Touchpad module

By introducing air layer and specific adhesive layer structure into the touch panel module, problems such as uneven brightness and side light leakage are solved, and higher light output brightness and uniformity are achieved, and appearance taste is improved.

CN115686251BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-12CHICONY POWER TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202110938228.5
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-07-26
Filing Date
2021-08-16
Publication Date
2025-08-12
Estimated Expiration
2041-08-16

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The touchpad module has problems such as too low brightness, uneven brightness, and light leakage on the sides or black edges, which affects the appearance taste.

Method used

A combined structure of a light guide plate, a circuit board, a light source, a reflective layer, a film, a touch substrate, a cover plate and a low-transmitting layer are adopted. By setting an air layer between the film and the light guide plate and using an adhesive layer between the second end side of the film and the reflecting layer, the low-transmitting layer is prevented from directly contacting the light guide plate, and the utilization rate of light and light output uniformity are improved.

Benefits of technology

It improves the light output brightness and light output uniformity of the touchpad module, improves the side light leakage and black edge problems, and improves the appearance taste.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention provides a touch panel module, which includes a light guide plate, a circuit board, a light source, a reflective layer, a film, a touch substrate, a cover plate and a low light transmittance layer. The circuit board is arranged on one side of the bottom surface of the light guide plate, overlaps the light guide plate and protrudes from the light incident surface of the light guide plate. The light source is arranged on one side of the light incident surface of the light guide plate. The reflective layer is located between the light guide plate and the circuit board. The film is overlapped and arranged on the light emitting surface, the far light surface and the bottom surface of the light guide plate. The film has a first end side and a second end side opposite to each other. The first end side is fixed to the side edge area of the light emitting surface connected to the light incident surface via a connecting member, and the second end side is fixed to the reflective layer. The touch substrate is located on one side of the bottom surface of the light guide plate. The cover plate is located on one side of the light emitting surface of the light guide plate. The film is located between the cover plate and the light guide plate. The low light transmittance layer is located on the side of the cover plate facing the light guide plate.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a touch panel module with moderate brightness and good uniformity, and can improve problems such as light leakage and black edges on the side of the touch panel module. Background Art

[0002] With the development and widespread application of electronic technology, many people rely on various input devices for data input or manipulation. Touchpads, due to their compact size and ease of operation, are frequently used in electronic products, such as laptop mouse pads, drawing tablets, and even touchpads with display functions.

[0003] Generally speaking, the cover plate is directly bonded to the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate (LGP) with a translucent adhesive layer. However, unlike a typical touch display panel, the back of the touchpad's glass cover plate is usually printed with a semi-translucent ink layer. Because the translucent adhesive layer and the light guide plate have similar refractive indices, light is easily absorbed by the semi-translucent ink layer when it is transmitted laterally between the light guide plate and the translucent adhesive layer, resulting in a low light output from the touchpad. In addition, while the touchpad module with an edge-lit backlight assembly has a lighter and thinner appearance, it is prone to uneven touchpad brightness, light leakage from the sides, or black edges, resulting in a poor appearance and affecting the consumer experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention is directed to a touch panel module with moderate brightness and good uniformity, and can improve problems such as light leakage and black edges on the sides of the touch panel module.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a touch panel module includes: a light guide plate, a circuit board, a light source, a reflective layer, a film, a touch panel substrate, a cover plate, and a low-light-transmittance layer. The light guide plate has a light-emitting surface, a bottom surface, a light-incident surface, and a far-light surface. The light-emitting surface connects the light-incident surface and the far-light surface and is arranged opposite the bottom surface. The circuit board is arranged on one side of the bottom surface of the light guide plate and has a base and an extension. The base overlaps the light guide plate. The extension is connected to the base and protrudes beyond the light-incident surface. The light source is arranged on the extension and is located on one side of the light-incident surface of the light guide plate. The reflective layer is arranged on one side of the bottom surface of the light guide plate and is located between the light guide plate and the base of the circuit board. The film is arranged to overlap the light-emitting surface, the far-light surface, and the bottom surface. The film has a first end side and a second end side opposite to each other. The first end side is fixed to the side edge area where the light-emitting surface connects to the light-incident surface via a connector, and the second end side is fixed to the reflective layer. The touch panel substrate is located on one side of the bottom surface of the light guide plate. The film is located between the touch panel substrate and the light guide plate. The cover plate is arranged on one side of the light emitting surface of the light guide plate. The film is located between the cover plate and the light guide plate. The low light transmittance layer is arranged on the side of the cover plate facing the light guide plate.

