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EP-4735981-A1 - HAPTIC DEVICE

EP4735981A1EP 4735981 A1EP4735981 A1EP 4735981A1EP-4735981-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a haptic device (100) for detecting a haptic input, said haptic device comprising: a piezoelectric actuator (1) having a main body (11) comprising a piezoelectric material; a first reinforcement element (13a) on a first main surface (11a) of the piezoelectric actuator (1); and a first capacitive element (30a), wherein the first reinforcement element (13a) is attached to the piezoelectric actuator (1) and has a touch region (17a) that is positioned at a distance above the first main surface (11a), wherein the first reinforcement element (13a) forms a first electrode (31a) of the first capacitive element (30a), wherein a second electrode (32a) of the first capacitive element (30a) is arranged on a main surface (11a, 11b) or inside the main body (11).

Inventors

  • LÖNNBERG, Jockum
  • BURGER, JOHANNES
  • PENTSCHER-STANI, Andreas
  • WIMMER-TEUBENBACHER, Robert
  • Sadeghian, Omid

Assignees

  • TDK Electronics AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240628

Claims (20)

  1. 1. Haptic device (100) comprising - a piezoelectric actuator (1) having a base body (11) and - a first reinforcing element (13a) on a first main surface (11a) of the piezoelectric actuator (1), - a first capacitive element (30a), wherein the first amplifying element (13a) is attached to the piezoelectric actuator (1) and has a Touch region (17a) arranged at a distance above the first main surface (11a), wherein the first reinforcing element (13a) has a first Electrode (31a) of the first capacitive element (30a), wherein a second electrode (32a) of the first capacitive element (30a) is arranged on a main surface (11a, 11b) or within the base body (11).
  2. 2. Haptic device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first reinforcing element (13a) is attached to the piezoelectric actuator (1) at least by an edge region (18a).
  3. 3. Haptic device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first reinforcing element (13a) is attached to the piezoelectric actuator (1) over its entire surface.
  4. 4. Haptic device (100) according to claim 2, further comprising a first electrical contact element (311a) for electrically contacting the first electrode (31a).
  5. 5. Haptic device (100) according to claim 4, wherein the first electrical contact element (311a) has a first connection region (312a) and a fastening region (313a) on the first main surface (11a).
  6. 6. Haptic device (100) according to claim 5, wherein the edge region (18a) of the first reinforcing element (13a) is at least partially electrically conductively attached to the attachment region (313a) of the first electrical contact element (311a). 7. Haptic device (100) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the edge region (18a) is glued to the fastening region (313a) by means of an adhesive connection (15) which is formed by an electrically conductive adhesive. 8. Haptic device (100) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the edge region (18a) is glued to the fastening region (313a) by means of an adhesive connection (15) which is formed by an electrically insulating adhesive.
  7. 7. Haptic device (100) according to one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the edge region (18a) is partially attached to the attachment region (313a) and partially directly to the first main surface (11a).
  8. 8. Haptic device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the fastening region (313a) is serpentine or meandering on the first main surface (11a).
  9. 9. Haptic device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the touch region (17a) has at least one raised region (170a) on a bottom side facing the first main surface (11a), which extends towards the first main surface (11a).
  10. 10. Haptic device (100) according to claim 9, wherein the at least one raised region (170a) is formed by an embossed structure introduced from an upper side of the first reinforcing element (13a) facing away from the first main surface (11a).
  11. 11. Haptic device (100) according to claim 9, wherein the at least one raised region (170a) is formed by a thickening of the touch region (17a).
  12. 12. Haptic device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second electrode (32a) is arranged on the first main surface (11a) or below the first main surface (11a) within the base body (11) of the first capacitive element (30a).
  13. 13. Haptic device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second electrode (32a) is arranged only below the touch area (17a).
  14. 14. Haptic device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a second electrical contact element (321a) with a second connection region (322a) for electrically contacting the second electrode (32a).
  15. 15. Haptic device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second electrode (32a) is formed by an electrode layer on a main surface (11a, 11b).
  16. 16. Haptic device (100) according to claim 14 and 15, wherein the second electrical contact element (321a) has a conductor track (324a) on a main surface (11a) through which the second electrode (32a) is connected to the second connection region (322a).
  17. 17. Haptic device (100) according to claim 16, wherein an electrically insulating layer (325a) is applied to the conductor track (324a).
  18. 18. Haptic device (100) according to claim 14 and 15, wherein the second electrical contact element (321a) has at least one electrical via (327a) and a conductor track (324a) arranged within the base body (11), through which the second electrode (32a) is connected to the second connection region (322a).
  19. 19. Haptic device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the second electrode (32a) is formed by an electrode layer within the base body (11).
  20. 20. Haptic device (100) according to claim 14 and 19, wherein the second electrical contact element (321a) has at least one electrical via (327a) through which the second electrode (32a) is connected to the second connection region (322a).

