A touch panel and electronic device

Abstract

This application relates to the field of touch device technology, and in particular discloses a touch panel including a circuit board, a light guide assembly, and a panel. The circuit board includes a board body, a light source, and a conductive film layer. The light source and the conductive film layer are disposed on the board body. The panel, the light guide assembly, and the circuit board are stacked sequentially along a first direction, and the light guide assembly covers the light source. The panel has a light-transmitting area arranged in the form of an indicator pattern. The light guide assembly guides the light from the light source out of the light-transmitting area to illuminate the indicator pattern formed by the light-transmitting area. The conductive film layer is located below the light-transmitting area. Through the above method, this application embodiment can form a capacitive touch area by relying on the conductive film layer disposed on the board body. Compared with the traditional touch method of conductive springs or sponges, this application has a smaller volume and thinner thickness. The light guide assembly also enables the touch panel to display indicator patterns on the panel in conjunction with the operation of the conductive film layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display panel technology, and in particular to a touch panel and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] There are various ways to control electronic devices, including but not limited to voice control, mechanical button or knob control, and touch control. Among them, touch control is widely used in existing electronic devices due to its convenient operation experience.

[0003] In the process of developing this application, the inventors discovered that the current structure of touch panels used in electronic devices includes a circuit board with a light source, a light guide assembly, and a cover plate. The light emitted by the light source on the circuit board is projected onto the cover plate through the light guide assembly to display a preset pattern. However, the existing light guide assembly uses a spring or conductive sponge to achieve touch conductivity. Due to the structure of the spring or conductive sponge, the thickness of the spring or conductive sponge is greater than or equal to 5mm. Combined with the thickness of the light guide assembly itself used for light refraction, the overall thickness of the touch panel using this conductive assembly is greater than or equal to 10mm. In home appliances with limited space, this is not conducive to the integration of touch panels and affects the application of touch panels in electronic devices. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a touch panel and an electronic device. The main technical problem it solves is that the conductive springs or conductive sponges used in existing touch panels are large in size due to the structural limitations of the display, which is not conducive to the thin and light integration of the touch panel.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a touch panel, including a circuit board, a light guide assembly, and a panel. The circuit board includes a board body, a light source, and a conductive film layer. The light source and the conductive film layer are disposed on the board body. The panel, the light guide assembly, and the circuit board are stacked sequentially along a first direction, and the light guide assembly covers the light source. The panel is provided with a light-transmitting area, which is arranged in an indicator pattern. The light guide assembly is used to guide the light from the light source out of the light-transmitting area so that the indicator pattern formed by the light-transmitting area is lit up. The conductive film layer is located below the light-transmitting area.

[0006] Optionally, the light guide assembly includes a diffuser, which includes a light shield and a diffuser plate. The light shield is provided with a diffuser hole, and the diffuser plate is installed in the diffuser hole. Along the first direction, the diffuser plate is aligned with the light-transmitting area, and the diffuser plate is used to diffuse the light from the light source and emit it from the light-transmitting area.

[0007] Optionally, the diffuser sheet has a receiving groove on its sidewall for receiving a light source. The light from the light source is incident on the diffuser sheet along a second direction, and the diffuser sheet is used to diffuse the light from the light source out along a first direction, which is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0008] Optionally, the light guide assembly includes a reflective film with through holes. The reflective film is disposed on the surface of the light shield facing the plate, and the through holes allow the light source to pass through. The reflective film is used to reflect light to the diffuser.

[0009] Optionally, the light guide assembly includes a light isolation plate disposed on the surface of the light shield facing the plate body. The light isolation plate is provided with a light guide hole, and the light guide hole, diffuser and light-transmitting area are aligned along the first direction.

[0010] Optionally, the distance between the conductive film layer and the outer surface of the panel facing away from the light guide assembly is 2.3 mm to 2.5 mm.

[0011] Optionally, the panel includes a diaphragm and a light-transmitting shell, the diaphragm being disposed on the light-transmitting shell, the diaphragm being located between the light guide assembly and the light-transmitting shell, and the light-transmitting area being disposed on the diaphragm.

[0012] Optionally, the faceplate is black.

[0013] Optionally, the touch panel includes an adhesive layer disposed between the light guide assembly and the panel, and between the circuit board and the light guide assembly.

[0014] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, another technical solution adopted in this application is to provide an electronic device, including a device body and the above-mentioned touch panel.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this application embodiment are as follows: Unlike existing technologies, this application embodiment provides a touch panel including a circuit board, a light guide assembly, and a panel. The circuit board includes a board body, a light source, and a conductive film layer. The light source and conductive film layer are disposed on the board body. The panel, the light guide assembly, and the circuit board are stacked sequentially along a first direction, and the light guide assembly covers the light source. The panel has a light-transmitting area arranged in an indicator pattern. The light guide assembly guides the light from the light source out of the light-transmitting area to illuminate the indicator pattern formed by the light-transmitting area. The conductive film layer is located below the light-transmitting area. Through this structure, this application embodiment can form a capacitive touch panel by using the conductive film layer disposed on the circuit board. Furthermore, relying on the light guide assembly, the light from the light source on the circuit board can be transmitted to the panel, enabling the capacitive control panel to display relevant information. Compared to traditional touch panels relying on conductive springs and conductive sponges, this application's touch panel has a higher integration level, which is beneficial for its application in integrated electronic devices. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of a touch panel provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of a touch panel provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of a light shield for a touch panel provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of a diffuser sheet for a touch panel provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of a reflective film for a touch panel provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of the light isolation plate of a touch panel provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of the light-transmitting shell of a touch panel provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Icon labels: 100. Touch panel; 1. Circuit board; 11. Board body; 12. Light source; 13. Conductive film layer; 14. First mounting hole; 15. Mounting wall; 151. Second mounting hole; 2. Light guide assembly; 21. Diffuser; 211. Light shield; 2111. Diffuser hole; 212. Diffuser sheet; 2121. Receiving groove; 22. Reflective film; 221. Through hole; 23. Optical isolation plate; 231. Light guide hole; 3. Panel; 31. Light-transmitting area; 32. Diaphragm; 33. Light-transmitting shell; 34. Receiving cavity; 35. Screw hole; 4. Screw-in fittings; X, the first direction; Y, the second direction. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0021] Traditional touch panels consist of a panel, a circuit board, and a light guide component. The circuit board has conductive sponge or conductive springs, which are used to realize the touch function of the touch panel. However, due to their own structure, the thickness of the conductive sponge or conductive spring is generally greater than or equal to 5mm. As a result, the overall thickness of the touch panel using this conductive component is greater than or equal to 10mm. In home appliances with limited space, this is not conducive to the integration of touch panels and affects the application of touch panels in electronic devices.

[0022] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a touch panel 100. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 and Figure 2The touch panel 100 includes a circuit board 1, a light guide assembly 2, and a panel 3. The circuit board 1 includes a board body 11, a light source 12, and a conductive film layer 13. The light source 12 and the conductive film layer 13 are disposed on the board body 11. The panel 3, the light guide assembly 2, and the circuit board 1 are stacked sequentially along a first direction, and the light guide assembly 2 covers the light source 12. The panel 3 is provided with a light-transmitting area 31, which is arranged in an indicator pattern. The light guide assembly 2 is used to guide the light from the light source 12 out of the light-transmitting area 31 so that the indicator pattern formed by the light-transmitting area 31 is lit. The conductive film layer 13 is located below the light-transmitting area 31. The above structure enables the touch panel 100 to form a capacitive touch area (corresponding to the light-transmitting area 31) by relying on the conductive film layer 13. After touching the touch area, the user can control the circuit board 1. The structure of the conductive film layer 13 itself is thinner than that of traditional conductive springs or conductive sponges, thus making the touch panel 100 of this application thinner, which is beneficial to the integration of the touch panel 100. Furthermore, the conductive film layer 13 is located below the light guide component 2, so that the conductive film layer 13 will not block the light transmitted by the light guide component 2, which is beneficial to improving the brightness displayed in the light-transmitting area 31 of the panel 3.

