JPH01274325A - Touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the interruption of the line of a graphics with an input dead angle reduced by movably arranging a spacer having a given shape and dimension between electrode substrates. CONSTITUTION:A touch panel 1 is formed with a spacer 5 movably arranged between substrates 4 and 4' in which electrodes 3 and 3' are formed on insulation substrates 2 and 2'. The spacer 5 has the dimension and shape of the sphere having a mean diameter of 2-100mu, the polyhedron having a mean maximum diameter of one side of 2-100mu, or the cylinder having a mean diameter of 2-100mu aid a mean length of 20-200mu. For example, in the sphere having a mean diameter of 30mu and in which micro beads are used and randomly arranged to have a mean intervals of 2mm, the spacer is easily moved by the pressing of a stylus, and an input dead angle caused with the spacer is unrecognized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a touch panel having a configuration with few input blind spots.

<Prior Art> Conventionally, touch panels formed by forming two substrates on which electrodes are formed so that the electrodes face each other with a spacer in between have been used in various fields. Since the electrodes are arranged in a fixed manner, there is a blind spot, and it is impossible to input, that is, contact between the electrodes, even if the electrodes are pressed at the arrangement point of the spacer and in the very vicinity thereof.

These phenomena become more severe as the number of spacers is increased to prevent erroneous inputs, malfunctions, etc., and becomes a factor in preventing precise inputs.

For example, when trying to input delicate figures using a touch panel called a resistive film type voltage division type, when a part of two figures etc. overlap with the spacer arrangement part on a conventional touch panel in which a spacer is fixedly arranged, There is a drawback that input cannot be made at the location or very close to it.
There was also the problem that continuity of lines in figures etc. could not be obtained.

Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention has been made to solve these conventional problems, and is characterized by a substrate 2 on which electrodes are formed.
In the touch panel formed by forming two sheets with the electrodes facing each other with a spacer in between, the spacer is arranged to be movable by at least an external force.

As a result, when trying to input figures, etc. with a pencil, for example, when moving the pen while pressing the touch panel surface with the pen, the contact point between the electrodes on the lower surface of the pressing point will naturally also move. At this time, the spacer existing in the path is movable by at least an external force, so it is easily pushed aside and removed from the path.
Input can be made even at the spacer arrangement point and in the very vicinity thereof.

The touch panel according to the present invention can be exemplified by a resistive film voltage division type as shown in FIG. 1 or an X-Y matrix type as shown in FIG. 2, and is not particularly limited.

To explain the touch panel 1 in FIG. 1 in more detail, the insulating substrate 2
．． The substrate 4.4° with the electrode 3.3° formed on the 2°
The electrodes 3.3 are formed with a spacer 5 in between so that they face each other, and when pressed, the upper substrate 4 is deformed and the electrodes 3.3 come into contact with each other, creating a conductive state. This touch panel 1 uses resistive electrodes such as -, and is of a type that detects the pressed coordinates based on the potential gradient. This is a conductive line for applying voltage.

The touch panel 10 shown in Fig. 3 uses two substrates 4゜4'' in which tanzag-shaped electrodes 3, 3゛ are formed on insulating substrates 2, z, and the electrode 3 on one side and the electrode 3゛ on the other side are connected to each other. For example, orthogonal,
They are formed so as to face each other with a spacer 5 interposed therebetween, and the pressed coordinates are directly detected.

Such a touch panel 10 is made by removing unnecessary parts of a conductive thin film formed on the entire surface of an insulating substrate by etching or the like, and forming electrodes 3.3 degrees in the shape of a tanza. The part shown with is the printed part of the lead wire.

In the case illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, both the insulating substrate and the electrodes are formed in a transparent manner, so that they can be seen through from the top.

The spacer 5 according to the present invention is required to be free-floating, that is, not to be fixed to the substrate surface on which the electrodes are formed, and to be able to move at least by an external force. There are no particular restrictions on such a spacer as long as it has a shape, structure, etc. that allows it to move at least by an external force when used as a touch panel.

However, preferred examples include spherical particles and cylindrical particles, and there is no particular restriction on the size, but in the case of spherical particles, the average diameter is about 2 to 100%, preferably lO to 501%.
In the case of a cylindrical shape of about L, the average diameter is 2 to 100. The average length is about 20 to 200 mm, preferably the average diameter is 1.
Examples include θ~50 #L, average length of 30~100 mm, cylindrical ones are usually used horizontally, and polyhedral ones, in which case the average maximum length of one side The diameter is about 2 to 100%, preferably lO to 50%.
I can give you about 100%. The use of fine particles within such a numerical range has the advantage that even if the touch panel is transparent, it is difficult to see from the outside.

There are no particular restrictions on the distribution of spacers, and their arrangement density is a projected area ratio of 5% to the actual area of the touch panel.
0% or less, further 1% or less, preferably 0.003 to 0
．． Approximately 25% is desirable.

In this case, the actual area refers to the actual area that operates as a touch panel, and the material of the spacer.

Examples include inorganic particles such as silica, particles of glass, glass fiber, plastic, etc., and there are no particular restrictions as long as they are non-conductive. Needless to say, objects are also included.

