JP7738263B2 - Wiring structure and touch sensor using same - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a wiring structure and a touch sensor using the same.

For example, in the technical field of touch sensors, a configuration such as that shown in Patent Document 1 has been known.

Patent Document 1 discloses a touch sensor that includes a substrate. The substrate is provided with multiple sensor electrodes (transparent conductive patterns), multiple wiring sections (extraction conductive patterns) each having one end electrically connected to each sensor electrode, and multiple wiring terminal sections formed on the other end side of each wiring section. The multiple wiring terminal sections are arranged in a non-sensor area (non-display area) of the substrate that is located outside the sensor area (display area) in which the multiple sensor electrodes are located. The multiple wiring terminal sections are arranged near the outer edges of the substrate.

Patent No. 5168377

In the technical field of touch sensors, for example, a typical manufacturing process for substrates used in touch sensors involves punching (machining) the base material from which the substrate is made, using, for example, a Thomson blade. Typically, the base material has multiple sensor electrodes, multiple wiring sections, and multiple wiring terminal sections pre-formed. By punching the base material, a substrate having a predetermined shape (e.g., rectangular) is obtained.

The outer edge of the substrate obtained by the above punching process corresponds to the position cut by the Thomson blade. In other words, deformation due to the shear stress of the Thomson blade is likely to occur near the outer edge of the substrate when the above punching process is performed.

Meanwhile, in the technical field of touch sensors, for example, there has been a recent demand for narrower frame sizes for touch sensors in order to improve product appeal. For example, the touch sensor disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured so that multiple wiring terminals are located near the outer edges of the substrate. This configuration narrows the non-sensor area (non-display area), contributing to a narrower frame size for touch sensors.

However, during the punching process, multiple wiring terminals located near the outer edge of the substrate are susceptible to the shear stress of the Thomson blade. Specifically, after the punching process, the wiring terminals may suffer damage such as cracks in a direction approximately parallel to the cutting direction of the Thomson blade (i.e., the direction along the outer edge of the substrate). When such damage occurs, the wiring terminals may become disconnected, potentially resulting in poor conductivity.

In contrast, the touch sensor in Patent Document 1 was not configured to detect the presence or absence of a break in the wiring terminals, even if the break occurred due to the punching process, for example, before the product was shipped. As a result, there was a risk that the touch sensor would malfunction before the end of its original design life in the market.

On the other hand, in order to avoid the occurrence of the above-mentioned disconnections, it is possible to position multiple wiring terminals away from the outer edges of the substrate. However, in the technical field of touch sensors, for example, a configuration in which multiple wiring terminals are positioned away from the outer edges of the substrate inevitably makes it difficult to achieve the above-mentioned narrow frame. As a result, the product appeal of the touch sensor is reduced.

This disclosure was made in light of these issues, and its purpose is to make it possible to properly detect whether or not a wire terminal has been broken, even if the wire terminal has been broken due to the punching process, for example, before the product is shipped.

To achieve the above object, a wiring structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a substrate and a flexible wiring board attachable to the substrate. The substrate is provided with at least one wiring terminal portion for detection having a detection area. The detection area includes a first area and a second area extending from the first area toward the outer edge of the substrate located nearest thereto. The second area is configured so that its width in a direction parallel to the outer edge of the substrate located nearest thereto is smaller than the width of the first area. The flexible wiring board includes first and second detection terminal portions arranged substantially parallel to each other so as to be electrically independent from each other and facing the wiring terminal portion for detection on the substrate. The tip end of the first detection terminal portion is located near the outer edge of the flexible wiring board. The tip end of the second detection terminal portion is located farther from the outer edge of the flexible wiring board than the tip end of the first detection terminal portion. When the flexible wiring board is attached to the substrate, the first detection terminal overlaps the first region and the second detection terminal overlaps the second region, forming an electrical conduction path between the first and second detection terminals and the detected region. The conduction path is configured to enable detection of a break in the first region in the range from the tip of the first detection terminal to the tip of the second detection terminal.

