Touch panel with polarizer, flat panel display with the touch panel and manufacturing method thereof

• US 6,707,450 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atouch Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Atouch Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Young-Soo, Cheon, Tae-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US09/993,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20020130849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 178/18.01, 178/18.1, 178/18.03, 349/58, 349/61, 349/96, 349/158
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An improved touch panel with polarizer, a flat panel display with touch panel, and a laminating method. The improvement having an adhesive layer, provided on an upper base of the polarizer in order to manufacture a laminate structure; or dot spacers formed between transparent conductive films are formed so that substrates can be laminated to each other. The touch panel with polarizer includes: dot spacers between transparent conductive films so that substrates can be laminated to each other; the polarizer bonded to a lower sheet has an adhesive layer bonded to the touch panel causing the polarizer to be integrated with the panel, and another adhesive layer causing the polarizer to be bonded to the liquid crystal display; and the other polarizer is bonded to the liquid crystal display. A touch panel is bonded together, and a polarizer is bonded to the panel, and the liquid crystal display is bonded to an adhesive layer on the polarizer. Lightness and thinness of the touch panel with the polarizer, and the flat panel display with the touch panel is obtained. Also, loss of light transmissivity is reduced, and defects resulting from deformation of the touch panel is removed. High yield and reliability can be obtained in the laminating method.

Claims

1. An improved touch panel with a polarizer integrally formed therein, which comprises a touch panel including an upper substrate having an upper sheet and a transparent conductive film formed below said upper sheet, a lower substrate having a transparent conductive film like said transparent conductive film of said upper substrate and a lower sheet formed below said transparent conductive film, dot spacers for insulating said upper and lower substrates from each other, and electrodes for applying voltage to a resistive film disposed between said upper and lower sheets;

and a polarizer bonded to said lower sheet of said touch panel for converting visual light to linearly polarized light, the improvement comprising;

said dot spacers formed between said respective transparent conductive films of said upper and lower sheets are formed on said lower sheet so that said upper and lower substrates are laminated to each other;

said polarizer sequentially having an upper base, an optical film base and a lower base;

an adhesive layer, which is bonded together to said lower sheet of said touch panel and causes said polarizer to be integrated with said touch panel in order to manufacture a laminate structure of said touch panel, is provided on an upper face of said upper base of said polarizer; and

another adhesive layer for causing said polarizer incorporated into said touch panel to be bonded to an upper glass sheet of a liquid crystal display device, is provided on a lower face of said lower base of said polarizer.

2. The improved touch panel with the polarizer integrally formed therein as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper adhesive layer of said polarizer is formed as an entirely deposited face having a constant thickness so that said upper face of said polarizer is entirely covered with said adhesive layer, and said lower adhesive layer of said polarizer is formed as an entirely deposited face having a constant thickness so that said lower face of said polarizer is entirely covered with said adhesive layer.

3. An improved flat panel display with a touch panel integrally formed therein, which comprises a touch panel including an upper substrate having an upper sheet and a transparent conductive film formed below said upper sheet, a lower substrate having a transparent conductive film like said transparent conductive film of said upper substrate and a lower sheet formed below said transparent conductive film, dot spacers for insulating said upper and lower substrates from each other, and electrodes for applying voltage to a resistive film disposed between said upper and lower sheets;

a polarizer bonded to said lower sheet of said touch panel for converting visual light to linearly polarized light;

a liquid crystal display device bonded to said polarizer and including an upper glass sheet, liquid crystals and a lower glass sheet; and

another polarizer bonded to said lower glass sheet of said liquid crystal display device, the improvement comprising;

said dot spacers formed between said respective transparent conductive films of said upper and lower sheets are formed on said lower sheet so that said upper and lower substrates are laminated to each other;

said polarizer bonded to said lower sheet sequentially having an upper base, an optical film base and a lower base, and further having an adhesive layer, on an upper face of said upper base thereof, which is bonded together to said lower sheet of said touch panel and causes the polarizer to be integrated with said touch panel, and another adhesive layer for causing said polarizer incorporated into said touch panel to be bonded to said upper glass sheet of said liquid crystal display device, on a lower face of said lower base thereof; and

said polarizer bonded to said lower glass sheet of said liquid crystal display device sequentially having an adhesive layer, an upper base, an optical film base and a lower base, is then bonded to said lower glass sheet of said liquid crystal display device.

4. The improved flat panel display with the touch panel integrally formed therein as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adhesive layer disposed on said upper face of said polarizer is formed as an entirely deposited face having a constant thickness so that said upper face of said polarizer is entirely covered with said adhesive layer.

5. An improved method for manufacturing a flat panel display with a touch panel integrally formed therein by bonding one face of a polarizer to a lower sheet of said touch panel, forming a laminate structure of said touch panel with said polarizer integrally formed therein, and bonding the opposite face of said polarizer of said touch panel with said polarizer integrally formed therein to an upper glass sheet of a liquid crystal display device, the improvement comprising the steps of:

forming dot spacers on a transparent conductive film of said lower sheet and bonding upper and lower substrates of said touch panel with transparent conductive films of upper and lower sheets facing each other;

bonding said lower sheet of said touch panel to an adhesive layer formed on one face of said polarizer; and

bonding said upper glass sheet of said liquid crystal display device to an adhesive layer formed on the opposite face of said polarizer bonded with said lower sheet.