JP2015111085A - Shoe insole pressure sensor and power assist suit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable individual exchange of a plurality of pressure sensitive sensors in a shoe insole pressure sensor capable of employing a load detector which detects pressure applied on the foot of a user of a power assist suit, and the completion by only calibration of the exchanged pressure sensitive sensor.SOLUTION: A shoe insole pressure sensor 100 is provided with a flexible printed board 10 having a conductor electrically connected to pressure sensitive sensors 1a-1g mounted in respective mount parts. Outputs from the pressure sensitive sensors 1a-1g are taken out via the flexible printed board 10. On the basis of the outputs from the pressure sensitive sensors, the activation of an actuator generating assist force for a user is controlled.

Description

  The present invention relates to a shoe insole pressure sensor and a power assist suit.

  There is a wearable exercise assistance device called a power assist suit. The power assist suit assists muscular strength in accordance with the user's movement. The power assist suit may be applied as a force amplifying device for assisting care recipients, rehabilitation, and heavy work in narrow places where heavy machinery cannot enter. In such a power assist suit, detecting the load acting on the user's foot is important for controlling the operation of the actuator. In order to detect the load acting on the user's foot, for example, a pressure sensor can be used.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pressure sensor having a plurality of regions in order to detect a load applied to the sole of a user (wearer).

JP2012-167939A

  When the pressure sensor described in Patent Document 1 is used, if the sensor in one of the plurality of regions fails, it is necessary to replace the entire pressure sensor. When the entire pressure sensor is replaced, it is necessary to perform calibration for each region. Performing calibration for all the regions only when a sensor in one region has failed has a problem that the labor of calibration increases when the number of regions constituting the pressure sensor is large.

  In the present invention, a plurality of pressure sensors can be individually replaced. Even when the pressure sensors are replaced, it is only necessary to calibrate the replaced pressure sensors, and all the pressure sensors are calibrated. It is an object to provide a shoe insole pressure sensor and a power assist suit that do not need to be performed.

  The insole pressure sensor according to the present invention includes a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors, a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors provided corresponding to each of the plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors, and a plurality of mounting portions that are detachable from the plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors. A flexible printed circuit board having a conductor electrically connected to the pressure sensors mounted on the plurality of mounting portions, respectively, and outputs outputs of the plurality of pressure sensitive sensors through the flexible printed circuit board.

  According to the present invention, wiring is performed using a flexible printed circuit board without using a cable. Therefore, even if foot pressure is applied while the user is walking, the cable is not twisted or disconnected. Moreover, the several pressure sensitive sensor provided in the shoe insole pressure sensor can be replaced | exchanged separately. Furthermore, when pressure sensors are replaced, it is only necessary to perform calibration for the replaced pressure sensors, and it is not necessary to perform calibration for all pressure sensors.

  The insole pressure sensor according to the present invention may further include a conversion unit that converts the outputs of the plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors into serial signals, and the output converted into the serial signals by the conversion unit may be taken out. Thereby, the number of signal lines for transmitting the output signal of the shoe insole pressure sensor can be reduced.

  In the insole pressure sensor according to the present invention, the pressure-sensitive sensor may be disposed on a back surface of a user's foot, and the conversion unit may be provided at a position corresponding to the arch of the foot. By providing the conversion portion at a position corresponding to the arch where the foot pressure is difficult to be applied, the conversion portion can be prevented from being damaged and the reliability of the sensor can be improved.

  In the insole pressure sensor according to the present invention, the pressure-sensitive sensor is disposed on a back surface of a user's foot, and the flexible printed circuit board corresponds to a toe portion corresponding to the toe of the foot and a heel of the foot. A portion excluding the heel portion has a fold portion, and by unfolding or folding the fold portion, the positions of the toe portion of the foot and the toe portion are matched, and the heel portion of the foot and the heel portion The positions may be matched. Thereby, important data near the toes of the foot and data near the heel of the foot can be acquired correctly, and it is possible to deal with a plurality of sizes of feet.

  In the insole pressure sensor according to the present invention, instead of the flexible printed circuit board, a metal substrate having the mounting portion and having a conductor electrically connected to the pressure-sensitive sensor mounted on the mounting portion. May be provided. By using this metal substrate, a metal plate for ensuring a reaction force against the pressure applied to each pressure sensor can be omitted, and the number of parts can be reduced.

  In the insole pressure sensor according to the present invention, the shoe insole pressure sensor further includes a sheet that has a hole having a size that exposes these at positions corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors, and covers a portion other than the pressure sensors. Also good. Thereby, the cushioning property with respect to a user's sole can be kept favorable.

