JP3242358B2 - Diaper wetness detector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a diaper wetness sensor for detecting that a diaper used by many babies and those who need nursing care is wet with urine or the like, and for notifying the user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Detection of wetting as a change in electric resistance is widely performed. In conventional diapers, moisture quickly and uniformly spreads in the diaper, so that wetting could be easily detected. However, due to recent advances in polymer chemistry, one urine is almost completely absorbed by the polymer absorber, and in some cases, wetting cannot be detected. In this case, the diaper replacement may be delayed because it cannot be detected at the first time, and may exceed the absorption capacity at the second time. Also, if you can not immediately replace the first time,
That alone had a problem in terms of cleanliness.

A diaper wetness sensor according to the prior art is
It is made for the purpose of centralized management in hospitals. Therefore, the system is large. On the other hand, people who use diapers are not limited to hospitals and the like. In this case, family members living together,
I often take care of such people while doing other work. Since the diaper wetness sensor used in such a case cannot require the caregiver to have specialized knowledge, the following functions are required. However, a diaper wetness sensor having these functions does not yet exist.

(1) The display indicating that the diaper is wet can be visually recognized from any direction. (2) Even a diaper using a polymer absorber can reliably detect wetting. (3) Once the diaper senses that it has become wet, it keeps displaying it until the caregiver takes care of it. Then, when necessary processing is completed, it is automatically reset. (4) No matter how you put the sensor in the diaper,
Works reliably. (5) Sensor replacement and maintenance operations are simple.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to propose a diaper wetness detector having these functions.

[0006]

The above object has been attained by a diaper wetness sensor and a diaper wetness sensor according to the claims. Specifically, from a sensor body including a sensor unit including a sensing sensor for sensing wetness, a circuit unit for converting a signal sensed by the sensor unit into an electric signal, and a display unit for displaying that the diaper is sensed wet. The problem was solved by a diaper wetness sensor having a display on at least both sides of the sensor body.

[0007] By providing a sensing surface provided with a pair of conductive patterns on the surface of an insulator (especially an insulator made of a soft material) on both surfaces of the wetting sensor, wetting can be detected regardless of whether the surface is wet. I did it. As a result, when putting the wetness sensor into the diaper,
There is no need to worry about the position.

When a change in electric resistance is sensed by a sensor, a reset signal input terminal is provided in an electric circuit for converting the change into an electric signal, and the display of wetness is held until a reset signal is given. . The reset signal is generated not only by pressing the reset button but also when a sensor plug is inserted into the sensor body and / or when the plug is pulled out.
In addition, it will be given when you stop touching the reset button. However, even if the reset button is pressed by mistake, the indication of getting wet is displayed with priority. Therefore, even a person who does not have specialized knowledge can easily and surely handle it.

[0009]

1 to 6 show one embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the diaper wetness sensor according to the present invention comprises a sensor body 1 and a sensor section 2, both of which are connected by a conducting wire 3.

The sensor section 2 is provided with two conductive patterns 2B and 2C on both sides of the insulating plate 2A so as to be spaced apart from each other at a slight distance and to make the adjacent area as long as possible.

The sensor may have a flat plate-like shape, a thin paper shape, or a cardboard shape. The material of the insulating plate 2A is not so hard because it is mounted in a diaper. Considering repeated use, a material that can maintain cleanliness is preferable. For example, a rubber-like material includes silicon rubber, and a plate-like material includes an insulating plate using aramid fiber (such as Nomex manufactured by DuPont). Also, a plastic (elastomer) having high flexibility can be used.

Preferably, the conductive pattern is formed by printing. Since metal-based conductive materials have problems of corrosion and allergy, carbon-based conductive ink is preferable.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an example of a connecting portion between the sensor section 2 and the conductor 3. Two conductive patterns 2B and 2C are respectively formed on the two insulating plates 2A by printing. In this figure, the pattern 2 of each insulating plate 2A is shown.
B is connected by an eyelet 2D, and the eyelet 2D is connected by solder 2F to a round terminal 2E which is caulked to the conductor 3.
The space between the two insulating plates 2A and the vicinity of the round terminal 2E are filled with a sealant.

At the other end of the conductor 3, a plug 3A is provided.
When the plug 3A is detachably inserted into the socket 1A of the sensor main body 1, the sensor section 2 and the sensor main body 1 are connected. The sensor body 1 has a lid portion 1C for inserting the battery 1B. In this embodiment,
A hole 1D through which a string for hanging the sensor main body 1 is provided.

