Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 8,237,673 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• 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: Jiang, Kai-Li, Liu, Liang, Fan, Shou-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowman, Mary Ellen
• Application Number:
  US12/286,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 524/496, 257/222, 349/12, 313/336, 428/339
• 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 spaced from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate; and

wherein the first conductive layer comprises at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film consisting of a plurality of carbon nanotubes, the at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film is directly adhered to the first substrate by a self-adhesive property of the at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film, the at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of ordered and successive carbon nanotube segments, the plurality of ordered and successive carbon nanotube segments is joined end to end by the van der Waals attractive force and comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes primarily oriented along a same direction, and both the first substrate and the second substrate are flexible.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film comprises of directly stacked carbon nanotube films.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film are substantially parallel to a surface of the at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein an angle between the direction of the plurality of carbon nanotubes of two adjacent carbon nanotube films is greater than 0°

and up to 90°

.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein a thickness of the at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film is in an approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 100 microns, and a width of the at least one free standing and self-adhesive carbon nanotube film is in an approximate range from 0.01 centimeter to 10 centimeters.

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

7. 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 plurality of carbon nanotubes in the first conductive layer are oriented along the first direction.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 7, 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 plurality of carbon nanotubes in the second conductive layer are oriented along the second direction.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

10. 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.

11. 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 the group consisting of conductive resin films, carbon nanotube films, and any combination thereof.

12. 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 the group consisting of benzocyclobutenes, polyesters, acrylic resins, polyethylene terephthalate, and any combination thereof.

13. 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; 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, 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;

wherein the first conductive layer comprises a first carbon nanotube film, the first carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of first carbon nanotubes, the second conductive layer comprises a second carbon nanotube film, the second carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of second carbon nanotubes, the plurality of first carbon nanotubes in the first conductive layer is arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of second carbon nanotubes in the second conductive layer is arranged along the second direction, and both the first substrate and the second substrate are flexible.

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

15. 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 spaced from the first electrode plate and 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 at least one carbon nanotube film, the at least one carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by the van der Waals attractive force, each of the plurality of carbon nanotube segments comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes primarily oriented along a same direction, and both the first substrate and the second substrate are flexible.