KR101050434B1 - Improved body-sensitive touch switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

An improved body-sensitive touch switch according to the present invention includes an electrode electrically connected with a capacitive sensor and in contact with a user's body; A capacitive sensor for detecting a change in capacitance with respect to the electrode; And a control module for outputting a driving signal when a detection signal for a change in capacitance is input from the capacitive sensor, wherein the electrode is formed using a conductive paint.

According to the present invention, it is possible to form the electrode of the touch switch of the free form regardless of the shape or appearance of the product can realize the interface with the user more effectively, as well as contact with other electrical elements inside the product. It can prevent the malfunction of the touch switch can be provided at the source can be provided.

Description

Touch switch apparatus of body sensitive type with enhanced structure

The present invention relates to a touch switch and a device using the same to detect a touch of the body, and more particularly, attached to an object that is essentially accompanied by movement or movement, such as a robot, the movement of the object through the contact of the body, etc. Or it relates to a touch switch that can receive a signal for motion control.

Conventional electrical appliances, etc. are provided with a switch for receiving a signal for controlling the operation of the electrical appliance from a user, etc. These switches have physical characteristics such as push switches (push switches), seesaw switches (toggle switches), slide switches, etc. It can be classified variously according to.

However, such mechanical switches, such as push switches (push switches), seesaw switches (toggle switches), slide switches, and the like, mutually contact physically spaced contacts or physically spaced contacts for controlling the operation of the mechanism. This repetitive actuation drive inevitably involves physical wear.

Such physical wear, which leads to a shorter life cycle of the switch, is accompanied by a replacement of parts, but it can be said to be an economically disadvantageous interface device. Such a mechanical switch has a safety accident such as an electrical short due to its structural characteristics. Can also cause.

In addition, when an object such as a device or a device equipped with a switch is essentially accompanied by movement, the switch is also moved according to the movement of the object, so that the user can accurately determine the position of the switch to physically press or move the switch. A new problem may arise that things are not easy on their own.

In order to solve the above problems and allow the user to have an affinity interface with the product, a touch switch capable of detecting a change in capacitance between the human body and the earth and controlling the operation through the detected change in capacitance has been widely used in recent years. It is becoming.

Briefly explaining the operation principle of the touch switch, the touch switch is provided with a capacitive sensor, the body and the like contact with the electrode of the touch switch electrically connected to the capacitive sensor, the capacitance between the electrode and the earth This will change.

When the capacitance changes as described above, the capacitive sensor of the touch switch detects this, signals it, and transmits it to a drive control module or the like provided in the product, so that the product or the like performs a specific operation.

However, since the electrode constituting the touch switch has its own capacitance, the electrode for detecting the change in capacitance is made of a conductive material having a small capacitance as much as possible in order to detect a change or difference in capacitance. This electrical characteristic limitation condition will eventually be exposed to the outside to limit the size of the electrode to interface with the user.

If the electrode of the touch switch, which is limited in size, is necessarily accompanied by movement or movement, or is employed in a product such as a robot with large movement or movement, the user may still contact the body with the touch switch to drive the product. Not only is it easy to control, but when manufacturing a robot, etc., there is a problem that the use of various forms and shapes of the touch switch for effective and efficient control of the user is significantly limited.

In order to effectively control a robot, a user needs to form an electrode for the touch switch in a large area such as the entire robot arm, but the conventional method is uneconomical since a solid metal of a conductive material is mainly used. Of course, there is a problem in that it is not easy to mount it on a robotic arm or the like rather than a flat shape.

In addition, the electrode pad and the capacitive sensor to be exposed to the outside are not the same depending on the form implemented in the product, but are generally physically separated from each other, and in this separation state, the electrode and the capacitive sensor are electrically It is configured to be connected.

Unlike the mechanical switch described above, in the case of the touch switch controlling the driving of the product through the change of capacitance, the change of the capacitance should be sensed, but the electrode and the sensor are electrically connected to each other through the electrical conductor as described above. In this case, when the movement or movement of the product or a physical collision with the outside occurs, the conductor may be in physical or electrical contact with other electrical elements in the product, which causes a change in capacitance due to unwanted electrical contact. This may cause product malfunction.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems in the background as described above, even if provided in a product that is essentially accompanied by a movement, such as a robot does not malfunction, as well as more effectively perform the interface function with the user and It is an object of the present invention to provide a touch switch or a touch switch device using the same, wherein the electrode has a high utilization in shape or shape.