This disclosure makes it possible to properly detect whether or not a wire breakage has occurred in the wiring terminal section.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a touch sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view that schematically shows the state in which the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked, as viewed from the front side of the touch sensor. FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically illustrating each component provided on the first substrate as viewed from the front side of the touch sensor. FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically illustrating each component provided on the second substrate as viewed from the front side of the touch sensor. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view schematically showing the lower right side of the page of FIG. 2 before the flexible wiring board is attached to the substrate (the front side of the second substrate). FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view showing the lower right side of FIG. 2 in a state where the flexible wiring board is attached to the substrate (the front side of the second substrate).

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following descriptions of the embodiments are merely exemplary in nature and are not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applications, or its uses.

Figure 1 shows the entire touch sensor 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This touch sensor 1 is a capacitive sensor-type input device that can be operated by touch. Touch sensor 1 is used as an input device for, for example, in-vehicle devices such as car navigation systems, display devices for personal computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, portable game consoles, copy machines, ticket machines, automated teller machines, watches, etc.

In the following description, the side on which the operation surface 4 (described later) is located will be referred to as the "front side" of the touch sensor 1, and the opposite side will be referred to as the "back side" of the touch sensor 1, and the positional relationship of each element that makes up the touch sensor 1 will be defined accordingly. Furthermore, in this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the direction from left to right on the paper surface of each figure will be defined as the X direction, and the direction from bottom to top on the paper surface of each figure will be defined as the Y direction.

(Cover member)
1, the touch sensor 1 includes a light-transmitting cover member 2. The cover member 2 is made of, for example, a cover glass or a plastic cover lens. The cover member 2 is formed in the shape of, for example, a rectangular plate in a plan view.

A roughly frame-shaped decorative portion 3 is formed on the periphery of the back surface of the cover member 2 using a dark color such as black, for example, by screen printing. The rectangular area within this decorative portion 3 serves as the light-transmitting sensor area S1 (see Figures 2 to 4). The user can obtain visual information from a display panel (not shown) located on the back side of the touch sensor 1 via the sensor area S1. The area on the surface of the cover member 2 corresponding to the sensor area S1 serves as the operation surface 4 that comes into contact with the user's fingers or other parts during touch operations. The area outside the sensor area S1 (where the decorative portion 3 is located) serves as the non-sensor area S2.

(substrate)
As shown in Fig. 2, the touch sensor 1 includes a substrate 5. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the substrate 5 is composed of a first substrate 6 and a second substrate 7. Each of the first and second substrates 6 and 7 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view.

Each of the first substrate 6 and the second substrate 7 is made of a transparent resin material. Examples of transparent resin materials include PET (polyethylene terephthalate), polycarbonate, COP (cycloolefin polymer), and COC (cycloolefin copolymer).

The first substrate 6 is stacked so that its surface faces the back surface of the second substrate 7 via an adhesive layer (not shown). The second substrate 7 is stacked so that its surface faces the back surface of the cover member 2 via an adhesive layer (not shown). The adhesive layer is an optically transparent optical clear adhesive (OCA). The thickness of the adhesive layer is preferably 25 μm to 250 μm.

As shown in FIG. 4, an opening 8 is formed in the peripheral edge of the second substrate 7, recessed from the edge located on the lower side of the paper in FIG. 4 toward the Y-axis direction. This opening 8 is configured so that, when the first substrate 6 and the second substrate 7 are stacked, a plurality of first wiring portions 13 (described below) formed on the first substrate 6 are exposed on the front side of the touch sensor 1.

(sensor electrode)
2 to 4, the touch sensor 1 includes a plurality of capacitance-type sensor electrodes 10. The plurality of sensor electrodes 10 are composed of a plurality of transmitting electrodes 11 and a plurality of receiving electrodes 12. In addition, in FIGS. 2 to 4, each sensor electrode 10 is hatched with dots to clearly indicate it.

The transmitting electrode 11 and receiving electrode 12 are made of a transparent material (transparent conductive film) that is optically transparent, such as indium tin oxide or tin oxide. Alternatively, the transmitting electrode 11 and receiving electrode 12 may be formed as a mesh pattern in which thin wires made of a conductive metal material such as copper or a conductive resin material are arranged in a mesh pattern.

Multiple transmitting electrodes 11 and multiple receiving electrodes 12 are arranged in sensor area S1. The touch sensor 1 is capable of detecting touch operations by a user's fingers (detection target) that come into contact with the operation surface 4 via the multiple transmitting electrodes 11 and multiple receiving electrodes 12 located in sensor area S1.

