Surface thermometer, as well as manufacturing method, temperature measurement method and use method therefor

Abstract

To solve the problem that in surface thermometers, which measure a temperature of a surface of an object, a tape for sealing a temperature-sensitive thin film element cracks, tears, and peels off near portions being in contact with corner parts or side parts of the temperature-sensitive thin film element when used repeatedly.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: A surface thermometer of the present invention provides a surface thermometer in which at least a part of upper and lower surfaces of a temperature-sensitive thin film element are coated with resin, and the temperature-sensitive thin film element and a plate-shaped circuit are sealed together from above and below with tape. By covering a part of the upper and lower surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element (particularly, corner parts and side parts), it is possible to prevent gaps from occurring between the sealing tape and the temperature-sensitive thin film element or the resin. Therefore, it is possible to prevent reduction in an adhesive area with the sealing tape, and prevent the sealing tape from peeling off, thereby providing a surface thermometer that can be reused more frequently than conventional surface thermometers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a surface thermometer for measuring the surface temperature of an object, which prevents a tape sealing a temperature-sensitive thin film element from peeling off during repeated use, as well as a method for manufacturing the surface thermometer, a temperature measurement method, and a method for using the surface thermometer. [Background technology]

[0002] Some electronic components mounted on circuit boards that control electrical appliances generate heat when powered on. On the other hand, some electronic components may not function properly or may have a shortened component lifespan at high temperatures. To investigate the effect of electronic component A, which generates heat when powered on, on electronic component B, which may not function properly or may have a shortened component lifespan at high temperatures, a thermometer has been attached to the surface of electronic component B to measure its temperature. In particular, when evaluating electronic component B mounted in a housing, there may not be a large air gap around the electronic component B being measured, so thin surface thermometers have been developed and used.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a temperature sensor comprising: a flexible substrate made of a long, thin resin film; a plurality of lead wires made of a conductive pattern formed on the flexible substrate and extending in the longitudinal direction of the flexible substrate; a surface-mounted component having a built-in resistance temperature detector element and positioned at the tip of the lead wire on the flexible substrate so that the resistance temperature detector element is electrically connected to the tip of the lead wire; a resin molded portion made of elastic resin formed on the flexible substrate so as to cover the side periphery of the surface-mounted component; and an insulating protective film made of a resin film adhered to the flexible substrate so as to cover the lead wires protruding from the resin molded portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3220729 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the temperature sensor disclosed in Patent Document 1, only the side surfaces of a rectangular parallelepiped surface-mounted component (as shown in Figure 1(B) of Patent Document 1) are covered with resin, leaving the top surface, corners, and edges uncovered. Therefore, the insulating protective film, made of a resin film, covering the surface-mounted component is thought to fail to adhere tightly to the shape of the surface-mounted component, resulting in air gaps between the surface-mounted component and the insulating protective film. Furthermore, because surface-mounted components incorporating resistance temperature sensors are soldered to lead wires formed of copper foil or other materials on a flexible substrate, it is thought that a gap equal to the thickness of the copper foil also forms between the surface-mounted component and the flexible substrate. Such gaps reduce the adhesive strength of the insulating protective film. If the insulating protective film is attached to the surface of an electronic component to be measured using adhesive tape, such as double-sided or single-sided tape, and then after measuring the temperature, peeled off the adhesive tape and reattached to the surface of another electronic component using adhesive tape to measure the temperature, the insulating protective film will peel off. If a part of the insulating protective film peels off, the temperature sensor becomes unusable.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a surface thermometer in which at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of a temperature-sensitive thin film element is covered with resin, and the temperature-sensitive thin film element and plate-shaped circuit are sealed together from above and below with tape. By covering a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element (particularly the corners, sides, or top surface) with resin, it is possible to prevent gaps from forming between the sealing tape and the temperature-sensitive thin film element or the resin. This prevents a reduction in the adhesive area of ​​the sealing tape and prevents the sealing tape from peeling off.

