TW202217254A - Contact sensor with fail-detection mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A contact sensor includes two film layers, two electrode layers, and a fail-detection electrode. The two film layers have, respectively, a first inner surface and a second inner surface facing each other. The two electrode layers are disposed on the first inner surface and the second inner surface, respectively, and a gap exists between the two electrode layers. The fail-detection electrode are at least disposed on one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface and electrically isolated from the two electrode layers.

Description

Touch sensor with fail detection mechanism

The present invention relates to a touch sensor, in particular to a touch sensor with a failure detection mechanism.

With the development of automation equipment, the safety of automation equipment has also received attention. For example, the safety mechanism of collaborative robots (collaboration robots) is an important issue because they work closely with workers. In recent years, the International Organization for Standardization has published ISO/TS 15066, which sets out further safety specifications for collaborative robots in robotic devices.

The contact detection mechanism is one of the safety mechanisms for automation equipment. After adding a contact detection mechanism, the automated equipment can make emergency response when a contact event is detected. For example, please refer to FIG. 1 , a conventional automation system 1 with a contact detection mechanism is a collaborative robot system including a controller 11 , a movable member 12 , a contact sensor 13 and a signal line 14 . The movable member 12 is a movable mechanical arm of the collaborative robot system, which can move according to the control of the controller 11 . The touch sensor 13 is disposed on the movable member 12 and is electrically connected to the controller 11 by a signal line 14 .

Poor quality of the manufacturing process, aging of materials over time, etc., may cause the contact sensor to fail, thereby failing to exchange signals with the controller in real time. Communication failure will greatly reduce the safety of automation equipment, and may even cause operator injury. Therefore, how to know as early as possible that the contact sensor can exchange signals with the controller normally is an important technical issue.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a touch sensor with a failure detection mechanism, which can early detect the failure of the signal exchange between the touch sensor and the controller.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a touch sensor includes two film layers, two electrode layers, two failure detection electrodes, and a conductive connection portion. The two film layers respectively have a first inner surface and a second inner surface opposite to each other. The two electrode layers are respectively disposed on the first inner surface and the second inner surface, and a gap is separated between the two electrode layers. The failure detection electrode is disposed on at least one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface, and is electrically isolated from the two electrode layers.

In one embodiment, the touch sensor may further include a sensing layer disposed on one of the two electrode layers. The sensing layer may include a pressure-sensitive material, and the pressure-sensitive material includes at least one conductive substance. The contact sensor may also include a gap layer disposed between the two film layers to maintain a gap between the two electrode layers.

In one embodiment, the touch sensor may further include two signal terminals and two failure detection terminals. The two signal terminals are respectively electrically connected to the two electrode layers, and the two failure detection terminals are respectively electrically connected to the failure detection electrodes. The touch sensor may further include a switch, one end of which is connected to a signal line, and the other end is selectively connected to two signal terminals or two failure detection terminals.

Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the touch sensor 23 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes two film layers 231a and 231b, two electrode layers 232a and 232b, two sensing layers 233a and 233b, a gap layer 234, a failure layer The detection electrode 235 includes two sub-failure detection electrodes 235a and 235b and a conductive connection portion 235c. FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional schematic view of the structure shown in FIG. 2 , wherein the film layer 231 a in FIG. 2 is removed in FIG. 3 to more clearly show the internal structure of the touch sensor 23 .

The two film layers 231a and 231b respectively have corresponding first inner surfaces 231af and second inner surfaces 231bf. The two electrode layers 232a and 232b are respectively disposed on the corresponding first inner surface 231af and the second inner surface 231bf, and are separated by a gap G. The two sensing layers 233a and 233b are respectively disposed on the corresponding electrode layers 232a and 232b. The gap layer 234 is disposed between the two film layers 231a and 231b to maintain a gap G between the two electrode layers 232a and 232b. The two sensing layers 233a and 233b can be pressure sensitive materials including conductive materials, and are formed on the two electrode layers 232a and 232b by coating or printing.

When the film layer 231a is contacted, it will be deformed under pressure, so that the distance between the two electrode layers 232a and 232b is shortened. At this time, the pressure-sensitive materials of the sensing layers 233a and 233b are subjected to pressure, so that the conductive materials in the pressure-sensitive materials are in contact, forming a conductive path between the two electrode layers 232a and 232b. The electrode layers 232a and 232b are respectively connected to the two signal terminals 23o and 23i (as shown in FIG. 4 ). If a conductive path is formed between the two electrode layers 232a and 232b, the voltage received by the signal terminal 23i can be output from the signal terminal 23o to a controller of an automation system as a contact signal.

The two sub-failure detection electrodes 235a and 235b are respectively disposed on the corresponding first inner surface 231af and the second inner surface 231bf, and are electrically isolated from the second electrode layers 232a and 232b. That is, the two sub-failure detection electrodes 235a and 235b are not electrically connected to the two electrode layers 232a and 232b, nor are they electrically connected to the two sensing layers 233a and 233b disposed on the two electrode layers 232a and 232b. A conductive connecting portion 235c is provided between the two sub-failure detection electrodes 235a and 235b to establish electrical connection, and the two sub-failure detection electrodes 235a and 235b are respectively connected to the two failure detection terminals 23fo and 23fi (as shown in FIG. 6 ).

