JP7646183B2 - Linear Sensor Unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a linear sensor unit that includes a linear sensor having a sensor wire and a shield coating, and a terminal member electrically connected to the linear sensor.

A linear sensor is known that uses an internal conductor, a piezoelectric body provided in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the internal conductor, and an external conductor provided in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body as a sensor wire (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.). This linear sensor has the characteristic that the piezoelectric body is deformed by the application of an external load, and a voltage is induced between the internal conductor and the external conductor. Using this characteristic, it is being considered to use the linear sensor as a pressure sensor for detecting pressure or a vibration sensor for detecting vibration. It is also being considered to configure a linear sensor using a resistance wire such as conductive rubber or a capacitor wire as a sensor wire instead of a sensor wire using a piezoelectric body. In these linear sensors, it is difficult to obtain accurate detection results if external noise enters the sensor wire. As a countermeasure against this external noise, some sensors are equipped with a shield coating to cover the outside of the sensor wire in order to block external noise from the outside. Also, a linear sensor unit is known in which terminal members are arranged on the end of a linear sensor equipped with a shield coating that is connected to a circuit and on the end opposite to the end connected to the circuit. Hereinafter, the end portion connected to the circuit will be referred to as the output end portion, and the end portion opposite the end connected to the circuit will be referred to as the termination end portion.

International Publication No. WO2019/117037

Both ends of the linear sensor unit must be connected to the terminal member without shorting the conductor part of the sensor wire and the shield coating. If the linear sensor is simply cut into a ring, there is a risk that the conductor part of the sensor wire and the shield coating will short-circuit. For this reason, at the end of the linear sensor, the shield coating, the sheath between the shield coating and the conductor part of the sensor wire, and the conductor part of the sensor wire were cut at a position slightly away from each other in the extension direction of the linear sensor. Then, at the output end, after electrically connecting one end of the lead wire to each of the conductor part of the sensor wire and the shield coating, the terminal member was formed by wrapping insulating tape to cover the conductor part of the sensor wire, covering the insulating tape with a conductive film electrically connected to the shield coating, and further covering that with another insulating tape. On the other hand, at the termination end, the terminal member was formed by wrapping insulating tape to cover the conductor part of the sensor wire, covering the insulating tape with a conductive film electrically connected to the shield coating, and further covering that with another insulating tape. By covering the output end and termination end with a conductive film electrically connected to the shield coating, it is possible to prevent external noise from entering from both ends of the sensor wire. However, this process is very cumbersome, which creates the problem of making the linear sensor unit expensive.

In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide an inexpensive linear sensor unit.

The linear sensor unit of the present invention that solves the above-mentioned object is a linear sensor unit including a linear sensor having a sensor wire and a shield coating, and a terminal member electrically connected to the linear sensor,
The terminal member has a first shield conductor layer electrically connected to the shield coating, and is a film-like member overlapped to cover the periphery of the linear sensor.

According to the linear sensor unit of the present invention, the terminal member is a film-like member having the first shield conductor layer, so the terminal member can be easily connected and fixed to the sensor wire. As a result, the linear sensor unit can be produced at low cost.

Here, the terminal member may be folded in half with the sensor wire sandwiched therebetween, or may be folded two or more times with the sensor wire sandwiched therebetween. The terminal member may also be wrapped around the sensor wire.

In the linear sensor unit of the present invention, the sensor wire has an inner conductor and an outer conductor,
The terminal member may have a first connecting conductor layer arranged on either side of the first shielding conductor layer and to which the internal conductor is electrically connected, and a second connecting conductor layer arranged on either side of the first insulating layer and to which the external conductor is electrically connected.

According to this aspect, the inner conductor and the outer conductor can be electrically connected to the terminal member.

Here, the first shielding conductor layer may cover the outside of the first connecting conductor layer and the second connecting conductor layer. The first insulating layer may be an insulating film. Furthermore, the first connecting conductor layer and the second connecting conductor layer may be arranged on the same plane with a gap in the planar direction.

In the linear sensor unit of the present invention, the terminal member may have a second shielding conductor layer disposed between the first insulating layer and the first shielding conductor layer with a second insulating layer sandwiched between the first shielding conductor layer and a second conductor path penetrating the first insulating layer and electrically connecting the second connecting conductor layer and the second shielding conductor layer.

Because the second shielding conductor layer is included, even if external noise penetrates the first shielding conductor layer, the influence of the external noise on the first connection conductor layer can be prevented.

Here, the second shielding conductor layer may be covered on the outside by the first shielding conductor layer. Also, the first connecting conductor layer may be covered on the outside by the second shielding conductor layer.

In addition, in the linear sensor unit of the present invention, the terminal member may have a third shielding conductor layer arranged with a gap in the planar direction from the first shielding conductor layer, and a third conductor path that penetrates the first insulating layer and electrically connects the second connecting conductor layer and the third shielding conductor layer.

By having the third shielding conductor layer, even if external noise penetrates the first shielding conductor layer, it is possible to reliably prevent the external noise from affecting the first connection conductor layer.

Here, the terminal member may be folded twice to sandwich the linear sensor. The first connecting conductor layer may be covered on the outside by the second connecting conductor layer and the third shielding conductor layer. The second connecting conductor layer and the third shielding conductor layer may be covered on the outside by the first shielding conductor layer.

In addition, in the linear sensor unit of the present invention, the terminal member may have a third connecting conductor layer to which the shield coating is electrically connected, and a first conductor path that penetrates the first insulating layer and electrically connects the third connecting conductor layer and the first shield conductor layer.

This allows the shield coating and the first shield conductor layer to be easily electrically connected.

Here, the third connection conductor layer may be disposed on the same plane as at least one of the first connection conductor layer and the second connection conductor layer with a gap in the planar direction.

In the linear sensor unit of the present invention, the sensor wire has an inner conductor and an outer conductor,
The terminal member may have a second connecting conductor layer arranged with a gap from the first shielding conductor layer and electrically connected to the external conductor, and a first connecting conductor layer arranged with a gap from the first shielding conductor layer and the second connecting conductor layer and electrically connected to the internal conductor.

According to this aspect, the inner conductor and the outer conductor can be electrically connected to the terminal member.

Here, the terminal member may be overlapped multiple times to cover the periphery of the linear sensor. Furthermore, the terminal member may be wound multiple times around the sensor wire.

In the linear sensor unit of the present invention, the first connection conductor layer is formed by electrically connecting the internal conductors at both ends of the linear sensor,
The second connection conductor layer may be configured such that the external conductors at both ends of the linear sensor are electrically connected to each other.

When one end of the sensor wire is connected to the circuit side and the other end is free, the signal generated in the sensor wire may be reflected at the free end side and cancel out the signal generated, resulting in a decrease in sensor output. In this embodiment, the internal and external conductors at both ends are each electrically connected to a single terminal member that is connected to the circuit, so the signal is not canceled out. As a result, a decrease in sensor output can be prevented.

In addition, in the linear sensor unit of the present invention, the linear sensor may have a piezoelectric material provided between the internal conductor and the external conductor.

By using the piezoelectric material, it is possible to generate a signal corresponding to the load or vibration applied to the sensor wire with high precision.

The present invention provides an inexpensive linear sensor unit.

FIG. 2A is a plan view showing an example of an output side end portion of a linear sensor unit of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the linear sensor. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the output-side terminal member shown in FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 2, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the output side terminal member and the sensor wire shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1A is a plan view showing an example of a terminal end portion of a linear sensor unit of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the terminal end member shown in FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. 6B, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in FIG. 6B. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 6A. 3 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2 , showing an output-side terminal member of the modified example in a developed state. FIG. 6(a) is a plan view similar to FIG. 6(b) showing the end side terminal member of the second modified example unfolded, and FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line J-J in FIG. 6(a). 10 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2 showing an output terminal member in a linear sensor unit according to a second embodiment when the output terminal member is developed. FIG. 11. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line KK in FIG. 11, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line LL in FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the output side terminal member and the sensor wire shown in FIG. 11 . FIG. 12 is an M-M cross-sectional view of the output-side terminal member shown in FIG. 11 folded along the fold line and the second fold line and cut at a portion along the M-M line. 6B , showing a state in which a terminal end side terminal member is developed in the linear sensor unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line NN in FIG. 15, and FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line PP in FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the end-side terminal member and the sensor wire shown in FIG. 15 . 16 is a QQ cross-sectional view of the end-side terminal member shown in FIG. 15 folded along the end-side terminal fold line and the end-side terminal second fold line and cut at a portion along the QQ line. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a linear sensor unit according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a state in which an output side terminal member in the linear sensor unit of the third embodiment is developed. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line TT in FIG. 20. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line R-R in FIG. 19. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a state in which a terminating end terminal member in the linear sensor unit of the third embodiment is developed. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line UU in FIG. 23. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line SS in FIG. 19.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1(a) is a plan view showing an example of the output side end of a linear sensor unit of the present invention, and Figure 1(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the linear sensor.

The linear sensor unit 1 of this embodiment includes a linear sensor 2, an output side terminal member 3, and a termination side terminal member 4 (see FIG. 6). The output side terminal member 3 and the termination side terminal member 4 are each an example of a terminal member. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the output side terminal member 3 is fixed to the output side end of the linear sensor 2. The output side terminal member 3 is in the form of a film that is folded in half while sandwiching the output side end of the linear sensor 2. The output side terminal member 3 is also formed with a first contact portion 311, a second contact portion 312, and a third contact portion 313. The output side terminal member 3 is for transmitting a signal obtained by the linear sensor 2 to a measuring device or a circuit board (not shown) while preventing external noise (hereinafter referred to as external noise) from entering the signal obtained by the linear sensor 2. The structures of the output side terminal member 3 and the termination side terminal member 4 will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), the linear sensor 2 is composed of a sensor wire 20, an inner sheath 24, a shield coating 25, and an outer sheath 26. The sensor wire 20 is composed of an internal conductor 21, a piezoelectric body 22, and an external conductor 23. The internal conductor 21 is disposed at the center of the linear sensor 2, and is composed of seven conductor wires 211. The piezoelectric body 22 is provided on the outer periphery of the internal conductor 21. The external conductor 23 is provided on the outer periphery of the piezoelectric body 22.

All seven conductor wires 211 have a diameter of 10 μm, of which four are stainless steel conductor wires 211S and the remaining three are copper conductor wires 211C. In FIG. 1(b), the stainless steel conductor wires 211S are hatched downward to the left, and the copper conductor wires 211C are hatched downward to the right. In the internal conductor 21 shown in FIG. 1(b), the conductor wire arranged in the center is a stainless steel conductor wire 211S (stainless steel wire), and the conductor wires arranged on the periphery are alternately made of stainless steel conductor wires 211S and copper conductor wires 211C. The copper conductor wires 211C have a lower electrical resistance and are softer than the stainless steel conductor wires 211S. Conversely, the stainless steel conductor wires 211S have a higher electrical resistance than the copper conductor wires 211C, but have higher mechanical strength (e.g., tensile strength) and rigidity.

The seven conductor wires 211 are arranged at the vertices of a regular hexagon and at the center of the regular hexagon. These seven conductor wires 211 are twisted together. In other words, the internal conductor 21 is formed by twisting the seven conductor wires 211 together after arranging them in a close-packed structure in the cross section. In this case, the thickness of the internal conductor 21 is a maximum of 30 μm. By twisting the multiple conductor wires 211 in this way with a loose or medium twist, loosening in the direction opposite to the twisting direction is permitted, and flexibility can be imparted to the linear sensor 2.

