Capacitive sensor

Abstract

The present invention allows simplification of a structure for forming a plurality of sensor elements in the same sheet shape.　This capacitive sensor (1) is provided with a dielectric layer (20), a ground layer (21), and a voltage application layer (22). The capacitive sensor (1) has: a wiring part (11) that is laminated with the dielectric layer (20) so that the positions of the ground layer (21) and the voltage application layer (22) do not overlap each other in the lamination direction; and an electrostatic capacitance part that extends from an end part of the wiring part (11) in the surface direction and in which the ground layer (21) and the voltage application layer (22) are laminated with the dielectric layer (20) interposed therebetween.

Description

Capacitive Sensor

[0001] The present invention relates to a capacitance type sensor.

[0002] A known torsion sensor detects torsional strain applied to a detection object, such as a rod. A capacitance sensor includes a capacitance section obtained by forming a pair of electrode layers on the surface of a dielectric layer. In a capacitance sensor used as a torsion sensor, the capacitance section detects a change in capacitance due to torsion of the detection object (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent No. 4242977 Patent No. 5907220

[0004] However, when attaching a capacitance-type sensor to a detectable object with a high ratio of height to diameter, such as a long, thin round bar, if the sensor components (sensor elements) including the capacitance portion overlap each other, the thickness of the overlapping sensor elements increases, making the capacitance-type sensor more susceptible to wear and deterioration due to external forces. For this reason, in a capacitance-type sensor, it is desirable to form the capacitance portion so that it extends diagonally with respect to the longitudinal direction of the detectable object when attached to the detectable object, so that the sensor elements do not overlap each other when attached to the detectable object.

[0005] On the other hand, in the case of capacitance type sensors, when multiple sensor elements are formed on the same sheet, it is required to simplify the stacked structure of the sensor elements to improve processability, or to make the sensor elements thinner to improve attachment to the object to be detected.

[0006] The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problem as an example, and aims to provide a capacitance sensor that allows for a simplified structure in which multiple sensor elements are formed on the same sheet.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the capacitance type sensor of the present invention is a capacitance type sensor comprising a dielectric layer, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer, and has a wiring portion stacked with the dielectric layer so that the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer do not overlap each other in the stacking direction, and a capacitance portion that is a portion extending from the end of the wiring portion in the surface direction, and in which the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are stacked with the dielectric layer sandwiched between them.

[0008] In the capacitance type sensor according to one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the capacitance sections are provided for one of the wiring sections.

[0009] In the capacitance type sensor according to one aspect of the present invention, the capacitance portions are arranged symmetrically in the planar direction with respect to the wiring portion.

[0010] In the capacitance type sensor according to one aspect of the present invention, the capacitance portion extends at an angle from an end of the wiring portion in the planar direction.

[0011] In a capacitance sensor according to one aspect of the present invention, the dielectric layer has the first electrode layer laminated on one side of the wiring portion and the second electrode layer laminated on the other side.

[0012] In the capacitance type sensor according to one aspect of the present invention, the capacitance portion is disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the object to be detected.

[0013] According to the capacitance type sensor of the present invention, it is possible to simplify the structure in which a plurality of sensor elements are formed on the same sheet.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a capacitance type sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a dielectric layer in the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a ground layer in the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a voltage application layer in the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an insulating layer in the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a capacitor equivalent to the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of a capacitance measurement circuit using the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a capacitance section in a state where the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1 is attached to a detected object. FIG. 7 is another schematic view showing a capacitance section in a state where the capacitance type sensor shown in FIG. 1 is attached to a detected object.

[0015] Hereinafter, a capacitance type sensor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a capacitance sensor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the capacitance sensor 1 taken along line A-A. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the capacitance sensor 1 taken along line B-B. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the layer structure of a wiring section 11 in the capacitance sensor 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the layer structure of a capacitance section 12 in the capacitance sensor 1.

[0017] In the following description, the horizontal direction in the plan view of the capacitance sensor 1 shown in FIG. 1 (the horizontal direction in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2) is defined as the x-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to the x-axis and vertical direction in the plan view of FIG. 1 (the direction penetrating the drawing in FIG. 2) is defined as the y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the x-axis and y-axis, i.e., the direction penetrating the drawing in the plan view of FIG. 1 (the vertical direction in FIG. 2) is defined as the z-axis direction (height direction, stacking direction). In the following description, the directions indicated by the arrows of the x, y, and z axes in FIG. 1 and elsewhere are defined as + directions, and the direction opposite to the + directions is defined as - directions. In the following description, the direction of the xy plane, which is a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction, is referred to as the surface direction. In addition, in the following description, all surfaces shown in the plan view of FIG. 1 are front surfaces, and the surface opposite the front surfaces is defined as the back surface. According to the above definition, the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2 is an x-z ​​cross-sectional view of the capacitance sensor 1. In addition, in the following description, all cross-sectional views of the capacitance sensor 1 are x-z cross-sectional views unless otherwise specified.

