KR102665219B1 - Fibrous electrode and clothing for vital sign monitoring using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A conductive path structure connecting the inside and outside of the clothing, that is, the outer layer and the inner layer, and a biosignal monitoring clothing with a conductive path structure are provided. The conductive path structure includes a base layer having a plurality of through holes; a first conductor disposed on one surface of the base layer and at least partially inserted into the through hole; and a second conductive wire disposed on the other side of the base layer and at least partially inserted into the through hole to contact the first conductive wire and be electrically conductive.

Description

Fibrous electrodes and biological signal monitoring clothing using the same {FIBROUS ELECTRODE AND CLOTHING FOR VITAL SIGN MONITORING USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to fibrous electrodes, electrically conductive path structures, and biological signal monitoring clothing. In detail, it relates to a conductive path structure connecting the inside and outside of the clothing, that is, the outer layer and the inner layer, and bio-signal monitoring clothing to which the conductive path structure is applied.

Monitoring the body's vital signs using electronic devices is a convenient and effective way to check, maintain, and manage human biological status. In particular, the development of technologies such as wearable devices that naturally provide convenient functions during daily life without the user having to hold and manage the electronic device has been actively conducted.

Electronic devices in the form of glasses, watches, bracelets, and rings are being developed as representative wearable devices. However, the inconvenience of having to wear them in addition to clothing is still a limitation, and for this reason, smart wear, in which clothing or the clothing itself can detect or respond to external signals, is gaining attention.

The biological signals that the above monitoring device seeks to measure vary greatly depending on its purpose. Representative examples of biosignals include electromyography (EMG), electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, and body temperature.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0114107, December 31, 2008 Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0106699, 2020.09.15 Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1687154, December 19, 2016

Some of the various biosignals described above, such as electromyography, are inappropriate to be implemented in the form of glasses, watches, bracelets, or rings. Additionally, electronic devices in the form of glasses, watches, bracelets, rings, etc. have limitations as they must be worn in addition to clothing. In this regard, smart wear that can transmit various electrical signals through conductive paths inside clothing is being actively developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which electronic components are fixed on a textile fabric, such as a clothing fabric, and electrical signals are transmitted using a conductive thread.

However, although the fabric substrate of Patent Document 1 can transmit a path capable of transmitting electrical signals, it is difficult to use it to collect biological signals. For example, electromyography measures and quantifies the action potentials that occur during muscle contraction and relaxation. Biosignals must be collected adjacent to the muscle to be monitored, and through this, the degree of muscle activation for each part of the body can be estimated. You can. Therefore, in order to collect biological signals, it is most important that the electrodes are in close contact with the skin of the human body. In particular, in the case of fibrous electrodes, the adhesion to the user's skin is not high, so it is not easy to provide a fibrous electrode in a form that provides an area with uniform conductivity.

A method of measuring electromyography currently being developed, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, is a method of providing electrodes in close contact with the skin on the inner side of clothing for exercise and connecting the electrodes to an electromyography measuring device separately provided outside the clothing. However, this type of electromyography measurement system has not been commercialized. Reasons for this include problems with the manufacturing cost of clothing equipped with electrodes and problems with the elasticity of the electrodes.

In addition, existing electrodes for collecting biological signals are mainly made of metal, so they are not comfortable to wear, and have limitations in being unable to adhere closely to curved skin surfaces or skin surfaces whose curvature changes with movement. Accordingly, Patent Document 3 proposes a structure in which an electrode pattern using conductive yarn adheres closely to the user's skin.

However, electrode patterns using conductive yarns of the type shown in Patent Document 3 have a problem in that they lack flexibility. For example, electromyography monitoring clothing can mainly be applied to sportswear. When exercising, each part of the body expands and contracts significantly, or expands and contracts. In particular, the stress caused by the expansion and contraction of the body due to the user's sweat may be applied to the clothing even more. When an electrode pattern formed across both sides of a base material is formed using a single conductive yarn as in Patent Document 3, the electrode pattern is very vulnerable to the above-mentioned stretching and contraction, and the electrode pattern may be damaged due to a short circuit of the conductive yarn as use is repeated.

Accordingly, a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a conductive path structure and/or a fibrous electrode that electrically conducts one side and the other side of a clothing fabric, has very high flexibility, and is robust despite expansion and contraction.

