Touch panel and protective panel for display window of electronic device using the same

• US 7,830,367 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Kazuhiro, Kai, Yoshihiro, Nakamura, Kazuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALTHALL, ALLISON N
• Application Number:
  US11/597,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20070218957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 439/84, 178/18.05
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/036 Variable resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/00 Connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/116 Lands, clearance holes or other lay-out details concerning the surrounding of a via
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09909 Special local insulating pattern, e.g. as dam around component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10416 Metallic blocks or heatsinks completely inserted in a PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4046 using auxiliary conductive elements, e.g. metallic spheres, eyelets, pieces of wire
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4069 for via connections in organic insulating substrates

Abstract

A touch panel is capable of obtaining a stable connection resistance without requiring fitting accuracy at the time of the connection to an external terminal, and a protective panel for a display window of an electronic device using the same. The analog type touch panel includes a touch side substrate and a non-touch side substrate each having resistive films provided on opposed inner surfaces thereof.

Through-holes are formed at the periphery of the non-touch side substrate. A connecting part for electrically connecting electrodes of the resistive films to an external terminal includes a conductive paste is injected into the through-holes and a rivet is inserted into each of the through-holes from the lower surface side so that a head of the rivet 14 forms flat connecting electrodes for connection to the external terminal on the lower surface of the non-touch side substrate.

Claims

1. An analog type touch panel comprising:

a touch side substrate having a resistive film on an inner surface thereof;

a non-touch side substrate having a resistive film on an inner surface thereof, the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate opposing the inner surface of the touch side substrate;

electrodes for connecting the resistive films to an external terminal, the electrodes including an electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate;

through-holes formed at a periphery of the non-touch side substrate;

a wall formed from an insulating layer provided around an opening of at least one of the through-holes and being connected to the electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate;

a conductive paste injected into the through-holes; and

a rivet inserted into each of the through-holes from a lower surface side of the non-touch side substrate so that a head of each rivet forms a flat electrode for connecting with the external terminal on the lower surface of the non-touch side substrate,

wherein the conductive paste and the rivets form a connecting part for electrically connecting the electrodes to the external terminal by the through-holes, and

wherein the wall is provided at a distance from an edge of the opening so as to trap the spread of the conductive paste.

2. A protective panel for a display window of an electronic device, the protective panel comprising:

the touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the non-touch side substrate is formed from a laminate obtained by bonding a resin sheet to an upper surface of a resin plate with a tackiness agent, and

wherein the touch side substrate includes a resin sheet on which the resistive film of the touch side substrate is formed and a decorative layer with a transparent window provided on the resin sheet.

3. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the connecting part is formed by:

providing the wall on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate so as to circumscribe the opening of the at least one through-hole, the electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate being within an area circumscribed by the wall;

injecting the conductive paste into the through-holes; and

inserting one of the rivets into the at least one through-hole such that the conductive paste extrudes from the at least one through-hole onto the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate,

wherein the spread of the conductive paste on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate is trapped by the wall.

4. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the conductive paste is disposed on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate in an area confined by the wall.

5. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the conductive paste is disposed on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate exclusively in an area confined by the wall.

6. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the connecting part is formed by:

injecting the conductive paste into the through-holes;

providing the wall on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate so as to circumscribe the opening of the at least one through-hole; and

inserting one of the rivets into the at least one through-hole such that the conductive paste extrudes from the at least one through-hole onto the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate,

wherein the spread of the conductive paste on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate is trapped by the wall, and

wherein the conductive paste contacts the electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate such that an electrical connection is provided between the rivet and the electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate.

7. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the conductive paste is disposed on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate in an area confined by the wall, and

wherein the conductive paste contacts the electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate such that an electrical connection is provided between one of the rivets and the electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate.

8. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the conductive paste is disposed on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate exclusively in an area confined by the wall, and

wherein the conductive paste contacts the electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate such that an electrical connection is provided between one of the rivets and the electrode provided on the inner surface of the non-touch side substrate.