Stretchable devices

Abstract

To provide a stretchable device in which the amount of distortion in a signal line and an output line is reduced.SOLUTION: A stretchable device includes a resin base material, and a distortion gauge, a signal line, and an output line that are stacked on the resin base material. The resin base material includes a plurality of body parts disposed apart from each other, and a plurality of hinge parts connecting between the adjacent body parts while meandering in an intersecting direction that intersects with a virtual straight line connecting between the adjacent body parts. The hinge part includes a first hinge part and a second hinge part connecting the adjacent body parts. The meandering length of the second hinge part in the intersecting direction is larger than the meandering length of the first hinge part in the intersecting direction. The distortion gauge is provided in the first hinge part. The signal line and the output line are provided in the second hinge part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a stretchable device.

Background Art

[0002] Stretchable devices are excellent in stretchability and flexibility. Such stretchable devices have a resin base material on which an array layer is laminated. The resin base material has a body portion arranged in a matrix shape and a hinge portion connecting the body portions. The hinge portion in Patent Document 1 has a plurality of arc portions and has a meandering meander shape. When a tensile load acts on the stretchable device, the arc portions of the hinge portion are deformed so that the curvature becomes smaller. In other words, the arc portions are deformed so as to expand. As a result, the body portions are separated from each other, and the stretchable device is extended.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, in order to detect the load acting on a stretchable device, it has been studied to provide a strain gauge in the hinge portion and detect the amount of strain in the hinge portion. From such a viewpoint, the hinge portion is desired to have a shape in which strain is likely to occur in the strain gauge. On the other hand, in addition to the strain gauge, a signal line for supplying current to the strain gauge and an output line for detecting a signal (current amount) output from the strain gauge are laminated on the hinge portion. Therefore, strain is also likely to occur in the signal line and the output line, and noise components are included. As a result, it may not be possible to accurately detect the amount of strain in the hinge portion.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a stretchable device that can minimize the amount of distortion generated in signal lines and output lines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A stretchable device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a resin substrate, and strain gauges, signal lines, and output lines laminated on the resin substrate. The resin substrate has a plurality of body portions arranged spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of hinge portions connecting adjacent body portions. The hinge portions have a first hinge portion and a second hinge portion connecting adjacent body portions. The first hinge portion has a plurality of first bends that bend in a direction intersecting a virtual straight line connecting adjacent body portions. The second hinge portion has a plurality of second bends that bend in the direction intersecting the virtual straight line and whose length in the direction intersecting is longer than that of the first bends. The strain gauges are provided on the first hinge portion. The signal lines and output lines are provided on the second hinge portion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a stretchable device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the stretchable device according to Embodiment 1, and more specifically, it is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Figure 3. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a stretchable device according to Embodiment 1, showing a portion of the resin substrate and the first resin plate viewed from the array layer. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing two adjacent body sections and the first and second hinge sections located between them. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the circuit configuration of the array layer laminated on the resin substrate of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a plan view of the portion of the array layer in Embodiment 1 that is laminated on the body, as seen from the second resin substrate. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a plan view of the portion of the array layer in Embodiment 1 that is laminated at the hinge, as seen from the second resin substrate. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 6. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in Figure 7. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in Figure 7. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in Figure 7. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a view of the vertical hinge portion of Embodiment 2, seen from the side of the second resin plate. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a view of the resin substrate of Embodiment 3, seen from the second resin plate side. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows the comparative example resin substrate viewed from the second resin plate side. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a view of the resin substrate of Embodiment 3, seen from the second resin plate side. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a view of the resin substrate of Embodiment 4, seen from the side of the second resin plate. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVII-XVII in Figure 16. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVIII-XVIII in Figure 16. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments for implementing this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The invention of this disclosure is not limited by the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same. Moreover, the components described below can be combined as appropriate. It should be noted that the disclosure is merely an example, and any modifications that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art while maintaining the spirit of the invention are naturally included within the scope of the present invention. In order to make the explanation clearer, the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part compared to the actual embodiment, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. Furthermore, in this specification and each drawing, components similar to those described above with respect to previously shown drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate.

[0009] Furthermore, in this specification and the claims, when describing a manner in which one structure is placed on top of another structure, unless otherwise specified, the term "on top of" includes both cases: when one structure is placed directly on top of another structure so as to be in contact with it, and when another structure is placed above another structure via yet another structure.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a stretchable device according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 1, the stretchable device 1 is flat. The stretchable device 1 has a surface 1a and a back surface 1b (not shown in Figure 1; see Figure 2) facing opposite directions. Hereinafter, the direction parallel to the surface 1a and the back surface 1b will be referred to as the planar direction. One direction parallel to the planar direction will be referred to as the first direction Dx. The direction parallel to the planar direction and intersecting the first direction Dx will be referred to as the second direction Dy.

