KR20190119554A - Smart menstrual cup with dual structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A smart menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention has a double structure, comprising: an outer cup having an opening formed on one side thereof and having a reception space formed therein; an inner cup received in the reception space of the outer cup, disposed in close contact with the inner surface of the outer cup, and having a storage unit formed therein to store menstrual blood; and a sensor disposed between the outer cup and the inner cup so as to measure information on the menstrual blood stored in the storage unit.

Description

Smart menstrual cup with dual structure {SMART MENSTRUAL CUP WITH DUAL STRUCTURE}

The present invention relates to a smart menstrual cup having a dual structure, and more particularly, to a smart menstrual cup having a dual structure having a sensor for measuring the information of menstrual blood on the inner wall of the menstrual cup.

Menstrual blood leak prevention tools such as pads, menstrual cups, and tampons are used to prevent menstrual blood from leaking out of the vagina to help women feel more comfortable during menstruation.

Among these menstrual blood leak prevention tools, menstrual cups are generally larger in capacity than sanitary napkins or tampons, and have little leakage of menstrual blood. In addition, the menstrual cup is used as an insert in the body, even if wearing it is not only free to exercise or activity, including swimming, but also has been used for a long time has proved safety.

On the other hand, menstrual blood is blood that is periodically discharged with the endometrium, the health state through the amount, color, etc. of menstrual blood can be confirmed.

In this regard, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0008187 (Patent Document 1) is known a smart menstrual cup that can check the amount and color of menstrual blood in the state in which the menstrual cup is inserted into the vagina and inform the user of this. . Specifically, the smart menstrual cup of Patent Document 1 is provided with a weight sensor or color sensor to detect the amount or color of menstrual blood at the bottom of the storage unit containing the menstrual blood.

However, the smart menstrual cup of Patent Document 1 has difficulty in installing the sensor or the like inside the menstrual cup, and the sensor may be deformed or damaged by the external force applied to the menstrual cup in the process of inserting and removing the menstrual cup into the vagina. There is.

Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0008187 (2017.01.23.)

The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a smart menstrual cup of dual structure that is easy to manufacture and can effectively and stably measure the information on menstrual blood.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a smart menstrual cup having a dual structure to improve the durability against repeated stress by flexibly forming a sensor that can measure information about menstrual blood.

Smart menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention is a smart menstrual cup of a dual structure, the outer cup is formed on one side and the receiving space is formed inside, and accommodated in the receiving space of the outer cup is disposed close to the inner surface of the outer cup And an inner cup in which a storage unit for storing menstrual blood is formed, and a sensor disposed between the outer cup and the inner cup and measuring information about the menstrual blood contained in the storage unit.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor is connected to the storage unit of the inner cup and the control unit for contact with the menstrual blood contained in the storage unit and the control unit connected to the sensing unit to measure information about the menstrual blood contained in the storage unit It may include.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensing unit of the sensor may be formed by printing a conductive material on the inner surface of the outer cup in close contact with the inner cup. Alternatively, the sensing unit of the sensor may be formed on the flexible printed circuit board disposed between the inner cup and the outer cup.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one hole is formed in the inner cup, and the sensing unit of the sensor may contact the menstrual blood contained in the storage unit through the at least one hole. Here, the sensing unit of the sensor may protrude toward the storage unit and be inserted into at least one hole. In addition, at least one hole formed in the inner cup may be formed in plural at regular intervals along the height direction in which the menstrual blood is contained.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller of the sensor may measure information about menstrual blood through a change in resistance generated when the sensor of the sensor contacts the menstrual blood contained in the storage through a plurality of holes formed in the inner cup. Can be.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the control unit of the sensor may be disposed between the inner cup and the outer cup at the bottom of the inner cup.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the sensor may measure the blood volume of menstrual blood in the storage unit, or may measure the blood sugar of menstrual blood in the storage unit.