In addition, the goal is to provide a conductive path structure and/or a fiber-type electrode that can minimize the generation of noise signals and collect highly reliable biological signals in a stretched state.

Another problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide bio-signal monitoring clothing that can minimize the generation of noise signals and collect reliable bio-signals in a stretched state.

In addition, the goal is to provide bio-signal monitoring clothing that provides excellent fit and user convenience and can be manufactured at low cost.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

A conductive path structure according to an embodiment of the present invention to solve the above problem includes a base layer having a plurality of through holes; a first conductor disposed on one surface of the base layer and at least partially inserted into the through hole; and a second conductive wire disposed on the other side of the base layer and at least partially inserted into the through hole to contact the first conductive wire and be electrically conductive.

In a plan view viewed from one side of the base layer, the first conductor includes a 1-1 conductor pattern forming a closed loop, and a 1-2 conductor pattern surrounding the 1-1 conductor pattern and forming a closed loop. Can include evangelist patterns.

When viewed from a plan view on one side of the base layer, the 1-1st conductive pattern and the 1-2nd conductive pattern may be spaced apart from each other.

Additionally, the 1-1st conductive pattern and the 1-2nd conductive pattern may be electrically connected through the second conductive wire.

From the plan view, the minimum separation distance between the 1-1st conductive pattern and the 1-2nd conductive pattern may be 1.6 mm or more.

When viewed from a plan view on one side of the base layer, the first conductive wire forms a conductive pattern that forms a closed loop, and when viewed from a plan view, the conductive wire pattern may be partially bent to have a shape having an indented portion.

Additionally, the line width of the conductive pattern may be 2.5 mm or less.

Additionally, the number of indentations may be 6 to 8.

The first conductor may have greater elasticity than the second conductor.

At this time, when viewed from a plan view on one side of the base layer, the area occupied by the first conductor pattern formed by the first conductor is the area occupied by the second conductor pattern formed by the second conductor when viewed from a plan view on the other side of the base layer. It may be smaller than the area occupied by the pattern.

In some embodiments, the conductive path structure includes: a first pad electrode disposed on the first conductor and separable from the base layer; And it may further include a second pad electrode disposed on the second conductor and separable from the base layer.

Body signal monitoring clothing according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above other problems includes clothing fabric having a plurality of through holes; a first conductive yarn disposed on an outer surface of the fabric and at least partially inserted into the through hole; and a second conductive yarn disposed on the inner side of the fabric and at least partially inserted into the through hole and in contact with the first conductive yarn.

It may further include a pocket disposed on the outside of the clothing fabric, and the conductive yarn pattern formed by the first conductive yarn may be located within the pocket.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description.

According to embodiments of the present invention, all of the threads located at the top and bottom of the base layer are composed of conductive yarns to form a conductive structure that connects the outer surface (or outer surface or surface or outer skin) and the inner surface (or back surface or inner skin) of the clothing. can be provided.

In addition, the upper conductor and the lower conductor, especially the upper conductor, are configured to have a predetermined layout on the plane, so that changes in the shape or area of the electrode pattern can be reduced even when the clothing fabric is stretched, and the reliability of the collected electrical signal can be improved. You can.

Effects according to embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the contents exemplified above, and further various effects are included in the present specification.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of biological signal monitoring clothing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrode pattern for collecting biological signals in FIG. 1.
Figure 3 is a plan layout of the electrode pattern of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the electrode pattern of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a plan layout of an electrode pattern for collecting biological signals according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an electrode pattern for collecting biological signals according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a layout of the electrode pattern of FIG. 6 viewed from the back side.
Figures 8 to 10 are images showing the results according to Experimental Example 1.
Figures 11 and 12 are images showing the results according to Experimental Example 2.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and will be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments serve to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete, and those skilled in the art It is provided to fully inform the person of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. That is, various changes may be made to the embodiments presented by the present invention. The embodiments described below are not intended to limit the embodiments, but should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes therefor.

The size, thickness, width, length, etc. of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience and clarity of explanation, so the present invention is not limited to the form shown.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used with meanings that can be commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Additionally, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not interpreted ideally or excessively unless clearly specifically defined.

