High strength touch panel and method of manufacturing the same

• US 6,380,497 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Takao, Kusuda, Yasuji
• Primary Examiner(s): FRIEDHOFER, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/529,060
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 296/22, 200/5.A, 200/600, 200/512, 338/13, 338/47, 338/99, 338/114, 345/156, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 200/5.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• 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 2201/018 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/008 Adhesive means; Conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/01 from bottom to top layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/014 composed of different layers; Lubricant in between
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/04 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/012 programmable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/02 Laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/022 Modular assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/028 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/004 CRT
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

In a resistance film type touch panel (8), an upper electrode sheet (1) having upper electrodes (111) on one face of a flexible transparent film (9) and a hard coat layer (12) on the other face of the film, and a lower electrode sheet (2) having lower electrodes (121) confronting the upper electrodes on one face of a glass substrate (10) are arranged to face each other over a distance maintained by spacers (13) between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes. Respective peripheries of the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes are bonded by an adhesive layer (3), with the transparent film and the hard coat layer being fused at respective end parts thereby constituting a compressive stress layer (10a) at a surface layer part of each side end face of the glass substrate.

Claims

1. A resistance film type touch panel in which an upper electrode sheet (1) having upper electrodes (111) on one face of a flexible transparent film (9) and a hard coat layer (12) on an other face of the film, and a lower electrode sheet (2) having lower electrodes (121) confronting the upper electrodes on one face of a glass substrate (10) are disposed to face each other over a distance maintained by spacers (13) between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes and respective peripheries of the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes are bonded by an adhesive layer (3),

wherein the transparent film and the hard coat layer are fused at side end parts thereby forming fused parts (14), so that a surface layer part of each side end face of the glass substrate adjacent to the fused parts becomes a compressive stress layer (10a).

2. A method for producing resistance film type touch panels, whereby an upper electrode sheet (1) having a plurality of upper electrodes (111) on one face of a flexible transparent film (9) and a hard coat layer (12) on an other face of the film, and a lower electrode sheet (2) having a plurality of lower electrodes (121) confronting the plurality of upper electrodes on one face of a glass substrate (10) are disposed to face each other over a distance maintained by spacers (13) between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes with respective peripheries of the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes being bonded by an adhesive layer (3), and then divided into individual touch panels,

said method comprising:

bonding the upper electrode sheet having the plurality of upper electrodes and the lower electrode sheet having the plurality of lower electrodes by means of the adhesive layer;

thereafter projecting a laser light beam (4) from a side of the upper electrode sheet thereby cutting the upper electrode sheet for each of the upper electrodes, with notching from a side of the lower electrode sheet with use of a cutter (6) thereby forming first grooves (7) in the glass substrate of the lower electrode sheet; and

thereafter dividing the glass substrate along the first grooves to obtain individual high-strength touch panels (8).

3. A method for producing resistance film type high-strength touch panels according to claim 2, which includes:

forming second grooves (27) in the glass substrate of the lower electrode sheet below the upper electrode sheet for every one of the lower electrodes simultaneously with the projection of the laser light beam when the upper electrode sheet is cut for each of the upper electrodes by the projection of the laser light beam from the side of the upper electrode sheet; and

dividing the glass substrate along the first and second grooves at both faces of the glass substrate when the glass substrate is divided along the first grooves, thereby obtaining individual high-strength touch panels.

4. A method for producing resistance film type high-strength touch panels according to claim 3, wherein the transparent film and hard coat layer are fused at side end parts thereby forming fused parts (14) at the projection of the laser light beam (4), so that a surface layer part of each side end face of the glass substrate adjacent to the fused parts becomes a compressive stress layer (10a).

5. A method for producing resistance film type high-strength touch panels according to claim 2, wherein the transparent film and hard coat layer are fused at side end parts thereby forming fused parts (14) at the projection of the laser light beam (4), so that a surface layer part of each side end face of the glass substrate adjacent to the fused parts becomes a compressive stress layer (10a).

9. A method for producing resistance film type high-strength touch panels according to claim 5, wherein the transparent film and hard coat layer are fused at side end parts thereby forming fused parts (14) at the projection of the laser light beam (4), so that a surface layer part of each side end face of the glass substrate adjacent to the fused parts becomes a compressive stress layer (10a).

6. A method for producing resistance film type touch panels, whereby an upper electrode sheet (1) having a plurality of upper electrodes (111) on one face of a flexible transparent film (9) and a hard coat layer (12) on an other face of the film, and a lower electrode sheet (2) having a plurality of lower electrodes (121) confronting the plurality of upper electrodes on one face of a glass substrate (10) are disposed to face each other over a distance maintained by spacers (13) between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes with respective peripheries of the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes being bonded by an adhesive layer (3), and then divided into individual touch panels,

said method comprising:

bonding the upper electrode sheet having the plurality of upper electrodes and the lower electrode sheet having the plurality of lower electrodes by means of the adhesive layer;

thereafter projecting a laser light beam (4) from a side of the upper electrode sheet thereby cutting the upper electrode sheet for each of the upper electrodes and also forming grooves (27) in the glass substrate of the lower electrode sheet for each of the lower electrodes; and

thereafter dividing the glass substrate along the grooves into each of the electrodes to obtain individual high-strength touch panels (8).

7. A method for producing resistance film type high-strength touch panels according to claim 6, wherein the transparent film and hard coat layer are fused at side end parts thereby forming fused parts (14) at the projection of the laser light beam (4), so that a surface layer part of each side end face of the glass substrate adjacent to the fused parts becomes a compressive stress layer (10a).

8. A method for producing resistance film type touch panels, whereby an upper electrode sheet (1) having a plurality of upper electrodes (111) on one face of a flexible transparent film (9) and a hard coat layer (12) on an other face of the film, and a lower electrode sheet (2) having a plurality of lower electrodes (121) confronting the plurality of upper electrodes on one face of a glass substrate (10) are disposed to face each other over a distance maintained by spacers (13) between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes with respective peripheries of the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes confronting the upper electrodes being bonded by an adhesive layer (3), and then divided into individual touch panels,

said method comprising:

bonding the upper electrode sheet having the plurality of upper electrodes and the lower electrode sheet having the plurality of lower electrodes by means of the adhesive layer; and

thereafter projecting a laser light beam (4) from a side of the upper electrode sheet thereby cutting the upper electrode sheet for each of the upper electrodes and also cutting the lower electrode sheet below the upper electrode sheet for each of the lower electrodes thereby obtaining individual high-strength touch panels (8).