The body-sensitive touch switch of the improved structure of the present invention for achieving the above object is an electrode electrically connected with the capacitive sensor and in contact with the body of the user; A capacitive sensor for detecting a change in capacitance with respect to the electrode; And a control module for outputting a driving signal when a detection signal for a change in capacitance is input from the capacitive sensor, and the electrode is configured to be formed using a conductive paint.

In addition, the electrode is more preferably configured to be formed in a net shape.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a body-sensitive touch switch device having an improved structure, including: an electrode module having an electrode electrically connected to a capacitive sensor and formed using a conductive paint contacting a user's body; And a PCB module having a capacitive sensor for detecting a change in capacitance of the electrode and a control module for outputting a driving signal when a detection signal for the change in capacitance is input from the capacitive sensor. The electrode of the present invention is more preferably configured to be formed in a net shape.

In addition, the PCB is electrically connected to the capacitive sensor and the pattern line, the first coupling hole is coupled to a predetermined mechanism on which the touch switch device is mounted, the electrode is the electrode and the capacitive sensor The second coupling hole is coupled to the first coupling hole by the coupling of a predetermined conductive coupling means for the electrical connection of the.

In order to implement another preferred embodiment, the PCB substrate is provided with a first coupling hole electrically connected by the capacitive sensor and the pattern line and coupled with a predetermined mechanism on which the touch switch device is mounted. The second coupling hole is electrically connected by the electrode and the pattern line, and the second coupling hole is coupled to the first coupling hole by fastening a predetermined conductive coupling means for the electrical connection between the electrode and the capacitive sensor. .

According to the present invention, it is possible to form a variety of electrodes by forming the electrode of the touch switch using a conductive paint, thereby providing an advantage that can be produced without being limited to the shape or shape of the product for the touch switch for body contact sensitivity can do.

In particular, a part or all of the body part of the robot can be simply and easily configured as an electrode of the sensitive touch switch, thereby making it possible to manufacture a robot with higher utilization.

In addition, the electrical connection between each element of the touch switch can be configured so as not to be influenced by physical movement, movement, or external impact of the target equipped with the switch at all, thereby creating an effect of fundamentally eliminating the possibility of malfunction. .

In addition, it is possible to utilize the fastening means or the fastening structure, which is essentially provided in the mechanism on which the touch switch is mounted, as it is possible to implement the touch switch more simply and efficiently as well as to provide a more affordable and economical touch switch. .

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, terms or words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to the common or dictionary meanings, and the inventors should properly explain the concept of terms in order to best explain their own invention. Based on the principle that can be defined, it should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention.

Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention, various modifications that can be replaced at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a body-sensitive touch switch (hereinafter touch switch) of an improved structure according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the touch switch according to the present invention includes an electrode 110, a capacitive sensor 120, and a control module 130.

The electrode 110 is electrically connected to the capacitive sensor 120 and performs a predetermined interface function in contact with a part of a human body such as a user's hand or arm and receiving a control signal such as driving from the user.

The electrode 110 according to the present invention is configured to be formed using a liquid or gaseous conductive paint to effectively solve the problems of the prior art described above.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, which is a diagram of a method of forming the electrode according to the present invention, the electrode may include mask means corresponding to a shape to be formed on a predetermined substrate 10 on which an electrode is to be formed ( 20) and the like, and can be formed by spraying a conductive paint through a predetermined spraying means (30).

As shown in FIG. 2, forming an electrode of the present invention using a predetermined mask means is an embodiment, and a method of forming an electrode using a liquid or gaseous conductive paint among those skilled in the art. Of course, various applications are possible.

Through the method shown in FIG. 2, the electrode 11 using the conductive paint of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3 is formed. In the case of forming the electrode using the conductive paint as in the present invention, electrodes of various shapes and shapes can be formed by a simple method that does not require special processing operations.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 4, the electrode can be effectively formed on the substrate 10 having the bend and the like, thereby forming an electrode that can be easily applied to the appearance of a mechanism on which the touch switch is mounted.

3 and 4, the predetermined substrate 10 on which the electrode is formed may be a substrate of a module for forming the predetermined module, and according to an embodiment, may be directly connected to an internal or external surface of a mechanism to which a switch is to be mounted. In this case, reference numeral 10 may refer to an internal or external surface of the device.

