Pressure sensors and electronic equipment

Abstract

The present application provides a pressure sensor and an electronic device. The pressure sensor includes: a substrate layer, which includes a first area and two second areas arranged on two opposite sides of the first area; a conductive metal layer, which is arranged in the first area; a support layer, which is arranged in the two second areas, and the thickness of the support layer is greater than the thickness of the conductive metal layer; an elastic film layer, whose two ends are respectively connected to the support layer and cover the conductive metal layer at intervals; an induction electrode layer, which is arranged on the lower surface of the elastic film layer and is spaced from the conductive metal layer, and the first electrode and the second electrode are used to contact the conductive metal layer when the elastic film layer is pressed externally to achieve electrical connection, and output the resistance information of the first electrode and the second electrode connected to the circuit part, and the resistance information is used for calculating the pressing position on the elastic film layer. The present application can reduce the difficulty of wiring and reduce the complexity of the process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of sensor technology, and in particular to a pressure sensor and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Generally, for the application of strain gauges or electric contact pressure sensors, the deformation of the mechanical structure of the elastic object must maintain a strict linear relationship with the deformation of the strain gauge or film. This allows the strain gauge or film to reach a higher strain level and improve the response sensitivity, thereby accurately measuring the change in pressure. However, even if the sensitivity is improved, in order to achieve the pressing operation of multiple areas, multiple sensing blocks need to be set up, and thus multiple signal lines need to be set up to transmit the sensing signal of each sensing block, resulting in complicated wiring and complex processes.

[0003] Therefore, the prior art has defects and is in urgent need of improvement. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a pressure sensor and an electronic device to reduce wiring difficulty and process complexity.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a pressure sensor, including:

[0006] A base layer comprising a first region and two second regions disposed on two opposite sides of the first region;

[0007] a conductive metal layer disposed in the first region;

[0008] a supporting layer, which is disposed in the two second regions, and the thickness of the supporting layer is greater than the thickness of the conductive metal layer;

[0009] an elastic film layer, two ends of which are respectively connected to the support layer and cover the conductive metal layer at intervals;

[0010] a sensing electrode layer, which is disposed on the lower surface of the elastic film layer and is spaced apart from the conductive metal layer, the sensing electrode layer forms at least two electrodes that are opposite and spaced apart from each other, the at least two electrodes include a first electrode and a second electrode; the first electrode and the second electrode are respectively connected to the first lead and the second lead in a one-to-one correspondence;

[0011] The first electrode and the second electrode are used to contact the conductive metal layer to achieve electrical connection when the user presses the elastic film layer, and output the resistance information of the first electrode and the second electrode connected to the circuit part through the first lead and the second lead. The resistance information is used to calculate the pressing position on the elastic film layer.

[0012] The pressure sensor provided in the embodiment of the present application uses a first electrode and a second electrode to contact the conductive metal layer when the elastic film layer is pressed externally to achieve electrical connection, and outputs resistance information of the first electrode and the second electrode connected to the circuit part, and the resistance information is used to calculate the pressing position on the elastic film layer; thus, the position detection of the pressing operation can be achieved by using only two electrodes, which can reduce the difficulty of wiring and the complexity of the process.

[0013] Optionally, the pressure sensor described in the embodiment of the present application further includes:

[0014] a first lead connected to one end of the first electrode;

[0015] a second lead connected to one end of the second electrode;

[0016] A signal processing circuit is connected to the first lead and the second lead to obtain the resistance information, and calculates the contact positions of the first electrode and the second electrode with the conductive metal layer according to the resistance information, and further calculates the position information of the pressed position on the elastic film layer.

[0017] Optionally, in the pressure sensor described in the embodiment of the present application, the first electrode includes a first trunk electrode, and the second electrode includes a second trunk electrode;

[0018] The first trunk electrode and the second trunk electrode both extend along a first preset direction;

[0019] The first trunk electrode and the second trunk electrode are spaced apart from each other, and the first trunk electrode and the second trunk electrode are directly opposite to a part of the conductive metal layer.

[0020] The embodiment of the present application can realize position detection by using only two main electrodes, and has a simple structure and low cost.

[0021] Optionally, in the pressure sensor described in the embodiment of the present application, the first trunk electrode and the second trunk electrode are both in the shape of rectangular strips and are parallel to each other.