The multiple transmitting electrodes 11 are arranged on the surface of the first substrate 6 (see Figure 3). Meanwhile, the multiple receiving electrodes 12 are arranged on the surface of the second substrate 7 (see Figure 4). The multiple transmitting electrodes 11 and the multiple receiving electrodes 12 are insulated from each other via the second substrate 7 when the first substrate 6 and the second substrate 7 are stacked.

Each transmitting electrode 11 is connected to a drive circuit (not shown) via a flexible wiring board 20 (described below). Each transmitting electrode 11 is configured to radiate an electric field to its surroundings via the drive circuit. As shown in FIG. 3, each transmitting electrode 11 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. Specifically, each transmitting electrode 11 extends in a substantially strip-like shape so that its width in the X direction is constant along the Y direction in plan view. Furthermore, multiple transmitting electrodes 11 are arranged side by side in the X direction.

Each receiving electrode 12 is connected to a detection circuit (not shown) via a flexible wiring board 20 (described below). Each receiving electrode 12 is configured to receive the electric field radiated from each transmitting electrode 11. As shown in FIG. 4, each receiving electrode 12 extends along the X direction. Specifically, each receiving electrode 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. Furthermore, the multiple receiving electrodes 12 are arranged side by side at intervals in the Y direction.

In this embodiment, each receiving electrode 12 is configured to be thinner than each transmitting electrode 11, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the width of the receiving electrode 12 and the width of each transmitting electrode 11 may be the same size.

(Wiring section)
2 to 4, the touch sensor 1 includes a plurality of first wiring portions 13 and a plurality of second wiring portions 14. The plurality of first wiring portions 13 and the plurality of second wiring portions 14 are elements for electrically connecting the plurality of sensor electrodes 10 to an external circuit (not shown).

The multiple first wiring portions 13 and the multiple second wiring portions 14 are made of a transparent material (transparent conductive film) that is optically transparent, such as indium tin oxide or tin oxide. Alternatively, the multiple first wiring portions 13 and the multiple second wiring portions 14 may be formed as a mesh pattern in which thin wires made of a conductive metal material such as copper or a conductive resin material are arranged in a mesh pattern.

The multiple first wiring portions 13 are formed on the surface of the first substrate 6 (see Figure 3). The multiple second wiring portions 14 are formed on the surface of the second substrate 7 (see Figure 4).

The multiple first wiring portions 13 and multiple second wiring portions 14 are arranged in the non-sensor area S2. Specifically, the multiple first wiring portions 13 and multiple second wiring portions 14 are arranged in positions that overlap with the decorative portion 3 (see FIG. 1) in a plan view seen from the operation surface 4 side. In other words, the multiple first wiring portions 13 and multiple second wiring portions 14 are prevented from being seen from the operation surface 4 side (the front side of the touch sensor 1) by the decorative portion 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, one end of each first wiring portion 13 is electrically connected to the end of each transmitting electrode 11 (the end located on the lower side of the paper in FIG. 3). The multiple first wiring portions 13 are arranged so that their other ends converge at approximately the center of the side of the first substrate 6 corresponding to the position where the flexible wiring board 20 (described later) is attached (the side located on the lower side of the paper in FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 4, one end of each second wiring portion 14 is electrically connected to an end of each receiving electrode 12 (the end located on the right or left side of the paper in FIG. 4). The multiple second wiring portions 14 are arranged so that their other ends converge near the opening 8 on the side of the second substrate 7 corresponding to the position where the flexible wiring board 20 (described later) is attached (the side located on the bottom side of the paper in FIG. 4).

The other end of the first wiring portion 13 is configured as a wiring terminal portion 13a for electrically connecting to each signal terminal portion 25 of the flexible wiring board 20, which will be described later. The other end of the second wiring portion 14 is configured as a wiring terminal portion 14a for electrically connecting to each signal terminal portion 25 of the flexible wiring board 20, which will be described later.

(ground pattern)
2 to 4, the touch sensor 1 includes a first ground pattern 15 and a second ground pattern 16. The first ground pattern 15 and the second ground pattern 16 are electrically disconnected from the plurality of sensor electrodes 10, the plurality of first wiring portions 13, and the plurality of second wiring portions 14. The first ground pattern 15 and the second ground pattern 16 are arranged in the non-sensor area S2. The first ground pattern 15 and the second ground pattern 16 prevent at least one of noise and static electricity from entering from the outside of the touch sensor 1 toward the sensor area S1.

