TOUCH PANEL HAVING IMPROVED VISIBILITY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20150212626A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Myung-Gon, KIM, Jong-Woo, SONG, Hyon-Myong, LEE, Duck-Yong
• Granted Patent: US 9,996,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A touch panel having improved visibility is provided. The touch panel includes a window part, at least one ultraviolet (UV) resin layer attached to a bottom surface of the window part, and a display part including a touch sensor film module attached to a bottom surface of the at least one UV resin layer such that the UV resin layer prevents refractions and reflections of light.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

an external housing including a front plate and a back plate;

a touchscreen display positioned to be seen through at least a portion of the front plate;

a processor positioned within the housing, the processor being electrically coupled to the display; and

a memory positioned within the housing, the memory being electrically coupled to the processor,

wherein at least a portion of the back plate includes;

a first layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the back plate, the first layer including a substantially transparent material;

a second layer facing the first layer, the second layer including a material different from the material of the first layer;

a third layer interposed between the first layer and the second layer, the third layer including a material different from each of the materials of the first and second layers; and

a fourth layer interposed between the second layer and the third layer, the fourth layer including at least partially reflective material that is different from each of the materials of the first to third layers;

wherein the third layer includes a repeating pattern of protrusions protruding toward the second layer at an interface between the third layer and the fourth layer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the repeating pattern includes stripes extending in parallel to one another when viewed from above the back plate.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the back plate has a generally rectangular shape that includes a first periphery extending in a first direction and a second periphery extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the stripes extending substantially across the back plate in the first or second direction.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the repeating pattern includes a lattice structure when viewed from above the back plate.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a fifth layer interposed between the first layer and the third layer, the fifth layer including a material different from each of the materials of the first and third layers.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the substantially transparent material of the first layer includes glass.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the material of the second layer includes an opaque material.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the material of the third layer includes a polymeric material.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the polymeric material includes a material curable using ultraviolet light.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the polymeric material includes at least one of acrylate or polyurethane.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the material of the fourth layer includes a metallic material.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the fifth layer includes a polymer film.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the polymer film includes at least one of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), or poly carbonate (PC).

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the front plate includes glass.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising one or more sidewalls including a metallic material, the sidewalls surrounding at least portion of a space between the front plate and the back plate.

16. The device of the claim 1, wherein the front plate includes a first portion including a flat surface and a second portion including a curved surface, and wherein the display includes a portion seen through the curved surface.

17. The device of the claim 16, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to display a first user interface through at least a portion of the flat surface, and a second user interface through at least a portion of the curved surface, wherein the second user interface is different from the first user interface.

18. The device of the claim 1, wherein the protrusions have a rounded shape in cross-section.

19. The device of the claim 18, wherein the rounded shape includes a semi-circle.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the protrusions abut each other.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the front plate includes:

a fifth layer forming a portion of an external surface of the front plate, the fifth layer including a substantially transparent material;

a sixth layer facing the fifth layer, the sixth layer including a material different from the material of the fifth layer;

a seventh layer interposed between the fifth layer and the sixth layer, the seventh layer including a material different from each of the materials of the fifth and sixth layers; and

an eighth layer interposed between the sixth layer and the seventh layer, the eighth layer including at least partially reflective material that is different from each of the materials of the fifth to seventh layers;

wherein the seventh layer includes a repeating pattern of protrusions protruding toward the sixth layer at an interface between the seventh layer and the eighth layer.