Switch device and switch selection method

Abstract

To provide a switch device that can easily select a target switch to be turned on from among a plurality of switches provided in a flow direction in a flow path by moving a moving body.SOLUTION: A switch device 100 includes a plurality of switches 11, 12, 13 arranged distributed along the flow direction Fl on the side wall of a flow path 20A, one or more moving bodies 21 disposed in the flow path and being turned on by changing the characteristics of the switch, and a switching operation unit that selects a target switch to be turned on from the plurality of switches by moving the moving body in the flow path using the pressing force of a filling material 22 filled in the flow path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a switch device and a switch selection method. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-59322 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) and the like, a setting switchgear is known that switches the conduction state between a pair of contacts by moving a conductive fluid between the contacts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-59322 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The inventors came up with the idea of ​​using a moving body in the flow path to select a target switch to be turned on from among multiple switches provided in the flow direction of the flow path. With this idea, controlling the position of the moving body in the flow path is important to reliably turn on the target switch. In other words, a switch device and a switch selection method are desired that can easily select a target switch to be turned on with high precision from among multiple switches by moving the moving body.

[0005] According to one embodiment, the switch device includes a plurality of switches arranged on a side wall of a flow path and dispersed along the flow direction, one or more moving bodies arranged in the flow path for turning on the switches by changing the characteristics of the switches, and a switching operation unit that selects a target switch to turn on from the plurality of switches by moving the moving bodies in the flow path using the pressing force of a filler material filled in the flow path.

[0006] According to one embodiment, a switch selection method is a method for selecting a target switch to be turned on from a plurality of switches arranged along the flow direction and dispersed on a side wall of a flow path, the method comprising: placing one or more moving bodies within the flow path for changing the characteristics of the switch to turn it on; and moving a fluid filled within the flow path within the flow path, thereby utilizing the pressing force of the fluid to move the moving bodies within the flow path to the position of the target switch to be turned on among the plurality of switches.

[0007] Further details will be described in the following embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a switch device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the on and off of a switch in a moving object. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an equivalent circuit of the switch device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the measurement results of the capacitance of the switch device as the moving object moves. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the control device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for selecting a target switch from among a plurality of switches. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a switch device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a switch device used in an experiment by the inventors. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the position of a moving object and the measured impedance value in the first experiment conducted by the inventors. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of measuring impedance in a second experiment conducted by the inventors. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the measurement results of the rate of change in impedance and the resistance value of the variable resistor sensor in the third experiment conducted by the inventors. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of the switch device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of the switch device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <1. Overview of the switch device and switch selection method>

[0010] (1) A switch device according to an embodiment includes a plurality of switches arranged along the flow direction on the sidewall of a flow path, one or more moving bodies arranged within the flow path for turning on the switches by changing their characteristics, and a switching operation unit that selects a target switch to turn on from among the plurality of switches by moving the moving bodies within the flow path using the pressing force of a filler material filled within the flow path.

[0011] The flow direction refers to the longitudinal direction of the flow path. The side of the flow path may be the outer or inner surface of the tube having the flow path. The switch characteristic refers to a measurable property, and may be, for example, an electrical characteristic, a magnetic characteristic, an optical characteristic, a temperature characteristic, etc. The moving body and the filler may each be in a solid, gas, or liquid state, as long as they are immiscible with each other.

[0012] This allows the moving body to move easily through the flow path by the pressing force of the filler without mixing with the filler. Therefore, by moving the moving body to the position of the target switch, it is possible to easily select and turn on a target switch from among multiple switches. Furthermore, by moving the moving body with high precision, it is possible to select a target switch with high precision.

[0013] (2) Preferably, the moving body is a fluid whose physical properties that affect the change in characteristics are different from those of the filler. This allows the characteristics of the target switch to be changed depending on whether the moving body is located at the target switch or not, making it easy to select the target switch. Furthermore, by making the moving body a fluid, it can be easily moved.

[0014] (3) Preferably, the fluid is in the form of droplets, which makes it easier for the moving body to move in the flow channel.

[0015] (4) Preferably, the one or more moving bodies are two or more moving bodies arranged in the flow direction, and move together under the control of the switching operation unit by the pressing force of a filler filled between the moving bodies. Moving together means that the multiple moving bodies move in the flow direction while maintaining or almost maintaining their positional relationship in the flow direction. This allows for efficient target switch selection.

[0016] (5) Preferably, the switch includes a pair of electrodes that radially sandwich the flow path, and the moving body has a dielectric constant different from that of the filler. Because the moving body has a different dielectric constant, the capacitance of the electrode pair changes when the moving body is positioned between the pair of electrodes. This allows the switch to be turned on by changing the capacitance.

[0017] (6) Preferably, the plurality of switches are connected in parallel, which allows the selection of the target switch to be electrically detected.

[0018] (7) Preferably, the plurality of switches connected in parallel are further connected to a transmitter for wireless transmission, whereby changes in the characteristics of the target switch can be wirelessly transmitted.

[0019] (8) Preferably, the signal wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter includes a change in the characteristics of the target switch selected by the switching operation unit and turned on by the moving object, thereby enabling another device to detect the turning-on of the target switch using the wirelessly transmitted signal.

[0020] (9) Preferably, a sensor is connected to each of the multiple switches, and the signal wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter includes a sensor signal of the sensor connected to the target switch selected by the switching operation unit and turned on by the moving object. This makes it possible to wirelessly transmit the sensor signal of the sensor connected to the target switch by selecting the target switch and turning it on. Using the wirelessly transmitted signal, another device can detect the sensor signal of the sensor connected to the target switch when the target switch is turned on.

[0021] (10) A switch selection method according to an embodiment is a method for selecting a target switch to be turned on from among a plurality of switches arranged along the flow direction and dispersed on the side wall of a flow path, and includes arranging one or more moving bodies within the flow path to turn on the switch by changing the characteristics of the switch, and moving a fluid filled within the flow path within the flow path, thereby utilizing the pressing force of the fluid to move the moving body within the flow path to the position of the target switch to be turned on among the plurality of switches.

