JP2013011664A - Display - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display having required minimum waterproofness while allowing reduction of manufacturing cost.SOLUTION: A display 1 comprises a housing 8, and an image display module 2 and control boards 6, 7 housed in the housing 8. The housing 8 comprises a touch panel 3 and a case member 5 and is formed in such a manner that the touch panel 3 seals an opening 23 in the case member 5. Inside the housing 8 formed by the touch panel 3 and the case member 5, the image display module 2 is mounted in such a manner that a display part 10 closely contacts a conductive film layer 13 of the touch panel 3.

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device having waterproofness.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, remote control devices that can control the operation of a water heater have been widely equipped with a touch panel (for example, Patent Document 1).
This touch panel has been conventionally known, and there are various types such as a resistance film type, a capacitance type, and an infrared type, and is an input device for directly inputting operation items displayed on the panel by fingers or the like. is there.

  In addition, bathroom televisions that can watch television programs while bathing in the bathroom are gaining popularity. For example, a bathroom television disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a waterproof casing, and the casing is configured by a rear case, a front case, and a transparent liquid crystal protection panel that covers an opening provided in the front case. The liquid crystal display unit is formed and has a liquid crystal display unit that actually projects an image in the casing. That is, such a bathroom television has a built-in liquid crystal display unit that displays an image in a waterproof housing, and allows a bather to view a desired image via the liquid crystal protection panel. It is said that.

  Recently, a display device having both functions of a television and a touch panel is provided on the market as a remote control device installed in a bathroom. That is, this type of display device is very convenient because one device can operate the water heater and watch TV.

Japanese Patent No. 43812727 JP 2009-55429 A

However, the display device of the prior art has a complaint that it is substantially expensive to manufacture and cannot be provided to consumers at a low price.
Generally, a display device having a TV function and a touch panel function has a waterproof structure that is almost the same as that of the bathroom television described above. That is, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in the display device 101 of the prior art, a casing 108 is formed by a rear case 104 and a front case 105 having a liquid crystal protection panel 106, and a liquid crystal display unit 102 is formed therein. And a composite 110 of the touch panel 103 is arranged. The touch panel 103 includes a protective layer 112 and a conductive film layer 113.

Here, since the liquid crystal protection panel 106 and the front case 105 are exposed to the outside, it is necessary not only to be waterproof, but also to ensure a certain level or more in terms of design and strength. Expensive.
However, with the current technology, it has been difficult to provide products that maintain waterproofness and the like while suppressing the cost of those members.

  In view of the above-described problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a display device that can reduce the manufacturing cost while ensuring the minimum waterproof property.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a display device having an image display module inside a housing, wherein a touch panel including a transparent and waterproof substrate and at least one surface are opened. The touch panel closes the open part of the case member to form a casing, and in the state where the casing is formed, the operation area of the touch panel is almost the entire open part of the case member. Or it is arrange | positioned in part and it is a display apparatus characterized by arrange | positioning an image display module so that it may closely_contact | adhere to or be close to a touch panel.

The display device of the present invention has a configuration in which a case is formed by a case member and a touch panel, and an image display module is arranged inside the case. In other words, in the present invention, a touch panel is adopted as a part of the housing in place of the protection panel employed in the prior art. Therefore, in the present invention, the protective panel (including the above-described front case) can be substantially omitted. In the display device of the present invention, since the touch panel is a transparent and waterproof member, the display device is waterproof as in the prior art.
Therefore, according to the present invention, even if the configuration employed to ensure waterproofness in the prior art is omitted, waterproofness can be ensured by the touch panel, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Further, in the present invention, since the thickness of the entire display device can be reduced by omitting the protective panel, the effect of reducing the amount of protrusion from the wall surface can be expected when it is attached to the wall surface or the like.
Furthermore, in the present invention, since the image display module is arranged so as to be in close contact with or close to the touch panel employed as a part of the casing, the display appearance of the liquid crystal display module is not inferior to that of the prior art. That is, in the present invention, the same quality as the conventional one can be maintained.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the case member and the touch panel are combined, the portion that forms the open portion of the case member and the edge of the panel surface of the touch panel are in contact with each other. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is bonded with a double-sided tape.

