Proximity sensor

US2018316348A1 · US · A1

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-2018316348-A1
Application numberUS-201815926086-A
CountryUS
Kind codeA1
Filing dateMar 20, 2018
Priority dateApr 26, 2017
Publication dateNov 1, 2018
Grant date

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  6. CPC / IPC classifications

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A proximity sensor includes a sensor cable that includes a first electrode wire and a second electrode wire arranged parallel to each other, an insulation covering both the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire, and a shield partially covering a surface of the insulation so as to form an opening, the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire being arranged to have different distances to the opening, and a detector circuit that includes a first capacitance detecting portion for detecting a first capacitance to be detected by the first electrode wire, a second capacitance detecting portion for detecting a second capacitance to be detected by the second electrode wire, and a differential output portion for outputting a difference between the first capacitance and the second capacitance.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

1 . A proximity sensor, comprising: a sensor cable that comprises a first electrode wire and a second electrode wire arranged parallel to each other, an insulation covering both the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire, and a shield partially covering a surface of the insulation so as to form an opening, the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire being arranged to have different distances to the opening; and a detector circuit that comprises a first capacitance detecting portion for detecting a first capacitance to be detected by the first electrode wire, a second capacitance detecting portion for detecting a second capacitance to be detected by the second electrode wire, and a differential output portion for outputting a difference between the first capacitance and the second capacitance. 2 . The proximity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation comprises a hollow portion formed between the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire. 3 . The proximity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and the second electrode wire comprises a conductive wire comprising a metal and a conductive layer comprising a conductive rubber or a conductive plastic and covering the conductive wire. 4 . The proximity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the shield comprises a composite tape formed by laminating a base comprising an insulating resin and a metal layer comprising a conductive metal. 5 . The proximity sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the composite tape is longitudinally wrapped along a longitudinal direction of the sensor cable. 6 . The proximity sensor according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of slits are formed on the metal layer of the composite tape at predetermined intervals, and the composite tape is spirally wound around the sensor cable so that the plurality of slits are lined up along the longitudinal direction of the sensor cable and form an opening. 7 . The proximity sensor according to claim 2 , wherein each of the first and the second electrode wire comprises a conductive wire comprising a metal and a conductive layer comprising a conductive rubber or a conductive plastic and covering the conductive wire. 8 . The proximity sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the shield comprises a composite tape formed by laminating a base comprising an insulating resin and a metal layer comprising a conductive metal. 9 . The proximity sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the shield comprises a composite tape formed by laminating a base comprising an insulating resin and a metal layer comprising a conductive metal.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • by varying capacitance · CPC title

  • characterised by the detection principle · CPC title

  • H03K17/955Primary

    using a capacitive detector · CPC title

  • Capacitive differential; e.g. comparison with reference capacitance · CPC title

  • characterised by the type or shape of the sensing electrodes · CPC title

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Frequently asked questions

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What does patent US2018316348A1 cover?
A proximity sensor includes a sensor cable that includes a first electrode wire and a second electrode wire arranged parallel to each other, an insulation covering both the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire, and a shield partially covering a surface of the insulation so as to form an opening, the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire being arranged to have differen…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Hitachi Metals Ltd
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H03K17/955. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Thu Nov 01 2018 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (A1). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 3 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).