Resistive type touch panel

• US 8,125,454 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Philips LCD Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kong, Nam Yong, You, Tae Ho, Park, Hee Jeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOSEPH, DENNIS P
• Application Number:
  US10/952,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20050110772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,708 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A resistive type touch panel includes a first substrate aligned to be facing a second substrate. The first substrate includes a first conductive layer and the second substrate includes a second conductive layer. A plurality of spacers each having a polygonal column shape are disposed between the first and second substrates in predetermined positions. The geometry and center-to-center spacing of the spacers minimizes detection of a distributed activation force applied to one of the first and second substrate while still providing sensitivity to detect concentrated application of an activation force to one of the first and second substrates.

Claims

1. A resistive type touch panel comprising:

first and second substrates aligned to be facing each other and having transparent conductive layers on facing surfaces of the first and second substrates;

a plurality of spacers configured to be in contact with both transparent conductive layers on facing surfaces of the first and second substrates when an activation force is applied to the resistive type touch panel;

wherein the plurality of spacers include a plurality of inward spacers, each of a hexahedral shape, disposed away from an edge area of the transparent conductive layers and disposed between the transparent conductive layers, wherein each of the inward spacers has an upper planar surface and a lower planar surface which have the same area;

wherein the plurality of spacers include a plurality of edge spacers disposed adjacent to an edge area of the transparent conductive layers, wherein each of the edge spacers has a top surface of a hemispherical shape and each of the edge spacers has a vertical side surface;

wherein all of the plurality of inward spacers and all of the plurality of edge spacers are positioned to be spaced away from one of the transparent conductive layers and to be in contact with the other of the transparent conductive layers when the activation force is not applied to the resistive type touch panel;

wherein the inward spacers and the edge spacers have a minimum ratio of spacer diameter to center-to-center distance between spacers of about 0.06, and a maximum ratio of spacer diameter to center-to-center distance between spacers of about 0.10 and where the center-to-center distance between the inward spacers is between about 0.5 mm and 0.6 mm;

wherein each of the inward spacers has a substantially equal length and width that is between about 40 μ

m and 50 μ

m, and a height of between about 5 μ

m and 13 μ

m;

wherein the activation force by a hand is more than two times greater than that by a pen, wherein the activation force by the hand is between about 2.81 g to 2.5 k and the activation force by the pen is between about 115 g to 357 g;

wherein the hemispherical surface of the edge spacer is configured to be in contact with the one transparent conductive layer when a touch input is applied to the edge area;

a pair of Y-electrode bars, wherein;

the transparent conductive layers comprise a narrow transparent conductive layer and a wide transparent conductive layer having different widths, and

the pair of Y-electrode bars are disposed adjacent to both sides of the narrow transparent conductive layer and each of the pair of Y-electrode bars has a width substantially equal to a difference of the widths of the narrow and the wide transparent conductive layers; and

an adhesive layer formed as a shape of closed-loop along an outer area of the edge spacers between the first and second substrates.

2. The resistive type touch panel of claim 1, wherein the inward spacers and edge spacers are formed by a printing or a photo process.

3. The resistive type touch panel of claim 1, wherein the inward spacers are formed at equal intervals over an area of at least one of the first or second substrates or combinations thereof.

4. A resistive type touch panel comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate that are aligned substantially in parallel, wherein each of the first and second substrates include a respective transparent conductive layer;

a plurality of spacers configured to be in contact with both the respective transparent conductive layers of the first and second substrates when an activation force is applied to the resistive type touch panel;

wherein the plurality of spacers include a plurality of inward spacers, wherein each of the inward spacers is formed in a hexahedral shape, disposed away from an edge area of the respective transparent conductive layer of each of the first and second substrates and disposed in a predetermined pattern between the respective transparent conductive layer of each of the first and second substrates so that the inward spacers are staggered with respect to each other to provide more support of one of the conductive layer, wherein each of the inward spacers has an upper surface and a lower surface which have the same area;

wherein the plurality of spacers include a plurality of edge spacers adjacent to the edge area of the respective transparent conductive layer of each of the first and second substrates, wherein each of the edge spacers has a top surface of a hemispherical shape and each of the edge spacers has a vertical side surface;

wherein all of the inward spacers and all of the edge spacers are positioned to be spaced away from one of transparent conductive layers and in contact with the other of transparent conductive layers when the activation force is not applied to the resistive type touch panel;

wherein the inward spacers and the edge spacers have a minimum ratio of spacer diameter to center-to-center distance between spacers of about 0.06, and having a maximum ratio of spacer diameter to center-to-center distance between spacers of about 0.10 and where a first center-to-center distance between the inward spacers that are positioned to form a first line is between about 0.5 mm and 0.6 mm;

wherein each of inward spacers has a substantially equal length and width that is between about 40 μ

m and 50 μ

m, and a height of between about 5 μ

m and 13 μ

m;

wherein the activation force by a hand is more than two times greater than that by a pen, wherein the activation force by, the hand is between about 281 g to 2.5 k and the activation force by the pen is between about 115 g to 357 g;

wherein the hemispherical surface of each of the edge spacers is configured to be in contact with the one transparent conductive layer when a touch input is applied to the edge area;

a pair of Y-electrode bars, wherein;

the respective transparent conductive layers of the first and second substrates have different widths, and

the pair of Y-electrode bars are disposed adjacent to both sides of a narrower transparent conductive layer between the respective transparent conductive layers having different widths and each of the pair of Y-electrode bars has a width substantially equal to a difference of the widths of the respective transparent conductive layers having different widths; and

an adhesive layer formed as a shape of closed-loop along an outer area of the edge spacers between the first and second substrates.

