JP5970805B2 - Touch panel sensor with transparent sheet - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet, which includes a touch panel sensor and a transparent sheet attached to the touch panel sensor.

  Today, touch panel devices are widely used as input means. The touch panel device includes a touch panel sensor, a detection control unit that processes a signal from the touch panel sensor, and the like. In many cases, the touch panel device is used together with the display device as an input means for various devices including a display device such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display (for example, a ticket vending machine, an ATM device, a mobile phone, a game machine). ing. In such a device, the touch panel sensor is disposed on the display surface of the display device, thereby enabling extremely direct input to the display device. The area | region corresponding to the display area of a display apparatus among touch panel sensors is transparent, and this transparent area | region of the touch panel sensor comprises the active area which can detect a contact position (approach position).

  Touch panel devices are classified into various types based on the principle of detecting a contact position (approach position) on a touch panel sensor. In recent years, capacitive touch panel devices have attracted attention because they are optically bright, have good design properties, have a simple structure, and are superior in function. In a capacitively coupled touch panel device, when an external conductor (typically a finger) whose position is to be detected contacts (approaches) the touch panel sensor via a dielectric, a new strange capacitance is generated. The position of the object on the touch panel sensor is detected based on the change in capacitance caused by this strange capacity. The capacitive coupling method includes a surface type and a projection type. The projection type is attracting attention because it is suitable for multi-touch recognition (multi-point recognition) (for example, Patent Document 1).

  A projected capacitively coupled touch panel sensor is provided on a dielectric, on both sides of the dielectric, on the sensor electrode formed in the active area, on both sides of the dielectric, and outside the active area. And an extraction wiring formed in a non-active area (so-called frame region). The lead-out wiring formed on both surfaces of the dielectric is connected to a signal transmission means such as a flexible substrate on which a conductive pattern is formed, and the signal from the sensor electrode is detected via the signal transmission means. It is transmitted to the control unit.

  For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a coordinate input including a flexible substrate on one side connected to an extraction wiring on one side of a dielectric and a flexible substrate on the other side connected to an extraction wiring on the other side of the dielectric. An apparatus is described. In the coordinate input device described in Patent Document 2, a signal from the sensor electrode on one side of the dielectric and a signal from the sensor electrode on the other side of the dielectric are transmitted to the detection control unit via each flexible substrate. Has been.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-292950 JP 9-54650 A

  By the way, in the coordinate input device described in Patent Document 2, the two flexible substrates are respectively inflated outward and guided to the detection control unit. For this reason, it is conceivable that a space is taken up in the handling of the flexible substrate, and this increases the overall external dimensions of the coordinate input device.

  An object of this invention is to provide the touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet which can solve such a subject effectively.

  The present invention provides a touch panel sensor including an active area corresponding to an area in which a transparent conductor is provided in a predetermined pattern on both surfaces and a touch position can be detected, and an inactive area located at the periphery of the active area, A transparent sheet disposed on one side of the touch panel sensor, and the touch panel sensor is disposed in the inactive area on one side of the touch panel sensor and is electrically connected to the transparent conductor on the one side; A second extraction terminal portion disposed in the non-active area on the other side and conducting to the transparent conductor on the other side, and the transparent sheet includes the first extraction on one side of the touch panel sensor. It has a connection terminal part arranged so as to face the terminal part and connected to the first extraction terminal part via a conductive member. It is a transparent touch panel sensor with a sheet.

  In the touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to the present invention, the transparent sheet may be bonded to one side of the touch panel sensor via an adhesive layer.

  The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to the present invention may further include a flexible substrate in which one side signal terminal portion and the other side signal terminal portion are formed on one side. Here, one end of the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet is connected to the first extraction terminal portion on one side of the touch panel sensor via a conductive member. In this case, the one-side signal terminal portion of the flexible substrate is connected to the other end of the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet, and the other-side signal terminal portion of the flexible substrate is the other side of the touch panel sensor. To the second extraction terminal portion.

  In the touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to the present invention, preferably, the one-side signal terminal portion is connected to the other end of the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet without bending the flexible substrate over 90 °, and The other-side signal terminal portion is connected to a second extraction terminal portion on the other side of the touch panel sensor.

  In the touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to the present invention, the conductive member may be formed of an anisotropic conductive layer including conductive particles and an insulating binder.

  In the touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to the present invention, the transparent sheet may include a protective cover for protecting the touch panel sensor.

  In the touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to the present invention, the protective cover has a thickness in the range of 0.02 to 0.4 mm, and may be made of polyethylene terephthalate. Or while the thickness of the said protective cover is in the range of 0.1-1.5 mm, you may be comprised from the glass plate.

  In the touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to the present invention, the transparent sheet may be formed of a color filter base material for a color filter that selectively transmits light according to a wavelength.

  The present invention provides a touch panel sensor including an active area corresponding to an area where a transparent conductor is provided in a predetermined pattern on both sides and a touch position can be detected, and an inactive area located at the periphery of the active area; A transparent sheet bonded to one side of the touch panel sensor via a layer, the transparent sheet comprising a protective cover for protecting the touch panel sensor, and the protective cover having a thickness of 0.02 to 0 A touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet, characterized in that it is within a range of 4 mm and is made of polyethylene terephthalate.

  The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet of the present invention includes a touch panel sensor in which a transparent conductor is provided in a predetermined pattern on both surfaces, and a transparent sheet disposed on one side of the touch panel sensor. Of these, the touch panel sensor is disposed in the inactive area on one side and is connected to the first lead terminal portion that is electrically connected to the transparent conductor on one side, and the inactive area on the other side and is disposed on the other side. And a second extraction terminal portion that is electrically connected to the transparent conductor. Moreover, the transparent sheet has a connection terminal portion that is arranged to face the first extraction terminal portion on one side of the touch panel sensor and is connected to the first extraction terminal portion via a conductive member. For this reason, the signal from the transparent conductor on one side of the touch panel sensor can be taken out via the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet. In this case, the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet is provided to face the first extraction terminal portion on one side of the touch panel sensor, and the second extraction terminal portion on the other side of the touch panel sensor is a part of the touch panel sensor. It is provided on the opposite side of the first extraction terminal portion on the side. That is, both the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet and the second extraction terminal portion on the other side of the touch panel sensor face the same side. For this reason, signals from the transparent conductors on one side and the other side of the touch panel sensor can be easily taken out.

FIG. 1 is a development view showing an input / output device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the input / output device of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a touch panel sensor in the touch panel device of the input / output device of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a touch panel sensor to which a flexible substrate is attached. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which a signal from an extraction terminal portion of the touch panel sensor is extracted by a flexible substrate. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are diagrams showing a method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet. FIGS. 7A and 7B are side views showing an input / output device according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a touch panel sensor to which a flexible substrate is attached in a comparative embodiment. FIG. 9 is a side view showing a manner in which an extraction terminal portion of a touch panel sensor is connected to a flexible substrate in a comparative form. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a manner in which an extraction terminal portion of a touch panel sensor is connected to a flexible substrate in another comparative embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a touch panel sensor to which a flexible substrate is attached in a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a side view showing a state in which a signal from the takeout terminal portion of the touch panel sensor is taken out by the flexible substrate in the modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  In the drawings attached to the present specification, for the sake of illustration and ease of understanding, the scale, the vertical / horizontal dimension ratio, and the like are appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual ones.

