Display panel device with touch input function, optical unit for said display panel device, and production method for same

• US 9,223,165 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Nashiki, Tomotake, Sugawara, Hideo, Chiba, Tsuyoshi, Kishioka, Hiroaki, Banba, Tomohide, Ooura, Masahiro, Kajihara, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): BRIGGS, NATHANAEL R
• Application Number:
  US13/881,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12, 349/158, 349/187, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly

Abstract

Provided is an optical unit for a display panel device with a capacitive touch input function. In the optical unit, a touch panel laminate comprises: an optically transparent first substrate layer laminated to one surface of a transparent adhesive layer; a first transparent electrically conductive layer laminated, through a first undercoat layer, to a surface of the first substrate layer on a side opposite to the adhesive layer; an optically transparent second substrate layer laminated to the other surface of the adhesive layer; and a second transparent electrically conductive layer laminated, through a second undercoat layer, to a surface of the second substrate layer on a side opposite side to the adhesive layer.

Claims

1. A roll of an optical unit for producing a display panel device having a capacitive touch input function, said optical unit comprising a combination of a touch panel laminate and a polarization functional laminate, said optical unit being formed in an elongated shape and wound into a roll form;

wherein;

the touch panel laminate comprises

an optically transparent first substrate layer laminated to one surface of an optically transparent adhesive layer,

a first transparent electrically conductive layer laminated, through a first undercoat layer, to a surface of the first substrate layer on a side opposite to the adhesive layer,

an optically transparent second substrate layer laminated to the other surface of the adhesive layer, and

a second transparent electrically conductive layer laminated, through a second undercoat layer, to a surface of the second substrate layer on a side opposite side to the adhesive layer,

wherein each of the first and second transparent electrically conductive layers is patterned in a predetermined pattern; and

the polarization functional laminate comprises a layer comprised of at least a circular polarization element, the polarization functional laminate being laminated, through an optically transparent adhesive layer, to one surface of the touch panel laminate on a side having one of the first and second transparent electrically conductive layers,

wherein the optical unit further comprises a release liner peelably bonded, through an optically transparent adhesive layer, to the other surface of the touch panel laminate on a side having a remaining one of the first and second transparent electrically conductive layers, the adhesive layer bonding the release liner to the touch panel laminate therethrough being adhered to the release liner with a weak peel force enough to be at least partly left on the side of the touch panel laminate in the form of a layer when the release liner is peeled; and

wherein said touch panel laminate and said polarization functional laminate are bonded together to form an optical unit of an elongated continuous form which is wound into a roll.

4. The roll of optical unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the polarization functional laminate is comprised of at least a linear polarization element layer and a ¼

λ

phase difference layer.

7. A method for producing a display panel comprising steps of;

preparing a roll of an optical unit as defined in claim 1;

feeding display panel units sequentially to a laminating station;

feeding the optical unit from said roll;

cutting said optical unit at a portion excluding said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate with an interval corresponding to a length in a feeding direction of said display panel unit to form a plurality of sheets of said optical unit, said sheets of optical unit being carried continuously on said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate;

peeling at the laminating station the sheet of the optical unit from said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate, and feeding the peeled sheet of the optical unit such that the sheet of the optical unit is faced to the display panel unit at a side of the sheets opposite to the polarization functional laminate; and

bonding the sheet of the optical unit to the display panel unit through the adhesive which is remaining on said sheet after the release liner has been peeled off.

10. A method for producing a display panel comprising steps of;

preparing a roll of an optical unit as defined in claim 1;

feeding display panel units sequentially to a laminating station;

feeding the optical unit from said roll;

cutting said optical unit at a portion excluding said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate with an interval corresponding to a length in a feeding direction of said display panel unit to form a plurality of sheets of said optical unit, said sheets of optical unit being carried continuously on said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate;

peeling at the laminating station the sheet of the optical unit from said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate, and feeding the peeled sheet of the optical unit such that the sheet of the optical unit is faced to the display panel unit at a side of the polarization functional laminate; and

bonding the sheet of the optical unit to the display panel unit through the adhesive which is remaining on said sheet after the release liner has been peeled off.

2. A roll of an optical unit for producing a display panel device having a capacitive touch input function, said optical unit comprising a combination of a touch panel laminate and a polarization functional laminate, said optical unit being formed in an elongate shape and wound in a roll form;

wherein;

the touch panel laminate comprises

an optically transparent first substrate layer laminated to one surface of an optically transparent adhesive layer,

a first transparent electrically conductive layer laminated, through a first undercoat layer, to a surface of the first substrate layer on a side opposite to the adhesive layer,

an optically transparent second substrate layer laminated to the other surface of the adhesive layer, and

a second transparent electrically conductive layer laminated, through a second undercoat layer, to a surface of the second substrate layer on a side opposite side to the adhesive layer,

wherein each of the first and second transparent electrically conductive layers is patterned in a predetermined pattern; and

the polarization functional laminate comprises a layer comprised of at least a circular polarization element, the polarization functional laminate being laminated, through an optically transparent adhesive layer, to one surface of the touch panel laminate on a side having one of the first and second transparent electrically conductive layers,

wherein said touch panel laminate has a hard coat film bonded thereto through an optically transparent adhesive layer at a surface having the other of said first and second transparent conductive layer,

wherein the polarization functional laminate further has a release liner peelably bonded, through an optically transparent adhesive layer, the adhesive layer bonding the release liner to the polarization functional laminate being adhered to the release liner with a weak peel force enough to be at least partly left on the side of the polarization functional laminate; and

wherein said touch panel laminate and said polarization functional laminate are bonded together to form an optical unit of an elongated continuous form which is wound into a roll.

