Mitsuba Corporation

Yasuhiro Orihara

Mitsuhiro Okada

Tsuyoshi Maruyama

Yohei Inagaki

Hideki Kubota

Minori Shoda

Naruhito Ogino

Takabumi Oikawa

Koji Yamauchi

The disclosure realizes a touch sensor unit including a mold part that can restrict the movement of a sensor body embedded in a sensor holder. A touch sensor unit includes a sensor body, a sensor holder in which the sensor body is embedded, and a resistor disposed outside the sensor holder and electrically connected to the sensor body. The sensor body includes a tubular insulator that is elastically deformed when an external force is applied, and a plurality of linear electrodes that are provided inside the tubular insulator and come into contact with each other as the tubular insulator is elastically deformed. At least an end of the sensor holder, an end of the tubular insulator protruding from an end surface of the sensor holder, and the resistor are molded together with a mold part which is a resin molded body.

Touch sensor unit

The disclosure improves the flexibility of arrangement of a separator provided at an end of a touch sensor unit to ensure electrical insulation. A sensor body included in a touch sensor unit includes a tubular insulator that is elastically deformed when an external force is applied; linear electrodes that are provided inside the tubular insulator and come into contact with each other as the tubular insulator is elastically deformed; a resistor disposed on an outer side of an end of the tubular insulator; connection wires connecting the linear electrodes and the resistor; a separator interposed between the connection wires and preventing contact between the connection wires; a mold part including at least the connection wires, the resistor, and the separator; and a cover member covering at least a part of the connection wires, the resistor, and the separator via the mold part.

The disclosure provides a manufacturing method of a touch sensor unit that includes a tubular insulator housing a plurality of electrodes, and the plurality of electrodes housed in the tubular insulator are prevented from being fixed in a short-circuited state by the resin flowing into the tubular insulator. The manufacturing method of the touch sensor unit includes: a first process of disposing an end of a sensor holder, a resistor, connection wires, and a separator, which are included in a mold part provided at an end of the touch sensor unit, in a mold; and a second process of supplying molten resin into the mold in a state where the tubular insulator housing linear electrodes is pressed from an outer side of the sensor holder in the mold. In the second process, the tubular insulator is pressed within a range where the tubular insulator and an insertion protrusion overlap.

A first separator that prevents a pair of electrodes from short-circuiting each other is provided on end parts of the pair of electrodes in a longitudinal direction thereof, a first molded resin part that covers the first separator is provided on an end part of an insulation tube in a longitudinal direction thereof, a part of the first separator) on one side in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction and another part of the first separator on the other side in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction are each exposed to outside. When the first separator is embedded in the first molded resin part through insert molding, the first separator can be supported by a lower mold and an upper mold, portions of the first separator supported by the pair of molds at this time are portions exposed to outside.

Touch sensor unit and manufacturing method thereof

The disclosure makes an insulating component and a sensor bracket to be an integrally molded article, simplifies the manufacturing process and cuts down the cost. A sensor holder and a sensor bracket made of a resin are made to be an integrally molded article, wherein the sensor holder inside which a pair of electrodes are arranged, and the sensor bracket made of a resin which holds the sensor holder and is attached to a tailgate. During an operation of filling a molten resin to a cavity, a part of the sensor holder is melted by the molten resin, and thus integrating the sensor holder and the molten resin, therefore, the two components can be structurally and firmly integrated. Accordingly, a touch sensor unit which endures long-term use can be obtained.

The disclosure provides a touch sensor unit. A conductive component is arranged between a pair of electrodes which are arranged inside an insulating tube, and the conductive component includes: a body section, which extends in a longitudinal direction of the insulating tube; and a convex section, which is arranged on an outer circumference of the body section, extends along the longitudinal direction of the body section, and sinks into the pair of electrodes. Short circuit or non-short circuit and so on of the electrodes can be detected by detecting the resistance value of the conductive component. Merely by inserting the conductive component into one end in the longitudinal direction of the electrodes, the pair of electrodes are electrically connected, and only the convex section sinks into the pair of electrodes, therefore the insertion load of the conductive component can be reduced, and the terminal treatment can be simplified.

Growing community of inventors

Gunma, Japan

Yasuhiro Orihara