Area divided thin device and use method of the same

Abstract

To provide a thin device which automatically sets a usable terminal even when positional deviation between a connection part of the device and a terminal of an actuation apparatus occurs in installing the thin device on the actuation apparatus, for allowing a user to actuate and use the thin device without being aware of the deviation, and a use method of the same.SOLUTION: A thin device comprises: multiple actuation areas which are divided for each repeated unit of a conductive pattern formed by using conductive ink, and are provided on a substrate formed of an electric insulation material; and multiple connection pads each of which is electrically connected to each actuation area, is positioned with the connection terminal of the actuation apparatus for connecting the conductive pattern to the actuation apparatus. The connection pads have a width at which the connection pads can be positioned with multiple connection terminals of the actuation apparatus, and include the connection pad which can be conducted to two or more prescribed actuation areas selected from multiple actuation areas.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a thin device manufactured using printing technology on a roll-shaped substrate (film, paper, etc.), and in particular to a thin device divided into areas to improve resolution, which allows for a simpler configuration (heating wire pattern, etc.) than conventional devices and solves problems caused by misalignment that is likely to occur when setting it on an operating device, and a method for using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, thin devices that sense temperature, humidity, piezoelectricity, etc., have been manufactured using various printing technologies by forming electrodes and sensors on a roll-shaped substrate (insulating material such as film or paper) using printing technology. For example, if the substrate is a film, thin devices called film sensors, film heaters, film speakers, film solar cells, film batteries, etc., have been manufactured using various printing technologies. The manufacturing of thin devices using printing technology has the advantage that various arbitrary device shapes (heating wire patterns, etc.) can be manufactured simply by changing the pattern on the plate. Furthermore, by using these thin devices in combination with technology that divides areas, the resolution of various sensors can be increased, specific areas within the device can be used for heaters and speakers, and power consumption can be reduced for solar cells and batteries, thereby increasing convenience.

[0003] The applicant has proposed a moisture detection film device (thin device) divided into areas in this way, and a method for identifying the area into which moisture has infiltrated and the amount of infiltrated moisture by comparing the measured value with a stored reference value (Patent Document 1). For example, a disposable sheet having a film device with electrodes and a water-retentive layer is prepared as a pet sheet to be used as a pet tray, and the sheet is placed (placed) in a pet toilet, so that it is possible to detect the amount of moisture that has infiltrated into which area in the toilet. This not only makes it possible to know when to replace the pet sheet, but also makes it possible to understand the pet's toilet situation and connect it to health management. In this way, various thin devices are often used in combination with operating devices that control the exchange of electrical signals with the thin device and cause the thin device to function as a sensor, heater, speaker, solar cell, battery, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-110401 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in order to divide a thin device into areas and control it, contacts (terminals, probes, etc.) and circuits of the operating device corresponding to each area are required, which causes a problem that the configuration of the device and the control method are likely to become complicated. In addition, when installing a thin device on an operating device, if the installation position is slightly shifted, the contacts (terminals, probes, etc.) of the operating device and the contact areas (e.g., connection pads) of the thin device will not be aligned, causing a problem of electrical failure. This problem is particularly likely to occur when the device is used by frequently replacing it, such as a pet sheet, or when the base material of the thin device is made of a material that is easily stretched. In addition, thin devices are often manufactured using printing technology by cutting a roll-shaped film printed by a highly productive roll-to-roll method to a specified length suitable for use. In this case, the film may expand and contract slightly due to fluctuations in the temperature, humidity, etc. of the cutting environment, which may cause the cutting position to shift. This is particularly problematic when the thin device has a fine pattern and precise adjustment of the cutting position is required.

[0006] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a thin device having a pattern that allows one contact of an operating device to be shared by multiple operating areas on the thin device, and further to provide a thin device having a pattern that allows one contact to be substituted for another even if the contact becomes misaligned, and a method for using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the thin device of the present invention is a thin device that performs a predetermined function by connecting to an operating device, and includes a plurality of operating areas partitioned for each repeat unit of a conductive pattern formed by printing with a conductive ink on a base material made of an electrically insulating material, and a plurality of connection pads that are electrically connected to each of the operating areas and are aligned with the connection terminals of the operating device to connect the conductive pattern to the operating device, and the connection pads have a width that allows alignment with a plurality of the connection terminals of the operating device and include pads that are conductive to two or more predetermined operating areas selected from the plurality of operating areas. With this configuration, even if there is a misalignment between the contacts of the thin device and the contacts of the operating device, the thin device can be operated using other contacts of the operating device. In addition, since one connection pad can operate two (or more) predetermined operating areas, the pattern on the thin device divided into areas can be simplified, and the configuration and control method of the operating device can also be simplified.

[0008] Another aspect of the thin device of the present invention is that the active area and the connection pads are each formed in multiple stages in the width direction. This configuration has the advantage that it is possible to increase the resolution of the device as, for example, a sensor, and in the case of a heater, it is possible to use the device in such a way that only a specific area is heated, improving convenience and simplifying the pattern on the thin device.

[0009] A method of using a thin device of the present invention includes a first step of connecting an operating device having a plurality of terminal groups, each of which is made up of a plurality of connection terminals that can be aligned within a width of the connection pad formed on the thin device, to the thin device, and then providing terminal position information for two terminal groups selected from the plurality of terminal groups, the terminal position information specifying the position of each terminal within the terminal group; a second step of identifying and storing conductive terminals among the terminals belonging to the two terminal groups selected in the first step based on the terminal position information provided in the first step; a third step of identifying and storing a matching type of terminals derived from position information of the conductive terminals identified in the second step; a fourth step of determining a pair of terminals for activating each of the activation areas on the thin device based on the matching type of the terminals identified in the third step; The method includes a sixth step of sequentially switching between the terminals of the operating device to be energized, sequentially energizing the pairs of terminals for activating the respective operating areas determined in the fourth step, thereby sequentially activating the corresponding operating areas on the thin device. With this configuration, even if the terminals are misaligned, which may occur when the thin device is installed on the operating device, the thin device can be used without causing electrical failure, and the user does not need to worry about misalignment when installing the thin device.

[0010] Furthermore, the method of using a thin device of the present invention is characterized in that the thin device is a thin device created by forming the plurality of operating areas on a long substrate by printing and then cutting the thin device at a predetermined length in the long direction, and includes a fifth step of checking the conduction of the operating area adjacent to the outer end of the thin device by energizing the connection terminals of the operating device, selected based on the matching type of the terminal identified in the fourth step, starting from the connection terminal closest to the outer end of the operating device, after the fourth step. According to this configuration, it is possible to quickly determine the operating area that has become unusable due to a positional deviation when cutting the thin device when it is created, and to operate the thin device based on the information, so that the both end regions of the thin device that are the cut ends can also be effectively utilized. In addition, since high cutting accuracy is not required, the manufacturing efficiency of the thin device can be improved. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, one contact of the operating equipment can be shared by multiple operating areas on the thin device, and one contact area (connection pad) can be used to energize two or more predetermined operating areas, so that the pattern on the thin device divided into areas can be simplified, and the configuration and control method of the operating equipment can also be simplified. Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if a misalignment occurs between the connection part of the device and the terminal of the operating equipment when the thin device is installed on the operating equipment, it is possible to automatically set the usable terminal, so that the user can operate and use the thin device as usual without being aware of the slight misalignment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of an example of a thin device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection pattern of an example of a thin device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3-1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a connection state between terminals and connection pads in an example of a thin device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3-2] 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams showing other connection states between terminals and connection pads in an example of a thin device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3-3] 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams showing other connection states between terminals and connection pads in an example of a thin device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3-4] 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams showing other connection states between terminals and connection pads in an example of a thin device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the steps of a method for using the thin device according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the cutting position and the usable area when producing a thin device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6]6 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the usable area when a positional misalignment occurs between the terminals and the connection pads in the case of the thin device according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5(a). FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between terminals and connection pads when misalignment occurs in an example of a thin device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following description will be given taking, for example, a moisture-sensitive sensor as an example, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this. FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing an outline of an embodiment of a thin device 1 of the present invention. Here, a moisture-sensitive sensor is taken as an example for the purpose of explanation. In this thin device 1, a moisture-sensitive material 12 is provided in a thin film form in each area Ax on a base material 11 such as a plastic film partitioned into a plurality of operating areas A1, A2, . . . Ax, and the moisture-sensitive material 12 is provided on the surface of the moisture-sensitive material 12 with a conductive pattern formed with conductive ink by printing technology, here a pair of electrodes 13 (Ea, Eb). Furthermore, the device is provided with connection pads (contact areas) P11, P12, . . . Px similarly formed in a thin film form with conductive ink, and a conductor 14 (illustration of the conductor is omitted in FIG. 1). The conductor connecting the area Ax and the connection pad Px is formed with conductive ink by printing technology, like the electrodes and connection pads of each area.

[0014] The connection pads are for electrically connecting by contacting with each terminal of an external operating device (not shown). A plurality of connection pads are provided according to the number of operating areas (connection pads P11, P12, ... Px). The connection pads are formed by forming a thin film layer of conductive ink on a substrate by printing technology, and may be formed by forming a thin film layer of ink in a so-called solid black state in a predetermined range having a width that can be electrically connected to a terminal (probe) in the operating device. In addition, the conductors are formed in a predetermined pattern by printing technology to electrically connect each electrode (conductive pattern) and each connection pad. There is no particular restriction on the printing technology that can be used as long as it is a printing method that can form a thin film layer of conductive ink, such as offset printing, inkjet printing, and flexographic printing. With this configuration, each of the operating areas A1, A2, ... Ax functions as, for example, a moisture sensor, and electrical signals are exchanged with the external operating device, so that the CPU and program of the operating device control signals and process data.

[0015] In addition, the thin device of the present invention can use a film (polymer material), paper, or other insulating material as the substrate. For example, when used as a heater, heat resistance capable of withstanding the heat generation temperature of the heater is necessary, but a wide variety of insulating materials can be used as the substrate, except for such restrictions according to the intended use. A substrate having a thickness of about 5 μm to 1 mm is suitable for taking advantage of the advantages of a thin device, such as ease of handling, convenience, and excellent flexibility. In addition, the thin device, which is produced by cutting to a predetermined length after printing, may be in the form of a sheet or roll.

[0016] As an example of a method of use, when the present thin device is used as a pet seat, the present thin device can be preferably used in the form of a sheet cut to a size that fits the use area of ​​an external operating device (pet toilet). When using the device, the connection pads on the thin device and the terminal arrangement of the operating device are designed in advance so that the connection pads of the thin device are aligned on the terminals of the operating device by placing (placing) the thin device in a predetermined position on the operating device.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection pattern (wiring of the conductor 14) of each of the partitioned multiple operating areas A11, A12, ... Ax and the multiple connection pads P11, P12 ... Px in the thin device shown in FIG. 1. Each operating area A11, A12, ... Ax is connected to two predetermined connection pads so as to be conductive with the operating device through the connection pads. Each connection pad has a short-side width that can be electrically connected to a connection terminal (probe) in the operating device, and a long-side width that can be connected to adjacent ones of the connection terminals (probes). That is, each pad is formed so as to have a long-side width that is longer than at least the interval between adjacent connection terminals of the multiple connection terminals arranged in the operating device. At the same time, the interval between each connection pad and the connection pad arranged on the thin device is designed to be narrower than the interval between adjacent connection terminals of the operating device. With this configuration, even if some misalignment occurs when placing the thin device on the operating equipment, the connection terminal on the operating equipment will always come into contact with one of the connection pads, so no electrical conductivity problems will occur.

