TOUCH WINDOW FOR TOUCH SENSOR AND HOME APPLIANCE HAVING SAME
20210048935 ยท 2021-02-18
Inventors
Cpc classification
F25D2400/18
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
G06F3/04164
PHYSICS
F24C7/086
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D21/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
G06F3/0416
PHYSICS
H03K2017/9602
ELECTRICITY
G06F1/1656
PHYSICS
G06F2203/04103
PHYSICS
F25D29/005
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D2400/361
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
H03K2217/960755
ELECTRICITY
International classification
G06F3/041
PHYSICS
F25D29/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Abstract
A touch window for a touch sensor includes: a touch member having a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface configured to be pressed by a user, a plurality of conductive printed portions printed on the rear surface of the touch member, the conductive printed portions being configured to respectively contact a plurality of conductive electrodes of the touch sensor, and a non-conductive film attached to the rear surface of the touch member and defining one or more through-holes. Inner surfaces of the one or more through-holes are configured to respectively surround the conductive printed portions and the conductive printed portions and the non-conductive film have different thicknesses from each other such that surface condensation on the conductive printed portions and surface condensation on the non-conductive film are spaced apart from each other.
Claims
1. A touch window for a touch sensor, comprising: a touch member having a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface configured to be pressed by a user; a plurality of conductive printed portions printed on the rear surface of the touch member, the conductive printed portions being configured to respectively contact a plurality of conductive electrodes of the touch sensor; and a non-conductive film attached to the rear surface of the touch member and defining one or more through-holes, wherein inner surfaces of the one or more through-holes are configured to respectively surround the conductive printed portions, and wherein the conductive printed portions and the non-conductive film have different thicknesses from each other such that surface condensation on the conductive printed portions and surface condensation on the non-conductive film are spaced apart from each other.
2. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of the one or more through-holes protrude further from the rear surface of the touch member than the conductive printed portions.
3. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the touch member comprises: a touch panel having a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface configured to be pressed by a user; a printed portion printed on the rear surface of the touch panel; and a non-conductive sheet attached to the printed portion, the non-conductive sheet being configured to block electrical conduction between the conductive printed portions caused by the printed portion.
4. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 3, wherein the non-conductive sheet comprises: a first non-conductive sheet attached to the printed portion; and a second non-conductive sheet attached to a rear surface of the first non-conductive sheet, wherein a hole is defined in a portion of the second non-conductive sheet to be in communication with a space between the conductive printed portions and the non-conductive film.
5. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 3, wherein the non-conductive sheet is made of a diffusion sheet.
6. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 3, wherein the printed portion is made of a non-conductive ink.
7. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the non-conductive film comprises: a first non-conductive film attached to the rear surface of the touch member; and a second non-conductive film attached to a rear surface of the first non-conductive film.
8. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 7, wherein the first non-conductive film protrudes further from the rear surface of the touch member than the conductive printed portions, such that surface condensation on the conductive printed portions and surface condensation on the second non-conductive film are spaced apart from each other.
9. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 7, wherein the one or more through-holes comprise: a first through-hole defined in the first non-conductive film; and a second through-hole defined in the second non-conductive film, wherein the first through-hole and the second through-hole are connected to each other.
10. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 9, wherein an inner surface of the second through-hole is closer to the conductive electrodes than an inner surface of the first through-hole.
11. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 10, wherein the second non-conductive film is thinner than the first non-conductive film, such that surface tension at the inner surface of the second through-hole is reduced.
12. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the conductive printed portions are printed with a conductive ink.
13. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 12, wherein the conductive ink includes a carbon component.
14. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of touch buttons, wherein a number of the plurality of touch buttons equals a number of the plurality of conductive printed portions.
15. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the conductive printed portions are spaced apart from each other such that electricity does not pass therebetween.
