Touch panel

• US 8,248,377 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Jiang, Kai-Li, Fan, Shou-Shan, Chen, Ga-Lane
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowman, Mary Ellen
• Application Number:
  US12/286,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 445/24, 313/336, 257/222, 524/496
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component

Abstract

A touch panel includes a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate. The second electrode plate includes a second substrate and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer include a carbon nanotube film respectively.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate; and

a second electrode plate spaced from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate;

wherein each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer comprises at least one carbon nanotube film, the at least one carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially aligned along a same direction and parallel to a surface of the carbon nanotube film, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes are joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one carbon nanotube film comprises two carbon nanotube films, each of the two carbon nanotube films comprises the plurality of carbon nanotubes, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the two carbon nanotube films are oriented in different directions.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the at least one carbon nanotube film is in an approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 100 microns.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrode plate further comprises two first-electrodes, and each of the two first-electrodes is electrically connected to the first conductive layer, a direction from one of the two first-electrodes across the first conductive layer to the other of the two first-electrodes is defined as a first direction.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes of the at least one carbon nanotube film in the first conductive layer are oriented along the first direction.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second electrode plate further comprises two second-electrodes, a direction from one of the two second-electrodes across the second conductive layer to the other of the two second-electrodes being defined as a second direction.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes of the at least one carbon nanotube film in the second conductive layer are oriented along the second direction.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulative layer between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate to insulate the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 8, wherein a plurality of dot spacers are disposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein both the insulative layer and the dot spacers are comprised of insulative resin.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first substrate is a polyester film, and the second substrate is a glass plate.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

13. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate, a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate, and two first-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the first conductive layer, a direction from one of the two first-electrodes across the first conductive layer to the other of the two first-electrodes is defined as a first direction; and

a second electrode plate spaced from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate, a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate, and two second-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the second conductive layer, a direction from one of the two second-electrodes across the second conductive layer to the other of the two second-electrodes being defined as a second direction;

wherein the first conductive layer comprises a first carbon nanotube film, the first carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of first carbon nanotubes, the second conductive layer comprises a second carbon nanotube film, the second carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of second carbon nanotubes, the plurality of first carbon nanotubes in the first conductive layer are arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of second carbon nanotubes in the second conductive layer are arranged along the second direction.

14. The touch panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

15. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate; and

a second electrode plate spaced from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate;

wherein each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer consists of a carbon nanotube film, and the carbon nanotube film consists of a plurality of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes.

16. The touch panel as claimed in claim 15, wherein the carbon nanotube film is drawn from a carbon nanotube array.

17. The touch panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plurality of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes are substantially aligned along a same direction and parallel to a surface of the carbon nanotube film, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes are joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force.

18. The touch panel as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first electrode plate further comprises two first-electrodes, and each of the two first-electrodes is electrically connected to the first conductive layer, a direction from one of the two first-electrodes across the first conductive layer to the other of the two first-electrodes is defined as a first direction, and the plurality of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube film in the first conductive layer are oriented along the first direction.

19. The touch panel as claimed in claim 18, wherein the second electrode plate further comprises two second-electrodes, and each of the two second-electrodes is electrically connected to the second conductive layer, a direction from one of the two second-electrodes across the second conductive layer to the other of the two second-electrodes is defined as a second direction, and the plurality of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube film in the second conductive layer are oriented along the second direction.