JP5715862B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic device that detects an operation input to a touch panel and feeds back an operational feeling.

  Currently, touch panels and touch pads are widely used as input devices for electronic devices. In such an input device, when an operator operates a touch panel, a touch pad, or the like, a device that feeds back a feeling of operation to an operator's fingertip by vibrating the touch panel or the touch pad is proposed ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 8 is an external perspective view in which the electronic device described in Patent Document 1 is disassembled. As shown in FIG. 8, the electronic device (display device) described in Patent Document 1 includes a display monitor 100, a panel fixing frame 210, a touch panel 400, and a cover 500. This electronic device is configured by assembling each component such as the touch panel 400 to the display monitor 100.

  In the electronic device described in Patent Document 1, the display monitor 100 is composed of a liquid crystal display (LCD), and has a rectangular and flat shape as a whole. The display monitor 100 displays, for example, objects such as keys and buttons or various information on the display surface according to control by a control device (not shown). On the display surface of the display monitor 100, the touch panel 400 having the same size as that of the monitor 100 is assembled.

  The touch panel 400 is configured so that, for example, when a matrix-like switch circuit is formed on a transparent resin plate and the panel surface is touched by an operator's fingertip or the like, a detection signal corresponding to the contact position is output to the control device. It is configured. That is, the operator can input various information corresponding to the display to the electronic device by operating the panel 400 according to the display on the display monitor 100 displayed through the touch panel 400.

  In this electronic device, as shown in FIG. 8, a pair of piezoelectric elements (piezo elements) 420 are attached along the upper side (the back side in the figure) and the bottom side (the near side in the figure) of the back surface side of the touch panel 400. It has been. When the touch panel 400 detects contact by the operator, the electronic device gives a drive signal (voltage) to the piezoelectric element 420 from the control device. When this drive signal is received, the piezoelectric element 420 expands and contracts to deform (bend) the touch panel 400, so that the electronic device can generate vibration on the operation surface of the touch panel 400. That is, the touch panel 400 vibrates with the above operation, so that the operator can obtain an operational feeling.

  In this electronic apparatus, the touch panel 400 is assembled to the display monitor 100 via a panel fixing frame 210. The panel fixing frame 210 is formed of a hard resin material such as ABS, so that the entire panel fixing frame 210 has rigidity.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a holder 220 that holds the touch panel 400 at its four corners is assembled to the panel fixing frame 210. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing a state where one of the four holders 220 is attached to a corner of the touch panel 400. Each holder 220 is formed with a slit-like insertion portion 360 into which a corner portion of the touch panel 400 can be inserted. As shown in FIG. 8, a fixing hole 320 for fixing the holder 220 is provided on the peripheral side surface of the panel fixing frame 210 near the end of each side surface. 9 is inserted into each fixing hole 320 shown in FIG. 8, each holder 220 fixes the touch panel 400 to the panel fixing frame 210.

  As described above, when the four corners of the touch panel 400 are inserted into the respective holders 220, the respective holders 220 hold the touch panel 400 from the outside at the four corners and also from both sides in the thickness direction. Therefore, the electronic device described in Patent Document 1 can be arranged such that the touch panel 400 is fixed.

  Each of the holders 220 is made of a material having a smaller elastic coefficient than that of the panel fixing frame 210, and is integrally formed of, for example, silicon-based resin or rubber. As described above, the holder 220 is configured to be elastically deformable so that the touch panel 400 can vibrate while stably holding the touch panel 400. Note that a gap that allows displacement of the touch panel 400 in the thickness direction is secured between the touch panel 400 and the display monitor 100. For this reason, when the piezoelectric element 420 vibrates, the displacement of the touch panel 400 in the thickness direction accompanying the vibration is possible.

  Therefore, since the electronic device described in Patent Document 1 is configured not to greatly disturb the vibration when the touch panel 400 is vibrated, the operational feeling due to the vibration of the touch panel 400 can be ensured satisfactorily. .

JP 2010-44497 A

  As described above, the electronic device described in Patent Literature 1 can ensure a feeling of operation due to vibration of the touch panel, and can be arranged so that the touch panel is fixed.

