JP5486417B2 - Input interface device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an input interface device used for, for example, a game controller operated using weight.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a rug sensor. In the rug sensor described in this document, a carpet, a detection electrode, an insulating sheet, and a reference electrode are arranged from the front side to the back side. For example, when an intruder walks on a carpet, the electric charge of the human body causes dielectric polarization in the carpet. Due to the dielectric polarization, the charge amount of the detection electrode increases. For this reason, the capacitance between the detection electrode and the reference electrode increases. When the capacitance value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control circuit determines that “there is an intruder”.

No. 2000-131162 2008-264195

  According to the rug sensor of Patent Document 1, the presence or absence of a person on the carpet can be detected. However, the rug sensor of Patent Document 1 cannot detect a person's weight shift, weight distribution, and the like. That is, the rug sensor of Patent Document 1 is used for intruder detection, lighting fixture lighting, door opening and closing, and the like. When a rug sensor is used for these applications, it is only necessary to detect the presence or absence of a person. That is, the rug sensor of Patent Document 1 does not need to detect weight distribution, weight shift, and the like.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a game controller. In the game controller described in this document, a table and four load sensors (strain gauge type load cells) are arranged from the front side to the back side. When the operator moves on the table, the load value of each load sensor changes. Based on this load change, the game machine performs a game process.

  According to the game controller of Patent Document 2, it is possible to detect not only the presence of an operator on the table but also weight shift. However, it is difficult to detect the operator's weight distribution (foot load distribution). Further, the base has a three-layer structure of a plastic upper layer plate-metal middle layer plate-plastic lower layer plate. For this reason, the base is hard. Therefore, the impact applied to the operator by the reaction force during operation is large. Also, the operator feels uncomfortable during operation.

  The input interface device of the present invention has been completed in view of the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a flexible input interface device capable of detecting a load distribution.

  (1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an input interface device according to the present invention is a sheet-like, and is a cushion, a dielectric made of an elastomer or a stretchable cloth, and a polymer disposed on the front side of the dielectric. And a backside electrode having a polymer and a conductive filler filled in the polymer, and viewed from the front side or the backside. A plurality of detectors arranged in a portion where the front electrode and the back electrode overlap, and arranged on the back side of the cushion body, and a load is input to the plurality of detectors via the cushion body And a capacitance type sensor capable of detecting a load distribution.

  The input interface device of the present invention has a sheet shape and includes a cushion body and a sensor. The sensor is a capacitance type, and is disposed on the back side of the cushion body. The sensor includes a dielectric, a front side electrode, a back side electrode, and a plurality of detection units.

  The dielectric is made of an elastomer or a stretchable cloth. A flexible cushion body is disposed on the front side of the sensor. For this reason, the input interface device of the present invention is more flexible than the base of the above-mentioned Patent Document 2. Therefore, the impact applied to the operator by the reaction force at the time of input can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to reduce a sense of discomfort (for example, a feeling of stiffness) that the operator receives during input. Further, the dielectric, the front side electrode, and the back side electrode can be bent and stretched integrally. Therefore, there is little possibility that the front side electrode or the back side electrode regulates the bending and expansion / contraction of the dielectric.

  Further, according to the input interface device of the present invention, the load can be detected from the capacitance of the detection unit. Further, the load distribution can be detected from the capacitance distribution of the plurality of detection units.

  (1-1) Preferably, in the configuration of (1), the front electrode and the back electrode are each in a band shape, and the plurality of detection units are viewed from the front side or the back side. It is better to have a configuration in which the electrodes are arranged at the intersections.

  According to this configuration, the front side electrode and the back side electrode are both strips. Moreover, the detection part is arrange | positioned using the cross | intersection part of a front side electrode and a back side electrode. For this reason, the number of electrodes is reduced. Further, the number of wirings for detecting the capacitance from the detection unit is reduced.

  (1-2) Preferably, in the configuration of (1-1), the front side electrode and the back side electrode are each arranged in a plurality of rows, and when viewed from the front side or the back side, The back side electrode is preferably orthogonal to the back side electrode.

  According to this structure, it is easy to disperse a plurality of detection units over the entire surface of the sensor. For this reason, it is possible to increase the area of the portion of the entire sensor surface where the load distribution can be detected. In addition, it is possible to suppress variations in the arrangement of the detection units on the entire sensor surface.

  (2) Preferably, in the configuration of the above (1), the cushion body preferably has a plurality of cushion layers having different spring constants in the front and back directions. The smaller the spring constant in the front and back direction, the softer the cushion layer in the front and back direction. Conversely, the larger the spring constant in the front and back direction, the harder the cushion layer in the front and back direction. According to this configuration, by combining a plurality of cushion layers having different spring constants in the front and back directions, the flexibility of the cushion body and thus the input interface device can be adjusted. That is, it is possible to adjust the impact applied to the operator during input. In addition, it is possible to adjust the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  In FIG. 1, the relationship between the load of this structure and the compression amount of a cushion layer is shown with a schematic diagram. In addition, FIG. 1 is for demonstrating the effect | action of this structure. The shape, inclination, number of lines (number of cushion layers), etc. of the cushion layers a and b in FIG. 1 do not limit the input interface device of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cushion body includes a cushion layer a and a cushion layer b. The spring constant in the front and back direction of the cushion layer a is smaller than the spring constant in the front and back direction of the cushion layer b. For this reason, when the same load is input, the cushion layer a is compressed more largely than the cushion layer b. As shown by a thick line in FIG. 1, a section with a large slope (amount of change in compression / amount of change in load) is a section that can effectively absorb the impact applied to the operator.

  In the low load region α with a small load, both the cushion layers a and b have a large inclination. For this reason, both the cushion layers a and b can effectively absorb the impact. However, the inclination of the cushion layer a is larger than that of the cushion layer b. That is, the cushion layer a is more easily compressed than the cushion layer b. For this reason, the cushion layer a mainly functions to absorb the impact.

  On the other hand, in the high load region β where the load is large, the cushion layer a is completely crushed, and the amount of compression does not change much even if the load changes. That is, the inclination becomes small. On the other hand, the cushion layer b remains large in inclination even in the high load region β. For this reason, in the high load region β, the cushion layer b mainly functions to absorb the impact. The same applies when three or more cushion layers having different spring constants in the front and back directions are laminated.

