Video display and touchscreen assembly, system and method

• US 7,499,037 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells-Gardner Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wells-Gardner Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lube, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIM, YONG H
• Application Number:
  US11/393,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20060231818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/156, 345/169, 349/12, 349/23, 156/344, 156/581
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1607 Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A touch screen assembly for use with a display, such as a flat panel display. The touch screen assembly includes a transparent panel, preferably in the form of a panel of tempered glass adhered to a touch screen panel. Consoles having touch screen assemblies are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A touch screen assembly, comprising:

a panel of transparent material having a transparent panel front side and a transparent panel back side opposite the transparent panel front side;

an independently functioning touch screen device having a device interactive side and a device back side opposite the device interactive side, the touch screen device being positioned at least about 30/1000 of an inch away from the transparent panel front side, the touch screen device being positioned in an orientation generally corresponding to the orientation of the transparent panel front side, the device back side being in an opposed relationship to the transparent panel front side; and

a resilient panel disposed between at least a portion of the transparent panel front side and the device back side, the resilient panel having a low modulus of elasticity relative to the transparent panel, the resilient panel being permanently attached to at least a portion of the transparent panel front side and at least a portion of the device back side; and

wherein the transparent panel, the touch screen, and the resilient panel comprising a unitary assembly and the unitary assembly is removably attached to a display screen.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the resilient panel is formed of a UV cured compound.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the panel of transparent material is glass.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the panel of transparent material is plastic.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the resilient panel has a periphery, and further including a gasket interposed between the transparent panel front side and the device back side, the gasket being positioned at the resilient panel periphery.

6. The assembly of claim 1, further including a video display positioned adjacent the transparent panel back side of the unitary assembly, the video display being positioned in an orientation generally corresponding to the orientation of the touch screen device.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the display includes a display screen and a frame having a plurality of sides surrounding the display screen, and further including at least one frame adhesive interposed between the transparent panel back side and at least one frame side.

8. The assembly of claim 6 further including:

a console housing, the console housing including a console front side, the console front side including an opening disposed in the console front side, the console housing further defining a console interior, and wherein the touch screen assembly is disposed within the console interior and the touch screen interactive side is viewable through the opening; and

a controller disposed within the console interior, the controller being configured to receive an input signal from the touch screen device and provide a video signal to the video display, and wherein the controller is in communication with the touch screen device and the video display.

9. A method of making a unitary touch screen assembly for use with a display, comprising:

providing a panel of transparent material in a predetermined orientation, the transparent panel having a transparent panel front side and a transparent panel back side opposite the transparent panel front side;

providing an independently functioning touch screen device, the touch screen device having a device interactive side and a device back side opposite the device interactive side;

orienting the touch screen device in a position corresponding to the orientation of the panel of transparent material, the device back side being in an opposed relationship to the transparent panel front side;

positioning the touch screen device at least about 30/1000 of an inch from the panel of transparent material to define a space therebetween;

disposing a curable and optically clear compound into the space; and

curing the compound to form a resilient panel, the resilient panel having a low modulus of elasticity relative to the transparent panel, the resilient panel being permanently adhered to at least a portion of the device back side and at least a portion of the transparent panel front side;

and wherein the unitary touch screen assembly is removably attached to a display screen.

10. The method of claim 9, further including

providing a video display in a position corresponding to the orientation of the touch screen device, the video display including a display screen;

and

positioning the video display behind the panel of transparent material, the video display screen being visible through the touch screen device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the panel of transparent material includes a panel perimeter, and further including interposing a gasket between the transparent panel front side and the device back side, the gasket being positioned adjacent the transparent panel perimeter.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transparent panel perimeter includes a plurality of opposed straight sides, and wherein the gasket extends continuously along at least three of the sides.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein

the compound is a UV curable compound, and further including providing a UV light source;

and

wherein curing the compound includes exposing the assembly to the UV light source for a predetermined amount of time.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

providing a console, the console including a console housing, the console housing including a console front side, the console front side including an opening disposed in the console front side, the console housing further defining a console interior; and

disposing the assembly within the console interior, the device interactive side being viewable through the opening.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising

providing a controller within the console interior;

and

configuring the controller to receive signals from the touch screen device and provide signals to the video display.