  According to such a configuration, since the portion of the case member that forms the open portion and the edge of the touch panel are bonded with the double-sided tape, attachment is easy.

  The display device of the present invention has a control board for controlling the image display module and the touch panel, the touch panel has an electrical line connected to the control board, and a base end portion of the electrical line is inside the casing. It is desirable to be located in the vicinity of the inner wall of the case member. (Claim 3)

  In addition, the display device of the present invention is desirably installed on the wall surface of the building. (Claim 4)

  In the display device of the present invention, since the casing in which the image display module is built is formed by the case member and the touch panel, the protective panel that is an essential component in the prior art can be omitted. Thereby, since the manufacturing cost can be reduced while maintaining the waterproofness of the housing, a high-quality product can be provided at a low price.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which installed the display apparatus of this invention in the bathroom. FIG. 2 is a perspective view conceptually showing the display device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view conceptually showing the display device of FIG. 1. It is AA sectional drawing which shows notionally the display apparatus of FIG. It is the top view which showed the touch panel notionally. It is sectional drawing which shows notionally the modification of a case member. It is sectional drawing which shows notionally another modification of a case member. It is sectional drawing which shows notionally the modification of a display apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows notionally another modification of a display apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the display apparatus of a prior art. It is sectional drawing after the assembly of the display apparatus of FIG.

Below, the display apparatus 1 which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.
As shown in FIG. 1, the display device 1 according to the present embodiment is attached to a wall surface of a bathroom, and has a television function for displaying an image such as a television program and a remote controller capable of remotely operating a hot water supply device (not shown). It is set as the structure provided with the function.
That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the display device 1 of the present embodiment includes a liquid crystal display module (image display module) 2 that displays video, a touch panel 3 that is an input device that exhibits a remote control function, and a touch panel 3. A case member 5 that forms the housing 8, a video control board 6 that controls the liquid crystal display module 2, and a touch panel control board 7 that detects an operation input on the touch panel 3 are configured.

  The liquid crystal display module 2 is a general-purpose module used in a liquid crystal television or the like, and displays still images such as moving images and operation items on the display unit 10. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the liquid crystal display module 2 is configured to be electrically connected to the video control board 6 through the liquid crystal side electrical wires 21. That is, in the liquid crystal display module 2, the video displayed on the display unit 10 is controlled by the video control board 6.

The touch panel 3 employs a capacitive panel similar to that of a known technique. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the touch panel 3 is composed of a plate-like protective layer 12 made of a transparent and waterproof resin such as glass or acrylic, and a transparent conductive film. It is a panel constituted by the conductive film layer 13.
In addition, the touch panel 3 in the present embodiment is set so as to satisfy the condition that the panel thickness is 1.1 to 3 mm in order to ensure a certain strength.

  The touch panel 3 is arranged so that the conductive film layer 13 is positioned inside the protective layer 12. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the edge of the conductive layer 13 is arranged at a position away from the edge of the protective layer 12 by a certain distance (distance p). More specifically, the distance from the edge of the protective layer 12 to the edge of the conductive film layer 13 is approximately equal to or slightly longer than the member thickness of the case member 5 described later.

Further, the conductive film layer 13 has a panel-side electrical wire 20 extending in a tail shape, and is electrically connected to the touch panel control board 7 through the panel-side electrical wire 20.
Note that the touch panel control board 7 and the video control board 6 are electrically connected via a board connecting electrical line 22. That is, in the display device 1 of the present embodiment, driving power is supplied from the video control board 6 to the touch panel control board 7, and operation input on the touch panel is performed between the video control board 6 and the touch panel control board 7. Signals for detection are transmitted and received.