Spatially relative terms such as 'above', 'upper', 'on', 'below', 'beneath', and 'lower' are used in the drawing. As shown, it can be used to easily describe the correlation between one element or component and other elements or components. Spatially relative terms should be understood as terms that include different directions of the element when used in addition to the direction shown in the drawings. For example, when an element shown in a drawing is turned over, an element described as 'below or beneath' another element may be placed 'above' the other element. Accordingly, the illustrative term 'down' may include both downward and upward directions.

As used herein, 'and/or' includes each and every combination of one or more of the mentioned items. Additionally, the singular form also includes the plural form unless specifically stated in the phrase. As used herein, 'comprises' and/or 'comprising' do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components in addition to the mentioned components. The numerical range expressed using 'to' indicates a numerical range that includes the values written before and after it as the lower limit and upper limit, respectively. ‘About’ or ‘approximately’ means a value or numerical range within 20% of the value or numerical range stated thereafter.

Unless otherwise defined herein, the term 'fiber' or 'thread' or 'yarn or thread' refers to a natural or artificial long, thin fibrous polymer material, consisting of a single strand or multiple continuous sheets. It can be used to include filaments, which are long fibers, and staples, which are made by twisting short single fibers together.

Additionally, unless otherwise defined, the terms 'conductive yarn', 'conductive yarn', or 'conductive fiber' collectively refer to fiber materials that have electrical conductivity or thermal conductivity, and include a combination of only conductive fibers, or a combination of conductive fibers and non-conductive fibers. , or non-conductive wire plated with a conductive material.

Additionally, the first direction (X) refers to an arbitrary direction within the plane, and the second direction (Y) refers to another direction that intersects or is perpendicular to the first direction (X) within the plane. The third direction (Z) refers to another direction that intersects the plane.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of biological signal monitoring clothing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the biological signal monitoring clothing 1 according to this embodiment may include an electrode pattern 11 attached and fixed to the clothing fabric 20. The clothing may be functional clothing that can monitor biosignals such as electromyogram, electrocardiogram, heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, or body temperature during exercise. The present invention is not limited to the biosignals described above.

The electrode pattern 11 may provide a conductive path connecting the inside and outside of the clothing fabric 20, that is, the inside and outside surfaces. A plurality of electrode patterns 11, for example two, may form a set to collect bio-signals at a specific location.

Additionally, a plurality of electrode patterns 11 constituting one set may be located within one pocket 30. The pocket 30 may accommodate a biosignal measurement device 40 for measuring, storing, analyzing, or processing biosignals transmitted through the electrode pattern 11 to provide meaningful biometric information. The biosignal measuring device 40 may be electrically connected to the plurality of electrode patterns 11 .

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the electrode pattern 11 may be exposed on the outer surface of the clothing without a pocket to provide aesthetics.

Hereinafter, the electrode pattern, conductive path structure, etc. according to this embodiment will be described in detail with further reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 . FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrode pattern for collecting biological signals in FIG. 1. Figure 3 is a plan layout of the electrode pattern of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the electrode pattern of Figure 2.

Referring further to FIGS. 2 to 4 , the conductive path structure according to this embodiment may include an electrode pattern 11 disposed on the base layer 20 . The base layer 20, which will be described later, may be substantially the same component as the clothing fabric 20.

The electrode pattern 11 penetrates the clothing fabric 20 to conduct electricity between the inside and the outside of the clothing fabric 20 and may provide a predetermined area on a plane. That is, the electrode pattern 11 has an expanded shape, unlike a typical conductive path, and can provide an electrode function such as a pad or patch.

The electrode pattern 11 may include a first conductor 100 disposed on one side of the base layer 20, for example, the upper surface, and a second conductor 200 disposed on the other side of the base layer 20, for example, the lower surface. You can.

The base layer 20 may be composed of a plurality of layers including a first base layer 21 and a second base layer 22. For example, the first base layer 21 may form the outer skin of clothing, and the second base layer 22 may form the inner skin of clothing. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the base layer 20 may be made of a single layer, or an additional layer may be interposed between the first base layer 21 and the second base layer 22.

The base layer 20 has a plurality of through holes (H), and the first conductor 100 and the second conductor 200 are at least partially inserted into the through hole (H) or located within the through hole (H). You can. Within the through hole (H), the first conductive wire 100 and the second conductive wire 200 may come into contact with each other and be twisted or crossed. That is, the first conductor 100 and the second conductor 200 may be electrically connected to each other at the contact area within the through hole (H).

