Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 8,237,670 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Jiang, Kai-Li, Liu, Liang, Fan, Shou-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): MacChiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowman, Mary Ellen
• Application Number:
  US12/286,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 524/496, 257/222, 349/12, 313/336
• 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: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• 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, a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate, and two first-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the first conductive layer. The second electrode plate separates from the first electrode plate and includes a second substrate, a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate, and two second-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the second conductive layer. At least one of the first-electrodes and the second-electrodes includes a carbon nanotube layer. 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, a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate, and two first-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the first conductive layer, a direction from one of the two first-electrodes across the first conductive layer to the other of the two first electrodes is defined as a first direction;

a second electrode plate spaced from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate, a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate, and two second-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the second conductive layer, a direction from one of the two second-electrodes across the second conductive layer to the other of the two second-electrodes being defined as a second direction; and

wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a carbon nanotube layer, the first conductive layer comprises a first carbon nanotube film comprising a plurality of first carbon nanotubes, the second conductive layer comprises a second carbon nanotube film comprising a plurality of second carbon nanotubes, the plurality of first carbon nanotubes in the first conductive layer are arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of second carbon nanotubes in the second conductive layer are arranged along the second direction.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second carbon nanotube films comprises a plurality of successive carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by the van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of first and second carbon nanotubes in the first and second carbon nanotube films are parallel to a surface of the first and second carbon nanotube films.

5. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate, a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate, and two first-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the first conductive layer; and

a second electrode plate spaced from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate, a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate, and two second-electrodes disposed on opposite ends of the second conductive layer;

wherein at least one of the two first-electrodes and the two second-electrodes comprises a carbon nanotube layer, and at least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer consists of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the carbon nanotube layer comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube films directly stacked on each other.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of carbon nanotube films comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented along a same direction, and an angle between the plurality of carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube films is greater than 0°

and less than or equal to 90°

.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes in each of the plurality of carbon nanotube films are parallel to a surface of the plurality of carbon nanotube films.

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

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube films is in an approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 100 microns, and a width of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube films is in an approximate range from 1 micron to 10 millimeters.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the carbon nanotube layer comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes entangled with each other.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of dot spacers disposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.