Fingerprint Erasable Film with Matted Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transparent films used to protect surfaces of LCD monitors and touch panels struggle with visible fingerprints due to their high transparency, making it difficult to clean adhered fingerprints, even when the surface wet tension is lowered to enhance erasability.
Innovation Solution
A fingerprint easily erasable film with a matted surface having a wet tension of 25 mN/m or higher and a surface roughness of 0.2 to 2.0 μm, formed with an ionizing radiation curable resin layer containing silica matting agents, which maintains high transparency and prevents fingerprint adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the surface wet tension is lowered to enhance fingerprint erasability, then fingerprints become easier to remove, but the surface becomes matted and shows poor fingerprint erasability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a surface with specific roughness characteristics (Rz: 0.03-0.3 μm) that provides antiglare properties while maintaining appropriate wet tension for fingerprint erasability. The matting is controlled to a specific degree rather than being complete, allowing both antiglare effect and fingerprint removability coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface roughness parameter to a specific range (Rz: 0.03-0.3 μm) that optimizes both antiglare properties and fingerprint erasability. By controlling the roughness within this narrow range, the surface achieves matting for reflection prevention while maintaining sufficient smoothness for fingerprint removal.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the surface is matted to prevent reflection of outer lights, then antiglare properties are improved, but fingerprint erasability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a surface with specific roughness characteristics (Rz: 0.03-0.3 μm) that provides antiglare properties while maintaining appropriate wet tension for fingerprint erasability. The matting is controlled to a specific degree rather than being complete, allowing both antiglare effect and fingerprint removability coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface roughness parameter to a specific range (Rz: 0.03-0.3 μm) that optimizes both antiglare properties and fingerprint erasability. By controlling the roughness within this narrow range, the surface achieves matting for reflection prevention while maintaining sufficient smoothness for fingerprint removal.
3Illumination intensity
If the film is made highly transparent to maintain visibility, then optical clarity is improved, but fingerprint visibility increases making cleaning more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a surface with specific roughness characteristics (Rz: 0.03-0.3 μm) that provides antiglare properties while maintaining appropriate wet tension for fingerprint erasability. The matting is controlled to a specific degree rather than being complete, allowing both antiglare effect and fingerprint removability coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of high transparency (which makes fingerprints visible) into a benefit by applying a controlled matting treatment. The matting reduces fingerprint visibility by scattering light, while the controlled degree of matting ensures fingerprints remain removable. The transparency is maintained overall while locally modifying the surface to reduce fingerprint impact.
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 film effectively prevents fingerprint adhesion and allows for easy removal of fingerprints while maintaining transparency and antiglare properties, as confirmed by experiments showing no ninhydrine reagent coloration after wiping, indicating complete fingerprint removal.
Implementation Method 1
the resin layer is characterized by being formed from a coating material containing an ionizing radiation curable resin
Implementation Method 2
the matted surface has a surface roughness of 0.2 to 2.0 μm in terms of ten point mean roughness Rz
Implementation Method 3
the matted surface shows a wet tension of 25 mN/m or higher
Implementation Method 4
ingredients of fingerprints adhering to the transparent films are in a repelled state due to the wet tension made smaller
Data Source
AI summary
A fingerprint easily erasable film formed by providing a resin layer on a substrate, in which surface of the resin layer is matted and which is formed so that the surface of the resin layer should show a wet tension (JIS-K 6768:1999) of 25 mN/m or higher. Preferably, the resin layer has a surface roughness of 0.2 to 2.0 μm in terms of the ten point mean roughness Rz (JIS-B 0601:1994). The resin layer preferably contains an ionizing radiation curable resin and a matting agent, more preferably, two kinds of matting agents having different average particle diameters. On the fingerprint easily erasable film having such a configuration, ingredients of fingerprint are unlikely to adhere, and even if ingredients of fingerprint adhere, the ingredients of fingerprint can be removed substantially completely or to such a degree that they cannot be visually observed by wiping with cloth or the like.