The diameter of the conductor wire 211 is not limited to 10 μm, and may be 8 μm to 40 μm, preferably 8 μm to 30 μm. The thinner the conductor wire 211, the higher the flexibility but the lower the strength and rigidity, and the thicker the conductor wire 211, the lower the flexibility but the higher the strength and rigidity. If the thickness of the conductor wire 211 is 20 μm or more, it can be manufactured at low cost and easily. The internal conductor 21 may also be constructed by twisting together conductor wires 211 of different thicknesses.

The internal conductor 21 shown in FIG. 1(b) is made by twisting seven conductor wires 211 together, but the number does not have to be seven. By twisting a plurality of conductor wires 211 together, the flexibility of the linear sensor 2 can be increased. In addition, for example, a plurality of bundles of twisted conductor wires may be prepared, and these may be further twisted together. For example, seven bundles of twisted seven thin conductor wires 211 may be prepared, and the bundles may be further twisted together. By twisting in a plurality of stages, the flexibility of the linear sensor 2 is further increased, so that the linear sensor 2 is easily deformed in response to vibrations or the like applied to the linear sensor 2. As a result, the detection sensitivity of the linear sensor 2 can be increased. In addition, when there are a plurality of twisting steps, such as when twisting in a plurality of stages, the twisting direction may be different. On the other hand, a plurality of conductor wires 211 may be bundled in a straight line without being twisted together. These configurations may also be combined, for example by twisting together a bundle of multiple untwisted conductor wires 211 and multiple twisted conductor wires 211. Even in these cases, the multiple conductor wires 211 can be bonded together and bundled by applying a piezoelectric material to produce a single piezoelectric fiber.

In the sensor wire 20 described above, a plurality of types of conductor wires with different mechanical strengths and electrical resistances are used as the conductor wires 211 constituting the internal conductor 21. However, in order to further increase flexibility or further reduce electrical resistance, the central conductor wire 211 may be replaced with a copper conductor wire 211C, or all of the seven conductor wires 211 may be made of copper conductor wires 211C. Conversely, in order to further increase mechanical strength and rigidity, all of the seven conductor wires 211 may be made of stainless steel conductor wires 211S. In addition, instead of the stainless steel conductor wire 211S, a conductor wire made of tungsten, or a conductor wire made of high tensile steel or ultra-high tensile steel such as tungsten and its alloy may be used, and instead of the copper conductor wire 211C, a conductor wire made of titanium, a titanium alloy, or a conductor wire made of magnesium or magnesium alloy may be used. Furthermore, the conductor wire may be a conductor wire containing carbon nanotubes or a conductor wire containing pitch-based carbon fibers. Alternatively, a conductor wire made of spring steel that is easily elastically deformed may be used.

The piezoelectric body 22 is formed by applying a piezoelectric material such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to the internal conductor 21. Polyvinylidene fluoride is a lightweight polymeric material that generates a piezoelectric effect, and has the property that when pressure is applied to it, a voltage is generated, and when voltage is applied, distortion occurs. The piezoelectric body 22 has been subjected to a polarization process, and when deformation occurs in the piezoelectric body 22 due to vibration or the like, a voltage is induced between the internal conductor 21 and the external conductor 23.

The piezoelectric material constituting the piezoelectric body 22 shown in FIG. 1(b) may be polyvinylidene fluoride, trifluoroethylene (TrEF), mixed crystal materials of PVDF and TrEF, and polymeric materials with a dipole moment such as polylactic acid, polyuric acid, and polyamino acids. The method of applying the piezoelectric material may be immersion (dip) painting, spray painting, brush painting, or application with a coating device such as a coater. Note that the method is not limited to a coating configuration, and may be, for example, a configuration in which a strip-shaped PVDF film is spirally wound around the internal conductor 21.

The thickness of the piezoelectric body 22 is preferably equal to or greater than the diameter of the conductor wire 211. The thickness of the piezoelectric body 22 shown in FIG. 1(b) is 10 μm at its thinnest point, but is preferably 10 μm to 50 μm. The thicker the piezoelectric body 22, the better the detection sensitivity, but the limit value for the thickness of the piezoelectric body 22 is determined by the viscosity of the applied piezoelectric material and the application method. In addition, if the piezoelectric body 22 is too thick, there is a disadvantage that the linear sensor 2 becomes too hard and lacks flexibility.

In the internal conductor 21 shown in FIG. 1(b), multiple conductor wires 211 are twisted together, resulting in depressions at the boundaries between the conductor wires 211. These depressions can support more piezoelectric material, making the volume of the piezoelectric material larger (thicker), and therefore providing better detection sensitivity than other parts. These depressions result in six parts in the internal conductor 21 where the piezoelectric material is thicker than other parts, spaced evenly around the circumference, which is why the conductor functions as a highly sensitive piezoelectric fiber no matter which direction it is bent.

In addition, the adjacent conductor wires 211 shown in FIG. 1(b) are almost in contact with each other, but the piezoelectric material penetrates through a small gap by capillary action, and the gap between the adjacent conductor wires 211 (inside the internal conductor 21) is filled with the piezoelectric material. However, depending on the viscosity of the piezoelectric material and the application method, the piezoelectric material may not penetrate into the gap between the adjacent conductor wires 211. Even in this case, it is sufficient that the piezoelectric material is supported on the part facing the outer periphery of the internal conductor 21. In addition, in the configuration using the above-mentioned strip-shaped PVDF film as the piezoelectric body 22, the linear sensor 2 is one in which the piezoelectric material does not penetrate into the gap between the adjacent conductor wires 211. In this linear sensor 2, the flexibility of the linear sensor 2 is increased compared to one in which the piezoelectric material penetrates into the gap between the adjacent conductor wires 211, and the detection sensitivity of the linear sensor 2 is increased.

The external conductor 23 shown in FIG. 1(b) is formed by applying a polymer conductive material containing carbon such as carbon nanotubes to the outer circumference of the piezoelectric body 22. The conductive material forming the external conductor 23 may be a polymer conductive material containing silver particles, silver paste, or the like. The conductive material may be applied by immersion (dip) painting, spray painting, brush painting, or application by a coating device such as a coater. The thickness of the external conductor 23 is preferably equal to or less than the diameter of the conductor wire 211, and is also preferably equal to or less than the thickness of the piezoelectric body 22. The thickness of the external conductor 23 shown in FIG. 1(b) is 5 μm, but is preferably 5 μm or more and 50 μm or less. A conductor wire may be used without using a conductive material for the external conductor 23.

The inner sheath 24 covers the outer periphery of the outer conductor 23 to improve abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and rust resistance. The inner sheath 24 is formed to a thickness of 6 μm. The inner sheath 24 is made of a material that is softer than the outer sheath 26. The inner sheath 24 is formed by applying a polyamide synthetic resin, but may also be formed by applying a polyvinyl chloride resin.

The shield coating 25 is a shield made of thin metal wires such as nickel-plated copper or stainless steel braided into a tube shape. The shield coating 25 may be formed by depositing copper, aluminum, or the like on the inner sheath 24 having the internal conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, and the outer conductor 23 on the inside. The shield coating 25 may also be attached to the inner sheath 24 using other methods such as sputtering, EBD (electron beam deposition), CVD (chemical vapor deposition), coating, dipping (dipping), electroless plating, or bonding with an adhesive, or may be formed by wrapping a metal foil around it.

The outer sheath 26 is made of a material that is more abrasion resistant than the inner sheath 24. The outer sheath 26 is formed by applying polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). However, it may be formed by applying tetrafluoro-hexafluoropropylene fluororesin (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene ethylene copolymer (EPFE), or tetrafluoroethylene perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer fluororesin (PFA). The application here may be immersion (dip) painting, spray painting, brush painting, or application by a coating device such as a coater. It is preferable to apply multiple times in consideration of the occurrence of pinholes. The outer sheath 26 may be thicker than the inner sheath 24. Furthermore, the inner sheath 24 may be made of a flammable material, but the outer sheath 26 is preferably made of a flame-retardant material, a non-flammable material, or a flame-resistant material.

The diameter of the linear sensor 2 shown in FIG. 1(b) is 0.1 mm. However, the diameter of the linear sensor 2 may be larger or smaller, and is preferably 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the output side terminal member shown in Figure 1(a) unfolded. This Figure 2 can also be said to be a plan view showing the state immediately before bending the output side terminal member 3 in the final stage of the process of attaching the output side terminal member 3 to the output side end of the linear sensor 2.

2, at the output end of the linear sensor 2, the outer sheath 26, the shield coating 25, the inner sheath 24, the outer conductor 23, and the piezoelectric body 22 are peeled off in a stepwise manner in order, so that the inner conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, the outer conductor 23, the inner sheath 24, and the shield coating 25 are each exposed by about 1 to 3 mm in the extension direction of the linear sensor 2. In order to prevent the inner conductor 21 and the outer conductor 23 from shorting out, it is preferable that the exposed length of the piezoelectric body 22 is longer than the exposed length of the inner conductor 21 or the outer conductor 23. Similarly, in order to prevent the outer conductor 23 and the shield coating 25 from shorting out, it is preferable that the exposed length of the inner sheath 24 is longer than the exposed length of the outer conductor 23 or the shield coating 25. In addition, the piezoelectric body 22, the inner sheath 24, and the outer sheath 26 may be burned off with a laser instead of being peeled off.

As described above, the output side terminal member 3 is formed with the first contact portion 311, the second contact portion 312, and the third contact portion 313. These first contact portion 311, the second contact portion 312, and the third contact portion 313 are portions that come into contact with the contacted portion of the input terminal provided in the measuring device or the like, and are exposed on the upper surface of the output side terminal member 3 (the surface on the front side of the paper in FIG. 2). In addition, the output side terminal member 3 is provided with the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the third connection portion 316. The first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the third connection portion 316 are exposed on the upper surface of the output side terminal member 3 before bending the output side terminal member 3 shown in FIG. 2. The first connection portion 314 is connected to the first contact portion 311 by the first pattern wiring 317. These first connection portion 314 and the first pattern wiring 317 correspond to an example of a first connection conductor layer. The internal conductor 21 exposed at the output end of the linear sensor 2 is electrically connected and fixed to the first connection portion 314 by solder. In FIG. 2, the solder is indicated by a black square. The detection signal obtained by the internal conductor 21 is transmitted to a measuring device or the like through the first connection portion 314, the first pattern wiring 317, and the first contact portion 311. The second connection portion 315 is connected to the second contact portion 312 by the second pattern wiring 318. The second connection portion 315 and the second pattern wiring 318 correspond to an example of a second connection conductor layer. The external conductor 23 exposed at the output end of the linear sensor 2 is electrically connected and fixed to the second connection portion 315 by solder. The external conductor 23 is connected to a signal ground of a measuring device or the like through the second connection portion 315, the second pattern wiring 318, and the second contact portion 312. The third connection portion 316 is connected to the third contact portion 313 by a solid pattern 319. The third connection portion 316 and the solid pattern 319 correspond to an example of a third connection conductor layer. The shield coating 25 exposed at the output end of the linear sensor 2 is electrically connected and fixed to the third connection portion 316 by soldering. The shield coating 25, the third connection portion 316, and the solid pattern 319 are connected to the earth of a measuring device or the like via the third contact portion 313. The signal transmission path consisting of the first contact portion 311, the first connection portion 314, and the first pattern wiring 317, the signal ground path consisting of the second contact portion 312, the second connection portion 315, and the second pattern wiring 318, and the earth path consisting of the third contact portion 313, the third connection portion 316, and the solid pattern 319 are arranged on the same plane with a gap in the surface direction.

