JP2008159325A - Contact switching device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contact switching device capable of preventing flowing out of a conductive fluid from an injection port. <P>SOLUTION: The contact switching device has the body part 1 which has a housing chamber 1d in which a conductive fluid L is stored and a pair of contacts 5a, 6a are installed and an injection port 2f for injecting the conductive fluid L into the housing chamber 1d. The housing chamber 1d has a hollow part 1a having a larger volume than other portions and a passage of which one end side is connected to the hollow part 1a and the other end side is connected to the injection port 2f. The injection port 2f consists of a first injection port 20a, which is installed at far side from the hollow part 1a and a second injection port 20b, which is installed at near side from the hollow part 1a and has an aperture area larger than that of the first injection port 20a. A lid part 9 which covers the second injection port 20b in the passage is installed freely movable in between the first injection port 20a and the second injection port 20b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a contact switching device.

Conventionally, a contact opening / closing device (liquid metal switch) that opens and closes a contact by moving a liquid metal by driving a piezoelectric element has been provided, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. This contact switching device includes a piezoelectric substrate layer having a plurality of contacts exposed to the outside, a plurality of piezoelectric elements connected to the contacts, and a driving device fluid having an inert driving fluid separating each piezoelectric element A tank layer, a thin film layer pressed by a piezoelectric element, a plurality of switch contacts connected to a circuit board, a liquid metal channel layer having a liquid metal and a switching fluid connecting each switch contact, and a switch contact And a circuit board layer having a circuit connected thereto. The operation of the contact switching device will be described below. When a voltage is applied between the pair of contacts of the piezoelectric substrate layer, the piezoelectric element connected to the pair of contacts expands, and the thin film layer is pressed as the piezoelectric element expands. When the thin film layer is pressed, the pressure of the switching fluid in the liquid metal channel layer rises, and the increase in the pressure of the switching fluid breaks the connection between the switch contacts by the liquid metal, and thus on the circuit board layer circuit. The contact of is open. In this contact switching device, when the contact switching device is assembled, the driving fluid is injected into the driving device fluid tank layer from the inlet, and then the driving fluid is filled in the driving device fluid tank layer by sealing the inlet.
JP 2004-319477 A

  By the way, in addition to the contact switching device as described above, a conductive fluid is stored, and a main body having a storage chamber in which a pair of contacts are exposed, and a conductive fluid by partially deforming the main body. There is known a contact opening / closing device provided with an actuator that moves the switch and switches the conduction state between the pair of contacts. However, in such a contact switching device, as in the case of injecting the driving fluid in the conventional example, when the conductive fluid is injected from the inlet into the storage chamber and the inlet is sealed, the conductive fluid is injected. Since the injection port is open until the injection port is sealed, there is a possibility that the conductive fluid in the storage chamber flows backward and flows out of the injection port.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a contact switching apparatus capable of preventing a conductive fluid from flowing out from an inlet.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a main body having a storage chamber for storing a conductive fluid and an inlet for injecting the conductive fluid into the storage chamber, and at least a part of the storage chamber. One or a plurality of contacts provided in a state of being exposed to each other, and the conductive fluid is moved by deforming the wall portion of the storage chamber in the thickness direction of the main body portion to move between the contacts through the conductive fluid. The storage chamber includes a hollow portion having a larger volume than the other portion, and a conductive fluid flow path having one end connected to the hollow portion and the other end connected to the injection port. The inlet comprises a first inlet provided on the side far from the cavity, and a second inlet provided on the side closer to the cavity and having a larger opening area than the first inlet. , A lid covering the second inlet in the flow path is a first note. It characterized by providing movably between the mouth and the second inlet.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the restricting portion for restricting the movement of the lid portion in the moving direction of the cover in the flow path is provided closer to the cavity than the second inlet. It is characterized by.

