Touch window and touch device including the same

• US 9,791,981 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Mun Suk
• Primary Examiner(s): Karimi, Pegeman
• Application Number:
  US14/479,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20150070309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-174, 178 1801- 1806
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Abstract

A touch window may include a substrate, a sensing electrode disposed on the substrate to sense a position, and a protective layer on the sensing electrode. A touch device may include the touch window, and a driving part on the touch window. The substrate may include a first active area and a second active area. The second active area may be flexibly provided from the first active area. The sensing electrode may be provided on the substrate to sense a position. Moreover, the protective layer may be disposed in the second active area.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch sensor comprising:

a substrate including a first active area and a second active area extended from the first active area;

a sensing electrode provided on the substrate to sense a position; and

a protective layer on the sensing electrode,

wherein the first active area and the second active area each detect a position of an input device,

wherein the first active area is flat,

wherein the second active area is bent from the first active area,

wherein the sensing electrode includes a plurality of sensing electrodes;

wherein the protective layer includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer;

wherein the first protective layer is provided on a top surface of the sensing electrode,

wherein the second protective layer is between a top surface of the substrate and a bottom surface of the sensing electrode,

wherein a thickness of the first protective layer is larger than a thickness of the sensing electrode, and

wherein at least one of the first protective layer and the second protective layer is index-matched with the sensing electrode by adjusting a refractive index.

2. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the first protective layer is provided between the plurality of sensing electrodes, and

wherein the first protective layer is in direct contact with the plurality of sensing electrodes.

3. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 2, wherein the first protective layer is in direct contact with the second protective layer between the plurality of sensing electrodes.

4. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensing electrode includes

a first sensing electrode on the first active area;

and

a second sensing electrode on the second active area,

wherein the first sensing electrode includes indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, copper oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide or titanium oxide, and

wherein the second sensing electrode includes a nanowire, a carbon nanotube (CNT), grapheme or conductive polymer.

5. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the protective layer includes polymer.

6. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the protective layer includes one selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, polycarbonate, polyethylene and polystyrene.

7. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second protective layers have a thickness in a range of 1 μ

m to 20 μ

m.

8. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the substrate is flexible.

9. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing electrodes includes

one sensing electrode that extends in a first direction and

another sensing electrode that extends in a second direction crossing the first direction.

10. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second protective layers are in direct physical contact with at least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes.

11. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the first protective layer includes a plurality of protective parts,

wherein the plurality of protective parts are spaced apart from each other.

12. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 11, wherein the first protective layer is divided into the plurality of protective parts such that a first protective part is laterally spaced apart from a second protective part and provided near opposite sides of the first active area.

13. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 11, wherein the plurality of protective parts include a first protective part and a second protective part,

wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes is disposed between the first protective part and the second protective part.

14. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 13, wherein the first protective part and the second protective part are disposed between the first active area and the second active area.

15. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 11, wherein two adjacent sensing electrodes have respective side surfaces that face each other, and at least one of the plurality of protective parts covers the side surfaces of the two adjacent sensing electrodes.

16. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the first protective layer covers at least one of a top surface or a side surface of at least one of the plurality of sensing electrodes.

17. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, further comprising a cover substrate on the substrate, wherein the cover substrate has a prescribed shape corresponding to a shape of the substrate.

18. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 17, wherein the second active area is bent from the first active area in a direction from a front side to a rear side of the substrate, and

wherein the sensing electrode protrudes perpendicular to a front surface of the substrate.

19. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the first protective layer is thicker than the second protective layer.

20. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the first protective layer is in direct contact with the second protective layer at an area between two adjacent sensing electrodes.

21. The capacitive touch sensor of claim 1, further comprising a resin layer on the substrate, wherein

the resin layer includes an intaglio portion, and

the sensing electrode is disposed in the intaglio portion.

22. A display device comprising;

a display panel;

a capacitive touch sensor disposed on the display panel; and

a cover substrate on the capacitive touch sensor,

wherein the display panel includes a lower substrate,

wherein a thin film transistor (TFT) is disposed on the lower substrate,

wherein the capacitive touch sensor includes;

a substrate including a first active area and a second active area extended from the first active area,

a sensing electrode provided on the substrate to sense a position, and

a protective layer on the sensing electrode,

wherein the first active area and the second active area each detect a position of device touch input,

wherein the first active area is flat,

wherein the second active area is bent from the first active area,

wherein the cover substrate has a prescribed shape corresponding to a shape of the first active area and the second active area,

wherein the sensing electrode includes a plurality of sensing electrodes,

wherein the protective layer includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer,

wherein the first protective layer is provided on a top surface of the sensing electrode,

wherein the second protective layer is between a top surface of the substrate and a bottom surface of the sensing electrode,

wherein a thickness of the first protective layer is larger than a thickness of the sensing electrode, and

wherein at least one of the first protective layer and the second protective layer is index-matched with the sensing electrode by adjusting a refractive index.

23. The display device of claim 22, wherein the display panel includes at least one of LCD, FED, PDP, OLED or EPD.