TWI801679B - Sensor device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sensor adapted to suit curved surfaces includes a flexible substrate, a plurality of sensing units and a plurality of connection lines. The flexible substrate includes a plurality of connection sections. Each of the connection sections includes at least one closed hollow region. The sensing units disposed on the flexible substrate are arranged in an array. Each of the connection lines is connected between two adjacent ones of the sensing units. The connection sections disposed on the flexible substrate overlap the connection lines.

Description

Sensing device

The invention refers to a sensing device, especially a sensing device that can adapt to various curved surfaces, has high ductility and is not easy to break.

Medical sensors are increasingly important for medical diagnosis and treatment. Most of the existing medical sensors are rigid and cannot be placed on irregular curved surfaces and change their shape with the curved surface, or cannot directly contact with the body parts to be measured or treated and change their shapes with the body parts. These limitations affect Accuracy of measurement and effectiveness of treatment. Moreover, most of the existing medical sensors are composed of a solid substrate without holes, so the air permeability is poor, and the ductility is low, and the sensitivity or accuracy of sensing is easily affected by wrinkle deformation.

Therefore, the present invention mainly provides a sensing device, which can adapt to various curved surfaces, has high ductility and is not easy to break.

The invention discloses a sensing device adapted to a curved surface, comprising a flexible base, a plurality of sensing units and a plurality of connection lines. The flexible base includes a plurality of connection blocks. Each of the plurality of connecting blocks includes at least one closed hollow area. A plurality of sensing units, set in the on a flexible substrate and arranged in an array. A plurality of connection lines are arranged on the flexible base. Wherein, each of the plurality of connection lines is connected to two adjacent sensing units, and the plurality of connection blocks overlap the plurality of connection lines respectively.

10: Sensing device

100~900: flexible substrate

102~802, 902A1, 902A2, 902B1, 902B2: connection blocks

1022~8022: closed hollow area

1024: strip area

104:Component block

110: sensing unit

120: connecting line

2022R, 5022R: rounded corners

L1, L2, L4, L9A, L9B: Length

W1, W2, W3, W4, W5: Width

X, Y, Z: direction

FIG. 1A is a partial schematic diagram of a sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention when it is not stretched.

Figure 1B. A partial schematic view of the sensing device in Figure 1A when stretched.

FIG. 2 to FIG. 8 are partial schematic diagrams of flexible substrates according to embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a partial schematic diagram of a flexible substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. FIG. 1A is a partial schematic view of the sensing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention when it is not stretched. FIG. 1B and FIG. 1A show a partial view of the sensing device 10 stretched along the direction X. schematic diagram. The sensing device 10 includes a flexible substrate 100 , a sensing unit 110 and connecting wires 120 . The flexible substrate 100 includes connection blocks 102 and device blocks 104 , and each connection block 102 is connected between two adjacent device blocks 104 . As shown in FIG. 1A , each connection block 102 includes a closed hollow area 1022 and a strip area 1024 . The closed hollow area 1022 is connected between two adjacent strip areas 1024 , thus located between two opposite ends of the connecting block 102 . The sensing units 110 are respectively disposed on the element blocks 104 of the flexible substrate 100 to overlap with the element blocks 104 and arranged in an array. The connecting wires 120 are respectively arranged on the connecting blocks 102 of the flexible substrate 100 to overlap with the connecting blocks 102, and any connecting wire 120 is connected between two adjacent sensing units 110 to transmit signals to Between two adjacent sensing units 110 .

In short, compared with a substrate without holes, the sensing device 10 forms a hollow structure by connecting the connection block 102 between two adjacent element blocks 104, so the sensing device 10 can improve The sensing device 10 is air-permeable and has high ductility, so it can be adapted to various curved surfaces, and can avoid wrinkle deformation from affecting the sensitivity or accuracy of the sensing device 10 . In addition, the closed hollow area 1022 of the sensing device 10 can further enhance the extensibility of the sensing device 10, and can improve the reliability (reliability) without being easily broken, and can prevent the sensing unit 110 from being damaged when the sensing device 10 is stretched. rotate.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1B , when the sensing device 10 is stretched along the direction X, the sensing unit 110 and the connecting wire 120 can extend along with the flexible substrate 100 . Further, the shape of the closed hollow area 1022 of the connection block 102 can be changed appropriately, for example, the lower and upper closed hollow areas 1022 change from the pill shape shown in FIG. 1A to the diamond shape shown in FIG. 1B . In this way, the effective length of the connection block 102 can be further increased, thereby improving the scalability. Accordingly, the sensing device 10 can be changed from the length L1 shown in FIG. 1A to the length L2 shown in FIG. 1B . Therefore, the extension per unit length of the element block 104 of the flexible substrate 100 is different from the extension per unit length of the closed hollow area 1022, that is, when the sensing device 10 is stretched along a direction (such as the direction X), when The length change of the unit block 104 in this direction before and after stretching is smaller than the length change of the unit length of the closed hollow area 1022 in this direction before and after stretching.

