JPWO2015159914A1 - Capacitance type 3D sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The electrostatic capacity type three-dimensional sensor (1) of the present invention includes an XY direction position detection electrode body (60) and an XY direction position detection electrode body (60) arranged so as to overlap with each other. A plurality of dot spacers (50) provided on the surface on the Z direction position detection electrode body (20) side of the XY direction position detection electrode body (60), and a plurality of dot spacers And a spacer adhesive layer (40) for adhering (50) to the Z-direction position detecting electrode body (20), and the plurality of dot spacers (50) include the XY-direction position detecting electrode body (60) and the spacer adhesive layer. In a state where a gap is formed between (40) and a part, the spacer adhesive layer (40) is partially buried and bonded.

Description

The present invention relates to a capacitive three-dimensional sensor that detects a three-dimensional position.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-084940 for which it applied to Japan on April 16, 2014, and uses the content here.

An electronic device such as a notebook personal computer may include a touch pad as means for moving a pointer displayed on a monitor, and a capacitive sensor may be used as the touch pad.
Conventionally, a capacitance type sensor used as a touch pad has detected a change in capacitance in a two-dimensional direction (X direction and Y direction). , Y direction and Z direction) are also being studied (Patent Document 1).
As a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor that changes the capacitance in the three-dimensional direction, a sheet-like XY-direction position detection electrode body that detects the position in the XY direction and a position in the Z-direction are arranged on the front side. A sheet-shaped Z-direction position detection electrode body to be detected and a plurality of elastically deformable dot spacers provided between them are known (Patent Document 2). The dot spacers are bonded and fixed in a state where their tips are in contact with the spacer adhesive layer.
In the capacitance type three-dimensional sensor described in Patent Document 2, when the user's finger or stylus pen presses the XY direction position detection electrode body, the dot spacer elastically deforms, and the XY direction position detection electrode body. And the Z-direction position detecting electrode body are reduced in distance. The displacement in the Z direction can be obtained by detecting the capacitance that changes at that time.

Japanese Patent No. 36817171 International Publication No. 2013/132737

However, in the electrostatic capacitance type three-dimensional sensor described in Patent Document 2, the position detection result in the Z direction tends to vary when the XY direction position detection electrode body is pressed, and the position detection accuracy in the Z direction is high. It was low.
An object of the present invention is to provide a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor with improved position detection accuracy in the Z direction.

  The present inventors investigated the reason why the Z-direction position detection accuracy is low in the capacitive three-dimensional sensor described in Patent Document 2. As a result, in the capacitance type three-dimensional sensor described in Patent Document 2, the dot spacer has a low adhesive strength with respect to the spacer adhesive layer, and when the XY direction position detection electrode is pressed, some of the dot spacers adhere to the spacer. It has become clear that there is a case of peeling from the layer. At this time, since the dot spacers do not peel uniformly, even if the pressing depth is the same, the capacitance value between the XY direction position detection electrode body and the Z direction position detection electrode body is the same. In other words, it became clear that the Z-direction position detection result is likely to vary. Also, due to the low adhesive strength, it is clear that some dot spacers may have peeled off from the spacer adhesive layer before pressing, and the initial capacitance when not pressed may vary. became. Based on the above findings, the present inventors have studied a technique for making it difficult for the dot spacers to peel off from the spacer adhesive layer, and have invented the following capacitive three-dimensional sensor.

The capacitance type three-dimensional sensor according to the first aspect of the present invention is disposed so as to overlap the sheet-like XY direction position detecting electrode body for detecting the position in the XY direction and the XY direction position detecting electrode body. A sheet-like Z-direction position detecting electrode body for detecting a position in the Z direction, and the XY direction position detecting electrode body includes a pair of conductive films for detecting a position in the XY direction, The Z-direction position detecting electrode body is a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor provided with a conductive film for detecting the Z-direction position, and the Z-direction position detecting electrode in the XY-direction position detecting electrode body. A plurality of dot spacers provided on the body-side surface, and a spacer adhesive layer for bonding the plurality of dot spacers to the Z-direction position detection electrode body, wherein the plurality of dot spacers are the XY-direction position detection electrodes. Body and said space In a state where gaps are formed between the adhesive layer, a portion inside the spacer adhesive layer is adhered buried, a capacitance type 3-dimensional sensor.
The capacitance type three-dimensional sensor according to the first aspect of the present invention has the above configuration, and the Shore A hardness is 85 when the Z-direction position detecting electrode body is 1 cm in thickness on the spacer adhesive layer side. It is preferable that an elastic deformation layer made of the following material is provided, and the dot spacer is made of a material that cannot be elastically deformed.
The capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the second invention of the present invention is arranged so as to overlap the sheet-like XY direction position detecting electrode body for detecting the position in the XY direction and the XY direction position detecting electrode body. A sheet-like Z-direction position detecting electrode body for detecting a position in the Z direction, and the XY direction position detecting electrode body includes a pair of conductive films for detecting a position in the XY direction, The Z-direction position detection electrode body is a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor provided with a conductive film for detecting a Z-direction position, and the XY-direction position detection electrode in the Z-direction position detection electrode body. A plurality of dot spacers provided on the body-side surface, and a spacer adhesive layer for bonding the plurality of dot spacers to the XY direction position detection electrode body, wherein the plurality of dot spacers are the Z position detection electrode body. And the spacer contact In a state where gaps are formed between the layers, some inside the spacer adhesive layer is adhered buried.
The capacitance type three-dimensional sensor according to a second aspect of the present invention has the above configuration, wherein the XY-direction position detecting electrode body has a Shore A hardness of 85 when the thickness is 1 cm on the spacer adhesive layer side. It is preferable that an elastic deformation layer made of the following material is provided, and the dot spacer is made of a material that cannot be elastically deformed.
In the capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the first and second inventions of the present invention, the spacer adhesive layer is preferably formed of a hot melt adhesive or an active energy ray curable resin in the above configuration. .
In the capacitance-type three-dimensional sensor according to the first and second inventions of the present invention, in the above configuration, the height of each of the dot spacers is preferably 30 to 150 μm.

  The capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the present invention has high position detection accuracy in the Z direction.

It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a 1st embodiment of a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the Z direction position detection electrode body in 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows one electrode sheet which comprises the electrode body for XY direction position detection used by 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the other electrode sheet which comprises the electrode body for XY direction position detection used by 1st Embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a 2nd embodiment of a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the present invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a 3rd embodiment of a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the present invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a 4th embodiment of a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the present invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a 5th embodiment of a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the present invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a 6th embodiment of a capacitance type three-dimensional sensor of the present invention.

<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of a capacitive three-dimensional sensor (hereinafter abbreviated as “three-dimensional sensor”) of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional sensor according to this embodiment. The three-dimensional sensor 1 of this embodiment includes a support plate 10, a Z-direction position detection electrode body 20, a spacer adhesive layer 40, a dot spacer 50, an XY-direction position detection electrode body 60, and a protective layer 90. Is provided.
In the present embodiment, the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detection electrode body 60 are arranged so as to overlap each other via a gap, and the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detection electrode A spacer adhesive layer 40 and a dot spacer 50 are formed between the body 60. The spacer adhesive layer 40 is provided on the front side of the Z direction position detecting electrode body 20, and the dot spacer 50 is provided on the back side of the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60. Further, the dot spacer 50 is partly buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 and adhered in a state where a gap is formed between the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60, and FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the elastic deformation layer 30.

