Flexible capacitive pressure sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429252-B1
Application number	US-201715688210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2017
Priority date	Aug 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor includes a first polymeric substrate and a second polymeric substrate. An elastic dielectric sensing material is positioned between the inner-facing surface of the first polymeric substrate and the inner-facing surface of the second polymeric substrate. A first plurality of wires are positioned on the outer-facing surface of said first polymeric substrate, and a second plurality of wires positioned on the outer-facing surface of said second polymeric substrate. The plurality of wires form a flexible capacitor. With the reduced profile enabled by such a capacitor, the flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor can have a thickness of less than 200 microns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor comprising:
a first polymeric substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a second polymeric substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface;
an elastic dielectric sensing material positioned between the inner surface of the first polymeric substrate and the inner surface of the second polymeric substrate;
a first plurality of wires positioned on the outer surface of the first polymeric substrate; and
a second plurality of wires positioned on the outer surface of the second polymeric substrate,
wherein the flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor has a thickness less than 200 microns.

2. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of wires are positioned substantially parallel to each other.

3. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of wires are positioned substantially parallel to the second plurality of wires.

4. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of wires form a mesh of wires.

5. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor is less than 100 microns.

6. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first and second polymeric substrates are PTFE membranes.

7. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first and second polymeric substrates are conductive.

8. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first and second polymeric substrates are non-conductive.

9. A flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor comprising:
a first polymeric substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a second polymeric substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface;
an elastic dielectric sensing material positioned between the first polymeric substrate and the second polymeric substrate on the inner surfaces of the first and second polymeric substrates;
a first metallized film positioned on the outer surface of the first polymeric substrate; and
a second metallized film positioned on the outer surface of the second polymeric substrate,
wherein the flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor has a thickness less than 200 microns.

10. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 9 , wherein the first metallized film has thereon a coating comprising a metal.

11. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 9 , wherein the first and second polymeric substrates are PTFE membranes.

12. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 9 , wherein the first and second polymeric substrates are non-conductive.

13. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 9 , wherein the first and second polymeric substrates are conductive.

14. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor is less than 100 microns.

15. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 9 , wherein the first metallized film is a substrate having thereon a vapor-deposited metal.

16. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 9 , wherein the first metallized film is a thin metal foil adhered to a substrate.

17. A flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor comprising:
a first polymeric substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a second polymeric substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface;
an elastic dielectric sensing material positioned between the first polymeric substrate and the second polymeric substrate on the inner surfaces of the first and second polymeric substrates;
a first conductive, filled expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane positioned on the outer surface of the first polymeric substrate; and
a second conductive, filled ePTFE membrane positioned on the outer surface of the second polymeric substrate,
wherein the flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor has a thickness less than 200 microns.

18. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 17 , wherein the ePTFE membrane is filled with conductive materials.

19. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 17 , wherein the thickness of the flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor is less than 100 microns.

20. The flexible passive capacitance pressure sensor of claim 17 , wherein the elastic dielectric sensing material includes silicone, urethane, fluoroelastomers or ePTFE/elastomer combinations.

Assignees

• Gore & Ass

Inventors

• Squeri John M
• Xu Minghua

Classifications

• G01L9/0005

  using variations in capacitance (G01L9/0072 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01L1/144 Primary

  with associated circuitry (G01L1/146 and G01L1/148 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01G5/0134

  Solid dielectrics · CPC title

• G01L9/12

  by making use of variations in capacitance {, i.e. electric circuits therefor} · CPC title

• G01L5/10

  using electrical means · CPC title