Curved Connection Lines for Flexible Touch Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch substrates face breakage issues when bent due to stress concentration at linear metal bridge lines, leading to plastic deformation and internal stress, which affects the structure's stability and rigidity, causing touch defects.
Innovation Solution
Designing touch substrates with first and second touch electrodes that include curved connection lines and sub-electrodes, allowing for elastic deformation instead of plastic deformation when bent, thereby maintaining structural integrity and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If linear metal bridge lines are used to connect touch electrodes, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the substrate is prone to breakage when bent due to stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature principle by changing the linear metal bridge lines into curved connection lines. The curved shape distributes stress along the curve rather than concentrating it at straight-line joints, enabling the flexible substrate to bend without breaking while maintaining electrical connectivity between touch electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the connection lines from linear to curved configuration. This parameter change transforms the stress distribution pattern, allowing the structure to accommodate bending deformations while preventing stress concentration that would lead to breakage.
2Reliability
If curved connection lines are used to prevent breakage, then the reliability improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The curved connection lines are designed with smooth arc shapes that, while geometrically more complex than straight lines, can be fabricated using standard flexible PCB manufacturing processes. The curvature radius and arc angles are optimized to balance stress distribution with manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The geometric parameters of the curved connection lines (such as curvature radius, arc length, and angle) are carefully selected to achieve stress distribution benefits while remaining compatible with existing manufacturing capabilities, thus limiting the increase in manufacturing complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the touch substrate is made flexible to enable bending, then the adaptability improves, but the structural stability and rigidity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible connection lines with curved geometries that can accommodate substrate bending. These curved lines act as flexible conduits that maintain electrical connectivity while the substrate transitions between flat and bent states, enabling adaptability without complete loss of structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved configuration of connection lines provides geometric flexibility that allows the structure to adapt to bending while the material properties and design parameters maintain sufficient structural stability for touch sensing functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The curved connection lines and sub-electrodes enhance the elastic limit, preventing breakage and improving the bendability and accuracy of touch recognition by reducing signal attenuation and increasing the percentage change in mutual capacitance.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for elastic deformation instead of plastic deformation when bent, thereby maintaining structural integrity and flexibility
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides a touch substrate, a method of manufacturing a touch substrate and a touch apparatus. The touch substrate includes a plurality of first touch electrodes and a plurality of second touch electrodes intersecting with each other. Each of at least part of the plurality of first touch electrodes includes a plurality of first electrodes disposed along a first direction and a first connection part connecting adjacent first electrodes. The first connection part includes at least one first connection line extending along the first direction and configured to connect the two first electrodes adjacent in the first direction. The first connection line has a curved line shape.