The smart menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a communication unit capable of transmitting data to an external device. In this case, the sensor may generate a signal based on the measured information on the menstrual blood, and the communication unit may be electrically connected to the sensor to transmit a signal generated by the sensor to an external device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner cup and the outer cup are formed separately, and a sensor is disposed between the inner cup and the outer cup to facilitate manufacturing, and the sensor disposed between the inner and outer cups effectively and stably provides information on menstrual blood. It can be measured.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by forming the sensor as a flexible printed circuit board or by printing a conductive material, even if repeated stress is applied, it is possible to prevent performance degradation due to deformation or breakage.

1 is a perspective view of a menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view of the menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exploded view of a menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention.

In order to clearly describe the present invention, descriptions of parts not related to the present invention are omitted, and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. In addition, the size, thickness, position, etc. of the respective components shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of description, and thus the present invention is not necessarily limited to the illustrated. That is, the specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described in the specification may be implemented by changing from one embodiment to another without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and the position or arrangement of individual components may also be implemented. And changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

Accordingly, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention should be taken as encompassing the scope of the claims of the claims and all equivalents thereto.

1 is a perspective view of a menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is an exploded view of the menstrual cup according to an embodiment of the present invention. .

1 to 3, the smart menstrual cup 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outer cup 110, an inner cup 130, and a sensor 150.

The outer cup 110 of the smart menstrual cup 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be made of a main body 111, the rim 113 and the handle 115.

The main body 111 of the outer cup 110 may have a cylindrical shape, and a rim 113 may be formed at an opening through which menstrual blood flows. The rim 113 may be in close contact with the vaginal wall when the smart menstrual cup 100 is inserted into the vagina to prevent the menstrual blood from leaking. In this embodiment, the rim 113 is shown as being formed in a circular shape, otherwise, it may be possible to be formed in other shapes, such as oval, polygonal. The main body 111 of the outer cup 110 according to the present embodiment illustrates a form in which the diameter increases toward the rim 113 from the lower end connected to the handle 115, but is not limited thereto.

 The handle 115 of the outer cup 110 may protrude from the opposite side of the opening of the outer cup 110 to function to facilitate manipulation when the user inserts the smart menstrual cup 100 into the vagina or removes it from the vagina. If the length of the handle 115 is too long to insert a smart menstrual cup 100 after the operation may give inconvenience, on the contrary too short, you may have difficulty when removing the smart menstrual cup 100, the handle ( The length of 115 may be appropriately formed in consideration of this. Since the length of the handle 115 that the user experiences discomfort and the length of the handle 115 required to remove the smart menstrual cup 100 may vary according to the user, the length of the handle 115 is formed and the user directly sets the length of the handle 115. The handle 115 may be formed to be cut so that it can be adjusted. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the handle 115 of the outer cup 110 is illustrated in a columnar shape, it is also possible to change it to another shape, such as ring shape, sphere shape, or it may be possible to remove the handle 115. .

The outer cup 110 of the smart menstrual cup 100 is preferably formed of a material that is excellent in elasticity and elasticity, such as silicone, rubber and non-toxic. However, the material of the outer cup 110 is not limited thereto, and may be formed of various materials having elasticity and elasticity in addition to silicone and rubber, and a part of the outer cup 110 may be formed of another material having no elasticity and elasticity. It is possible.

The inner cup 130 of the smart menstrual cup 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is accommodated in the receiving space of the outer cup 110 is disposed in close contact with the inner surface of the outer cup 110. The inner cup 130 is formed in a cup shape in which a storage unit 140 capable of receiving menstrual blood is formed therein. The storage unit 140 of the inner cup 130 is inserted into the vagina of the female to function to store the menstrual blood discharged out of the body during menstruation.

The outer cup 110 and the inner cup 130 of the smart menstrual cup 100 may be formed in various sizes according to the capacity, the inner cup 130 of the outer cup 110 so that the inner cup 130 can be placed in close contact with the inner surface of the outer cup 110 The inner surface and the outer surface of the inner cup 130 is made of a corresponding shape. Like the outer cup 110, the inner cup 130 may be formed of a material having elasticity and elasticity, such as silicone and rubber, and may be formed of the same material as the outer cup 110 in consideration of adhesion to the outer cup 110. Do.

