A cloth sensor

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cloth-shaped sensor, comprising a first conductive cloth and a second conductive cloth, and the first conductive cloth and the second conductive cloth are arranged in parallel; electrodes, comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, are respectively arranged on the opposite surfaces of the first conductive cloth and the second conductive cloth, and the orthographic projections of the first electrode and the second electrode at least partially overlap; a protective layer, the protective layer covers the conductive cloth; comprising a first protective layer and a second protective layer, the opposite surfaces of the first protective layer and the second protective layer are both provided with electrode mounting positions, and the electrodes are arranged at the electrode mounting positions; an isolation layer, which is arranged between the first protective layer and the second protective layer, and the isolation layer has a through hole, and under a force state, the protective layer and the conductive cloth are displaced in relative directions to produce deformation, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are in contact in the through hole. The present invention directly fixes the electrode to the conductive cloth, which is covered by the protective layer, has a simple structure, high versatility, low manufacturing cost, and is energy-saving and environmentally friendly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sensors, and in particular to a cloth-shaped sensor. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the importance of tactile sensing has rapidly expanded in various medical fields. In the automotive field, pressure-sensitive elements are built into seats. When a passenger sits on the seat, a load above a certain value is applied to the pressure-sensitive element. The pressure-sensitive element detects the presence of the passenger and urges them to fasten their seat belts.

[0003] Existing pressure-sensitive sensors usually use silver paste as a conductive material, but silver paste and the base material PET film used with silver paste are prone to breakage, aging or failure when the pressure-sensitive sensor is under pressure. The cost of silver paste is high, and the production and printing environment will cause environmental pollution. In addition, different seats are equipped with such pressure-sensitive sensors, and their corresponding pressure-sensitive sensors need to be customized separately, which has a long development cycle and cannot be mass-produced on a large scale. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a cloth-like sensor, in which electrodes are directly fixed to the conductive cloth and covered by a protective layer, which has a simple structure, low manufacturing cost and can be mass-produced.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] A cloth-shaped sensor, comprising

[0007] The conductive cloth comprises a first conductive cloth and a second conductive cloth, wherein the first conductive cloth and the second conductive cloth are arranged in parallel;

[0008] Electrodes, including a first electrode and a second electrode, are respectively disposed on opposite surfaces of the first conductive cloth and the second conductive cloth, and orthographic projections of the first electrode and the second electrode at least partially overlap;

[0009] A protective layer, the protective layer covers the conductive cloth; comprising a first protective layer and a second protective layer, the first protective layer and the second protective layer having electrode mounting positions on opposite surfaces thereof, and electrodes are arranged at the electrode mounting positions;

[0010] The isolation layer is arranged between the first protective layer and the second protective layer, and the isolation layer is provided with a through hole. Under stress, the protective layer and the conductive cloth are displaced in relative directions to generate deformation, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are in contact in the through hole.

[0011] Furthermore, the protective layer is formed by penetrating from the outer side of the conductive cloth to the opposite surface of the first conductive cloth and the second conductive cloth.

[0012] Furthermore, the protective layer does not completely wrap the electrode, forming a non-uniform concave-convex structure on the lower surface of the electrode, and the electrode is at least partially exposed on the outer surface of the protective layer; under a force state, the protective layer and the conductive cloth are displaced in relative directions to produce deformation, and the first electrode exposed on the outer surface of the protective layer contacts the second electrode.

[0013] Furthermore, the length of the conductive cloth is greater than the length of the protective layer, and both ends of the conductive cloth are exposed outside the protective layer in a horizontal direction.

[0014] Furthermore, the protective layer is circular or rectangular, and the isolation layer is arranged along the periphery of the protective layer in a ring shape.

[0015] Furthermore, the isolation layer covers the outer circumference of the electrode.

[0016] Furthermore, the first protective layer and the second protective layer both include an inner plate and an outer plate, the conductive cloth is located between the inner plate and the outer plate, the electrode mounting position is provided at the geometric center of the inner plate, and the electrode is exposed on the outer surface of the inner plate.

[0017] Furthermore, the area where the electrode is combined with the conductive cloth has a through hole which is connected to the exhaust channel of the isolation layer.