[0018] 1, 2, and 3, the capacitance sensor 1 according to this embodiment includes a dielectric layer 20, a ground layer 21 as a first electrode layer, a voltage application layer 22 as a second electrode layer, and an insulating layer 23. The capacitance sensor 1 also includes a wiring portion 11 and a capacitance portion 12. The wiring portion 11 is stacked on the dielectric layer 20 inside the insulating layer 23 such that the ground layer 21 and the voltage application layer 22 do not overlap each other in the stacking direction. The capacitance portion 12 is a portion extending from an end 111 in the planar direction of the wiring portion 11. The capacitance portion 12 is stacked on the ground layer 21 and the voltage application layer 22 inside the insulating layer 23 with the dielectric layer 20 sandwiched therebetween. The configuration and operation of the capacitance sensor 1 will be described in detail below.

[0019] [Configuration of Wiring Section and Capacitance Section] As shown in Fig. 1 , in the capacitance sensor 1, a plurality of capacitance sections 12 are provided for one wiring section 11 at an end 111 of the wiring section 11. In Fig. 1 , the dashed lines are provided to indicate the boundaries between the wiring section 11 and the capacitance sections 12. Specifically, the capacitance sections 12 extend outward, that is, in a direction away from the wiring section 11, from the left-right end 111 of the wiring section 11. In the capacitance sensor 1, the wiring section 11 and the capacitance sections 12 are integrally formed.

[0020] The multiple capacitance portions 12 are arranged at the end portions 111 of the wiring portion 11 on both the left and right sides in FIG. 1 at predetermined intervals in the y-axis direction in the planar direction, like comb teeth. In the following description, the capacitance portions 12 on the left side of the wiring portion 11 are also referred to as the first capacitance portion 12L. The capacitance portions 12 on the right side of the wiring portion 11 are also referred to as the second capacitance portion 12R. For example, the multiple capacitance portions 12 may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the wiring portion 11 in the planar direction of the capacitance-type sensor 1, with the first capacitance portion 12L and the second capacitance portion 12R being centered around the wiring portion 11. The multiple capacitance portions 12 may extend at a predetermined angle from the end portions 111 of the wiring portion 11 in the planar direction. In FIG. 1, for example, the first capacitance portion 12L extends in the −x-axis direction and the y-axis direction, and the second capacitance portion 12R extends in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction.

[0021] The arrangement of the capacitance portions 12 is not limited to being symmetrical about the wiring portion 11, and the spacing or number of capacitance portions 12 may be different on the left and right sides. The spacing between the capacitance portions 12 does not have to be constant. The number of capacitance portions 12 in the capacitance sensor 1 is not particularly limited. The angle between the end 111 of the wiring portion 11 and the capacitance portion 12 is not particularly limited. Furthermore, there may be a point where the angle between the wiring portion 11 and the capacitance portion 12 changes.

[0022] [Configuration of dielectric layer, ground layer, voltage application layer, and insulating layer] Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the dielectric layer 20 in the capacitance sensor 1. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the ground layer 21 in the capacitance sensor 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the voltage application layer 22 in the capacitance sensor 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the insulating layer 23 in the capacitance sensor 1. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a capacitor 3 equivalent to the capacitance sensor 1.

[0023] The configurations of the dielectric layer 20, the ground layer 21, the voltage application layer 22, and the insulating layer 23 in the capacitance sensor 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0024] The dielectric layer 20 functions as the dielectric 30 in the capacitor 3 shown in Fig. 8. As described above, the dielectric layer 20 is laminated with the ground layer 21 and the voltage application layer 22 inside the area surrounded by the insulating layer 23 in both the wiring portion 11 and the capacitance portion 12. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, the planar shape of the dielectric layer 20 is the same as or approximately the same as the planar shape of the capacitance sensor 1 shown in Fig. 1. The dielectric layer 20 has a first dielectric portion 201 located in the wiring portion 11 of the capacitance sensor 1 and a second dielectric portion 202 located in the capacitance portion 12.

