KR102595841B1 - Smart ring for sensing bio signal - Google Patents

Abstract

A smart ring according to the present invention includes an inner ring at least partially made of a conductive material, an outer ring coupled to the outside of the inner ring and at least partially made of a conductive material, interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, and the inner ring. A PCB assembly with a sensor attached to the lower surface facing the ring, and an outer electrode contact member attached to the upper surface of the PCB assembly facing the outer ring, electrically connecting the PCB assembly and the outer ring. And an inner electrode contact member attached to the lower surface of the PCB assembly and electrically connecting the PCB assembly and the inner ring, surrounding the outer contact member and interposed between the upper surface of the PCB assembly and the inner surface of the outer ring. an outer conductive elastic layer, and an inner conductive elastic layer surrounding the inner contact member and interposed between the lower surface of the PCB assembly and the outer surface of the inner ring, and filling the space between the upper surface of the PCB assembly and the inner surface of the outer ring. It includes an outer insulating adhesive layer, and an inner insulating adhesive layer filling between the lower surface of the PCB assembly and the outer surface of the inner ring.

Description

Smart ring for sensing bio signal}

The present invention relates to a smart ring, and more specifically to a smart ring that detects biological signals.

Blood pressure, heart rate, pulse, blood flow, blood vessel condition, body temperature, body composition, eye condition, calories burned, oxygen saturation, respiration, blood sugar, BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), GSR (Galvanic Skin Response), EDA (ElectroDermal Activity), electromyogram , Devices that detect biological signals, such as electroencephalograms and electrocardiograms, are important tools used in clinical diagnosis and can be used to diagnose symptoms. In particular, people suffering from a disease or suspected of having a disease need to detect sudden abnormal symptoms or receive an early warning.

Devices that detect general vital signs are either too large or uncomfortable to wear, so they are mainly used when visiting hospitals or checkup centers to conduct tests to detect vital signs, making continuous monitoring difficult. there is.

Meanwhile, in order to solve this problem, wearable devices, which are devices that can be freely worn on the body like clothes, watches, or glasses, have been proposed.

The technical object of the present invention is to provide a smart ring that detects biological signals, which is a wearable device with reliable electrical connection.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the present invention provides the following smart ring. A smart ring according to the present invention includes an inner ring at least partially made of a conductive material; an outer ring coupled to the outside of the inner ring and at least partially made of a conductive material; a PCB assembly interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring and having a sensor attached to a lower surface facing the inner ring; an outer electrode contact member attached to an upper surface of the PCB assembly facing the outer ring and electrically connecting the PCB assembly and the outer ring; And an inner electrode contact member attached to the lower surface of the PCB assembly and electrically connecting the PCB assembly and the inner ring; an outer conductive elastic layer surrounding the outer contact member and interposed between an upper surface of the PCB assembly and an inner surface of the outer ring; and an inner conductive elastic layer surrounding the inner contact member and interposed between the lower surface of the PCB assembly and the outer surface of the inner ring; and an outer insulating adhesive layer filling between the upper surface of the PCB assembly and the inner surface of the outer ring. and an inner insulating adhesive layer filling between the lower surface of the PCB assembly and the outer surface of the inner ring.

The outer electrode contact member and the inner electrode contact member may be arranged to face each other with the PCB assembly therebetween.

The outer conductive elastic layer and the inner conductive elastic layer are attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the PCB assembly so as to overlap each other in a vertical direction and may be made of an electrically conductive polymer elastomer.

The horizontal width and horizontal area of each of the outer conductive elastic layer and the inner conductive elastic layer may have the same value, but may have a larger value than the horizontal width and horizontal area of each of the outer electrode contact member and the inner electrode contact member. there is.

The outer insulating adhesive layer and the inner insulating adhesive layer may be made of cured resin.

The outer electrode contact member and the outer insulating adhesive layer are spaced apart from each other with the outer conductive elastic layer interposed therebetween, and the inner electrode contact member and the inner insulating adhesive layer are spaced apart from each other with the inner conductive elastic layer interposed therebetween. It can be.

It further includes a top cover coupled with the outer ring to form the outermost portion of the smart ring, wherein the top cover and the outer ring each constitute a portion and a remaining portion of a circular ring shape, and the inner ring is the outermost ring of the smart ring. A sensor cap for protecting the sensor unit is coupled and may have a cap hole penetrating the inner ring.

