JPS61277027A - Touch sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to accurately take out detection output, by providing pressure-sensitive elements each formed by applying a resistor layer to the membrane diaphragm surface of a central part to arrange the same on a pedestal in a state gathered in a plane direction and arranging a touch inputting contact maker to the upper surface of the central part of each pressure- sensitive element. CONSTITUTION:Pressure-sensitive elements 14 as detection elements are mounted on the pedestal 13 held to a pedestal holder 12 and touch inputting contact makers 15 are provided on the pressure-sensitive elements 14 in opposed relationship and each pressure-sensitive element 14 is constituted by forming a membrane silicon diaphragm surface 16 having a diffusion resistor layer to the central part of a square shape of which the periphery has been formed as a thick wall. Four pressure-sensitive elements 14 are gathered in a plane direction and integrally constituted as a square shape to provide a pressure- sensitive element main body 17 which is, in turn, engaged with the recessed part 18 formed on the aforementioned pedestal 13. By this method, applied contact pressure is efficiently transmitted to the side of the pressure-sensitive elements 14 through the contact makers 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a touch sensor that emits an electrical signal in response to contact pressure, and more particularly to a highly sensitive touch sensor.

(B) Background of the Invention Conventionally, as an example of a touch sensor, a conductive rubber layer incorporating a pressure-sensitive element is used as a sensor material, and a detection signal is generated based on the conductive rubber layer being pressurized. Touch sensors that emit light are known.

However, since the conductive rubber layer is an elastic body, the applied pressure is not proportional to the output that detects this pressure, and therefore, an accurate sensor output corresponding to the pressure cannot be obtained. In addition, since there is only one sensitive part of the sensor surface that should detect pressure, the sensitivity is low, such as missing detection.
The sensor itself had problems with poor detection ability and reliability.

(c) Purpose of the Invention Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a touch sensor that can accurately extract detection output by arranging a plurality of pressure-sensitive elements on the sensor surface and setting them to be highly sensitive. do.

(D) Summary of the Invention This invention provides a pressure-sensitive element having a resistance layer formed on the surface of a thin film diaphragm in the center, and arranges a plurality of pressure-sensitive elements in a plane on a pedestal. The pressure sensitive element is characterized by being a touch sensor in which a contact element for touch input is provided on the upper surface of the central part.

(E) Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, a plurality of pressure-sensitive elements are arranged in a two-dimensional cluster to form a sensor surface, so that the pressure-sensitive elements are evenly distributed on this sensor surface. The touch sensor is placed in a state where the output can be reliably extracted, and a plurality of detection signals can be extracted with one touch sensor. For this reason, it has excellent sensitivity and accuracy as a sensor surface to be detected, and since this pressure-sensitive element uses a diaphragm type that curves and deforms in proportion to the pressure, it can output highly accurate output according to the detected pressure. This results in a highly sensitive and highly reliable touch sensor.

(f) Examples of the invention An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings.

The drawings show a touch sensor, and in FIGS. 1 and 2, this touch sensor 11 has a pressure-sensitive element 14 as a sensing material mounted on a pedestal 13 held by a pedestal holder 12. On the element 14, a contact 1 for touch input is provided.
5 are arranged opposite each other.

The pressure-sensitive element 14 described above has a thin silicon diaphragm surface 16 forming a diffusion resistance layer in the center of a rectangular shape with a thick periphery. A pressure-sensitive element main body 17 is provided, which is a collection of four pressure-sensitive element bodies 17 that are integrated into a square shape.

In this case, a cavity 19 is provided on the lower surface of the center of each pressure-sensitive element 14 to allow curved deformation of the silicon diaphragm surface 16, and a deaeration hole 20 is provided in the pedestal 13 facing this cavity 19. .

Further, on the upper surface of the central part of the pressure sensitive element 14..., a spherical contact element 15... for touch input is attached to the pedestal holder 1.
It is attached to the top opening hole 21 of No. 2 with the top surface exposed through an adhesive gel-like silicone rubber 22.

Thereby, the applied contact pressure is efficiently transmitted to the pressure sensitive element 14 side via this contactor 15.

Each pressure sensitive element 14 and the pedestal holder 12 around it
A gold wire 23 is connected to the metallized layer formed above, and the connected metallized layer is connected to a sensor control circuit (not shown) via a cable.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure-sensitive element 14 described above constitutes a bridge circuit that functions as a pressure detection section, and when pressure is applied to the pressure-sensitive element 14 via the contact 15, The resistance of this bridge circuit changes to produce an output voltage proportional to pressure.

However, in this case, even if the contact is unstable, 4
Since any one of the output signals is reliably extracted, there are no missed detections, and high sensitivity and reliability are achieved.

In addition, since pressure changes are detected on the silicon diaphragm surface 16, the sensitivity of the pressure-sensitive element 14 that outputs an output due to the curved deformation of the diaphragm surface 16 is accurate in proportion to the detected pressure, as shown in FIG. It is possible to obtain stable detection output.

In addition, in the figure, for reference, a relation diagram between unstable detection pressure and detection output of the conductive rubber layer 24, which is an example of a conventional touch sensor, is shown.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the touch sensor of the present invention,
This is an example in which nine pressure sensitive elements 51 and nine corresponding contacts 52 are provided in order to make the sensor surface 53 highly sensitive, and any number may be selected and provided depending on the application. In order to form a group of pressure sensitive elements 51, it is sufficient to cut the pressure sensitive elements 51 into a desired number of sizes at the manufacturing stage in which a large number of pressure sensitive elements 51 are provided in a sheet form, and the pressure sensitive elements 51 can be easily formed. moreover,
By making the diaphragm surface extremely thin, sensitivity can be further increased. 54 is a flat cable.

As mentioned above, since multiple pressure-sensitive elements are formed on the sensor surface, the detection signal can be reliably extracted, and the detection output is obtained in proportion to the pressure, so it has high sensitivity. At the same time, it becomes a highly accurate and highly reliable touch sensor.

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment, the touch sensor of the present invention has the touch sensor 11 of the embodiment.
Similarly, the pedestal corresponds to the pedestal 13, the pressure sensitive element corresponds to the pressure sensitive element 14, the contact element corresponds to the contact element 15, and the thin film diaphragm surface corresponds to the silicon diaphragm surface 16. However, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a touch sensor, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the touch sensor, Fig. 3 is an electric circuit diagram of the touch sensor, and Fig. 4 shows a detection pressure and Chart showing the relationship with detection output, 5th
The figure is a perspective view of a touch sensor showing another embodiment of the invention. 11... Touch sensor 13... Pedestal 14...
Pressure sensitive element 15...Contact 16...Silicon diaphragm surface 17...Pressure sensitive element body

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of pressure-sensitive elements each having a resistance layer formed on the surface of a thin film diaphragm at the center are arranged in a plane on a pedestal, and the upper surface of the center of each pressure-sensitive element is , a touch sensor equipped with a contact for touch input.