  Further, in the present specification, the terms “sheet”, “film”, and “plate” are not distinguished from each other only based on the difference in names. Therefore, for example, a “sheet” is a concept that includes members and portions that can also be called films, plates, and the like.

Touch Panel Device First, an entire touch panel device 20 including a touch panel sensor 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The touch panel device 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is configured as a projected capacitive coupling method, and is configured to be able to detect the contact position of an external conductor (for example, a human finger) to the touch panel device 20. Yes. In addition, when the detection sensitivity of the capacitively coupled touch panel device 20 is excellent, it is possible to detect which region of the touch panel device the external conductor is approaching just by approaching the external conductor. Can do. Accordingly, the “contact position” used here is a concept including an approach position that is not actually in contact but can be detected.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the touch panel device 20 constitutes an input / output device 10 by being used in combination with a display device (for example, a liquid crystal display device) 15. The illustrated display device 15 is configured as a flat panel display. The display device 15 includes a display panel 16 having a display surface 16 a and a display control unit (not shown) connected to the display panel 16. The display panel 16 includes a display area A1 that can display an image, and a non-display area (also referred to as a frame area) A2 that is disposed outside the display area A1 so as to surround the display area A1. . The display control unit processes information regarding the video to be displayed, and drives the display panel 16 based on the video information. The display panel 16 displays a predetermined image on the display surface 16a based on a control signal from the display control unit. That is, the display device 15 plays a role as an output device that outputs information such as characters and drawings as video.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the touch panel device 20 includes a touch panel sensor 30 disposed on the display surface 16 a of the display device 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel sensor 30 is bonded to the display surface 16 a of the display device 15 via the second adhesive layer 19. As described above, the touch panel device 20 is configured as a projected capacitively coupled touch panel device, and plays a role as an input device for inputting information. As shown in FIG. 1, one end 21 a of the flexible substrate 21 is connected to the touch panel sensor 30. The other end 21 b of the flexible substrate 21 is connected to a detection control unit (not shown) that processes a signal from the touch panel sensor 30. That is, a signal from the touch panel sensor 30 is transmitted to the detection control unit via the flexible substrate 21.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel device 20 further includes a protective cover 12 having translucency that functions as a dielectric on the viewer side of the touch panel sensor 30, that is, the side opposite to the display device 15. Have. The protective cover 12 is bonded to the observer side (one side) of the touch panel sensor 30 via the first adhesive layer 14. The protective cover 12 functions as an input surface (touch surface, contact surface) to the touch panel device 20. That is, information can be input from the outside to the touch panel device 20 by bringing a conductor such as a human finger 5 into contact with the protective cover 12.

  The protective cover 12 is made of a flexible material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the thickness of the protective cover 12 is in the range of 0.02 to 0.4 mm, for example. By attaching the protective cover 12 having such flexibility to the touch panel sensor 30 via the first adhesive layer 14, it is possible to protect the touch panel sensor 30 from the outside while ensuring ease of assembly and handling. Become.

  In addition, as the adhesive layers 14 and 19 described above, layers made of materials having various adhesive properties can be used. In the present specification, “adhesion (layer)” is used as a concept including adhesion (layer).

  A signal from a sensor electrode (described later) of the touch panel sensor 30 is transmitted to the detection control unit described above, and information input via the protective cover 12 is processed by the detection control unit. Specifically, when the conductor (typically a human finger) 5 is in contact with the protective cover 12, the detection control unit can specify the contact position of the conductor 5 with the protective cover 12. A configured circuit (detection circuit) is included. Further, the detection control unit may be interlocked with the display control unit of the display device 15. In this case, the detection control unit can transmit the processed input information to the display control unit. At this time, the display control unit can create video information based on the input information and display a video corresponding to the input information on the display panel 16. Specific configurations and arrangements of the detection control unit and the display control unit are not particularly limited. For example, the detection control unit and the display control unit may be configured as a control board incorporated in the display device 15, or may be configured as a control board provided separately from the display device 15.

  Note that the terms “capacitive coupling” and “projection type” capacitive coupling are used in the present case as having the same meaning as used in the technical field of touch panels. The “capacitive coupling” method is also referred to as “capacitance” method or “capacitance coupling” method in the technical field of touch panels. It is treated as a term synonymous with the “capacitive coupling” method. A typical capacitively coupled touch panel device includes a conductor layer, and an external conductor (typically a human finger) comes into contact with the touch panel, whereby the external conductor and the conductor layer of the touch panel device are contacted. A capacitor (capacitance) is formed between the two. Based on the change in the electrical state accompanying the formation of the capacitor, the position coordinates of the position where the external conductor is in contact with the touch panel are specified. The “projection type” capacitive coupling method is also referred to as “projection type” capacitive coupling method in the technical field of touch panel, and in this case, the term is synonymous with this “projection type” capacitive coupling method. handle. The “projection type” capacitive coupling method is typically a method of detecting a position where an external conductor is in contact using sensor electrodes arranged in a lattice pattern. Contrast with “type” capacitive coupling scheme.

Touch Panel Sensor Next, the touch panel sensor 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the touch panel sensor 30 includes a base film 32 and a first transparent conductor provided in a predetermined pattern on the viewer-side (one side) surface 32 a of the base film 32. 40 and a second transparent conductor 45 provided in a predetermined pattern on the display device 15 side (other side) surface 32b of the base film 32. In FIG. 3, components provided on the display device 15 side (on the surface 32b) of the base film 32, such as the second transparent conductor 45, are indicated by dotted lines for convenience.

  Among these, the base film 32 functions as a dielectric in the touch panel sensor 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the base film 32 includes a rectangular active area Aa1 corresponding to a region where the touch position can be detected, and a rectangular frame-shaped inactive area Aa2 surrounding the active area Aa1. . Among these, the active area Aa1 occupies an area corresponding to the display area A1 of the display device 15 as shown in FIG. 1, while the inactive area Aa2 is an area corresponding to the non-display area A2 of the display device 15. Is formed. As shown in FIG. 3, the rectangular frame-shaped inactive area Aa2 includes a pair of first frame wiring areas 30a facing each other extending in the y direction and a pair of second frame wiring areas 30b facing each other extending in the x direction orthogonal to the y direction. It consists of.

