PRESSURE SENSOR, ACOUSTIC MICROPHONE, BLOOD PRESSURE SENSOR, AND TOUCH PANEL

• US 20140369530A1
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: FUJI, Yoshihiko, Masunishi, Kei, Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Hara, Michiko, Hori, Akio, Nagata, Tomohiko, Kaji, Shiori, Yuzawa, Akiko, Higashi, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,596,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/12 by measuring variations in the magnetic properties of materials resulting from the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2262 involving simple electrical bridges
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2287 constructional details of the strain gauges adjustable resistors H01C10/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2293 of the semi-conductor type semi-conductor devices controllable by variations of applied mechanical force H01L29/84
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/1627 of strain gauges using piezoresistors G01L5/162
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0051 using variations in ohmic resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/00 Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers in general F16J3/00; Cones for musical instruments G10 cones, diaphragms or the like, for emitting or receiving sound in general G10K13/00; Mounting thereof

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a pressure sensor includes a film part, and a sensing unit. A circumscribing rectangle circumscribing a configuration of a film surface of the film part has a first side, a second side, a third side connected to one end of the first side and one end of the second side, a fourth side connected to one other end of the first side and one other end of the second side, and a centroid of the circumscribing rectangle. The circumscribing rectangle includes a first region enclosed by the first side, line segments connecting the centroid to the one end of the first side, and to the one other end of the first side. The sensing unit includes sensing elements provided on a portion of the film surface overlapping the first region. Each sensing element includes a first, second magnetic layers, and a spacer layer.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor, comprising:

a film part supported by a support unit, the film part being flexible, a first length of the film part in a first direction in a film surface of the film part being longer than a second length of the film part in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the film surface; and

a sensing unit,

a circumscribing rectangle configured to circumscribe a configuration of the film surface, the circumscribing rectangle having;

a first side extending in the first direction to have the first length;

a second side extending in the first direction to be separated from the first side;

a third side extending in the second direction to be connected to one end of the first side and one end of the second side, the third side having the second length shorter than the first length;

a fourth side extending in the second direction to be separated from the third side and connected to one other end of the first side and one other end of the second side, the fourth side having the second length; and

a centroid of the circumscribing rectangle,

the circumscribing rectangle including

a first region enclosed by the first side, a first line segment and a second line segment, the first line segment connecting the centroid to the one end of the first side, the second line segment connecting the centroid to the one other end of the first side,

the sensing unit including a plurality of sensing elements provided on a portion of the film surface overlapping the first region, each of the plurality of sensing elements including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the film part, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

positions of at least two of the plurality of sensing elements along the first direction being different from each other.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the film surface has a central portion, and a peripheral portion provided around the central portion, and

the plurality of sensing elements are provided on the peripheral portion.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein

the configuration of the film surface has the first side, the second side, the third side, and the fourth side,

the peripheral portion has a first element disposition region provided along the first side inside the first region, and

the plurality of sensing elements are disposed in the first element disposition region.

4. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein

the configuration of the film surface is a flattened circle having the first direction as a major axis and the second direction as a minor axis,

the peripheral portion has a first element disposition region provided along an arc along the major axis, and

the plurality of sensing elements are disposed in the first element disposition region.

5. The sensor according to claim 3, wherein

a width of the first element disposition region in the second direction is not more than 0.1 times the second length,

a length of the first element disposition region in the first direction is not more than 0.5 times the first length, and

a distance in the first direction between a center of the first element disposition region in the first direction and a center of the film part in the first direction is not more than 1/10 of the second length.

6. The sensor according to claim 3, wherein

a ratio of the second length to the first length is not less than 0.8 and less than 1, and

a length of the first element disposition region in the first direction is not more than 0.5 times the first length, and a width of the first element disposition region in the second direction is not more than 0.05 times the second length.

7. The sensor according to claim 3, wherein

a ratio of the second length to the first length is less than 0.8,

a width of the first element disposition region in the second direction is not more than

(L2/2)×

{1−

0.125×

(L2/L1)+0.8},

a length of the first element disposition region in the first direction is not more than

L1×

{−

0.375×

(L2/L1)+0.8}, and

a distance in the first direction between a center of the first element disposition region in the first direction and a center of the film part in the first direction is not more than 1/10 of the second length,

where the first length is L1, and the second length is L2.

8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the second length to the first length is not less than 0.25 and less than 1.0.

9. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the second length to the first length is not less than 0.64 and less than 1.0.

10. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the second length to the first length is not more than 0.25.

17. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first magnetic layer is a magnetization free layer, and

a magnetization direction of the magnetization free layer in a state in which an external pressure is not applied is different from the first direction and different from the second direction.

18. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a surface area of the film part is not less than 2500 μ

m² and not more than 360000 μ

m².

19. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second length is not less than 20 μ

m and not more than 500 μ

m.

20. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of sensing elements are connected electrically in series.

21. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first magnetic layer is a magnetization free layer, and

the second magnetic layer is a magnetization fixed layer.

22. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a length of the sensing elements in the first direction when the sensing elements are projected onto the film surface is not less than 0.1 micrometers and not more than 50 micrometers.

23. An acoustic microphone including the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

24. A blood pressure sensor including the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

25. A touch panel including the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

11. A pressure sensor, comprising:

a film part supported by a support unit, the film part being flexible, a first length of the film part in a first direction in a film surface of the film part being longer than a second length of the film part in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the film surface; and

a sensing unit,

a configuration of the film surface having;

a first side extending in the first direction;

a second side extending in the first direction to be separated from the first side, a distance between the first side and the second side being the second length;

a third side extending in the second direction; and

a fourth side extending in the second direction to be separated from the third side, a distance between the third side and the fourth side being the first length,

the film surface having a central portion, and a peripheral portion provided around the central portion, the peripheral portion having a first element disposition region provided along the first side,

the sensing unit including a plurality of sensing elements provided on the first element disposition region of the film surface, each of the plurality of sensing elements including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the film part, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

positions of at least two of the plurality of sensing elements along the first direction being different from each other.

12. A pressure sensor, comprising:

a film part supported by a support unit, the film part being flexible, a first length of the film part in a first direction in a film surface of the film part being longer than a second length of the film part in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the film surface; and

a sensing unit,

a configuration of the film surface being a flattened circle having the first direction as a major axis and the second direction as a minor axis,

the film surface having a central portion, and a peripheral portion provided around the central portion,

the peripheral portion having a first element disposition region provided along an arc along the major axis,

the sensing unit including a plurality of sensing elements provided on the first element disposition region of the film surface, each of the plurality of sensing elements including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the film part, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

positions of at least two of the plurality of sensing elements along the first direction being different from each other.

13. A pressure sensor, comprising:

a film part supported by a support unit, the film part being flexible; and

a sensing unit,

a first length of a film surface of the film part in a first direction in the film surface being longer than a second length of the film surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the film surface,

the film surface having a central portion, and a peripheral portion provided around the central portion,

the sensing unit including a sensing element provided on the central portion, the sensing element including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the film part, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

14. The sensor according to claim 13, wherein the film surface has:

a first side along the first direction;

a second side along the first direction to be separated from the first side;

a third side along the second direction to be connected to one end of the first side and one end of the second side; and

a fourth side along the second direction to be connected to one other end of the first side and one other end of the second side and separated from the third side.

15. The sensor according to claim 13, wherein a configuration of the film surface is a flattened circle having the first direction as a major axis and the second direction as a minor axis.

16. The sensor according to claim 13, wherein the sensing unit includes the sensing element in a plurality.