KR20170040985A - Chair of sensing pressure - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a chair of sensing pressure comprises: a sensing sheet having a first electrode having a first conduction area formed in a first direction, a second electrode having a second conduction area formed in a second direction, and an intermediate layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode; a first elastic body arranged on the sensing sheet, and having a first elastic coefficient; and a plurality of second elastic bodies arranged in the first elastic body, and having a second elastic coefficient higher than the first elastic coefficient.

Description

{CHAIR OF SENSING PRESSURE}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a pressure sensing chair, and more particularly, to a pressure sensing chair incorporating a pressure sensing sensor in a seat of a chair.

In recent years, the rapid development of electronic health and information and communication technology has led to the rapid development of the health care field. That is, a health management system capable of measuring the body condition of a person using biometric information is required, and in particular, techniques for acquiring biometric information using chairs mainly used in daily life are being developed.

However, a common chair for acquiring biometric information requires a plurality of independent sensors for measuring a large area, and a space for connecting modules for driving each sensor is additionally required. Further, since the sensor is not flexible and stretchable, it is difficult to apply it to a chair having a double curved surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pressure sensing chair for sensing a pressure and a position according to an applied weight.

The pressure sensing chair according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first electrode having a first conductive region formed in a first direction, a second electrode having a second conductive region formed in a second direction, A first elastic member disposed on the sensing sheet, the first elastic member having a first elastic modulus, and a second elastic member disposed in the first elastic member, And a plurality of second elastic members having two elastic moduli.

The plurality of second elastic bodies may extend in a direction from the upper portion of the first elastic body toward the sensing sheet.

The plurality of second elastic bodies may include a first head unit, a second head unit, and an extension unit connecting the first head unit and the second head unit.

The first head unit and the second head unit may be disposed corresponding to a sensing region where the first conductive region and the second conductive region intersect.

The width of the first head unit and the width of the second head unit may be greater than the width of the extension unit.

The first conductive region and the second conductive region may each be composed of conductive fibers.

The conductive fiber may be a metal wire or a fiber on which a metal film is coated on the surface.

The intermediate layer may comprise a fibrous substrate, and a conductive composite dispersed within the fibrous substrate.

And a control unit connected to the sensing sheet and generating a control signal according to the piezoresistance or capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

And a communication unit for transmitting the signal generated by the control unit.

The pressure sensing device according to the embodiment of the present invention can precisely sense the pressure according to the applied weight and accurately detect the pressure distribution. Further, the pressure sensing device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be made larger. Also, the pressure sensing device according to the embodiment of the present invention has excellent durability and sensing performance.

1 is a side view of a pressure sensing chair in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram of a pressure sensing device incorporated in a pressure sensing chair according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a seat plate incorporating a sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exploded view of a seat plate incorporating a sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an enlarged view of a first electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is an enlarged view of a second electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view of a sensing sheet and a cushion according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is capable of various modifications and various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated and described in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terms including ordinal, such as second, first, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the second component may be referred to as a first component, and similarly, the first component may also be referred to as a second component. And / or < / RTI > includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component or a combination thereof described in the specification, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a pressure sensing chair according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a pressure sensing device incorporated in a pressure sensing chair according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, the pressure sensing chair 100 includes a seat 110, an armrest 120, a backrest 130, a leg 140, and the like. When a person is seated on the seat 110, the pressure sensing device 200 built in the pressure sensing chair 100 senses whether or not the seat is seated and can measure a relative pressure distribution due to seating. The pressure sensing device 200 can detect the weight, the sitting position, and the like according to the measured pressure distribution.