  A power assist suit according to the present invention includes any one of the above-described shoe insole pressure sensors, an actuator that generates an assist force for a user who applies pressure to the shoe insole pressure sensor with a foot, and the shoe insole pressure. And a controller that controls the operation of the actuator based on the output of the pressure sensor provided in the sensor. Thereby, according to the pressure obtained by the pressure sensor of the shoe insole pressure sensor, an appropriate assist force can be given to the user.

  According to the present invention, since wiring is performed using a flexible printed circuit board, the possibility of cable twisting and disconnection can be reduced even when foot pressure is applied while the user is walking. Also, a plurality of pressure sensitive sensors can be exchanged individually. Furthermore, it is only necessary to calibrate the replaced pressure sensor, and there is an effect that it is not necessary to calibrate all the pressure sensors.

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of the hole portion of FIG. FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the hole portion of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the shoe insole pressure sensor. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the flexible printed circuit board used in Embodiment 1 of the shoe insole pressure sensor according to the present invention. FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of the hole portion of FIG. 4. FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the hole portion of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a pressure-sensitive sensor is mounted on the flexible printed board of FIG. FIG. 7A is an enlarged plan view of the hole portion of FIG. 6. FIG. 7-2 is an enlarged side view of the hole portion of FIG. 6. FIG. 8A is a plan view of the pressure sensor used in the comparative example. FIG. 8-2 is a side view of the pressure sensor used in the comparative example. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor of a comparative example. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to a comparative example. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the control unit in FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the shoe insole pressure sensor according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 15 is a side view of the insole pressure sensor of FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the shoe insole pressure sensor according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17A is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17-2 is a side view showing the configuration of the insole pressure sensor according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 18A is a plan view illustrating the flexible printed circuit board folded at a valley fold and a mountain fold. FIG. 18-2 is a side view showing the flexible printed circuit board folded at the valley fold and the mountain fold. FIG. 19A is a plan view illustrating the flexible printed circuit board in a state where the valley fold and the mountain fold are unfolded. FIG. 19-2 is a side view showing the flexible printed circuit board in a state where the valley fold and the mountain fold are unfolded. FIG. 20 is a functional block diagram showing relevant parts when the insole pressure sensor is used as a load detection device for a power assist suit. FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating a power assist suit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 22 is a front view illustrating a wearing state of the power assist suit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 23 is a side view showing a wearing state of the power assist suit according to the present embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Embodiments (embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to the first embodiment. The shoe insole pressure sensor 100 is installed as a shoe insole in a shoe worn by a user of a power assist suit, for example. Referring to FIG. 1, the shoe insole pressure sensor includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 10, pressure-sensitive sensors 1 a to 1 g, a cushion sheet 12, and a metal plate 13.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible printed circuit board 10 has holes 10a to 10g. The hole 10a is provided in the toe vicinity F10 that is the vicinity of the toe part F1 corresponding to the toe of the user's foot. The hole 10g is provided in the heel vicinity F20, which is the vicinity of the heel F2 corresponding to the heel of the foot. The hole 10b and the hole 10c are provided on the left and right of the position near the heel part F2 from the position of the hole 10a. The hole 10d is provided at a position closer to the heel part F2 than the positions of the hole 10b and the hole 10c. The hole portion 10e and the hole portion 10f are provided on the left and right sides of the position near the toe portion F1 from the position of the hole portion 10g.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a cushion sheet 12 is provided on the surface of the flexible printed board 10 on which the pressure sensitive sensors 1 a to 1 g are mounted. The cushion sheet 12 has holes 120a to 120g in portions corresponding to the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g. Each hole 120a-120g is a magnitude | size which the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a-1g expose in this example.

  By providing the cushion sheet 12, it is possible to maintain good cushioning properties for the user's sole. The cushion sheet 12 is made of a felt cloth, for example. However, the cushion sheet 12 is not limited to felt cloth.

  In order to secure a reaction force against the pressure applied to each pressure sensor on the surface of the flexible printed board 10 opposite to the surface on which the pressure sensors 1a to 1g are provided, that is, the surface on the shoe sole side. The metal plate 13 is preferably provided. This metal plate 13 can suppress a decrease in detection accuracy of the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g. The metal plate is, for example, an iron plate.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the hole 10a in FIG. FIG. 2-1 is a plan view of the hole 10a portion of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2-2 is a cross-sectional view of the A-A 'portion of FIG.

  In FIG. 2A, the pressure sensor 1a is provided with electrodes 23a and 23b. Corresponding to these electrodes 23 a and 23 b, electrodes 21 a and 21 b are provided on the flexible printed circuit board 10. Referring to FIG. 2B, the electrode 23b of the pressure sensor 1a and the electrode 21b of the flexible printed circuit board 10 are electrically connected by solder H, for example. Similarly, the electrode 23a of the pressure sensor 1a and the electrode 21a of the flexible printed circuit board 10 shown in FIG. 2A are electrically connected by, for example, solder. In addition, not only solder but various electric connection methods, such as pressure welding, pressure bonding, laser, and spot welding, can be used.