In the three-dimensional sensor 1 of the present embodiment, the input area with which the finger or stylus pen is brought into contact is rectangular in plan view (not shown). In the present specification, the description will be made assuming that the longitudinal direction of the input area is the X direction, the short direction of the input area is the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is the Z direction.
In the three-dimensional sensor 1 of the present invention, the finger or stylus pen contacts the protective layer 90. In the present embodiment, the protective layer 90 side is referred to as “front side” or “front side”. Further, in the present embodiment, the support plate 10 side is referred to as “back side” or “back side”.

(Support plate)
The support plate 10 is a plate that is bonded to and supported by the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and prevents the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 from bending. Specifically, the support plate 10 is a plate having a thickness of 100 μm or more, preferably 200 μm or more, more preferably 500 μm or more, and its upper limit is about 10 mm. There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the material of the support plate 10, For example, any of a metal, resin, ceramics, and glass may be sufficient.

(Z-direction position detection electrode body)
The Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 is an electrode body used when detecting a position in the Z direction, and is provided on the front surface 10 a of the support plate 10.
The Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 in the present embodiment includes a base sheet 21, a predetermined pattern-shaped conductive film 22 formed on the front surface 21a (first surface 21a) of the base sheet 21, and a conductive pattern. This is an electrode sheet having an insulating film 23 covering the film 22. The Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 in this embodiment includes an elastic deformation layer 30 on the surface of the insulating film 23, that is, on the spacer adhesive layer 40 side.
In the present invention, “conductive” means that the electric resistance value is less than 1 MΩ, and “insulation” means that the electric resistance value is 1 MΩ or more, preferably 10 MΩ or more.

As the base material sheet 21, a plastic film, a glass plate, etc. can be used, for example.
As the resin constituting the plastic film, for example, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyimide, triacetyl cellulose, cyclic polyolefin, acrylic resin, or the like can be used. Among the resins described above, polyethylene terephthalate or polycarbonate is preferable as the substrate sheet 21 because of its high heat resistance and dimensional stability and low cost.
The thickness of the base sheet 21 is preferably 25 to 75 μm. If the thickness of the base material sheet 21 is equal to or greater than the lower limit value, the three-dimensional sensor 1 can be easily thinned if it is less likely to break during processing and is equal to or less than the upper limit value.

Examples of the conductive film 22 include a film formed of a conductive paste, a film containing a conductive polymer, a film containing metal nanowires, a film containing carbon, and a metal vapor deposition film formed by a metal vapor deposition method. It is done.
Examples of the conductive paste include silver paste, copper paste, and gold paste.
Examples of the conductive polymer include polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, and the like.
Examples of metal nanowires include silver nanowires and gold nanowires.
Examples of carbon include carbon black and carbon nanotubes.
For example, copper, aluminum, nickel, chromium, zinc, gold, or the like can be used as a metal for forming the metal vapor deposition film. As the metal vapor deposition film, copper is preferable among the above metals because of its low electrical resistance and low cost.
The metal vapor deposition method is a method by which a thin metal film can be easily formed. Such a metal vapor deposition method is not particularly limited. For example, plasma CVD method, laser CVD method, thermal CVD method, gas source CVD method, coating method, vacuum vapor deposition method, sputtering method, reactive sputtering method, MBE ( Molecular beam epitaxy) method, cluster ion beam method, ion plating method, plasma polymerization method (high frequency excitation ion plating method), and the like. As a method for forming a metal vapor deposition film, among the above methods, the vacuum vapor deposition method is preferable because the film formation speed is high and the cost is low.

The surface of the conductive film 22 may be subjected to various surface treatments such as plasma treatment, ultraviolet irradiation treatment, corona treatment, and excimer light treatment. When the conductive film 22 is subjected to the above surface treatment, the adhesion with the insulating film 23 is improved and the contact resistance is lowered.

In the case of a film formed of a conductive paste, the thickness of the conductive film 22 is preferably 1 to 25 μm, and more preferably 5 to 15 μm.
In the case of a film containing a conductive polymer, the thickness of the conductive film 22 is preferably 0.1 to 5.0 μm, and more preferably 0.1 to 2.0 μm.
In the case of a film containing metal nanowires, the thickness of the conductive film 22 is preferably 20 to 1000 nm, and more preferably 50 to 300 nm.
In the case of a film containing carbon, the thickness of the conductive film 22 is preferably 0.01 to 25 μm, and more preferably 0.1 to 15 μm.
In the case of a metal vapor deposition film, the thickness of the conductive film 22 is preferably 0.01 to 1.0 μm, and more preferably 0.05 to 0.3 μm.
If the thickness of the conductive film 22 is less than the lower limit, pinholes may be formed and disconnection may occur, and if the upper limit is exceeded, it is difficult to reduce the thickness.
The method for measuring the thickness of the conductive film 22 varies depending on the thickness range. For example, when the film thickness is on the order of μm, it can be measured by a micrometer or laser displacement measurement. In the case of a film thickness thinner than the order, it can be measured by cross-sectional observation using a scanning electron microscope.

The pattern of the conductive film 22 in the present embodiment is, for example, a pattern having a plurality of X-direction electrode portions 22a formed along the X direction and formed into a strip shape with a constant width, as shown in FIG.
The width of the X-direction electrode portion 22a is preferably 0.1 to 2 mm, and more preferably 0.2 to 1 mm. If the width of the X-direction electrode portion 22a is equal to or larger than the lower limit value, disconnection can be prevented, and if the width is equal to or smaller than the upper limit value, position detection accuracy can be improved.
The interval between adjacent X-direction electrode portions 22a and 22a, that is, the interval between the end portions in the width direction of X-direction electrode portions 22a and 22a is preferably 1 to 5 mm, and more preferably 1.5 to 3 mm. More preferred. The position detection accuracy of the three-dimensional sensor 1 can be improved if the distance between the adjacent X-direction electrode portions 22a, 22a is equal to or less than the upper limit value. However, it is not preferable that the distance between adjacent X-direction electrode portions 22a and 22a be less than the lower limit value because the number of wires increases.

The insulating film 23 is an insulating resin film. The insulating film 23 can improve the adhesion of the elastically deformable layer 30 and can prevent the conductive film 22 from being deteriorated (oxidized or corroded).
As the insulating resin, for example, a thermosetting resin, a visible light curable resin, an electron beam curable resin, or an ultraviolet curable resin is used. In terms of small thermal shrinkage during curing, the ultraviolet curable resin is used. preferable. Examples of such ultraviolet curable resins include urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, polyester acrylate, acrylic acrylate, and silicone acrylate.
The insulating film 23 is preferably thin as long as insulation can be ensured. When screen printing is applied to the formation of the insulating film 23, the thickness is preferably 5 μm or more from the viewpoint of preventing pinhole formation. When ink jet printing is applied to the formation of the insulating film 23, the thickness is preferably 0.5 μm or more from the viewpoint of preventing pinhole formation.

Further, the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 includes a lead wiring 24 and an external connection terminal 25 (see FIG. 2).
The routing wiring 24 is a wiring for connecting each X-direction electrode portion 22 a and the external connection terminal 25.
The width of the routing wiring 24 is preferably 20 to 100 μm, and more preferably 20 to 50 μm. If the width of the routing wiring 24 is equal to or greater than the lower limit value, disconnection of the routing wiring can be prevented, and if the width is equal to or less than the upper limit value, the material used for the routing wiring 24 can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost.
The distance between adjacent routing wires 24 and 24 is preferably 20 to 100 μm, and more preferably 20 to 50 μm. The three-dimensional sensor 1 can be easily downsized if the distance between adjacent routing wires 24, 24 is less than or equal to the upper limit value. However, it is difficult in manufacturing to make the interval between adjacent routing wires 24, 24 less than the lower limit value.
The external connection terminal 25 is a terminal for connecting to an external circuit and is made of a conductive material.
The external connection terminal 25 in the present embodiment is a rectangular conductive portion.