[0018] In order to pass electricity through the operating area, the operating area must be connected to two connection pads. If two connection pads corresponding to one operating area are simply prepared separately, twice as many connection pads as the number of areas are required. In that case, the space required for arranging the connection pads Px on the thin device and the space required for wiring the conductors 14 connecting the connection pads and the operating area will increase. It is desirable for the thin device to be compact, and it is also preferable from the viewpoint of device performance to have as large an operating area as possible within the limited device area. Therefore, in the thin device of the present invention, it is desirable for the multiple connection pads to include connection pads that are wired so that electricity can be passed to two or more selected predetermined operating areas. Here, including means that not all connection pads are connected to two or more operating areas, but some connection pads are connected only to one operating area. If there are two or more operating areas connected to both of the selected two predetermined connection pads, for example, the measurement of the sensor will be the sum of the two operating areas. To avoid this, the wiring is performed so that only one operating area is connected to both of the two connection pads. For example, in the pattern example shown in FIG. 2, the connection pad P11 is connected to two operating areas, A11 and A31, the connection pad 21 is connected only to A31, the connection pad 31 is connected to two operating areas, A11 and A21, and the connection pad 32 is connected to three operating areas, A11, A12, and A22. Thus, the above-mentioned "including" means that some connection pads, such as the connection pad 21, are connected to only one operating area. With this configuration, for example, in the pattern example shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to correspond to three operating areas with four connection pads. In the example of FIG. 2, for example, it is possible to apply electricity to the operating area A11 using the connection pads P31 and P32, the operating area A21 using the P31 and P11, and the operating area A31 using the connection pads P21 and P11, so that it is possible to apply electricity to the three operating areas A11, A21, and A31 using the four connection pads P11, P21, P31, and P32.

[0019] In addition, in the thin device of the present invention, it is preferable that the operating area and the connection pads are each formed in multiple stages in the width direction of the thin device (the vertical direction in FIG. 2). In this way, the area is divided into multiple areas not only in the horizontal direction (the roll length direction when created by printing) but also in the vertical direction (the roll width direction when printed), and a sensor is formed in each area, for example, so that the resolution of the sensor can be improved. It is also preferable that the connection pads are provided in multiple stages in the width direction with the same number of stages as the operating area. Here, it is possible to operate the present thin device even if the number of stages of the operating area and the number of stages of the connection pads do not necessarily match, but if the number of stages of the connection pads is smaller than the number of stages of the operating area, the width of each connection pad will necessarily be narrow, and the tolerance range for positional deviation of the thin device will also be narrow.

[0020] Next, a method of using the thin device of the present invention will be described. The thin device of the present invention performs a predetermined function by electrically connecting to an operating device and exchanging signals. The electrical connection with the operating device is achieved by aligning the area of ​​the connection pad on the thin device with a pair of connection terminals provided on the operating device and physically contacting them. Here, the pair of connection terminals is a pair of so-called positive and negative connection terminals necessary for passing electricity to a predetermined operating area on the thin device. In order to correctly pass electricity to a predetermined operating area, each connection terminal must be correctly aligned with the connection pad that connects to the predetermined area. For example, if the size and shape of the connection pad are expanded in a direction in which a positional deviation with the terminal is expected, it is possible to maintain the connection between the thin device and the operating device even if some positional deviation occurs. However, there is a limit to expanding the size of the connection pad within a limited area on the device.

[0021] In the thin device of the present invention, the multiple connection pads include connection pads that can be energized to two or more predetermined operating areas. When the thin device is operated, the terminals to be energized are switched in sequence to switch the operating areas to be operated, and the entire operating areas are operated in sequence. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the number of connection pads provided on the thin device. As described above, for example, in the example of FIG. 2, four connection pads can be used to energize three operating areas. By reducing the number of connection pads, it is possible to reduce the number of wirings of conductors on the thin device, and therefore the area occupied by the connection pads and wiring on the thin device can be reduced. This makes it possible to set each of the operating areas larger.

[0022] Further, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3-1, the longitudinal width of the connection pad on the thin device and the terminal arrangement of the actuator are designed so that at least two connection terminals are aligned within the area of ​​one connection pad. That is, when the thin device is installed at an accurate position on the actuator without being misaligned, at least two connection terminals of the actuator are aligned within the range of one connection pad, which is a connection terminal that can be energized in a specific operating area. Consider the case of FIG. 3-1 as an example. The connection pads PB and PC are connected to the operating area A2. Then, two connection terminals, the connection terminals 2-1 and 2-2 of the actuator are aligned with the connection pad PB, and two connection terminals, the connection terminals 3-1 and 3-2 of the actuator are aligned with the connection pad PC. Here, for convenience, a plurality of connection terminals (which may be two or more) aligned with the same connection pad are called a terminal group. That is, the connection terminals 2-1 and 2-2 are one terminal group, and the connection terminals 3-1 and 3-2 are another terminal group. In this case, to energize the operating area A2, it is sufficient to energize a pair of terminals in any of the four combinations shown in Table (A). Such terminal groups are arranged in the operating device such that the number of groups of terminals is at least greater than the number of connection pads on the thin device.

