Touch film manufacturing method and touch panel

Abstract

The invention discloses a touch film manufacturing method which is suitable for glass heat transfer printing equipment. The glass heat transfer printing equipment comprises a conveying device, an unwinding device and a heat transfer printing roller. The manufacturing method of the touch film comprises the following steps of: arranging a plurality of glass substrates on a conveying device at a preset gap; a transfer printing film is arranged on an unwinding device, and the transfer printing film comprises a base film, a release layer, a color layer and a surface layer; sequentially conveying the glass substrates to a thermal transfer printing position by using a conveying device; and continuously guiding the transfer printing film to a thermal transfer printing position by using a thermal transfer printing roller group and pressing the transfer printing film on the glass substrates, so that the surface layer and the color layer are transferred to the glass substrates in sections according to the position of the preset gap to form a plurality of touch control films.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This case relates to a touch technology, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a touch film and a touch panel having the touch film. Background Art

[0002] With the development of technology, touch panels have been widely used in electronic devices as user operation interfaces. At the same time, users have increasingly higher requirements for the appearance and touch feel of touch panels.

[0003] Glass is a suitable material for touchpad surface coatings. However, an overly smooth glass surface can be difficult for users to operate. To address this issue, etching is traditionally used to roughen the glass surface. Furthermore, imparting color or other optical properties to glass touch panels often requires multiple processes, including front and back printing and coating, which can lead to low production yields. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This case provides a touch film manufacturing method suitable for a glass thermal transfer device. The glass thermal transfer device includes a conveying device, a reeling device, and a thermal transfer roller. The conveying device has a thermal transfer position. The reeling device is suitable for setting a transfer film. The thermal transfer roller group is set at the thermal transfer position. This touch film manufacturing method includes: arranging multiple glass substrates with a preset gap on the conveying device; setting the transfer film on the reeling device, wherein the transfer film includes a base film, a release layer, a color layer, and a surface layer, and the release layer, the color layer, and the surface layer are formed on the base film in sequence from bottom to top; using the conveying device to sequentially convey these glass substrates to the thermal transfer position; and using the thermal transfer roller group to continuously guide the transfer film to the thermal transfer position and press it onto the glass substrate, so that the surface layer and the color layer are transferred to these glass substrates in sections according to the position of the preset gap, thereby forming multiple touch films.

[0005] This invention also provides a touch panel. This touch panel includes a carrier, a circuit board, and a touch film formed by the aforementioned touch film manufacturing method. The circuit board is disposed on the carrier. The touch film is laminated on the circuit board.

[0006] The touch film manufacturing method in this application utilizes glass thermal transfer equipment to transfer the surface layer and color layer from a transfer film to a glass substrate. This allows the surface layer to be tailored to the desired surface roughness, and the desired ink and color to form the color layer, which is then transferred to the glass substrate surface using a thermal transfer roller assembly. Compared to traditional glass substrate touch film surface preparation methods, this solution streamlines the complex manufacturing process into a simple thermal transfer step, facilitating rework, improving yield, and reducing glass substrate wear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a touch film manufacturing method provided according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a glass thermal transfer device applicable to the touch film manufacturing method;

[0009] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a transfer film used in a touch film manufacturing method;

[0010] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a transfer film provided according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A schematic top view of a transfer film; and

[0012] Figure 6-Figure 7 The manufacturing process of a touch panel provided according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The following detailed description of the specific implementation of this embodiment will be provided with reference to schematic diagrams. The advantages and features of this embodiment will become more apparent from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the figures are greatly simplified and not to exact scale, and are provided solely for the purpose of assisting in the convenient and clear description of the embodiments of this embodiment.

[0014] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a touch film manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a glass thermal transfer device applicable to the touch film manufacturing method. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the transfer film used in the touch film manufacturing method.

[0015] The touch film manufacturing method of this embodiment is applicable to Figure 1 The glass thermal transfer printing device 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a conveying device 120 , a reeling device 140 , and a thermal transfer roller assembly 160 .

[0016] The conveying device 120 is adapted to place the glass substrate 200 and to convey the glass substrate 200 to a thermal transfer position P1. In one embodiment, the conveying device 120 is a conveyor belt and has a first conveying motor 122. The first conveying motor 122 can control the conveying speed of the conveying device 120.

[0017] The unwinding device 140 is adapted to receive a transfer film 300. The transfer film 300 is placed in the unwinding device 140 in the form of a roll. The thermal transfer roller assembly 160, located at the thermal transfer position P1, guides the transfer film 300 and transfers the film layer from the transfer film 300 to the glass substrate 200 through the combined action of heat and pressure, thereby modifying the surface properties of the glass substrate 200 to form a touch film. The transfer film 300 will be described in more detail in the following sections.

