Pressure point detector

• US 7,185,549 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Korg
• Original Assignee: Korg
• Inventors: Mieda, Fumio, Motohashi, Haruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellington; Alandra
• Application Number:
  US10/727,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 73862325-862474
• US Class Current: 73/862.473
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/22 for measuring the force applied to control members, e.g. control members of vehicles, triggers

Abstract

A pressure point detector has a simple structure and is capable of detecting which location of a two-dimensional surface such as a circle a pressure is applied can be detected. The pressure point detector includes a flexible insulation member in a predetermined shape, a resistance film formed on one side of the flexible insulation member, a conductive member made of conductive material and established to face the insulation member with a with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a pair of electrodes established on the resistance film in a parallel fashion to produce voltage distribution. The pressure point detector produces an output voltage from the conductive member indicative of a location of the pressure applied to the insulation member.

Claims

1. A pressure point detector for detecting a location of a pressure point, comprising:

a flexible insulation member in a predetermined shape;

a resistance film formed on one side of the flexible insulation member;

a conductive member made of conductive material and established to face the insulation member with a predetermined gap therebetween, and

a pair of electrodes established on said resistance film in a parallel fashion to produce voltage distribution, thereby producing an output voltage from said conductive member indicative of a location of the pressure applied to the insulation member;

wherein the resistance film contacts the conductive member at a location corresponding to the point where the pressure is applied, and said pair of electrodes are formed in a radial direction on the resistance film from about a center of the resistance film, thereby differentiating voltages in a circular direction on the resistance film.

2. A pressure point, detector as defined in claim 1, wherein a size of said gap between said resistance film and the conductive member is determined in such a way that, when the pressure is applied to the insulation member, the resistance film contacts the conductive member at a location corresponding to the point where the pressure is applied.

3. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 1, wherein an insulation area is established between the electrodes.

4. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 1, wherein, when a voltage is supplied between the pair of electrodes, said voltage distribution is created by equipotential lines in radial directions from about said center of the resistance film, thereby distributing said different voltages in said circular direction on the resistance film.

5. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 1, wherein, when a voltage is supplied between across the pair of electrodes, said voltage distribution is created by equipotential lines in radial directions from about said center of the resistance film, thereby distributing said different voltages in said circular direction on the resistance film, and wherein an output terminal connected to the conductive member produces said output voltage at the point on a circular direction on the resistance film.

6. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 1, where said insulation member and said conductive member are shaped like a disc.

7. A pressure point detector for detecting a location of a pressure point, comprising:

a first flexible insulation member in a predetermined shape;

a first resistance film formed on one side of the first flexible insulation member;

a second flexible insulation member in a predetermined shape;

a second resistance film formed on one side of the second flexible insulation member, where the first and second resistance films are positioned to face with one another with a predetermined gap therebetween;

a first pair of electrodes established on said first resistance film in a radial direction in a parallel form; and

a second pair of electrodes established on said second resistance film between a center and an outer edge of the second resistance film.

8. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 7, wherein said gap between said first resistance film and said second resistance film is determined in such a way that, when the pressure is applied to either the first insulation member or the second insulation member, the first and second resistance films contact with one another at a location corresponding to the point where the pressure is applied.

9. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 7, wherein said first pair of electrodes are formed in the radial direction in a parallel fashion on the first resistance film from about a center of the first resistance film, and wherein an insulation area is established between the first pair of electrodes.

10. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 7, wherein one of said second pair of electrodes is a flat disc like electrode formed at about the center of the second resistance film and another one of said second pair of electrodes is a ring like electrode formed around the outer edge of the second resistance film.

11. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 7, wherein, when a voltage is supplied between the first pair of electrodes, voltage distribution is created on the first resistance film by radial equipotential lines in radial directions from about a center of the first resistance film, thereby differentiating voltages in a circular direction on the first resistance film.

12. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 7, wherein, when a voltage is supplied between the second pair of electrodes, voltage distribution is created on the second resistance film by concentric equipotential lines in circular directions around a center of the second resistance film, thereby differentiating voltages in a radial direction on the second resistance film.

13. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 7, wherein, when a voltage is supplied between the first pair of electrodes, voltage distribution is created on the first resistance film by radial equipotential lines in radial directions from about a center of the first resistance film, thereby differentiating voltages in a circular direction on the resistance film, and wherein a first output terminal connected to the first conductive member produces a first output voltage at the point on the circular direction on the first resistance film.

14. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 7, wherein, when a voltage is supplied between the second pair of electrodes, voltage distribution is created on the second resistance film by concentric equipotential lines in circular directions around a center of the second resistance film, thereby differentiating voltages in a radial direction on the second resistance film, and wherein a second output terminal connected to the second conductive member produces a second output voltage at the point on the radial direction on the second resistance film.

15. A pressure point detector as defined in claim 7, where said first insulation member and second insulation member are shaped like a disc.