The structures shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 may be caused by the poor quality of the manufacturing process or the aging of materials due to time, etc., causing the two film layers 231 a and 231 b to be peeled off from each other. The peeling of the film layers 231a and 231b will cause the gap G between the two electrode layers 232a and 232b to become larger, making it difficult to establish electrical connection between the electrode layers 232a and 232b when the film layers 231a are in contact. This causes the contact sensor to fail, unable to detect contact. With the design of this embodiment, the operator can detect whether the film is peeled off by connecting the failure detection terminals 23fo and 23fi. That is, the operator can apply a voltage to the failure detection terminal 23fi and detect whether the failure detection terminal 23fo has a voltage output. When the film layers 231a and 231b are not peeled off, the conductive connection portion 235c can establish an electrical connection between the sub-failure detection electrodes 235a and 235b, so that the failure detection terminal 23fo outputs a voltage. If the film layers 231a and 231b are peeled off from each other, the conductive connection portion 235c will be disconnected, so that the electrical connection between the sub-failure detection electrodes 235a and 235b cannot be established. Under this condition, the failure detection terminal 23fo has no output voltage. Therefore, by detecting whether the failure detection terminal 23fo has a voltage output, it can be known whether the film layers 231a and 231b are peeled off. In one embodiment, the voltage received by the failure detection terminal 23fi can be output from the failure detection terminal 23fo to a controller of an automation system, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Please refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , which are a touch sensor 23 ′ according to another embodiment of the present invention. Component symbols in FIGS. 4 and 5 are the same as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 . Since they are the same elements, they will not be repeated here. The difference between Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 and Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 is that the touch sensor 23' includes a failure detection electrode 236, which includes two sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b, and a conductive connection portion 236c. The two sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b are disposed on the same inner surface. In this embodiment, the two sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b are disposed on the second inner surface 231bf. In another embodiment, the two sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b can also be disposed on the first inner surface 231af (not shown), and the present invention is not limited thereto.

The two sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b are electrically isolated from the two electrode layers 232a and 232b, and a conductive connection portion 236c is provided between the two sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b to establish electrical connection, and the two sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b are electrically connected to each other. 236b is respectively connected to the two failure detection terminals 23fo and 23fi (as shown in FIG. 6).

The touch sensor 23 ′ shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is connected to the controller 11 (as shown in FIG. 1 ) through the signal line 14 for communication. However, the signal line 14 may be of poor quality due to the poor manufacturing process. Or the material is aged due to time and other reasons, resulting in poor signal transmission or disconnection, etc., which causes signal transmission failure, and the controller 11 cannot receive the signal transmitted by the touch sensor 23'. With the design of this embodiment, the operator can detect whether the signal line 14 is damaged by connecting the failure detection terminals 23fo and 23fi. That is, the operator can apply a voltage to the failure detection terminal 23fi and detect whether the failure detection terminal 23fo has a voltage output. When the signal line 14 is not damaged, the conductive connection portion 236c can establish an electrical connection between the sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b, so that the failure detection terminal 23fo outputs a voltage. If the signal line 14 is damaged, the voltage cannot be transmitted from the failure detection terminal 23fi to the failure detection terminal 23fo. Under this condition, the failure detection terminal 23fo has no output voltage. Therefore, by detecting whether the failure detection terminal 23fo has a voltage output, it can be known whether the signal line 14 is damaged. In one embodiment, the voltage received by the failure detection terminal 23fi can be output from the failure detection terminal 23fo to a controller of an automation system, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, a switch 41 can be connected between a signal line 14 having two wires, two signal terminals 23o and 23i, and two failure detection terminals 23fo and 23fi, so that the signal line 14 The two signal terminals 23o and 23i or the two failure detection terminals 23fo and 23fi can be selectively connected. In the normal operation mode, the switch 41 can connect the two wires of the signal line 14 and the two signal terminals 23o and 23i to detect whether there is contact. In the failure detection mode, the switch 41 can be switched to connect the two wires of the signal line 14 and the failure detection terminals 23fo and 23fi to detect whether the signal exchange (ie, the voltage transmission) fails. In this way, the operator can easily switch between the normal operation mode and the failure detection mode, which greatly improves the convenience of operation.

It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, referring to FIG. 7, a touch sensor 53 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes two film layers 531a and 531b, two electrode layers 532a and 532b, two sub-failure detection electrodes 535a and 535b, and a conductive connecting portion 535c . Different from the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the touch sensor 53 shown in FIG. 7 does not include a sensing layer and a gap layer. When the film layer 531a is contacted, it will be deformed by pressure, so that the two electrode layers 532a and 532b are in contact, and a conductive path is formed between the two electrode layers 532a and 532b, so that the contact sensor 53 can output a contact signal.