The first ground pattern 15 and the second ground pattern 16 are made of a transparent material (transparent conductive film) that is optically transparent, such as indium tin oxide or tin oxide. Alternatively, the first ground pattern 15 and the second ground pattern 16 may be formed as a mesh pattern in which thin wires made of a conductive metal material such as copper or a conductive resin material are arranged in a mesh pattern.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first ground pattern 15 is disposed on the surface of the first substrate 6. The first ground pattern 15 is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the sensor area S1 in a plan view. Specifically, the first ground pattern 15 is disposed so as to be located outside the plurality of second wiring portions 14 when the first substrate 6 and the second substrate 7 are stacked (see FIG. 2). Both ends of the first ground pattern 15 (reference numerals 31, 31 shown in FIG. 3) are located on the side of the first substrate 6 corresponding to the position where the flexible wiring board 20 (described later) is attached (the side located on the lower side of the paper in FIG. 3). Furthermore, both ends of the first ground pattern 15 are disposed so as to be adjacent to the other ends of the plurality of first wiring portions 13 (reference numeral 13a shown in FIG. 3) in the X direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second ground pattern 16 is provided on the surface of the second substrate 7. The second ground pattern 16 is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the sensor area S1 in a plan view. Specifically, when the first substrate 6 and the second substrate 7 are stacked, the second ground pattern 16 is arranged to surround the first ground pattern 15 from the outside (see FIG. 2). Both ends of the second ground pattern 16 (reference numerals 31, 31 shown in FIG. 3) are located on sides of the second substrate 7 corresponding to the positions where the flexible wiring board 20 (described later) is attached (the sides located on the lower side of the paper in FIG. 4). In addition, both ends of the second ground pattern 16 are arranged adjacent to the other ends of the multiple second wiring portions 14 (reference numeral 14a shown in FIG. 4) in the X direction.

(flexible wiring board)
1, the touch sensor 1 includes a flexible wiring board 20. The flexible wiring board 20 is flexible and configured so that its electrical characteristics do not change even when it is deformed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible wiring board 20 has a main body portion 22 and a connection portion 23. The main body portion 22 and the connection portion 23 are integrally formed. The width of the connection portion 23 in the X direction is greater than the width of the main body portion 22. The connection portion 23 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the substrate 5 (first and second substrates 6, 7) using, for example, an anisotropic conductive adhesive (not shown).

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the flexible wiring board 20 includes a film substrate 21. The film substrate 21 is insulating and flexible. The film substrate 21 is made of, for example, a flexible insulating film. Suitable materials for the insulating film include, for example, polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).

The flexible wiring board 20 has a plurality of signal lines 24. The signal lines 24 are made of, for example, a conductive film formed on the back surface of the film substrate 21. The end of each signal line 24 located at the connection portion 23 is configured as a signal terminal portion 25 for electrical connection to the wiring terminal portions 13a, 14a. Note that in Figures 5 and 6, each signal line 24 is hatched with dots to clearly indicate it.

(Wiring structure)
As a characteristic configuration of the present disclosure, the touch sensor 1 has a wiring structure including one wiring terminal 31 for detection, a first detection terminal 36, and a second detection terminal 38.

(Wiring terminal for detection)
2 to 4, the substrate 5 is provided with a wiring terminal 31 for detection. The ends of each of the first and second ground patterns 15, 16 are configured as the wiring terminal 31 for detection. That is, in this embodiment, a plurality of wiring terminals 31 for detection are provided. Like the first and second ground patterns 15, 16, the wiring terminal 31 for detection is made of a transparent material (transparent conductive film) having optical transparency, such as indium tin oxide or tin oxide.

The detection wiring terminal portion 31 has a detection area. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the detection area is composed of a first area 33 and a second area 34. In Figures 5 and 6, the detection area (first area 33 and second area 34) is hatched with dots to clearly indicate the detection area.