The elastic deformation layer 30 is a layer that can be elastically deformed when the surface thereof is pressed, and is a layer having a Shore A hardness of 85 or less when measured with a thickness of 1 cm. However, if it is too soft, recovery after elastic deformation is delayed, so the Shore A hardness of the elastic deformation layer 30 is preferably 30 or more. Here, the Shore A hardness of the elastically deformable layer 30 can be measured by a method specified in JIS K6253.
Specific examples of the elastic deformation layer 30 include, for example, a polyurethane layer, a silicone layer, a rubber layer, an elastomer layer, a foamed material layer, and the like. As the elastic deformation layer 30, among the above materials, a polyurethane layer is preferable in that it has sufficient elasticity and is low in cost.
The material forming the elastic deformation layer 30 may be thermosetting or thermoplastic.

The thickness of the elastic deformation layer 30 is determined according to the amount of displacement in the Z direction of the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 at the time of pressing. When the amount of displacement in the Z direction is 10 μm, the thickness of the elastic deformation layer 30 is preferably 20 to 200 μm, and more preferably 20 to 100 μm. If the thickness of the elastic deformation layer 30 is equal to or greater than the lower limit value, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 can be sufficiently deformed when the protective layer 90 is pressed. The deformation layer 30 can be easily formed.

(Spacer adhesive layer)
The spacer adhesive layer 40 in this embodiment is a layer that adheres the dot spacer 50 to the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20. In the present embodiment, the spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed on the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30 of the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
Specifically, as the spacer adhesive layer 40, for example, an adhesive formed from a hot melt adhesive layer, an active energy ray curable resin (an ultraviolet curable resin, an electron beam curable resin, or a visible light curable resin). An agent layer etc. are mentioned. The spacer adhesive layer 40 may be an adhesive layer other than an adhesive layer formed from a hot melt adhesive layer and an active energy ray curable resin, but the spacer adhesive layer 40 is a hot melt adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is preferably an adhesive layer formed from an adhesive layer and an active energy ray-curable resin.
The adhesive layer formed from the hot melt adhesive layer and the active energy ray curable resin has low fluidity. Therefore, the air / dielectric ratio can be made uniform between the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detection electrode body 60, and the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detection electrode body. It is possible to reduce the variation in the electrostatic capacity with respect to 60.
When the spacer adhesive layer 40 has high fluidity, when the dot spacer 50 is pushed toward the spacer adhesive layer 40, the portion of the dot spacer 50 that is not buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 contacts the spacer adhesive layer 40. In some cases, it may be bonded as it is. In this case, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 is prevented from returning to the original position after the pressing is completed. However, when the spacer adhesive layer 40 is a hot melt adhesive layer or an adhesive layer formed from an active energy ray curable resin, the spacer adhesive layer 40 is hard. Therefore, the portion of the dot spacer 50 that is not buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 is prevented from adhering to the spacer adhesive layer 40. Therefore, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 easily returns to the original position after the pressing.

The thickness of the spacer adhesive layer 40 is preferably 5 μm or more, and more preferably 10 to 30 μm. If the thickness of the spacer adhesive layer 40 is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the dot spacer 50 can be adhered with sufficient strength. If the thickness of the spacer adhesive layer 40 exceeds the upper limit value, the spacer adhesive layer 40 may enter between the adjacent dot spacers 50 and 50, and the function of the elastic deformation layer 30 may be reduced.

(Dot spacer)
A plurality of dot spacers 50 are provided between the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detection electrode body 60. The dot spacer 50 in the present embodiment is a hemispherical dot shape, and a part thereof is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 and is in contact with the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30. In this state, the dot spacer 50 is bonded to the spacer bonding layer 40. Further, as described above, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the elastic deformation layer 30.
In the present embodiment, the dot spacer 50 forms a gap between the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the XY direction position detection electrode body 60. When the protective layer 90 is pressed by the gap, the XY direction position detection electrode body 60 can be deformed, and the distance between the Z direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY direction position detection electrode body 60 can be reduced. Can do.

There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the shape of the dot spacer 50, For example, rectangular shape, rhombus shape, hexagonal shape, circular shape, elliptical shape etc. are mentioned by planar view. Among the above shapes, the dot spacers 50 are preferably rectangular in that the adhesion to the spacer adhesive layer 40 can be easily increased.

The dot spacer 50 in this embodiment is not elastically deformable, and can be formed from a material having a Shore A hardness of more than 85 when measured with a thickness of 1 cm. The dot spacer 50 is preferably one that cannot measure hardness with Shore A and can measure hardness with Shore D. Specifically, examples of the material of the dot spacer 50 include a cured product of an active energy ray curable resin (an ultraviolet curable resin, an electron beam curable resin, and a visible light curable resin), and a cured product of a thermosetting resin. And a cured product of a thermoplastic resin. Among the above materials, a cured product of an active energy ray-curable resin is preferable in that the height of the dot spacer 50 can be easily secured and the solvent does not volatilize during curing.

The height (the length in the Z direction) of the dot spacer 50 is preferably 30 μm or more, and more preferably 50 μm or more. If the height of the dot spacer 50 is equal to or more than the lower limit value, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 is more easily bent when pressed and a sufficient amount of displacement can be secured. On the other hand, the height of the dot spacer 50 is preferably 150 μm or less, and more preferably 100 μm or less. If the height of the dot spacer 50 is not more than the upper limit value, the dot spacer 50 can be easily formed. That is, the height of the dot spacer 50 is preferably 30 to 150 μm, and more preferably 50 to 100 μm.
The buried depth of the dot spacer 50 with respect to the spacer adhesive layer 40 is preferably 3 to 67%. If the embedding depth of the dot spacer 50 with respect to the spacer adhesive layer 40 is 3% or more of the length of the dot spacer 50 in the Z direction, the adhesive strength can be further increased. If the embedding depth of the dot spacer 50 with respect to the spacer adhesive layer 40 is 67% or less, a sufficient gap can be formed between the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60.

The dot spacers 50 are regularly arranged, and are arranged in, for example, a 60-degree zigzag pattern, a square zigzag pattern, a parallel pattern, or a grid pattern.
The interval between the adjacent dot spacers 50 and 50 is preferably 0.3 mm or less in the interval between the end portions in the width direction of the dot spacers 50 and 50. If the distance between the adjacent dot spacers 50, 50 is 0.3 mm or less, the XY direction position detection electrode body 60 can be prevented from adhering to the spacer adhesive layer 40.

(XY-direction position detection electrode body)
The XY direction position detection electrode body 60 is an electrode body used when detecting positions in the X direction and the Y direction, and is provided on the front side of the dot spacer 50 in the three-dimensional sensor 1. The XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 used in the present embodiment is a laminated sheet in which a pair of electrode sheets 70 and 80 are laminated. The pair of electrode sheets 70 and 80 are bonded by an adhesive layer.