The first conductive yarn 100 and the second conductive yarn 200 may each be a thread having excellent electrical conductivity. As described above, the conductive yarn may include the conductive fiber itself, a ply yarn of only conductive fibers, a braid of a conductive yarn and a non-conductive yarn, or a non-conductive yarn plated with a conductive material.

From a planar view, that is, from a top planar view of the base layer 20, the first conductive fiber 100 may form the first conductive fiber pattern 101. In an exemplary embodiment, the first conductor pattern 101 includes a 1-1 conductor pattern 110 forming a closed loop, and a 1-2 conductor pattern 120 surrounding the 1-1 conductor pattern 110. It may further include a 1-3 conductive pattern 130 located within a closed loop of the 1-1 conductive pattern 110. The 1-1st conductor pattern 110, the 1-2nd conductor pattern 120, and the 1-3rd conductor pattern 130 may each be spaced apart from a plan view.

Hereinafter, it will be explained that the 1-2nd conductive pattern 120 refers to a pattern located on the outermost side in a plane, and the 1-3rd conductive pattern 130 refers to a pattern located in the innermost side in a plane. In this case, in another embodiment, unlike what is shown in the drawing, the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 and the 1-2 conductor pattern 120 or the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 and the 1-3 conductor pattern Additional spaced conductor patterns may be located between (130).

The maximum size of the first conductor pattern 101 on the plane formed by the first conductor 100, for example, the maximum width (L1) of the outermost 1-2 conductor pattern 120, is about 30 mm or less, or about It may be less than or equal to 28 mm, or less than or equal to about 26 mm, or less than or equal to about 24 mm, or less than or equal to about 22 mm, or less than or equal to about 20 mm. If the size of the pattern formed by the first conductor 100 is larger than the above range, it may be difficult to collect biological signals at a specific location. In addition, as described above, when a plurality of electrode patterns 11 form a set to collect biological signals, if one electrode pattern 11 becomes too large, the separation distance between adjacent electrode patterns 11 increases. there is a problem.

The lower limit of the maximum width (L1) of the planar pattern formed by the first conductor 100 is not particularly limited as long as biosignals can be collected with sufficient reliability, but may be, for example, about 5 mm or more.

The distance between two adjacent electrode patterns 11, for example, the distance between the centers of each electrode pattern 11, may preferably be within a range of about 1.5 to 3 times the maximum width (L1) of any one electrode pattern 11. there is. If the separation distance is too large, it may be difficult to collect biological signals at a specific location.

Any linear pattern formed by the first conductor 100, specifically any pattern forming a closed loop in a line shape, that is, the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 or the 1-2 conductor pattern 120. The forming line width (W) may range from about 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm, or from about 1.6 mm to 2.4 mm, or from about 1.7 mm to 2.3 mm, or from about 1.8 mm to 2.2 mm, or from about 1.9 mm to 2.1 mm. there is.

If the line width (W) is too large, it may be difficult to secure a sufficient separation distance (D) between adjacent conductive patterns. In addition, if the line width (W) is too large, a change in shape or area may occur as the base layer 20 expands and contracts, which may reduce reliability. On the other hand, if the line width (W) is too small, it may be difficult to transmit sufficient biological signals.

In some embodiments, the first to third conductive patterns 130 located on the innermost side may be provided in the form of a pad having a predetermined area rather than a line-shaped pattern. At this time, the upper limit of the maximum width L2 of the first-third conductive pattern 130 may be about 3.0 mm, about 2.5 mm, or about 2.0 mm. Similar to the line width W described above, if the width L2 of the first-third conductive pattern 130 having a predetermined area becomes too large, an area change may occur due to expansion and contraction of the base layer 20. In order for the 1-3 conductive pattern 130 to independently function as a transmission path for electrical signals, the lower limit of the maximum width (L2) of the 1-3 conductive pattern 130 may be about 1.5 mm, but the present invention is limited to this. It doesn't work.