  By the way, the electronic device described in Patent Document 1 is assumed to be, for example, a display device of an in-vehicle navigation system, and no measures against dust and water are taken on the electronic device itself. For example, when the electronic device shown in FIG. 8 is assembled, the touch panel 400 is attached to the panel fixing frame 210 while being inserted into the insertion portion 360 of the elastic material holder 220, that is, via the holder 220. This is because if the touch panel 400 is firmly fixed to the panel fixing frame 210, the touch panel 400 is not displaced in the thickness direction when the piezoelectric element 420 vibrates, and the touch panel 400 cannot be vibrated satisfactorily. Because. Therefore, a gap is formed between the touch panel 400 and the panel fixing frame 210, and it is assumed that dust and moisture enter from the gap.

  Therefore, in the electronic device described in Patent Document 1, as a dust-proof measure, for example, a member such as a dust-proof cushion may be inserted between the touch panel 400 and the panel fixing frame 210. However, even if such a dustproof cushion is made of a material that can be compressed to some extent, the physical space in which the touch panel is curved is taken away by the thickness after compression. Therefore, in such a structure, there arises a problem that the amplitude when the touch panel vibrates cannot be obtained.

  Further, when waterproofing the electronic device disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent entry of dust and water from the outside, for example, waterproofing is performed between the touch panel 400 and a member covering the periphery of the touch panel 400. A measure to fix with tape is considered. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the cover 500 is further attached to the combination of the touch panel 400 and the display monitor 100 via the panel fixing frame 210, the cover 500 and the touch panel 400 are fixed with waterproof tape. be able to. If the cover 500 and the touch panel 400 are fixed with the waterproof tape in this way, the gap between the cover 500 and the touch panel 400 can be filled, so that intrusion of water from the outside can be prevented.

  However, if the cover 500 and the touch panel 400 are fixed with a waterproof tape in this way, the amplitude when the touch panel 400 vibrates cannot be obtained. Thus, when a waterproof measure is applied to the touch panel device, there is a problem that the amplitude when the touch panel is vibrated at the same time is reduced.

  An object of the present invention made in view of such circumstances is to provide an electronic device in which a touch panel is bent and vibrated by a piezoelectric element or the like, and waterproof and dust-proof measures are taken while reducing vibration attenuation.

The invention of the electronic device according to the first aspect of achieving the above object is as follows:
A touch panel;
A panel holder made of an elastic material that supports the touch panel;
A display unit disposed on the back side of the touch panel;
A vibrating section for vibrating the touch panel;
An electronic device comprising a support member for supporting the panel holder,
The panel holder sandwiches the front side and the back side of the edge of the touch panel, so that only the panel holder itself, a panel receiving part that supports the touch panel, a packing part that is sandwiched only by the support member, and A connecting portion that connects the panel receiving portion and the packing portion, and the panel receiving portion is supported by contacting the display portion or a display portion holder that supports the display portion. Features.

The invention according to a second aspect is the electronic device according to the first aspect,
The panel holder is integrally formed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in the electronic device which carries out the bending vibration of a touch panel with a piezoelectric element etc., the electronic device which gave waterproof and dust-proof measures, reducing the attenuation | damping of a vibration can be provided.

1 is an external perspective view of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the touchscreen and panel holder which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the touchscreen and panel holder which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view before the assembly of the electronic device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view after the assembly of the electronic device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view after the assembly of the electronic device which concerns on the modification of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the structure of the conventional electronic device. It is another figure explaining the structure of the conventional electronic device.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, a schematic configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an electronic apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an upper casing 10 a, a lower casing 10 b, and a touch panel 20 in appearance.

  The upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b constitute the housing 10 when they are combined together. When the upper casing 10a and the lower casing 10b are combined together, an appropriate waterproof and dustproof measure can be taken, for example, by using a sealed structure with rubber packing. Shall be made. The upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b are preferably made of a material that can withstand a certain degree of impact, such as a resin case. In the following description, detailed description of the combined structure of the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b is omitted.

  The touch panel 20 is usually disposed in front of the display unit 60 to be described later, and contact with an object displayed on the display unit 60 by an operator's finger, stylus pen or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as “contact object”) is performed. Detection is performed on the touch surface of the corresponding touch panel 20. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the “touch panel” will be described assuming a member disposed on the front surface of the display unit 60 that can be an LCD or the like, that is, a member provided separately from the display unit 60. In addition, the touch panel 20 detects the position of contact of the contact object with respect to the touch surface, and notifies the detected position of the contact to a control unit (not shown).