[0011] The front surface 1a and the back surface 1b form a rectangle (quadrilateral). The front surface 1a has a pair of short sides 1c and a pair of long sides 1d. In the present embodiment, the first direction Dx is a direction parallel to the long side 1d. The second direction Dy is a direction parallel to the short side 1c. That is, in the present embodiment, the first direction Dx and the second direction Dy are orthogonal to each other. Also, the normal direction (lamination direction) of the front surface 1a is referred to as the third direction Dz. And when viewing the stretchable device 1 from the third direction Dz, it may be referred to as a plan view.

[0012] In a plan view, the stretchable device 1 is divided into a detection region 2 capable of detecting the strain amount of the stretchable device 1 and a frame-shaped peripheral region 3 surrounding the outside of the detection region 2. In FIG. 1, a boundary line L1 is drawn to facilitate understanding of the boundary between the detection region 2 and the peripheral region 3.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a cross section of the stretchable device according to Embodiment 1, and specifically, it is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the stretchable device 1 includes a first resin plate 60 having a back surface 1b, a second resin plate 70 having a front surface 1a, and a resin base material 10 and an array layer 30 sandwiched between the first resin plate 60 and the second resin plate 70. Also, the resin base material 10 and the array layer 30 are laminated in the order of the resin base material 10 and the array layer 30 on the opposite surface of the back surface 1b of the first resin plate 60.

[0014] The first resin plate 60 and the second resin plate 70 are made of a resin material and have stretchability and flexibility. Examples of the resin material include acrylic resin, epoxy resin, and urethane resin, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the following description, the upper side or the upper direction is one direction of the third direction Dz, and refers to the side where the second resin plate 70 is arranged when viewed from the first resin plate 60. Also, the lower side or the lower direction is the other direction of the third direction Dz, and refers to the side where the first resin plate 60 is arranged when viewed from the second resin plate 70.

[0015] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a stretchable device according to Embodiment 1, showing a portion of the resin substrate and the first resin plate viewed from the array layer. In Figure 3, hatching is applied to the resin substrate 10 to make it easier to see. The resin substrate 10 is provided on the upper surface of the first resin plate 60. The resin substrate 10 has elasticity, flexibility, and insulation properties. The resin substrate 10 is made of a resin material such as polyimide.

[0016] The resin substrate 10 has body portions 11 arranged in a matrix in a first direction Dx and a second direction Dy, and hinge portions 12 that connect adjacent body portions 11. In addition, the resin substrate 10 has a plurality of weight-reducing cutouts 19 between the body portions 11 and the hinge portions 12.

[0017] The array layer 30 is not laminated in the area overlapping with the weight-reducing portion 19. As shown in Figure 2, the weight-reducing portion 19 is filled with the second resin plate 70. Therefore, the stretchable device 1 has low rigidity in the area overlapping with the weight-reducing portion 19 and possesses elasticity and flexibility (stretchability). When a load is applied to the stretchable device 1, the hinge portion 12 deforms, and the deformation of the body portion 11 is kept to a minimum. Thus, damage to the functional elements (transistors 31 in this embodiment) laminated on the body portion 11 is suppressed. In this embodiment, the weight-reducing portion 19 is filled with the second resin plate 70, but it may also be filled with the first resin plate 60, or with both the first resin plate 60 and the second resin plate 70.

[0018] The body portion 11 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape in plan view. Furthermore, the four corners of the body portion 11 are positioned to point in the first direction Dx and the second direction Dy. The array layer 30 stacked on this body portion 11 contains the transistor 31 (see Figure 8). Note that this disclosure is not limited to a rectangular shape for the body portion 11 in plan view; it may be circular or other polygonal.

[0019] The hinge portion 12 has a vertical hinge portion 12A extending in the first direction Dx and a horizontal hinge portion 12B extending in the second direction Dy. When the vertical hinge portion 12A is rotated by 90°, it becomes identical in shape to the horizontal hinge portion 12B. Therefore, the vertical hinge portion 12A will be described below, and the description of the horizontal hinge portion 12B will be omitted.

[0020] Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing two adjacent body sections and the first and second hinge sections located between them. As shown in Figure 4, the vertical hinge section 12A (hinge section 12) has a first vertical hinge section 13A (first hinge section 13) and a second vertical hinge section 14A (second hinge section 14) that extend between the adjacent body sections 11. The horizontal hinge section 12B (hinge section 12) has a first horizontal hinge section 13B (first hinge section 13) and a second horizontal hinge section 14B (second hinge section 14) (see Figure 3).

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the first vertical hinge portion 13A has two base portions 15 positioned at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first vertical hinge portion 13A, and four small-diameter arc portions 16 positioned between the two base portions 15. The base portions 15 extend linearly from the body portion 11 in the first direction Dx. The small-diameter arc portions 16 are arc-shaped in plan view. Two of the four small-diameter arc portions 16a are positioned to project toward one side of the second direction Dy. The remaining two small-diameter arc portions 16b are positioned to project toward the other side of the second direction Dy. The small-diameter arc portions 16a and 16b are arranged alternately in the first direction Dx. As a result, the first vertical hinge portion 13A extends in the first direction Dx while meandering between the two body portions 11.

