Touch panel with photovolatic conversion function

• US 9,268,422 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2012
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chih-Chung Lin
• Original Assignee: Chih-Chung Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Chih-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Xiaoliang
• Application Number:
  US13/726,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20140125603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,157 Days
• Field of Search: 345/88, 345/98, 345/168, 345173-176, 174/255, 715/810, 178/18.09, 178/20.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02008 for solar cells or solar cell modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02168 the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties for the solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0445 including thin film solar cells, e.g. single thin film a-Si, CIS or CdTe solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function includes a touch zone and a non-touch zone located immediately around the touch zone. The touch zone includes, from top to bottom, a first transparent substrate, a photovoltaic conversion layer, a touch electrode layer and a second transparent substrate. The photovoltaic conversion layer has an upper side attached to a lower side of the first transparent substrate, and the touch electrode layer is formed on an upper side of the second transparent substrate and attached to a lower side of the photovoltaic conversion layer. The touch panel having the above arrangements enables the photovoltaic conversion layer to have effectively increased light-absorption areas to convert more light into more electric current.

Claims

1. A touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function, comprising a touch zone and a non-touch zone located immediately around the touch zone;

the touch zone including a first transparent substrate, a photovoltaic conversion layer, a touch electrode layer and a second transparent substrate;

the photovoltaic conversion layer having an upper side attached to a lower side of the first transparent substrate; and

the touch electrode layer being formed on an upper side of the second transparent substrate to attach to a lower side of the photovoltaic conversion layer;

wherein the photovoltaic conversion layer includes a first transparent electrode layer, a light-absorption layer and a second transparent electrode layer;

the first transparent electrode layer being attached to the lower side of the first transparent substrate, the second transparent electrode layer being attached to the upper side of the second transparent substrate and the touch electrode layer formed thereon, and the light-absorption layer being located between the first and the second transparent electrode layers.

2. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first anti-reflective layer provided between the first transparent substrate and the photovoltaic conversion layer;

and the first anti-reflective layer having an upper side attached to the lower side of the first transparent substrate and a lower side attached to the first transparent electrode layer of the photovoltaic conversion layer.

3. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a second anti-reflective layer formed on an upper side of the first transparent substrate.

4. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first optical adhesive layer provided between the second transparent substrate and the photovoltaic conversion layer for binding the second transparent electrode layer of the photovoltaic conversion layer to the second transparent substrate and the touch electrode layer formed thereon.

5. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a first optical adhesive layer provided between the second transparent substrate and the photovoltaic conversion layer for binding the second transparent electrode layer of the photovoltaic conversion layer to the second transparent substrate and the touch electrode layer formed thereon.

6. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 4, wherein the touch electrode layer includes a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode;

and the first and the second sensing electrode being formed on the upper side of the second transparent substrate to cross one another and having an insulating layer provided therebetween.

7. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 4, wherein the touch electrode layer includes a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode;

the first sensing electrode being formed on the upper side of the second transparent substrate, and the second sensing electrode being formed on a lower side of the second transparent substrate.

8. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 4, wherein the non-touch zone includes a flexible circuit board, a conductive adhesive layer, an electrode trace layer, a second optical adhesive layer, and a shielding layer;

the shielding layer being attached to the lower side of the first transparent substrate;

the second optical adhesive layer being provided between the shielding layer, the flexible circuit board and the electrode trace layer, and being located adjacent to and connected with the first optical adhesive layer;

the conductive adhesive layer being provided on an upper side of the electrode trace layer to bond to the flexible circuit board; and

the electrode trace layer having a lower side attached to the upper side of the second transparent substrate.

9. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a bonding layer provided between the first anti-reflective layer and the first transparent substrate for bonding the first transparent substrate and the first anti-reflective layer to each other.

10. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a protective layer provided between the photovoltaic conversion layer and the second transparent substrate;

and the protective layer having an upper side attached to the second transparent electrode layer of the photovoltaic conversion layer and a lower side attached to the upper side of the second transparent substrate and the touch electrode layer formed thereon.

11. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic conversion layer is a thin-film solar cell.

12. The touch panel with photovoltaic conversion function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second transparent substrate are respectively made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), cyclo olefin copolymer (COC) and glass.