Lead wire connection method for touch panel

• US 8,614,689 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2006
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Kazuhiro, Kai, Yoshihiro, Nakamura, Kazuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tryder, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US11/791,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,899 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 345/104, 178 1803- 1809, 178/18.11, 463 37- 38, 200/5.A, 200/511, 200/512
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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 2207/01 from bottom to top layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2207/014 Plated through holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/04 using electrically conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10303 Pin-in-hole mounted pins
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10424 Frame holders
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10871 Leads having an integral insert stop
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 by conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/368 parallel to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence

Abstract

In a method for connecting lead wires to a touch panel, the method includes the steps of: providing through holes 9a to 9d the number of which corresponds to the number of electrode ends by perforation in a lower electrode plate 3; using a metal-pin 11 having a pin-shaft 11b and a disk shaped pin-head 11a with a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the pin-shaft; inserting the pin-shaft 11b into a metal-pin fixing hole formed corresponding to the through hole 9a at a circuit 10c in a connector tail of a lead wire 10, whereby the pin-shaft 11b is erectly provided on the connector tail of the lead wire 10; and inserting the pin-shafts 11b to 14b into the through holes 9a to 9d, and in addition, electrically connecting the pin-shaft inserted into a lower electrode plate 3 through a conductive adhesive 15 to electrode ends 6c, 7c, 6d, 7d.

Claims

1. A method for connecting lead wires to a touch panel which has an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate each having a resistive film on an opposing inner surface thereof, and is provided with a connecting part for connecting the lead wires with electrode ends provided extendedly from electrodes of the resistive films and collectively disposed at edges of the electrode plates, the method comprising the steps of:

providing through holes by perforation in the lower electrode plate, the number of through holes corresponding to the number of electrode ends;

using metal-pins, each of the metal-pins having a pin-shaft and a disk shaped pin-head with a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the pin-shaft, and a length of the pin-shaft being less than a thickness of the lower electrode plate, inserting each pin-shaft into a corresponding one of metal-pin fixing holes formed at a conductor wire part in a connector tail of the lead wires, whereby each pin-shaft is erectly provided on the connector tail of the lead wires;

setting the pin-shaft of each metal-pin so as to be aligned with a corresponding one of the through holes, and inserting each pin-shaft into the corresponding through hole while applying an ultrasonic vibration and a pressure thereto so as to allow a wall surface of each through hole to be melted, and such that each pin-shaft thus inserted into the corresponding through hole is fixed to the lower electrode plate by allowing the wall surface of each through hole to solidify; and

electrically connecting each pin-shaft inserted into the lower electrode plate to a corresponding one of the electrode ends through a conductive adhesive injected into a gap between each pin-shaft and the corresponding electrode end,

wherein the connector tail is a connector tail of a flexible printed circuit board,

wherein concave grooves are formed in the pin-shaft of each metal-pin, and wherein during said inserting of each pin-shaft into the corresponding through hole while applying the ultrasonic vibration and the pressure thereto, a melted portion of the wall surface of each through hole is guided into the concave grooves of the corresponding pin-shaft,

wherein the method further comprises, before said inserting of each pin-shaft into a corresponding metal-pin fixing hole, removing a part of a protective sheet of the flexible printed circuit board so as to allow the conductor wire part at the connector tail to be exposed, and then forming the metal-pin fixing holes by perforation in the conductor wire part,

and wherein said inserting of each pin-shaft into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole comprises inserting the pin-shaft of each metal-pin into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole such that the disk shaped pin-head of each metal-pin is abutted against the conductor wire part around the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole.

2. A method for connecting lead wires to a touch panel which has an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate each having a resistive film on an opposing inner surface thereof, and is provided with a connecting part for connecting the lead wires with electrode ends provided extendedly from electrodes of the resistive films and collectively disposed at edges of the electrode plates, the method comprising the steps of:

providing through holes by perforation in the lower electrode plate, the number of through holes corresponding to the number of electrode ends;

using metal-pins, each of the metal-pins having a pin-shaft and a disk shaped pin-head with a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the pin-shaft, and a length of the pin-shaft being less than a thickness of the lower electrode plate, inserting each pin-shaft into a corresponding one of metal-pin fixing holes formed at a conductor wire part in a connector tail of the lead wires, whereby each pin-shaft is erectly provided on the connector tail of the lead wires;

setting the pin-shaft of each metal-pin so as to be aligned with a corresponding one of the through holes, and inserting each pin-shaft into the corresponding through hole while applying an ultrasonic vibration and a pressure thereto so as to allow a wall surface of each through hole to be melted, and such that each pin-shaft thus inserted into the corresponding through hole is fixed to the lower electrode plate by allowing the wall surface of each through hole to solidify; and

electrically connecting each pin-shaft inserted into the lower electrode plate to a corresponding one of the electrode ends through a conductive adhesive injected into a gap between each pin-shaft and the corresponding electrode end,

