Pressure sensor and robot hand system

• US 20090200815A1
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugahara, Atsushi, Ogawa, Hideki
• Application Number:
  US12/320,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20090200815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 294/106
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/082 Grasping-force detectors in general G01L5/16, G01L5/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/146 for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays G01L1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2206 Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/228 using tactile array force sensors

Abstract

According to one embodiment in the invention, a pressure sensor includes: an inner flexible insulation substrate; a plurality of inner electrodes arranged on the inner flexible insulation substrate at a certain distance from each other; an outer flexible insulation substrate disposed along an outer face of the inner flexible insulating substrate so that the inner electrodes are disposed between the inner flexible insulation substrate and the outer flexible insulation substrate; a plurality of outer electrodes disposed on an outer face of the outer flexible insulation substrate at a given distance from each other; and an elastic cover covering the outer face of the outer flexible insulating substrate with the outer electrodes, wherein respective distances between the inner electrodes and the outer electrodes are variable by a pressure applied externally to the elastic cover.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising:

an inner flexible insulation substrate;

a plurality of inner electrodes arranged on the inner flexible insulation substrate at a certain distance from each other;

an outer flexible insulation substrate disposed along an outer face of the inner flexible insulating substrate so that the inner electrodes are disposed between the inner flexible insulation substrate and the outer flexible insulation substrate;

a plurality of outer electrodes disposed on an outer face of the outer flexible insulation substrate at a given distance from each other; and

an elastic cover covering the outer face of the outer flexible insulating substrate with the outer electrodes,

wherein respective distances between the inner electrodes and the outer electrodes are variable by a pressure applied externally to the elastic cover.

2. The pressure sensor according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of elastic columns that are arranged between the inner electrodes and between the outer electrodes to keep the respective distances between the inner electrodes and the outer electrodes.

3. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the outer flexible insulation substrate and the inner flexible insulation substrate have a plurality of through holes configured to be filled by the elastic columns.

4. The pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the outer flexible insulation substrate and the inner flexible insulation substrate have overlapping portions that overlaps each other, at least a part of the through holes being formed on the overlapping portions and the overlapping portions being bonded to each other with an adhesive.

5. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the inner flexible insulation substrate, the outer flexible insulation substrate and the elastic cover are respectively configured to form a rectangular parallelepiped with an open bottom face.

6. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the inner electrodes include first longitudinal plates parallely arranged on a first virtual plane,

wherein the outer electrodes include second longitudinal plates parallely arranged on a second virtual plane that is parallel with the first virtual plane, and

wherein a longitudinal direction of the inner electrodes is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the outer electrodes.

7. A robot hand system comprising:

a robot hand;

an inner flexible insulation substrate disposed to cover an outer periphery of a tip portion of the robot hand;

a plurality of inner electrodes arranged on the inner flexible insulation substrate at a predetermined distance from each other;

an outer flexible insulation substrate disposed along an outer face of the inner flexible insulating substrate so that the inner electrodes are disposed between the inner flexible insulation substrate and the outer flexible insulation substrate;

a plurality of outer electrodes disposed on an outer face of the outer flexible insulation substrate at a given distance from each other; and

an elastic cover covering the outer face of the outer flexible insulating substrate with the outer electrodes,

wherein respective distances between the inner electrodes and the outer electrodes are variable by a pressure applied externally to the elastic cover.

8. A pressure sensor comprising:

a flexible insulation substrate including;

a conductor wire;

a first overlapping portion;

a second overlapping portion overlapping with the first overlapping portion;

a first through hole formed on the first overlapping portion; and

a second through hole formed on the second overlapping portion; and

an elastic column,

wherein the flexible insulation substrate keeps a three-dimensional shape by bonding the first overlapping potion to the second overlapping portion so that the first through hole and the second through hole are communicated with each other to allow the elastic column to be inserted therethrough.