Input device

• US 8,339,368 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Takefumi, Tatehata, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tryder, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US11/643,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-157, 345168-170, 345173-174, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

An input device includes an input section formed of a display sheet and a coordinate input sheet, and a switch section allowing a push-input and placed on a substrate at a place corresponding to a display section of the display sheet. A foamed layer containing air and working as an insulating resin layer is placed between the input section and the substrate. The input section is supported via the foamed layer.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an input section including a coordinate input sheet which includes a conductive pattern, the input section allowing a coordinate input by using a change in electrostatic capacity in response to a finger movement and a push-input onto a display section on which a mark is shown;

a substrate having a conductive unit disposed under the input section with a space therebetween;

a push-switch section disposed on the substrate at a place corresponding to the display section; and

an insulating resin layer containing sufficient air to reduce the affect of the conductive unit on the electrostatic capacity of the coordinate input sheet, said insulating resin layer being disposed between the substrate and the input section, wherein;

a height of the insulating resin layer is set so that an upper surface of the insulating resin layer supports a bottom face of the coordinate input sheet so that the coordinate input sheet is held at a given distance from the conductive unit by the insulating resin layer when the coordinate input is performed with the finger moving on the input section while touching the input section, and

compressible amount of the insulating resin layer is greater than a stroke of the push-switch section.

2. The input device of claim 1 wherein the input section further includes an elastic display sheet including the display section, and the input section is integrated with a coordinate input section which is placed under the elastic display sheet, has the coordinate input sheet, and produces a change in electrostatic capacity according to a finger movement.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein the coordinate input section is formed of resin film having a given conductive pattern.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the insulating resin layer is formed of a spongy member.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the insulating resin layer is formed of a foamed layer made by baking resin paste mixed with a foaming agent.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the input section are fixed to the insulating resin layer.

7. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

an EL (electro-luminescence) sheet between the substrate and the insulating resin layer.

8. The input device of claim 7, wherein the EL sheet has a shielding layer on its surface facing to the input section.

9. The input device of claim 1, wherein the insulating resin layer has radially arranged projections protruding to the push-switch section.

10. The input device of claim 1, wherein:

the push-switch section has a dome-shaped diaphragm made of a thin metal plate,

the conductive unit of the substrate includes a center electrode disposed at a position corresponding to a top of the diaphragm and an outer-rim electrode contacting a rim of the diaphragm, and

the compressible amount of the insulating resin layer is greater than a stroke of the diaphragm.