The case member 5 is made of resin or the like, and is a box-like member having one surface opened (open portion 23) as shown in FIG. And the case member 5 has the accommodation space 15 which accommodates an apparatus etc. in an inside, as shown in FIG. In other words, the case member 5 is configured to be able to accommodate devices and the like in the accommodation space 15 via the opening portion 23.
Further, in the present embodiment, the member thickness t of the wall surfaces 31 to 34 orthogonal to the wall surface 30 is set to be slightly thicker than the member thickness s of the wall surface 30 facing the open portion 23 of the case member 5. . In other words, the member thickness t of the wall surfaces 31 to 34 forming the open portion 23 of the case member 5 is set to a thickness larger than a certain value and forms the flat portion 25. Specifically, the member thickness t of the wall surfaces 31 to 34 (the width of the flat portion 25) is 2 mm or more, specifically about 4 to 8 mm, and more preferably 4 to 5 mm.

Then, the positional relationship of each member of the display apparatus 1 of this embodiment is demonstrated.
In the display device 1 of the present embodiment, a housing 8 is formed by the touch panel 3 and the case member 5, and the liquid crystal display module 2, the video control board 6, and the touch panel control board 7 are built in the housing 8. It is configured.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the casing 8 is formed so that the edge portion of the panel surface of the touch panel 3 and the open portion 23 side of the case member 5 are in contact with each other. In the part, it joins via the double-sided tape which is an adhesion | attachment means with which the adhesive agent was apply | coated. More specifically, the panel surface of the touch panel 3 to which the conductive film layer 13 is attached, where the conductive film layer 13 is not located, and the member thickness t of the wall surfaces 31 to 34 of the case member 5 are formed. The flat portion 25 is joined via a double-sided tape, and the accommodation space 15 is sealed. In other words, in a state where the touch panel 3 is bonded to the case member 5, the conductive film layer 13 of the touch panel 3 is positioned inside the open portion 23 of the case member 5, and The panel-side electrical wire 20 is in a relationship located inside the open portion 23 and in the vicinity of any one of the wall surfaces 31 to 34.

  And inside the housing | casing 8, the liquid crystal display module 2 is distribute | arranged so that it may contact | adhere to the touch panel 3, and it bonds together through the adhesive agent which is an adhesion means. That is, the liquid crystal display module 2 is integrally joined with the touch panel 3 to form a composite body 16. The video control board 6 and the touch panel control board 7 are arranged inside the housing 8 on the back side of the composite 16 (the opposite side of the touch panel 3 with the liquid crystal display module 2 as a reference). In other words, the video control board 6 and the touch panel control board 7 are arranged at positions sandwiched between the wall surface 30 of the case member 5 and the back side of the liquid crystal display module 2.

  As described above, since the display device 1 according to the present embodiment forms the housing 8 containing the liquid crystal display module 2 using the touch panel 3, a liquid crystal protection panel or the like constituting a part of the housing that has been conventionally required. The waterproofness can be ensured without the need. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the thickness of the touch panel 3 is set to a certain level or more, it is possible to ensure strength that is not inferior to the liquid crystal protection panel. That is, since the display device 1 of the present embodiment can reduce the number of parts as compared with the related art, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the same quality as the display device of the prior art can be ensured. Thereby, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to provide the consumer with the high-quality display device 1 at a low price.

  In the above embodiment, a configuration using a touch panel having a capacitance type configuration is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a resistance film type of a known technique, an infrared type, etc. Any type of touch panel may be employed.

  In the said embodiment, although the structure which increases the member thickness t of the wall surfaces 31-34 of the case member 5 and forms the plane part 25 was shown, this invention is not limited to this, For example, it shows to FIG. As described above, the flange-shaped flat portion 26 that is folded inward or outward (in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wall surface) of the open portion 23 on the end portion side of the wall surface that forms the open portion 23 in the case members 37 and 38. , 27 may be formed. According to this configuration, the touch panel can be bonded to the flat portions 26 and 27, and the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