  Thus, according to this configuration, it is possible to absorb the impact not only in the low load region α but also in the high load region β as compared with the case where only the cushion layer a is disposed alone. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the impact applied to the operator regardless of the weight, pedaling force, etc. of the operator (male, female, adult, child, etc.). In addition, it is possible to reduce a sense of incongruity experienced by the operator at the time of input regardless of the operator's weight, pedal effort, and the like. Moreover, compared with the case where only the cushion layer b is arrange | positioned alone, the impact added to an operator can be made small in the low load area | region (alpha). In addition, it is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  (2-1) Preferably, in the configuration of the above (2), the plurality of cushion layers are each preferably configured to have a different 25% compression load in JIS K6767. The smaller the 25% compression load in JIS K 6767 (hereinafter abbreviated as “25% compression load” as appropriate), the softer the cushion layer in the front and back direction and the surface direction (the direction perpendicular to the front and back direction). . On the other hand, the larger the 25% compression load, the harder the cushion layer in the front and back direction and the surface direction. According to this configuration, the flexibility of the cushion body, and thus the input interface device, can be adjusted by combining a plurality of cushion layers having different 25% compression loads. That is, it is possible to adjust the impact applied to the operator during input. In addition, it is possible to adjust the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  (2-2) Preferably, in the configuration of (2-1) above, the 25% compressive load of the cushion layer in JIS K 6767 is preferably 2 kPa or more and 70 kPa or less.

  The reason why the 25% compression load is set to 2 kPa or more is that when it is less than 2 kPa, the compression is excessively soft and instantaneously compressed, so that the impact applied to the operator during input increases. In addition, the operator feels uncomfortable.

  On the other hand, when the 25% compression load exceeds 70 kPa, the cushion layer becomes excessively hard and the impact applied to the operator increases. In addition, the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator increases.

  Further, when a load is input to the cushion layer, the load is gradually dispersed in the surface direction as the load is transmitted from the front side to the back side. When the 25% compression load exceeds 70 kPa, the spring constant in the surface direction becomes excessively large. For this reason, the load is easily dispersed in the surface direction. For this reason, the 25% compression load is set to 70 kPa or less.

  (3) Preferably, in the configuration of the above (2), the plurality of cushion layers are laminated so that the order in which the 25% compressive load in JIS K 6767 is small corresponds to the direction from the front side to the back side. It is better to have a configuration.

  That is, in this configuration, a plurality of cushion layers are stacked in the order of softness from the front side to the back side. According to this configuration, the softest cushion layer among the plurality of cushion layers is disposed at a position closest to the operator. For this reason, the impact applied to the operator during input can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  (4) Preferably, in any one of the configurations (1) to (3), the cushion body includes at least one of a foam, a three-dimensional knitted fabric of a fiber, and a gel elastomer. Better to do. The gel elastomer refers to a gel elastomer. Gel elastomers include those foamed during the manufacturing process. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the impact applied to the operator during input. In addition, it is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  (5) Preferably, in any one of the constitutions (1) to (4), the dielectric has a plurality of dielectric layers each having different spring constants in the front and back directions. According to this configuration, the flexibility of the dielectric, and thus the input interface device, can be adjusted by combining a plurality of dielectric layers having different spring constants in the front and back directions. That is, it is possible to adjust the impact applied to the operator during input. In addition, it is possible to adjust the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  Hereinafter, the operation of this configuration will be described with reference to FIG. The cushion layers a and b in FIG. 1 are replaced with dielectric layers a and b. The amount of compression on the vertical axis in FIG. 1 is replaced with capacitance. The shape, inclination, number of lines (number of dielectric layers) of the dielectric layers a and b in FIG. 1 do not limit the input interface device of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the dielectric includes a dielectric layer a and a dielectric layer b. The spring constant in the front-back direction of the dielectric layer a is smaller than the spring constant in the front-back direction of the dielectric layer b. For this reason, when the same load is input, the dielectric layer a is compressed more largely than the dielectric layer b. Accordingly, the amount of change in capacitance is greater in the dielectric layer a than in the dielectric layer b. As shown by a thick line in FIG. 1, a section in which the capacitance changes substantially linearly with respect to the load is a section in which the dielectric layers a and b can be effectively used to detect the load.

  In the low load region α where the load is small, both the dielectric layers a and b have a substantially linear capacitance with respect to the load. Therefore, both the dielectric layers a and b can be used for load detection. However, the slope of the dielectric layer a (capacitance change amount / load change amount) is larger than that of the dielectric layer b. That is, the sensitivity of the dielectric layer a is higher than that of the dielectric layer b. For this reason, the dielectric layer a mainly functions for detecting the load.

  On the other hand, in the high load region β where the load is large, the dielectric layer a is completely crushed, and the capacitance does not change much even if the load changes. In contrast, the dielectric layer b has a substantially linear capacitance with respect to the load even in the high load region β. For this reason, in the high load region β, the dielectric layer b mainly functions for detecting the load. The same applies when three or more dielectric layers having different spring constants in the front and back directions are laminated.

  Thus, according to the present configuration, it is possible to detect the load not only in the low load region α but also in the high load region β as compared with the case where only the dielectric layer a is disposed alone. Therefore, according to this configuration, the load measurement range is widened. In addition, the sensitivity in the low load region α can be increased as compared with the case where only the dielectric layer b is disposed alone.

  (5-1) Preferably, in the configuration of the above (5), the plurality of dielectric layers are each preferably configured to have a different 25% compressive load in JIS K 6767. The smaller the 25% compressive load, the softer the dielectric layer in the front and back direction and the surface direction. On the other hand, the larger the 25% compressive load, the harder the dielectric layer in the front and back direction and the surface direction. According to this configuration, by combining a plurality of dielectric layers having different 25% compressive loads, the flexibility of the dielectric, and thus the input interface device, can be adjusted. That is, it is possible to adjust the impact applied to the operator during input. In addition, it is possible to adjust the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  (5-2) Preferably, in the configuration of (5-1) above, the plurality of dielectric layers are stacked so that the order in which the 25% compressive load is small corresponds to the direction from the front side to the back side. It is better to have a configuration.

  Regardless of whether it is a dielectric (including a plurality of dielectric layers) or a single dielectric layer, when a load is input, the load gradually increases as the load is transmitted from the front side to the back side. Will spread in the direction.

  For this reason, for example, even when a load is input to a single detection unit, not only the capacitance of the detection unit but also the capacitances of other detection units adjacent to the detection unit change. May end up. In this case, when attention is paid to the detection unit to which the load is input, the amount of change in the capacitance is reduced by the amount that the load is distributed to the other detection units. For this reason, the apparent detection load becomes smaller than the actual load. Further, when attention is paid to the area where the load is input, the apparent detection area becomes larger than the actual load input area. As described above, when a plurality of dielectric layers are stacked, the sensitivity may decrease from the viewpoint of detection load and detection area.

  Therefore, the present inventor has focused on the 25% compressive load of the dielectric layer. That is, the smaller the 25% compressive load of the dielectric layer, the less likely the load is dispersed in the surface direction. On the contrary, the larger the 25% compressive load of the dielectric layer, the easier it is for the load to disperse in the surface direction. Focusing on this characteristic, the inventor laminated the dielectric layers in the direction from the front side to the back side in the order of increasing 25% compression load. That is, the dielectric layer having the smallest 25% compressive load was disposed on the outermost side, and the dielectric layer having the largest 25% compressive load was disposed on the outermost side.