  The flexible printed circuit board 10 has a protective layer 10J in portions other than the electrodes 21a and 21b. The protective layer 10J is made of, for example, a transparent resin. By the protective layer 10J, the insulating state between the wirings 22a and 22b and other portions is maintained.

  Referring to FIG. 2-2, a cushion sheet 12 having a hole 120a is provided on the surface of the flexible printed board 10 on which the pressure-sensitive sensor 1a is attached by solder H. For this reason, the pressure sensor 1a is exposed by the hole 120a.

  The shoe insole pressure sensor configured as described above is used in a state of being laid on the bottom side inside the shoe. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the shoe insole pressure sensor. FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-section so that the inside of the shoe can be seen. As shown in FIG. 3, each part of the foot 32 is in contact with the pressure-sensitive sensors 1 a, 1 g and the like in a state where the user's foot 32 wears the shoes 31. In this state, when the user holds a load, for example, pressure is applied to the back side of the foot 32. The pressure applied to the back side of the foot 32 is detected by the pressure sensors 1a to 1g, and is output from the pressure sensors 1a to 1g as electric signals. As described above, the outputs of the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are combined into one and drawn to the outside.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the flexible printed circuit board 10 used in the first embodiment of the shoe insole pressure sensor according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board 10 has seven holes 10a to 10g. At least one of the number and the position of the holes is not limited to the aspect of the present embodiment, and the number can be increased or decreased as necessary.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the hole 10a in FIG. 5A is a plan view of the hole 10a portion of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5-2 is a cross-sectional view of the A-A 'portion of FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the flexible printed circuit board 10 is provided with a connection portion 20a that protrudes from the periphery of the hole portion 10a toward the center portion when viewed in a plan view.

  Referring to FIG. 5B, an electrode 21b and a wiring 22b are provided on the surface of the connection portion 20a. Referring to FIG. 5A, electrodes 21a and 21b are provided in the connection portion 20a at positions corresponding to electrodes (not shown) included in the pressure-sensitive sensor 1a. A wiring 22a is connected to the electrode 21a. A wiring 22b is connected to the electrode 21b. These two wirings 22a and 22b may be referred to as wiring 30a for convenience of explanation.

  As described above, in order to protect the wirings 30a to 30g, the flexible printed circuit board 10 preferably covers portions other than the electrodes 21a to 21g and the wirings 30a to 30g with the protective layer 10J.

  In the present embodiment, the connection portion 20a is provided with two electrodes 21a and 21b in parallel in a plan view, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the number and arrangement of the electrodes provided in the connecting portion 20a are determined by the number or arrangement of the electrodes provided in the pressure sensor. Further, the number of wirings included in the wiring 30a is determined by the number of electrodes. The other connection parts 20b-20g shown in FIG. 4 have the same structure as the connection part 20a.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the flexible printed circuit board 10 has wirings 30 a to 30 g that are conductors corresponding to the connection portions 20 a to 20 g of the hole portions 10 a to 10 g. Wirings 30a-30g take out the output of each pressure-sensitive sensor 1a-1g to the exterior of a shoe insole pressure sensor. In the present embodiment, the wirings 30a to 30g extend from the connection portions 20a to 20g and are gathered at one place while being bent as shown in FIG. The part collected in one place is a part in which the wirings 30a to 30g are arranged in parallel. By these wirings 30a to 30g, the outputs of the plurality of pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are collectively taken out of the shoe insole pressure sensor.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a pressure-sensitive sensor is mounted on the flexible printed board 10 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, circular pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are mounted on the connection portions 20a to 20g, respectively, in plan view, and are electrically connected to the electrodes 21a and 21b. That is, the connecting portion 20a of the hole portion 10a described with reference to FIG. 5 is a mounting portion for the pressure sensor 1a. Similarly, the connecting portions 20b to 20g of the other hole portions 10b to 10g serve as mounting portions for the corresponding pressure sensitive sensors 1b to 1g.

  In the present embodiment, the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are circular in plan view, and output a voltage corresponding to the detected pressure from an electrode (not shown). For example, sensors called load cells can be used as the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing the hole 10a in FIG. FIG. 7-1 is a plan view of the hole 10a portion of FIG. 6, and FIG. 7-2 is a cross-sectional view of the A-A 'portion of FIG.

  7-2, the electrode 21b and the electrode 23b provided in the pressure-sensitive sensor 1a are electrically connected by, for example, solder H. In addition, not only solder but various electric connection methods, such as pressure welding, pressure bonding, laser, and spot welding, can be used. The same applies to the electrode 21a. The same applies to electrodes (not shown) provided in the other pressure sensitive sensors 1b to 1g. Therefore, the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g can be detached from the connection portions 20a to 20g which are the mounting portions by removing the connection portion such as the solder H. Moreover, a new pressure sensitive sensor can be attached to the connection parts 20a-20g which are mounting parts. That is, the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g can be individually attached to and detached from the connection portions 20a to 20g that are mounting portions.