The resistance between the two conductive patterns 2B and 2C of the sensor is almost infinite because it is initially in a dry state. However, when wet with urine or the like, the resistance between the pair of conductive patterns is greatly reduced, and reaches up to several hundreds KΩ depending on the situation. This resistance is compared with a predetermined value using, for example, a comparison circuit 4 as shown in FIG. If the resistance value is smaller than a predetermined value, it is determined that the diaper is wet, and an alarm signal is generated.

Light emitting elements such as light emitting diodes 6A and 6B as light emitting portions are turned on or off by an alarm signal. It is also possible to sound a buzzer if necessary.

The light emitting diodes 6A and 6B are connected to the sensor body 1
It is provided on both sides of the circuit board 7 of the circuit section housed in the inside. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, convex lenses 8A and 8B are arranged immediately before the light emitting diodes 6A and 6B so that the light emitting diodes 6A and 6B emit light easily. ing.

The indication by the light emitting diode is the sensor body 1
If it is performed only on one side, the display may be difficult to see or not at all depending on the direction of the sensor body. This problem can be solved by displaying both the front side display and the back side display. For this reason, the convex lenses 8A and 8B are mounted on the upper and lower surfaces of the sensor body 1. Therefore, it can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 that the light emitting diodes 6A and 6B emit light.
Can be seen from the front side and the back side. The light emitting section may be arranged at a position that can be confirmed from the front side (left side in FIG. 2) or the lateral side in addition to the front and back of the front end of the sensor main body. This display may blink on the front and back simultaneously or alternately. By providing it on one end of the sensor,
A structure that can be recognized by more than a plane may be used.

When the caregiver has completed necessary processing such as changing diapers, the circuit is automatically reset to a detection standby state. The reset button can be provided on the surface of the plug that is easily contacted with the finger outside the sensor body.

In this embodiment, for example, when inserting the plug 3A into the socket 1A on the main body side, by touching the reset button 9, a reset signal is generated, the detection circuit is reset (initialized), and the detection standby state is established. And

When the sensor has a function of holding the detection result, when the diaper is replaced, when the plug is pulled out, the reset button 9 is used when the flag is pulled out in order to prevent the sensor side from continuing to display even if the plug is pulled out. Even if you don't touch it, you can reset it just by pulling out the connector.

Further, when the plug is pulled out, the power supply on the sensor side can be cut off. This allows
If the plug is not inserted, the battery is not consumed and the power switch can be omitted from the main body. It is also possible to prevent detection omission due to forgetting to turn on the power. further,
For example, a reset signal is generated at the time of the falling edge of the pulse when the reset button is released, or a logic circuit that can output the detection result with priority when the reset button is pressed if the sensing state is detected. Accordingly, if the sensor is in the sensing state even if the reset button is kept pressed, the sensor can display the result. Such a logic circuit is described later with reference to FIG.
Flip-flops.

The conversion circuit of the sensor may be of any type as long as the resistance between the terminals of the sensor to be connected is usually very high and can detect a state that decreases during sensing. In other words, when the operational amplifier or the analog comparator shown in FIG. 5 is used and the voltage becomes smaller than the reference resistance (for example, 1 MΩ), the light emitting diode is not limited to the one that emits light and emits light. IC for high logic
(C-MOS type) A flip-flop circuit is formed by a logic gate element and the like. When the resistance of the sensor decreases, the threshold level is exceeded, for example, so as to exceed the threshold level.
A circuit that sets the resistance value of the pull-up to 1 MΩ and maintains the detection state when the threshold level is exceeded, or as shown in FIG. 8, a similar sensor is connected to the gate portion of an oscillation circuit using a similar IC. A relatively simple circuit, such as connecting a pull-up resistor and starting oscillation when the resistance of the sensor decreases and exceeds a threshold level, can be used.

The sensor section 2 is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIGS. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the sensor unit 2 is reused after performing maintenance such as cleaning and drying, but may be a disposable sensor.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the sensor unit 10 of a disposable type. FIG. 3A shows at least a pair of conductive patterns 10 on paper 10A as an insulator of the sensor unit 10. FIG.
B and 10C are disposable portions 10D formed by printing on at least one surface. The material of the paper 10A is not particularly limited, but is preferably a material that does not easily tear. In natural materials, Japanese paper may be used, and in synthetic paper, long fibers of chemical fibers are used and fibers are partially fused together.
DuPont's Tyvek or the like may be used, or if it has a thickness, it may be an ordinary cardboard. Disposable part 10
Mounting holes 10E and 10F are formed near the end of D so as to pass through the conductive patterns 10B and 10C, respectively.

FIG. 9B shows the disposable portion 10D.
Is a perspective view of a state in which is connected to the conductors 10G and 10H by a connector 10I. The connector 10I is connected to the upper part 10Ia and the lower part 1 by a metal clip (not shown).
0Ib is bound.

