Capacitance type sensor

• US 6,989,677 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nitta Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitta Corporation
• Inventors: Morimoto, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Deb, Anjan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOAI AN D
• Application Number:
  US10/432,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 324/660, 324/658, 324/649, 324/600, 324/661, 324/662, 324/663, 324/671, 324/674, 324/678, 324/681, 324/686, 324/688, 324/765, 324/776, 738/620.43, 737/80
• US Class Current: 324/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

Capacitance element electrodes (E1 to E5) and a grounded reference electrode (E0) are formed on a substrate (20). At a position opposite to these electrodes (E0 to E5), a displacement electrode (40) is disposed that is Z-axially deformable as a detective member (30) is externally operated to move Z-axially. The displacement electrode (40) cooperates with the reference electrode (E0) and capacitance element electrodes (E1 to E5) to form capacitance elements (C0 to C5), respectively. Each of the capacitance elements (C1 to C5) is connected in series with the capacitance element (C0) with respect to a signal externally input. Changes in the capacitance values of the capacitance elements (C1 to C5) as the detective member (30) is moved are detected to sense the displacement of the detective member (30).

Claims

1. A capacitance type sensor comprising:

a substrate determining an XY-plane in a defined XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system;

a detective member facing said substrate;

a conductive member facing said substrate;

a plurality of capacitance element electrodes formed on said substrate and cooperating with said conductive member to form a plurality of first capacitance elements, respectively;

a reference electrode formed on said substrate and cooperating with said conductive member to form a second capacitance element, wherein said reference electrode is grounded or kept at a certain potential; and

an insulating member disposed in between said conductive member and said plurality of capacitance element electrodes, and movable in parallel with said substrate as said detective member is moved along said XY-plane,

wherein said plurality of first capacitance elements are operatively connected in series with said second capacitance element, respectively, and

wherein displacement of said detective member is detected on the basis of detection of changes in the respective capacitance values of said plurality of first capacitance elements caused by a change, along said XY-plane, of the position of an end portion of said insulating member between said conductive member and said plurality of capacitance element electrodes.

18. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, comprising a single reference electrode.

19. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of reference electrodes.

20. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of capacitance element electrodes are in pairs.

2. A capacitance type sensor comprising:

a substrate determining an XY-plane in a defined XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system;

a detective member facing said substrate;

a conductive member disposed in between said substrate and said detective member, wherein said conductive member is Z-axially movable as said detective member is Z-axially moved;

a plurality of capacitance element electrodes formed on said substrate and cooperating with said conductive member to form a plurality of first capacitance elements, respectively; and

a reference electrode formed on said substrate and cooperating with said conductive member to form a second capacitance element, said reference electrode being grounded or kept at a certain potential,

wherein said plurality of first capacitance elements are operatively connected in series with said second capacitance element, respectively, and

wherein displacement of said detective member is detected on the basis of detection of changes in the respective capacitance values of said first capacitance elements caused by changes in the distance between said conductive member and at least one of said plurality of first capacitance element electrodes.

3. A capacitance type sensor comprising:

a conductive member determining an XY-plane in a defined XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system;

a plurality of capacitance element electrodes cooperating with said conductive member to form a plurality of first capacitance elements, respectively;

a reference electrode cooperating with said conductive member to form a second capacitance element, wherein said reference electrode is grounded or kept at a certain potential; and

a detective member Z-axially movable to displace distance between said conductive member and at least one of said plurality of capacitance element electrodes, and

wherein said plurality of first capacitance elements are operatively connected in series with said second capacitance element, respectively, and

wherein displacement of said detective member is detected on the basis of detection of changes in the respective capacitance values of said plurality of first capacitance elements caused by changes in the distance.

4. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 3, further comprising an insulating film formed in close contact with said plurality of capacitance element electrodes and said reference electrode to cover said plurality of capacitance element electrodes and said reference electrode.

5. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 3, comprising a single reference electrode.

6. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 3, comprising a plurality of reference electrodes.

7. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of capacitance element electrodes are in pairs.

8. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 3, signals different in phase from each other are supplied to a circuit including one of said plurality of capacitance element electrodes and a circuit including another of said plurality capacitance element electrodes.

9. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 3, wherein a signal periodically alternating between a high level and a low level is input to at least one of said plurality of capacitance electrodes,

said sensor further comprising a control element to discharge at least the one of said plurality of first capacitance elements when said signal is at the low level, wherein an open-collector type inverter element is used as said control element.

10. A capacitance type sensor comprising:

a conductive member determining an XY-plane in a defined XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system;

a plurality of capacitance element electrodes cooperating with said conductive member to form a plurality of first capacitance elements, respectively;

a reference electrode cooperating with said conductive member to form a second capacitance element, wherein said reference electrode is grounded or kept at a certain potential;

an insulating member disposed in between said conductive member and said pair of capacitance element electrodes; and

a detective member movable along said XY-plane to change a positional relationship between said insulating member and at least one of said conductive member and said plurality of capacitance element electrodes,

wherein said plurality of first capacitance elements are operatively connected in series with said second capacitance element, respectively, and

wherein displacement of said detective member is detected on the basis of detection of changes in the respective capacitance values of said plurality of first capacitance elements caused by a change of the positional relationship.

11. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 10, wherein a CR circuit including one of said plurality of capacitance element electrodes differs in time constant from a CR circuit including another of said plurality of capacitance element electrodes.

12. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 10, wherein output signals obtained from signals respectively input to a circuit including one of said plurality of capacitance element electrodes and a circuit including another of said plurality of capacitance element electrodes are detected with a signal processing circuit utilizing a logic element.

13. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 12, wherein said logic element performs an exclusive-OR operation.

14. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 12, wherein said logic element performs an OR operation.

15. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 12, wherein said logic element performs an AND operation.

16. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 10, wherein signal periodically alternating between a high level and a low level is input to at least one of said plurality of first capacitance elements, and said sensor further comprises a control element to discharge at least the one of said plurality of first capacitance elements when said signal is at the low level.

17. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 16, wherein an open-collector type inverter element is used as said control element.

21. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 10, wherein signals different in phase from each other are supplied to a circuit including one of said plurality of capacitance element electrodes and a circuit including another of said plurality of capacitance element electrodes.

22. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 10, further comprising an insulating film formed in close contact with said plurality of capacitance element electrodes and said reference electrode to cover said plurality of capacitance element electrodes and said reference electrode.

23. A capacitance type sensor comprising:

a substrate determining an XY-plane in a defined XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system;

a detective member facing said substrate;

a conductive member disposed in between said substrate and said detective member, wherein said conductive member is Z-axially movable as said detective member is Z-axially moved;

a pair of first capacitance element electrodes formed on said substrate symmetrically with respect to a Y-axis and cooperating with said conductive member to form a pair of first capacitance elements, respectively;

a pair of second capacitance element electrodes formed on said substrate symmetrically with respect to an X-axis and cooperating with said conductive member to form a pair of second capacitance elements, respectively;

a third capacitance element electrode formed on said substrate in proximity of an origin of said XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system and cooperating with said conductive member to form a third capacitance element; and

a reference electrode formed on said substrate and cooperating with said conductive member to form a fourth capacitance element, wherein said reference electrode is grounded or kept at a certain potential,

wherein each of said pair of first capacitance elements, said pair of second capacitance elements, and said third capacitance element is operatively connected in series with said fourth capacitance element, and

wherein displacement of said detective member is detected on the basis of detection of changes in the respective capacitance values of said pair of first capacitance elements, said pair of second capacitance elements, and said third capacitance element caused by changes in distances between said conductive member and said pair of first capacitance element electrodes, said pair of second capacitance element electrodes, and said third capacitance element electrode.

24. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein said reference electrode is formed outside said third capacitance element electrode,

wherein said pair of first capacitance element electrodes and said pair of second capacitance element electrodes are formed outside said reference electrode, and

wherein said sensor further comprises a fourth capacitance element electrode disposed in contact with said reference electrode and at a distance from said third capacitance element electrode to cover said third capacitance element electrode,

wherein said fourth capacitance element electrode comes into contact with said third capacitance element electrode when said conductive member is moved an external force applied to said detective member.

25. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein said detective member and said conductive member are formed into one body.

26. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein said conductive member is made of an elastic material.

27. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, further comprising a supporting member for supporting said conductive member, wherein said supporting member is made of an elastic material.

28. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein a protrusion is formed on said conductive member at a position facing said third capacitance element electrode.

29. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein said detective member is divided into parts so as to correspond to said pair of first capacitance element electrodes, to said pair of second capacitance element electrodes, and to said third capacitance element electrode, respectively.

30. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein said detective member is divided into parts so as to correspond to said pair of first capacitance element electrodes and said pair of second capacitance element electrodes and to said third capacitance element electrode, respectively.

31. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein at least a part of a surface of said conductive member facing said pair of first capacitance elements, said pair of second capacitance elements, and said third capacitance element electrode is made uneven in height.

32. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein said conductive member comprises:

a displacement portion movable as said detective member is moved by receiving an external force;

a fixed portion fixed to said substrate; and

an interconnecting portion for interconnecting said displacement and fixed portions,

wherein said pair of first capacitance element electrodes and said pair of second capacitance element electrodes are formed outside said third capacitance element electrode, and

wherein said reference electrode is formed outside said pair of first capacitance element electrodes and said pair of second capacitance element electrodes.

33. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 23, wherein said reference electrode comprises a first reference electrode and a second reference electrode, either of which is grounded or kept at a certain potential,

wherein said conductive member is divided into parts so as to correspond to said pair of first capacitance element electrodes and said pair of second capacitance element electrodes and said third capacitance element electrode, respectively,

wherein said first reference electrode is formed outside said third capacitance element electrode,

wherein said pair of first capacitance element electrodes and said pair of second capacitance element electrodes are formed outside said first reference electrode, and

wherein said second reference electrode is formed outside said pair of first capacitance element electrodes and said pair of second capacitance element electrodes.