The smart ring has an electrode connection area located adjacent to the sensor cap, the sensor cap and the electrode connection area are located in opposite parts of the top cover, the outer electrode contact member, the inner electrode contact member, The outer conductive elastic layer and the inner conductive elastic layer may be located in the electrode connection area.

The inner ring may protrude inward from a circular cross-section where the cap hole is located.

The outer electrode contact member and the inner electrode contact member may include a clip or pogo pin.

In the smart ring according to the present invention, the PCB assembly and the outer ring can be electrically connected by the outer electrode contact member and the outer conductive elastic layer, and the PCB assembly and the inner ring can be electrically connected by the inner electrode contact member and the inner conductive elastic layer. can be connected, increasing the contact area for the electrical connection between the PCB assembly and the outer ring, and the contact area for the electrical connection between the PCB assembly and the inner ring, between the PCB assembly and the outer ring, and between the PCB assembly and the inner ring. The reliability of electrical connections can be improved.

In addition, the outer electrode contact member and the outer insulating adhesive layer are spaced apart from each other with the outer conductive elastic layer interposed therebetween, and the inner electrode contact member and the inner insulating adhesive layer are spaced apart from each other with the inner conductive elastic layer interposed between them, so the outer insulating adhesive layer and the inner insulating adhesive layer are spaced apart from each other with the inner conductive elastic layer interposed between them. Even if the insulating adhesive layer including the insulating adhesive layer is hardened, the elastic force and restoring force of the electrode contact members including the outer electrode contact member and the inner electrode contact member can be prevented from being lost, between the PCB assembly and the outer ring, and between the PCB assembly and the The reliability of the electrical connection between the inner rings can be improved.

1 is a perspective view of a smart ring according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a smart ring according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a portion of a smart ring according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 4a and 4b are exemplary diagrams of electrode contact members included in a smart ring according to one embodiment of the present invention.
5A to 5D are partial cross-sectional views showing a method of manufacturing a smart ring according to embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing a smart ring according to embodiments of the present invention.

The terms used in the present embodiments were selected from widely used general terms as much as possible while considering the functions in the present embodiments, but this may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a technician working in the art, the emergence of new technology, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the relevant section. Therefore, the terms used in the present embodiments should not be defined simply as the names of the terms, but should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present embodiments.

Since these embodiments can be subject to various changes and have various forms, some embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present embodiments to a specific disclosed form, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present embodiments. The terms used in this specification are merely used to describe the embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments.

However, when it is judged that detailed descriptions of related known functions or components may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention while explaining the present invention, the detailed descriptions and specific illustrations are omitted. Additionally, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the attached drawings are not drawn to scale but may show exaggerated sizes of some components.

Meanwhile, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be named a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Unless otherwise defined, terms used in the present embodiments have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present embodiments belong. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless clearly defined in the present embodiments, they shall be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. It shouldn't happen.

Additionally, connection lines or connection members between components shown in the drawings merely exemplify functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections. In an actual device, connections between components may be represented by various replaceable or additional functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the technical idea of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same components in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions thereof are omitted.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a smart ring according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a smart ring according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the smart ring 100 can be used to measure biosignals such as electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmography (PPG), etc. The smart ring 100 may include a top cover (110), an outer ring (120), and an inner ring (150). The top cover 110 and the outer ring 120 can be combined together to form the outermost part of the smart ring 100. Each of the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150 may be entirely or partially made of a conductive material and may function as an electrode. For example, the outer ring 120 and inner ring 150 may each include stainless steel, conductive nanoparticles, gold, and/or silver. The outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150 may also be referred to as a first electrode and a second electrode, or an outer electrode and an inner electrode. Each of the top cover 110 and the outer ring 120 forms a ring shape, that is, a portion and a remaining portion of a circular ring shape, and may have an arc-shaped cross section. The arc length of the outer ring 120 may be approximately twice the arc length of the top cover 110. The inner ring 150 may have a ring shape, that is, the shape of a circular ring, and may have a circular cross section.

In some embodiments, the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150 may form the body of the smart ring 100. The outer ring 120 may be placed on the outer side of the body, and the inner ring 150 may be placed on the inner side of the body. The top cover 110 may form the body of the smart ring 100 together with the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150, and the top cover 110 and the outer ring 120 are formed on the outer surface of the body. and the inner ring 150 may be disposed on the inner surface of the body. In some embodiments, the top cover 110 and the outer ring 120 may be disposed over the outer and side surfaces of the body.

