Method of manufacturing a touch screen
View Patent ↗A method for manufacturing a touch screen that deposits a conductive layer or coating directly onto a surface of a sheet or ribbon or roll of thin glass material. The coated thin glass material may be cut to the desired shape or substrate for use as the outer, thin glass substrate of the touch screen device. Spacer elements and/or other functional coatings or layers or the like may also be applied to the conductive layer or opposite surface of the thin glass ribbon. Optionally, a functional coating or layer may be deposited or applied to a surface of a pre-cut thin glass substrate. The coated pre-cut thin glass substrate may be used as a top sheet for lamination as the protective top sheet of a touch screen device.
1. A method of manufacturing a touch screen, said method comprising:
providing a first substrate having a substantially transparent conductive coating on a surface thereof;
providing a sheet of glass, said glass sheet having a thickness of less than or equal to approximately 0.3 mm, said glass sheet having a first surface and a second surface opposed to said first surface;
depositing a substantially transparent conductive film on said first surface of said glass sheet;
depositing at least one functional coating at said second surface of said glass sheet, said at least one functional coating comprising at least one of an anti-glare coating, a diffuser surface coating, an anti-reflective coating and an anti-abrasion coating; and
assembling said glass sheet to said first substrate to form a touch screen device, said substantially transparent conductive coating on said surface of said first substrate opposing said substantially transparent conductive film on said first surface of said glass sheet when said glass sheet is assembled to said first substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said glass sheet comprises an elongated glass ribbon, said method including cutting at least one glass substrate from said glass sheet.
3. The method of claim 2 including unrolling said glass ribbon from a feed roll having said glass ribbon wound at least partially therearound.
4. The method of claim 3 including rolling said glass ribbon onto a take-up reel after said conductive coating is deposited on said first surface and said at least one functional coating is deposited on said second surface.
5. The method of claim 1 including disposing spacers on said first surface of said glass sheet.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said glass sheet comprises a cut substrate.
7. The method of claim 6 including laminating said cut substrate to a second substrate.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing at least one functional coating comprises depositing an anti-glare coating at said second surface of said glass sheet.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing at least one functional coating comprises depositing a diffuser surface coating at said second surface of said glass sheet.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing at least one functional coating comprises depositing an anti-reflective coating at said second surface of said glass sheet.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing at least one functional coating comprises depositing an anti-abrasion coating at said second surface of said glass sheet.
12. The method of claim 1 including washing said first surface of said glass sheet before said conductive coating is deposited thereon.
13. The method of claim 1 including washing said second surface of said glass sheet before said at least one functional coating is deposited thereon.