The separation distance between adjacent linear patterns, for example, the separation distance (D) between the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 and the 1-2 conductor pattern 120, or the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 and the 1-3 conductor pattern The spacing between the patterns 130 may have a predetermined relationship with the line width (W) of the linear pattern. In an exemplary embodiment, the separation distance D between the conductive patterns 110, 120, and 130 may be in a range of about 0.8 to 1.2 times the line width W. For example, a non-limiting example in which the maximum width (L1) of the electrode pattern 11 is about 20 mm, it is composed of a total of three conductive patterns (110, 120, and 130), and the line width (W) of any one pattern is 2.0 mm. In, the separation distance (D) between the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 and the 1-2 conductor pattern 120 and the separation distance between the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 and the 1-3 conductor pattern 130 are It may range from 1.6 mm to 2.4 mm, or from 1.6 mm to 2.0 mm.

If the separation distance D between the conductive patterns is too short, a crosstalk phenomenon may occur between the electrical signals collected through each conductive pattern 110, 120, and 130. On the other hand, if the separation distance D between the conductive patterns is too large, the overall size of the electrode pattern 11 may increase.

The electrode pattern 11 according to the present embodiment is not formed as a single pattern, that is, the conductive pattern formed by the first conductive material 100, but is formed of a plurality of conductive patterns spaced apart from each other, that is, the first conductive pattern. It is characterized in that it is composed of a -1 conductor pattern 110, a 1-2 conductor pattern 120, and a 1-3 conductor pattern 130. If the conductive pattern is composed of a conductive pattern with a predetermined size, for example, about 20 mm, with the inside filled as a whole, the signal may contain a large amount of noise due to the problem of shape change due to stretching of the clothing, or The reliability of the collected signal may decrease.

Meanwhile, in an exemplary embodiment, the overall shape of the electrode pattern 11, for example, the shape of the first-second conductive pattern 120, may be a shape having an indented portion 11p on a plane. Accordingly, the 1-1st conductive pattern 110 and the 1-3rd conductive pattern 130 may also have indentations in a shape corresponding to the 1-2nd conductive pattern 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, etc., the first-second conductive pattern 120 may be in the shape of an eight-pointed star having eight indentations.

As will be described later, when the electrode pattern 11 is circular in plan, a change in shape or area may occur as the base layer 20 expands and contracts, which may reduce reliability. Therefore, in order to provide a uniform planar shape, it is provided to approximate a circular or polygonal shape on the plane, and by providing a plurality of indentations 11p, the area change due to expansion and contraction of the base layer 20 can be minimized.

The present invention is not limited to any theory, but the 1-1st conductive pattern 110 and/or the 1-2nd conductive pattern 120 have a line shape and a curved shape in the plane, that is, move in different directions. When composed of a combination of several straight lines extending toward each other, the rate of change can be reduced for any one stretching direction.

If the number of indentations 11p exceeds 8, for example, 12 or 16, the shape may be too close to the circular shape on the plane, resulting in increased shape change due to stretching. On the other hand, if the number of indentations (11p) is less than 8 or 6, for example, 4 or 3, the difference from the original shape increases, making it difficult to completely collect biosignals at any one point. And signal noise may increase. That is, the inventor of the present invention confirmed that a structure that is robust against expansion and contraction while having the highest reliability can be achieved when the indented portions (11p) are composed of eight, and thus completed the present invention.

Although not shown in the drawing, from a plan view, that is, from a plan view of the bottom of the base layer 20, the second conductive wire 200 may form the second conductive wire pattern 201.

The second conductor pattern 201 may form a plurality of patterns that are substantially the same as, extremely similar to, or correspond to the first conductor pattern 101, or may include a plurality of patterns. In an exemplary embodiment, the second conductor pattern 201 includes a 2-1 conductor pattern forming a closed loop, a 2-2 conductor pattern surrounding the 2-1 conductor pattern, and the 2-1 conductor pattern. It may further include a second-third conductor pattern located within a closed loop of the pattern.

The 2-1st conductor pattern, the 2-2nd conductor pattern, and the 2-3rd conductor pattern may each be spaced apart from a planar view. The 2-1 conductor pattern overlaps the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 in the thickness direction, the 2-2 conductor pattern overlaps the 1-2 conductor pattern 120 in the thickness direction, and the 2-3 conductor pattern overlaps the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 in the thickness direction. The conductive pattern may overlap the first to third conductive patterns 130 in the thickness direction.

