GB2563259A

GB2563259A - Electrical switch based on magnetically active material

Info

Publication number: GB2563259A
Application number: GB1709118.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Moazzam Ali
Original assignee: Saralon GmbH
Current assignee: Saralon GmbH
Priority date: 2017-06-08
Filing date: 2017-06-08
Publication date: 2018-12-12
Also published as: GB201709118D0; WO2018224187A1

Abstract

An electrical switch 100 comprises a first substrate 110 having first top and bottom surfaces 111,112, a second substrate 120 having second top and bottom surfaces 121,122, and first and second conducting layers 131,132 separated by a gap 133 provided on the first top surface. A non-elastic spacer 140 having a hole 141 overlapping with at least a portion of the gap is provided between the substrates, and is fixed to the first top surface and second bottom surface by first and second adhesive layers 151,152. A first magnetically active material 160 is provided in the hole and comprises at least one electrically conducting surface 161 for connecting the conducting layers 131,132. An elastic foam 170 is also provided in the hole between the first magnetically active material and the second bottom surface. When a second magnetically active material 180 is brought close to the first bottom surface or second top surface, the first magnetically active material is lifted above the gap to break the electrical connection between the conducting layers. Switching times may be improved by lifting a portion 165 of the first magnetically active material above the second conducting layer while remaining in contact with the first conducting layer (see figure 1D).

Description

TITLE

Electrical switch based on magnetically active material

CROSS-RELATION TO OTHER APPLICATIONS

[0001] None

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an electrical switch comprising at least one permanent magnet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrical switch, based on permanent magnet, is known in state-of-the-art for long time, as mentioned in US05647774. Most of the known electrical switches are high performing and/or of high cost. These electrical switches are difficult to integrate into paper or plastic based electronics. Paper or plastic based electronics is a new field, in which paper or plastic substrate works as a printed circuit board. One of the main advantage of electronics on paper or plastic is their low cost. Electronic components can be directly printed on top of paper or plastic substrate or SMD (Surface Mounted Devices) components are pick and placed on it. SMD based magnetically activated electrical switches are known in literature but they are expensive, US005796.254A and US0051288.34A. Therefore, there is a need of a low cost permanent magnet based electrical switch produced mainly from paper or plastic. This kind of electrical switch has huge applications in the field of packaging, where packages are made of plastic or paper. For example, opening a paper box can switch on the electrical switch or switch off the electrical switch.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to an electrical switch. The electrical switch comprises a first substrate, having a first top surface and a first bottom surface. A second substrate, having a second top surface and a second bottom surface such that the first top surface is facing the second bottom surface. A first conducting layer and a second conducting layer are provided on the first top surface. The first conducting layer and the second conducting layer are separated by a gap. A non-elastic spacer is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The non-elastic spacer has a hole such that the hole is overlapping with at least a portion of the gap. A first adhesive layer is used for fixing the non-elastic spacer to the first top surface. A second adhesive layer is used for fixing the non-elastic spacer to the second bottom surface. A first magnetically active material is provided in the hole. The first magnetically active material comprises at least one electrically conducting surface. The at least one electrically conducting surface can touch the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer and hence establishes an electrical connection. An elastic foam is provided in the hole between the first magnetically active material and the second bottom surface. When a second magnetically active material is brought close to one of the first bottom surface and the second top surface, the first magnetically active material is lifted above the gap and hence the electrical connection between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer is broken.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] FIG. 1A is a cross sectional view of an electrical switch in ON-state, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0005] FIG. IB is a cross sectional view of an electrical switch in OFF-state, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

[0006] FIG. 1C is a cross sectional view of an electrical switch in OFF-state, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention.

[0007] FIG. ID is a cross sectional view of an electrical switch in OFF-state, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention.

DETAIFED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The invention will now be described in detail. Drawings and examples are provided for better illustration of the invention. It will be understood that the embodiments and aspects of the invention described herein are only examples and do not limit the protector’s scope of the claims in any way. The invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents. It will be understood that features of one aspect or embodiment of the invention can be combined with the feature of a different aspect or aspects and/or embodiments of the invention.

[0009] The present invention is about an electrical switch based on at least two magnetically active material. Fig. 1A shows a cross section view of an electrical switch 100. The electrical switch 100 comprises a first substrate 110 and a second substrate 120. The first substrate 110 comprises a first top surface 111 and a first bottom surface 112. The second substrate 120 comprises a second top surface 121 and a second bottom surface 122, such that the second bottom surface 122 is facing the first top surface 111. In a non-limiting aspect, the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 are made of paper or plastic or a laminate of paper and plastic. A first conducting layer 131 and a second conducting layer 132 are provided on the first top surface 111 such that the first conducting layer 131 and the second conducting layer 132 are separated by a gap 133. In a non-limiting aspect, the first conducting layer 131 and the second conducting layer 132 are provided by printing a conducting ink on the first top surface 111. The thickness of the first conducting layer 131 and the second conducting layer 132 is less than 50 micrometers. A non-elastic spacer 140 is provided between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. The non-elastic spacer 140 comprises a hole 141 such that at least some part of the hole is lying over a portion of the gap 133. In a non-limiting aspect, the non-elastic spacer 140 is made of paper or plastic. The non-elastic spacer 140 is fixed to the first substrate 110 through a first adhesive layer 151. The non-elastic spacer 140 is fixed to the second substrate 120 through a second adhesive layer 152. A first magnetically active material 160 is placed in the hole 141. At least one surface 161 of the first magnetically active material 160 is electrically conducting and facing the first top surface 111. In a non-limiting example, the first magnetically active material 160 is iron, steel or a permanent magnet. In a non-limiting aspect, the electrically conducting surface 161 of the first magnetically active material 160 is because of metallic nature of the first magnetically active material 160. In another non-limiting aspect, the electrically conducting surface 161 of the first magnetically active material 160 is created by fixing an electrically conducting material on a non-conducting surface of the first magnetically active material 160. An elastic foam 170 is placed in the hole 141 between the first magnetically active material 160 and the second substrate 120. The total thickness of the non-elastic spacer 140, the first adhesive layer 151 and the second adhesive layer 152 is less than the total thickness of the first magnetically active material 160 and the fully expanded elastic foam 170. In this situation, the first conducting layer 131 and the second conducting layer 132 are electrically connected to each other through the electrically conducting surface 161 of the first magnetically active material 160 and the electrical switch 100 is in an ON-state. Whenever, a second magnetically active material 180 is brought near to the second top surface 121 (Fig. IB) or near to the first bottom surface 112 (Fig. 1C), the first magnetically active material 160 is lifter partly (Fig. ID) or completely (Fig. IB and Fig 1C) above the first top surface 111. In this situation, the electrical connection between the first conducting layer 131 and the second conducting layer 132 is broken and the electrical switch 100 turns into an OFF-state.

