Suspended membrane pressure sensing array
First Claim
1. An apparatus for capacitively sensing force or pressure, the apparatus comprising:
- a substrate;
a plurality of elongated substrate electrodes disposed at the substrate;
a membrane configured to deflect in response to force or pressure applied to the membrane;
a plurality of elongated membrane electrodes disposed at the membrane, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of membrane electrodes intersects each of at least two of the plurality of substrate electrodes forming a multi-dimensional array of capacitive elements having a capacitive element at each intersection; and
a plurality of separators fixedly connected with the substrate and separating the substrate and the membrane, thereby forming a plurality of sensor regions of the apparatus with sensor regions positioned between adjacent separators of the plurality of separators each including at least one capacitive element;
wherein a membrane portion of each sensor region is mechanically decoupled from a membrane portion of each adjacent sensor region;
wherein the substrate is cylindrical with a central substrate axis extending along a center of the cylindrical substrate; and
wherein the substrate comprises;
an outer surface comprising a plurality of grooves formed therein, each groove having a floor;
one or more insulating regions at the floors of the plurality of grooves, each of the plurality of substrate electrodes being disposed on the one or more insulating regions;
a lumen parallel to the central substrate axis; and
a plurality of holes, each hole passing through the substrate from the lumen to a substrate electrode of the plurality of substrate electrodes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An accurate and low cost macro pressure sensor is described. The pressure sensor includes an array of capacitive sensing elements formed at the intersections of sets of conductors. A lower set of conductors is supported by a substrate and an upper set of conductors is supported on a flexible polymer membrane. Capacitive sensing elements are formed where a conductor in the upper set overlaps a spacer in the lower set. Separators hold the membrane away from the substrate with a separation that, because of deflection of the membrane, varies in relation to the pressure applied to the membrane. As a result, the separation of conductors, and therefore capacitance, in each cell varies in response to the applied pressure. By attaching the membrane to the separators and optionally using slits in the membrane between capacitive sensing elements, measurements made in each capacitive sensing element can be mechanically decoupled.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for capacitively sensing force or pressure, the apparatus comprising:
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a substrate; a plurality of elongated substrate electrodes disposed at the substrate; a membrane configured to deflect in response to force or pressure applied to the membrane; a plurality of elongated membrane electrodes disposed at the membrane, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of membrane electrodes intersects each of at least two of the plurality of substrate electrodes forming a multi-dimensional array of capacitive elements having a capacitive element at each intersection; and a plurality of separators fixedly connected with the substrate and separating the substrate and the membrane, thereby forming a plurality of sensor regions of the apparatus with sensor regions positioned between adjacent separators of the plurality of separators each including at least one capacitive element; wherein a membrane portion of each sensor region is mechanically decoupled from a membrane portion of each adjacent sensor region; wherein the substrate is cylindrical with a central substrate axis extending along a center of the cylindrical substrate; and wherein the substrate comprises; an outer surface comprising a plurality of grooves formed therein, each groove having a floor; one or more insulating regions at the floors of the plurality of grooves, each of the plurality of substrate electrodes being disposed on the one or more insulating regions; a lumen parallel to the central substrate axis; and a plurality of holes, each hole passing through the substrate from the lumen to a substrate electrode of the plurality of substrate electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification