Stress sensor
A stress sensor having a post ( 6 ) fixed to or integrated with the surface of an insulation substrate ( 1 ) capable of determining the direction and magnitude of a stress applied to the post ( 6 ) from changes in the characteristics of a strain gauge ( 2 ) made by a stimulus to the strain gauge ( 2 ) caused by the stress, wherein a stress to the post ( 6 ) can be converted efficiently into changes in the characteristics of the strain gauge ( 2 ). Consequently, the stress sensor has a strain gauge ( 2 )-disposed member provided with a locally-easy-to-deform portion where the strain gauge ( 2 ) is disposed. The strain gauge ( 2 ) is a resistance element ( 8 ) and is disposed on the surface of the insulation substrate ( 1 ), the insulation substrate mainly contains a resin material, and the easy-to-deform portion is preferably a thin-wall portion ( 7 ).
1. A stress sensor for electronic devices, having a post fixed to or integrated with a surface of an insulation substrate capable of determining a direction and a magnitude of a stress applied to The post from changes in characteristics of a strain gauge made by a stimulus to the strain gauge caused by the stress,
wherein the insulation substrate includes a depression formed in one surface of the insulation substrate as a thin-wall portion, and the strain gauge is arranged at a surface of the insulation substrate opposite to the depression, and the strain gauge is arranged crossing the depression, and the depression is filled with a material softer than that of the insulation substrate.
2. The stress sensor as claim 1 , comprising strain gauges located on four positions along two perpendicular lines on the surface of the insulation substrate, wherein the perpendicular lines intersect at a center of a effect region for sensing of the surface of the insulation substrate,
wherein the strain gauges are arranged equidistant along the intersection of the two perpendicular lines, and
the center of the surface of the insulation substrate is substantially equivalent to the center of the effect region for sensing and the center of a bottom of the post, and
the post is fixed to or integrated with the insulation substrate.
3. The stress sensor as claim 1 , wherein the strain gauge is arranged at a smooth surface of the insulation substrate.
4. The stress sensor as claim 1 , wherein the strain gauge is a resistance element produced by a screen-printing process and has a characteristic corresponding to a resistance thereof.
5. The stress sensor as claim 1 , wherein the insulation substrate is mainly made of a resin material, and the post has a higher rigidity than that of the resin material.
6. The stress sensor as claim 1 , wherein the depression is a locally thin-wall portion of the insulation substrate.
7. The stress sensor as claim 1 , wherein the depression is a line-shaped.
8. The stress sensor as claim 7 , wherein the line-shaped depression is substantially perpendicular to straight lines extending from the post to edges of the insulation substrate.