Tactile sensor

{
  "publication_number": "US11796402B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Tactile sensor",
  "abstract": "A tactile sensor includes a support member with a curved surface, a sensor body disposed on the support member, and a buffer member with which the sensor body is coated, the buffer member being configured to, in response to contacting an object, transfer a force applied from the object to the sensor body. The sensor body includes an insulating layer, multiple first resistive portions of which a longitudinal direction is directed to a first direction of each and that are juxtaposed on one side of the insulating layer, multiple second resistive portions of which a longitudinal direction of each is directed to a second direction intersecting with the first direction and that are juxtaposed on another side of the insulating layer, and a pair of electrodes provided at both end portions of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions. The press force applied from the object is transferred to the sensor body, and at least one given resistive portion among the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is pressed, so that a resistance value between a given pair of electrodes associated with the pressed at least one given resistive portion among the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions constantly varies in accordance with a magnitude of the press force.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A tactile sensor comprising: a support member with a curved surface; a sensor body disposed on the support member; and a buffer member with which the sensor body is coated, the buffer member being configured to, in response to contacting an object, transfer a force applied from the object to the sensor body, wherein the sensor body includes: an insulating layer; multiple first resistive portions of which a longitudinal direction of each is directed to a first direction and that are juxtaposed on one side of the insulating layer; multiple second resistive portions of which a longitudinal direction of each is directed to a second direction intersecting with the first direction and that are juxtaposed on another side of the insulating layer; and a pair of electrodes provided at both end portions of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions, wherein the press force applied from the object is transferred to the sensor body, and at least one given resistive portion among the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is pressed, so that a resistance value between a given pair of electrodes associated with the pressed at least one given resistive portion among the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions constantly varies in accordance with a magnitude of the press force, and wherein each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is formed of a film containing Cr, CrN and Cr 2 N.",
    "2. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, wherein location detection with respect to the first direction and the second direction is capable of being performed based on a variation in a resistance value of a given first resistive portion and a variation in a resistance value of a given second resistive portion.",
    "3. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, wherein the buffer member is formed of an elastic body.",
    "4. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is disposed in a zigzag pattern that is formed between a given pair of electrodes.",
    "5. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, wherein a main component of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is alpha-chromium.",
    "6. The tactile sensor according to claim 5, wherein each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions includes alpha-chromium at 80% by weight or more.",
    "7. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a functional layer formed of a metal, an alloy, or a metal compound, in a lower layer of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions.",
    "8. The tactile sensor according to claim 7, wherein the functional layer includes a function of promoting crystal growth of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions.",
    "9. A tactile sensor comprising: a support member having a hemisphere shape with a curved surface; a sensor body attached to the curved surface of the support member and protruding toward an object; and a buffer member with which the sensor body is coated, the buffer member being configured to, in response to contacting the object, transfer a force applied from the object to the sensor body, wherein the sensor body includes: an insulating layer; multiple first resistive portions of which a longitudinal direction of each is directed to a first direction and that are juxtaposed on one side of the insulating layer; multiple second resistive portions of which a longitudinal direction of each is directed to a second direction intersecting with the first direction and that are juxtaposed on another side of the insulating layer; and a pair of electrodes provided at both end portions of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions, wherein the press force applied from the object is transferred to the sensor body, and at least one given resistive portion among the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is pressed, so that a resistance value between a given pair of electrodes associated with the pressed at least one given resistive portion among the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions constantly varies in accordance with a magnitude of the press force.",
    "10. The tactile sensor according to claim 9, wherein location detection with respect to the first direction and the second direction is capable of being performed based on a variation in a resistance value of a given first resistive portion and a variation in a resistance value of a given second resistive portion.",
    "11. The tactile sensor according to claim 9, wherein the buffer member is formed of an elastic body.",
    "12. The tactile sensor according to claim 9, wherein each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is disposed in a zigzag pattern that is formed between a given pair of electrodes.",
    "13. The tactile sensor according to claim 9, wherein each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is formed of a Cr composite film.",
    "14. The tactile sensor according to claim 13, wherein a main component of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions is alpha-chromium.",
    "15. The tactile sensor according to claim 14, wherein each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions includes alpha-chromium at 80% by weight or more.",
    "16. The tactile sensor according to claim 14, wherein each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions includes chromium nitride.",
    "17. The tactile sensor according to claim 9, further comprising a functional layer formed of a metal, an alloy, or a metal compound, in a lower layer of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions.",
    "18. The tactile sensor according to claim 17, wherein the functional layer includes a function of promoting crystal growth of each of the first resistive portions and the second resistive portions."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a tactile sensor.\n\nResearch and development for a tactile sensor used for a robot hand or the like have been conducted in recent years, and various types of tactile sensors are known. For example, a tactile sensor with laminated multiple printed boards is known, where when viewed from an end face of each printed board, metallic foils on one surface of the printed board are formed in a predetermined direction (X-axis direction) and at predetermined pitches, a metallic foil is attached to another surface of the printed board, and an insulating material is interposed between given printed boards, in a thickness direction (Y-axis direction) of the printed board. In such a tactile sensor, end faces of the laminated printed boards are covered by a conductive sheet. When pressure is applied to a portion of the conductive sheet, a metallic foil portion situated on the X-axis of a portion to which pressure is applied and a metallic foil portion situated on the Y-axis thereof are conductive and thereby a location of the portion to which pressure is applied can be electrically detected (see, for example, Patent document 1).\n\nPatent Document [Patent document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H9-14989\n\nHowever, the tactile sensor obtains 2D information with respect to an XY-direction, but cannot obtain 3D information with respect to directions including a Z-direction. In view of the point described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a tactile sensor that obtains 3D information.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01L 1/205",
    "B25J 13/084",
    "G01L 1/2287",
    "G01L 5/0028",
    "G01L 5/228"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 13/08",
    "G01L 1/20",
    "G01L 1/22",
    "G01L 5/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "MINEBEA MITSUMI INC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "KITAMURA ATSUSHI",
    "ADACHI SHIGEYUKI",
    "ASAKAWA TOSHIAKI",
    "SUZUKI SATOSHI",
    "YAMAGUCHI SHINYA",
    "IIJIMA HIROTSUGU"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-07-03",
  "publication_date": "2023-10-24",
  "grant_date": "2023-10-24",
  "priority_date": "2018-07-23",
  "application_number": "US-201917260727-A",
  "family_id": "69181678",
  "citations": [
    "JP2004333273A",
    "JP2008116319A",
    "JP2011197001A",
    "JP2014035239A",
    "JPH06300649A",
    "JPH0914989A",
    "JPS63266328A",
    "US2011226069A1",
    "US2012017702A1",
    "US2014035603A1",
    "US2015250420A1",
    "US2018172527A1",
    "US2019046051A1",
    "US2022000392A1",
    "US4550310A",
    "US4709342A",
    "US8069735B1"
  ]
}