Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 20090153510A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Fan, Shou-Shan, Jiang, Kai-Li, Liu, Liang
• Granted Patent: US 8,237,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component

Abstract

A touch panel includes a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate, and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate. The second electrode plate includes a second substrate, and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer both include a carbon nanotube layer. Each carbon nanotube layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes. The first substrate and the second substrate are flexible. Further, the present invention also relates to a display device. The display device includes a displaying unit and a touch panel.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate; and

a second electrode plate comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate; and

wherein the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer both comprise a carbon nanotube layer, each carbon nanotube layer comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes, and both the first substrate and the second substrate are flexible.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube layer comprises of one or more a carbon nanotube films.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein each carbon nanotube film comprises of a plurality of carbon nanotubes, the plurality of carbon nanotubes are arranged in a disordered or isotropic configuration.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube film are substantially parallel to a surface of the carbon nanotube film.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube film are entangled with each other.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises of a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented along a same direction.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises of a plurality of carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by the van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

the carbon nanotube segments are primarily oriented along a same direction; and

the carbon nanotube segments comprise of a plurality carbon nanotubes primarily oriented along the same direction.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein an angle exist between the direction of the carbon nanotubes of two adjacent carbon nanotube films;

the angle is greater than 0° and

up to 90°

.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein a thickness of each carbon nanotube film is in the approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 100 microns, and a width of each carbon nanotube film is in the approximate range from 0.01 centimeter to 10 centimeters.

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the first substrate and the second substrate is selected from a group consisting of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate acrylic, polyethylene terephthalate, polyether polysulfones, polyvinyl polychloride, benzocyclobutenes, polyesters, and acrylic resins.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrode plate further comprises two first-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the first conductive layer along a first direction, the two first-electrodes being electrically connected to the first conductive layer, the carbon nanotubes in the first conductive layer are oriented along the first direction.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second electrode plate further comprises two second-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the second conductive layer along a second direction, the two second-electrodes being electrically connected to the second conductive layer, the carbon nanotubes in the second conductive layer are oriented along the second direction.

13. The touch panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

14. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulative layer and a plurality of dot spacers, the insulative layer is disposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate to insulate the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate, the dot spacers are disposed on the second conductive layer between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.

15. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shielding layer disposed on a lower surface of the second substrate, and the material of the shielding layer being selected from a group consisting of conductive resin films, carbon nanotube films, and any combination thereof.

16. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent protective film disposed on an upper surface of the first electrode plate, and the material of the transparent protective film being selected from a group consisting of benzocyclobutenes, polyesters, acrylic resins, polyethylene terephthalate, and any combination thereof.

17. A display device comprising:

a touch panel comprising a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate, the first electrode plate comprising a first flexible substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate, the second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate and comprising a second flexible substrate and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate, and both the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer comprising a carbon nanotube layer, each carbon nanotube layer comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes; and

a display element located adjacent to the second electrode plate.

18. The display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the display element is selected from a group consisiting of e-papers, flexible liquid crystal displays, flexible organic light emitting displays.

19. The display device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a first controller configured for controlling the touch panel, a central processing unit, and a second controller configured for controlling the display element, the first controller, the central processing unit and the second controller being electrically connected with each other, the display element being connected to the second controller, and the touch panel being connected to the first controller.

20. The display device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a passivation layer disposed on a surface of the touch panel, and the material of the passivation layer is selected from a group consisting of benzocyclobutenes, polyesters, acrylic resins, polyethylene terephthalate, and any combination thereof.