[0006] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, an air layer is provided between the film and the light emitting surface.

[0007] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, the maximum height of the air layer along the first direction is equal to the thickness of the connecting member along the first direction.

[0008] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, the height of the air layer along the normal direction of the light emitting surface decreases as it moves away from the connecting member.

[0009] In the touch panel module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the light source is adapted to emit light toward the light incident surface. The light is transmitted through the light guide plate in a direction away from the light source and is emitted from the light emitting surface toward the cover plate.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the touch panel module further includes a light shielding plate, which is disposed on a side of the film facing away from the light guide plate and covers the side edge area of the light emitting surface and the light source.

[0011] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, the cover plate is attached to the film via a light-transmitting adhesive layer, and the connecting member is a light-opaque adhesive layer.

[0012] In the touch panel module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the second end of the film is fixed to the reflective layer via an adhesive layer having a plurality of adhesive patterns and a plurality of gaps disposed between at least a portion of the adhesive patterns.

[0013] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of gaps are a plurality of interconnected grooves, and one of the grooves is disposed between any two adjacent adhesive patterns.

[0014] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of gaps are a plurality of notches, and any two adjacent ones of at least a portion of the plurality of adhesive patterns are partially connected to form one of the notches.

[0015] In a touchpad module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the light guide plate further includes a first side surface and a second side surface. The first side surface and the second side surface are disposed opposite each other and are respectively connected to the light incident surface, the light exit surface, the far light surface, and the bottom surface. The film further includes a first side wing and a second side wing. The first side wing and the second side wing are respectively disposed overlappingly on the first side surface and the second side surface of the light guide plate and are fixed to the reflective layer.

[0016] In the touch panel module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second side wings of the film are fixed to the reflective layer via an adhesive layer having a plurality of adhesive patterns and a plurality of gaps disposed between the adhesive patterns.

[0017] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of gaps are a plurality of interconnected grooves, and one of the grooves is disposed between any two adjacent adhesive patterns.

[0018] In a touchpad module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of gaps are formed as a plurality of notches, and any two adjacent portions of at least a portion of the plurality of adhesive patterns are partially connected to form one of the notches. In one embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive layer of the touchpad module is divided into a first portion and a second portion, each separated from the other, and the first wing and the second wing are respectively secured to the reflective layer via the first portion and the second portion.

[0019] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, the low light transmittance layer is disposed on the surface of the cover plate facing the film.

[0020] In the touch panel module according to the embodiment of the present invention, the second end side of the film is fixed to the reflective layer via the adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer entirely covers the second end side.

[0021] Based on the above, in a touchpad module according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first end of the film is affixed via a connector to the side edge of the light guide plate's light-emitting surface, where it connects to the light-incoming surface. The second end of the film is affixed to the reflective layer on the bottom side of the light guide plate. This film prevents the low-transmittance layer between the light guide plate and the cover plate from directly contacting the light guide plate, thereby resolving the issue of light energy loss due to absorption by the low-transmittance layer during light transmission within the light guide plate. In other words, the overall brightness and uniformity of the light emitted from the light source on the light guide plate's light-emitting surface are increased, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the touchpad module.

[0022] In order to make the present invention more clearly understood, embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch panel module according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic top view of a touchpad module;

[0025] Figure 3A yes Figure 1 A bottom-view schematic diagram of a touchpad module;

[0026] Figure 3B yes Figure 3A A bottom view schematically illustrating another embodiment of the adhesive layer;

[0027] Figure 4A and Figure 4B yes Figure 3ASchematic bottom views of other modified embodiments of the touchpad module;

[0028] Figure 5 is a schematic top view of a touch panel module according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A bottom-view schematic diagram of a touchpad module;

[0030] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A bottom view schematically showing another modified embodiment of the touchpad module;

[0031] Figure 8 is a bottom view schematic diagram of a touch panel module according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 9 is a bottom view schematic diagram of a touch panel module according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch panel module according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Description of Reference Numerals

[0035] 100, 100', 100", 100a, 100a', 100b, 100c, 100d: touch panel module;