[0022] This allows the moving body to move easily through the flow path by the pressing force of the filler without mixing with the filler. Therefore, by moving the moving body to the position of the target switch, it is possible to easily select and turn on a target switch from among multiple switches. Furthermore, by moving the moving body with high precision, it is possible to select a target switch with high precision.

[0023] <2. Examples of switch devices and switch selection methods>

[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a switch device 100 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, the switch device 100 includes a tube 20 having a length L and a microchannel structure, the interior of which forms a flow path 20A, and includes a plurality of switches 11, 12, 13, ..., disposed along a sidewall of the tube 20 and dispersed along a flow direction Fl. The flow direction Fl indicates the longitudinal direction of the tube 20. The diameter D of the tube 20 is approximately 1 mm, and the diameter R of the flow path 20A is approximately 0.5 mm. The sidewall is, for example, on the outer periphery of the tube 20. Alternatively, the sidewall may be on the inner periphery of the tube 20, i.e., on the flow path 20A side.

[0025] The switches 11, 12, and 13 have electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, and so on, respectively. The electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, and so on are each disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the tube 20 with a flow path 20A sandwiched between them. As an example, the electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, and so on are each disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the tube 20 at intervals equal to the diameter D of the tube 20.

[0026] The upper diagram in Fig. 1 is a view of the tube 20 as seen from the side where one of the electrodes 11A, 12A, 13A, of the electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, is installed. For the sake of explanation, the side where the electrodes 11A, 12A, 13A, shown in the upper diagram in Fig. 1 are installed is considered to be the upper surface of the tube 20. The electrodes 11B, 12B, 13B are installed on the lower surface of the tube 20. The lower diagram in Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the upper diagram.

[0027] 1, electrodes 11A, 12A, 13A, etc. are arranged side by side on substrate 10A at intervals L1 in the flow direction Fl, and electrodes 11B, 12B, 13B, etc. are arranged side by side on substrate 10B at intervals L1 in the flow direction Fl. Substrates 10A and 10B are arranged to sandwich the top and bottom surfaces of tube 20, with their longitudinal directions aligned with the flow direction Fl. In other words, substrates 10A and 10B are arranged in parallel at intervals R, and tube 20 having a diameter R is arranged between them so that its longitudinal direction aligns with the flow direction Fl.

[0028] The electrodes 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, etc. are all extremely small, with a longitudinal length H1 of approximately 10 mm to 15 mm and a longitudinal length H2 of approximately 10 mm, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The spacing L1 is, for example, approximately 10 mm to 15 mm. The substrates 10A and 10B are extremely thin substrates such as glass substrates.

[0029] A moving body 21 is disposed in the flow path 20A of the tube 20. The moving body 21 selects and turns on one of the switches 11, 12, 13, by changing the characteristics of the switches 11, 12, 13, .... The switch to be turned on among the switches 11, 12, 13, ... is called a target switch. The operation of selecting and turning on the target switch by the moving body 21 is called a switching operation.

[0030] Flow path 20A of tube 20 is filled with filler 22. A pressing force f1 from filler 22 acts on moving body 21. Moving body 21 moves through flow path 20A due to pressing force f1 from filler 22. In the lower diagram of FIG. 1, pressing force f1 acts on moving body 21 in the right direction on the page, causing moving body 21 to move through flow path 20A in flow direction Fl to the right on the page.

[0031] Since the pressure of filler 22 filled in flow path 20A is constant within flow path 20A, moving body 21 can be easily moved wherever it is located in flow path 20A by applying a positive pressure to filler 22. Therefore, even if tube 20 is long or bent, moving body 21 can be easily moved.

[0032] At least one syringe 31 is disposed in the flow path 20A. The syringe 31 is included in a switching operation unit that performs a switching operation. The syringe 31 is an example of a device that applies a pressure change to the filler 22 in the flow path 20A. In the example of FIG. 1, the syringe 31 is provided at the upstream end (the left end in the figure) of the tube 20. The syringe 31 applies a positive pressure F1 to the filler 22, thereby applying a pressure change to the filler 22 filled in the flow path 20A. As a result, the filler 22 flows from upstream to downstream in the flow path 20A, with the left side being the upstream side and the right side being the downstream side. This movement of the filler 22 applies a pressing force f1 to the moving body 21 in the right direction in the drawing.

[0033] The syringe 31 is connected to the control device 500, and its operation is controlled by the control device 500. The control device 500 is included in a switching operation unit that performs a switching operation. That is, the control device 500 controls the application of a positive pressure F1 to the filler 22 by the syringe 31. Specifically, the syringe 31 is driven to apply the positive pressure F1 at a pressure magnitude and for a pressurizing time according to a control signal from the control device 500. This controls at least one of the pressing force f1 applied to the moving body 21 and the application time. By controlling at least one of the pressing force f1 applied to the moving body 21 and the application time by the control device 500, the movement of the moving body 21 in the flow path 20A is controlled by the control device 500.

[0034] When the moving body 21 changes the characteristics of the switches 11, 12, 13, etc., it changes the characteristics between each of the electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, etc. The characteristic refers to a measurable property, such as an electrical characteristic. Other examples of the characteristic may include a magnetic characteristic, an optical characteristic, or a temperature characteristic. Changing the electrical characteristic may, for example, be changing the dielectric constant. In this case, the moving body 21 has a different dielectric constant from the filler 22.

[0035] In the following examples, the movable body 21 changes the impedance between each of the electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, .... For this reason, the movable body 21 is formed to contain a substance that affects the change in impedance between each of the electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, ....

[0036] The movable body 21 and the filler 22 may each be in a solid, gas, or liquid state. The movable body 21 and the filler 22 may be in different or the same state of matter, but are formed from materials that do not mix with each other. This allows the filler 22 to move the movable body 21 in the flow path 20A by applying a pressing force without mixing with the movable body 21.

[0037] The length H3 of the moving body 21 in the flow direction Fl is smaller than the interval L1 between the switches 11, 12, 13, etc. This prevents multiple switches from being turned on at the same time. Preferably, the moving body 21 has a shape that allows it to easily move through the flow path 20A in the tube 20 due to the pressing force of the filler 22. The shape of the moving body 21 may be, for example, a droplet, a bubble, or a streamlined shape.

