JP7601695B2 - Display device with touch panel - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display device with a touch panel.

Conventionally, there have been display devices with touch panels that have a display panel and a touch panel, and allow various inputs by operating the touch panel in accordance with an image displayed on the display panel (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).

International Publication No. 2015/041163 JP 2020-102113 A

Incidentally, some of the above-mentioned display devices with touch panels are equipped with pressure-sensitive elements that detect the pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed. For example, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which four piezoelectric elements (pressure-sensitive elements) are arranged at the four corners of a liquid crystal panel (display panel). However, such a configuration requires many pressure-sensitive elements, which increases costs.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration equipped with a vibration element that generates vibrations (tactile sensations) in response to the operation of a touch panel. In the case of such a configuration, if the vibration of the vibration element is transmitted to the pressure-sensitive element when the touch panel is operated, there is a risk that the pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed cannot be detected properly.

The present invention has been proposed in light of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a display device with a touch panel that can efficiently and appropriately detect the pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
[1] A front case that houses a display panel and a touch panel in a stacked state;
A support plate fixed to the opposite side of the front case from the display surface;
a rear case disposed on an opposite side of the support plate from the display panel;
a vibration element fixed between the rear case and the support plate, and vibrating the front case and the support plate in an in-plane direction of the display panel relative to the rear case in response to an operation of the touch panel;
a pressure-sensitive element that detects a pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed;
the rear case has a mounting surface portion to which the pressure-sensitive element is attached, and a protrusion portion that protrudes from a surface of the mounting surface portion opposite to the surface to which the pressure-sensitive element is attached, and a tip of the protrusion portion abuts against the support plate,
A display device with a touch panel, characterized in that, when the touch panel is pressed, the pressure-sensitive element detects pressure by causing the mounting surface portion to bend and deform via the protrusion.
[2] The display device with a touch panel according to [1], wherein the mounting surface portion is formed to be thinner than the surrounding area of the mounting surface portion.
[3] The display device with a touch panel according to [1] or [2], wherein the rear case has at least a pair of slits that cut out both sides of the mounting surface.
[4] The display device with a touch panel according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the pressure-sensitive element is provided at a position overlapping with the vicinity of the center of the display panel in a plan view.
[5] The display device with a touch panel according to any one of [1] to [4], further comprising a damper mechanism that supports the front case or the support plate so as to be capable of vibrating freely in an in-plane direction of the touch panel relative to the rear case.
[6] The display device with a touch panel according to any one of [1] to [5], further comprising a cushioning material interposed between the support plate and the rear case.
[7] The display device with a touch panel according to any one of [1] to [6], further comprising a circuit board attached to the rear case and electrically connected to the vibration element via a cable.

As described above, the present invention makes it possible to provide a display device with a touch panel that can efficiently and appropriately detect the pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a touch panel-equipped display device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a perspective plan view showing a configuration of the touch panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel-equipped display device taken along line AA in FIG. 2. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an elastic displacement portion included in the touch panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the touch panel of the touch panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. 1 is pressed. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective plan view showing a modified example of the touch panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. 2 is a perspective plan view illustrating an example of an arrangement of elastic displacement parts in the touch panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. 1 .

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings used in the following description, in order to make each component easier to see, the dimensions of the components may be shown on different scales, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a display device 1 with a touch panel shown in, for example, FIGS. 1 to 5 will be described.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the touch panel-equipped display device 1. Fig. 2 is a see-through plan view showing the configuration of the touch panel-equipped display device 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel-equipped display device 1 taken along line segment A-A shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an elastic displacement section 14 included in the touch panel-equipped display device 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the touch panel 3 of the touch panel-equipped display device 1 is pressed.

In addition, in the drawings shown below, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set, and the X-axis direction is the longitudinal direction (length direction) in the horizontal plane of the display device with touch panel 1, the Y-axis direction is the lateral direction (width direction) in the horizontal plane of the display device with touch panel 1, and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction (height direction) perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the display device with touch panel 1.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the display device with a touch panel 1 of this embodiment includes a display panel 2, a touch panel 3, a front case 4, a rear case 5, a vibration element 6, a control board 7, and a damper mechanism 8.

The display panel 2 displays an image. In this embodiment, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD) is used as the display panel 2. Note that, in addition to the above-mentioned liquid crystal display panel, for example, an organic electroluminescence (EL) display panel (OLED) can also be used as the display panel 2. The display panel 2 is generally in the shape of a rectangular flat plate, and is attached to the front side of the front case 4 by a hook structure, screws, or the like.