  According to this configuration, when attention is paid to the detection unit to which the load is input in comparison with the case where the dielectric layer is laminated in the direction from the front side to the back side in the descending order of the 25% compressive load, the load is applied to the other detection units. Is difficult to disperse. For this reason, the apparent detection load is less likely to be smaller than the actual load. When attention is paid to the area where the load is input, the apparent detection area is less likely to be larger than the actual load input area. As described above, according to the present configuration, the sensitivity is hardly lowered from both the viewpoint of the detection load and the detection area.

  (5-3) Preferably, in the configuration of (5-1) above, the 25% compressive load in JIS K 6767 of the dielectric layer is preferably 1.5 kPa or more and 45 kPa or less.

  The reason why the 25% compressive load is set to 1.5 kPa or more is that when it is less than 1.5 kPa, the dielectric layer is completely crushed for a heavy operator, and the change in capacitance is small and the sensitivity is low. Because it ends up.

  The reason why the 25% compression load is set to 45 kPa or less is that when it exceeds 45 kPa, the dielectric layer is not easily crushed by a light operator, and the change in capacitance is small and the sensitivity is low.

  (6) Preferably, in the configuration according to any one of (1) to (5), the sensor includes a front-side insulating film on which a front-side electrode is printed on a back surface and a back-side insulation on which a back-side electrode is printed on a front surface. The dielectric is preferably interposed between the front-side insulating film and the back-side insulating film. According to this configuration, a flexible sensor with a thin thickness in the front and back direction can be easily manufactured. Moreover, the freedom degree with respect to a shape, the number of arrangement | positioning, a position, etc. of a front side electrode and a back side electrode becomes high.

  (6-1) Preferably, in the configuration of (6) above, the front and back side thicknesses of the front side insulating film and the back side insulating film are each preferably 100 μm or less. The thicknesses in the front and back direction of the front side insulating film and the back side insulating film are set to 100 μm or less, respectively, because when the thickness exceeds 100 μm, the front side insulating film and the back side insulating film are difficult to deform. That is, there is a possibility that the flexibility of the input interface device may be hindered. For the same reason, the thicknesses of the front-side insulating film and the back-side insulating film are each preferably 50 μm or less.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flexible input interface device capable of detecting a load distribution.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the relationship between the load and the compression amount of a cushion layer of the structure (2) of the input interface device of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the input interface apparatus which is one Embodiment of the input interface apparatus of this invention. It is a top view of the input interface device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in the IV-IV direction of FIG. 3. It is an enlarged view in the frame V of FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the dielectric material of FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram when a load is applied to a dielectric in which a front-side dielectric layer and a back-side dielectric layer are arranged upside down with respect to FIG. 6. It is a schematic diagram when a load is applied to the dielectric of FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between compression amount and a load. It is a graph which shows the relationship between a load and an electrostatic capacitance.

  Embodiments of the input interface device of the present invention will be described below.

<Configuration of input interface device>
First, the configuration of the input interface device of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the input interface device of the present embodiment. In addition, it permeate | transmits and shows the front side insulating film 31. FIG. FIG. 3 shows a top view of the input interface device. In addition, the cushion body 2, the front-side insulating film 31, and the dielectric 30 are shown in a transparent manner. Further, the detection units A11 to A88 are hatched. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view in the IV-IV direction of FIG. Note that the thickness in the vertical direction is highlighted. FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view in the frame V of FIG. Among the symbols “A ◯ Δ” of the detection units A11 to A88, “◯” corresponds to the front electrodes 1X to 8X. “Δ” corresponds to the back-side electrodes 1Y to 8Y.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the input interface device 1 includes a cushion body 2 and a sensor 3. The input interface device 1 has a sheet shape with a small vertical thickness as a whole. The input interface device 1 is a game controller for operating a game machine (not shown). For example, the operator operates the game machine by getting on and off the input interface device 1, changing the position of the sole 90 on the input interface device 1, or jumping on the input interface device 1.

  The cushion body 2 includes a front cushion layer 20 and a back cushion layer 21. The front side cushion layer 20 and the back side cushion layer 21 are included in the cushion layer of the present invention. The front cushion layer 20 is made of urethane foam and has a square sheet shape. The front-side cushion layer 20 has a vertical direction (front-back direction) thickness of 5 mm. The 25% compressive load of the front cushion layer 20 is 3 kPa. The operator's weight and pedaling force (that is, load) are applied to the input interface device 1 from the upper side of the front cushion layer 20. The back cushion layer 21 is laminated below the front cushion layer 20. The back cushion layer 21 is made of urethane foam and has a square sheet shape. The thickness of the back cushion layer 21 in the vertical direction is 5 mm. The 25% compressive load of the back cushion layer 21 is 30 kPa. The back cushion layer 21 has a greater 25% compressive load than the front cushion layer 20. That is, the back side cushion layer 21 has larger spring constants in the front and back directions and the surface direction (horizontal direction) than the front side cushion layer 20.

  The sensor 3 is laminated on the lower side of the cushion body 2. Sensor 3 includes dielectric 30, front side electrodes 1X to 8X, back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y, front side wirings 1x to 8x, back side wirings 1y to 8y, detectors A11 to A88, front side insulating film 31, A back side insulating film 32, a front side wiring connector 33, a back side wiring connector 34, and an arithmetic unit (not shown) are provided.

  The front-side insulating film 31 is made of polyethylene terephthalate and has a sheet shape. The front-side insulating film 31 has a vertical thickness of 50 μm. The front side insulating film 31 includes an electrode printing unit 310 and a wiring printing unit 311. The electrode printing unit 310 has a square shape. The electrode printing unit 310 is laminated below the back cushion layer 21 of the cushion body 2. The wiring printing unit 311 has a long rectangular shape in the front-rear direction. The wiring printing unit 311 is integrally connected to the left side of the electrode printing unit 310. The front-side wiring connector 33 is disposed at the rear end of the wiring printing unit 311.

  A total of eight front side electrodes 1 </ b> X to 8 </ b> X are arranged on the lower surface (back surface) of the electrode printing part 310 of the front side insulating film 31. The front side electrodes 1X to 8X are each formed to include acrylic rubber and conductive carbon black. The front side electrodes 1X to 8X each have a strip shape that is long in the left-right direction. The front-side electrodes 1X to 8X are arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction.

  A total of eight front-side wirings 1x to 8x are arranged on the lower surface of the wiring printing portion 311 of the front-side insulating film 31. The front side wirings 1x to 8x are each formed to include urethane rubber and silver powder. The front-side wirings 1x to 8x connect the left ends of the front-side electrodes 1X to 8X and the front-side wiring connector 33, respectively.