5. The resistive type touch panel of claim 4, wherein the inward spacers and the edge spacers are formed by a printing or a photo process.

6. The resistive type touch panel of claim 4, wherein a second center-to-center spacing between the inward spacers positioned to form a second line that is perpendicular to the first line is between about 1.0 mm and 1.2 mm.

7. The resistive type touch panel of claim 4, wherein, a first group of spacers are disposed at a pre-determined center-to-center distance to form a first line, and a second group of spacers are disposed at the pre-determined center-to-center distance to form a second line that is parallel with the first line, wherein the spacers in the second group of spacers are positioned to be staggered with respect to the spacers in the first group of spacers.

8. The resistive type touch panel of claim 7, wherein, the first line and second line each comprise a plurality of lines formed in parallel along a first axis and wherein spacers in the first and second lines also form respective third and fourth parallel lines along a second axis that is perpendicular with the first axis.

9. A resistive type touch panel comprising:

a first substrate having a first conductive layer;

a second substrate having a second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer is spaced away from second conductive layer and is deformable to selectively contact the second conductive layer;

a plurality of spacers configured to be in contact with both the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer when an activation force is applied to the resistive type touch panel;

wherein the plurality of spacers include a plurality of inward spacers, wherein each of the inward spacers is formed in a hexahedral shape, disposed away from an edge area of the first and second conductive layers and disposed between the first and second conductive layers, wherein each of the inward spacers includes a first surface positioned proximate to and spaced away from the first conductive layer, a second surface positioned to be contiguous with the second conductive layer and a third surface extending between and perpendicular to the first and second surfaces, wherein the first surface and the second surface of each inward spacer has the same area to each other, and wherein a first length of the third surface is about similar to the distance that the first conductive layer is spaced away from the second conductive layer and a second length of the third surface is about similar to a length of both the first and second surfaces;

wherein the plurality of spacers include a plurality of edge spacers disposed near the edge area of the first and second conductive layers, wherein each of the edge spacers include a fourth surface positioned contiguous with the second conductive layer, a fifth surface is perpendicular to the fourth surface and a sixth surface that is a hemispherical surface positioned proximate to and spaced away from the first conductive layer and wherein each of the edge spacers has a vertical side surface;

wherein all of the plurality of inward spacers and all of the plurality of edge spacers are positioned proximate to and spaced away from the first conductive layer and positioned to be contiguous with the second conductive layer when the activation force is not applied to the resistive type touch panel;

wherein the inward spacers and the edge spacers have a minimum ratio of spacer diameter to center-to-center distance between spacers of about 0.06, and having a maximum ratio of spacer diameter to center-to-center distance between spacers of about 0.10 and wherein the center-to-center distance between the inward spacers is between about 0.5 mm and 0.6 mm;

wherein each of inward spacers has a substantially equal length and width that is between about 40 μ

m and 50 μ

m, and a height of between about 5 μ

m and 13 μ

m;

wherein the activation force by a hand is more than two times greater than that by a pen, wherein the activation force by the hand is between about 281 g to 2.5 k and the activation force by the pen is between about 115 g to 357 g;

wherein the hemispherical surface of edge spacer is configured to be in contact with the second first conductive layer when a touch input is applied to the edge area;

a pair of Y-electrode bars, wherein;

the second transparent conductive layer has a width smaller than a width of the first transparent conductive layer, and

the pair of Y-electrode bars are disposed adjacent to both sides of the second transparent conductive layer and each of the pair of Y-electrode bars has a width substantially equal to a difference of the widths of the first and second transparent conductive layers; and

an adhesive layer formed as a shape of closed-loop along an outer area of the edge spacers between the first and second substrates.

10. The resistive type touch panel of claim 9, wherein the first and second surfaces have an area that is substantially equal.

11. The resistive type touch panel of claim 9, wherein the first surface lies in a single plane that is substantially parallel with the first conductive layer and the second surface lies in a single plane that is substantially parallel with the second conductive layer.

12. The resistive type touch panel of claim 9, wherein the first surface lies in only one first plane and the second surface lies in only one second plane that is parallel with the first plane.

13. The resistive type touch panel of claim 9, wherein the first and second surfaces include a plurality of edges that meet at ninety degree angles.

14. The resistive type touch panel of claim 9, wherein the third surface is a plurality of surfaces each lying in a respective single plane.

15. The resistive type touch panel of claim 9, wherein the area of the first and second surfaces is between about 3.8 and 8 times greater than the area of the third surface.

16. The resistive type touch panel of claim 9, wherein the inward spacers are configured to resist deformation of the first substrate in response to a distributed activation force and configured to allow deformation of the first substrate in response to a concentrated activation force of the same magnitude.