  The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the lid portion is integrally formed with a fitting projection to be fitted to the second inlet.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first inlet provided on the side farther from the cavity and the second inlet having a larger opening area than the first inlet provided on the side closer to the cavity. Since the lid portion that covers the second inlet in the flow path is provided between the first inlet and the second inlet so as to be movable, it was kept in a substantially vacuum state. In the step of injecting the conductive fluid into the storage chamber by immersing the main body in a fluid tank provided in the vacuum chamber and storing the conductive fluid, and increasing the pressure of the vacuum chamber, than in the second inlet The conductive fluid is injected from the first inlet with a small opening area to press the lid, and the lid covers the second inlet to inject the conductive fluid into the storage chamber of the main body. Prevent the conductive fluid from flowing back and flowing out from the inlet until the inlet is closed It can be.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the restricting portion is provided closer to the cavity than the second inlet, the movement of the lid portion toward the cavity from the second inlet can be restricted. Therefore, the lid portion can be positioned at a position where the second inlet is closed.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the fitting protrusion is formed integrally with the second inlet on the lid, the lid is pressed by the conductive fluid and comes to the position of the second inlet. In this case, the fitting protrusion is fitted to the second inlet, so that the second inlet can be reliably closed.

  Hereinafter, each embodiment of the contact switching apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, in the following description, the vertical direction in FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the storage chamber 1d in which the conductive fluid L is stored and the pair of contacts 5a and 6a are exposed, and the storage chamber 1d are electrically conductive. The main body 1 having an injection port 20 for injecting the fluid L, the closing plate 4 for closing the injection port 20, and the conductive fluid L stored in the storage chamber 1d are moved to move the pair of contacts 5a, 6a. And an actuator 7 which is a driving means for switching between the conductive states. In the present embodiment, a liquid metal (for example, mercury) at normal temperature and normal pressure (25 ° C., 1 atm) is used as the conductive fluid L.

  As shown in FIGS. 1C to 1E, the main body 1 is configured using a substrate 2 and an insulating substrate 3. The substrate 2 is made of, for example, a single crystal silicon substrate, and as shown in FIG. 1 (c), a substantially rectangular recess 2a is provided on the front surface thereof. A recess 2b for the cavity 1a for storing the conductive fluid L is provided on the rear surface of the substrate 2 corresponding to the recess 2a. As shown in FIG. Is formed in a substantially diamond shape. Further, in the substrate 2, the bottom wall portion of the recess 2a is a thin-film diaphragm portion 2c, and a truncated pyramid-shaped projection 2d protruding forward is integrally formed at a substantially central portion of the diaphragm portion 2c. (See FIG. 1C).

  On the rear surface of the substrate 2, on the one end side of the recess 2b (the right end side in FIG. 1B), the first channel 1b for the first channel 1b serving as a flow path for injecting the conductive fluid L into the cavity 1a. A groove 2e is formed. The first groove 2e is formed in a substantially rectangular shape and communicates with the front side of the substrate 2 through the injection port 20 (see FIG. 1C). The injection port 20 is provided for injecting the conductive fluid L into the first channel 1b, and is a first of a substantially square shape provided on the side far from the cavity 1a (the right side in FIG. 1C). And a second injection port 20b having a substantially square shape provided on the side closer to the cavity 1a. The second inlet 20b is formed so that its opening is larger than the opening of the first inlet, and these inlets 20a and 20b are substantially rectangular glass plates after injecting the conductive fluid L. It closes by the obstruction board 4 which consists of (refer Fig.1 (a)).

