JP6829365B2 - Pressure sensors, pressure sensor manufacturing methods, bed devices and automotive seats - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pressure sensor or the like.

Conventionally, a capacitance type pressure sensor that detects pressure by utilizing a change in capacitance has been known. In this method, the upper and lower parts of an insulator whose thickness changes according to the load are sandwiched between electrodes which are conductors, and the load related to the sensor is calculated from the change in capacitance between the conductors.

Various methods are known for these capacitance type pressure sensors. For example, in order to widen the range of measurable pressure, for example, an invention using a porous sheet as an insulator is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, it is a conductive fabric in which the portion where the conductive threads intersect is used as the pressure-sensitive portion of the pressure sensor, and the pressure applied to the pressure-sensitive portion is converted into an electric signal by the detection circuit, so that the portion corresponds to the pressure-sensitive portion. In connecting conductive threads to a detection circuit, the conductive threads corresponding to a plurality of pressure-sensitive parts are collectively electrically connected to the detection circuit, so that the conductive threads corresponding to the plurality of pressure-sensitive parts are connected to the detection circuit one by one. An invention is disclosed that improves workability for electrically connecting conductive threads corresponding to a plurality of pressure-sensitive portions to a detection circuit without requiring the work to be performed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP-A-2002-318163 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-161555

In the conventional pressure sensor, since the insulator is thickened, the thickness of the compressed insulator becomes thick when a load is applied, and the distance between the electrodes is not sufficiently close. Therefore, there is a problem that the amount of change in capacitance cannot be increased.

Further, when a porous sheet is used as an insulator as in Patent Document 1, electroless plating is applied to the surface (front and back) of the porous sheet to form an electrode. That is, since a solid metal thin film is used for the electrode, it is easily cracked by stretching due to tension or the like, and it is difficult to maintain electrical continuity, which causes a problem that it is difficult to cope with stretching of the sheet. ..

Further, in the method of cross-weaving conductive yarns covered with an insulator as in Patent Document 2, the contact area of the yarns is small and the amount of change in the thickness direction of the conductive yarns is small, so that the capacitance is small. There was a problem that it was not possible to secure a large amount.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a pressure sensor or the like capable of obtaining a larger change in capacitance without increasing the thickness of the pressure sensor.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the pressure sensor of the first invention
In a pressure sensor that obtains pressure based on the amount of change in capacitance between an insulator, conductive electrodes arranged opposite to each other with the insulator in between, and the conductive electrodes.
The conductive electrode has at least a gap between the conductive electrode and the insulator, and is configured to be deformable in a direction of receiving a load.

Further, the second pressure sensor is further described in the first pressure sensor.
The distance generated by the gap between the conductive electrode and the insulator is defined as the gap distance.
It is characterized in that the gap distance changes depending on the direction in which the load is received.

Further, the third pressure sensor is further described in the first pressure sensor.
The conductive electrode is characterized in that the base material is provided with conductive short fibers.

Further, the manufacturing method for manufacturing the third pressure sensor is as follows.
An adhesive layer forming step of forming an adhesive layer on the base material and
An adhesive step of adhering the short fibers to the adhesive layer,
It is characterized by having.

According to the pressure sensor of the present invention, it is a pressure sensor that obtains pressure based on the amount of change in capacitance between an insulator, conductive electrodes arranged opposite to each other with the insulator in between, and the conductive electrodes. Therefore, the conductive electrode has at least a gap between the conductive electrode and the insulator, and is configured to be deformable in the direction of receiving a load. That is, there is a gap between the conductive electrode and the insulator, and by deforming so that there is no gap in the direction of receiving the load, a large change in capacitance can be obtained without thickening the pressure sensor. Become.

