TWI667472B - Solution property sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

A solution property sensor comprising: a substrate, a temperature sensing element, a conductivity sensing element, a pH sensing element, and a reference electrode. The present invention utilizes different sensing elements to perform sensing of various solution properties, and these sensing elements can be electrically connected and fixed to conductive patterns on the substrate, thereby facilitating mass production in the industry or reducing production difficulty.

Description

Solution property sensor

The present invention relates to a sensor, and more particularly to a solution property sensor.

In the monitoring of the properties of the solution, pH (pH), temperature and electrical conductivity are important parameters. Traditionally, the pH measurement of water quality mostly uses acid-base test paper, acid-base indicator or glass electrode. The glass electrode mainly uses an ion-selective glass film as a sensor, and has a high selectivity for one or a type of ions. The front end of the electrode is a hollow hemispherical film wall glass tube, and a highly selective sensing film for hydrogen ions, a glass tube. An electrolyte is added thereto, and a reference electrode Ag/AgCl is contained in the electrolyte, and the potential of the solution to be tested is obtained by measuring a potential change. In addition, in the temperature part, a glass thermometer or an infrared thermometer is mostly used. In addition, the electrical conductivity portion uses a glass electrode, and its electrical conductivity value is mainly obtained by measuring the electrical resistance of the aqueous solution.

However, in the above common water quality measurement techniques, the glass electrode often has the disadvantage that the sensing end is susceptible to acid and alkali, the reaction speed is slow, the electrode maintenance is also time consuming or needs to be immersed in the liquid for storage. Moreover, calibration must be performed before using the glass electrode, including zero calibration of neutral buffer solution (pH7), sensitivity correction of pH (pH 4 and pH 10), and temperature correction. Therefore, the glass electrode has many limitations in its use, and it is also not conducive to real-time measurement and monitoring of various water quality in response to the site.

Based on the above problems, the applicant of the present case has filed a related patent application (Republic of China Patent No. I616655), which uses a single material to measure various characteristics of the solution. On the same material substrate, a plurality of sensing patterns are designed to simultaneously detect the pH value, temperature and electrical conductivity of a solution to be tested, so as to increase the convenience and accuracy of measurement. However, when the above techniques are implemented in commercial applications At the time, there will be problems such as high production cost, complicated manufacturing process, poor package stability, and difficulty in maintaining waterproof characteristics for long-term use. In addition, the front wafer process requires a laser engraving step to surface-process the indium tin oxide (ITO) film to create a pH-sensitivity, temperature, and conductivity sensing pattern, so the process is complicated and the production yield is also considered. Connection characteristics with the measuring device. Furthermore, since the material of the indium tin oxide film is not pure metal, the electrical connection capability is not as good as the metal connection point, so the electrical treatment at the connection end is a problem that is encountered in packaging.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a solution property sensor to solve the problems of the conventional technology.

An object of the present invention is to provide a solution property sensor which is provided with temperature, electrical conductivity and pH sensing elements on the same substrate, and these sensing elements are electrically connected to the conductive patterns on the substrate, Therefore, the sensing signals simultaneously detected by the temperature, the electrical conductivity and the pH sensoring element can be transmitted to the outside through these conductive patterns to facilitate analysis of the properties of the solution. In addition, since the sensing elements are different sensing elements, it is easy to electrically connect the conductive patterns on the substrate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a solution property sensor that utilizes different sensing elements to sense various solution properties, and these sensing elements can be electrically connected and fixed to conductive patterns on the substrate, This facilitates mass production in the industry or reduces production difficulty.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a solution property sensor comprising: a substrate, a temperature sensing element, a conductivity sensing element, a pH sensing element, and a reference electrode. The substrate has a front surface and a back surface. The substrate defines a temperature sensing area, a conductivity sensing area, a pH sensing area and a signal external area. The substrate comprises: a plurality of conductive patterns and a plurality of Electrical connection pins. The conductive patterns are formed on the front or back surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive patterns are electrically insulated and comprise two temperature conductive lines, at least two conductive conductive lines, a pH-based conductive line and a reference electrode conductive line. The electrical connection pin settings And electrically connecting the conductive patterns to the external area of the electrical signal. The temperature sensing component is disposed on the temperature sensing region and electrically connected to the two temperature conductive wires. The conductivity sensing component is disposed on the conductivity sensing region and electrically connected to the at least two conductivity conductive lines. The pH sensor is disposed on the pH sensing region and electrically connected to the pH line, wherein the material of the pH sensor comprises indium tin oxide, and the pH sensing The component has a sensing surface. The reference electrode is disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the reference electrode conductive line.

