Touch panel and method for producing same

• US 9,594,406 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gunze Limited
• Original Assignee: Gunze Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Tsutomu, Nakagoshi, Masaya, Nakajima, Kousuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US14/358,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 345/690, 349/12, 349/40, 349/38, 349/58, 349/166, 178 1801- 1806, 156/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 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: Y10T 156/1089 of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina

Abstract

A touch panel includes a first planar body having a first electrode patterned on one surface of a first substrate and a first lead-out wiring electrically connected to the first electrode, a cover sheet, a second planar body provided between the first planar body and the cover sheet except a predetermined region of a side edge of the first substrate, and a flexible wiring board interposed at a gap portion formed between the predetermined region of the side edge of the first substrate and the cover sheet, wherein the flexible wiring board includes a connector portion fixed onto the connection terminal of the first lead-out wiring held by the first planar body and electrically connected with the first lead-out wiring, and a spacer member that abuts with both the connector portion and the cover sheet is disposed between the connector portion and the cover sheet.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first planar body having a first electrode patterned on one surface of a first substrate and a first lead-out wiring electrically connected to the first electrode;

a cover sheet provided on one surface side of the first planar body;

a second planar body provided between the first planar body and the cover sheet except a predetermined region of a side edge of the first substrate, the predetermined region in which one end portion of the first lead-out wiring serving as a connection terminal is disposed; and

a flexible wiring board interposed at a gap portion formed between the predetermined region of the side edge of the first substrate and the cover sheet, and drawn outside from a side of the first planar body and the cover sheet, wherein

the flexible wiring board includes a connector portion fixed onto the connection terminal of the first lead-out wiring held by the first planar body and electrically connected with the first lead-out wiring,

a spacer member that abuts with both the connector portion and the cover sheet is disposed between the connector portion and the cover sheet, and

the spacer member is disposed by being fixed to only one of the cover sheet and the connector portion.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the spacer member is a film body disposed on the connector portion.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the spacer member is formed of an ultraviolet curing resin.

4. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein a width of the spacer member is formed larger than a width of the connector portion of the flexible wiring board in a plan view.

5. A method for manufacturing a touch panel comprising:

a planar body adhering step of adhering a first planar body, which has a first electrode patterned on one surface of a first substrate and a first lead-out wiring electrically connected to the first electrode, and a second planar body with an adhesive layer therebetween, in a state of exposing a predetermined region of a side edge of the first substrate, the predetermined region in which one end portion of the first lead-out wiring serving as a connection terminal is disposed;

a flexible wiring board connecting step of connecting a connector portion of a flexible wiring board onto the connection terminal of the first lead-out wiring held by the first planar body;

a spacer adhering step of laminating and adhering a spacer member on an upper side of the connector portion connected onto the connection terminal of the first lead-out wiring; and

a cover sheet adhering step of laminating and adhering a cover sheet on an upper side of the second planar body and the spacer member, after interposing an adhesive layer on an exposed surface of the second planar body such that the spacer member is not fixed to the cover sheet.

6. A method for manufacturing a touch panel comprising:

a planar body adhering step of adhering a first planar body, which has a first electrode patterned on one surface of a first substrate and a first lead-out wiring electrically connected to the first electrode, and a second planar body with an adhesive layer therebetween, in a state of exposing a predetermined region of a side edge of the first substrate, the predetermined region in which one end portion of the first lead-out wiring serving as a connection terminal is disposed;

a flexible wiring board connecting step of connecting a connector portion of a flexible wiring board onto the connection terminal of the first lead-out wiring held by the first planar body;

a spacer laminating step of laminating a spacer member on an upper side of the connector portion connected onto the connection terminal of the first lead-out wiring such that the spacer member is not fixed to the connector portion; and

a cover sheet adhering step of laminating and adhering a cover sheet on an upper side of the second planar body and the spacer member, after interposing an adhesive layer on an exposed surface of the second planar body such that the spacer member is fixed to the cover sheet.