Touch panel

• US 9,287,068 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Yau-Chen, Xie, Yanjun, Guan, Bixin, Huang, Limei
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US13/956,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20140048398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/86 characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0274 Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0296 Conductive pattern lay-out details not covered by sub groups H05K1/02 - H05K1/0295 H05K1/11 takes precedence; lay-out adapted to mounted component configuration H05K1/18

Abstract

A touch panel includes a protective cover with a lower surface herein, and an active region and a periphery region defined on the lower surface. A first sensing structure is disposed on the lower surface and covers the active region. A shelter layer is disposed on the lower surface and in the periphery region, wherein the shelter layer includes a highlight region and a highlight contrast region, a first pattern is disposed in the highlight region, and a non-transparent layer with a second pattern is disposed in the highlight region, wherein the first pattern is overlapped by the second pattern.

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising:

a protective cover having a lower surface, wherein the lower surface comprises an active region and a peripheral region surrounding the active region;

a first sensing structure disposed within the active region;

a shelter layer disposed within the peripheral region, wherein the shelter layer comprises at least one highlight region and a highlight contrast region; and

a non-transparent layer disposed within the highlight region and having a non-hollow portion,

wherein the shelter layer comprises a first pattern and a portion not corresponding to the first pattern within each of the highlight regions, and

wherein the first pattern is a hollow portion of the shelter layer, and the portion not corresponding to the first pattern is a non-hollow portion of the shelter layer and is overlaid by the non-hollow portion of the non-transparent layer;

wherein a second sensing structure disposed between the protective cover and the shelter layer, wherein the second sensing structure is disposed on the shelter layer within the highlight region; and

wherein a substrate disposed under the non-transparent layer, wherein the first sensing structure is formed on the substrate.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising a second sensing structure disposed between the shelter layer and the non-transparent layer, wherein the second sensing structure is disposed corresponding to the highlight region.

3. The touch panel according to claim 2, further comprising a substrate disposed under the non-transparent layer, wherein the first sensing structure is formed on the substrate, and the second sensing structure is formed on the non-transparent layer.

4. The touch panel according to claim 2, further comprising a substrate disposed between the second sensing structure and the non-transparent layer, wherein the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure are formed on the substrate.

5. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising a second sensing structure disposed under the non-transparent layer corresponding to the highlight region of the shelter layer.

6. The touch panel according to claim 5, further comprising a substrate disposed under the second sensing structure, wherein the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure are formed on the substrate.

7. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the first sensing structure and the protective cover.

8. The touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising a second sensing structure, wherein the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure are located on the same level and are in electrical in contact with each other.

9. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing structure comprises:

a first axis electrode;

a second axis electrode, wherein the second axis electrode comprises a plurality of conductive units with at least a connection line electrically connecting two adjacent conductive units; and

a plurality of conductive lines electrically connected to the first axis electrode and the second axis electrode respectively.

10. The touch panel according to claim 9, wherein the connection line and the non-transparent layer comprise a same material.

11. The touch panel according to claim 9, wherein the connection line, the non-transparent layer and the conductive lines comprise a same material.

12. The touch panel according to claim 9, wherein the conductive lines are disposed within the region where the shelter layer is disposed.

13. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the non-transparent layer further comprises a third pattern, the second sensing structure comprises a conductive layer having a fourth pattern, wherein the third pattern is overlapped by the fourth pattern.

14. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing structure is directly disposed on the lower surface of the protective cover.

15. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the shelter layer is disposed on the lower surface of the protective layer.

16. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the non-transparent layer is disposed on the shelter layer.

17. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the non-transparent layer comprises a second pattern within the highlight region, wherein the second pattern is a hollow portion of the non-transparent layer and is overlapped by the corresponding first pattern.

18. The touch panel according to claim 17, wherein the second pattern has the same size as that of the first pattern.

19. The touch panel according to claim 17, wherein the second pattern has the same shape as that of the corresponding first pattern, and the non-hollow portion of the non-transparent layer has the same shape as that of the non-hollow portion of the shelter layer within the corresponding highlight region.