Since the material, diameter, overall shape and function of the top cover 110 and the outer ring 120 can be applied to various embodiments that form the outermost part of an existing smart ring, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. In some embodiments, outer ring 120 may be manufactured by press processing. In some other embodiments, outer ring 120 may be manufactured by injection molding.

The inner ring 150 is inserted and coupled to the inside of the outer ring 120 so that the user's finger can be inserted into the outer ring 120 to make contact. The inner ring 150 may have a cap hole 150H into which the sensor cap 160 is coupled to protect the sensor unit 135 attached to the PCB assembly 130. The cap hole 150H may penetrate the inner ring 150. In some embodiments, the inner ring 150 may be manufactured by press processing. In some other embodiments, the inner ring 150 may be manufactured by injection molding. The sensor unit 135 may be attached to the PCB assembly 130 corresponding to the portion where the sensor cap 160 is located.

In some embodiments, the inner ring 150 has a portion where the cap hole 150H is formed protrudes inward from the circular cross-section forming a ring shape, so that the inner ring 150 can securely contact the skin of the finger. there is. In some embodiments, the sensor cap 160 may protrude inwardly from the inner surface of the inner ring 150 to ensure that the inner ring 150 is in contact with the skin of the finger, and the sensor cap 160 The corresponding sensor unit 135 can better detect biological signals.

In some embodiments, a groove 120R to which the PCB assembly 130 is coupled may be formed on the inner surface of the outer ring 120. In some other embodiments, instead of forming the groove portion 120R on the inner surface of the outer ring 120 shown in FIG. 2, a groove portion into which the PCB assembly 130 is coupled is formed on the outer surface of the inner ring 150. It could be.

The PCB assembly 130 may be sandwiched between the inner side of the outer ring 120 and the outer side of the inner ring 150. The PCB assembly 130 may include a flexible substrate. The PCB assembly 130 includes a sensor unit 135 that allows the smart ring 100 to perform various functions, a battery used as a power source for the smart ring 100, and a body that collects and stores biometric signals or collects biometric signals. It may further include a control unit including a communication module that transmits a signal. The sensor unit 135, the battery, and the control unit may be attached to the flexible substrate. The sensor unit 135 may include various types of sensors depending on the purpose of use.

The battery may include any secondary battery configuration capable of multiple charging/discharging. For example, the battery may include a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo ₄ ) battery, but is not limited to the above-described example. For example, the battery may include a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO ₂ ) battery or a lithium titanate (Li ₄ Ti5O ₁₂ ) battery. Additionally, the battery can be charged by receiving power from outside the smart ring 100. For example, the battery may have a charging voltage of about 4V to about 4.3V and an output voltage of about 3.6V to about 3.9V. The capacity of the battery may be about 10 mAh to about 50 mAh.

The control unit may include at least one processor. A processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed on the microprocessor. For example, the control unit may be a simple controller, a complex processor such as a microprocessor, CPU, GPU, etc., a processor configured by software, dedicated hardware, or firmware. The control unit may be implemented by application-specific hardware, such as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).

According to some embodiments, the operations of the controller may be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium that can be read and executed by one or more processors. Here, machine-readable media may include any mechanism for storing and/or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., computing device). For example, machine-readable media may include read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of radio signals ( For example, carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.) and other arbitrary signals.

The communication module is, for example, a cellular network such as a 5th generation wireless (5G) system, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, an LTE-Advanced system, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, and a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system. It may be a wireless communication system based on a cellular network, or data on the user's biological signals may be transmitted to the outside using a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) system or any other wireless communication system. For example, the communication module may transmit data about biological signals to a communication terminal or to a designated medical institution. The PCB assembly 130 may be electrically connected to each of the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150.

In some embodiments, the inner ring 150 may be worn on a finger and come into contact with the finger, and the control unit may collect bio-signals when the user's body comes into contact with the outer ring 120. For example, the control unit 40 may detect the user's biometric information or transmit the collected data when the user repeatedly touches and releases the outer ring 120 once or twice in succession. . In some other embodiments, the control unit detects the user's biometric information or collects data regardless of whether the user's body contacts the outer ring 120 according to the time set by the control information received through the communication module. can be transmitted.