The electrode sheet 70 includes a base sheet 71, a patterned conductive film 72 formed on the front surface 71 a (first surface 71 a) of the base sheet 71, and an insulating film 73 that covers the conductive film 72. .
As the base material sheet 71, the thing similar to the base material sheet 21 can be used. However, the base sheet 71 is not necessarily the same as the base sheet 21.
As the conductive film 72, the same film as the conductive film 22 can be used. However, the conductive film 72 is not necessarily the same as the conductive film 22.
As the insulating film 73, the same film as the insulating film 23 can be used. However, the insulating film 73 is not necessarily the same as the insulating film 23.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pattern of the conductive film 72 in the present embodiment is a pattern having a plurality of strip-shaped Y-direction electrode portions 72 a formed along the Y direction.
The width of the Y-direction electrode portion 72a, that is, the length in the X direction is preferably 2 to 7 mm, and more preferably 3 to 5 mm. If the width of the Y-direction electrode portion 72a is equal to or larger than the lower limit value, disconnection can be prevented, and if the width is equal to or smaller than the upper limit value, position detection accuracy can be improved.
The interval between adjacent Y-direction electrode portions 72a, 72a, that is, the interval between the end portions in the width direction of the Y-direction electrode portions 72a, 72a is preferably 0.05 to 2 mm, and preferably 0.1 to 1 mm. Is more preferable. If the distance between adjacent Y-direction electrode portions 72a and 72a is equal to or less than the upper limit value, the three-dimensional sensor 1 can be easily downsized. However, it is not preferable to set the interval between the adjacent Y-direction electrode portions 72a and 72a to be less than the lower limit because the number of wirings increases.

The electrode sheet 70 has routing wiring 74 and external connection terminals 75 (see FIG. 3). The lead wiring 74 is a wiring for connecting each Y-direction electrode portion 72 a and the external connection terminal 75. The preferred width and interval of the routing wiring 74 are the same as those of the routing wiring 24 described above.
Examples of a method for forming the routing wiring 74 and the external connection terminal 75 include a method in which a conductive paste is screen-printed on the surface of the base sheet 71 and then heated and cured.

The electrode sheet 80 in the present embodiment is bonded to the surface 70 a on the front side of the electrode sheet 70 with an adhesive layer 61. In addition, the electrode sheet 80 in the present embodiment covers the base material sheet 81, the patterned conductive film 82 formed on the front surface 81 a (first surface 81 a) of the base material sheet 81, and the conductive film 82. And an insulating film 83.
As the base material sheet 81, the thing similar to the base material sheet 21 can be used. However, the base sheet 81 is not necessarily the same as the base sheet 21.
As the conductive film 82, the same film as the conductive film 22 can be used. However, the conductive film 82 is not necessarily the same as the conductive film 22.
As the insulating film 83, the same film as the insulating film 23 can be used. However, the insulating film 83 is not necessarily the same as the insulating film 23.

The pattern of the conductive film 82 in this embodiment is the same as the pattern of the conductive film 22, and as shown in FIG. 4, the pattern includes a plurality of strip-shaped X-direction electrode portions 82a formed along the X direction.
In the present invention, the pattern of the conductive film 82 is not necessarily the same as the pattern of the conductive film 22. When they are not the same, the width of the conductive film 82 is preferably within a range of 0.05 to 2.0 mm, and more preferably 0.05 to 1.0 mm.

The electrode sheet 80 has routing wiring 84 and external connection terminals 85 (see FIG. 4). The lead wiring 84 is a wiring for connecting each X-direction electrode portion 82 a and the external connection terminal 85. The preferable width and interval of the routing wiring 84 are the same as those of the routing wiring 24 described above.
Examples of a method for forming the routing wiring 84 and the external connection terminal 85 include a method in which a conductive paste is screen-printed on the front surface of the base sheet 81 and then cured by heating.
In the three-dimensional sensor 1, the external connection terminals 25, 75, and 85 are arranged so as not to overlap each other by shifting the positions in the plan view direction.

(Protective layer)
The protective layer 90 is a layer that is formed on the surface 60 a on the front side of the XY direction position detection electrode body 60 and protects the XY direction position detection electrode body 60. In the present embodiment, the protective layer 90 is bonded to the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 by the double-sided adhesive tape 91.
The protective layer 90 is made of, for example, an insulating resin or insulating elastic glass. As the insulating resin, an insulating thermoplastic resin, an insulating thermosetting resin, or an ultraviolet curable resin is used. Further, the protective layer 90 may be decorated as necessary.
The thickness of the protective layer 90 is preferably 25 to 1000 μm. If the thickness of the protective layer 90 is equal to or greater than the lower limit value, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 can be sufficiently protected, and if the thickness is equal to or smaller than the upper limit value, the protective layer 90 can be easily bent at the time of pressing. .

(Production method)
The manufacturing method of the three-dimensional sensor 1 includes a Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, an XY-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, a spacer formation step, a spacer adhesive layer formation step, a crimping step, and protection. The method which has a layer bonding process and a support plate bonding process is mentioned.

[Z-direction position detection electrode body manufacturing process]
In the Z-direction position detection electrode body manufacturing step in the present embodiment, the X-direction electrode portion 22a, the routing wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 are formed on the first surface 21a of the base sheet 21. In this process, the insulating film 23 is formed thereon, and the elastic deformation layer 30 is further formed to obtain the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
As a method for forming the X-direction electrode portion 22a (patterned conductive film 22), for example, an unpatterned conductive film is formed on at least a part of the surface 21a (first surface 21a) on the front side of the base sheet 21. Thereafter, there is a method of etching the conductive film so as to have a predetermined pattern.
As an etching method at this time, for example, a dry etching method such as a chemical etching method (wet etching method), laser etching, plasma etching using argon plasma or oxygen plasma, or ion beam etching can be applied. Among these methods, laser etching is preferable because the X-direction electrode portion 22a can be formed finely.
Examples of a method for forming the lead wiring 24 and the external connection terminal 25 include a method in which a conductive paste is screen-printed on the first surface 21a of the base sheet 21 and then heated and cured.
As a method of forming the insulating film 23, for example, various printing methods such as screen printing and ink jet printing can be applied.
After the insulating film 23 is formed, the periphery may be trimmed to make the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 a predetermined shape.
In the formation of the elastically deformable layer in the present embodiment, the elastically deformable layer 30 is formed on the entire surface of the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
Specifically, the elastic deformation layer 30 is formed on the entire exposed surface of the insulating film 23 constituting the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20. The method for forming the elastically deformable layer 30 is not particularly limited, and various printing methods and various coating methods can be applied, for example.

[XY electrode position detection process]
The XY direction position detection electrode body manufacturing step is a step of bonding the electrode sheets 70 and 80 after the electrode sheet 70 and the electrode sheet 80 are manufactured.
The electrode sheet 70 is obtained by forming the Y-direction electrode portion 72a, the routing wiring 74, and the external connection terminal 75 on the first surface 71a of the base sheet 71, and forming the insulating film 73 thereon.
The electrode sheet 80 is obtained by forming the X-direction electrode portion 82a, the routing wiring 84 and the external connection terminal 85 on the first surface 81a of the base sheet 81, and forming the insulating film 83 thereon.
The formation method of the Y direction electrode portion 72a and the X direction electrode portion 82a is the same as the formation method of the X direction electrode portion 22a of the Z direction position detecting electrode body 20.
The formation method of the routing wirings 74 and 84 and the external connection terminals 75 and 85 is the same as the formation method of the routing wiring 24 and the external connection terminals 25 of the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20.
After the insulating films 73 and 83 are formed, the periphery may be trimmed in order to make the electrode sheets 70 and 80 have a predetermined shape.
In the bonding of the electrode sheet 70 and the electrode sheet 80, the surface of the electrode sheet 70 and the back surface of the electrode sheet 80 are bonded. Specifically, the insulating film 73 of the electrode sheet 70 and the base material sheet 81 of the electrode sheet 80 are bonded.
Examples of a method for bonding the electrode sheet 70 and the electrode sheet 80 include a method of bonding using an adhesive layer 61 made of a pressure-sensitive adhesive, an adhesive, or a double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. In these bonding, you may pressurize and you may heat in the case of the pressurization.