The disposable portion 10D is connected to the connector 1 by passing each clip through the mounting holes 10E and 10F.
Fixed to 0I. Each clip is, on the one hand, in electrical contact with one of the conductive patterns 10B, 10C of the disposable part 10D, and on the other hand is electrically connected to the conductors 10G, 10H, respectively. Therefore, each of the conductive patterns 10B and 10C corresponds to each of the conductive wires 10G and 10H in FIG.
Is connected to the sensor main body 1 in the same manner as the conductor 3.

For example, a thick paper having a thickness of 0.3 mm or more or a paper having a thickness that does not easily slip is used as an insulator. If the paper is used, it has an absorptive property so that even a single-sided electrode can be reliably detected. A conductive pattern is printed on at least one side by printing conductive ink.If thin paper is used, the adhesive side of one side should be pasted with adhesive tape or adhesive to prevent the sensor paper from shifting. May be applied or printed, or a non-slip surface, for example, a rubber-like material, may be applied or printed on the surface, and after use, it may be discarded together with the diaper.

[0029]

According to the present invention, even a disposable diaper using a high water-absorbing polymer absorbent can surely sense one urine and notify the sense by a light display. The surrounding area is not particularly annoying even at night. In addition, since the display is provided on both sides, it is possible to reliably recognize the sensing. In particular, since the sensing result can be held, even if the urine is absorbed for the first time by the diaper absorber, the sensing result can be displayed continuously.
Further, by linking the resetting operation with the operation of the connector, it is possible to avoid forgetting to reset or to turn off the light when it is not necessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a diaper wetness sensor of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a sensor main body of the diaper wetness sensor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the sensor body of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connection portion between a sensor portion and a conductive wire of the diaper wetness detector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an example of a conversion circuit that converts resistance between patterns of a sensor unit of the diaper wetness detector of FIG. 1 into an electric signal.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the sensor body of FIG. 2 near a light emitting diode that indicates diaper wetting.

FIG. 7 is an example of an alternative circuit of the conversion circuit of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an example of another alternative circuit of the conversion circuit of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an example of an alternative structure in which the sensor unit of FIG. 1 is made disposable.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sensor main body 1A socket 1B Battery 1C Cover 1D hole 2 Sensor part 2A Insulating plate 2B, 2C Conductive pattern 2D Eyelet 2E Round terminal 2F Solder 3 Conductor 3A Plug 4 Comparison circuit 6A, 6B Light emitting diode 7 Substrate 8A, 8B Convex lens 9 Reset button 10 Sensor 10A Paper 10B, 10C Conductive pattern 10D Disposable part 10E, 10F Mounting hole 10G, 10H Conductor 10I Connector 10Ia Upper part 10Ib Lower part

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01N 27/00-27/24 A61F 13/42 A61F 5/44 G08B 21/00-21/24

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sensor unit having a pair of conductive patterns formed on at least one surface of an insulator, which can be mounted in a diaper, and whose electric resistance changes when the diaper is wet; The sensor unit is connected to a sensor main body. The sensor unit is connected to a lead wire with a plug, and the sensor main unit is connected to a socket for inserting the plug and the socket. A conversion circuit for converting a change in the electrical resistance of the sensor unit input into an electric signal indicating that the inside of the diaper is wet; and at least two light emitting lights that emit light based on a signal from the conversion circuit when the diaper is wet A light emitting element is provided on the upper surface side and the lower surface side, respectively, such that light emission of the light emitting element is visible from both the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the sensor main body. A diaper wetness sensor, wherein the power supply to the sensor body is cut off when the plug is removed from the socket. 2. The diaper wetness detector according to claim 1, further comprising holding means for holding a result of the conversion circuit once sensed until resetting. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plug is provided with a reset button, and the holding state of said holding means is reset when said plug is inserted into said socket while touching said reset button. The diaper wetting sensor according to claim 2. 4. The holding means comprises a flip-flop circuit in which a pair of logic gate elements are combined, and an electric signal corresponding to the electric resistance is input to a set input of the flip-flop circuit as a set signal.
3. The diaper wetness detector according to claim 2, wherein a reset signal is input to a reset input of the flip-flop circuit. 5. The diaper wetting sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor section has the pair of conductive patterns provided on one and the other surfaces of the insulator , respectively. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pair of the insulator and the conductive pattern is made of a material having flexibility.
Or a diaper wetness sensor according to 5. 7. The diaper wetting sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the insulator is paper, and the conductive pattern is formed by printing a conductive paint on the paper. 8. The diaper wetness detector according to claim 7, wherein an adhesive surface is provided on one surface of the paper, and the adhesive surface is bonded to the diaper.