[0022] The second vertical hinge portion 14A has two large-diameter arc portions 17 that form an arc shape in plan view. One of the two large-diameter arc portions 17a is positioned to project toward one side of the second direction Dy. The other large-diameter arc portion 17b is positioned to project toward the other side of the second direction Dy. One end of the large-diameter arc portions 17a and 17b in the longitudinal direction is connected to the body portion 11. The other ends of the large-diameter arc portions 17a and 17b in the longitudinal direction are connected to each other. As a result, the second hinge portion 14 extends in the first direction Dx while meandering between the two body portions 11.

[0023] The large-diameter arc portion 17 has a smaller curvature than the small-diameter arc portion 16. In other words, the radius of curvature of the large-diameter arc portion 17 is larger than that of the small-diameter arc portion 16. Therefore, the length of the large-diameter arc portion 17 in the first direction Dx is longer than the length of the small-diameter arc portion 16 in the first direction Dx. For this reason, the number of arc portions (large-diameter arc portions 17) arranged in the second vertical hinge portion 14A is less than the number of arc portions (small-diameter arc portions 16) arranged in the first vertical hinge portion 13A. Note that this disclosure is not limited to the example shown in this embodiment with respect to the number of small-diameter arc portions 16 arranged in the first hinge portion 13 and the number of large-diameter arc portions 17 arranged in the second hinge portion 14.

[0024] The meandering length in the second direction Dy of the first vertical hinge portion 13A is H1. The meandering length in the second direction Dy of the second vertical hinge portion 14A is H2. The meandering length is the length (distance) extending from a virtual straight line L2 connecting the centers O11 of the body portions 11 in the direction intersecting the virtual straight line L2. In other words, the meandering length is the amount of projection from the virtual straight line L2 in the arc portions (small diameter arc portion 16, large diameter arc portion 17). As described above, the curvature of the large diameter arc portion 17 is smaller than that of the small diameter arc portion 16. Therefore, the meandering length H2 of the second vertical hinge portion 14A is longer than the meandering length H1 of the first vertical hinge portion 13A.

[0025] Next, the strain generated in the first vertical hinge portion 13A and the second vertical hinge portion 14A when the stretchable device 1 is extended or retracted will be described later.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, in the first vertical hinge portion 13A, the connection between the base portion 15 and the small-diameter arc portion 16 is bent at a 90-degree angle, forming the first bent portion 21. In addition, the longitudinal central portions of the four small-diameter arc portions 16 (16a, 16b) are bent at a 180-degree angle. Therefore, the longitudinal central portions of the small-diameter arc portions 16 (16a, 16b) form the first bent portion 21.

[0027] In the second vertical hinge portion 14A, the connection between the body portion 11 and the large-diameter arc portion 17 is bent at a 90-degree angle, forming a second bent portion 22. Furthermore, the longitudinal central portions of the two large-diameter arc portions 17 (17a, 17b) are bent at a 180-degree angle. Therefore, the longitudinal central portions of the large-diameter arc portions 17 (17a, 17b) form a second bent portion 22.

[0028] When a tensile load in the first direction Dx (see arrows A1 and A2 in Figure 4) is applied to the first vertical hinge portion 13A, the bending angle of each of the first bent portions 21 increases, and the length of the first hinge portion 13 in the first direction Dx increases. Therefore, when the first vertical hinge portion 13A is extended, deformation is concentrated in each of the first bent portions 21, and the amount of strain in the first bent portions 21 is large.

[0029] Similarly, when a tensile load in the first direction Dx (see arrows A1 and A2 in Figure 4) is applied to the second vertical hinge portion 14A, the bending angles of each of the first bent portions 21 increase, and the length of the second vertical hinge portion 14A in the first direction Dx increases. Therefore, when the second vertical hinge portion 14A is extended, deformation is concentrated in each of the second bent portions 22, and the amount of strain in the second bent portions 22 is large.

[0030] Here, the meandering length H2 of the second vertical hinge portion 14A is longer than the meandering length H1 of the first vertical hinge portion 13A. Therefore, the bending angle of the first bent portion 21 is greater than the bending angle of the second bent portion 22. Thus, the amount of strain generated in the first bent portion 21 is greater than the amount of strain generated in the second bent portion 22. From the above, the amount of strain generated in the second vertical hinge portion 14A is less than that generated in the first vertical hinge portion 13A.

[0031] In addition, a gently curving first connecting portion 25 is provided in the longitudinal center of the first vertical hinge portion 13A. This first connecting portion 25 is positioned between the small-diameter arc portion 16a and the small-diameter arc portion 16b. When the first vertical hinge portion 13A is extended, the amount of deformation (strain) generated in the first connecting portion 25 is extremely small.