  As shown in FIG. 1C, the first channel 1b is provided with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped lid portion 9 between the first inlet 20a and the second inlet 20b. The lid portion 9 is formed so that the cross-sectional size in the moving direction of the conductive fluid L is larger than the opening of the second inlet 20b. Thus, the upper surface of the lid 9 is in contact with the peripheral edge of the second inlet 20b so as to close the second inlet 20b. Further, on the left side of the second inlet 20b in FIG. 1 (c), a pair of substantially rectangular (one in the figure) regulating portions 10 are arranged in the width direction of the first groove 2e (up and down in FIG. 1 (b)). In the direction) so as to face each other from both opposing walls.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (c), the upper end portion of the restricting portion 10 is formed integrally with the upper wall of the first groove portion 2e, and there is no electrical conductivity between the lower end portion and the bottom wall of the first groove portion 2e. A gap for allowing the sexual fluid L to pass therethrough is provided. In addition, gaps for allowing the conductive fluid L to pass therethrough are also provided in portions of the restricting portion 10 that are opposed to each other in the width direction, and these gaps are formed to a size that the lid portion 9 cannot pass. Yes. Thus, the movement of the lid portion 9 toward the cavity 1a side relative to the second inlet 20b is restricted by the restricting portion 10, so that the first inlet 20a and the second inlet 9a are located on the right side of the restricting portion 10. It is movable between the inlet 20b.

  On the other hand, on the other end side of the recess 2b on the rear surface of the substrate 2 (the left end side in FIG. 1B), a substantially U-shaped first channel for the second channel 1c serving as a flow path through which the conductive fluid L moves. Two groove portions 2g are formed.

  The concave portion 2a, the concave portion 2b, the projecting portion 2d, the groove portions 2e and 2g, the injection ports 20a and 20b, and the regulating portion 10 are formed on the substrate 2 using a semiconductor manufacturing process such as ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) etching. However, since the semiconductor manufacturing process as described above is well known, detailed description thereof is omitted here. Further, instead of the substrate 2, an insulating resin substrate formed in the same shape as the substrate 2 may be used.

  The insulating substrate 3 is made of, for example, a transparent glass substrate having substantially the same outer dimensions as the substrate 2 and is bonded to the rear surface of the substrate 2 by anodic bonding or the like. In addition to the glass substrate, an insulating resin substrate may be used as the insulating substrate 3.

  By thus bonding the insulating substrate 3 to the rear surface of the substrate 2, the rear surface openings of the recess 2b, the first groove portion 2e, and the second groove portion 2g are respectively closed. Then, the recess 2b whose rear opening is closed by the insulating substrate 3 serves as a cavity 1a for accommodating the conductive fluid L, and the first groove 2e whose rear opening is closed by the insulating substrate 3 serves as the conductive fluid L. As the first channel 1b for injecting into the cavity 1a, the second groove 2g whose rear opening is closed by the insulating substrate 3 is used as the second channel 1c serving as the flow path of the conductive fluid L, respectively. A storage chamber 1d in which the conductive fluid L is movably stored is constituted by the portion 1a, the first channel 1b, and the second channel 1c.

  On the other hand, in the insulating substrate 3, four through holes 3 a are formed through a portion of the substrate 2 that faces the second groove 2 g, that is, a portion that becomes the bottom surface of the second channel 1 c. (See FIGS. 1B and 1D). Contact points 5a and 6a made of a plating layer using a conductive metal material are alternately formed on the inner peripheral surface and the front opening of each of the four through holes 3a. When joined to 2, each pair of contacts 5a, 6a is exposed in the second channel 1c. As the conductive metal material for each contact 5a, 6a, it is preferable to use a material (for example, solder) that has good wettability with respect to the conductive fluid L.

  A pair of electrode pads 5b and 6b using a conductive metal material such as copper are formed on the rear surface of the insulating substrate 3, and the electrode pad 5b is connected to the pair of contacts 5a by the wiring pattern 5c. 6b is connected to a pair of contacts 6a by a wiring pattern 6c.

