Capacitive input device

• US 20030052867A1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shigetaka, Hiroshi, Hagiya, Ryuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,202,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

An X electrode layer having X electrodes and a Y electrode layer having Y electrodes are formed on one side of a film board through an insulating film so that the X electrodes and the Y electrodes are arranged into a matrix. Ends of the X electrodes are led to the edge of the film board. The Y electrodes are led through through-holes formed in the insulating film to the edge of the film board in the same plane as the X electrode layer. The X and Y electrodes led to the edge of the film board are connected to a conductor portion formed on a control circuit board. The X and Y electrodes are bonded to the conductor portion by an insulating adhesive containing no conductive particles by heating and pressurization.

Claims

1. An input device comprising a sensor board, an X electrode layer having electrodes, a Y electrode layer having electrodes, and an insulating film disposed between the X and Y electrode layers,

wherein the X and Y electrode layers are disposed proximate to each other and on one surface of the sensor board.

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein through-holes are formed in the insulating film;

ends of the electrodes in one of the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer are led through the through-holes onto the same plane as ends of the electrodes in the other layer; and

the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers oppose and are directly connected to a conductor portion on a control circuit board.

3. An input device according to claim 2, wherein the through-holes correspond to portions of one of the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer.

4. An input device according to claim 1, wherein a dummy electrode is formed between adjacent electrodes in the X electrode layer to be parallel to the-X electrode layer, and a dummy electrode is formed between adjacent electrodes in the Y electrode layer to be parallel to the Y electrode layer.

5. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor board comprises a film board.

6. An input device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor board and the control circuit board are bonded to each other by a heated, pressurized thermosetting adhesive such that the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers on the sensor board contact the conductor portion on the control circuit board.

7. An input device according to claim 6, wherein a hole is formed in the conductor portion that passes through the control circuit board, the hole is connected to the conductor portion, and the adhesive substantially fills the hole.

8. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor board and the insulating film have extending portions that project in a direction of the plane of the sensor board and the insulating film, respectively, the extending portion of the sensor board extending further than and overlapping the extending portion of the insulating film.

9. An input device according to claim 8, wherein ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers are disposed on the extending portion of the sensor board, the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers disposed on the same plane.

10. An input device according to claim 9, wherein the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers oppose and are directly connected to a conductor portion on a control circuit board.

11. An input device according to claim 9, wherein through-holes are formed in the insulating film and the ends of the electrodes in one of the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer are led through the through-holes onto the same plane of the sensor board.

12. An input device according to claim 11, wherein the through-holes correspond to portions of one of the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer.

13. An input device according to claim 9, wherein the sensor board and the control circuit board are bonded to each other by an adhesive, and substantially no adhesive is present between the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers on the sensor board and the conductor portion on the control circuit board.

14. An input device according to claim 13, wherein a hole is formed in the conductor portion that passes through the control circuit board, the hole is connected to the conductor portion, and the adhesive substantially fills the hole.

15. An input device according to claim 1, the insulating film being a first insulating film, further comprising a second insulating film opposing the first insulating film with one of the X and Y electrode layers disposed therebetween.

16. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising a top sheet disposed on the sensor board, the top sheet contactable by a user.

17. An input device according to claim 6, wherein the connector portion comprises a planar array of land portions separated by gaps, the adhesive disposed in the gaps.

18. An input device comprising:

a sensor board;

an X electrode layer having electrodes;

a Y electrode layer having electrodes, the X electrode and Y electrode layers disposed proximate to each other; and

an insulating film disposed between the X and Y electrode layers,

wherein ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers are disposed on the same plane of the sensor board.

19. An input device according to claim 18, wherein the sensor board and the insulating film have extending portions that project in a direction of the plane of the sensor board and the insulating film, respectively, the extending portion of the sensor board extending further than and overlapping the extending portion of the insulating film, the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers disposed on the extending portion of the sensor board.

20. An input device according to claim 19, further comprising a control circuit board having a conductor portion, the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers oppose and directly connected to the conductor portion.

21. An input device according to claim 20, further comprising through-holes formed in the insulating film, the ends of the electrodes in one of the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer led through the through-holes onto the extending portion of the sensor board.

22. An input device according to claim 21, wherein the through-holes correspond to portions of one of the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer.

23. An input device according to claim 20, wherein the sensor board and the control circuit board are bonded to each other by an adhesive, and substantially no adhesive is present between the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers on the sensor board and the conductor portion on the control circuit board.

24. An input device according to claim 23, wherein a hole is formed in the conductor portion that passes through the control circuit board, the hole is connected to the conductor portion, and the adhesive substantially fills the hole.

25. An input device according to claim 24, wherein the connector portion comprises a planar array of land portions separated by gaps and the adhesive is disposed in the gaps.

26. An input device according to claim 18, wherein a first dummy electrode is formed between adjacent electrodes in the X electrode layer such that the first dummy electrode is parallel to the adjacent electrodes in the X electrode layer, and a second dummy electrode is formed between adjacent electrodes in the Y electrode layer such that the second dummy electrode is parallel to the adjacent electrodes in the Y electrode layer.

27. An input device according to claim 18, further comprising a top sheet disposed on the sensor board, the top sheet contactable by a user.

28. An input device according to claim 18, wherein an entirety of the X and Y electrode layers are disposed on the same side of the sensor board.

29. A method of decreasing a thickness of a capacitive input device comprising:

separating X and Y electrode layers by an insulating film such that the X and Y electrode layers are disposed proximate to each other; and

combining ends of electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers on the same plane of a sensor board.

30. A method according to claim 29, further comprising extending a portion of the sensor board and the insulating film in parallel directions, the extending portion of the sensor board extending further than the extending portion of the insulating film and combining the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers on the extending portion of the sensor board.

31. A method according to claim 29, further comprising directly connecting a conductor portion of a control circuit board to the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers.

32. A method according to claim 29, further comprising guiding the ends of the electrodes in one of the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer through through-holes to merge the ends of electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers on the same plane of the sensor board.

33. A method according to claim 31, further comprising bonding the sensor board and the control circuit board by an adhesive, and substantially eliminating adhesive from between the ends of the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers on the sensor board and the conductor portion on the control circuit board.

34. A method according to claim 32, further comprising substantially filling a hole formed in the conductor portion, and that passes through the control circuit board, with the adhesive.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the adhesive is a thermosetting adhesive, the method further comprising heating and pressurizing the thermosetting adhesive to bond the sensor board and the control circuit board to each other.

36. A method according to claim 34, further comprising bonding the sensor board and the control circuit board using adhesive disposed in gaps separating a planar array of land portions that form the connector portion.

37. A method according to claim 29, further comprising decreasing adverse effects of external environmental problems by forming dummy electrodes between adjacent electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers, respectively, that are parallel to the adjacent electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers.

38. A method according to claim 29, further comprising placing a top sheet on the sensor board such that when the top sheet is contacted by a user, a variation in capacitance between the electrodes in the X and Y electrode layers is detectable.