[0018] In one embodiment, the thermal transfer roller assembly 160 includes an upper roller 162 and a lower roller 164, which are respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the conveying device 120. The upper roller 162 of the thermal transfer roller assembly 160 directly contacts the transfer film 300. The upper roller 162 heats the transfer film 300 and presses it onto the glass substrate 200, while driving the transfer film 300 to continue moving forward. The lower roller 164 is disposed below the glass substrate 200 and is suitable for heating the glass substrate 200. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In one embodiment, the thermal transfer roller assembly 160 may also include only the upper roller 162. In addition, in one embodiment, the thermal transfer roller assembly 160 is connected to a second conveying motor 166. This second conveying motor 166 can control the rotation speed of the upper roller 162, thereby controlling the conveying speed of the transfer film 300.

[0019] In one embodiment, in order to make the transfer film 300 move more smoothly, the glass thermal transfer equipment 100 further includes a winding device 180, which is disposed downstream of the thermal transfer position P1 and is suitable for receiving the transfer film 300' (mainly the base film on the transfer film 300') that has completed the thermal transfer process.

[0020] Please refer to the first and second figures together. This glass surface treatment method includes the following steps.

[0021] First, as described in step S110 , a plurality of glass substrates 200 are arranged on the conveying device 120 with a predetermined gap g1 .

[0022] Then, as described in step S120 , the transfer film 300 is placed on the unwinding device 140 .

[0023] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3The figure is a schematic diagram of a transfer film 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the transfer film 300 comprises a base film 320, a release layer 340, a surface layer 360, and a color layer 380. The release layer 340, surface layer 360, and color layer 380 are formed sequentially from bottom to top on the base film 320. When the transfer film 300 is wound into a roll, the color layer 380 faces outward. However, when the transfer film 300 is directed to the thermal transfer position P1, the transfer film 300 is turned upside down, with the color layer 380 facing downward, that is, toward the glass substrate 200.

[0024] The base film 320 can be, for example, a PET film layer. The release layer 340 is made of a release agent and is coated on the base film 320 to facilitate the transfer of the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 from the base film 320 to the glass substrate 200 .

[0025] The surface layer 360 determines the tactile feel of the touch film. In one embodiment, the surface layer 360 is a textured film, with the side of the surface layer 360 facing the release layer 340 having a rough surface. However, this invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the surface layer 360 may also be an anti-glare coating, an anti-fingerprint coating, or a high-hardness film. Furthermore, if the surface layer 360 is a textured film or a high-hardness film with a protective effect, an additional anti-glare coating may be formed between the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 to provide an anti-glare effect.

[0026] The color layer 380 determines the overall color of the touch film. This color layer 380 is not limited to a single color and can also display varying colors. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the color layer 380 can also display patterns or text using ink or pigment. Regarding manufacturing methods, the color layer 380 can be formed on the surface layer 360 by printing.

[0027] Next, as described in step S130 , the glass substrates 200 are sequentially transported to the thermal transfer position P1 by the transporting device 120 .

[0028] Then, as described in step S140, the transfer film 300 is continuously guided to the thermal transfer position P1 by the thermal transfer roller assembly 160 and pressed onto the glass substrate 200, so that the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 are segmentedly transferred to these glass substrates 200 according to the positions of the preset gap g1, thereby forming a plurality of touch films LF.

[0029] During the process of transferring the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 to the glass substrates 200, the thermal transfer roller assembly 160 (particularly the upper roller 162) abuts against the gap g1 between the glass substrates 200, thereby segmenting the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 of the transfer film 300. In this way, the thermal transfer roller assembly 160 automatically and segmentally transfers the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 to the glass substrates 200 based on the positions of the predetermined gaps g1 between the glass substrates 200, thereby forming multiple touch films TF.