In the touch panel display device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the image displayed on the display panel 2 can be viewed from the positive side of the Z axis. In other words, the touch panel display device 1 has a display surface on the positive side of the Z axis.

The touch panel 3 allows various inputs to be made by operating the screen in accordance with the image displayed on the display panel 2. In this embodiment, for example, a capacitive touch panel (CTP) is used as the touch panel 3. Note that, in addition to the above-mentioned capacitive touch panel, other types of touch panel, such as a resistive film type, can also be used.

The touch panel 3 is generally rectangular and flat, and has a larger outer shape than the display panel 2. The touch panel 3 is attached to the front side of the front case 4 via an adhesive 10 such as double-sided tape, with the display panel 2 and the touch panel 3 overlapping the display surface side via a cushioning material 9.

The front case 4, together with the rear case 5, constitutes the main body case 11, and is made of a resin molded body such as plastic. The front case 4 is formed into a generally rectangular frame shape as a whole to accommodate the display panel 2 and touch panel 3, which are stacked on top of each other.

The rear case 5, together with the front case 4, constitutes the main case 11, and is made of a resin molded body such as plastic. The rear case 5 is formed into a generally rectangular box shape so that it can be combined with the front case 4 as a single unit. The rear case 5 also has a smaller outer shape than the front case 4, and can be fitted into the inside of the front case 4 from the rear side of the front case 4.

In this embodiment, the front case 4 and the rear case 5 are made of, for example, ABS resin or a mixed resin material of ABS resin and PC resin, but the materials are not necessarily limited to these.

The vibration element 6 vibrates the front case 4 in response to the operation of the touch panel 3, and may be, for example, a linear resonant actuator (LRA), a voice coil motor (VCM), a piezoelectric element, or an eccentric motor (ERM).

The vibration element 6 is attached to the side opposite the display surface of the front case 4, i.e., the rear side of the front case 4, via a support plate 12. The support plate 12 is made of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel (SUS), aluminum, or a nickel alloy, or a resin, and is formed into a generally rectangular flat plate shape so as to cover the rear side of the front case 4.

The support plate 12 is attached to the rear side of the front case 4 by screws or the like. The rear case 5 is disposed on the opposite side of the support plate 12 from the display panel 2. The vibration element 6 is attached near the center of the rear side of the support plate 12 (at a position that overlaps with near the center of the display panel 2 in a plan view). An opening 5a is provided in approximately the center of the rear case 5, surrounding the periphery of the vibration element 6 attached to the support plate 12. In this embodiment, the vibration element 6 vibrates in the longitudinal direction of the touch panel-equipped display device 1.

The control board 7 is a circuit board provided with a drive circuit that controls the drive of the vibration elements 6. The control board 7 is attached to the rear case 5 by screws or the like. The control board 7 is also electrically connected to the vibration elements 6 via cables 13a.

The damper mechanism 8 is interposed between the front case 4 and the rear case 5, and supports the front case 4 relative to the rear case 5 so that the front case 4 can vibrate freely in the in-plane direction of the touch panel 3. In this embodiment, two damper mechanisms 8 are provided on both sides of the longitudinal direction of the touch panel-equipped display device 1, sandwiching the vibration element 6, within the horizontal plane of the touch panel-equipped display device 1.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the damper mechanism 8 has an elastic displacement part 14 provided on the rear case 5, a first fixed part 15 fixed to the support plate 12, and a second fixed part 16 fixed to the elastic displacement part 14.

The elastic displacement portion 14 has a fixed piece 14a on which the second fixed portion 16 is provided, and a pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c extending in opposite directions (in this embodiment, in the short direction of the display device 1 with a touch panel) from both sides of the fixed piece 14a.

The fixed piece 14a has a flat plate shape parallel to the in-plane direction of the rear case 5. In this embodiment, the fixed piece 14a has a circular plate shape or an oval plate shape that is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the touch panel-equipped display device 1.

The pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c have a flat plate shape perpendicular to the in-plane direction of the rear case 5. In this embodiment, the elastic pieces 14b, 14c have a long plate shape extending along the short side direction of the display device 1 with a touch panel. In other words, the pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c have a flat plate shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the display device 1 with a touch panel, which is the vibration direction of the vibration element 6.

The elastic displacement part 14 is provided in a state of being suspended inside the opening 5b provided in the rear case 5. In other words, the elastic displacement part 14 is formed integrally with the rear case 5. The opening 5b opens in a rectangular shape so as to surround the periphery of the elastic displacement part 14. The elastic displacement part 14 is provided in a state of being suspended inside the opening 5b by connecting one end side of the elastic pieces 14b and 14c to the fixed piece 14a and connecting the other end side of the elastic pieces 14b and 14c to the rear case 5 that forms the opening 5b.

