Touch panel for display device with pet film having transparent gel layer

• US 6,784,948 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishigami, Katsuji, Kawashima, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoan C.
• Application Number:
  US10/191,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12, 349/62, 345/104, 345/173, 178/18.05
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133616 Front illuminating devices

Abstract

A touch panel has a reduced whole thickness when attached to a display device, increases the accuracy of the positional information, and improves the display quality and durability inexpensively. One of a pair of resistive layers facing each other across insulating dot spacers is laid on a light-transmissible flat plate formed of a PET film rather than a glass plate, and a light conductive plate of a front light unit is integrated with an outer surface of the light-transmissible flat plate. An AR film having a transparent gel layer is disposed between the PET film and the light conductive plate. The transparent gel layer is of a gel material such as silicone rubber and is applied integrally on the AR film, which is formed such that anti-reflection treatment is applied on a surface of a base material of a FET film.

Claims

1. A touch panel for a display device:

which is structured such that one of a pair of resistive layers disposed so as to face each other and to sandwich a plurality of insulating dot spacers is laid on a light-transmissible flat plate formed of a polyethylene terephthalate film;

which is disposed close to a display device such that the light-transmissible flat plate faces toward a display surface of the display device and that a front light unit comprising a light source and a light conductive plate to guide light emitted from the light source toward the display surface of the display device is interposed between the light-transmissible flat plate and the display device; and

in which an outer surface of the other resistive layer of the pair is touched to be pressed thereby generating a signal corresponding to a position touched,

wherein a transparent cushioning member composed of a shock-absorbing layer and a base layer for bracing the shock-absorbing layer is disposed between the light conductive plate and the light-transmissible flat plate.

2. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is a polyethylene terephthalate film having a transparent gel layer.

3. A touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate film is an anti-reflection film.

4. A touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate film is a low reflection film.

5. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is structured such that a liquid cushioning material is applied on the touch panel and that a surface of the cushioning material is hardened so as to eliminate stickiness thereby constituting the base layer.

6. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is structured such that a gel cushioning material is applied on the touch panel and that a surface of the cushioning material is hardened so as to eliminate stickiness thereby constituting the base layer.

7. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the base layer has a thickness of 10 to 500 μ

m.

8. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the shock-absorbing layer has a thickness of 50 to 500 μ

m.

9. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein a gap of 10 μ

m to 1 mm is provided between the cushioning member and the light conductive plate.

10. A touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is in contact with the light conductive plate.