Optical sensor including a hard resin and a soft resin and proximity sensor including the same

{
  "publication_number": "US11698295B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Optical sensor including a hard resin and a soft resin and proximity sensor including the same",
  "abstract": "An optical sensor includes a light emitter to emit light, a light receiver to receive the light emitted from the light emitter, a first resin body that covers the light emitter and the light receiver to transmit the light emitted from the light emitter to emit the light outside, and a second resin body that seals the light emitter and the light receiver, in which the second resin body is included inside the first resin body, and the second resin body is harder than the first resin body.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An optical sensor comprising: a light emitter to emit light; a light receiver to receive the light emitted from the light emitter; a first resin body that covers the light emitter and the light receiver to transmit the light emitted from the light emitter and to emit the light outside; and a second resin body that seals the light emitter and the light receiver; wherein the second resin body is included inside the first resin body; and the second resin body is harder than the first resin body.",
    "2. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein main materials of the first resin body and the second resin body are the same-based resin.",
    "3. The optical sensor according to claim 2, wherein the same-based resin is a silicone-based resin.",
    "4. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second resin body has a hardness of equal to or more than about Shore D20 and equal to or less than about Shore D80.",
    "5. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein a glass-transition temperature of the second resin body is higher than a glass-transition temperature of the first resin body.",
    "6. The optical sensor according to claim 5, wherein the second resin body has a glass-transition temperature of equal to or more than about 50° C.",
    "7. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a plurality of receivers to receive the light emitted from the light emitter.",
    "8. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter is a Vertical Cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) or an LED.",
    "9. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the light receiver includes a photodiode.",
    "10. The optical sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a resin substrate on which the light emitter and the light receiver are supported.",
    "11. A proximity sensor comprising: the optical sensor according to claim 1; and a controller to detect a proximity and a contact of an object based on a signal of the light receiver.",
    "12. The proximity sensor according to claim 11, wherein main materials of the first resin body and the second resin body are the same-based resin.",
    "13. The proximity sensor according to claim 12, wherein the same-based resin is a silicone-based resin.",
    "14. The proximity sensor according to claim 11, wherein the second resin body has a hardness of equal to or more than about Shore D20 and equal to or less than about Shore D80.",
    "15. The proximity sensor according to claim 11, wherein a glass-transition temperature of the second resin body is higher than a glass-transition temperature of the first resin body.",
    "16. The proximity sensor according to claim 15, wherein the second resin body has a glass-transition temperature of equal to or more than about 50° C.",
    "17. The proximity sensor according to claim 11, wherein the receiver includes a plurality of receivers to receive the light emitted from the light emitter.",
    "18. The proximity sensor according to claim 11, wherein the light emitter is a Vertical Cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) or an LED.",
    "19. The proximity sensor according to claim 11, wherein the light receiver includes a photodiode.",
    "20. The proximity sensor according to claim 11, further comprising a resin substrate on which the light emitter and the light receiver are supported."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to an optical sensor and a proximity sensor including the optical sensor.\n\nIn recent years, various sensors have been proposed which are mounted on a robot hand or the like and enable various types of sensing including tactile sense. Such sensors include, for example, a proximity sensor having a function of a tactile sensor as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 60-62496.\n\nJapanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 60-62496 discloses a composite sensor to be attached to a fingertip surface of a robot hand that performs an operation of gripping an object or the like. The composite sensor disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 60-62496 includes a light-transmissive flexible plate-shaped portion, a light receiving portion arranged on the flexible plate-shaped portion, a light emitting portion that irradiates the flexible plate-shaped portion from behind the light receiving portion, and an electric circuit that controls the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion. An elastic body covers the light receiving portion, and a light-shielding layer that transmits light from the light emitting portion in a limited manner is provided on the back surface side of the flexible plate-shaped portion on which the light receiving portion is arranged.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01J 1/0271",
    "B25J 19/02",
    "B25J 19/021",
    "G01J 2001/446",
    "G01S 17/02",
    "G01V 8/20",
    "H01L 31/12",
    "H10F 55/00",
    "H10F 77/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 19/02",
    "G01J 1/02",
    "G01J 1/44",
    "G01V 8/20",
    "H01L 31/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Murata Manufacturing Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Hiroshi Watanabe",
    "Kohei SUGAHARA",
    "Takatoshi Kato"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2022-01-06",
  "publication_date": "2023-07-11",
  "grant_date": "2023-07-11",
  "priority_date": "2019-07-10",
  "application_number": "US-202217569764-A",
  "family_id": "74114512",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "JPS6062496U",
    "JP2001291893A",
    "US20040245528A1",
    "US20060237540A1",
    "JP2008150437A",
    "US20120197093A1",
    "JP2016162895A",
    "US20160260862A1",
    "JP2017216281A"
  ]
}