DE20311128U1 - Luminous capacitive touch-sensitive key button for e.g. computer systems has carrier plate, onto which point or surface illuminating unit is provided in form of luminous display for key surface - Google Patents

Abstract

The key button has a substrate carrier plate, preferably a glass plate (1), onto which a point or a surface illuminating unit is provided at the rear side in the form of a luminous display for the key surface. The point or surface illuminating unit uses a display element with light emitting diodes (LED) based on organic semiconductors. The organic layers are provided by low-molecular substances (OLED) or long-chain polymers (PLED).

Description

Richard Wöhr GmbH

Graefenau 58 - 60

75339 Hofen

09.06.03 Self-illuminating, capacitive touch-sensitive button

The invention relates to a self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button for input options in computer systems and/or computer-like systems and/or electronic devices and/or controls which enables both point and/or area lighting.

Conventional illuminated buttons with tactile feedback have snap discs integrated into the housing and a plunger with a transparent pressure cap for actuating the snap discs, with LEDs integrated into the rectangular housing for illuminating the pressure cap, with both surface and point illumination possible. Since the snap discs are mechanical spring elements, the service life and the actuation play of the buttons is limited. They are also very high. They are also very expensive to manufacture due to the many mechanical components and parts.

There are also illuminated buttons that have real lamps integrated for illumination. Due to the size of the lamp and socket, these buttons are extremely high and are very difficult to install in devices, etc. In addition, the switching movement takes place via spring-loaded plungers, which in turn has a major impact on the lifespan of the buttons.

There are also capacitive buttons that only have point lighting. Area lighting is not possible with this solution.

It is therefore an object of the invention to produce a self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button of the type mentioned at the beginning, which has a low installation depth, which has area and/or point illumination and/or defined symbol illumination and which is self-luminous, has the best viewing angle, has a high switching speed and requires a low driver voltage and is invulnerable to harmful substances and is robust and sealable.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that a point and/or area illumination display element with light-emitting diodes based on organic semiconductors is applied to the back of a glass substrate, which serves as a carrier substrate and is designed with and/or without housing integration, and a capacitive touchscreen touch system is applied to the front, wherein low-molecular substances (OLED) and/or long-chain polymers (PLED) are used as organic layers for the point and/or area illumination display element and the touchscreen touch system is designed as a capacitive multi-layer system in which the glass substrate is coated with a transparent metal film that is protected by means of a melted glass layer.

The solution according to the invention has the advantage that an extremely flat, self-illuminating and capacitively touch-sensitive button is created on just one transparent and/or translucent carrier substrate, with and/or without housing integration, which can be used very well as a button and/or switch for electronic devices. The button is also characterized by a low height, high contrast, good viewing angle, low power consumption, high brightness and fast image generation without streaks and shadows. It also has a high degree of protection against dust and water.

A preferred embodiment of the self-illuminating, capacitive touch-sensitive button has an aluminum housing as the housing and a glass plate as the carrier substrate for the touch surface integrated in the housing, on which an OLED display (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is applied in the area of the point and/or area lighting and the touch surface on the back, whereby the OLED display is constructed in such a way that a thin, organic layer sequence is embedded between two metallizations, a transparent anode made of transparent conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) and a metal cathode, which consists of hole-transporting material, emitting material, and electron-transporting material. A

capacitive multi-layer touchscreen system, whereby the glass pane is coated on the front with a thin conductive layer of indium tin oxide, which is protected by a melted glass layer.

A further development provides that only the carrier substrate with the touch surface and lighting is used without a housing.

A further development is a PLED display (polymer light emitting diode). Instead of layers of low molecular weight substances, a layer sequence of long-chain polymers is used.

An advantageous further development of the invention provides that a safety glass pane is used as the glass substrate, so that a robust and extremely resistant solution is created.

A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is achieved by integrating several buttons on a carrier substrate plate.

Since the OLED surface is emissive, the viewing angle is 180°.
Further advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an embodiment with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1: Section through a self-illuminating, capacitive touch-sensitive button with housing

Figure 1 shows a cross-section through a self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button with housing. On the back of a glass substrate 1, between two metallizations, a transparent anode 2 made of transparent conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) and a metal cathode 3, a thin, organic layer sequence consisting of hole-transporting material 4, emitting material 5, and electron-transporting material 6 is embedded. On the front of the glass substrate, a transparent conductive indium tin oxide 2 (ITO) is also applied, which is protected by a glass protective layer 7. A low alternating voltage is applied to the four corner points of the conductive layer, which is evenly distributed over the surface via special electrode grids that are attached to each corner point. The glass substrate is integrated into a housing 8.

Claims (10)

1. Self-illuminating, capacitive touch-sensitive button on a capacitive basis designed as an input option in computer systems and/or computer-like systems and/or electronic devices and/or controls, characterized in that a point and/or area illumination unit for the touch surface in the form of a self-illuminating display is applied to the back of a substrate carrier plate, preferably a glass plate, and a capacitive touch-sensitive input option is arranged on the front as a touch surface. 2. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to claim 1, characterized in that a display element with light-emitting diodes based on organic semiconductors is used as point and/or area illumination, wherein low-molecular substances (OLED) and/or long-chain polymers (PLED) are used as organic layers. 3. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substrate carrier plate is accommodated in a housing. 4. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing is made of metal and/or plastic. 5. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a capacitive multi-layer touchscreen is used as the touch-sensitive input option. 6. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substrate carrier plate is both the carrier plate for the input option and for the point and/or area illumination unit. 7. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a safety glass pane is used as the substrate carrier plate. 8. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plastic plate is used as the substrate carrier plate. 9. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the point and/or area illumination on the substrate layer has two metallizations, a transparent anode made of transparent conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) and a metal cathode, wherein a thin, organic layer sequence is embedded between these two metallizations, which consists of hole-transporting material, emitting material, and electron-transporting material. 10. Self-luminous, capacitive touch-sensitive button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capacitive touchscreen input unit on the glass substrate also has a transparent conductive indium tin oxide (ITO), which is protected by a melted glass layer.