The output side terminal member 3 is marked with a fold line 3a. In FIG. 2, the fold line 3a is indicated by a thick dashed line. In the process of attaching the output side terminal member 3 to the linear sensor 2, adhesive is applied to at least one of the upper part of the upper surface of the output side terminal member 3 in the state of FIG. 2, the part above the fold line 3a in FIG. 2, and the part below the fold line 3a in FIG. 2, is referred to as the first region 3S1 below the fold line 3a .... As shown by the hollow arrow in FIG. 2, the output side end of the linear sensor unit 1 is completed by folding the output side terminal member 3 at the fold line 3a and overlapping the first region 3S1 with the second region 3S2 sandwiching the linear sensor 2.

2, the first contact portion 311, the second contact portion 312, the third contact portion 313, the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the third connection portion 316, the first pattern wiring 317, the second pattern wiring 318, and the solid pattern 319 are shown with hatching that slopes downward to the left. Also, in FIG. 2, the second shield conductor layer 33 is shown in an area surrounded by a thick dashed line. The lower surfaces of the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the first pattern wiring 317, and the second pattern wiring 318 are covered with the second shield conductor layer 33. In addition, when the output side terminal member 3 is folded at the folding line 3a, the upper surfaces of the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the first pattern wiring 317, and the second pattern wiring 318 are also covered with the second shield conductor layer 33.

Figure 3(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 2. Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 3(a).

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the output side terminal member 3 is a film-like member having a pattern conductor layer 31, a base film 32, a second shield conductor layer 33, an intermediate coverlay 34, a first shield conductor layer 35, an upper coverlay 36, and a lower coverlay 37. The thickness of the pattern conductor layer 31 is 0.02 to 0.5 mm. The pattern conductor layer 31 is formed by attaching copper to the upper surface of the base film 32 by vapor deposition. However, the pattern conductor layer 31 may be attached to the upper surface of the base film 32 using other methods such as sputtering, EBD, CVD, coating, immersion, and electroless plating, or may be formed by adhering a conductive foil to the upper surface of the base film 32. Furthermore, a conductor other than copper may be used for the pattern conductor layer 31. The first contact portion 311, the second contact portion 312, the third contact portion 313, the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the third connection portion 316, the first pattern wiring 317, the second pattern wiring 318, and the solid pattern 319 shown in FIG. 2 are formed by photoresist processing of the pattern conductor layer 31. Therefore, the first contact portion 311, the second contact portion 312, the third contact portion 313, the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the third connection portion 316, the first pattern wiring 317, the second pattern wiring 318, and the solid pattern 319 are formed on the same surface. However, they may be arranged on surfaces of different heights. In FIG. 3(a), the pattern conductor layer 31 is shown with hatching that is inclined downward to the left.

The base film 32 is a polyimide film with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm. The base film 32 may be a resin film made of other materials such as polyester, so long as it is insulating. The base film 32 may also be formed by providing a separate film as the base material and attaching an insulating material to the base material by vapor deposition or the like. This base film 32 corresponds to an example of the first insulating layer.

The second shielding conductor layer 33 is disposed between the base film 32 and the first shielding conductor layer 35, with the intermediate coverlay 34 sandwiched between the first shielding conductor layer 35. This intermediate coverlay 34 corresponds to an example of a second insulating layer. The thickness of the second shielding conductor layer 33 is 0.02 to 0.5 mm. The second shielding conductor layer 33 is formed by attaching copper to the lower surface of the base film 32 by vapor deposition. However, the second shielding conductor layer 33 may be attached to the lower surface of the base film 32 using other methods such as sputtering, EBD, CVD, coating, immersion, and electroless plating, or may be formed by adhering a conductive foil to the lower surface of the base film 32.

The intermediate coverlay 34 is formed by attaching an insulating film such as polyimide with an adhesive to the underside of the base film 32 on which the second shielding conductor layer 33 is formed. The thickness of the intermediate coverlay 34 is 0.05 to 0.5 mm. However, the intermediate coverlay 34 may be formed by screen printing an ink-like insulating material, or by applying an insulating material.

The first shielding conductor layer 35 is disposed with the base film 32 sandwiched between it and the pattern conductor layer 31. This first shielding conductor layer 35 is formed by depositing copper on the underside of the intermediate coverlay 34 by vapor deposition. However, the first shielding conductor layer 35 may also be deposited on the underside of the intermediate coverlay 34 using other methods such as sputtering, EBD, CVD, coating, immersion, and electroless plating, or may be formed by adhering a conductive foil to the underside of the intermediate coverlay 34. The thickness of the first shielding conductor layer 35 is 0.02 to 0.5 mm.

The upper coverlay 36 is formed by attaching an insulating film such as polyimide with an adhesive to the upper surface of the base film 32 on which the pattern conductor layer 31 is formed. The thickness of the upper coverlay 36 is 0.05 to 0.5 mm. However, the upper coverlay 36 may be formed by screen printing an ink-like insulating material, or by applying an insulating material.

The lower coverlay 37 is formed by attaching an insulating film such as polyimide to the lower surface of the first shield conductor layer 35 with an adhesive. In the completed state of the output side terminal member 3 shown in FIG. 1(a), the lower coverlay 37 is located at the outermost part of the output side terminal member 3. For this reason, it is desirable for the lower coverlay 37 to have high abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and rust resistance of the output side terminal member, and it is preferable for the lower coverlay 37 to have a thickness equal to or greater than that of the upper coverlay 36. The lower coverlay 37 may also be formed by screen printing an ink-like insulating material, or by applying an insulating material.

Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Figure 2. Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 3(b).

As shown in FIG. 3B, the output side terminal member 3 has a first via hole 3191 that penetrates the base film 32 and electrically connects the solid pattern 319 and the first shielding conductor layer 35. This first via hole 3191 corresponds to an example of a first conductor path. The first via hole 3191 is formed by a conductor (copper) that has entered the hole in the base film 32 by forming a hole in the base film 32 by milling, and then evaporating the pattern conductor layer 31 onto the base film 32 on which the first shielding conductor layer 35 has been formed.

The output side terminal member 3 also has a second via hole 3181 formed therein, which penetrates the base film 32 and electrically connects the second pattern wiring 318 and the second shielding conductor layer 33. This second via hole 3181 corresponds to an example of a second conductor path. The second via hole 3181 is formed by a conductor (copper) that has entered the hole in the base film 32 by forming a hole in the base film 32 by milling, and then evaporating the pattern conductor layer 31 onto the base film 32 on which the second shielding conductor layer 33 has been formed.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the output terminal member and sensor wire shown in Figure 2.

In FIG. 4, the first shielding conductor layer 35 is shown by cross-hatching. As shown in FIG. 4, the first shielding conductor layer 35 is provided over almost the entire area of the output side terminal member 3 with a small gap at the periphery. The second shielding conductor layer 33 is shown in the area surrounded by a thick dashed line. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the second shielding conductor layer 33 is provided in the area covered by the first shielding conductor layer 35. As described above, when the output side terminal member 3 is folded at the folding line 3a, the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the first pattern wiring 317 (see FIG. 2), and the second pattern wiring 318 (see FIG. 2) are covered on the upper and lower surfaces by the second shielding conductor layer 33. When the output side terminal member 3 is folded at the folding line 3a, the second shielding conductor layer 33 is covered on the upper and lower surfaces by the first shielding conductor layer 35. Therefore, external noise does not directly penetrate the second shield conductor layer 33 from above or below. And because the second shield conductor layer 33, which is connected to the signal ground, is interposed between the first connection portion 314 and the first pattern wiring 317 and the first shield conductor layer 35, even if external noise penetrates the first shield conductor layer 35, it is possible to reliably prevent the external noise from affecting the first connection portion 314 and the first pattern wiring 317.

Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1. In Figure 5(a) as well, the thickness of each part is exaggerated.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the output side terminal member 3 is overlapped and covers the periphery of the output side end of the linear sensor 2. The internal conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, the external conductor 23, the inner sheath 24, and the shield coating 25 (all see FIG. 2) exposed at the output side end of the linear sensor 2 are covered by the output side terminal member 3.

Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 1. In Figure 5(b) as well, the thickness of each part is exaggerated.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the edges of the output terminal member 3 other than the folded side (the upper end, the front end, and the rear end in FIG. 5(b)) are not covered with the first shielding conductor layer 35, and a gap of width C1 or C2 is generated between the first shielding conductor layers 35. However, these widths C1 and C2 are set to an extremely short width of less than 1/4 of the shortest wavelength of the vibrations measured by the linear sensor unit 1. This makes it possible to prevent external noise having the same wavelength as the wavelength being measured from entering through the gap between the first shielding conductor layers 35.

When attaching the output side terminal member 3 to the output side end of the linear sensor 2, the linear sensor 2 with the internal conductor 21, piezoelectric body 22, external conductor 23, inner sheath 24, and shield coating 25 exposed at the output side end, and the output side terminal member 3 with adhesive applied are prepared. Then, the internal conductor 21, external conductor 23, and shield coating 25 are soldered to the first connection portion 314, second connection portion 315, and third connection portion 316, respectively, and folded at the folding line 3a to complete the work, so that the output side terminal member 3 can be easily connected and fixed to the linear sensor 2.

Next, we will explain the configuration of the terminal end of the linear sensor unit 1.

Figure 6(a) is a plan view showing an example of the terminal end of a linear sensor unit of the present invention.

The end terminal member 4 has a configuration similar to that of the output terminal member 3, except that the first contact portion 311, the second contact portion 312, the third contact portion 313, and the first pattern wiring 317 shown in FIG. 2 are not present. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the end terminal member 4 is fixed to the end terminal portion of the linear sensor 2. The end terminal member 4 is in the form of a film that is folded in half while sandwiching the end terminal portion of the linear sensor 2. The end terminal member 4 is intended to physically protect the end terminal portion of the linear sensor 2 and to prevent external noise from entering the signal obtained by the linear sensor 2.

Figure 6(b) is a plan view showing the terminal end member shown in Figure 6(a) unfolded. This Figure 6(b) can also be said to be a plan view showing the state immediately before the terminal end member 4 is bent in the final stage of the process of attaching the terminal end member 4 to the terminal end of the linear sensor 2.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), the outer sheath 26, shield coating 25, inner sheath 24, outer conductor 23, and piezoelectric body 22 are peeled off in a stepped manner in order at the terminal end of the linear sensor 2, so that the inner conductor 21, piezoelectric body 22, outer conductor 23, inner sheath 24, and shield coating 25 are each exposed by about 1 to 3 mm in the extension direction of the linear sensor 2. In order to prevent a short circuit at the terminal end of the linear sensor 2, it is preferable that the exposed length of the piezoelectric body 22 is longer than the exposed length of the inner conductor 21 or the outer conductor 23, and the exposed length of the inner sheath 24 is longer than the exposed length of the outer conductor 23 or the shield coating 25. The piezoelectric body 22, inner sheath 24, and outer sheath 26 may be burned off with a laser instead of being peeled off.

The termination side terminal member 4 is provided with a termination first connection portion 411, a termination second connection portion 412, and a termination third connection portion 413. The termination first connection portion 411, the termination second connection portion 412, and the termination third connection portion 413 are exposed on the upper surface of the termination side terminal member 4 in the state shown in FIG. 6(b). This termination first connection portion 411 corresponds to an example of a first connection conductor layer. The termination first connection portion 411 is for fixing the internal conductor 21 exposed at the termination side end of the linear sensor 2, and exists electrically isolated. The internal conductor 21 exposed at the termination side end of the linear sensor 2 is electrically connected and fixed to the termination first connection portion 411 by solder. In FIG. 6(b), the solder is indicated by a black square. The termination second connection portion 412 is connected to the termination second via hole 4141 by the termination pattern wiring 414. The termination second connection portion 412 and the termination pattern wiring 414 correspond to an example of a second connection conductor layer. The termination second connection portion 412 is for fixing the external conductor 23 exposed at the termination side end of the linear sensor 2, and for connecting the termination second shield conductor layer 43, which will be described in detail later, to the external conductor 23 connected to the signal ground at the output side end. The termination second connection portion 412 is electrically connected and fixed to the external conductor 23 exposed at the termination side end of the linear sensor 2 by soldering. The termination third connection portion 413 is connected to the termination first via hole 4151 by the termination solid pattern 415. The termination third connection portion 413 and the termination solid pattern 415 correspond to an example of a third connection conductor layer. The termination third connection portion 413 is for fixing the shield coating 25 exposed at the termination side end of the linear sensor 2, and for connecting the termination first shield conductor layer 45, which will be described in detail later, to earth. The shield coating 25 exposed at the termination end of the linear sensor 2 is electrically connected and fixed by solder to the termination third connection part 413. The termination signal ground path consisting of the termination first connection part 411, the termination second connection part 412 and the termination pattern wiring 414, and the termination earth path consisting of the termination third connection part 413 and the termination solid pattern 415 are arranged on the same plane with a gap in the surface direction.