In an embodiment of the invention, the solution property sensor further includes a waterproof layer covering at least one of the temperature sensing region or the electrical signal external region.

In an embodiment of the invention, the conductivity sensing component is a bare portion of each of the at least two electrically conductive wires, wherein the bare portion is exposed to a surface of the conductivity sensing region.

In an embodiment of the invention, the shape of the bare portion is a round shape or a one-sided shape.

In an embodiment of the invention, when the shape of the bare portion is a circular shape, a diameter of the circular shape is between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm; or when the shape of the bare portion is square The length and width of the bare portion are between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm, respectively.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the conductive pattern further includes a pH-based conductive pattern electrically connected to the pH-based conductive line and disposed on the front or back surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive pattern The pH sensing element is electrically connected to the pH signal.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the pH-based conductive pattern is disposed on a back surface of the substrate, and the substrate further includes a hole penetrating through the pH sensing region, wherein the pH-based conductive sensing component The sensing surface is exposed through the hole.

In an embodiment of the invention, the solution property sensor further comprises a conductive adhesive material, and is bonded and electrically connected to the pH-based conductive pattern and a portion of the sensing surface of the pH-sensing element. .

In an embodiment of the invention, the substrate is a printed circuit board or A flexible circuit board.

In an embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensing area and the electrical signal external area are respectively defined on opposite sides of the substrate.

10‧‧‧Solution property sensor

11‧‧‧Substrate

11A‧‧‧ positive

11B‧‧‧Back

12‧‧‧Temperature sensing components

13‧‧‧ Conductivity sensing components

14‧‧‧pH-sensing element

14A‧‧‧Sense surface

15‧‧‧ reference electrode

16‧‧‧ Conductive adhesive materials

111‧‧‧Temperature Sensing Area

112‧‧‧ Conductivity sensing area

113‧‧‧pH-sensing area

114‧‧‧Telephone External Area

115‧‧‧ conductive pattern

115A‧‧‧temperature conductive wire

115B‧‧‧ Conductivity conductive wire

115C‧‧‧pH-based conductive wire

115D‧‧‧reference electrode conductive wire

115E‧‧‧pH-based conductive pattern

116‧‧‧Electrical connection pins

117‧‧‧ hole

1A is a top plan view of a solution property sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1B is a bottom plan view of a solution property sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2A is a top plan view of a solution property sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

2B is a bottom view of a solution property sensor of another embodiment of the present invention.

3A is a top plan view of a solution property sensor according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3B is a bottom plan view of a solution property sensor in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.

4A is a top plan view of a solution property sensor according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4B is a bottom plan view of a solution property sensor in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more <RTIgt; Furthermore, the directional terms mentioned in the present invention, such as upper, lower, top, bottom, front, rear, left, right, inner, outer, side, surrounding, central, horizontal, horizontal, vertical, longitudinal, axial, Radial, uppermost or lowermost, etc., only refer to the direction of the additional schema. Therefore, the directional terminology used is for the purpose of illustration and understanding of the invention.

1A to 4B, FIG. 1A is a top plan view of a solution property sensor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is a bottom view of a solution property sensor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2A is a top plan view of a solution property sensor 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2B is a bottom view of a solution property sensor 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3A is another view of the present invention. A top view of the solution property sensor 10 of the embodiment; FIG. 3B is a bottom view of the solution property sensor 10 of another embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 4A is a solution property sensor of still another embodiment of the present invention. a top view of 10; and 4B The figure is a bottom view of a solution property sensor 10 of still another embodiment of the present invention. It is to be noted that in order to make the drawings simpler, the majority of the conductive patterns are not shown in FIGS. 2A to 4B. The solution property sensor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a substrate 11, a temperature sensing element 12, a conductivity sensing element 13, a pH sensing element 14, and a reference electrode 15.