At least one hole 131 may be formed at one side of the inner cup 130 of the smart menstrual cup 100. The hole 131 formed at one side of the inner cup 130 is for detecting menstrual blood through the sensor 151 in the sensor 150 which will be described later. In this embodiment, the hole 131 has the height of the inner cup 130. In the direction, that is, a plurality of formed at regular intervals along the direction in which the menstrual blood in the inner cup 130. The hole 131 may be formed to be the same as or smaller than the sensing unit 151 of the sensor 150 to prevent the menstrual blood from invading between the outer cup 110 and the inner cup 130.

The sensor 150 of the smart menstrual cup 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment is disposed between the outer cup 110 and the inner cup 130 to measure information about the menstrual blood contained in the storage 140.

As shown in FIG. 3, the sensor 150 of the smart menstrual cup 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be configured as a water level sensor for measuring blood flow of menstrual blood, and for this purpose, the sensor 150 includes a sensor 151. ), A connection unit 153, and a controller 155 may be included.

The sensing unit 151 and the connection unit 153 of the sensor 150 may be formed by printing a conductive material on the inner surface of the outer cup 110. In this case, as the conductive material printed on the inner surface of the outer cup 110, a metal such as silver or copper may be used, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a non-metal conductive material such as conductive silicon, conductive rubber, carbon nanotube, and carbon black may be used. You can also use However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the sensing unit 151 and the connection unit 153 may be formed in other forms.

For example, the sensing unit 151 and the connection unit 153 may be formed in such a manner that a separate structure formed of a flexible conductive material such as conductive silicon is interposed between the outer cup 100 and the inner cup 130. In this case, the sensing unit 151 may be fixedly coupled between the outer cup 110 and the inner cup 130 in a manner of being protruded and fitted into the hole 131. Alternatively, the sensing unit 151 may be A groove may be formed at one side, and a part of the sensing unit 151 or the connecting unit 153 may be installed to be fitted thereto.

Alternatively, the sensing unit 151 and the connection unit 153 may be formed by attaching or printing a conductive material on a flexible circuit board.

It may be formed by 3D printing or injection with a conductive material attached or separately formed on the flexible circuit board, or may be formed by weaving an optical fiber or a conductive thread.

As such, by implementing the sensing unit 151 and the connection unit 153 of the sensor 150 through printing of a conductive material, a flexible circuit board, or the like, the user bends the smart menstrual cup 100 in or out of the process of inserting it into the vagina. Even when folded or folded, it can prevent deformation or breakage and maintain the function of the sensor 150. That is, the durability of the smart menstrual cup 100 may be improved by disposing the sensor 150 having flexibility between the outer cup 110 and the inner cup 130 of the smart menstrual cup 100.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the sensing unit 151 of the sensor 150 is formed on the inner surface of the outer cup 110 has a structure that can contact the menstrual blood contained in the storage unit 140 through the hole 131, As described above, the sensing unit 151 may be formed of a structure that protrudes inwardly toward the storage 140 and may be inserted into the hole 131. In this case, the sensing unit 151 may be fitted into the hole 131 formed in the inner cup 130 so that the menstrual blood contained in the storage unit 140 does not invade between the outer cup 110 and the inner cup 130.

The control unit 155 of the sensor 150 is connected to the connection unit 153 between the outer cup 110 and the inner cup 130 to perform a function of measuring information about this through the detection of menstrual blood in the detection unit 151. Can be. In the present exemplary embodiment, the controller 155 of the sensor 150 is disposed at the lower end of the inner cup 130, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The controller 155 may be disposed on the inner surface of the outer cup 110, and in this case, the control unit 155 may be formed on the flexible printed circuit board together with the sensing unit 151 and the connection unit 153.

