touch panel

Abstract

To provide a touch panel with high design property and low cost.SOLUTION: A touch panel 10 is provided with a first electrode substrate 14 having a first conductive film 12, a second electrode substrate 18 having a second conductive film 16 facing the first conductive film 12, a decorative portion 24 formed on the second electrode substrate 18, and a case 22 for accommodating the first electrode substrate 14. The first electrode substrate 14 has a larger area than the second electrode substrate 18, and the case 22 covers an outer peripheral portion 28 which is larger than the second electrode substrate 18 of the first electrode substrate 14, and the second electrode substrate 18 has an eaves portion 30 which is not covered.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a touch panel having a decorative portion such as a printed design. [Background technology]

[0002] Various types of touch panels are known, such as resistive, capacitive, and electrostatic coupling types. Some of these touch panels have decorative parts such as printed designs or decorative sheets on the operating surface to enhance their design (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-024680 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-187875 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-146174 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-009371 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, there has been a growing need for touch panels that have decorative areas on the operation surface and do not use bezels or front cases that cover the outer periphery of the electrode substrate. However, while such touch panels offer high design potential, they tend to be more expensive to manufacture than touch panels with bezels or front cases.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel that can be manufactured at low cost while ensuring high designability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a display device including: a first electrode substrate having a first conductive film; a second electrode substrate having a decorative portion facing the first conductive film; a flat-plate-shaped base material provided on the lower surface of the first electrode substrate; and a The first electrode substrate is accommodated and fixed to the base material by fastening means. Case and ,of The first electrode substrate has a larger area than the second electrode substrate, and the case has a canopy portion that covers an outer periphery of the first electrode substrate that is outside the second electrode substrate but does not cover the second electrode substrate.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is A touch panel comprising a first electrode substrate having a first conductive film and a second electrode substrate facing the first conductive film, a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate, and housed in a case having an eave portion, an end of the first electrode substrate abutting against at least one of the inner surfaces of the case, wherein the first electrode substrate has a larger area than the second electrode substrate, an outer periphery of the first electrode substrate outside the second electrode substrate is covered by the eave portion, and the second electrode substrate is not covered by the eave portion. It is a touch panel.

[0008] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is a touch panel comprising a first electrode substrate having a first conductive film and a second electrode substrate opposite the first conductive film, a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate, and housed in a case having a canopy portion, wherein the outer dimensions of the decorative portion are smaller than the outer dimensions of the second electrode substrate, the outer periphery of the second electrode substrate outside the decorative portion is covered by the canopy portion, and the outer periphery of the decorative portion is adhered to the first electrode substrate by an adhesive layer. Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is a touch panel comprising a first electrode substrate having a first conductive film and a second electrode substrate opposite the first conductive film, a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate, and housed in a case having a canopy portion, wherein the external dimensions of the decorative portion are equal to the external dimensions of the second electrode substrate, a portion of the decorative portion is covered by the canopy portion together with the outer periphery of the second electrode substrate provided on the upper surface of the decorative portion, and at least a portion of the decorative portion is adhered to the first electrode substrate by an adhesive layer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, a low-cost touch panel with a high level of design is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view of the touch panel according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 along AA'. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 illustrates the assembly of two electrode substrates of the touch panel of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel according to a comparative example. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the assembly of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 2 is a top view showing an example in which a waterproof structure is provided on the touch panel of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 taken along line BB'. [Figure 8] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC' in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing the connection state between the first electrode substrate and the FPC. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial enlarged view showing the state where a case is placed on top of the structure of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing a state in which silver wiring on the first electrode substrate has been removed. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged view showing the state where a case is placed on top of the structure of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of FIG. 2. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of means for fixing the first electrode substrate to the case. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of means for fixing the first electrode substrate to the case. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a top view showing an example in which a mechanical switch is provided on a touch panel. [Figure 17] 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD′ of FIG. 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a top view of a touch panel according to a second embodiment. [Figure 19] 19 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 18 taken along the line E-E′. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 shows the assembly of two electrode substrates of the touch panel of FIG. 18. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is an exploded view of the assembly of FIG. 20. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a touch panel according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, identical or similar elements are designated by common reference numerals, and the scales of the drawings are appropriately changed for ease of understanding.