The maximum width, line width, separation distance, shape including the indentation, etc. of the 2-1st conductor pattern, the 2-2nd conductor pattern, and the 2-3 conductor pattern are substantially similar to the pattern formed by the above-described first conductor 100. Since they may be the same, overlapping explanations will be omitted.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first conductor 100 and the second conductor 200 may have different elasticities. When the first base layer 21 located on the first conductor 100 side forms the outer layer of the clothing and the second base layer 22 located on the second conductor 200 side forms the inner layer of the clothing, the first conductor ( 100) may have greater elasticity than the second conductor 200.

As described above, when the biological signal monitoring clothing 1 is applied as sportswear, etc., problems due to the elasticity of the clothing may become more significant, especially when the clothing becomes wet with sweat.

At this time, the second conductor 200 located on the inside is composed of a conductor with less elasticity than the first conductor 100, so that it has higher adhesion to the wearer's skin and does not change shape despite the expansion and contraction of the wearer's body and clothing. It can be configured so that it is not triggered. On the other hand, the first conductive yarn 100 located on the outside is made of conductive yarn with relatively high elasticity, so that damage such as breaking of the pattern of the first conductive yarn 100 can be minimized when the clothing is stretched or stretched.

Although not shown in the drawing, the conductive path structure of the bio-signal monitoring clothing 1 according to this embodiment includes a first pad electrode (not shown) located on the first conductor 100 and a first pad electrode (not shown) located on the second conductor 200. It may further include a second pad electrode (not shown). The first pad electrode and the second pad electrode do not form a direct bond with the base layer 20, etc., and may be patches made of conductive gel or the like to facilitate separation and attachment. The first pad electrode is interposed between the electrode pattern formed by the first conductor 100 and the electrode of the biosignal measuring device 40, and the second pad electrode is between the electrode pattern formed by the second conductor 200 and the user's Interposed between the skin, it can improve the collection and transmission characteristics of electrical signals. Additionally, since the first pad electrode and the second pad electrode are not directly bonded to the fabric of the clothing, that is, the base layer 20, they do not deteriorate the wearer's comfort and can be easily managed.

Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, descriptions of configurations that are substantially the same or extremely similar to the above-described embodiments will be omitted, and this will be easily understood by those skilled in the art from the attached drawings.

Figure 5 is a plan layout of an electrode pattern for collecting biological signals according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the electrode pattern 12 according to this embodiment includes a first conductor and a second conductor disposed on the top and bottom of the base layer, and the first conductor is the 1-1 conductor pattern 110. , forming a first conductor pattern 101 including a 1-2 conductor pattern 120 and a 1-3 conductor pattern 132, wherein the 1-3 conductor pattern 132 forms a closed loop. This point is different from the embodiments shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

That is, not only the 1-1st conductive pattern 110 and the 1-2nd conductive pattern 120, but also the 1-3rd conductive pattern 132 may have a closed loop shape with an empty interior. Since the line width, etc. of the 1-3 conductor pattern 132 may be the same as the above-described 1-1 conductor pattern 110 and the 1-2 conductor pattern 120, overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an electrode pattern for collecting biological signals according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a layout of the electrode pattern of FIG. 6 viewed from the back side.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the electrode pattern 13 according to the present embodiment includes a first conductor 100 and a second conductor 200 disposed on the upper and lower portions of the base layer 20. 1 The conductor 100 forms a first conductor pattern 101 including a 1-1 conductor pattern 110, a 1-2 conductor pattern 120, and a 1-3 conductor pattern (not shown), 2 and other embodiments, the second conductor pattern 201 formed by the second conductor 200 has a larger area than the first conductor patterns 110 and 120 formed by the first conductor 100. This is different.

Since the shape, size, and arrangement of the 1-1st conductive pattern 110, the 1-2nd conductive pattern 120, and the 1-3rd conductive pattern have been described above, redundant descriptions will be omitted. The planar shape of the first conductive pattern 101 may be the same as that shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 . At this time, the first conductors constituting the 1-1 conductor pattern 110, the 1-2 conductor pattern 120, and the 1-3 conductor pattern may each be different strands.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first conductor pattern 101 formed by the first conductor 100 in a plan view viewed from one side of the base layer 20, that is, the 1-1 conductor pattern 110, the 1-2 The sum of the areas of the conductive pattern 120 and the first to third conductive patterns is greater than the area occupied by the second conductive pattern 201 formed by the second conductive pattern 200 when viewed from a plan view on the other side of the base layer 20. It can be small.

