Holding structure for a touch panel

• US 8,576,186 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMK Corporation
• Original Assignee: SMK Corporation
• Inventors: Imai, Kazuo, Iwawaki, Shinya, Mizuki, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trandai, Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/899,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A holding structure for a touch panel has a display panel for configuring a display screen and a touch panel for allowing input operation. The structure has an elastic supporting frame for holding the display panel at an entire peripheral edge and supporting the touch panel in parallel with the display panel. The structure has piezoelectric devices for applying vibration to the touch panel in accordance with the operation of the touch panel. The structure has a casing for holding the display panel and the touch panel by way of the elastic supporting frame and the casing has an opening through which the touch panel is exposed. The elastic supporting frame holds the touch panel at an entire peripheral edge of the touch panel and includes a plurality of touch panel supporting portions for supporting the touch panel at a side edge of a rear surface of the touch panel.

Claims

1. A holding structure for a touch panel, comprising:

a display panel for forming a display screen;

a touch panel disposed outside the display panel, for allowing an input operation;

an elastic supporting frame for holding the display panel at an entire peripheral edge thereof and supporting the touch panel in parallel with the display panel;

a piezoelectric device disposed at a side edge of the touch panel, for applying vibration to the touch panel in accordance with the operation of the touch panel; and

a casing for holding the display panel and the touch panel via the elastic supporting frame, the casing having an opening through which the touch panel is exposed, wherein

the elastic supporting frame holds the touch panel at an entire peripheral edge of the touch panel and includes a plurality of touch panel supporting portions for supporting the touch panel at a side edge portion of a rear surface of the touch panel, and

the touch panel supporting portions of the elastic supporting frame support portions where nodes of the vibration of the touch panel by the piezoelectric device exist.

2. The holding structure for a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel supporting portions of the elastic supporting frame supports four corners of the touch panel.

3. The holding structure for a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the elastic supporting frame includes a panel receiving portion inwardly and entirely extending from an inner peripheral surface of a side wall portion of the frame, the panel receiving portion being perpendicular to the inner peripheral surface and having a constant width, and the display panel and the touch panel are disposed on respective surfaces of the panel receiving portion.

4. The holding structure for a touch panel according to claim 3, wherein the touch panel supporting portions, the side wall portion, and the panel receiving portion of the elastic supporting frame are integrally formed.

5. The holding structure for a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is covered with a protective sheet on a front surface side of the touch panel, the protective sheet being applied to a peripheral edge of the opening of the casing.