  As described above, the base film 32 is provided with the first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor 45, and among these, the first transparent conductor 40 provided in the active area Aa1 of the base film 32 and The second transparent conductor 45 forms a first sensor electrode 36a and a second sensor electrode 37a that can form capacitive coupling with the outer conductor 5 (see FIG. 3). The base film 32, the first transparent conductor 40, and the second transparent conductor 45 each have translucency, so that the observer observes the image displayed on the display device 15 through them. can do.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in the inactive area Aa2 of the base film 32, a first extraction wiring 36b that conducts to the first sensor electrode 36a, and a second extraction wiring 37b that conducts to the second sensor electrode 37a, , Is formed. Among these, as shown in FIG. 3, the first extraction wiring 36b is connected to the first transparent conductor 40 at the boundary between the first frame wiring area 30a and the active area Aa1, and passes through the first frame wiring area 30a. And a first extraction conductor 43 reaching the second frame wiring region 30b, and a first extraction terminal portion 44 provided in the second frame wiring region 30b and connected to the first extraction conductor 43. . Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the second extraction wiring 37b includes a second extraction conductor 48 connected to the second transparent conductor 45 at the boundary between the second frame wiring region 30b and the active area Aa1, and a second A second extraction terminal portion 49 provided in the frame wiring region 30 b and connected to the second extraction conductor 48.

  Next, each element constituting the touch panel sensor 30 will be described in detail.

Sensor Electrode First, the first sensor electrode 36a and the second sensor electrode 37a will be described in detail. As described above, the first sensor electrode 36a and the second sensor electrode 37a are respectively configured by the first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor 45 provided in the active area Aa1. The first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor 45 are made of a transparent material having conductivity. Among these, the 1st transparent conductor 40 is provided on the surface 32a by the side of the observer of the base film 32, and is extended substantially parallel to the x direction, as shown in FIG. Further, the second transparent conductor 45 is provided on the surface 32b of the base film 32 on the display device 15 side, and extends substantially parallel to the y direction orthogonal to the x direction, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first transparent conductor 40 includes a line portion 41a extending linearly and a bulging portion 41b bulging from the line portion 41a. Here, the bulging portion 41 b is a portion that bulges from the line portion 41 a along the film surface of the base film 32. Similarly, the 2nd transparent conductor 45 has the line part 46a extended linearly, and the bulging part 46b bulged from the line part 46a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor 45 are arranged in different patterns. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the bulging portion 41 b of the first transparent conductor 40 and the bulging portion 46 b of the second transparent conductor 45 are in the normal direction of the film surface of the base film 32. Are arranged so as not to overlap each other when observed from above. In this way, either the first transparent conductor 40 or the second transparent conductor 45 is disposed over almost the entire active area Aa1 of the base film 32.

  As the material of the first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor 45, a material having transparency and required conductivity is used. Examples of such materials include indium tin oxide (ITO), zinc oxide, indium oxide, antimony-added tin oxide, fluorine-added tin oxide, aluminum-added zinc oxide, potassium-added zinc oxide, silicon-added zinc oxide, and zinc oxide-oxide Examples thereof include metal oxides such as tin-based, indium oxide-tin oxide-based, and zinc oxide-indium oxide-magnesium oxide-based, and two or more of these metal oxides may be combined.

A first extraction wiring 36b which conducts the take-out wiring then first sensor electrode 36a, a second extraction wiring 36b which conducts the second sensor electrode 37a, will be described in detail.

(First extraction wiring)
As shown in FIG. 3, the first extraction wiring 36b is electrically connected to the first transparent conductor 40 in the first frame wiring area 30a, and passes through the first frame wiring area 30a to the second frame wiring area. The first extraction conductor 43 extending to 30b and the first extraction terminal portion 44 provided in the second frame wiring region 30b and connected to the first extraction conductor 43 are included.

  The first extraction terminal portion 44 is a terminal portion for transmitting a signal from the first transparent conductor 40 to the detection control unit via the flexible substrate 21, and as shown in FIG. It is formed to have a width wider than 43. For example, the width of each first extraction terminal portion 44 is 70 to 300 μm, and the interval between each first extraction terminal portion 44 is 70 to 300 μm.

(Second extraction wiring)
Next, the second extraction wiring 37b will be described. The second extraction wiring 37b is provided in the second extraction conductor 48 connected to the second transparent conductor 45 in the second frame wiring region 30b and the second frame wiring region 30b, and is connected to the second extraction conductor 48. And a second extraction terminal portion 49 to be connected.

  The second extraction terminal portion 49 is a terminal portion for transmitting a signal from the second transparent conductor 45 to the detection control section via the flexible substrate 21, and as shown in FIG. It is formed to have a width wider than 48.

  The first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction terminal portion 44, the second extraction conductor 48, and the second extraction terminal portion 49 are disposed in the inactive area Aa2 as described above. For this reason, the 1st extraction conductor 43, the 1st extraction terminal part 44, the 2nd extraction conductor 48, and the 2nd extraction terminal part 49 do not need to be formed from the material which has translucency, and has high electroconductivity. It can be formed from a material. In the present embodiment, the first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction terminal portion 44, the second extraction conductor 48, and the second extraction terminal portion 49 are connected to the first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor 45, respectively. It is formed from a metal material having a higher conductivity (electrical conductivity) than the material to be formed. Specifically, it is made of a metal material that has a light shielding property and has a much higher conductivity than a transparent conductor such as ITO, such as aluminum, molybdenum, silver, chromium, copper, or an alloy thereof. ing.

The method of forming the first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction terminal portion 44, the second extraction conductor 48, and the second extraction terminal portion 49 is not particularly limited, depending on the required pattern width, pattern interval, and the like. A forming method is appropriately selected.
For example, when it is required to reduce the width of the first frame wiring region 30a, each first extraction conductor 43 is formed by, for example, patterning a metal layer provided on the base film 32 by a so-called photolithography method. It is formed by. Accordingly, the first extraction conductors 43 can be formed at a narrow pitch. For example, the width of the first extraction conductors 43 can be 50 μm or less, and the interval between the first extraction conductors 43 can be reduced. Can be made 30 μm or less.
When it is required to reduce the resistance values of the first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction terminal portion 44, the second extraction conductor 48, and the second extraction terminal portion 49, the first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction conductor 43, The extraction terminal portion 44, the second extraction conductor 48, and the second extraction terminal portion 49 are formed by applying a conductive paste such as a silver paste using a screen printing method. Thereby, the thickness of the 1st extraction conductor 43, the 1st extraction terminal part 44, the 2nd extraction conductor 48, and the 2nd extraction terminal part 49 can be enlarged, for example, can be 1 micrometer or more. Thereby, the resistance value of the 1st extraction conductor 43, the 1st extraction terminal part 44, the 2nd extraction conductor 48, and the 2nd extraction terminal part 49 can be made smaller.

  In addition, the material which comprises the 1st extraction conductor 43, the 1st extraction terminal part 44, the 2nd extraction conductor 48, and the 2nd extraction terminal part 49 does not need to be the same, According to the required resistance value etc. suitably The material is selected.

