Input device manufacturing method and input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10949043-B2
Application number	US-201916684034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2019
Priority date	Aug 8, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

An input device manufacturing method according to an aspect of the present invention includes a lamination step of preparing a first substrate formed from a flat plate of a translucent synthetic resin, a second substrate formed from a flat plate of a translucent synthetic resin, and a sensor film formed from a translucent resin film on which a translucent electrode is disposed, and holding the sensor film between the first substrate and the second substrate to form a flat multilayer body; and a bending step of bending the flat multilayer body into a curved multilayer body retaining a curved shape. Thus, the input device can secure sufficient adhesion between the substrates and the sensor film, and can retain high detection accuracy with the sensor film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing an input device, comprising:
preparing a first substrate in a form of a flat plate made of a translucent synthetic resin;
preparing a second substrate in a form of a flat plate made of a translucent synthetic resin;
preparing a sensor film in a form of a translucent resin film on which a translucent electrode is disposed, the sensor film including a lead portion having a lead wire electrically connected to the translucent electrode;
disposing the sensor film between a bottom surface of the first substrate and a top surface of the second substrate to form a flat laminated body in a form of a flat plate; and
bending the flat laminated body into a curved laminated body which retains a curved shape thereof,
wherein the curved laminated body includes a non-lamination portion lacking the second substrate, such that the second substrate has a cutout area viewed in a lamination direction, the disposing including:
inserting and extending the lead portion of the sensor film through the cutout area of the second substrate to a bottom surface of the second substrate which is opposite to the top surface of the second substrate.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bending includes heating the flat laminated body while being bent.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bending includes bending the flat laminated body at a first temperature into the curved shape, and heating the bent laminated body at a second temperature so as to retain the curved shape.

4. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the disposing provides the first substrate having a first thickness on a top surface of the sensor film, and provides the second substrate having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness on a bottom surface of the sensor film,
and wherein the bending provides the curved laminated body with a convex front surface which is a top surface of the first substrate, and with a concave back surface which is a bottom surface of the second substrate.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein a ratio of the second thickness to the first thickness is smaller than 0.5.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein a ratio of the second thickness to the first thickness is smaller than or equal to 0.25.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disposing includes providing a decorating film on a surface of the first substrate opposite to a surface facing the sensor film to form the flat laminated body.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disposing includes providing a decorating film between the first substrate and the sensor film to form the flat laminated body.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
bonding, after the bending, a decorating film on a top surface of the curved laminated body.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the bonding includes covering a side end surface of the curved laminated body with an end portion of the decorating film.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a decorating portion disposed on a top surface of the first substrate.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disposing includes:
providing an intermediate member between the sensor film and the first substrate, and between the sensor film and the second substrate to form the flat laminated body.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the intermediate member includes an optically clear adhesive (OCA).

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the intermediate member includes a thermosetting adhesive.

15. An input device, comprising:
a curved laminated body having a curved detection area, the curved laminated body including:
a first substrate which is a first resin panel made of a translucent synthetic resin and having a curved shape;
a second substrate which is a second resin panel made of a translucent synthetic resin and having a curved shape; and
a sensor film disposed between a bottom surface of the first substrate and a top surface of the second substrate, the sensor film being in a form of a translucent resin film on which a translucent electrode is disposed, the sensor film including a lead portion having a lead wire electrically connected to the translucent electrode,

wherein the curved laminated body includes a non-lamination portion at which the curved lamination body lacks the second substrate so as to provide a cutout area in the second substrate viewed in a lamination direction,
and wherein the lead portion extends from the sensor film through the cutout area of the second substrate to a bottom surface of the second substrate which is opposite to the top surface of the second substrate.

16. The input device according to claim 15 , wherein the curved laminated body has a shape of one of a semi-circular cylinder, a hemisphere, and a three-dimensional shape.

17. The input device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
an intermediate member disposed between the sensor film and the first substrate, and between the sensor film and the second substrate.

18. The input device according to claim 17 , wherein the intermediate member includes a cured thermosetting material.

19. The input device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the curved laminated body has a convex front surface and a concave back surface, the convex front surface being a top surface of the first substrate disposed on a top surface of the sensor film, and the concave back surface being the bottom surface of the second substrate disposed on a bottom surface of the sensor film, and
wherein the second substrate has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the first substrate.

20. The input device according to claim 19 , wherein a ratio of the thickness of the second substrate to the thickness of the first substrate is smaller than 0.5.

21. The input device according to claim 19 , wherein a ratio of the thickness of the second substrate to the thickness of the first substrate is smaller than or equal to 0.25.

22. The input device according to claim 15 , wherein the lead portion extends beyond the bottom surface of the second substrate.

Assignees

• Alps Alpine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hashida Junji

Classifications

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F3/0445 Primary

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• B32B2307/414

  Translucent · CPC title