16. A touch window for a touch sensor, comprising: a touch member having a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface configured to be pressed by a user; a first conductive printed portion printed on the rear surface of the touch member, the first conductive printed portion being configured to contact a first conductive electrode of the touch sensor; a second conductive printed portion printed on the rear surface of the touch member, the second conductive printed portion being configured to contact a second conductive electrode of the touch sensor; and a non-conductive film attached to the rear surface of the touch member, the non-conductive film being configured to surround the first conductive printed portion, wherein the non-conductive film protrudes further from the rear surface of the touch member than the first conductive printed portion such that surface condensation on the first conductive printed portion and surface condensation on the non-conductive film are spaced apart from each other.
17. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 16, wherein the touch member comprises: a touch panel having a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface configured to be pressed by a user; a printed portion printed on the rear surface of the touch panel; and a non-conductive sheet attached to the printed portion, the non-conductive sheet being configured to block electrical conduction between the first conductive printed portion and the second conductive printed portion caused by the printed portion.
18. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 17, wherein the non-conductive film comprises: a first non-conductive film attached to the rear surface of the touch member; and a second non-conductive film attached to a rear surface of the first non-conductive film.
19. The touch window for a touch sensor of claim 16, wherein the first conductive printed portion and the second conductive printed portion are printed with a conductive ink.
20. A home appliance comprising a touch window for a touch sensor of claim 1.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0049] The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosure, as well as the following detailed description of the embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, there is shown in the drawings an exemplary embodiment, it being understood, however, that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. The use of the same reference numerals or symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.
[0050]
[0051]
[0052]
[0053]
[0054]
[0055]
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[0057]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0058] Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods for achieving them will become apparent from the descriptions of aspects herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects disclosed herein but may be implemented in various different forms. The aspects are provided to make the description of the present disclosure thorough and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It is to be noted that the scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the claims.
[0059] The shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, the number of elements given in the drawings are merely exemplary, and thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated details. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.
[0060] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms a, an, and the may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms comprises, comprising, including, and having, are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
[0061] When an element or layer is referred to as being on, engaged to, connected to, or coupled to another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being directly on, directly engaged to, directly connected to, or directly coupled to another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., between versus directly between, adjacent versus directly adjacent, etc.). As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0062] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
[0063] Spatially relative terms, such as inner, outer, beneath, below, lower, above, upper, and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as below or beneath other elements or features would then be oriented above the other elements or features. Thus, the example term below can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
[0064] The term or as used herein is to be interpreted as an inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, A, B or C means any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C. An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive.
[0065] Hereinafter, preferable exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail referring to the attached drawings. In the following description, known functions or features will be omitted in order to clarify the gist of the present disclosure.
[0066]
[0067] As shown in
[0068] As shown in
[0069] As shown in
[0070] The touch buttons 111 do not operate according to a mechanical structure. Rather, when a user presses the touch button 111, the touch sensor located behind the touch window 10 detects the touch of the user, and outputs a signal.
[0071] The touch sensor may be provided as a capacitive touch switch. The capacitive touch switch is soft to the touch, and can be designed to be thin. Accordingly, capacitive touch switches are used in various home appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, and microwave ovens. The capacitive touch switch measures the capacitance generated between a finger and a conductive electrode, and then uses the measured capacitance to turn the switch on or off
[0072] Techniques for determining that a human body is in contact with an input terminal by using a change in capacitance, such as the detection circuit using a change in capacitance disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 342736, are well-known, and as such, detailed description of the operation principles of the touch sensor will be omitted.
[0073] As shown in
[0074] Although not illustrated in detail, the conductive electrodes P may be of a type that is stretchable by a compression spring, such as a pogo pin. As the rear surface of the touch window 10 approaches a display module M, the conductive electrodes P come into close contact with conductive printed portions by the compression force of the spring.
[0075] The display module M is coupled to the printed circuit board PCB. The display module M includes a body M1, a timer M2, and a plurality of LEDs M3.
