Electronic device with protection panel, protection panel, and method of fabricating protection panels

• US 7,554,624 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Jun, Yamada, Shinya, Hashimoto, Takao, Kusuda, Yasuji
• Primary Examiner(s): CONNELLY, MICHELLE R
• Application Number:
  US10/584,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20070181456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 349/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate

Abstract

A protection panel for an electronic device display window provided with a protection panel main body is composed of transparent resin and has a decoration layer having a transparent window section, and a transparent lower electrode formed on an upper surface of the protection panel main body. The protection panel main body is bonded, in its peripheral portions, to a transparent resin film on a lower surface of which a transparent upper electrode is formed via an air layer in a position opposite to the transparent lower electrode. The decoration layer is formed on at least one surface of a transparent resin cover film bonded to an upper surface of the transparent resin film.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a protection panel including a decoration layer having a transparent window section;

a casing including a panel fitting section having an opening, said protection panel being fitted into said panel fitting section such that outer surfaces of said protection panel and said casing are flush with each other; and

a display device on a lower side of said protection panel and arranged so as to be visually recognizable from an outside of said electronic device through said transparent window section of said protection panel;

wherein said protection panel further includes;

a transparent protection panel main body having an upper surface with a transparent lower electrode thereon and a lower circuit arranged around said transparent lower electrode so as to be covered by said decoration layer, and having a lower surface with a notch therein for accommodating a circuit sheet connected to said lower circuit such that said circuit sheet accommodated within said notch is covered by said decoration layer;

a movable electrode film including a transparent resin film having a lower surface with a transparent upper electrode located opposite to said transparent lower electrode and an upper circuit arranged around said transparent upper electrode so as to be covered by said decoration layer, said movable electrode film having peripheral portions bonded to said transparent protection panel main body such that an air layer is formed between said movable electrode film and an upper side of said protection panel main body; and

a transparent resin cover film on an upper surface of said transparent resin film of said movable electrode film, said decoration layer being formed on at least one surface of said transparent resin cover film.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said decoration layer is formed on a lower surface of said transparent resin cover film.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein transparent resin cover film has an upper surface which is at least one of hard coat processed, low reflection processed, and antifouling processed.

4. An electronic device claim 2, wherein said transparent resin cover film has outer dimensions identical to outer dimensions of said transparent resin film of said movable electrode film and said protection panel main body.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein said transparent resin cover film has an upper surface which is at least one of hard coat processed, low reflection processed, and antifouling processed.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said transparent resin cover film has an upper surface which is at least one of hard coat processed, low reflection processed ,and antifouling processed.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said protection panel is fitted into said panel fitting section of said casing such that no gap is formed between said outer surfaces of said protection panel and said casing.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said transparent lower electrode of said transparent protection panel main body has an upper surface facing said transparent upper electrode of said movable electrode film, said upper surface of said transparent lower electrode having spacers formed thereon within said air layer.

9. A protection panel for use in an electronic device display window, said protection panel comprising:

a decoration layer having a transparent window section;

a transparent protection panel main body having an upper surface with a transparent lower electrode thereon and a lower circuit arranged around said transparent lower electrode so as to be covered by said decoration layer, and having a lower surface with a notch therein for accommodating a circuit sheet connected to said lower circuit such that said circuit sheet accommodated within said notch is covered by said decoration layer;

a movable electrode film including a transparent resin film having a lower surface with a transparent upper electrode located opposite to said transparent lower electrode and an upper circuit arranged around said transparent upper electrode so as to be covered by said decoration layer, said movable electrode film having peripheral portions bonded to said transparent protection panel main body such that an air layer is formed between said movable electrode film and an upper side of said protection panel main body; and

a transparent resin cover film on an upper surface of said transparent resin film of said movable electrode film, said decoration layer being formed on at least one surface of said transparent resin cover film.

10. The protection panel of claim 9, wherein said decoration layer is formed on a lower surface of said transparent resin cover film.

11. The protection panel of claim 10, wherein said transparent resin cover film has an upper surface which is at least one of hard coat processed, low reflection processed, and antifouling processed.

12. The protection panel of claim 10, wherein the cover film has the sane outer dimensions as the transparent resin film and the protection panel main body.

14. The protection panel of claim 9, wherein said transparent resin cover film has an upper surface which is at least one of hard coat processed, low reflection processed, and antifouling processed.

15. The protection panel of claim 9, wherein said transparent lower electrode of said transparent protection panel main body has an upper surface facing said transparent upper electrode of said movable electrode film, said upper surface of said transparent lower electrode having spacers formed thereon within said air layer.

16. The protection panel of claim 9, wherein said protection panel is shaped and designed to be fitted and retained in an opening of a panel fitting section of a casing such that outer surfaces of said protection panel and the casing are flush with each other, and such that a display device to be located at a lower side of said protection panel is visually recognizable through said transparent window section of said decoration layer.

17. The protection panel of claim 9, wherein said protection panel is shaped and designed to be fitted into the panel fitting section of the casing such that no gap is formed between outer surfaces of said protection panel and the casing.

13. The protection panel of 12, wherein said transparent resin cover film has an upper surface which is at least one of hard coat processed, low reflection processed, and antifouling processed.