[00010] If the first magnetically active material 160 is a permanent magnet, bringing a piece of iron or steel close to the second top surface 121 lifts the first magnetically active material 160 above the first top surface 111, as shown in Fig. IB and Fig. ID. Here, iron or steel work as the second magnetically active material 180. If the first magnetically active material 160 is a permanent magnet, bringing another permanent magnet close to the second top surface 121 such that both the magnets are attracting each other, the first magnetically active material 160 will be lifted above the first top surface 111, as shown in Fig. IB and Fig. ID. Here, the second permanent magnet work as the second magnetically active material 180. If the first magnetically active material 160 is a permanent magnet, bringing another permanent magnet close to the first bottom surface 112 such that both the magnets are repelling each other, the first magnetically active material 160 will be lifted above the first top surface 111, as shown in Fig. 1C. Here, the second permanent magnet work as the second magnetically active material 180. If the first magnetically active material 160 is iron or stainless steel, bringing a permanent magnet close to one of the first bottom surface 112 and the second top surface 121 will lift the first magnetically active material 160 above the first top surface 111, as shown in Fig. 1C. Here, the permanent magnet work as the second magnetically active material 180.

[00011] In a preferred embodiment, the dimension (size) of the first magnetically active material 160 is more than the dimension (size) of the elastic foam 170, as shown in Fig. ID. It has been observed that in this case the switching rate (between ON-state and OFF-state) is faster. In a non-limiting aspect, the first magnetically active material 160 has a disc shape or a bar shape.

[00012] In a preferred embodiment, the first magnetically active material 160 is lifted partly above the gap 133, as shown in Fig. ID. In this case, a first portion 165 of the first magnetically active material 160 is lifted above the second conducting layer 132 and a second portion 166 of the first magnetically active material 160 is touching the first conducting layer 131 when the second magnetically active material 180 comes close to one of the first bottom surface 112 and the second top surface 121. It has been observed that in this case the switching rate (between ON-state and OFF-state) is faster.

Claims

1. An electrical switch (100), comprising: a first substrate (110) having a first top surface (111) and a first bottom surface (112); a second substrate (120) having a second top surface (121) and a second bottom surface (122), wherein the first top surface (111) facing the second bottom surface (122); a first conducting layer (131) and a second conducting layer (132) provided on the first top surface (111), the first conducting layer (131) and the second conducting layer (132) are separated by a gap (133); a non-elastic spacer (140) provided between the first substrate (110) and the second substrate (120), the non-elastic spacer (140) having a hole (141), the hole (141) is overlapping with at least a portion of the gap (133); a first adhesive layer (151) to fix the non-elastic spacer (140) to the first top surface (111); a second adhesive layer (152) to fix the non-elastic spacer (140) to the second bottom surface (122); a first magnetically active material (160) in the hole (141), wherein the first magnetically active material (160) comprises at least one electrically conducting surface (161), the at least one electrically conducting surface (161 ) can touch the first conducting layer (131) and the second conducting layer (132) and hence establishes an electrical connection; and an elastic foam (170) provided in the hole (141) between the first magnetically active material (160) and the second bottom surface (122); wherein bringing a second magnetically active material (180) close to one of the first bottom surface (112) and the second top surface (121) lifts the first magnetically active material (160) above the gap (133) and hence breaks the electrical connection between the first conducting layer (131) and the second conducting layer (132).

2. The electrical switch (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first magnetically active material (160) is an electrically conducting permanent magnet and the second magnetically active material (180) is selected from a group of iron, steel and permanent magnet.

3. The electrical switch (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first magnetically active material (160) is selected from the group of iron and steel and the second magnetically active material (180) is a permanent magnet.

4. The electrical switch (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the total thickness of the nonelastic spacer (140), the first adhesive layer (151) and the second adhesive layer (152) is less than the total thickness of the first magnetically active material (160) and the elastic foam (170), wherein the elastic foam (170) is in expanded state.

5. The electrical switch (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first magnetically active material (160) and the second magnetically active material (180) are in a disc shape.

6. The electrical switch (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first portion (165) of the first magnetically active material (160) is lifted above the second conducting layer (132) and a second portion (166) of the first magnetically active material (160) is touching the first conducting layer (131) when the second magnetically active material (180) comes close to one of the first bottom surface (112) and the second top surface (121).

7. The electrical switch (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first substrate (110), the second substrate (120) and the non-elastic spacer (140) are selected from a group of plastic, paper and a combination thereof.

8. The electrical switch (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the size of the first magnetically active material (160) is bigger than the size of the elastic foam (170).