Touch Panel Spacer Cutout Sealing for Silver Migration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch panels face issues with stable electrical connectivity and insulation between wiring patterns and electrodes due to silver migration and sulfurization, especially in environments with high moisture or gas, leading to unreliable operation.
Innovation Solution
A touch panel design featuring a light-transmissible upper and lower board with resistor layers, a frame-shaped spacer, and anisotropic conductive adhesives, along with an elastic adhesive to seal the cutout portion of the spacer, ensuring stable electrical connections and insulation, and preventing silver migration through sealing from external air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wiring patterns and electrodes containing silver are exposed to external air in high moisture or gas environments, then electrical connectivity is established, but silver migration and sulfurization occur causing unstable connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible thin film structures (upper board, lower board, spacer) to encapsulate and protect the wiring patterns and electrodes from exposure to external air. This creates a sealed environment that prevents moisture and gas from reaching the silver-containing components, thereby preventing silver migration and sulfurization while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an inert environment by sealing the wiring patterns and electrodes within the enclosed structure formed by the upper board, lower board, and spacer. This sealed environment isolates the silver-containing components from external moisture and gas, preventing chemical reactions that cause degradation.
2Reliability
If the touch panel structure is made more sealed to prevent silver migration, then reliability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper board, lower board, and spacer serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support for the touch panel, maintain the predetermined distance between resistor layers, and create a sealed environment to protect against silver migration. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sealing function with the structural components. The upper board, lower board, and spacer are combined to form an integrated sealed structure that simultaneously provides mechanical support and environmental protection, rather than adding separate sealing layers.
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 design ensures stable electrical connectivity and insulation between wiring patterns and electrodes, preventing sulfurization and silver migration, thus maintaining reliable operation even in humid or gaseous environments.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic adhesive to seal the cutout portion of the spacer, ensuring stable electrical connections and insulation, and preventing silver migration through sealing from external air
Implementation Method 2
Anisotropic conductive adhesive 510 contains synthetic resin and conductive particles dispersed in the synthetic resin. Anisotropic conductive adhesive 510 causes an end of wiring board 507 to adhere onto upper board 501 and lower board 502. Anisotropic conductive adhesive 510 is conductive only in direction 5001A orthogonal to wiring board 507
Implementation Method 3
Light-transmissible upper resistor layer 503 made of resistor material, such as indium tin oxide, is provided on a lower surface of upper board 501. Lower resistor layer 504 is provided on an upper surface of light-transmissible lower board 502
Data Source
AI summary
A touch panel includes a light-transmissible upper board, an upper resistor layer on a lower surface of the upper board, a light-transmissible lower board, a lower resistor layer provided on an upper surface of the lower board and facing the upper resistor layer with a predetermined distance, a spacer having a substantial frame shape between an outer periphery of the lower surface of the upper board and an outer periphery of the upper surface of the lower board, upper electrodes extending from both ends of the upper resistor layer, lower electrodes extending from both ends of the lower resistor layer, a wiring board, and wiring patterns on the wiring board. The spacer has a cutout portion provided therein. The upper and lower electrodes have portions located at the cutout portion of the spacer. The wiring board has an end located at the cutout portion. The wiring patterns are connected to the portions of the upper electrodes and the portions of the lower electrodes, respectively. An elastic adhesive seals the cutout portion of the spacer. This touch panel allows the wiring patterns to be connected electrically to the electrodes stably, and insulates between the wiring patterns and between electrodes, thus being reliable.