Panel structure and its mounting structure

The present invention relates to a panel structure and a mounting structure thereof, and particularly to a resistive touch panel structure used for a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone and a mounting structure thereof.

As shown in FIG. 5, the structure of the resistive touch panel used for mobile terminals such as mobile phones is such that two upper and lower electrode base materials 1 and 2 are adhered with double-sided tape or the like so as to oppose each other with a predetermined gap. It is composed of materials 4 bonded together. A PET film is generally used as the upper electrode base material (hereinafter referred to as the upper base material) 1, and the lower electrode base material (hereinafter referred to as the lower base material) 2 is generally used. Is made of glass.

An electrode routing area 3 is provided on the outer periphery of the upper base material 1, and an electrode lead-out portion 9 is derived from a part of the electrode routing area 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the touch panel configured in this way is attached to the window 51 provided in the device housing 5 via the cushion 6.

Here, the upper base material 1 is made of a film such as PET, and has expansion and contraction due to temperature and temperature, and there is a difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion from the lower base material 2 which is often made of glass. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, as the adhesive 4 for adhering the two base materials 1 and 2, a material having a low strength against the lateral displacement is used to absorb the lateral displacement.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the conventional method of incorporating the resistive film type touch panel into the device housing 5 is to bond the housing 5 and the cushion 6 with double-sided tape 8 and bond the cushion 6 with the cushion 6. The cushion 6 and the upper base material 1 are attached so as to be pressed against the housing 5 without being adhered to the electrode routing area 3 of the upper base material 1, or are not adhered between the housing 5 and the cushion 6. It is designed to be adhered to the electrode routing area 3 of the above and pressed against the housing 5. Therefore, dust and water droplets are likely to enter through the gaps that are not adhered.

Here, referring to Patent Document 1, a technique in which a touch panel structure is provided with sufficient dustproof and waterproof functions has been proposed.<patcit num="1"><text>JP-A-2002-175155</text></patcit>

<p> In the structures of FIGS. 5 and 6 described above, there is a problem that dust and water droplets cannot be prevented from entering, and in order to improve the dustproof and waterproof effects, the above-mentioned gaps are adhered with an adhesive 10 (double-sided tape). If this happens, the upper base material 1 expands or contracts due to temperature and humidity, and as shown in FIG. 8, the touch panel surface becomes wrinkled, which causes a problem in appearance. Further, even in the technique of Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to expansion and contraction due to the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion of both base materials, and there is still a problem.</p><p> An object of the present invention is to provide a panel structure and a mounting structure thereof that can solve the problem of wrinkles in appearance while enhancing the dustproof and waterproof effects.</p>

<p> The panel structure according to the present invention is a panel structure for attaching upper and lower base materials having different thermal expansions to a window provided in a device housing by adhering them with an adhesive so as to face each other with a predetermined gap. Therefore, the adhesive can absorb the deviation due to the difference in thermal expansion of the base material, the upper base material is made larger than the area of the lower base material, and the deformation force in the surface direction is absorbed in the outer peripheral portion thereof. It is characterized by having a flexible configuration.</p><p> The panel mounting structure according to the present invention is a panel mounting structure for mounting the above-mentioned panel structure to a housing window smaller than the base material, and the entire outermost periphery of the upper base material is adhered to the housing. It is a feature.</p><p> The operation of the present invention will be described. In a panel structure for attaching upper and lower base materials having different thermal expansions to each other with an adhesive so as to face each other with a predetermined gap and attaching to a window provided in a device housing, the upper and lower parts are adhered by the adhesive. The upper base material is made larger than the area of the lower base material, and the deformation force in the plane direction can be absorbed in the outer peripheral portion thereof so as to be able to absorb the deviation due to the difference in thermal expansion between the base materials. As a result, even if the gap between the housing and the housing is completely sealed, the deviation in the surface direction due to the difference in thermal expansion between the two base materials can be absorbed, and dustproof and waterproof effects can be achieved.</p>

<p> According to the present invention, it is possible to absorb the deviation due to the difference in thermal expansion between the upper and lower base materials, the upper base material is larger than the area of the lower base material, and the deformation force in the plane direction can be absorbed in the outer peripheral portion thereof. Therefore, there is no wrinkle of the upper base material, and the sealing between the upper base material and the housing is possible at the outer peripheral portion of the upper base material, so that there is an effect that the dustproof and waterproof functions can be achieved.</p>

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as those in FIGS. 5 to 8 are indicated by the same reference numerals. Referring to FIG. 1, the upper substrate 1 and the lower base material 2 are arranged to face each other with a predetermined gap by the adhesive material 4, and the adhesive material 4 is thermally expanded as shown in FIG. Double-sided tape or the like that can absorb the deviation in the surface direction due to the difference is used.

The area of the upper base material 1 is larger than that of the lower base material 2, and the double-sided tape 7 for adhesion is applied to the device housing 5 over the entire outermost circumference of the outer peripheral portion 11 protruding from the lower base material 2. It is attached. The cushion 6 presses the electrode routing area 3 (see FIG. 5) of the upper base material 1 against the periphery of the window 51 of the housing 5, and the cushion 6 and the upper base material 1 are adhered to each other. The cushion 6 and the periphery of the window 51 are adhered to each other by the double-sided tape 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the upper base material 1 is distorted in the surface direction due to temperature or temperature, the strain of the upper base material 1 portion corresponding to the window 51 is absorbed by the absorption action of the deformation in the surface direction of the adhesive material 4. However, wrinkles can be relieved at the outer peripheral portion 11 of the upper base material 1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer peripheral portion may be bent into a bellows shape 12 in advance and molded to further improve the absorption effect of expansion and contraction, and the outer peripheral portion may be made thinner than the other portions. Even so, the above absorption effect is improved.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of how to attach the housing 5 to the upper base material 1, and instead of using double-sided tape as an adhesive, the concave groove portion 52 provided in the housing 5 in advance is formed. By fitting the entire outermost circumference of the outer peripheral portion 11 of the upper base material 1, it can be completely attached to the housing 5 without any gap.

In the above embodiment, the case of using the touch panel of a mobile information terminal such as a mobile phone has been described, but generally, a panel structure in which two upper and lower base materials having different thermal expansions are arranged facing each other with a predetermined gap by an adhesive material. It is widely applicable to.

<figref num="1">It is sectional drawing of the Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="2">It is a figure explaining the state which the thermal expansion difference is absorbed in the mounting structure of FIG.</figref><figref num="3">It is a figure which shows the deformation example of the outer peripheral part of the upper base material.</figref><figref num="4">It is a figure which shows the modification of the attachment structure to the housing of the upper base material.</figref><figref num="5">It is a figure which shows the example of the conventional touch panel.</figref><figref num="6">It is a figure which shows the example of attachment to the housing window of the conventional touch panel.</figref><figref num="7">It is a figure which shows the deformation example by thermal expansion of a touch panel itself.</figref><figref num="8">It is a figure which shows the deformation example by thermal expansion in the conventional example when a touch panel is attached to a housing.</figref>

Code description

1 Upper electrode base material 2 Lower electrode base material 3 Electrode routing area 4 Adhesive 5 Housing 6 Cushion 7,8 Double-sided tape 11 Outer circumference 12 Bending part 51 Housing window 52 Recessed groove