Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP1456599B1/en
Timestamp: 2019-06-17 16:21:09
Document Index: 708337225

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 3', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'arts 3', 'art 5', 'arts 5', 'art 3', 'arts 5']

EP1456599B1 - Position sensor comprising elastomeric material - Google Patents
EP1456599B1
EP1456599B1 EP02787452A EP02787452A EP1456599B1 EP 1456599 B1 EP1456599 B1 EP 1456599B1 EP 02787452 A EP02787452 A EP 02787452A EP 02787452 A EP02787452 A EP 02787452A EP 1456599 B1 EP1456599 B1 EP 1456599B1
EP02787452A
EP1456599A1 (en
2001-12-21 Priority to DK200101934 priority Critical
2001-12-21 Priority to DKPA200101934 priority
2002-12-17 Priority to PCT/DK2002/000861 priority patent/WO2003056274A1/en
2004-09-15 Publication of EP1456599A1 publication Critical patent/EP1456599A1/en
2010-11-10 Publication of EP1456599B1 publication Critical patent/EP1456599B1/en
The sensor of the invention may be employed in a push-pull fashion which enhances its operating characteristics. To this end, the body is provided with a second mounting means for mounting a fourth part of the body to a support with the movable means being positioned between the first mounting means and the second mounting means. Opposed third and fourth surfaces are provided on a fifth part of the body located between the movable means and the second mounting means. A third electrode is provided on the third surfacem and a fourth electrode is provided on the fourth surface. In this embodiment, the movable means is movable to stretch the fifth part while reducing the degree of stretching of the third part, and to stretch the third part while reducing the degree of stretching of the fifth part.
Fig. 8 is a an illustration, more simplified than Figs. 1 to 7, of a rotational position sensor employing the push-pull principle and a pulley.
Fig. 1 is a side view of an elastomeric sensor member 1 cast from a silicone rubber compound. The sensor member has a body 2 formed as a sheet having a thickness d of 10-50 micrometers. The body has two end-parts 3 and 4 and an intermediate part 5 connecting the end-parts. The upper and lower surfaces 10 and 11 of the sheet 2 are corrugated with grooves 6 and ridges 7 running across the width of the sheet. The peak-to-peak dimension c of the corrugations is typically 10 - 20 % of the thickness d of the sheet. For example the sheet may be 20 micrometers thick and the corrugations may have a peak-to-peak dimension of 4 micrometers.
The intermediate part 5 of the body 2 is covered with electrodes 8 and 9 on both surfaces. The electrodes extend onto the end parts 3 and 4 of the body. They may be formed from silver, copper or other suitable metal or conducting material by vapor deposition or electrolytic methods, for example. The electrodes typically have a thickness of about 20 - 100 nanometers.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the elastomeric sheet of Fig. 1. In a presently preferred embodiment, the sheet 2 has an overall length of 2 - 4 centimeters and a width of 0.5 to 2 centimeters. It is clear from these dimensions that Fig. 2 is not shown to scale and that the dimensions of the grooves 6 and ridges 7 of the corrugation have been grossly exaggerated. Fig. 2 shows the corrugations running in parallel with the transverse or width dimension of the sheet 2.
The reduction in thickness of the sheet part 5 causes an increase in the capacitance of the capacitor formed by the electrodes 8 and 9, as they are brought more closely together. This increase is measured and indicated by the circuit 18. It has been found that the increase in capacitance is an accurate measure of the distance that the movable object 20 has traveled away from the limiter 21. Thus, the arrangement of Fig. 3 and 4 is an accurate position transducer for the position of the movable object 21 relative to the limiter 21.
In the sensor of Fig. 5, the distance between supports 19 and 16 is chosen such that both intermediate parts 5 and 23 of the sheet 2 are stretched about half of their full stretching capacity when no external force acts on the center part 3. This is the situation illustrated. The movable object 20 is free to travel in both directions from the natural zero point of the sensing arrangement, which is at the position when both intermediate parts 5 and 23 are equally stretched.
at least one.body of an elastomeric material ,
movable means joined to a second part of the body at a distance from the first part, the movable means being movable to stretch a third part of the body located between the mounting means and the movable
means, characterized in that
said body is in a form of a sheet,
opposed first and second surfaces are provided on the third part,
a first electrode is formed on the first surface, and
a second electrode is formed on the second surface.
A position sensor as in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor further comprises:
opposed third and fourth surfaces on a fifth part of the body located between the movable means and the second mounting means;
a fourth electrode on the fourth surface; wherein the movable means is movable to stretch the fifth part while reducing the degree of stretching of the third part, and to stretch the third part while reducing the degree of stretching of the fifth part.
A position sensor as in claim 1, characterized in that the first and second surfaces are corrugated.
A position sensor as in claim 2, characterized in that the first, second, third and fourth surfaces are corrugated.
A position sensor as in claim 1, characterized in that the electrodes are patterned to facilitate stretching of the third part.
A position sensor as in claim 2, characterized in that the electrodes are patterned to facilitate stretching of the third and fifth part.
A position sensor system, characterized in that the system comprises two position sensors as in claim 1, 3 or 5 having common movable means.
EP02787452A 2001-12-21 2002-12-17 Position sensor comprising elastomeric material Expired - Fee Related EP1456599B1 (en)
DK200101934 2001-12-21
EP1456599A1 EP1456599A1 (en) 2004-09-15
EP1456599B1 true EP1456599B1 (en) 2010-11-10
EP02787452A Expired - Fee Related EP1456599B1 (en) 2001-12-21 2002-12-17 Position sensor comprising elastomeric material
AT (1) AT487921T (en)
AU (1) AU2002351735A1 (en)
AUPQ004799A0 (en) 1999-04-29 1999-05-20 Cimmino, Alberto Electronic transducer for measuring flexion
2002-12-17 AT AT02787452T patent/AT487921T/en not_active IP Right Cessation
2002-12-17 EP EP02787452A patent/EP1456599B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
2002-12-17 US US10/499,413 patent/US7104146B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
2002-12-17 WO PCT/DK2002/000861 patent/WO2003056274A1/en active Application Filing
2002-12-17 AU AU2002351735A patent/AU2002351735A1/en not_active Abandoned
2002-12-17 CN CN 02825570 patent/CN100334420C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
2002-12-17 JP JP2003556752A patent/JP3919748B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
2002-12-17 DE DE60238274A patent/DE60238274D1/en active Active
JP3919748B2 (en) 2007-05-30
US7104146B2 (en) 2006-09-12
CN100334420C (en) 2007-08-29
CN1606683A (en) 2005-04-13
JP2005513493A (en) 2005-05-12
AT487921T (en) 2010-11-15
EP1456599A1 (en) 2004-09-15
AU2002351735A1 (en) 2003-07-15
US20050044947A1 (en) 2005-03-03
WO2003056274A1 (en) 2003-07-10
DE60238274D1 (en) 2010-12-23
US6889555B1 (en) 2005-05-10 Magnetoresistive semiconductor pressure sensors and fingerprint identification/verification sensors using same
US20010048424A1 (en) 2001-12-06 Pointing stick with a rectangular-shaped hollow structure
RU2293945C2 (en) 2007-02-20 Movement-sensitive device
KR100215573B1 (en) 1999-08-16 Displacement measuring apparatus
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