In the sensor 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensing unit 151 detects the contact with the menstrual blood contained in the storage unit 140 through the hole 131 formed in the inner cup 130, and detects the sensing unit ( When the 151 contacts the menstrual blood contained in the storage 140, the resistance may be changed to measure the blood volume of the menstrual blood.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, as the plurality of holes 131 are formed at regular intervals in the height direction in the inner cup 130 and the sensing unit 151 is connected to each hole 131, menstrual blood The number of the sensing units 151 contacting the menstrual blood is changed according to the position of the filling unit 140, and the resistance measured by the controller 155 connected to the sensing unit 151 is changed. Accordingly, the level of menstrual blood in the storage 140 may be measured by measuring the resistance of the controller 155, and thus the blood volume of the menstrual blood may be measured.

In the smart menstrual cup 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a blood glucose sensor may be employed as the sensor 150. In this case, the sensing unit 151 may detect glucose in the menstrual blood and transmit it to the control unit 155 through the connection unit 153, and the control unit 155 may grasp the glucose concentration. It is also possible to measure the blood sugar of menstrual blood by having a structure capable of carrying out the chemical reactions required to.

In addition, the smart menstrual cup 100 of the present invention may employ a sensor 150 that can measure information on various menstrual blood using a known blood measurement technique.

Smart menstrual cup 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention separately forms the inner cup 130 forming the outer cup 110 and the storage unit 140 constituting the overall menstrual cup shape, the inner cup 130 and the outer cup By arranging the sensors 150 between the 110 and then bonding them, it is possible to easily manufacture a smart menstrual cup 100 that can measure information about menstrual blood. In addition, the sensor 150 disposed between the inner cup 130 and the outer cup 110 may be formed on a flexible printed circuit board or by printing a conductive material, so that the menstrual cup is folded when the smart menstrual cup 100 is inserted and removed. Even after repeated stresses, the sensor can maintain its performance by preventing deformation or breakage, thereby effectively and reliably measuring information about menstrual blood.

On the other hand, the smart menstrual cup 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a communication unit (not shown) for transmitting information about the menstrual blood measured by the sensor 150 to an external device. The sensor 150 may generate information about the measured menstrual blood, for example, information about blood flow, blood sugar, etc. of the menstrual blood as an electrical signal and provide the same to the communication unit. The communication unit may include a user terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet PC. The information can be transmitted to an external device. The communication unit may communicate with an external device by using a known communication means such as LoRa, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and infrared communication, and may include a component according to a communication means used.

The communication unit may be formed separately from the sensor 150, and may be disposed at various positions that may be electrically connected to the sensor 150, such as the inside of the handle 115 of the outer cup 110, directly under the sensor 150. . Of course, the communication unit may be installed included in the control unit 155 of the sensor 150.

As such, in the smart menstrual cup 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, information about the menstrual blood measured through the sensor 150 can be transmitted to an external device, thereby removing the smart menstrual cup 100 and visually menstrual blood. You can easily check the health and hygiene information of the user without checking or going through a separate inspection device.

Although the present invention has been described by specific embodiments and specific embodiments such as specific components, the above embodiments are provided only to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from this description.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and all the equivalents or equivalents of the claims as well as the following claims are included within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. something to do.

100: menstrual cup
110: single cup
111: main body
113: tranny
115: handle
130: my cup
131: hall
140: storage unit
150: sensor
151: detector
153: connection
155: control unit

Claims (1)

As a double structure smart menstrual cup,
The outer cup is formed in one side and the receiving space is formed inside,
An inner cup accommodated in a receiving space of the outer cup and disposed in close contact with an inner surface of the outer cup, and having a storage unit for storing menstrual blood therein;
A sensor disposed between the outer cup and the inner cup and configured to measure information about menstrual blood contained in the storage unit;
Including,
At least one hole is formed on one side of the inner cup is a smart menstrual cup that can be in contact with the menstrual blood contained in the storage portion of the sensor through the at least one hole.

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