  In the said embodiment, although the touch panel 3 and the liquid crystal display panel 2 were bonded together by the adhesion | attachment means, both were shown in the contact state, However, It is not limited to this in this invention, A touch panel and the liquid crystal display panel 2 adjoin. It may be an arrangement. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the case member 37 shown in FIG. 6 is adopted, and a position fixing means that can be securely fixed to the case member so that the liquid crystal display panel 2 does not move relative to the touch panel. It is necessary to provide it. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the structure fixed to the surface of the back surface side (opposite side of the surface where the touch panel 3 is attached) of the plane part 26 of the case member 37 is mentioned. In the case of adopting this configuration, as shown in FIG. 8, the case member is divided into left and right parts, and a part of the opening 23 is cut away to connect the panel electrical wires 20 to the touch panel control board 7. It is necessary to provide an electrical wire opening 40 that leads to the side.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the structure which fixes the liquid crystal display module 2 directly to the touchscreen 3 or the case member 5 was shown, it is not limited to this in this invention, For example, the fixing member which fixes the liquid crystal module 2 is used. It may be configured to be built in the housing. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the case member 37 shown in FIG. 6 is adopted, and the back side of the flange-like flat portion 26 of the case member 37 (the side opposite to the surface to which the touch panel 3 is attached). There is a configuration in which a fixing member 41 having a substantially “T” -shaped cross section is attached to the surface, and the liquid crystal display module 2 is fixed to the fixing member 41. More specifically, the fixing member 41 is disposed on each of a pair of opposing flat portions 26 (for example, upper and lower), and the fixing member 41 is attached to the case member 37 using screws or the like, and the pair of fixings is performed. While the member 41 faces, the liquid crystal display module 2 is disposed and sandwiched. Then, an adhesive means such as an adhesive or a double-sided tape is provided on the surface of the fixing member 41 that sandwiches the liquid crystal display module 2, and the liquid crystal display module 2 is fixed via the adhesive means.
As described above, when the fixing member 41 is used, the liquid crystal display module 2 can be indirectly fixed to the casing.
When this configuration is adopted, as shown in FIG. 9, the case member is divided into left and right parts and, if necessary, the panel electrical wires 20 of the touch panel 3 are guided to the touch panel control board 7 side. Are provided in the fixing member 41.

  In the said embodiment, although the electrically conductive film layer 13 of the touchscreen 3 showed the structure bonded together to the inner side of the open part 23 of the case member 5, it is not limited to this in this invention, The open part 23 of the case member 5 is shown. A structure in which a conductive film layer is bonded to a part of the inside of the substrate may be used.

  In the said embodiment, although the structure installed in the wall surface of a bathroom was shown, it is not limited to this in this invention, The structure installed in wall surfaces other than a bathroom may be sufficient. Further, the portable display device may be portable without being installed on the wall surface of the building.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the liquid crystal display module 2 is built in the housing 8 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, an image display module configured by an organic EL instead of the liquid crystal display module 2. It may be a configuration adopting

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Display apparatus 2 Liquid crystal display module (image display module)
3 Touch panel 5, 37, 38 Case member 8 Case 10 Display unit 12 Protective layer 13 Conductive film layer 20 Panel-side electrical wire 23 Opening portion 25, 26, 27 Planar portion 31, 32, 33, 34 Wall surface

Claims (4)

A display device having an image display module inside a housing,
It has a touch panel including a transparent and waterproof substrate and a case member having at least one surface opened, and the touch panel closes an open portion of the case member to form a housing.
In the state where the housing is formed, the operation area of the touch panel is arranged almost entirely or partially of the open part of the case member, and the image display module is arranged so as to be in close contact with or close to the touch panel. Display device.   When the case member and the touch panel are combined, the part that forms the open part of the case member and the edge of the panel surface of the touch panel are in contact with each other, and the contact part is bonded with double-sided tape The display device according to claim 1. A control board for controlling the image display module and the touch panel;
The touch panel has an electrical wire connected to the control board, and a base end portion of the electrical wire is located in the casing and in the vicinity of the inner wall of the case member. The display device described in 1.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is installed on a wall surface of a building.

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