A cutout portion 32 is formed in the detection area. The cutout portion 32 is configured so that a portion of the detection area is cut out in the Y direction from the side where the outer edge 7a of the second substrate 7 (substrate 5) is located. The length of the cutout portion 32 in the X direction corresponds to dimension A shown in Figure 5. The length of the cutout portion 32 in the Y direction corresponds to dimension D shown in Figure 5.

The first region 33 extends in a generally band-like shape in the direction opposite to the Y direction toward the outer edge 7a of the second substrate 7. The first region 33 is located closer to the sensor region S1 than the cutout portion 32 in the Y direction. In other words, the first region 33 is located farther from the outer edge 7a of the second substrate 7 than the second region 34 in the direction opposite to the Y direction. Here, the length of the first region 33 in the X direction corresponds to the sum of dimensions A and B shown in Figure 5. The length of the first region 33 in the Y direction corresponds to dimension C shown in Figure 5.

The second region 34 extends in a generally band-like shape in the direction opposite to the Y direction from the first region 33 toward the outer edge 7a of the second substrate 7 located closest to it. The tip 34a of the second region 34 is located closer to the outer edge 7a of the second substrate 7 than the first region 33.

The second region 34 is located to the right of the cutout portion 32 in the X direction on the paper surface of FIG. 5. The second region 34 is configured so that its width in the X direction is smaller than the width of the first region 33 in the X direction. In other words, the second region 34 is configured so that its width in a direction parallel to the outer edge 7a of the second substrate 7 located closest to the second region 34 is smaller than the width of the first region 33. Here, the length in the X direction of the second region 34 corresponds to dimension B shown in FIG. 5. The length in the Y direction of the second region 34 corresponds to dimension D shown in FIG. 5.

(First and second detection terminal portions)
5 and 6, the flexible wiring board 20 has first and second detection signal lines 35, 37. The first and second detection signal lines 35, 37 are arranged at an interval in the X direction. The first and second detection signal lines 35, 37 are made of, for example, a conductive film formed on the back surface of the film substrate 21. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the first and second detection signal lines 35, 37 are hatched with dots to clearly indicate them.

The end of the first detection signal line 35 located at the connection portion 23 is configured as a first detection terminal portion 36. Furthermore, the end of the second detection signal line 37 located at the connection portion 23 is configured as a second detection terminal portion 38. The first and second detection terminal portions 36, 38 are arranged substantially parallel to each other so as to be electrically independent from each other. The first and second detection terminal portions 36, 38 are arranged so as to face the detected wiring terminal portion 31 in the Y direction.

The first detection terminal portion 36 extends in a generally strip-like shape in the Y direction toward the outer edge 21a of the film substrate 21. The first detection terminal portion 36 is configured to include an area that overlaps with the first region 33 when the flexible wiring board 20 is attached to the substrate 5. The tip of the first detection terminal portion 36 is located near the outer edge 21a of the film substrate 21. In this embodiment, the tip of the first detection terminal portion 36 coincides with the position of the outer edge 21a.

The second detection terminal portion 38 extends in a generally strip-like shape in the Y direction toward the outer edge 21a of the film substrate 21. The second detection terminal portion 38 is configured to include an area that overlaps with the second region 34 when the flexible wiring board 20 is attached to the substrate 5. The tip of the second detection terminal portion 38 is located farther from the outer edge 21a than the tip of the first detection terminal portion 36. Specifically, the tip of the second detection terminal portion 38 is located in the direction opposite the Y direction, at a distance E from the outer edge 21a (i.e., the position corresponding to the tip of the first detection terminal portion 36) (see Figures 5 and 6). In this embodiment, dimension E is set to the same length as dimension C.

As shown in FIG. 6 , when the flexible wiring board 20 is attached to the substrate 5 (the front side of the second substrate), the first and second detection terminals 36, 38 and the wiring terminal 31 for the object to be detected are pressed against each other, for example, via an anisotropic conductive adhesive. This electrically connects the first and second detection terminals 36, 38 and the wiring terminal 31 for the object to be detected. In other words, the first and second detection signal lines 35, 37 are electrically connected to the second ground pattern 16.

(conduction path)
6 , when flexible wiring board 20 is attached to substrate 5 (the front side of second substrate 7), first detection terminal portion 36 overlaps first region 33, while second detection terminal portion 38 overlaps second region 34. Specifically, first detection terminal portion 36 overlaps the left portion of first region 33, while second detection terminal portion 38 overlaps the entire second region 34.