At this time, as described above, the 1-1 conductor pattern 110, the 1-2 conductor pattern 120, and the 1-3 conductor pattern are spaced apart from each other in the plane, and the second conductor 200 and the second conductor pattern 1-3 are spaced apart from each other in the plane. The 1-1st conductive pattern 110, the 1-2nd conductive pattern 120, and the 1-3rd conductive pattern may be electrically connected to each other through the pattern 201. The second conductive pattern 201 does not include a plurality of conductive patterns spaced apart from each other, but may form one electrode pattern as a whole. The second conductor pattern 201 formed integrally may overlap the above-described 1-1 conductor pattern 110, 1-2 conductor pattern 120, and 1-3 conductor pattern in the thickness direction.

As described above, when the biological signal monitoring clothing to which the electrode pattern 13 according to this embodiment is applied is applied as sportswear, etc., problems may occur due to the elasticity of the clothing. At this time, the second conductive yarn 200 located on the inside is made of a fiber with relatively less elasticity compared to the first conductive yarn 100, and is provided to have a relatively large area to improve adhesion to the wearer's skin and transmit electrical signals. Collection rate can be increased.

That is, the second conductor 200 located on the inside is relatively less sensitive to the elasticity problem of clothing compared to the first conductor 100 located on the outside, and adhesion to the wearer's body skin can be an important factor, so it is relatively It can provide a large area.

On the other hand, in order to alleviate problems caused by stretching of clothing as described above, the first conductor 100 located on the outside occupies a minimum area and the 1-1 conductor pattern 110 and the 1-2 conductor pattern are spaced apart from each other. It can be composed of a pattern 120 and 1-3 conductor patterns.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with further reference to experimental examples.

<Manufacturing example>

An electrode pattern was manufactured using the first conductor and the second conductor. At this time, the upper pattern formed by the first conductor and the lower pattern formed by the second conductor had the same shape. The base layer is roughly trapezoidal in shape so that it can be worn like leg sleeves.

The shape of the electrode pattern was manufactured in various shapes as shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. In Preparation Example 1-3 and Preparation Example 2-3, there were three unit patterns. At this time, the maximum diameter, or maximum width, of the electrode pattern was set to 20 mm. As described above, the two electrode patterns formed one set, and the distance between the centers of the two electrode patterns was 40 mm.

In addition, in Preparation Examples 1-2, 1-3, 2-2, and 2-3 below, the width of one line was 2.0 mm. The stitch length was set to 3.6 mm.

Manufacturing Example 1-1 Manufacturing Example 1-2 Manufacturing Example 1-3 pattern geometry Evangelist usage (mm) 812 360 565

Manufacturing Example 2-1 Manufacturing Example 2-2 Manufacturing Example 2-3 pattern geometry Evangelist usage (mm) 822 419 693

<Experimental Example 1: Changes according to fabric elongation>

The fabric on which the electrode pattern according to Preparation Example 1-1 to Preparation Example 2-3 was formed was stretched by 10%, 20%, and 30%, and the change in shape of the electrode pattern was measured. And the results are shown in Figures 8 to 10. Figure 9 shows the results of Preparation Example 1-1, Preparation Example 1-3, and Preparation Example 1-2 sequentially from the top. Likewise, Figure 10 shows the results of Preparation Example 2-1, Preparation Example 2-3, and Preparation Example 2-2 sequentially from the top.

Referring to Figures 8 to 10, it was confirmed that the area change rate was greater in Preparation Example 1 than in Preparation Example 2 overall.

In addition, in the case of Preparation Example 1-3 and Preparation Example 2-3 formed with a plurality of line patterns, compared to Preparation Example 1-1, Preparation Example 1-2, and Preparation Example 2-1 and Preparation Example 2-2, respectively. It was confirmed that the area change rate was small.

As described above, if it has parts extending in multiple directions, it can resist stretching in one specific direction, whereas if it has only one part connected to each other, it is assumed that this is not the case.

<Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of signal collection ability>

Fabrics on which electrode patterns according to Preparation Examples 1-1 to 2-3 were formed were assembled into a leg sleeve shape, and the ability to collect electromyographic signals was evaluated by repeating the motion of straightening the knees while the wearer was sitting. And the results are shown in Figures 11 and 12. In Figure 12, Preparation Example 1-1 is indicated as Cf, Preparation Example 1-2 is indicated as C1, and Preparation Example 1-3 is indicated as C3. In addition, Preparation Example 2-1 was denoted as Wf, Preparation Example 2-2 was denoted as W1, and Preparation Example 2-3 was denoted as W3.

