Touch panel device

• US 6,556,189 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Takahata, Kazuhiko, Kirimura, Hiroshi, Nishikawa, Kazuhiro, Hashimoto, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/673,881
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173-178, 345/182, 345/183, 345/102, 178/18.01, 178/18-3-, 349/61
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

The sides of a touch panel are entirely covered with and sealed in an outer package. The touch panel includes a transparent insulating liquid that is sealed in a space formed by adhering an upper electrode film and a lower electrode body at edges thereof. The transparent insulating liquid transparently shows or exposes at least an operation area of the touch panel.

Claims

1. A touch panel device having an operation area, said touch panel device comprising:

an upper electrode film having edges, an upper surface and a lower surface;

a lower electrode body having edges, and upper surface and a lower surface, a periphery of said upper surface of said lower electrode body being adhered to a periphery of said lower surface of said upper electrode film thereby forming space between said upper electrode film and said lower electrode body;

a transparent insulating liquid sealed in the space between said upper electrode film and said lower electrode body; and

an outer package continuously covering and sealing said edges of said upper electrode film, said edges of said lower electrode body and a periphery of said lower surface of said lower electrode body, said outer package comprising a material and being disposed so as to transparently show said operation area as viewed from a direction facing said upper electrode film and from a direction facing said lower electrode body.

2. The touch panel device of claim 1, wherein said outer package comprises a bag having a sealed opening, and

wherein said upper electrode film, said lower electrode body and said transparent insulating liquid are sealed within said bag.

3. The touch panel device of claim 1, wherein said outer package comprises:

an upper film adhered to said upper surface of said upper electrode film, said upper film having an area that is larger than the total area of said upper surface of said upper electrode film, said upper film comprising a material and being disposed so as to transparently show said operation area from a direction facing said upper electrode film;

a lower support body adhered to said lower surface of said lower electrode body, said lower support body having an area that is larger than the total area of said lower surface of said lower electrode body, said lower support body comprising a material and being disposed so as to transparently show said operation area from a direction facing said lower electrode body; and

a sealing material disposed between said upper film and said lower support body so as to seal said edges of said upper electrode film and said edges of said lower electrode body.

4. The touch panel device of claim 3, wherein said sealing material comprises a material that has been subjected to a degassing treatment sufficient to prevent a generation of voids therein.

5. The touch panel device of claim 3, wherein said lower support body is at least 0.025 mm thick.

6. The touch panel device of claim 3, wherein said upper film comprises a film that has been subjected to low-reflection treatment.

7. The touch panel device of claim 3, wherein said lower support body comprises a body that has been subjected to low-reflection treatment.

8. The touch panel device of claim 3, wherein said outer package comprises:

a rectangular parallelepiped box shaped to cover a periphery of said upper surface of said upper electrode film and to expose said operation area; and

a sealing material disposed between said periphery of said upper surface of said upper electrode film and said rectangular parallelepiped box.

9. The touch panel device of claim 1, wherein said outer package comprises:

a rectangular parallelepiped box shaped to cover a periphery of said upper surface of said upper electrode film, to expose said operation area, to cover a periphery of said lower surface of said lower electrode body and to expose an area of the lower electrode body corresponding to said operation area; and

a sealing material disposed between said periphery of said upper surface of said upper electrode film and said rectangular parallelepiped box and between said periphery of said lower surface of said lower electrode body and said rectangular parallelepiped box.

10. The touch panel device of claim 1, wherein said outer package comprises:

an upper film adhered to said upper surface of said upper electrode film, said upper film having an area that is larger than the total area of said upper surface of said upper electrode film, said upper film being shaped so as to expose said operation area from a direction facing said upper electrode film;

a lower support body adhered to said lower surface of said lower electrode body, said lower support body having an area that is larger than the total area of said lower surface of said lower electrode body, said lower support body being shaped so as to expose an area of the lower electrode body corresponding to said operation area; and

a sealing material disposed between said upper film and said lower support body so as to seal said edges of said upper electrode film and said edges of said lower electrode body.

11. The touch panel device of claim 1, wherein said outer package comprises:

a lower support body adhered to said lower surface of said lower electrode body, said lower support body having an area that is larger than the total area of said lower surface of said lower electrode body such that a portion of said lower support body extends beyond said lower surface of said lower electrode body; and

a sealing material disposed on said portion of said lower support body that extends beyond said lower surface of said lower electrode body and on said edges of said lower electrode body.

12. The touch panel device of claim 1, wherein said outer package comprises:

a lower support body adhered to said lower surface of said lower electrode body, said lower support body having an area that is larger than the total area of lower surface of said lower electrode body such that a portion of said lower support body extends beyond said lower surface of said lower electrode body, said lower support body being shaped so as to expose an area of the lower electrode body corresponding to said operation area; and

a sealing material disposed on said portion of said lower support that extends beyond said lower surface of said lower electrode body and on said edges of said lower electrode body.

13. The touch panel device of claim 1, further comprising:

spacers disposed on one of said lower surface of said upper electrode film and said upper surface of said lower electrode body, said spacers having an area concentration of at least 0.01% but less than 5%, said spacers having a height of no mare than 15 μ

m,

wherein said transparent insulating liquid comprises a liquid having a viscosity of no more than 30 cps.

14. The touch panel device of claim 1, wherein said transparent insulating liquid comprises a liquid that has been subjected to a degassing treatment sufficient to prevent a generation of voids therein.

15. The touch panel device of claim 1, further comprising:

spacers disposed on one of said lower surface of said upper electrode film and said upper surface of said lower electrode body, said spacers having an area concentration of at least 0.01% but less than 5%, said spacers having a height of no more than 15 μ

m; and

a sealing material disposed in and sealing liquid injecting holes that are located in said lower electrode body,

wherein the liquid injecting holes are disposed outside of said operation area,

wherein said transparent insulating liquid comprises a liquid having a viscosity of no more than 30 cps,

wherein said transparent insulating liquid comprises a liquid that has been subjected to a degassing treatment sufficient to prevent a generation of voids therein, and

wherein said transparent insulating liquid comprises a liquid having an index of refraction following the relational expression ${\left(\frac{n_A-n_B}{n_A+n_B}\right)}^2<<br><br>{\left(\frac{n_A-1}{n_A+1}\right)}^2,\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{and}$

wherein refractive indices of the said transparent electrode, said transparent insulating liquid, and air are n_A, n_B and 1, respectively.

16. The touch panel device of claim 1, wherein at least one of a first transparent electrode surface on said upper electrode film and a second transparent electrode surface on said lower electrode body comprises a surface that has been subjected to a satin finish treatment such that said at least one is capable of scattering light to prevent light interference between said first transparent electrode surface and said second transparent electrode surface.