Pressure-sensitive sensor

• US 10,451,496 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Inventors: Sugita, Keisuke, Nakayama, Akinari
• Primary Examiner(s): Woodward, Nathaniel T
• Application Number:
  US15/841,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20180180495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/08 Tubular products
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2270/00 Resin or rubber layer containing a blend of at least two different polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2274/00 Thermoplastic elastomer material thermoplastic elastomer fibres B32B2262/0215, thermoplastic elastomer particles B32B2264/0221, thermoplastic elastomer foam B32B2266/0292
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/206 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/306 Resistant to heat
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/50 having particular mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/51 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/546 Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7265 Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/732 Dimensional properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/042 of natural rubber or synthetic rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/14 comprising synthetic rubber copolymers B32B25/18 and B32B25/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/16 comprising polydienes homopolymers or poly-halodienes homopolymers B32B25/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/28 comprising synthetic resins not wholly covered by any one of the sub-groups B32B27/30 - B32B27/42
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/285 comprising polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/302 : comprising aromatic vinyl (co)polymers, e.g. styrenic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/306 : comprising vinyl acetate or vinyl alcohol (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 : comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/34 : comprising polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 : comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 : comprising polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/08 : characterised by added members at particular parts layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/04 : Interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2281 : for temperature variations
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2287 : constructional details of the strain gauges adjustable resistors H01C10/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/28 : natural or synthetic rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/302 : Polyurethanes or polythiourethanes; Polyurea or polythiourea

Abstract

A pressure-sensitive sensor includes a long hollow insulation that is elastically deformable and includes a hollow portion extending continuously in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of electrode wires that are provided along the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion throughout the longitudinal length and are arranged facing each other with a distance therebetween so as to come into contact with each other when bent with elastic deformation of the hollow insulation, each electrode wire being formed by providing a conductive cover around a conductor, and an outer layer formed to cover an outer surface of the hollow insulation. The hollow insulation includes an insulating composition (A) including a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (a1). The outer layer including an insulating composition (C) including a thermoplastic polyurethane (c1) and an acid-modified polymer (c2) that is modified with an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof.

Claims

1. A pressure-sensitive sensor, comprising:

a long hollow insulation that is elastically deformable and comprises a hollow portion extending continuously in a longitudinal direction;

a plurality of electrode wires that are provided along an inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion throughout a longitudinal length and are arranged facing each other with a distance therebetween so as to come into contact with each other when bent with elastic deformation of the hollow insulation, each electrode wire being formed by providing a conductive cover around a conductor; and

an outer layer formed to cover an outer surface of the hollow insulation,

wherein the hollow insulation comprises an insulating composition (A) comprising a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (a1), and

wherein the outer layer comprises an insulating composition (C) comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane (c1) and an acid-modified polymer (c2) that is modified with an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof.

2. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the insulating composition (C) constituting the outer layer comprises not less than 30 parts by mass and not more than 99 parts by mass of the thermoplastic polyurethane (c1) and not less than 1 part by mass and not more than 70 parts by mass of the acid-modified polymer (c2) totaling 100 parts by mass.

3. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane (c1) comprises a polyether-based polyurethane.

4. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 2, wherein the acid-modified polymer (c2) has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 70% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

5. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 2, wherein the outer layer has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 60% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

6. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 2, wherein the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (a1) has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 30% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

7. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of electrode wires are spirally arranged inside the hollow portion so as to face each other without contact with each other.

8. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane (c1) comprises a polyether-based polyurethane.

9. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein the acid-modified polymer (c2) has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 70% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

10. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein the outer layer has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 60% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

11. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (a1) has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 30% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

12. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of electrode wires are spirally arranged inside the hollow portion so as to face each other without contact with each other.

13. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the acid-modified polymer (c2) has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 70% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

14. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 13, wherein the outer layer has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 60% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

15. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 13, wherein the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (a1) has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 30% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

16. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of electrode wires are spirally arranged inside the hollow portion so as to face each other without contact with each other.

17. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the outer layer has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 60% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

18. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 17, wherein the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (a1) has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 30% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

19. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of electrode wires are spirally arranged inside the hollow portion so as to face each other without contact with each other.

20. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (a1) has a compression set at 70°

C. of not more than 30% as measured in accordance with JIS K6262.

21. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of electrode wires are spirally arranged inside the hollow portion so as to face each other without contact with each other.

22. The pressure-sensitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrode wires are spirally arranged inside the hollow portion so as to face each other without contact with each other.