[0036] 10: Light guide plate;

[0037] 10a: light incident surface;

[0038] 10b: light-emitting surface;

[0039] 10c: high beam side;

[0040] 10d: bottom surface;

[0041] 10S1, 10S2: side view;

[0042] 20: circuit board;

[0043] 20b: base;

[0044] 20e: extension;

[0045] 30: light source;

[0046] 40: reflective layer;

[0047] 50, 50A, 50B, 50C: film;

[0048] 50s, 60s: surface;

[0049] 51: first end side;

[0050] 52, 52A, 52B, 52C: second end side;

[0051] 50S1a, 50S1b, 50S1c: first wing;

[0052] 50S2a, 50S2b, 50S2c: second wing;

[0053] 60: cover plate;

[0054] 70: low light transmittance layer;

[0055] 81, 82: light-transmitting adhesive layer;

[0056] 90, 90", 90A, 90B, 90C, 90D, 90E, 90F: adhesive layer;

[0057] 90C1, 90D1, 90E1, 90F1, 90C2, 90D2, 90E2, 90F2, 90C3, 90D3, 90E3, 90F3: part;

[0058] 150: touch substrate;

[0059] AL: air layer;

[0060] BL: shading board;

[0061] C: Connector;

[0062] G, G1, G2, G3: gap;

[0063] H: height;

[0064] L: light;

[0065] N, N': gap;

[0066] P, P′, P”: adhesion pattern;

[0067] t: thickness;

[0068] X, Y, Z: direction;

[0069] A-A': section line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0071] The present invention will be understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, for ease of understanding and clarity, certain elements in the various figures herein are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, the number and dimensions of elements in the figures are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. For example, the relative sizes, thicknesses, and positions of various layers, regions, and / or structures may be reduced or exaggerated for clarity.

[0072] The directional terms mentioned herein, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," "right," etc., are only used with reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustration and not for limitation of the present disclosure. It should be understood that when an element or film layer is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element or film layer, the element or film layer may be directly on or directly connected to the other element or film layer, or there may be an intervening element or film layer between the two (indirect case). Conversely, when an element or film layer is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element or film layer, there may be no intervening element or film layer between the two.

[0073] In the following embodiments, the same or similar elements will be denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and their redundant description will be omitted. In addition, the features in different embodiments may be mixed and matched as desired, as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with each other, and simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with this specification or claims are still within the scope of this disclosure. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" mentioned in this specification or claims are only used to name different elements or distinguish different embodiments or scopes, and are not used to limit the upper or lower limit on the number of elements, nor are they used to limit the manufacturing order or arrangement order of the elements.

[0074] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch panel module according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a top view of the touchpad module. Figure 1 Corresponding to Figure 2 Section line A-A'. Figure 3A yes Figure 1 A bottom view of the touchpad module. Figure 3B yes Figure 3A A bottom view of another embodiment of the adhesive layer. Figure 4A and Figure 4B yes Figure 3A Schematic bottom view of other modified embodiments of the touch panel module. For the sake of clarity, Figure 2 Only show Figure 1 The light guide plate 10, the circuit board 20, the light source 30 and the film 50, and Figure 3A Omitted Figure 1 The touch substrate 150 is shown.

[0075] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The touchpad module 100 includes a light guide plate 10, a circuit board 20, a light source 30, and a reflective layer 40. The light guide plate 10 has a light incident surface 10a, a light emitting surface 10b, a far-beam surface 10c, and a bottom surface 10d. The light emitting surface 10b connects the light incident surface 10a and the far-beam surface 10c and is disposed opposite the bottom surface 10d. The material of the light guide plate 10 includes, but is not limited to, polymethacrylate, polyolefin, or polycarbonate.

[0076] The circuit board 20 is disposed on one side of the bottom surface 10d of the light guide plate 10 and includes a base portion 20b and an extension portion 20e. The extension portion 20e is connected to the base portion 20b and protrudes beyond the light incident surface 10a of the light guide plate 10. For example, the circuit board 20 may be a printed circuit board (PCB), a metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB), a flexible printed circuit board (flexible PCB), or other suitable circuit boards.