  A comparative example for the above described shoe insole pressure sensor will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a pressure-sensitive sensor used in the comparative example. 8-1 is a plan view of the pressure sensor 1, and FIG. 8-2 is a side view of the pressure sensor 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow YA in FIG. 8-1. Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the pressure-sensitive sensor 1 is circular in plan view, and a cable C1 for outputting a voltage corresponding to the detected pressure is attached.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor of a comparative example. As shown in FIG. 9, the shoe insole pressure sensor of the comparative example has a configuration in which a plurality of pressure sensitive sensors 1 are provided on the surface of a metal plate 13. The outputs of the pressure sensitive sensors 1 are combined into one via a connector C2 connected to the cable C1, and are drawn out by the cable C3.

  The shoe insole pressure sensor configured as described above is used in a state of being laid on the bottom side inside the shoe. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to a comparative example. FIG. 10 shows a partial cross section so that the inside of the shoe can be seen. As shown in FIG. 10, each part of the foot 32 is in contact with the pressure-sensitive sensor 1 when the user's foot 32 is wearing shoes 31. In this state, when the user holds a load, for example, pressure acts on the pressure-sensitive sensor 1 from the back side of the foot 32. This pressure is detected by each pressure sensor 1, and the output of the pressure sensor 1 is taken out.

  According to the shoe insole pressure sensor of the comparative example described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, the cable C <b> 1, the connector C <b> 2, and the cable C <b> 3 for taking out the output of each pressure sensor 1 are provided in the shoe 31. It will be in the state which contacted the back side etc. of 32 and the pressure from the leg | foot was added. Then, depending on the user's walking state, the cable C1 and the cable C3 may be twisted, or a load may be applied to the connector C2, which may cause disconnection. In such a case, much time is required for the replacement work of the cable C1, the connector C2, and the like.

  In contrast to the above-described comparative example, according to the shoe insole pressure sensor of the first embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board 10 is used. Therefore, even if foot pressure is applied, twisting and disconnection generated in the cable can be suppressed. In addition, the shoe insole pressure sensor of Embodiment 1 can individually replace a plurality of pressure sensitive sensors. When the pressure sensor is replaced, it is only necessary to perform calibration for the replaced pressure sensor, and it is not necessary to perform calibration for all the pressure sensors. For this reason, the effort which a calibration requires can be reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, outputs from a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors are taken out of the insole pressure sensor via a cable C3 having a smaller number of signal lines.

  Referring to FIG. 11, a control unit 40 and a communication unit 45 are provided on the side of the flexible printed circuit board 10 where the pressure-sensitive sensors 1 a to 1 g are not provided, as indicated by broken lines in the drawing.

  The control unit 40 has a function of taking the outputs of the pressure sensors 1a to 1g as inputs, converting them into serial signals, and outputting them. The communication unit 45 has a function of outputting the serial signal output from the control unit 40 to the cable C3 according to a predetermined protocol.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the control unit 40. In FIG. 12, the control unit 40 includes a multiplexer 41, an A / D conversion unit 42, and a parallel / serial conversion unit 43. The multiplexer 41 sequentially selects and inputs the outputs of the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g by time division. The A / D converter 42 converts the input pressure sensors 1a to 1g from analog signals to digital signals. The parallel / serial converter 43 converts the digital signals output from the pressure sensors 1a to 1g converted by the A / D converter 42 from parallel to serial. The parallel / serial conversion unit 43 is configured by, for example, a microprocessor.

  In such a configuration, the control unit 40 operates as follows. The multiplexer 41 of the controller 40 sequentially selects and inputs the outputs of the pressure sensors 1a to 1g at a predetermined sampling period. The A / D converter 42 converts the analog signals, which are the outputs of the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g, selected and input by the multiplexer 41 into digital signals. The digital signal that is the output of the A / D converter 42 is input to the parallel / serial converter 43. The parallel / serial conversion unit 43 converts the outputs of the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g, which are converted into digital signals by the A / D conversion unit 42, into serial signals.

  The communication unit 45 inputs the outputs of the pressure sensitive sensors 1 a to 1 g converted into serial signals by the parallel / serial conversion unit 43. The communication unit 45 outputs the outputs of the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g to the cable C3 by a serial signal according to a predetermined protocol. Note that the control unit 40 and the communication unit 45 may be integrated into one integrated IC. The control unit 40 and the communication unit 45 may be realized by a microcomputer, for example.

  By the way, it is preferable to provide the control part 40 and the communication part 45 in the position corresponding to the arch of a user's foot. By providing the control unit 40 and the communication unit 45 at positions corresponding to the arches where foot pressure is difficult to be applied, these breaks can be prevented and the reliability of the sensor can be improved.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the shoe insole pressure sensor according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 shows a partial cross section so that the inside of the shoe can be seen. As shown in FIG. 13, in a state where the user's foot 32 is wearing shoes 31, each part of the foot 32 is in contact with the pressure sensitive sensors 1a, 1g and the like. As shown in FIG. 13, a metal plate 13 is provided on the lower surface of the flexible printed circuit board 10, that is, the shoe sole side surface. The metal plate 13 of this embodiment has a hole 130 at a position corresponding to the control unit 40 and the communication unit 45. In FIG. 13, illustration of the protective layer 10J is omitted.

  In the state of FIG. 13, the shoe insole pressure sensor receives pressure from the back side of the foot 32 when the user holds a load, for example. Since the control unit 40 and the communication unit 45 are provided at positions corresponding to the arches that are not easily subjected to pressure from the foot 32, excessive force is applied to the control unit 40 and the communication unit 45, which are conversion units for converting into serial signals. Can be suppressed.

  In the second embodiment, the shoe 31 has a recess 33 at a position corresponding to the control unit 40 and the communication unit 45. For this reason, compared with the case where there is no recessed part 33, possibility that an excessive force will be added to the control part 40 and the communication part 45 can be made low.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, a metal substrate 14 is used instead of the flexible printed circuit board 10.

  Referring to FIG. 14, a control unit 40 and a communication unit 45 are provided on the side of the metal substrate 14 where the pressure-sensitive sensors 1 a to 1 g are not provided, as indicated by broken lines in the drawing. The control unit 40 and the communication unit 45 may be realized by a microcomputer, for example.

  FIG. 15 is a side view of the metal substrate 14 and the like viewed from the direction of arrow YB in FIG. Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the metal substrate 14 has connection portions 20 a to 20 g and wirings 30 a to 30 g for mounting and electrically connecting the pressure sensitive sensors 1 a to 1 g described above to the surface of the metal plate. It has a configuration provided. Note that an insulating layer is provided on the surface of the metal substrate 14 as necessary.

  In the metal substrate 14, the electrode (for example, see FIG. 2-1) provided in the pressure sensor 1a and the electrodes provided in the connection portions 20a to 20g are electrically connected by, for example, solder. Has been. In addition, not only solder but various electric connection methods, such as pressure welding, pressure bonding, laser, and spot welding, can be used. Therefore, the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g can be detached from the connection parts 20a to 20g which are the mounting parts by removing the connection parts such as solder. Moreover, a new pressure sensitive sensor can be attached to the connection parts 20a-20g which are mounting parts. That is, the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g can be individually attached to and detached from the connection portions 20a to 20g that are mounting portions.

  As in the case of the second embodiment, the insole pressure sensor of the third embodiment includes a control unit 40 and a communication unit 45 that function as conversion units that convert the outputs of a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors into serial signals. The output of the communication unit 45 is taken out via a cable C3 connected by a connector C4.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the shoe insole pressure sensor according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 shows a partial cross section so that the inside of the shoe can be seen. As shown in FIG. 16, in a state where the user's foot 32 is wearing shoes 31, each part of the foot 32 is in contact with the pressure sensitive sensors 1a, 1g, and the like. In the present embodiment, as in the case of the first and second embodiments, a cushion sheet 12 having holes is provided at positions corresponding to the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g.

  In this embodiment, unlike the case of Embodiments 1 and 2, since the metal substrate 14 is used, it is not necessary to provide a metal plate on the lower surface of the flexible printed circuit board 14, that is, the shoe sole side surface. Absent. By using the metal substrate 14, the metal plate for ensuring the reaction force with respect to the pressure given to each pressure sensor 1a-1g can be omitted, and the number of parts can be reduced.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 17 is a view showing a configuration of a fourth embodiment of a shoe insole pressure sensor according to the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board 15 is used, which can cope with the size of the foot by expanding or folding the folding part. FIG. 17A is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the flexible printed circuit board 15. FIG. 17-2 is a side view seen from the direction of arrow YB in FIG. 17-1. 17-1 and 17-2, the flexible printed circuit board 15 has a valley fold 15a and mountain folds 15b and 15c located on both sides thereof. In FIG. 17-2, illustration of the protective layer 10J is omitted.

  When the insole pressure sensor is used as a load detection device for a power assist suit, in particular, pressure data acting near the toe of the foot and pressure data acting near the heel of the foot are important. Therefore, it is important to maintain the distance from the toe portion F1 corresponding to the toe of the flexible printed circuit board 15 to the pressure-sensitive sensor 1a located in the vicinity of the toe F10 at a desired value. Similarly, it is important to maintain the distance from the heel part F2 corresponding to the heel of the foot of the flexible printed circuit board 15 to the pressure-sensitive sensor 1g located in the heel vicinity F20 at a desired value.

