Touch sensor assembly and method of manufacturing same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch sensors in household appliances face challenges in maintaining accurate positioning and operational reliability, particularly with piezo-type sensors that are sensitive to misalignment, leading to reduced sensitivity and increased risk of damage during installation.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensor assembly with a sensor mounting portion on an insulating substrate, featuring a copper coating film and a protective top layer, where a soldering spot is formed using solder cream to securely fix the touch sensor on the PCB, ensuring correct alignment and stability, and allowing for automated installation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a touch sensor is installed on a sensor PCB, then the touch sensor can detect user inputs, but the touch sensor may be misaligned or damaged during installation, reducing sensitivity and recognition rate
Solution Approach 1:
The soldering spots are pre-formed on the sensor mounting portion before the touch sensor is installed. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the touch sensor is placed and heated, it aligns precisely with the pre-positioned soldering spots, eliminating misalignment issues and ensuring correct positioning without requiring high-precision manual placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The soldering spots act as an intermediary element between the touch sensor and the sensor PCB. During the heating process, the soldering spots melt and create a bonding interface that secures the touch sensor in the correct position, preventing damage and ensuring proper alignment through the mediating effect of the solder material.
2Measurement precision
If conventional installation methods are used, then the touch sensor can be mounted, but the touch sensor may incline or shift position, reducing touch recognition rate
Solution Approach 1:
The soldering spots are pre-formed at specific positions on the sensor mounting portion before touch sensor installation. This preliminary positioning ensures that the touch sensor aligns correctly with the soldering spots during heating, preventing inclination and position shifts, thereby maintaining stable positioning and high touch recognition accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The soldering spots undergo a parameter change from solid to liquid state during heating, allowing the touch sensor to be securely bonded to the sensor PCB. This phase change enables the soldering spots to flow and fill gaps, ensuring stable positioning and preventing inclination, thereby maintaining measurement precision for touch recognition.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual installation methods are used, then the touch sensor can be positioned, but the process is time-consuming and productivity is low
Solution Approach 1:
The soldering spots are pre-formed on the sensor mounting portion, allowing the touch sensor to self-align and self-bond during the heating process. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex manual positioning and alignment operations, significantly simplifying the installation process and enabling automated production, thereby improving productivity while maintaining ease of manufacture.
4Ease of manufacture
If the copper coating film is exposed, then the sensor mounting portion can be formed, but the copper coating film is vulnerable to damage and oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The top layer is selectively formed to cover only the regions surrounding the sensor mounting portion, leaving the copper coating film exposed only where needed for soldering. This local quality approach protects the copper coating film from oxidation and damage in areas where protection is required, while maintaining ease of manufacture by allowing the mounting portion to be properly formed with exposed copper for soldering connections.
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 solution enhances the recognition rate of touch inputs, maintains sensitivity, and improves operational reliability by ensuring correct positioning and secure fixation of the touch sensor, while also reducing the risk of damage and inclination, and lowering manufacturing costs through the use of copper coating films.
Implementation Method 1
a soldering spot provided at the sensor mounting portion, wherein a touch sensor is stably fixed to the sensor mounting portion by the soldering spot
Implementation Method 2
a top layer (a protective layer) printed on the copper coating film, wherein the copper coating film is protected by the top layer
Data Source
AI summary
A touch sensor assembly may include a sensor mounting portion formed at a insulating substrate, and a soldering spot provided at the sensor mounting portion, wherein a touch sensor is stably fixed to the sensor mounting portion by the soldering spot. In addition, the touch sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a copper coating film coated on a insulating substrate, and a top layer printed on the copper coating film, wherein the copper coating film is protected by the top layer.