[0038] One example of the moving body 21 is a fluid. The fluid serving as the moving body 21 is, for example, a fluid that changes the dielectric property between electrodes, such as a conductive liquid metal. The conductive liquid metal is, for example, a liquid metal containing gallium, such as Galinstan, which is a eutectic alloy of gallium, indium, and tin. Another example of the fluid that changes the dielectric property between electrodes may be liquid crystal.

[0039] The moving body is a fluid whose physical properties affecting the change in the characteristic between the electrodes are different from those of the filler 22. The physical properties affecting the change in the characteristic between the electrodes refer to properties that change the characteristic between the electrodes, and examples of such properties include the dielectric constant if the characteristic is an electrical property, and transmittance if the characteristic is an optical property.

[0040] When the moving body 21 is Galinstan, the filler 22 is preferably silicone oil. Galinstan and silicone oil have different dielectric constants. Furthermore, Galinstan and silicone oil are both liquids and are immiscible.

[0041] By using Galinstan for the moving body 21 and silicone oil for the filler 22, the dielectric constant between the electrodes can be reduced when there is only the filler 22 and no moving body 21 between the electrodes, and the dielectric constant between the electrodes can be increased when there is a moving body 21 between the electrodes. Also, adhesion of Galinstan to the inner wall of the tube 20 is suppressed, making it possible to control the position of the moving body 21 with high precision.

[0042] 2 is a diagram for explaining the on and off of switch 11 in moving object 21. Referring to FIG. 2, a first state ST1 in which moving object 21 is located between electrode pair 11A and 11B is referred to as switch on, and a second state ST2 in which moving object 21 is not located between electrode pair 11A and 11B is referred to as switch off.

[0043] Since Galinstan has a different dielectric constant than silicone oil, the first state ST1 and the second state ST2 are detected according to a change in impedance between the electrode pair 11A and 11B. The change in impedance may be obtained by a change in capacitance.

[0044] The multiple switches 11, 12, 13, etc. are connected in parallel. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an equivalent circuit of the switch device 100. Specifically, referring to Fig. 3, electrodes 11A, 12A, 13A, etc. provided on the upper surface of the tube 20 are connected in parallel to a wiring 14A on the substrate 10A. Electrodes 11B, 12B, 13B, etc. provided on the lower surface of the tube 20 are connected in parallel to a wiring 14B on the substrate 10B via sensors 11Se, 12Se, 13Se, etc. The sensors 11Se, 12Se, 13Se, etc. each output a sensor signal indicating a sensing result.

[0045] Preferably, a transmitter 300 is connected to the wiring 14B, and a signal is transmitted wirelessly. The wirelessly transmitted signal includes a component corresponding to the overall impedance of the multiple switches 11, 12, 13, etc. connected in parallel. Therefore, when the mobile object 21 turns on any of the switches and the impedance changes, the wirelessly transmitted signal includes a component corresponding to the change in impedance. When the mobile object 21 turns on any of the switches, the wirelessly transmitted signal includes a sensor signal of the sensor connected to the turned-on switch.

[0046] The wirelessly transmitted signal is received by a receiver 501. The receiver 501 is connected to the control device 500, so that the wirelessly transmitted signal is input to the control device 500.

[0047] 4 is a diagram showing the measurement results of capacitance in the switch device 100 as the moving object 21 moves. The vertical axis of Fig. 4 represents capacitance, and the horizontal axis represents the passage of time. In this example, the switch device 100 is provided with eight switches 11, 12, 13, ..., and the diagram shows the change over time in capacitance obtained from a signal transmitted from the transmitter 300 when the moving object 21 moves along the flow path 20A from one end of the switches 11, 12, 13, ..., which are arranged along the flow direction Fl, upstream to the other end, which is downstream.

[0048] 4, the detected capacitance changes as the mobile object 21 moves through the flow path 20A, with multiple local maxima being repeated. The local maxima alternate between high values ​​such as those seen at point Q and low values ​​such as those seen at point U. The high local maxima at point Q represent the capacitance measured when the mobile object 21 is positioned between the electrodes, while the low local maxima at point U represent the capacitance measured when the mobile object 21 is not positioned between the electrodes.

[0049] 5 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 500. The control device 500 has a processor 51 and a memory 52. ​​The processor 51 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0050] The control device 500 is connected to the receiver 501 and accepts input of a signal received by the receiver 501. The received signal is input to the processor 51 and used in switching operation control processing 511 in the processor 51.

[0051] The switching operation control process 511 refers to a process for causing the switch device 100 to perform a switching operation. The switching operation refers to an operation for selecting a target switch from among the multiple switches 11, 12, 13, . . .

[0052] The memory 52 may be a primary storage device or a secondary storage device. The memory 52 stores one or more programs 521 to be executed by the processor 51. The processor 51 executes the programs 521 to control the switching device 100 to perform a switching operation.

[0053] The memory 52 has a switch position storage unit 522. The switch position storage unit 522 is a storage area for storing the positions (switch positions) of the switches 11, 12, 13, .... The switch positions may be input from an input device (not shown) and stored in the switch position storage unit 522, or the stored information may be updated.

[0054] As one example, the switch positions may be the order (number) of the switches from a reference position such as one end of the tube 20. In this case, by storing information such as the spacing between the switches and the length of the switches in the flow direction F1 in advance, the distance of each of the switches 11, 12, 13, ... from the reference position, i.e., the switch positions, can be identified. As another example, the switch positions may be coordinates in a coordinate system set on the tube 20.

[0055] The memory 52 has a moving body position storage unit 523. The moving body position storage unit 523 is a storage area for storing the position of the moving body 21 in the flow path 20A (moving body position). The moving body position stored in the moving body position storage unit 523 is updated every time the position of the moving body 21 is detected in the switching operation control process 511 described below. As a result, the moving body position storage unit 523 stores the latest position of the moving body 21 in the flow path 20A.

[0056] At the start of a switching operation, the moving body position storage unit 523 may store the position of the moving body 21 at the end of the previous switching operation, or may store a predetermined position such as the end of the tube 20. In this case, the position does not have to be stored.

