IP Library Granted Patent US 7,494,358
Granted Patent B2
US 7,494,358 · App. 12/046,565 · Granted Feb 24, 2009

Touch panel

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,494,358
App. No.
12/046,565
Granted
Feb 24, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A touch panel includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, and a wiring board. The upper substrate includes an upper conductive layer, a pair of upper electrodes, and upper electrode terminals. The lower substrate includes a lower conductive layer, a pair of lower electrodes extending orthogonal to the upper electrodes, and lower electrode terminals. The wiring board includes a substrate portion, L-shaped upper and cover sheets. The substrate portion has upper and lower wiring patterns on its top and bottom surfaces, respectively. The upper wiring patterns are connected to each of the upper electrode terminals, and the lower wiring patterns are connected to each of the lower electrode terminals. At least part of the top surface of the upper wiring patterns is covered with the upper cover sheet, and at least part of the bottom surface of the lower wiring patterns is covered with the lower cover sheet.

Claims (41)

1. A touch panel comprising:

an upper substrate having:

on a bottom surface thereof,

an upper conductive layer;

a pair of upper electrodes; and

upper electrode terminals, the pair of upper electrodes extending on left and right ends of the upper conductive layer, and upper electrode terminals being each connected to each of the pair of upper electrodes;

a lower substrate having:

on a top surface thereof,

an lower conductive layer;

a pair of lower electrodes; and

lower electrode terminals, the lower conductive layer being confronted with the upper conductive layer with a predetermined spacing, the pair of lower electrodes extending on top and bottom ends of the lower conductive layer in a direction orthogonal to the pair of upper electrodes, and the lower electrode terminals being each connected to each of the pair of lower electrodes; and

a wiring board including:

a substrate portion having:

a pair of upper wiring patterns on its top surface; and

a pair of lower wiring patterns on its bottom surface, the upper wiring patterns being each connected to each of the upper electrode terminals, and the lower wiring patterns being each connected to each of the lower electrode terminals,

an L-shaped upper cover sheet for covering the top surface of the substrate portion; and

an L-shaped lower cover sheet for covering the bottom surface of the substrate portion, wherein

the upper electrode terminals are disposed on a bottom of the upper substrate,

the lower electrode terminals are disposed on a bottom of the lower substrate, the bottom of the lower substrate being confronted with the bottom of the upper substrate,

when the upper substrate is seen from the front, the upper electrode terminals are adjacent to each other, the lower electrode terminals are adjacent to each other, and the upper electrode terminals and the lower electrode terminals are aligned in line,

at least part of a top surface of the upper wiring patterns is covered with the upper cover sheet, and

at least part of a bottom surface of the lower wiring patterns is covered with the lower cover sheet.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein

the wiring board is shaped like a letter “T” and formed of a connection part and a wiring part, the connection part corresponding to a horizontal line of the letter “T”, and the wiring part corresponding to a vertical line of the letter “T” and including an area other than the connection part,

the wiring part has the upper wiring patterns and the lower wiring patterns,

the connection part includes a first area, a second area, and a first end, the first area and the second area corresponding to two short horizontal lines formed by dividing the horizontal line by the vertical line of the letter “T”, and the first end having a predetermined width corresponding to a top end of the horizontal line of the letter “T”;

in the first area, the upper wiring patterns are each connected to each of the upper electrode terminals,

in the second area, the lower wiring patterns are each connected to each of the lower electrode terminals,

in a top surface of the connection part, the upper cover sheet covers an area including the upper wiring patterns except for the first end and does not cover an area corresponding to an area including the lower wiring patterns,

in a bottom surface of the connection part, the lower cover sheet covers an area including the lower wiring patterns except for the first end and does not cover an area corresponding to the area including the upper wiring patterns,

the wiring part includes a second end having a predetermined width corresponding to a bottom end of the vertical line of the letter “T”, and

the upper cover sheet and the lower cover sheet cover at least part of the wiring part, and at least one of the upper cover sheet and the lower cover sheet does not cover the second end.

3. The touch panel according to claim 2 , wherein

in the top surface of the connection part, the upper cover sheet includes a first region not covering the top surface of an area having the lower wiring patterns and covering the first area except for the first end, and

in the bottom surface of the connection part, the lower cover sheet includes a second region not covering the bottom surface of an area having the upper wiring patterns and covering the second area except for the first end.

4. The touch panel according to claim 2 , further comprising:

through-hole electrodes for leading the lower wiring patterns from the bottom surface to the top surface of the substrate portion in the wiring part.

5. The touch panel according to claim 4 , wherein

an area of the wiring part except for the second end is covered with the upper cover sheet.

6. The touch panel according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a reinforcement member for covering a bottom surface of the lower cover sheet at least in an area having the through-hole electrodes and the second end of the wiring part.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 24, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0689 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2008
From: FUJII, SHIGEYUKI; NAKANISHI, AKIRA
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 021613/0941 →