When the flexible wiring board 20 is attached to the substrate 5, the first and second detection terminals 36, 38 and the detected area form an electrical conduction path 39. Specifically, when the flexible wiring board 20 is attached to the substrate 5, the conduction path 39 is composed of the first detection terminal 36 and the second detection terminal 38, and a portion of the first area 33 (the right-hand portion of the first area 33 shown in FIG. 6) that does not overlap with either the first or second detection terminals 36, 38 in the range from the tip of the first detection terminal 36 to the tip of the second detection terminal 38 (dimension E shown in FIG. 6). In this embodiment, when the flexible wiring board 20 is attached to the substrate 5, the tip of the second detection terminal 38 is located at the boundary between the first area 33 and the second area 34.

The conductive path 39 is configured to enable detection of the presence or absence of a wire break in the first region 33 in the range (dimension E) from the tip of the first detection terminal 36 to the tip of the second detection terminal 38. Specifically, a commonly configured electrical resistance measuring device ER is connected to the first detection terminal 36 and the second detection terminal 38, and the electrical resistance of the conductive path 39 is measured using loop wiring. This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of a wire break in the first region 33 in the range of dimension E shown in Figure 6. If the resistance value increases as a result of the electrical resistance measurement, it is expected that there is a wire break in part of the first region 33.

[Previous issues]
Generally, in the technical field of touch sensors, a manufacturing process for a substrate used in a touch sensor has been conventionally performed by punching (machining) a base material that serves as the substrate, for example, with a Thomson blade. Typically, a plurality of sensor electrodes, a plurality of wiring portions, and a plurality of wiring terminal portions are formed in advance on the base material. By performing the punching process on the base material, a substrate having a predetermined shape (for example, a rectangular shape) is obtained.

The outer edge of the substrate obtained by the above punching process corresponds to the position cut by the Thomson blade. In other words, deformation due to the shear stress of the Thomson blade is likely to occur near the outer edge of the substrate when the above punching process is performed.

Meanwhile, in the field of touch sensors, there has been a recent trend toward narrower frame sizes for touch sensors in order to improve product appeal. Specifically, in order to narrow the non-sensor area, there is a trend toward arranging multiple wiring terminals located in the non-sensor area near the outer edges of the board.

For this reason, during the punching process, the multiple wiring terminals located near the outer edge of the substrate are susceptible to the shear stress of the Thomson blade. Specifically, after the punching process, the multiple wiring terminals may suffer damage such as cracks in a direction approximately parallel to the cutting direction of the Thomson blade (i.e., the direction along the outer edge of the substrate). If such damage occurs, the wiring terminals may become disconnected, potentially resulting in poor conductivity at the wiring terminals. If the presence or absence of such disconnections cannot be detected, for example, before product shipment, there is a risk that the touch sensor may malfunction in the market before its original design life.

On the other hand, in order to avoid the occurrence of the above-mentioned disconnections, it is possible to position multiple wiring terminals away from the outer edges of the board. However, a configuration in which multiple wiring terminals are positioned away from the outer edges of the board inevitably makes it difficult to achieve the above-mentioned narrow frame.

[Effects of the embodiment]
To solve these problems, the touch sensor 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a wiring structure as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 . The wiring structure is configured to form the aforementioned single electrical conduction path 39. This conduction path 39 is configured to enable detection of the presence or absence of a disconnection in the first region 33 in the range extending from the tip of the first detection terminal 36 to the tip of the second detection terminal 38 (the range corresponding to dimension E shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ). With this configuration, by performing the above-described electrical resistance measurement of the conduction path 39, the presence or absence of a disconnection (a damaged area such as a crack) in the first region 33 can be appropriately detected, for example, before product shipment. As a result, a touch sensor 1 that achieves a narrow frame while ensuring the original design life of the touch sensor 1 can be provided on the market.

Furthermore, when the flexible wiring board 20 is attached to the substrate 5, the tip of the second detection terminal portion 38 is located at the boundary between the first region 33 and the second region 34. That is, in this embodiment, the second detection terminal portion 38 is configured so as not to overlap with the first region 33. This makes it possible to maximize the detection range of the first region 33 (i.e., the range corresponding to dimension E) when performing the above-mentioned electrical resistance measurement. As a result, the presence or absence of a break in the first region 33 can be properly detected.