In some embodiments, when the sensing device 10 is locally squeezed along the direction Z, the sensing device 10 can be stretched in multiple directions (such as the direction X or the direction Y) to buffer the tension of the extrusion, so that Therefore, the sensing device 10 can be adapted to various curved surfaces, and can avoid wrinkle deformation from affecting the sensitivity or accuracy of the sensing device 10 . Accordingly, the sensing device 10 can be laid on soft materials such as mattresses, cushions, insoles, etc. to detect the temperature, pressure, or movement, humidity or emissions of non-planar objects (such as human bodies) in contact with soft materials. type. In this case, the sensing unit 110 can correspondingly be a temperature detector, a pressure Sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, humidity sensors, fluid sensors, or chemical sensors, but not limited thereto. In addition, if the sensing device 10 is stretched within the elastic limit, the deformation of the sensing device 10 is reversible, that is, the sensing device 10 returns to its original shape when the external force is removed.

In order to optimize the extensibility of the sensing device 10 , the geometric ratio of the flexible substrate 100 can be adjusted according to different design considerations. For example, Tables 1 to 3 respectively list the relationship between the geometric ratio and the elongation of the flexible substrate 100 . Wherein, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , the closed hollow area 1022 can be defined according to a hollow outline (such as a pill shape or a diamond shape). In Tables 1 to 3, W2 is the width of the strip region 1024 of the flexible substrate 100 when it is not stretched, and W3 is the width of the closed hollow region 1022 of the flexible substrate 100 when it is not stretched (or it can be called the first Three widths), W4 is the width (or can be called the fourth width) of the hollow outline of the closed hollow area 1022 when it is not stretched, and L4 is the length (or can be called the fourth width) of the hollow outline of the closed hollow area 1022 when it is not stretched length), dW is the difference between the unstretched width W4 and the stretched width W5 of the hollow outline of the closed hollow area 1022 (that is, the extension of the closed hollow area 1022). In Table 1, W3:W4=1:1; in Table 2, W3:W4=1:2; in Table 3, W3:W4=1:3. It can be known from Table 1 to Table 3 that when the ratio of W3:W2 is larger, the elongation dW of the closed hollow area 1022 is larger, that is, the elongation of the flexible substrate 100 is relatively higher. Similarly, when the ratio of W4:L4 is larger, the extension dW of the closed hollow area 1022 is smaller; or, when the ratio of W4:W3 is larger, the extension dW of the closed hollow area 1022 is smaller. In addition, the extension dW of the closed hollow area 1022 is related to the width W2 of the strip area 1024 , the width W3 of the closed hollow area 1022 , the width W4 and the length L4 of the hollow outline of the closed hollow area 1022 .

In order to improve the structural strength of the sensing device 10 , the geometric ratio of the flexible substrate 100 can be further adjusted according to different design considerations. In some embodiments, the width W2 (or may be referred to as the second width) of the connection block 102 of the flexible substrate 100 is smaller than the width W1 (or may be referred to as the first width) of the element block 104, but not limit. In some embodiments, in order to improve reliability, the connection block 102 has symmetry with respect to the direction X (or may be called the first direction) and the direction Y (or may be called the second direction). In some embodiments, in order to improve reliability, the closed hollow area 1022 may have a hollow structure defined by a hollow outline, thereby substantially increasing the effective width of the connection block 102 at the closed hollow area 1022 . That is to say, by having a symmetrical connection block 102 and increasing the effective width of the connection block 102 , the stress can be uniformly distributed and the structural strength can be increased to prevent the connection block 102 from breaking or peeling off, thereby improving reliability. In addition, by The connection block 102 has symmetry, so the sensing unit 110 can be prevented from rotating when the sensing device 10 is stretched, and the difference between the sensing unit 110 and the flexible substrate 100 or the flexible substrate 100 can be avoided. The friction between the film layers ensures the service life of the sensing unit 110 .

