Information display device and supporting frame for supporting a piezoelectric element for use in information display device

• US 7,710,402 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Shigeaki, Takenaka, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): SITTA, GRANT
• Application Number:
  US10/926,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate

Abstract

An information display device (1A) comprises a touch panel (TP), an information display panel (LCD) located under the touch panel (TP) and four strip-like piezoelectric elements (E), which are caused to be vibrated and displaced by a pressing force generated when the touch panel (TP) is pressed, being disposed at the outer peripheral portion of the touch panel (TP), wherein both end portions of each strip-like piezoelectric element (E) are supported by surface-like holders (112A, 112B) with twist resilient deformation structures and a rotary shaft (113) so that each strip-like piezoelectric element (E) may not be disturbed from being vibrated and displaced. In this touch panel type information device, both end portions of a plurality of strip-like piezoelectric elements are supported by the supporting member having the holders with the twist resilient deformation structure which do not disturb both end portions of the strip-like piezoelectric elements from being vibrated and displaced.

Claims

1. An information display device comprising:

a touch panel;

a frame supporting the touch panel, the frame having quadrilateral sides surrounding the touch panel with at least one side having at least one rectangular hole formed therein, the at least one rectangular hole extending longitudinally in a lengthwise direction and transversely in a widthwise direction;

at least one strip-like piezoelectric element, which bows and arches in response to a force applied to said touch panel; and

at least one torsion resilient deformation structure extending in the lengthwise and widthwise directions,

wherein said at least one strip-like piezoelectric element is disposed adjacent an outer periphery of said touch panel,

wherein the at least one torsion resilient deformation structure includes a first piezoelectric holder and a second piezoelectric holder spaced apart from one another, disposed in the at least one rectangular hole and connected to the frame, the first piezoelectric holder having a pair of first rotary shafts and a first piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder, the first piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder is disposed apart from the frame and has one first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion and another first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion integrally connected to the one first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion,

wherein said at least one strip-like piezoelectric element is connected to the first and second piezoelectric holders and

wherein respective ones of the pair of first rotary shafts are connected to the first piezoelectric holder at a unction of the one and the another first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portions and extend in the widthwise direction to interconnect the first piezoelectric holder and the frame such that, upon applying the force to the touch panel, the at least one piezoelectric element bows and arches in response to the force applied to said touch panel while the pair of first rotary shafts twist in a resiliently biased manner and the first piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder moves in a see-saw manner about the pair of first rotary shafts.

2. An information display device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the second piezoelectric holder includes a bar member connected to the frame and extending across the at least one rectangular hole in the widthwise direction such that, in response to the force applied to said touch panel, the bar member twists in a resiliently biased manner.

6. The information display device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the strip-like piezoelectric elements are bimorph type piezoelectric elements.

8. The information display device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second piezoelectric holder includes a pair of second rotary shafts and a second piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder, the second piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder being disposed apart from the frame and having one second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion and another second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion integrally connected to the one second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion, respective ones of the pair of second rotary shafts being connected to the first piezoelectric holder at a junction of the one and the another second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portions and extending in the widthwise direction to interconnect the second piezoelectric holder and the frame such that, upon applying the force to the touch panel, the at least one piezoelectric element bows and arches in response to the force applied to said touch panel while the pair of second rotary shafts twist in a resiliently biased manner and the second piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder moves in an see-saw manner about the pair of second rotary shafts relative to the first piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder.

9. The information display device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one torsion resilient deformation structure includes a stopper disposed in the at least one rectangular hole and operative to limit movement of at least one strip-like piezoelectric element into the hole when the at least one strip-like piezoelectric element bows and arches in response to the force applied to said touch panel.

10. The information display device, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the stopper is disposed between the first piezoelectric holder and the second piezoelectric holder.

3. A piezoelectric assembly for use with a touch panel information display device having a frame structure with a hole formed into the frame structure, the piezoelectric assembly comprising:

At least one strip-like piezoelectric element; and

a torsion resilient deformation structure extending˜

in a lengthwise direction and a widthwise direction,

wherein the at least one torsion resilient deformation structure includes a first piezoelectric holder and a second piezoelectric holder spaced apart from one another and disposed in the hole

the first piezoelectric holder having a pair of first rotary shafts and a first piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder, the first piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder has one first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion and another first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion integrally connected to the one first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion, respective ones of the pair of first rotary shafts being connected to the first piezoelectric holder at a junction of the one and the another first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portions and extend in the widthwise direction and

the second piezoelectric holder includes a pair of second rotary shafts and a second piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder, the second piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder has one second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion and another second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion integrally connected to the one second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion, respective ones of the pair of second rotary shafts being connected to the first piezoelectric holder at a junction of the one and the another second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portions and extending in the widthwise direction, and

wherein said at least one strip-like piezoelectric element is connected to the first and second piezoelectric holders and

wherein respective ones of the pair of first rotary shafts are connected to the first piezoelectric holder at a junction of the one and the another first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portions and extend in the widthwise direction to interconnect the first piezoelectric holder and the frame structure such that, upon applying the force to the touch panel information display device, the at least one piezoelectric element bows and arches in response to the force applied to said touch panel while the pair of first rotary shafts twist in a resiliently biased manner and the first piezoelectric flat panel-shaped holder moves in a see-saw manner about the pair first rotary shafts.

4. A piezoelectric assembly, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the one torsion resilient deformation structure includes a stopper disposed in the hole.

5. A piezoelectric assembly, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the one first piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion has a first piezoelectric butting portion formed at its outer end.

7. The piezoelectric assembly, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the strip-like piezoelectric element is a bimorph type piezoelectric element comprising a steel shim, a plurality of ceramic layers, and a coating agent.

11. A piezoelectric assembly, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the one second piezoelectric panel-shaped holder portion has a second piezoelectric butting portion formed at its outer end.

12. The information display device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the stopper disposed between the first piezoelectric holder and the second piezoelectric holder.