, comprising:

forming an electrode layer on a first surface of a first base material;

forming a routing circuit layer on the first surface of the first base material such that the routing circuit layer is electrically connected to the electrode layer;

adhering, by an elastic bonding layer, the first surface of the first base material and the second base material;

imparting the three dimensional shape to the touch panel in which the first base material and the second base material have been adhered; and

setting the bonding layer by the irradiation or elimination of energy rays.

14. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 13, wherein

the electrode layer includes an electrode part and a mount part that extends from the electrode part, and

the routing circuit layer is formed on the mount part during the forming of the routing circuit layer.

15. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 14, wherein

during the imparting of the three dimensional shape to the touch panel, a portion of the first base material at which the mount part and the routing circuit layer are formed is bent.

16. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 13, wherein

at least a location of the routing circuit layer that elongates by the step of imparting the three dimensional shape to the touch panel is formed by a tensile resistant conductive structure, whose tensile elongation relative to tension in the wiring directions is large;

and

a cross sectional area of a cross section perpendicular to the wiring directions of the tensile resistant conductive structure is greater than 1× and

less than or equal to 16×

a cross sectional area of a plane perpendicular to the wiring directions at locations other than the tensile resistant conductive structure of the routing circuit layer.

17. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 16, wherein

a thickness and a width of the tensile resistant conductive structure are greater than 1×

and less than or equal to 4×

a thickness and a width, respectively, of locations other than the tensile resistant conductive structure of the routing circuit layer.