JP2002071482A - Pressure-sensitive sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the operability of a pressure-sensitive sensor by raising the linearity of an output characteristics to a depression load. SOLUTION: Related to a pressure-sensitive sensor 8, a click rubber 11 is placed on a substrate 5 which comprises a click rubber main body 9 which is compressedly deformed when depressed and a flexible leg 10 extending from the lower-end perimeter part of the clock rubber main body 9 downward diagonally. An electrode 6 is fitted on the substrate 5 positioned below the click rubber main body 9. When the click rubber 11 is depressed to press-contact the substrate 5, an output is generated. At the central upper part of the click rubber main body 9, the pressure-sensitive sensor is provided which is provided with a hollow part 12 opened upward.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pressure-sensitive sensor, and more particularly, to improving the operability of a pressure-sensitive sensor composed of rubber by improving the linearity of output characteristics with respect to a pressing load. It relates to a pressure sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional pressure sensor of this type will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure 1
Is a pressure-sensitive sensor. The pressure-sensitive sensor 1 is a column-shaped click rubber body 2 that is compressed and deformed when pressed, and a flexible member that extends obliquely downward from the outer periphery of the lower end of the click rubber body 2. A click rubber 4 including a leg 3 is mounted on a substrate 5, and an electrode 6 is fixed on the substrate 5 located below the click rubber main body 2. The click rubber 4 is connected to one of power supplies (not shown) for generating a pulse output, and the electrode 6 is connected to the other of the power supplies. A button 7 for pressing down the click rubber body 2 is placed on the upper end of the click rubber body 2.

When the button 7 is depressed, the click rubber main body 2 is depressed and the flexible leg 3 is bent, so that the click rubber main body 2 and the electrode 6 come into contact with each other. As a result, an output is generated in the pressure-sensitive sensor 1, and when the pressing operation of the button 7 continues, the click rubber body 2 is compressed and deformed. The output of the pressure sensor 1 increases.

FIG. 4 shows an output characteristic of the pressure sensor 1 with respect to a pressing load. As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure sensor 1 outputs an output in response to an increase in the pressing load when the pressing load increases. Shows a characteristic of a so-called quadratic curve in which the rate of increase in output decreases with an increase in the load. In the return path in which the load decreases, the curve follows substantially the same curve as the forward path. Output decreases.

However, the operator of the pressure-sensitive sensor 1 tends to feel that the so-called higher linearity, in which the pushing force is substantially proportional to the output, is better in operability, so that the operator of the pressure-sensitive sensor 1 is required to operate the sensor. As described above, when the pushing load increases, the rate of increase of the output decreases, that is, when the so-called linearity is low, there is a problem that the operator feels strange and operability is poor.

Therefore, in the pressure-sensitive sensor, there arises a technical problem to be solved in order to improve the operability by increasing the linearity of the output characteristic with respect to the pressing load, and the present invention solves this problem. The purpose is to:

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object, and includes a click rubber body which is compressed and deformed when pressed, and a downwardly extending oblique direction from the lower end outer peripheral portion of the click rubber body. A click rubber comprising the provided flexible legs is mounted on the substrate, an electrode is fixed on a substrate located below the click rubber body, and the click rubber is pressed down and pressed against the substrate. The present invention provides a pressure-sensitive sensor configured to generate an output according to (1), wherein a hollow portion that opens upward is provided at the upper center of the click rubber body.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. For convenience of description, the same components as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 8 denotes a pressure-sensitive sensor. The pressure-sensitive sensor 8 has a cylindrical click rubber body 9 that is compressed and deformed when pressed, and a downwardly oblique direction from an outer peripheral portion of a lower end of the click rubber body 9. A click rubber 11 composed of the extended flexible legs 10 is mounted on the substrate 5, and a hollow portion 12 that opens upward at the center upper portion of the click rubber body 9 is provided. Accordingly, the upper outer peripheral portion 13 of the click rubber body 9 that forms the outside of the hollow portion 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is configured to be easily deformed by a pressing force.

When the button 7 is depressed, the click rubber main body 9 is depressed and the flexible leg 10 is bent, and the upper outer peripheral portion 13 of the click rubber main body 9 forming the hollow portion 12 is moved. The click rubber body 9 and the electrode 6 approach and come into contact with each other. As a result, an output is generated at the pressure-sensitive sensor 8.

Further, when the pressing operation of the button 7 continues,
As the upper outer peripheral portion 13 is further deformed, the click rubber body 9 is also compressed and deformed, and the output of the pressure sensor 8 is increased based on the compressed deformation of the upper outer peripheral portion 13 and the click rubber body 9.

That is, after the click rubber main body 9 and the electrode 6 come into contact with each other, the upper outer peripheral portion 13 is further deformed, so that the displacement of the pressure-sensitive sensor becomes large. As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor 8 has a so-called output whose output increases in response to the increase of the load on the outward path where the push-down load increases, and the output increase rate becomes substantially constant with the increase of the load. Shows the characteristics of a linear line,
On the return path where the load decreases, the output decreases along a straight line substantially similar to the forward path.

As described above, the output increases substantially linearly with an increase in the pushing load, so that the linearity is increased and the operability of the operator is remarkably improved.

The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention extends to the modified ones.

[0014]

As described in detail in the above embodiment, the present invention relates to a pressure-sensitive sensor configured to generate an output when a click rubber is pressed and pressed against a substrate. Since the hollow portion that opens upward is provided at the center upper part of the main body, after the click rubber body and the electrode come into contact with each other by a pressing operation, the outer peripheral portion of the upper portion of the click rubber main body that forms the outside of the hollow portion is formed. By further deformation, the output of the pressure-sensitive sensor increases substantially linearly with an increase in the pushing load, that is, the linearity is increased, and the operability of the operator is significantly improved.

As described above, the present invention is an invention which has a remarkably great effect, for example, the operability can be improved by increasing the linearity of the output characteristic with respect to the pressing load in the pressure-sensitive sensor.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a partially cutaway side view of a pressure-sensitive sensor.

FIG. 2 is a load-output characteristic diagram of the pressure-sensitive sensor of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of a pressure-sensitive sensor, showing a conventional example.

FIG. 4 is a load-output characteristic diagram of the pressure-sensitive sensor of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Substrate 6 Electrode 8 Pressure sensor 9 Click rubber body 10 Flexible leg 11 Click rubber 12 Hollow

Claims (1)

[Claims] A click rubber comprising a click rubber body which is compressed and deformed when pressed and a flexible leg extending obliquely downward from an outer peripheral portion of a lower end of the click rubber body is mounted on a substrate. An electrode is fixed on a substrate located below the click rubber body, and the click rubber is configured to generate an output when the click rubber is pressed down and pressed against the substrate. A pressure-sensitive sensor, characterized by having a hollow part that opens upward in the upper center of the sensor.