  The configurations (dimensions and materials) of the back side insulating film 32 (electrode printing unit 320, wiring printing unit 321), back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y, and back side wirings 1y to 8y are the same as those for the front side insulating film 31 (electrode printing unit 310, wiring printing unit). 311), and the configuration of the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the front side wirings 1x to 8x is the same.

  The back-side electrodes 1Y to 8Y are disposed on the upper surface of the electrode printing unit 320. The back side wirings 1 y to 8 y are arranged on the upper surface of the wiring printing unit 321. As shown in FIG. 3, the back side insulating film 32 is rotated by 90 ° with respect to the front side insulating film 31 in the clockwise direction (direction rotating from left to front to right to back). For this reason, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y are orthogonal to each other when viewed from the upper side or the lower side. The back side wiring connector 34 is disposed at the left end of the wiring printing unit 321.

  The dielectric 30 is interposed between the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y. The dielectric includes a front side dielectric layer 300 and a back side dielectric layer 301. The front-side dielectric layer 300 and the back-side dielectric layer 301 are included in the dielectric layer of the present invention. The front-side dielectric layer 300 is disposed below the front-side electrodes 1X to 8X. The front-side dielectric layer 300 is made of urethane foam and has a square sheet shape. The 25% compressive load of the front side dielectric layer 300 is 2.5 kPa. The back side dielectric layer 301 is disposed above the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y. The back side dielectric layer 301 is made of urethane foam and has a square sheet shape. The 25% compressive load of the back side dielectric layer 301 is 20 kPa. The back side dielectric layer 301 has a 25% compressive load greater than that of the front side dielectric layer 300. That is, the back-side dielectric layer 301 has larger spring constants in the front-back direction and the surface direction than the front-side dielectric layer 300.

  As shown by hatching in FIG. 3, the detectors A11 to A88 are arranged at portions (overlapping portions) where the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y intersect when viewed from the upper side or the lower side. ing. The detectors A11 to A88 are arranged in a grid pattern at substantially equal intervals over the substantially entire surface of the sensor 3. Each of the detection units A11 to A88 includes a part of the front electrodes 1X to 8X, a part of the back electrodes 1Y to 8Y, and a part of the dielectric 30.

  The arithmetic unit includes a power supply circuit, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The arithmetic unit is electrically connected to the front side wiring connector 33 and the back side wiring connector 34.

<Method of manufacturing input interface device>
Next, a method for manufacturing the input interface device 1 of this embodiment will be described. The manufacturing method of the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment includes a sensor manufacturing process, a cushion body manufacturing process, and a combining process.

  The sensor manufacturing process includes a dielectric layer stacking process, a paint preparation process, a front electrode printing process, a front wiring printing process, a back electrode printing process, and a back wiring printing process. In the dielectric layer laminating step, the front-side dielectric layer 300 and the back-side dielectric layer 301 are laminated by adhering with an elastic adhesive. That is, the dielectric 30 is produced.

  In the paint preparation step, an electrode paint and a wiring paint are prepared. The electrode paint is prepared by the following procedure. First, 100 parts by mass of an elastomer (acrylic rubber, trade name: Nipol (registered trademark) AR51, manufactured by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd.), a vulcanization aid (stearic acid, product name: Lunac (registered trademark) S30, manufactured by Kao Corporation) 00 parts by mass, vulcanization accelerator (zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate, trade name: Noxeller (registered trademark) PZ, manufactured by Ouchi Shinsei Chemical Co., Ltd.) 2.50 parts by mass, vulcanization accelerator (ferric dimethyldithiocarbamate, commodity Name: Noxeller TTFE (manufactured by Ouchi Shinsei Chemical Co., Ltd.) 0.50 part by mass is weighed and rubber is kneaded using a roll. Then, a rubber compound is prepared. Subsequently, the prepared rubber compound is immersed in 1300 parts by mass of an organic solvent (methyl ethyl ketone, Sankyo Chemical Co., Ltd.), the organic solvent is stirred, and a solution in which the rubber compound is uniformly dissolved in the organic solvent is obtained. Then, 22.86 parts by mass of conductive carbon black (Ketjen Black, trade name: EC300J, manufactured by Lion Corporation) is added to the solution. Then, a MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) solution having a solid content of about 7.8% by mass is obtained. Then, the MEK solution is milled to improve the dispersibility of the conductive carbon black in the MEK solution. Specifically, the MEK solution is put into a dyno mill rotating at 3200 rpm, and the MEK solution is circulated about 40 times. Thereafter, 686.7 parts by mass of a printing solvent (diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, manufactured by Sankyo Chemical Co., Ltd.) is added to the milled MEK solution. Then, the MEK solution to which the printing solvent is added is transferred to a container having a wide mouth in order to widen the area in contact with the atmosphere. Then, the MEK solution is allowed to stand for about one day with occasional stirring to sufficiently evaporate MEK having a low boiling point. In this way, an electrode paint is prepared. The boiling point of the printing solvent is 200 ° C. or higher. For this reason, the volatilization of the printing solvent is negligible.

  The wiring paint is prepared by the following procedure. First, 333 parts by mass of an elastomer (polyurethane dissolved in MEK / toluene / isopropyl alcohol, trade name: NIPPON (registered trademark) 5230, manufactured by Nippon Polyurethane Industry Co., Ltd.) Part corresponds to 100 parts by mass of polyurethane), 10 μm flaky silver particles (trade name: FA-D-4, manufactured by DOWA Electronics) 400 parts by mass, 1 μm spherical silver particles (trade names: AG2-1C, DOWA) 400 parts by mass of Electronics Co., Ltd.) and 150 parts by mass of a printing solvent (butyl carbitol, Sankyo Chemical Co., Ltd.) are weighed and stirred to homogenize. Then, the solution after stirring is transferred to a container having a wide mouth in order to widen the area in contact with the atmosphere. Then, the solution is allowed to stand for about a day with occasional stirring to sufficiently evaporate MEK, toluene and isopropyl alcohol having a low boiling point. In this way, a wiring paint is prepared.

  In the front side electrode printing step, the electrode paint prepared in the paint preparation step is printed on the electrode printing unit 310 of the front side insulating film 31 using a screen printer. That is, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X are stacked on the electrode printing unit 310. Thereafter, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X are heated to vulcanize the elastomer.

  In the front-side wiring printing step, the wiring paint prepared in the paint preparation step is printed on the wiring printing unit 311 of the front-side insulating film 31 using a screen printer, as in the front-side electrode printing step. That is, the front side wirings 1x to 8x are stacked on the wiring printing unit 311. Then, the front side wiring 1x-8x is dried.

  In the back side electrode printing step, the electrode coating material prepared in the coating material preparation step is printed on the electrode printing unit 320 of the back side insulating film 32 using a screen printer as in the front side electrode printing step. That is, the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y are stacked on the electrode printing unit 320. Thereafter, the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y are heated to vulcanize the elastomer.