[0032] Furthermore, a second connecting portion 26, which similarly forms a gentle curve, is provided in the longitudinal center of the second vertical hinge portion 14A. The second connecting portion 26 is positioned between the large-diameter arc portion 17a and the large-diameter arc portion 17b. In addition, when the second vertical hinge portion 14A is extended, the amount of deformation (strain) generated in the second connecting portion 26 is extremely small.

[0033] The first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26 intersect and are integrated. In other words, the first vertical hinge portion 13A and the second vertical hinge portion 14A intersect in the middle of their length. If the amount of deformation (strain) of one of the connecting portions is large, the amount of deformation (strain) of the other connecting portion will also become large. Therefore, in this embodiment, the portions with small amounts of deformation (strain) (the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26) are connected to each other. Hereinafter, the intersecting portion of the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26 will be referred to as the intersection portion 27.

[0034] Figure 5 shows the circuit configuration of the array layer laminated on the resin substrate of Embodiment 1. Figure 6 is a plan view of the portion of the array layer laminated on the body part of Embodiment 1, as seen from the second resin substrate.

[0035] Next, the array layer 30 will be described. The array layer 30 includes various configurations for detecting the amount of strain in the hinge portion 12. Specifically, the array layer 30 comprises a connection portion 6 (see Figure 1), a gate line drive circuit 7 (see Figure 1), an output line selection circuit 8 (see Figure 1), current wiring 9 (see Figure 1), a plurality of transistors 31 (see Figure 5), a plurality of signal lines 32 (see Figure 5) extending in the first direction Dx, a plurality of gate lines 33 (see Figure 5) extending in the second direction Dy, a plurality of strain gauges 34 (see Figure 5), a plurality of first output lines 35 (see Figure 5) extending in the first direction Dx, and a plurality of second output lines 36 (see Figure 5) extending in the first direction Dx.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the connection section 6, gate line drive circuit 7, output line selection circuit 8, and current wiring 9 are arranged to overlap the peripheral region 3. The connection section 6 is for connecting to a drive IC (Integrated Circuit) located outside the stretchable device 1. The drive IC may be mounted as COF (Chip On Film) on a flexible printed circuit board or rigid board (not shown) connected to the connection section 6. Alternatively, the drive IC may be mounted as COG (Chip On Glass) in the peripheral region 3 of the first resin plate 60.

[0037] The gate line drive circuit 7 is a circuit that drives multiple gate lines 33 based on various control signals from the drive IC. The gate line drive circuit 7 sequentially or simultaneously selects multiple gate lines 33 and supplies gate drive signals to the selected gate lines 33. The output line selection circuit 8 is a switch circuit that sequentially or simultaneously selects multiple first output lines 35 and multiple second output lines 36. The output line selection circuit 8 is, for example, a multiplexer. Based on the selection signal supplied from the drive IC, the output line selection circuit 8 connects the selected first output line 35 or second output line 36 to the drive IC. The current wiring 9 is wiring for supplying a predetermined amount of current to the signal line 32 and extends along the peripheral region 3. The current wiring 9 is connected to the drive IC via the connection part 6 and a predetermined amount of current flows through it.

[0038] The transistor 31, signal line 32, gate line 33, strain gauge 34, first output line 35, and second output line 36 are laminated on a resin substrate 10 (see Figure 3) and arranged within the detection region 2 (see Figure 1).

[0039] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the signal line 32 is arranged across multiple vertical hinge sections 12A and multiple body sections 11. As a result, the signal line 32 extends continuously from one end to the other in the first direction Dx within the detection area 2. The multiple signal lines 32 are also arranged in the second direction Dy. One end of each signal line 32 is connected to the current wiring 9 (see Figure 1).

[0040] Each gate line 33 is positioned across multiple lateral hinge sections 12B and multiple body sections 11. As a result, the gate line 33 extends continuously from one end to the other in the second direction Dy within the detection region 2. The multiple gate lines 33 are also arranged in the first direction Dx. One end of each gate line 33 is connected to the gate line drive circuit 7 (see Figure 1).

[0041] The first output line 35 and the second output line 36 are arranged across multiple vertical hinge sections 12A and multiple body sections 11. As a result, the first output line 35 and the second output line 36 extend continuously from one end to the other in the first direction Dx within the detection area 2. The multiple first output lines 35 and the multiple second output lines 36 are arranged in the second direction Dy. One end of each first output line 35 and each second output line 36 is connected to the output line selection circuit 8.

[0042] The transistors 31 are stacked on each body portion 11 of the resin substrate 10. Therefore, multiple transistors 31 are arranged in a matrix in the detection region 2. The gate electrode 31c (see Figure 6) of the transistor 31 is connected to the gate line 33. The drain electrode 31d of the transistor 31 is connected to the signal line 32.