It is a figure for demonstrating the basic operation of a capacitance type pressure sensor. It is a vertical sectional view for demonstrating the 1st pressure sensor. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between pressure and capacitance of the 1st pressure sensor. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the thickness (material) of the insulator of the 1st pressure sensor, and the capacitance. It is a figure for demonstrating the elongation (extension) of the 1st pressure sensor. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the pressure at the time of extension of the 1st pressure sensor, and the capacitance. It is a vertical sectional view for demonstrating the 2nd pressure sensor. It is a vertical sectional view for demonstrating the 2nd pressure sensor. It is a vertical sectional view for demonstrating the 3rd pressure sensor. It is a vertical sectional view for demonstrating the 4th pressure sensor. It is a vertical sectional view for demonstrating the 5th pressure sensor. It is a figure for demonstrating the case where a pressure sensor is applied to a body pressure sensor. It is a figure for demonstrating the case where a pressure sensor is applied to a body pressure sensor. It is a figure for demonstrating the case where a body pressure sensor is applied to an air mattress system. It is a figure for demonstrating the case where a body pressure sensor is used in a bed apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiment is an example for explaining the invention, and it goes without saying that the material, numerical range, and the like are not limited to the description of the present embodiment.

First, a conventional capacitance type pressure sensor will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A is a vertical sectional view of a conventional pressure sensor 9. Conductive electrodes 91 are arranged to face each other on both the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-shaped insulator 93. Specifically, the electrode 91a connected to the power supply and the grounded electrode 91b are arranged so as to face each other.

Here, the capacitance C (F) of the pressure sensor 9 is
C = ε × S / d (F): ε is the permittivity, S is the area of the electrodes, and d is the distance between the electrodes.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), when a load is applied from above in the state on the left side, the distance between the electrodes is reduced from da to db as shown in the figure on the right side. In this way, as the distance d between the electrodes decreases, the capacitance C increases. Based on this changed capacitance, it becomes possible to detect the load and obtain the pressure.

In the conventional capacitance type pressure sensor, the insulator is generally about 3 mm, or about 5 mm as a whole, in order to sufficiently secure the change in capacitance.

(First pressure sensor)
FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the pressure sensor 1 in the present embodiment. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a state in which a load is not applied to the pressure sensor 1, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which a pressure (load) is applied from the upward direction P1. ..

The pressure sensor 1 of the present embodiment has a structure in which conductors 11 (conductors 11a and 11b), which are conductive electrodes, are arranged to face each other on both upper and lower surfaces of an insulator 19 formed in a plate shape. There is. Then, when the conductor 11a is connected to the power supply and the conductor 11b is grounded, it functions as a capacitor as a whole.

Further, the conductor 11 is configured to include a base material 13 and conductive short fibers 17 bonded via an adhesive layer 15.

The base material 13 is a base used for providing the short fibers 17. For example, the base material 13 is made of polyurethane, and the short fibers 17 are adhered by an adhesive layer 15 using an adhesive containing silicone as a main component. To. The base material 13 may be made of a metal (copper, silver, carbon, etc.), rubber in which carbon (nanotubes) is dispersed, a urethane-based binder in which fine silver particles are dispersed, or the like. Further, the base material 13 is configured to have a thickness of, for example, about 100 μm.

The short fibers 17 are made of a conductive substance and are adhered to the base material 13. As a method of adhering the short fibers 17 to the base material 13, for example, electrostatic flocking is used. As a specific manufacturing method, the adhesive layer 15 is formed by applying an adhesive to the base material 13. A high voltage (for example, 30,000 V to 80,000 V) is applied to this, and short fibers 17 are planted using the force of static electricity to perform surface treatment on the base material 13.

As the adhesive used as the material of the adhesive layer 15, a conductive adhesive is used. The length of the short fibers 17 is preferably 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

In addition to electrostatic flocking, the short fibers 17 may be adhered (adhesive) to the adhesive (adhesive), for example, simply by using an adhesive (or adhesive).

By providing these short fibers 17 on the base material 13, a part of the short fibers 17 comes into contact with the insulator 19. That is, the distance between the base material 13 and the insulator 19 is determined based on approximately the length of the short fibers 17. As a result, d1 which is the distance between the base materials 13 is determined.

Here, the conductor 11 is formed by providing the base material 13 with short fibers 17 having different orientations due to electrostatic flocking, and the conductor 11 is provided with a certain void. That is, the distance (void distance) between the short fibers 17 (the position closest to the insulator 19 among the short fibers 17) and the insulator 19 is not constant, and voids are created non-uniformly (discontinuously). .. The gap distance between the short fibers 17 and the insulator 19 becomes a gap in the conductor and functions as an insulator. The reason why the voids are created in this way is that the short fibers 17 are non-uniformly provided on the base material 13.

