Transparent touch panel and electronic equipment using the same

• US 6,628,268 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• 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: Hashimoto, Koji, Harada, Mitsuru, Omoya, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tam
• Application Number:
  US09/629,220
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A TTP comprising two substrates each provided with a transparent resistive-layer, and an insulating section formed on at least one of the transparent resistive-layers using an ultra violet curing resin or an electron beam curing resin. The glass transition temperature of the cured resin in the insulating section is not higher than 80° C., and the insulating section contains a methyl ethyl keton soluble component of not less than 5 weight % and not more than 80 weight %. Since the insulating section is cured at a low temperature, it may be formed on a plastic substrate whose heat-withstanding capability is low. The insulating section can be formed in any desired shape and it can be cured within a short curing time, which are quite advantageous properties for the production of TTPs in volume. The insulating section spreads only minimally during the curing operation, therefore the initial shape, if it is a fine pattern, can be well preserved. Since an acid, alkaline solution or organic solvent is not used for forming the insulating section in the present invention, TTPs thus manufactured are free from the safety problems on the production floor as well as the environmental hazards associated with the use of these chemicals. The same applies also to an electronic system that incorporates the TTP.

Claims

1. A transparent touch panel comprising two substrates, each of the substrates having

a whole surface including

an input area and

a region other than the input area,

a transparent resistive-layer formed over the whole surface, and an insulating section formed on at least one of said transparent resistive-layers in the region other than the input area using an ultra violet curing resin or an electron beam curing resin wherein said insulating section contains a methyl ethyl keton soluble component of not less than 5 weight % and not more than 80 weight %.

2. The transparent touch panel of claim 1, wherein glass transition temperature of cured material of said ultra violet curing resin or said electron beam curing resin is not higher than 80°

C.

3. The transparent touch panel of claim 2, wherein

a non cross-linking high polymer material is used for said methyl ethyl keton soluble component.

4. An electronic apparatus comprising at least

a display device,

a transparent touch panel disposed on the display surface of said display device, and

a control circuit for controlling said display device and said transparent touch panel;

wherein

said transparent touch panel comprises two substrates, each of the substrates having a whole surface including

an input area and

a region other than the input area,

a transparent resistive-layer formed over the whole surface, and an insulating section formed on at least one of said transparent resistive-layers in the region other than the input area using an ultra violet curing resin or an electron beam curing resin,

wherein a glass transition temperature of cured material of said ultra violet ray curing resin or said electron beam curing resin is not higher than 80°

C. and said insulating section contains a methyl ethyl keton soluble component of not less than 5 weight % and not more than 80 weight %.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, wherein

a non cross-linking high polymer material is used for said methyl ethyl keton soluble component.

6. A transparent touch panel comprising two substrates, each having a transparent resistive-layer, wherein

an insulating section is formed on at least one of said transparent resistive-layers using an ultra violet curing resin or an electron beam curing resin, and said insulating section contains a methyl ethyl keton soluble component of not less than 5 weight % and not more than 80 weight %.