The sensor unit 135, the battery, and the PCB assembly 130 to which the control unit is attached may be combined in a form that surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 150 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 120. The battery may be made of a flexible material. The sensor unit 135, the battery, and the control unit may have various shapes for optimization of the smart ring 100 by those skilled in the art within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention, and the PCB Since it can be attached to various parts of the assembly 130, specific illustrations will be omitted.

In some embodiments, a display window 112 may be disposed on the outer surface of the top cover 110. The display window 112 may serve as a window that allows the user to visually check the measurement results or the resulting status of the sensor unit 135 provided in the PCB assembly 130. The display window 112 may be an LCD or LED module disposed over all or most of the outer surface of the top cover 110, but is not limited thereto. For example, the display window 112 may be a plurality of LEDs spaced apart from each other on the outer surface of the top cover 110, and the shape and number of the display window 112 are determined within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention. Various modifications and changes can be made by those with ordinary knowledge.

In some embodiments, an insulating unit 140 may be interposed between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150 to maintain insulation between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150. For example, the insulation unit 140 may be made of a flexible material such as silicone or rubber. In some embodiments, the top cover 110, the outer ring 120, the insulating unit 140, and the inner ring 150 may constitute the body of the smart ring 100. The top cover 110 and the outer ring 120 may be placed on the outer side of the body, and the inner ring 150 may be placed on the inner side of the body. In some embodiments, the top cover 110 and the outer ring 120 may be disposed over the outer and side surfaces of the body, and the insulating unit 140 may be disposed on the side of the body.

In some other embodiments, the inner ring 150 may include an insulating rim attached to the outer circumference, and the insulating rim may maintain insulation between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150.

The smart ring 100 may have an electrode connection region (CTR). The electrode connection region (CTR) may be located in a portion of the smart ring 100 opposite to the top cover 110. In some embodiments, the electrode connection area (CTR) and the sensor cap 160 may be located in a portion of the smart ring 100 opposite to the top cover 110, and the electrode connection area (CTR) may be located in the sensor cap 160. ) can be located adjacent to.

Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a portion of a smart ring according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrode connection region (CTR) of the smart ring 100 shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 3, the smart ring 100 is attached to the PCB assembly 130 interposed between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150, and the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130 to connect the PCB assembly 130 to the outer side. An outer electrode contact member 172 that electrically connects the rings 120, an inner electrode contact member attached to the lower surface of the PCB assembly 130 and electrically connects the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring 150 ( It may include an electrode contact member 170 including 174).

The electrode contact member 170 including the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 may have elastic force and restoring force. Accordingly, the electrode contact member 170, including the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174, is between the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120, and between the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring ( 150), it is possible to provide reliability of electrical connection between the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120, and between the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring 150.

The outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 may be arranged to face each other with the PCB assembly 130 therebetween. That is, the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 may be arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction.

In this specification, the vertical or vertical direction refers to the direction between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150, and the horizontal or horizontal direction refers to the vertical or vertical direction and is perpendicular to the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130. Alternatively, it may extend along the lower surface.

The electrode contact member 170 including the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 may include, for example, a clip or a pogo pin.

The smart ring 100 includes an outer conductive elastic layer 182 interposed between the inner surface of the outer ring 120 and the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130, and the outer surface of the inner ring 150 and the PCB assembly 130. It may further include a conductive elastic layer 180 including an inner conductive elastic layer 184 interposed between the lower surfaces. The conductive elastic layer 180 may be made of an electrically conductive polymer elastomer. For example, the conductive elastic layer 180 may be a conductive rubber sheet or a conductive silicone sheet.

Each of the outer conductive elastic layer 182 and the inner conductive elastic layer 184 may surround each of the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174. The outer conductive elastic layer 182 is attached to the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130 to which the outer electrode contact member 172 is attached, covers a portion of the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130, and covers at least the outer electrode contact member 172. The sides can be covered. In some embodiments, the outer conductive elastic layer 182 covers the top surface of the PCB assembly 130 and may cover at least a portion of the top surface and the side surface of the outer electrode contact member 172.

The inner conductive elastic layer 184 is attached to the lower surface of the PCB assembly 130 to which the inner electrode contact member 174 is attached, covers a portion of the lower surface of the PCB assembly 130, and covers at least the inner electrode contact member 174. The sides can be covered. In some embodiments, the inner conductive elastic layer 184 covers the lower surface of the PCB assembly 130 and may cover at least a portion of the top surface and the side surface of the inner electrode contact member 174.