[0057] The switching operation control process 511 includes detecting the position of the moving object 21 in the flow path 20A. To detect the position of the moving object 21, the processor 51 detects the capacitance of the switch device 100 from the signal received by the receiver 501. Based on the capacitance, the processor 51 determines whether the moving object 21 is in a first state ST1 or a second state ST2 with respect to the switch.

[0058] As an example, the processor 51 stores a capacitance threshold Th for determining whether the state is the first state ST1 or the second state ST2. In the example of Fig. 3, the processor 51 stores a capacitance value that is between the high value of point Q and the low value of point U and that can separate them as the threshold Th. The processor 51 determines a maximum value from the capacitance and compares it with the threshold Th to determine whether the state is the first state ST1 or the second state ST2 at the time when the maximum value is obtained.

[0059] Processor 51 counts the number of times the first state ST1 has occurred since the start of the switching operation. Processor 51 detects the switch located downstream from the start position by the number of times the first state ST1 has occurred as the moving body position. This detects the position of moving body 21 in flow path 20A. The previously detected moving body position stored in moving body position storage unit 523 is updated based on the detected moving body position.

[0060] The processor 51 can determine whether the moving object 21 has reached the target switch and the distance traveled to the target switch by comparing the detected moving object position with the position of the target switch.

[0061] The switching operation control process 511 includes driving the syringe 31. The processor 51 calculates the required driving amount of the syringe 31 according to the positional relationship between the moving body position and the target switch. The processor 51 provides the syringe 31 with a control signal for driving the syringe 31 by the calculated driving amount.

[0062] The required drive amount is, for example, the drive amount of syringe 31 required to move movable body 21 from the movable body position to the target switch. Syringe 31 is driven in accordance with the control signal, thereby being driven by the instructed drive amount. As a result, the position of movable body 21 in flow path 20A becomes the position in accordance with the control signal from control device 500. In other words, the movement of movable body 21 in flow path 20A is controlled. In this example, movable body 21 moves to the target switch.

[0063] When the positive pressure that syringe 31 applies to filler 22 is specified in advance, the required drive amount is, for example, the time during which syringe 31 applies the positive pressure to filler 22. As a result, pressing force f1 acts on moving body 21 for the calculated time, and moving body 21 moves a distance corresponding to pressing force f1 and time.

[0064] If the time during which syringe 31 applies positive pressure to filler 22 is specified in advance, another example of the required drive amount is the pressure that syringe 31 applies to filler 22. The required drive amount may also be a combination of these. As a result, the calculated pressing force f1 acts on moving body 21 for the specified time, and moving body 21 moves a distance corresponding to pressing force f1 and the specified time.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for selecting a target switch from among the plurality of switches 11, 12, 13, . . . , and is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of control in the control device 500.

[0066] 6, at the start of a switching operation, processor 51 reads the switch position of each switch from switch position storage unit 522 (step S101). Processor 51 also reads the moving object position from moving object position storage unit 523 (step S102).

[0067] When processor 51 receives a signal input from receiver 501 (YES in step S103), it counts the number of maximum values ​​indicating first state ST1 using the signal. Processor 51 detects the current position of moving object 21 from the number of counted maximum values ​​and the moving object position read from moving object position storage unit 523, and writes the detected position into moving object position storage unit 523 as a new moving object position (step S105).

[0068] The processor 51 compares the moving body position (the current position of the moving body 21) with the position of the target switch, and determines whether the moving body 21 has reached the target switch. If the determination result shows that the moving body 21 has not reached the target switch (NO in step S107), the processor 51 determines the drive amount of the syringe 31 based on the distance from the moving body position to the target switch (step S109). The processor 51 sends a control signal to the syringe 31 to drive the syringe 31 by the determined drive amount (step S111). As a result, the syringe 31 is driven by the determined drive amount.

[0069] After outputting the control signal, the processor 51 repeats the above steps S102 to S107. If it is detected that the moving object position has reached the target switch (YES in step S107), the processor 51 ends the series of processes. At this time, the processor 51 may write the position of the moving object 21 at the time of ending to the moving object position storage unit 523.

[0070] As described above, in the switch device 100, the movable body 21, which can change the switch properties, is moved through the flow path 20A using the pressing force applied by the filler 22, making it possible to easily select a target switch from among multiple switches 11, 12, 13, ... Furthermore, the target switch can be selected with high accuracy. Furthermore, because the movement of the movable body 21 is controlled by the positive pressure applied to the filler 22, no large-scale device is required. Therefore, it is possible to select a target switch even if the tube 20 is thin or installed in a bent position.

[0071] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the switch device 100. As shown in Fig. 7, the switch device 100 may have a plurality of moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C arranged in the flow direction Fl in the flow path 20A. Filler material 22 is also filled between the plurality of moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C.

[0072] At this time, a positive pressure is applied to the filler 22 by the syringe 31, and the multiple moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C move integrally within the flow path 20A due to the pressing force they receive from the filler 22 filled between them. Moving integrally means that the moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C move in the flow direction Fl while maintaining or almost maintaining the positional relationship in the flow direction Fl of the moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C.

[0073] 7, a syringe 31 provided at the upstream end of the flow path 20A applies a positive pressure F1 to the filler 22 in the flow path 20A. A pressing force f2 is applied to the movable body 21A located at the most upstream side from the filler 22. The movable body 21A moves downstream due to the pressing force f2, and applies a pressing force f3 to the filler 22 on the downstream side.

[0074] Moving body 21B, which is disposed downstream of moving body 21A across filler 22, receives pressing force f4 from filler 22 to which pressing force f3 has been applied from moving body 21A. Moving body 21B moves downstream due to pressing force f4, and applies pressing force f5 to filler 22 on the downstream side. Because pressing force f4 is approximately equal to pressing force f3, moving body 21B moves approximately the same distance as moving body 21A.