[0012] (First Example) FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a touch panel 10 according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows a cross section taken along line AA′ in FIG. 1. The touch panel 10 includes a first electrode substrate 14 having ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) 12 as a first conductive film, a second electrode substrate 18 having ITO 16 as a second conductive film facing the ITO 12, a display 20 such as an LCD or organic EL panel arranged on the opposite side of the first electrode substrate 14 from the second electrode substrate 18, and a case 22 that houses the first electrode substrate 14 and the display 20. In this embodiment, the first electrode substrate 14 is a glass substrate, and the second electrode substrate 18 is a resin film substrate. The case 22 is integrally formed by injection molding of resin or the like, and has a substantially L-shape in cross section from the side.

[0013] The second electrode substrate 18 has a conductive decorative portion 24. The decorative portion 24 is formed in a frame shape as a printed design. The external dimensions of the decorative portion 24 substantially match the external dimensions of the second electrode substrate 18. The decorative portion 24 is adhered to the first electrode substrate 14 by an adhesive layer 26 such as double-sided adhesive tape, and to enhance the design, the adhesive layer 26 is formed so that the inner periphery of the decorative portion 24 is smaller than the inner periphery of the adhesive layer 26 so that the decorative portion 24 does not protrude from the adhesive layer 26.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first electrode substrate 14 has a larger area than the second electrode substrate 18, and has a shape and dimensions that enclose the second electrode substrate 18 in a plan view. The case 22 covers an outer periphery 28 of the first electrode substrate 14 that is larger than the second electrode substrate 18, and has a canopy portion 30 that does not cover the second electrode substrate 18. The canopy portion 30 makes the portion of the surface of the first electrode substrate 14 that is not covered by the second electrode substrate 18 almost invisible from the outside. In addition, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 42 is attached to the outer periphery 28 of the first electrode substrate 14 by crimping or the like, and the FPC 42 is electrically connected to the glass-side wiring 40. The FPC 42 is disposed outside the decorative portion 24.

[0015] 4 shows a side cross section of a touch panel 110 according to a comparative example. The touch panel 110 is a type that does not have a so-called bezel or front case, and the first electrode substrate 114 and the second electrode substrate 118 have approximately the same outer dimensions, and both components are adhered to each other with double-sided adhesive tape 126 or the like. The outer dimensions of the decorative portion 124 formed on the second electrode substrate 118 by printing or the like are approximately equal to the outer dimensions of the second electrode substrate 118. The inner dimensions of the case 122 and the outer dimensions of the first electrode substrate 114 are also approximately equal, and both components are adhered to each other with double-sided adhesive tape 136 or the like.

[0016] In touch panel 110, first electrode substrate 114 is fixed inside case 122 by dropping it into case 122 from above, so when rounding the corners of case 122 like case 22 in Fig. 1, it is necessary to round the corners of first electrode substrate 114 and second electrode substrate 118 accordingly. This type of processing has been a factor in increasing costs, particularly when first electrode substrate 114 is made of glass.

[0017] Furthermore, the outer dimensions of second electrode substrate 118 and the inner dimensions of case 122 are not exactly the same, and some gap must be provided between the two components. In this case, it has been difficult to position and fix first electrode substrate 14 to case 122 so that the gap between second electrode substrate 118 and case 122 is uniform along all four sides of touch panel 110.

[0018] In contrast, in the first embodiment, first electrode substrate 14 is formed to be larger than second electrode substrate 18, and canopy portion 30 that covers outer periphery 28 of first electrode substrate 14 is provided on case 22, so there is no need to round the corners of glass first electrode substrate 14, and a right-angled structure without any rounding can be achieved, reducing the manufacturing cost of touch panel 10. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, in the process of assembling touch panel 10, the end of first electrode substrate 14 is abutted against the inner surface of case 22, which has a substantially inverted L-shape in side cross section, making it easy to position first electrode substrate 14 relative to case 22.

[0019] 2, the first electrode substrate 14 is supported and fixed by fixing a base material 32 such as a metal plate that supports the underside of the display 20 to the underside of the case 22 using fastening means such as screws or bolts 34. In addition, it is preferable to place an adhesive layer 36 such as a double-sided adhesive tape with a certain thickness or more and cushioning properties between the first electrode substrate 14 and the display 20 to prevent an impact received by one from being transmitted to the other.