[0076] The body M1 forms the skeleton of the display module M. The body M1 is coupled to the printed circuit board PCB. The body M1 is made of a synthetic resin. The timer M2 displays an indicator 112 of a washing time. The LEDs M3 are respectively disposed behind indicators 112, to be described below. When the user operates the touch window 10, the LED M3 may emit light to the indicators 112.
[0077] Although not illustrated, the touch window 10 for a touch sensor may be formed to engage with the case 20 of the home appliance 1. Alternatively, the touch window 10 for a touch sensor may be formed to be bolted to the case 20 of the home appliance 1.
[0078]
[0079] As illustrated in
[0080] As shown in
[0081] As shown in
[0082] As shown in
[0083] In addition to the touch buttons 111, indicators 112, such as cold, 30 C., 40 C., 60 C., 95 C., delicate, light, medium, strong, and dry may be formed on the front of the touch panel 110. The indicators 112 are also printed in the form of lines or characters on the front surface of the touch panel 110.
[0084] As shown in
[0085] The printed portion 120 is made of a non-conductive ink. However, the non-conductive ink may also contain a trace amount of a conductive component. When such a conductive component is concentrated in one region of the printed portion 120, electrical conduction may occur in that area of the printed portion 120.
[0086] When the conductive printed portions 200 become electrically connected to each other by the printed portion 120, malfunction of the touch screen occurs. The non-conductive sheet 130 may be attached to the printed portion 120. The non-conductive sheet 130 blocks electrical conduction between the conductive printed portions 200 caused by the printed portion 120. The non-conductive sheet 130 may be made of a diffusion sheet that diffuses the light of the LEDs (M3).
[0087] As shown in
[0088] As shown in
[0089] Accordingly, even when the user presses the edge of a touch button 111, the touch sensor (through the electrical conduction between the corresponding conductive printed portion 200 and conductive electrode P) can measure the capacitance generated between the finger and the conductive electrode P. As a result, the conductive printed portions 200 improve the sensitivity of the touch buttons 111.
[0090] As shown in
[0091] As illustrated in
[0092] Hereinafter, for easy understanding of the present disclosure, the direction in which the conductive printed portions 200 are separated from each other will be referred to as a plane direction D1. In addition, the thickness direction of the non-conductive film 300 will be referred to as the thickness direction D2. The inner surfaces of the through-holes 301 and the conductive printed portions 200 may be slightly spaced apart from each other in the plane direction D1.
[0093] In Korean Patent Registration No. 895147, malfunction of the touch screen disclosed therein easily occurs due to a surface condensation phenomenon. When surface condensation occurs on a rear surface of a glass, adjacent gaskets are electrically connected to each other by the surface condensation.
[0094] In such a state, when a user presses any one touch button, a plurality of the metal members simultaneously transmit electrostatic current to the printed circuit board. Accordingly, malfunction of the touch screen occurs.
[0095] Surface condensation occurs easily in humid environments. In particular, surface condensation frequently occurs in areas with high temperature and humidity, such as Vietnam. It is not easy to prevent the occurrence of surface condensation.
[0096] Accordingly, the applicant of the present disclosure has conducted research regarding a technique for avoiding malfunction of the touch screen even if surface condensation occurs on the touch screen in a high temperature and high humidity environment.
[0097]
[0098] For easy understanding of the present disclosure, the conductive electrode P on the left side in
[0099] As shown in
[0100] The inner surface of the through-hole 301 protrudes further from the rear surface of the touch member 100 than the first conductive printed portion 210 and the second conductive printed portion 220. That is, the non-conductive film 300 protrudes further from the rear surface of the touch member 100 than the first conductive printed portion 210 and the second conductive printed portion 220.
[0101] That is, the non-conductive film 300 has a larger thickness than the first conductive printed portion 210 and the second conductive printed portion 220. Accordingly, the surface condensation W on the first conductive printed portion 210 and the second conductive printed portion 220 is closer to the non-conductive sheet 130 than the surface condensation W on the non-conductive film 300.
