Intelligent protective equipment, method of making and method of use

Abstract

The application relates to an intelligent protective equipment, a preparation method and a use method. The structure of the intelligent protective equipment comprises an inner buffer layer and an outer protective layer. The intelligent protective equipment is connected with a Bluetooth module, can detect external environmental stimulation, can respond to a low-temperature environment, and triggers an alarm when a set impact or temperature threshold is reached. The intelligent protective equipment integrates impact resistance, force sensing, heat management and alarm, has impact protection and low-temperature protection functions, and can be widely applied to the fields of human daily motion and cold environment protection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of protection technology, specifically relating to an intelligent protective equipment, its preparation method, and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Danger is ever-present in daily life. To reduce the risk of injury, developing lightweight impact-resistant equipment is crucial for everyday human protection. Chinese patent CN115849912A discloses a bulletproof ceramic with high strength, high hardness, and good impact resistance. However, this rigid structure sacrifices wearer comfort and is not conducive to absorbing impact energy. Therefore, flexible, dynamic energy-absorbing protective materials are a promising candidate. Furthermore, the above research focuses on the impact protection performance of the equipment itself, neglecting its intelligent features, which is detrimental to the complex working conditions that may arise in practical applications.

[0003] In reality, real-world application environments present a variety of complex stimuli, making intelligent protection a current research hotspot. Chinese patent CN114041651A discloses a special garment capable of withstanding impact injuries and burns. However, its protection against potentially harsh temperatures and complex stimuli is clearly insufficient, thus necessitating the development of intelligent protective equipment integrating electrothermal sensing and thermal sensing. Unfortunately, multifunctional integrated intelligent protection combining impact resistance, force sensing, and thermal management remains a significant challenge and a key factor limiting its application.

[0004] In conclusion, it is essential to develop wearable multifunctional intelligent protective equipment with force-electricity-thermal coupling characteristics to achieve accurate assessment of mechanical excitation and good thermal management functions. This equipment is expected to be further applied to the fields of daily human movement and protection in cold environments. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention overcomes the shortcomings of traditional technologies by providing an intelligent protective device, its manufacturing method, and its usage method. This invention integrates impact resistance, force sensing, thermal management, and alarm functions, providing both impact and low-temperature protection. When the human body is subjected to impact or low-temperature injury, the intelligent protective device can monitor its status in real time and provide impact and low-temperature protection, assisting the user in resisting complex external environments. Therefore, this intelligent protective device has significant potential in the fields of daily human activity and protection against cold environments.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention is as follows:

[0007] An intelligent protective device is provided, the structure of which includes an inner buffer layer and an outer protective layer, which are bonded together; the thickness of the inner buffer layer is 1 mm to 7 mm, and the thickness of the outer protective layer is 1 mm to 7 mm; the intelligent protective device integrates impact resistance, force sensing, thermal management and alarm functions, and achieves impact protection and low temperature protection functions through the inner buffer layer.

[0008] Furthermore, the thickness of the inner buffer layer is 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, or 7 mm. The thickness of the outer protective layer is 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, or 7 mm.

[0009] Furthermore, the inner buffer layer comprises a ceramic conductive material layer and a shear-hardening adhesive layer.

[0010] Further, the ceramic conductive material layer is formed by freeze-drying a mixture of one or more ceramic materials selected from montmorillonite, hydroxyapatite, or cellulose nanofibers and one or more conductive materials selected from metal carbides, graphene, or carbon nanotubes. Preferably, the mass ratio of ceramic material to conductive material is 1:3 to 3:1. For example, the mass ratio of ceramic material to conductive material is 1:3, 1:2.5, 1:2, 1:1.5, 1:1, 1.5:1, 2:1, 2.5:1, or 3:1.

[0011] Preferably, the freeze-drying process is carried out at a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius to -30 degrees Celsius, a pressure of 20 Pa to 200 Pa, and a time of 24 hours to 72 hours.

[0012] Furthermore, the shear-hardening adhesive layer is formed from silicone oil and boride; preferably, the mass ratio of silicone oil to boride is 3:1 to 30:1; preferably, the shear-hardening adhesive layer is formed at a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius to 220 degrees Celsius.

[0013] Furthermore, the silicone oil is formed from one or more of methyl silicone oil, dimethyl silicone oil, or hydroxyl silicone oil.

[0014] Furthermore, the boride is formed from one or more of boric acid, boron oxide, or borate.

[0015] Furthermore, the outer protective layer is formed of one or more printing filaments selected from polycaprolactone, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic, or polylactic acid; preferably, the printing filaments are printed at a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius to 300 degrees Celsius; preferably, the diameter of the printing filaments is 1 mm to 4 mm.