[0020] In the touch panel 10, from the viewpoint of design, the gap d1 between the second electrode substrate 18 and the eaves portion 30 is preferably 2 mm or less, more preferably 1 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.5 mm or less. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of design and operability, the height difference (in the direction perpendicular to the operation surface) between the upper surface of the second electrode substrate 18 (the touch panel operation surface) and the eaves portion 30, i.e., the step d2, is preferably 2 mm or less, more preferably 1 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.5 mm or less. In this embodiment, the shape of the upper opening of the case 22 defined by the eaves portion 30 is substantially the same as the outline of the decorative portion 24, so that the outer periphery 28 of the first electrode substrate 14 and the FPC 42 are not visible to the operator. Furthermore, the eaves portion 30 and the operation surface at the top of the second electrode substrate 18 are substantially flush with each other, providing a touch panel with excellent design.

[0021] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an assembly of the first electrode substrate 14 and the second electrode substrate 18. In the first embodiment, the outer shape of the second electrode substrate 18 substantially matches the outer shape of the decorative portion 24. Silver wiring and other elements that may affect the design of the touch panel are preferably formed in the area covered by the decorative portion 24. A frame-shaped decorative portion 24 is formed by printing a conductive material such as conductive carbon on the underside of the second electrode substrate 18 on which ITO is formed. Then, film-side wiring 38 made of silver or other material is formed on the underside of the decorative portion 24 by printing or other methods. Meanwhile, glass-side wiring 40 made of silver or other material is formed on the upper surface of the first electrode substrate 14 on which ITO is formed by printing or other methods. Since the FPC 42 is positioned outside the decorative portion 24, there is no need to form a through-hole in the first electrode substrate 14 for passing the FPC 42 through. Conventionally, if no through-hole is formed in the first electrode substrate, it is necessary to make the second electrode substrate larger than the first conductive substrate in order to prevent the FPC from being visible from the outside and to ensure space for the FPC to pass through, which can cause problems such as the second electrode substrate bending. However, this embodiment does not cause such problems.

[0022] Next, the first electrode substrate 14 and the second electrode substrate 18 are bonded together using an adhesive layer 26 having a shape (frame-shaped in the illustrated example) that is contained within the downward projection area of ​​the decorative portion 24. At this time, holes are formed in parts of the adhesive layer 26, and conductive adhesive 44 is placed in the holes to electrically connect the film-side wiring 38 and the glass-side wiring 40. In this manner, the assembly of the first electrode substrate 14 and the second electrode substrate 18 shown in FIG. 3 can be produced.

[0023] Fig. 6 shows an example of a touch panel 10 provided with a waterproof structure. In the comparative example of Fig. 4, a waterproofing agent (not shown) is filled into gap 146 between case 122 and second electrode substrate 118 to avoid adverse effects such as malfunction caused by water entering through gap 146, but since a sufficient waterproof effect cannot be obtained when FPC (not shown) is placed on the outside of touch panel 110, it is necessary to form through-hole 115 in glass first electrode substrate 114 to pass FPC (not shown), which also increases costs.

[0024] 7 and 8, in touch panel 10, a frame-shaped adhesive layer 48 such as a waterproof double-sided adhesive tape is disposed between the underside of eaves portion 30 and the outer peripheral surface of first electrode substrate 14 to prevent moisture, dust, and the like from entering through gap 46 between eaves portion 30 and second electrode substrate 18. This prevents moisture from entering the interior through the gap between touch panel 10 and case 22. Waterproof double-sided adhesive tape is commercially available, so using such tape can reduce the manufacturing costs of touch panel 10.

[0025] 8, by using an adhesive layer 48 having a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the FPC 42, it is possible to ensure a space for crimping the FPC 42 onto the first electrode substrate 14. Furthermore, by bending the FPC 42 so that it extends downward along the edge of the first electrode substrate 14 and connecting its lower end 50 to a substrate or the like (not shown), it is possible to ensure waterproofing and to incorporate the FPC 42 into the case 22 without providing a through-hole 115 in the glass substrate 114 as in the comparative example of FIG.

[0026] 9 to 12 are diagrams illustrating means for improving the appearance of the touch panel with respect to the gap 46 between the canopy portion 30 and the second electrode substrate 18. When the glass-side wiring 40 printed on the first electrode substrate 14 is connected to the FPC 42 as shown in Fig. 9, the colored silver wiring 40 can be seen through the gap 46 as shown in Fig. 10, which may detract from the appearance of the touch panel.

