CAPACITIVE SENSOR

• US 20170308206A1
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: YAMAI, Tomoyuki, BITO, Mitsuo, KITAMURA, Yasuyuki, HIRAKI, Yuta, ISHIBASHI, Setsuo, YAZAWA, Manabu
• Granted Patent: US 10,372,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/02 Layer formed of wires, e.g. mesh
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/202 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/208 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

A capacitive sensor includes a base material provided with a pattern of a light-transmissive conductive film. The light-transmissive conductive film contains metal nanowires. The pattern includes a detection pattern formed of a plurality of detection electrodes arranged with intervals and a plurality of lead-out wirings linearly extending in a first direction from the corresponding ones of the plurality of the detection electrodes. At least one of the detection electrodes of the detection pattern includes a current path-setting section for elongating the linear path length of the current from the detection electrode toward the lead-out wiring.

Claims

1. A capacitive sensor comprising:

a base material provided with a pattern of a light-transmissive conductive film, wherein

the light-transmissive conductive film contains metal nanowires; and

the pattern includes;

a detection pattern of a plurality of detection electrodes arranged with intervals; and

a plurality of lead-out wirings linearly extending in a first direction from corresponding ones of the plurality of the detection electrodes, wherein

at least one of the detection electrodes of the detection pattern includes a current path-setting section for elongating the linear path length of the current from the detection electrode toward the lead-out wiring.

2. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the current path-setting section includes a slit pattern disposed for obstructing the straight line connecting the periphery of the detection electrode and the connection portion between the detection electrode and the lead-out wiring.

3. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the current path-setting section includes a plurality of slit patterns having a length of a half or more of the length of the detection electrode and restricting the current path;

the plurality of the slit patterns are disposed parallel to each other;

at least a part of the plurality of the slit patterns inward extends from the end of the detection electrode; and

adjacent ones of the slit patterns restrict the current path at positions different from each other.

4. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of the lead-out wirings include an equal-interval region where the lead-out wirings are arrayed with a constant first pitch in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

and

the current path-setting section includes a plurality of slit patterns extending in parallel to each other from the end of the detection electrode by a half or more of the length of the detection electrode in the first direction.

5. The capacitive sensor according to claim 4, wherein

the plurality of the slit patterns have widths equal to the intervals of the plurality of the lead-out wirings;

and

the pitch of the plurality of the slit patterns is equal to the first pitch.

6. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first direction is a direction toward an external terminal region from the detection pattern;

the plurality of the detection electrodes are arranged in the first direction; and

the current path-setting section is at least disposed to the detection electrode closest to the external terminal region.

7. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the current path-setting section is disposed to each of the plurality of the detection electrodes.

8. The capacitive sensor according to claim 6, wherein

the current path-setting section is disposed to each of the plurality of the detection electrodes.

9. The capacitive sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the metal nanowires include silver nanowires.

10. The capacitive sensor according to claim 6, wherein

the metal nanowires include silver nanowires.

11. The capacitive sensor according to claim 7, wherein

the metal nanowires include silver nanowires.

12. The capacitive sensor according to claim 8, wherein

the metal nanowires include silver nanowires.