Switching device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10551975-B2
Application number	US-201715419683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2017
Priority date	Feb 16, 2016
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A switching device according to an embodiment includes a circuit board, a laminated body, and an air layer. The circuit board is provided with an electrode which detects change in electrostatic capacitance that is caused by a touch operation of a user. The laminated body is laminated on the circuit board, and includes a touch panel member that receives the touch operation. The air layer is arranged at a position that corresponds to the electrode between the circuit board and the laminated body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switching device comprising:
a circuit board that is provided with a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes detecting a change in electrostatic capacitance that is caused by a touch operation of a user;
a laminated body that is laminated on the circuit board, the laminated body including a touch panel member that receives the touch operation; and
a plurality of air layers, each air layer being arranged at a position that corresponds to at least one electrode between the circuit board and the laminated body, the plurality of air layers being formed on a same circuit board layer,
the plurality of air layers keeping constant gaps between the plurality of electrodes and the touch panel member when the user introduces a touch input onto the touch panel member, wherein
each of the plurality of the air layers is isolated from each other, each of the plurality of the air layers covering, when viewed from a top of the switching device, one or more corresponding electrodes of the plurality of electrodes.

2. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the laminated body is arranged between the touch panel member and the circuit board, the laminated body includes a light guiding member that guides light toward the touch panel member, and each of the air layers is arranged between the light guiding member and the touch panel member and/or between the light guiding member and the circuit board.

3. The switching device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the air layers is a space that is formed by a concave part that is arranged in the light guiding member.

4. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the laminated body is arranged between the touch panel member and the circuit board, the laminated body includes
a light guiding member that guides light toward the touch panel member, and a holding member that is arranged between the light guiding member and the circuit board, the holding member holding the light guiding member, and
each of the air layers is arranged between the light guiding member and the holding member and/or between the holding member and the circuit board.

5. The switching device according to claim 4 , wherein each of the air layers is a space that is formed by a concave part that is arranged in the holding member.

6. The switching device according to claim 4 , wherein the holding member includes a wall part that is elastically deformed by contact with the touch panel member.

7. The switching device according to claim 5 , wherein the holding member includes a wall part that is elastically deformed by contact with the touch panel member.

8. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the air layers is arranged to correspond to at least two of the electrodes.

9. The switching device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the air layers is arranged to correspond to at least two of the electrodes.

10. The switching device according to claim 3 , wherein each of the air layers is arranged to correspond to at least two of the electrodes.

11. The switching device according to claim 4 , wherein each of the air layers is arranged to correspond to at least two of the electrodes.

12. The switching device according to claim 5 , wherein each of the air layers is arranged to correspond to at least two of the electrodes.

13. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching device is provided with a middle air layer that is separately arranged, when viewed from the top of the switching device, between adjacent air layers of the plurality of the air layers, the middle air layer not including any of the electrodes.

14. The switching device according to claim 8 , wherein a middle air layer that is arranged between adjacent air layers of the plurality of the air layers.

15. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the air layer is 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

Assignees

• Fujitsu Ten Ltd

Inventors

• Ishikawa Tomoaki
• Kobayashi Chiyohiko

Classifications

• H03K17/962 Primary

  Capacitive touch switches · CPC title

• H03K2217/960755

  Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches · CPC title

• H03K2217/96079

  using a single or more light guides · CPC title

• H03K17/9622 Primary

  using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title