Description

Description haptic device A haptic device is specified. Such a device has an actuator that generates and/or detects a movement of a movable element. The movable element is designed, for example, as a touch-sensitive surface or tip of a pen-like device. The actuator is, for example, a piezoelectric actuator, in particular a piezoceramic actuator. The haptic device can be designed, for example, to generate haptic feedback, also referred to as haptic feedback, when touched. The haptic device can be used, for example, in a touchscreen, trackpad, push button or stylus (pen-like device). In particular, the haptic device can be used in the automotive sector. Devices for generating haptic feedback are known from the publications WO 2017/060 011 Al, WO 2018/046 201 Al and WO 2022/248 244 Al, in which a reinforcing element for stroke amplification is attached to a piezoelectric actuator. The reinforcing element is designed, for example, in the form of a metal sheet. For example, such devices can also work as sensors, for example by using the inverse piezoelectric effect, in which mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy. However, piezoelectric sensors are "dynamic" sensors, which means they can only measure mechanical changes, but not a static mechanical force . Thus, it is physically impossible for such known devices to detect, for example, a human finger continuously pressing a switch provided with such a device over a longer period of time . For the same reason, it is impossible to use the known devices for a piezoelectric sensor that always triggers at exactly a certain pressure application, for example 3 N, which corresponds to a typical force trigger requirement for switches in the automotive sector . This is because, due to its dynamic characteristics, the piezoelectric sensor would output a very different electrical signal depending on whether the force of 3 N was reached in, for example, 10 ms or about 10 s . Due to this dynamic sensor characteristic, piezoelectric sensors can typically only be used in simple applications for non-critical functions, such as in doorbells, vending machines or consumer goods. In recent years, the demand for user interfaces with haptic feedback has increased. Piezo-based components are excellent haptic actuators. However, haptic feedback is particularly desired in the automotive sector, for example from a safety perspective, and in other demanding user interfaces, where tactile feedback is essential for an improved user experience. Haptic feedback is therefore particularly in demand where a reliable and precise force input sensor is also required, which is usually provided by a separate additional sensor. which results in increased space and cost requirements. At least one task of certain embodiments is to provide a haptic device. This object is achieved by an object according to the independent patent claim. Advantageous embodiments and developments of the object are characterized in the dependent claims and are also apparent from the following description and the drawings. According to at least one embodiment, a haptic device is specified. For example, the haptic device can be designed to detect a haptic input. Furthermore, the haptic device can also be designed to output haptic feedback. In other words, the haptic device can, for example, be set up so that a haptic signal from a user can be received by the haptic device. Furthermore, the haptic device can be set up so that a haptic signal can be output to a user. In particular, the haptic device can thus be designed to generate haptic feedback. The haptic device can therefore be set up to provide a user with tangible feedback for certain actions or inputs. The haptic device particularly preferably has a piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuator can be designed to detect a haptic input and/or to output a haptic feedback. The piezoelectric actuator can be based on a piezoelectric material, in particular a piezoelectric ceramic material or a piezoelectric polymer material. The piezoelectric actuator can have a base body with the piezoelectric material. Furthermore, one or more electrodes can be provided on and/or in the base body. If there are no electrodes in the base body, i.e. if the base body has no internal electrodes, the piezoelectric actuator can be designed as a monolithic actuator, for example as a disk or plate. For example, the piezoelectric actuator can have at least one or a plurality of internal electrodes. In this case, the base body of the piezoelectric actuator can be constructed in a multilayer design with a plurality of piezoelectric layers arranged one on top of the other along a stacking direction and the internal electrodes. Furthermore, the piezoelectric actuator can have a longitudinal direction which can be perpendicular to the stacking direction. For example, the longitudinal direction can correspond to a direction with the largest extension of the base body. By applying a suit