[0077] The light source 30 is disposed on the extension portion 20e of the circuit board 20 and is located on one side of the light incident surface 10a of the light guide plate 10. The light source 30 is adapted to emit light L toward the light incident surface 10a of the light guide plate 10. This light L is transmitted through the light guide plate 10 in a direction away from the light source 30 and is emitted from the light emitting surface 10b of the light guide plate 10. In this embodiment, the light source 30 may be a combination of multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs), such as, but not limited to, sub-millimeter light emitting diodes (miniLEDs) or micro LEDs. In other embodiments, the light source 30 may also be a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL).

[0078] In this embodiment, the reflective layer 40 is disposed on one side of the bottom surface 10d of the light guide plate 10 and is located between the light guide plate 10 and the base 20b of the circuit board 20. More specifically, the reflective layer 40 is adhered to the bottom surface 10d of the light guide plate 10 via a transparent adhesive layer 81. The material of the transparent adhesive layer 81 includes, for example, optical clear adhesive (OCA), optical clear resin (OCR), or other suitable optical-grade adhesive materials. Since part of the light L emitted by the light source 30 will be emitted through the bottom surface 10d of the light guide plate 10 during the transmission process within the light guide plate 10, resulting in light energy loss, the provision of the reflective layer 40 can reflect this light L back to the light guide plate 10, thereby improving the light energy utilization efficiency of the touch panel module 100.

[0079] On the other hand, the base portion 20b of the circuit board 20 overlaps the light guide plate 10 along the normal direction (e.g., direction Z) of the light-emitting surface 10b. For example, the circuit board 20 may be secured to the surface of the reflective layer 40 facing away from the light guide plate 10 via an adhesive (not shown) disposed on the surface of the base portion 20b, but this is not limiting. In other embodiments, the securing relationship between the circuit board 20 and the reflective layer 40 (or light guide plate 10) may also be achieved using other suitable fasteners.

[0080] Furthermore, the touchpad module 100 further includes a film 50 and a cover plate 60. The film 50 is disposed overlapping the light-emitting surface 10b, the distal light surface 10c, and the bottom surface 10d of the light guide plate 10 and has opposing first and second ends 51 and 52. The first end 51 of the film 50 is secured to the side edge of the light-emitting surface 10b connected to the light-incident surface 10a of the light guide plate 10 via a connector C, and the second end 52 of the film 50 is secured to the reflective layer 40 via an adhesive layer 90. The film 50 is made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), or other suitable, light-transmitting, flexible substrate.

[0081] Of particular note is the presence of an air layer AL between the film 50 and the light-emitting surface 10b of the light guide plate 10. The height H of this air layer AL along the normal direction (e.g., direction Z) to the light-emitting surface 10b decreases as it moves away from the connector C. For example, the film 50 may rest against the distal light-emitting surface 10c of the light guide plate 10, with its two end sides stretched away from the distal light-emitting surface 10c. This allows the orthographic projection of the air layer AL between the film 50 and the light-emitting surface 10b of the light guide plate 10 on the YZ plane to present a wedge-shaped profile. From another perspective, the thickness t of the connector C along direction Z can define the maximum height H of the air layer AL. That is, the maximum value (i.e., the maximum height) of the height H of the air layer AL can be equal to the thickness t of the connector C.

[0082] The cover plate 60 is arranged on one side of the light emitting surface 10b of the light guide plate 10, and the film 50 is located between the cover plate 60 and the light guide plate 10. It is particularly noteworthy that the cover plate 60 is adhered to the film 50 via a transparent adhesive layer 82. Since the substrate material of the cover plate 60 generally has a certain stiffness, such as glass, quartz, or other suitable polymers (such as polycarbonate), the surface flatness of the portion of the film 50 overlapping the light emitting surface 10b of the light guide plate 10 can be increased through the adhesion relationship between the cover plate 60 and the film 50. In other words, wrinkles on the surface of the air layer AL defined by the thin film 50 can be avoided, thereby affecting the touch sensing function and the overall appearance (such as optical water ripples). However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the material of the cover plate 60 can also be a polyester material, such as Mylar. In this embodiment, the material of the light-transmitting adhesive layer 82 includes, for example, optical clear adhesive (OCA), optical clear resin (OCR), or other suitable optical-grade adhesive materials.