[Spacer formation process]
The spacer forming step in the present embodiment is a step of forming the dot spacer 50 on the back surface of the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60.
Specifically, in the spacer forming step, the dot spacers 50 are formed on the exposed surface of the base material sheet 71 of the electrode sheet 70 constituting the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60. A method for forming the dot spacer 50 is not particularly limited, and for example, screen printing, inkjet printing, imprinting, and the like can be applied.
Specifically, when the dot spacer 50 is formed by screen printing of the active energy ray curable resin, for example, screen-printing ink containing the active energy ray curable resin on the exposed surface of the base sheet, A method of forming dot spacers 50 by irradiating and curing active energy rays can be applied.

[Spacer adhesive layer forming process]
The spacer adhesive layer forming step in this embodiment is a step of forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 on the entire surface of the elastic deformation layer 30 of the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
Specifically, when the spacer adhesive layer 40 is composed of a hot melt adhesive, in the spacer adhesive layer forming step, the molten hot melt adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the elastic deformation layer 30 and cooled. Then, the spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed.
On the other hand, when the spacer adhesive layer 40 is made of an active energy ray curable resin, a liquid containing the active energy ray curable resin is applied to the entire surface of the elastic deformation layer 30 in the spacer adhesive layer forming step. Then, the applied active energy ray-curable resin is cured by irradiation with active energy rays to form the spacer adhesive layer 40. The applied active energy ray-curable resin may be cured before the pressure-bonding step, or may be cured after the dot spacer 50 is pressure-bonded in the pressure-bonding step. If the active energy ray-curable resin is cured after the dot spacer 50 is pressure-bonded in the pressure-bonding step, the dot spacer 50 can be easily embedded in the spacer adhesive layer 40.

[Crimping process]
In the crimping step in the present embodiment, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 provided with the dot spacers 50 and the Z direction position detecting electrode body 20 provided with the spacer adhesive layer 40 are crimped to form an adhesive laminate. In this process, at least a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40.
Specifically, in the crimping step, the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the dot spacer 50 are pressed, and a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 and crimped. At that time, a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 so that the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30. As a result, a gap is formed between the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 and the spacer adhesive layer 40.
At the time of pressure bonding, in order to facilitate the embedding of the dot spacer 50, the spacer adhesive layer 40 may be melted by heating, or the spacer adhesive layer 40 may be dissolved by a solvent. As described above, when the spacer adhesive layer 40 is made of an active energy ray curable resin, the active energy ray curable resin is not cured before the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40. It is preferable to cure after curing. At this time, by controlling the pressing pressure, the depth of the dot spacer 50 embedded in the spacer adhesive layer 40 is appropriately set, and the size of the gap between the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 and the spacer adhesive layer 40 is set. Can be adjusted to a desired range.
In addition, before the pressure bonding, the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the dot spacer 50 may be surface-treated to improve the adhesion.

[Protective layer bonding process]
A protective layer bonding process is a process of bonding a protective layer to the said adhesive laminated body.
Specifically, in the protective layer bonding step, the protective layer 90 is bonded to the insulating film 83 of the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 constituting the above-mentioned bonded laminated body using a double-sided adhesive tape 91. Alternatively, it is possible to provide an adhesive layer on the insulating film 83 instead of the double-sided adhesive tape 91.

[Support plate pasting process]
A support board bonding process is a process of bonding a support board to the said adhesion laminated body.
Specifically, in the support plate bonding step, the support plate 10 is bonded using the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 11 to the base material sheet 21 of the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 that constitutes the above-mentioned adhesive laminate. Thereby, the three-dimensional sensor 1 is obtained.

(how to use)
A usage example in which the three-dimensional sensor 1 is used as a capacitive touch pad of a notebook personal computer will be described.
The user of the personal computer moves his / her finger along the surface of the protective layer 90 in order to move the position in the X direction and the position in the Y direction of the pointer displayed on the monitor. At this time, the three-dimensional sensor 1 uses the XY direction position detection electrode body 60 to detect the position of the finger in the X direction and the position in the Y direction in the input area. Specifically, the positions of the fingers in the X direction and the Y direction are obtained by using the conductive films 72 and 82 to detect a change in capacitance in the X direction and a change in capacitance in the Y direction.
In addition, the user moves the position in the X direction and the position in the Y direction of the pointer to the selection area for executing the target processing, and then presses the input area of the three-dimensional sensor 1 with the finger. To do.
At this time, the XY direction position detection electrode body 60 and the protective layer 90 are bent, and the dot spacer 50 presses and deforms the elastic deformation layer 30 by the bending. Therefore, the distance between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the electrode sheet 70 of the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 is shortened. At that time, a change in capacitance between the conductive film 22 and the conductive film 72, that is, a change in capacitance in the Z direction is detected, and a pressing amount is obtained from the change in capacitance. And the process according to the pressing amount is performed.

(Function and effect)
In the three-dimensional sensor 1 of the present embodiment, since a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried and bonded inside the spacer adhesive layer 40, the adhesive strength is high, and the protective layer 90 is not pressed or pressed. In this case, the dot spacer 50 is hardly peeled off from the spacer adhesive layer 40. Therefore, when not pressed, the capacitance values of the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 can be set to a predetermined value as a whole. On the other hand, at the time of pressing, if the pressing depth is the same, the capacitance value can be made the same value. Thereby, the position detection accuracy in the Z direction can be improved.
Further, since the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30, the distance between the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detection electrode body 60 is the height of the dot spacer 50. Therefore, the interval between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 can be easily made constant. Therefore, the variation in the capacitance value between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 becomes smaller when not pressed. Thereby, the three-dimensional sensor 1 of the present embodiment has higher position detection accuracy in the X direction.
In the three-dimensional sensor 1 of the present embodiment, since the elastic deformation layer 30 is provided, the dot spacer 50 does not need to have elasticity, and the degree of freedom of the material and forming method of the dot spacer 50 is increased. In addition, the dot spacer 50 can be formed, and the mold forming is not necessary. Therefore, the three-dimensional sensor 1 can be obtained at a low cost.
In addition, when mold forming is applied to the formation of the spacer, since the spacer is formed into a sheet shape, the number of parts when manufacturing the three-dimensional sensor increases. In this embodiment, the spacer sheet is not necessary. The number of parts can be reduced.

Second Embodiment
A second embodiment of the three-dimensional sensor of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 5 shows the three-dimensional sensor of this embodiment. The three-dimensional sensor 2 of this embodiment includes a support plate 10, a Z-direction position detection electrode body 20, a spacer adhesive layer 40, a dot spacer 50, an XY-direction position detection electrode body 60, and a protective layer 90. Is provided.
The present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed in a pattern at a position corresponding to the dot spacer 50.
The pattern of the spacer adhesive layer 40 is not particularly limited as long as the spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed at a position corresponding to the dot spacer 50, and examples thereof include a dot shape and a lattice shape.

(Production method)
As a manufacturing method of the three-dimensional sensor 2 described above, a Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, an XY-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, a spacer formation step, a spacer adhesive layer formation step, a crimping step, The method which has a protective layer bonding process and a support plate bonding process is mentioned.
However, the spacer adhesive layer forming step in the present embodiment is different from the spacer adhesive layer forming step in the first embodiment, and the other steps are the same as those in the first embodiment.
Below, the spacer contact bonding layer formation process in this embodiment is demonstrated in detail.

