Analog-type transparent touch panel with improved electrode arrangement and simplified method for producing the same

• US 5,844,175 A
• Filed: 03/26/1996
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Murakami, Tetsuo, Nakanishi, Akira, Fukui, Toshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/622,660
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/180, 345/182, 345/205, 345/206, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.07
• US Class Current: 178/18.03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An analog-type transparent touch panel includes a first substrate; a second substrate located opposed to the first substrate with a space interposed therebetween; a first transparent conductive film provided on the first substrate to be opposed to the second substrate; a second transparent conductive film provided on the second substrate to be opposed to the first substrate; a pair of first electrodes for generating a potential difference in a plane of the first transparent conductive film; and a pair of second electrodes for generating a potential difference in a plane of the second transparent conductive film. The pair of first electrodes are formed on the second substrate.

Claims

1. An analog-type transparent touch panel, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate located opposed to the first substrate with a space interposed therebetween;

a first transparent conductive film provided on the first substrate to be opposed to the second substrate;

a second transparent conductive film provided on the second substrate to be opposed to the first substrate;

a pair of first electrodes for generating a potential difference in a plane of the first transparent conductive film; and

a pair of second electrodes for generating a potential difference in a plane of the second transparent conductive film,

wherein the pair of first electrodes are formed on the second substrate.

2. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein top parts of the pair of first electrodes are in direct contact with the first transparent conductive film.

3. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first electrodes are formed of an isotropic conductive adhesive.

4. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first electrodes each have a volumetric resistivity of about 1×

10^-2 Ω

·

cm at most.

5. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first electrodes are formed of a hot-melt resin.

6. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first electrodes are formed of a thermosetting resin.

7. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are formed of different materials.

8. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the second transparent conductive film is a quadrangle having four substantially 90°

angles;

the pair of first electrodes are located along two sides of the second transparent conductive film opposite to each other; and

the pair of second electrodes are located along another two sides of the second transparent conductive film.

9. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer provided outside the pair of first electrodes for combining the first substrate and the second substrate.

10. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising adhesive layers provided inside and outside the pair or first electrodes for combining the first substrate and the second substrate.

11. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 9, wherein a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate in an area where each of the pair of first electrodes is provided is larger than a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate in an area where the adhesive layer is provided.

12. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 10, wherein a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate in an area where each of the pair of first electrodes is provided is larger than a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate in an area where each of the adhesive layers is provided.

13. An analog-type transparent touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive film and the second transparent conductive film are put into contact with each other by a force applied to the first substrate, to allow a position at which the first transparent conductive film and the second transparent conductive film contact each other to be detected by measuring a partial voltage of a voltage applied to the first substrate and a partial voltage of a voltage applied to the second substrate, the partial voltages corresponding to the contact position.

14. A method for producing an analog-type transparent touch panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate located opposed to the first substrate with a space interposed therebetween;

a first transparent conductive film provided on the first substrate to be opposed to the second substrate;

a second transparent conductive film provided on the second substrate to be opposed to the first substrate;

a pair of first electrodes for generating a potential difference in a plane of the first transparent conductive film; and

a pair of second electrodes for generating a potential difference in a plane of the second transparent conductive film,

the method comprising the step of;

forming the pair of first electrodes and the pair of second electrodes on the second substrate.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of combining the first substrate and the second substrate, whereby electrically connecting the pair of first electrodes with the first transparent conductive film by putting the pair of first electrodes into contact with the first transparent conductive film.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of combining includes the step of pressing the first substrate to the pair of first electrodes while heating at least the pair of first electrodes by a heat pressing member.

17. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of forming the pair of first electrodes of a hot-melt resin.

18. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of forming the pair of first electrodes of a thermosetting resin.

19. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of forming an adhesive layer for combining the first substrate and the second substrate on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate.