Touch panel

• US 7,679,608 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Murakami, Tetsuo, Nakanishi, Akira, Abe, Yoshiharu, Komiya, Hirofumi, Yamaue, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISHLER, ROBIN J
• Application Number:
  US11/294,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

Abstract

The touch panel has a light-transmissive upper substrate, a light-transmissive lower substrate, and a bonding layer. The lower surface of the upper substrate is formed thereon with an upper conductive layer. The top surface of the lower substrate is formed thereon with a lower conductive layer facing the upper conductive layer with an air gap. The bonding layer is formed on at least one of inner edges of the lower surface of the upper substrate and the top surface of the lower substrate, and additionally has an open groove communicating with the air gap. The makeup provides a touch panel reliably operable with a simple structure.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a light-transmissive upper substrate formed with an upper conductive layer on a lower surface of the upper substrate;

a light-transmissive lower substrate formed with a lower conductive layer facing the upper conductive layer with an air gap, on a top surface of the lower substrate; and

a bonding layer formed on at least one of inner edges of a lower surface of the upper substrate and a top surface of the lower substrate, and has a first open groove overlapping a second open groove, both the first and the second open grooves communicating with the air gap.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the bonding layer includes:

an upper bonding layer that is formed on a lower surface of the upper substrate and has the first open groove; and

a lower bonding layer that is formed on a top surface of the lower substrate and has the second open groove,

wherein the first open groove and the second open groove have widths different from each other.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first and second open grooves are formed obliquely to an outer circumference of the upper and the lower substrates.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the upper substrate includes an upper insulating layer formed on a lower surface of the upper substrate, and

wherein the bonding layer is formed on a lower surface of the upper insulating layer.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the lower substrate includes a lower insulating layer formed on a top surface of the lower substrate, and

wherein the bonding layer is formed on a top surface of the lower insulating layer.