Here, the void refers to a void provided in the conductor 11, and in particular, a void (space) between the insulator and the conductor (a part of the short fiber 17 in the present embodiment). To tell. Therefore, the voids between the short fibers and between the short fibers and the base material are not included. In addition, air is usually present in the voids, and its dielectric constant is about 1. Due to the presence of air gaps, the dielectric constant is generally smaller than that of the insulator 19, and the effect of insulation is enhanced.

In other words, in the pressure sensor 1 of the present embodiment, in addition to the insulator 19, there is a gap created by the short fibers 17 between the upper and lower electrodes. If this is regarded as a capacitor C, C can be defined as "C1 having an insulator 19 on a dielectric" and "C2 having air on a dielectric" connected in series.

Combined with the small relative permittivity of air and the large voids compared to the insulator 19, the initial capacitance of C2 is very small, and the overall capacitance of C is also reduced by being pulled by it. On the other hand, when a pressure is applied to the pressure sensor 1, the pressure is compressed from the gap, so that the capacity of C2 suddenly increases, and as a result, a large capacity change is observed in the entire C as well. Further, since the value at this time is pulled by C1, the relative permittivity and thickness of the insulator 19 of C1 have a great influence on the span.

Further, the gap distance between the short fiber 17 and the insulator 19 varies depending on the orientation of the short fiber 17, but if the area of the base material is averaged, a predetermined distance can be secured.

In the present embodiment, the length of the short fibers 17 is constant, but short fibers of different lengths may be used.

The insulator 19 is composed of, for example, an insulator such as urethane elastomer, silicone rubber, urethane sponge, and butyl rubber. The insulator 19 has a thickness of, for example, about 10 μm.

At this time, a state in which pressure is applied from the upward direction P1 is shown in FIG. 2 (b). As shown in FIG. 2B, the short fibers 17 are deformed by being pushed from the direction P1, and the thickness of the pressure sensor 1 becomes d2 smaller than d1. As a result, the capacitance changes and the pressure can be detected.

At this time, the short fibers 17 come into contact with the short fibers 17 in sequence as the base material 13 approaches the insulator 19. By contacting, the gap disappears and the gap distance becomes short. As a result, the distance between the conductors becomes shorter.

The change between the pressure and the capacitance will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the change in capacitance with respect to the pressure for each length of the short fibers when the lengths of the short fibers 17 are 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, and 3.0 mm. .. The thickness of the insulator 19 in this figure is 0.01 mm.

In this graph, the horizontal axis is the pressurized pressure value (mmHg), and the vertical axis is the capacitance value (pF).

For example, when comparing the lengths of the short fibers 17 of 0.5 to 2.0 mm, it can be seen that a large span can be obtained with a short fiber. Further, in the case of 3.0 mm, a change in the capacitance value different from the above difference in length can be seen, and a larger span can be obtained.

For example, when the length of the short fiber 17 is 3.0 and the pressure is 0 mmHg, the capacitance is about 14 pF. Then, by applying pressure, it changes as shown in the graph of the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 3, and a capacitance of more than 80 pF can be obtained in the vicinity of 150 mmHg.

As described above, the reason why the capacitance changes depending on the length of the short fibers 17 is that the density of the electrodes (density of the fibers) varies in area, which is the gap between the electrode layer and the intermediate layer (insulator 19). This is because it is considered that the capacitance is affected because the opening degree varies (the gap distance varies).

Further, FIG. 4 shows the difference in capacitance depending on the thickness of the insulator. FIG. 4 (a) uses 100 μm thick polyurethane for the insulator 19, FIG. 4 (b) uses 25 μm thick PET, and FIG. 4 (c) uses 10 μm thick polyurethane. There is.

Generally, the relative permittivity is about 3 for PET and about 5 for polyurethane. Therefore, when polyurethane is used as the material of the insulator 19, the amount of change in capacitance is larger. Further, as the material of the insulator 19, the thinner the material, the larger the amount of change in capacitance.