The substrate 11 has, for example, a flat shape and has a front surface 11A and a rear surface 11B. The substrate 11 defines a temperature sensing region 111, a conductivity sensing region 112, a pH sensing region 113, and a signal external region 114. In one embodiment, the temperature sensing region 111 and the electrical signal external region 114 are respectively defined on opposite sides of the substrate 11 (for example, on both sides of the head and the tail). In another embodiment, the temperature sensing area 111, the conductivity sensing area 112, the pH sensing area 113, and the arrangement position of the electrical signal external area 114 can be arbitrarily set according to the needs of the user. For example, the temperature sensing region 111, the conductivity sensing region 112, the pH sensing region 113, and the electrical signal external region 114 are sequentially arranged from the head end of the substrate 11 to the tail end; or The conductivity sensing area 112, the electrical signal external area 114, the pH sensing area 113, and the temperature sensing area 111 are sequentially arranged from the head end of the substrate 11 to the tail end.

The substrate 11 includes a plurality of conductive patterns 115 and a plurality of electrical connection pins 116. The conductive patterns 115 are formed on the front surface 11A or the back surface 11B of the substrate 11. The conductive patterns 115 are electrically insulated and include two temperature conductive lines 115A, at least two conductive conductive lines 115B, and a pH value. Conductive line 115C and a reference electrode conductive line 115D. In addition, the electrical connection pins 116 are disposed in the electrical signal external region 114 and electrically connected to the conductive patterns 115 respectively.

It should be mentioned here that the substrate 11 is mainly used to carry the temperature sensing element 12, the conductivity sensing element 13, the pH sensing element 14 and the reference electrode 15. In addition, the conductive pattern 115 of the substrate 11 is mainly used for electrically connecting the respective sensing elements and the reference electrode 15 , and the electrical connection pins 116 can be electrically connected to the external signal extraction component to sense the above senses. The sensing element and the signal or voltage sensed by the reference electrode 15 are transmitted to an external analytical instrument for analysis. In a specific example, the electrical connection pins 116 are also commonly referred to as "golden fingers."

It is also mentioned that the conductive pattern 115 of the substrate 11 is, for example, a metal line (for example, a copper wire) formed on the substrate 11. In an embodiment, the substrate 11 can be a printed circuit board or a flexible circuit board. In a specific example, the temperature sensing area 111, the conductivity sensing area 112, the pH sensing area 113, and the position of the electrical signal external area 114 on the substrate 11 can be designed according to user requirements. And the positions of the regions are corresponding to the conductive patterns 115, so that the sensing elements disposed on the respective sensing regions are electrically connected (for example, using soldering, electrical connecting materials, etc.).

The temperature sensing component 12 of the solution property sensor 10 of the embodiment of the present invention is disposed on the temperature sensing region 111 and electrically connected to the two temperature conductive wires 115A for sensing the temperature of the solution to be tested. In an embodiment, the temperature sensing component 12 can be a commercially available temperature resistor. It is to be noted, however, that the temperature sensing element 12 can be any commercially available electronic component that can be disposed on the temperature sensing region 111 and that can sense temperature.

The conductivity sensing component 13 of the solution property sensor 10 of the embodiment of the present invention is disposed on the conductivity sensing region 112 and electrically connected to the at least two conductivity conductive lines 115B. The conductivity sensing element 13 is mainly used to measure the electrical conductivity of the solution to be tested. In one embodiment, the conductivity sensing component 13 is a bare portion of each of the at least two conductive conductive lines 115B, wherein the exposed portion is exposed to a surface of the conductivity sensing region 112. Specifically, the electrical conductivity of the solution to be tested measured through the exposed portion is mainly the electrical conductivity of the solution to be tested measured by the distance between the bare portions of the at least two electrically conductive wires 115B, or The electrical conductivity of the solution to be tested in the area or volume surrounded by the exposed portion of the three or more electrically conductive wires 115B in the space. Therefore, the measured electrical conductivity will be more accurate when there is more volume surrounded by the bare portion. In one embodiment, the conductivity sensing element 13 has two or three (as shown in Figures 3A and 3B), four (as shown in Figures 4A and 4B), or more than five exposed portions. In another embodiment, the shape of the bare portion is in the form of a circle (as shown in Figures 1A through 3B) or a type (as shown in Figures 4A and 4B). When the shape of the bare portion is round, the diameter of the circle is Between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm; or when the shape of the bare portion is square, the length and width of the bare portion are between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm, respectively. It is worth mentioning that when the size of the bare portion is too small or too large (for example, diameter, length or width is less than 0.2 mm, or greater than 1.0 mm), accurate electrical conductivity cannot be measured.