  By the way, although the two contacts 5a are provided as described above, after the conductive fluid L is injected into the storage chamber 1d, only one of them is left and the other contact 5a is connected to the electrode pad 5b. Electrically disconnected. This also applies to the contact point 6a, and this makes it possible to cope with variations in the injection amount of the conductive fluid L. For example, when the amount of the conductive fluid L injected is small and the conductive fluid L is not in contact with any of the contacts 5a and 6a, the amount of the conductive fluid L injected is large and the conductive fluid L contacts only the contact 5a. In the former case, the contacts 5a, 6a on the other end side (the right side in FIG. 1 (b)), which is the back side of the second channel 1c, are different from each other. The electrode 5b is cut from the electrode pads 5b and 6b. In the latter case, the contact 5a on one end side (the left side in FIG. 1B) on the front side of the second channel 1c is cut from the electrode pad 5b and the second The contact 6a on the back side of the channel 1c is cut from the electrode pad 6b. By doing in this way, the stable opening / closing performance can be exhibited irrespective of the variation in the injection amount of the conductive fluid L.

  The actuator 7 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric vibrator formed in a flat rod shape, and is a cantilever joined to the front surface of the substrate 2 in such a manner that the tip portion is opposed to the recess 2a and at the same time is brought into contact with the tip of the projection 2d. It has a structure. Thus, when a voltage is applied in the thickness direction of the actuator 7, the tip of the unfixed actuator 7 bends in a direction approaching the diaphragm portion 2 c and presses the protrusion 2 d, thereby the diaphragm portion 2 c of the substrate 2. Will be deformed (flexed) toward the recess 2b. When the application of the voltage is stopped, the actuator 7 does not press the protrusion 2 and the diaphragm portion 2c is restored to the original state.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First, in a state where no voltage is applied, the actuator 7 does not operate, so that the diaphragm portion 2c is not deformed. At this time, the conductive fluid L stored in the storage chamber 1d is not in contact with any of the contacts 5a and 6a, and the contacts 5a and 6a are insulated (opened) (off state).

  When a voltage is applied from this OFF state to drive the actuator 7, the tip of the actuator 7 presses the protrusion 2d, and thereby the diaphragm 2c is pushed backward. When the diaphragm portion 2c is pushed down, the volume of the cavity portion 1a is reduced, whereby the conductive fluid L accommodated in the cavity portion 1a is moved to the second channel 1c side, and the pair of contacts 5a and 6a are moved. Short-circuited (closed) by the conductive fluid L (ON state).

  When the application of voltage is stopped from this on state, the diaphragm portion 2c deformed by the actuator 7 returns to the original state. Along with this, the volume of the cavity 1a returns to the original, so that the conductive fluid L that has moved to the second channel 1c side returns to the cavity 1a side, and the pair of contacts 5a and 6a are opened (OFF state). ).

  Hereinafter, a method for injecting the conductive fluid L into the storage chamber 1d will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the main body 1 is placed in a vacuum chamber 8 having a fluid tank 8a in which a conductive fluid L is stored, and a vacuum pump (not shown) is placed inside the vacuum chamber 8. By using the vacuum, the inside of the vacuum chamber 8 and the storage chamber 1d of the main body 1 are depressurized to a predetermined degree of vacuum. Next, when the main body 1 is immersed in the fluid tank 8a and the pressure in the vacuum chamber 8 is increased, the conductive fluid L stored in the fluid tank 8a enters the storage chamber 1d from the second inlet 20b. . At this time, the conductive fluid L does not enter the storage chamber 1d from the first inlet 20a. When the pressure in the vacuum chamber 8 is further increased, the conductive fluid L starts to enter the storage chamber 1d also from the first inlet 20a. Then, after raising the pressure in the vacuum chamber 8 until a predetermined conductive fluid L is injected into the storage chamber 1d, the main body 1 is taken out from the fluid tank 8a, and the closing plate 4 is joined to the front surface of the substrate 2. By closing the injection ports 20a and 20b, the injection process of the conductive fluid L into the storage chamber 1d is completed.

  Here, the behavior of the lid 9 when the conductive fluid L is injected will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the lid 9 is in the first channel after the main body 1 is immersed in the fluid tank 8a until the conductive fluid L is injected from the first inlet 20a. 1b, it is located between the first inlet 20a and the second inlet 20b, and the conductive fluid L flows from the second inlet 20b toward the storage chamber 1d. Therefore, the lid portion 9 is not pressed by the conductive fluid L and does not move. Next, when the conductive fluid L is injected from the first inlet 20a, the lid portion 9 is pressed by the conductive fluid L and moves to the left in FIG. Then, the movement of the lid portion 9 is restricted by the restriction portion 10, so that the lower surface thereof abuts on the peripheral edge of the second inlet 20 b.