[0023] It should be noted that the conductive film layer 13 is disposed on the plate 11, and the conductive film layer 13 is in the form of a thin sheet. It can be understood that the materials that can be used for the conductive film layer 13 include, but are not limited to, copper sheets, aluminum sheets, alloy sheets, graphene sheets, etc. For example, in this embodiment, the conductive film layer 13 is preferably a conductive copper sheet.

[0024] Understandably, there are multiple light sources 12 so that the touch panel 100 can display light in multiple areas. Furthermore, the light-transmitting area 31 can be divided into multiple areas, with one light-transmitting area 31 corresponding to one light source 12, so that each light-transmitting area 31 can be lit. Understandably, the number of conductive film layers 13 should be less than or equal to the number of light-transmitting areas 31 so that when the user performs touch, they can rely on the conductive film layers 13 to control one or more light-transmitting areas 31.

[0025] It should be noted that the light source 12 can be composed of a single light bead or multiple light beads arranged in parallel. The specific structure is determined by the light-transmitting area 31 corresponding to the light source 12. The larger the light-transmitting area 31, the more light beads the corresponding light source 12 has, or the corresponding light beads have a larger volume. Examples will not be given here.

[0026] For the light guide component 2 mentioned above, please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4The light guide assembly 2 includes a diffuser 21, which includes a light shield 211 and a diffuser sheet 212. The light shield 211 has a diffuser hole 2111, and the diffuser sheet 212 is installed in the diffuser hole 2111. Along the first direction X, the diffuser sheet 212 is aligned with the light-transmitting area 31. The diffuser sheet 212 is used to diffuse the light from the light source 12 and then emit it from the light-transmitting area 31. There are multiple diffuser holes 2111 and diffuser sheets 212. One light source 12 corresponds to one diffuser sheet 212, and one diffuser sheet 212 corresponds to one diffuser hole 2111. The light shield 211 is used to cover the light source 12 to prevent the light emitted by the light source 12 from being emitted directly into the external environment without being diffused by the diffuser sheet 212, thereby affecting the display effect of the touch panel 100.

[0027] For the diffusion sheet 212 mentioned above, please refer to... Figure 4 The diffuser 212 has a receiving groove 2121 on its side wall. The receiving groove 2121 is used to receive the light source 12 and guides the light from the light source 12 by the setting of the receiving groove 2121, changing the irradiation direction of the light from the light source 12. The light from the light source 12 enters the diffuser 212 along the second direction Y. The diffuser 212 is used to diffuse the light from the light source 12 and emit it along the first direction X. The first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y.

[0028] Understandably, the number of receiving slots 2121 is the same as the number of LED chips, so that the refraction effect of the diffuser 212 on the light from multiple LED chips is better than the refraction effect of a single large through slot group receiving slot 2121.

[0029] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 The light guide assembly 2 includes a reflective film 22, which has a through hole 221. The reflective film 22 is disposed on the surface of the light shield 211 facing the plate 11. The through hole 221 allows the light source 12 to pass through so that the light from the light source 12 can be smoothly transmitted to the diffuser 212. The reflective film 22 is used to reflect part of the light from the light source 12 to the diffuser 212.

[0030] Understandably, the diffuser 212 is used to homogenize and refract the light emitted by the light source 12, so that the entire diffuser 212 can be illuminated and present a bright state. However, some light escapes through the side of the diffuser 212 facing the circuit board 1, resulting in insufficient light reaching the corresponding light-transmitting area 31, thus impairing brightness and affecting the user experience. Therefore, this application uses a reflective film 22 disposed between the diffuser 212 and the light-shielding film, so that the light from the side of the diffuser 212 facing the circuit board 1 is reflected by the reflective film 22 and then passes through the diffuser 212 and the light-transmitting area 31 before being projected to the outside, thereby improving the display brightness of the touch panel 100 and thus improving the user experience.

[0031] In other embodiments, the reflective film 22 can be cut into a shape that fits the diffuser 212 and attached to the diffuser 212, or the reflective layer can be applied to the diffuser 212 by means of a coating.