[0043] The strain gauge 34 is wiring for measuring the amount of strain. The strain gauge 34 is stacked on each hinge portion 12. Therefore, the strain gauge 34 has a longitudinal strain gauge 34A extending in the first direction Dx and a transverse strain gauge 34B extending in the second direction Dy.

[0044] The longitudinal strain gauge 34A is stacked on the longitudinal hinge portion 12A. One end of the longitudinal strain gauge 34A extends to one of the two body portions 11 that sandwich the longitudinal hinge portion 12A and is connected to the source electrode 31e of the transistor 31. The other end of the longitudinal strain gauge 34A extends to the other of the two body portions 11 that sandwich the longitudinal hinge portion 12A and is connected to the first output line 35.

[0045] The transverse strain gauge 34B is stacked on the transverse hinge portion 12B. One end of the transverse strain gauge 34B extends to one of the two body portions 11 that sandwich the transverse hinge portion 12B and is connected to the source electrode 31e of the transistor 31. The other end of the transverse strain gauge 34B extends to the other of the two body portions 11 that sandwich the transverse hinge portion 12B and is connected to the second output line 36.

[0046] As described above, when the gate line 33 is scanned after being selected by the gate line drive circuit 7, the transistor 31 turns ON. As a result, the signal line 32 and one end of the strain gauge 34 are electrically connected, and the current from the current wiring 9 flows to the strain gauge 34. Subsequently, current (electrical signals) flows through the first output line 35 and the second output line 36, which are connected to the other end of the strain gauge 34. Then, the first output line 35 or the second output line 36 selected by the output line selection circuit 8 is connected to the drive IC, and the current (electrical signal) is sent to the drive IC.

[0047] Figure 7 is a plan view of the portion of the array layer in Embodiment 1 that is laminated on the hinge, as seen from the second resin substrate. Next, the details of the wiring laminated on the vertical hinge portion 12A and the horizontal hinge portion 12B will be described.

[0048] As shown in Figure 7, a longitudinal strain gauge 34A is stacked on the first longitudinal hinge portion 13A. On the other hand, the signal line 32, the first output line 35, and the second output line 36 are stacked on the second longitudinal hinge portion 14A. As described above, when the longitudinal hinge portion 12A expands and contracts, the amount of strain generated in the second bend portion 22 of the second longitudinal hinge portion 14A is less than the amount of strain generated in the first bend portion 21 of the first longitudinal hinge portion 13A. Therefore, the amount of strain generated in the signal line 32, the first output line 35, and the second output line 36 is small.

[0049] Although not specifically shown in the diagram, a lateral strain gauge 34B is stacked on the first lateral hinge portion 13B of the lateral hinge portion 12B. In addition, a gate wire 33 is loaded on the second lateral hinge portion 14B of the lateral hinge portion 12B. Therefore, the amount of strain generated in the gate wire 33 is small.

[0050] Next, the cross-sectional structure of the array layer 30 will be described. The cross-sectional structure of the array layer 30 will be described by dividing it into the portion laminated on the body portion 11 and the portion laminated on the hinge portion 12.

[0051] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 8, multiple insulating layers are laminated in the portion of the array layer 30 that is laminated on the body portion 11. Specifically, a first insulating layer 41, a second insulating layer 42, a third insulating layer 43, a fourth insulating layer 44, and a fifth insulating layer 45 are laminated above the body portion 11. The first insulating layer 41, the second insulating layer 42, the third insulating layer 43, the fourth insulating layer 44, and the fifth insulating layer 45 are, for example, silicon oxide films and cover the transistor 31 and various wiring (signal line 32, gate line 33, strain gauge 34, first output line 35, and second output line 36). In this embodiment, the gate insulating film 31b of the transistor 31 is interposed between the first insulating layer 41 and the second insulating layer 42.

[0052] A strain gauge 34 is laminated on the second insulating layer 42. A signal line 32 is laminated on the third insulating layer 43. A gate line 33 is laminated on the fourth insulating layer 44. The transistor 31 comprises a semiconductor layer 31a, a gate insulating film 31b, a gate electrode 31c, a drain electrode 31d, and a source electrode 31e. The semiconductor layer 31a connects the drain electrode 31d and the source electrode 31e via contact layers 50 and 51. The gate electrode 31c is connected to the gate line 33 via contact layer 52. The drain electrode 31d is located in the same layer as the signal line 32 and is connected to the signal line 32. The source electrode 31e is located in the same layer as the strain gauge 34 and is connected to the strain gauge 34.

[0053] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in Figure 7. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in Figure 7. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in Figure 7. A longitudinal strain gauge 34A is provided in the portion of the array layer 30 that is laminated on the first longitudinal hinge portion 13A. In other words, a longitudinal strain gauge 34A is laminated on the first longitudinal hinge portion 13A. A second resin plate 70 is provided so as to cover the first longitudinal hinge portion 13A and the longitudinal strain gauge 34A. As shown in Figure 7, a connecting portion 34a is provided between the portion of the strain gauge 34 that is laminated on the second insulating layer 42 and the portion that is laminated on the first longitudinal hinge portion 13A, extending in the third direction Dz along the side surface of the second insulating layer 42 and the side surface of the first insulating layer 41.