[0075] Moving body 21C, which is disposed downstream of moving body 21B with filler 22 sandwiched therebetween, receives pressing force f6 from filler 22 to which pressing force f5 has been applied from moving body 21B. Moving body 21C moves downstream due to pressing force f6, and also applies pressing force f7 to filler 22 on the downstream side. Because pressing force f6 is approximately equal to pressing forces f5 and f3, moving body 21C moves approximately the same distance as moving bodies 21A and 21B. In other words, the multiple moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C move together within flow path 20A.

[0076] The switching operation may be facilitated by disposing multiple moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C in flow path 20A. For example, even if the distance from a moving body to a target switch is long, if another moving body is disposed between the moving body and the target switch, the multiple moving bodies may be moved together so that the other moving body reaches the target switch.

[0077] Specifically, in the example of Figure 7, if the target switch is switch 13 represented by electrode pair 13A, 13B and only moving body 21A is placed in flow path 20A, moving body 21A needs to be moved a distance M1 from its position to switch 13.

[0078] 7, when multiple moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C are arranged in flow path 20A, moving body 21C, which is located most upstream of switch 13, can be moved a distance M2 from its position to switch 13. Distance M2 is smaller than distance M1. This reduces the moving distance of each moving body.

[0079] In this case, the control device 500 reads out the positions of all the moving bodies 21A, 21B, and 21C in the flow path 20A from the moving body position storage unit 523, and identifies the moving body (moving body 21C) that is closest to the upstream side of the target switch (switch 13).Then, the control device 500 determines the driving amount of the syringe 31 as the movement amount of the multiple moving bodies that move together, which is the distance (distance M1) from the closest moving body to the target switch.This allows for efficient selection of the target switch.

[0080] In the above example, the moving body 21 is made of a material with a higher dielectric constant than the filler 22. This increases the dielectric constant between the electrodes, thereby selecting the target switch. As another example, the moving body 21 and the filler 22 may be made of materials with opposite dielectric constants. In other words, the filler 22 may be made of a material with a higher dielectric constant than the moving body 21. In this case, it is sufficient to select the target switch by decreasing the dielectric constant between the electrodes.

[0081] The switch device 100 can be used as a multi-channel sensor that selects a sensor from a plurality of sensors 11Se, 12Se, 13Se, ... that are dispersed and arranged along the flow direction Fl in the tube 20 with a microchannel structure, and obtains a signal representing the sensing result from the selected sensor. Since the transmitter 300 is connected to the switch device 100, it can also be said to be a multi-channel transmitter that selects a sensor to transmit the sensing result.

[0082] The inventors conducted an experiment to verify that switch device 100 can be used as a multi-channel sensor. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of switch device 100A used in the experiment. Referring to FIG. 8, switch device 100A used in the experiment has electrode pairs 11A and 11B constituting switch 11, electrode pairs 12A and 12B constituting switch 12, and electrode pairs 13A and 13B constituting switch 13, which are arranged above and below tube 20. Electrodes 11A, 12A, and 13A, and electrodes 11B, 12B, and 13B are arranged from upstream to downstream, with the left side of the figure being the upstream side.

[0083] To stabilize the capacitance, each electrode was large, with a longitudinal length H1 of 15 mm and a longitudinal length H2 of 10 mm, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The distance L1 between adjacent electrodes was 15 mm. The tube 20 was a silicon tube with a diameter D of 1 mm. In other words, the distance between each electrode pair was 1 mm.

[0084] One moving body 21 was placed in the flow path 20A. Galinstan droplets were used as the moving body 21. Silicon oil was used as the filler 22, and it was filled into the flow path 20A. The length H3 of the moving body 21 in the flow direction Fl was set to 10 mm so as to be shorter than the electrode interval L1.

[0085] As a plurality of sensors, a sensor 11Se is connected to the electrode 11B of the switch 11, a sensor 12Se is connected to the electrode 13B of the switch 12, and a sensor 13Se is connected to the electrode 13B of the switch 13. The sensors 11Se, 12Se, and 13Se are resistive elements connected to the switches 11, 12, and 13. Each of the sensors 11Se, 12Se, and 13Se outputs a signal according to its resistance value.

[0086] The sensor 12Se is a variable resistor whose resistance changes depending on the object being sensed, and therefore the sensing result is obtained from the signal of the sensor 12Se.

[0087] The sensors 11Se and 13Se are constant resistances because they are used as calibration sensors, which will be described later. The signals from the sensors 11Se and 13Se are used to obtain the signal of the sensor 12Se, that is, the resistance of the sensor 12Se.

[0088] The resistance of sensors 11Se, 12Se, and 13Se is small enough to detect the change in capacitance between the electrodes, which indicates that switches 11, 12, and 13 are turned on. The resistance of sensors 11Se, 12Se, and 13Se is, for example, about half to one-tenth of the change in capacitance between the electrodes. In the experiment, sensor 12Se was a variable resistor with an initial resistance of 1000 Ω and including a semiconductor strain gauge with a gauge factor of 200. Because sensors 11Se and 13Se are used as calibration sensors (described later), their resistance was set to the same resistance (1000 Ω) as the initial resistance of sensor 12Se.

[0089] Wiring 14A connecting electrodes 11A, 12A, and 13A in parallel, and wiring 14B connecting electrodes 11B, 12B, and 13B in parallel via sensors 11Se, 12Se, and 13Se, were connected to an LCR meter 700. In the experiment, the impedance between wiring 14A and 14B was measured using LCR meter 700. The measurement voltage was 1 V and the measurement frequency was 1 MHz. The capacitance may be measured using LCR meter 700 and used in the following discussion.

[0090] Because the mobile object 21 is a Galinstan droplet, the capacitance between the electrodes increases when the mobile object 21 enters between the electrodes and decreases when it leaves the electrodes. Therefore, the impedance between the wires 14A and 14B decreases when the mobile object 21 is located between the electrodes and increases when it leaves the electrodes. The impedance between the wires 14A and 14B measured by the LCR meter 700 when the mobile object 21 is located between the electrodes is mainly the impedance of the electrodes whose capacitance has changed due to the presence of the mobile object 21 between them and the sensor connected to those electrodes.

[0091] In a first experiment, the inventors moved the mobile object 21 in the flow direction Fl from left to right in the figure, passing through the switches 11, 12, and 13, and measured the impedance with the LCR meter 700. Then, they verified whether a signal from the sensor 12Se could be extracted from the measured impedance.