  As the touch panel 20, for example, a touch panel configured by a publicly known system such as a resistive film system, a capacitance system, and an optical system can be used. In addition, when the touch panel 20 detects the contact by a contact thing, it is not essential that a contact thing touches the touch panel 20 physically. For example, when the touch panel 20 is optical, the touch panel 20 detects a position where the infrared light on the touch panel 20 is blocked by the contact object, and thus it is not necessary for the contact object to touch the touch panel 20.

  The display unit 60 described above displays an object such as a push button switch (push button switch) such as a key as an image. This object is an image that suggests to the operator an area to be touched on the touch surface of the touch panel 20. The push button switch is a button, key, or the like (hereinafter, simply referred to as “key, etc.”) used by an operator for input operation. The display unit 60 is configured using, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic EL display panel, or the like. That is, a display unit 60 such as an LCD can be arranged on the back side of the touch panel 20 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper housing 10a is separated from the lower housing 10b in the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 1, that is, a state in which the housing is disassembled.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper housing 10 a is a frame-like member, and a window (opening) is formed on the front surface (upper surface). With this window, the operator can view the display on the touch panel 20 from the outside in a state where the electronic apparatus 1 is assembled. Various components such as a display unit such as an LCD, an LCD holder, and various substrates can be installed on the bottom inside the lower housing 10b. In FIG. 2, such components are illustrated. Is omitted.

  As can be seen from FIG. 2, in a state where the lower housing 10 b and the upper housing 10 a are combined, the touch panel 20 is attached to a panel holder 22 that supports the touch panel 20 and the lower housing 10 b and the upper housing 10. It arrange | positions between the bodies 10a. FIG. 2 shows a state where the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 that supports the touch panel 20 are removed from the upper casing 10a and the lower casing 10b, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel 20 existing between the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b is attached to and supported by a panel holder 22 made of an elastic material. The panel holder 22 is made of an elastic material such as silicon rubber, and can have a JIS-A hardness of about 50 to 60 degrees, for example. Hereinafter, the touch panel 20 with the panel holder 22 is appropriately referred to as a “touch panel unit”.

  The panel holder 22 that supports the touch panel 20 has a packing portion that protrudes to at least one of the upper side and the lower side in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge thereof. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the panel holder 22 has packing portions that project both upward and downward in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge thereof. As will be described later, in the state where the lower casing 10b and the upper casing 10a are combined, the packing portion is inserted into the recesses of the lower casing 10b and the upper casing 10a, so that the panel holder 22 is It is sandwiched between the lower housing 10b and the upper housing 10a. In FIG. 2, the packing holder projecting downward from the panel holder 22 is inserted into the recess 12b of the lower housing 10b, whereby the panel holder 22 is sandwiched between the lower housing 10b.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for further explaining the touch panel unit shown in FIG. 2. As described above, the touch panel unit shown in FIG. 3 includes the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 made of an elastic material that supports the touch panel 20.

  In addition, in order to make an understanding of the structure of a touch panel unit easy in FIG. 3, the external appearance including the cross section which cut | disconnected a part of touch panel unit is shown with a perspective view. That is, FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a portion near the front edge of the touch panel unit illustrated in FIG. 2 is cut in the X-axis direction illustrated in FIG. In short, FIG. 3 shows a state in which only the front portion of the touch panel unit is cut off including the panel holder 22.

  When attaching the panel holder 22 to the touch panel 20, it is preferable that the panel holder 22 made of an elastic material is stretched and slightly widened before being attached to the touch panel 20. That is, it is preferable that the edge portion of the touch panel 20 is attached so as to be fitted into the concave panel receiving portion formed on the inner peripheral edge portion of the panel holder 22 by extending and expanding the panel holder 22.

