Touch screen panel with integral wiring traces

• US 6,727,895 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bottari, Frank J., Marble, Andrea C., LaCourse, Michele L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US09/773,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20010036504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 427/58, 427/96
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24926 including ceramic, glass, porcelain or quartz layer

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a touch panel wherein a glass substrate is coated with a resistive layer; a pattern of conductive edge electrodes and a conductive wire trace pattern are applied to the resistive layer; the conductive edge electrodes are electrically isolated from the conductive wire traces; and a protective insulative border layer is applied over the edge electrodes and the wire traces. A touch panel which includes a glass substrate coated with a resistive layer on one surface thereof; a pattern of edge electrodes on the resistive layer; a wire trace pattern on the resistive layer; a trench in the resistive layer between the wire trace pattern and the edge electrode pattern; and a protective insulative border layer over the edge electrode pattern and the wire traces.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a substrate comprising a resistive layer on a surface thereof;

a pattern of edge electrodes on the resistive layer;

a wire trace pattern disposed on the substrate and electrically isolated from the pattern of edge electrodes; and

a protective insulative border layer over the pattern of edge electrodes and the wire trace pattern.

2. The touch panel of claim 1 in which the resistive layer is a tin antimony oxide composition.

3. The touch panel of claim 1 in which the substrate is a glass.

4. The touch panel of claim 1 in which the pattern of edge electrodes is made of a silver/frit paste composition.

5. The touch panel of claim 1 in which the wire trace pattern is formed from a silver/frit paste composition.

6. The touch panel of claim 1 in which the protective insulative border layer is formed from a lead borosilicate glass composition.

7. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the wire trace pattern is electrically isolated from the pattern of edge electrodes by a trench in the resistive layer between the wire trace pattern and pattern of edge electrodes.

8. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the wire trace pattern is electrically isolated from the pattern of edge electrodes by an insulative layer disposed between the resistive layer and the wire trace pattern.

9. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the wire trace pattern resides on an area of the substrate devoid of the resistive layer.