  Therefore, the flexible printed circuit board 15 according to the present embodiment includes the valley fold portion 15a and the mountain fold portions 15b and 15c at portions other than the toe portion F1 corresponding to the toe portion of the foot and the heel portion F2 corresponding to the heel portion of the foot. The folding part F3 which has is provided. For example, a fold portion F3 having a valley fold portion 15a and mountain fold portions 15b and 15c is provided between a toe portion F1 corresponding to a foot toe and a heel portion F2 corresponding to a heel of the foot. By unfolding or folding the folded portion having the valley fold portion 15a and the mountain fold portions 15b and 15c, the positions of the foot toes and the toe portions F1 are matched, and the positions of the foot heel and the heel portion F2 are matched. I tried to make it. With this structure, the pressure data of the foot toe vicinity F10 and the pressure data of the foot heel vicinity F20 can be correctly acquired from the insole pressure sensor, and it is possible to deal with a plurality of sizes of feet. it can.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the flexible printed circuit board 15 that is folded at the valley fold 15a and the mountain folds 15b and 15c. FIG. 18A is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the flexible printed circuit board 15. 18-2 is a side view seen from the direction of arrow YB in FIG. 18-1. Referring to FIGS. 18-1 and 18-2, since the folded state, the valley fold 15a is located on the surface side of the flexible printed circuit board 15 where the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are not provided. . The flexible printed circuit board 15 in such a folded state can cope with a case where the foot size is small.

  The side of the folded flexible printed circuit board 15 where the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are provided is a cushion sheet 12 (for example, see FIG. 1) having holes at positions corresponding to the pressure sensitive sensors 1a to 1g. Covered. Furthermore, it is preferable that a metal plate 13 (see, for example, FIG. 1) is provided on the side of the folded flexible printed circuit board 15 where the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are not provided. Thus, in this embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board 15 is used for a shoe insole pressure sensor. In FIG. 18-2, illustration of the protective layer 10J is omitted.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the flexible printed circuit board 15 in a state where the valley fold 15a and the mountain folds 15b and 15c are unfolded. FIG. 19A is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the flexible printed circuit board 15. FIG. 19-2 is a side view seen from the direction of arrow YB in FIG. 19-1. Referring to FIGS. 19A and 19B, the valley fold portion 15 a is located on the surface side of the flexible printed circuit board 15 where the pressure-sensitive sensors 1 a to 1 g are provided because it is in an unfolded state. . The flexible printed circuit board 15 in the developed state can cope with a case where the foot size is large.

  The side of the unfolded flexible printed circuit board 15 where the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are provided is a cushion sheet 12 (for example, see FIG. 1) having holes at positions corresponding to the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g. Covered. Furthermore, a metal plate 13 (for example, see FIG. 1) is provided on the side of the unfolded flexible printed board 15 where the pressure-sensitive sensors 1a to 1g are not provided, and is used as a shoe insole pressure sensor. In addition, in FIG. 19-2, illustration of the protective layer 10J is abbreviate | omitted.

  As described above, the case where the flexible printed circuit board 15 has one valley fold 15a has been described, but a plurality of valley folds may be provided. By providing more valley folds, various foot sizes can be accommodated.

(Power assist suit)
The above described insole pressure sensor can be used as a load detection device that detects pressure from the foot of the user of the power assist suit. Next, an example in which the insole pressure sensor is applied to a load detection device for a power assist suit will be described.

  FIG. 20 is a functional block diagram showing relevant portions when the above-described shoe insole pressure sensor is used as a load detection device for a power assist suit. As shown in FIG. 20, the power assist suit includes a load detection device 144 using the above-described insole pressure sensor 100, a control unit 101, and an actuator AA.

  The actuator AA is provided in a movable part of the power assist suit. The control unit 101 receives pressure data detected by the load detection device 144 as input, and controls the operation of the actuator AA based on the pressure.

  In such a configuration, the load is detected by the load detection device 144 using the above-described shoe insole pressure sensor. The controller 101 controls the operation of the actuator AA that constitutes the power assist suit based on the detected pressure. Thereby, an appropriate assist force can be given to the user.

  Next, a configuration example of a power assist suit using the above-described shoe insole pressure sensor as the load detection device 144 will be described.

  The power assist suit 110 is a device in which a plurality of links are connected via joints and is attached to the user to assist the user's muscle strength. As shown in FIGS. 21 to 23, the power assist suit 110 includes a waist part 111 to be worn on the user's waist, a shoulder part 112 to be worn on the shoulder, and leg parts 113A and 113B to be worn on the legs. have.