[0054] As shown in Figure 10, the portion of the array layer 30 laminated on the second vertical hinge portion 14A is provided with a signal line 32 and a first output line 35 and a second output line 36 that sandwich the signal line 32. In other words, the signal line 32, the first output line 35, and the second output line 36 are laminated on the second vertical hinge portion 14A. The second resin plate 70 is provided so as to cover the second vertical hinge portion 14A, the signal line 32, the first output line 35, and the second output line 36.

[0055] However, as shown in Figure 11, the portion of the array layer 30 laminated at the intersection 27 is provided with signal lines 32, a first output line 35, and a second output line 36, an insulating layer 40, and a longitudinal strain gauge 34A. In other words, the signal lines 32, the first output line 35, and the second output line 36 are laminated on the intersection 27. The insulating layer 40 is laminated so as to cover the intersection 27, the signal lines 32, the first output line 35, and the second output line 36. The longitudinal strain gauge 34A is provided on top of the insulating layer 40. Therefore, in the vertical hinge portion 12A, the insulating layer 40 is laminated only at the intersection 27 where the amount of deformation is extremely small. This prevents the insulating layer 40 from being damaged due to deformation of the vertical hinge portion 12A.

[0056] Furthermore, the portion of the array layer 30 that is laminated on the first lateral hinge portion 13B is the same as that of the first vertical hinge portion 13A. Specifically, although not shown in the figures, only the lateral strain gauge 34B is laminated on the first lateral hinge portion 13B. Only the gate wire 33 is laminated on the second lateral hinge portion 14B. At the intersection of the first lateral hinge portion 13B and the second lateral hinge portion 14B, the gate wire 33, an insulating layer (not shown), and the lateral strain gauge 34B are laminated in that order and covered with the second resin plate 70.

[0057] As described above, the stretchable device 1 of Embodiment 1 generates less strain in the signal line 32, the first output line 35, and the second output line 36. Therefore, the noise component in the current (electrical signal) sent from the first output line 35 to the drive IC is also small, and the amount of strain in the vertical hinge portion 12A can be detected with high accuracy.

[0058] Next, other embodiments will be described. In the following description, we will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1.

[0059] (Embodiment 2) Figure 12 is a view of the vertical hinge portion of Embodiment 2, seen from the second resin plate side. The stretchable device 1A of Embodiment 2 differs from the stretchable device 1 of Embodiment 1 in that it has a resin substrate 110 instead of a resin substrate 10. The resin substrate 110 comprises a plurality of body portions 111 and a plurality of hinge portions 112. The body portion 111 is similar to the body portion 11 of Embodiment 1 in that it has a rectangular shape when viewed from the third direction Dz. However, the body portion 111 differs from the body portion 11 of Embodiment 1 in that its four sides are oriented in the first direction Dx and the second direction Dy.

[0060] The hinge portion 112 has a first hinge portion 113 and a second hinge portion 114. The hinge portion 112 also includes a vertical hinge portion 112A and a horizontal hinge portion (not shown). When the vertical hinge portion 112A is rotated 90 degrees, it becomes the same shape as the horizontal hinge portion (not shown). The vertical hinge portion 112A will be described below, and the description of the horizontal hinge portion (not shown) will be omitted.

[0061] The vertical hinge portion 112A has a first vertical hinge portion 113A and a second vertical hinge portion 114A. The first vertical hinge portion 113A and the second vertical hinge portion 114A have the same shape as the first vertical hinge portion 13A and the second vertical hinge portion 14A of Embodiment 1. However, the first vertical hinge portion 113A and the second vertical hinge portion 114A are spaced apart in the second direction Dy. Therefore, the first vertical hinge portion 113A and the second vertical hinge portion 114A do not have an intersection portion 27 (see Figure 7).

[0062] According to the stretchable device 1A of Embodiment 2, there is no longer a restriction on the layout, such as crossing the first connection portion 25 and the second connection portion 26, which have small deformation amounts (strain amounts). Therefore, the design becomes easier. Also, since there is no intersection portion 27, the effort of providing an insulating layer 40 (see Figure 11) is eliminated. However, in Embodiment 2, the first vertical hinge portion 113A and the second vertical hinge portion 114A must be arranged so that they do not overlap in the second direction Dy. Therefore, the area in the second direction Dy occupied by the first vertical hinge portion 113A and the second vertical hinge portion 114A becomes larger. Therefore, the spacing in the second direction Dy where the body portion 111 is arranged also becomes longer. As a result, the spacing where the transistors 31 are arranged also becomes larger, and the resolution of detection decreases.