As a result, the elastic displacement section 14 utilizes the flexural deformation of the pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c to elastically displace the fixed piece 14a connected to the pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c in the in-plane direction of the rear case 5 (in this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the display device 1 with a touch panel).

In addition, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, the above-mentioned elastic displacement portion 14 is formed integrally with the rear case 5, which makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the touch panel-equipped display device 1.

The elastic displacement portion 14 is not necessarily limited to being formed integrally with the rear case 5 described above, but may be formed separately from the rear case 5 and suspended inside the opening 5b of the rear case 5. In this case, the elastic displacement portion 14 may be made of a material different from that of the rear case 5 described above.

The first fixing part 15 has a base part 15a that protrudes from a position opposite the fixing piece 14a of the support plate 12 toward the rear case 5, and a screw hole 15b formed in the base part 15a. On the other hand, the second fixing part 16 has a through hole 16a that passes through the fixing piece 14a. In the damper mechanism 8, the first fixing part 15 and the second fixing part 16 are fixed together by threading a screw 17, which is a fixing tool, into the screw hole 15b through the through hole 16a.

The touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment also includes at least one or more (six in this embodiment) cushioning materials 18 interposed between the support plate 12 and the rear case 5. The cushioning materials 18 can be appropriately selected from materials capable of absorbing vibrations, such as the cushioning material 9 described above. The cushioning materials 18 are appropriately positioned in the area where the support plate 12 and the rear case 5 overlap while being sandwiched between the support plate 12 and the rear case 5. This makes it possible to suppress vibrations transmitted from the support plate 12 to the rear case 5 and to prevent resonance.

In the display device with a touch panel 1 of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration, the damper mechanism 8 interposed between the support plate 12 and the rear case 5 supports the front case 4 relative to the rear case 5 so that it can vibrate freely in the in-plane direction of the touch panel 3 (in this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the display device with a touch panel 1).

This makes it possible to suppress vibrations transmitted from the front case 4, which is the movable side to which the vibration element 6 is attached, to the rear case 5, which is the fixed side to which the control board 7 is attached. It is also possible to prevent the control board 7 and other components from being adversely affected by vibrations transmitted from the vibration element 6.

In addition, in the display device with a touch panel 1 of this embodiment, the front case 4 is vibrated in the in-plane direction of the touch panel 3 relative to the rear case 5 described above, so that the vibration from the vibration element 6 can be transmitted efficiently and uniformly to the front case 4. This makes it possible to use a vibration element 6 that is smaller than conventional ones.

As described above, the display device 1 with a touch panel of this embodiment can efficiently transmit vibrations from the vibration element 6 in response to the operation of the touch panel 3, and can also suppress vibrations transmitted from the front case 4 to the rear case 5.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a pressure-sensitive element 20 that detects the pressure applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed.

The pressure-sensitive element 20 is, for example, a piezoelectric element, and is attached near the center of the rear side of the rear case 5 (at a position that overlaps with the center of the display panel 2 in a plan view). The pressure-sensitive element 20 is electrically connected to the control board 7 via a cable 13b.

The rear case 5 has a mounting surface 21 on which the pressure-sensitive element 20 is attached, a pair of slits 22 that cut out both sides of the mounting surface 21, and a protrusion 23 that protrudes from the surface (front) of the mounting surface 21 opposite the surface (rear) on which the pressure-sensitive element 20 is attached, and whose tip abuts against the support plate 12.

The mounting surface portion 21 is formed to be thinner than the surrounding area of the mounting surface portion 21. The pair of slits 22 are formed by cutting out both sides of the mounting surface portion 21 in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion portion 23 protrudes cylindrically from a position that overlaps with the approximate center of the pressure-sensitive element 20 in a plan view toward the support plate 12, and has a rounded spherical tip.

In the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment having the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, when the touch panel 3 is pressed, the mounting surface portion 21 can be flexed and deformed via the protrusion portion 23.

In other words, in this display device with touch panel 1, the support plate 12 is displaced toward the rear case 5 according to the amount of pressure (pressing amount) applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed, and the mounting surface portion 21 can be flexed and deformed via the protrusion portion 23 that is in contact with the support plate 12.

The mounting surface portion 21 is made thinner than the surrounding area, making it easier to bend. In addition, the mounting surface portion 21 can be made even easier to bend by providing a pair of slits 22 on both sides of the mounting surface portion 21.