[0025] The dielectric layer 20 is a sheet-like member in which the first dielectric portion 201 and the second dielectric portion 202 are integrally formed from an elastomer composition. The dielectric layer 20 can be reversibly deformed so that the area of ​​its front and back surfaces changes. The dielectric layer 20 also has a relatively high relative dielectric constant, for example, 5 or more (measured at a frequency of 100 Hz). Examples of elastomer compositions include those containing an elastomer and, if necessary, other optional components such as dielectric particles. Examples of elastomers include natural rubber, isoprene rubber, nitrile rubber (NBR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), chloroprene rubber (CR), silicone rubber, fluororubber, acrylic rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, and urethane rubber. These may be used alone or in combination.

[0026] The ground layer 21 functions as the negative electrode 31 of the capacitor 3 shown in FIG. 8 . The voltage application layer 22 functions as the positive electrode 32 of the capacitor 3 shown in FIG. 8 . As described above, the ground layer 21 and the voltage application layer 22 overlap in the capacitance section 12. Meanwhile, the ground layer 21 and the voltage application layer 22 do not overlap each other in the height direction and are arranged at different positions in the surface direction in the wiring section 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the planar shape of the first ground section 211, which is a part of the wiring section 11, differs from the planar shape of the wiring section 11 in the capacitance sensor 1 shown in FIG. 1 and has a narrower dimension (width) in the left-right direction. Meanwhile, the planar shape of the second ground section 212, which is a part of the capacitance section 12 of the ground layer 21, is the same or substantially the same as the planar shape of the capacitance section 12 in the capacitance sensor 1 shown in FIG. 1 .

[0027] In order to prevent the voltage application layer 22 from overlapping with the ground layer 21 at the location that constitutes the wiring section 11, as shown in Figure 6, the voltage application layer 22 is divided into a first component 22L, which is the left part when viewed from above, and a second component 22R, which is the right part when viewed from above, with the location that constitutes the wiring section 11 as the center.

[0028] In the first component portion 22L of the voltage application layer 22, the first voltage application portion 221L, which is a portion that constitutes the wiring portion 11, is located to the left of the first ground portion 211 of the ground layer 21 shown in Fig. 5 and has a shape that does not overlap with the first ground portion 211. In other words, the first voltage application portion 221L has a planar shape that corresponds to the left-hand portion of the voltage application layer 22 of the wiring portion 11 in Fig. 2. On the other hand, in the first component portion 22L of the voltage application layer 22, the planar shape of the second voltage application portion 222, which is a portion that constitutes the capacitance portion 12, has the same or approximately the same shape as the planar shape of the capacitance portion 12 in the capacitance-type sensor 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0029] In the second component 22R of the voltage application layer 22, the first voltage application portion 221R, which is a portion that constitutes the wiring portion 11, is located to the right of the first ground portion 211 of the ground layer 21 shown in Fig. 5 and has a shape that does not overlap with the first ground portion 211. In other words, the first voltage application portion 221R has a planar shape that corresponds to the portion of the wiring portion 11 on the right side of the voltage application layer 22 in Fig. 2. On the other hand, in the second component 22R of the voltage application layer 22, the planar shape of the second voltage application portion 222, which is a portion that constitutes the capacitance portion 12, has the same or approximately the same shape as the planar shape of the capacitance portion 12 in the capacitance-type sensor 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0030] The ground layer 21 and the voltage application layer 22 are made of, for example, an elastomer composition as described above containing a conductive material such as carbon black, carbon nanotubes, silver nanoparticles, or other conductive particles.

[0031] The insulating layer 23 is provided outside the ground layer 21, dielectric layer 20, and voltage application layer 22 in both the wiring portion 11 and the capacitance portion 12. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 7, the planar shape of the insulating layer 23 is the same as or approximately the same as the planar shape of the capacitance sensor 1 shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the insulating layer 23 covers the top, bottom, and side surfaces of the ground layer 21, dielectric layer 20, and voltage application layer 22 in both the wiring portion 11 and the capacitance portion 12. The insulating layer 23 has a first insulating portion 231 located in the wiring portion 11 of the capacitance sensor 1 and a second insulating portion 232 located in the capacitance portion 12.

[0032] The insulating layer 23 electrically insulates the ground layer 21 and the like from the outside. The insulating layer 23 can also increase the strength and durability of the capacitance-type sensor 1. The insulating layer 23 can be made of an elastomer composition or the like similar to the material constituting the dielectric layer 20.

