Sensor device, method of manufacturing sensor device, and vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794448-B2
Application number	US-202016898017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 15, 2017
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A sensor device has an insulative non-woven fabric and a conductive fabric forming an electrode. The conductive fabric is joined to one surface of the non-woven fabric by at least one of fusion and seaming.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor device comprising:
an insulative non-woven fabric;
a first conductive fabric forming an electrode, the first conductive fabric being provided on a first surface of the insulative non-woven fabric, the first conductive fabric being joined to the first surface of the insulative non-woven fabric at a first joining portion by at least one of fusion and seaming; and
a second conductive fabric facing the first conductive fabric with the insulative non-woven fabric interposed therebetween, the second conductive fabric being joined to a second surface of the insulative non-woven fabric at a second joining portion by at least one of fusion and seaming,
wherein the first joining portion is disposed along substantially an entire outer periphery of the first conductive fabric, and the second joining portion is disposed along substantially an entire outer periphery of the second conductive fabric, such that the first joining portion and the second joining portion being displaced from each other in a plan view of the sensor device, and that the second joining portion substantially surrounds outer edges of the first conductive fabric in the plan view,
wherein the insulative non-woven fabric includes a first extension and a second extension extending from a side thereof in the plan view,
and wherein the first conductive fabric includes a first extending portion joined to the first extension, and the second conductive fabric includes a second extending portion joined to the second extension.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein an outer edge of the first conductive fabric and an outer edge of the second conductive fabric are distant from each other in a direction along the first surface of the insulative non-woven fabric in the plan view.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second joining portion surrounds the outer edges of the first conductive fabric except the first extending portion in the plan view, such that the second joining portion does not intersect a joining portion of the first extending portion to the insulative non-woven fabric in the plan view.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first extending portion of the first conductive fabric extending beyond an end of the first extension of the insulative non-woven fabric in the plan view, and the second extending portion of the second conductive fabric extending beyond an end of the second extension of the insulative non-woven fabric in the plan view.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a wiring pattern formed on the first surface of the insulative non-woven fabric, the wiring pattern being electrically continuous to the first conductive fabric joined to the first surface of the insulative non-woven fabric.

6. A method of manufacturing a sensor device of claim 1 , the method comprising:
joining the first conductive fabric to the first surface of the insulative non-woven fabric at the first joining portion by at least one of fusion and seaming; and
after joining the first conductive fabric, joining the second conductive fabric to the second surface of the insulative non-woven fabric opposite to the first surface at the second joining portion, by at least one of fusion and seaming, wherein the first joining portion and the second joining portion are displaced from each other in a plan view of the sensor device.

7. A vehicle seat comprising the sensor device according to claim 1 disposed inside the vehicle seat.

8. A sensor device comprising:
a first insulative non-woven fabric;
a first conductive fabric forming an electrode, the first conductive fabric being provided on and joined to a first surface of the first insulative non-woven fabric at a first joining portion by at least one of fusion and seaming;
a second insulative non-woven fabric overlaid on a second surface of the first insulative non-woven fabric; and
a second conductive fabric facing the first conductive fabric with the first insulative non-woven fabric and the second insulative non-woven fabric interposed therebetween, the second conductive fabric being joined to a first surface of the second insulative non-woven fabric adjacent to the second conductive fabric at a second joining portion by at least one of fusion and seaming, the second joining portion substantially surrounding the outer edges of the first conductive fabric in a plan view of the sensor device,
wherein the first insulative non-woven fabric and the second insulative non-woven fabric are joined together at a third joining portion by at least one of fusion and seaming, the third joining portion being positioned outside of an area in which the first conductive fabric and the second conductive fabric are disposed, such that the third joining portion substantially surrounds outer edges of the first and second conductive fabrics in the plan view,
wherein the first insulative non-woven fabric includes a first extension, and the second insulative non-woven fabric includes a second extension which does not overlap the first extension in the plan view,
and wherein the first conductive fabric includes a first extending portion joined to the first extension, and the second conductive fabric includes a second extending portion joined to the second extension.

9. The sensor device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the first joining portion is disposed along substantially an entire outer periphery of the first conductive fabric,
and wherein the second joining portion is disposed along substantially an entire outer periphery of the second conductive fabric.

10. The sensor device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the third joining portion surrounds the outer edges of the first and second conductive fabrics except the first and second extending portions in the plan view, such that the third joining portion does not intersect joining portions of the first and second extending portions to the first and second insulative non-woven fabrics, respectively, in the plan view.

11. The sensor device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the first extending portion of the first conductive fabric extending beyond an end of the first extension of the first insulative non-woven fabric in the plan view, and the second extending portion of the second conductive fabric extending beyond an end of the second extension of the second insulative non-woven fabric in the plan view.

12. A method of manufacturing a sensor device of claim 8 , the method comprising:
joining the first conductive fabric to the first surface of the first insulative non-woven fabric by at least one of fusion and seaming;
joining the second conductive fabric to the first surface of the second insulative non-woven fabric by at least one of fusion and seaming; and
joining the first insulative non-woven fabric having the first conductive fabric joined thereto and the second insulative non-woven fabric having the second conductive fabric joined thereto together by at least one of fusion and seaming such that the second surface of the first insulative non-woven fabric and a second surface of the second insulative non-woven fabric face each other, whereby the first conductive fabric and the second conductive fabric face each other with the first insulative non-woven fabric and the second insulative non-woven fabric interposed therebetween between,
wherein the first insulative non-woven fabric and the second insulative non-woven fabric are joined together at a position outside of an area in which the first conductive fabric and the second conductive fabric are disposed in a plan view of the sensor device.

13. A sensor device comprisi

Assignees

• Alps Alpine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sato Tadamitsu
• Kunzmann Sascha
• Ghoshdastider Unmesh
• Oehler Martin

Classifications

• B60N2/0035

  characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information · CPC title

• B60N2210/12

  Capacitive; Electric field · CPC title

• B60N2/003

  characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat · CPC title

• B32B7/025 Primary

  Electric or magnetic properties · CPC title

• A61B5/27

  Conductive fabrics or textiles · CPC title