Membrane touch panel having improved conductor construction

• US 4,484,038 A
• Filed: 12/01/1982
• Issued: 11/20/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dorman-Bogdonoff Corporation, Gunze Electronics USA Corporation (Gunze Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dorman-Bogdonoff Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Gary, Dorman, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US06/445,694
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5 A, 200/159 B, 200/292, 200/86 R, 200/267, 200/268
• US Class Current: 200/5.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/703 characterised by spacers between contact carrying layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/018 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/024 precious
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/004 Printed circuit tail
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/04 Details of printed conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/038 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/06 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/082 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2213/01 with internal pressure of other switch sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/004 Conductive ink
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/012 Vacuum deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/028 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/004 CRT
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/09 Use of materials for the conductive, e.g. metallic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/095 for polymer thick films, i.e. having a permanent organic polymeric binder
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0317 Thin film conductor layer; Thin film passive component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0391 Using different types of conductors

Abstract

A flexible membrane touch panel switch having contacts comprised of a first set of thin conductive metal film strips formed on a first layer, and of a second set of thin conductive metal film strips orthogonal to the first set and formed on a second layer, the second layer being spaced apart from and selectively movable into contact with the first layer, the panel further having silver conductive leads formed on each of the layers, each lead being integrally affixed at one end to, in electrical contact with, and extending from one of the strips for connection to external circuitry.

Claims

1. In a transparent flexible membrane touch panel having contacts comprised of a first set of thin conductive metal film strips formed on a first layer, and of a second set of thin conductive metal film strips orthogonal to said first set and formed on a second layer, said second layer being spaced apart from and selectively movable into contact with said first layer, the improvement comprising silver conductive leads formed on each of said layers, each lead being integrally affixed at one end to, in electrical contact with, and extending from a respective one of said strips for connection to external circuitry.

2. The panel of claim 1, wherein said silver conductive leads on said first layer terminate on an integral flexible tail extending from said first layer and said silver conductive leads on said second layer terminate on an integral flexible tail extending from said second layer.

3. The panel of claim 1, wherein said metal comprises gold.

4. The panel of claim 2, wherein said metal comprises gold.

5. The panel of claim 3, wherein the portions of said silver conductive leads in contact with said strips are printed directly onto said gold strips.

6. The panel of claim 4, wherein the portions of said silver conductive leads in contact with said strips are printed directly onto said gold strips.

7. The panel of claim 1, wherein the strips of each said set of film strips are rectangular, are substantially longer along one dimension than the other, and are closely spaced to the other strips in the set in parallel along their longer dimension.

8. The panel of claim 2, wherein the strips of each said set of film strips are rectangular, are substantially longer along one dimension than the other, and are closely spaced to the other strips in the set in parallel along their longer dimension.

9. The panel of claim 7, wherein each of the leads is affixed to, and in contact with, its respective strip at a head portion of said lead, the head portion being located substantially across the smaller dimension of the strip at one end along the longer dimension of the strip, the remaining portion of said lead extending from said head portion.

10. The panel of claim 8, wherein each of the leads is affixed to, and in contact with, its respective strip at a head portion of said lead, the head portion being located substantially across the smaller dimension of the strip at one end along the longer dimension of the strip, the remaining portion of said lead extending from said head portion.