[0022] Optionally, in the pressure sensor described in the embodiment of the present application, the first electrode further includes a plurality of first branch electrodes, and the second electrode further includes a plurality of second branch electrodes;

[0023] The multiple first branch electrodes are arranged at intervals on the side of the first trunk electrode facing the second trunk electrode, and one end of the first branch electrode is connected to the first trunk electrode; the multiple second branch electrodes are arranged at intervals on the side of the second trunk electrode facing the first trunk electrode, and one end of the second branch electrode is connected to the second trunk electrode, and the other end of each of the first branch electrodes extends into the gap between two adjacent second branch electrodes, and the other end of each of the second branch electrodes extends into the gap between two adjacent first branch electrodes.

[0024] The embodiment of the present application can improve the accuracy of position detection by providing a plurality of branch electrodes on each trunk electrode.

[0025] Optionally, in the pressure sensor described in the embodiment of the present application, the plurality of first branch electrodes and the plurality of second branch electrodes are parallel to each other.

[0026] Optionally, in the pressure sensor described in the embodiment of the present application, the at least two electrodes include a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and a fourth electrode; the first electrode includes a first trunk electrode and a plurality of first branch electrodes; the second electrode includes a second trunk electrode and a plurality of second branch electrodes; the third electrode includes a third trunk electrode and a plurality of third branch electrodes; the fourth electrode includes a fourth trunk electrode and a plurality of fourth branch electrodes;

[0027] The first trunk electrode, the second trunk electrode, the third trunk electrode and the fourth trunk electrode are evenly spaced in sequence; the multiple first branch electrodes are arranged at intervals on the side of the first trunk electrode facing the second trunk electrode, and one end of the first branch electrode is connected to the first trunk electrode; the multiple second branch electrodes are evenly distributed on both sides of the second trunk electrode; the multiple third branch electrodes are evenly distributed on both sides of the third trunk electrode, and the multiple fourth branch electrodes are evenly spaced and arranged on the side of the fourth trunk electrode facing the third trunk electrode; the second branch electrodes located on the side of the first trunk electrode among the multiple second branch electrodes are cross-distributed with the first branch electrodes, the second branch electrodes located on the side of the third trunk electrode among the multiple second branch electrodes are cross-distributed with the third branch electrodes located on the side of the second trunk electrode among the multiple third branch electrodes, and the third branch electrodes located on the side of the fourth trunk electrode among the multiple third branch electrodes are cross-distributed with the multiple fourth branch electrodes.

[0028] The embodiment of the present application can detect not only the pressing position in the extension direction of the electrode, but also the pressing position in the arrangement direction of the electrode by setting the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode and the fourth electrode, so as to increase the pressing detection range and improve the accuracy of the detection position.

[0029] Optionally, in the pressure sensor described in the embodiment of the present application, a rough structure layer is provided on the lower surface of the elastic film layer.

[0030] Optionally, in the pressure sensor described in the embodiment of the present application, the rough structure layer is a plurality of protrusions or particles arranged on the lower surface of the elastic film layer.

[0031] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, comprising the pressure sensor in any of the above embodiments.

[0032] The pressure sensor and electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application use a first electrode and a second electrode to contact the conductive metal layer when the elastic film layer is pressed externally to achieve electrical connection, and output resistance information of the first electrode and the second electrode connected to the circuit part, and the resistance information is used to calculate the pressing position on the elastic film layer; thereby, the position detection of the pressing operation can be achieved by using only two electrodes, which can reduce the difficulty of wiring and the complexity of the process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a layered structure of a pressure sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a first planar structure of a pressure sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a second planar structure of a pressure sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 4 A third planar structural schematic diagram of a pressure sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of an elastic film layer of a pressure sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Icons: 10 - base layer, 20 - conductive metal layer, 30 - support layer, 40 - sensing electrode layer, 50 - elastic film layer, 60 - first lead, 70 - second lead, 80 - third lead, 90 - fourth lead, 41 - first electrode, 42 - second electrode, 43 - third electrode, 44 - fourth electrode, 411 - first trunk electrode, 421 - second trunk electrode, 431 - third trunk electrode, 431 - fourth trunk electrode, 412 - first branch electrode, 422 - second branch electrode, 432 - third branch electrode, 442 - fourth branch electrode, 51 - rough structure layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0041] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "inside", "outside", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the application is usually placed when in use, which is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0042] It should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "disposed" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0043] Please also refer to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 ,in, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a layered structure of a pressure sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application. The pressure sensor comprises: a substrate layer 10, a conductive metal layer 20, a support layer 30, a sensing electrode layer 40, an elastic film layer 50, a first lead 60, a second lead 70 and a signal processing circuit (not shown).

[0044] The base layer 10 includes a first area and two second areas arranged on two opposite sides of the first area. The conductive metal layer 20 is arranged in the first area; the support layer 30 is arranged in the two second areas, and the thickness of the support layer 30 is greater than the thickness of the conductive metal layer 20. The two ends of the elastic film layer 50 are respectively connected to the support layer 30 and cover the conductive metal layer 20 at intervals; the sensing electrode layer 40 is arranged on the lower surface of the elastic film layer 50 and is arranged at intervals from the conductive metal layer 20, and the sensing electrode layer 40 forms at least two electrodes. The at least two electrodes include a first electrode 41 and a second electrode 42 that are arranged oppositely and at intervals; the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 are used to contact the conductive metal layer 20 when the user presses the elastic film layer 50 to achieve electrical connection, and output the resistance information of the circuit part connected to the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42. One end of the first lead 60 is connected to one end of the first electrode 41, one end of the second lead 70 is connected to one end of the second electrode 42, and the signal processing circuit is respectively connected to the first lead 60 and the second lead 70. The signal processing circuit calculates the contact position of the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 with the conductive metal layer 20 according to the resistance information, and further calculates the position information of the pressed position on the elastic film layer 50.

[0045] It is understandable that in some embodiments, the signal processing circuit is not essential, and the pressure sensor only outputs resistance information to an external electronic device, and the external electronic device calculates the position information of the pressed area on the elastic film layer 50 based on the resistance information.

[0046] The base layer 10 may include a base film and a carbon cake layer disposed on the base film. Of course, it is understandable that the base layer 10 may also be a substrate with good physical properties, such as a glass substrate.

[0047] The conductive metal layer 20 is formed by depositing a metal with good conductive properties, such as silver or copper. The support layer 30 is made of colloid.

[0048] For details, please refer to Figure 2 The first electrode 41 includes a first trunk electrode 411 and a plurality of first branch electrodes 412. The second electrode 42 includes a second trunk electrode 421 and a plurality of second branch electrodes 422. The first trunk electrode 411 and the second trunk electrode 421 both extend along a first preset direction, specifically, they can extend in a winding manner or along a straight line. One end of the first branch electrode 412 is vertically connected to the first trunk electrode 411, and one end of the second branch electrode 422 is vertically connected to the second trunk electrode 421. The first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 are formed by a photolithography process.

[0049] Among them, the first trunk electrode 411 and the second trunk electrode 421 are arranged at intervals, and the first trunk electrode 411, the first branch electrode, the second trunk electrode 421, and the second branch electrode 422 are all directly opposite to the local part of the conductive metal layer 20, that is, the vertical projection of the first trunk electrode 411, the first branch electrode, the second trunk electrode 421, and the second branch electrode 422 on the base layer 10 is located within the range of the conductive metal layer 20. The multiple first branch electrodes 412 are arranged at intervals on the side of the first trunk electrode 411 facing the second trunk electrode 421, and one end of the first branch electrode 412 is connected to the first trunk electrode 411; the multiple second branch electrodes 422 are arranged at intervals on the side of the second trunk electrode 421 facing the first trunk electrode 411, and one end of the second branch electrode 422 is connected to the second trunk electrode 421, and the other end of each of the first branch electrodes 412 extends into the gap between two adjacent second branch electrodes 422, and the other end of each of the second branch electrodes 422 extends into the gap between two adjacent first branch electrodes 412.

[0050] The first trunk electrode 411 and the second trunk electrode 421 are both linear and parallel to each other. Specifically, the first trunk electrode 411 and the second trunk electrode 421 are both rectangular strips. The first branch electrode 412 and the second branch electrode 422 are both rectangular strips, and the length and width of the first branch electrode 412 and the second branch electrode 422 are the same. The multiple first branch electrodes 412 and the multiple second branch electrodes 422 are parallel to each other.

[0051] It can be understood that in other embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 both extend along a straight line, the first electrode 41 includes only one first trunk electrode 411 , and the second electrode 42 includes only one second trunk electrode 421 .

[0052] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the sensing electrode layer 40 includes a first electrode 41, a second electrode 42, a third electrode 43 and a fourth electrode 44. Of course, it can be understood that the sensing electrode layer 40 can also form more than four electrodes, which will not be described in detail. The following is a detailed description of the sensing electrode layer 40 including the first electrode 41, the second electrode 42, the third electrode 43 and the fourth electrode 44 as an example.

