Measuring and testing – Fluid pressure gauge – Mounting and connection
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-11
2003-12-30
Oen, William (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Fluid pressure gauge
Mounting and connection
Reexamination Certificate
active
06668660
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure sensitive sensor for detecting whether external force is operated to a predetermined portion and a method of treating a terminal of a pressure sensitive sensor.
2. Description of Related Art
In a vehicle such as a wagon or a recreational vehicle, a sliding door is adopted which allows a user to slide a door panel in either a forward or rearward direction in order to open and close an ingress and egress opening. Further, there is also adopted an automatic slide door apparatus for sliding a door panel by drive force of driving means such as a motor.
Additionally, in an automatic slide door apparatus, there is a case of attaching a pressure sensitive sensor at an end portion of a door panel on a side of a sliding direction for detecting squeezing of a foreign matter when the door panel is slid in a direction of closing an ingress and egress opening. The pressure sensitive sensor is constructed by a constitution of detecting reactive press force from a foreign matter when the pressure sensitive sensor presses the foreign matter in accordance with sliding of the door panel.
As an example of a pressure sensitive sensor of this kind, there is constructed a constitution in which a plurality of pieces of electrode lines (wires) each formed in a shape of an elongated string are provided at inside of an outer skin portion in a hollow elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction along a height direction of a door panel, the outer skin portion comprising an insulating material having a predetermined elasticity such as a rubber material or the like.
According to the pressure sensitive sensor having such a constitution, any of the plurality of pieces of electrode lines is bent in accordance with elastic deformation of the outer skin portion by reactive press force of a foreign matter to thereby bring the bent electrode line into contact with other electrode line. As a result of contact of the electrode lines in such a manner, operation of external force to the outer skin portion, that is, squeezing of the foreign matter can be detected by detecting an electric change of a current value of current flowing in an electric circuit including the pressure sensitive sensor or a resistance value of the circuit.
Meanwhile, the pressure sensitive sensor of this kind must be connected to a power source for flowing current to detecting means or the pressure sensitive sensor for detecting the change in the current value of current flowing to the electric circuit or the resistance value of the circuit. Therefore, the electrode line is electrically connected to a lead wire directly or indirectly connected to the detecting means or the power source in a state of extracting the electrode line from one end of the outer skin portion by a predetermined length.
Further, in order to ensure mechanical strength at a portion of connecting the lead wire and the electrode line and maintain electric connection at the connecting portion, for example, it is conceived to connect the lead wire and the electrode line on a support plate in a plate-like shape and mold the connecting portion and the support plate, together with an end portion of the outer skin portion, by a synthetic resin material.
Here, the above-described mold is normally formed by arranging the connecting portion, the support plate and the end portion of the outer skin portion at inside of a mold die and filling the synthetic resin material in the mold die by injection molding.
However, according to the injection molding method, injection pressure of the synthetic resin material is high and fluidity of the synthetic resin material is low even in a molten state. Therefore, when the synthetic resin material is filled in the mold die by injection molding, the synthetic resin material flowing in the mold die applies pressure on the connecting portion of the electrode line and the lead wire, as a result, there is a possibility of bringing about disconnection at the connecting portion. Further, when the molding is carried out by including also the end portion of the outer skin portion as mentioned above, there is a possibility of flowing the synthetic resin material from an opening formed at the end portion of the outer skin portion to an inner side of the outer skin portion by filling the synthetic resin material at high pressure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pressure sensitive sensor and a method of treating a terminal of a pressure sensitive sensor which do not bring about disconnection at portions of connecting electrodes to each other or electrodes to other conducting member such as a lead wire in forming a covering portion such as a mold, in consideration of the above-described fact.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a pressure sensitive sensor comprising a hollow outer skin portion elastically deformable by an external force from outside and having an insulating performance, a plurality of electrodes which are arranged to be opposed to each other via an air gap on an inner side of the outer skin portion and one-side ends of which are drawn out from an end portion of the outer skin portion, a support member provided on a side of the end portion of the outer skin portion for supporting the one-side ends of the plurality of electrodes drawn out from the end portion of the outer skin portion and electrically connecting the plurality of electrodes to each other or the plurality of electrodes to other conductive member, and a covering portion formed by a material including at least either one of a thermoplastic resin material molded by hot met molding and a photo-curing resin material cured by absorbing a light energy for sealing at least a portion of the support member and the one-sides of the electrodes in an embedded state.
According to the pressure sensitive sensor having the above-described constitution, when the outer skin portion is elastically deformed by operating the external force to the outer skin portion, at least one of the plurality of electrodes provided at inside of the outer skin portion is elastically deformed along with the outer skin portion.
Since the plurality of electrodes are provided via the air gap, the plurality of electrodes are normally separated from each other, however, the electrodes are conducted by deforming at least one electrode along with the outer skin portion to be proximate to and brought into contact with other electrode. By detecting such conducting of the electrodes by a change in a current value flowing in the electrodes or a change in an electric resistance value of an electric circuit constituted by including the electrodes, contact of the electrodes, that is, operation of the external force to the outer skin portion can be detected.
Meanwhile, the one-side ends of the electrodes drawn out from the end portion of the outer skin portion are supported by the support member and the electrodes are electrically connected to each other or the electrodes are electrically connected to other conducting member by the support member. When the electrodes are connected to other conducting member, for example, the electrodes are connected to power supplying means of a power source or the like or detecting means for detecting the change in the current value or the change in the electric resistance value of the electric circuit as mentioned above via the other conductive member.
Here, the support member and the one-side ends of the electrodes are sealed in the covering portion in the embedded state and therefore water or dust is prevented from adhering to portions of connecting the electrodes to each other or portions of connecting the electrodes to other conducting member supported by the support member. Further, since the support member and the one-side ends of the electrodes are embedded in the covering portion, the above-described connecting portion is supported not only by the support member bu
Ishihara Hidenori
Kato Manabu
Tsuda Hirokazu
Asmo Co. Ltd.
Oen William
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P.
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