[0032] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The light guide assembly 2 includes a light isolation plate 23, which is disposed on the surface of the reflective film 22 facing away from the plate body 11. Alternatively, it can be understood as the light isolation plate 23 being disposed on the surface of the light shield 211 facing the plate body 11. The light isolation plate 23 is provided with a light guide hole 231. Along the first direction X, the light guide hole 231, the diffuser 212, and the light-transmitting area 31 are aligned. The light isolation plate 233 is used to isolate different diffusers 212 to prevent the light emitted by the light source 12 from being diffused by the diffuser 212 and transmitted to the peripheral diffusers 212, thereby preventing light from entering the diffuser 212 corresponding to the non-light-emitting light source 12, causing the non-corresponding light-transmitting area 31 to be lit, leading to user misjudgment. The number of light guide holes 231 is consistent with the number of diffuser 212 and light-transmitting areas 31.

[0033] Understandably, the thickness of the light isolation plate 23 is greater than or equal to the thickness of the diffuser plate 212, so as to ensure the isolation of the light isolation plate 23 from the diffuser plate 212 housed in the light guide hole 231, and avoid interference between different diffuser plates 212.

[0034] It should be noted that the light guide component 2 described above is composed of a light shield 211, a diffuser 212, a reflective film 22, and a light isolation plate 23. Due to the stacking of its film layer structure and plate structure, the overall structure of the light guide component 2 is thinner and lighter than that of existing conductive springs or conductive sponges. In some preferred embodiments, the overall thickness of the light guide component 2 is between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. For example, in this embodiment, the thickness of the light guide component 2 is 1 mm.

[0035] In some embodiments, the touch panel 100 includes an adhesive layer (not shown) disposed between the light guide assembly 2 and the panel 3, and between the circuit board 1 and the light guide assembly 2. The two adhesive layers allow the light guide assembly 2, the panel 3, and the circuit board 1 to be bonded together, ensuring the consistency of the capacitive sensing distance of the capacitive touch panel 100.

[0036] It should be noted that the distance between the conductive film layer 13 and the outer surface of the panel 3 facing away from the light guide assembly 2 is 2.3mm to 2.5mm, thereby providing sufficient housing space for the light guide assembly 2 and the adhesive layer.

[0037] For panel 3 mentioned above, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 7The panel 3 includes a diaphragm 32 and a light-transmitting shell 33. The diaphragm 32 is disposed on the light-transmitting shell 33 and is located between the light guide assembly 2 and the light-transmitting shell 33. The light-transmitting area 31 is disposed on the diaphragm 32.

[0038] Specifically, users can set prompt characters on the diaphragm 32 according to their actual needs. These prompt characters are the indicator patterns mentioned above.

[0039] In some embodiments, the translucent shell 33 is black, so that when the touch panel 100 is not touched, the panel 3 presents an overall black uniformity, which enhances the appearance of the touch panel 100 when it is not in use.

[0040] Furthermore, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 7 The panel 3 is provided with a receiving cavity 34, in which the light guide assembly 2 and the circuit board 1 are both housed.

[0041] In some embodiments, the circuit board 1 and the light guide assembly 2 are detachably disposed on the panel 3. The touch panel 100 includes a screw connector 4. The circuit board 1 is provided with a first mounting hole 14. The panel 3 is provided with a screw hole 35. The screw connector 4 passes through the through hole 221 and is screwed into the screw hole 35.

[0042] In other embodiments, the sidewalls and openings of the receiving cavity 34 extend with hooks, and the circuit board 1 is received in the receiving cavity 34 and abuts against the hooks so that the hooks engage with the surface of the circuit board 1 away from the receiving cavity 34.

[0043] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the installation of the panel 3 on various devices, the outer wall of the panel 3 is provided with a mounting wall 15, and the mounting wall 15 is provided with a second mounting hole 151, so that the touch panel 100 can be installed on the device through the second mounting hole 151.

[0044] It should be noted that the thickness of the touch panel 100 based on the above structure is less than or equal to 4 mm.