The pH sensor 14 of the solution property sensor 10 of the embodiment of the present invention is disposed on the pH sensing region 113 and electrically connected to the pH line 115C, wherein the pH sensor The material contains indium tin oxide. In one embodiment, the pH sensor element 14 is, for example, a commercially available indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. In addition, the pH sensoring element has a sensing surface 14A that is primarily used to sense the pH of the solution to be tested.

In one embodiment, the conductive patterns 115 further include a pH-based conductive pattern 115E electrically connected to the pH-based conductive line 115C and disposed on the front surface 11A or the back surface 11B of the substrate 11. The liquid-base sensing element 14 is electrically connected to the pH-based conductive pattern 115E. Specifically, the size of the pH signal conductive pattern 115E is, for example, 10% to 50%, for example, 15%, 20%, 30%, 35%, 40%, or 45% of the pH value sensing element 14. In a specific example, for example, the pH sensor 14 is a rectangular plate member, wherein the width of the pH value conductive pattern 115E is substantially the same or approximate to the width of the rectangular plate member, but The length of the acid-base conductive pattern 115E is about 10% to 50% of the length of the rectangular plate. At least one advantage of the above embodiments is that the pH sensor element 14 does not need to undergo a specific patterning process and can be cut into a rectangular shape by a simple cutting method. In addition, since the size of the pH-based conductive pattern 115E is not too small relative to the size of the pH-sensing element 14, the production process can be simplified in a large number of fabrications, and the difficulty of fabrication is easy. The Republic of China Invention Patent No. I616655 The technology disclosed in the number.

In an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the pH signal conductive pattern 115E is disposed on the front surface 11A of the substrate 11 (for example, disposed in the electrical signal external region 114), and the pH value is electrically conductive. Pattern 115E and the pH sensor A portion of the sensing surface 14A of 14 is achieved by a conductive adhesive material 16 (e.g., a commercially available conductive adhesive) to achieve a fixed bond and electrical connection.

In an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the pH signal conductive pattern 115E is disposed on the back surface 11B of the substrate 11 (for example, disposed in the electrical signal external region 114), and the substrate further includes a A hole 117 penetrating through the pH sensing region 113, wherein the pH sensing element 14 exposes the sensing surface 14A through the hole 117. In one example, the pH-based conductive pattern 115E and a portion of the sensing surface 14A of the pH-sensing element 14 are transmitted through a conductive adhesive material (eg, a commercially available conductive adhesive; not shown). Achieve the effect of fixed bonding and electrical connection.

It is worth mentioning that the two embodiments in which the above-mentioned acid-base conductive pattern 115E is disposed on the front surface 11A or the back surface 11B of the substrate 11 have their advantages. In the case where the pH-based conductive pattern 115E is provided on the front surface 11A of the substrate 11 (as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B), since only a conductive adhesive material 16 needs to be adhered to the pH-based conductive pattern 115E and The pH-sensing element 14 is on the sensing surface 14A, so the process is simple. However, since the acid-base conductive pattern 115E and the sensing surface 14A face in the same direction in this case, the conductive adhesive material 16 needs to be bridged to produce a bonding effect, which is disadvantageous to the embodiment of the present invention. The miniaturization of the solution property sensor. On the other hand, when the acid-base conductive pattern 115E is provided on the back surface 11B of the substrate 11 (as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B), it is necessary to form the holes 117 in the pH sensing region 113 to make the fabrication steps. Although the acid-base conductive pattern 115E and the sensing surface 14A are opposite to each other, the conductive adhesive material may be interposed between the pH-based conductive pattern 115E and the sensing surface 14A. The miniaturization of the solution property sensor of the embodiment of the invention is facilitated.