  Moreover, although the 1st extraction conductor 43, the 1st extraction terminal part 44, the 2nd extraction conductor 48, and the 2nd extraction terminal part 49 showed the example which consists only of metal materials, it is not restricted to this. For example, by extending the metal oxide constituting the first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor 45 into the inactive area Aa2, and laminating a metal material on the extended metal oxide, The 1 extraction conductor 43, the 1st extraction terminal part 44, the 2nd extraction conductor 48, and the 2nd extraction terminal part 49 may be comprised. Thereby, the first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction terminal portion 44, the second extraction conductor 48, and the second extraction terminal portion 49 are formed only from the metal material. The resistance values of the first extraction terminal portion 44, the second extraction conductor 48, and the second extraction terminal portion 49 can be reduced.

Signal Transmission Method to Detection Control Unit Next, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, signals from the first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 are provided in the display device 15 or the like. A configuration for transmitting to the detection control unit will be described. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the touch panel sensor 30 to which the flexible substrate 21 is attached, and FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which signals from the extraction terminal portions 44 and 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 are taken out by the flexible substrate 21. It is. In FIG. 4, components provided on the display device 15 side (surface 32 b side) of the base film 32 are indicated by dotted lines for convenience. 4 and 5, for the sake of convenience, the line portions 41a and 46a of the transparent conductors 40 and 45 and the drawing conductors 43 and 48 are not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a flexible substrate 21 is connected to the touch panel sensor 30. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the flexible substrate 21 has an observer side (one side) surface 21 c facing the display device 15 side surface 32 b of the base film 32 of the touch panel sensor 30. Is connected to the touch panel sensor 30. The thickness of the flexible substrate 21 is such a thickness that the flexible substrate 21 can be arbitrarily bent, and is, for example, in the range of 20 to 100 μm.

  Connection between the flexible substrate 21 and the touch panel sensor 30 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the one-side signal terminal portion 22 a and the other-side signal terminal portion 22 b are formed on the surface 21 c of the flexible substrate 21. The one-side signal terminal portion 22a and the other-side signal terminal portion 22b are terminal portions for taking out signals from the first extraction terminal portion 44 and the second extraction terminal portion 49 of the touch panel sensor 30, as will be described later. Accordingly, the same number of first-side signal terminal portions 22 a and other-side signal terminal portions 22 b as the first extraction terminal portions 44 and the second extraction terminal portions 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 are provided. Further, each of the one-side signal terminal portion 22a and the other-side signal terminal portion 22b is electrically connected to the detection control portion via a conductive pattern (not shown) formed on the surface 21c of the flexible substrate 21. Yes.

(Retrieve signal from second transparent conductor)
As shown in FIG. 5, the other signal terminal portion 22 b of the flexible substrate 21 is connected to the second extraction terminal portion 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 via an anisotropic conductive layer (conductive member) 24. Here, the anisotropic conductive layer 24 is a layer having conductivity in the thickness direction (vertical direction in FIG. 5) and insulating properties in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction. For this reason, even when the anisotropic conductive layer 24 is continuously formed on the many other signal terminal portions 22b, the adjacent other signal terminal portions 22b are not electrically connected. That is, by interposing the anisotropic conductive layer 24 between a large number of other-side signal terminal portions 22b and a large number of second extraction terminal portions 49, a pair of opposed other-side signal terminal portions 22b and a second Only the extraction terminal portion 49 can be electrically connected.

  Here, as described above, the second extraction terminal portion 49 is electrically connected to the second transparent conductor 45 via the second extraction conductor 48. Further, the other-side signal terminal portion 22 b is electrically connected to the detection control portion via the conductive pattern on the flexible substrate 21. For this reason, by electrically connecting the other-side signal terminal portion 22b and the second extraction terminal portion 49, a signal from the second transparent conductor 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 is transmitted to the second extraction conductor 48, the second extraction conductor 48, and the second extraction conductor 48. 2 is transmitted to the detection control section via the extraction terminal section 49, the anisotropic conductive layer 24, and the other-side signal terminal section 22b.

(Retrieve signal from first transparent conductor)
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the protective cover 12 bonded to the observer side of the touch panel sensor 30 via the first adhesive layer 14 has one end 12 b of each first take-out on the observer side of the touch panel sensor 30. A plurality of connection terminal portions 12 a are arranged so as to face the terminal portion 44. As shown in FIG. 5, each connection terminal portion 12 a extends outward from the protective cover 12 from one end 12 b arranged to face the corresponding first extraction terminal portion 44. In this case, the other end 12 c of each connection terminal portion 12 a is disposed in the vicinity of the end portion of the protective cover 12. In addition, the thickness of the 1st contact bonding layer 14 exists in the range of 20-50 micrometers, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 5, one end 12 b of the connection terminal portion 12 a of the protective cover 12 is connected to the first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30 via an anisotropic conductive layer (conductive member) 24. For this reason, as in the case of the other-side signal terminal portion 22b described above, the one end 12b of the pair of connecting terminal portions 12a facing each other and the first extraction terminal portion 44 are electrically connected. As shown in FIG. 5, the other end 12 c of the connection terminal portion 12 a of the protective cover 12 is connected to the one-side signal terminal portion 22 a of the flexible substrate 21 via an anisotropic conductive layer (conductive member) 24. Yes. Therefore, the other end 12c of the pair of connecting terminal portions 12a facing each other and the one-side signal terminal portion 22a are also electrically connected. Thereby, electrical connection is established between the first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30 and the one-side signal terminal portion 22a of the flexible substrate 21. Accordingly, the signal from the first transparent conductor 40 of the touch panel sensor 30 is converted into the first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction terminal portion 44, the anisotropic conductive layer 24, the connection terminal portion 12a, and the one-side signal terminal. It is transmitted to the detection control unit via the unit 22a.

  The protective cover 12 provided with the connection terminal portion 12a is attached to the observer side (one side) of the touch panel sensor 30, and the first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30 is connected to one end 12b of the connection terminal portion 12a. By doing so, the following three advantages can be obtained. The first advantage is that a signal from the first transparent conductor 40 of the touch panel sensor 30 can be taken out from the connection terminal portion 12 a provided on the display device 15 side (the other side) of the protective cover 12. . As described above, the second extraction terminal portion 49 for extracting a signal from the second transparent conductor 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 is provided on the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the first transparent conductor 40 and the second transparent conductor of the touch panel sensor 30 are used by using the flexible substrate 21 in which the terminal portions 22a and 22b are provided only on the surface 21c on the observer side. It becomes possible to take out signals from each of the conductors 45. For this reason, the manufacturing cost of the flexible substrate can be reduced as compared with the case where a flexible substrate having terminal portions provided on both the viewer-side surface 21c and the display device 15-side surface 21d is used. Attachment of the flexible substrate to the touch panel sensor 30 becomes easier.