[0083] To enhance the concealment of components on the back side of the cover plate 60 (e.g., the reflective layer 40), the touchpad module 100 further includes a low-light-transmittance layer 70 on the side of the cover plate 60 facing the light guide plate 10. The low-light-transmittance layer 70 is located between the light guide plate 10 and the cover plate 60. In this embodiment, the low-light-transmittance layer 70 can be selectively disposed on the surface 60s of the cover plate 60 facing the film 50, but is not limited thereto. For example, the low-light-transmittance layer 70 can be directly printed on the surface 60s of the cover plate 60 using translucent ink.

[0084] Because the refractive index of the transparent adhesive layer 82 is comparable to that of the light guide plate 10, if the cover plate 60, having the low-transmittance layer 70 printed on its back side, is directly attached to the light-emitting surface 10b of the light guide plate 10 via the transparent adhesive layer 82, the number of total reflections of the light L on the side of the light guide plate 10 near the light-emitting surface 10b will be reduced, resulting in uneven brightness of the light emitted by the light source 30 at the light-emitting surface 10b of the light guide plate 10. Furthermore, because the low-transmittance layer 70 has certain light-absorbing properties, when some light L passes through this low-transmittance layer 70 during lateral transmission within the light guide plate 10, light energy loss will occur.

[0085] Therefore, in this embodiment, by increasing the difference between the refractive index of the air layer AL separated by the film 50 and the light guide plate 10 and the refractive index of the light guide plate 10, the probability of the light L emitted by the light source 30 being emitted from the light guide plate 10 and irradiating the low-transmittance layer 70 during the lateral transmission process can be reduced, thereby improving the total light output brightness and light output uniformity of the light source 30 at the light output surface 10b of the light guide plate 10.

[0086] On the other hand, the film 50 of this embodiment extends from the light-emitting surface 10b of the light guide plate 10 through the distal surface 10c to the bottom surface 10d of the light guide plate 10. In other words, the distal surface 10c of the light guide plate 10 is covered by the folded film 50. This improves the black edge problem caused by adhesive overflow around the light guide plate or defects in the cutting of the light guide plate, and reduces light leakage from the distal surface 10c of the light guide plate 10.

[0087] Please also refer to Figure 3A An adhesive layer 90 connects the second end 52 of the film 50 and the reflective layer 40. The adhesive layer 90 may have multiple adhesive patterns P, with multiple gaps G defined between the adhesive patterns P. These gaps G are interconnected to form a plurality of slots. These slots serve as vents for the adhesive layer 90 during attachment of the second end 52 of the film 50 to the reflective layer 40, preventing the formation of bubbles between the adhesive layer 90 and the reflective layer 40 (or the second end 52 of the film 50). In other words, the flatness of the touchpad module 100 can be increased to meet the integration requirements of various applications.

[0088] However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In another variant embodiment, the plurality of adhesive patterns P' of the adhesive layer 90A of the touch panel module 100' may be connected to each other along the direction X (or direction Y) to form a plurality of notches N, and these notches N are connected to each other to form an exhaust channel (e.g., Figure 4A In another variant embodiment, the plurality of adhesive patterns P" of the adhesive layer 90B of the touch panel module 100" are connected to each other along the direction X and the direction Y to form a plurality of notches N', and these notches N' are separated from each other (as shown in FIG. Figure 4B shown).

[0089] For example, Figure 4A Adhesive layer 90A and Figure 4B The steps for forming the adhesive layer 90B may include applying adhesive material to the reflective layer 40 in a dot-like manner, causing the adhesive material to be squeezed and spread during the attachment of the second end 52 of the film 50 to the reflective layer 40, and curing to form the aforementioned adhesive layer 90A or adhesive layer 90B. It should be noted that the configuration and distribution of the notches in the adhesive layer may depend on the spacing between the adhesive dots, the amount of adhesive droplets, and the pressing force applied when the film 50 and the reflective layer 40 are attached. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the details disclosed in the accompanying drawings.

[0090] In another variant embodiment, the adhesive layer 90" of the touch panel module 100e can cover the entire second end side 52 of the film 50 (eg, Figure 3B As shown). That is, the adhesive layer 90" may not have Figure 3AMultiple gaps G and Figure 4A (or Figure 4B ) gap N.