[0027] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the appearance of the touch panel can be improved by not printing or forming the glass-side wiring 40 in the portion visible through the gap 46. In this case, the glass-side wiring 40 on the underside of the decorative portion 24 and the FPC 42 are connected by the transparent ITO 16 formed on the first electrode substrate 14. In the illustrated example, the glass-side wiring 40 and the FPC are electrically connected by four wiring portions 40a to 40d. Therefore, to prevent the wiring portions from being electrically connected to each other, a linear portion of the ITO 16 is removed by etching or the like to form a separation line 52. In this way, as shown in FIG. 12, the silver wiring 40 is not visible through the gap 46, and a touch panel with a good appearance can be constructed.

[0028] In general, ITO has a higher electrical resistance than silver or the like, so it is preferable that the length L of the portion of ITO 16 connecting glass-side wiring 40 and FPC 42 shown in Fig. 11 be as short as possible, and that the width W be as long as possible. Specifically, it is preferable that L be 1 mm or less, and W be 1 mm or more.

[0029] 11, or in addition to removing the silver wiring 40, an insulating layer 54 of the same color as the design print 24 on the second electrode substrate 18 may be formed on the surface of the silver wiring 40 or on the surface of the ITO 12, which is visible through the gap 46, by printing, for example, a light-blocking insulating ink, as shown in Fig. 13. In this way, the glass-side wiring 40 below the insulating layer 54 becomes invisible through the gap 46, improving the appearance of the touch panel.

[0030] Whether the insulating layer 54 and the decorative portion 24 are "the same color" can be determined, for example, by the index value ΔE, which represents color difference defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), and it is preferable that ΔE be 0.6 or less between the insulating layer 54 and the decorative portion 24. This is because if ΔE is 0.6 or less, the color difference between them is almost invisible to the naked eye.

[0031] FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of touch panel 10 similar to FIG. 2. FIG. 13 shows a structure that further reduces the step (corresponding to d2 in FIG. 2) between the upper surface of second electrode substrate 18 and overhang portion 30. By forming the upper surface of overhang portion 30 into an inclined surface 56 that decreases in height toward second electrode substrate 18, the step between the upper surface of second electrode substrate 18 and overhang portion 30 can be further reduced than in the structure of FIG. 2 while ensuring the rigidity and strength of case 22. Note that the horizontal length S, minimum height H1, and maximum height H2 of inclined surface 56 are preferably determined taking into consideration both the design of the touch panel and the strength of case 22. For example, it is preferable that S be 2 mm or more to enhance the design, H1 be 0.5 mm or more to be approximately the same as the thickness of second electrode substrate 18, and H2 be 1 mm or more to ensure the strength of case 22.

[0032] 14 shows a specific example of a structure that facilitates mounting of a touch panel, more specifically, mounting of case 22 to first electrode substrate 14. A snap-fit ​​type locking portion 60 that extends downward is provided inside case 22, such as on the underside of canopy portion 30, and by pressing the upper end of first electrode substrate 14 against inner surface 31 of case 22 and locking the lower end of first electrode substrate 14 with locking portion 60, first electrode substrate 14 can be positioned and fixed to case 22 with high precision and ease.

[0033] 6 to 8, a waterproof frame-shaped adhesive layer 48 may be disposed between the underside of the canopy portion 30 and the outer peripheral surface of the first electrode substrate 14 to prevent moisture from entering the interior through a gap between the first electrode substrate 14 and the case 22. Furthermore, as in FIG. 2, a base material 32 supporting the underside of the display 20 may be fixed to the underside of the case 22 using screws 34 or the like, and an adhesive layer 36 having a certain thickness or more and having cushioning properties may be disposed between the first electrode substrate 14 and the display 20.

[0034] FIG. 15 shows an alternative example to FIG. 14 in which a protrusion 62 for fitting the first electrode substrate 14 is provided on the inner surface of the case 22. By sandwiching the first electrode substrate 14 between the underside of the canopy portion 30 and the protrusion 62, the first electrode substrate 14 can be positioned and fixed reliably with high precision relative to the case 22. In this case, the protrusion 62 can be elastically displaced in the direction toward and away from the first electrode substrate 14 as indicated by the arrow 64 by an elastic means (not shown) such as a spring stored inside the case 22, and is configured to lock the lower end of the first electrode substrate 14 when displaced toward the first electrode substrate 14. This further facilitates mounting of the touch panel.

[0035] 15, similarly to the configurations of Figures 6 to 8, an adhesive layer 48 may be disposed between the underside of the canopy portion 30 and the outer peripheral surface of the first electrode substrate 14 to prevent moisture from entering the interior through a gap between the first electrode substrate 14 and the case 22. Furthermore, similarly to Figure 14, means such as a base material 32, screws 34, and adhesive layer 36 for fixing the display 20 to the case 22 may also be applied to Figure 15.