  Further, it is preferable to mold the panel holder 22 so that the size of the concave panel receiving portion formed on the inner peripheral edge of the panel holder 22 is slightly smaller than the size of the edge portion of the touch panel 20. In this way, when the panel holder 22 is attached to the touch panel 20, the degree of close contact of the panel holder 22 with the touch panel 20 increases. If the degree of close contact of the panel holder 22 with the touch panel 20 increases, the effect of dust prevention between the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 is enhanced. When the space between the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 is waterproofed, high confidentiality is required. Therefore, the edge part of the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 are brought into close contact with each other by bonding or pressure bonding, and the space between the edge part of the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 is sealed.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the panel holder 22 is made of an elastic material that supports the touch panel 20. Further, the panel holder 22 is brought into close contact with the edge portion of the touch panel 20 so that the space between the edge portion of the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 is sealed. Thereby, in this Embodiment, the waterproof and dustproof between the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 are ensured. The close contact in the present invention means sealing between the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 by fixing by pressure bonding, bonding by an adhesive, or sticking by a double-sided tape.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vibration unit 50 is attached to the back surface of the touch panel 20 near the upper and lower edges (the back side and the near side in the figure). The vibrating unit 50 is preferably bonded to the back surface of the touch panel 20 with, for example, a double-sided tape or an adhesive. The vibration unit 50 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric element, and vibrates by bending the touch panel 20.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the vibration unit 50 is attached from the back surface of the touch panel 20, but in the present invention, the vibration unit 50 transmits vibration to the touch panel 20. Therefore, the vibration unit 50 may be configured to vibrate the touch panel 20 by fixing a piezoelectric element or the like to an arbitrary position such as the touch panel 20 or the panel holder 22. However, the vibration unit 50 is preferably a piezoelectric element attached to the back surface of the touch panel 20 so that the touch panel 20 can be vibrated satisfactorily.

  The vibration unit 50 presents a tactile sensation to a contact object that is in contact with the touch surface of the touch panel 20 by generating vibration according to a predetermined vibration pattern. In the present embodiment, the vibration unit 50 generates vibration based on a drive signal supplied from a control unit (not shown), for example.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel unit shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the assembled touch panel unit is cut in the X-axis direction illustrated in FIG. 2. As described above, in the present embodiment, the touch panel unit is configured by adhering the panel holder 22 to the edge of the touch panel 20 by adhesion or pressure bonding. Moreover, the vibration part 50 is adhere | attached on the back surface of the touch panel 20 depending on the position which cut | disconnects a touch panel unit.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the panel holder 22 includes a concave panel receiving portion 22 a formed so that an edge portion of the touch panel 20 is fitted, a packing portion 22 c formed on the outer peripheral edge portion of the panel holder 22, and a concave shape. The panel receiving portion 22a and the packing portion 22c are connected to each other. The panel receiving part 22a is formed in a shape that allows the peripheral part of the touch panel 20 to be inserted and fitted. Further, as will be described later, it is desirable that the packing portion 22c be formed in a shape considering that the packing portion 22c is crushed to some extent when sandwiched between the support members. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the packing portion 22 c is preferably formed in a shape that is thicker than other portions such as the connecting portion 22 b of the panel holder 22. Further, the connecting portion 22b is preferably formed in a shape thinner than other portions such as the packing portion 22c of the panel holder 22 so as not to attenuate the vibration of the touch panel 20.

  In the present embodiment, the panel holder 22 made of an elastic material is formed as a separate member from the touch panel 20 as described above, and the peripheral edge of the touch panel 20 is inserted into the panel receiving portion 22a of the panel holder 22 later. Can be assembled in this way. In this case, the joint portion in which the peripheral edge portion of the touch panel 20 is fitted into the panel receiving portion 22a of the panel holder 22 is sealed with an adhesive or the like, for example. Further, for example, the panel receiving portion 22a of the panel holder 22 is shaped to be slightly smaller than the edge portion of the touch panel 20, and between the panel receiving portion 22a of the panel holder 22 and the edge portion of the touch panel 20. May be crimped. In any case, by the measures as described above, the edge portion of the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 are in close contact with each other and sealed so that moisture or the like does not enter. That is, in the present embodiment, the panel holder 22 made of an elastic material is brought into close contact with the edge portion of the touch panel 20 so that the space between the edge portion of the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 is sealed. As a result, dustproof and waterproofing measures are taken between the panel holder 22 and the touch panel 20.

  In the present embodiment, touch panel 20 and panel holder 22 are integrally formed, that is, the peripheral edge portion of touch panel 20 may be integrally formed with panel receiving portion 22a of panel holder 22 made of an elastic material. . In this way, the dustproof and waterproof effect between the touch panel 20 and the panel holder 22 can be further enhanced.

  In the touch panel unit according to the present embodiment, the panel holder 22 itself is made of an elastic material as a whole. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4, the panel holder 22 has the connection part 22b formed thinly between the panel receiving part 22a and the packing part 22c. Therefore, even in the state where the outward tension is applied to the panel holder 22 to some extent, the vibration of the touch panel 20 is reduced by the elasticity of the entire panel holder 22 and the flexibility of the connecting portion 22b.