Further, by using the short fiber 17, it becomes strong against elongation in the lateral direction. For example, FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing lateral elongation. (A) and (b) are diagrams showing a conventional pressure sensor. The insulator is configured so as to be sandwiched between the upper and lower electrodes. A general substance shrinks in the other direction when it stretches in one direction. Therefore, in the case of the schematic view of the pressure sensor shown in FIG. 5 (a), the thickness decreases with respect to the pull in the lateral direction P1 (FIG. 5 (b)). Therefore, the behavior is such that the capacitance becomes large.

Furthermore, if it is stretched in the x direction, it shrinks in the y and z directions, so that not only the thickness but also the area may change. However, in this case, since the ratio of shrinkage is generally larger than that of elongation due to Poisson's ratio, the area does not fall below the initial value and does not swing in the direction of decreasing capacitance.

Here, the case of the pressure sensor 1 of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 5 (c). In the pressure sensor 1, the upper and lower base materials and the short fibers are not adhered to the insulator which is the intermediate layer (in the portion where the electrodes are arranged) in order to create a gap between the short fibers and the insulator of the intermediate layer. In short, it has a structure in which the upper and lower base materials and the insulator of the intermediate layer are floating.

Here, when the pressure sensor 1 is pulled in the lateral direction P2, the thickness of each base material itself and the insulator becomes smaller, but the distance between the electrodes does not become smaller due to the floating structure. Therefore, the increase in capacitance is suppressed.

For example, FIG. 6 is a graph of different pressure sensors in which a conductor is composed of short fibers. The upper graph is a graph showing the change in capacitance with respect to pressurization in the vertical direction, and the lower graph is a graph showing the change in capacitance with respect to elongation in the left-right direction.

It can be seen that the change in capacitance with respect to pressurization in the vertical direction increases the capacitance in response to pressurization. However, it can be seen that there is almost no change in capacitance with respect to elongation in the left-right direction, and there is little effect on pressure detection.

As described above, according to the first pressure sensor of the present embodiment, it is possible to realize a pressure sensor capable of obtaining a large capacitance even with a pressure sensor having the same thickness as the conventional one. Further, when pressure is applied from above, the insulator is thin and the conductor is provided with voids, so that the conductor can be deformed to a thinner state.

In addition, it is possible to easily follow the elongation in the lateral direction, and further, it is possible to deform without affecting the change in capacitance. Therefore, when the pressure sensor is used for the bed device or the like, it is possible to follow the elongation or the like by the user.

As described above, since the pressure sensor is configured to be flexibly deformable with respect to the pressure and the entire pressure sensor is configured to be thin, it is possible to provide a pressure sensor that is easy to use.

(Second pressure sensor)
Next, a pressure sensor 2 having a configuration different from that of the first pressure sensor described above will be described. The pressure sensor 2 is a conductive electrode itself having a gap.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a vertical cross-sectional view of the second pressure sensor. As shown in FIG. 7A, conductors 23 (conductors 23a and 23b), which are two conductive electrodes, are arranged to face each other on both upper and lower surfaces of the plate-shaped insulator 29.

The conductor 23 is made of, for example, a conductive foam. For example, it may be conductive polyurethane (PU) or conductive foamed polyethylene (PE).

Here, the thickness of the conductor 23a (conductor 23b) is about 0.25 mm, and the thickness of the insulator 29 is 0.01 mm. Therefore, the pressure sensor 2 as a whole has a thickness of about 0.5 mm.

Here, the conductor 23 is provided with a plurality of voids 25. For example, the conductor 23 may be formed in a sponge shape, or may be formed so as to provide a plurality of gaps / holes. Due to the presence of the gap 25, the contact point of the conductor 23 is partially formed at a position far from the insulator 29. This distance becomes the gap distance, and the gap distance becomes discontinuous and disjointed in the conductor 23.

That is, the gap in the present embodiment means a gap / hole (conductor gap) provided in the conductor 23, and particularly refers to a gap constituting the gap distance. As long as a gap between the conductor 23 and the insulator 29 can be secured, a plurality of gaps / holes may be continuous.