[0018] Furthermore, the isolation layer is made of double-sided adhesive tape, and the conductive cloth is made of a mesh of nano-scale conductive fiber material.

[0019] Furthermore, the protective layer is made of resin material or coating material, and the electrode is conductive carbon paste.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The present invention provides a cloth-shaped sensor, in which an electrode is directly arranged on a conductive cloth, a protective layer is coated on the conductive cloth, an isolation layer is arranged between the protective layers, a first electrode is isolated from a second electrode, and when the cloth-shaped sensor is under stress, the first electrode and the second electrode are in contact and conductive. The present invention has a simple structure, and can produce deformation under stress by using the conductive cloth, has universality, and has low manufacturing cost, and avoids the problems of using silver paste for conduction in traditional pressure-sensitive sensors, which require customization and lead to high costs and environmental pollution. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A vertical cross-sectional schematic diagram of an embodiment provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A vertical cross-sectional schematic diagram of an embodiment provided by the present invention under a force condition;

[0024] Figure 3A horizontal cross-sectional schematic diagram of an embodiment provided by the present invention;

[0025] In the figure: 1. electrode; 11. first electrode; 12. second electrode; 2. conductive cloth; 21. first conductive cloth; 22. second conductive cloth; 3. protective layer; 31. first protective layer; 311. inner plate; 312. outer plate; 32. second protective layer; 4. isolation layer; 41. through hole; 5. exhaust channel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods. It should be noted that, under the premise of no conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form a new embodiment.

[0027] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the present invention provides a cloth-shaped sensor, comprising a conductive cloth 2, comprising a first conductive cloth 21 and a second conductive cloth 22, and the first conductive cloth 21 and the second conductive cloth 22 are arranged in parallel; an electrode 1, comprising a first electrode 11 and a second electrode 12, which are respectively arranged on opposite surfaces of the first conductive cloth 21 and the second conductive cloth 22, and the orthographic projections of the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 at least partially overlap; a protective layer 3, the protective layer 3 covers the conductive cloth 2; comprising a first protective layer 31 and a second protective layer 32, the opposite surfaces of the first protective layer 31 and the second protective layer 32 are both provided with electrode mounting positions, and the electrode 1 is arranged at the electrode mounting position; an isolation layer 4, which is arranged between the first protective layer 31 and the second protective layer 32, and the isolation layer 4 has a through hole 41, and under a force state, the protective layer 3 and the conductive cloth 2 are displaced in relative directions to generate deformation, so that the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are in contact in the through hole 41.

[0028] The present invention directly sets the electrode 1 on the conductive cloth 2, the protective layer 3 is coated on the conductive cloth 2, and the isolation layer 4 is set between the protective layers 3 to isolate the first electrode 11 from the second electrode 12. When the cloth-shaped sensor is under stress, the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are in contact and conductive. The present invention has a simple structure, and the conductive cloth 2 and the protective layer 3 can be deformed under stress. It is suitable for a variety of scenarios and has high versatility. It avoids the problems of using silver paste and carbon paste for conductivity in traditional sensors, which need to be customized according to different application scenarios, resulting in high costs and environmental pollution.

[0029] Specifically, Figure 1As shown, the first electrode 11 is arranged on the first conductive cloth 21, the second electrode 12 is arranged on the second conductive cloth 22, and the first conductive cloth 21 and the second conductive cloth 22 are arranged in parallel. The electrode 1 uses conductive carbon paste and is printed on the opposite surface of the conductive cloth 2. During the manufacturing process, the carbon paste is heated, combined with the conductive cloth 2, and can penetrate to the outside of the conductive cloth 2. After it cools down, the electrode 1 is firmly combined with the conductive cloth 2 and is not easy to fall off. When the cloth-like sensor is subjected to force, the conductive cloth 2 is deformed, and the opposite surfaces of the electrode 1 are in contact, thereby conducting. When the conductive cloth 2 is connected to an external power supply, there will be no drastic position change under the auxiliary action of the external electric field, and there will be no direct overall contact, thereby improving the output performance of the sensor.