The horizontal width and horizontal area of each of the outer conductive elastic layer 182 and the inner conductive elastic layer 184 are set such that the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 surround both sides of each side. The horizontal width and horizontal area of each of the 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 may be greater. In some embodiments, the horizontal width and horizontal area of each of the outer conductive elastic layer 182 and the inner conductive elastic layer 184 may have the same value.

The outer conductive elastic layer 182 and the inner conductive elastic layer 184 may be arranged to face each other with the PCB assembly 130 therebetween. That is, the outer conductive elastic layer 182 and the inner conductive elastic layer 184 may be arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction.

The PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120 may be electrically connected by the outer electrode contact member 172 and the outer conductive elastic layer 182, and the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring 150 may be in contact with the inner electrode. It may be electrically connected by the member 174 and the inner conductive elastic layer 184.

An insulating adhesive layer 190 may be filled between the inner surface of the outer ring 120 and the outer surface of the inner ring 150. The insulating adhesive layer 190 surrounds the outer conductive elastic layer 182 and fills the space between the inner surface of the outer ring 120 and the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130, and the inner conductive elastic layer 184. ) and may include an inner insulating adhesive layer 194 that surrounds the inner ring 150 and fills the space between the outer surface of the inner ring 150 and the bottom of the PCB assembly 130.

The insulating adhesive layer 190 may be made of cured resin. For example, the insulating adhesive layer 190 may include cured epoxy resin. In some embodiments, the insulating adhesive layer 190 may be formed from a thermosetting resin. For example, the insulating adhesive layer 190 is formed by injecting A-stage liquid resin into the space between the inner surface of the outer ring 120 and the outer surface of the inner ring 150, or by injecting the PCB assembly 130 ) may be the result of attaching a non-stage (B-stage) resin film to the upper and lower surfaces and then curing it to a C-stage (C-stage) state by applying heat. A-stage state refers to the initial reaction stage of a thermosetting resin containing a solvent. The non-stage state refers to a state in which the solvent has been removed in the A-stage state, but curing has not progressed, it does not melt, and swells in the solvent, but does not dissolve. The non-stage state may have adhesive properties. . The C-stage state refers to a state that is fully cured.

In the smart ring 100 according to the present invention, the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120 can be electrically connected by the outer electrode contact member 172 and the outer conductive elastic layer 182, and the PCB assembly 130 ) and the inner ring 150 can be electrically connected by the inner electrode contact member 174 and the inner conductive elastic layer 184, so the contact area for electrical connection between the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120 , and increases the contact area for electrical connections between the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring 150, between the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120, and the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring 150. The reliability of the electrical connection can be improved.

In addition, the outer electrode contact member 172 and the outer insulating adhesive layer 192 are spaced apart from each other with the outer conductive elastic layer 182 interposed therebetween, and the inner electrode contact member 174 and the inner insulating adhesive layer 194 are inner conductive elastic layer 192. Since the layers 184 are interposed and spaced apart from each other, even if the insulating adhesive layer 190 including the outer insulating adhesive layer 192 and the inner insulating adhesive layer 194 is cured, the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member ( It is possible to prevent loss of elasticity and restoring force of the electrode contact member 170 including 174), between the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120, and between the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring 150. The reliability of the electrical connection can be improved.

Figures 4a and 4b are exemplary diagrams of electrode contact members included in a smart ring according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the electrode contact member 170a may be a clip contact type made of a clip. The electrode contact member 170a may be the outer electrode contact member 172 and/or the inner electrode contact member 174 shown in FIG. 3 . The electrode contact member 170a is electrically connected between the outer ring 120 and the PCB assembly 130 and/or the inner ring 150 and the PCB assembly 130 shown in FIG. 3 by the elastic force and restoring force of the clip. can be provided.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the electrode contact member 170b may be a pogo pin contact type made of a pogo pin. For example, the electrode contact member 170b may be made of a pogo pin including a spring therein. The electrode contact member 170b may be the outer electrode contact member 172 and/or the inner electrode contact member 174 shown in FIG. 3 . The electrode contact member 170b is connected to the outer ring 120 and the PCB assembly 130 and/or the inner ring 150 and the PCB assembly 130 shown in FIG. 3 by the elastic force and restoring force of the spring included in the pogo pin. ) can provide electrical connection between.

