Flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor

• US 20090273483A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Tompkins, Michael, DeAngelis, Alfred R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/657
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/142 using capacitors

Abstract

The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system contains an electroluminescent capacitive sensor, a capacitance meter, and an electroluminescence electronic drive. The capacitive sensor contains in order a first barrier layer, a first transparent electrode layer, a phosphor layer, a second electrode layer, a flexible, resilient dielectric layer, and an electrically conductive reference layer. The capacitance meter is electrically connected to the electrically conductive reference layer and either the second electrode layer or the first electrode layer. The electroluminescence electronic drive is electrically connected to the first transparent electrode layer and the second electrode layer. The first electrode layer has a first voltage, the second electrode layer has a second voltage, and the conductive reference layer has a third voltage. The first or second electrodes may be patterned to allow for multiple sensor regions integrated into a single sensor structure.

Claims

1. A flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system comprising an electroluminescent capacitive sensor, a capacitance meter, and an electroluminescence electronic drive, wherein the capacitive sensor comprises in order:

a first barrier layer;

a first transparent electrode layer;

a phosphor layer;

a second electrode layer;

a flexible, resilient dielectric layer; and

,

an electrically conductive reference layer,

wherein the capacitance meter is electrically connected to the electrically conductive, reference layer and either the second electrode layer or the first transparent electrode layer, wherein the electroluminescence electronic drive is electrically connected to the first transparent electrode layer and the second electrode layer, wherein the first transparent electrode layer has a first voltage, the second electrode layer has a second voltage, and the electrically conductive reference layer has a third voltage.

2. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third voltages have a difference of at least 0.1 volts.

3. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the electroluminescence electronic drive delivers electricity to the phosphor layer in response to the capacitance meter.

4. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer comprises at least two individually electrically addressed detectors and traces and wherein the capacitive meter is attached to each trace.

5. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 4, wherein the first transparent electrode layer is patterned such that it is in registration with the detectors in the second electrode layer.

6. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first transparent electrode layer comprises at least two individually electrically addressed detectors and traces and wherein the capacitive meter is attached to each trace.

7. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 6, wherein the second electrode layer is patterned such that it is in registration with the detectors in the first transparent electrode layer.

8. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the capacitance meter monitors the capacitance change between the second electrode and the conductive reference layer.

9. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the capacitance meter monitors the capacitance change between the first transparent electrode and the conductive reference layer.

10. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a film essentially free of voids having a thickness of between 8 and 250 micrometers.

11. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first flexible, resilient dielectric layer comprises a foam.

12. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer is a spacer fabric;

13. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer has a thickness of between 1 and 10 millimeters.

14. The flexible electroluminescent capacitive sensor system of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer compresses by 50% when a load of between 0.1 and 10 bars is applied.