[0033] Next, the arrangement of each layer constituting the wiring unit 11 and the capacitance unit 12 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2 , the wiring unit 11 of the capacitance-type sensor 1 is arranged such that the ground layer 21 and the voltage application layer 22 do not overlap in the height direction, i.e., in the z-axis direction, in the area surrounded by the insulating layers 23 arranged on the upper, lower, and side surfaces. In other words, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , in the wiring unit 11, the first ground portion 211 of the ground layer 21 and the first voltage application portions 221L, 221R of the voltage application layer 22 are arranged at different positions in the surface direction. In the wiring unit 11, a portion of the first dielectric portion 201 of the dielectric layer 20 overlaps with the first ground portion 211 of the ground layer 21 in the height direction. Furthermore, another portion of the first dielectric portion 201 overlaps with the first voltage application portions 221L, 221R of the voltage application layer 22 in the height direction. In other words, in the wiring portion 11, a portion of the first dielectric portion 201 of the dielectric layer 20 is adjacent to the first ground portion 211 of the ground layer 21 in the surface direction, and another portion is adjacent to the first voltage application portions 221L, 221R of the voltage application layer 22.

[0034] In the wiring unit 11, the ground layer 21 and the insulating layer 23 are laminated on one surface, i.e., the back surface 204, of the first dielectric portion 201 of the dielectric layer 20. Specifically, in the wiring unit 11, a central portion 204a in the surface direction on the back surface 204 of the first dielectric portion 201 of the dielectric layer 20 is laminated so as to face the surface 213 of the first ground portion 211 of the ground layer 21. In addition, in the wiring unit 11, an outer peripheral portion 204b in the surface direction on the back surface 204 of the first dielectric portion 201 of the dielectric layer 20 is laminated so as to face the surface 233 of the first insulating portion 231 of the insulating layer 23.

[0035] In the wiring section 11, the dielectric layer 20 has a voltage application layer 22 and an insulating layer 23 laminated on the other surface, i.e., the front surface 203. Specifically, in the wiring section 11, a central portion 203a in the planar direction on the front surface 203 of the first dielectric portion 201 of the dielectric layer 20 is laminated so as to face the back surface 234 of the first insulating portion 231 of the insulating layer 23. In addition, in the wiring section 11, an outer peripheral portion 203b in the planar direction on the front surface 203 of the first dielectric portion 201 of the dielectric layer 20 is laminated so as to face the back surface 224 of the first voltage application portion 221 of the voltage application layer 22.

[0036] In the wiring portion 11, the back surface 214 of the first ground portion 211 is laminated opposite to the front surface 233 of the first insulating portion 231. In addition, in the wiring portion 11, the front surfaces 223 of the first voltage application portions 221L and 221R are opposed to the back surface 234 of the first insulating portion 231.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3 , unlike the wiring unit 11 described above, the capacitance unit 12 of the capacitance sensor 1 includes a ground layer 21, a dielectric layer 20, and a voltage application layer 22 stacked in order from bottom to top in the height direction, i.e., from the negative z-axis direction to the positive z-axis direction, in the region surrounded by the insulating layers 23 disposed at the top, bottom, and side surfaces. That is, in the region surrounded by the insulating layers 23 of the capacitance unit 12, the second ground portion 212 of the ground layer 21, the second dielectric portion 202 of the dielectric layer 20, and the second voltage application portion 222 of the voltage application layer 22 are stacked one on top of the other. Specifically, the surface 233 of the second insulating portion 232 of the insulating layer 23 faces the back surface 214 of the second ground portion 212 of the ground layer 21. The surface 213 of the second ground portion 212 faces the back surface 204 of the second dielectric portion 202 of the dielectric layer 20. The surface 203 of the second dielectric portion 202 faces the back surface 224 of the second voltage application portion 222 of the voltage application layer 22. The surface 223 of the second voltage application portion 222 faces the back surface 234 of the second insulating portion 232.

[0038] The capacitance sensor 1 can be manufactured, for example, by the following steps. The capacitance sensor 1 can be manufactured by performing the following steps, starting from the bottom: step (1) of forming the insulating layer 23; step (2) of applying an elastomer composition to the insulating layer 23 to form the ground layer 21; step (3) of applying the elastomer composition to the ground layer 21 to form the dielectric layer 20; step (4) of applying the elastomer composition to the dielectric layer 20 to form the voltage application layer 22; and step (5) of forming the insulating layer 23 on the voltage application layer 22. In the above steps, for example, the ground layer 21 and the voltage application layer 22 formed in steps (2) and (4) have different layered structures for the wiring portion 11 and the capacitance portion 12. Therefore, the layers can be manufactured after masking areas where no layers will be formed according to their shapes. Each layer can be manufactured by an appropriate method, such as spray coating screen printing or inkjet printing.