[0036] 16 and 17 show examples of effective use of the area of ​​the case 22. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, a through hole 66 can be provided in the canopy portion 30, and a through hole 68 can be provided in the first electrode substrate 14, and a switch 72 having a movable part 70 such as a push button that passes through the through holes 66 and 68 can be disposed. Instead of or in addition to the switch 72, a sensor 74 such as a camera can also be disposed. In this way, a touch panel that can perform various operations and processes in addition to a touch operation surface can be provided without substantially increasing the size of the case 22.

[0037] (Second Example) 18 and 19 show schematic top views of a touch panel 10a according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows an E-E' cross section of FIG. 18. The touch panel 10a includes a first electrode substrate 14 having ITO 12 as a first conductive film, a second electrode substrate 18 having ITO 16 as a second conductive film facing the ITO 12, a display 20 such as an LCD or organic EL panel arranged on the opposite side of the first electrode substrate 14 from the second electrode substrate 18, and a case 22 that houses the first electrode substrate 14 and the display 20. In this embodiment, the first electrode substrate 14 is a glass substrate, the second electrode substrate 18 is a resin film substrate, and the case 22 is integrally formed by resin injection molding or the like, and has a substantially L-shape in side cross section.

[0038] The second electrode substrate 18 has a decorative portion 24a. The decorative portion 24a is formed, for example, in a frame shape as a printed design. The outer dimensions of the decorative portion 24a do not match the outer dimensions of the second electrode substrate 18 as in the first embodiment, and are smaller than the second electrode substrate 18. Furthermore, a portion (periphery) 76 of the second electrode substrate 18 that is outside the decorative portion 24a is adhered to the first electrode substrate 14 by an adhesive layer 26a such as double-sided adhesive tape. As shown in FIG. 19 , an insulating layer 78 is formed by printing or the like on the glass-side wiring 40 formed on the peripheral portion 28 of the first electrode substrate 14.

[0039] 19 and 20 , the first electrode substrate 14 has a larger area than the second electrode substrate 18, has a shape and dimensions that enclose the second electrode substrate 18 in a plan view, and has an outer periphery 28 that is outer than the second electrode substrate 18. The canopy portion 30a of the second embodiment is configured to cover not only the outer periphery 28 as in the first embodiment, but also the outer periphery 76 of the second electrode substrate 18. Therefore, in the second embodiment, in addition to the outer periphery 28 of the first electrode substrate 14, the canopy portion 30a also covers the outer portion of the second electrode substrate 18 that does not have the design print 24a formed thereon. Therefore, the electrode substrates outer than the design print 24a are not visible to the operator, and a touch panel 10a with a highly designed design is obtained.

[0040] In the first embodiment, the decorative portion 24 must be conductive, but in the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 20, the film-side wiring 38a and the glass-side wiring 40a are both arranged outside the decorative portion 24a, so the decorative portion 24a does not need to be made of a conductive material, and insulating ink or the like can be used as the material for the decorative portion 24a. In general, insulating ink is available in a wider variety of colors than conductive materials such as conductive carbon, so in the second embodiment, a highly designed touch panel 10a can be constructed with fewer restrictions on the color of the decorative portion.

[0041] Also in the second embodiment, there is no need to round the corners of the glass first electrode substrate 14, which reduces the manufacturing cost of the touch panel 10a. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 19, by abutting the edge of the first electrode substrate 14 against the inner surface of the case 22 during the assembly process of the touch panel 10a, it becomes easy to position the first electrode substrate 14 relative to the case 22.

[0042] 19, the first electrode substrate 14 is supported and fixed by fixing a base material 32, which supports the lower surface of the display 20, to the lower surface of the case 22 with screws or bolts 34. An adhesive layer 36 having a certain thickness or more and cushioning properties may be disposed between the first electrode substrate 14 and the display 20.

[0043] 21 is an exploded view of an assembly of the first electrode substrate 14 and the second electrode substrate 18. A frame-shaped decorative portion 24a is formed by printing a conductive material on the lower surface of the second electrode substrate 18 on which ITO is formed, and film-side wiring 38a is formed by printing or the like on the outer periphery 76 of the second electrode substrate 18 outside the decorative portion 24a. Meanwhile, glass-side wiring 40a made of silver or the like is formed by printing or the like on the upper surface of the first electrode substrate 14 on which ITO is formed, and an FPC 42 is further connected to the glass-side wiring 40a.