  The second advantage is that the signal from the first extraction terminal portion 44 can be conducted to the one-side signal terminal portion 22 a of the flexible substrate 21 at an arbitrary position on the protective cover 12. In general, the area of the touch panel sensor 30 is limited, and therefore, it is considered that the position where the first extraction terminal portion 44 for taking out the first transparent conductor 40 is arranged is restricted to some extent. Here, according to the present embodiment, the first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30 and the one-side signal terminal portion 22a of the flexible substrate 21 are electrically connected via the connection terminal portion 12a of the protective cover 12. For this reason, it is possible to transmit the signal from the first transparent conductor 40 to the one-side signal terminal portion 22a at a desired position on the protective cover 12 by arbitrarily designing the connection terminal portion 12a of the protective cover 12. it can. Thereby, the freedom degree of the 1st extraction terminal part 44 in the touch panel sensor 30 and the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the one side signal terminal part 22a in the flexible substrate 21 can be made higher.

  The third advantage is that the distance between the protective cover 12 and the base film 32 can be further reduced. When the terminal portion of the flexible substrate is connected to the first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30, the flexible substrate is inserted between the protective cover 12 and the base film 32. For this reason, the space | interval between the protective cover 12 and the base film 32 will become large only by the thickness of a flexible substrate. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the flexible substrate 21 is inserted between the protective cover 12 and the base film 32, and the one-side signal terminal portion 22 a of the flexible substrate 21 and the touch panel sensor 30. The one extraction terminal portion 44 can be made conductive. For this reason, it becomes possible to make the space | interval between the protective cover 12 and the base film 32 smaller.

In FIG. 5, the one-side signal terminal portion 22 a of the flexible substrate 21 is connected to the other end 12 c of the connection terminal portion 12 a of the protective cover 12, and the other-side signal terminal portion 22 b is connected to the second touch panel sensor 30. A state in which the flexible substrate 21 is greatly bent to connect to the extraction terminal portion 49 is shown. However, the large bend as shown in FIG. 5 is based on a convenient expression for explanation.
In general, in the present embodiment, the actual flexible substrate 21 is not greatly bent as shown in FIG. This is because, in the example of FIG. 5, the connection terminal portion 12a, the anisotropic conductive layer 24, the first extraction terminal portion 44, the base film 32, the second extraction terminal portion 49, the anisotropic conductive layer 24, and the other side signal. The total thickness of the terminal portions 22b for use is generally on the order of several tens to several hundreds of μm. On the other hand, the distance from the one end 12b to the other end 12c of the connection terminal portion 12a of the protective cover 12 is generally several millimeters. This is because it is an order. Therefore, in general, the actual flexible substrate 21 has a slight degree of bending. The same applies to the examples shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 9 or 12 below.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described. Here, a method for forming a touch panel sensor with a protective cover by attaching the protective cover 12 to the touch panel sensor 30, and a combination of the touch panel sensor with a protective cover and the flexible substrate 21, a signal from the touch panel sensor 30 is transmitted to the flexible substrate 21. The method of taking out will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6A, a touch panel sensor 30 having a first extraction terminal portion 44 provided on one side and a second extraction terminal portion 49 provided on the other side is prepared. Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, the touch panel sensor 30 is formed on one side of the touch panel sensor 30 and the first adhesive layer 14 is formed of a flexible material such as PET, on the display device 15 side. A protective cover 12 having a connection terminal portion 12a is attached. In this way, the touch panel sensor 30 with the protective cover 12 is obtained. By attaching the flexible protective cover 12 to the touch panel sensor 30 in this manner, the touch panel sensor 30 is damaged while ensuring ease of assembly and handling when the touch panel sensor 30 is subsequently incorporated into the display device 15 or the like. Can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the protective cover 12 is attached to the touch panel sensor 30, one end 12 b of the connection terminal portion 12 a of the protective cover 12 is connected to the first extraction terminal portion 44 via the anisotropic conductive layer 24. Connect to. Thereby, the connection terminal portion 12a of the protective cover 12 and the first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30 are electrically connected. For this reason, it becomes possible to take out the signal from the 1st transparent conductor 40 of the touch panel sensor 30 from the other end 12c of the connection terminal part 12a. Here, both the connection terminal portion 12a and the second extraction terminal portion 49 of the protective cover 12 face the display device 15 side. For this reason, the signal from each of the transparent conductors 40 and 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 can be easily taken out.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6C, a flexible substrate 21 is prepared in which the one-side signal terminal portion 22a and the other-side signal terminal portion 22b are formed on the surface 21c on the observer side (one side). The flexible substrate 21 is attached to the touch panel sensor 30 with the protective cover 12. Here, as described above, both the connection terminal portion 12a of the protective cover 12 and the second extraction terminal portion 49 on the other side of the touch panel sensor 30 face the display device 15 side. For this reason, the one-side signal terminal portion 22a of the flexible substrate 21 can be connected to the other end 12c of the connection terminal portion 12a via the anisotropic conductive layer 24. The terminal portion 22 b can be connected to the second extraction terminal portion 49 through the anisotropic conductive layer 24. As a result, signals from the transparent conductors 40 and 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 are transmitted to the detection control unit via the flexible substrate 21.

  Thereafter, the touch panel sensor 30 to which the protective cover 12 and the flexible substrate 21 are attached is attached to the display device 15 via the second adhesive layer 19. Thereby, the input / output device 10 shown in FIG. 5 is obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 6D, the protective film 13 may be attached to the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30 via the second adhesive layer 19 before the touch panel sensor 30 is attached to the display device 15. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30 from being damaged before being attached to the display device 15. Such a protective film 13 may be removed when the touch panel sensor 30 is attached to the display device 15, or, as shown in FIG. 7, the touch panel sensor 30 to which the protective film 13 is attached is replaced with a display panel. You may combine with the display apparatus 15 as it is through the adhesive layer 17 for an object.

Comparison Mode Next, the effect of the present embodiment will be described in comparison with the comparison mode with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a touch panel sensor to which a flexible substrate is attached in a comparative form, and FIG. 9 is a side view showing an input / output device in the comparative form. In the input / output device 110 according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 9, the connection terminal portion is not provided on the protective cover 112 attached to the observer side of the touch panel sensor 30. In addition, signal terminals are provided on both surfaces of the flexible substrate 121. 8 and 9, the same parts as those of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, the connection terminal portion is not provided in the protective cover 112 in the comparative embodiment. For this reason, in the comparative form, the one-side signal terminal portion 122a of the flexible substrate 121 is provided on the surface 121d of the flexible substrate 121 on the display substrate 15 side. In this case, the one-side signal terminal portion 122 a on the surface 121 d is connected to the first extraction terminal portion 44 on the observer side of the touch panel sensor 30 via the anisotropic conductive layer 24. As a result, a signal from the first transparent conductor 40 of the touch panel sensor 30 is transmitted to the flexible substrate 121. On the other hand, the signal from the first transparent conductor 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 is another signal provided on the observer-side surface 121c of the flexible substrate 121, as in the case of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. It is taken out by the side signal terminal portion 122b. In the comparative embodiment, a part of the flexible substrate 121 is connected to the observer side of the touch panel sensor 30 and the other part is connected to the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The cut portion 121e is formed in the flexible substrate 121.