In some embodiments, the flexible substrate 100 can be made of polymer, such as polyimide (Polyimide, PI), polyamide (Polyamide, PA), silicone polymer (polymerized siloxanes or polysiloxanes), polyurethane (polyurethanes, PU) or polyester (Polyester). In some embodiments, the flexible substrate 100 may have a single-layer or multilayer structure. Similarly, the sensing unit 110 or the connecting wire 120 may also have a single-layer or multi-layer structure. In some embodiments, the connection wire 120 can be made of high-conductivity metal (such as copper or gold). In some embodiments, the sensing device 10 can be a flexible printed circuit board (Flexible Printed Circuit, FPC) or the sensing device 10 can be manufactured by a method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board.

In some embodiments, in order to further improve the reliability, the connecting wire 120 can be disposed in the connecting block 102 of the flexible substrate 100 and partially or completely covered by the connecting block 102, so as to avoid the connection between the connecting block 102 and the connecting wire. 120 is broken or peeled off, and the reliability is improved. In some embodiments, the sensing device 10 may further include a reinforcing layer for covering the flexible substrate 100 to increase the structural strength.

As shown in FIG. 1A , the wiring method of the connecting wire 120 can be adjusted according to different design considerations. In some embodiments, the closed hollow area 1022 may be partially surrounded or completely surrounded by the connection lines 120 . For example, as shown in FIG. 1A , the upper, left and right closed hollow areas 1022 are completely surrounded by the connecting lines 120 , while the lower closed hollow areas 1022 are partially surrounded by the connecting lines 120 . In some embodiments, the routing of the connection wires 120 at the closed hollow area 1022 may be symmetrical or asymmetrical. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the wiring of the connection line 120 at the upper and right closed hollow areas 1022 is symmetrical, and the connection The routing of the line 120 at the lower and left closed hollow area 1022 is asymmetrical.

It should be noted that the sensing device 10 is an embodiment of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications accordingly. For example, in some embodiments, the sensing device 10 may further include an adhesive layer for adhering the flexible substrate 100 to a non-planar object. In some embodiments, the sensing device 10 may further include a protective layer for covering the flexible substrate 100 to provide an isolation effect against intrusion of liquid, moisture, dust, and other substances, or to improve surface comfort. In some embodiments, the protective layer can be formed by coating treatment. In some embodiments, the sensing unit 110 may include a processing circuit, a storage module, a power module, and a communication interface. The processing circuit may be a microprocessor or an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), but is not limited thereto. The storage module can be a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a flash memory (flash memory) or a Random-Access Memory (Random-Access Memory) , RAM), but not limited to this. The power module can be a battery or a solar panel. The communication interface can be a transceiver, such as a wireless transceiver, for sending and receiving signals (such as messages or packets, etc.), but not limited thereto.

The hollow outline of the closed hollow area 1022 can be adjusted according to different design considerations. In some embodiments, the hollow outline of the enclosed hollow area 1022 may be circular, oval, diamond, polygonal, dumbbell-shaped, pill-shaped, funnel-shaped or other combined patterns, but not limited thereto. For example, please refer to FIG. 2 to FIG. 8 . FIG. 2 to FIG. 8 are partial schematic diagrams of flexible substrates 200 - 800 according to embodiments of the present invention. The structures of the flexible substrates 200-800 are similar to the flexible substrate 100, so the same components are represented by the same symbols. The flexible substrates 200 - 800 respectively include connection blocks 202 - 802 and the component block 104 . Each connection block 202 - 802 includes a closed hollow area 2022 - 8022 and a strip area 1024 . The closed hollow areas 2022~8022 respectively have hollow contours of different shapes. In addition, the closed hollow areas 2022, 5022 respectively include The rounded corners 2022R, 5022R are included to further increase the structural strength, avoid tearing of the closed hollow areas 2022, 5022, and improve reliability. Furthermore, the number of closed hollow areas 1022 between two adjacent device blocks 104 can be adjusted according to different design considerations. In some embodiments, a plurality of closed hollow regions 1022 can be connected in series through a plurality of strip regions 1024 to further improve the extensibility of the sensing device 10 . For example, as shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 8, three closed hollow areas 2022-8022 are respectively set between two adjacent component blocks 104, and the closed hollow areas 2022-8022 can respectively pass through four The stripe regions 1024 are connected in series.

