Touch window for touch sensor and home appliance having same

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Solution Overview

Problem

Touch screens in high humidity environments often malfunction due to surface condensation, where water vapor condenses on the rear surface of the glass, causing adjacent gaskets to become electrically connected and leading to incorrect signal transmission when pressed, especially in areas with high temperature and humidity like Vietnam.

Innovation Solution

A touch window design featuring conductive printed portions and non-conductive films with different thicknesses, where the non-conductive film protrudes further than the conductive printed portions, creating a surface condensation isolation structure that prevents electrical connections between adjacent conductive printed portions, even when water droplets flow along the rear surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the glass rear surface is designed with complex isolation structures to prevent condensation-induced electrical connections, then touch screen reliability improves, but manufacturing complexity and production cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch screen reliabilityVSAvoidglass design complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A non-conductive film is introduced as an intermediary layer between the conductive printed portions on the glass rear surface. This film prevents direct electrical connection through condensation while maintaining a simple flat glass design, avoiding the need for complex isolation structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The solution moves from two-dimensional planar isolation (complex patterns on the glass surface) to three-dimensional spatial separation by introducing a non-conductive film layer that creates vertical and horizontal spacing, preventing condensation bridges between conductive elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If simple flat glass design is maintained for ease of manufacturing, then production efficiency improves, but condensation-induced electrical connections between adjacent conductive portions cannot be prevented

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidtouch screen reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The non-conductive film serves as a mediator that enables simple flat glass manufacturing while simultaneously preventing condensation-induced electrical connections. The film is applied as a separate layer rather than requiring complex glass shaping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The solution combines the simple glass substrate with a non-conductive film layer to create a composite structure that maintains manufacturing simplicity while adding the functional property of electrical isolation against condensation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Area of stationary object

If conductive printed portions are placed closer together to reduce glass area, then material usage improves, but electrical isolation becomes more difficult to maintain under condensation conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglass areaVSAvoidelectrical isolation
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The non-conductive film introduces vertical and lateral dimensional separation that prevents condensation from creating electrical paths between closely spaced conductive portions, enabling tighter spacing without compromising isolation reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

Prevents malfunction of the touch screen by maintaining electrical isolation between conductive printed portions, even under severe condensation conditions, ensuring accurate signal transmission and user input detection.

Implementation Method 1

a non-conductive film 300. The non-conductive film 300 may have a smaller thickness than the first non-conductive film 310

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical insulation: Electrical Resistance

Implementation Method 2

Surface condensation is a phenomenon in which water vapor in moist air condenses into liquid water on the surface of an object when the surface temperature of the object falls to below the dew point of the air contacting the surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentEP3779636B1Touch window for touch sensor and home appliance having same
Publication Date: 2024.04.17 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3779636B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3779636B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3779636B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Disclosed are a touch window for a touch sensor and a home appliance including the touch window. The touch window for a touch sensor of the present disclosure may include a touch member, a plurality of conductive printed portions, and a non-conductive film. By configuring the thicknesses of the conductive printed portions and the non-conductive film to be different from each other, surface condensation on the conductive printed portions and surface condensation on the non-conductive film are spaced apart from each other.