[0044] Next, the first electrode substrate 14 and the second electrode substrate 18 are bonded together using an adhesive layer 26a having a shape (frame-shaped in the illustrated example) that is contained within the downward projection area of ​​the outer periphery 76. At this time, holes are formed in parts of the adhesive layer 26a and conductive adhesive 44 is placed in the holes to connect the film-side wiring 38a and the glass-side wiring 40a. In this manner, the assembly of the first electrode substrate 14 and the second electrode substrate 18 shown in FIG. 20 can be produced.

[0045] (Third Example) 22 shows a side cross section of a touch panel 10b according to a third embodiment. The touch panel 10b includes a first electrode substrate 14 having ITO 12 as a first conductive film, a second electrode substrate 18b having ITO 16 as a second conductive film facing the ITO 12, a display 20 such as an LCD or organic EL panel arranged on the opposite side of the first electrode substrate 14 from the second electrode substrate 18b, and a case 22 that houses the first electrode substrate 14 and the display 20. In this embodiment, the first electrode substrate 14 is a glass substrate, the second electrode substrate 18b is a resin film substrate, and the case 22 is integrally formed by resin injection molding or the like, and has a substantially L-shape in side cross section.

[0046] The second electrode substrate 18b has a conductive decorative portion 24. The decorative portion 24 is formed in a frame shape, for example, as a printed design. The external dimensions of the decorative portion 24 substantially match those of the second electrode substrate 18b, and at least a portion of the decorative portion 24 is adhered to the first electrode substrate 14 by an adhesive layer 26 such as a double-sided adhesive tape.

[0047] Unlike the first and second embodiments, the second electrode substrate 18b of the touch panel 10b has substantially the same outer dimensions as the first electrode substrate 14, and the outer dimensions of the decorative portion 24 are substantially equal to those of the second electrode substrate 18b. Meanwhile, the eaves portion 30b is configured to partially cover the decorative portion 24. When the width L1 of the decorative portion 24 is 10 to 30 mm, the eaves portion 30b is configured to cover the decorative portion 24 from the outer periphery of the decorative portion 24 by a distance L2 that is shorter than L1. L2 is, for example, 2 to 5 mm. This configuration eliminates any gap between the second electrode substrate 18b and the eaves portion 30b when viewed from above, thereby preserving the design of the touch panel and facilitating its incorporation into the case 22. Furthermore, by overlapping the decorative part 24 and the adhesive layer 26, the adhesive layer 26 can be made invisible even if the eaves part 30b is provided outside the inner periphery of the adhesive layer 26, so the design of the touch panel is not impaired, and erroneous input as a touch panel can be prevented even if the eaves part 30b is pressed against the touch panel by a palm or the like.

[0048] Also in the third embodiment, there is no need to round the corners of the glass first electrode substrate 14, which reduces the manufacturing cost of the touch panel 10b. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 22, by abutting the edge of the first electrode substrate 14 against the inner surface of the case 22 during the assembly process of the touch panel 10a, it becomes easier to position the first electrode substrate 14 relative to the case 22.

[0049] 22, the first electrode substrate 14 is supported and fixed by fixing a base material 32, which supports the lower surface of the display 20, to the lower surface of the case 22 using screws or bolts 34. An adhesive layer 36 having a certain thickness or more and cushioning properties may also be disposed between the first electrode substrate 14 and the display 20.

[0050] The above-described embodiments can be combined with each other as appropriate. For example, at least one of the snap-fit ​​structure (FIG. 14 or 15), the canopy portion having an inclined surface (FIG. 13), or the mechanical switch or sensor (FIG. 17) described in the first embodiment can be applied to the touch panel 10a according to the second embodiment or the touch panel 10b according to the third embodiment.

