Device with touch screen with self-supporting plate

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to a device having a touch screen, a housing and a circuit board, the circuit board having a computer, the touch screen having a self-supporting plate, the touch screen having a touch-sensitive surface formed on the self-supporting plate, the touch screen having a screen, the touch-sensitive surface being formed on the self-supporting plate. The screen is arranged on a rear side of the self-supporting plate opposite the touch-sensitive surface, the housing has at least one fastening element, the circuit board is fastened to the housing by means of the at least one fastening element, at least one flexible spacer element is adhered to a surface of the circuit board, and the at least one flexible spacer element is arranged on the rear side of the self-supporting plate opposite the touch-sensitive surface. The at least one flexible spacer element is adhered to the screen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device with a touch screen. In particular, the present invention relates to a device with a touch screen, which is configured to be installed in a wall recess (operating panel). Background Art

[0002] A device with a touch screen that is provided for installation in a wall recess can be installed in a space-saving manner in confined environments by recessing the device into the wall so that the device does not protrude from the wall or protrudes only slightly. Furthermore, installation in a wall recess can also be advantageous because the part of the device arranged in the wall is protected from unwanted environmental influences. Summary of the invention

[0003] The device according to the invention comprises a touch screen and a computer, wherein the touch screen has a self-supporting plate on which the touch-sensitive surface of the touch screen is formed.

[0004] Here, the term "touch screen" as used in the specification and claims is understood in particular to mean a screen ("Screen") which is designed to detect touches on the screen surface and / or movements near the screen surface and convert them into signals. These signals can then be provided to a computer, which derives input actions from them. These input actions can be related to objects presented on the screen by the computer, and the user can interact with the computer by manipulating these objects. The touch screen can be part of a touch-sensitive operating panel that is designed to be installed in a wall recess.

[0005] One or more air gaps and one or more (protective and / or other functional) transparent layers and (substantially) transparent areas of the self-supporting sheet may be arranged between the screen layer for presenting content and the touch-sensitive surface. The screen (with the screen layer for presenting content arranged therein) may be arranged on the back side of the self-supporting sheet opposite to the touch-sensitive surface.

[0006] Furthermore, the term "self-supporting plate" as used in the description and the claims is understood in particular to mean a flat component of substantially constant thickness which has sufficient stability to withstand the mechanical loads arising during normal use without additional supporting and / or protective elements. Thus, the self-supporting plate is particularly suitable for connecting (other) components of the device to one another (e.g. the self-supporting plate is suitable for connecting a housing to a screen).

[0007] The self-supporting plate can be formed of a transparent material, such as glass with a thickness of 3 mm or more. For example, the self-supporting plate can be a glass plate with a thickness of 3 mm to 4 mm. In addition, the self-supporting plate can have an opaque or at most partially transparent layer at the edge. For example, the edge of the self-supporting plate can be painted black on the side facing the wall. The area painted black can frame the screen so that the wall behind the self-supporting plate is not visible to the screen viewer.

[0008] Furthermore, the self-supporting plate can be provided with a surrounding seal which is fastened to the back of the self-supporting plate. If the device is mounted in a wall recess, the surrounding seal can thus be arranged between the self-supporting plate and the wall. The surrounding seal can thus seal the wall recess and prevent air and / or particles from entering the wall recess from the space surrounding the front of the device or from the wall recess into the space surrounding the front of the device. The surrounding seal can be glued to the self-supporting plate.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the device can include a housing in which the computer is arranged, wherein the housing is fastened to a back side of the self-supporting plate opposite the touch-sensitive surface.

[0010] Here, the term "computer" as used in the description and claims is understood in particular to mean a functional unit consisting of a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is designed to execute instructions stored in the memory. The processor and the memory can be arranged on a circuit board, which is designed to be connected to a touch screen via one or more (flexible) cables. For example, the circuit board can be (electrically) connected to a screen or a touch sensor of a touch screen via one or more cables.

[0011] The circuit board can also be equipped with a communication module (e.g. Ethernet interface) and electronic components for power supply. These components can be designed, for example, to provide a supply voltage for a processor, a memory and a touch screen. The circuit board can also have a 24 volt terminal and / or be powered by "Power over Ethernet".

[0012] The self-supporting plate can completely cover the housing so that when the device is installed in a wall recess, the wall recess is only covered by the self-supporting plate.

[0013] The shell is recessed backward relative to the edge of the self-supporting board on the back side of the self-supporting board, so that the shell is spaced apart from the edge of the self-supporting board. The spacing between the edge of the self-supporting board and the shell can be greater than 5mm, greater than 10mm, greater than 15mm or greater than 20mm.