Since the touch switch is essentially in contact with a human body or the like, the electrode should be formed on the surface of the device or the like on which the touch switch is mounted. According to the embodiment, the electrode may be directly formed on the surface of the device. It may be formed to face the surface in the back portion of the surface, that is, the inside of the device, and may be configured so that a predetermined opening is formed on the surface to make contact with the electrode from the outside of the device.

The electrode may also be configured such that the electrode itself is in direct contact with the outside, and may be configured through a method of covering a predetermined protective means or a means for exterior decoration or the like on the upper surface of the electrode.

In particular, an apparatus such as an intelligent robot, in which movement is essentially performed, uses a touch switch to configure a surface of a part of the body of the robot in order to effectively control a motion or communicate with a user, and prevent a safety accident of a product operation. The case is common.

That is, when a person touches the arm or the head of the robot, a driving operation corresponding to the touch may be performed, for example, stopping, greeting, shaking the arm, stopping the autonomous driving, or changing a direction. In general, a method of forming an electrode by using a conductor is conventionally used, and since the electrode is provided only in a local space on the surface of the robot body, it is difficult for a user to touch it, which makes it difficult to control the operation of the robot. .

When the electrode is formed using the conductive paint as in the present invention, the electrode can be formed in a larger area even at the same or similar cost, so that the interface with the user can be performed more easily. It is possible to provide an advantage in that a portion can be formed in an electrode having a shape corresponding to the portion.

In addition, the electrode is preferably configured in the form of a lattice or mesh, as described above, the touch switch is based on the change of capacitance between the earth by the contact of the human body, if the electrode is formed in a wide range too wide The capacitance of the electrode itself is considerably large, and in this case, the critical change of the capacitance cannot be made accurately, which may cause a problem that the re-function cannot be performed as an electrode of the touch switch.

Therefore, as described above, the electrode is formed in a wide range using a conductive paint, but when the electrode is formed in the form of a mesh or a mesh, the contact area between the electrode and the human body is widened and the capacitance held by the electrode itself is increased. It can be reduced to improve the performance of the response.

On the other hand, the capacitive sensor 120 of the present invention performs a function of detecting a change in capacitance of the electrode 11 formed as described above, when the capacitive sensor 120 detects a change in capacitance The predetermined detection signal is output to the predetermined control module 130.

When the detection signal is input, the control module 130 controls various modules included in a mechanism to perform a specific operation, such that a robot such as a robot equipped with a touch switch performs an operation according to physical contact.

Hereinafter, the structural features of the touch switch device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

As shown in FIG. 5, the touch switch device of the present invention may include an electrode module 300 and a PCB module 200. The electrode module 300 refers to a configuration corresponding to one module including an electrode 11 electrically connected to the capacitive sensor 220 and formed using the conductive paint described above.

In addition, the PCB module 200 has a capacitive sensor 220 for detecting a change in capacitance with respect to the electrode 11 and a detection signal for a change in capacitance from the capacitive sensor 220. When input, a control module 230 for outputting a driving signal is provided.

In general, a boss (BOSS) means consisting of a coupling hole or a hole for fixing various types of modules or electronic elements mounted on the instrument is essentially present, and also fixed to the instrument or the like. Modules or elements to be coupled are essentially provided with a hole (hole) corresponding to the boss means.

The present invention proposes a method in which the touch switch device can be mounted in the mechanism by utilizing the means essentially present in the mechanism such as the boss means without requiring additional means or changing the structure.

As shown in FIG. 5, first, the capacitive sensor 220 and the pattern line 221 electrically connect the first coupling hole 240, which is a hole for coupling the PC module 200 with a predetermined mechanism. Connect The pattern line 221 may be easily manufactured by utilizing a general pad pattern formed on a PCB as it is.

In addition, a second coupling hole 140 is formed in the electrode 11 at a position corresponding to the first coupling hole 240. Since the first coupling hole 240 and the second coupling hole 140 are formed as described above, a predetermined conductive coupling means such as a screw is provided through the first coupling hole 240 and the second coupling hole 140. When it is fixed to the back, the electrode 11 of the touch switch and the capacitive sensor 220 are effectively electrically connected by the energization of the conductive coupling means, the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole.

As described above, the touch switch according to the present invention, as described above, employs a mechanism in which the switch operates by sensing a change in capacitance with the earth when a part of the body contacts the electrode. In this case, in the related art, it is a common method to electrically connect the electrodes of the touch switch and the capacitive sensor through wiring through conductive wires.

