TOUCH PANEL INCLUDING CONNECTION ELECTRODES FORMED DIFFERENTLY IN FIRST AREA THAN SECOND AREA AND DISPLAY APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20200133417A1
• Filed: 12/26/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: LEE, Innam, LEE, Choonhyop
• Granted Patent: US 11,048,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2203/04111 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 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

A touch panel includes a substrate, detection electrodes, and connection electrodes. The substrate includes a planar surface portion and a curved surface portion adjacent to the planar surface portion in a first direction, the curved surface portion including an active region and another region disposed outside the active region. The detection electrodes are disposed on the substrate. The detection electrodes are arranged in the first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction. The connection electrodes electrically connect adjacent detection electrodes arranged in a same direction as one another. A connection electrode of the connection electrodes connecting detection electrodes adjacent to each other of the detection electrodes arranged in the first direction is disposed in the active region of the curved surface portion. The connection electrode includes a portion extending in a different direction than the first direction.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a substrate comprising;

an active region including a flat portion and a first curved portion adjacent to the flat portion in a first direction; and

an inactive region surrounding the active region and including a second curved portion adjacent to the first curved portion;

a first sensor portion extending in the first direction and disposed on the active region;

a second sensor portion extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and disposed on the active region; and

a signal line disposed on the second curved portion and connected to each of the first and second sensor portions,

wherein;

the first and second curved portions are curved with respect to an axis parallel to the second direction and at a determined radius of curvature with respect to the first direction; and

the signal line comprises a portion extending in the first direction while being bent in a direction different from the first and second directions.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor portion comprises a plurality of first detection electrodes arranged in the first direction; and

the second sensor portion comprises a plurality of second detection electrodes arranged in the second direction.

3. The touch panel of claim 1, further comprising:

branch electrodes extending from adjacent detection electrodes arranged in a same direction as one another, each of the branch electrodes extending from a h-th detection electrode to a (h+1)-th detection electrode, h being a natural number,

wherein the branch electrodes comprise;

first branch electrodes extending from adjacent first detection electrodes of the first direction electrodes; and

second branch electrodes extending from adjacent second detection electrodes of the second detection electrodes, and

wherein some of the first branch electrodes are disposed on the first curved portion, the some of the first branch electrodes comprising a portion extending in a different direction than the first direction and being inclined at a determined angle with respect to the first direction.

4. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein:

the first detection electrodes and the second detection electrodes are arranged in an alternating pattern, the first detection electrodes being spaced apart from the second detection electrodes; and

the first branch electrodes and the second branch electrodes cross one another with an insulating film disposed therebetween.

5. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein the some of the first branch electrodes comprise bent shapes.

6. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein:

some of the first branch electrodes are disposed on the flat portion, the some of the first branch electrodes disposed on the flat portion extend in straight line shapes in the first direction; and

the second branch electrodes extend in straight line shapes in the second direction.

7. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein the some of the first branch electrodes comprise doubly bent shapes, the doubly bent shapes comprising portions bent in opposite directions of one another.

8. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein:

in a plan view, each of the some of the first branch electrodes comprises;

a first extension portion extending from a first side of a first detection electrode of the first detection electrodes, the first extension portion extending in the first direction and toward an upper right side of the touch panel;

a second extension portion extending from an end of the first extension portion, the second extension portion extending in the first direction and toward a lower right side of the touch panel; and

a third extension portion extending from an end of the second extension portion, the third extension portion extending in the first direction toward the upper right side of the touch panel; and

the third extension portion extends from a first detection electrode of the first detection electrodes adjacent to the first detection electrode from which the first extension portion extends.

9. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein:

some of the second branch electrodes are disposed on the first curved portion; and

the some of the first branch electrodes and the some of the second branch electrodes comprise bent shapes.

10. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein:

other first branch electrodes of the first branch electrodes are disposed on the flat portion; and

the some of the first branch electrodes and the other first branch electrodes comprise bent shapes.

11. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein:

other first branch electrodes of the first branch electrodes are disposed on the flat portion;

some of the second branch electrodes are disposed on the flat portion; and

the some of the first branch electrodes, the other first branch electrodes, and the some of the second branch electrodes comprise bent shapes.

12. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein the some of the first branch electrodes comprise wavy pattern shapes.

13. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein the signal line further comprises:

a first signal line connected to the first sensor portion; and

a second signal line connected to the second sensor portion.

14. The touch panel of claim 13, wherein the first signal line comprises:

a first portion connected to the first sensor portion and extending in the first direction while being bent in a direction different from the first and second directions;

a second portion extending in the second direction from the first portion; and

a third portion extending in the first direction while being bent in a direction different from the first and second directions.

15. The touch panel of claim 14, wherein the second signal line comprises:

a fourth portion connected to the second sensor portion and extending in the second direction; and

a fifth portion extending in the first direction from the fourth portion while being bent in a direction different from the first and second directions.

16. The touch panel of claim 15, wherein the first, third, and fifth portions comprise zigzag patterns.

17. The touch panel of claim 16, wherein the first, third, and fifth portions extend while repeatedly bent in a zigzag pattern at angles of greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees with respect to the first direction.

18. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the detection electrodes are diamond shaped.

19. A touch panel comprising:

a substrate comprising;

a flat portion; and

a curved portion adjacent to the flat portion in a first direction, the curved portion including an active region and inactive region disposed outside the active region;

detection electrodes disposed on the flat portion and the active region, the detection electrodes being arranged in the first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction;

connection electrodes electrically connecting adjacent detection electrodes arranged in a same direction as one another; and

signal lines disposed on the inactive region of the curved portion and connected to the detection electrodes adjacent to the inactive region,

wherein;

the curved portion is curved with respect to an axis parallel to the second direction and at a determined radius of curvature with respect to the first direction; and

the signal lines comprise a portion extending in the first direction while being bent in a direction different from the first and second directions.