[0092] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the position of the moving object 21 and the measured impedance value. Measurement result K1 represents the impedance measurement result when the resistance of sensor 12Se is the initial resistance, and measurement result K2 represents the impedance measurement result when the resistance of sensor 12Se is changed to be lower than the initial resistance. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the movement distance of the moving object 21 from the starting position. Distances P1, P2, and P3 represent the distance from the starting position to reach switches 11, 12, and 13, respectively, that is, the timing when the moving object 21 is at switches 11, 12, and 13, respectively. The vertical axis of the graph represents the value of the real part of the impedance.

[0093] 9, in the measurement result K1, there is a difference in the impedance value measured when the moving object 21 is located at the switch and when it is not, which verifies that it is possible to determine whether the moving object 21 is located at the switch using the impedance.

[0094] Furthermore, the impedance values ​​are equal when the mobile object 21 is positioned at switches 13, 14, and 15. This is because the resistances of sensors 11Se, 12Se, and 13Se are equal. This shows that the impedance measured when the mobile object 21 is positioned at a switch is affected by the resistance of the sensor connected to the switch at which the mobile object 21 is positioned.

[0095] Measurement result K2 has an overall lower impedance value than measurement result K1. That is, even when the moving object 21 is located at switch 11 or 13 connected to a constant resistance, the impedance is lowered due to the decrease in the resistance of sensor 12Se. In switch device 100A, sensors 11Se, 12Se, and 13Se are connected in parallel, so it was found that the impedance measured when the moving object 21 is located at any switch is affected by the resistance of any one of the sensors.

[0096] The first experiment showed that the change in the signal representing the sensing result of the sensor 12Se cannot be obtained directly from the measured impedance. This is because the overall impedance changes as the resistance of the sensor 12Se changes, and the difference d1 between the impedance after the resistance of the sensor 12Se changes and the impedance when the sensor 12Se had the initial resistance does not represent only the change in the resistance of the sensor 12Se.

[0097] In the second experiment, the sensor 12Se was used as the initial resistance, and the real and imaginary parts of the impedance were measured with the LCR meter 700 when the moving object 21 moved between the switches 11, 12, and 13. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of the impedance measurement, showing the real part Re and the imaginary part Im. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the moving time of the moving object 21, and time periods T1, T2, and T3 represent the periods during which the moving object 21 was located at the switches 11, 12, and 13, respectively. The left side of the vertical axis of the graph represents the value of the real part Re, and the right side represents the value of the imaginary part Im.

[0098] The measurement results in Figure 10 show that the imaginary part Im increases rapidly when the mobile object 21 is located at the switches 11, 12, and 13. Because the imaginary part of the impedance represents capacitance, it can be read that the capacitance between the electrodes is changing. This shows that by measuring the imaginary part Im of the impedance, it is possible to determine at what timing the signal of the sensor 12Se should be extracted from the measured impedance.

[0099] On the other hand, it was found that the impedance value of the real part Re decreases when the moving object 21 is located at the switches 11, 12, and 13. While the moving object 21 is located at the switches 11, 12, and 13, the impedance value is constant.

[0100] In the third experiment, the resistance of the sensor 12Se was changed to 1000Ω (initial resistance), 800Ω, 600Ω, and 400Ω, and the impedance when the moving object 21 moved between the switches 11, 12, and 13 was measured using the LCR meter 700. In the third experiment, when the moving object 21 was located at the switches 11, 12, and 13, the respective impedances Z1, Z2, and Z3 were used to calculate the rate of change of the impedance Z2 relative to the impedance Z1, ΔZ2 (=Z2-Z1) / Z1.

[0101] The rate of change ΔZ2 is obtained when the moving object 21 reaches the switch 12. The rate of change ΔZ2 represents the resistance change of the sensor 12Se in terms of impedance. As a comparative value, the inventors calculated the rate of change ΔZ3 (=Z3-Z1) / Z1) of impedance Z3 relative to impedance Z1 from the same measurement results.

[0102] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the measurement results of the change rates ΔZ2 and ΔZ3 and the resistance value of the sensor 12Se. The vertical axis of the graph represents the change rate [%], and the horizontal axis of the graph represents the resistance value [Ω] of the sensor 12Se.

[0103] The experimental results in Figure 11 show that the smaller the resistance of sensor 12Se, the smaller the rate of change ΔZ2 tends to be. In other words, the results in Figure 11 show that the rate of change ΔZ2 changes according to the change in the resistance of sensor 12Se. This confirms that the rate of change of the resistance of sensor 12Se (the slope of the graph) can be obtained from the rate of change ΔZ2.

[0104] The rate of change ΔZ3 remains approximately 0 even when the resistance of the sensor 12Se changes. This is because the resistance of the sensor 11Se and the resistance of the sensor 13Se are constant at 1000 Ω, and the relationship between the resistance of the sensor 11Se and the resistance of the sensor 13Se is unchanged.

[0105] These experimental results show that a signal representing the resistance of the sensor 11Se can be obtained from the measured impedance, regardless of the change in the resistance of the sensor 12Se. This confirms that the resistance value of the sensor 12Se can be obtained by calculating the rate of change ΔZ2 using the impedance Z1 obtained from the resistance of the sensor 11Se. In other words, it has been verified that the switch device 100 can be used as a multi-channel sensor.

[0106] The verifications from the first to third experiments will be confirmed using mathematical formulas. First, from the experimental results in FIG. 11, the change in impedance when the resistance of sensor 12Se changes will be confirmed. When the resistance of sensor 12Se decreases, the impedance value decreases from the value when sensor 12Se has the initial resistance, as shown in FIG. 9. Furthermore, the impedance when mobile object 21 is located at switch 12 is lower than the impedance when mobile object 21 is located at switch 11.