The end terminal fold line 4a is indicated on the end terminal member 4. In FIG. 6(b), the end terminal fold line 4a is indicated by a thick dashed line. In the process of attaching the end terminal member 4 to the linear sensor 2, adhesive is applied to at least one of the upper portion of the upper surface of the end terminal member 4 in the state of FIG. 6(b) above the end terminal fold line 4a in FIG. 6(b) and the lower portion of the end terminal fold line 4a in FIG. 6(b). Hereinafter, the upper portion of the end terminal member 4 above the end terminal fold line 4a in FIG. 6(b) is referred to as the end terminal first region 4S1, and the lower portion of the end terminal member 4 below the end terminal fold line 4a in FIG. 6(b) is referred to as the end terminal second region 4S2. As shown by the white arrow in FIG. 6(b), the end terminal member 4 is folded at the end terminal folding line 4a, and the end terminal first region 4S1 is overlapped with the end terminal second region 4S2 with the linear sensor 2 sandwiched between them, completing the end terminal of the linear sensor unit 1.

In FIG. 6(b), the termination first connection portion 411, the termination second connection portion 412, the termination third connection portion 413, the termination pattern wiring 414, and the termination solid pattern 415 are shown with hatching slanting downward to the left. The termination second shield conductor layer 43 is shown as an area surrounded by a thick dashed line. The lower surfaces of the termination first connection portion 411, the termination second connection portion 412, and the termination pattern wiring 414 are covered with the termination second shield conductor layer 43. In addition, when the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal folding line 4a, the upper surfaces of the termination first connection portion 411, the termination second connection portion 412, and the termination pattern wiring 414 are also covered with the termination second shield conductor layer 43.

Figure 7(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G in Figure 6(b). Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 7(a).

As shown in FIG. 7(a), the termination side terminal member 4 is a film-like member having a termination pattern conductor layer 41, a termination base film 42, a termination second shield conductor layer 43, a termination intermediate coverlay 44, a termination first shield conductor layer 45, a termination upper coverlay 46, and a termination lower coverlay 47. The thickness of the termination pattern conductor layer 41 is 0.02 to 0.5 mm. The termination pattern conductor layer 41 is formed by attaching copper to the upper surface of the termination base film 42 by vapor deposition. However, the termination pattern conductor layer 41 may be attached to the upper surface of the termination base film 42 by other methods such as sputtering, EBD, CVD, coating, immersion, and electroless plating, or may be formed by adhering a conductive foil to the upper surface of the termination base film 42. Furthermore, a conductor other than copper may be used for the termination pattern conductor layer 41. The termination first connection part 411, the termination second connection part 412, the termination third connection part 413, the termination pattern wiring 414 (see FIG. 6(b)), and the termination solid pattern 415 are formed by photoresist processing of the termination pattern conductor layer 41. Therefore, the termination first connection part 411, the termination second connection part 412, the termination third connection part 413, the termination pattern wiring 414, and the termination solid pattern 415 are formed on the same surface. However, they may be arranged on surfaces of different heights. In FIG. 7(a), the termination pattern conductor layer 41 is shown with hatching slanted downward to the left.

The termination base film 42 is a polyimide film with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm. The termination base film 42 may be a resin film made of other materials such as polyester, as long as it is insulating. Alternatively, the termination base film 42 may be formed by providing a separate film as a base material and attaching an insulating material to the base material by vapor deposition or the like. This termination base film 42 corresponds to an example of a first insulating layer.

The second shielding conductor layer 43 is disposed between the first shielding conductor layer 45 and the base film 42, with the intermediate coverlay 44 sandwiched between the first shielding conductor layer 45 and the base film 42. The intermediate coverlay 44 corresponds to an example of a second insulating layer. The second shielding conductor layer 43 has a thickness of 0.02 to 0.5 mm. The second shielding conductor layer 43 is formed by depositing copper on the lower surface of the base film 42 by vapor deposition. However, the second shielding conductor layer 43 may be deposited on the lower surface of the base film 42 by other methods such as sputtering, EBD, CVD, coating, immersion, and electroless plating, or may be formed by adhering a conductive foil to the lower surface of the base film 42.

The termination intermediate coverlay 44 is formed by attaching an insulating film such as polyimide with an adhesive to the underside of the termination base film 42 on which the termination second shielding conductor layer 43 is formed. The thickness of the termination intermediate coverlay 44 is 0.05 to 0.5 mm. However, the termination intermediate coverlay 44 may be formed by screen printing an ink-like insulating material, or may be formed by applying an insulating material.

The termination first shielding conductor layer 45 is a layer disposed with the termination base film 42 sandwiched between it and the termination pattern conductor layer 41. This termination first shielding conductor layer 45 is formed by depositing copper by vapor deposition on the underside of the termination intermediate coverlay 44. However, the termination first shielding conductor layer 45 may also be deposited on the underside of the termination intermediate coverlay 44 using other methods such as sputtering, EBD, CVD, coating, immersion, and electroless plating, or may be formed by adhering a conductive foil to the underside of the termination intermediate coverlay 44. The thickness of the termination first shielding conductor layer 45 is 0.02 to 0.5 mm.

The upper termination coverlay 46 is formed by attaching an insulating film such as polyimide with an adhesive to the upper surface of the termination base film 42 on which the termination pattern conductor layer 41 is formed. The thickness of the upper termination coverlay 46 is 0.05 to 0.5 mm. However, the upper termination coverlay 46 may be formed by screen printing an ink-like insulating material, or by applying an insulating material.

The lower termination coverlay 47 is formed by attaching an insulating film such as polyimide to the lower surface of the first termination shield conductor layer 45 with an adhesive. In the state shown in FIG. 6(a), the lower termination coverlay 47 is located at the outermost part of the terminal member 4. For this reason, it is desirable for the lower termination coverlay 47 to have high abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and rust resistance of the output terminal member, and it is preferable for the lower termination coverlay 47 to have a thickness equal to or greater than that of the upper termination coverlay 46. The lower termination coverlay 47 may also be formed by screen printing an ink-like insulating material, or by applying an insulating material.

Figure 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line H-H in Figure 6(b). Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 7(b).

As shown in FIG. 7(b), the termination side terminal member 4 has a termination first via hole 4151 formed through the termination base film 42 to electrically connect the termination solid pattern 415 and the termination first shielding conductor layer 45. This termination first via hole 4151 corresponds to an example of a first conductor path. The termination first via hole 4151 is formed by a conductor (copper) that has entered the hole in the termination base film 42 by opening a hole in the termination base film 42 by milling, and then evaporating the termination pattern conductor layer 41 onto the termination base film 42 on which the termination first shielding conductor layer 45 has been formed.

The termination side terminal member 4 also has a termination second via hole 4141 formed therein, which penetrates the termination base film 42 and electrically connects the termination pattern wiring 414 and the termination second shielding conductor layer 43. This termination second via hole 4141 corresponds to an example of a second conductor path. The termination second via hole 4141 is formed by a conductor (copper) that has entered the hole in the termination base film 42 by forming a hole in the termination base film 42 by milling, and then evaporating the termination pattern conductor layer 41 onto the termination base film 42 on which the termination second shielding conductor layer 43 has been formed.

The termination first shielding conductor layer 45 is provided over almost the entire area of the termination side terminal member 4 with a small gap at the periphery. Also, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the termination second shielding conductor layer 43 is shown in the area surrounded by a thick dashed line. That is, the termination second shielding conductor layer 43 is provided in the area whose lower surface is covered by the termination first shielding conductor layer 45. As described above, when the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal folding line 4a, the termination first connection part 411, the termination second connection part 412, and the termination pattern wiring 414 shown in FIG. 6(b) are covered on the upper and lower surfaces by the termination second shielding conductor layer 43. Also, when the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal folding line 4a, the termination second shielding conductor layer 43 is covered on the upper and lower surfaces by the termination first shielding conductor layer 45. Therefore, external noise does not directly enter the termination second shielding conductor layer 43 from the upper and lower directions. Furthermore, because the termination second shielding conductor layer 43, which is connected to the signal ground, is interposed between the termination first connection part 411 and the termination first shielding conductor layer 45, even if external noise enters the termination first shielding conductor layer 45, it is possible to reliably prevent the influence of the external noise from reaching the termination first connection part 411 and the first pattern wiring 317.

Figure 8(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in Figure 6(a). In Figure 8(a) as well, the thickness of each part is exaggerated.

As shown in FIG. 8(a), the end terminal member 4 is overlapped and covers the periphery of the end terminal member 4 of the linear sensor 2. The inner conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, the outer conductor 23, the inner sheath 24, and the shield coating 25 (all of which are shown in FIG. 6(b)) exposed at the end terminal member 2 of the linear sensor 2 are covered by the end terminal member 4.

Figure 8(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in Figure 6(a). In Figure 8(b), the thickness of each part is also exaggerated.

As shown in FIG. 8(b), the edges of the termination side terminal member 4 other than the folded side (the upper end, the front end, and the rear end in FIG. 8(b)) are not covered with the termination first shield conductor layer 45, and a gap of width C3 or C4 is generated between the termination first shield conductor layers 45. However, these widths C3 and C4 are set to an extremely short width of less than 1/4 of the shortest wavelength of the vibrations measured by the linear sensor unit 1. This makes it possible to prevent external noise having the same wavelength as the wavelength being measured from entering through the gap between the termination first shield conductor layers 45.

When attaching the termination side terminal member 4 to the output side end of the linear sensor 2, the linear sensor 2 with the internal conductor 21, piezoelectric body 22, external conductor 23, inner sheath 24, and shield coating 25 exposed at the termination side end, and the termination side terminal member 4 coated with adhesive are prepared. Then, the internal conductor 21, external conductor 23, and shield coating 25 are soldered to the first connection portion 314, second connection portion 315, and third connection portion 316, respectively, and folded at the termination terminal folding line 4a to complete the work, so that the termination side terminal member 4 can be easily connected and fixed to the linear sensor 2.

When an external force such as vibration is applied to the linear sensor 2 described above, the piezoelectric body 22 deforms, and the potential difference between the internal conductor 21 and the external conductor 23 fluctuates due to the piezoelectric effect. This potential difference is output from the output terminal member 3. In other words, the linear sensor unit 1 functions as a sensor that outputs a signal based on an external force such as vibration. Note that a differential amplifier may be provided in the output terminal member 3 to amplify the potential difference before outputting it.

Next, a modified example of this embodiment will be described. In the following description, the names of components that are the same as those described so far may be assigned the same reference numerals as those used so far, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted.

Figure 9 is a plan view similar to Figure 2, showing the output terminal member of the modified example unfolded. Note that in Figure 9, the linear sensor 2 is simplified to a single solid line except for both end portions, and the simplified portion is shown in a shorter form.

