Capacitive Touch Switch

• US 20090027356A1
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Company KG, Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Company KG
• Inventors: Prinz, Michael, Heimann, Uwe
• Application Number:
  US12/168,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20090027356A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9602 characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

A capacitive touch switch has a touch panel with a top side and an underside. A circuit board is arranged at a spacing under the underside of the touch panel. A capacitive sensor element which is arranged at the underside of the touch panel and which is in electrically conductive contact with the circuit board is disposed or formed on a circuit carrier that is flexible and three-dimensionally deformable for adaptation to the freely shaped underside of the touch panel.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch switch, comprising:

a touch panel having a top side and an underside;

a circuit board disposed at a spacing distance below said underside of said touch panel;

a flexible and three-dimensionally deformable circuit carrier configured for adaptation to a freely shaped surface of said underside of said touch panel; and

a capacitive sensor element disposed on said circuit carrier and at said underside of said touch panel and in electrically conductive contact with said circuit board.

2. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1 wherein said capacitive sensor element is integrated into said circuit carrier.

3. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier has a front side and a rear side, and said capacitive sensor element is disposed on at least one of said front side and said rear side of said circuit carrier.

4. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of interference suppression elements, shielding elements, and protection elements.

5. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier has a shape selected from the group consisting of strip-shaped, round, and oval.

6. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier includes features for improving an adaptability thereof selected from the group consisting of incisions and cut-outs.

7. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said capacitive sensor element has a configuration selected from the group consisting of rectangular, square, round, oval, and segment-shaped.

8. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier is permanently connected to said underside of said touch panel and adapted to a free form shape of said underside.

9. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 8, wherein said circuit carrier is permanently connected to said underside of said touch panel by adhesive or riveting.

10. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier is releasably connected to said underside of said touch panel and adapted to a free form shape of said underside.

11. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 10, wherein said circuit carrier is releasably connected to said underside by peening, screwing, or by way of compression springs, clamps or latching hooks.

12. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier has a cable tail and feed lines to said capacitive sensor element pass by way of said cable tail.

13. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier is disposed directly on said underside of said touch panel.

14. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said circuit carrier is at least partially encapsulated with an encapsulation adapted to a freely shaped underside of said touch panel and disposed at said underside of said touch panel.

15. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein said capacitive sensor element is one of a plurality of capacitive sensor elements arranged on said circuit carrier.

16. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of capacitive sensor elements are electrically insulated from one another.

17. A capacitive touch switch, comprising:

a touch panel having a top side and an underside;

a circuit board disposed at a spacing distance below said underside of said touch panel;

a flexible and three-dimensionally deformable circuit carrier configured for adaptation to a freely shaped surface of said underside of said touch panel and at least partially integrated into said touch panel; and

a capacitive sensor element disposed on said circuit carrier and at said underside of said touch panel and in electrically conductive contact with said circuit board.