Capacitance sensor and direction detection device including same

• US 10,641,787 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jeong Han, Cho, Won Keun, Kim, Bi Yi, Park, Hyun Gyu, Cho, In Hee, Hong, Seung Kwon
• Primary Examiner(s): Rios Russo, Raul J
• Application Number:
  US15/749,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20180231578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 324 7611- 7683, 324600, 324649, 324658, 324661
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2417 by varying separation
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/02 Indicating direction only, e.g. by weather vane
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/12 in circuits having distributed constants
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/02 Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/14 Measuring resistance by measuring current or voltage obtained from a reference source G01R27/16, G01R27/20, G01R27/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2648 Characterising semiconductor materials testing of materials or semi-finished products G01R31/2831; testing during manufacture H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2837 Characterising or performance testing, e.g. of frequency response transient response G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A direction detecting device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes; a structure having at least two through-holes passing through an upper surface and a lower surface thereof; and at least two electrode units inserted into the at least two through-holes and each including a dielectric layer, a first electrode layer disposed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer and exposed at the upper surface of the structure, and a second electrode layer disposed on a lower surface of the dielectric layer and exposed at the lower surface of the structure.

Claims

1. A capacity sensor comprising:

a structure having at least two through-holes each separately passing through an upper surface of the structure and through a lower surface of the structure; and

at least two electrode units disposed in the at least two through-holes such that a first electrode unit of the electrode units is disposed in a first one of the at least two through-holes and a second electrode unit of the electrode units is disposed in a second one of the at least two through-holes,

wherein each of the at least two electrode units comprises;

a dielectric layer;

a first electrode layer disposed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer and exposed at the upper surface of the structure to an outside of the structure; and

a second electrode layer disposed on a lower surface of the dielectric layer and exposed at the lower surface of the structure to the outside of the structure.

2. The capacity sensor of claim 1, wherein a time at which capacitance of the dielectric layer of the first electrode unit is changed is different from a time at which capacitance of the dielectric layer of the second electrode unit is changed.

3. The capacity sensor of claim 1, wherein any one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the electrode unit has at least one of a bar shape, a zigzag shape, and a wave shape.

4. The capacity sensor of claim 1, wherein the first electrode unit is in complete contact with a side surface of the first one of the through-holes, and the second electrode unit is in complete contact with a side surface of the second one of the through-holes.

5. The capacity sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least two through-holes have the same width.

6. The capacity sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least two through-holes have different widths.

7. The capacity sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the at least two electrode units comprise the first electrode unit and a third electrode unit disposed at an edge of the structure, and the second electrode unit disposed between the first electrode unit and the third electrode unit, and

a width of each of the first electrode unit and the third electrode unit is smaller than a width of the second electrode unit.

8. The capacity sensor of claim 1, wherein the first one of the at least two through-holes is spaced apart from the second one of the at least two through-holes.

9. The capacity sensor of claim 8, wherein the first electrode unit is spaced apart from the second electrode unit.

10. The capacity sensor of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 30 mm.

11. A direction detecting device comprising:

a structure having at least two through-holes each separately passing through an upper surface of the structure and through a lower surface of the structure;

a capacity sensor comprising at least two electrode units disposed in the at least two through-holes such that a first electrode unit of the electrode units is disposed in a first one of the at least two through-holes and a second electrode unit of the electrode units is disposed in a second one of the at least two through-holes; and

a direction sensor connected to the capacity sensor to sense a movement direction,

wherein each of the at least two electrode units comprises;

a dielectric layer;

a first electrode layer disposed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer and exposed at the upper surface of the structure to an outside of the structure; and

a second electrode layer disposed on a lower surface of the dielectric layer and exposed at the lower surface of the structure to the outside of the structure.

12. The direction detecting device of claim 11, wherein the direction sensor determines that an object moves toward an electrode unit, in which a change in capacitance occurs later than other electrode units, of the at least two electrode units.

13. The direction detecting device of claim 11, wherein a time at which capacitance of the dielectric layer of the first electrode unit is changed is different from a time at which capacitance of the dielectric layer of the second electrode unit is changed.

14. The direction detecting device of claim 13, wherein, when the capacitance of the dielectric layer of the first electrode unit is changed at a first time (T1) and the capacitance of the dielectric layer of the second electrode unit of the at least two electrode units is changed at a second time (T2) (here, T2>

T1), it is determined that an object moves from the first electrode unit to the second electrode unit.

15. The direction detecting device of claim 11, wherein an upper surface of the electrode unit has a shape selected from a bar shape, a zigzag shape, and a wave shape.

16. The direction detecting device of claim 11, wherein the first electrode unit is in complete contact with a side surface of the first one of the through-holes, and the second electrode unit is in complete contact with a side surface of the second one of the through-holes.

17. The direction detecting device of claim 11, wherein the at least two through-holes have the same width.

18. The direction detecting device of claim 11, wherein the at least two through-holes have different widths.

19. The direction detecting device of claim 11, wherein:

the at least two electrode units comprise the first electrode unit and a third electrode unit disposed at an edge of the structure, and the second electrode unit disposed between the first electrode unit and the third electrode unit; and

a width of each of the first electrode unit and the third electrode unit is smaller than a width of the second electrode unit.

20. The direction detecting device of claim 11, wherein the first one of the at least two through-holes is spaced apart from the second one of the at least two through-holes, and the first electrode unit is spaced apart from the second electrode unit.