The pressure sensing device 200 may include a sensor unit 210, a control unit 220, and a communication unit 230. The sensor unit 210 can sense whether the seat is seated on the seat 110 and the relative pressure distribution due to seating. The sensor unit 210 may be embedded in the seat 110. The control unit 220 is connected to the sensor unit 210 and processes signals sensed by the sensor unit 210. For example, the control unit 220 can control the ON / OFF state of the apparatus by using the result of processing the signal sensed by the sensor unit 210. Alternatively, the control unit 220 may generate an alarm signal for posture correction using the result of processing the signal sensed by the sensor unit 210. The communication unit 230 transmits the signal processed by the control unit 220 to the external device. The control unit 220 and the communication unit 230 may be incorporated in the armrest 120, the backrest 130, the legs 140, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a seat plate incorporating a sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a seat plate incorporating a sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 to 4, the seat plate 110 includes a sensing sheet 300 and a cushion 310 disposed on the sensing sheet 300. Here, the sensing sheet 300 may correspond to the sensor unit 210 of FIG.

The sensing sheet 300 includes a first electrode 302, a second electrode 304 and an intermediate layer 306 disposed between the first and second electrodes 302 and 304. Although not shown, the sensing sheet 300 may be surrounded by a cover.

At this time, the first electrode 302 and the second electrode 304 may each be formed of a fabric including conductive fibers. The first electrode 302 includes a first conductive region 302-1 formed in a first direction and the second electrode 304 includes a second conductive region 302-1 formed in a second direction different from the first direction. (304-1).

The intermediate layer 306 is elastic and may have a higher resistance than the first electrode 302 and the second electrode 304. At this time, the intermediate layer 306 may also include a fibrous substrate.

As described above, when the first electrode 302 and the second electrode 304 are fabrics and the intermediate layer 306 includes a fibrous substrate, the detection sheet 300 is flexible, so that the risk of breakage is small, So that it is possible to realize a double curved surface. Accordingly, it can be variously applied to a living appliance or a wearable appliance.

In the case where the first electrode 302 and the second electrode 304 include a conduction region formed in different directions, an overlapping point between the first conduction region 302-1 and the second conduction region 304-1, It is possible to accurately detect the pressing position. Accordingly, a plurality of sensor nodes can be included in one sensing sheet 300, and large area scanning is possible.

Further, when the intermediate layer 306 is elastic, the thickness of the intermediate layer 306 at the pressing point is reduced. When the resistance of the intermediate layer 306 is greater than the resistance of the first electrode 302 and the second electrode 304, for example, the resistance of the intermediate layer 306 is higher than the resistance of the first electrode 302 and the second electrode 304. [ When the resistance is 10 times or more, preferably 100 times or more, more preferably 1000 times or more of the resistance, the intermediate layer 306 has an insulating function in a steady state. However, when pressure is applied on the sensing sheet 300, the thickness of the intermediate layer 306 is reduced, and the resistance or the permittivity is changed, so that the piezoresistance or the capacitance can be easily and reliably detected.

5 to 6, the first conductive region 302 of the first electrode 302 and the second conductive region 304-1 of the second electrode 304 are each made of conductive fibers The first non-conduction region 302-2 of the first electrode 302 and the second non-conduction region 304-2 of the second electrode 304 may be made of ordinary fibers, respectively. Alternatively, the first conductive region 302-1 of the first electrode 302 and the second conductive region 304-1 of the second electrode 304 may be formed by crossing common fibers and conductive fibers, respectively.

At this time, the conductive fibers included in the first conductive region 302-1 and the second conductive region 304-1 may be a metal wire, a general fiber coated with a metal film on the surface, or a general fiber having metal particles dispersed therein have.

At this time, the metal wire may be Cu, Ni, or a stainless steel alloy. The stainless alloy may be, for example, a martensitic stainless alloy, a ferritic stainless alloy, an austenitic stainless alloy, a two-phase stainless alloy, a precipitation hardening stainless alloy, or the like. When the metal wire is a stainless steel alloy, corrosion resistance of the detection sheet 300 can be enhanced.

