Sensor including an electrode, insulator, pressure receiver, and pressure imparting unit, and a system including the sensor

• US 10,458,816 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Hideyuki, Kondoh, Tsuneaki, Sugawara, Tomoaki, Arizumi, Yuko, Natori, Junichiro, Araumi, Mayuka, Imai, Takahiro, Nakashima, Makito, Aoki, Kimio, Otagiri, Mizuki, Kitamura, Megumi, Hoshikawa, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vinh P
• Application Number:
  US15/827,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20180156639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2417 by varying separation
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/9651 the moving element acting on a force, e.g. pressure sensitive element

Abstract

A sensor includes an electrode, an insulator, a pressure receiver, and a pressure imparting unit. The insulator is disposed at a position facing the electrode and away from the electrode. The pressure receiver is disposed on a surface of the insulator on a side opposite to the electrode. The pressure imparting unit presses a part of the insulator toward the electrode at a position different from the pressure receiver to contact the insulator with the electrode. The insulator generates power by contact charging or separation charging with respect to the electrode, to output the power as a signal.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

an electrode;

an insulator disposed at a position facing the electrode and away from the electrode;

a cover which surrounds the electrode and the insulator, the cover including a lid, the insulator abutting an inner surface of the lid;

a pressure receiver disposed on a first portion of an outer surface of the lid, the pressure receiver being a contact detector and facing the insulator through the lid; and

a pressure imparting unit which presses a second portion of the outer surface of the lid so as to press a part of the insulator toward the electrode at a position different from the pressure receiver to contact the insulator with the electrode, the second portion of the outer surface of the lid being different than the first portion of the outer surface of the lid,

wherein the insulator generates power by contact charging or separation charging with respect to the electrode, to output the power as a signal.

2. The sensor according to claim 1,

wherein a space is disposed between the insulator and the electrode.

3. The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer to form a space between the insulator and the electrode.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

an element including a lamination of the electrode and the insulator.

5. A sensor system comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1; and

a signal processor to process a signal output from the electrode of the sensor.

6. The sensor system according to claim 5,

wherein the signal processor controls an operation of the pressure imparting unit in accordance with the signal and a preset determination value.