[0039] [Operation of Capacitive Sensor] Next, the operation of the capacitive sensor 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.

[0040] 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a capacitance measurement circuit 8 that uses the capacitance sensor 1. As shown in FIG. 9, the capacitance measurement circuit 8 is configured with the capacitance sensor 1 and a control IC (Integrated Circuit) 9.

[0041] In addition to the configuration of the capacitance sensor 1 described above, the capacitance sensor 1 includes a negative electrode portion 216 extending from the ground layer 21, a positive electrode portion 226 extending from 224 of the voltage application layer 22, and a positive electrode portion 227 extending from 225 of the voltage application layer 22. Note that the negative electrode portion 216 and the positive electrode portions 226, 227 are not limited to the example formed by extending from the capacitance sensor 1 as shown in Fig. 9, and may be connected by a connector for a thin board, for example.

[0042] The control IC 9 has I / O (Input / Output) ports 4 and 6 and a ground port 5. The I / O ports 4 and 6 are electrically connected to the positive electrode portions 226 and 227. The ground port 5 is electrically connected to the negative electrode portion 216. Note that in the capacitance measurement circuit 8, a switching circuit such as a MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) may be provided between the capacitance sensor 1 and the control IC 9.

[0043] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the capacitance sensor 1 attached to the object to be detected 7. Fig. 10 is a diagram of the capacitance sensor 1 attached to the object to be detected 7, viewed from the side where the wiring portion 11 is provided. Fig. 11 is another schematic diagram showing the capacitance sensor 1 attached to the object to be detected 7. Fig. 11 is a diagram of the capacitance sensor 1 attached to the object to be detected 7, viewed from the tip side of the capacitance portion 12.

[0044] 10 and 11 , the capacitance sensor 1 is attached to the surface of a detection object 7 such as a thin round bar in order to detect torsion occurring in the detection object 7. Specifically, the capacitance sensor 1 is attached so that the capacitance portion 12 is disposed obliquely (at an angle) with respect to the longitudinal direction, which is the axial direction of the detection object 7, and the wiring portion 11 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the detection object 7. The capacitance sensor 1 is charged by applying a voltage from the I / O ports 4 and 6 of the control IC 9 in the capacitance measurement circuit 8 shown in FIG. 9 , and measures the torsion of the detection object 7.

[0045] 10 and 11 , the capacitance sensor 1 performs measurement by attaching the capacitance section 12 at an angle to the axial direction of the object to be detected 7. In the capacitance sensor 1, the wiring section 11 and the capacitance section 12 that extends from an end 111 in the planar direction of the wiring section 11 and detects torsion are provided at different positions in the planar direction. Therefore, with the capacitance sensor 1, only the capacitance section 12 can be attached at an angle to the axial direction of the object to be detected 7, so that noise components due to the wiring section 11 are not included in the detected signal, and torsion can be detected with high accuracy.

[0046] In the capacitance sensor 1, a plurality of capacitance portions 12 extend outward from the left and right ends 111 of the wiring portion 11. When twisted in the clockwise direction R, the capacitance value of the first capacitance portion 12L increases more than that of the second capacitance portion 12R, and when twisted in the counterclockwise direction L, the capacitance value of the second capacitance portion 12R increases more than that of the first capacitance portion 12L. Therefore, when detecting a twist occurring in the detection object 7, the capacitance sensor 1 can identify the direction of the twist (clockwise R or counterclockwise L relative to the rotation direction of the detection object 7) by comparing the capacitance values ​​of the first capacitance portion 12L and the second capacitance portion 12R.

[0047] In the capacitance type sensor 1, the capacitance section 12 extends at an angle from the wiring section 11, so that when the object to be detected 7 is a round bar or the like, with a high ratio of height dimension to diameter dimension, the components of the sensor (sensor elements) can be prevented from overlapping with each other, and the thickness of the sensor elements can be reduced, thereby reducing wear and deterioration due to external forces.

[0048] Furthermore, the capacitance sensor 1 can improve processability by simplifying the laminated structure, or can improve attachment to the object to be detected 7 by making the sensor element thinner.

[0049] In the capacitance sensor 1, a plurality of capacitance sections 12 are provided for one wiring section 11. With this configuration, when the capacitance sensor 1 is attached to a detection object 7 such as a round bar as shown in Figures 10 and 11, it is possible to detect torsion at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the detection object 7, thereby realizing more precise detection of torsion.