The lengths of different connection blocks 102 or the number of closed hollow areas 1022 can be adjusted according to different design considerations. For example, please refer to FIG. 9 , which is a partial schematic view of a flexible substrate 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The structure of the flexible substrate 900 is similar to that of the flexible substrate 100, so the same components are represented by the same symbols. The difference is that the connection blocks of the flexible substrate 900 can be divided into connection blocks 902A1 , 902A2 , 902B1 , 902B2 . The connection blocks 902A1 and 902A2 are parallel to the direction X, and the connection blocks 902B1 and 902B2 are parallel to the direction Y. In addition, the length L9A (or may be referred to as the second length) of the connection blocks 902A1 and 902A2 is different from the length L9B (or may be referred to as the third length) of the connection blocks 902B1 and 902B2. In some embodiments, the number of closed hollow areas 1022 in the connection blocks 902A1 , 902A2 , 902B1 , 902B2 may be different. As shown in Figure 9, the connecting block 902A1 includes one closed hollow area 1022, the connecting block 902A2 includes two closed hollow areas 1022, the connecting block 902B1 includes two closed hollow areas 1022, and the connecting block 902B2 Contains 3 closed hollow areas 1022 .

To sum up, compared with the substrate without holes, the sensing device 10 of the present invention forms a hollow structure by connecting the connection block 102 between two adjacent element blocks 104, so the sensing device 10 can improve the air permeability of the sensing device 10 , has high ductility, can be adapted to various curved surfaces, and can prevent wrinkle deformation from affecting the sensitivity or accuracy of the sensing device 10 . In addition, the closed hollow area 1022 of the present invention can further improve the extensibility of the sensing device 10, and can improve the reliability without easy breakage, and can prevent the sensing unit 110 from rotating when the sensing device 10 is stretched.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

10: Sensing device

100: flexible base

102: Connect blocks

1022: closed hollow area

1024: strip area

104:Component block

110: sensing unit

120: connecting line

L1, L4: Length

W1, W2, W3, W4: Width

X, Y, Z: direction

Claims (10)

A sensing device, adapted to a curved surface, includes: a flexible base, including a plurality of connecting blocks, each of the plurality of connecting blocks includes at least one closed hollow area; a plurality of sensing The unit is arranged on the flexible base and arranged in an array; and a plurality of connecting lines is arranged on the flexible base, wherein each of the plurality of connecting lines is connected to the plurality of sensing For the two adjacent units, the plurality of connection blocks are respectively overlapped with the plurality of connection lines, and the plurality of connection blocks respectively surround a plurality of hollow structures. stretch. The sensing device as claimed in item 1, wherein the flexible substrate further includes a plurality of element blocks, and the plurality of element blocks overlap the plurality of sensing units respectively, when the sensing device is stretched The extension per unit length of each of the plurality of device blocks is different from the extension per unit length of each of the at least one closed hollow area. The sensing device according to claim 2, wherein a first width of each of the plurality of element blocks is greater than a second width of each of the plurality of connection blocks. The sensing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one closed hollow area has a third width, each of the at least one closed hollow area is defined according to a hollow outline, the hollow outline has a fourth width and A first length, an extension of each of the at least one closed hollow area is related to the third width, the fourth width or the first length. The sensing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one closed hollow area A hollow outline is circular, oval, rhombus, polygonal, dumbbell-shaped, pill-shaped or funnel-shaped. The sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection blocks are symmetrical with respect to a first direction or a second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The sensing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of the at least one closed hollow area between the two opposite ends of one of the plurality of connection blocks is different from that of the other of the plurality of connection blocks The quantity of the at least one closed hollow area between two opposite end points of one of them. The sensing device as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection blocks include a plurality of first connection blocks and a plurality of second connection blocks, and a second length of the plurality of first connection blocks is different A third length in the plurality of second connection blocks. The sensing device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the number of the at least one closed hollow area of one of the plurality of first connection blocks is different from the at least one of one of the plurality of second connection blocks The number of closed hollow areas. The sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one closed hollow area is partially or completely surrounded by the plurality of connection lines.

Images