Touch panel

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch panel. The touch panel includes a sensor, an optically clear adhesive layer, and a cover lens. The sensor has a surface. The optically clear adhesive layer is located on the surface of the sensor. The cover lens is located on a surface of the optically clear adhesive layer. The touch panel defines two areas: a touch-view area and a trace area. A space is defined between the sensor and cover lens in the trace area. The space is filled with dielectric material with a permittivity less than a permittivity of the optically clear adhesive layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A touch panel, comprising:
 a sensor having a surface defining a touch-view area and a trace area;   an optically clear adhesive layer located on the surface of the sensor; and   a cover lens located on the optically clear adhesive layer and covering the surface of the sensor, wherein the optically clear adhesive layer is located between the sensor and the cover lens, and a space is defined between the trace area and the cover lens and filled with a first dielectric material with a permittivity that is less than a permittivity of the optically clear adhesive layer.   
     
     
         2 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric material is located only on the trace area. 
     
     
         3 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the optically clear adhesive layer is located only on the touch-view area, and the first dielectric material is located between and in contact with the trace area and the cover lens. 
     
     
         4 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the optically clear adhesive layer is located both on the touch-view area and the trace area, and the first dielectric material is located between and in contact with the optically clear adhesive layer and the cover lens. 
     
     
         5 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the optically clear adhesive layer is located both on the touch-view area and the trace area, and the first dielectric material is located between and in contact with the optically clear adhesive layer and the trace area. 
     
     
         6 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric material is air with the permittivity of about 1. 
     
     
         7 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric material is an insulating paint with the permittivity in a range from about 2 to about 3. 
     
     
         8 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the permittivity of the optically clear adhesive layer is in a range from about 3 to about 5. 
     
     
         9 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the optically clear adhesive layer comprises polymethyl methacrylate. 
     
     
         10 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the cover lens is a polymer film, a glass sheet, or a silicon dioxide layer. 
     
     
         11 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the trace area is an L-shaped region on adjacent two sides of the sensor, and the touch-view area is the rest of the sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The touch panel of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises:
 at least one transparent conductive layer located in the touch-view area;   a plurality of electrodes located on one side of and electrically connected with the at least one transparent conductive layer; and   at least one conductive trace electrically connected with the plurality of electrodes and located in the trace area, wherein he first dielectric material is located between the at least one conductive trace and the cover lens.   
     
     
         13 . A touch panel, comprising:
 a sensor having a surface defining a touch-view area and a trace area;   an optically clear adhesive layer located on the surface of the sensor; and   a cover lens located on the optically clear adhesive layer and covering the surface of the sensor, wherein the optically clear adhesive layer is located between the sensor and the cover lens, and an empty space is defined between the trace area and the cover lens.   
     
     
         14 . The touch panel of  claim 13 , wherein the empty space is located only on the trace area. 
     
     
         15 . The touch panel of  claim 13 , wherein the optically clear adhesive layer is located only on the touch-view area. 
     
     
         16 . The touch panel of  claim 13 , wherein a permittivity of the optically clear adhesive layer is in a range from about 3 to about 5. 
     
     
         17 . The touch panel of  claim 13 , wherein the optically clear adhesive layer comprises polymethyl methacrylate. 
     
     
         18 . The touch panel of  claim 13 , wherein the cover lens is an insulative and transparent layer. 
     
     
         19 . The touch panel of  claim 13 , wherein the sensor comprises:
 at least one transparent conductive layer located in the touch-view area;   a plurality of electrodes located on one side of and electrically connected with the at least one transparent conductive layer; and   at least one conductive trace electrically connected with the plurality of electrodes and located in the trace area, wherein he first dielectric material is located between the at least one conductive trace and the cover lens.   
     
     
         20 . The touch panel of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one transparent conductive layer comprises a carbon nanotube film.