Such a spacer may be transparent, translucent, or opaque, but as the touch panel itself is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,
In the case of a transparent material, it is preferable to use a transparent material for the spacer as well.By doing so, the spacer is difficult to see from the outside and the spacer looks good. Due to the structure of conventional fixed spacers (because it is difficult to place the spacer so small that it cannot be seen), even if a transparent body is used, the spacer is easily visible from the outside, but the present invention makes the spacer transparent, semi-transparent, etc. It is also possible to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems by selectively using the following methods. Furthermore, even if an opaque spacer is used, as long as it is minute, it will be difficult to see from the outside, and it is possible to solve the same problem as above.

There are various ways to place spacers on the touch panel and there are no particular restrictions, but when assembling the touch panel,
One example is a method of temporarily fixing one electrode on a substrate. For temporary fixation, there is a method in which a dispersion of a spacer is applied and dried, and a method in which a very weak adhesive substance with a single function, an adhesive substance, etc. is used in combination can be considered. Further, electrostatic coating and the like are also effective means.

It is desirable to arrange such spacers on the entire surface of the touch panel at a predetermined arrangement density, but it is also possible to use commonly used fixed spacers in the form of dots, lines, grids, etc. to the extent that the effect is not significantly impaired. There is nothing I can do about it.

As mentioned above, the touch panel according to the present invention is not particularly limited, and the substrate 4.4° on which the electrode 3.3° is formed is the one in which the electrode 3.3 is formed on the insulating substrate 2.2°. In this case, examples of the insulating substrate include insulating plates, glass, plastic sheets, films, etc., and there are no particular limitations.
Transparency or opacity is also free. Examples of electrodes include those formed by forming metals, metal oxides, etc. on an insulating substrate, and those formed by coating conductive paint on the substrate, and there are no particular restrictions on the shape. It may be partially formed into various shapes such as a tanzak shape, etc., and there is no particular restriction.One preferable embodiment is to use it as an electrode on a transparent plastic film, sheet, etc. used as an insulating substrate. An example is a well-known touch panel in which a transparent conductive film made of a metal such as indium-tin oxide or a metal oxide by a method such as sputtering, vapor deposition, or ion blating is used as a substrate on which electrodes are formed.

The spacing between the electrodes of such a touch panel is determined by the height of the spacer. When the height of the spacer is uniform, the spacing is uniform, and when the height of the spacer is uneven, the spacing is uneven. However, as long as there is no functional problem, either But that's fine.

The use of the touch panel of the present invention is not particularly limited and may be used in a wide range of applications as required, but for example, it may be used as a touch switch for inputting to various devices, and may be used by being placed directly on a display such as a display. There is also.

<Example 1> Thickness 17.5. A 400A thick metal thin film layer made of indium-tin oxide is formed on one side of a transparent polyethylene phthalate film 2.2° by a sputtering method, and a transparent conductive film, that is, a substrate 4.4 on which a transparent electrode is formed. Got °. One side of the substrate 4.4° 4 obtained in this way
Fine spherical microbeads made of glass and having an average diameter of 30IL were randomly arranged on the electrode side of the electrode at an arrangement density of 0.02%, and the other substrate 4 was immediately placed on top of the electrode. By assembling them by a predetermined method so that they faced each other, a resistive film type voltage division type touch panel as shown in FIG. 1 was obtained. The actual area of such a touch panel is 15 x 20 = 300
In c♂, the microbeads are randomly arranged,
Moreover, the average distance between them was 2 m, and the microbeads were not fixed and could be easily moved by pressing with a stylus. At this time, when I pressed the spacer directly above it with the stylus, the spacer moved slightly, making it possible to input data in that area, eliminating the input blind spot caused by the spacer.

Moreover, since the spacers in such a touch panel are minute, they are hardly visible from the outside.

<Example 2> The transparent conductive film obtained in Example 1 was removed by a chemical etching method except for the predetermined portions, and a transparent substrate 4 on which 7-wood and 6-wood tanzak-shaped transparent electrodes 3.3 were formed was obtained. 4, these transparent electrodes were made to face each other via a spacer so that they were perpendicular to each other, and assembled by a predetermined method to obtain an x-y matrix type touch panel as shown in FIG. The spacer used at this time was a cylindrical transparent microrod with an average rod diameter toIL and an average loft length of 70IL, placed horizontally, the arrangement density was 0.05%, and the actual area of the touch panel was 100C♂. . Note that the axial direction of the microrods was irregular. Such a microrod can be easily moved by pressing with fingers, and there is no input blind spot caused by the spacer.

Moreover, since the spacers in such a touch panel are fine and transparent, they are hardly visible from the outside.

<Effects of the Invention> The present invention has a structure in which the spacer used in the touch panel can be moved at least by an external force, so there is no blind spot due to the spacer and input can be made at any required coordinates, making it possible to perform extremely precise input. It is equipped with new functions not found in conventional touch panels, such as the ability to input data, and is expected to be in high demand in the future.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the touch panel according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A, and FIG.
The figure is a plan view showing another embodiment. 'It mouth 3 (2) /Q

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A touch panel formed by forming two substrates on which electrodes are formed so that the electrodes face each other with a spacer interposed therebetween, wherein the spacer is arranged so as to be movable by at least an external force. (2) The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is a spherical, cylindrical or polyhedral particle. (3) The size of the spacer is spherical with an average diameter of 2 to 100 μ, polyhedral with an average maximum diameter of 2 to 100 μ on one side,
Or average diameter 2-100μ and average length 20-200μ
The touch panel according to claim 1 or 2, which has a cylindrical shape made of μ.