[0107] If the impedances of switch 11 and sensor 11Se, switch 12 and sensor 12Se, and switch 13 and sensor 13Se are defined as impedances ZRc1, ZRc2, and ZRc3, respectively, the total impedance ZTotal of the entire circuit of switch device 100A in Figure 8 is expressed by the following equation (1). ZTotal=1 / (1 / ZRc1+1 / ZRc2+1 / ZRc3) ···(1)

[0108] Impedances ZRc1, ZRc2, and ZRc3 are expressed by the following equations (2) to (4) using resistances R1, R2, and R3 of sensors 11Se, 12Se, and 13Se, respectively, and capacitances C1, C2, and C3 of switch 11 (electrode pair 11A, 11B), switch 12 (electrode pair 12A, 12B), and switch 13 (electrode pair 13A, 13B). ZRc1=R1+1 / (iωC1) (2) ZRc2=R2+1 / (iωC2) (3) ZRc3=R3+1 / (iωC3) (4)

[0109] In the third experiment, the resistance R1 and the resistance R3 are equal (1000Ω). When the moving object 21 is located at the switch 12, the capacitance C1 of the switch 11 and the capacitance C3 of the switch 13 are equal.

[0110] According to equation (3), when the resistance R2 of the sensor 12Se decreases, the impedance ZRc2 of the sensor 12Se decreases. Therefore, 1 / ZRc2 increases. The impedances ZRc1 and ZRc3 do not depend on the resistance R2. Therefore, according to equation (1), when the resistance R2 decreases, the total impedance ZTotal decreases. This is consistent with the comparison of the measurement results K1 and K2 in Figure 9, and indicates that the verification in the first experiment is supported by the formula.

[0111] Next, we will check the change in impedance according to the position of the moving object 21. We use the combined impedance ZRc13 (=A+Bi) obtained by combining the impedances ZRc1 and ZRc3. A and B are the real and imaginary parts of the combined impedance, respectively. From equations (1) and (3), the real part of the total impedance, ZReTotal, is expressed by the following equation (5). ZReTotal =(A / (ω 2 ×C2 2 )+B 2 R2 2 +A 2 R2) / (A+R2) 2 +(B+1 / ωC2) 2 ) ...Equation (5)

[0112] In the experiment, the capacitance C between the electrodes of each switch was approximately 7 pF, and the measurement frequency of the LCR meter 700 was 1 MHz, so 1 / ωC>>R was obtained, and the resistance R could be sufficiently ignored with respect to 1 / ωC. When the moving object 21 was located at switch 12, the capacitances C1 and C3 were both capacitance C. Therefore, the imaginary part B of the combined impedance formed by the parallel circuit of impedances ZRc1 and ZRc3 was expressed as |B| = 1 / 2ωC when the moving object 21 was located at switch 12. By substituting this into equation (5), the following equation (6) was obtained. Equation (6) is the real part of the total impedance when the moving object 21 was located at switch 12. ZReTotal =(A / (ω 2 ×C2 2 )+R2 / (4ω 2 ×C 2 )) / ((1 / 2ωC+1 / ωC2) 2 ) ...Equation (6)

[0113] When the moving object 21 is located at the switch 12, the capacitance C2 of the switch 12 becomes much larger than the capacitance C. Therefore, 1 / ωC>1 / ωC2. When the moving object 21 is located at the switch 12, 1 / ωC>1 / ωC2, and therefore the resistance R2 becomes dominant in equation (6).

[0114] When the moving body 21 is at switch 11 or switch 13, by performing a similar calculation, it is inferred that the resistors R1 and R3 will be dominant in the real part of the total impedance when the moving body 21 is at switch 11 or switch 13, respectively.

[0115] This means that the total impedance ZTotal mainly depends on the resistance of the sensor connected to the switch where the moving object 21 is located. Therefore, when the resistance R2 of the sensor 12Se decreases, the real part ZReTotal of the coupled impedance decreases, and when the moving object 21 is located at the switch 12, the decrease in the real part ZReTotal of the coupled impedance is greatest.

[0116] When the resistance R2 of the sensor 12Se is reduced to measure the impedance Z3 when the moving object 21 is located at the switch 13, the resistance R3 becomes dominant in the real part of the total impedance when the moving object 21 is located at the switch 13. In a verification experiment conducted under the condition of R1=R3, equation (6) shows that the impedance Z3 when the moving object 21 is located at the switch 13 must be equal to the impedance Z1 when the moving object 21 is located at the switch 11.

[0117] Therefore, it was verified that the resistance of sensors 11Se and 13Se does not depend on the resistance of sensor 12Se. In other words, it was verified that a signal representing the resistance of sensor 11Se can be obtained from the measured impedance regardless of changes in the resistance of sensor 12Se. This indicates that the verifications in the second and third experiments are supported by mathematical formulas.

[0118] Examples of multi-channel sensors include multiple sensors arranged along the length of a microchannel mechanism, such as a catheter, an endoscope, or a snake-like robot deployed into rubble at a disaster site. Even if such devices are miniaturized, bent, or undergo bending motion, the switch device 100 can easily select a sensor and output a signal. In this case, for example, the transmitter 300 shown in FIG. 3 is connected, and the impedance when the switch is turned on is output. This eliminates the need to run wiring through the tube to transmit control signals or sensor signals, making it possible to select a sensor and output a signal even if the device is miniaturized or has a complex shape.

[0119] Through experiments conducted by the inventors, it was verified that by adding a sensor with a constant resistance of known value to a plurality of sensors, the signal of the target sensor can be obtained from the impedance measured when the switch connected to the target sensor is turned on.

[0120] <3. Notes> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. As another example of the switch device 100, the length H3 of the movable body 21 in the flow direction Fl may be sufficiently longer than the length H1 of the electrodes constituting the switch in the flow direction Fl. In this case, the positional relationship of the movable body 21 with respect to the electrodes in the flow direction Fl changes as the movable body 21 moves. The change in the positional relationship of the movable body 21 with respect to the electrodes in the flow direction Fl changes the impedance of the circuit.

[0121] As an example, the moving body 21 may have a sufficiently long length H3 in the flow direction Fl, such as a switching device 100B according to another example shown in FIG. 12 or a switching device 100C according to another example shown in FIG. 13.