[0063] (Embodiment 3) Figure 13 is a view of the resin substrate of Embodiment 3 from the second resin plate side. The stretchable device 1B of Embodiment 3 differs from the stretchable device 1 of Embodiment 1 in that it has a resin substrate 210 instead of the resin substrate 10. The resin substrate 210 has a plurality of body portions 211 and a plurality of hinge portions 212. The body portions 211 are rectangular in shape and are the same as the body portion 111 described in Embodiment 2. The body portions 211 have four sides 231, 232, 233, 234 and four corners 241, 242, 243, 244.

[0064] The hinge portion 212 has a first hinge portion 213 and a second hinge portion 214. The first hinge portion 213 and the second hinge portion 214 are the same as the first hinge portion 113 and the second hinge portion 114 described in Embodiment 2. Therefore, the first hinge portion 213 and the second hinge portion 214 in Embodiment 3 do not intersect. One first hinge portion 213 and one second hinge portion 214 are connected to each of the four sides 231, 232, 233, and 234. In addition, the first hinge portion 213 and the second hinge portion 214 are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the connected sides 231, 232, 233, and 234.

[0065] The arrangement of the first hinge portion 213 and the second hinge portion 214 is as follows: The two hinge portions 212 positioned on either side of the corners 241, 242, 243, and 244 are the first hinge portion 213, which connects to one side 231, 232, 233, and 234, with the corners 241, 242, 243, and 244 in between. The second hinge portion 214 connects to the other side 231, 232, 233, and 234, with the corners 241, 242, 243, and 244 in between. In other words, the two hinge portions 212 flanking the corners 241, 242, 243, and 244 are arranged so that neither of them is either the first hinge portion 213 or the second hinge portion 214. Therefore, the connection positions of the first hinge portion 213 and the second hinge portion 214, which are connected to one of the two opposite sides, are alternately arranged with the connection positions of the first hinge portion 213 and the second hinge portion 214, which are connected to the other side. In other words, the positions of the first hinge portion 213 and the second hinge portion 214 are swapped in a direction intersecting the direction in which they extend. Of the four sides 231, 232, 233, and 234, sides 231 and 233 are one opposite side. Also, sides 232 and 234 are opposite side. The effects will be explained below.

[0066] Figure 14 is a view of the comparative example's resin substrate from the second resin plate side. Figure 15 is a view of the embodiment 3's resin substrate from the second resin plate side. As shown in Figure 14, the comparative example's resin substrate 410 has the first hinge portion 413 and the second hinge portion 414 arranged in a straight line in the first direction Dx and the second direction Dy. In this comparative example, of the four corner portions 441, 442, 443, and 444, both hinge portions 412 flanking corner portion 441 are first hinge portions 413. Also, of the four corner portions 441, 442, 443, and 444, both hinge portions 412 flanking corner portion 443 are second hinge portions 414. The hinge portion 412 that sandwiches the remaining two corners 442 and 444 consists of a first hinge portion 413 and a second hinge portion 414.

[0067] Here, when the hinge portion 412 extends, the first hinge portion 413 pulls the body portion 411 with a larger load than the second hinge portion 414 (see arrow in Figure 14). Therefore, in the comparative example, when the hinge portion 412 expands and contracts, the stress acting on the corners 441, 442, 443, and 444 of the body portion 411 is not uniform. In other words, there is a bias in the stress acting on the body portion 411. As a result, there are regions where large stresses act (regions where the two first hinge portions 213 are located close together) and regions where small stresses act (regions where the two second hinge portions 214 are located close together), which may prevent the stretchable device from expanding and contracting uniformly in the plane.

[0068] On the other hand, according to Embodiment 3, as shown in Figure 15, at all four corners 241, 242, 243, and 244, the two hinge portions 212 that sandwich the corners 241, 242, 243, and 244 are the first hinge portion 213 and the second hinge portion 214. When the hinge portions 212 expand and contract, the stress acting on the corners 241, 242, 243, and 244 of the body portion 211 is uniform. Therefore, the stretchable device 1B expands and contracts uniformly in the plane. Note that the resin substrate of the stretchable device of this disclosure may be the resin substrate 410 shown in the comparative example.

[0069] (Embodiment 4) Figure 16 is a view of the resin substrate of Embodiment 4, seen from the second resin plate. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVII-XVII in Figure 16. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVIII-XVIII in Figure 16.

[0070] As shown in Figure 16, the stretchable device 1C of Embodiment 4 differs from the stretchable device 1 of Embodiment 1 in that it has a resin substrate 310 instead of a resin substrate 10. The resin substrate 310 has a plurality of body parts 311 and a plurality of hinge parts 312. The hinge parts 312 have a first hinge part 313 and a second hinge part 314. A strain gauge 34 is stacked on the first hinge part 313, and a signal line 32, a gate line 33, a first output line (not shown in Figure 16), and a second output line (not shown in Figure 16) are loaded on the second hinge part 314.