  In the back side wiring printing step, the wiring paint prepared in the paint preparation step is printed on the wiring printing unit 321 of the back side insulating film 32 by using a screen printer as in the front side wiring printing step. That is, the back side wirings 1 y to 8 y are stacked on the wiring printing unit 321. Then, the back side wiring 1y-8y is dried.

  Finally, the front side wiring connector 33 is attached to the wiring printing unit 311. In addition, the back side wiring connector 34 is attached to the wiring printing unit 321. In this way, the sensor 3 is manufactured.

  In the cushion body manufacturing process, the front side cushion layer 20 and the back side cushion layer 21 are laminated by bonding with an elastic adhesive. That is, the cushion body 2 is produced.

  In the coalescence process, the sensor 3 produced in the sensor manufacturing process and the cushion body 2 produced in the cushion body manufacturing process are combined by bonding with an elastic adhesive. In this way, the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment is completed.

<Operation of input interface device>
Next, the operation of the input interface device 1 of this embodiment will be described. The power supply circuit of the arithmetic unit of the sensor 3 applies voltages to the detection units A11 to A88 in order in a scanning manner. In the ROM, a map indicating the correspondence between the capacitance and the load in the detection units A11 to A88 is stored in advance. The RAM temporarily stores an amount of electricity related to the capacitance input from the front-side wiring connector 33 and the back-side wiring connector 34. The CPU calculates the capacitance of each of the detection units A11 to A88 from the amount of electricity stored in the RAM. And the load of each detection part A11-A88 is computed from an electrostatic capacitance.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the operator puts the sole 90 on the input interface device 1, the distance between the electrodes (front-side electrodes) of the detectors A <b> 11 to A <b> 88 arranged in the portion to which the treading force of the sole 90 is applied. 1X to 8X and the distance between the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y) is reduced. For this reason, an electrostatic capacitance becomes large. The calculation unit calculates the position of the sole 90, the load distribution on the sole 90, the position of the center of gravity of the operator, the weight of the operator, and the like from this capacitance. In addition, the calculation unit calculates a change in the position of the sole 90, a load distribution change in the sole 90, a change in the center of gravity position of the operator, and the like from this capacitance.

<Effect>
Next, the function and effect of the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment will be described. The sensor 3 of the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment includes an elastomer dielectric 30, front side electrodes 1X to 8X and back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y mainly composed of elastomer, and front side wiring 1x to mainly composed of elastomer. 8x and backside wirings 1y to 8y. For this reason, the sensor 3 is flexible. The cushion body 2 is made of urethane foam. For this reason, the cushion body 2 is flexible. Therefore, the input interface device 1 of this embodiment is flexible. Therefore, the impact applied to the operator by the reaction force at the time of input can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to reduce a sense of discomfort (for example, a feeling of stiffness) that the operator receives during input. Moreover, the cushion body 2 made of urethane foam is inexpensive. For this reason, the manufacturing cost of the input interface device 1 can be reduced.

  Further, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the load can be detected from the capacitances of the detection units A11 to A88. In addition, the load distribution can be detected from the capacitance distribution of the plurality of detection units A11 to A88.

  The cushion body 2 is formed by laminating a front side cushion layer 20 having a small 25% compressive load and a back side cushion layer 21 having a large 25% compressive load. The front cushion layer 20 mainly functions for loads in the low load region, and the back cushion layer 21 mainly functions for loads in the high load region. For this reason, compared with the case where only the front side cushion layer 20 having a small 25% compressive load is disposed alone, the impact can be absorbed not only in the low load region but also in the high load region. Therefore, the impact applied to the operator can be reduced regardless of the weight, pedaling force, etc. of the operator (male, female, adult, child, etc.). In addition, it is possible to reduce a sense of incongruity experienced by the operator at the time of input regardless of the operator's weight, pedal effort, and the like. Moreover, compared with the case where only the back side cushion layer 21 is arrange | positioned alone, the impact added to an operator can be made small in a low load area | region. In addition, it is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  Moreover, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the front cushion layer 20 has a 25% compressive load smaller than the back cushion layer 21. For this reason, the operator gets on the soft front cushion layer 20 when inputting the load. Therefore, the impact applied to the operator during input can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling experienced by the operator during input.

  Moreover, the 25% compressive load of the front side cushion layer 20 is 3 kPa. Further, the 25% compression load of the back cushion layer 21 is 30 kPa. For this reason, the discomfort experienced by the operator is reduced. Further, when the load is transmitted from the front side to the back side, the load is difficult to disperse in the surface direction.

  Moreover, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the front-side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back-side electrodes 1Y to 8Y are both strip-shaped. And detection part A11-A88 is arrange | positioned using the cross | intersection part of front side electrode 1X-8X and back side electrode 1Y-8Y. For this reason, the number of arrangement of electrodes and wirings is reduced. That is, a total of 64 detectors A11 to A88 are arranged. Here, if electrodes are arranged for each of the detection units A11 to A88, 64 front side electrodes and 64 back side electrodes are required. Further, if wiring is arranged for each of the detection units A11 to A88, 64 front side wirings and 64 back side wirings are required. On the other hand, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, a total of 16 front-side electrodes 1X to 8X and back-side electrodes 1Y to 8Y (= 8 + 8) are secured in order to secure the 64 detectors A11 to A88. Book) just arrange. For this reason, the number of electrodes is reduced. Further, to secure the 64 detection portions A11 to A88, it is only necessary to arrange a total of 16 (= 8 + 8) front side wirings 1x to 8x and back side wirings 1y to 8y. For this reason, the number of wiring arrangements is reduced.

  Further, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y are formed including acrylic rubber and conductive carbon black. For this reason, when a load is applied, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y can be bent and stretched together with the dielectric 30 according to the load. Therefore, there is little possibility that the front-side electrodes 1X to 8X or the back-side electrodes 1Y to 8Y regulate the bending and expansion / contraction of the dielectric 30.

  Moreover, the front side wiring 1x-8x and the back side wiring 1y-8y are formed including urethane rubber and silver powder. For this reason, the front side wirings 1x to 8x and the back side wirings 1y to 8y can be bent and stretched according to the load. Therefore, there is little possibility that the front side wirings 1x to 8x or the back side wirings 1y to 8y regulate the bending and expansion / contraction of the dielectric 30.

  Further, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the detection units A11 to A88 are distributed over the entire surface of the sensor 3. Therefore, the area of the portion where the load can be detected in the entire surface of the sensor 3 can be increased.

  Further, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the front side wirings 1x to 8x are arranged on the front side insulating film 31 by the screen printing method. And the back side electrodes 1Y-8Y and the back side wiring 1y-8y are arrange | positioned at the back side insulating film 32 with the screen printing method. For this reason, the flexible sensor 3 with a thin thickness in the vertical direction can be easily manufactured. Moreover, the freedom degree with respect to the shape, the number of arrangement | positioning, a position, etc. of front side electrode 1X-8X, front side wiring 1x-8x, back side electrode 1Y-8Y, and back side wiring 1y-8y becomes high.

  Further, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the top-side insulating film 31 and the back-side insulating film 32 each have a thickness in the vertical direction of 50 μm. For this reason, the front side insulating film 31 and the back side insulating film 32 are each easily deformed. Further, it is difficult to hinder the flexibility of the sensor 3 and the input interface device 1.

  The dielectric 30 of the sensor 3 is formed by laminating a front side dielectric layer 300 having a small 25% compressive load and a back side dielectric layer 301 having a large 25% compressive load. The front-side dielectric layer 300 mainly functions for load detection in the low-load region, and the back-side dielectric layer 301 mainly functions for load detection in the high-load region. For this reason, as compared with the case where only the front side dielectric layer 300 having a small 25% compressive load is disposed alone, the load can be detected not only in the low load region but also in the high load region. Therefore, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the load measurement range is widened. Further, the sensitivity in the low load region can be increased as compared with the case where only the back side dielectric layer 301 having a high 25% compressive load is disposed alone.

  Moreover, the 25% compressive load of the front side dielectric layer 300 is 2.5 kPa. Moreover, the 25% compressive load of the back side dielectric layer 301 is 20 kPa. For this reason, the discomfort experienced by the operator is reduced. Further, when the load is transmitted from the front side to the back side, the load is difficult to disperse in the surface direction.

  Further, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the front-side dielectric layer 300 and the back-side dielectric layer 301 are laminated from the upper side to the lower side in the order of increasing 25% compressive load. That is, the front side dielectric layer 300 having a small 25% compressive load is disposed on the upper side, and the back side dielectric layer 301 having a large 25% compressive load is disposed on the lower side.

  Hereinafter, the effect of the dielectric layer arrangement pattern will be described with reference to schematic views. In the following description, detection units A38 to A58 adjacent in the front-rear direction are illustrated, but the same applies to detection units adjacent in the left-right direction.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the dielectric shown in FIG. The front-side dielectric layer 300 includes surface direction springs 300a and 300b and front and back direction springs 300A to 300C. The back side dielectric layer 301 includes surface direction springs 301a and 301b and front and back direction springs 301A to 301C.

  Here, the spring constant in the surface direction (horizontal direction) of the surface direction springs 300a and 300b of the front side dielectric layer 300 is smaller than the spring constant in the surface direction of the surface direction springs 301a and 301b of the back side dielectric layer 301. In addition, the spring constants of the front and back direction springs 300 </ b> A to 300 </ b> C of the front side dielectric layer 300 are smaller than the spring constants of the front and back direction springs 301 </ b> A to 301 </ b> C of the back side dielectric layer 301.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram in the case where a load is applied to a dielectric in which the front-side dielectric layer and the back-side dielectric layer are arranged upside down with respect to FIG. The form of the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 7 is included in the input interface device of the present invention. As indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 7, when a load is applied to the detection portion A48, the front and back direction spring 301B of the back side dielectric layer 301 (which is disposed on the front side in FIG. 7) is compressed. Here, the spring constants of the surface direction springs 301a and 301b of the back side dielectric layer 301 are relatively large. For this reason, when a load is applied to the front and back direction spring 301B, the load is likely to be distributed to the front and back direction springs 301A and 301C via the surface direction springs 301a and 301b. Therefore, when a load is applied to the front and back direction spring 301B, the load is also easily applied to the front and back direction springs 301A and 301C. Therefore, the front and back direction springs 300A to 300C are easily compressed as a whole. As described above, when the back side dielectric layer 301 is disposed on the front side and the front side dielectric layer 300 is disposed on the back side, the detection units A38 and A58 to which the load is not input are easily deformed together with the detection unit A48 to which the load is input. . That is, not only the detection unit A48 but also the capacitances of the detection units A38 and A58 are likely to change.

  Therefore, when attention is paid to the number of detection units to which a load is input, the number of detection units to which a load is actually input = 1 is likely to be mistaken for an apparent number of detection units = 3. That is, when a load is transmitted from the front-side dielectric layer to the back-side dielectric layer, the load transmission area is likely to change. Further, when attention is paid to the detection unit A48 to which the load is input, the load is likely to be distributed to the other detection units A38 and A58, and thus the apparent detection load becomes smaller than the actual load. Thus, when the back side dielectric layer 301 having a large 25% compressive load is arranged on the front side and the front side dielectric layer 300 having a small 25% compressive load is arranged on the back side, both from the viewpoint of detection area and from the viewpoint of detection load, Sensitivity tends to decrease.

  FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram when a load is applied to the dielectric of FIG. As indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 8, when a load is applied to the detection part A48, the front and back direction spring 300B of the front side dielectric layer 300 is compressed. Here, the spring constants of the surface direction springs 300a and 300b of the front-side dielectric layer 300 are relatively small. For this reason, even if a load is applied to the front and back direction spring 300B, the load is difficult to be distributed to the front and back direction springs 300A and 300C via the surface direction springs 300a and 300b. Therefore, even if a load is applied to the front and back direction spring 300B, the front and back direction springs 300A and 300C are not easily compressed. Thus, by disposing the front-side dielectric layer 300 on the front side and the back-side dielectric layer 301 on the back side, it is possible to suppress the deformation of the detection units A38 and A58 to which no load is input. That is, it is possible to suppress changes in the capacitances of the detection units A38 and A58.

  Therefore, when paying attention to the number of detection units to which a load is input, the number of apparent detection units is less likely to increase than the number of detection units to which a load is actually input = 1. That is, when a load is transmitted from the front-side dielectric layer to the back-side dielectric layer, the load transmission area hardly changes. Therefore, the sensitivity is not easily lowered.

  When attention is paid to the detection unit A48 to which a load is input, the load is difficult to be distributed to the other detection units A38 and A58, and therefore, the apparent detection load is less likely to be smaller than the actual load. That is, the sensitivity is not easily lowered.

  As described above, according to the input interface device 1 of the present embodiment, the front-side dielectric layer 300 having a small 25% compressive load is disposed on the front side, and the back-side dielectric layer 301 having a large 25% compressive load is disposed on the back side. . Therefore, even though the cushion body 2 is arranged on the front side of the sensor 3, that is, although the load is likely to be dispersed in the surface direction before reaching the sensor 3, the detection is also performed from the viewpoint of the detection area. From the viewpoint of load, the sensitivity is hardly lowered.

<Others>
The embodiment of the input interface device of the present invention has been described above. However, the embodiment is not particularly limited to the above embodiment. Various modifications and improvements that can be made by those skilled in the art are also possible.