[0091] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 , the touchpad module 100 further includes a light shielding plate BL, which is used to fix the first end side 51 of the film 50 between the connector C and the light shielding plate BL. The material of the connector C can be a light-proof adhesive layer, and is arranged at the side edge area where the light emitting surface 10b connects to the light incident surface 10a. The light shielding plate BL is arranged on the side of the film 50 away from the light guide plate 10, and covers the side edge area of the light emitting surface 10b and the light source 30. The light-proof connector C and the light shielding plate BL can be used to block the light from the light source 30 that does not enter the light incident surface 10a, or to block the light that is not easily fully reflected due to the small incident angle on the light guide plate 10 and is directly emitted from the side edge area of the light incident surface 10a, thereby solving the problem of excessive brightness of the light guide plate 10 on the side of the light incident surface 10a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. According to other embodiments, the connector C can also be formed by a light-transmitting adhesive material.

[0092] In this embodiment, the touchpad module 100 further includes a touch substrate 150 disposed on one side of the bottom surface 10d of the light guide plate 10. A film 50 is positioned between the touch substrate 150 and the light guide plate 10. For example, a touch sensing layer (not shown) is provided on the touch substrate 150 to detect user touch actions. This touch sensing layer can be implemented using any touch sensing layer commonly known in the art (e.g., a resistive, self-capacitive, or mutual-capacitive touch sensing layer) for touch sensing substrates, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0093] The following will list some other embodiments to illustrate the present disclosure in detail, wherein the same components will be marked with the same symbols, and the description of the same technical content will be omitted. For the omitted parts, please refer to the above embodiments and will not be repeated below.

[0094] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a touch panel module according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A bottom view of the touchpad module. Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A bottom view of another modified embodiment of a touchpad module is shown.

[0095] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The touch panel module 100a of this embodiment is Figure 2The difference between the touch panel module 100 and the touch panel module 100a is that the film 50A of the touch panel module 100a further has a first side wing 50S1a and a second side wing 50S2a. The first side wing 50S1a and the second side wing 50S2a are respectively overlapped and arranged on the first side surface 10S1 and the second side surface 10S2 of the light guide plate 10. The first side surface 10S1 and the second side surface 10S2 are arranged opposite to each other and are respectively connected to the light incident surface 10a, the light emitting surface 10b, the far light surface 10c and the like. Figure 1 The bottom surface 10d is shown.

[0096] On the other hand, the adhesive layer 90C of this embodiment can be divided into a first portion 90C1, a second portion 90C2, and a third portion 90C3 that are separated from each other. The first side wing 50S1a, the second side wing 50S2a, and the second end side 52A are fixed to the reflective layer 40 via the first portion 90C1, the second portion 90C2, and the third portion 90C3, respectively. Since the arrangement of the multiple adhesive patterns P of the adhesive layer 90C of this embodiment is similar to that of Figure 3A Therefore, please refer to the relevant paragraphs of the aforementioned embodiment for detailed description, which will not be repeated here.

[0097] Different from Figure 3A In this embodiment, the film 50A is attached to the second end 52A of the reflective layer 40, and the first side wing 50S1a and the second side wing 50S2a are separated from each other. In other words, a gap G1 may be defined between the first portion 90C1, the second portion 90C2, and the third portion 90C3 of the adhesive layer 90C. This gap G1 connects to the multiple slots (or multiple gaps G) between the multiple adhesive patterns P. This further enhances the degassing effect of the adhesive layer 90C during the attachment of the film 50A to the reflective layer 40, preventing the accumulation of bubbles between the film 50A and the reflective layer 40. In other words, the flatness of the touchpad module 100a can be increased to meet the integration requirements of various applications.

[0098] On the other hand, by folding the first side wing 50S1a and the second side wing 50S2a to cover the first side 10S1 and the second side 10S2 of the light guide plate 10, the light leakage of the light guide plate 10 on the first side 10S1 and the second side 10S2 can be reduced, and the black edge problem caused by the overflow of the general transparent adhesive layer around the light guide plate 10 or the cutting defects of the light guide plate 10 can be improved.

[0099] However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Figure 7As shown, in another modified embodiment, the plurality of adhesive patterns P' of the first portion 90D1, the second portion 90D2, and the third portion 90D3 of the adhesive layer 90D of the touch panel module 100a' can be connected to each other along the direction X (or direction Y) to form a plurality of notches N, and these notches N are connected to each other to form an air vent extending in the direction X of the adhesive layer 90D. Since the arrangement of the plurality of adhesive patterns P' of the adhesive layer 90D is similar to Figure 4A Therefore, please refer to the relevant paragraphs of the aforementioned embodiment for detailed description, which will not be repeated here.

