Pressure sensor utilizing extension type conductive rubber

Abstract

Abstract A pressure sensor that utilizes an extension type conductive elastomer that will exhibit a decrease in its electrical resistance in response to an extension thereto. Like sheets of the conductive elastomer and an electrically insulative elastomer are overlaid and sandwiched between supporting members within a housing of the pressure sensor. The housing and each supporting member are preferably cylindrical or ring shaped, and which conductive elastomer has a pair of spaced electrodes electrically connected thereto at opposite points on its periphery. The periphery of the electrically insulative elastomer is squeezed continuously in a circle between the supporting members, while that of the conductive elastomer that includes recesses is squeezed therebetween discontinuously in the sections between the electrodes. When a pressure is applied to the contacting elastomers, they will be convexly deformed away from the pressure both experiencing an extension or stretching in the portions thereof that are not squeezed together. Thereby, the electrical resistance across the conductive elastomer as measured across the electrodes, will decrease in an analog fashion in response to the applied pressure. Accordingly, the applied pressure can be directly sensed as a change in electrical resistance as measured across the electrodes.

Inventors

• 👤 Hiroshi Kuramochi
• 👤 Yasuo Okuda
• 👤 Sigeyosi Ogihara

Bibliographic Details