  In the present embodiment, by making the touch panel unit into a kit in this way, the unit can be sold as a single component to a terminal manufacturer or the like. Further, by adopting the touch panel unit, it is possible to remarkably simplify the operation of attaching the components related to the touch panel when manufacturing the terminal. Furthermore, when the touch panel 20 is damaged or the like, when the touch panel 20 is replaced and repaired, it is sufficient to replace the touch panel unit, so that the labor for repair can be significantly reduced.

  Next, the details of the internal configuration of the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention will be described.

  5 and 6 are diagrams showing a cross section of the electronic apparatus 1. 5 and 6, in order to describe an example in which the electronic device 1 has a bilaterally symmetric configuration, illustration of the configuration on the right side of the electronic device 1 is omitted, and only the configuration on the left side is illustrated. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the electronic apparatus 1 is cut in the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 5 and 6, the position in the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 2 is the position of the electronic device 1 except for the vicinity of the upper end (the far end in the figure) or the lower end (the near end in the figure). It is a figure which shows the example which cut | disconnected the apparatus.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b are combined. As shown in FIG. 5, when the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b are combined, the lower side of the packing portion 22c of the panel holder 22 is inserted and sandwiched in the recess 12b of the lower housing 10b. . Further, when the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b are combined, the upper side of the packing portion 22c of the panel holder 22 is inserted into the recess 12a of the upper housing 10a so as to be sandwiched.

  In FIG. 5, a display unit 60 such as an LCD and various substrates 70 are shown inside the lower housing 10b. The display unit 60 and the substrate 70 exemplify various members. For example, the display unit 60 is used as a display unit holder 60 that supports the display unit, or the substrate 70 is used as another support member. Various members can be used. As described above, in the present embodiment, as in the case of a device provided with a general touch panel, as shown in FIG. 5, the back side of touch panel 20 (that is, the side on which the vibration unit 50 is disposed). The display unit 60 is disposed on the screen.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b are combined. As shown in FIG. 6, when the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b are combined, the upper and lower sides of the packing portion 22c of the panel holder 22 are the recess 12a of the upper housing 10a and the recess 12b of the lower housing 10b. It is crushed a little by being inserted in each. Therefore, since the packing portion 22c of the panel holder 22 made of an elastic material is sandwiched between the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b, moisture, dust, and the like do not pass therethrough, so that a dustproof and waterproof effect can be obtained. That is, even if the combination of the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b is not dustproofed or waterproofed, it can prevent dust and moisture from entering from the outside. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, it is the panel holder 22 made from an elastic material that supports the touch panel 20, and this panel holder 22 has the connection part 22b formed thinly. Therefore, when the vibration unit 50 vibrates the touch panel 20, there is no element that greatly attenuates the vibration, so that the vibration attenuation can be reduced.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, in the state after combining the upper housing | casing 10a and the lower housing | casing 10b, the lower side of the panel receiving part 22a of the panel holder 22 contact | abuts on the surface edge part of the display part 60. (Including the state of mounting). In the present embodiment, the touch panel 20 can be stabilized when the panel holder 22 is supported by the surface of the display unit 60 and the touch panel 20 is not vibrating. On the other hand, in the state where the touch panel 20 is vibrating, the vibration of the panel holder 22 can be freely moved upward by the elasticity of the entire panel holder 22 and the flexibility of the connecting portion 22b, so that vibration attenuation can be reduced. In addition, attenuation of the vibration above touch panel 20 can be reduced by forming space part S sufficient to vibrate between touch panel 20 and panel receiving part 22a, and upper case 10a. . Moreover, since the penetration of water and dust from the space S is blocked by the packing portion 22c, it is possible to ensure waterproofing and dustproofing inside.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b support the panel holder 22. In the present embodiment, the panel holder 22 includes a panel receiving portion 22a that is in close contact with the edge of the touch panel 20, a packing portion 22c that is sandwiched between the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b, and the panel receiving portion 22a and the packing. It has the connection part 22b which connects the part 22c.