[Spacer adhesive layer forming process]
The spacer adhesive layer forming step in this embodiment is a step of forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 in a pattern on a part of the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30. On the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30, the position where the spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed is a position corresponding to the dot spacer 50.
The formation method of the spacer adhesive layer 40 is the same as the formation method of the spacer adhesive layer 40 in the first embodiment except that the formation position is changed from the entire surface of the elastic deformation layer 30 to a part of the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30. It is the same as the method.

(Function and effect)
Also in the three-dimensional sensor 2 of the present embodiment, since a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried and adhered inside the spacer adhesive layer 40, the adhesive strength is high, and the dot spacer 50 is not pressed and pressed. It is difficult to peel off from the spacer adhesive layer 40. Therefore, as described in the first embodiment, the position detection accuracy in the Z direction can be improved.
Further, since the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30, the distance between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 can be easily made constant. Therefore, the Z direction position detection accuracy of the three-dimensional sensor 2 can be further improved.
In the three-dimensional sensor 2 of this embodiment, since a plurality of spacer adhesive layers 40 are formed in a pattern, a space is formed between adjacent spacer adhesive layers 40 and 40. Thereby, when the elastic deformation layer 30 is pressed by the dot spacer 50, the portion pushed out by the deformation of the elastic deformation layer 30 can escape to the space. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the spacer adhesive layer 40 from inhibiting the deformation of the elastic deformation layer 30, and as a result, the operability of the three-dimensional sensor 2 can be improved.
Further, since a plurality of spacer adhesive layers 40 are formed in a pattern, even when the spacer adhesive layer 40 has high elasticity, it can easily return to its original shape without hindering the restoration after deformation.

<Third Embodiment>
A third embodiment of the three-dimensional sensor of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 6 shows the three-dimensional sensor of this embodiment. The three-dimensional sensor 3 of the present embodiment includes a support plate 10, a Z-direction position detection electrode body 20, a spacer adhesive layer 40, a dot spacer 50, an XY-direction position detection electrode body 60, and a protective layer 90. Is provided.
In this embodiment, the elastic deformation layer 30 is not the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 but the XY-direction position detection electrode body 60, and the arrangement of the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the dot spacer 50 is different. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that a gap is formed between the directional position detection electrode body 20 and the spacer adhesive layer 40.
That is, in this embodiment, the dot spacer 50 is provided on the insulating film 23 of the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20, and the elastic deformation layer 30 is formed on the back side of the base sheet 71 of the XY-direction position detection electrode body 60. A spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed on the back side of the elastic deformation layer 30.
The direction of the dot spacer 50 in the present embodiment is opposite to that in the first embodiment. However, the dot spacer 50 is partially embedded in the spacer adhesive layer 40 and bonded to the first embodiment. It is the same.

  In the three-dimensional sensor 3 of this embodiment, when the input area of the three-dimensional sensor 3 is pressed with a finger, the XY direction position detection electrode body 60 and the protective layer 90 are bent, and the elastic deformation layer 30 is formed into a dot spacer by the bending. It is pressed toward 50. Thereby, the dot spacer 50 presses and deforms the elastic deformation layer 30. Therefore, the distance between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the electrode sheet 70 of the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 is shortened. At that time, a change in capacitance between the conductive film 22 and the conductive film 72, that is, a change in capacitance in the Z direction is detected, and a pressing amount is obtained from the change in capacitance.

(Production method)
The manufacturing method of the three-dimensional sensor 3 includes a Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, an XY-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, a spacer formation step, a spacer adhesive layer formation step, a crimping step, and a protection. The method which has a layer bonding process and a support plate bonding process is mentioned.
However, the spacer formation process, spacer adhesion layer formation process, and pressure bonding process in the present embodiment are different from the spacer formation process, spacer adhesion layer formation process, and pressure bonding process in the first embodiment, and the other processes are the first implementation. It is the same as the form.

[Z-direction position detection electrode body manufacturing process]
In the Z-direction position detection electrode body manufacturing step in the present embodiment, the X-direction electrode portion 22a, the routing wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 are formed on the first surface 21a of the base sheet 21 and insulated on them. This is a step of forming the film 23 and obtaining the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
The method of forming the X-direction electrode portion 22a, the insulating film 23, the routing wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 is the same as the formation of the X-direction electrode portion 22a, the insulating film 23, the routing wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 in the first embodiment. It is the same as the method.

[XY electrode position detection process]
In the XY direction position detection electrode body manufacturing step, after the electrode sheet 70 and the electrode sheet 80 are manufactured, the electrode sheets 70 and 80 are bonded together, and the elastic deformation layer 30 is formed on the entire back side of the electrode sheet 70. It is a process to do.
The method for forming the electrode sheets 70 and 80 in the present embodiment is the same as the method for forming the electrode sheets 70 and 80 in the first embodiment.
In the formation of the elastically deformable layer in the present embodiment, the elastically deformable layer 30 is formed on the entire back surface of the base sheet 71 of the electrode sheet 70 constituting the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60. The formation method of the elastic deformation layer 30 is the same as the formation method of the elastic deformation layer 30 in the first embodiment.

[Spacer formation process]
The spacer forming step in the present embodiment is a step of forming dot spacers 50 on the surface of the Z direction position detecting electrode body 20.
Specifically, in the spacer forming step, the dot spacers 50 are formed in a dot shape on the exposed surface of the insulating film 23 constituting the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20. The method for forming the dot spacer 50 is the same as the method for forming the dot spacer 50 in the first embodiment.

[Spacer adhesive layer forming process]
The spacer adhesive layer forming step in this embodiment is a step of forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 on the entire back surface of the elastic deformation layer 30 provided in the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60.
The method for forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 is the same as the method for forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 in the first embodiment, except that the formation position of the spacer adhesive layer 40 is changed from the front surface side to the back surface side of the elastic deformation layer 30. is there.

[Crimping process]
In the crimping step, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 provided with the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the Z direction position detecting electrode body 20 provided with the dot spacer 50 are crimped to form an adhesive laminate, In this step, part of the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40.
Specifically, in the crimping step, the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the dot spacer 50 are pressed, and a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 and crimped. At that time, the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 so that the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the back surface of the elastic deformation layer 30.

(Function and effect)
Also in the three-dimensional sensor 3 of the present embodiment, since a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried and bonded inside the spacer adhesive layer 40, the adhesive strength is high, and the dot spacer 50 is a spacer when not pressed and when pressed. It becomes difficult to peel from the adhesive layer 40. Therefore, as described in the first embodiment, the position detection accuracy in the Z direction can be improved.
Further, since the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the back surface of the elastic deformation layer 30, the distance between the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detection electrode body 60 can be easily made constant. Therefore, the Z direction position detection accuracy of the three-dimensional sensor 3 can be further improved.

<Fourth embodiment>
A fourth embodiment of the three-dimensional sensor of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 7 shows the three-dimensional sensor of this embodiment. The three-dimensional sensor 4 of this embodiment includes a support plate 10, a Z-direction position detection electrode body 20, a spacer adhesive layer 40, a dot spacer 50, an XY-direction position detection electrode body 60, and a protective layer 90. Is provided.
The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the elastic deformation layer is not provided and the spacer adhesive layer 40 is directly bonded to the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
The dot spacer 50 in the present embodiment is preferably made of an elastically deformable material, and is formed of a material having a Shore A hardness of 85 or less when measured with a thickness of 1 cm. As the elastically deformable material, the same material as that constituting the elastically deformable layer in the first embodiment can be used.
Also in the present embodiment, a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried and adhered inside the spacer adhesive layer 40, but the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the surface of the insulating film 23 of the X-direction position detection electrode body 20. Yes. Since the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the surface of the insulating film 23 of the X-direction position detecting electrode body 20, the conductive film 22 can be prevented from being damaged.