[0102]
[0103] As shown in
[0104] As shown in
[0105]
[0106] As shown in
[0107]
[0108] As illustrated in
[0109] The first non-conductive film 310 is attached to the rear surface of the touch member 100. The second non-conductive film 320 is attached to the rear surface of the first non-conductive film 310. Accordingly, surface condensation W on the non-conductive film 300 can only occur on the rear surface of the second non-conductive film 320.
[0110] The first non-conductive film 310 protrudes further from the rear surface of the touch member 100 than the conductive printed portion 200. Accordingly, the surface condensation W on the conductive printed portion 200 and the surface condensation W on the second non-conductive film 320 are spaced apart from each other in the thickness direction D2.
[0111] The first non-conductive film 310 and the second non-conductive film 320 respectively have through-holes 301 formed therein. A through-hole in the first non-conductive film 310 (hereinafter referred to as a first through-hole 311) and a through-hole in the second non-conductive film 320 (hereinafter referred to as a second through-hole 321) are connected to each other.
[0112] As shown in
[0113] Accordingly, before water droplets on the rear surface of the second non-conductive film 320 fall down from the second non-conductive film 320, surface tension of the water droplets is only formed with the inner surface of the second through-hole 321. That is, the water droplets on the rear surface of the second non-conductive film 320 do not form surface tension with the inner surface of the first through-hole 311 before falling down from the second non-conductive film 320.
[0114] The second non-conductive film 320 has a smaller thickness than the first non-conductive film 310. Accordingly, the area of the inner surface on which surface tension can be formed is smaller for the second through-hole 321 than for the first through-hole 311. Since the surface tension at the inner surface of the second through-hole 321 is relatively low, the water droplets on the rear surface of the second non-conductive film 320 easily fall down from the second non-conductive film 320.
[0115] Accordingly, even if water droplets forming on the rear surface of the second non-conductive film 320 flow downward and fall due to gravity, the conductive printed portions 200 do not easily become electrically connected to each other via the surface condensation W.
[0116]
[0117] As shown in
[0118] As shown in
[0119] The second non-conductive film 320 is closer to the conductive electrode P than the first non-conductive film 310. Accordingly, the accumulated water does not easily become connected to the surface condensation W on the rear surface of the second non-conductive film 320. However, when the surface condensation W phenomenon is severe and the amount of the accumulated water increases, the accumulated water may become connected to the surface condensation W on the rear surface of the second non-conductive film 320.
[0120]
[0121] As illustrated in
[0122] The first non-conductive sheet 131 is attached to the printed portion 120. The first non-conductive sheet 131 blocks electrical conduction between the conductive printed portions 200 caused by the printed portion 120. The second non-conductive sheet 132 is attached to the rear surface of the first non-conductive sheet 131. The second non-conductive sheet 132 is penetrated at a portion thereof by a hole that is formed so as to be in communication with the space between the conductive printed portion 200 and the non-conductive film 300. Hereinafter, for easy understanding of the present disclosure, the portion of the second non-conductive sheet 132 that is penetrated by the hole will be referred to as a penetrated region.
[0123] As shown in
[0124] While the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of the present disclosure, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this disclosure as is herein set forth. Accordingly, such modifications or variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure, and it is intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
TABLE-US-00001 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: home appliance 10: touch window 100: touch member 110: touch panel 111: touch buttons 112: indicators 120: printed portion 130: non-conductive sheet 131: first non-conductive sheet 132: second non-conductive sheet 300: non-conductive film 301: through-hole 310: first non-conductive film 311: first through-hole 320: second non-conductive film 321: second through-hole 20: case 200: conductive printed portion 210: first conductive printed portion 220: second conductive printed portion PCB: printed circuit board P: conductive electrode P1: first conductive electrode P2: second conductive electrode M: display module M1: body M2: timer M3: LEDs W: surface condensation D1: plane direction D2: thickness direction