  In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the panel holder 22 is integrally formed with the panel receiving portion 22a, the packing portion 22c, and the connecting portion 22b. Here, the packing portion 22c is sandwiched between the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b so that the space between the packing portion 22c and the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b is sealed. Moreover, the connection part 22b enables the touch panel 20 to vibrate by elastically connecting the panel receiving part 22a and the packing part 22c. Further, the panel receiving portion 22a is supported by contacting the display portion 60 or a display portion holder that supports the display portion 60 or the like. In the present embodiment, the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b constitute a support member. Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the panel receiving portion 22a is brought into contact with the front end portion of the display portion 60 has been described. However, a display portion holder that supports the display portion 60 is formed and the panel receiving portion 22a is displayed. You may make it contact | abut to the part holder 60. FIG.

  Next, a modification of the embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the modification of the embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the panel holder 22 is changed in the electronic device 1 according to the above-described embodiment.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6, showing a state after the upper housing 10 a and the lower housing 10 b are combined in an electronic apparatus according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

  In the modification of the embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the panel holder 22 is changed in the touch panel unit described in the above-described embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, in the modification of the embodiment of the present invention, the panel holder 22 extends below the panel receiving portion 22 a longer than the panel holder 22 described in the above embodiment, Shorten the upper side. By extending one of the upper side or the lower side of the panel receiving portion 22a longer, the area to which the touch panel 20 is bonded can be increased. For this reason, if the touch panel 20 can be firmly fixed by the part of the said area, the other of the upper side or the lower side of the panel receiving part 22a can be shortened.

  In this way, by bringing the panel receiving portion 22a of the panel holder 22 into contact with the display unit 60 or the like, the touch panel 20 can be stabilized to some extent while reducing the attenuation of vibration when the touch panel 20 is vibrated. In addition, the shape, size, strength, number of installations, and the like of the portion where the panel receiving portion 22a is brought into contact with the display portion 60 can be appropriately adjusted. Thereby, the magnitude, amplitude, type of the vibration when the touch panel 20 is vibrated, or the stability of the touch panel 20 when it is not vibrated can be adjusted as desired.

  As described above, according to the modification of the embodiment of the present invention, the touch panel 20 is not vibrated by supporting a larger area of the panel holder 22 by the surface of the display unit 60. The touch panel 20 can be further stabilized. Further, according to this modification, since the upper side of the panel receiving portion 22a is shortened, when attaching the panel holder 22 made of an elastic material to the touch panel 20 by extending the whole and slightly expanding it, the attachment work is performed. Can be easily.

  In the state where the touch panel 20 is vibrating, it can be freely moved upward by the elasticity of the entire panel holder 22 and the flexibility of the connecting portion 22b, and the attenuation of vibration can be reduced as described above. This is the same as the embodiment. Further, since the packing portion 22c of the panel holder 22 is sandwiched between the contact surface 12a of the upper housing 10a and the lower housing 10b, the crimped portion does not allow moisture or dust to pass through. Obtaining is also the same as in the above-described embodiment.

  In addition, this invention is not limited only to the said embodiment, Many deformation | transformation or a change is possible. The main feature of the present invention is that the touch panel unit is sandwiched between an upper housing and a lower housing, and dust and waterproof measures are taken without attenuating vibration. Therefore, various components other than those described in the present specification can be adopted for the components and configuration aspects that do not constitute the main features of the present invention. For example, the above-described upper housing and lower housing, the panel holder 22 and the like can have various shapes as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained.

  Further, the upper casing 10a and the lower casing 10b have been described assuming the casings constituting the main body of the electronic device. However, the housing of the present invention is not limited to the members described above, and can be various members.

  In the said embodiment, the aspect in which the upper housing | casing 10a and the lower housing | casing 10b comprise a supporting member was demonstrated. However, the support member according to the present invention may be any member as long as it is a member that supports (clamps) the packing portion 22c of the touch panel unit. Therefore, for example, an aspect in which various members such as an LCD unit, various substrates, or a bezel constitute the support member can be assumed.

  In the above embodiment, the touch panel 20 is used to detect contact with the touch surface of the touch panel 20. That is, in the above embodiment, the “touch panel 20” has been described assuming a member such as a so-called touch sensor. However, the touch panel used in the electronic device according to the present invention may be any as long as it can be touched by a contact object such as an operator's finger or stylus pen.

  For example, the touch panel used in the electronic device according to the present invention may be a member such as a simple “panel” that does not detect the position of contact of the contact object with the touch surface (that is, does not have a sensing function). In the electronic device having such a configuration, for example, by further providing a load detection unit that detects a pressing load, it is determined that the touch panel is touched when a predetermined pressing load standard is satisfied. Can do. Such a load detection unit can be configured as an arbitrary number of strain gauge sensors or the like provided on the touch panel 20.

