JP2018001497A - Wearable apparatus and wearable apparatus manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To disclose a technique capable of easing vulnerability in connection areas between hard and soft parts of wearable apparatuses.SOLUTION: The wearable apparatus includes: a main body of the wearable apparatus; a band part for fitting the main body to a body of a user; and a connection area which connects at least the main body and the band part and is formed with fibers containing an ultraviolet curable resin with its surface being coated with a thermoplastic resin. The connection area has: on the main body side, a first region where the fibers are fused to each other by the thermoplastic resin; and on the band part side of the first region, a second region where the ultraviolet curable resin is cured and the fibers are not fused to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present application relates to a wearable device and a method for manufacturing the wearable device.

  In recent years, various wearable devices have been proposed along with the downsizing of electronic devices. The wearable device is provided with a flexible portion to be worn on the user's body in addition to a rigid portion into which the electronic component is incorporated. Various materials can be considered as the material forming the hard part and the flexible part (see, for example, Patent Documents 1-3).

JP 2014-198792 A JP-A-8-1793 JP-A-4-301432

  As a material forming the flexible part of the wearable device, for example, a material knitted with fibers can be considered. However, the force applied to the wearable device tends to concentrate on the connection portion between the hard portion and the flexible portion of the wearable device. Therefore, when a material knitted with fibers is used for the connection portion, the fibers are easily damaged at the boundary portion between the hard portion and the material and are fragile.

  Therefore, the present application discloses a technique for alleviating vulnerability in a connection portion between a hard portion and a flexible portion of a wearable device.

  The wearable device disclosed in the present application connects the main body portion of the wearable device, the band portion for mounting the main body portion on the user's body, and at least the main body portion and the band portion, and the surface is coated with a thermoplastic resin. A connecting portion formed of fibers containing an ultraviolet curable resin, and the connecting portion has a first region where the fibers are welded to each other by a thermoplastic resin on the main body side, and the ultraviolet curable resin is cured. The second region where the fibers are not welded to each other is provided on the band portion side of the first region.

  Further, the method for manufacturing a wearable device disclosed in the present application includes a step of irradiating a part of a member formed of a fiber containing an ultraviolet curable resin whose surface is coated with a thermoplastic resin, and irradiating the ultraviolet ray. And heating a part of the portion where the ultraviolet curable resin is cured by the process so that the fibers are welded to each other by the thermoplastic resin.

  With the wearable device and the method for manufacturing the wearable device described above, the vulnerability in the connection portion between the hard portion and the flexible portion of the wearable device is alleviated.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wearable device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view showing a material for forming the main body portion, the band portion, and the connection portion. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of the fibers forming the material. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a wearable device. FIG. 5 is a photograph showing an example and a comparative example. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wearable device according to a comparative example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following aspect.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wearable device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the wearable device 1 according to the embodiment includes a main body portion 2 in which electronic components are incorporated, a band portion 3 for mounting the main body portion 2 on the user's body, the main body portion 2 and the band portion 3. And a connection unit 4 for connecting the two. The connecting portion 4 has three regions with different flexibility. These three regions are hereinafter referred to as a first region 4A, a second region 4B, and a third region 4C in order from the main body 2 side to the band unit 3 side. In addition, in FIG. 1, what exhibits a form like a wristwatch is illustrated, but the wearable device 1 is not limited to the form shown in FIG. For example, the wearable device 1 may have a non-annular form in which only one end of the band unit 3 is connected to the main body unit 2 via the connection unit 4. Further, the wearable device 1 may be worn on various parts such as an arm, an ankle, a torso, a head, and the like instead of a wrist.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing a material for forming the main body portion 2, the band portion 3, and the connection portion 4. The main body part 2, the band part 3, and the connection part 4 are formed of a fibrous material. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 2 and the connecting portion 4 are formed of the same fibrous material 5A. On the other hand, the band portion 3 is formed of a fibrous material 5B different from that forming the main body portion 2 and the connection portion 4. The material 5 </ b> A and the material 5 </ b> B are continuously knitted at the boundary portion between the connection portion 4 and the band portion 3.

  FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of fibers forming the material 5A. As shown in FIG. 3, the fiber 5 </ b> S forming the material 5 </ b> A has a center portion 6 impregnated with an ultraviolet curable resin, and a thermoplastic resin coat portion 7 that covers the surface of the center portion 6. And the raw material 5A of the first region 4A has the adjacent fibers 5S welded together by the welding of the thermoplastic resin of the coat part 7, and forms a hard part with little flexibility. In addition, the material 5A of the second region 4B is a first region in which the ultraviolet curable resin in the central portion 6 is cured by ultraviolet irradiation, but the fibers 5S are not welded to each other by the thermoplastic resin in the coat portion 7. A portion more flexible than 4A is formed. Further, the material 5A of the third region 4C is a second region in which the ultraviolet curable resin in the central portion 6 is not cured by ultraviolet irradiation, and the fibers 5S are not welded to each other by the thermoplastic resin in the coat portion 7. A portion more flexible than 4B is formed.

  In the wearable device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the connection portion 4 between the main body portion 2 that is a rigid portion and the band portion 3 that is a flexible portion in the wearable device 1 is flexible by three regions having different flexibility. Therefore, the concentration of force applied to the fiber 5S in the connecting portion 4 is relaxed, and the fiber 5S is hardly damaged. Therefore, it is superior in strength and durability than the conventional one in which the flexibility of the connection portion is not stepwise. Moreover, since the flexibility of the connection part 4 is stepwise, it fits to the human body and hardly gives the user a sense of incongruity. In addition, if the main body 2 that is a rigid part in the wearable device 1 is formed of the fibers 5S and electronic components are mounted on the fibers 5S, the main body 2 can be reduced in thickness and weight.

  In addition, the connection part 4 can make a softness | flexibility in steps, for example by manufacturing with the following methods.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing the wearable device 1. Wearable device 1
In the manufacturing of, for example, the soft region (reference symbol RA in FIG. 4) formed of the above-described fibers 5S and the flexible region (reference symbol RB in FIG. 4) formed of normal fibers are continuous. A knitted material 8 is prepared (see FIG. 4A). Next, a mask 9 having an opening corresponding to a portion where the main body 2, the first region 4A, and the second region 4B are to be formed is placed on the material 8 and irradiated with ultraviolet rays (see FIG. 4B). reference). Thereby, the ultraviolet curable resin in the center portion 6 of the fiber 5S in the main body 2, the first region 4A, and the second region 4B is cured. Next, the material 8 is hot-pressed with a press 10 having a pressing surface corresponding to a portion where the main body 2 and the first region 4A are to be formed (see FIG. 4C). Thereby, the thermoplastic resin of the coating | coated part 7 of the main-body part 2 and the fiber 5S of 1st area | region 4A melt | dissolves temporarily, and adjacent fiber 5S is welded with a thermoplastic resin.

  The wearable device 1 according to the above embodiment is manufactured through the manufacturing process as described above, so that the first region 4A, the second region 4B, and the third region 4C exhibiting stepwise flexibility in the connection portion 4 are provided. Will have. And if it is the said manufacturing method, after the center part 6 of the fiber 5S of the part of the main-body part 2, 1st area | region 4A, and 2nd area | region 4B is hardened | cured by ultraviolet irradiation, the part of the main-body part 2 and 1st area | region 4A. Since the fiber 5S is hot-pressed, disconnection and jumping-out of the core material yarn due to the fiber 5S being pressed by the hot press, which can occur when the fiber 5S is hot-pressed without being irradiated with ultraviolet rays, are suppressed.

  Examples of the fiber 5S that can be used include a knitted FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics) material and a knitted FRTP (Fiberglass Reinforced Thermoplastic) material. More specifically, for example, a core material yarn coated with a thermoplastic resin such as TPU, PA or PC as an FRP material is cured by applying heat and pressure, and an epoxy, phenol, polyester resin or the like is knitted as an FRP material. FRP material coated and impregnated to harden, FRP core material yarn using CF, GF, etc., inorganic material such as Kepler, metal material such as copper wire, and mixed wire yarn of these wires Can be mentioned.

  Moreover, as a fiber applicable as the fiber which forms the band part 3, cotton, hemp, a synthetic fiber etc. are mentioned, for example. Moreover, the band part 3 may be formed with various non-fiber materials, such as a skin material and a silicon | silicone, instead of what was formed with the fiber.

FIG. 5 is a photograph showing an example and a comparative example. Since a prototype corresponding to the wearable device 1 of the above embodiment was created as an example, the results are shown below. In this example, CF yarn (1K) impregnated with UV curable resin is a yarn (φ0.35 mm) coated with PA resin, and the knitting condition is smooth with tengu, knitting with CFRTP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermo Plastics) ) A material was prepared. Next, a metal mask with an opening φ60 mm is overlaid and irradiated with an ultraviolet ray irradiation amount of 1,000 mJ / cm ^2. Pressed for a minute. As a result of confirming the appearance after pressing, an elastic portion (bending elastic modulus of 1 GPa or less) corresponding to the second region 4B is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the pressed portion (bending elastic modulus 10 GPa), and the outer peripheral portion is A soft part corresponding to 3 regions 4C was formed. Further, defects such as jumping out of CF yarn and cracks were not confirmed.

  Further, as a comparative example, a CF yarn (1K) coated with PA resin (φ0.5 mm) was used, and a knitted CFRTP material was produced with a knitting condition of 10 mm and smooth. Next, pressing was performed for 5 minutes under a pressing condition of a press temperature of 210 ° C., a pressure of 5 MPa, and a take-off temperature of 80 ° C. using a press machine having a φ50 mm mold. As a result of confirming the appearance after pressing, yarn jumping and cracks were confirmed in the knitted CFRTP material on the outer periphery of the pressed portion.

  From the results of the above examples and comparative examples, it can be seen that according to the manufacturing method of the above embodiment, the wearable device 1 can be manufactured without causing yarn jumps and cracks.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the wearable device 101 according to the comparative example. As in the wearable device 101 according to the comparative example, when the flexibility is not stepwise in the connection portion 104 between the main body portion 102 and the band portion 103, the force tends to concentrate on the connection portion 104. Therefore, for example, when the band portion 103 is formed of a material knitted with fibers, the fibers are easily damaged at the boundary portion between the main body portion 102 and the band portion 103 and are fragile. In this regard, in the wearable device 1 of the above-described embodiment, since the flexibility of the connection portion 4 is stepwise, the concentration of force applied to the connection portion 4 between the main body portion 2 and the band portion 3 is alleviated. .

  1, 101 ·· Wearable devices: 2, 102 ··· Body portion: 3, 103 ··· Band portion: 4, 104 ··· Connection portion: 4A ··· First region: 4B · · Second region: 4C ··· 3 areas: 5A, 5B ... Material: 5S ... Textile: 6 ... Center: 7 ... Coat: 8 ... Material: 9 ... Mask: 10 ... Press

Claims (3)

The main body of the wearable device,
A band part for mounting the main body part on a user's body;
Connecting at least the main body portion and the band portion, and a connection portion formed of a fiber containing an ultraviolet curable resin whose surface is coated with a thermoplastic resin,
The connecting portion has a first region where the fibers are welded to each other by the thermoplastic resin on the main body portion side, and a second region where the ultraviolet curable resin is cured and the fibers are not welded to each other. On the band part side of the first region,
Wearable equipment. The connection portion has a third region on the band portion side of the second region where the ultraviolet curable resin is not cured and the fibers are not welded to each other.
The wearable device according to claim 1. Irradiating a part of a member formed of fibers containing an ultraviolet curable resin whose surface is coated with a thermoplastic resin with ultraviolet rays;
Heating a part of the portion where the ultraviolet curable resin is cured by the step of irradiating the ultraviolet rays so that the fibers are welded to each other by the thermoplastic resin,
A method for manufacturing a wearable device.

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