Display device with touch panel

Abstract

To provide a display device with touch panel configured to efficiently and properly detect a pressure when the touch panel is depressed.SOLUTION: A display device with touch panel includes: a front-side case 4 which stores a display panel 2 and a touch panel 3 in a manner to overlap each other; a support plate 12 fixed to a side opposite to a display surface of the front side case 4; a back-side case 5 arranged on a side of the support plate 12 opposite to the display panel 2; and a pressure sensitive element 20 which detects a pressure when the touch panel 3 is depressed. The back-side case 5 includes: a mounting surface part 21 where the pressure sensitive element 20 is mounted; and a projection 23 which is protruded from a surface opposite to the surface of the mounting surface part 21 where the pressure sensitive element 20 is mounted, and has a tip to be brought into contact with the support plate 12. When the touch panel 3 is depressed, the mounting surface part 21 is deformed to bend via the projection 23 so that the pressure sensitive element 20 detects a pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device with a touch panel. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been display devices with touch panels that include a display panel and a touch panel and enable various inputs by operating the touch panel in accordance with an image displayed on the display panel (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 041163 [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-102113 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, among the above-mentioned display devices with touch panels, there are those equipped with pressure-sensitive elements that detect the pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed. For example, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which four piezoelectric elements (pressure-sensitive elements) are arranged at the four corners of a liquid crystal panel (display panel). However, such a configuration requires many pressure-sensitive elements, which increases costs.

[0005] On the other hand, the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration including a vibration element that generates vibration (tactile sensation) in response to the operation of a touch panel. In the case of such a configuration, if the vibration of the vibration element is transmitted to the pressure-sensitive element when the touch panel is operated, there is a risk that the pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed cannot be detected properly.

[0006] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a display device with a touch panel that is capable of efficiently and appropriately detecting the pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means. [1] A front case that houses a display panel and a touch panel in a stacked state; A support plate fixed to the opposite side of the front case from the display surface; a rear case disposed on an opposite side of the support plate from the display panel; a vibration element fixed between the rear case and the support plate, and vibrating the front case and the support plate in an in-plane direction of the display panel relative to the rear case in response to an operation of the touch panel; a pressure-sensitive element that detects a pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed; the rear case has a mounting surface portion to which the pressure-sensitive element is attached, and a protrusion portion that protrudes from a surface of the mounting surface portion opposite to the surface to which the pressure-sensitive element is attached, and a tip of the protrusion portion abuts against the support plate, A display device with a touch panel, characterized in that, when the touch panel is pressed, the pressure-sensitive element detects pressure by causing the mounting surface portion to bend and deform via the protrusion. [2] The display device with a touch panel according to [1], wherein the mounting surface portion is formed to be thinner than the surrounding area of ​​the mounting surface portion. [3] The display device with a touch panel according to [1] or [2], wherein the rear case has at least a pair of slits that cut out both sides of the mounting surface. [4] The display device with a touch panel according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the pressure-sensitive element is provided at a position overlapping with the vicinity of the center of the display panel in a planar view. [5] A display device with a touch panel according to any one of [1] to [4], further comprising a damper mechanism that supports the front case or the support plate so as to be capable of vibrating freely in an in-plane direction of the touch panel relative to the rear case. [6] The display device with a touch panel according to any one of [1] to [5], further comprising a cushioning material interposed between the support plate and the rear case. [7] The display device with a touch panel according to any one of [1] to [6], further comprising a circuit board attached to the rear case and electrically connected to the vibration element via a cable. Effect of the Invention

[0008] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a display device with a touch panel that is capable of efficiently and appropriately detecting the pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a touch panel-equipped display device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective plan view illustrating a configuration of the touch panel-equipped display device illustrated in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel-equipped display device taken along line AA shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an elastic displacement portion included in the touch panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the touch panel of the touch-panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. 1 is pressed. [Figure 6] 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective plan view showing a modified example of the touch panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective plan view illustrating an example of an arrangement of elastic displacement parts in the touch panel-equipped display device shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, in order to make each component easier to see, the dimensions of the components may be shown at different scales, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

[0011] As one embodiment of the present invention, a touch panel-equipped display device 1 shown in, for example, FIGS. 1 to 5 will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the touch panel-equipped display device 1. Fig. 2 is a see-through plan view showing the configuration of the touch panel-equipped display device 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel-equipped display device 1 taken along line segment AA shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an elastic displacement section 14 included in the touch panel-equipped display device 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the touch panel 3 of the touch panel-equipped display device 1 is pressed.

[0012] In addition, in the drawings shown below, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set up, and the X-axis direction is the longitudinal direction (length direction) in the horizontal plane of the display device with touch panel 1, the Y-axis direction is the transverse direction (width direction) in the horizontal plane of the display device with touch panel 1, and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction (height direction) perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the display device with touch panel 1.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment includes a display panel 2, a touch panel 3, a front case 4, a rear case 5, a vibration element 6, a control board 7, and a damper mechanism 8.

[0014] The display panel 2 displays an image. In this embodiment, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD) is used as the display panel 2. Note that, in addition to the above-mentioned liquid crystal display panel, for example, an organic electroluminescence (EL) display panel (OLED) can also be used as the display panel 2. The display panel 2 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape as a whole, and is attached to the front side of the front case 4 by a hook structure, screws, or the like.

[0015] In addition, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 shown in Fig. 1, an image displayed on the display panel 2 can be viewed from the positive side of the Z axis. In other words, this touch panel-equipped display device 1 has a display surface on the positive side of the Z axis.

[0016] The touch panel 3 allows various inputs to be made by operating the screen in accordance with the image displayed on the display panel 2. In this embodiment, for example, a capacitive touch panel (CTP) is used as the touch panel 3. Note that, in addition to the above-mentioned capacitive touch panel, other types of touch panel such as a resistive film type may also be used for the touch panel 3.

[0017] The touch panel 3 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape overall, and has an outer shape larger than the display panel 2. The touch panel 3 is attached to the front side of the front case 4 via an adhesive 10 such as double-sided tape, in a state where the touch panel 3 is superimposed on the display surface side of the display panel 2 via a cushioning material 9.

[0018] The front case 4, together with the rear case 5, constitutes the main body case 11 and is made of a resin molded body such as plastic. The front case 4 is formed into a generally rectangular frame shape so as to house the display panel 2 and the touch panel 3 that are stacked on top of each other.

[0019] The rear case 5, together with the front case 4, constitutes the main case 11, and is made of a resin molded body such as plastic. The rear case 5 is formed into a generally rectangular box shape so that it can be combined with the front case 4. The rear case 5 has a smaller outer shape than the front case 4, and can be fitted into the inside of the front case 4 from the rear side of the front case 4.

[0020] In this embodiment, the front case 4 and the rear case 5 are made of, for example, ABS resin or a mixed resin material of ABS resin and PC resin, but the materials are not necessarily limited to these.

[0021] The vibration element 6 vibrates the front case 4 in response to an operation on the touch panel 3, and is composed of, for example, a linear resonance actuator (LRA), a voice coil motor (VCM), a piezoelectric element, an eccentric motor (ERM), or the like.

[0022] The vibration element 6 is attached to the side opposite to the display surface of the front case 4, i.e., the rear side of the front case 4, via a support plate 12. The support plate 12 is made of metal such as stainless steel (SUS), aluminum, or nickel alloy, or resin, and is formed into a generally rectangular flat plate shape as a whole so as to cover the rear side of the front case 4.

[0023] The support plate 12 is attached to the rear side of the front case 4 by screws or the like. The rear case 5 is disposed on the opposite side of the support plate 12 from the display panel 2. The vibration element 6 is attached near the center of the rear side of the support plate 12 (at a position overlapping with near the center of the display panel 2 in a plan view). An opening 5a is provided in the approximate center of the rear case 5, surrounding the periphery of the vibration element 6 attached to the support plate 12. In this embodiment, the vibration element 6 vibrates in the longitudinal direction of the display device 1 with a touch panel.