FIGS. 5A to 5D are partial cross-sectional views showing a method of manufacturing a smart ring according to embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing a smart ring according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 6 together, after preparing the PCB assembly 130 (S10), an outer electrode contact member 172 and an inner electrode contact member 174 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the PCB assembly 130. Attach the electrode contact member 170 (S100). The PCB assembly 130 may include a flexible substrate. The PCB assembly 130 may further include a battery, a sensor unit, and a control unit attached to the flexible board. Each of the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 may be electrically connected to the PCB assembly 130. The outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 may be the electrode contact member 170a shown in FIG. 4A or the electrode contact member 170b shown in FIG. 4B, but are not limited thereto and have elastic force and restoring force. Any member having electrical conductivity may be applicable.

Referring to FIGS. 5B and 6 together, an outer conductive elastic layer is formed on the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130 to which the outer electrode contact member 172 is attached and the lower surface of the PCB assembly 130 to which the inner electrode contact member 174 is attached. The conductive elastic layer 180 including (182) and the inner conductive elastic layer 184 is attached (S200). For example, the conductive elastic layer 180 may be a conductive rubber sheet or a conductive silicon sheet.

The outer conductive elastic layer 182 covers a portion of the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130 and covers at least the side surface of the outer electrode contact member 172 of the PCB assembly 130 to which the outer electrode contact member 172 is attached. It can be attached to the top. The inner conductive elastic layer 184 covers a portion of the lower surface of the PCB assembly 130 and covers at least the side surface of the inner electrode contact member 174 of the PCB assembly 130 to which the inner electrode contact member 174 is attached. It can be attached to the bottom.

In some embodiments, the outer conductive elastic layer 182 may be attached to the top surface of the PCB assembly 130 to cover at least a portion of the top surface and the side of the outer electrode contact member 172, and the inner conductive elastic layer 184 ) may be attached to the lower surface of the PCB assembly 130 to cover at least a portion of the upper surface and the side surface of the inner electrode contact member 174.

Referring to FIGS. 5C and 6 together, the PCB assembly 130 is placed inside the outer ring 120, and the inner ring 150 is inserted and coupled to the inside of the outer ring 120 to form the outer ring 120. The PCB assembly 130 is interposed between the inner ring 150 and the inner ring 150 (S300).

In some embodiments, insulation unit 140 shown in FIG. 2 may be interposed between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150 to maintain insulation between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150. . In some other embodiments, the inner ring 150 may be formed to include an insulating rim attached to the outer circumference, and the insulating rim may maintain insulation between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150. You can.

Referring to FIGS. 5D and 6 together, an insulating adhesive material 190P is injected between the inner surface of the outer ring 120 and the outer surface of the inner ring 150 (S400). The insulating adhesive material 190P may be made of resin. For example, the insulating adhesive material 190P may include heat-strengthening epoxy resin. For example, the insulating adhesive material 190P may be an A-stage liquid resin.

In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5B, an outer conductive layer is formed on the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130 to which the outer electrode contact member 172 is attached and the lower surface of the PCB assembly 130 to which the inner electrode contact member 174 is attached. After attaching the elastic layer 182 and the inner conductive elastic layer 184, an insulating adhesive material 190P, which is a non-staged resin film, is attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the PCB assembly 130. It may be possible.

The insulating adhesive material 190P surrounds the outer conductive elastic layer 182 and fills the space between the inner surface of the outer ring 120 and the upper surface of the PCB assembly 130, and the inner conductive elastic layer. It may include an inner insulating adhesive material (194P) that surrounds (184) and fills the space between the outer surface of the inner ring (150) and the bottom of the PCB assembly (130).

Thereafter, while applying pressure between the outer ring 120 and the inner ring 150, heat is applied to the insulating adhesive material 190P, so that the outer insulating adhesive material 192P is cured as shown in FIG. 3. (192), and the inner insulating adhesive layer 194 in which the inner insulating adhesive material 194P is hardened can be formed to form a smart ring 100 in which the outer ring and the inner ring are combined (S500). In some embodiments, the insulating adhesive layer 190 may be formed by curing the insulating adhesive material 190P by applying heat of about 130°C to about 180°C.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 together, the method of manufacturing the smart ring 100 according to the present invention includes the outer conductive elastic layer 182 covering the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174, and the inner electrode contact member 172. Since the conductive elastic layer 184 is attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the PCB assembly 130, the contact area for electrical connection between the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120, and the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring ( 150), the contact area for the electrical connection is increased, thereby improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120, and between the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring 150.