[0030] In one embodiment, the width of the preset gap g1 is set to be approximately equal to the thickness of the glass substrate 200 to ensure that the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 of the transfer film 300 can be automatically transferred to each glass substrate 200 in sections, while preventing the thermal transfer roller assembly 160 from transferring the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 of the transfer film 300 to the conveyor belt.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 4 As shown, in Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the transfer film 300 includes a base film 320, a release layer 340, a surface layer 360, and a color layer 380. The color layer 380 is the top layer of the transfer film 300. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0032] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a transfer film 400 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the transfer film 400 may include a base film 420, a release layer 440, an anti-fingerprint coating 450, a surface layer 460, and a color layer 480. Figure 3 In this embodiment, an anti-fingerprint coating 450 is formed on the side of the surface layer 460 facing the release layer 440, that is, between the surface layer 460 and the release layer 440. After being transferred to the glass substrate 200, the anti-fingerprint coating 450 will be the outermost layer on the surface of the glass substrate 200.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 yes Figure 3 FIG3 is a top view of a transfer film 300. As shown in the figure, the transfer film 300 has multiple positioning marks 520 along its edge. These positioning marks 520 can be circular, square, or other geometrically shaped. In one embodiment, these positioning marks 520 can be arranged at regular intervals along the edge of the transfer film 300 to facilitate confirmation of the relative position of the transfer film 300 and the glass substrate 200, and to determine the movement distance of the transfer film 300.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment, the glass thermal transfer apparatus 100 may be provided with an optical detection device 190 , such as a camera.

[0035] The optical detection device 190 is positioned downstream of the thermal transfer position P1 and is adapted to detect the positioning mark 520 to generate a detection signal S1. At least one of the first conveyor motor 122 and the second conveyor motor 166 can operate based on the detection signal S1. In other words, the conveying speed of the conveyor device 120 or the conveying speed of the transfer film 300 can be adjusted based on the detection signal S1 to ensure that the surface layer 360 and the color layer 380 on the transfer film 300 are completely transferred to the glass substrate 200.

[0036] Figure 6-Figure 7 The manufacturing process of the touch panel 600 provided in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0037] First, if Figure 5 As shown, a circuit board 620 is placed on a carrier 640. Figure 6 As shown, Figure 1 The touch film TF formed by the touch film manufacturing method shown is laminated on the circuit board 620 to form the touch panel 600 of this embodiment.

[0038] The touch film manufacturing method of this application utilizes a glass thermal transfer apparatus 100 to transfer a surface layer 360 and a color layer 380 from a transfer film 300 to a glass substrate 200. This allows the surface layer 360 to be formed to the desired surface roughness, and the desired ink and color are applied to form the color layer 380, which is then transferred to the surface of the glass substrate 200 via a thermal transfer roller assembly 160. Compared to traditional methods for treating touch film surfaces on glass substrates, this application streamlines the complex manufacturing process into a simple thermal transfer step, facilitating rework, improving yield, and reducing glass substrate wear.

[0039] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to the embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field may make slight changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a touch film, suitable for use in a glass thermal transfer device. The glass thermal transfer device comprises a conveyor, an unwinding device, and a thermal transfer roller assembly. The conveyor has a thermal transfer position. The unwinding device is suitable for placing a transfer film. The thermal transfer roller assembly is located at the thermal transfer position. The method comprises: Arrange a plurality of glass substrates on the conveying device at a predetermined interval; The transfer film is placed on the unwinding device, wherein: The transfer film comprises a base film, a release layer, a surface layer and a color layer, wherein the release layer, the surface layer and the color layer are sequentially formed on the base film from bottom to top; Using the conveying device to sequentially convey the plurality of glass substrates to the thermal transfer position; and The transfer film is continuously guided to the thermal transfer position by the thermal transfer roller assembly and pressed onto the glass substrate, so that the surface layer and the color layer are segmentedly transferred to the multiple glass substrates according to the positions of the preset gaps to form multiple touch films.

2. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The thermal transfer roller assembly includes an upper roller and a lower roller, which are respectively arranged on the upper and lower sides of the conveying device.

3. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The surface layer is an anti-glare coating, an anti-fingerprint coating or a high-hardness film layer.

4. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The transfer film further comprises an anti-glare coating formed between the surface layer and the color layer.

5. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The transfer film further comprises an anti-fingerprint coating formed between the surface layer and the release layer.

6. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The glass thermal transfer equipment further includes a winding device, which is disposed downstream of the thermal transfer position and is suitable for receiving the transfer film after the thermal transfer process is completed.

7. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The above-mentioned conveying device is a conveyor belt.

8. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The edge of the transfer film has a plurality of positioning marks. The glass thermal transfer equipment further includes an optical detection device. The optical detection device is disposed downstream of the thermal transfer position and is suitable for detecting the positioning marks to generate a detection signal.

9. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The conveying device has a first conveying motor, the thermal transfer roller assembly is connected to a second conveying motor, and at least one of the first conveying motor and the second conveying motor operates according to the detection signal.

10. The touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The touch film is suitable for a touch panel.

11. A touch panel, characterized in that: Include: carrier; A circuit board is placed on the carrier; and The touch film formed by the touch film manufacturing method according to claim 1 is laminated on the above-mentioned circuit board.

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