  The waist part 111 includes a waist mounting part 121, a power feeding device 122, and thigh drive mechanisms 123A and 123B. The waist mounting part 121 is a C-shaped ring-shaped member formed so as to be positioned around the waist of the user of the power assist suit 110, that is, the person who wears the power assist suit (wearer). The power feeding device 122 is attached to the waist mounting portion 121 and is disposed on the back side of the user.

  The power supply device 122 is a device that supplies power to devices such as the control unit 101 and the actuator provided in the power assist suit 110. In the present embodiment, the power feeding device 122 receives power supply from the power source 122B outside the power assist suit 110 via the electric wire 122C. The power feeding device 122 converts the power from the external power source 122B into a voltage suitable for the devices included in the power assist suit 110 and supplies the converted voltage to the devices. The external power source 122B is, for example, an AC (Alternating Current) power source. The power supply device 122 is not limited to a device that receives power supply from the external power supply 122B, and may be a device that receives power supply from a capacitor mounted on the power assist suit 110, for example.

  The thigh drive mechanisms 123A and 123B are connected to the lower side of the waist mounting portion 121, and are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the user. The thigh drive mechanisms 123A and 123B correspond to the joints of the power assist suit 110. The thigh drive mechanism 123A assists muscle strength according to the movement of the thigh of the left leg by rotating the thigh mounting portion 141A of the leg part 113A around the predetermined axis Ywl with respect to the waist mounting portion 121. is there. The thigh drive mechanism 123B assists muscle strength according to the movement of the thigh of the right leg by rotating the thigh mounting portion 141B of the leg part 113B around the predetermined axis Ywr with respect to the waist mounting portion 121. is there.

  The shoulder part 112 includes a back mounting portion 131 and a left shoulder mounting portion 132A and a right shoulder mounting portion 132B that are arranged to be hooked on the left and right shoulders of the user. The left shoulder mounting part 132A and the right shoulder mounting part 132B are connected to the waist mounting part 121 of the waist part 111 by a back mounting part 131 disposed on the back side of the user.

  The leg parts 113A and 113B are arranged corresponding to the left leg and the right leg. The leg part 113A corresponding to the left leg includes a thigh attachment part 141A, a crus attachment part 142A, a foot attachment part 143A, a crus drive mechanism 145A, and a leg drive control part 146A.

  The thigh mounting portion 141A is disposed along the thigh of the user's left leg, and the lower thigh mounting portion 142A is disposed along the lower leg of the user's left leg. The thigh attachment portion 141A and the crus attachment portion 142A correspond to the link of the power assist suit 110. One end of the thigh mounting portion 141A is rotatably connected to the waist mounting portion 121 of the waist part 111. One end portion of the lower leg mounting portion 142A is rotatably connected to the other end portion of the thigh mounting portion 141A, and the other end portion of the lower leg mounting portion 142A can be rotated to the foot mounting portion 143A by a rotating shaft 147A. It is connected to. The foot attachment portion 143A is a shoe portion attached to the left foot portion (a portion below the left ankle) of the user. The pivot shaft 147A corresponds to a joint of the power assist suit 110, and the foot mounting portion 143A corresponds to a link of the power assist suit 110.

  The crus drive mechanism 145A is attached to the other end of the thigh mounting part 141A. The crus drive mechanism 145A assists the muscular strength by rotating the crus drive mechanism 145A around the predetermined axis Ynl with respect to the thigh mounting portion 141A. The lower leg drive mechanism 145 </ b> A corresponds to the joint of the power assist suit 110. The leg drive control unit 146A is attached to the thigh attachment unit 141A and controls the operations of the thigh drive mechanism 123A and the crus drive mechanism 145A. The leg drive control unit 146A, the thigh drive mechanism 123A, and the crus drive mechanism 145A are supplied with power from the power feeding device 122.

  Similarly to the leg part 113A, the leg part 113B corresponding to the right leg has a thigh attachment part 141B, a crus attachment part 142B, a foot attachment part 143B, a crus drive mechanism 145B, and a leg drive control part 146B.

  The thigh mounting portion 141B is disposed along the thigh of the user's right leg, and the lower thigh mounting portion 142B is disposed along the lower leg of the user's right leg. The thigh attachment portion 141B and the crus attachment portion 142B correspond to the link of the power assist suit 110. One end of the thigh mounting portion 141B is rotatably connected to the waist mounting portion 121 of the waist part 111. One end of the crus mounting part 142B is rotatably connected to the other end of the thigh mounting part 141B, and the other end of the crus mounting part 142B can be rotated to the foot mounting part 143B by a rotating shaft 147B. It is connected to. The foot attachment portion 143B is formed as a shoe portion attached to the right foot portion (a portion below the right ankle) of the user. The rotation shaft 147B corresponds to a joint of the power assist suit 110, and the foot mounting portion 143B corresponds to a link of the power assist suit 110.