[0051] Although the above-described embodiments have been described with respect to resistive touch panels, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the touch panel according to the present disclosure may be a capacitive touch panel or an electrostatic coupling touch panel, and if it is a resistive touch panel, it may be a 4-wire, 5-wire, 7-wire, or 8-wire touch panel. Furthermore, the silver wiring may be replaced with copper wiring, conductive polymer wiring, or conductive carbon wiring, and ITO may be replaced with a conductive polymer, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10 touch panel, 12 ITO, 14 first electrode substrate, 16 ITO, 18 second electrode substrate, 20 display, 22 case, 24 decorative portion, 26 adhesive layer, 28 outer periphery, 30 eaves, 32 base material, 34 screw, 36 adhesive layer, 38 film side wiring, 40 glass side wiring, 42 FPC, 44 conductive adhesive, 48 waterproof adhesive layer, 50 bottom end of FPC, 52 cutting line, 54 insulating layer, 56 inclined surface, 60 engaging portion, 62 protrusion, 66, 68 through hole, 70 moving part, 72 mechanical switch, 74 sensor

Claims

1. a first electrode substrate having a first conductive film; a second electrode substrate facing the first conductive film; a flat base material provided on a lower surface of the first electrode substrate; a case disposed on the base material, accommodating the first electrode substrate, and fixed to the base material by a fastening means; a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate; A touch panel in which the first electrode substrate has a larger area than the second electrode substrate, and the case has a canopy portion that covers the outer periphery of the first electrode substrate that is outside the second electrode substrate, but does not cover the second electrode substrate.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the case has a snap-fit ​​type locking portion that locks a lower end of the first electrode substrate.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the case is elastically deformable in a direction toward and away from the first electrode substrate, and has a protrusion that engages a lower end of the first electrode substrate.

4. A first electrode substrate having a first conductive film; a second electrode substrate facing the first conductive film; a case that accommodates the first electrode substrate; a base member provided on a lower surface of the first electrode substrate and fixed to the case by a fastening means; a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate; the first electrode substrate has an area larger than that of the second electrode substrate, and the case has a canopy portion that covers an outer periphery of the first electrode substrate that is outside the second electrode substrate but does not cover the second electrode substrate; The overhanging portion has an inclined surface that decreases in height toward the second electrode substrate.

5. a first electrode substrate having a first conductive film; a second electrode substrate facing the first conductive film, a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate; A touch panel housed in a case having a canopy portion, wherein an end of the first electrode substrate abuts on at least one of the inner surfaces of the case, A touch panel in which the first electrode substrate has a larger area than the second electrode substrate, the outer periphery of the first electrode substrate outside the second electrode substrate is covered by the eave portion, and the second electrode substrate is not covered by the eave portion.

6. The touch panel according to claim 5 , wherein the corners of the first electrode substrate are right angles, and the corners of the second electrode substrate are rounded.

7. The touch panel according to claim 5 , wherein the first electrode substrate has a double-sided adhesive layer that is adhered to the overhanging portion.

8. 8. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein the double-sided adhesive layer has a thickness equal to or greater than a thickness of a flexible printed circuit board attached to the first electrode substrate, and the flexible printed circuit board is configured to extend downward along an edge of the first electrode substrate.

9. A first electrode substrate having a first conductive film; a wiring portion formed on the first electrode substrate; a flexible printed circuit board attached to the first electrode substrate; a second electrode substrate facing the first conductive film, a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate; A touch panel housed in a case having a canopy, the wiring portion and the flexible printed circuit board are electrically connected by the first conductive film, A touch panel in which the first electrode substrate has a larger area than the second electrode substrate, the outer periphery of the first electrode substrate outside the second electrode substrate is covered by the eave portion, and the second electrode substrate is not covered by the eave portion.

10. The touch panel according to claim 5 , further comprising an insulating layer having the same color as the decorative portion on a surface of the first electrode substrate that is visible through a gap between the overhanging portion and the second electrode substrate.

11. The touch panel according to claim 5 or 7, further comprising a switch or a sensor disposed through a through-hole formed in the first electrode substrate.

12. a first electrode substrate having a first conductive film; a second electrode substrate facing the first conductive film, a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate; A touch panel housed in a case having a canopy, an outer dimension of the decorative portion is smaller than an outer dimension of the second electrode substrate, and an outer periphery of the second electrode substrate that is outside the decorative portion is covered by the eave portion; The outer periphery of the decorative portion is adhered to the first electrode substrate by an adhesive layer.

13. a first electrode substrate having a first conductive film; a second electrode substrate facing the first conductive film, a decorative portion between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate; A touch panel housed in a case having a canopy, an outer dimension of the decorative portion is equal to an outer dimension of the second electrode substrate, and a part of the decorative portion is covered by the eave portion together with an outer periphery of the second electrode substrate provided on an upper surface of the decorative portion; At least a portion of the decorative portion is adhered to the first electrode substrate by an adhesive layer.

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