  Thus, the second injection port 20b can be closed by the lid portion 9 after the conductive fluid L is injected into the storage chamber 1d and before the injection ports 20a and 20b are closed by the closing plate 4. Therefore, the conductive fluid L is prevented from moving from the cavity 1a side through the first channel 1b to the inlets 20a and 20b, and the conductive fluid L flows out of the main body 1 from the inlets 20a and 20b. Can be prevented.

(Embodiment 2)
Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, since the basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, common portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The present embodiment is characterized by the lid portion 9. As shown in FIG. 3A, a fitting projection 9 a that projects downward from the lower surface of the lid portion 9 is formed integrally with the lid portion 9. In the present embodiment, the restriction unit 10 is not provided, but the restriction unit 10 may be provided.

  The fitting protrusion 9a is formed in a substantially truncated pyramid shape, and its lower surface is formed to be slightly smaller than the second inlet 20b as shown in FIG. With this configuration, when the conductive fluid L is injected into the storage chamber 1d as in the first embodiment, the lid portion 9 is pressed by the conductive fluid L entering from the first injection port 20a. When moved to the left side in FIG. 3A and moved above the second inlet 20b, the conductive fluid L is pressed to fit the fitting protrusion 9a of the lid 9 into the second inlet 20b.

  Thus, after injecting the conductive fluid L, as shown in FIG. 3B, the fitting protrusion 9a of the lid portion 9 is fitted into the second inlet 20b, whereby the second inlet 20b is reliably closed, so that the conductive fluid L can be prevented from moving from the cavity 1a side through the first channel 1b to the inlets 20a and 20b, and therefore the conductive fluid L can be prevented from flowing into the inlet 20a. 20b can be prevented from flowing out of the main body 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the contact switching device of Embodiment 1 of this invention, (a) is a schematic front view, (b) is a schematic rear view, (c) is a sectional view on the AA 'line, (d ) Is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′, and (e) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC ′. It is a figure which shows the injection method of the electroconductive fluid same as the above, (a) is the schematic before electroconductive fluid injection | pouring, (b) is the partially expanded view of the main-body part cross section after electroconductive fluid injection | pouring. It is the elements on larger scale of the cross section of the main-body part which shows the contact switching apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention, (a) is a figure which shows the state which has open | released the injection port, (b) has block | closed the injection port. It is a figure which shows a state.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main-body part 1a Cavity part 1b 1st channel (flow path)
1d Storage room 2c Diaphragm part (wall part)
20 Inlet 20a First inlet 20b Second inlet 5a, 6a Contact 7 Actuator 9 Lid L Conductive fluid

Claims (3)

  A storage chamber in which the conductive fluid is stored, a main body having an inlet for injecting the conductive fluid into the storage chamber, and one or more contacts provided in a state where at least a part thereof faces the storage chamber; Drive means for conducting or opening between the contacts via the conductive fluid by moving the conductive fluid by deforming the wall of the storage chamber in the thickness direction of the main body, and A cavity having a volume larger than that of the portion, and a conductive fluid channel having one end connected to the cavity and the other end connected to the inlet, and the inlet is provided on a side far from the cavity. A first inlet and a second inlet provided on a side closer to the cavity and having a larger opening area than the first inlet; and a lid that covers the second inlet in the flow path. A movably provided between the first inlet and the second inlet. Contact switching device comprising a.   2. The contact switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a regulating portion for regulating movement of the lid in the direction of movement of the conductive fluid in the flow path is provided closer to the cavity than the second inlet.   3. The contact switching device according to claim 1, wherein the lid is integrally formed with a fitting projection that fits into the second inlet.

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