[0007] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing the surface thermometer, a method for measuring temperature using the surface thermometer, and a method for using the surface thermometer.The present invention provides a surface thermometer that can be used more repeatedly than conventional ones, and can measure temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems related to the measuring device, the present application provides, as a first invention, a temperature-sensitive thin film element that detects temperature; a plate-like circuit that is connected to the temperature-sensitive thin film element and is arranged on substantially the same plane as the temperature-sensitive thin film element and has a height lower than that of the temperature-sensitive thin film element; a tape that seals the temperature-sensitive thin film element and the plate-shaped circuit together from above and below; a resin covering at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element between the upper and lower tapes; The present invention provides a surface thermometer comprising:

[0009] As a second invention, based on the first invention, The temperature-sensitive thin film element provides a surface thermometer that is approximately rectangular parallelepiped.

[0010] As a third invention, based on either the first invention or the second invention, The tape is a polyimide tape, and the temperature-sensitive thin film element is an element for measuring temperatures of 100° C. or higher.

[0011] As a fourth invention, based on either the first invention or the second invention, a tape preparation step of preparing two long tapes; a placement step of placing a temperature-sensitive thin film element and a plate-like circuit for acquiring a signal from the temperature-sensitive thin film element on one piece of the prepared long tape; a resin covering step of covering at least a part of the arranged temperature-sensitive thin film element with resin; a covering step of covering the temperature-sensitive thin film element and at least a part of the plate-like circuit with another tape so as to sandwich the temperature-sensitive thin film element and at least a part of the plate-like circuit between the lower tape and the tape after the resin covering step is completed; The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a surface thermometer having the above structure.

[0012] As a fifth invention, there is provided a temperature measurement method in which a surface thermometer based on either the first or second invention is attached to an object to be measured with adhesive tape, and the temperature of the object to be measured is measured.

[0013] As a sixth invention, there is provided a method of using a surface thermometer according to either the first or second invention, in which a surface thermometer based on either the first or second invention is attached to an object to be measured with adhesive tape, the temperature of the object to be measured is measured, and when the temperature measurement is complete, the adhesive tape is peeled off to separate the surface thermometer from the object to be measured, and the separated surface thermometer is attached again to the next object to be measured with adhesive tape to measure the temperature of the next object to be measured, and these processes are repeated as many times as necessary. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The surface thermometer of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration provides a surface thermometer in which at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element is covered with resin, and the temperature-sensitive thin film element and the plate-shaped circuit are sealed together from above and below with tape. By covering a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element (particularly the corners, sides, or top surface) with the resin, it is possible to prevent gaps from forming between the sealing tape and the temperature-sensitive thin film element or the resin. This prevents a reduction in the adhesive area of ​​the sealing tape and prevents the sealing tape from peeling off.

[0015] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing the surface thermometer, a method for measuring temperature using the surface thermometer, and a method for using the surface thermometer.The present invention provides a surface thermometer that can be used more repeatedly than conventional ones, and can measure temperature. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] The numbers in brackets [ ] after the brief description of each figure indicate the main paragraph numbers of the figure description or the description using the figure. [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a surface thermometer according to the present invention. [Figure 2]Overall configuration diagram of a temperature measurement system using the surface thermometer of the present invention [0021-0037] [Figure 3] Schematic diagrams [0038-0040] showing examples of temperature measurement using the surface thermometer of the present invention. [Figure 4] Schematic diagrams [0038-0040, 0047-0048] showing another example of temperature measurement using the surface thermometer of the present invention. [Figure 5] Example of hardware configuration of a temperature measurement system using the surface thermometer of the present invention [0051-0056] [Figure 6] Flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a surface thermometer of the present invention

[0049] [Figure 7a] Schematic diagram showing Example 1 of temperature measurement using a temperature sensor of the prior art [0042-0043, 0048] [Figure 7b] Schematic diagram showing an example of peeling off a prior art surface temperature sensor after temperature measurement is completed. [Figure 8] Schematic diagram showing Example 2 of temperature measurement using a temperature sensor of the prior art [0042, 0045] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] <Terminology used in the present invention>

[0018] The term "association" is used herein to mean not only a case where two or more pieces of information are directly associated, but also a case where two or more pieces of information are indirectly associated via one or more other pieces of information. Indirect association is not necessarily limited to association within one device (a device with a single housing), but also includes association across multiple devices.