[0030] In order to protect the conductive cloth 2 and the electrode 1, the cloth-shaped sensor is also provided with an elastic protective layer 3. The protective layer 3 is coated on the outside of the conductive cloth 2, and the first protective layer 31 and the second protective layer 32 are arranged in parallel. The length of the conductive cloth 2 is greater than the length of the protective layer 3, and both ends of the conductive cloth 2 are exposed outside the protective layer 3 for connecting an external power supply to transmit the pressure signal detected by the cloth-shaped sensor to the outside.

[0031] The first protective layer 31 and the second protective layer 32 are both provided with electrode mounting positions on their opposite surfaces. The first electrode 11 is located at the electrode mounting position of the first protective layer 31, and the second electrode 12 is located at the electrode mounting position of the second protective layer 32. The protective layer 3 can be integrally formed by a mold, but the conductive cloth 2 needs to be placed in the gap in the middle of the protective layer 3, which requires a lot of manpower and material resources. Another feasible implementation is to divide the protective layer into an inner plate 311 and an outer plate 312, and the inner plate 311 is arranged between the first protective layer 31 and the outer plate 312.

[0032] Electrode installation positions are provided on the inner side of the second protective layer 32. During installation, the conductive cloth 2 is fixed to the outer plate 312 and then covered with the inner plate 311. This arrangement avoids the need to re-arrange the conductive cloth 2 in the gap of the protective layer 3.

[0033] In this embodiment, the protective layer 3 is formed by infiltrating heated liquid resin material from the outside of the conductive cloth to the opposite surface of the first conductive cloth 21 and the second conductive cloth 22. After the resin material is cooled and solidified, the inner plate and the outer plate of the protective layer are formed on the inner and outer sides of the conductive cloth respectively. This arrangement ensures that the protective layer is firmly combined with the mesh-shaped conductive cloth and will not fall off easily. Figure 1 As shown, the protective layer penetrates from the outside to the inside, does not completely wrap the electrode 1, and forms a non-uniform concave-convex structure on the outer surface of the electrode 1; in another case, the protective layer penetrates from the outside to the inside, partially penetrates the electrode 1 and forms a non-uniform concave-convex structure on its outer surface. In a non-stressed state, the electrode 1 is at least partially exposed on the outer surface of the protective layer. Figure 2As shown, under stress, the protective layer 3 and the conductive cloth 2 are displaced in relative directions to produce deformation, and the electrodes 1 exposed on the outer surface of the protective layer are in contact and conductive. When the external force is withdrawn, the protective layer 3 and the conductive cloth 2 rebound and return to their normal shape.

[0034] In addition, the fabric sensor can be set under the car seat. In order to make the user feel no foreign body after sitting on the seat, the protective layer 3 is made of insulating resin material or coating material. While increasing the elasticity of the protective layer 3, the anti-permeability, waterproofness, wear resistance and insulation of the protective layer 3 are guaranteed. The protective layer 3 is used in conjunction with the conductive cloth 2, so that the fabric sensor has a certain elasticity and high versatility, and can be applied to a variety of application scenarios.

[0035] In the absence of force, the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are in a separated state, and an isolation layer 4 is arranged between the first protective layer 31 and the inner plate 311 of the second protective layer 32. The upper surface of the isolation layer 4 contacts the inner plate 311 of the first protective layer 31, and the lower surface contacts the inner plate 311 of the second protective layer 32. The protective layer 3 can be circular, rectangular or other shapes, and the shape of the isolation layer 4 is adapted to the protective layer 3, and is arranged along the periphery of the protective layer 3, and a through hole 41 is formed in the middle of the isolation layer 4. The through hole 41 coincides with the orthographic projection of the electrode mounting position, so that the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 arranged at the electrode mounting position can contact in the through hole 41, and the aperture size of the through hole can adjust the contact area between the electrodes so that the sensor can be connected to work under a certain pressure. In this embodiment, the isolation layer 4 is formed of an insulating material of a double-sided tape with PET as the base material.