[0024] The control board 7 is a circuit board provided with a drive circuit that controls the drive of the vibration elements 6. The control board 7 is attached to the rear case 5 by screws or the like. The control board 7 is also electrically connected to the vibration elements 6 via cables 13a.

[0025] The damper mechanism 8 is interposed between the front case 4 and the rear case 5, and supports the front case 4 relative to the rear case 5 so as to be vibrable in the in-plane direction of the touch panel 3. In this embodiment, two damper mechanisms 8 are provided on both sides of the touch panel-equipped display device 1 in the longitudinal direction, sandwiching the vibration element 6, within the horizontal plane of the touch panel-equipped display device 1.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the damper mechanism 8 has an elastic displacement portion 14 provided on the rear side case 5, a first fixed portion 15 fixed to the support plate 12, and a second fixed portion 16 fixed to the elastic displacement portion 14.

[0027] The elastic displacement portion 14 has a fixed piece 14a on which the second fixed portion 16 is provided, and a pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c extending in opposite directions (in this embodiment, in the short direction of the display device 1 with a touch panel) from both sides of the fixed piece 14a.

[0028] The fixing piece 14a has a flat plate shape parallel to the in-plane direction of the rear case 5. The fixing piece 14a in this embodiment has a circular plate shape or an oval plate shape along the longitudinal direction of the display device 1 with a touch panel.

[0029] The pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c have a flat plate shape perpendicular to the in-plane direction of the rear case 5. In this embodiment, the elastic pieces 14b, 14c have a long plate shape extending along the short side direction of the touch panel-equipped display device 1. In other words, the pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c have a flat plate shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the touch panel-equipped display device 1, which is the vibration direction of the vibration element 6.

[0030] The elastic displacement portion 14 is provided in a state of being suspended inside an opening 5b provided in the rear case 5. That is, the elastic displacement portion 14 is formed integrally with the rear case 5. The opening 5b opens in a rectangular shape so as to surround the periphery of the elastic displacement portion 14. The elastic displacement portion 14 is provided in a state of being suspended inside the opening 5b by connecting one end side of the elastic pieces 14b and 14c to the fixed piece 14a and connecting the other end side of the elastic pieces 14b and 14c to the rear case 5 which forms the opening 5b.

[0031] As a result, in the elastic displacement portion 14, by utilizing the bending deformation of the pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c, it is possible to elastically displace the fixed piece 14a connected to the pair of elastic pieces 14b, 14c in the in-plane direction of the rear case 5 (in this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the display device 1 with a touch panel).

[0032] Furthermore, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of the present embodiment, by forming the above-mentioned elastic displacement portion 14 integrally with the rear case 5, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of this touch panel-equipped display device 1.

[0033] The elastic displacement part 14 is not necessarily limited to being formed integrally with the above-mentioned rear case 5, but may be formed separately from the rear case 5 and suspended inside the opening 5b of the rear case 5. In this case, the elastic displacement part 14 may be made of a material different from that of the above-mentioned rear case 5.

[0034] The first fixing part 15 has a base part 15a that protrudes from a position facing the fixing piece 14a of the support plate 12 toward the rear case 5, and a screw hole 15b formed in the base part 15a. On the other hand, the second fixing part 16 has a through hole 16a that penetrates the fixing piece 14a. In the damper mechanism 8, the first fixing part 15 and the second fixing part 16 are fixed together by threading a screw 17, which is a fixing tool, into the screw hole 15b through the through hole 16a.

[0035] The touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment also includes at least one or more (six in this embodiment) cushioning materials 18 interposed between the support plate 12 and the rear case 5. The cushioning materials 18 can be appropriately selected from materials capable of absorbing vibrations, such as the cushioning material 9 described above. The cushioning materials 18 are appropriately arranged in a range where the support plate 12 and the rear case 5 overlap while being sandwiched between the support plate 12 and the rear case 5. This makes it possible to suppress vibrations transmitted from the support plate 12 to the rear case 5 and to prevent resonance.

[0036] In the display device with a touch panel 1 of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration, the damper mechanism 8 interposed between the support plate 12 and the rear case 5 supports the front case 4 relative to the rear case 5 so that it can vibrate freely in the in-plane direction of the touch panel 3 (in this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the display device with a touch panel 1).

[0037] This makes it possible to suppress vibrations transmitted from the front case 4, which is the movable side on which the vibration elements 6 are attached, to the rear case 5, which is the fixed side on which the control board 7 is attached. It is also possible to prevent the control board 7 and the like from being adversely affected by vibrations transmitted from the vibration elements 6.

[0038] Furthermore, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, the front case 4 is vibrated in the in-plane direction of the touch panel 3 relative to the above-mentioned rear case 5, so that the vibration from the vibration element 6 can be efficiently and uniformly transmitted to the front case 4. This makes it possible to use a vibration element 6 that is smaller than in the past.

[0039] As described above, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, vibrations from the vibration element 6 can be efficiently transmitted in response to operation of the touch panel 3, and vibrations transmitted from the front case 4 to the rear case 5 can be suppressed.

[0040] Incidentally, the touch-panel equipped display device 1 of this embodiment includes a pressure-sensitive element 20 that detects the pressure applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed, as shown in FIGS.

[0041] The pressure-sensitive element 20 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric element, and is attached near the center of the rear side of the rear case 5 (at a position overlapping with near the center of the display panel 2 in a plan view). The pressure-sensitive element 20 is electrically connected to the control board 7 via a cable 13b.

[0042] The rear side case 5 has a mounting surface portion 21 on which the pressure-sensitive element 20 is attached, a pair of slits 22 cutting out both sides of the mounting surface portion 21, and a protrusion portion 23 that protrudes from the face (front side) of the mounting surface portion 21 opposite the face (rear side) on which the pressure-sensitive element 20 is attached and whose tip abuts against the support plate 12.

[0043] The mounting surface portion 21 is formed to be thinner than the surrounding area of ​​the mounting surface portion 21. The pair of slits 22 are formed by cutting out the mounting surface portion 21 in the longitudinal direction on both sides of the mounting surface portion 21. The protrusion portion 23 protrudes in a cylindrical shape toward the support plate 12 from a position overlapping with the approximate center of the pressure-sensitive element 20 in a plan view, and has a rounded spherical tip.

[0044] In the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration, when the touch panel 3 is pressed, the mounting surface portion 21 can be flexibly deformed via the protrusion portion 23, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0045] In other words, in this display device with a touch panel 1, the support plate 12 is displaced toward the rear case 5 depending on the amount of pressure (depression amount) applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed, and the mounting surface portion 21 can be flexibly deformed via the protrusion portion 23 abutting against this support plate 12.

[0046] The mounting surface portion 21 is made more flexible by being thinner than the surrounding area of ​​the mounting surface portion 21. Moreover, the mounting surface portion 21 can be made more flexible by providing a pair of slits 22 on both sides of the mounting surface portion 21.

[0047] As a result, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, the pressure-sensitive element 20 generates an electromotive force corresponding to the bending deformation of the mounting surface portion 21, making it possible to detect the pressure (amount of pressure) applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed.

[0048] Therefore, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, when the touch panel 3 is pressed in accordance with the image displayed on the above-mentioned display panel 2, various inputs can be made according to the pressure (amount of pressing).

[0049] As described above, in the touch-panel equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, it is possible for the single pressure-sensitive element 20 to efficiently detect the pressure applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed.