Additionally, between the cured outer insulating adhesive layer 192 and the inner insulating adhesive layer 194, and the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174, an outer conductive elastic layer 182 and an inner conductive elastic layer ( 184) is interposed, so that the electrode contact member 170 including the outer electrode contact member 172 and the inner electrode contact member 174 has the cured outer insulating adhesive layer 192 and the inner insulating adhesive layer 194. Loss of elastic force and restoring force can be prevented, thereby improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the PCB assembly 130 and the outer ring 120 and between the PCB assembly 130 and the inner ring 150.

Above, the present invention has been described in detail with preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention. can do.

100: smart ring, 110: top cover, 120: outer ring, 130: PCB assembly, 140: isolation unit, 150: inner ring, 160: sensor cap, 170, 170a, 170b: electrode contact member, 172: outer electrode contact Member, 174: inner electrode contact member, 180: conductive elastic layer, 182: outer conductive elastic layer, 184: inner conductive elastic layer, 190: insulating adhesive layer, 192: outer insulating adhesive layer, 194: inner insulating adhesive layer

Claims (10)

an inner ring made at least in part of a conductive material;
an outer ring coupled to the outside of the inner ring and at least partially made of a conductive material;
a PCB assembly interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring and having a sensor attached to a lower surface facing the inner ring;
an outer electrode contact member attached to an upper surface of the PCB assembly facing the outer ring and electrically connecting the PCB assembly and the outer ring; And an inner electrode contact member attached to the lower surface of the PCB assembly and electrically connecting the PCB assembly and the inner ring;
an outer conductive elastic layer covering a side surface of the outer electrode contact member, surrounding the outer electrode contact member, and interposed between the upper surface of the PCB assembly and the inner surface of the outer ring;
an inner conductive elastic layer covering a side surface of the inner electrode contact member, surrounding the inner electrode contact member, and interposed between a lower surface of the PCB assembly and an outer surface of the inner ring; and
an outer insulating adhesive layer filling between the upper surface of the PCB assembly and the inner surface of the outer ring; And an inner insulating adhesive layer filling between the lower surface of the PCB assembly and the outer surface of the inner ring,
The outer electrode contact member and the inner electrode contact member include a clip or pogo pin,
A smart ring in which the horizontal width and horizontal area of each of the outer conductive elastic layer and the inner conductive elastic layer have a value greater than the horizontal width and horizontal area of each of the outer electrode contact member and the inner electrode contact member. According to claim 1,
A smart ring, wherein the outer electrode contact member and the inner electrode contact member are arranged to face each other with the PCB assembly between them. According to claim 1,
A smart ring, wherein the outer conductive elastic layer and the inner conductive elastic layer are attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the PCB assembly so as to overlap each other in the vertical direction and are made of an electrically conductive polymer elastic material. According to clause 2,
A smart ring, wherein the horizontal width and horizontal area of each of the outer conductive elastic layer and the inner conductive elastic layer have the same value. According to claim 1,
A smart ring, wherein the outer insulating adhesive layer and the inner insulating adhesive layer are made of cured resin. According to clause 5,
The outer electrode contact member and the outer insulating adhesive layer are spaced apart from each other with the outer conductive elastic layer interposed therebetween,
A smart ring, wherein the inner electrode contact member and the inner insulating adhesive layer are spaced apart from each other with the inner conductive elastic layer interposed therebetween. According to claim 1,
It further includes a top cover coupled with the outer ring to form the outermost portion of the smart ring, wherein the top cover and the outer ring each constitute a portion and a remaining portion of a circular ring shape,
A smart ring characterized in that the inner ring is coupled with a sensor cap for protecting the sensor unit and has a cap hole penetrating the inner ring. According to clause 7,
The smart ring has an electrode connection area located adjacent to the sensor cap, and the sensor cap and the electrode connection area are located in opposite parts of the top cover,
A smart ring, wherein the outer electrode contact member, the inner electrode contact member, the outer conductive elastic layer, and the inner conductive elastic layer are located in the electrode connection area. According to clause 8,
The inner ring is a smart ring, wherein the portion where the cap hole is located protrudes inward from a circular cross section forming a ring shape. delete

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