Method and system for mechanical coupling of flexible printed circuit to a sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9160332-B2
Application number	US-201213367511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2012
Priority date	Feb 7, 2012
Publication date	Oct 13, 2015
Grant date	Oct 13, 2015

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes a touch sensor comprising a set of electrodes and a set of one or more connection pads electrically coupled to the set of electrodes. The system also includes a circuit electrically coupled to the one or more connection pads such that signals may be communicated from the set of one or more connection pads to the circuit. The system further includes the circuit mechanically coupled to the touch sensor via friction welding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a touch sensor operable to determine a position of a touch within a touch-sensitive area of the touch sensor, the touch sensor comprising:
a non-touch-sensitive portion located along one or more edges of the touch sensor;
a first set of electrodes; and
a first set of one or more connection pads electrically coupled to the first set of electrodes and located on a first side of the touch sensor in the non-touch-sensitive portion; and

a circuit comprising a second set of one or more connection pads located on a first side of the circuit, wherein the circuit is:
a flexible printed circuit;
electrically coupled to the first set of one or more connection pads such that signals may be communicated from the first set of one or more connection pads to the circuit; and
mechanically coupled to the touch sensor via friction welding, wherein the mechanical coupling couples a portion of the first side of the touch sensor located between the first set of connection pads in the non-touch-sensitive portion to a portion of the first side of the circuit located between the second set of connection pads.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a second set of electrodes, the touch sensor comprising the second set of electrodes; and
a third set of one or more connection pads electrically coupled to the second set of electrodes and electrically coupled to the circuit.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first set of electrodes and the first set of one or more connection pads are located on the first side of the touch sensor; and
the second set of electrodes and the third set of one or more connection pads are located on a second side of the touch sensor, the first side of the touch sensor and the second side of the touch sensor being located on different sides of a same substrate.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first set of electrodes are arranged along a first axis; and
the second set of electrodes are arranged along a second axis, the first and second axes being substantially perpendicular to each other.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more portions of the first set of electrodes comprises indium tin oxide (ITO).

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuit is mechanically coupled to the touch sensor via friction welding at portions of the touch sensor not having any connection pads, electrodes, and traces coupled thereto.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cover coupled to the touch sensor via an adhesive.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising the cover coupled to the circuit via friction welding.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a rear protective substrate coupled to the touch sensor via a second adhesive and to the circuit via friction welding.

10. The system of claim 1 , the circuit mechanically coupled to the touch sensor via friction welding at optically opaque portions of the touch sensor.

11. A method comprising:
electrically coupling a first set of one or more connection pads to a first set of electrodes, a touch sensor comprising the first set of electrodes and the first set of one or more connection pads, the first set of one or more connection pads located on a first side of the touch sensor in non-touch-sensitive portion along one or more edges of the touch sensor;
electrically coupling a circuit to the first set of one or more connection pads such that signals may be communicated from the first set of one or more connection pads to the circuit;
mechanically coupling the circuit to the touch sensor via friction welding; and
wherein:
the circuit is a flexible printed circuit;
the circuit comprises a second set of one or more connection pads located on a first side of the flexible printed circuit; and
the mechanical coupling couples a portion of the first side of the touch sensor located between the first set of connection pads in the non-touch-sensitive portion to a portion of the first side of the circuit located between the second set of connection pads.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
electrically coupling a third set of one or more connection pads to a second set of electrodes, the touch sensor comprising the second set of electrodes; and
electrically coupling the third set of one or more connection pads to the circuit.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
electrically coupling the first set of one or more connection pads to the first set of electrodes comprises electrically coupling the first set of one or more connection pads to the first set of electrodes such that the first set of electrodes and the first set of one or more connection pads are located on the first side of the touch sensor; and
electrically coupling the third set of one or more connection pads to the second set of electrodes comprises electrically coupling the third set of one or more connection pads to the second set of electrodes such that the second set of electrodes and the third set of one or more connection pads are located on a second side of the touch sensor, the first side of the touch sensor and the second side of the touch sensor being located on different sides of a same substrate.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein mechanically coupling the circuit to the touch sensor via friction welding comprising mechanically coupling the circuit to the touch sensor via friction welding at portions of the touch sensor not having any connection pads, electrodes, and traces coupled thereto.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising mechanically coupling a cover to the touch sensor via an adhesive.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising mechanically coupling the cover to the circuit via friction welding.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising mechanically coupling a protective substrate to the touch sensor via a second adhesive and to the circuit via friction welding.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein mechanically coupling the circuit to the touch sensor via friction welding comprises mechanically coupling the circuit to the touch sensor at optically opaque portions of the touch sensor.

Assignees

• Guard David Brent
• Atmel Corp

Inventors

• Guard David Brent

Classifications

• H01R43/0256

  for soldering or welding connectors to a printed circuit board · CPC title

• H03K2217/96023

  Details of electro-mechanic connections between different elements, e.g.: sensing plate and integrated circuit containing electronics · CPC title

• H03K2217/96031

  Combination of touch switch and LC display · CPC title

• H03K2217/960755

  Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches · CPC title

• H03K17/9622 Primary

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