[0071] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, in detail, the first hinge portion 313 has a plurality of small triangular teeth 313a that are convex toward the second resin plate 70 (see Figure 2). The second hinge portion 314 has a plurality of large triangular teeth 314a that are convex toward the second resin plate 70. Therefore, both the first hinge portion 313 and the second hinge portion have a triangular wave shape when viewed from the planar direction. Thus, in this disclosure, the direction in which the first hinge portion 313 and the second hinge portion 314 meander with respect to a virtual straight line L2 connecting adjacent body portions 311 may be a third direction Dz that is perpendicular to the planar direction.

[0072] Furthermore, the first hinge portion 313 has multiple corners 313b bent at 90 degrees. Similarly, the second hinge portion 314 has multiple corners 314b bent at 90 degrees. When the first hinge portion 313 and the second hinge portion 314 are extended, the angle of the multiple corners 313b and 314b bends, increasing.

[0073] Furthermore, the meandering length H4 in the intersecting direction due to the large triangular teeth 314a is greater than the meandering length H3 in the intersecting direction due to the small triangular teeth 313a. Therefore, the bending angle of the corners 313b and 314b is smaller for the corner 314b of the second hinge portion 314 than for the corner 313b of the first hinge portion 313. Consequently, the amount of strain on the signal line 32, gate line (not shown in Figure 18), first output line (not shown in Figure 18), and second output line (not shown in Figure 18) loaded on the second hinge portion 314 is small.

[0074] Although each embodiment has been described above, the present disclosure does not require the gate wire 33 to be stacked on the second hinge portion 14. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C Stretchable Devices 2 Detection area 3. Peripheral area 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 Resin base material 11, 111, 211, 311, 411 Body parts 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 Hinge section 12A Vertical hinge section 12B Horizontal hinge section 13, 113, 213, 313, 413 First hinge section 13A First vertical hinge section 13B First lateral hinge section 14, 114, 214, 314, 414 Second hinge section 14A Second vertical hinge section 14B Second lateral hinge section 15 base 16 Small diameter arc section 17 Large-diameter circular arc section 19. Weight-reducing section 21 1st bending part 22 2nd bending part 25 First connection section 26 Second connection section 27 Intersection 30 array layers 31 transistors 32 signal lines 33 Gate Line 34 Strain Gauges 35. First output line 36 Second output line 60 First resin plate 70 Second resin plate

Claims

1. Resin substrate and A strain gauge, signal line, and output line are laminated on the aforementioned resin substrate. It has, The aforementioned resin substrate is Multiple body parts arranged at a distance from each other, Multiple hinge portions that connect adjacent body portions while meandering in the direction of intersection with a virtual straight line connecting adjacent body portions, It has, The hinge portion has a first hinge portion and a second hinge portion that connect adjacent body portions. The meandering length in the intersecting direction at the second hinge portion is greater than the meandering length in the intersecting direction at the first hinge portion. The strain gauge is provided on the first hinge portion, The signal line and the output line are provided in the second hinge portion. Stretchable device.

2. Multiple body parts are arranged in a matrix. The aforementioned intersection direction is parallel to the planar direction in which the multiple body portions are arranged. The stretchable device according to claim 1.

3. The first hinge portion has a first connecting portion that has a small amount of deformation when extended or retracted, The second hinge portion has a second connecting portion that has a small amount of deformation when extended or retracted. The first connection part and the second connection part intersect each other. The stretchable device according to claim 2.

4. The first hinge portion and the second hinge portion are separated in the planar direction. The stretchable device according to claim 2.

5. The body portion, when viewed from the planar direction, has a rectangular shape with four sides and four corners. Each of the four aforementioned sides is connected to one of the first hinge portions and one of the second hinge portions, separated in a direction parallel to the side. The two hinge portions arranged on either side of the aforementioned corner are a first hinge portion connected to one of the aforementioned sides on either side of the corner, and a second hinge portion connected to the other aforementioned side on either side of the corner. The stretchable device according to claim 4.

6. The body portion, when viewed from the planar direction, has a rectangular shape with four sides and four corners. Each of the four aforementioned sides is connected to one of the first hinge portions and one of the second hinge portions, separated in a direction parallel to the side. Of the two sides that are opposite each other, the connection positions of the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion connected to one side are arranged alternately with the connection positions of the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion connected to the other side. The stretchable device according to claim 4.

7. Multiple body parts are arranged in a matrix. The aforementioned intersection direction is perpendicular to the planar direction in which the multiple body portions are arranged. The stretchable device according to claim 1.

8. The second hinge portion has gate wires stacked on it. A stretchable device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The resin substrate has a first surface facing the direction in which the strain gauge, the signal line, and the output line are arranged. At least one of the strain gauge, the signal line, and the output line is in contact with the first surface. A stretchable device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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