The reference electrode 15 of the solution property sensor 10 of the embodiment of the present invention is disposed on the substrate 11 and electrically connected to the reference electrode conductive line 115D. The reference electrode 15 is mainly used as a reference value or a reference value of a voltage measured by other sensing elements. In an embodiment, the reference electrode 15 may be disposed on the temperature sensing region 111. In another embodiment, the reference electrode may also be conductive based on user requirements. The line 115D is arranged to set the reference electrode 15 on the conductivity sensing area 112, the pH sensing area 113 or the electrical signal external area 114.

In an embodiment, the solution property sensor 10 of the embodiment of the present invention may provide a waterproof layer (not shown) based on characteristics of the respective sensing elements. For example, the temperature sensing component 12 or the electrical connection pins 116 may be covered by the waterproof layer to prevent the solution from directly contacting the temperature sensing component 12 or the electrical connection pins 116 to generate a short circuit of the electrical signal. In other words, the waterproof layer covers at least one of the temperature sensing region 111 or the electrical signal external region 114. It is worth mentioning that the areas that need to be subjected to the water repellent treatment may be disposed on both sides of the head and tail of the substrate 11, or at the edges of the substrate 11. The foregoing arrangement has the advantages that, for example, the area where the water repellent treatment is required is disposed on both sides of the head and the tail of the substrate 11, the substrate 11 can be directly clamped, and both sides of the substrate are immersed in the waterproof glue, that is, The waterproof layer setting can be completed. Therefore, this arrangement helps the quantitative production of the industry.

In summary, the solution property sensor of the embodiment of the present invention is provided with temperature, electrical conductivity, and pH sensing elements on the same substrate, and the sensing elements are electrically connected to the conductive patterns on the substrate. Therefore, the sensing signals simultaneously detected by the temperature, the electrical conductivity and the pH sensoring element can be transmitted to the outside through these conductive patterns to facilitate analysis of the properties of the solution. In addition, since these sensing elements are different sensing elements, it is easy to electrically connect the conductive patterns on the substrate.

The present invention has been disclosed in its preferred embodiments, and is not intended to limit the invention, and the present invention may be modified and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of protection is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application.

Claims (8)

A solution property sensor comprising: a substrate having a front surface and a back surface, the substrate defining a temperature sensing region, a conductivity sensing region, a pH sensing region, and a telecommunication external region. The substrate comprises: a plurality of conductive patterns formed on the front or back surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive patterns are electrically insulated and comprise two temperature conductive lines, at least two conductive conductive lines, and a pH-based conductive line And a reference electrode conductive line, wherein the conductive patterns further comprise a pH-based conductive pattern electrically connected to the pH-based conductive line and disposed on the front or back surface of the substrate; The electrical connection pins are disposed in the external area of the electrical signal and electrically connected to the conductive patterns respectively; a temperature sensing element is disposed on the temperature sensing area and electrically connected to the two temperature conductive lines; a conductivity sensing An element disposed on the conductivity sensing region and electrically connected to the at least two conductivity conductive lines; a pH sensory component disposed on the pH sensing region and electrically connected to the pH value conductive Line, its The material of the pH sensor comprises indium tin oxide, and the pH sensor has a sensing surface, wherein the pH sensor is electrically connected to the pH signal; a material, bonding and electrically connecting the pH-based conductive pattern and a portion of the sensing surface of the pH-sensing element; and a reference electrode disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the reference electrode line. The solution property sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a waterproof layer covering at least one of the temperature sensing region or the electrical signal external region. The solution property sensor of claim 1, wherein the conductivity sensing component is a bare portion of each of the at least two electrically conductive wires, wherein the bare portion is exposed to the conductivity sensing. a surface of the area. The solution property sensor of claim 3, wherein the shape of the bare portion is a round shape or a one-side shape. The solution property sensor of claim 4, wherein when the shape of the bare portion is round, a diameter of the circular shape is between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm; or when the bare When the shape of the portion is a square shape, a length and a width of the bare portion are respectively between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm. The solution property sensor of claim 1, wherein the acid-base conductive pattern is disposed on a back surface of the substrate, and the substrate further comprises a hole penetrating through the pH sensing region, wherein The pH-based conductive sensing element exposes the sensing surface through the hole. The solution property sensor of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board or a flexible circuit board. The solution property sensor of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensing region and the electrical signal external region are respectively defined on opposite sides of the substrate.