(Production method)
As a manufacturing method of the three-dimensional sensor 4 described above, a Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, an XY-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, a spacer formation step, a spacer adhesive layer formation step, a crimping step, The method which has a protective layer bonding process and a support plate bonding process is mentioned.
In this embodiment, since there is no elastically deformable layer, the Z-direction position detection electrode body in the first embodiment is the same as the Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, spacer adhesion layer formation step, and crimping step in this embodiment. Unlike the manufacturing process, the spacer adhesive layer forming process, and the crimping process, the other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[Z-direction position detection electrode body manufacturing process]
In the Z-direction position detection electrode body manufacturing step in the present embodiment, the X-direction electrode portion 22a, the routing wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 are formed on the first surface 21a of the base sheet 21. In this process, the insulating film 23 is formed thereon to obtain the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
The method of forming the X-direction electrode portion 22a, the insulating film 23, the routing wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 is the same as the formation of the X-direction electrode portion 22a, the insulating film 23, the routing wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 in the first embodiment. It is the same as the method.

[Spacer adhesive layer forming process]
The spacer adhesive layer forming step in this embodiment is a step of forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 on the entire surface of the insulating film 23 of the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
Specifically, when the spacer adhesive layer 40 is composed of a hot melt adhesive, in the spacer adhesive layer forming step, the melted hot melt adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the insulating film 23 and cooled. Then, the spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed.
When the spacer adhesive layer 40 is composed of an active energy ray curable resin, in the spacer adhesive layer forming step, an adhesive solution or an adhesive solution is applied to the entire surface of the insulating film 23 to obtain active energy rays. The spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed by curing by irradiation.

[Crimping process]
In the crimping step in the present embodiment, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 provided with the dot spacers 50 and the Z direction position detecting electrode body 20 provided with the spacer adhesive layer 40 are crimped to form an adhesive laminate. This is a step of forming a part of the dot spacer 50 and burying it inside the spacer adhesive layer 40.
Specifically, in the crimping step, the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the dot spacer 50 are pressed, and a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 and crimped. At that time, a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40 so that the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the surface of the insulating film 23.

(Function and effect)
Also in the three-dimensional sensor 4 of the present embodiment, since a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried and bonded inside the spacer adhesive layer 40, the adhesive strength is high, and the dot spacer 50 is a spacer when not pressed and when pressed. It is difficult to peel from the adhesive layer 40. Therefore, as described in the first embodiment, the position detection accuracy in the Z direction can be improved.
Further, since the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the surface of the insulating film 23, the distance between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 can be easily made constant. Therefore, the Z direction position detection accuracy of the three-dimensional sensor 4 can be further improved.

<Fifth Embodiment>
A fifth embodiment of the three-dimensional sensor of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 8 shows the three-dimensional sensor of this embodiment. The three-dimensional sensor 5 of the present embodiment includes a support plate 10, a Z-direction position detection electrode body 20, a spacer adhesive layer 40, a dot spacer 50, an XY-direction position detection electrode body 60, and a protective layer 90. Is provided.
The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed instead of the insulating film 23 of the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the elastic deformation layer is omitted.
The dot spacer 50 in the present embodiment is preferably made of an elastically deformable material, and is formed of a material having a Shore A hardness of 85 or less when measured with a thickness of 1 cm. As the elastically deformable material, the same material as that constituting the elastically deformable layer in the first embodiment can be used.

(Production method)
The manufacturing method of the three-dimensional sensor 5 includes a Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, an XY-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, a spacer formation step, a spacer adhesive layer formation step, a crimping step, and a protection. The method which has a layer bonding process and a support plate bonding process is mentioned.
The Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation process, the spacer adhesive layer formation process, and the crimping process in the present embodiment are different from the Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation process, the spacer adhesive layer formation process, and the crimping process in the first embodiment. Other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[Z-direction position detection electrode body manufacturing process]
In the Z-direction position detection electrode body manufacturing step in the present embodiment, the X-direction electrode portion 22a, the lead-out wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 are formed on the first surface 21a of the base sheet 21, and Z This is a step of obtaining the directional position detecting electrode body 20.
The formation method of the X direction electrode portion 22a, the formation method of the routing wiring 24 and the external connection terminal 25 are the same as the formation method of the X direction electrode portion 22a, the formation method of the routing wiring 24 and the external connection terminal 25 in the first embodiment. It is the same.

[Spacer adhesive layer forming process]
The spacer adhesive layer forming step in this embodiment is a step of forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 on the exposed surface of the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20.
Specifically, in the spacer adhesive layer forming step, the spacer adhesive layer 40 is formed on the entire surface of the base sheet 21, the X-direction electrode portion 22 a, the routing wiring 24, and the external connection terminal 25 of the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20. . The method for forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 in the present embodiment is the same as the method for forming the spacer adhesive layer 40 in the first embodiment.

[Crimping process]
In the crimping step in the present embodiment, the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 provided with the dot spacers 50 and the Z direction position detecting electrode body 20 provided with the spacer adhesive layer 40 are crimped to form an adhesive laminate. This is a step of forming a part of the dot spacer 50 and burying it inside the spacer adhesive layer 40. At that time, a part of the dot spacer 50 is formed such that the tip of the dot spacer 50 does not contact the surface of the conductive film 22 and a gap is formed between the spacer adhesive layer 40 and the XY direction position detection electrode body 60. Is buried in the spacer adhesive layer 40.

(Function and effect)
Also in the three-dimensional sensor 5 of the present embodiment, a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried and bonded inside the spacer adhesive layer 40, so that the dot spacer 50 is peeled off from the spacer adhesive layer 40 at the time of non-pressing and at the time of pressing. It is difficult to do. Therefore, as described in the first embodiment, the position detection accuracy in the Z direction can be improved.
The three-dimensional sensor 5 of the present embodiment has a simplified configuration.

<Sixth Embodiment>
A sixth embodiment of the three-dimensional sensor of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 9 shows the three-dimensional sensor of this embodiment. The three-dimensional sensor 6 of this embodiment includes a support plate 10, a Z-direction position detection electrode body 20, a spacer adhesive layer 40, a dot spacer 50, an XY-direction position detection electrode body 60, and a protective layer 90. Is provided.
The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the dot spacer 50 is formed in a truncated cone shape having a flat tip surface.

(Production method)
As a manufacturing method of the three-dimensional sensor 6 described above, a Z-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, an XY-direction position detection electrode body preparation step, a spacer formation step, a spacer adhesive layer formation step, a crimping step, The method which has a protective layer bonding process and a support plate bonding process is mentioned.
However, the spacer formation process in this embodiment is different from the spacer formation process in the first embodiment, and other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[Spacer formation process]
The spacer forming step in the present embodiment is a step in which the dot spacer 50 is formed on the back surface of the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 by an imprint method using UV (ultraviolet light). It differs from the spacer formation step in the embodiment.
That is, in the spacer forming step of the present embodiment, the dot spacers 50 are formed on the exposed surface of the base material sheet 71 of the electrode sheet 70 constituting the XY direction position detecting electrode body 60 by the UV imprint method.