9, the linear sensor unit 1 of this modification is different from the linear sensor unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that the end terminal member 4 is not provided, and both ends of the linear sensor 2 are connected to the output terminal member 3. The output terminal member 3 has a width in the vertical direction in FIG. 9 that is wider than that of the output terminal member 3 shown in FIG. 1 in both the first region 3S1 and the second region 3S2. In the description of this modification, the end of the linear sensor 2 that is directly connected to the output terminal member 3 is referred to as the output end, and the end that is connected to the output terminal member 3 via the output end is referred to as the end. The internal conductor 21 exposed at the output end of the linear sensor 2 is connected to the first connection portion 314 by soldering, and is electrically connected to the internal conductor 21 exposed at the end of the linear sensor 2 by a signal lead wire 51. In addition, the external conductor 23 exposed at the output end of the linear sensor 2 is soldered to the second connection portion 315, and is electrically connected to the external conductor 23 exposed at the termination end of the linear sensor 2 by a ground lead wire 52. Furthermore, the shield coating 25 exposed at the output end of the linear sensor 2 is soldered to the third connection portion 316, and is electrically connected to the shield coating 25 exposed at the termination end of the linear sensor 2 by a ground lead wire 53.

In this modified linear sensor unit 1, the output side terminal member 3 is bent as shown by the white arrow in Figure 9, and both ends of the linear sensor 2 are sandwiched between the output side terminal member 3 and the first region 3S1 and the second region 3S2 are overlapped, so that both ends of the linear sensor 2 are simultaneously covered and fixed by the output side terminal member 3.

When attaching the output side terminal members 3 to both ends of the linear sensor 2 of this modified example, the linear sensor 2 with the internal conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, the external conductor 23, the inner sheath 24, and the shield coating 25 exposed at both ends and the output side terminal members 3 coated with adhesive are prepared. Then, the internal conductor 21, the external conductor 23, and the shield coating 25 at the output side end are soldered to the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the third connection portion 316, respectively, and the internal conductor 21, the external conductor 23, and the shield coating 25 at the termination side end are connected to the signal lead wire 51, the ground lead wire 52, and the earth lead wire 53, respectively. Then, by bending at the bending line 3a, the linear sensor unit 1 is completed, so that the output side terminal members 3 can be easily connected and fixed to the linear sensor 2. Also, as in the previous embodiment, even if external noise enters the first shield conductor layer 35 (see FIG. 4), it is possible to reliably prevent the influence of the external noise from reaching the first connection portion 314.

Furthermore, since the internal conductors 21 and external conductors 23 at both ends are electrically connected to the output terminal members 3, the signal is not reflected at the termination end and cancels out the signal generated by the linear sensor 2. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the sensor output of the linear sensor unit 1. In particular, when the linear sensor 2 is short, the signal is likely to be reflected at the termination end and cancel out the signal generated by the linear sensor 2, but the configuration of this modified example prevents a decrease in the sensor output and enables highly sensitive detection.

Next, we will explain the second variant of this embodiment.

Figure 10(a) is a plan view similar to Figure 6(b) showing the end-side terminal member of the second modified example unfolded, and Figure 10(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line J-J in Figure 6(a).

As shown in FIG. 10(a), the linear sensor unit 1 of the second modified example differs from the linear sensor unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that the end terminal member 4 is used as a connection terminal for connecting the linear sensors 2 to each other. The end terminal member 4 has twice the width in the left-right direction in FIG. 10(a) of the end terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 6. The structure is linearly symmetrical with respect to the center line in the left-right direction. In the description of this modified example, of the ends of the two linear sensors 2, the end of the linear sensor 2 shown on the left side of FIG. 10(a) is referred to as the connection side end, and the end of the linear sensor 2 shown on the right side of FIG. 10(a) is referred to as the connected side end. In addition, in each part formed on the side covering the connected side end (the right half of FIG. 10(a)) of the end terminal member 4, the part having the same function as the side covering the connecting side end (the left half of FIG. 10(a)) is indicated by the same reference numeral as the side covering the connecting side end, with the letter A added, and the description may be omitted. Similarly, the symbol for the connection end of the linear sensor 2 is indicated with an A added, and the explanation may be omitted.

The side of the termination side terminal member 4 that covers the connected side end has almost the same structure as the termination side terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 6. However, it differs from the termination side terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 6 in that a connection wiring 416 connected to the termination first connection part 411 is formed and the termination pattern wiring 414 extends toward the connected side. The connection wiring 416 electrically connects the termination first connection part 411 on the connection side to the termination first connection part 411A on the connected side. The termination pattern wiring 414 also electrically connects the termination second connection part 412 on the connection side to the termination second connection part 412A on the connected side. Furthermore, the termination solid pattern 415 also electrically connects the termination third connection part 413 on the connection side to the termination third connection part 413A on the connected side. As a result, signals, etc. are transmitted between the linear sensor 2 on the connection side and the linear sensor 2A on the connected side.

The termination second shield conductor layer 43 covers the underside of the termination first connection portion 411 on the connecting side, the termination first connection portion 411A on the connected side, the termination second connection portion 412 on the connecting side, the termination second connection portion 412A on the connected side, the termination pattern wiring 414, and the connection wiring 416. As shown by the outlined arrows in Fig. 10(a), the termination side terminal member 4 is folded to sandwich the ends of the two linear sensors 2, and the termination terminal first region 4S1 is overlapped with the termination terminal second region 4S2, so that the ends of the two linear sensors 2 are simultaneously covered and fixed by the termination side terminal member 4. As a result, the upper surfaces of the terminal first connection portion 411 on the connecting side, the terminal first connection portion 411A on the connected side, the terminal second connection portion 412 on the connecting side, the terminal second connection portion 412A on the connected side, the terminal pattern wiring 414 on the connecting side, the terminal pattern wiring 414A on the connected side, and the connection wiring 416 are covered with the terminal second shield conductor layer 43.

As shown in FIG. 10(b), in the termination side terminal member 4 of the second modified example, the termination first shield conductor layer 45 is provided over almost the entire area of the termination side terminal member 4 with a small gap at the periphery. Therefore, when the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal folding line 4a shown in FIG. 10(a), the termination second shield conductor layer 43 is covered on the upper and lower surfaces by the termination first shield conductor layer 45. Therefore, external noise does not directly enter the termination second shield conductor layer 43 from the upper and lower directions. And, the termination first connection part 411 on the connection side, the termination first connection part 411A on the connected side, and the connection wiring 416 on the connection side and the termination first shield conductor layer 45 are interposed with the termination second shield conductor layer 43 connected to the signal ground. Therefore, even if external noise enters the termination first shield conductor layer 45, it is possible to reliably prevent the external noise from affecting the termination first connection part 411 on the connecting side, the termination first connection part 411A on the connected side, and the connection wiring 416.

In this second modified example, the linear sensor unit 1 is completed by soldering the internal conductor 21, external conductor 23, and shield coating 25 of the connecting linear sensor 2 and the internal conductor 21A, external conductor 23A, and shield coating 25A of the connected linear sensor 2A, respectively, and bending the terminating terminal member 4 at the terminating terminal bending line 4a. Therefore, the two linear sensors 2 can be easily connected and fixed. Note that one of the two linear sensors 2 may be replaced with a signal cable without a sensor function, and the terminating terminal member 4 of this second modified example may be used as a connection terminal for connecting the linear sensor 2 and the signal cable.

Next, we will explain the linear sensor unit of the second embodiment.

Figure 11 is a plan view similar to Figure 2, showing the output side terminal member of the linear sensor unit of the second embodiment unfolded. This Figure 11 can also be said to be a plan view showing the state immediately before bending the output side terminal member 3 in the final stage of the process of attaching the output side terminal member 3 to the output side end of the linear sensor 2.

The linear sensor unit 1 shown in FIG. 11 differs from the linear sensor unit 1 shown in the previous embodiment in the shape of the output side terminal member 3 and the end side terminal member 4. The end side terminal member 4 will be described in detail later. The output side terminal member 3 shown in FIG. 11 differs from the output side terminal member 3 shown in FIG. 2 in that the second pattern wiring 318 and the third shielding conductor layer 38 have the function of the second shielding conductor layer 33 (see FIG. 2), and in that in addition to the first region 3S1 and the second region 3S2, the output side terminal member 3 has a third region 3S3 and is folded at two places. In the state shown in FIG. 11, the third region 3S3 is located below the second region 3S2. A second fold line 3b is drawn at the boundary between the second region 3S2 and the third region 3S3. In FIG. 11, the second fold line 3b is indicated by a thick dashed line.

As shown in FIG. 11, the second pattern wiring 318 of the second embodiment also extends across the bend line 3a into the second region 3S2. The portion of the second pattern wiring 318 that extends into the second region 3S2 is formed to a size that covers the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the upper surface of the first pattern wiring 317 when the output side terminal member 3 is bent at the bend line 3a and the first region 3S1 overlaps with the second region 3S2. The solid pattern 319 also extends across the second bend line 3b into the third region 3S3. The portion of the solid pattern 319 that extends into the third region 3S3 is formed to a size that covers almost the entire area of the third region 3S3.

Figure 12(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line K-K in Figure 11. Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 12(a).

As shown in FIG. 12(a), the output side terminal member 3 is a film-like member having a pattern conductor layer 31, a base film 32, a first shield conductor layer 35, an upper coverlay 36, a lower coverlay 37, and a third shield conductor layer 38. The first shield conductor layer 35 and the third shield conductor layer 38 are layers arranged with the base film 32 sandwiched between the pattern conductor layer 31. The first shield conductor layer 35 and the third shield conductor layer 38 are formed by depositing copper on the lower surface of the base film 32 by vapor deposition. However, the first shield conductor layer 35 and the third shield conductor layer 38 may be attached to the lower surface of the base film 32 by other methods such as sputtering, EBD, CVD, coating, immersion, and electroless plating, or may be formed by adhering a conductive foil to the lower surface of the base film 32. The thickness of the first shield conductor layer 35 is 0.02 to 0.5 mm. The first shielding conductor layer 35 and the third shielding conductor layer 38 are formed by photoresist processing of a conductor layer formed on the entire lower surface of the base film 32. Therefore, the first shielding conductor layer 35 and the third shielding conductor layer 38 are formed on the same surface with a gap in the planar direction. However, they may be arranged on surfaces at different heights. In FIG. 12(a), the first shielding conductor layer 35 and the third shielding conductor layer 38 are indicated by cross-hatching.

Figure 12(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line L-L in Figure 11. Note that the thickness of each part is also exaggerated in Figure 12(b).

As shown in FIG. 12(b), the output side terminal member 3 has a third via hole 3182 formed therein, which penetrates the base film 32 and electrically connects the second pattern wiring 318 and the third shielding conductor layer 38. This third via hole 3182 corresponds to an example of a third conductor path. The third via hole 3182 is formed by a conductor (copper) that penetrates into the hole in the base film 32 by forming a hole in the base film 32 by milling, and then evaporating the pattern conductor layer 31 onto the base film 32 on which the third shielding conductor layer 38 is formed.

Figure 13 is a bottom view of the output terminal member and sensor wire shown in Figure 11.

13, the first shielding conductor layer 35 and the third shielding conductor layer 38 are shown by cross-hatching. As shown in FIG. 13, the first shielding conductor layer 35 is provided in almost the entire area of the second region 3S2 and the third region 3S3 with a small gap at the periphery. The third shielding conductor layer 38 is formed to a size that covers the lower surfaces of the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the first pattern wiring 317 (see FIG. 11). That is, when the output side terminal member 3 is folded at the folding line 3a and the second folding line 3b, the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the first pattern wiring 317 are sandwiched between the second pattern wiring 318 (see FIG. 11) and the third shielding conductor layer 38 and covered on the upper and lower surfaces.