However, the leads may be in physical contact with other modules or electronic devices in the instrument, and if a physical contact occurs, an unwanted change in capacitance may be detected, in which case the touch switch may malfunction.

In addition to electronic devices such as vacuum cleaners that perform autonomous driving, devices such as intelligent robots, which are essentially accompanied by movements, are accompanied by physical movements or collisions with other objects. Since the contact occurs more frequently, this problem may cause serious touch switch malfunction.

Therefore, as proposed in the present invention, the electrical connection between the electrode and the capacitive sensor is realized by utilizing bosses, ribs, coupling holes, coupling holes, etc., which are essentially present in the mechanism and the module. Even when a shock or movement is accompanied, physical or electrical contact with other devices can be prevented at the source, thereby effectively overcoming a malfunction of the touch switch.

According to the embodiment, not only the second coupling hole 140 is formed in the electrode itself, but also the second coupling hole 140 is formed in the substrate of the electrode module 300 and the like. It may be configured to engage with the hole 240.

Referring to Figure 6 showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail the coupling structure and the like.

First, the boss means 400 for fixing the module is provided on the surface of the mechanism 600 in which the touch switch or the touch switch device according to the present invention is mounted.

The coupling means 500 of the conductive material of the present invention is coupled to the boss means 400 through the second coupling hole 140 of the electrode module 300 and the first coupling hole 240 of the PC module 200. The first coupling hole 240 and the second coupling hole 140 are connected by the coupling of the coupling means 500 of the conductive material.

As described above, the first coupling hole 240 is electrically connected to the capacitive sensor 220 by a pattern line, and the second coupling hole 140 is electrically connected to the electrode 11 of the present invention. Since it is connected, the capacitive sensor 220 and the electrode 11 are electrically connected by the combination of the first coupling hole 240 and the second coupling hole 140.

On the other hand, between the electrode module 300 and the PCB module 200 of the present invention as shown in Figure 6 performs a function of a predetermined spacer (spacer) to the predetermined electrode module 300 and the PC module 200 Washing ring 700 and the like to be spaced apart is preferably provided additionally.

Although the present invention has been described above by means of limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto and will be described below by the person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the claims.

The following drawings, which are attached to this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and together with the detailed description of the present invention serve to further understand the technical spirit of the present invention, the present invention includes matters described in such drawings. It should not be construed as limited to.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an improved body-sensitive touch switch according to the present invention;

2 is a view schematically showing a method of forming an electrode of a touch switch according to the present invention;

3 is a view showing the shape of an electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention,

4 is a view showing the shape of an electrode according to another embodiment of the present invention,

5 is a view showing the configuration of the body-sensitive touch switch device of the improved structure according to the present invention,

6 is an exploded perspective view showing the structural coupling relationship of the body-sensitive touch switch device of the improved structure according to the present invention.

Claims (6)

delete delete An electrode module electrically connected to the capacitive sensor and having an electrode formed by using a conductive paint contacting the user's body; And It includes a PC module having a capacitive sensor for detecting a change in capacitance of the electrode and a control module for outputting a drive signal when a detection signal for the change in capacitance is input from the capacitive sensor, The PC module, A first coupling hole electrically connected by the capacitive sensor and a pattern line, and coupled to a predetermined mechanism on which a touch switch device is mounted; The electrode, A body-sensitive touch switch device having an improved structure comprising a second coupling hole coupled to the first coupling hole by fastening a predetermined conductive coupling means for electrical connection between the electrode and the capacitive sensor. . The method of claim 3, wherein the electrode, An improved body-sensitive touch switch device, characterized in that formed in a net shape. delete An electrode module electrically connected to the capacitive sensor and having an electrode formed by using a conductive paint contacting the user's body; And It includes a PC module having a capacitive sensor for detecting a change in capacitance of the electrode and a control module for outputting a drive signal when a detection signal for the change in capacitance is input from the capacitive sensor, The PC module, A first coupling hole electrically connected by the capacitive sensor and a pattern line, and coupled to a predetermined mechanism on which a touch switch device is mounted; The electrode module, A second coupling hole is electrically connected to the electrode by a pattern line and is coupled to the first coupling hole by coupling a predetermined conductive coupling means for electrical connection between the electrode and the capacitive sensor. An improved body-sensitive touch switch device.

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