Transparent touch panel and a method of manufacturing the same

• US 7,517,567 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Harada, Mitsuru, Masuda, Tomoki, Yagasaki, Takuya, Omoya, Kazunori, Fujikawa, Kazuhiko, Fukui, Toshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): LONEY, DONALD J
• Application Number:
  US10/392,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 428/1.5, 428/1.52, 428/1.53, 428/1.54, 349/12, 345/173, 200/512, 178/18.03
• US Class Current: 428/1.5
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/05 Bonding or intermediate layer characterised by chemical composition, e.g. sealant or spacer
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/053 Organic silicon compound, e.g. organosilicon
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/055 Epoxy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An optically transparent touch panel includes an upper substrate provided with an upper conductive layer formed on a lower surface thereof, and a lower substrate provided with a lower conductive layer formed on an upper surface thereof in a manner to confront the upper conductive layer with a predetermined space. The upper and lower substrates are bonded together with a spacer having a modulus of elasticity between 10⁴ and 10⁶ Pa. The touch panel has a long usable life with the capability of downsizing the whole body, while maintaining a required effective operating area.

Claims

1. An optically transparent touch panel comprising:

an upper substrate having an upper conductive layer formed on a lower surface thereof;

a lower substrate having a lower conductive layer formed on an upper surface thereof to confront said upper conductive layer with a predetermined space therebetween; and

a spacer disposed between outer peripheries of said lower surface of said upper substrate and said upper surface of said lower substrate, said spacer bonding together said upper substrate and said lower substrate, wherein

said spacer has a modulus of elasticity of at least 1.0×

10⁴ Pa and lower than 8.0×

10⁴ Pa.

2. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 1, wherein said spacer has a loss tangent of at least 0.05 and at most 0.5.

3. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 1, wherein said spacer comprises a member from a group consisting of radical polymerized hardening resin hardened by ultraviolet rays or an electron beam, and cationic polymerized hardening resin hardened by ultraviolet rays or an electron beam.

4. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 3, wherein said radical polymerized hardening resin comprises a member from a group consisting of acrylic type resin and polythiol polyene type resin.

5. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 3, wherein said cationic polymerized hardening resin comprises epoxy-ring-opening polymeric resin having an epoxy structure.

6. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 1, wherein said spacer includes a member from a group consisting of epoxy composite, urethane composite and silicone composite.

7. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 6, wherein said epoxy composite includes at least epoxy resin denatured with a member from a group consisting of rubber, silicone, fatty acid, fatty acid therein containing double bond, urethane, polyether, and polysulfide.

8. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 7, wherein said epoxy composite includes at least rubber-denatured epoxy resin using a member from a group consisting of polybutadiene, polyisoprene and polyacrylonitrile butadiene.

9. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 6, wherein said urethane composite includes a member from a group consisting of an aromatic di-polyisocyanate, an aliphatic di-polyisocyanate, an alicyclic di-polyisocyanate, an alicyclic tri-polyisocyanate, and an alicyclic tetra-polyisocyanate.

10. The optically transparent touch panel of claim 6, wherein said silicone composite has a structure from a group consisting of di-methyl silicone group, methyl vinyl silicone group, methyl phenyl vinyl silicone group, and fluoro-silicone group.