wherein the connector tail is a connector tail of a flexible printed circuit board,

wherein concave grooves are formed in the pin-shaft of each metal-pin, and wherein during said inserting of each pin-shaft into the corresponding through hole while applying the ultrasonic vibration and the pressure thereto, a melted portion of the wall surface of each through hole is guided into the concave grooves of the corresponding pin-shaft,

wherein said inserting of each pin-shaft into a corresponding metal-pin fixing hole comprises inserting the pin-shaft of each metal-pin into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole such that the disk shaped pin-head of each metal-pin is abutted against the conductor wire part around the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole,

and wherein the method further comprises;

before said inserting of the pin-shaft of each metal-pin into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole, forming the metal-pin fixing holes by perforation in the conductor wire part at the connector tail; and

after said inserting of the pin-shaft of each metal-pin into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole, adhering a protective sheet onto the conductor wire part and the disk shaped pin-head of each metal-pin.

3. A method for connecting lead wires to a touch panel which has an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate each having a resistive film on an opposing inner surface thereof, and is provided with a connecting part for connecting the lead wires with electrode ends provided extendedly from electrodes of the resistive films and collectively disposed at edges of the electrode plates, the method comprising the steps of:

providing through holes by perforation in the lower electrode plate, the number of through holes corresponding to the number of electrode ends;

using metal-pins, each of the metal-pins having a pin-shaft and a disk shaped pin-head with a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the pin-shaft, and a length of the pin-shaft being less than a thickness of the lower electrode plate, inserting each pin-shaft into a corresponding one of metal-pin fixing holes formed at a conductor wire part in a connector tail of the lead wires, whereby each pin-shaft is erectly provided on the connector tail of the lead wires;

setting the pin-shaft of each metal-pin so as to be aligned with a corresponding one of the through holes, and inserting each pin-shaft into the corresponding through hole while applying an ultrasonic vibration and a pressure thereto so as to allow a wall surface of each through hole to be melted, and such that each pin-shaft thus inserted into the corresponding through hole is fixed to the lower electrode plate by allowing the wall surface of each through hole to solidify; and

electrically connecting each pin-shaft inserted into the lower electrode plate to a corresponding one of the electrode ends through a conductive adhesive injected into a gap between each pin-shaft and the corresponding electrode end,

wherein the connector tail is a connector tail of a flexible printed circuit board,

wherein the method further comprises, before said inserting of each pin-shaft into a corresponding metal-pin fixing hole, removing a part of a protective sheet of the flexible printed circuit board so as to allow the conductor wire part at the connector tail to be exposed, and then forming the metal-pin fixing holes by perforation in the conductor wire part,

and wherein said inserting of each pin-shaft into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole comprises inserting the pin-shaft of each metal-pin into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole such that the disk shaped pin-head of each metal-pin is abutted against the conductor wire part around the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole.

4. A method for connecting lead wires to a touch panel which has an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate each having a resistive film on an opposing inner surface thereof, and is provided with a connecting part for connecting the lead wires with electrode ends provided extendedly from electrodes of the resistive films and collectively disposed at edges of the electrode plates, the method comprising the steps of:

providing through holes by perforation in the lower electrode plate, the number of through holes corresponding to the number of electrode ends;

using metal-pins, each of the metal-pins having a pin-shaft and a disk shaped pin-head with a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the pin-shaft, and a length of the pin-shaft being less than a thickness of the lower electrode plate, inserting each pin-shaft into a corresponding one of metal-pin fixing holes formed at a conductor wire part in a connector tail of the lead wires, whereby each pin-shaft is erectly provided on the connector tail of the lead wires;

setting the pin-shaft of each metal-pin so as to be aligned with a corresponding one of the through holes, and inserting each pin-shaft into the corresponding through hole while applying an ultrasonic vibration and a pressure thereto so as to allow a wall surface of each through hole to be melted, and such that each pin-shaft thus inserted into the corresponding through hole is fixed to the lower electrode plate by allowing the wall surface of each through hole to solidify; and

electrically connecting each pin-shaft inserted into the lower electrode plate to a corresponding one of the electrode ends through a conductive adhesive injected into a gap between each pin-shaft and the corresponding electrode end,

wherein the connector tail is a connector tail of a flexible printed circuit board, and wherein said inserting of each pin-shaft into a corresponding metal-pin fixing hole comprises inserting the pin-shaft of each metal-pin into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole such that the disk shaped pin-head of each metal-pin is abutted against the conductor wire part around the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole,

and wherein the method further comprises;

before said inserting of the pin-shaft of each metal-pin into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole, forming the metal-pin fixing holes by perforation in the conductor wire part at the connector tail; and

after said inserting of the pin-shaft of each metal-pin into the corresponding metal-pin fixing hole, adhering a protective sheet onto the conductor wire part and the disk shaped pin-head of each metal-pin.