Coordinate input apparatus having orthogonal electrodes on opposite surfaces of a dielectric substrate and through-hole connections and manufacturing method thereof

• US 5,869,790 A
• Filed: 07/24/1996
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Naoki, Shigetaka, Hiroshi, Hagiya, Ryuichi, Matsufusa, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/684,236
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/19.02, 178/19.04
• US Class Current: 178/18.03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0289 having a matrix lay-out, i.e. having selectively interconnectable sets of X-conductors and Y-conductors in different planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/096 Vertically aligned vias, holes or stacked vias
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0455 PTH for surface mount device [SMD], e.g. wherein solder flows through the PTH during mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 by conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits

Abstract

A coordinate input apparatus has a film sensor substrate. An X electrode array having a plurality of electrodes in parallel to each other is disposed on the obverse surface of the sensor substrate. A Y electrode array having a plurality of electrodes in parallel to each other is disposed on the reverse surface of the sensor substrate in a direction orthogonal to the X electrode array. A first through hole is formed at one end of the X electrode array, while a first land is formed at one end of the Y electrode array. A second land is disposed on the sensor substrate so that it can be electrically connected to the first through hole.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus including a film sensor that comprises:

a first electrode array having a plurality of electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the obverse surface of said film sensor;

a through hole section disposed at one end of said first electrode array;

a second electrode array having a plurality of electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the reverse surface of said film sensor in a direction orthogonal to said first electrode array;

a first land section disposed at one end of said second electrode array; and

a second land section electrically connected to said through hole section.

2. A coordinate input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a circuit substrate having a wiring pattern to be connected to said first and second land sections, wherein said film sensor is placed on said circuit substrate.

3. A coordinate input apparatus comprising:

a dielectric substrate including a first electrode array that has a plurality of electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the obverse surface of said dielectric substrate, a second electrode array that has a plurality of electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the reverse surface of said dielectric substrate in a direction orthogonal to said first electrode array, and a first through hole section disposed at one end of said first electrode array;

a circuit substrate disposed adjacent to the reverse surface of said dielectric substrate, including a second through hole section positioned opposedly to face said first through hole section, a third through hole section located opposedly to face one end of said second electrode array, and a wiring pattern and a drive circuit disposed on the reverse surface of said circuit substrate and connected to said second and third through hole sections; and

a connecting member for electrically connecting said first and second through hole sections and also electrically connecting said second electrode array and said third through hole section.

4. A coordinate input apparatus comprising:

a sensor substrate having a plurality of first electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the obverse surface of said sensor substrate, a plurality of second electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the reverse surface of said sensor substrate in a direction orthogonal to said plurality of first electrodes, and a through hole disposed at one end of each of said plurality of first and second electrodes;

a circuit substrate having a plated through hole in a position to face said through hole, and a circuit section disposed on the reverse surface of said circuit substrate to control the operation of said plurality of first and second electrodes, said sensor substrate being placed on said circuit substrate; and

a conductive material applied to the inner surfaces of said through hole and the corresponding plated through hole so as to electrically connect said plurality of first and second electrodes to said circuit section.

5. A coordinate input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the internal diameter of said through hole is formed greater than the internal diameter of the corresponding plated through hole.

6. A coordinate input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of said through holes, each formed at one end of each of said plurality of first and second electrodes, are communicated with each other to form a generally L-shaped slit.

7. A method for manufacturing a coordinate input apparatus that comprises a sensor substrate and a circuit substrate, said sensor substrate having a plurality of first electrodes extending in parallel to each other on the obverse surface of a film member, a plurality of second electrodes extending in parallel to each other on the reverse surface of said film member in a direction orthogonal to said plurality of first electrodes, and a through hole disposed at one end of each of said plurality of first and second electrodes, said circuit substrate having a plated through hole in a position to face said through hole, and a circuit section disposed on the reverse surface of said circuit substrate so as to control the operation of said plurality of first and second electrodes, said method comprising:

stacking said circuit substrate on said sensor substrate;

printing a conductive material into and around said through hole from the obverse surface of said sensor substrate; and

electrically connecting said plurality of first and second electrodes to said circuit section via said conductive material attached to the inner surfaces of said through hole and the corresponding plated through hole.

13. The method of claim 7 further including, when printing a conductive material, applying suction to said plated through hole from the reverse surface of said circuit substrate.

8. A coordinate input apparatus comprising:

a sensor substrate having a plurality of first electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the obverse surface of a film member, and a plurality of second electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the reverse surface of said film member in a direction orthogonal to said plurality of first electrodes, thereby outputting a value in response to capacitance between said first and second electrodes;

a filling layer disposed on the obverse surface of said film member in a region where said plurality of first electrodes are not positioned; and

a protective sheet attached to the obverse surface of said filling layer and said plurality of first electrodes so as to be contacted by a position designator when an operation is performed.

9. A coordinate input apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said filling layer comprises a resist layer printed on said sensor substrate.

10. A coordinate input apparatus comprising:

a sensor substrate having a plurality of first electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the obverse surface of a film member, and a plurality of second electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the reverse surface of said film member in a direction orthogonal to said plurality of first electrodes, thereby outputting a value in response to capacitance between said first and second electrodes;

a protective sheet placed on said sensor substrate so as to be contacted by a position designator when an operation is performed; and

an adhesive layer formed of a cured gel-like adhesive disposed between said protective sheet and said sensor substrate.

11. A coordinate input apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said gel-like adhesive is applied to the reverse surface of said protective sheet that is not yet placed on said sensor substrate.

12. A coordinate input apparatus comprising:

a dielectric film substrate that includes a first electrode array having a plurality of electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the obverse surface of said dielectric film substrate, and a second electrode array having a plurality of electrodes disposed in parallel to each other on the reverse surface of said dielectric film substrate in a direction orthogonal to said first electrode array;

a circuit substrate disposed adjacent to the reverse surface of said film substrate and having a drive circuit on the reverse surface of said circuit substrate; and

a protective sheet disposed adjacent to the obverse surface of said film substrate,

whereby said apparatus detects a change in capacitance between said first and second electrode arrays so as to calculate a position designated by a position designator.

14. The coordinate input apparatus of claim 12 wherein electrodes of such second electrode array have a width greater than the width of the electrodes of said first electrode array.