Pressure sensor, microphone, blood pressure sensor, and touch panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9791341-B2
Application number	US-201414469876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Sep 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a pressure sensor includes a support, a film unit supported by the support, having an upper surface, and capable of being deformed, and a first sensing element provided on the upper surface. The first sensing element includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided apart from the first magnetic layer and a first intermediate unit including a first intermediate layer including a portion provided between the first and second magnetic layers. The first magnetic layer extends in a first direction parallel to the upper surface, and a first major axis length of the first magnetic layer is longer than a first minor axis length. The second magnetic layer extends in a second direction parallel to the upper surface and crossing the first direction, and a second major axis length of the second magnetic layer is longer than a second minor axis length.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure sensor comprising:
a support;
a film unit supported by the support, the film unit having an upper surface, and being deformable; and
a first sensing element provided on the upper surface,
the first sensing element including:
a first magnetic layer, a magnetization of the first magnetic layer being configured to change in accordance with a deformation of the film unit;
a second magnetic layer provided apart from the first magnetic layer in a direction crossing the upper surface; and
a first intermediate unit including a first intermediate layer including a portion provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

the first magnetic layer extending in a first direction parallel to the upper surface, a first major axis length of the first magnetic layer in the first direction being longer than a first minor axis length of the first magnetic layer in a second direction parallel to the upper surface and crossing the first direction, and
the second magnetic layer extending in the second direction, a second major axis length of the second magnetic layer in the second direction being longer than a second minor axis length of the second magnetic layer in the first direction.

2. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first intermediate unit has a first intermediate unit region,
the first magnetic layer has an overlapping region where the first magnetic layer overlaps the second magnetic layer, and
an outer edge of the first intermediate unit region in a plane parallel to the upper surface is located inside an outer edge of the overlapping region in the plane.

3. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first intermediate unit has a first intermediate unit region,
the first magnetic layer has an overlapping region where the first magnetic layer overlaps the second magnetic layer, and
a shape of the first intermediate unit in a plane parallel to the upper surface is same as a shape of the overlapping region in the plane.

4. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
a shape of the first intermediate unit in a plane parallel to the upper surface is same as a shape of the first magnetic layer in the plane.

5. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first intermediate unit further includes a first intermediate magnetic layer provided between the first intermediate layer and the first magnetic layer.

6. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first intermediate unit further includes a second intermediate magnetic layer provided between the first intermediate layer and the second magnetic layer.

7. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
an angle between the first direction and the second direction is not less than 60 degrees and not more than 120 degrees.

8. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
an angle between the first direction and the second direction is larger than 0 degrees and smaller than 90 degrees.

9. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
an angle between the first direction and the second direction is larger than 90 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees.

10. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
an angle between the magnetization of the first magnetic layer and a magnetization of the second magnetic layer is not less than 80 degrees and not more than 100 degrees.

11. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
an angle between the magnetization of the first magnetic layer and a magnetization of the second magnetic layer is larger than 0 degrees and smaller than 90 degrees.

12. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
an angle between the magnetization of the first magnetic layer and a magnetization of the second magnetic layer is larger than 90 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees.

13. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
a difference between an absolute value of a first angle and an absolute value of a second angle is 5 degrees and less,
the first angle is between a first straight line and the first direction, the first straight line passes through a centroid of the upper surface and a centroid of a region where the first magnetic layer overlaps the second magnetic layer, and
the second angle is between the first straight line and the second direction.

14. The sensor according to claim 13 , wherein
the absolute value of the first angle is not less than 30 degrees and not more than 60 degrees.

15. The sensor according to claim 13 , wherein
the absolute value of the first angle is not less than 45 degrees and not more than 90 degrees.

16. The sensor according to claim 13 , wherein
the absolute value of the first angle is not less than 0 degrees and not more than 45 degrees.

17. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
a difference between an absolute value of a third angle and an absolute value of a fourth angle is 5 degrees or less,
the third angle is between a second straight line and the first direction, the second straight line connects by a shortest distance an outer edge of the upper surface and a centroid of a region where the first magnetic layer overlaps the second magnetic layer, and
the fourth angle is between the second straight line and the second direction.

18. The sensor according to claim 17 , wherein
the absolute value of the third angle is not less than 30 degrees and not more than 60 degrees.

19. The sensor according to claim 17 , wherein
the absolute value of the third angle is not less than 45 degrees and not more than 90 degrees.

20. The sensor according to claim 17 , wherein
the absolute value of the third angle is not less than 0 degrees and not more than 45 degrees.

21. The sensor according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a second sensing element provided on the upper surface,
a centroid of the film unit being disposed between the first sensing element and the second sensing element,
the second sensing element including:
a third magnetic layer, a magnetization of third magnetic layer being configured to change in accordance with the deformation of the film unit;
a fourth magnetic layer provided apart from the third magnetic layer in the direction crossing the upper surface; and
a second intermediate unit including a second intermediate layer including a portion provided between the third magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer,

the third magnetic layer extending in a third direction parallel to the upper surface, a third major axis length of the third magnetic layer in the third direction being longer than a third minor axis length of the third magnetic layer in a fourth direction parallel to the upper surface and crossing the third direction, and
the fourth magnetic layer extending in the fourth direction, a fourth major axis length of the fourth magnetic layer in the fourth direction being longer than a fourth minor axis length of the fourth magnetic layer in the third direction.

22. The sensor according to claim 21 , wherein
the first magnetic layer has a first overlapping region where the first magnetic layer overlaps the second magnetic layer,
the third magnetic layer has a second overlapping region where the third magnetic layer overlaps the fourth magnetic layer,
a difference between an absolute value of a first angle and an absolute value of a fifth angle is 5 degrees or less,
the first angle is between a first straight line and the first direction, the first straight line passes through a centroid of the upper surface and a centroid of the first overlapping

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Fuji Yoshihiko
• Fukuzawa Hideaki
• Hara Michiko
• Nagata Tomohiko
• Hori Akio
• Kaji Shiori
• Higashi Yoshihiro
• Yuzawa Akiko

Classifications

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• A61B5/6824

  Arm or wrist · CPC title

• H04R19/04

  Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/02141

  Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits (A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01L9/0001

  Transmitting or indicating the displacement of elastically deformable gauges by electric, electro-mechanical, magnetic or electro-magnetic means (G01L9/0026, G01L9/0033, G01L9/0082, G01L9/0089, G01L9/0091 take precedence) · CPC title