An interactive information device for use as a touch panel, touch screen, digitizer panel, or pen-input device, and a method for making such a device includes a first, transparent, electrically conductive layer supported by the rigid substrate, a flexible, transparent substrate at least partially aligned with the rigid substrate and having a second, transparent, electrically conductive layer on a surface thereof, the second conductive layer being spaced from the first conductive layer. A plurality of transparent insulating spacer members/dots are positioned on one or both of the conductive layers to allow the conductive layers to engage when the flexible substrate is pressed. The spacer members/dots comprise polymeric material including at least some inorganic material, and more preferably, comprise organic-inorganic nanocomposites having an index of refraction optically matched to the transparent, electrically conductive layer on which they are positioned.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority form U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/234,867, filed Sep. 22, 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
A touch panel is provided. The touch panel includes a first flexible substrate with a first surface, a second substrate with a second surface facing the first surface, and a masking structure with a first contacting surface and a second contacting surface respectively adjacent to an edge portion of the first flexible substrate and an edge portion of the second substrate. The second contacting surface is wider than the first contacting surface.
An assembly for pivotally mounting a touch screen subassembly (39) to a housing (21). An enclosure (4) containing the touch screen (40) is pivotally mounted to hinge plates (30, 32). Washers (70, 72, 74, 130) and fasteners (76, 131) hold the enclosure to the hinges and apply an intermediate braking force that inhibits movement of the subassembly will the touch screen is normally depressed to actuate one of its buttons and that allows movement when a force is applied to deliberately move the assembly. A lock assembly with a moving latch (84) holds the touch screen subassembly in either the fully inclined or full upright positions when the subassembly is so positioned until a user manually actuates the latch.
A touch screen comprising: a) a substrate; b) a first conductive layer located on the substrate; c) a flexible cover sheet comprising a substantially planar surface and integral compressible spacer dots formed thereon, each integral compressible spacer dot having a base closest to the substantially planar surface and a peak furthest from the substantially planar surface; and d) a second conductive layer located on the substantially planar surface of the flexible sheet, the peaks of the integral compressible spacer dots extending beyond the second conductive layer located on the substantially planar surface; wherein the first and second conductive layers are positioned towards each other and separated by the integral compressible spacer dots. A channel is formed in the substantially planar surface of the flexible sheet around each integral compressible spacer dot, and the second conductive layer is electrically isolated from any conductive layer material deposited on the peaks of the spacer dots while depositing the conductive layer material on the substantially planar surface.
The present invention provides touch panels and touch panel substrates that include spacer dots comprising a nanocomposite material. The present invention also provides methods of ink jet printing spacer dots for touch panel applications. The spacer dots and methods of making spacer dots can lead to spacers that have good durability, have controllable sizes, shapes, and spacings, and have desirable optical properties.
A method for manufacturing a touch screen that deposits a conductive layer or coating directly onto a surface of a sheet or ribbon or roll of thin glass material. The coated thin glass material may be cut to the desired shape or substrate for use as the outer, thin glass substrate of the touch screen device. Spacer elements and/or other functional coatings or layers or the like may also be applied to the conductive layer or opposite surface of the thin glass ribbon. Optionally, a functional coating or layer may be deposited or applied to a surface of a pre-cut thin glass substrate. The coated pre-cut thin glass substrate may be used as a top sheet for lamination as the protective top sheet of a touch screen device.