As a result, in the display device 1 with a touch panel of this embodiment, the pressure-sensitive element 20 generates an electromotive force corresponding to the flexural deformation of the mounting surface portion 21, making it possible to detect the pressure (amount of pressure) applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed.

Therefore, in the display device 1 with a touch panel of this embodiment, when the touch panel 3 is pressed in accordance with the image displayed on the display panel 2 described above, various inputs can be made according to the pressure (amount of pressing).

As described above, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, the pressure applied when the above-mentioned touch panel 3 is pressed can be efficiently detected by a single pressure-sensitive element 20.

In addition, in the display device 1 with a touch panel of this embodiment, only the tips of the protrusions 23 mentioned above are in contact with the support plate 12, so the contact area with the support plate 12 is reduced, and the vibration of the vibration element 6 is less likely to be transmitted to the pressure-sensitive element 20 when the touch panel 3 is operated. Note that the protrusions 23 are not limited to being in constant contact with the support plate 12, and can also be configured to come into contact with the support plate 12 immediately after the touch panel 3 is operated.

As a result, in the display device 1 with a touch panel of this embodiment, the pressure-sensitive element 20 can properly detect the pressure applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed, without being affected by the vibration of the vibration element 6.

The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Specifically, the touch panel-equipped display device 1 is configured to have the above-mentioned pair of slits 22, but may have a configuration in which a further slit 22 is added to cut between one end sides of the pair of slits 22, as shown in Fig. 6 for example. In other words, three slits 22 may be provided so as to be positioned on three sides of a rectangle surrounding the periphery of the pressure-sensitive element 20.

In addition, in the above-mentioned touch panel-equipped display device 1, a configuration in which the above-mentioned two damper mechanisms 8 are arranged is exemplified, but it is possible to arrange at least one damper mechanism 8 or multiple damper mechanisms 8.

For example, FIG. 7 shows a configuration in which four damper mechanisms 8 are arranged in the above-mentioned touch panel-equipped display device 1. In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the four damper mechanisms 8 are arranged in the horizontal plane of the touch panel-equipped display device 1 so as to be located at the center of each side of a rectangle that surrounds the vibration element 6 and pressure-sensitive element 20 arranged near the center.

The applications of the above-mentioned display device with touch panel 1 are not particularly limited, and the display device with touch panel 1 can be used widely for applicable applications such as touch operation panels of office automation equipment such as copiers (multifunction machines) and printers, and touch operation panels mounted on vehicles.

1...Display device with touch panel 2...Display panel 3...Touch panel 4...Front case 5...Rear case 5b...Opening 6...Vibration element 7...Control board 8...Damper mechanism 9...Cushioning material 10...Adhesive 11...Main case 12...Support plate 13a, 13b...Cable 14...Elastic displacement part 14a...Fixed piece 14b, 14c...Elastic piece 15...First fixed part 16...Second fixed part 17...Screw (fixing device) 18...Cushioning material 20...Pressure-sensitive element 21...Mounting surface 22...Slit 23...Protrusion

Claims (7)

a front case that houses the display panel and the touch panel in a state where they are overlapped with each other;
A support plate fixed to the opposite side of the front case from the display surface;
a rear case disposed on an opposite side of the support plate from the display panel;
a vibration element fixed between the rear case and the support plate, and vibrating the front case and the support plate in an in-plane direction of the display panel relative to the rear case in response to an operation of the touch panel;
a pressure-sensitive element that detects a pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed;
the rear case has a mounting surface portion to which the pressure-sensitive element is attached, and a protrusion portion that protrudes from a surface of the mounting surface portion opposite to the surface to which the pressure-sensitive element is attached, and a tip of the protrusion portion abuts against the support plate,
A display device with a touch panel, characterized in that, when the touch panel is pressed, the pressure-sensitive element detects pressure by causing the mounting surface portion to bend and deform via the protrusion. The display device with a touch panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting surface is formed to be thinner than the surrounding area of the mounting surface. The display device with a touch panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rear case has at least a pair of slits that cut out both sides of the mounting surface. The display device with a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pressure-sensitive element is provided at a position overlapping with the vicinity of the center of the display panel in a plan view. The display device with a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is provided with a damper mechanism that supports the front case or the support plate so that it can vibrate freely in the in-plane direction of the touch panel relative to the rear case. The display device with a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a cushioning material interposed between the support plate and the rear case. The display device with a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a circuit board attached to the rear case and electrically connected to the vibration element via a cable.

Images