Touch panel including a layered structure with first and second mesh terminal layers directly overlaid on each other and touch panel production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029791-B2
Application number	US-201816170526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 31, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A touch panel comprises, a substrate, a layered structure formed in a sensing region defined on one side of the substrate, the layered structure including at least a first conductor layer made of a first hardened conductive ink, a second conductor layer made of a second hardened conductive ink and an insulating layer disposed therebetween, and an external connection terminal formed outside the sensing region on the one side of the substrate, wherein the external connection terminal comprises a first terminal layer made of the first hardened conductive ink and a second terminal layer made of the second hardened conductive ink, such that the first terminal layer and the second terminal layer are directly overlaid on each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch panel comprising:
a substrate;
a layered structure formed in a sensing region defined on one side of the substrate, the layered structure including at least a first conductor layer made of a first hardened conductive ink, a second conductor layer made of a second hardened conductive ink and an insulating layer disposed therebetween; and
an external connection terminal formed outside the sensing region on the one side of the substrate;
wherein the external connection terminal comprises a first terminal layer made of the first hardened conductive ink and a second terminal layer made of the second hardened conductive ink, such that the first terminal layer and the second terminal layer are directly overlaid on each other at a most terminal end of a conductive path of the touch panel;
wherein the first terminal layer forms a first mesh of fine lines and the second terminal layer forms a second mesh of fine lines;
wherein each of the first mesh of fine lines and the second mesh of fine lines has a grid pattern having a pair of periodicity directions and a pair of grid periods corresponding thereto, such that the first mesh of fine lines and the second mesh of fine lines are identical to each other in terms of the pair of periodicity directions and the pair of grid periods; and
the first mesh of fine lines and the second mesh of fine lines are overlaid on each other in such a way that the first mesh of fine lines and the second mesh of fine lines are deviated from each other in both of the pair of periodicity directions, respectively by from ¼ to ¾, inclusive, of the grid period corresponding to the periodicity direction.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1 ,
further comprising an anisotropic conductive film connected to the external connection terminal;
wherein the pair of grid periods are equal to each other; and
the anisotropic conductive film contains a plurality of conductive particles each having a diameter greater than or equal to ½ of the grid period;
whereby the external connection terminal may be connected to an electrode of an external circuit through the anisotropic conductive film.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer forms a mesh of fine lines.

4. The touch panel according to claim 2 ,
wherein each of the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer forms a mesh of fine lines.

5. A touch panel production method for producing the touch panel according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
simultaneously printing the first conductor layer and the first terminal layer on the one side of the substrate by using a first conductive ink;
printing the insulating layer by using an insulating ink; and
simultaneously printing the second conductor layer and the second terminal layer by using a second conductive ink.

6. A touch panel production method for producing the touch panel according to claim 2 , the method comprising:
simultaneously printing the first conductor layer and the first terminal layer on the one side of the substrate by using a first conductive ink;
printing the insulating layer by using an insulating ink; and
simultaneously printing the second conductor layer and the second terminal layer by using a second conductive ink.

7. A touch panel production method for producing the touch panel according to claim 3 , the method comprising:
simultaneously printing the first conductor layer and the first terminal layer on the one side of the substrate by using a first conductive ink;
printing the insulating layer by using an insulating ink; and
simultaneously printing the second conductor layer and the second terminal layer by using a second conductive ink.

8. A touch panel production method for producing the touch panel according to claim 4 , the method comprising:
simultaneously printing the first conductor layer and the first terminal layer on the one side of the substrate by using a first conductive ink;
printing the insulating layer by using an insulating ink; and
simultaneously printing the second conductor layer and the second terminal layer by using a second conductive ink.

9. The touch panel production method according to claim 5 ,
wherein the simultaneously printing the first conductor layer and the first terminal layer on the one side of the substrate by using the first conductive ink is a gravure offset printing process using a first blanket; and
the simultaneously printing the second conductor layer and the second terminal layer by using the second conductive ink is a gravure offset printing process using a second blanket.

10. The touch panel production method according to claim 6 ,
wherein the simultaneously printing the first conductor layer and the first terminal layer on the one side of the substrate by using the first conductive ink is a gravure offset printing process using a first blanket; and
the simultaneously printing the second conductor layer and the second terminal layer by using the second conductive ink is a gravure offset printing process using a second blanket.

11. The touch panel production method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the simultaneously printing the first conductor layer and the first terminal layer on the one side of the substrate by using the first conductive ink is a gravure offset printing process using a first blanket; and
the simultaneously printing the second conductor layer and the second terminal layer by using the second conductive ink is a gravure offset process printing using a second blanket.

12. The touch panel production method according to claim 8 ,
wherein the simultaneously printing the first conductor layer and the first terminal layer on the one side of the substrate by using the first conductive ink is a gravure offset printing process using a first blanket; and
the simultaneously printing the second conductor layer and the second terminal layer by using the second conductive ink is a gravure offset printing process using a second blanket.

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Sakaue Akitoshi

Classifications

• 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

• G06F2203/04111

  Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate · CPC title

• G06F3/0446

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• H05K3/1275

  by other printing techniques, e.g. letterpress printing, intaglio printing, lithographic printing, offset printing · CPC title

• H05K2203/0534

  Offset printing, i.e. transfer of a pattern from a carrier onto the substrate by using an intermediate member · CPC title