[0100] Figure 8 FIG is a bottom view of a touch panel module according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 The touch panel module 100b of this embodiment is Figure 6 The touch panel module 100 a is different from the touch panel module 100 b in that the shapes of the first side wing 50S1 b , the second side wing 50S2 b and the second end side 52B of the film 50B of the touch panel module 100 b are different.

[0101] In this embodiment, the orthographic projection profile of the first wing 50S1b and the second wing 50S2b of the film 50B on the reflective layer 40 is a trapezoid, while the orthographic projection profile of the second end 52B on the reflective layer 40 is a pentagon. Because the film 50B is attached to the second end 52B of the reflective layer 40 and the first wing 50S1b and the second wing 50S2b are separated from each other, a gap G2 is defined between the first portion 90E1, the second portion 90E2, and the third portion 90E3 of the adhesive layer 90E. This gap G2 connects to the multiple grooves (or gaps G) between the multiple adhesive patterns P. This further enhances the degassing effect of the adhesive layer 90E during the attachment of the film 50B to the reflective layer 40, preventing the accumulation of bubbles between the film 50B and the reflective layer 40. In other words, the flatness of the touchpad module 100b is enhanced to meet the integration requirements of various applications.

[0102] Since the adhesive pattern P of the adhesive layer 90E of this embodiment is arranged in a manner similar to Figure 3A Therefore, the detailed description can be found in the relevant paragraphs of the aforementioned embodiment, and will not be repeated here. In addition, the adhesive pattern of the adhesive layer 90E can also be similar to Figure 4A The adhesion pattern P' or Figure 4B For detailed description, please refer to the relevant paragraphs of the aforementioned embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0103] Figure 9 FIG is a bottom view of a touch panel module according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9The touch panel module 100c of this embodiment is Figure 8 The touch panel module 100 b is different from the touch panel module 100 c in that the first side wing 50S1 c and the second side wing 50S2 c of the film 50C of the touch panel module 100 c have different shapes.

[0104] In this embodiment, the orthographic projections of the first wing 50S1c and the second wing 50S2c of the film 50C on the reflective layer 40 are triangular. Because the film 50C is attached to the second end 52C of the reflective layer 40 and the first wing 50S1c and second wing 50S2c are separated from each other, a gap G3 can be defined between the first portion 90F1, the second portion 90F2, and the third portion 90F3 of the adhesive layer 90F. This gap G3 connects to the multiple grooves (or gaps G) between the multiple adhesive patterns P. This further enhances the degassing effect of the adhesive layer 90F during the attachment of the film 50C to the reflective layer 40, preventing the accumulation of bubbles between the film 50C and the reflective layer 40. In other words, the flatness of the touchpad module 100c can be increased to meet the integration requirements of various applications.

[0105] Since the adhesive pattern P of the adhesive layer 90F of this embodiment is arranged in a manner similar to Figure 3A Therefore, the detailed description can be found in the relevant paragraphs of the aforementioned embodiment and will not be repeated here. In addition, the adhesive pattern of the adhesive layer 90F can also be similar to Figure 4A The adhesion pattern P' or Figure 4B For detailed description, please refer to the relevant paragraphs of the aforementioned embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0106] Figure 10 FIG is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel module according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 The touch panel module 100d of this embodiment is Figure 1 The difference between the touchpad module 100 and the touchpad module 100d is that the low-light-transmittance layer 70 of the touchpad module 100d is disposed on the surface 50s of the film 50 facing the cover 60. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. According to other embodiments, the low-light-transmittance layer 70 may also be disposed on the surface of the film 50 facing the air layer AL.

[0107] In summary, in a touchpad module according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first end of the film is affixed via a connector to the side edge of the light guide plate's light-emitting surface, where it connects to the light-incoming surface. The second end of the film is affixed to the reflective layer on the bottom side of the light guide plate. This film prevents the low-transmittance layer between the light guide plate and the cover plate from directly contacting the light guide plate, thereby resolving the issue of light energy loss due to absorption by the low-transmittance layer during light transmission within the light guide plate. In other words, the overall brightness and uniformity of the light emitted from the light guide plate's light-emitting surface are increased, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the touchpad module.

