Touch panel

• US 6,559,902 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimizu, Jun, Yamada, Shinya, Hashimoto, Takao, Kusuda, Yasuji
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDEK, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US09/623,981
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An upper electrode sheet having a transparent electrode formed on a transparent film of polyethylene terephthalate and a lower electrode sheet having a transparent electrode formed on a transparent film of polycarbonate are arranged opposite to each other via a plurality of spacers of an insulating substance between the electrodes, with a transparent hold plate of a polycarbonate plate being bonded over an entire face to a lower face of the lower electrode sheet via a transparent adhesion layer.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

an upper electrode sheet comprising a transparent polyethylene terephthalate film and an upper electrode formed on said transparent polyethylene terephthalate film;

a lower electrode sheet comprising a transparent polycarbonate film and a lower transparent electrode formed on said transparent polycarbonate film;

a plurality of spacers comprising an insulating substance disposed between said upper electrode sheet and said lower electrode sheet;

a transparent polycarbonate hold plate; and

a transparent adhesion layer disposed between said lower electrode sheet and said transparent hold plate, said transparent adhesion layer bonding said transparent polycarbonate hold plate over an entire lower face of said lower electrode sheet.

2. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m.

3. A touch panel according to claim 2, wherein said transparent polycarbonate hold plate has a thickness of 0.5-3.0 mm and has a rigidity capable of protecting a screen of a display apparatus from being pressed when said touch panel is pressed.

4. A touch panel according to claim 3, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

5. A touch panel according to claim 2, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

6. A touch panel according to claim 2, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.

7. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said transparent hold plate has a thickness of 0.5-3.0 mm and has a rigidity capable of protecting a screen of a display apparatus from being pressed when said touch panel is pressed.

8. A touch panel according to claim 7, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

9. A touch panel according to claim 7, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.

10. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

11. A touch panel according to claim 10, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.

12. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.

13. A device comprising:

a touch panel comprising an upper electrode sheet, a lower electrode sheet, at least one spacer, a transparent polycarbonate hold plate and a transparent adhesion layer; and

a display apparatus comprising a screen,

wherein said upper electrode sheet comprises a transparent polyethylene terephthalate film and an upper electrode formed on said transparent polyethylene terephthalate film;

wherein said lower electrode sheet comprises a transparent polycarbonate film and a lower transparent electrode formed on said transparent polycarbonate film;

wherein each of said at least one spacer comprises an insulating substance disposed between said upper electrode sheet and said lower electrode sheet;

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is disposed between said lower electrode sheet and said transparent hold plate,

wherein said transparent adhesion layer bonds said transparent polycarbonate hold plate over an entire lower face of said lower electrode sheet, and

wherein said touch panel is arranged on said screen so as to enable position input when said touch panel is pressed by a finger or pen.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m.

15. A device according to claim 13, wherein said transparent hold plate has a thickness of 0.5-3.0 mm and has a rigidity capable of protecting a screen of a display apparatus from being pressed when said touch panel is pressed.

16. A device according to claim 13, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

17. A device according to claim 13, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.

18. A touch panel comprising:

an upper electrode sheet comprising a transparent polyethylene terephthalate film and an upper electrode formed on said transparent polyethylene terephthalate film;

a lower electrode sheet comprising a transparent polycarbonate film and a lower transparent electrode formed on said transparent polycarbonate film;

at least one spacer comprising an insulating substance disposed between said upper electrode sheet and said lower electrode sheet;

a transparent polycarbonate hold plate; and

a transparent adhesion layer disposed between said lower electrode sheet and said transparent hold plate, said transparent adhesion layer bonding said transparent polycarbonate hold plate over an entire lower face of said lower electrode sheet,

wherein said transparent polycarbonate film comprises a first polycarbonate material capable of changing size, based on a temperature or humidity of an environment, when said touch panel is disposed in the environment, and

wherein said transparent polycarbonate hold plate comprises a second polycarbonate material capable of changing size, based on the temperature or humidity of the environment, in an amount substantially equal to the amount of size change of said transparent polycarbonate film, when said touch panel is disposed in the environment.

19. A touch panel according to claim 18, wherein said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m.

20. A touch panel according to claim 19, wherein said transparent polycarbonate hold plate has a thickness of 0.5-3.0 mm and has a rigidity capable of protecting a screen of a display apparatus from being pressed when said touch panel is pressed.

21. A touch panel according to claim 20, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

22. A touch panel according to claim 19, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

23. A touch panel according to claim 19, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.

24. A touch panel according to claim 18, wherein said transparent hold plate has a thickness of 0.5-3.0 mm and has a rigidity capable of protecting a screen of a display apparatus from being pressed when said touch panel is pressed.

25. A touch panel according to claim 24, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

26. A touch panel according to claim 24, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.

27. A touch panel according to claim 18, wherein said transparent adhesion layer comprises a transparent acrylic adhesive having a refractive index that is approximately equal to a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate film of said lower electrode sheet and a refractive index of said transparent polycarbonate hold plate.

28. A touch panel according to claim 27, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.

29. A touch panel according to claim 18, wherein said transparent polycarbonate film has a thickness of 50-300 μ

m, and

wherein said transparent adhesion layer is adapted to keep an elastic modulus of 5×

10⁵-5×

10⁷ dynes/cm² at ordinary temperatures.