Touch panel having curved surface and manufacturing process

• US 20080042997A1
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Endo, Michiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,633,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

The present invention is directed to the provision of a touch panel having a curved shape and its manufacturing process; for this purpose, the touch panel having a curved shape comprises an upper film substrate and a lower film substrate, each formed from a transparent plastic film having a transparent electrically conductive polymer layer, an electrode, and a wiring pattern formed thereon.

Claims

1. A resistive film type touch panel comprising an upper film substrate and a lower film substrate, each formed from a transparent plastic film having a transparent electrically conductive polymer layer, an electrode, and a wiring pattern formed thereon, wherein said touch panel has an operation surface formed in a curved shape.

2. A resistive film type touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein dot spacers are formed at a pitch of 1 mm or less.

3. A resistive film type touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein dot spacers in a center portion of said panel are formed at a finer pitch than dot spacers formed outside the center portion.

4. A resistive film type touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein dot spacers in a center portion of said panel are formed with a height greater than the height of dot spacers formed outside the center portion.

5. A manufacturing process for a resistive film type touch panel having an operation surface formed in a curved shape, comprising the steps of:

forming a flat-plate upper substrate and a flat-plate lower substrate from a transparent plastic substrate;

constructing a flat-plate touch panel from said upper and lower substrates; and

forming said flat-plate touch panel into a curved shape by pressing.