Touch sensor and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9984832-B2
Application number	US-201615215450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A touch sensor includes a hollow tubular member that is elastic and insulative; and a first electrode wire and a second electrode wire held in the tubular member while being separated from each other. The first electrode wire and the second electrode wire contact with each other by elastic deformation when receiving an external pressure to the tubular member. The first electrode wire and the second electrode wire extend parallel to a central axis of the tubular member. A shape of a gap between the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire in a cross section orthogonal to the central axis of the tubular member is non-linear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch sensor, comprising:
a hollow tubular member that is elastic and insulative; and
a first electrode wire and a second electrode wire held in the tubular member while being separated from each other,
wherein the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire contact with an inner wall of the tubular member, and contact with each other by elastic deformation when receiving an external pressure to the tubular member,
wherein the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire extend straightly along and in parallel to a central axis of the tubular member, and
wherein a shape of a gap between the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire in a cross section orthogonal to the central axis of the tubular member is non-linear.

2. The touch sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising an interposition member that is insulative and lies between the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire.

3. The touch sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the interposition member is arranged in contact with an inner surface of the tubular member.

4. The touch sensor according to claim 1 , wherein in the cross section, a concave portion formed in one of the first and second electrode wires is occupied by a convex portion formed in an other of the first and second electrode wires.

5. The touch sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the gap is curved in a form of an S-shape in the cross section.

6. The touch sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the shape of the gap comprises one pair of straight portions that extend in different directions from each other from at least one curve portion.

7. The touch sensor according to claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the first electrode wire extends straightly along and in parallel to the central axis of the tubular member.

8. The touch sensor according to claim 7 , wherein an entirety of the second electrode wire extends straightly along and in parallel to the central axis of the tubular member.

9. The touch sensor according to claim 1 , wherein an entirety of an outer circumference surface of the first electrode wire is parallel to and contacts with the inner wall of the tubular member.

10. The touch sensor according to claim 9 , wherein an entirety of an outer circumference surface of the second electrode wire is parallel to and contacts with the inner wall of the tubular member.

11. The touch sensor according to claim 1 , wherein, around the gap between the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire, an inner circumference surface of the first electrode wire contacts an inner circumference surface of the second electrode wire.

12. The touch sensor according to claim 1 , wherein, in a longitudinal direction of an extension of the touch sensor along the central axis of the tubular member, an inner circumference surface of the first electrode wire abuts an inner circumference surface of the second electrode wire.

13. The touch sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising an interposition member disposed, between the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire, parallel to the central axis of the tubular member.

14. The touch sensor according to claim 13 , wherein the gap extends from the interposition member such that inner circumference surfaces of the first electrode wire and the second electrode wire abut opposing surfaces of the interposition member.

Assignees

• Hitachi Metals Ltd

Inventors

• Takaba Shinichi
• Hirose Kenji
• Kato Koichi
• Fujieda Takashi
• Sugita Keisuke
• Oda Kazuhide
• Nakagawa Toshihiro

Classifications

• E05F15/44

  responsive to changes in electrical conductivity · CPC title

• H01H3/142 Primary

  of the elongated strip type · CPC title

• H01H1/06

  characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved · CPC title

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title