[0050] In the capacitance sensor 1, the multiple capacitance sections 12, specifically the first capacitance section 12L and the second capacitance section 12R, are arranged symmetrically in the planar direction around the wiring section 11. With this configuration, the capacitance sensor 1 can detect torsion evenly regardless of the direction of torsion relative to the rotation direction of the detection object 7.

[0051] In the capacitance sensor 1, the capacitance section 12 extends at an angle from the end 111 in the planar direction of the wiring section 11, and therefore, when attached to a detectable object 7 such as a round bar, it can detect differences in torsion due to differences in the longitudinal direction of the detectable object 7. Furthermore, by extending at an angle from the end 111 in the planar direction of the wiring section 11, it is possible to prevent the components of the sensor (sensor elements) from overlapping each other.

[0052] In the capacitance sensor 1, the dielectric layer 20 has a ground layer 21 laminated on one surface, for example, the front surface, and a voltage application layer 22 laminated on the other surface, for example, the back surface, in the capacitance section 12. Also, in the wiring section 11, the dielectric layer 20 has a ground layer 21 and an insulating layer 23 laminated on one surface, for example, the front surface, and a voltage application layer 22 and an insulating layer 23 laminated on the other surface, for example, the back surface. As described above, the dielectric layer 20 has different layers laminated in the wiring section 11 and the capacitance section 12, which simplifies the laminate structure in the wiring section 11, thereby improving processability, thinning in the laminate direction, and attachability to the detection object 7.

[0053] In the capacitance type sensor 1, the capacitance section 12 is arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the object to be detected 7, thereby making it possible to reliably detect twisting of the object to be detected 7 in the direction of rotation.

[0054] Therefore, the capacitance type sensor 1 can simplify the structure in which a plurality of sensor elements are formed on the same sheet.

[0055] In addition, those skilled in the art can appropriately modify the present invention in accordance with conventionally known knowledge. As long as such modifications still comprise the structure of the present invention, they are of course included in the scope of the present invention.

[0056] For example, in the capacitance sensor 1 described above, an example has been described in which the first electrode layer is the ground layer 21 and the second electrode layer is the voltage application layer 22, but the first electrode layer may be the voltage application layer 22 and the second electrode layer may be the ground layer 21.

[0057] For example, in the capacitance sensor 1 described above, an example has been described in which the insulating layer 23 covers the top, bottom, and side surfaces of the dielectric layer 20, the ground layer 21, and the voltage application layer 22, but the insulating layer 23 may cover only the top and bottom surfaces of the dielectric layer 20, the ground layer 21, and the voltage application layer 22.

[0058] 1...capacitive sensor, 3...capacitor, 4, 6...I / O (Input / Output) port, 5...ground port, 7...detected object, 8...capacitance measurement circuit, 11...wiring section, 12...capacitance section, 12L...first capacitance section, 12R...second capacitance section, 20...dielectric layer, 21...ground layer, 22...voltage application layer, 22L...first component section, 22R...second component section, 23...insulating layer, 30...dielectric, 31...negative side electrode, 32...positive side electrode, 111...end section, 201...first dielectric section, 202...second dielectric section, 2 03...surface, 203a...central portion, 203b...outer peripheral portion, 204...rear surface, 204a...central portion, 204b...outer peripheral portion, 211...first ground portion, 212...second ground portion, 213...surface, 214...rear surface, 216...negative electrode portion, 221...first voltage application portion, 221L...first voltage application portion, 221R...first voltage application portion, 222...second voltage application portion, 223...surface, 224...rear surface, 226...positive electrode portion, 227...positive electrode portion, 231...first insulating portion, 232...second insulating portion, 233...surface, 234...rear surface

Claims

1. A capacitance type sensor comprising a dielectric layer, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer, wherein the wiring portion is laminated with the dielectric layer so that the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer do not overlap each other in the stacking direction, and a capacitance portion extending from an end of the wiring portion in the planar direction, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are laminated with the dielectric layer sandwiched between them.

2. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the capacitance sections are provided for one of the wiring sections.

3. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of capacitance sections are arranged symmetrically in the planar direction with the wiring section as a center.

4. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance portion extends at an angle from an end of the wiring portion in the planar direction.

5. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer has the first electrode layer laminated on one surface thereof and the second electrode layer laminated on the other surface thereof in the wiring portion.

6. The capacitance type sensor according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance portion is disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the object to be detected.

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