DETECTION SENSOR AND DETECTION SENSOR FABRICATION METHOD

• US 20160378223A1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shin-Etsu Polymer Company Limited (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Shin-Etsu Polymer Company Limited (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Inventors: HYUGA, Shunta, WATANABE, Kimihiko
• Application Number:
  US15/103,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378223A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer

Abstract

There is provided a technology making it possible to improve operability and reliability of a detection sensor. A detection sensor detecting a pressing state on an operation surface in a pressing direction, includes: a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer both configured to detect variation in electrostatic capacitance; and a displacement layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, the displacement layer being adapted to vary a distance between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in response to pressing of the operation surface, in which the displacement layer includes a rubbery elastic body and includes a plurality of columnar parts each stretchable in the pressing direction, one or both of a surface of the first electrode layer facing the displacement layer and a surface of the second electrode layer facing the displacement layer are provided with a bonding layer that is configured of a rubbery elastic layer or a coating layer containing a silane compound, and the columnar parts are integrally bonded to the bonding layer.

Claims

1. A detection sensor configured to detect a pressing state on an operation surface in a pressing direction, the detection sensor comprising:

a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer both configured to detect variation in electrostatic capacitance; and

a displacement layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, the displacement layer being adapted to vary a distance between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in response to pressing of the operation surface, wherein

the displacement layer includes a rubbery elastic body and includes a plurality of columnar parts each stretchable in the pressing direction,

one or both of a surface of the first electrode layer facing the displacement layer and a surface of the second electrode layer facing the displacement layer are provided with a bonding layer that is configured of a rubbery elastic layer or a coating layer containing a silane compound, and

the columnar parts are integrally bonded to the bonding layer.

2. The detection sensor of claim 1, wherein easy adhesion treatment is intensively performed on bonding surfaces of the columnar parts to be bonded to the bonding layer and/or a bonding surface of the bonding layer to be bonded to the columnar parts to integrally bond the columnar parts to the bonding layer.

3. The detection sensor of claim 1, wherein the columnar parts and the bonding layer are overlapped to be integrally bonded to each other after application of ultraviolet rays, plasma treatment, or corona treatment is performed on the respective bonding surfaces.

4. The detection sensor of claim 1, wherein the columnar parts each have a circular-column shape or a truncated cone shape.

5. The detection sensor of claim 1, wherein the displacement layer includes a plate layer formed of a rubbery elastic body, and the columnar parts are formed integrally with the plate layer.

6. The detection sensor of claim 1, wherein the bonding layer is provided only in a partial region including a region corresponding to the bonding surfaces of the plurality of columnar parts, on one or both of the surface of the first electrode layer facing the displacement layer and the surface of the second electrode layer facing the displacement layer.

7. The detection sensor of claim 1, wherein the displacement layer includes, in a peripheral part, a wall part to shield inflow of air into the displacement layer from surroundings.

8. The detection sensor of claim 1, wherein

the first electrode layer includes a drive electrode to which a voltage is applied, to detect variation in electrostatic capacitance, and

the second electrode layer includes a receiving electrode generating a current corresponding to the distance between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.

9. The detection sensor of claim 1, wherein the rubbery elastic body is silicone rubber.

10. A detection sensor fabrication method, the detection sensor being configured to detect pressing operation of an operation surface in a pressing direction, the detection sensor including

a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer both configured to detect variation in electrostatic capacitance, and

a displacement layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, the displacement layer being adapted to vary a distance between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in response to pressing of the operation surface,

the displacement layer including a rubbery elastic body and including a plurality of columnar parts each stretchable in the pressing direction,

one or both of a surface of the first electrode layer facing the displacement layer and a surface of the second electrode layer facing the displacement layer being provided with a bonding layer that is configured of a rubbery elastic layer or a coating layer containing a silane compound,

the method comprising:

an easy adhesion treatment step of performing easy adhesion treatment on one or both of a surface of the bonding layer to be bonded to the columnar parts and surfaces of the columnar parts to be bonded to the bonding layer; and

a step of overlapping the bonding layer with the columnar parts to integrally bond the bonding layer to the columnar parts after the easy adhesion treatment step.

11. The detection sensor fabrication method of claim 10, wherein the easy adhesion treatment step is a step of performing the easy adhesion treatment intensively on the bonding surfaces of the columnar parts to be bonded to the bonding layer and/or the bonding surface of the bonding layer to be bonded to the columnar parts.

12. The detection sensor fabrication method of claim 11, wherein the easy adhesion treatment step is performed with use of a masking jig that exposes top surfaces of the columnar parts and/or a part or whole of the bonding surface of the bonding layer to be bonded to the top surfaces of the columnar parts.