More specifically, for example, first, an ink containing an active energy ray-curable resin is screen-printed on the exposed surface of the base sheet.
Next, the active energy ray curable resin is sandwiched between a mold die made of a glass material (not shown) and the base sheet, and the dot pattern formed on the mold die is transferred while being transferred to the active energy ray curable resin. To do.
Then, by irradiating UV (ultraviolet rays) from the mold die side, the active energy ray curable resin is cured to form the dot spacers 50.
Here, if dot spacers are to be formed by the UV imprint method using a normal method, UV light is shielded by the conductive film pattern formed on the base sheet in the XY direction position detection electrode body manufacturing step. There is a problem. On the other hand, in this embodiment, it is possible to irradiate UV light from the outside of the mold die toward the active energy ray curable resin by applying a glass material as the mold die.

(Function and effect)
Also in the three-dimensional sensor 6 of the present embodiment, since a part of the dot spacer 50 is buried and bonded inside the spacer adhesive layer 40, the adhesive strength is high, and the dot spacer 50 is not pressed and pressed. It is difficult to peel off from the spacer adhesive layer 40. Therefore, as described in the first embodiment, the position detection accuracy in the Z direction can be improved.
Further, since the tip of the dot spacer 50 is in contact with the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30, the distance between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 can be easily made constant. Therefore, the Z direction position detection accuracy of the three-dimensional sensor 2 can be further improved.
Further, in the three-dimensional sensor 6 of the present embodiment, the dot spacer 50 has a truncated cone shape (columnar shape), and the tip that is a flat surface comes into surface contact with the surface of the elastic deformation layer 30. As a result, the interval between the Z-direction position detection electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detection electrode body 60 can be more reliably fixed, and therefore the Z-direction position detection accuracy of the three-dimensional sensor 6 can be further improved. Can do.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the dot shape of the dot spacer 50 can be formed with high accuracy by applying the UV imprint method as the method of forming the dot spacer 50. Thereby, it becomes easy to adjust the gap between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 at a constant interval. Further, by using a mold, as shown in FIG. 9, the dot shape of the dot spacer 50 is easily formed with high accuracy on the back surface side of the base sheet 71 having the conductive film 72 formed on the front surface side. can do. In addition, when forming the dot spacer 50 using a mold, if the spacer is formed on the sheet, there is no need to newly add a base material sheet for forming the dot spacer. It is possible to form dot spacers with a highly accurate dot shape without increasing the manufacturing cost.
Further, by applying the UV imprint method, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the tip of the dot spacer 50 can be formed as a flat surface (flat surface). Thereby, it becomes easy to adjust the gap between the Z-direction position detecting electrode body 20 and the XY-direction position detecting electrode body 60 at a constant interval. Moreover, since the adhesion area between the dot spacer 50 and the elastic deformation layer 30 is increased, the adhesion force is improved.
Furthermore, by applying the UV imprint method, the dot shape of the dot spacer 50 can be processed into a free shape by a highly accurate printing method. Accordingly, the dot spacer can be easily formed with high accuracy not only in a circular shape in a plan view but also in various shapes such as a square shape in a plan view. It becomes possible to further improve the adhesive force between the deformable layer 30.
Further, the shape of the dot spacer 50 can be easily formed with high accuracy as a columnar shape such as a conical shape as shown in FIG. 9 as well as a hemispherical shape in a sectional view as shown in FIG. Therefore, as described above, the adhesive force between the dot spacer 50 and the elastic deformation layer 30 can be further improved.

<Other embodiments>
The three-dimensional sensor of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.
For example, the widths of the X-direction electrode portion and the Y-direction electrode portion do not need to be constant. For example, the width may change periodically, and the thick portions and the narrower portions are alternately arranged. You may arrange in.
The three-dimensional sensor of the present invention does not need to be formed on the support plate in the order of the Z-direction position detection electrode body, the spacer adhesive layer and the dot spacer, and the XY-direction position detection electrode body. , XY direction position detection electrode body, spacer adhesive layer and dot spacer, Z direction position detection electrode body may be formed in this order.
Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in the positional relationship of the X direction electrode part of a XY direction position detection electrode body, and a Y direction electrode part, and which may be arrange | positioned on the front side.
Moreover, the three-dimensional sensor of the present invention may not include the support plate and the protective layer.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Three-dimensional sensor 10 Support plate 11 Double-sided adhesive tape 20 Z-direction position detection electrode body 21 Base sheet 22 Conductive film 22a X-direction conductive portion 23 Insulating film 24 Lead-out wiring 25 External connection Terminal 30 Elastic deformation layer 40 Spacer adhesive layer 50 Dot spacer 60 XY direction position detection electrode body 61 Adhesive layer 70 Electrode sheet 71 Base sheet 72 Conductive film 72a Y direction electrode part 73 Insulating film 74 Lead-out wiring 75 External connection terminal 80 Electrode sheet 81 Substrate sheet 82 Conductive film 82a X-direction electrode part 83 Insulating film 84 Lead-out wiring 85 External connection terminal 90 Protective layer 91 Double-sided adhesive tape

Claims (6)

A sheet-like XY direction position detecting electrode body for detecting a position in the XY direction and a sheet-like Z direction position detecting electrode arranged so as to overlap the XY direction position detecting electrode body and detecting the position in the Z direction The XY direction position detecting electrode body includes a pair of conductive films for detecting the position in the XY direction, and the Z direction position detecting electrode body is for detecting the position in the Z direction. An electrostatic capacitance type three-dimensional sensor provided with a conductive film of
A plurality of dot spacers provided on a surface of the XY direction position detection electrode body on the Z direction position detection electrode body side, and a spacer adhesive layer that bonds the plurality of dot spacers to the Z direction position detection electrode body. Prepared,
The plurality of dot spacers are partly buried and bonded inside the spacer adhesive layer in a state where a gap is formed between the XY direction position detecting electrode body and the spacer adhesive layer. Capacitive 3D sensor. The Z-direction position detecting electrode body includes an elastic deformation layer made of a material having a Shore A hardness of 85 or less when the thickness is 1 cm on the spacer adhesive layer side,
The capacitive three-dimensional sensor according to claim 1, wherein the dot spacer is formed of a material that cannot be elastically deformed. A sheet-like XY direction position detecting electrode body for detecting a position in the XY direction and a sheet-like Z direction position detecting electrode arranged so as to overlap the XY direction position detecting electrode body and detecting the position in the Z direction The XY direction position detecting electrode body includes a pair of conductive films for detecting the position in the XY direction, and the Z direction position detecting electrode body is for detecting the position in the Z direction. An electrostatic capacitance type three-dimensional sensor provided with a conductive film of
A plurality of dot spacers provided on a surface on the XY direction position detection electrode body side in the Z direction position detection electrode body, and a spacer adhesive layer for bonding the plurality of dot spacers to the XY direction position detection electrode body Prepared,
The plurality of dot spacers are partially buried in and bonded to the spacer adhesive layer in a state where a gap is formed between the Z position detecting electrode body and the spacer adhesive layer. Capacitive 3D sensor. The XY direction position detecting electrode body is provided with an elastic deformation layer made of a material having a Shore A hardness of 85 or less when the thickness is 1 cm on the spacer adhesive layer side,
The capacitive three-dimensional sensor according to claim 3, wherein the dot spacer is made of a material that is not elastically deformable.   The capacitive three-dimensional sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spacer adhesive layer is formed from a hot-melt adhesive or an active energy ray curable resin.   The electrostatic capacity type three-dimensional sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the dot spacers has a height of 30 to 150 μm.

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