In this embodiment, the operation principle of the two sub-failure detection electrodes 535a and 535b and the conductive connection portion 535c is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 . Under the condition that the film layers 531a and 531b are not peeled off, the conductive connection portion 535c can establish an electrical connection between the sub-failure detection electrodes 535a and 535b. If the film layers 531a and 531b are peeled off from each other, the conductive connection portion 535c will be disconnected, so that the electrical connection between the sub-failure detection electrodes 535a and 535b cannot be established. Therefore, by detecting whether the failure detection terminal connected to the failure detection electrode has a voltage output, it can be known whether the film layer is peeled off.

Please refer to FIG. 8 , which is a touch sensor 53 ′ according to another embodiment of the present invention. The components in FIG. 8 with the same symbols as those in FIG. 7 are the same components, so they will not be repeated here. . The difference between Fig. 8 and Fig. 7 is that the touch sensor 53' includes two sub-failure detection electrodes 536a and 536b, and a conductive connection portion 536c. The two sub-failure detection electrodes 236a and 236b are disposed on the same inner surface, and the operation principle is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 . When the signal line 14 is not damaged, the voltage can be input from the failure detection terminal 23fi, and output to the failure detection terminal 23fo through the two sub-failure detection electrodes 536a and 536b and the conductive connection portion 536c. If the signal line 14 is damaged, the voltage cannot be output to the failure detection terminal 23fo through the two failure detection electrodes 536a and 536b and the conductive connection portion 536c. Therefore, by detecting whether the failure detection terminals 23fi and 23fo (as shown in FIG. 6 ) connected to the sub-failure detection electrodes 536a and 536b have voltage output, it can be known whether the signal line 14 is damaged.

Therefore, the contact sensor proposed by the present invention can quickly detect whether the contact sensor can communicate with the controller normally and be electrically connected to exchange signals by detecting the failure detection terminal connected to the failure detection electrode, thereby enhancing the contact. Convenience when using the sensor.

To sum up, although the present invention has been disclosed by the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the appended patent application.

1: Automation system 11: Controller 12: Movable components 13: Touch sensor 14: Signal line 23, 23': touch sensor 23o, 23i: signal terminal 23fo, 23fi: detection terminal 231a, 231b: film layer 231af: First inner surface 231bf: Second inner surface 232a, 232b: electrode layers 233a, 233b: Induction layer 234: Gap Layer 235: Failure detection electrode 235a, 235b: Sub-failure detection electrodes 235c: Conductive connection part 236: Failure detection electrode 236a, 236b: Sub-failure detection electrodes 236c: Conductive connection part 41: toggle switch 53, 53': touch sensor 531a, 531b: film layer 532a, 532b: electrode layers 535a, 535b: Sub-failure detection electrodes 535c: Conductive connection part 536a, 536b: Sub-failure detection electrodes 536c: Conductive connection part G: Gap

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional automated system with a contact detection mechanism. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a touch sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the three-dimensional structure of the touch sensor shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a touch sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the three-dimensional structure of the touch sensor shown in FIG. 4 . FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the connection status of the touch sensor, the switch and the signal line according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a touch sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a touch sensor according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

23: touch sensor

231a, 231b: film layer

231af: First inner surface

231bf: Second inner surface

232a, 232b: electrode layers

233a, 233b: Induction layer

234: Gap Layer

235: Failure detection electrode

235a, 235b: Sub-failure detection electrodes

235c: Conductive connection part

G: Gap

Claims (8)

A touch sensor comprising: two film layers, respectively having a first inner surface and a second inner surface opposite to each other; Two electrode layers are respectively disposed on the first inner surface and the second inner surface, and a gap is separated between the two electrode layers; and A failure detection electrode is disposed on at least one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface, and is electrically isolated from the two electrode layers. The touch sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: A sensing layer is disposed on one of the two electrode layers. The touch sensor according to claim 2, wherein the sensing layer includes a pressure-sensitive material, and the pressure-sensitive material includes at least one conductive substance. The touch sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: A gap layer is arranged between the two film layers to keep the gap between the two electrode layers. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the failure detection electrode comprises: Two sub-failure detection electrodes disposed on one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface; and A conductive connection portion is electrically connected to the two sub-failure detection electrodes. The touch sensor of claim 1, wherein the failure detection electrode comprises: Two sub-failure detection electrodes are respectively disposed on the first inner surface and the second inner surface; and A conductive connection portion is electrically connected to the two sub-failure detection electrodes. The touch sensor according to any one of claim 5 or 6, further comprising: two signal terminals, which are respectively electrically connected to the two electrode layers; and Two failure detection terminals, which are respectively electrically connected to the two sub-failure detection electrodes. The touch sensor as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: One end of a switch is connected to a signal line, and the other end is selectively connected to the two signal ends or the two failure detection ends.

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