[0019] "Based on" includes both cases where it is based on the object itself and cases where it is based on the object after some processing has been performed. For example, "obtaining the temperature based on the resistance measurement value of a resistance thermometer and a calibration curve" means that the "temperature" can be obtained by using the "calibration curve" to obtain the "resistance value" obtained by measurement, or the "temperature" can be obtained by putting the "resistance value" obtained by measurement into a mathematical formula and using the "calibration curve" to obtain the value.

[0020] <Outline of Embodiment 1> Mainly claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 The surface thermometer of embodiment 1 is configured so that at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element, which is sandwiched and sealed with tape from above and below, is covered with resin. In this specification, the direction toward the object to be measured is referred to as "down." In the drawings, the lower side of the drawing is referred to as "down."

[0021] <Functional Configuration of Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the surface thermometer of embodiment 1. The surface thermometer (0100) of embodiment 1 includes a temperature-sensitive thin film element (0101), a plate-like circuit (0102), a tape (0103), and a resin (0104). For ease of explanation, FIG. 1 shows the internal plate-like circuit (0102) sealed from above and below by the tape (0103), and the temperature-sensitive thin film element (0101) with at least a portion of its upper and lower surfaces covered with the resin (0104) (FIG. 1 shows an example in which the upper and side surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element (0101) are covered). The upper part of FIG. 1 is a view of the surface thermometer from above (the side above the A-A', B-B', and C-C' cross sections at the bottom of FIG. 1), and the upper tape (0103) and resin (0104) are drawn in perspective as described above. FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1. In the following description, an example will be given in which an adhesive for adhesion is applied to one side of the inner surface (the surface on the thermosensitive thin film element side) of the tape (0103), although this is not shown.

[0022] The above-described schematic structure is an example for implementing the present invention, and the structure may be omitted or new structures may be added as appropriate within the scope that does not contradict the problems to be overcome by the present invention and its effects.

[0023] <Configuration of Embodiment 1> The configuration of the surface thermometer of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2. Fig. 1 shows an example of a surface thermometer configured to use a flat cable consisting of multiple (e.g., four) conductors with insulating cores as a plate-like circuit (described later), and to cover the top and side surfaces of a temperature-sensitive thin-film element (described later) with a resin (described later). Fig. 2 shows an example of a surface thermometer configured to use multiple plate-like circuits (described later) made of thin copper foil, and to cover the top and side surfaces of a temperature-sensitive thin-film element (described later) with a resin (described later).

[0024] <Embodiment 1: Thermosensitive thin film element (0101)> The "thermosensitive thin film element" (0101) is configured to detect temperature. The thermosensitive thin film element in this specification is depicted as an element having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in the drawings, but is not limited to a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and any thermosensitive thin film element formed by known techniques can be used as appropriate.

[0025] "Thermal sensitive thin film elements" include, for example, resistance thermometers, thermocouples, thermistors, or other known means. Resistance thermometers are further made of materials such as platinum, copper, nickel, and platinum-cobalt. Platinum-based Pt100 (platinum wire resistance 100 Ω) is particularly commonly used.

[0026] Among the elements cited as examples of the temperature-sensitive thin-film element, thermocouples measure the electromotive force (voltage) generated by temperature to determine temperature, while resistance thermometers and thermistors measure resistance to determine temperature. For example, a resistance thermometer may be 1 mm or less thick, formed by laminating platinum on a silicon or ceramic substrate about 0.5 mm thick, etching the substrate to form wiring with a predetermined resistance value, and then sealing the substrate with epoxy resin or the like; or a resistance thermometer in which a platinum wire with a resistance of 100 Ω is sealed with resin. Such a temperature-sensitive thin-film element may have a shape such as a ceramic capacitor, where the part sealed with epoxy resin or the like is roughly circular or rectangular.

[0027] When using a resistance thermometer, the resistance can be determined by using a known four-wire temperature measurement circuit, three-wire temperature measurement circuit, two-wire temperature measurement circuit, etc. Generally, a three-wire temperature measurement circuit is used because it balances structural simplicity and accuracy, but any circuit can be selected as appropriate.