Figure 14 is an M-M cross-sectional view of the output side terminal member shown in Figure 11, which is bent at the fold line and the second fold line and cut at the part with the M-M line. In this Figure 14, the thickness of each part is exaggerated. This Figure 14 can also be considered a cross-sectional view showing the completed state of the output side end part of the linear sensor 2.

In the state where the output side terminal member 3 shown in FIG. 11 is folded at the folding line 3a and the second folding line 3b, as shown in FIG. 14, the third shield conductor layer 38 and the second pattern wiring 318 are covered on the outside by the first shield conductor layer 35. Therefore, external noise does not directly enter the third shield conductor layer 38 and the second pattern wiring 318. Also, as described above, the first connection portion 314 and the first pattern wiring 317 shown in FIG. 11 are covered by the second pattern wiring 318 connected to the signal ground and the third shield conductor layer 38. Therefore, even if external noise enters the first shield conductor layer 35, it is possible to reliably prevent the influence of the external noise from reaching the first connection portion 314 and the first pattern wiring 317. That is, the second pattern wiring 318 and the third shield conductor layer 38 of this second embodiment correspond to an example of the second shield conductor layer.

In addition, the edges of the output terminal member 3 other than the folded side (the near end, far end, and lower left part in FIG. 14) are not covered with the first shield conductor layer 35, and a gap of width C5 or C6 is generated between the first shield conductor layers 35. However, this width C5 or C6 is set to an extremely short width of less than 1/4 of the shortest wavelength of the vibrations measured by the linear sensor unit 1. This makes it possible to prevent external noise having the same wavelength as the wavelength being measured from entering through the gap between the first shield conductor layers 35.

In the linear sensor unit 1 of the second embodiment, when attaching the output side terminal member 3 to the output side end of the linear sensor 2, the linear sensor 2 with the internal conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, the external conductor 23, the inner sheath 24, and the shield coating 25 exposed at the output side end, and the output side terminal member 3 with adhesive applied are prepared. Then, the internal conductor 21, the external conductor 23, and the shield coating 25 are soldered to the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the third connection portion 316, respectively, and folded at the folding lines 3a and the second folding lines 3b, completing the work, so that the output side terminal member 3 can be easily connected and fixed to the linear sensor 2. In addition, the output side terminal member 3 can be constructed inexpensively because it is simply a single conductor layer formed on each side of the base film 32.

Next, the end terminal member 4 of the second embodiment will be described.

Figure 15 is a plan view similar to Figure 6(b) showing the state in which the end terminal member of the linear sensor unit of the second embodiment is unfolded. This Figure 15 can also be said to be a plan view showing the state immediately before bending the end terminal member 4 in the final stage of the process of attaching the end terminal member 4 to the end of the linear sensor 2.

The termination side terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 15 differs from the termination side terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 6 in that it does not have a termination second shield conductor layer 43, and in that it has a termination terminal third region 4S3 in addition to the termination terminal first region 4S1 and termination terminal second region 4S2, and is folded at two places. In the state shown in FIG. 15, the termination terminal third region 4S3 is located below the termination terminal second region 4S2. A termination terminal second fold line 4b is drawn at the boundary between the termination terminal second region 4S2 and the termination terminal third region 4S3. In FIG. 15, the termination terminal second fold line 4b is indicated by a thick dashed line.

As shown in FIG. 15, the termination pattern wiring 414 of the second embodiment also extends to the termination terminal second region 4S2 across the termination terminal fold line 4a. The portion of the termination pattern wiring 414 that extends to the termination terminal second region 4S2 is formed to a size that covers the upper surfaces of the termination first connection portion 411 and the termination second connection portion 412 when the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal fold line 4a and the termination terminal first region 4S1 overlaps with the termination terminal second region 4S2. The termination solid pattern 415 also extends to the termination terminal third region 4S3 across the termination terminal second fold line 4b. The portion of the termination solid pattern 415 that extends to the termination terminal third region 4S3 is formed to a size that covers almost the entire area of the termination terminal third region 4S3.

Figure 16(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line N-N in Figure 15. Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 16(a).

As shown in FIG. 16(a), the termination side terminal member 4 is a film-like member having a termination pattern conductor layer 41, a termination base film 42, a termination first shield conductor layer 45, a termination upper coverlay 46, a termination lower coverlay 47, and a termination third shield conductor layer 48. The termination first shield conductor layer 45 and the termination third shield conductor layer 48 are layers arranged with the termination base film 42 sandwiched between the termination pattern conductor layer 41. These termination first shield conductor layer 45 and the termination third shield conductor layer 48 are formed by attaching copper by vapor deposition to the lower surface of the termination base film 42. However, the termination first shield conductor layer 45 and the termination third shield conductor layer 48 may be attached to the lower surface of the termination base film 42 using other methods such as sputtering, EBD, CVD, coating, immersion, and electroless plating, or may be formed by adhering a conductive foil to the lower surface of the termination base film 42. The thickness of the termination first shield conductor layer 45 is 0.02 to 0.5 mm. The termination first shielding conductor layer 45 and the termination third shielding conductor layer 48 are formed by photoresist processing of a conductor layer formed on the entire lower surface of the termination base film 42. Therefore, the termination first shielding conductor layer 45 and the termination third shielding conductor layer 48 are formed on the same surface with a gap in the planar direction. However, they may be arranged on surfaces of different heights. In FIG. 16(a), the termination first shielding conductor layer 45 and the termination third shielding conductor layer 48 are indicated by cross-hatching.

Figure 16(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line P-P in Figure 15. Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 16(b).

As shown in FIG. 16(b), the termination side terminal member 4 has a termination third via hole 4142 formed therein, which penetrates the termination base film 42 and electrically connects the termination pattern wiring 414 and the termination third shielding conductor layer 48. This termination third via hole 4142 corresponds to an example of a third conductor path. The termination third via hole 4142 is formed by a conductor (copper) that has entered the hole in the termination base film 42 by forming a hole in the termination base film 42 by milling, and then evaporating the termination pattern conductor layer 41 onto the termination base film 42 on which the termination third shielding conductor layer 48 has been formed.

Figure 17 is a bottom view of the end terminal member and sensor wire shown in Figure 15.

17, the termination first shielding conductor layer 45 and the termination third shielding conductor layer 48 are shown by cross-hatching. As shown in FIG. 17, the termination first shielding conductor layer 45 is provided in almost the entire area of the termination terminal second region 4S2 and the termination terminal third region 4S3 with a small gap at the periphery. The termination third shielding conductor layer 48 is formed to a size that covers the lower surfaces of the termination first connection portion 411 and the termination second connection portion 412. That is, when the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal folding line 4a and the termination terminal second folding line 4b, the termination first connection portion 411 and the termination second connection portion 412 are sandwiched between the termination pattern wiring 414 (see FIG. 15) and the termination third shielding conductor layer 48, and the upper and lower surfaces are covered.

Figure 18 is a Q-Q cross-sectional view of the end terminal member shown in Figure 15 folded at the end terminal fold line and the end terminal second fold line and cut at the portion with line Q-Q. In Figure 18, the thickness of each part is exaggerated. Figure 18 can also be considered a cross-sectional view showing the completed state of the end terminal of the linear sensor 2.

In the state where the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal folding line 4a and the termination terminal second folding line 4b shown in FIG. 15, as shown in FIG. 18, the termination third shielding conductor layer 48 and the termination pattern wiring 414 are covered on the outside by the termination first shielding conductor layer 45. Therefore, external noise does not directly enter the termination second shielding conductor layer 43 and the termination pattern wiring 414. Also, as described above, the termination first connection part 411 shown in FIG. 15 is covered by the termination pattern wiring 414 connected to the signal ground and the termination third shielding conductor layer 48. Therefore, even if external noise enters the termination first shielding conductor layer 45, it is possible to reliably prevent the influence of the external noise from reaching the termination first connection part 411.

In addition, the edges of the termination side terminal member 4 other than the folded side (the near end, far end, and lower left part in FIG. 18) are not covered with the termination first shield conductor layer 45, and a gap of width C7 or C8 is generated between the termination first shield conductor layers 45. However, this width C7 or C8 is set to an extremely short width of less than 1/4 of the shortest wavelength of the vibrations measured by the linear sensor unit 1. This makes it possible to prevent external noise having the same wavelength as the wavelength being measured from entering through the gap between the termination first shield conductor layers 45.

In the linear sensor unit 1 of the second embodiment, when attaching the end terminal member 4 to the end terminal of the linear sensor 2, the linear sensor 2 with the internal conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, the external conductor 23, the inner sheath 24, and the shield coating 25 exposed at the end terminal, and the end terminal member 4 with adhesive applied are prepared. Then, the internal conductor 21, the external conductor 23, and the shield coating 25 are soldered to the first end connection portion 411, the second end connection portion 412, and the third end connection portion 413, respectively, and the work is completed by folding at the end terminal folding line 4a and the second end terminal folding line 4b, so that the end terminal member 4 can be easily connected and fixed to the linear sensor 2. In addition, the end terminal member 4 is simply a single conductor layer formed on each side of the base film 32, so that the end terminal member 4 can be constructed inexpensively.

Next, we will explain the linear sensor unit of the third embodiment.

Figure 19 is a plan view showing the linear sensor unit of the third embodiment.

The linear sensor unit 1 of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 19 has a different configuration of the output side terminal member 3 and the end side terminal member 4 from the linear sensor unit 1 shown in FIG. 1. In addition, this linear sensor unit 1 has a signal cable 39 connected to the output side terminal member 3. Furthermore, an insulating output side sealing material 30 is provided at both ends of the output side terminal member 3 to cover the end face. An insulating end side sealing material 40 is also provided at both ends of the end side terminal member 4 to cover the end face. These output side sealing material 30 and end side sealing material 40 are made by solidifying an adhesive such as epoxy resin. The output side sealing material 30 and end side sealing material 40 may be an adhesive other than epoxy resin. The output side sealing material 30 and end side sealing material 40 can prevent liquid or water vapor from entering from the end faces of the output side terminal member 3 and end side terminal member 4. In this third embodiment, the film-shaped output side terminal member 3 and the film-shaped end side terminal member 4 are folded four times so that the end of the linear sensor 2 is the innermost, and overlapped to form a sheet. However, the film-like output side terminal member 3 and the film-like termination side terminal member 4 may be wrapped around the end of the linear sensor 2 to form a cylindrical shape. When the output side terminal member 3 and the termination side terminal member 4 are wrapped around the linear sensor 2 to form a cylindrical shape, a heat shrink tube may be used instead of the output side sealing material 30 and the termination side sealing material 40. Also, instead of the output side sealing material 30 and the termination side sealing material 40, a cap may be used to cover the end faces of the output side terminal member 3 and the termination side terminal member 4. In short, it is sufficient to arrange an insulating material that covers the end faces of the output side terminal member 3 and the termination side terminal member 4 in a watertight or airtight manner.

Figure 20 is a plan view showing the output side terminal member of the linear sensor unit of the third embodiment when unfolded. This Figure 20 can also be said to be a plan view showing the state immediately before bending the output side terminal member 3 in the final stage of the process of attaching the output side terminal member 3 to the output side end of the linear sensor 2. Note that the output side sealing material 30 shown in Figure 19 is applied and solidified after the output side terminal member 3 is bent, so the output side sealing material 30 is not shown in Figure 20.