When the conductive fibers included in the first electrode 302 and the second electrode 304 are ordinary fibers coated with a metal film on the surface thereof, the metal film is formed by coating metal particles on the surface of the common fibers in a plating method or a vapor deposition method Method can be formed. At this time, the metal particles may be Cu, Ni, or a stainless alloy, and the thickness of the metal film may be 1 to 50 탆. If the thickness of the metal film is less than 1 탆, the conductivity may be low, which may cause a loss in signal transmission. If the thickness of the metal film exceeds 50 탆, the metal film may be easily separated from the surface of the fiber.

On the other hand, the intermediate layer 306 includes a fibrous substrate and a conductive composite. Here, the fibrous substrate may refer to a random fiber arrangement such as a foamed foam, a nonwoven fabric, and a nano-web, as well as a fabric made of fibers. In this case, the fibers included in the fiber substrate may be synthetic fibers or natural fibers including one selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, nylon, polyethylene terephthalate and polyester, and the thickness of the fiber substrate may be 1 mm or more. Accordingly, the intermediate layer 306 has minute pores and is elastic. When the thickness of the fibrous substrate is less than 1 mm, it may be difficult to maintain the insulating function in a steady state, for example, in a state in which no external force is applied, and the amount of change in resistance or permittivity may be small since an amount of change in thickness is small when an external force is applied . Accordingly, the pressure sensing efficiency can be lowered.

On the other hand, the conductive composite contained in the intermediate layer 306 may be coated on the surface of the fiber constituting the fiber substrate or may be dispersed in the fiber substrate.

Accordingly, the intermediate layer 306 has a resistance of 1 k? Or more in a steady state. However, when a physical change occurs around the intermediate layer 306, for example, when an external force is applied to the intermediate layer 306, The thickness of the electrode 306 is reduced from 0.001 to 0.5 times, the resistance is changed by 100? Or more, or the capacitance is changed by 10 pF or more. In this way, when a physical change is applied to the sensing sheet 300, the piezoresistance or the capacitance changes.

To this end, the conductive composite may comprise a conductive polymer and a conductive powder. The conductive composite may comprise from 1 to 10 wt% of the fiber substrate. If the conductive composite contains more than 10 wt% of the fiber substrate, the fabric may be difficult to process due to the lowering of the physical properties of the fiber itself. At this time, the conductive polymer may include polyaniline or polypyrrole. The conductive powder may include one selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, carbon nanotube (CNT), graphene, and ceramic filler. Here, the conductive powder may be contained in an amount of 0.1 wt% to 10 wt% of the conductive composite. When the conductive powder is contained in an amount of less than 0.1 wt% of the conductive composite, performance is difficult to achieve because the conductivity is low. If the conductive powder is contained in an amount exceeding 10 wt%, the physical properties of the fiber such as tensile strength are lowered. When the conductive powder includes a ceramic filler, the dielectric constant is increased, so that the change in the capacitance can be easily detected. Here, the ceramic filler may be, for example, microcarbon coil barium titanate having a diameter of 100 mu m or less.

In this case, the diameter of the conductive powder may be 10 nm to 500 탆, and may be spherical, acicular or plate-like. If the diameter of the conductive powder is less than 10 nm, dispersion in the conductive polymer is difficult and resistance of the entire fiber becomes low due to high interface resistance between particles. If the diameter of the conductive powder is more than 500 mu m, the surface of the fiber is not smooth and the frictional force is increased, which may cause damage of the fiber during fabric processing.

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the sensing sheet 300 may be disposed under the cushion 310. Accordingly, even if the user repeatedly sits and stands up, the physical influence of the detection sheet 300 is minimized, so that the risk of breakage of the detection sheet 300 is lowered and the durability is improved.