  As described above, according to the comparative embodiment, in order to take out signals from the transparent conductors 40 and 45 of the touch panel sensor 30, terminal portions are provided on both the viewer-side surface 121 c and the display device 15 -side surface 121 d of the flexible substrate 121. 122a and 122b are provided. For this reason, when manufacturing the flexible substrate 121, wiring formation processing for forming terminal portions and the like is performed on both surfaces of the flexible substrate 121.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the protective cover 12 provided with the connection terminal portion 12 a is attached to the observer side of the touch panel sensor 30. Each connection terminal portion 12 a of the protective cover 12 is electrically connected to a corresponding first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30. Therefore, signals from the transparent conductors 40 and 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 can be extracted using the flexible substrate 21 in which the terminal portions 22a and 22b are provided only on the surface 21c on the viewer side. Therefore, when manufacturing the flexible substrate 21, the wiring formation process for forming the terminal portion and the like is performed only on the surface 21 c on the observer side of the flexible substrate 21. Thereby, compared with the case of a comparative form, the cost for manufacturing the flexible substrate 21 can be made low.

  Moreover, according to the comparative form, the flexible substrate 121 is separated into a portion connected to the touch panel sensor 30 from the observer side and a portion connected to the touch panel sensor 30 from the display device 15 side via the cut portion 121e. Has been. In this case, in order to appropriately connect the first extraction terminal portion 44 and the second extraction terminal portion 49 and the flexible substrate 121, the position of the first extraction terminal portion 44 on the viewer side in the x direction, the display device 15 and the like. It is necessary that the position of the second extraction terminal portion 49 on the side does not overlap with the position in the x direction. Thus, in the comparative form, it is conceivable that the arrangement of the first extraction terminal portion 44 and the second extraction terminal portion 49 in the touch panel sensor 30 is subject to predetermined restrictions.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the space between the first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30 and the one-side signal terminal portion 22a of the flexible substrate 21 via the connection terminal portion 12a of the protective cover 12 is. Conducted. For this reason, it is possible to transmit the signal from the first transparent conductor 40 to the one-side signal terminal portion 22a at a desired position on the protective cover 12 by arbitrarily designing the connection terminal portion 12a of the protective cover 12. it can. Thereby, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the terminal part 22a for 1 side signals in the flexible substrate 21, and the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the 1st extraction terminal part 44 in the touch panel sensor 30 can be made high.

  Furthermore, according to the comparative form, the flexible substrate 121 is inserted between the protective cover 112 and the base film 32. For this reason, the interval between the protective cover 112 and the base film 32 is increased by the thickness of the flexible substrate 121.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the flexible circuit board 21 is not inserted between the protective cover 12 and the base film 32, and the one-side signal terminal portion 22 a of the flexible circuit board 21 and the touch panel sensor 30. The first extraction terminal portion 44 can be electrically connected. As a result, the distance between the protective cover 12 and the base film 32 can be further reduced.

Other Comparative Forms Next, the effects of the present embodiment will be described in comparison with other comparative forms with reference to FIG. In the input / output device 110 according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 10, the flexible substrate 121A is bent over 180 °, and signal terminal portions 123a and 123b are provided on the inner surface of the bent flexible substrate 121A. ing. In the other comparison form shown in FIG. 10, the same parts as those in the present embodiment shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the flexible substrate 121A in this comparative embodiment is bent over 180 °. In addition, on the inner surface of the bent flexible substrate 121A, one side signal terminal portion 123a is provided at one end, and the other side signal terminal portion 123b is provided at the other end. The one-side signal terminal portion 123a and the other-side signal terminal portion 123b of the flexible substrate 121A are respectively connected to the first extraction terminal portion 44 and the second extraction terminal portion 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 via the anisotropic conductive layer 24. It is connected to the.

  As described above, in the comparative form shown in FIG. 10, the flexible substrate 121 </ b> A is bent over 180 °, whereby the one-side signal terminal portion 123 a and the other-side signal terminal portion 123 b of the flexible substrate 121 </ b> A Connected to the extraction terminal portion 44 and the second extraction terminal portion 49. For this reason, a large volume is occupied by the folded flexible substrate 121A. Further, in order to maintain the bent state over 180 °, high quality is required for the flexible substrate 121A and the conductive pattern formed on the flexible substrate 121A.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the one-side signal terminal portion 22a is connected to the connection terminal portion 12a of the protective cover 12 without bending the flexible substrate 1 over 90 ° or more. The other-side signal terminal portion 22 b is connected to the end 12 c and is connected to the second extraction terminal portion 49 on the other side of the touch panel sensor 30. For this reason, the volume occupied by the flexible substrate 21 can be further reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the protective cover 12 is made of a flexible material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the thickness of the protective cover 12 is in the range of 0.02 to 0.4 mm. An example is shown. However, it is not restricted to this, The protective cover 12 is comprised from glass plates, such as an acrylic board, and the thickness of the protective cover 12 may be in the range of 0.1-1.5 mm. . Thereby, the touch panel sensor 30 can be more strongly protected from the outside.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, the example in which the protective cover 12 has translucency was shown. Here, it is not necessary for the protective cover 12 to have translucency over the entire region, and it is sufficient that the protective cover 12 has translucency at least in a region corresponding to the active area Aa1 of the base film 32. For example, a design sheet (not shown) may be provided in a region corresponding to the non-active area Aa2 of the base film 32 in the protective cover 12. A design sheet is a sheet | seat produced by giving a suitable design to the sheet | seat which has light-shielding property, for example. By providing such a design sheet in a region of the protective cover 12 corresponding to the inactive area Aa2 of the base film 32, the extraction wirings 36b and 37b provided on the inactive area Aa2 of the base film 32 are observed. It can be prevented from being visually recognized by a person. Thereby, the designability of the touch panel device 20 can be improved.

In the modification and the above-described embodiment, an example in which the “transparent sheet bonded to one side of the touch panel sensor” in the present invention is composed of the protective sheet 12 bonded to the observer side of the touch panel sensor 30 has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a “transparent sheet bonded to one side of the touch panel sensor” is a transparent sheet bonded to the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30, for example, The color filter base material 28 of the color filter 27 may be used. Hereinafter, such a modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. In the modification described below, “one side” is the display device 15 side, and “other side” is the observer side.