[0016] This invention also provides a method for using any of the above-described intelligent protective equipment, wherein the impact protection function includes the following steps:

[0017] (1) Connect the smart protective equipment to the Bluetooth module;

[0018] (2) Set an impact threshold to trigger an alarm and remind the user to avoid impact injury;

[0019] (3) When the smart protective equipment is struck with a heavy hammer, the resistance of the smart protective equipment changes. The dynamic status of the smart protective equipment can be visualized through the Bluetooth module, allowing the user to check the situation in real time and assess the strength of the impact.

[0020] (4) An alarm is triggered when the resistance of the intelligent protective equipment reaches the impact threshold. The alarm stops when the resistance of the intelligent protective equipment is less than the impact threshold.

[0021] Furthermore, the low-temperature protection function includes the following steps:

[0022] (1) Connect the smart protective equipment to the Bluetooth module;

[0023] (2) Set a temperature threshold in the alarm module to trigger an alarm and remind users to avoid low temperature damage;

[0024] (3) Adjust the voltage of the programmable power supply and apply the voltage to the intelligent protection equipment. The intelligent protection equipment generates Joule heat and the temperature rises until it reaches the saturation temperature, thus achieving a continuous and stable thermal management process.

[0025] (4) The dynamic intelligent protective equipment can be visualized through the Bluetooth module, allowing users to check the situation in real time and assess the temperature.

[0026] (5) An alarm is triggered when the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment reaches the temperature threshold. The alarm stops when the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment is lower than the temperature threshold.

[0027] (6) Stop applying voltage to the programmable power supply, the Joule heating effect of the intelligent protection equipment disappears, and the temperature drops rapidly to room temperature.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0029] (1) The intelligent protective equipment in this invention integrates impact resistance, force sensing, thermal management and alarm functions, and has impact protection and low temperature protection functions;

[0030] (2) The intelligent protective equipment in this invention realizes the force-electricity-thermal coupling characteristics, can accurately monitor complex external stimuli in real time, and can generate Joule heating effect to resist harsh environment;

[0031] (3) The intelligent protective equipment in this invention achieves impact resistance performance that surpasses that of different protective equipment, and is also comfortable to wear. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the impact resistance of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12).

[0033] Figure 2 This is a physical image of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12).

[0034] Figure 3 The maximum impact force of different protective equipment (Example 12, Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 2, Comparative Example 3) under a 50 cm drop hammer impact was compared.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a demonstration diagram of the impact protection function of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12).

[0036] Figure 5 The relationship between the resistance change and peak force of the inner buffer layer (Example 8) under different height drop hammer impacts.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a demonstration diagram of the low-temperature protection function of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12).

[0038] Figure 7 The relationship between the temperature of the inner buffer layer (Example 8) and the square of the applied voltage is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. However, the following embodiments are only for explaining the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention should include all the contents of the claims. Moreover, through the description of the following embodiments, those skilled in the art can fully implement all the contents of the claims of the present invention.

[0040] Example 1:

[0041] The method for preparing the ceramic conductive material layer is as follows:

[0042] (1) Dissolve sodium montmorillonite and carbon nanotubes (10 to 50 micrometers in length) in deionized water at a mass ratio of 1:2 and stir thoroughly to obtain a ceramic conductive solution. The concentration of sodium montmorillonite is 25 mg / mL and the concentration of carbon nanotubes is 50 mg / mL;

[0043] (2) Freeze the ceramic conductive solution and freeze it in a freeze dryer at -40 degrees Celsius for 72 hours to obtain a ceramic conductive material layer.

[0044] Example 2:

[0045] The method for preparing the ceramic conductive material layer is as follows:

[0046] (1) Dissolve sodium montmorillonite and carbon nanotubes (10 to 50 micrometers in length) in deionized water at a mass ratio of 1:1 and stir thoroughly to obtain a ceramic conductive solution. The concentration of sodium montmorillonite is 25 mg / mL, and the concentration of carbon nanotubes is 25 mg / mL.

[0047] (2) Freeze the ceramic conductive solution and freeze it in a freeze dryer at -40 degrees Celsius for 72 hours to obtain a ceramic conductive material layer.

[0048] Example 3:

[0049] The method for preparing the ceramic conductive material layer is as follows:

[0050] (1) Dissolve sodium montmorillonite and carbon nanotubes (10 to 50 micrometers in length) in deionized water at a mass ratio of 2:1 and stir thoroughly to obtain a ceramic conductive solution. The concentration of sodium montmorillonite is 50 mg / mL and the concentration of carbon nanotubes is 25 mg / mL;

[0051] (2) Freeze the ceramic conductive solution and freeze it in a freeze dryer at -40 degrees Celsius for 72 hours to obtain a ceramic conductive material layer.

[0052] