CAPACITIVE SWITCH

• US 20080224900A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Konno, Yuji, Endo, Yoshihisa
• Application Number:
  US12/047,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224900A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/33
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960705 Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96072 Phase comparison, i.e. where a phase comparator receives at one input the signal directly from the oscillator, at a second input the same signal but delayed, with a delay depending on a sensing capacitance

Abstract

An input key and a detection circuit are not directly connected but are connected via a first capacitor. This prevents electrostatic noise obtained by the input key from directly entering the detection circuit, thereby protecting the detection circuit. Further, a first coupling line adapted to establish a connection between the input key and one of a pair of counter electrodes and a second coupling line adapted to establish a connection between the other counter electrode and the detection circuit are surrounded by ground electrodes. Thus, the effect of electrostatic noise is suppressed to provide a stable operation of the capacitive switch.

Claims

1. A capacitive switch for performing a switch opening and closing operation depending on whether or not a human body approaches or comes in contact with the capacitive switch on the basis of a change in capacitance which is monitored, the capacitive switch comprising:

an electrically conductive input key provided so as to be exposed on a surface of the capacitive switch;

a first capacitor having an end connected to the input key; and

a detection circuit configured to apply a predetermined signal to the first capacitor and to detect an output of the first capacitor to output a switching signal corresponding to the detected output,

wherein the first capacitor comprises a base member and a pair of counter electrodes arranged on either side of the base member so as to face each other with the base member therebetween.

2. The capacitive switch according to claim 1, wherein a connection portion connecting the input key to one of the counter electrodes is provided on a front side of the base member, the connection portion and the one counter electrode being connected via a first coupling line, and the other counter electrode and the detection circuit are connected via a second coupling line on a back side of the base member, and

wherein provided on each of the front and back sides of the base member facing the first coupling line or the second coupling line is a ground electrode arranged so as to surround the first coupling line or the second coupling line.

3. The capacitive switch according to claim 2, wherein the connection portion is surrounded by the ground electrode.

4. The capacitive switch according to claim 1, wherein when a human body approaches or comes in contact with the input key, the first capacitor is grounded via a second capacitor, the second capacitor being formed in association with the approach or contact of the human body.

5. The capacitive switch according to claim 1, wherein the input key is composed of an electrically conductive metal material.

6. The capacitive switch according to claim 1, wherein the input key is composed of an electrically conductive resin material.

7. The capacitive switch according to claim 1, wherein the input key comprises an electrically conductive material laminated on a surface of an insulating resin material.