[0014] The housing can have a mechanical fixing part, which is designed to fix the housing in a wall groove. For example, the wall groove can be equipped with one or more fastening elements, in which the fixing part locks when the device is pushed into the wall groove. For example, the one or more fastening elements and the fixing part can have one or more flexible elements, which are deflected from the rest position against the return force when the device is pushed into the wall groove, and return to the rest position when the device is fully pushed in (or snap back to the rest position due to the return force), so that in this position (in the push-in direction) there is a form-locking connection between the one or more fastening elements and the fixing part. The one or more flexible elements can also be shaped so that they are initially deflected due to the pulling force when the device is removed and finally release the device.

[0015] At least one fastening element can be glued on the self-supporting plate, which has a locking element and / or a thread for fastening the housing. The fastening element can, for example, have an external thread, an internal thread, a receiving portion for a nut or a threaded rod, or can be configured as a nut or a threaded rod.

[0016] The fastening element can be made of plastic or metal. In particular, the fastening element can be made of aluminum or contain aluminum. The fastening element can be configured as an extruded profile. The thickness of the extruded profile can be greater than 3 mm, greater than 4 mm or greater than 5 mm (e.g. 7 mm). The extruded profile can be bonded to the self-supporting plate using a methacrylate adhesive.

[0017] Four fastening elements can be glued onto the self-supporting plate, which fastening elements are arranged parallel to the four outer edges of the self-supporting plate. The four fastening elements can be left free at the corners of the self-supporting plate.

[0018] According to a second aspect, the housing has at least one fastening element, by means of which the circuit board is fastened to the housing, and at least one flexible spacing element, which is arranged between the circuit board and the screen. The at least one flexible spacing element can be glued to the surface of the circuit board. The at least one flexible spacing element can be glued to the screen. The at least one flexible spacing element can be glued to the surface of the circuit board and to the screen.

[0019] When the housing is disassembled, the circuit board can be supported on the screen in a floating manner by means of flexible spacing elements. In particular, when the housing is disassembled, the circuit board can be supported on the back side of the screen in a floating manner by means of flexible spacing elements.

[0020] The at least one flexible spacer element can have elasticity, so that the at least one flexible spacer element is deformed and, in particular, compressed or stretched in the assembled state of the device and thus compensates for production tolerances.

[0021] The at least one flexible spacer element can be made of foam or rubber and have an adhesive layer on its end face. The at least one flexible spacer element can contain a foam material. For example, the flexible spacer element can be a double-sided foam tape or pad or a double-sided sticky sponge rubber tape or sponge rubber pad. The thickness of the flexible spacer element can be greater than 3 mm, greater than 4 mm or greater than 5 mm (for example 6 mm, 10 mm or 15 mm).

[0022] The circuit board can have at least one fastening element, in particular a thread, which is accessible from outside the housing through an opening in the housing, wherein a fastening element, in particular a screw, connected to the fastening element preferably extends through a hollow dome or fastening dome formed integrally in the housing, for example a fastening dome with a channel for accommodating the fastening element. If the fastening element of the circuit board is a thread, then a screw can also be screwed into the fastening element, which also allows the use of housings without a hollow dome (for example sheet metal housings).

[0023] It is also possible not to provide a fixed frame on which the circuit board and the housing are fastened. That is, instead of the housing and the circuit board being fastened to the fixed frame which is in turn connected to the touch screen, the circuit board can be fastened to the housing and the housing fastened to the self-supporting plate of the touch screen.

[0024] The method according to the invention comprises: arranging at least one flexible spacing element on the rear side of the touch screen, placing the printed circuit board on the at least one flexible spacing element, fastening the housing to the self-supporting plate and fastening the printed circuit board to the housing.

[0025] The method further comprises connecting the circuit board to the touch screen by means of one or more flexible cables. The one or more flexible cables can be configured such that they do not exceed a predetermined length, wherein not exceeding the predetermined length prevents the circuit board from connecting to the touch screen when the circuit board is fastened to the housing. The predetermined length can be derived, for example, from requirements for electromagnetic compatibility of the device.

[0026] The at least one flexible spacer element may be attached or firmly attached to the back of the touch screen. The circuit board may be attached or firmly attached to the at least one flexible spacer element.

[0027] Arranging the at least one flexible spacing element on the back side of the touch screen may include arranging a template on the back side of the touch screen. The template may have at least one gap indicating where the at least one flexible spacing element is to be placed on the back side of the touch screen.

[0028] It is to be understood here that features described in conjunction with the method may also be features of the device associated with the method, and vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The invention is explained in detail below using an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a device according to the invention according to one embodiment;

[0031] Figure 2 Show Figure 1 The device shown in and the circuit board arranged in the device;

[0032] Figure 3 Show Figure 2 The device shown in and the housing surrounding the circuit board;

[0033] Figure 4 Show Figure 3 The device shown in the figure is mounted in a wall recess;

[0034] Figure 5 Show Figure 4 Alternative embodiments of the embodiment shown in; and

[0035] Figure 6 A flow chart of the method according to the invention is shown.