[Other embodiments]
In the above embodiment, the touch sensor 1 is a capacitance type sensor input device, but is not limited to this. For example, the touch sensor 1 may be a resistive film type sensor input device.

In the above embodiment, the sensor area S1 has a substantially rectangular shape, but this is not limited to this form. The sensor area S1 may also have a polygonal shape such as a substantially circular shape or a pentagonal shape in a plan view, for example.

In the above embodiment, a configuration was shown in which multiple transmitting electrodes 11, multiple first wiring portions 13, and first ground pattern 15 were arranged on the surface of the first substrate 6, and multiple receiving electrodes 12, multiple second wiring portions 14, and second ground pattern 16 were arranged on the surface of the second substrate 7. However, this configuration is not limited to this. For example, multiple transmitting electrodes 11, multiple first wiring portions 13, and first ground pattern 15 may be arranged on the back surface of the first substrate 6, and multiple receiving electrodes 12, multiple second wiring portions 14, and second ground pattern 16 may be arranged on the back surface of the second substrate 7. Alternatively, multiple transmitting electrodes 11, multiple first wiring portions 13, and first ground pattern 15 may be arranged on the surface of the second substrate 7, and multiple receiving electrodes 12, multiple second wiring portions 14, and second ground pattern 16 may be arranged on the surface of the first substrate 6.

While the above embodiment illustrates a configuration using first and second substrates 6 and 7, this is not limiting. For example, a configuration using only a single substrate, the first substrate 6, may also be used. In this configuration, for example, multiple transmitting electrodes 11, multiple first wiring portions 13, and first ground pattern 15 may be arranged on the front surface of the first substrate 6, while multiple receiving electrodes 12, multiple second wiring portions 14, and second ground pattern 16 may be arranged on the back surface of the first substrate 6. Alternatively, multiple transmitting electrodes 11, multiple receiving electrodes 12, multiple first wiring portions 13, multiple second wiring portions 14, first ground pattern 15, and second ground pattern 16 may be arranged on the same surface, either the front or back surface of the first substrate 6, and the multiple transmitting electrodes 11 and multiple receiving electrodes 12 may be insulated from each other in the sensor region S1.

In the above embodiment, the transmitter electrodes 11 extend along the Y direction, while the receiver electrodes 12 extend along the X direction. However, this is not limiting. In other words, the transmitter electrodes 11 may extend along the X direction, while the receiver electrodes 12 may extend along the Y direction.

In the above embodiment, the touch sensor 1 (see FIG. 1) is shown in a state in which the cover member 2, adhesive layer (not shown), and flexible wiring board 20 are attached to the first and second substrates 6, 7, but this is not limited to this configuration. That is, the concept of the touch sensor 1 according to the present disclosure includes the state before the cover member 2, adhesive layer, flexible wiring board 20, etc. are attached to the first and second substrates 6, 7. Furthermore, the concept of the touch sensor 1 according to the present disclosure also includes a configuration in which multiple sensor electrodes 10 (multiple transmitting electrodes 11, multiple receiving electrodes 12), multiple wiring portions (multiple first wiring portions 13, multiple second wiring portions 14), and ground patterns (first ground pattern 15, second ground pattern 16) are formed on a long base material (e.g., a long hoop-shaped material not shown) before the first and second substrates 6, 7 are individually formed.

In the above embodiment, the wiring structure was described in detail using the detection wiring terminal portion 31 located on the lower left side of the paper in Figures 5 and 6, but detection wiring terminal portions 31 located in other positions may also be configured in the same manner as the wiring structure described above.

In the above embodiment, a configuration in which multiple wiring terminal portions 31 for detection are provided is shown, but this is not limited to this. In other words, it is sufficient that at least one wiring terminal portion 31 for detection is provided.

In the above embodiment, the ends of the first and second ground patterns 15, 16 are configured as wiring terminals 31 for detection, but this is not limited to this. For example, the wiring terminal 13a of the first wiring portion 13 may be configured as the wiring terminal 31 for detection. Alternatively, the wiring terminal 14a of the second wiring portion 14 may be configured as the wiring terminal 31 for detection. Furthermore, each of the wiring terminals 13a and 14a may be configured as the wiring terminal 31 for detection.