  The material of the elastomer used for the dielectric 30 is not particularly limited. The elastomer may contain one or more selected from silicone rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer rubber, acrylic rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, chlorinated polyethylene, and urethane rubber. As a result, the dielectric constant of the dielectric 30 is increased. For this reason, an electrostatic capacitance can be enlarged.

  The dielectric 30 may be made of a stretchable cloth. In this case, when a load is applied to the dielectric 30, the gap between the fibers constituting the cloth is crushed and the thickness of the cloth is reduced. That is, the thickness of the dielectric 30 is reduced. Thereby, the distance between the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y is reduced. As a result, the capacitance between the front-side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back-side electrodes 1Y to 8Y (capacitance of the detection units A11 to A88) increases, and the load is detected.

  The cloth may be any of woven cloth, knitted cloth, and non-woven cloth as long as it has elasticity. By using a cloth, it is possible to realize the thin film sensor 3 having excellent stretch flexibility at a relatively low cost. Moreover, there is a gap between the fibers constituting the cloth. For this reason, even when pressed with a small load, the thickness of the cloth is likely to change due to the crushing of the gap. Therefore, the sensor 3 has high detection sensitivity and excellent response.

  The material of the polymer used for the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y is not particularly limited. Polymers include silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber, natural rubber, styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer rubber, acrylic rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, chlorinated polyethylene, urethane rubber, etc. The elastomer may be included. The polymer may contain a plastic such as polyester or epoxy. If it carries out like this, the elasticity of front side electrode 1X-8X and back side electrode 1Y-8Y will become high. For this reason, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X, the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y, and the dielectric 30 are easily bent and stretched integrally.

  The material of the conductive filler used for the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y is not particularly limited. The conductive filler may be one or more selected from carbon materials and metals. As the metal, highly conductive silver, copper, or the like is preferable. Therefore, as the conductive filler, fine particles such as silver and copper, or fine particles having a surface plated with silver or the like can be used. Carbon materials have good conductivity and are relatively inexpensive. For this reason, when the conductive filler made of the carbon material is used, the manufacturing cost of the capacitive sensor can be reduced. Examples of the carbon material include conductive carbon black, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanotube derivatives, graphite, and conductive carbon fibers. In particular, conductive carbon black, graphite, and conductive carbon fiber have good conductivity and are relatively inexpensive. For this reason, when these materials are used, the manufacturing cost of the sensor 3 and the input interface device 1 can be reduced.

  Moreover, the material of the front side insulating film 31 and the back side insulating film 32 is not specifically limited. An insulating resin or elastomer may be used. For example, polyamide, polyethylene, acrylic rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene copolymer rubber, natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, chlorinated polyethylene rubber may be used. Good.

  The material of the cushion body 2 is not particularly limited. In the case of an elastomer, a blend in which a large amount of oil is filled in an ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber or the like may be used. In the case of a foam, a polyethylene foam or a polystyrene foam may be used. In the case of a three-dimensional knitted fabric of fibers, one obtained by three-dimensional knitting using fibers such as polyester fiber or polyamide fiber, or one obtained by three-dimensionally heat-bonding short fibers to a cloth may be used.

  Further, a gel elastomer may be used as the material of the cushion body 2. Gel elastomers are very flexible. In addition, the hysteresis in the stress-strain curve is small. For this reason, restoration to the original shape is fast. Therefore, the time required for one input operation can be shortened. Moreover, the tack force of a gel elastomer is large. For this reason, both members can be stuck only by laminating | stacking the cushion body 2 and the sensor 3. FIG. In this case, even if the cushion body 2 is elastically deformed, the displacement of the sensor 3 is small. Further, the followability of the sensor 3 to the elastic deformation of the cushion body 2 is also good.

  As the gel elastomer for the cushion body 2, one or more kinds selected from silicone elastomers, urethane gels, and thermoplastic elastomers blended with oil components may be used. If it carries out like this, it will be easy to produce the cushion body 2 which has desired softness | flexibility and restoring property.

  Here, as the thermoplastic elastomer in which the oil component is blended, it is desirable that the oil component is contained by 70% by mass or more when the total mass is 100% by mass. As a thermoplastic elastomer, what has the three-part structure of ABA is desirable. Here, A is a rigid polymer (polystyrene, functional polymer, etc.), B is an elastomeric polymer (polybutylene, polyethylene, poly (ethylene / propylene), poly (ethylene-ethylene / propylene), hydrogenated poly (isoprene, butadiene) , Isoprene-butadiene), poly (ethylene / butylene + ethylene / propylene)). Among them, those having an ultrahigh molecular weight polystyrene-poly (ethylene-ethylene / propylene) -polystyrene structure are preferable. The oil component includes paraffinic white mineral oil, paraffin, isoparaffin, naphthene oil, polybutylene, polypropylene, polyterpene, poly-β-pinene, hydrogenated polybutane, polybutane (having an epoxide group at one end of the polybutane polymer), etc. Is mentioned.

  Moreover, you may comprise the cushion body 2 and the dielectric material 30 by the some pillar part whose axial direction is a front-back direction, and a space part. In this way, the spring constants in the front and back directions of the cushion body 2 and the dielectric body 30 can be adjusted according to the dimensions of the pillars, the arrangement density, and the like. Thus, the spring constants in the front and back directions of the cushion body 2 and the dielectric body 30 may be adjusted by devising the structure instead of the material.

  The front side wirings 1x to 8x and the back side wirings 1y to 8y may include a polymer and a conductive filler. In this case, as the polymer and the conductive filler, polymers for the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y and conductive fillers may be used. Further, as the conductive filler, gold powder, copper powder, nickel powder or the like may be used. Moreover, the same thing can be used for the electrode and the wiring within a range satisfying the conduction function.

  The shape, position, number of arrangement, etc. of the front side electrodes 1X to 8X, the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y, the front side wirings 1x to 8x, and the back side wirings 1y to 8y are not particularly limited. For example, one of the front electrode and the back electrode may be arranged concentrically. In addition, the other may be arranged radially concentrically with one. Even in this case, the front side electrode and the back side electrode can be substantially orthogonal when viewed from the front side or the back side. Further, the shape of the input interface device 1 is not particularly limited. It may be rectangular, polygonal, elliptical, circular, or the like.

  In the embodiment, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X and the front side wirings 1x to 8x are printed on the back surface of the front side insulating film 31. In addition, the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y and the back side wirings 1y to 8y were printed on the surface of the back side insulating film 32. However, the front-side electrodes 1X to 8X and the front-side wirings 1x to 8x may be printed on the surface of the dielectric 30. In addition, the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y and the back side wirings 1y to 8y may be printed on the back surface of the dielectric 30. If it carries out like this, the positional relationship of front side electrode 1X-8X and back side electrode 1Y-8Y is hard to shift | deviate. Further, the detection units A11 to A88 can be accurately arranged at desired positions. Further, the front side electrodes 1X to 8X, the front side wirings 1x to 8x, the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y, the back side wirings 1y to 8y, and the dielectric 30 can be easily integrated.