[0050] In addition, in the touch panel-equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, only the tips of the above-mentioned protrusions 23 are in contact with the support plate 12, so that the contact area with the support plate 12 is reduced, and the vibration of the vibration element 6 is less likely to be transmitted to the pressure-sensitive element 20 when the touch panel 3 is operated. Note that the protrusions 23 are not limited to being in constant contact with the support plate 12, and can also be configured to come into contact with the support plate 12 immediately after the touch panel 3 is operated.

[0051] As a result, in the touch-panel equipped display device 1 of this embodiment, it is possible for the pressure-sensitive element 20 to appropriately detect the pressure applied when the touch panel 3 is pressed, without being affected by the vibration of the vibration element 6.

[0052] The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Specifically, the above-mentioned touch panel-equipped display device 1 is configured to have the pair of slits 22, but may have a configuration in which a further slit 22 is added to cut out a gap between one end sides of the pair of slits 22, as shown in Fig. 6. In other words, three slits 22 may be provided so as to be positioned on three sides of a rectangle surrounding the periphery of the pressure-sensitive element 20.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above-described touch panel-equipped display device 1, a configuration in which the above-described two damper mechanisms 8 are arranged has been exemplified, but it is possible to arrange at least one damper mechanism 8 or a plurality of damper mechanisms 8.

[0054] For example, a configuration in which four damper mechanisms 8 are arranged in the above-mentioned touch panel-equipped display device 1 is shown in Fig. 7. In the configuration shown in Fig. 7, the four damper mechanisms 8 are arranged in the horizontal plane of the touch panel-equipped display device 1 so as to be located at the center of each side of a rectangle surrounding the vibration element 6 and pressure-sensitive element 20 arranged near the center.

[0055] The applications of the above-mentioned display device 1 with a touch panel are not particularly limited, and the display device 1 with a touch panel can be used widely for applicable applications such as touch operation panels of office equipment such as copiers (multifunction devices) and printers, and touch operation panels mounted on vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1...Display device with touch panel 2...Display panel 3...Touch panel 4...Front case 5...Rear case 5b...Opening 6...Vibration element 7...Control board 8...Damper mechanism 9...Cushioning material 10...Adhesive 11...Main case 12...Support plate 13a, 13b...Cable 14...Elastic displacement portion 14a...Fixed piece 14b, 14c...Elastic piece 15...First fixed portion 16...Second fixed portion 17...Screw (fixing device) 18...Cushioning material 20...Pressure-sensitive element 21...Mounting surface portion 22...Slit 23...Protrusion

Claims

1. a front case that houses the display panel and the touch panel in a state where they are overlapped with each other; A support plate fixed to the opposite side of the front case from the display surface; a rear case disposed on an opposite side of the support plate from the display panel; a vibration element fixed between the rear case and the support plate, and vibrating the front case and the support plate in an in-plane direction of the display panel relative to the rear case in response to an operation of the touch panel; a pressure-sensitive element that detects a pressure applied when the touch panel is pressed; the rear case has a mounting surface portion to which the pressure-sensitive element is attached, and a protrusion portion that protrudes from a surface of the mounting surface portion opposite to the surface to which the pressure-sensitive element is attached, and a tip of the protrusion portion abuts against the support plate, A display device with a touch panel, characterized in that, when the touch panel is pressed, the pressure-sensitive element detects pressure by causing the mounting surface portion to bend and deform via the protrusion.

2. The display device with a touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting surface portion is formed to be thinner than the surrounding area of ​​the mounting surface portion.

3. 3. The display device with a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the rear case has at least a pair of slits that cut out both sides of the mounting surface.

4. 4. The display device with a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive element is provided at a position overlapping with the vicinity of a center of the display panel in a plan view.

5. A display device with a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is provided with a damper mechanism that supports the front case or the support plate so that it can vibrate freely in the in-plane direction of the touch panel relative to the rear case.

6. The display device with a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a cushioning material interposed between the support plate and the rear case.

7. The display device with a touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a circuit board attached to the rear case and electrically connected to the vibration element via a cable.

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