[0053] Correspondingly, the pressure sensor further includes a third lead 80 and a fourth lead 90. One end of the third lead 80 is connected to the third electrode 43, the other end of the third lead 80 is connected to the signal processing circuit, and one end of the fourth lead 90 is connected to the fourth electrode 44. The other end of the fourth lead 90 is connected to the signal processing circuit.

[0054] The signal processing circuit can not only calculate the X-axis coordinate of the position of the pressing operation, but also detect the Y-axis coordinate of the position of the pressing operation by detecting the resistance information between two adjacent electrodes. The first electrode 41, the second electrode 42, the third electrode 43 and the fourth electrode 44 extend in the X-axis direction and are arranged in the Y-axis direction.

[0055] The first electrode 41 includes a first trunk electrode 411 and a plurality of first branch electrodes 412. The second electrode 42 includes a second trunk electrode 421 and a plurality of second branch electrodes 422. The third electrode 43 includes a third trunk electrode 431 and a plurality of third branch electrodes 432. The fourth electrode 44 includes a fourth trunk electrode 441 and a plurality of fourth branch electrodes 442.

[0056] The first trunk electrode 411, the second trunk electrode 421, the third trunk electrode 431 and the fourth trunk electrode 441 are uniformly spaced in sequence. The first trunk electrode 411, the second trunk electrode 421, the third trunk electrode 431 and the fourth trunk electrode 441 are all rectangular strips and parallel to each other. The plurality of first branch electrodes 412 are arranged at intervals on the side of the first trunk electrode 411 facing the second trunk electrode 421, and one end of the first branch electrode 412 is connected to the first trunk electrode 411. The plurality of second branch electrodes 422 are uniformly distributed on both sides of the second trunk electrode 421. The plurality of third branch electrodes 432 are uniformly distributed on both sides of the third trunk electrode 431, and the plurality of fourth branch electrodes are uniformly spaced on the side of the fourth trunk electrode 441 facing the third trunk electrode 431. Moreover, the second branch electrodes 422 located on the side of the first trunk electrode 411 among the plurality of second branch electrodes 422 are cross-distributed with the first branch electrodes 412. The second branch electrodes 422 located at one side of the third trunk electrode 431 among the plurality of second branch electrodes 422 are cross-distributed with the corresponding third branch electrodes 432 , and the third branch electrodes 432 located at one side of the fourth trunk electrode 441 among the plurality of third branch electrodes 432 are cross-distributed with the plurality of fourth branch electrodes 442 .

[0057] Among them, when the user presses the elastic film layer, the corresponding area of ​​the sensing electrode layer will move toward the conductive metal layer, so that the two electrodes at the corresponding position are connected by the conductive metal layer 20, thereby detecting a resistance value within a preset range, and the other electrodes are not conductive, so the resistance is infinite, thereby determining the Y-axis coordinate of the position where the pressing operation occurs. Since the two connected electrodes are at different connection positions, the resistance information detected by the signal processing circuit will also be different. Therefore, the X-axis coordinate of the position where the pressing operation occurs can be calculated by detecting the resistance value of the two connected electrodes.

[0058] Of course, the more electrodes the sensing electrode layer 40 forms, the greater the accuracy of the coordinates in the vertical direction. In addition, in order to avoid the pressing point being directly on the trunk electrode, the width of the trunk electrode is narrower, specifically, smaller than the length of any branch electrode.

[0059] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the lower surface of the elastic film layer 50 is provided with a rough structure layer 51, so that the stress of pressing is concentrated, and the sensitivity of pressing operation detection can be improved. The rough structure layer 51 is a plurality of convex points or particles provided on the lower surface of the elastic film layer 50.

[0060] It can be understood that in some embodiments, the rough structure layer 51 is disposed on the upper surface of the elastic film layer 50 .

[0061] In some embodiments, a rough structure layer is disposed on the upper surface of the base layer 10 , and the upper rough structure layer of the base layer is a plurality of protrusions or particles disposed on the upper surface of the base layer 10 .

[0062] The pressure sensor and electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application use a first electrode and a second electrode to contact the conductive metal layer when the elastic film layer is pressed externally to achieve electrical connection, and output resistance information of the first electrode and the second electrode connected to the circuit part, and the resistance information is used to calculate the pressing position on the elastic film layer; thereby, the position detection of the pressing operation can be achieved by using only two electrodes, which can reduce the difficulty of wiring and the complexity of the process.

[0063] The embodiment of the present application can detect not only the pressing position in the extension direction of the electrode, but also the pressing position in the arrangement direction of the electrode by setting the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode and the fourth electrode, so as to increase the pressing detection range and improve the accuracy of the detection position.