The voids will be specifically described. FIG. 7B is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a part of the pressure sensor 2. Since there are a plurality of gaps 25, the gap distance from the insulator 29 to the conductor 23 can be secured. This is because the distance changes depending on the arrangement of the voids 25. For example, there are cases where a distance can be secured to a position substantially in the center in the thickness direction, such as a distance t21, or a large distance cannot be secured from the insulator 29, such as a distance t23. Further, in some cases, such as the distance t25, a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the pressure sensor can be secured.

As the ratio of the voids, for example, the stroke (compression amount) of the conductor 23 is provided so as to be about 0.2 to 0.5 mm on one side. In addition, air usually enters the gap.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which pressure is applied to the pressure sensor 2 from the direction P3. When pressure is applied from the P3 direction, the void 25 in the conductor 23 is deformed so as to be crushed. As a result, the conductor 23 changes in the thickness direction, resulting in a change in capacitance.

In the case of the pressure sensor 2 of FIGS. 7 and 8, the pressure sensor 2 is deformed to a thickness of 0.26 mm in FIG. As a result, a large capacitance of 70 pF can be secured. In this case, all the voids are crushed, and the conductor 23 becomes a conductive electrode without voids.

Further, in the second pressure sensor, the conductor itself is easily stretched due to the presence of the gap. Therefore, even when a force is applied in the lateral direction, an effect of easily following the elongation of the conductor can be expected.

(Third pressure sensor)
Next, the third pressure sensor will be described. As shown in FIG. 9A, the third pressure sensor 3 uses a woven fabric of conductive fibers or knitting as a conductive electrode having a gap.

That is, by using conductive fibers 31 as woven fabrics (knitting) on both sides of the insulator 39 and arranging the woven fabrics (knitting) facing each other, some voids are formed.

Further, a cover member 35 may be laid on the woven fabric (knitting) as a protective layer. This makes it possible to configure the pressure sensor thinly. In this case, the conductive fibers 31 may be bonded to each other, or may not be bonded to each other, but may be bonded at the ends.

FIG. 9B is an enlarged view of a part of the third pressure sensor. That is, conductive fibers are woven vertically and horizontally. Specifically, the conductive fibers 31b in the other direction (for example, the horizontal direction) are woven so as to be orthogonal to the conductive fibers 31a in one direction (for example, the vertical direction).

At this time, a gap is formed between the insulator 39 and the conductive fibers 31a and the conductive fibers 31b. With this gap, the gap distance can be secured. For example, by securing the gap distance t31 and the gap distance t33, the capacitance changes when pressure is applied.

As the method for weaving the conductive fibers described above, any method may be used as long as it is a weaving method in which voids are formed (the gap distance is secured).

(Fourth pressure sensor)
Next, the fourth pressure sensor will be described. The fourth pressure sensor 4 uses a hollow conductive thread or a conductive elastic body as the conductive electrode having a gap.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the pressure sensor 4. Semicircular conductive elastic bodies 41 are arranged in a grid pattern on both sides of the insulator 49. Since the conductive elastic body 41 is formed in a semicircular shape, a gap is formed between the conductive elastic body 41 and the insulator 49. Then, a gap distance is secured between the conductive elastic body 41 and the insulator 49.

(Fifth pressure sensor)
Next, the fifth pressure sensor will be described. The fifth pressure sensor 5 uses a microcoil made of carbon or the like as a conductive electrode having a gap.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the pressure sensor 5. Microcoils 51 are arranged to face each other on both sides of the insulator 59. The microcoil 51 is made of, for example, carbon or the like, and a gap is formed between the microcoil 51 and the insulator 59. Then, a gap distance is secured between the microcoil 51 and the insulator 59.

(6th pressure sensor)
Next, the sixth pressure sensor will be described. The sixth pressure sensor uses a non-woven fabric as a conductive electrode having a gap. That is, the non-woven fabric is formed of conductive fibers and placed between the base material and the insulator. The gap distance is secured by forming the gap of the non-woven fabric as the gap of the conductive electrode.