[0036] In this case, identical or functionally similar elements are denoted by the same reference symbols in the figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Figure 1 A rear view of a touch screen 10 is shown. The touch screen 10 has a screen 12, which is arranged on a transparent self-supporting plate 14 ("air gap bonding"). The self-supporting plate 14 is made of glass and has a thickness of 3 mm to 4 mm. As shown in the cross-sectional view, one or more touch-sensitive sensors 16 (capacitive "touch sensors") are arranged between the screen 12 and the self-supporting plate 14 (the sensors can be enclosed in a laminate film). A touch-sensitive surface 18 is formed on the self-supporting plate 14 by one or more touch-sensitive sensors 16.

[0038] The self-supporting plate 14 is also provided with a seal 19 (for example a foam seal), which is attached circumferentially to the outer edge of the self-supporting plate 14, and four fastening elements 20, which are attached to the self-supporting plate parallel to the four outer edges of the self-supporting plate 14 and are left free at the corners of the self-supporting plate 14. Four flexible spacer elements 22 are also attached to the back of the screen 12. These flexible spacer elements 22 can be positioned using a template, which has four recesses that specify the position of the flexible spacer elements 22.

[0039] like Figure 2As shown in FIG, when the touch screen 10 is assembled, the circuit board 24 is firmly attached to the flexible spacing element 22 and is electrically connected to the touch screen 10 via the flexible cable 26. For electromagnetic compatibility reasons, the flexible cable 26 is designed to be as short as possible, so that there is little or almost no gap when the circuit board 24 is connected to the touch screen 10. Therefore, when the flexible cable 26 is inserted, the circuit board 24 can only be lifted from the flexible spacing element 22 within the range of the pivoting movement.

[0040] A computer 24a and an Ethernet interface 24b are arranged on the circuit board 24. The Ethernet interface can be designed to enable the circuit board 24 to be powered via Ethernet ("Power over Ethernet"). The computer 24a has a processor and a memory, and is designed to display content on the touch screen 10 and process the signals of the one or more touch-sensitive sensors 16. For example, the computer 24a can be equipped with an operating system that has an Internet browser, thereby allowing a user to call up an HTML page via the Ethernet interface 24b.

[0041] If the circuit board 24 is firmly attached to the flexible spacer element 22 and is electrically connected to the touch screen 10 via the flexible cable 26, then Figure 3 As shown, a housing 28 (e.g., a plastic injection molded part or a sheet metal housing) is placed on the fastening elements 20 and fastened to them by means of screws. When the housing 28 is placed on the fastening elements 20, the fastening dome 30 is arranged above the mating thread of the circuit board 24 so that the circuit board 24 can be fastened to the housing 28 by means of screws. The flexibility of the flexible spacing element 22 makes it possible to compensate for any misalignment between the fastening dome 20 and the mating thread by moving the circuit board 24, wherein at most slight restoring forces act on the circuit board 24.

[0042] If the housing 28 is fastened to the fastening element 20 and the circuit board 24 is fastened to the housing 28, the touch screen 10 is pushed into the wall recess. Figure 4 A front view of the touch screen 10 mounted in a wall recess is shown. The wall recess is provided with two fastening elements 32, into which the housing 28 snaps when the device 34 is pushed into the wall recess. As the device 34 is pushed into the wall recess, the fastening elements 32 are deflected from the rest position and snap back into the rest position when the device 34 is fully pushed in.

[0043] like Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 2 , the bolt 24 c threadedly connected to the housing 28 can be screwed into the thread of the circuit board 24. As a result, the fastening dome 30 can be omitted.

[0044] Figure 61 shows a flow chart of the assembly. The assembly begins with step 36, i.e., arranging the flexible spacing element 22 on the back of the touch screen 10. Then, in step 38, the circuit board 24 is placed on the flexible spacing element 22. After the circuit board 24 is placed on the flexible spacing element 22 and the circuit board 24 is connected to the touch screen 10 by means of the flexible cable 26, the housing 28 can be fastened to the fastening element 20 of the self-supporting plate 14 in step 40. After or at the same time as the housing 28 is fastened to the fastening element 20 of the self-supporting plate 14, the circuit board 24 can be fastened to the housing 28 in step 42. Then, the assembled device 34 can be installed in a wall recess.