Signal transmission method to detection control unit Referring to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, detection control provided on display device 15 or the like for signals from first transparent conductor 40 and second transparent conductor 45 of touch panel sensor 30. The structure for transmitting to a part is demonstrated. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the touch panel sensor 30 to which the flexible substrate 21A is attached, and FIG. 12 is a side view showing a state in which signals from the extraction terminal portions 44 and 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 are taken out by the flexible substrate 21A. It is. In FIG. 11, the components provided on the display device 15 side (surface 32b side) of the base film 32 are indicated by dotted lines for convenience. In FIGS. 11 and 12, the line portions 41 a and 46 a of the transparent conductors 40 and 45 and the drawing conductors 43 and 48 are omitted for convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a flexible substrate 21 </ b> A is connected to the touch panel sensor 30. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the flexible substrate 21 </ b> A is arranged so that the surface 21 d on the display device 15 side (one side) of the flexible substrate 21 </ b> A faces the viewer-side surface 32 a of the base film 32 of the touch panel sensor 30. Is connected to the touch panel sensor 30.

  The connection between the flexible substrate 21A and the touch panel sensor 30 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the one-side signal terminal portion 23a and the other-side signal terminal portion 23b are formed on the surface 21d of the flexible substrate 21A. The one-side signal terminal portion 23a and the other-side signal terminal portion 23b are terminal portions for taking out signals from the first extraction terminal portion 44 and the second extraction terminal portion 49 of the touch panel sensor 30, as will be described later. . Therefore, the same number of first-side signal terminal portions 23 a and other-side signal terminal portions 23 b as the first extraction terminal portions 44 and the second extraction terminal portions 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 are provided. Further, each of the one-side signal terminal portion 23a and the other-side signal terminal portion 23b is electrically connected to the detection control portion via a conductive pattern (not shown) formed on the surface 21d of the flexible substrate 21A. Yes.

(Retrieve signal from first transparent conductor)
As shown in FIG. 12, the one-side signal terminal portion 23 a of the flexible substrate 21 </ b> A is connected to the first extraction terminal portion 44 of the touch panel sensor 30 via an anisotropic conductive layer (conductive member) 24. Thereby, a signal from the first transparent conductor 40 of the touch panel sensor 30 is detected through the first extraction conductor 43, the first extraction terminal portion 44, the anisotropic conductive layer 24, and the one-side signal terminal portion 23a. It is transmitted to the control unit.

(Retrieve signal from second transparent conductor)
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, the color filter 27 is bonded to the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30 via the second adhesive layer 19. The color filter 27 selectively transmits light emitted from the display device 15 according to the wavelength. For example, the color filter 27 is provided on the transparent color filter substrate 28 and the color filter substrate 28. A red colored layer, a blue colored layer, and a green colored layer. In this modification, as shown in FIG. 12, the color filter substrate 28 is located on the viewer side of the color filter 27. In addition, the thickness of the 2nd contact bonding layer 19 is in the range of 20-50 micrometers, for example.

  The color filter base material 28 bonded to the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30 via the second adhesive layer 19 has one end 28 b opposed to each second extraction terminal portion 49 of the display device 15 of the touch panel sensor 30. The plurality of connection terminal portions 28a are arranged so as to do so. As shown in FIG. 12, each connection terminal portion 28a extends from one end 28b arranged to face the corresponding second extraction terminal portion 49 toward the outside of the color filter substrate 28. In this case, the other end 28 c of each connection terminal portion 28 a is disposed in the vicinity of the end portion of the color filter substrate 28.

  As shown in FIG. 12, one end 28 b of the connection terminal portion 28 a of the color filter substrate 28 is connected to the second extraction terminal portion 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 via the anisotropic conductive layer 24. Therefore, the one end 28b of the pair of connecting terminal portions 28a facing each other and the second extraction terminal portion 49 are electrically connected. As shown in FIG. 12, the other end 28c of the connection terminal portion 28a of the color filter substrate 28 is connected to the other signal terminal portion 23b of the flexible substrate 21A through the anisotropic conductive layer 24. . For this reason, the other end 28c of the pair of connecting terminal portions 28a facing each other and the other-side signal terminal portion 23b are also electrically connected. Thereby, electrical connection is established between the second extraction terminal portion 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 and the other-side signal terminal portion 23b of the flexible substrate 21A. Thereby, the signal from the second transparent conductor 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 is converted into the second extraction conductor 48, the second extraction terminal portion 49, the anisotropic conductive layer 24, the connection terminal portion 28a, and the other-side signal terminal. It is transmitted to the detection control unit via the unit 23b.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the color filter 27 including the transparent color filter substrate 28 provided with the connection terminal portion 28 a is attached to the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30. One end 28 b of each connection terminal portion 28 a of the color filter substrate 28 is connected to a corresponding second extraction terminal portion 49 of the touch panel sensor 30. Therefore, signals from the transparent conductors 40 and 45 of the touch panel sensor 30 can be taken out using the flexible substrate 21A in which the terminal portions 23a and 23b are provided only on the surface 21d on the display device 15 side. Therefore, when manufacturing the flexible substrate 21A, the wiring forming process for forming the terminal portion and the like is performed only on the surface 21d of the flexible substrate 21A on the display device 15 side. Thereby, compared with the case where a terminal part is formed in both surfaces of a flexible substrate, the cost for manufacturing flexible substrate 21A can be made low.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the second extraction terminal portion 49 of the touch panel sensor 30 and the other-side signal terminal portion 23b of the flexible substrate 21A are electrically connected via the connection terminal portion 28a of the color filter substrate 28. Is done. Therefore, by arbitrarily designing the connection terminal portion 28a of the color filter substrate 28, the signal from the second transparent conductor 45 can be transmitted to the other side signal terminal portion at a desired position on the color filter substrate 28. 23b. Thereby, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the other signal terminal part 23b in 21 A of flexible substrates, and the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the 2nd extraction terminal part 49 in the touch panel sensor 30 can be made high.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an anisotropic conductive layer is used as a conductive member for conducting between the transparent sheet (the protective cover 12 or the color filter substrate 28) and the flexible substrates 21, 21A or the touch panel sensor 30. An example is shown in which 24 is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various conductive members can be used as appropriate. For example, a conductive paste may be used as the conductive member. In this case, the conductive paste is applied so as not to protrude from each connection terminal portion so as to prevent conduction between adjacent connection terminal portions of the transparent sheet.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the transparent sheet bonded to one side of the touch panel sensor is bonded to the protective cover 12 bonded to the observer side of the touch panel sensor 30 or the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30. The example which consists of the base material 28 for color filters of the color filter 27 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various sheets for protecting the touch panel sensor 30 or various sheets for enhancing the function as an input / output device are bonded to the touch panel sensor 30 as a transparent sheet in the present invention. can do. Under the present circumstances, the benefit by this invention can be acquired by providing a connection terminal part in a transparent sheet.

