Capacitive sensor having bending portion and flat portion

• US 10,564,784 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Koike, Yusuke, Kobayashi, Kiyoshi, Takahashi, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dicke, Chad M
• Application Number:
  US15/945,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20180224975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 345174, 178 1806
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/22 using change in capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A capacitive sensor having a bending portion and a flat portion and bendable in the bending portion includes a plurality of first transparent electrodes, a plurality of second transparent electrodes, a coupling member, and a bridge wiring member. The first transparent electrodes are arranged in a first direction. The second transparent electrodes are arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction. The coupling member is provided integrally with either the first transparent electrodes or the second transparent electrodes. The bridge wiring member is provided separately from the first transparent electrodes or the second transparent electrodes, to which the coupling member is not provided, in a portion where the bridge wiring member crosses the coupling member. A direction in which the coupling member extends in the bending portion is different from a direction in which the coupling member extends in the flat portion.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor having a bending portion and a flat portion and bendable in the bending portion, the capacitive sensor comprising:

a flexible substrate having a detection area defined thereon;

a plurality of first electrodes having light transparency and provided in the detection area, the plurality of first electrodes extending in a first direction and being arranged side by side in a second direction crossing the first direction, each first electrode including a plurality of first transparent electrodes arranged in the first direction and electrically connected to one another, each first transparent electrode having a rhombus shape;

a plurality of second electrodes having light transparency and provided in the detection area, the plurality of second electrodes extending in the second direction and being arranged side by side in the first direction, each second electrode including a plurality of second transparent electrodes arranged in the second direction and electrically connected to one another;

a coupling member provided to two adjacent second transparent electrodes among the plurality of second transparent electrodes, the coupling member being integrally formed with the two adjacent second transparent electrodes so as to electrically connect the two adjacent second transparent electrodes; and

a bridge wiring member provided to the two adjacent first transparent electrodes to which the coupling member is not provided, the bridge wiring member crossing over the coupling member so as to electrically connect the two adjacent first transparent electrodes to which the bridge wiring member is provided,

wherein the capacitive sensor has a first area corresponding to the flat portion of the panel and a second area corresponding to the bending portion of the panel,

wherein the coupling member is provided to the two adjacent second transparent electrodes in the plurality of second electrodes such that a direction in which the coupling member extends in the second area is different from a direction in which the coupling member extends in the first area,

wherein the two adjacent first transparent electrodes in the second area each has an extending portion extending from an end portion of the rhombus shape such that the extending portions of the two adjacent first transparent electrodes face each other, the bridge wiring member in the second area connecting respective end portions of the extending portions of the two adjacent first transparent electrodes so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the first direction,

and wherein the bridge wiring member in the first area connects respective corner portions of the rhombus shape of the two adjacent first transparent electrodes so as to extend in the first direction.

2. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the direction in which the coupling member extends in the second area is oblique to the direction in which the coupling member extends in the first area.

3. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the bridge wiring member provided in the second area extends in a direction crossing a direction of bending stress.

4. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor is bendable along an axis in the second area, and the bridge wiring member provided in the second area extends in a direction parallel to the axis.

5. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein in the second area, the second transparent electrodes and the bridge wiring members are alternately and repeatedly disposed such that the bridge wiring members extend in the direction orthogonal to the first direction.