However, when the detection sheet 300 is disposed under the cushion 310, the detection sensitivity of the detection sheet 300 may be lowered. In order to solve this problem, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cushion 310 includes a first elastic body 312 having a first elastic modulus, and a second elastic body 312 arranged in the first elastic body 312, And a plurality of second elastic bodies 314 having an elastic modulus. At this time, the first elastic body 312 and the second elastic body 314 may include urethane, cotton, polyurethane, foamed foam, sponge made of rubber, and the like. The elastic modulus of the second elastic body 314 may be 1.05 times to 2 times the elastic modulus of the first elastic body 312. When the user sits on the seat 120, the second elastic body 314 having a relatively high elastic modulus is less deformed than the first elastic body 312 having a low elastic modulus. Accordingly, the second elastomer 314 is superior in weight transfer performance to the first elastic member 312.

7, the second elastic body 314 extends from the upper portion of the seat 120, that is, the first elastic body 312 in the direction toward the sensing sheet 300, When the first conductive region 302-1 and the second conductive region 304-1 of the second electrode 304 are disposed in correspondence to the sensing region where they cross each other, The detection performance of the sensor 300 can be enhanced.

On the other hand, the second elastic body 314 connects the first head unit 314-1, the second head unit 314-2 and the first head unit 314-1 to the second head unit 314-2 And an extension unit 314-3. The first head unit 314-1 is adjacent to the upper portion of the seat 120 and the second head unit 314-2 is adjacent to the sensing sheet 300. The first head unit 314-1, And the second head unit 314-2 may be arranged corresponding to the sensing region where the first conductive region 302-1 and the second conductive region 304-1 intersect. At this time, the width of the first head unit 314-1 and the width W1 of the second head unit 314-2 may be larger than the width W2 of the extension unit 314-3. Accordingly, the second elastic body 314 can stably contact the upper portion of the seat 120 and the sensing area of the sensing sheet 300.

The first head unit 314-1 and the second head unit 314-2 may protrude toward the upper and lower portions of the cushion 310, respectively. For example, the first head unit 314-1 and the second head unit 314-2 may protrude to a width of 0.1 mm to 30 cm and a height of 0.01 mm to 5 cm or less. As described above, when the first head unit 314-1 and the second head unit 314-2 protrude toward the top and the bottom of the cushion 310, the means for pressing the cushion 310 And the sensing area of the sensing sheet 300, so that the weight sensing performance can be further enhanced.

Although not shown, the seating plate 110 of the pressure sensing chair 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a piezoelectric element. For example, if the user sat on the seat 110 and then wakes up, the seat 110 is retracted and restored. When this process occurs repeatedly, electricity may be generated as the pressure changes. Electricity generated by the piezoelectric element can be applied to various applications.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims It can be understood that

300: Sensing Sheet
302: first electrode
304: second electrode
306: Middle layer
310: Cushion
312: first elastic body
314: Second elastic body

Claims (10)

A first electrode having a first conducting region formed in a first direction, a second electrode having a second conducting region formed in a second direction, and an intermediate layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, Sensing sheet,
A first elastic body disposed on the sensing sheet, the first elastic body having a first elastic modulus, and
A plurality of second elastic members arranged in the first elastic body and having a second elastic modulus higher than the first elastic modulus,
The pressure sensing chair comprising: The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of second elastic bodies extend in a direction from the upper portion of the first elastic body toward the sensing sheet. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the plurality of second elastic bodies include a first head unit, a second head unit, and an extension unit connecting the first head unit and the second head unit. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the first head unit and the second head unit are disposed corresponding to a sensing region where the first conductive region and the second conductive region intersect. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the width of the first head unit and the width of the second head unit are greater than the width of the extension unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first conductive region and the second conductive region each comprise conductive fibers. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the conductive fiber is a metal wire or a metal film coated fiber on the surface. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the intermediate layer comprises a fibrous substrate and a conductive composite dispersed within the fibrous substrate. The method according to claim 1,
And a control unit connected to the sensing sheet and generating a control signal according to a piezoresistance or capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode. 10. The method of claim 9,
And a communication unit for transmitting the signal generated by the control unit.

Images