[0108] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A touch panel module, characterized in that: include: A light guide plate having a light emitting surface, a bottom surface, a light incident surface and a far light surface, wherein the light emitting surface connects the light incident surface and the far light surface and is arranged opposite to the bottom surface; a circuit board, disposed on one side of the bottom surface of the light guide plate, comprising a base portion and an extension portion, wherein the base portion overlaps the light guide plate, and the extension portion is connected to the base portion and protrudes from the light incident surface; a light source, disposed on the extension portion and located on one side of the light incident surface of the light guide plate; a reflective layer, disposed on one side of the bottom surface of the light guide plate and located between the base of the circuit board and the light guide plate; a film, overlapped and disposed on the light-emitting surface, the far-light surface, and the bottom surface, the film having a first end side and a second end side opposite to each other, the first end side being fixed to a side edge region of the light-emitting surface connected to the light-incident surface via a connecting member, and the second end side being fixed to the reflective layer; A touch substrate is provided on one side of the bottom surface of the light guide plate, and the film is located between the touch substrate and the light guide plate; a cover plate, disposed on one side of the light emitting surface of the light guide plate, wherein the film is located between the cover plate and the light guide plate; and The low light transmittance layer is arranged on a side of the cover plate facing the light guide plate.

2. The touch panel module according to claim 1, wherein: An air layer is provided between the film and the light emitting surface.

3. The touch panel module according to claim 2, wherein: The maximum height of the air layer along the first direction is equal to the thickness of the connecting member along the first direction.

4. The touch panel module according to claim 2, wherein: The height of the air layer along the normal direction of the light-emitting surface decreases as it moves away from the connecting member.

5. The touch panel module according to claim 1, wherein: The light source is suitable for emitting light toward the light incident surface. The light is transmitted through the light guide plate toward a direction away from the light source and is emitted from the light emitting surface toward the cover plate.

6. The touch panel module according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: The light shielding plate is arranged on a side of the film away from the light guide plate and covers the side edge area of the light emitting surface and the light source.

7. The touch panel module according to claim 6, wherein: The cover plate is attached to the film via a light-transmitting adhesive layer, and the connecting piece is a light-impermeable adhesive layer.

8. The touch panel module according to claim 1, wherein: The second end side of the film is fixed to the reflective layer via an adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer has a plurality of adhesive patterns and a plurality of gaps arranged between at least a portion of the plurality of adhesive patterns.

9. The touch panel module according to claim 8, wherein: The plurality of gaps are a plurality of grooves connected to each other, and one of the plurality of grooves is disposed between any two adjacent ones of the plurality of adhesive patterns.

10. The touch panel module according to claim 8, wherein: The plurality of gaps are a plurality of notches, and any two adjacent ones of the at least a portion of the plurality of adhesive patterns are partially connected to form one of the plurality of notches.

11. The touch panel module according to claim 1, wherein: The light guide plate also has a first side surface and a second side surface, the first side surface and the second side surface are arranged opposite to each other, and respectively connect the light incident surface, the light exit surface, the far light surface and the bottom surface. The film also has a first side wing and a second side wing, the first side wing and the second side wing are respectively overlapped on the first side surface and the second side surface of the light guide plate, and are fixed to the reflective layer.

12. The touch panel module according to claim 11, wherein: The first side wing and the second side wing of the film are fixed to the reflective layer via an adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer has a plurality of adhesive patterns and a plurality of gaps arranged between at least a portion of the plurality of adhesive patterns.

13. The touch panel module according to claim 12, wherein: The plurality of gaps are a plurality of grooves connected to each other, and one of the plurality of grooves is disposed between any two adjacent ones of the plurality of adhesive patterns.

14. The touch panel module according to claim 12, wherein: The plurality of gaps are a plurality of notches, and any two adjacent ones of the at least one portion of the plurality of adhesive patterns are partially connected to form one of the plurality of notches.

15. The touch panel module according to claim 12, wherein: The adhesive layer is divided into a first portion and a second portion that are separated from each other, and the first side wing and the second side wing are fixed to the reflective layer via the first portion and the second portion respectively.

16. The touch panel module according to claim 1, wherein: The low light transmittance layer is arranged on the surface of the cover plate facing the film.

17. The touch panel module according to claim 1, wherein: The second end side of the film is fixed to the reflective layer via an adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer entirely covers the second end side.

Citation Information

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