[0045] In this case, the above-described assembly process allows the (metal) assembly frame, which connects the circuit board 24 to the touch screen 10, to be omitted. The omission of the assembly frame is advantageous because the assembly frame is expensive to produce and therefore accounts for a large part of the panel production costs. In addition, the assembly speed is accelerated because no assembly plate or assembly adapter is required because the circuit board 24 can be fastened directly to the housing 28.

[0046] Reference numerals list

[0047] 10 Touch screen

[0048] 12 screens

[0049] 14 boards

[0050] 16 sensors

[0051] 18 Touch-sensitive surface

[0052] 19 Sealing part

[0053] 20 Fastening elements

[0054] 22 Spacer elements

[0055] 24 Circuit Boards

[0056] 24a Computer

[0057] 24b Ethernet interface

[0058] 24c bolt

[0059] 26 Cables

[0060] 28 Shell

[0061] 30 Fastening dome

[0062] 32 Fastening elements

[0063] 34 equipment

[0064] Step 36

[0065] Step 38

[0066] 40 Steps

[0067] 42 steps.

Claims

1. A device (34) having a touch screen (10), a housing (28) and a circuit board (24), the circuit board having a computer (24a), in, The touch screen (10) has a self-supporting plate (14), The touch screen (10) has a touch-sensitive surface which is formed on a self-supporting plate (14). The touch screen (10) has a screen (12) which is arranged on the back side of a self-supporting plate (14) opposite the touch-sensitive surface. The housing (28) has at least one fastening element (30), wherein the circuit board (14) is fastened to the housing (28) by means of the at least one fastening element. wherein at least one flexible spacing element (22) is adhered to the surface of the circuit board, Therein, the at least one flexible spacing element (22) is glued to the screen (12).

2. The device (34) according to claim 1, in, The circuit board (24) is electrically connected to the screen (12) of the touch screen (16) and / or the touch-sensitive surface by means of at least one flexible cable (26).

3. The device (34) according to claim 1 or 2, in, When the housing (28) is disassembled, the printed circuit board (24) is supported in a floating manner on the screen (12) by means of the at least one flexible spacing element (22).

4. The device (34) according to one of the preceding claims, in, The at least one flexible spacer element (22) has elasticity, so that the at least one flexible spacer element (22) is deformed and in particular compressed or stretched when the device (34) is in the assembled state.

5. The device (34) according to one of the preceding claims, in, The at least one flexible spacer element (22) is made of foam or rubber-like or contains a foam material.

6. The device (34) according to one of the preceding claims, in, The at least one flexible spacer element (22) has an adhesive layer on its end face.

7. The device (34) according to one of the preceding claims, in, The circuit board (24) has at least one fastening element, in particular a thread, which can be reached from outside the housing (28) through an opening in the housing (28), wherein a fastening piece, in particular a screw, connected to the fastening element preferably extends through a hollow dome or fastening dome (30) integrated in the housing (28), for example a fastening dome (30) with a channel for accommodating the fastening piece.

8. The device (34) according to any one of the preceding claims, in, A fixing frame on which the circuit board (24) and the housing (28) are fastened is not provided.

9. The device (34) according to one of the preceding claims, in, The touch screen (10) is part of a touch-sensitive operating panel designed to be mounted in a wall recess.

10. The device (34) according to one of the preceding claims, in, The self-supporting plate (14) is made of a transparent material and preferably glass and has a thickness of 3 mm or more.

11. The device (34) according to one of the preceding claims, in, The edges of the self-supporting plate (14) are provided with an opaque or at most partially transparent layer.

12. The device (34) according to one of the preceding claims, in, The self-supporting plate (14) has a circumferential seal (19) which is arranged on the edge of the self-supporting plate (14).

13. Methods, comprising: Arranging (36) at least one flexible spacing element (22) on the back side of a touch screen (10), wherein the touch screen (10) has a self-supporting plate (14) and a touch-sensitive surface, wherein the touch-sensitive surface is formed on the self-supporting plate (14); placing (38) a circuit board (24) on the at least one flexible spacing element (22); securing (40) the housing (28) to the self-supporting plate (14); and The circuit board (24) is fastened (42) to the housing (28).

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: The circuit board (24) is connected to the touch screen (10) by means of one or more flexible cables (26).

15. The method according to claim 14, in, The one or more flexible cables (26) do not exceed a predetermined length, wherein not exceeding the predetermined length prevents the circuit board (24) from connecting to the touch screen (10) when the circuit board (24) is secured to the housing (28).

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, in, The at least one flexible spacer element (22) is attached or adhered to the back of the touch screen (10), and the circuit board (24) is attached or adhered to the at least one flexible spacer element (22).

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, Arranging the at least one flexible spacing element (22) on the back side of the touch screen (10) includes arranging a template on the back side of the touch screen (10).

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