[0036] The isolation layer 4 is also provided with a through hole 41 and an exhaust channel 5, and the other end of the exhaust channel 5 is connected to the atmosphere. This sensing structure, namely the through hole 41 and the exhaust channel 5, can be provided in plurality. That is, multiple sensing units are connected through the exhaust channel 5. When the cloth-shaped sensor is subjected to force, it deforms to discharge the air in the through hole. When the external force is withdrawn, the external air returns to the through hole 41, and the electrode is in a disconnected state. In order to make the structure of the electrode 1 and the conductive cloth 2 firm, the electrode 1 is completely stored in the electrode mounting position, and the isolation layer 4 covers the outer circumference of the electrode mounting position 1.

[0037] The cloth-shaped sensor provided by the present invention directly sets the electrode 1 on the conductive cloth 2, and sets the protective layer 3 and the isolation layer 4 so that there is a gap between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12. Under stress, the conductive cloth 2 and the protective layer 3 undergo elastic deformation, so that the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are close to each other until they are in contact, and the cloth-shaped sensor is turned on, thereby transmitting the signal to the external processor. After testing, the protective layer viscosity of the cloth-shaped sensor at 25°C is less than 90000M Pa.s, and the water vapor permeability is less than 15g.mm / m 2.day (ASTM E96), water absorption after 24 hours is less than 0.8%, dielectric strength is greater than 2000V / mil, hardness is greater than 20 Shore D in durometer test, and elongation is greater than 20%. The present invention has a simple structure and high versatility, does not require the use of precious metal materials such as silver and copper, saves costs, shortens the development cycle, and does not cause environmental pollution during the manufacturing process.

[0038] The above-mentioned embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any non-substantial changes and substitutions made by technicians in this field on the basis of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

Claims

1. A cloth-shaped sensor, characterized in that: include The conductive cloth comprises a first conductive cloth and a second conductive cloth, wherein the first conductive cloth and the second conductive cloth are arranged in parallel; Electrodes, including a first electrode and a second electrode, are respectively disposed on opposite surfaces of the first conductive cloth and the second conductive cloth, and orthographic projections of the first electrode and the second electrode at least partially overlap; A protective layer, wherein the protective layer covers the conductive cloth; It comprises a first protective layer and a second protective layer, wherein the first protective layer and the second protective layer have opposite surfaces each provided with an electrode mounting position, and the electrode is arranged at the electrode mounting position; An isolation layer is provided between the first protective layer and the second protective layer, and the isolation layer is provided with a through hole. Under a force state, the protective layer and the conductive cloth are displaced in relative directions to generate deformation, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are in contact in the through hole; The area where the electrode is combined with the conductive cloth has a through hole, which is connected to the exhaust channel of the isolation layer; The isolation layer is made of double-sided adhesive tape, and the conductive cloth is made of a grid of nano-scale conductive fiber material.

2. A cloth-shaped sensor as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The protective layer is formed by penetrating the outer side of the conductive cloth toward the opposite surface of the first conductive cloth and the second conductive cloth.

3. A cloth-shaped sensor as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The protective layer does not completely wrap the electrode, and a non-uniform concave-convex structure is formed on the lower surface of the electrode, and the electrode is at least partially exposed on the outer surface of the protective layer; Under stress, the protective layer and the conductive cloth are displaced in relative directions to generate deformation, and the first electrode exposed on the outer surface of the protective layer contacts the second electrode.

4. A cloth-shaped sensor as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The length of the conductive cloth is greater than that of the protective layer, and both ends of the conductive cloth are exposed outside the protective layer in a horizontal direction.

5. A cloth-shaped sensor as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The protective layer is circular or rectangular, and the isolation layer is arranged along the periphery of the protective layer.

6. A cloth-shaped sensor as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The isolation layer covers the outer circumference of the electrode.

7. A cloth-shaped sensor as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The first protective layer and the second protective layer both include an inner plate and an outer plate, the conductive cloth is located between the inner plate and the outer plate, the electrode mounting position is provided at the geometric center of the inner plate, and the electrode is exposed on the outer surface of the inner plate.

8. A cloth-shaped sensor as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The protective layer is made of resin material or coating material, and the electrode is made of conductive carbon paste.

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