Flexible Substrate Sensor Layout for Deformation-Resistant Pressure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure sensors on flexible substrates face challenges in maintaining precision and accuracy under irregular deformations while providing sufficient stretchability and comfort for long-term use, particularly in applications like medical mattresses and cushions.
Innovation Solution
A flexible substrate design featuring staggered arrays of perforations and open-ended moat-like cut-out areas with bridge features, allowing sensor elements to maintain independence from substrate deformation, combined with conductive traces that avoid overlapping these features for enhanced stretchability and conformability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the flexible substrate uses mesh design, spiral design, interlocking design or perforated design to improve stretchability, then the stretchability is improved, but the ability to maintain sensor precision and accuracy under irregular deformation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is divided into multiple independent active areas separated by moat-like cut-out areas. Each active area contains sensor elements and can deform independently, allowing the sensor to maintain measurement precision while the overall substrate stretches. The segmentation isolates sensor regions from substrate deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The moat-like cut-out areas act as intermediaries between the sensor elements and the substrate deformation. These cut-out areas allow the substrate to stretch and deform while protecting the sensor elements on the active areas from experiencing the full deformation, thus mediating between stretchability requirements and measurement precision requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the flexible substrate is designed to provide sufficient stretch property for comfort, then the comfort experience is improved, but the impact of substrate deformation on sensor accuracy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is segmented into multiple active areas separated by moat-like cut-out areas. Each active area with sensor elements remains relatively stable while the substrate between cut-out areas can stretch freely, maintaining sensor performance consistency while providing comfort through substrate flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the substrate have different properties: active areas with sensor elements maintain high rigidity and stability for accurate measurement, while the moat-like cut-out areas provide flexibility and stretchability for comfort. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between comfort and reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances the sensor's ability to accurately detect pressure distribution on irregular surfaces by minimizing deformation impact, ensuring consistent performance and comfort over time.
Implementation Method 1
Forces acting at the sensor elements cause a corresponding change in the electrical resistance of the pressure sensitive ink, which may be subsequently detected by a control circuit through conductive traces electrically coupled to the sensor elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor with plurality of sensor elements arranged on a flexible substrate, including a flexible substrate, multiple perforations formed in the flexible substrate, multiple open-ended moat-like cut-out areas formed in the flexible substrate, wherein the perforations and the open-ended moat-like cut-out areas are arranged in a staggered array on the flexible substrate, and each open-ended moat-like cut-out area defines an active area nearly enclosed by one open-ended moat-like cut-out area and connecting the flexible substrate through a bridge feature not enclosed by the open-ended moat-like cut-out area, and multiple sensor elements, wherein each sensor element is set on one active area.