  In the above embodiment, the touch panel 20 is used to detect contact with the touch surface of the touch panel 20. However, it is also possible to determine that contact with the touch panel 20 has been made when the load of the pressure on the touch panel 20 is detected and a predetermined standard for the pressure load is satisfied. When detecting such a load, an arbitrary number of strain gauge sensors or the like are provided on the touch panel 20, and by detecting the distortion of the touch panel 20 due to the pressure, the pressure load on the touch panel 20 is calculated from the distortion. Can be assumed.

  Various types of configurations can be assumed for the detection of such a load depending on the contact detection method in the touch panel 20. For example, in the case of the resistance film method, if a load can be detected from a change in an output signal based on a change in resistance due to a contact area, it can be configured without using a strain gauge sensor. Alternatively, in the case of the electrostatic capacity method, even when the load can be detected from the change in the output signal based on the change in the electrostatic capacity, it can be configured without using the strain gauge sensor.

  Further, the vibration unit 50 is configured using an arbitrary number of piezoelectric vibrators, is configured by providing a transparent piezoelectric element on the entire surface of the touch panel 20, or rotates the eccentric motor once in one cycle of the drive signal. Can also be configured. Furthermore, when the load detection unit and the vibration unit 50 are configured using a piezoelectric element, the load detection unit and the vibration unit may be configured by sharing the piezoelectric element. This is because the piezoelectric element generates electric power when pressure is applied and deforms when electric power is applied.

  In addition, as described above, the vibration unit 50 generates vibration by driving the piezoelectric element when a pressing load detected based on the output of the piezoelectric element that also serves as a load detection unit satisfies a predetermined standard. You can also Here, the case where the pressing load detected based on the output of the piezoelectric element satisfies the standard for presenting tactile sensation may be the time when the detected pressing load reaches a reference value for presenting tactile sensation. The detected pressing load may exceed a reference value that provides tactile sensation, or may be detected when a reference value that provides tactile sensation is detected based on the output of the piezoelectric element.

  In the above-described embodiment, the description has been made assuming the configuration in which the touch panel 20 is disposed so as to overlap the upper surface of the display unit 60. The electronic apparatus according to the present invention does not necessarily have such a configuration, and the touch panel 20 and the display unit 60 can be separated from each other. However, the configuration in which the touch panel 20 is disposed so as to overlap the upper surface of the display unit 60 allows the operator to easily recognize the correspondence between the displayed image and the generated vibration.

  In addition, the display unit 60 and the touch panel 20 in the description of the present embodiment may be configured by an integrated device, for example, by providing both functions of the display unit and the contact detection unit on a common substrate. . As an example of the configuration of the apparatus in which both functions of the display unit and the contact detection unit are integrated as described above, a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements such as photodiodes are regularly arranged in a matrix electrode array of pixel electrodes included in the liquid crystal panel. Can be mentioned. This device displays an image with a liquid crystal panel structure, while reflecting the light of a backlight for liquid crystal display at the tip of a pen that touches and inputs a desired position on the surface of the panel. The reflected light is reflected by peripheral photoelectric conversion elements. The touch position can be detected by receiving the light.

  In addition, the vibration part 50 may be comprised so that the touch panel 20 may be vibrated indirectly by vibrating an electronic device based on a vibration motor (eccentric motor) etc., and a piezoelectric element is provided in the touch panel 20. By doing so, the touch panel 20 may be configured to vibrate directly.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic device 10a Upper housing | casing 10b Lower housing | casing 20 Touch panel 22 Panel holder 22a Panel receiving part 22b Connection part 22c Packing part 50 Vibration part 60 Display part 70 Board | substrate

Claims (2)

A touch panel;
A panel holder made of an elastic material that supports the touch panel;
A display unit disposed on the back side of the touch panel;
A vibrating section for vibrating the touch panel;
An electronic device comprising a support member for supporting the panel holder,
The panel holder sandwiches the front side and the back side of the edge of the touch panel, so that only the panel holder itself, a panel receiving part that supports the touch panel, a packing part that is sandwiched only by the support member, and A connecting portion that connects the panel receiving portion and the packing portion, and the panel receiving portion is supported by contacting the display portion or a display portion holder that supports the display portion. Features electronic equipment.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the panel holder is integrally formed.

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