  Moreover, in each above-mentioned embodiment, the transparent sheet arrange | positioned at the one side of the touch panel sensor 30 showed the example adhere | attached on the one side of the touch panel sensor 30 through the contact bonding layer. In other words, the protective cover 12 disposed on the viewer side of the touch panel sensor 30 is provided via the first adhesive layer 14 or the color filter substrate 28 disposed on the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30 is second bonded. An example in which the touch panel sensor 30 is bonded through the layer 19 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the transparent sheet may not be bonded to the touch panel sensor 30. For example, an adhesive layer may not be provided between the transparent sheet and the touch panel sensor 30.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the first touch panel sensor 30 may be provided between the protective cover 12 and the touch panel sensor 30 instead of the first adhesive layer 14 or in addition to the first adhesive layer 14. An overcoat layer (not shown) for protecting the sensor electrode 36a and the like may be provided. Such an overcoat layer is made of a material that has translucency and insulating properties but does not have adhesive properties. For example, the overcoat layer is made of a silicon oxide such as silicon dioxide or a transparent resin such as an acrylic resin. ing. Similarly, in the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 5, instead of the second adhesive layer 19 or in addition to the second adhesive layer 19, the second sensor electrode 37 a of the touch panel sensor 30 is protected. A coat layer (not shown) may be provided. Further, instead of the above-described overcoat layer, or in addition to the overcoat layer, another layer having no adhesiveness may be provided. An air layer may be interposed between the touch panel sensor 30 and the display panel 16. That is, the touch panel sensor 30 may be fixed to the protective cover 12 or the display panel 16 by some fixing means (not shown) that supports the touch panel sensor 30. As the fixing means, in addition to the adhesive layers 14 and 19 described above, means for supporting the touch panel sensor 30 by a method other than adhesion can be appropriately used. For example, a spacer or the like provided on the periphery of the touch panel sensor 30 is used.

  Similarly, in the modified example of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 12, instead of the second adhesive layer 19 or the second adhesive layer 19 between the color filter substrate 28 and the touch panel sensor 30. In addition, an overcoat layer (not shown) for protecting the second sensor electrode 37a and the like of the touch panel sensor 30 may be provided. An air layer may be interposed between the touch panel sensor 30 and the color filter substrate 28. Similarly, in the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 12, instead of the first adhesive layer 14 or in addition to the first adhesive layer 14, the first sensor electrode 36 a of the touch panel sensor 30 is protected. A coat layer (not shown) may be provided. Further, instead of the above-described overcoat layer, or in addition to the overcoat layer, another layer having no adhesiveness may be provided.

  Whether or not the touch panel sensor 30 is bonded to the protective cover 12, the display panel 16, the color filter substrate 28, or the like via an adhesive layer can be determined based on various viewpoints. For example, when the touch panel sensor 30 is traded and transported in a state of being combined with the protective cover 12, the touch panel sensor 30 is bonded to the protective cover 12 via the first adhesive layer 14. The touch panel sensor 30 with the protective cover 12 is then combined with the display panel 16, whereby the input / output device 10 is obtained. Alternatively, when the touch panel sensor 30 is traded and transported in a state of being combined with the display panel 16, the touch panel sensor 30 is bonded to the display panel 16 through the second adhesive layer 19. When the touch panel sensor 30 is traded and transported in a state where it is combined with the protective cover 12, it is possible to reduce a loss when a defect occurs. This is because the protective cover 12 is smaller than the display panel 16 in terms of the amount of loss and the cost for repair when a defect occurs. When the touch panel sensor 30 is bonded to the protective cover 12 via the first adhesive layer 14 and an overcoat layer is provided on the display device 15 side of the touch panel sensor 30, the overcoat layer is When the touch panel sensor 30 with the protective cover 12 is combined with the display panel 16, the touch panel sensor 30 functions as a layer that prevents the touch panel sensor 30 from being damaged by contact with the display panel 16.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Input / output device 12 Protective cover 12a Connection terminal part 12b One end 12c Other end 13 Protective film 14 First adhesive layer 15 Display device 16 Display panel 16a Display surface 17 Display panel adhesive layer 19 Second adhesive layer 20 Touch panel device 21, 21A Flexible substrate 22a One-side signal terminal portion 22b Other-side signal terminal portion 23a One-side signal terminal portion 23b Other-side signal terminal portion 24 Anisotropic conductive layer 27 Color filter 28 Color filter base material 28a Connection terminal portion 28b One end 28c The other end 30 Touch panel sensor 30a First frame wiring area 30b Second frame wiring area 32 Base film 32a surface (observer side surface)
32b surface (display device side surface)
36a First sensor electrode 36b First extraction wiring 37a Second sensor electrode 37b Second extraction wiring 40 First transparent conductor 41a Line portion 41b Swelling portion 43 First extraction conductor 44 First extraction terminal portion 45 Second transparent conductivity Body 46a line portion 46b bulging portion 48 second extraction conductor 49 second extraction terminal portion 110 input / output device 112 protective cover 121, 121A flexible substrate 121c surface 121d on viewer side 121e surface 121e on display device side cut portion 122a one side Signal terminal part 122b Other side signal terminal part

Claims (9)

A touch panel sensor including a transparent conductor in a predetermined pattern on both sides and an active area corresponding to an area where a touch position can be detected; and an inactive area located at the periphery of the active area;
A transparent sheet disposed on one side of the touch panel sensor,
The touch panel sensor is disposed in the inactive area on one side and is electrically connected to the transparent conductor on one side, and is disposed in the inactive area on the other side and the other side. A second extraction terminal portion that is electrically connected to the transparent conductor of
The transparent sheet is disposed to face the first extraction terminal portion on one side of the touch panel sensor, and has a connection terminal portion connected to the first extraction terminal portion via a conductive member. Touch panel sensor with transparent sheet. The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to claim 1, wherein the transparent sheet is bonded to one side of the touch panel sensor via an adhesive layer. A flexible printed circuit board further comprising a one-side signal terminal part and another-side signal terminal part formed on one side thereof;
One end of the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet is connected to the first extraction terminal portion on one side of the touch panel sensor via a conductive member,
The one-side signal terminal portion of the flexible substrate is connected to the other end of the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet,
The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to claim 2, wherein the other-side signal terminal portion of the flexible substrate is connected to a second extraction terminal portion on the other side of the touch panel sensor. Without bending the flexible substrate over 90 °, the one-side signal terminal portion is connected to the other end of the connection terminal portion of the transparent sheet, and the other-side signal terminal portion is the other of the touch panel sensor. The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to claim 3, wherein the touch panel sensor is connected to a second extraction terminal portion on the side. The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to claim 2, wherein the conductive member includes an anisotropic conductive layer including conductive particles and an insulating binder. The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to claim 2, wherein the transparent sheet includes a protective cover for protecting the touch panel sensor. The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to claim 6, wherein the protective cover has a thickness in a range of 0.02 to 0.4 mm and is made of polyethylene terephthalate. The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to claim 6, wherein the protective cover has a thickness in a range of 0.1 to 1.5 mm and is made of a glass plate. The touch panel sensor with a transparent sheet according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the transparent sheet is made of a color filter base material for a color filter that selectively transmits light according to a wavelength.

Images