[0023] As described above, the arrangement of the connection terminals of the operating device and the connection pads on the thin device is designed so that the interval between adjacent connection terminals is wider than the interval between adjacent connection pads. For example, in FIG. 3-1, the interval between adjacent connection terminals, such as the interval between connection terminals 1-1 and 1-2 and the interval between connection terminals 1-2 and 2-1, is set to be wider than the interval between corresponding connection pads PA and PB. Since all connection terminals and corresponding connection pads are arranged in such a relationship, the interval between connection terminals 5-1 and 5-2, and 5-2 and 6-1 are also wider than the interval between connection pads PE and PF. By arranging in this way, even if a positional deviation occurs when the thin device is installed on the operating device, at least one of the adjacent connection terminals, such as connection terminals 1-1 and 1-2, connection terminals 1-2 and 2-1, connection terminals 5-1 and 5-2, and connection terminals 5-2 and 6-1, always contacts the connection pad. Since neither of the adjacent connection terminals will enter (be aligned with) the gap between the connection pads, even if misalignment occurs when installing the thin device, one of the connection terminals will always come into contact with the connection pad, preventing poor electrical conductivity due to misalignment.

[0024] 3-2 to 3-4 are schematic diagrams showing a case where a thin device is misaligned when it is installed in an operating device. FIG. 3-2 shows a case where a thin device is misaligned to the right in the figure, so that a terminal 1 (for example, terminal 1-1) in a terminal group cannot be connected to a connection pad (for example, PA), and FIG. 3-3 shows a case where a thin device is misaligned to the left in the figure. FIG. 3-4 shows a case where a terminal 1 (for example, terminal 1-2) in a terminal group is aligned to an adjacent connection pad (PB) instead of the connection pad (PA) to which it should be aligned, because of a larger misalignment to the right in the figure. In either case, at least one terminal among a plurality of terminals constituting one terminal group is aligned to a correct connection pad. In the method of use of the present invention, even if such a misalignment occurs, it is possible to automatically identify a terminal that can be used and use that terminal to operate a predetermined operating area. A specific method of use of the thin device of the present invention using the thin device and operating device configured as described above is as follows (see also the flow chart shown in FIG. 4).

[0025] When using the thin device, the thin device is first placed at a predetermined position on the corresponding operating device, so that the operating device and the thin device are connected to each other. At this time, the presence or absence of misalignment of the thin device is confirmed by the following steps to determine whether the thin device is placed at the correct position. These steps may be performed for one operating area selected from the central part of the repeating pattern of operating areas and connection pads on the thin device, that is, from among the operating areas and connection pads that are not adjacent to the cutting lines corresponding to both ends of the cut thin device, and for one terminal group corresponding to one set of connection pads connected to the operating area. Specifically, for example, in FIG. 3-1, the parts indicated by the wavy lines at both ends are the cut ends of the thin device, and in the example of a thin device having six operating areas A1 to A6, the operating areas A1, A4, A3, A6, and connection pads PA, PE, PD, etc. are not the targets, and the following steps are performed for the central operating area A2 and connection pads PB and PC, or the operating area A5 and connection pads PF and PC.

[0026] In the first step, two terminal groups are selected from the terminal groups on the operating device, and terminal position information that specifies the position of each terminal is assigned to the connection terminals belonging to the two selected terminal groups, i.e., at least four connection terminals. The terminal position information may indicate the absolute position of each connection terminal in the operating device, but in the usage method of the present invention, it may be relative position information that specifies the position of each terminal in the two selected terminal groups. That is, in the case of two terminal groups with four terminals, the information may specify the relative positional relationship of the four terminals, such as terminal 1-1 located on the left and terminal 1-2 located on the right in the first group, and terminal 2-1 located on the left and terminal 2-2 located on the right in the second group. The assignment of the position information of the terminals of the operating device may be performed when the thin device is first used, but position information regarding a specific terminal may be assigned in advance when the operating device is designed and manufactured. Basically, the terminal position information that has been assigned once can be used as it is when the thin device is replaced with a new one and use is resumed.

[0027] The second step is a step of checking the continuity of each of the terminals whose position information was identified in the first step. Specifically, the check for continuity is performed according to the following checking procedure. Verification step (1): For one of the two terminal groups selected in step 1, a current is passed through a pair of adjacent connection terminals in the terminal group to check for continuity. For example, for the connection pads PB and PC in FIG. 3-1, if terminal groups (2-1 and 2-2) and (3-1 and 3-2) are selected as terminal group 2, for one group (e.g., 2-1 and 2-2), a current is passed through a pair of adjacent connection terminals (here, 2-1 and 2-2) in the terminal group to check for continuity. If the pair of connection terminals is found to be conductive, then the terminals (2-1 and 2-2) are stored as conductive terminals and the checking procedure is terminated. If the pair of connection terminals is not conductive, proceed to checking procedure 2. In addition, the terminals 2-1 and 2-2 are conductive when both terminals are aligned to the same connection pad (PB) as shown in FIG. 3-1. However, even when the terminals 2-1 and 2-2 are aligned to different connection pads (PB and PC) as shown in FIG. 3-2, current also flows through a path from the connection pad PB through the operating area A2 to the connection pad PC. In the confirmation procedure (1), it is desirable to store the terminals 2-1 and 2-2 as conductive terminals only when both terminals are aligned to the same connection pad as shown in FIG. 3-1. For this reason, it is desirable to set a threshold value in advance in the confirmation procedure (1). For example, by checking the continuity with a threshold value of +1Ω, when the terminals 2-1 and 2-2 are located in the same connection pad, the continuity can be confirmed within the threshold value, and when the terminals 2-1 and 2-2 are located in different terminals and cannot be conductive without passing through the operating area, the continuity is confirmed at a value exceeding the threshold value, so that it is possible to distinguish between the two.

[0028] Verification step (2): From the two terminal groups, select two terminals that belong to different terminal groups and are adjacent to each other (for example, 2-2 and 3-1 in Figure 3-2) and check for continuity. If the two connection terminals are conductive within the threshold, as in confirmation procedure (1), store those terminals as conductive terminals and end the confirmation procedure. If the two connection terminals are not conductive, proceed to confirmation procedure 3.

[0029] Verification step (3) From two terminal groups, two terminals (e.g., terminals 2-1 and 3-1 in FIG. 3-3) that belong to different terminal groups and are not adjacent to each other are selected and their continuity is confirmed. Here, "belonging to different terminal groups and not adjacent to each other" refers to a combination of terminals that is next to a given terminal 1, skipping the terminal next to it, when a terminal group is composed of two connection terminals. In FIG. 3, for example, combinations of (terminals 2-1 and 3-1) and (terminals 2-2 and 3-2) are applicable. In step (3), it is sufficient to check the continuity of either of these combinations. If the two connection terminals (e.g., terminals 2-1 and 3-1 in FIG. 3-3) are conductive, those terminals are stored as conductive terminals and the confirmation procedure is terminated. If the two connection terminals are not conductive, proceed to confirmation step 4.

[0030] Verification step (4) Select two terminals that are not checked for continuity in step (3), belong to different terminal groups, and are not adjacent to each other (for example, 2-2 and 3-2, which were not checked in check step (3)), and check their continuity. If the two connection terminals in question are conductive (for example, terminals 2-2 and 3-2 in Figure 3-2), store those terminals as conductive terminals and end the check procedure. If the two connection terminals in question are not conductive, record an error.

[0031] It is preferable that these confirmation procedures are configured so that confirmation procedures (1) to (4) are automatically performed when a CPU, storage device, or program built into the operating device or its external controller detects that a thin device has been placed on the operating device. In this case, the user can start using the device by following the steps below without being aware of the confirmation process. If an error is recorded in the above step (4), it is preferable that the device is configured to notify the user, for example, by flashing a lamp on the operating device or displaying an error on the display unit, and to prompt the user to place the thin device again. After the device is placed again, it is preferable that the confirmation procedures are automatically performed again.

[0032] The third step is a step of identifying and storing the matching type of the terminals derived from the position information of the conductive terminals identified in the second step. For example, when the continuity is confirmed in the confirmation procedure (1) in the second step, the matching type is identified and stored as 1. Matching type 1 indicates that both of a pair of connection terminals belonging to one terminal group are within the range of one connection pad, and either terminal can be used to energize the corresponding operating area, as shown in FIG. 3-1. Since the arrangement of the connection pads and connection terminals is configured by repeating the same pattern, when matching type 1 is identified in the third step, it indicates that each pair of connection terminals is correctly aligned within the range of all the connection pads of the thin device. In this case, for example, there are four combinations of terminals that can be energized in area A2, as shown in table A in FIG. 3-1. This table may be created in advance for each operating area and stored in the memory unit, but once the matching type is determined, the combination of terminals that can be energized in each operating area can be easily calculated each time from the relative positional relationship. In other words, if a table is created for a specific area, it is sufficient to select terminals to be energized that are in the same relative positional relationship as the specific area and the area to be operated. Specifically, if there are four types of terminals to be energized in area A1, namely, "2-1 and 3-1," "2-1 and 3-2," "2-2 and 3-1," and "2-2 and 3-2," the terminals to be energized in area A3 are "3-1 and 4-1," "3-1 and 4-2," "3-2 and 4-1," and "3-2 and 4-2," and the terminals to be energized in area A5 are "6-1 and 3-1," "6-1 and 3-2," "6-2 and 3-1," and "6-2 and 3-2."

[0033] If the continuity is confirmed in the confirmation procedure (2) of the second step, the matching type is identified and stored as matching type 2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3-2, it indicates that the connection terminals belonging to terminal group 1 are aligned to different connection pads. In this case, the terminals that can be used to energize the target operating area are only specific terminals among the terminals belonging to the terminal group. However, matching type 2 indicates that two terminals belonging to terminal group 1 are aligned to different connection pads, and two terminals of different terminal groups are aligned within connection pad 1. In this case, it is possible to activate the corresponding operating area by energizing terminals 2 (e.g., 2-1 and 2-2) belonging to terminal group 1 as a pair of terminals. Then, as with matching pattern 1, if matching pattern 2 is identified, it means that terminals 2 belonging to different groups are aligned within connection pad 1 on all connection pads except for both ends, and the combinations of terminals that can be energized are four as shown in table (B) of FIG. 3-2.

[0034] If the continuity is confirmed in the confirmation procedure (3) of the second step and the matching type is identified and stored, it indicates that there is only one terminal aligned within the range of the connection pad, as shown in Figure 3-3. It is then clear that the two terminals selected in the confirmation procedure (3) (2-1 and 3-1 in the above example) can be used to energize the corresponding operating area. In this case, two terminals in different terminal groups and in the same relative position can be used for all the connecting pads. In other words, if electricity is applied to 2-1 and 3-1, it is possible to apply electricity between terminals in the terminal groups whose relative positions are on the left side of the group. Specifically, the terminals that can apply electricity to the operating area A2 are "2-1 and 3-1" shown in table (C). This shows that electricity can be applied to the operating area A3 by "3-1 and 4-1", and to the operating area A5 by "6-1 and 3-1". Thus, in the case of matching type 3, there is only one combination of terminals that can be applied. If continuity is confirmed in the second step confirmation procedure (4) and matching type 4 is identified and stored, it indicates that current can be passed between terminals in different terminal groups whose relative positions are on the right side within the group, as shown in Figure 3-4. The only difference from matching type 3 is the relative positional relationship, and other points can be processed in the same way as matching type 3.

[0035] Furthermore, when a terminal group comprises three or more terminals, i.e., when there are three or more terminals that can be aligned to one connection pad, the electrical continuity check can be performed in sequence for any combination of two terminals in the same terminal group, and then the electrical continuity check can be performed in the same manner using a combination of two terminals in mutually different terminal groups.

[0036] The fourth step is a step of determining a pair of terminals to be energized to activate each of the operating areas on the thin device based on the matching type of the terminals identified in the third step. As described above, in the case of matching type 3 or 4, the connection terminals that can be used for the corresponding operating area are limited to two specific ones. In the case of matching type 1 or 2, four combinations of terminals are possible for one operating area, so one of the combinations may be selected. And which combination of terminals can be used for which operating area is determined by the pattern in which the operating areas and the connection pads are arranged on the thin device and how they are wired, so at the design stage of the thin device, it is possible to create and store a table of all combinations of operating areas and terminals (and connection pads aligned with the terminals) for energizing the operating areas for all operating areas. Then, based on the table created in advance, it is possible to determine the combination of terminals to be energized to activate a specific operating area.

[0037] As described below, the fifth step is a testing step for checking whether the working areas located at both ends of the thin device can be used, so it is possible to skip this step and proceed to the sixth step.

[0038] The sixth and final step is to energize the operating areas to activate the thin devices in the operating areas. In other words, this is the step of actually using the thin devices to perform a specific function. For example, in the case of a sensor, this is the step of energizing the sensors in each operating area to perform measurements using the sensors. Specifically, the sixth step is a step of operating the operating areas in sequence by switching the combination of connection terminals to be energized based on a predetermined sequence control procedure using a CPU, storage device, and program built into the operating device or its external controller. The order of operation and the duration of each operation can be freely designed by programming according to the purpose of use of the thin device. For example, with a pet sheet, it is possible to activate the moisture sensor to take a measurement in the central area where a pet is most likely to relieve itself, and depending on the results, it is possible to omit measuring the surrounding areas which are less likely to be used.It is also possible to easily control the thin device according to the purpose and use, such as by making the measurement time (power supply time) in the central area longer than that of the surrounding areas, attempting to perform accurate measurements in areas expected to have more moisture, and performing a simpler measurement with a shorter measurement time in areas expected to have less moisture.

[0039] Next, a method for inspecting the thin device of the present invention will be described. The thin device of the present invention is preferably manufactured by printing on a roll-shaped substrate by a roll-to-roll method or a roll-to-sheet method, which has high productivity. In this case, a film on which the same pattern (including conductive patterns, connection pads, and conductors) is repeatedly printed in the length direction is cut to a desired length to form a sheet-shaped thin device. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the film is cut to a length of a predetermined number of repetitions, but it may be difficult to cut at a predetermined position while maintaining productivity. That is, regardless of the material, it is inevitable that the substrate will expand and contract to a greater or lesser extent, so the possibility of partial loss of the pattern adjacent to the cutting line cannot be completely eliminated. Of course, it is possible to recognize all of the operating areas and connection pads adjacent to the cutting line as inoperable areas and use the thin device using only the central operating area, but since the effect of partial loss does not necessarily extend to all of the adjacent operating areas and connection pads, it is not preferable to make usable operating areas inoperable. Furthermore, in the thin device of the present invention, as described above, the energized connection pads are switched for use by switching, so that the non-use recognition of one connection pad may not only make one operating area unusable, but also affect other operating areas and make them unusable.

[0040] Therefore, in the thin device of the present invention, it is desirable to inspect the sheet-like thin device after cutting in the following procedure. This inspection may be performed as a part of the manufacturing process of the thin device, but when using the thin device, it is preferable to place the thin device on the operating equipment, perform the above-mentioned steps of identifying the electric terminals (steps 1 to 4), and then perform the inspection work as a fifth step before moving to the sixth step. It is noted that defects in the pattern caused by cutting are limited to the operating area and connection pads adjacent to the cutting line, and the possibility of defects caused by cutting is extremely low in other operating areas and connection pads located in the center of the device. For this reason, the continuity of the connection pads located at both ends of the thin device after cutting is confirmed using connection terminals (probes) aligned with the connection pads.

[0041] FIG. 5 shows an outline of an example of a thin device of the present invention when the cutting position is shifted. In this example, the left end side of the figure is a pattern in which the connection pads and conductors are arranged on the outer side of the operating area, and the right end side of the figure is a pattern in which the conductors are formed on the outer side of the operating area, but the connection pads are arranged at approximately the same widthwise position as the operating area. In such a case, the left end side is prone to loss of the connection pads and conductors due to the shift in the cutting position, but the right end side is unlikely to lose the connection pads unless the cutting position is shifted so much that the operating area is lost. Causes of poor continuity due to the shift in the cutting position include a case in which the connection pads cannot be overlapped with the terminals of the operating device due to the loss of the connection pads (1-1 terminal in FIG. 5(a), 1-1 terminal and 1-2 terminal in FIG. 5(b), 5-1 terminal in FIG. 5(c), etc.), and a case in which the connection pads and the operating area cannot be connected due to the loss of the conductors (connection pad PA in FIG. 5(c), connection pads PA, PE in FIG. 5(d), etc.). In the connection pad PE in (d), the terminal 5-2 is aligned with the remaining connection pad portion, but the wiring connected to the connection pad PE is missing, so the entire area of ​​the connection pad PE is unusable. In contrast, in the case of FIG. 5(a), for example, the film is cut at the cutting line C-1, so that the connection pad PA is partially missing and the terminal 1-1 is not conductive, but it is possible to use the terminal 1-2 to make it conductive to the connection pad PA. Therefore, the operating area A1 can be operated by using the connection pad PA through the terminal 1-2. Also, when the film is cut at the cutting line C-2 in FIG. 5(b), the connection pad PA is not entirely missing and some part remains. If the remaining connection pad portion can be aligned with the terminal, the connection pad PA can be used, but if the remaining part of the connection pad PA does not match the position of the terminal as in FIG. 5(b), the connection pad PA becomes unusable and the operating area A1 also becomes unusable.

[0042] When the cutting is performed along the cutting line C-3 in FIG. 5(c), the conductor connected to the connection pad PA is cut, so the connection pad PA cannot be used and the operating area A1 cannot be used. Also, the connection pad PE is partially missing. In the example shown in FIG. 5(c), the terminal 5-1 cannot be used due to the loss of the connection pad, but the terminal 5-2 can be connected to the remaining part of the connection pad PE, so the connection pad PE can be used by using this terminal 5-2, and the operating area A4 can be operated. When the cutting is performed along the cutting line C-4 in FIG. 5(d), both the conductors connected to the connection pad PA and the connection pad PE are cut. In this case, regardless of whether the connection pad has a remaining part or not, the connection pad connected to the cut conductor cannot be used, and the operating area using the connection pad cannot be used.

[0043] Next, the right end of the thin device will be described in the case where it is cut at the cutting line C-5 in FIG. 5(d), for example. In this example, since all of the conductors connected to the connection pads PD are cut, both of the operating areas A3 and A6 connected to the connection pads PD become unusable. Although the cutting line is not shown, if the right end is cut without any conductors being damaged, the connection pads PD located further inward than the conductors are also not damaged, so that the operating areas A3 and A6 can be energized by using the connection pads PD. As described above, when a roll on which a pattern is printed is cut to a predetermined length to form a thin device, there is a possibility that the conductors or connection pads adjacent to the cutting line may be damaged due to a shift in the cutting position, so it is preferable to perform the following procedure to inspect the thin device before use. By performing the inspection, it is possible to determine the areas among the operating areas located at both ends of the thin device that can be energized.

[0044] Test procedure (a): For the operating areas located at the outer ends of the thin device, the continuity of the terminals aligned with the connection pads connected to the operating areas is checked. The continuity of the terminals is checked in order from the terminals located on the outer side of the thin device. At this time, if the continuity of a terminal is confirmed, the terminals located on the inner side of the same connection pad should not be affected by the cut, so it is efficient to check the continuity from the terminals located on the outer side. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the continuity of the operating areas A1, A4, A3, and A6 is checked using the terminals aligned with the connection pads PA, PE, and PD connected to those operating areas. Specifically, the continuity of the terminals (probes) 1-1 and 1-2 aligned with the connection pad PA first is checked in order from the outer 1-1. That is, the continuity of the operating area A1 is checked using the terminal 1-1 and the terminal 2-1 or 2-2. If the continuity is confirmed, the terminal 1-1 and the operating area A1 are stored as available. As described above, if continuity can be confirmed for terminal 1-1, the continuity check for terminal 1-2 can be omitted and it can be stored as a usable terminal. If continuity for terminal 1-1 cannot be confirmed, a continuity check is performed using terminal 1-2. That is, continuity for operating area A1 is confirmed using terminal 1-2 and terminal 2-1 or 2-2. If continuity is confirmed for terminal 1-2, terminal 1-2 and operating area A1 are stored as usable. If there is another connection terminal within the same connection pad, a similar continuity check is performed using that terminal. If there are no other terminals within the same connection pad, the continuity check for connection pad PA is terminated and operating area A1 is stored as an unusable area.

[0045] Next, the same procedure is used to check continuity for connection terminals 5-1 and 5-2, which are aligned with connection pad PE, which is located on the outer left side next to connection pad PA. That is, continuity for operating area A4 is checked using terminal 5-1 and terminal 2-1 or 2-2. If continuity is confirmed, terminal 5-1 and operating area A4 are stored as usable. Thereafter, continuity checks are performed for the other terminals of connection pad PE in the same manner as for operating area A1.

[0046] Next, a similar check is performed on the right end side of the thin device. In the example shown in Fig. 5, for terminals 4-1 and 4-2 that are aligned with the outermost connection pad PD, the outer terminal 4-2 is used to check the continuity of the operating area A3 or A6. As with the left end of the device, if continuity can be confirmed for terminal 4-2, there is no need to check terminal 4-1. In the example of Fig. 5, if continuity cannot be confirmed using any of the terminals aligned with the connection pad PD, both operating areas A3 and A6 are stored as inoperable areas.

[0047] Test procedure (b) When this inspection procedure is performed as the fifth step after the fourth step of the use step of the thin device of the present invention, the procedure can be simplified by using the following inspection procedure (b) instead of inspection procedure (a). In the inspection procedure (b), the position information of the terminal confirmed to be conductive in the confirmation procedure (3) of the second step of the use step is used to omit the inspection of the terminal that is known to be non-conductive due to misalignment. Specifically, the terminal that is closest to the outer end of the thin device and has the same relative position as the connection terminal confirmed to be conductive in the above step is used to pass electricity to the operating area to which the terminal is connected. Here, the relative positions being the same means that, for example, when the number of terminals belonging to a terminal group is 2, the terminal is the terminal that is the left or the terminal that is the right in the group. In other words, if the terminal confirmed to be conductive in the second step of the use step is the terminal that is the right in the group, in this inspection procedure (b), the terminal that is the right in the group terminals that are aligned with the connection pads at both ends of the thin device is used to confirm the continuity to the corresponding operating area.

[0048] FIG. 6 illustrates the pattern shown in FIG. 5(a) according to the matching type of the terminals identified in the third step of the use step. FIG. 6(b) shows the case of matching type 4, where only the terminals located on the right side of the terminal group (i.e., within the range of the connection pads) can be aligned with the connection pads and energized. If matching type 4 is determined by energization check using the center of the thin device, only the terminals located on the right side of the group will be energized for all connection pads of the thin device. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6(b), there is no need to check the energization of terminal 1-1, so the inspection procedure can be started from terminal 1-2. Similarly, for connection pad PE, there is no need to check terminal 5-1, and only terminal 5-2 will be inspected.

[0049] 6(c) and (d) are the cases of matching type 3 and matching type 2, respectively. With these matching types, it is possible to pass electricity to the originally intended connection pad by using the terminal located on the left in the terminal group. If it is determined to be matching type 3, it is possible to determine whether or not there is continuity in the operating areas A1 and A4 by simply checking the continuity of terminal 1-1 and terminal 5-1.

[0050] The difference between matching type 3 and matching type 2 is that in matching type 3 in FIG. 6(c), the terminal (1-2) located on the right in the terminal group is not aligned with the connection pad and cannot be used, whereas in matching type 2 in FIG. 6(d), the terminal (1-2) located on the right in the terminal group is aligned with the adjacent connection pad, not with the connection pad to which it should be aligned on the main body. The terminal (1-2) located on the right in the terminal group in matching type 2 is aligned with the adjacent connection pad PB, not with the connection pad PA to which it should be aligned, and therefore cannot be used for conduction to the corresponding operating area (A1) as originally intended. That is, in FIG. 6(d), only 1-1 is capable of conducting to the operating area A1, and although terminal 1-2 can conduct to the connection pad PB, it cannot be used for conduction to the connection pad PA, and therefore cannot be used for conduction to the operating area A1. However, unlike the 1-2 terminal in matching type 3, which has no room for use at all, the 1-2 terminal in matching type 2 can be used as a terminal to connect to the connection pad PB. That is, it is possible to use it as the other terminal of the operating area A1 or as a terminal of the operating area A2. Therefore, when it is determined to be matching type 2, it is desirable to check the continuity of the terminals located at the outermost ends of the device (for example, the 1-1 terminal) to determine whether it is a case where it is shifted to the left in this figure as in Figure 6(a) or a case where it is shifted to the right in this figure as in (b).

[0051] By performing either the above-mentioned inspection procedure (a) or inspection procedure (b), the operation possibility and the usable terminals are identified for the operating areas located at both ends of the thin device. This makes it possible to correct the deviation of the cutting position when the thin device is produced, the expansion and contraction of the base material, and the position deviation when the thin device is placed on the operating equipment. It is preferable that the use steps and inspection procedures used up to this point are programmed to be performed automatically as soon as it is detected that the thin device is placed on the operating equipment. This allows the user of the thin device to operate the thin device by making the most of the automatically usable operating areas simply by setting the thin device without being aware of these factors that can cause a conduction failure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1. Thin Device 11 Base material 12 Moisture-sensitive materials 13 Electrodes (Ea, Eb) 14 Conductor 2. Operating Equipment Ax operating area Px connection pad

Claims

1. A thin device that performs a predetermined function in connection with an actuator, The thin device comprises: On a substrate made of an electrically insulating material, A plurality of operating areas are partitioned for each repeating unit of a conductive pattern formed by printing using a conductive ink; in electrical communication with each of the active areas; a plurality of connection pads for connecting the conductive pattern to the operating device by being aligned with connection terminals of the operating device; Equipped with The connection pad is The width is such that the contact can be aligned with a plurality of connection terminals of the operating device, a connection pad capable of being conductively connected to two or more predetermined operating areas selected from the plurality of operating areas; A thin device characterized by:

2. The actuation area and the connection pads are formed in multiple stages. The thin device according to claim 1 .

3. A method for using the thin device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the steps of: After connecting an operating device having a plurality of terminal groups each including a plurality of connection terminals that can be aligned within a width of the connection pad formed on the thin device to the thin device, For two terminal groups selected from the plurality of terminal groups, A first step of providing terminal position information that identifies the position of each terminal within a terminal group; a second step of identifying and storing conductive terminals among the terminals belonging to the two terminal groups selected in the first step based on the terminal position information provided in the first step; a third step of identifying and storing a matching type of the terminal derived from the position information of the conductive terminal identified in the second step; a fourth step of determining a pair of terminals for activating each of the active areas on the thin device based on the matching type of the terminals identified in the third step; A sixth step of sequentially switching between terminals of the actuation device to be energized to sequentially energize the pairs of terminals for actuating the respective actuation areas determined in the fourth step, thereby sequentially actuating the corresponding actuation areas on the thin device. A method for using a thin device.

4. The thin device is a thin device produced by forming the plurality of working areas on a long substrate by printing, and then cutting the substrate to a predetermined length in the long direction, After the fourth step, A method for using a thin device as described in claim 3, characterized in that it includes a fifth step of passing current through the connection terminals of the operating device, selected based on the matching type of the terminal identified in the fourth step, starting with the connection terminal closest to the outer end of the operating device, to confirm continuity of the operating area adjacent to the outer end of the thin device.

Images