Touch panel and display device including a pressure-sensitive sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11221705-B2
Application number	US-201816488759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 15, 2017
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A touch panel according to the present invention includes a touch sensor substrate having a touch sensor portion in the central portion of the touch sensor substrate and having a first electrode and a second electrode in the inner peripheral portion of the touch sensor substrate, a protective plate to cover the front surface of the touch sensor substrate, a dielectric sheet provided between the touch sensor substrate and the protective plate, and a conductive member disposed at a position so as to face the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the conductive member constitute a pressure-sensitive sensor. With this structure, a touch panel having a pressure-sensitive sensor and a display device provided with the touch panel can be manufactured without an increase in the manufacturing time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A touch panel comprising:
a touch sensor substrate having a central portion, an inner peripheral portion, and a touch sensor portion in the central portion;
a protective plate to cover a front surface of the touch sensor substrate;
a first dielectric sheet disposed between the touch sensor substrate and the protective plate along a first axis;
a first electrode and a second electrode disposed next to one another, along a second axis, on the front surface of the inner peripheral portion of the touch sensor substrate, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis; and
a conductive member, an entirety of which is disposed between the inner peripheral portion of the touch sensor substrate and the protective plate along the first axis and at a position so as to face the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the conductive member is not connected to the first electrode and the second electrode,
the first dielectric sheet is disposed between the first electrode and the conductive member along the first axis, between the second electrode and the conductive member along the first axis, and between the first electrode and the second electrode along the second axis, and
the first electrode, the second electrode, and the conductive member constitute a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects a pressing force applied to the touch panel based on change amounts in:
a first capacitance between the first electrode and the conductive member along the first axis;
a second capacitance between the second electrode and the conductive member along the first axis; and
a third capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode along the second axis.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive member is disposed on an inner peripheral portion of a back surface of the protective plate.

3. The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein the touch sensor substrate is provided with first wiring connected to the first electrode, second wiring connected to the second electrode, and shielding wiring disposed along the first wiring or the second wiring.

4. The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein both the first electrode and the second electrode are comb-shaped electrodes each having a plurality of protruding portions, the protruding portions of the first electrode and the protruding portions of the second electrode being disposed adjacent to each other.

5. The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein both the first electrode and the second electrode are rectangular in shape, and an extended line of a side of one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode does not intersect with a side of the other electrode.

6. The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a loop in the inner peripheral portion of the touch sensor substrate so as to surround the touch sensor portion.

7. The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed along the touch sensor portion in the inner peripheral portion of the touch sensor substrate.

8. A display device, comprising:
the touch panel according to claim 2 ;
a second dielectric sheet having a front surface that is adhered to a back surface of the touch panel;
a frame having an opening in a central portion of the frame, the frame being adhered to a back surface of the second dielectric sheet in a marginal portion of the frame; and
a display panel having a display surface to display a screen image, the display surface being adhered to the back surface of the second dielectric sheet in the opening of the frame.

9. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor substrate is provided with first wiring connected to the first electrode, second wiring connected to the second electrode, and shielding wiring disposed along the first wiring or the second wiring.

10. The touch panel according to claim 9 , wherein both the first electrode and the second electrode are comb-shaped electrodes each having a plurality of protruding portions, the protruding portions of the first electrode and the protruding portions of the second electrode being disposed adjacent to each other.

11. The touch panel according to claim 9 , wherein both the first electrode and the second electrode are rectangular in shape, and an extended line of a side of one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode does not intersect with a side of the other electrode.

12. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein both the first electrode and the second electrode are comb-shaped electrodes each having a plurality of protruding portions, the protruding portions of the first electrode and the protruding portions of the second electrode being disposed adjacent to each other.

13. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein both the first electrode and the second electrode are rectangular in shape, and an extended line of a side of one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode does not intersect with a side of the other electrode.

14. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a loop in the inner peripheral portion of the touch sensor substrate so as to surround the touch sensor portion.

15. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed along the touch sensor portion in the inner peripheral portion of the touch sensor substrate.

16. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first capacitance and the second capacitance are connected in series, and the third capacitance is connected in parallel with a capacitance created by connecting the first capacitance and the second capacitance in series.

17. A display device, comprising:
the touch panel according to claim 1 ;
a second dielectric sheet having a front surface that is adhered to a back surface of the touch panel;
a frame having an opening in a central portion of the frame, the frame being adhered to a back surface of the second dielectric sheet in a marginal portion of the frame; and
a display panel having a display surface to display a screen image, the display surface being adhered to the back surface of the second dielectric sheet in the opening of the frame.

18. The touch panel according to claim 1 , further comprising a light shield, wherein
an entirety of the light shield is disposed in the central portion, and
the light shield is in contact with the protective plate and the first dielectric sheet.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Agari Masafumi
• Orita Tae
• Ono Takeshi
• Fujino Toshiaki
• Mori Seiichiro

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

• G06F2203/04103

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

• G06F3/04142 Primary

  the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F2203/04107

  Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds · CPC title