(Application to body pressure sensor)
Hereinafter, a case where the above-mentioned pressure sensor is applied to a body pressure sensor will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the body pressure sensor 100. As described above, the conductive electrodes 101 having voids are arranged in a grid pattern as shown in FIG. 12A, and the insulator 109 is sandwiched so as to be orthogonal to each other.

For example, the conductive electrode 101a is placed on the upper side of the insulator 109 in the vertical direction, and the conductive electrode 101b is placed on the lower side of the insulator 109 in the horizontal direction so as to be orthogonal to each other. The conductive electrodes 101 may be evenly spaced, or the intervals may be changed according to the detection accuracy. Further, since the conductive electrodes 101a and 101b may intersect with each other, they may intersect in an oblique direction without being orthogonal to each other.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12B, the change in capacitance is measured at the portion where the conductive electrodes 101 intersect (for example, the intersection 107). As a result, it becomes possible to measure (detect) the pressure of the entire pressure sensor, and the body pressure sensor 100 is configured.

As shown in FIG. 12 (c), by wrapping the body pressure sensor 100 from above and below with the protective layer 111, it is possible to reduce the error of the capacitance change by directly contacting the electrodes. The protective layer 111 is made of a silicone rubber capable of exhibiting a waterproof function or a fabric such as cotton or nylon. Since the capacitance changes depending on the humidity, it is preferable to cover it with a material having low moisture permeability because the accuracy is improved.

Specifically, FIG. 13 shows a configuration when the body pressure sensor is used alone. As shown in FIG. 13, the body pressure sensor 100 described in FIG. 12 is configured as the detection unit 110. Further, the measurement unit 210 and the calculation unit 220 are connected to the detection unit 110. It also includes a display unit 500 that displays the measured body pressure (pressure).

Here, in the body pressure sensor 100 in the detection unit 110, the width of the conductive electrode is preferably 5 mm to 600 mm. Further, the width may be changed depending on the place, or may be changed according to the density to be measured.

Further, the width of the conductive electrode and the adjacent conductive electrode is preferably about 2 mm to 500 mm. At this time, the interval does not have to be constant and may be changed according to the density to be measured.

Further, although an insulating layer is provided between the intersections of the conductive electrodes, an air layer may be provided.

Further, the cable connecting the conductive electrode and the measuring unit 210 is preferably stretched like the base material so as not to be broken even if it is pulled or broken. For example, it may be manufactured using short fibers such as a knit using silver thread. In addition, it may be connected by FPC, etching of copper, or the like.

Further, since the cable and the connection portion to the conductive electrode are easily broken, it is preferable to bond or sew with an adhesive (for example, even if the epoxy resin is composed of a silver filler). As a result, the strength is increased and it is possible to prevent disconnection. The adhesive at this time is preferably conductive.

Then, in the measuring unit 210, the capacitance is measured from the intersection of the conductive electrodes. Then, the calculation unit 220 calculates the pressure from the capacitance measured by the measurement unit 210. The calculated pressure is displayed on the display unit 500 by, for example, various processes. For example, the measured pressure distribution state may be displayed, the state of the user (measured person) may be displayed, or the state may be notified.

Further, a case where the above-mentioned body pressure sensor is applied to, for example, an air mattress system will be described. FIG. 14 is an air mattress system 1000 in which the body pressure sensor described above is used as the detection unit 110.

The mattress body 400 is composed of a plurality of cells, and each cell is connected to the pump unit 300. The pump unit 300 is a unit that controls the supply and exhaust of each cell, and has a pump 310.

The pump 310 is connected to each cell system via a system valve, and adjusts the pressure of the air cell by supplying and exhausting air. Further, the pressure of each cell can be detected by the pressure sensor 320.

Here, a control unit 250 is connected in order to adjust the internal pressure of each cell. The control unit 250 has at least an internal pressure calculation unit 230 and an internal pressure adjusting unit 240. The internal pressure calculation unit 230 and the internal pressure adjusting unit 240 measure the pressure of the mattress body 400 and control the internal pressure according to the pressure.