[0064] The embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, which includes the pressure sensor in any of the above embodiments. For example, the electronic device may be a detection device or a mobile phone.

[0065] The above description is only an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor, characterized in that: include: A base layer comprising a first region and two second regions disposed on two opposite sides of the first region; a conductive metal layer disposed in the first region; a supporting layer, which is disposed in the two second regions, and the thickness of the supporting layer is greater than the thickness of the conductive metal layer; an elastic film layer, two ends of which are respectively connected to the support layer and cover the conductive metal layer at intervals; a sensing electrode layer, which is disposed on the lower surface of the elastic film layer and is spaced apart from the conductive metal layer, the sensing electrode layer forms at least two electrodes that are opposite and spaced apart from each other, the at least two electrodes include a first electrode and a second electrode; the first electrode and the second electrode are respectively connected to the first lead and the second lead in a one-to-one correspondence; The first electrode and the second electrode are used to contact the conductive metal layer to achieve electrical connection when the user presses the elastic film layer, and output resistance information of the first electrode and the second electrode connected to the circuit part through the first lead and the second lead, and the resistance information is used to calculate the pressing position on the elastic film layer; The pressure sensor also includes: a signal processing circuit connected to the first lead and the second lead to obtain the resistance information, and calculate the contact positions of the first electrode and the second electrode with the conductive metal layer according to the resistance information, and further calculate the position information of the pressed position on the elastic film layer; The lower surface of the elastic film layer is provided with a rough structure layer.

2. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first electrode includes a first trunk electrode, and the second electrode includes a second trunk electrode; The first trunk electrode and the second trunk electrode both extend along a first preset direction; The first trunk electrode and the second trunk electrode are spaced apart from each other, and both the first trunk electrode and the second trunk electrode are directly opposite to a part of the conductive metal layer.

3. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first trunk electrode and the second trunk electrode are both in the shape of rectangular strips and are parallel to each other.

4. The pressure sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first electrode further includes a plurality of first branch electrodes, and the second electrode further includes a plurality of second branch electrodes; The plurality of first branch electrodes are arranged at intervals on a side of the first trunk electrode facing the second trunk electrode, and one end of the first branch electrode is connected to the first trunk electrode; The plurality of second branch electrodes are arranged at intervals on a side of the second trunk electrode facing the first trunk electrode, and one end of the second branch electrode is connected to the second trunk electrode; The other end of each of the first branch electrodes extends into the gap between two adjacent second branch electrodes, and the other end of each of the second branch electrodes extends into the gap between two adjacent first branch electrodes.

5. The pressure sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that: The plurality of first branch electrodes and the plurality of second branch electrodes are parallel to each other, the first branch electrodes are vertically connected to the first trunk electrode, and the second branch electrodes are vertically connected to the second trunk electrode.

6. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least two electrodes further include a third electrode and a fourth electrode; The first electrode includes a first trunk electrode and a plurality of first branch electrodes; the second electrode includes a second trunk electrode and a plurality of second branch electrodes; the third electrode includes a third trunk electrode and a plurality of third branch electrodes; The fourth electrode includes a fourth trunk electrode and a plurality of fourth branch electrodes; The first trunk electrode, the second trunk electrode, the third trunk electrode and the fourth trunk electrode are arranged in parallel and evenly spaced in sequence; the multiple first branch electrodes are arranged at intervals on the side of the first trunk electrode facing the second trunk electrode, and one end of each of the first branch electrodes is connected to the first trunk electrode; the multiple second branch electrodes are evenly distributed on both sides of the second trunk electrode; the multiple third branch electrodes are evenly distributed on both sides of the third trunk electrode, and the multiple fourth branch electrodes are evenly spaced and arranged on the side of the fourth trunk electrode facing the third trunk electrode; the multiple second branch electrodes located on the side of the first trunk electrode among the multiple second branch electrodes are cross-distributed with the multiple first branch electrodes, the multiple second branch electrodes located on the side of the third trunk electrode among the multiple second branch electrodes are cross-distributed with the multiple third branch electrodes located on the side of the second trunk electrode, and the third branch electrodes located on the side of the fourth trunk electrode among the multiple third branch electrodes are cross-distributed with the multiple fourth branch electrodes.

7. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rough structure layer is a plurality of convex points or particles arranged on the lower surface of the elastic film layer.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that: A pressure sensor comprising any one of claims 1 to 7.

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