5. The roll of optical unit as defined in claim 2, wherein the polarization functional laminate is comprised of at least a linear polarization element layer and a ¼

λ

phase difference layer.

8. A method for producing a display panel comprising steps of;

preparing a roll of an optical unit as defined in claim 2;

feeding display panel units sequentially to a laminating station;

feeding the optical unit from said roll;

cutting said optical unit at a portion excluding said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate with an interval corresponding to a length in a feeding direction of said display panel unit to form a plurality of sheets of said optical unit, said sheets of optical unit being carried continuously on said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate;

peeling at the laminating station the sheet of the optical unit from said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate, and feeding the peeled sheet of the optical unit such that the sheet of the optical unit is faced to the display panel unit at a side of the sheets opposite to the polarization functional laminate; and

bonding the sheet of the optical unit to the display panel unit through the adhesive which is remaining on said sheet after the release liner has been peeled off.

11. A method for producing a display panel comprising steps of;

preparing a roll of an optical unit as defined in claim 2;

feeding display panel units sequentially to a laminating station;

feeding the optical unit from said roll;

cutting said optical unit at a portion excluding said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate with an interval corresponding to a length in a feeding direction of said display panel unit to form a plurality of sheets of said optical unit, said sheets of optical unit being carried continuously on said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate;

peeling at the laminating station the sheet of the optical unit from said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate, and feeding the peeled sheet of the optical unit such that the sheet of the optical unit is faced to the display panel unit at a side of the polarization functional laminate; and

bonding the sheet of the optical unit to the display panel unit through the adhesive which is remaining on said sheet after the release liner has been peeled off.

3. A roll of an optical unit for producing a display panel device having a capacitive touch input function, said optical unit comprising a combination of a touch panel laminate and a polarization functional laminate, said optical unit being formed in an elongate shape and wound in a roll form;

wherein;

the touch panel laminate comprises

an optically transparent first substrate layer laminated to one surface of an optically transparent adhesive layer,

a first transparent electrically conductive layer laminated, through a first undercoat layer, to a surface of the first substrate layer on a side opposite to the adhesive layer,

an optically transparent second substrate layer laminated to the other surface of the adhesive layer, and

a second transparent electrically conductive layer laminated, through a second undercoat layer, to a surface of the second substrate layer on a side opposite side to the adhesive layer,

wherein each of the first and second transparent electrically conductive layers is patterned in a predetermined pattern; and

the polarization functional laminate comprises a layer comprised of at least a circular polarization element, the polarization functional laminate being laminated, through an optically transparent adhesive layer, to one surface of the touch panel laminate on a side having one of the first and second transparent electrically conductive layers,

wherein the polarization functional laminate further comprises a first release liner peelably bonded, through an optically transparent adhesive layer, to a surface having the other of said first and second transparent conductive layers, the adhesive layers bonding the first and second release liners to the polarization functional laminate and the touch panel laminate being adhered to the release liners with a weak peel force enough to be at least partly left on the side of the polarization functional laminate and the touch panel laminate; and

wherein said touch panel laminate and said polarization functional laminate are bonded together to form an optical unit of an elongated continuous form which is wound into a roll.

6. The roll of optical unit as defined in claim 3, wherein the polarization functional laminate is comprised of at least a linear polarization element layer and a ¼

λ

phase difference layer.

9. A method for producing a display panel comprising steps of;

preparing a roll of an optical unit as defined in claim 3;

feeding display panel units sequentially to a laminating station;

feeding the optical unit from said roll;

cutting said optical unit at a portion excluding said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate with an interval corresponding to a length in a feeding direction of said display panel unit to form a plurality of sheets of said optical unit, said sheets of optical unit being carried continuously on said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate;

peeling at the laminating station the sheet of the optical unit from said release liner bonded to said touch panel laminate, and feeding the peeled sheet of the optical unit such that the sheet of the optical unit is faced to the display panel unit at a side of the sheets opposite to the polarization functional laminate; and

bonding the sheet of the optical unit to the display panel unit through the adhesive which is remaining on said sheet after the release liner has been peeled off.

12. A method for producing a display panel comprising steps of:

preparing a roll of an optical unit as defined in claim 3;

feeding display panel units sequentially to a laminating station;

feeding the optical unit from said roll;

cutting said optical unit at a portion excluding said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate with an interval corresponding to a length in a feeding direction of said display panel unit to form a plurality of sheets of said optical unit, said sheets of optical unit being carried continuously on said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate;

peeling at the laminating station the sheet of the optical unit from said release liner bonded to said polarization functional laminate, and feeding the peeled sheet of the optical unit such that the sheet of the optical unit is faced to the display panel unit at a side of the polarization functional laminate; and

bonding the sheet of the optical unit to the display panel unit through the adhesive which is remaining on said sheet after the release liner has been peeled off.