Surface panel and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9335871-B2
Application number	US-201213401758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2012
Priority date	Mar 30, 2011
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

The surface panel includes a transmissive resin layer and a sensor film closely attached to a back surface of the resin layer. The sensor film includes a base film, a frame-shaped decorative portion on a front surface of the base film, and a transmissive electrode layer and right and left wiring layers on a back surface of the base film. The sensor film is closely attached to and along the back surface of the resin layer. The right and left wiring layers are closely attached to the corresponding right and back-surface left portions. Consequently, the area that is allocated for the transmissive region and the electrode layer can be increased.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front panel comprising:
a panel body formed of a single transmissive resin layer having a front surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface, the transmissive resin layer having a main panel portion and at least one side portion extending backward from the main panel portion, the side portion including a bent portion; and
a sensor film fixed to and in contact with the back surface of the transmissive resin layer along the main panel portion and the side portion including the bent portion, the sensor film configured to sense presence of a human finger in proximity thereto,
wherein the front surface includes:
a front main surface corresponding the main panel portion and providing an operation face or display face; and
a front side surface corresponding to the side portion, the front side surface extending backward from the front main surface,

wherein the back surface includes:
a back main surface opposite to the front main surface; and
a back side surface opposite to the front side surface,

and wherein the sensor film includes:
a base film made of a single transmissive layer having a first surface facing the transmissive resin layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the base film extending along the back main surface and the back side surface of the transmissive resin layer;
a transmissive electrode layer provided on the second surface of the base film in a first region corresponding to the back main surface of the transmissive resin layer;
a wiring layer electrically connected to the transmissive electrode layer, the wiring layer being provided on the second surface of the base film in a second region corresponding to the back side surface of the transmissive resin layer, the wiring layer being a conductive organic layer;
a decorative portion provided on the first surface of the base film in the second region so as to cover and hide the wiring layer viewed from the front surface, wherein the decorative portion, the base film, and the wiring layer form a three-layered laminated structure in the second region such that the decorative portion extends along and is in contact with the back side surface including a curved surface corresponding to the bent portion,

wherein the transmissive electrode layer is disposed in a transmissive region surrounded by the decorative portion formed in a shape of a frame.

2. The front panel according to claim 1 , wherein the transmissive electrode layer is formed of a transmissive conductive organic layer, the conductive organic layer extending to the second region so as to partially overlap the decorative portion.

3. A front panel comprising:
a panel body integrally formed of a single transmissive resin layer having a front surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface, the transmissive resin layer including:
a main panel portion providing an operation or display area; and
at least one sidewall portion extending backward from the main panel portion, the sidewall portion including a bent portion; and

a sensor film laminated on and in contact with the back surface of the transmissive resin layer along the main panel portion and the sidewall portion including the bent portion, the sensor film being configured to sense presence of a human finger in proximity thereto, wherein the sensor film includes:
a single-layered base film having a first surface facing the transmissive resin layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the base film extending along the main panel portion and the sidewall portion of the transmissive resin layer;
a transmissive electrode layer provided on the second surface in a first region corresponding to the main panel portion;
a wiring layer provided on the second surface in a second region corresponding to the sidewall portion, the wiring layer being electrically connected to the transmissive electrode layer; and
a decorative portion provided on the first surface in the second region so as to cover and hide the wiring layer viewed from the front surface, wherein the decorative portion, the single-layered base film, and the wiring layer form a three-layered laminated structure in the second region such that the decorative portion extends along and is in contact with the back surface of the transmissive resin layer having a curved surface corresponding to the bent portion,

wherein the transmissive electrode layer is disposed in a transmissive region surrounded by the decorative portion formed in a shape of a frame.

4. The front panel according to claim 3 ,
wherein the decorative portion formed on the first surface in the form of the frame surrounds and defines a window portion.

5. The front panel according to claim 4 ,
wherein the wiring layer extending along an edge of the window portion is only formed in the second region.

6. The front panel according to claim 3 , wherein the transmissive electrode layer is formed of a transmissive conductive organic layer, the conductive organic layer extending to the second region so as to partially overlap the decorative portion.

7. The front panel according to claim 6 , wherein a display screen of a display device faces an inner side of the transmissive region such that the display screen is visible through the transmissive region via the transmissive resin layer and the single-layered base film.

8. The front panel according to claim 1 , wherein a display screen of a display device faces an inner side of the transmissive region such that the display screen is visible through a transmissive region surrounded by the decorative portion via the transmissive resin layer and the base film.

9. The front panel according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative portion formed within the second region allows to widen the transmissive region compared with the decorative portion extending into the first region and overlapping the main panel portion.

10. The front panel according to claim 3 , wherein the decorative portion formed within the second region allows to widen the transmissive region compared with the decorative portion extending into the first region and overlapping the main panel portion.

Assignees

• Kitano Sadao
• Alps Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kitano Sadao

Classifications

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F1/1656 Primary

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• G06F3/0443 Primary

  using a single layer of sensing electrodes · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title