US 12,189,908 B2
Touch panel apparatus and manufacturing method therefor
Yuta Sasaki, Kanagawa (JP); Akihisa Iwata, Kanagawa (JP); and Katsumi Harashima, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to NEC Platforms, Ltd., Kanagawa (JP)
Appl. No. 18/012,384
Filed by NEC Platforms, Ltd., Kawasaki (JP)
PCT Filed Jun. 2, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/020935
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 22, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/004251, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 6, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-111081 (JP), filed on Jun. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0273699 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 3/042 (2006.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/0444 (2019.05) [G06F 3/0428 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A touch panel apparatus comprising:
a roughly rectangular touch panel;
a transparent protective sheet having a shape roughly identical to that of the touch panel and detachably disposed so as to cover a front surface of the touch panel;
at least one lower-side holding part for holding the transparent protective sheet, disposed on a lower side of the touch panel;
at least two lateral-side holding parts for holding the transparent protective sheet, disposed on two lateral sides, respectively, of the touch panel, the two lateral sides being adjacent to the lower side of the touch panel; and
a frame disposed so as to surround an outer periphery of the touch panel, the frame being configured so that the lower-side holding part and the lateral-side holding parts are attached thereto, wherein
each of the lower-side holding part and the lateral-side holding parts includes an attachment part to be bonded to an outer surface of the frame, and an extension part extending to an area in front of the front surface of the touch panel in a direction roughly perpendicular to the attachment part,
a front edge of the frame protrudes beyond the front surface of the touch panel and the extension parts comes into contact with the front edge of the frame, so that a housing part is formed by the front surface of the touch panel, the extension parts, and the frame, the housing part being formed to dispose the transparent protective sheet therein,
the transparent protective sheet is inserted from a side of the touch panel on which none of the lower-side holding part and the lateral-side holding parts is disposed into a gap between the front surface of the touch panel and the extension parts, and is thereby disposed in the gap, and
the transparent protective sheet is inserted into the gap along one direction from an upper side to a lower side of the frame.