  The lower leg drive mechanism 145B is attached to the other end of the thigh attachment part 141B. The crus drive mechanism 145B assists muscular strength by rotating the crus drive mechanism 145B around a predetermined axis Ynr with respect to the thigh mounting portion 141B. The lower leg drive mechanism 145 </ b> B corresponds to the joint of the power assist suit 110. The leg drive control unit 146B is attached to the thigh attachment unit 141B and controls the operations of the thigh drive mechanism 123B and the crus drive mechanism 145B. The leg drive control unit 146B, the thigh drive mechanism 123B, and the crus drive mechanism 145B are supplied with power from the power feeding device 122.

  The thigh drive mechanisms 123A and 123B and the crus drive mechanisms 145A and 145B are each provided with an actuator. In this embodiment, although the actuator with which these are provided is an electric motor, it is not limited to this. In the present embodiment, each leg part 113A, 113B is provided with thigh drive mechanisms 123A, 123B and crus drive mechanisms 145A, 145B, so that there are two control axes. In the present embodiment, the control axis provided in the power assist suit 110 is not limited to two axes per one leg part 113A or leg part 113B.

  As shown in FIG. 22, a load detection device 144A is provided at the bottom of the foot mounting portion 143A. In addition, a load detection device 144B is provided at the bottom of the foot mounting portion 143B. The load detection devices 144A and 144B detect loads acting on the foot mounting portions 143A and 143B. In the present embodiment, for example, the above-described shoe insole pressure sensors can be used as the load detection devices 144A and 144B.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 101 is provided on the back surface of the back mounting unit 131. The control unit 101 is, for example, a microcomputer. The control unit 101 controls the operations of the thigh drive mechanisms 123A and 123B and the crus drive mechanisms 145A and 145B based on the detection values of the load detection devices 144A and 144B. The leg drive control units 146A and 146B drive the actuators of the thigh drive mechanisms 123A and 123B and the actuators of the crus drive mechanisms 145A and 145B based on a command from the control unit 101. In the present embodiment, the leg drive control units 146A and 146B are motor drivers that control the electric motor.

  Although the above has described the case where the above-described insole pressure sensor is used as a load detection device for a power assist suit, it can be used for other purposes. For example, in the medical field or the welfare field, the above-described shoe insole pressure sensor can be used when monitoring a load applied to the soles of patients or subjects.

  As mentioned above, although Embodiment 1 to Embodiment 4 was demonstrated, Embodiment 1 to Embodiment 4 is not limited by the content mentioned above. In addition, the above-described constituent elements include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those in a so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, at least one of various omissions, substitutions, and changes of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the first to fourth embodiments.

1a-1g Pressure sensor 10, 15 Flexible printed circuit board 10a-10g Hole 12 Cushion sheet 13 Metal plate 14 Metal substrate 20a-20g Connection part 21a-21g Electrode 30a-30g Wiring 31 Shoes 32 Foot 33 Concave part 40 Control part 41 Multiplexer 42 A / D conversion unit 43 Parallel / serial conversion unit 45 Communication unit 100 Shoe insole pressure sensor 101 Control unit 110 Power assist suit 120a-120g Hole portion 130 Hole portion 144 Load detection device AA Actuator H Solder

Claims (7)

Multiple pressure sensors,
A plurality of mounting portions provided corresponding to each of the plurality of pressure sensors, and each of the plurality of pressure sensors being detachable;
A flexible printed circuit board having a conductor electrically connected to the pressure-sensitive sensors respectively mounted on the plurality of mounting portions;
With
The outputs of the plurality of pressure sensors are taken out through the flexible printed circuit board,
Shoe insole pressure sensor. Further comprising a conversion unit that converts the outputs of the plurality of pressure sensors into serial signals, and the output converted into serial signals by the conversion unit is taken out,
The insole pressure sensor according to claim 1. The pressure sensor is disposed on the back surface of the user's foot,
The converter is provided at a position corresponding to the arch of the foot;
The insole pressure sensor according to claim 2. The pressure sensor is disposed on the back surface of the user's foot,
The flexible printed circuit board has a folded portion in a portion excluding a toe portion corresponding to the toe of the foot and a heel portion corresponding to the heel of the foot,
By unfolding or folding the folding part, the positions of the toes and the toes of the foot are matched, and the positions of the heel and the heel of the foot are matched.
The insole pressure sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Instead of the flexible printed circuit board,
The metal substrate which has the said mounting part and has a conductor electrically connected with the pressure-sensitive sensor with which the said mounting part was mounted | worn was provided. Shoe insole pressure sensor. In a position corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors, the sheet further includes a sheet having a hole size that exposes them, and covers a portion other than the pressure sensors.
The insole pressure sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The insole pressure sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An actuator for generating an assist force for a user applying pressure to the insole pressure sensor with a foot;
A controller that controls the operation of the actuator based on the output of the pressure-sensitive sensor provided in the insole pressure sensor;
With
Power assist suit.

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