  In the above embodiment, the screen printing method is used for printing the front side electrodes 1X to 8X, the front side wirings 1x to 8x, the back side electrodes 1Y to 8Y, and the back side wirings 1y to 8y. However, an inkjet printing method, a flexographic printing method, a gravure printing method, a pad printing method, lithography, a dispenser printing method, or the like may be used. Further, the number of layers of the cushion body 2 and the dielectric 30 is not particularly limited. It may be a single layer. Three or more layers may be used.

  In the above embodiment, a command is input to the input interface device 1 by the sole 90. However, the command may be input by each part of the body (head, palm, knee, elbow, buttocks, etc.).

  In the said embodiment, the front side cushion layer 20 and the back side cushion layer 21, the front side dielectric layer 300, the back side dielectric layer 301, the cushion body 2, and the sensor 3 were adhere | attached with the adhesive agent which has elasticity, respectively. However, these members do not have to be bonded. That is, it may be simply laminated.

  In the said embodiment, the front side electrodes 1X-8X, the front side wiring 1x-8x, and the dielectric material 30 were made to contact directly. In addition, the back-side electrodes 1Y to 8Y, the back-side wirings 1y to 8y, and the dielectric 30 were brought into direct contact. However, a protective layer may be interposed between the electrode, wiring, and dielectric. By doing so, it is possible to prevent wear due to direct contact between the electrode and wiring and the dielectric. Examples of the material for the protective layer include urethane and silicone.

  Hereinafter, a load measurement experiment performed on the input interface device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Sample>
The difference between the sample of Example 1 and the input interface device 1 of the above-described embodiment is that the cushion body 2 and the dielectric 30 are each composed of a single layer. The thickness of the cushion body 2 in the vertical direction is 5 mm. Each of the front-side insulating film 31 and the back-side insulating film 32 has a thickness in the vertical direction of 50 μm.

  The difference between the sample of Example 2 and the input interface device 1 of the above embodiment is that the cushion body 2 and the dielectric 30 are each formed of a single layer. The cushion body 2 has a vertical thickness of 10 mm. Each of the front-side insulating film 31 and the back-side insulating film 32 has a thickness in the vertical direction of 50 μm.

  The difference between the sample of Comparative Example 1 and the input interface device 1 of the above embodiment is that the cushion body 2 is not arranged. The dielectric 30 is a single layer. Each of the front-side insulating film 31 and the back-side insulating film 32 has a thickness in the vertical direction of 50 μm.

<Experimental method and experimental results>
The load measurement experiment was performed by measuring the compression amount of the thickness in the vertical direction when a load was applied to each sample (Example 1, Example 2, Comparative Example 1). FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the compression amount and the load (input value). Comparative Example 1 (left side of the graph) is indicated by a thin line and Example 2 (right side of the graph) is indicated by a thick line with respect to the line of Example 1 (center of the graph). As shown in FIG. 9, the slope of the curve (load change amount / compression amount change amount) is Comparative Example 1, Example 1, and Example 2 in descending order. From this, it was found that the inclination is larger when the cushion body 2 is not arranged. Moreover, it turned out that inclination becomes large, so that the up-down direction thickness of the cushion body 2 is thin.

  The greater the amount of compression when the same load is applied, the smaller the impact on the operator during input. From this point of view, it was found that Example 2, Example 1, and Comparative Example 1 were in order of increasing impact on the operator.

  Hereinafter, a load measurement experiment performed on the sample of Example 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. The thicker the cushion body 2 is, the more difficult it is to transmit the load to the sensor 3. For this reason, the sensitivity of the sensor 3 is lowered. Therefore, a load measurement experiment was performed on Example 2 in which the thickness of the cushion body 2 in the vertical direction was larger than that of Example 1.

  FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the load (input value) and the capacitance. As shown in FIG. 10, the capacitance increased as the load increased. From this, it was found that the load (output value) can be calculated from the capacitance of Example 2. As described above, the vertical thickness of the cushion body 2 is smaller in the first embodiment than in the second embodiment. For this reason, even in the case of the first embodiment, it is possible to calculate the load from the capacitance. That is, if the thickness of the cushion body 2 in the vertical direction is 10 mm or less, the load can be calculated from the capacitance.

1: Input interface device, 1X to 8X: Front side electrode, 1Y to 8Y: Back side electrode, 1x to 8x: Front side wiring, 1y to 8y: Back side wiring, 2: Cushion body, 3: Sensor.
20: front side cushion layer (cushion layer), 21: back side cushion layer (cushion layer), 30: dielectric, 31: front side insulating film, 32: back side insulating film, 33: front side wiring connector, 34: back side wiring connector , 90: sole.
300: front side dielectric layer (dielectric layer), 300a: plane direction spring, 300b: plane direction spring, 300A to 300C: front and back direction spring, 301: back side dielectric layer (dielectric layer), 301a: plane direction spring, 301b: plane direction Spring, 301A to 301C: Front-back spring, 310: Electrode printing unit, 311: Wiring printing unit, 320: Electrode printing unit, 321: Wiring printing unit.
A11 to A88: detection unit, a: cushion layer (dielectric layer), b: cushion layer (dielectric layer), α: low load region, β: high load region.

Claims (5)

A cushion body,
A dielectric made of an elastomer or a stretchable cloth, a front electrode having a polymer and a conductive filler filled in the polymer, and disposed on the front side of the dielectric; and a polymer disposed on the back side of the dielectric; A backside electrode having a conductive filler filled in the polymer, and a plurality of detection units arranged in a portion where the front side electrode and the backside electrode overlap when viewed from the front side or the back side, A capacitance-type sensor that is arranged on the back side and is capable of detecting a load distribution by inputting a load to the plurality of detection units via the cushion body;
Equipped with a,
The dielectric has a plurality of dielectric layers each having different spring constants in the front and back directions,
The plurality of dielectric layers are stacked in a sheet-like input interface device so that the order of decreasing 25% compressive load in JIS K 6767 and the direction from the front side to the back side correspond to each other .   The input interface device according to claim 1, wherein each of the cushion bodies has a plurality of cushion layers having different spring constants in the front and back directions.   The input interface device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of cushion layers are stacked so that the order in which the 25% compressive load in JIS K 6767 is small corresponds to the direction from the front side to the back side.   The input interface device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cushion body includes at least one of a foam, a three-dimensional knitted fabric of fiber, and a gel.   The sensor includes a front-side insulating film on which the front-side electrode is printed on the back surface, and a back-side insulating film on which the back-side electrode is printed on the surface,
  The input interface device according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric is interposed between the front-side insulating film and the back-side insulating film.

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