In the above embodiment, the first region 33 and the second region 34 have a generally strip-like shape, but this is not limited to this. That is, each of the first region 33 and the second region 34 may have a shape other than a generally strip-like shape.

In the above embodiment, the tip of the second detection terminal 38 is located at the boundary between the first region 33 and the second region 34, but this is not limited to this. For example, the tip of the second detection terminal 38 may be slightly offset from the boundary between the first region 33 and the second region 34. In other words, as long as the tip of the second detection terminal 38 is located near the boundary between the first region 33 and the second region 34, it is possible to properly detect the presence or absence of a break in the first region 33, as in the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the tip of the first detection terminal portion 36 is aligned with the outer edge 21a of the film substrate 21, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the tip of the first detection terminal portion 36 does not have to be aligned with the outer edge 21a. In short, the tip of the first detection terminal portion 36 should be positioned near the outer edge 21a so that the first detection terminal portion 36 overlaps with the first region 33.

In the above embodiment, a touch sensor 1 to which the wiring structure of the present disclosure is applied is illustrated, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the wiring structure of the present disclosure can be widely applied to technical fields other than touch sensors (for example, various technical fields such as liquid crystal display devices, organic electroluminescence display devices (OLEDs), micro LED display devices, solar cell devices, heater devices, and antenna devices).

Although the touch sensor 1 according to the above embodiment is shown combined with a display panel (not shown), this configuration is not limiting. For example, the touch sensor 1 may be configured as a touch sensor (not shown) for low-transmittance applications that is not combined with a display panel. In this touch sensor for low-transmittance applications, instead of the multiple sensor electrodes 10 (multiple transmitting electrodes 11 and multiple receiving electrodes 12) shown in Figures 2 to 4, a sensor group consisting of multiple electrostatic switches (not shown) is formed on the substrate. Each electrostatic switch is made of, for example, a conductive resin material. The wiring portion and the wiring terminal portion 31 for detection, exemplified in the above embodiment, may be electrically connected to the electrostatic switch. In other words, the wiring structure exemplified in the above embodiment can be applied even to the touch sensor for low-transmittance applications.

The above describes embodiments of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure.

This disclosure can be used industrially as a wiring structure and a touch sensor equipped with the same.

1: Touch sensor 5: Substrate 6: First substrate 7: Second substrate 10: Sensor electrode 11: Transmitting electrode 12: Receiving electrode 13: First wiring section 14: Second wiring section 15: First ground pattern 16: Second ground pattern 20: Flexible wiring board 21: Film substrate 24: Signal line 25: Signal terminal section 31: Wiring terminal section for detection 32: Notch section 33: First region 34: Second region 35: First detection signal line 36: First detection terminal section 37: Second detection signal line 38: Second detection terminal section 39: Conduction path

Claims (3)

A substrate;
a flexible wiring board that can be attached to the substrate,
the substrate is provided with at least one wiring terminal portion for detection having a detection area;
The detection area is
A first region;
a second region extending from the first region toward a nearest outer edge of the substrate;
the second region is configured so that a width in a direction parallel to an outer edge of the substrate located closest thereto is smaller than a width of the first region;
the flexible wiring board includes first and second detection terminal portions arranged substantially parallel to each other so as to be electrically independent from each other and arranged so as to face the wiring terminal portion for detection,
a tip end of the first detection terminal portion is disposed near an outer edge of the flexible wiring board,
a tip end of the second detection terminal portion is disposed at a position farther from an outer edge of the flexible wiring board than a tip end of the first detection terminal portion;
When the flexible wiring board is attached to the substrate, the first detection terminal portion overlaps the first region and the second detection terminal portion overlaps the second region,
a single electrical conduction path is formed by the first and second detection terminal portions and the detection area;
a wiring structure in which the conductive path is configured to be able to detect the presence or absence of a break in the first region in a range from the tip of the first detection terminal portion to the tip of the second detection terminal portion. 2. The wiring structure according to claim 1,
a tip end of the second detection terminal portion being located at the boundary between the first region and the second region when the flexible wiring board is attached to the substrate; A touch sensor comprising the wiring structure according to claim 1 or 2.