The output side terminal member 3 shown in Fig. 20 differs from the output side terminal member 3 shown in Fig. 2 in that the signal cable 39 is connected, the conductor layer is provided only on one side of the base film 32 (see Fig. 21), and the output side terminal member 3 is provided with a third region 3S3, a fourth region 3S4, and a fifth region 3S5 in addition to the first region 3S1 and the second region 3S2 and is bent at four places. In the output side terminal member 3 of the third embodiment, the solid pattern 319 has the function of the first shield conductor layer 35 (see Fig. 2), and the second pattern wiring 318 has the function of the second shield conductor layer 33 (see Fig. 2). The third region 3S3, the fourth region 3S4, and the fifth region 3S5 are located below the second region 3S2 in this order in the state shown in Fig. 20. A second fold line 3b is drawn at the boundary between the second region 3S2 and the third region 3S3, a third fold line 3c is drawn at the boundary between the third region 3S3 and the fourth region 3S4, and a fourth fold line 3d is drawn at the boundary between the fourth region 3S4 and the fifth region 3S5. In FIG. 20, each fold line is indicated by a thick dashed line. In addition, taking into account the thickness when folded, the first region 3S1, the second region 3S2, the third region 3S3, the fourth region 3S4, and the fifth region 3S5 are arranged in the order of increasing length in the vertical direction in FIG. 20.

20, the first region 3S1 of the output side terminal member 3 is provided with a first connection portion 314, a second connection portion 315, a third connection portion 316, a second cable connection portion 3151, and a third cable connection portion 3161. A signal cable 39 is connected to the output side terminal member 3. The signal cable 39 is composed of a signal line 391, a cable inner sheath 392, a signal ground line 393, a cable intermediate sheath 394, a cable earth line 395, and a cable outer sheath 396. This signal cable 39 is for transmitting a signal obtained by the linear sensor 2 to a measuring device (not shown), and a connector (not shown), such as a USB connector, is attached to the other end opposite to the one end shown in FIG. 20. By connecting this connector to the measuring device, the signal obtained by the linear sensor 2 is transmitted to the measuring device. The signal line 391 is a copper conductor wire arranged in the center of the signal cable 39. The cable inner sheath 392 is an insulator such as polyamide synthetic resin that covers the outer periphery of the signal line 391. The signal ground line 393 is a conductor made of a polymer conductive material that covers the outer periphery of the cable inner sheath 392. The cable intermediate sheath 394 is an insulator such as polyamide synthetic resin that covers the outer periphery of the signal ground line 393. The cable earth line 395 is a tube-shaped braided wire made of metal such as nickel-plated copper or stainless steel that covers the outer periphery of the cable intermediate sheath 394. The cable outer sheath 396 is an insulator such as PTFE that covers the outer periphery of the cable earth line 395. Note that the materials of the members that make up the signal cable 39 are not limited to these, and any material can be used as long as the conductor and insulator are formed in order from the center.

The first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the third connection portion 316, the second cable connection portion 3151, and the third cable connection portion 3161 are exposed on the upper surface of the output side terminal member 3 before bending the output side terminal member 3 shown in FIG. 20. The internal conductor 21 exposed at the output side end of the linear sensor 2 and the signal line 391 exposed at one end of the signal cable 39 are electrically connected and fixed to the first connection portion 314 by solder. In FIG. 20, the solder is shown as a black square. This first connection portion 314 corresponds to an example of a first connection conductor layer. The detection signal obtained by the internal conductor 21 is transmitted to a measuring device or the like through the first connection portion 314 and the signal line 391. The signal ground line 393 exposed at one end of the signal cable 39 is electrically connected and fixed to the second cable connection portion 3151. The second cable connection portion 3151 is electrically connected to the second connection portion 315 by the second pattern wiring 318. The second connection portion 315, the second pattern wiring 318, and the second cable connection portion 3151 correspond to an example of a second connection conductor layer. The outer conductor 23 is connected to a signal ground of a measuring device or the like through the second connection portion 315, the second pattern wiring 318, the second cable connection portion 3151, and the signal ground line 393. The cable earth wire 395 exposed at one end of the signal cable 39 is electrically connected to and fixed to the third cable connection portion 3161. The third cable connection portion 3161 is electrically connected to the third connection portion 316 by the solid pattern 319. The third connection portion 316, the solid pattern 319, and the third cable connection portion 3161 correspond to an example of a third connection conductor layer. The shield coating 25 is connected to the ground of a measuring device or the like through the third connection portion 316, the solid pattern 319, the third cable connection portion 3161, and the ground wire 385. The first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the second pattern wiring 318, and the second cable connection portion 3151, and the third connection portion 316, the solid pattern 319, and the third cable connection portion 3161 are arranged with a gap between them in the surface direction. Even when the output side terminal member 3 shown in FIG. 19 is folded, the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, the second pattern wiring 318, and the second cable connection portion 3151, and the third connection portion 316, the solid pattern 319, and the third cable connection portion 3161 are arranged with the base film 32 (see FIG. 21) or the upper coverlay 36 (see FIG. 21) facing each other in the thickness direction, and are arranged with a gap between them in the thickness direction, so they do not come into contact.

The second pattern wiring 318 of the third embodiment also extends to the second region 3S2 and the third region 3S3 across the fold line 3a and the second fold line 3b. The portion of the second pattern wiring 318 extending to the second region 3S2 is formed to a size that covers the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the second cable connection portion 3151 when the output side terminal member 3 is folded at the fold line 3a and the first region 3S1 overlaps with the second region 3S2 in the thickness direction. In addition, the portion of the second pattern wiring 318 extending to the third region 3S3 is formed to a size that covers the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the second cable connection portion 3151 when the output side terminal member 3 is folded at the fold line 3a and the second fold line 3b, respectively, and the surface of the back side of the first region 3S1 in FIG. 20 overlaps with the third region 3S3 in the thickness direction.

The solid pattern 319 extends across the fold line 3a, the second fold line 3b, the third fold line 3c, and the fourth fold line 3d, and also into the second region 3S2, the third region 3S3, the fourth region 3S4, and the fifth region 3S5. The portions of the solid pattern 319 that extend into the fourth region 3S4 and the fifth region 3S5 are formed to a size that covers almost the entire area of the first region 3S1, the second region 3S2, and the third region 3S3 that are folded at the fold line 3a and the second fold line 3b.

Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line T-T in Figure 20. Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 21. Also, the exposed surfaces of first connection part 314, second connection part 315, third connection part 316, second cable connection part 3151 and third cable connection part 3161 are gold-plated to improve connectivity with the solder and to increase the height, but the gold plating is omitted from the illustration.

As shown in FIG. 21, the output side terminal member 3 is a film having a pattern conductor layer 31 and a base film 32. In the output side terminal member 3 of the third embodiment, the pattern conductor layer 31 is formed on one side of the base film 32, and no conductor layer is formed on the side of the base film 32 opposite to the side on which the pattern conductor layer 31 is formed.

Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line R-R in Figure 19. In this figure, the thickness of each part is also exaggerated.

22, the first region 3S1, the second region 3S2, and the third region 3S3 are covered on the outside by the parts of the solid pattern 319 in the fourth region 3S4 and the fifth region 3S5. The output side end of the linear sensor 2 and one end of the signal cable 39 shown in FIG. 20 are also covered on the outside by the parts of the solid pattern 319 in the fourth region 3S4 and the fifth region 3S5. The solid pattern 319 is electrically connected to the shielding coating 25 and the cable earth wire 395 shown in FIG. 20. Therefore, noise is prevented from directly entering the outside of the first region 3S1, the second region 3S2, the third region 3S3, the output side end of the linear sensor 2, and one end of the signal cable 39. That is, in this third embodiment, the parts of the solid pattern 319 in the fourth region 3S4 and the fifth region 3S5 correspond to an example of a first shield conductor layer. In addition, the first connection portion 314, the internal conductor 21 of the linear sensor 2 exposed at the output end, and the signal line 391 exposed at one end of the signal cable 39 are covered on the outside by the parts of the second pattern wiring 318 in the second region 3S2 and the third region 3S3. Therefore, even if external noise enters the parts of the solid pattern 319 in the fourth region 3S4 and the fifth region 3S5, it is possible to reliably prevent the influence of the external noise from reaching the first connection portion 314, the internal conductor 21 of the linear sensor 2 exposed at the output end, and the signal line 391 exposed at one end of the signal cable 39. That is, the parts of the second pattern wiring 318 in the second region 3S2 and the third region 3S3 in this third embodiment correspond to an example of a second shield conductor layer.

A solid pattern 319 is arranged on the outermost edge of the output side terminal member 3 (the lower left part in FIG. 22). This prevents noise from directly entering the second pattern wiring 318, the output side end of the linear sensor 2, and one end of the signal cable 39 from this end face. As shown in FIG. 20, solid patterns 319 are also arranged on both end faces of the output side terminal member 3 (both left and right ends in FIG. 20). This prevents noise from directly entering the second pattern wiring 318, the output side end of the linear sensor 2, and one end of the signal cable 39 from this end face.

In the linear sensor unit 1 of the third embodiment, when attaching the output side terminal member 3 to the output side end of the linear sensor 2, first prepare the linear sensor 2, the output side terminal member 3, and the signal cable 39. Then, at the output side end of the linear sensor 2, the inner conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, the outer conductor 23, the inner sheath 24, and the shield coating 25 are gradually exposed. Also, at one end of the signal cable 39, the signal line 391, the cable inner sheath 392, the signal ground line 393, the cable intermediate sheath 394, and the cable earth line 395 are gradually exposed. Then, the inner conductor 21, the outer conductor 23, and the shield coating 25 are soldered to the first connection portion 314, the second connection portion 315, and the third connection portion 316, respectively. The signal line 391, the signal ground line 393, and the cable earth line 395 are soldered to the first connection portion 314, the second cable connection portion 3151, and the third cable connection portion 3161, respectively. Next, adhesive is applied to one surface of the output side terminal member 3 that will become the inner surface, and the output side terminal member 3 is folded in the order of the fold line 3a, the second fold line 3b, the third fold line 3c, and the fourth fold line 3d, and finally the output side sealing material 30 is applied to complete the work. Therefore, the output side terminal member 3 can be easily connected and fixed to the linear sensor 2. In addition, the output side terminal member 3 can be constructed inexpensively because only one conductor layer is formed on one side of the base film 32.

Next, the end terminal member 4 of the third embodiment will be described.

Figure 23 is a plan view showing the end terminal member of the linear sensor unit of the third embodiment when unfolded. This Figure 23 can also be said to be a plan view showing the state immediately before bending the end terminal member 4 in the final stage of the process of attaching the end terminal member 4 to the end end of the linear sensor 2. Note that the end sealing material 40 shown in Figure 19 is applied and solidified after bending the end terminal member 4, so the end sealing material 40 is not shown in Figure 23.

The termination side terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 23 differs from the termination side terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 2 in that the conductor layer is provided only on one side of the termination base film 42 (see FIG. 24) and that in addition to the termination terminal first region 4S1 and the termination terminal second region 4S2, the termination terminal third region 4S3, the termination terminal fourth region 4S4, and the termination terminal fifth region 4S5 are provided and folded at four places. In the termination side terminal member 4 of the third embodiment, the termination solid pattern 415 has the function of the termination first shield conductor layer 45 (see FIG. 7), and the termination pattern wiring 414 has the function of the termination second shield conductor layer 43 (see FIG. 7). The termination terminal third region 4S3, the termination terminal fourth region 4S4, and the termination terminal fifth region 4S5 are located below the termination terminal second region 4S2 in this order in the state shown in FIG. 23. A terminal second fold line 4b is drawn at the boundary between the terminal second region 4S2 and the terminal third region 4S3, a terminal third fold line 4c is drawn at the boundary between the terminal third region 4S3 and the terminal fourth region 4S4, and a terminal fourth fold line 4d is drawn at the boundary between the terminal fourth region 4S4 and the terminal fifth region 4S5. In FIG. 23, each fold line is shown by a thick dashed line. In addition, taking into account the thickness when folded, the terminal first region 4S1, terminal second region 4S2, terminal third region 4S3, terminal fourth region 4S4, and terminal fifth region 4S5 are lengthened in the vertical direction in FIG. 23 in this order.

