Sensor product for electric field sensing

• US 8,106,663 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elsi Technologies Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Original Assignee: MariMils Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Inventors: Joutsenoja, Timo, Kyyny, Kari
• Primary Examiner(s): Natalini, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US12/796,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20100244810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 324/457, 341/33
• US Class Current: 324/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/145 Indicating the presence of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2617 Measuring dielectric properties, e.g. constants testing dielectric strength G01R31/12; detecting insulation faults G01R31/52; G01R27/2688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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

A sensor product web for electric field sensing. The sensor includes a substrate, sequential electrically conductive areas on a surface of the substrate, conductors, an output connected to one of the electrically conductive areas by one of the conductors, a dielectric layer arranged on top of the conductors, and an electrically conductive layer arranged on top of the dielectric layer on a same surface of the substrate as the electrically conductive areas, the dielectric layer being discontinuous at the conductor which is in contact with the electrically conductive area.

Claims

1. A sensor product web for electric field sensing, the sensor comprising:

a substrate comprising a continuous roll of material;

a plurality of sequential electrically conductive areas on a surface of the substrate;

a plurality of conductors arranged on the surface of the substrate;

an output connected to one of the electrically conductive areas by one of the conductors;

a plurality of dielectric layers arranged on top of the conductors, wherein one of the dielectric layers is arranged in the vicinity of each electrically conductive area; and

a plurality of an electrically conductive layers arranged on top of the dielectric layers on a same surface of the substrate as the electrically conductive areas, each of the electrically conductive layers extends between the one of the electrically conductive areas and the conductors, and the dielectric layer being discontinuous at one of the conductors, thereby resulting in an electrically conductive path between one of the electrically conductive areas and one of the conductors, thereby permitting the cutting of the substrate at a plurality of points to form output including at least one electrically conductive area and at least one associated conductor.

2. The sensor product web according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive area comprises a printed or coated layer.

3. The sensor product web according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive area comprises a plastic layer, or a fibrous layer.

4. The sensor product web according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive area and the conductor comprise metal, conductive carbon, or electrically conductive polymers.

5. The sensor product web according to claim 1, wherein the sensor product comprises a top layer comprising a film of plastic material, paper, or board, or a dielectric coating.