[0028] A "thermosensitive thin film element" can be, for example, roughly rectangular in shape, as shown in Figure 1. As mentioned above, platinum temperature-sensing resistance elements, which have a resistor formed from a platinum thin film pattern on a silicon or ceramic substrate, and thermistors formed from semiconductors, can also be formed into roughly rectangular shapes. Chip-type products are also commercially available.

[0029] <Embodiment 1: Plate-shaped circuit (0102)> The "plate circuit" (0102) is arranged on approximately the same plane as the temperature-sensitive thin film element and is configured to be connectable to the temperature-sensitive thin film element. In the example of Figure 1, as mentioned above, a flat cable made up of multiple conductors with cores covered with insulating coating is used as the plate circuit. The plate circuit (0102), which is the flat cable, and the temperature-sensitive thin film element (0101) are connected with solder (0113).

[0030] In the example of Figure 2, the "plate circuit" is a wiring pattern formed by etching a thin copper film laminated on a film substrate, for example. A copper-containing plating solution can also be used to form a wiring pattern on a film substrate. Alternatively, copper foil or a thin copper plate can be formed into a wiring pattern by laser cutting or punching. After forming the copper foil or plate into a wiring pattern, it can be attached to a tape with adhesive applied to one side to form a plate circuit as shown in Figure 2. It can also be formed by other known methods. Note that other known metal materials, such as gold, may be used instead of copper.

[0031] The "plate circuit" has a pattern with the number of lead wires required to connect the thin-film temperature-sensitive element. For example, in the case of a thermistor, thermocouple, or resistance thermometer using a two-wire temperature measurement circuit, the thin-film temperature-sensitive element has two electrodes, so the number of wires is two. For example, when a platinum resistance thermometer is used as the thin-film temperature-sensitive element and a three-wire temperature measurement circuit is used, two plate circuits are electrically connected to one electrode of the platinum resistance thermometer, which is the thin-film temperature-sensitive element, and one plate circuit is electrically connected to the other electrode. A specified current is passed through the measurement circuit, and the voltage is measured to determine the resistance value. For example, when a four-wire temperature measurement circuit is used, two wires are connected to each electrode of the platinum resistance thermometer, as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, so the number of wires is four. The effects of the present invention are the same whether a two-wire or three-wire temperature measurement circuit is used.

[0032] <Embodiment 1 Tape (0103)> The "tape" (0103) is configured to seal the temperature-sensitive thin film element and the plate-shaped circuit together from above and below. As mentioned above, this specification describes an example in which the tape has adhesive applied only to the inside, which is the side facing the temperature-sensitive thin film element. It is also possible to use tape without adhesive and apply adhesive only to the parts necessary for adhesion to form the surface thermometer of the present invention.

[0033] The "tape" is preferably made of an insulating material to maintain insulation between the wiring of the sealed plate-shaped circuit and between the electrodes of the temperature-sensitive thin-film element. It is preferable that it be flexible for ease of handling. Therefore, it is preferable to form it from resin, and it is preferable to form the tape using known resin materials such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Depending on the temperature range of the object to be measured, when measuring the temperature of an object that is expected to be in a temperature range of 100°C or higher, it is most preferable to form the tape from a material with excellent heat resistance, especially polyimide.

[0034] The thickness of the tape can be selected appropriately, for example, from the order of several tens of micrometers. For example, a typical flexible printed circuit (hereinafter referred to as FPC board) is made by forming a copper film of about 30 micrometers on a polyimide film of about 50 micrometers thick, forming a plate-like circuit including a wiring pattern. The temperature-sensitive thin-film element is electrically connected to a predetermined location on the wiring pattern formed on the polyimide film, and a tape made of another polyimide film is placed over the temperature-sensitive temperature measuring element to seal it. Known connection methods can be used for electrical connection, such as connection by soldering, connection by wire bonding, or connection using conductive materials such as silver paste or anisotropic conductive film.

[0035] <Embodiment 1 Resin (0104)> The "resin" (0104) is configured to cover at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element between the upper and lower portions of the tape. In this specification and drawings, an example is shown in which the upper surface and side surfaces are covered as at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces, but it can also be configured to cover the entire periphery.

[0036] The "resin" is required to be easy to apply and to have properties that can withstand the temperature measurement environment thereafter. Known materials can be used as the resin, but preferred examples include silicone resin, epoxy resin, and urethane resin.

[0037] In the example shown in Figure 1, the resin covers at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces (particularly the corners and edges) of the temperature-sensitive thin-film element, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 1, which shows the cross sections B-B' and C-C' in the upper diagram [Toshi Watanabe 3][a4]. In the example shown in Figure 2, the resin covers at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces (particularly the corners and edges) of the temperature-sensitive thin-film element, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 2, which shows the cross sections B-B' and C-C' in the upper diagram. In the examples of Figures 1 and 2, the lower surface of the temperature-sensitive thin-film element and the tape located below it are adhered without gaps by the adhesive of the lower tape (not shown). By applying the resin as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tape (0103) or tape (0203) can be adhered by following the shape of the resin covering the temperature-sensitive thin-film element, plate-like circuit, solder, etc., preventing the formation of gaps.

[0038] <Embodiment 1 Temperature Measurement System> An example of a temperature measurement system using the surface thermometer of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the surface thermometer (0300) of the present invention is attached to the surface of an electronic component (0310) as the temperature measurement target on a circuit board (0312) using adhesive tape (0311) (double-sided tape). The orientation of attachment will be explained later with reference to FIG. 4. In FIG. 3, a resistance thermometer is used as the temperature sensing element, and a four-wire temperature measurement circuit is used as an example. The four wires are connected to a current / voltage measurement unit (0321) on the temperature measuring device's calculation board (0320). The current / voltage of the temperature sensing element is measured to determine the resistance value of the resistance thermometer, and the temperature is acquired by a temperature acquisition unit (0323) based on the acquired resistance value and the calibration curve of resistance values ​​and temperature stored in a calibration curve storage unit (0322).

[0039] The acquired temperature is output to a display device (0354) via a USB or other video output terminal, or is sent to a server device (0351) or a PC (0352) via a LAN I / F or a LAN line or an Internet line (0350).The server device (0351) can be loaded with a temperature measurement management program to remotely operate the temperature measuring device or to send the temperature measurement results to the PC (0352) of an operator located away from the measurement location.

[0040] <Embodiment 1 Temperature Measurement System: Attaching a Surface Thermometer to an Object to be Measured> Figure 4 shows the surface thermometer shown in Figure 1 when attached to an object to be measured (e.g., an electronic component) in the temperature measurement system shown in Figure 3. The cross section of the D-D' portion in the upper diagram of Figure 4 is shown in the lower part of Figure 4. Inside the surface thermometer, the upper and side surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element (0401) are covered with resin (0404), and as explained above, tape (0403) seals the temperature-sensitive thin film element (0401) containing the resin (0404) from above and below. The lower surface of the temperature-sensitive thin film element (0401) is adhered to the lower tape (0403) without any gaps by the adhesive (not shown) on the inside of the lower tape (0403). The surface thermometer (0400) is attached to the upper surface of the object to be measured (0410) by double-sided adhesive tape (0411) underneath the lower tape (0403). Alternatively, a single-sided tape may be applied from the upper tape (0403) to the upper surface of the object to be measured, so that the surface thermometer is fixed in close contact with the object to be measured.

[0041] The surface thermometer of the present invention is attached to an object to be measured with adhesive tape such as double-sided tape, and used to measure the temperature of the object. After the temperature measurement is completed, the adhesive tape is peeled off to separate the surface thermometer from the object to be measured, and the separated surface thermometer is then attached to the next object with adhesive tape again to measure the temperature of the next object. The surface thermometer of the present invention is used in this manner, repeating this process as many times as necessary.

[0042] <Embodiment 1: Comparison with Prior Art: Tape Peeling> With prior art temperature sensors (corresponding to the surface thermometer of the present invention), if a series of temperature measurements is completed and the temperature sensor is reused by peeling off the temperature sensor attached to the top surface of an object to be measured with double-sided adhesive tape (0411) and attaching it to the surface of another object, even if the sensor is successfully removed after the first use, it is thought that after several repeated uses, the flexible substrate and the insulating protective film will peel off. The following explanation will be given using Figure 7a (using double-sided tape) and Figure 8 (using single-sided tape), which are measurement examples using the prior art temperature sensor corresponding to Figure 4. Note that Figures 7a, 7b, and 8 were created by the applicant based on Patent Document 1, which describes the prior art.

[0043] In the prior art temperature sensor shown in Figure 7a, the side of the surface-mounted component containing the built-in resistance temperature sensor element is covered with resin, but a gap is created between the surface-mounted component and the underlying flexible substrate. The insulating protective film cannot fully adhere to the top surface of the surface-mounted component, which is not covered with resin, creating a gap (air). The gap does not contribute to the adhesive strength between the upper and lower insulating protective films and the flexible substrate. Therefore, when attaching the temperature sensor to an object to be measured with adhesive tape, such as double-sided or single-sided tape, and then peeling it off after measurement, the adhesive strength between the insulating protective film and the flexible substrate may be insufficient, causing the two to peel and separate. Alternatively, the insulating protective film may come into contact with the corners or edges of the top surface of the surface-mounted component that are not covered with resin, causing the tape to crack and tear. This could result in the tape peeling off when the temperature sensor is removed from the object to be measured.

[0044] Figure 7b illustrates the problem of peeling between the insulating protective film and the flexible substrate when double-sided tape is used. Figure 7b is a schematic side-view perspective diagram of a prior art temperature sensor, with resin coated only on the side, affixed to a measurement target (such as an electronic component) with double-sided tape and then peeled off after temperature measurement. If you attempt to peel off the temperature sensor by holding the part of the sensor that is not attached to the measurement target with double-sided tape, you will need to slowly lift it slightly toward the tip of the temperature sensor, as indicated by the white arrow in Figure 7b. Lifting it in this manner will cause the temperature sensor to bend as shown in Figure 7b. Because the radius of curvature of the upper insulating protective film is smaller than that of the lower flexible substrate, a force is generated that tries to displace the insulating protective film in the longitudinal direction of the temperature sensor relative to the lower flexible substrate. This force is concentrated in the area near the surface-mounted components, where the adhesive area between the upper and lower insulating protective films and the flexible substrate is small, making the insulating protective film and the flexible substrate in that area more susceptible to peeling. Alternatively, when removing the temperature sensor, the flexible board in the gap below the surface-mounted component is pulled by the double-sided tape, which applies force to the flexible board near the boundary of the gap.It is thought that with repeated use, the flexible board will tear and peel off at the part where this force is applied.

[0045] As shown in Figure 8, if a temperature sensor of the prior art is attached to an object to be measured using single-sided tape, when the sensor is removed, the insulating protective film in the gap on the top surface of the surface-mounted component that is not covered with resin is pulled by the single-sided tape attached on top of it, making it easy for the insulating protective film to peel away from the flexible board.

[0046] In addition to the adhesive area between the upper and lower insulating protective films and the flexible substrate, the film may come into contact with the corners or edges of the top surface of the surface-mounted component that are not covered with resin, causing cracks and tears, and resulting in the film peeling off when the temperature sensor is removed (peeled off) from the object to be measured.

[0047] As explained in the temperature sensor of the prior art above, if the upper and lower insulating protective films and the flexible substrate separate or tear and peel, exposing a surface-mounted component (thermal thin-film element in this application) incorporating a resistance temperature sensor element, the temperature sensor (surface thermometer in this application) becomes unusable. In the surface thermometer of the present invention, the above-mentioned problems of the temperature sensor of the prior art are addressed by covering at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the thermal thin-film element with resin as shown in Figure 4, thereby eliminating any gaps. This increases the adhesive area between the upper and lower sealing tapes (0403), strengthens the adhesive strength, and prevents tape cracking, thereby preventing peeling of the tape (0403) as explained above. Preventing tape peeling also increases the number of times the device can be used repeatedly.

[0048] <Embodiment 1: Comparison with Prior Art: Sensitivity to Temperature Change> In the surface thermometer of the present invention shown in Figure 4, the thin-film temperature sensor element (0401) is in close contact with the object to be measured (0410) via the lower sealing tape (0403) (including the adhesive (not shown) for bonding) and the double-sided adhesive tape (0411). In the prior art temperature sensor shown in Figure 7a, the surface-mounted component incorporating the resistance temperature sensor element is mounted on the lead wire as shown in Figure (A) of Patent Document 1, and it is believed that there is a gap at least the thickness of the lead wire between the underside of the resistance temperature sensor element and the flexible substrate. Therefore, the prior art temperature sensor is in contact with the object to be measured (0710) via the air layer in the gap, the flexible substrate, and the double-sided tape. The thermal conductivity of air (40°C) is 0.027 W / (m·K), while the thermal conductivity of silicone resin, for example, is 0.2 W / (m·K), which is approximately 13.5% of the thermal conductivity of air. When temperature is measured through an air layer as in the prior art, heat is not easily transferred to the temperature-sensitive thin film element (a resistance temperature sensor element in the prior art), making it insensitive to temperature changes. By contacting the object to be measured without an air layer, as in the surface thermometer of the present invention, it is possible to make more accurate temperature measurements that are more sensitive to temperature changes.

[0049] <Embodiment 1: Method for manufacturing a surface thermometer> The method for manufacturing a surface thermometer of the present invention shown in FIG. 6 includes the following steps. However, the method is not limited to the following steps. The tape preparation step (S0601) involves preparing two long tapes. The placement step (S0602) performs a process of placing a temperature-sensitive thin film element and a plate-like circuit for acquiring a signal from the temperature-sensitive thin film element on one piece of the prepared long tape, The resin covering step (S0603) includes covering at least a part of the disposed temperature-sensitive thin film element with resin; In the covering step (S0604), after the resin covering step is completed, another piece of tape is applied to cover the temperature-sensitive thin-film element and at least a part of the plate-like circuit so as to sandwich it between the lower tape. For example, in the tape preparation step, a long tape with adhesive applied to one side is prepared, and in the placement step, a plate-shaped circuit patterned from copper foil is attached to the lower tape using the adhesive of the tape, and a temperature-sensitive thin-film element is attached to the surface of the long tape near the end of the two terminals of the plate-shaped circuit using the adhesive so that there are no gaps, and the terminals of the temperature-sensitive thin-film element and the plate-shaped circuit are electrically connected by soldering.

[0050] <Embodiment 1: Description of Hardware> The hardware of the temperature measuring device, which is a computer that acquires the temperature by obtaining the resistance value of the temperature-sensitive thin film element when measuring the temperature using a surface thermometer, will be described below. <Embodiment 1: Example of the configuration of a temperature measuring device>

[0051] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a temperature measuring device, which is a computer connected to the surface thermometer of the present invention shown in FIG. 3. The hardware configuration of the temperature measuring device of the present invention will be explained using FIG. 5, taking as an example a configuration similar to that of an embedded system (a configuration similar to that of a PC is also possible). The hardware of the computer part of the device of the present invention may be configured similar to that of a known PC. When a server device is used in a system that performs temperature measurement using the surface thermometer of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3, the server device may be configured similar to that of a known PC.

[0052] As shown in Figure 5, the temperature measuring instrument consists of an MPU, non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM, SSD, HDD, flash memory, etc.), main memory (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, etc.), a LAN I / F (I / F: interface) for connecting to a control PC or recorder, and an interface for connecting to a control module, etc., called a USB, I 2 It also has a system bus (thick line in the diagram) for sending and receiving signals between them. 2 C, SPI, etc., and is also connected to the "surface thermometer" via the "operation board."

[0053] When the system is started, the various programs and data (information) stored in the non-volatile memory are expanded into the main memory, and upon receiving an execution command, the MPU sequentially executes the programs and performs calculations using the data.

[0054] When this system starts up, the various programs and data (information) stored in the non-volatile memory are read, expanded, and stored in the main memory, which also provides a work area for those programs. By accepting execution commands, the MPU sequentially performs calculations using the data in the programs. Note that multiple addresses are assigned to the main memory and non-volatile memory, and programs executed by the MPU can exchange data between them and perform processing by identifying and accessing those addresses.

[0055] In this embodiment, the programs stored in the "main memory" are the firmware, the device driver, a resistance value acquisition program, a temperature acquisition program, and a calibration curve storage program. The "main memory" and the "non-volatile memory" also store measured current and voltage values, resistance values, calibration curves, etc.

[0056] "MPU" is A calibration curve storage program stored in the "main memory" is executed to store the calibration curve. The resistance value acquisition program stored in the "main memory" is executed to acquire the resistance value from the measured current and voltage values. A temperature acquisition program stored in the "main memory" is executed to acquire the temperature based on the acquired resistance value and the stored calibration curve. The acquired temperature can be output to a display device via USB, I2C, SPI, etc., or via LAN I / F to another PC or server device via a LAN line or Internet line.

[0057] <Effects of the First Embodiment> The surface thermometer of the first embodiment provides a surface thermometer in which at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces (e.g., the upper and side surfaces) of a temperature-sensitive thin film element are coated with resin, and the temperature-sensitive thin film element and the plate-shaped circuit are sealed together from above and below with tape. By coating a portion of the upper and lower surfaces (particularly the corners and edges) of the temperature-sensitive thin film element with resin, it is possible to prevent gaps from forming between the sealing tape and the temperature-sensitive thin film element or the resin. This prevents a reduction in the adhesive area of ​​the sealing tape and prevents the sealing tape from peeling off. This provides a surface thermometer that can be used more repeatedly than conventional thermometers, allowing for temperature measurement. Unlike prior art surface thermometers, this thermometer can contact the object to be measured without an air gap between them, allowing for more sensitive temperature changes to be observed. Also provided are a manufacturing method for the surface thermometer, a method for measuring temperature using the surface thermometer, and a method for using the surface thermometer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] Surface thermometer...0100 Temperature-sensitive thin film element··0101 Plate circuit···0102 Tape····0103 Resin····0104 Solder···0113

Claims

1. a temperature-sensitive thin film element that detects temperature; a plate-like circuit that is connected to the temperature-sensitive thin film element and is arranged on substantially the same plane as the temperature-sensitive thin film element and has a height lower than that of the temperature-sensitive thin film element; a tape that seals the temperature-sensitive thin film element and the plate-shaped circuit together from above and below; A resin that covers at least a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the temperature-sensitive thin film element [Watanabe Toru 1][a2] between the upper and lower parts of the tape; A surface thermometer consisting of:

2. 2. The surface thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-sensitive thin film element is substantially rectangular.

3. 3. The surface thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the tape is a polyimide tape, and the temperature-sensitive thin-film element is an element for measuring temperatures of 100° C. or higher.

4. a tape preparation step of preparing two long tapes; a placement step of placing a temperature-sensitive thin film element and a plate-like circuit for acquiring a signal from the temperature-sensitive thin film element on one piece of the prepared long tape; a resin covering step of covering at least a part of the arranged temperature-sensitive thin film element with resin; a covering step of covering the temperature-sensitive thin film element and at least a part of the plate-like circuit with another tape so as to sandwich the temperature-sensitive thin film element and at least a part of the plate-like circuit between the lower tape and the tape after the resin covering step is completed; 3. The method for manufacturing a surface thermometer according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

5. A temperature measuring method for measuring the temperature of an object to be measured by attaching the surface thermometer according to claim 1 or 2 to the object to be measured with adhesive tape.

6. A method of using a surface thermometer according to claim 1 or 2, comprising attaching the surface thermometer according to claim 1 or 2 to an object to be measured with adhesive tape, measuring the temperature of the object, peeling off the adhesive tape to separate the surface thermometer from the object to be measured when the temperature measurement is complete, and then attaching the separated surface thermometer to a next object to be measured with adhesive tape again to measure the temperature of the next object to be measured, and repeating these processes as many times as necessary.

Images