[0122] In the switch device 100B of Fig. 12, the electrode pairs 11A and 11B constituting the switch 11 have a constant length H1. The length H3 of the moving body 21 in the flow direction F1 is approximately the same as or longer than the length H1. In the switch device 100C of Fig. 13, the multiple electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, and 13B constituting the switches 11, 12, and 13, respectively, are dispersedly arranged in the flow direction F1 and connected in parallel. The length H3 of the moving body 21 in the flow direction F1 is approximately the same as or longer than the length H1, the length H4 in the flow direction F1 along which the multiple electrodes 11A, 12A, and 13A are arranged.

[0123] In this case, when the movable body 21 moves through the flow path 20A and the tip of the movable body 21 enters between the electrodes, the impedance between the electrodes changes. More specifically, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, attention is focused on the change in impedance when the movable body 21 moves through the flow path 20A and enters between the electrodes from the tip to a length H5 of the total length H3.

[0124] In the example of Figure 12, the movable body 21 with a length H5 inserted into the electrodes reduces the effective thickness of the filler material 22, which is a dielectric material filled between the electrodes 11A and 11B. When the effective thickness of the dielectric material between the electrodes 11A and 11B decreases, the capacitance between the electrodes 11A and 11B increases. As a result, the impedance of the switch 11 increases.

[0125] 13, the length H5 of the moving body 21 is inserted between the electrode pairs 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B, which increases the impedance of the switches 11 and 12. Since the switches 11, 12, and 13 are connected in parallel, an increase in the impedance of the switches 11 and 12 changes the impedance of the entire circuit.

[0126] As an example, a modulator that can be considered as a resistor, coil, and capacitor is connected to a switch and an AC signal is input. This circuit can be considered as a capacitor resonant circuit consisting of the connected modulator and switch (opposing electrode). The resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is uniquely determined by the resistance, inductance, and capacitance of the connected modulator, as well as the capacitance of the switch.

[0127] In this example, the impedance of the circuit can be changed by changing the positional relationship of the electrode of the movable body 21 in the flow direction F1. Therefore, the capacitance of the switch can be modulated by the positional relationship of the electrode of the movable body 21 in the flow direction F1. This makes it possible to change the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit by changing the positional relationship of the electrode of the movable body 21 in the flow direction F1. Specifically, the longer the length H5 inserted between the electrodes of the movable body 21, the smaller the capacitance of the switch and the higher the resonant frequency.

[0128] As a result, when a modulator is connected to the circuit of the switch devices 100B and 100C and a signal with a frequency close to the resonant frequency is input, energy is transmitted efficiently. The frequency band centered on the resonant frequency is called the matching frequency. When the movable body 21 is moved within the flow path 20A to change its position relative to the electrode, the resonant frequency changes. As a result, the matching frequency can be changed.

[0129] Therefore, in the switch devices 100B and 100C, the resonant frequency can be controlled by controlling the length H5 inserted between the electrodes of the moving object 21. As a result, when a transceiver is connected to the switch devices 100B and 100C to wirelessly transmit and receive signals, the switch devices 100B and 100C can function as a tuner by controlling the position of the moving object 21. For example, when a receiver is connected to the switch devices 100B and 100C, the switch devices 100B and 100C can function as a tuner by controlling the position of the moving object 21, and the frequency of the input AC signal can be modulated to the resonant frequency. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 10A: Circuit board 10B: Substrate 11: Switch 11A: Electrode 11B: Electrode 11Se: Sensor 12: Switch 12A: Electrode 12B: Electrode 12Se: Sensor 13: Switch 13A: Electrode 13B: Electrode 13Se: Sensor 14: Switch 14A: Wiring 14B: Wiring 15: Switch 20: Tube 20A: Flow path 21: Mobile 21A: Mobile object 21B: Mobile object 21C: Mobile object 22: Filling material 31: Syringe 51: Processor 52: Memory 100: Switching device 100A: Switching device 300: Transmitter 500: Control device 501: Receiver 511: Switching operation control processing 521: Program 522: Switch position memory unit 523: Mobile object position storage unit 700: LCR meter F1: Positive pressure Fl:Flow direction K1: Measurement result K2: Measurement result L1: Electrode spacing M1: distance M2: distance P1 :Distance P2 :Distance P3 :Distance Q: Points ST1: First state ST2: Second state T1: Time zone T2: Time zone T3: Time zone Th: Threshold U: Point d1: difference f1: Pressing force f2: Pressing force f3: Pressing force f4: Pressing force f5: Pressing force f6: Pressing force f7: Pressing force

Claims

1. a plurality of switches disposed on a side wall of the flow channel in a dispersed manner along the flow direction; one or more moving bodies disposed in the flow path for changing the characteristics of the switch to turn it on; a switching operation unit that selects a target switch to be turned on from among the plurality of switches by moving the moving body within the flow path using the pressing force of a filler material filled in the flow path. Switch device.

2. The moving body is a fluid whose physical properties that affect the change in the characteristic are different from those of the filler. The switch device according to claim 1 .

3. The fluid forms droplets The switch device according to claim 2 .

4. The one or more moving bodies are two or more moving bodies arranged in the flow direction, The moving body moves integrally under the control of the switching operation unit due to the pressing force of the filling material filled between the moving body. The switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the switch includes an electrode pair that radially sandwiches the flow path; The moving body has a dielectric constant different from that of the filling material. The switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The plurality of switches are connected in parallel The switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The parallel-connected switches are further connected to a transmitter for wireless transmission. The switch device according to claim 6.

8. The signal wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter includes the change in the characteristic of the target switch selected by the switching operation unit and turned on by the moving object. The switch device according to claim 7.

9. A sensor is connected to each of the plurality of switches, The signal wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter includes a sensor signal of the sensor connected to the target switch selected by the switching operation unit and turned on by the moving object. The switch device according to claim 7.

10. A method for selecting a target switch to be turned on from a plurality of switches arranged dispersedly along a flow direction on a side wall of a flow path, comprising: one or more moving bodies are disposed in the flow path to change the characteristics of the switch to turn it on; The fluid filled in the flow path is moved within the flow path, and the pressing force of the fluid is utilized to move the movable body within the flow path to the position of a target switch to be turned on among the plurality of switches. Switch selection method.

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