As shown in FIG. 23, the termination terminal first region 4S1 of the termination side terminal member 4 is provided with a termination first connection portion 411, a termination second connection portion 412, and a termination third connection portion 413. The termination first connection portion 411, the termination second connection portion 412, and the termination third connection portion 413 are exposed on the upper surface of the termination side terminal member 4 before bending the termination side terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 23. The termination first connection portion 411 corresponds to an example of a first connection conductor layer, and the termination second connection portion 412 and the termination pattern wiring 414 correspond to an example of a second connection conductor layer. The termination third connection portion 413 and the termination solid pattern 415 correspond to an example of a third connection conductor layer. The termination first connection portion 411, the termination second connection portion 412, the termination pattern wiring 414, the termination third connection portion 413, and the termination solid pattern 415 are arranged with a gap between them in the surface direction. In addition, even when the termination side terminal member 4 shown in FIG. 19 is folded, the termination first connection portion 411, the termination second connection portion 412 and the termination pattern wiring 414, and the termination third connection portion 413 and the termination solid pattern 415 are arranged opposite the termination base film 42 (see FIG. 24) or the termination upper coverlay 46 (see FIG. 24) in the thickness direction, and are arranged with a gap between them in the thickness direction, so they do not come into contact.

The termination pattern wiring 414 of the third embodiment also extends across the termination terminal fold line 4a and the termination terminal second fold line 4b to the termination terminal second region 4S2 and the termination terminal third region 4S3. The portion of the termination pattern wiring 414 extending to the termination terminal second region 4S2 is formed to a size that covers the termination first connection portion 411 and the termination second connection portion 412 when the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal fold line 4a and the termination terminal first region 4S1 overlaps with the termination terminal second region 4S2 in the thickness direction. Also, the portion of the termination pattern wiring 414 extending to the termination terminal third region 4S3 is formed to a size that covers the termination first connection portion 411 and the termination second connection portion 412 when the termination side terminal member 4 is folded at the termination terminal fold line 4a and the termination terminal second fold line 4b, respectively, and the surface of the back side of the termination terminal first region 4S1 in FIG. 23 overlaps with the termination terminal third region 4S3 in the thickness direction.

The terminal solid pattern 415 extends across the terminal fold line 4a, the terminal second fold line 4b, the terminal third fold line 4c, and the terminal fourth fold line 4d, and also extends into the terminal second region 4S2, the terminal third region 4S3, the terminal fourth region 4S4, and the terminal fifth region 4S5. The terminal solid pattern 415 extends into the terminal fourth region 4S4 and the terminal fifth region 4S5 in a size that covers almost the entire terminal first region 4S1, the terminal second region 4S2, and the terminal third region 4S3 folded at the terminal fold line 4a and the terminal second fold line 4b.

Figure 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line U-U in Figure 23. Note that the thickness of each part is exaggerated in Figure 24. Also, the exposed surfaces of the terminal first connection part 411, terminal second connection part 412, and terminal third connection part 413 are gold-plated to improve connectivity with the solder and to increase the height, but the gold plating is omitted from the illustration.

As shown in FIG. 24, the termination side terminal member 4 is a film having a termination pattern conductor layer 41 and a termination base film 42. In the termination side terminal member 4 of the third embodiment, the termination pattern conductor layer 41 is formed on one side of the termination base film 42, and no conductor layer is formed on the side of the termination base film 42 opposite to the side on which the termination pattern conductor layer 41 is formed.

Figure 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line S-S in Figure 19. In Figure 25, the thickness of each part is exaggerated.

25, the terminal first region 4S1, the terminal second region 4S2, and the terminal third region 4S3 are covered on the outside by the portion of the terminal solid pattern 415 that is in the terminal fourth region 4S4 and the terminal fifth region 4S5. The terminal end of the linear sensor 2 is also covered on the outside by the portion of the terminal solid pattern 415 that is in the terminal fourth region 4S4 and the terminal fifth region 4S5. The terminal solid pattern 415 is electrically connected to the shield coating 25 shown in FIG. 23. Therefore, noise is prevented from directly entering the terminal first region 4S1, the terminal second region 4S2, the terminal third region 4S3, and the terminal end of the linear sensor 2. That is, in this third embodiment, the portion of the terminal solid pattern 415 that is in the terminal fourth region 4S4 and the terminal fifth region 4S5 corresponds to an example of a first shield conductor layer. In addition, the internal conductor 21 of the linear sensor 2 exposed at the termination first connection portion 411 and the termination end (see FIG. 23) is covered on the outside by the portion of the termination pattern wiring 414 in the termination terminal second region 4S2 and the termination terminal third region 4S3. Therefore, even if external noise enters the portion of the termination solid pattern 415 in the termination terminal fourth region 4S4 and the termination terminal fifth region 4S5, it is possible to reliably prevent the external noise from affecting the internal conductor 21 of the linear sensor 2 exposed at the termination first connection portion 411 and the termination end. In other words, the portion of the termination pattern wiring 414 in the termination terminal second region 4S2 and the termination terminal third region 4S3 in this third embodiment corresponds to an example of a second shield conductor layer.

A termination solid pattern 415 is arranged on the outermost edge of the termination side terminal member 4 (the lower left part in FIG. 25). This prevents noise from directly entering the termination pattern wiring 414 and the termination side end of the linear sensor 2 from this end face. As shown in FIG. 23, termination solid patterns 415 are also arranged on both end faces of the termination side terminal member 4 (both left and right ends in FIG. 23). This prevents noise from directly entering the termination pattern wiring 414 and the termination side end of the linear sensor 2 from this end face.

In the linear sensor unit 1 of the third embodiment, when attaching the end terminal member 4 to the end terminal of the linear sensor 2, first prepare the linear sensor 2 and the end terminal member 4. Then, at the end terminal of the linear sensor 2, the internal conductor 21, the piezoelectric body 22, the external conductor 23, the inner sheath 24, and the shield coating 25 are exposed in stages. After that, the internal conductor 21, the external conductor 23, and the shield coating 25 are soldered to the end terminal first connection part 411, the end terminal second connection part 412, and the end terminal third connection part 413, respectively. Next, adhesive is applied to one surface that will become the inner surface of the end terminal member 4, and the end terminal is folded in the order of the end terminal fold line 4a, the end terminal second fold line 4b, the end terminal third fold line 4c, and the end terminal fourth fold line 4d, and finally the end terminal sealing material 40 is applied to complete the work. Therefore, the end terminal member 4 can be easily connected and fixed to the linear sensor 2. In addition, the end terminal member 4 can be constructed inexpensively because it is simply a single conductor layer formed on one side of the end base film 42.

According to the linear sensor unit 1 of the embodiment and the modified example described above, the output side terminal member 3 and the end side terminal member 4 can be easily connected and fixed, so that the manufacturing cost of the linear sensor unit can be reduced. In addition, the output side terminal member 3 and the end side terminal member 4 can be made smaller.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in this embodiment, the linear sensor 2 using the piezoelectric body 22 has been described, but the linear sensor 2 may be changed to one using a resistance wire such as conductive rubber or a capacitor wire. In addition, in this embodiment, the output side terminal member 3 and the end side terminal member 4 are folded once or twice, but the number of folds may be three or more. In addition, the output side terminal member 3 and the end side terminal member 4 may be wrapped around the linear sensor 2 without being folded.

Note that even if a component is included only in the description of each of the embodiments and variations described above, that component may be applied to other embodiments or other variations.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Linear sensor unit 2 Linear sensor 3 Output side terminal member 4 End side terminal member 20 Sensor wire 25 Shield coating 35 First shield conductor layer 45 End first shield conductor layer

Claims (8)

A linear sensor unit including a linear sensor having a sensor wire and a shield coating, and a terminal member electrically connected to the linear sensor,
the sensor wire has an inner conductor and an outer conductor;
the terminal member includes a first shielding conductor layer electrically connected to the shield coating, a first connecting conductor layer arranged between the first shielding conductor layer and the first insulating layer and to which the internal conductor is electrically connected, a second connecting conductor layer arranged between the first shielding conductor layer and the first insulating layer and to which the external conductor is electrically connected, a second shielding conductor layer arranged between the first insulating layer and the first shielding conductor layer and to which a second insulating layer is sandwiched between the first shielding conductor layer and the second shielding conductor layer, and a second conductor path that penetrates the first insulating layer and electrically connects the second connecting conductor layer and the second shielding conductor layer, and is in the form of a film that is overlapped and covers the periphery of the linear sensor. A linear sensor unit including a linear sensor having a sensor wire and a shield coating, and a terminal member electrically connected to the linear sensor,
the sensor wire has an inner conductor and an outer conductor;
the terminal member includes a first shielding conductor layer electrically connected to the shielding coating, a first connecting conductor layer arranged on either side of the first insulating layer and to which the internal conductor is electrically connected, a second connecting conductor layer arranged on either side of the first insulating layer and to which the external conductor is electrically connected, a third shielding conductor layer arranged with a gap in the planar direction from the first shielding conductor layer, and a third conductor path that penetrates the first insulating layer and electrically connects the second connecting conductor layer and the third shielding conductor layer, and is in the form of a film that is overlapped and covers the periphery of the linear sensor. 3. The linear sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the terminal member has a third connecting conductor layer to which the shielding coating is electrically connected, and a first conductor path that penetrates the first insulating layer and electrically connects the third connecting conductor layer and the first shielding conductor layer. A linear sensor unit including a linear sensor having a sensor wire and a shield coating, and a terminal member electrically connected to the linear sensor,
the sensor wire has an inner conductor and an outer conductor;
the terminal member includes a first shielding conductor layer electrically connected to the shielding coating, a first connecting conductor layer arranged on either side of the first insulating layer and to which the internal conductor is electrically connected, a second connecting conductor layer arranged on either side of the first shielding conductor layer and to which the external conductor is electrically connected, a third connecting conductor layer to which the shielding coating is electrically connected, and a first conductor path that penetrates the first insulating layer and electrically connects the third connecting conductor layer and the first shielding conductor layer, and is in the form of a film that is overlapped and covers the periphery of the linear sensor. A linear sensor unit including a linear sensor having a sensor wire and a shield coating, and a terminal member electrically connected to the linear sensor,
the sensor wire has an inner conductor and an outer conductor;
The terminal member has a first shielding conductor layer electrically connected to the shielding coating, a second connecting conductor layer arranged with a gap from the first shielding conductor layer and to which the external conductor is electrically connected, and a first connecting conductor layer arranged with a gap from the first shielding conductor layer and the second connecting conductor layer and to which the internal conductor is electrically connected, and is a film-like layer that is overlapped and covers the periphery of the linear sensor. the first connection conductor layer electrically connects the internal conductors at both ends of the linear sensor,
6. The linear sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting conductor layer electrically connects the external conductors at both ends of the linear sensor. A linear sensor unit including a linear sensor having a sensor wire and a shield coating, and a terminal member electrically connected to the linear sensor,
the sensor wire has an inner conductor and an outer conductor;
the terminal member has a first shielding conductor layer electrically connected to the shield coating, a first connecting conductor layer disposed between the first shielding conductor layer and a first insulating layer and to which the internal conductor is electrically connected, and a second connecting conductor layer disposed between the first shielding conductor layer and the first insulating layer and to which the external conductor is electrically connected, and is in the form of a film overlapped to cover the periphery of the linear sensor;
the first connection conductor layer electrically connects the internal conductors at both ends of the linear sensor,
The linear sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting conductor layer is formed by electrically connecting the external conductors at both ends of the linear sensor. 8. The linear sensor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the linear sensor has a piezoelectric material provided between the internal conductor and the external conductor.