[0045] In this application, the touch panel 100 includes a circuit board 1, a light guide assembly 2, and a panel 3. The circuit board 1 includes a board body 11, a light source 12, and a conductive film layer 13. The light source 12 and the conductive film layer 13 are disposed on the board body 11. The panel 3, the light guide assembly 2, and the circuit board 1 are stacked sequentially along a first direction X. The light guide assembly 2 covers the light source 12. The panel 3 is provided with a light-transmitting area 31, which is arranged in an indicator pattern. The light guide assembly 2 is used to guide the light from the light source 12 out of the light-transmitting area 31 so that the indicator pattern formed by the light-transmitting area 31 is lit. The conductive film layer 13 is located below the light-transmitting area 31. The above structure allows the touch panel 100 to form a capacitive touch area (corresponding to the light-transmitting area 31) using the conductive film layer 13. Users can control the circuit board 1 by touching the touch area. The conductive film layer 13 itself is thinner than traditional conductive springs or conductive sponges, resulting in a thinner touch panel 100, which facilitates integration. Furthermore, the conductive film layer 13 is located below the light guide component 2, preventing it from obstructing the light transmitted by the light guide component 2 and improving the brightness of the indicator pattern displayed in the light-transmitting area 31 of the panel 3. This structure also makes the touch panel 100 thinner than traditional touch panels using conductive springs or conductive sponges, promoting high integration and reducing the overall size of the touch panel 100.

[0046] This application also provides embodiments of an electronic device, which includes a device body and the aforementioned touch panel 100. For details on the specific structure and function of the touch panel 100, please refer to the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0047] It should be noted that while preferred embodiments of this application are provided in the specification and accompanying drawings, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are not intended to impose additional limitations on the content of this application; their purpose is to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of this application. Furthermore, the above-described technical features can be combined with each other to form various embodiments not listed above, all of which are considered to be within the scope of this application's specification. Moreover, those skilled in the art can make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A touch panel, characterized in that, include: A circuit board includes a board body, a light source, and a conductive film layer, wherein the light source and the conductive film layer are disposed on the board body; Light guide components; The panel, the light guide assembly, and the circuit board are stacked sequentially along a first direction, and the light guide assembly covers the light source. The panel has a light-transmitting area arranged in an indicator pattern. The light guide assembly is used to guide the light from the light source out of the light-transmitting area so that the indicator pattern formed by the light-transmitting area is lit up. The conductive film layer is located below the light-transmitting area.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light guide assembly includes a diffuser, which includes a light shield and a diffuser plate. The light shield is provided with a diffuser hole, and the diffuser plate is installed in the diffuser hole. Along the first direction, the diffuser is aligned with the light-transmitting area, and the diffuser is used to diffuse the light from the light source and emit it from the light-transmitting area.

3. The touch panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The diffuser sheet has a receiving groove on its side wall for receiving the light source. The light from the light source is incident on the diffuser sheet along a second direction. The diffuser sheet is used to diffuse the light from the light source out along a first direction, where the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

4. The touch panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The light guide assembly includes a reflective film with through holes. The reflective film is disposed on the surface of the light shield facing the plate. The through holes allow light from the light source to pass through, and the reflective film is used to reflect a portion of the light from the light source to the diffuser.

5. The touch panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The light guide assembly includes a light isolation plate, which is disposed on the surface of the light shield facing the plate body, and the light isolation plate is provided with light guide holes; Along the first direction, the light guide hole, the diffuser, and the light-transmitting area are aligned.

6. The touch panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the conductive film layer and the outer surface of the panel facing away from the light guide component is 2.3 mm to 2.5 mm.

7. The touch panel according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The panel includes a diaphragm and a light-transmitting shell. The diaphragm is disposed on the light-transmitting shell and is located between the light guide component and the light-transmitting shell. The light-transmitting area is disposed on the diaphragm.

8. The touch panel according to claim 7, characterized in that, The color of the translucent outer shell is black.

9. The touch panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The touch panel includes an adhesive layer disposed between the light guide assembly and the panel, and between the circuit board and the light guide assembly.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes the device body and the touch panel as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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