Touch panel and electronic device including the same
First Claim
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1. A touch panel comprising:
- a first substrate;
a second substrate which is spaced from the first substrate by a distance, the second substrate comprising a contact surface thereon; and
a fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate,wherein an input button area of the contact surface is delimited due to movement of the fluid when a driving voltage is applied, andif a thickness of the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is reduced below a threshold thickness value in the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off.
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Abstract
A touch panel which is used as an input device for an electronic device, etc., and an electronic device including the touch panel are provided. A touch panel includes a first substrate, and a second substrate spaced from the first substrate by a distance and having a contact surface. A fluid is filled in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, and an input button area is delimited due to movement of the fluid when a driving voltage is applied. If a thickness of the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is reduced below a threshold thickness value in the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A touch panel comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate which is spaced from the first substrate by a distance, the second substrate comprising a contact surface thereon; and a fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein an input button area of the contact surface is delimited due to movement of the fluid when a driving voltage is applied, and if a thickness of the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is reduced below a threshold thickness value in the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A touch panel comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate which is spaced from the first substrate, the second substrate comprising a deformable contact surface thereon; a plurality of driving electrodes comprising at least one first electrode formed on the first substrate, and at least one second electrode formed on the second substrate; and an elastic layer including fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein an input button area is formed on a part of the contact surface of the second substrate by a driving voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, and wherein if a thickness of the gap is reduced below a threshold thickness value by a pressure applied to the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A touch panel comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate which is deformable and spaced a distance from the first substrate, the second substrate comprising a contact surface thereon; and a fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the contact surface includes a first area in which a thickness of the gap is reduced by a force locally applied to the fluid when a driving voltage is applied to the first area, and a second area to which a part of the fluid flows and in which a thickness of the gap increases, and an input button area is delimited on the contact surface using the first area and the second area, wherein when a pressure exceeding a threshold value is sensed on the input button area while the driving voltage continues to be applied, the driving voltage is cut off. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A touch panel comprising:
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a hard first substrate; a second substrate which is deformable and spaced a distance from the first substrate, the second substrate comprising a user contact surface thereon; and a fluid disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein when electrostatic force is applied locally between the first substrate and the second substrate, the second substrate is protruded in a peripheral area of an area to which the electrostatic force is applied and the protruded area of the second substrate is delimited as an input button area, and if a pressure exceeding a threshold value is sensed on the input button area, the electrostatic force is removed. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. An electronic device comprising:
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a rigid, transparent lower substrate; a deformable, transparent upper substrate which is spaced apart from the lower substrate; a plurality of driving electrodes comprising at least one first electrode formed on the lower substrate and at least one second electrode formed on the upper substrate; and an elastic layer comprising a plurality of elastic spacers dispersed in a gap between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and fluid filled in the gap, wherein when a driving voltage is applied to an entire area or a partial area of the plurality of driving electrodes, the upper substrate locally presses the fluid by electrostatic force which arises across driving electrodes to which the driving voltage is applied, so that the upper substrate is protruded upward in an area where the electrostatic force is not exerted, wherein the protruded area of the upper substrate delimits an input button area, and wherein when a pressure exceeding a threshold value is sensed on the input button area, the driving voltage is cut off.
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22. An electronic device comprising:
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a pair of substrates comprising a first substrate, and a second substrate spaced from the first substrate and comprising a deformable user contact surface; a plurality of driving electrodes comprising a plurality of first electrodes formed on the first substrate and a plurality of second electrodes formed on the second substrate, wherein a driving voltage is applied to an entire area or a partial area of the plurality of driving electrodes; and an elastic layer comprising fluid filled in a gap between the pair of substrates, wherein an input button area is delimited by an electrostatic force that arises in an entire area or a partial area of the plurality of driving electrodes to locally increase or decrease the gap in the entire area or the partial area, and wherein if a thickness of the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is reduced below a threshold thickness due to a force applied on the input button area by the user, the driving voltage is cut off.
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23. The electronic device of 22, wherein the pair of substrates, the plurality of driving electrodes and the fluid are each made of a transparent material.
Specification