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US-12624968-B2 - Electrode structure

US12624968B2US 12624968 B2US12624968 B2US 12624968B2US-12624968-B2

Abstract

An electrode structure includes: an insulating support that is arranged so as to face a core metal of a steering wheel; a first electrode that is arranged on an opposite side of the insulating support relative to a side of the insulating support facing the core metal, and includes a metal plate; a first resin layer that is arranged on an opposite side of the first electrode relative to a side of the first electrode facing the insulating support; and a second electrode that is arranged on an opposite side of the first resin layer relative to a side of the first resin layer facing the first electrode, and includes a metal plate. The insulating support includes an engagement portion that engages an engagement-target portion provided on the core metal.

Inventors

  • Yasuhiro Yamashita
  • Takumi Yamada
  • Takateru Sawada
  • Tadashi Ezaki

Assignees

  • PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20240325
Priority Date
20230404

Claims (12)

  1. 1 . An electrode structure comprising: an insulating support that is arranged so as to face a core metal of a steering wheel; a first electrode that is arranged on an opposite side of the insulating support relative to a side of the insulating support facing the core metal, and includes a metal plate; a first resin layer that is arranged on an opposite side of the first electrode relative to a side of the first electrode facing the insulating support; and a second electrode that is arranged on an opposite side of the first resin layer relative to a side of the first resin layer facing the first electrode, and includes a metal plate, wherein the insulating support includes an engagement portion that engages an engagement-target portion provided on the core metal, and the engagement portion includes a fastener hole into which a fastener is inserted to fasten the engagement portion to the engagement-target portion of the core metal.
  2. 2 . The electrode structure according to claim 1 , further comprising: a heater and a second resin layer that are arranged between the insulating support and the first electrode, wherein the heater is arranged so as to face the insulating support, and the second resin layer is arranged such that one surface of the second resin layer supports the heater and an other surface of the second resin layer faces the first electrode, the other surface being on an opposite side of the second resin layer relative to the one surface supporting the heater.
  3. 3 . The electrode structure according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of the first electrode and a shape of the second electrode correspond to a shape of the insulating support.
  4. 4 . The electrode structure according to claim 3 , wherein a shape of the first resin layer corresponds to the shape of the first electrode and the shape of the second electrode.
  5. 5 . The electrode structure according to claim 2 , wherein a shape of the second resin layer corresponds to a shape of the insulating support.
  6. 6 . The electrode structure according to claim 2 , wherein the heater and the second resin layer are arranged so as to face the insulating support.
  7. 7 . The electrode structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first resin layer is sheet-shaped or film-shaped.
  8. 8 . The electrode structure according to claim 2 , wherein the second resin layer is sheet-shaped or film-shaped.
  9. 9 . The electrode structure according to claim 7 , wherein the first resin layer is a double-sided adhesive tape including an insulating base material.
  10. 10 . The electrode structure according to claim 8 , wherein the second resin layer is a double-sided adhesive tape including an insulating base material.
  11. 11 . The electrode structure according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement portion is fastened to the engagement-target portion by inserting the fastener through the engagement-target portion into the fastener hole of the engagement portion.
  12. 12 . The electrode structure according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement portion includes an engagement claw that is inserted into a hole of the engagement-target portion and engages an upright wall of the engagement-target portion.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is based on and claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-060880 filed on Apr. 4, 2023. FIELD The present disclosure relates to an electrode structure. BACKGROUND Patent Literature (PTL) 1 discloses a method of making a cut in the foam of a steering wheel using a cutting tool to introduce an electric conductor of a sensor into each of a first layer and a second layer of the cut. CITATION LIST Patent Literature PTL 1: International Publication No. 2018/145868 SUMMARY However, the method according to PTL 1 can be improved upon. In view of this, the present disclosure provides an electrode structure capable of improving upon the above related art. An electrode structure according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: an insulating support that is arranged so as to face a core metal of a steering wheel; a first electrode that is arranged on an opposite side of the insulating support relative to a side of the insulating support facing the core metal, and includes a metal plate; a first resin layer that is arranged on an opposite side of the first electrode relative to a side of the first electrode facing the insulating support; and a second electrode that is arranged on an opposite side of the first resin layer relative to a side of the first resin layer facing the first electrode, and includes a metal plate. The insulating support includes an engagement portion that engages an engagement-target portion provided on the core metal. An electrode structure according to the present disclosure is capable of improving upon the related art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS These and other advantages and features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that illustrate a specific embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a passenger cabin of a vehicle in which a steering wheel according to an embodiment is provided. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the steering wheel according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the steering wheel taken along line A-A in FIG. 2, showing a first engagement-target portion and a first engagement portion. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the steering wheel according to the embodiment, showing the first engagement-target portion, a second engagement-target portion, and a second engagement portion. FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the steering wheel taken along line B-B in FIG. 4, showing the second engagement-target portion and the second engagement portion. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the steering wheel according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a steering wheel according to a variation of the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the steering wheel taken along line C-C in FIG. 7, showing the first engagement-target portion and the first engagement portion. FIG. 9A is a plan view of a heater according to the variation of the embodiment. FIG. 9B is a plan view of another heater according to the variation of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the steering wheel according to the variation of the embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments below each describe a general or specific example. The numerical values, shapes, materials, elements, the arrangement and connection of the elements, steps, orders of the steps etc. illustrated in the following embodiments are mere examples, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the elements in the embodiments below, those not recited in any one of the independent claims will be described as optional elements. In addition, the drawings are schematic diagrams, and do not necessarily provide strictly accurate illustrations. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numeral is given to the same element. In the following embodiments, expressions such as approximately equal intervals and T-shaped are used. For example, the expressions approximately equal intervals and T-shaped do not only mean exactly equal intervals and exactly T-shaped, but also mean substantially equal intervals and substantially T-shaped, including an error of about several percent. More specifically, the expressions approximately equal intervals and T-shaped mean equal intervals and T-shaped to an extent that the advantageous effects of the present disclosure can be achieved. The same applies to other expressions using “approximately” and “shaped”. EMBODIMENT [Configuration] First, the configuration of steering wheel 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 6. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the passenger cabin of vehicle 3 in which steering wheel 1 according to the embodiment is provided. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of steering wheel 1 according