Here, the pressure in the mattress body 400 is calculated from the detection unit 110 (body pressure sensor) placed above or below the mattress body 400. By controlling the internal pressure of the air mattress from the calculated pressure (body pressure), it is possible to obtain an appropriate pressure of the air mattress.

In addition, these body pressure sensors may be applied to the bed device. For example, FIG. 15 is a schematic view when applied to the bed device 2000.

For example, the mat body 2200 is placed on the bottom 2300 of the bed (back bottom 2300a, waist bottom 2300b, knee bottom 2300c, foot bottom 2300d). Here, the body pressure sensor 2100 is placed on the mat body 2200.

The body pressure sensor 2100 makes it possible to detect and measure the body pressure, which is the pressure of the user (patient). From the detected body pressure, it is possible to detect whether the patient is in bed or out of bed, or to detect the position of the patient. In addition, it is possible to acquire biological information of the patient, and it is possible to acquire biological information such as heartbeat and respiration.

Since the body pressure sensor 2100 of the present embodiment is thinly realized, it can be provided without any discomfort to the user. Since the body pressure sensor 2100 is mounted without any discomfort in this way, the patient's position and biological information (breathing and heartbeat) can be easily and naturally measured.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where it is applied to a bed device has been described, but it may be placed on a surface such as an automobile seat, a chair, a medical seat, or a dental treatment table, or incorporated inside. ..

For example, taking an automobile seat as an example, the body pressure sensor 2100 is provided on the seat surface in contact with the buttocks and / or the back surface in contact with the back in the automobile seat. By detecting and measuring the body pressure of the user (for example, the driver) by the body pressure sensor 2100, it is possible to measure biological information such as posture, movement, respiration and heartbeat.

By providing the body pressure sensor 2100 on the automobile seat in this way, it is possible to measure the movement and biological information (breathing, heartbeat, etc.) of the user. With the information obtained by the body pressure sensor, for example, a doze prevention system, a poor physical condition detection system, and the like can be realized.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the design and the like within a range not deviating from the gist of the present invention are also within the scope of claims. include.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Pressure sensors 11, 11a, 11b Conductor 13 Base material 15 Adhesive layer 17 Short fiber 19 Insulator 23, 23a, 23b Conductor 25 Void 29 Insulator 31 Conductive fiber 39 Insulator 41 Conductive Elastic body 49 Insulator 51 Microcoil 59 Insulator 100 Body pressure sensors 101, 101a, 101b Conductive electrodes 107 Intersection 109 Insulator 110 Detection unit 111 Protective layer 210 Measuring unit 220 Calculation unit 230 Internal pressure calculation unit 240 Internal pressure adjustment unit 250 Control Part 300 Pump unit 310 Pump 320 Pressure sensor 400 Mattress body 500 Display

Claims (7)

In a pressure sensor that obtains pressure based on the amount of change in capacitance between an insulator, conductive electrodes arranged opposite to each other with the insulator in between, and the conductive electrodes.
In the conductive electrode, one end of a conductive short fiber having a length of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm is adhered to a base material, and the other end is directed toward the insulator with respect to the plane direction of the base material. The length and / or direction of the fiber is non-uniform.
The pressure sensor is characterized in that the conductive electrode has at least a gap between the conductive electrode and the insulator and is deformable in a direction of receiving a load. The distance generated by the gap between the conductive electrode and the insulator is defined as the gap distance.
The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the gap distance changes depending on the direction in which the load is received. The pressure sensor according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the conductive electrodes are arranged so as to intersect with each other of the insulator. A method for manufacturing a pressure sensor for manufacturing the pressure sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
An adhesive layer forming step of forming an adhesive layer on the base material and
An adhesive step of adhering one end of the short fiber to the adhesive layer and the other end in the direction of the insulator to the adhesive layer .
A method of manufacturing a pressure sensor equipped with. The method for manufacturing a pressure sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the bonding step is to bond the short fibers to the bonding layer by electrostatic flocking. In a bed device capable of detecting the body pressure of a user by providing a pressure sensor,
The bed device, wherein the pressure sensor uses the pressure sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . In an automobile seat that can detect the body pressure of a user by providing a pressure sensor,
The pressure sensor is an automobile seat, wherein the pressure sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is used.