First, referring to FIG. 11, in the case of Preparation Example 1-2 and Preparation Example 2-2 consisting of one line, Preparation Example 1-1 and Preparation Example 1-3, and Preparation Example 2-1 and Preparation Example 2-, respectively. It can be seen that the signal collection ability is inferior to 3 and contains a large amount of noise signals.

It was confirmed that Preparation Example 1-1 and Preparation Example 1-3, and Preparation Example 2-1 and Preparation Example 2-3 were similar in terms of signal collection ability and noise.

Also, referring to FIG. 12, it can be seen that Preparation Example 2 shows an overall superior signal collection ability compared to Preparation Example 1.

In another aspect, when constructing an electrode pattern as in Preparation Example 1-3 and Preparation Example 2-3, a significantly lower amount of conductive fiber is used compared to Preparation Example 1-1 and Preparation Example 2-1, while being flexible and stretchable. It is possible to provide a fiber-type electrode with excellent signal collection ability while mitigating the decline in reliability caused by .

Although the above description focuses on the embodiments of the present invention, this is only an example and does not limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art will understand the present invention without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent that various modifications and applications not illustrated above are possible.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood to include changes, equivalents, or substitutes of the technical ideas exemplified above. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiments of the present invention can be modified and implemented. And these variations and differences in application should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

1: Vital signs monitoring clothing
11: Electrode pattern
20: Base layer (clothing fabric)
100: First Evangelist
200: Second Evangelist

Claims (10)

A base layer having a plurality of through holes;
a first conductor disposed on one surface of the base layer and at least partially inserted into the through hole; and
A second conductor disposed on the other side of the base layer and at least partially inserted into the through hole to contact the first conductor and be electrically conductive,
From a plan view on the one side of the base layer, the first conductor is:
A 1-1 conductor pattern forming a closed loop, and
A conductive path structure including a 1-2 conductive pattern that is spaced apart from the 1-1 conductive pattern and surrounds the 1-1 conductive pattern, forming a closed loop. According to paragraph 1,
A conductive path structure in which the first conductor and the second conductor are in contact with each other and are twisted within the through hole. According to paragraph 1,
The second conductive pattern is at least partially non-overlapping with the first conductive pattern in the stacking direction, so that the planar area occupied by the second conductive pattern is larger than the planar area occupied by the first conductive pattern,
A conductive path structure in which the 1-1 conductor pattern and the 1-2 conductor pattern are electrically connected through the second conductor. According to paragraph 1,
A conductive path structure in which, from the plan view, a minimum separation distance between the 1-1 conductive pattern and the 1-2 conductive pattern is 1.6 mm or more. According to paragraph 1,
When viewed from the plan view, at least the first-second conductive wire pattern is partially bent and has a shape having an indented portion. According to clause 5,
The line width of the 1-2 conductive pattern is 2.5 mm or less,
A conductive path structure having 6 to 8 indentations. According to paragraph 1,
The first conductor has greater elasticity than the second conductor,
In a plan view viewed from one side of the base layer, the area occupied by the first conductive pattern formed by the first conductive wire is,
A conductive path structure smaller than the area occupied by the second conductive pattern formed by the second conductive conductor when viewed from a plan view on the other side of the base layer. According to paragraph 1,
a first pad electrode disposed on the first conductor and separable from the base layer; and
A conductive path structure further comprising a second pad electrode disposed on the second conductor and separable from the base layer. Clothing fabric having a plurality of through holes;
a first conductive yarn disposed on an outer surface of the fabric and at least partially inserted into the through hole; and
A second conductor disposed on the inner side of the fabric, at least partially inserted into the through hole and in contact with the first conductor,
From a plan view on the outer surface of the fabric, the first conductor is:
A 1-1 conductor pattern forming a closed loop, and
Biological signal monitoring clothing comprising a 1-2 conductive wire pattern that is spaced apart from the 1-1 conductive wire pattern and surrounds the 1-1 conductive wire pattern, forming a closed loop. According to clause 9,
It further includes a pocket disposed on the outside of the clothing fabric,
The conductive pattern formed by the first conductor is located in the pocket.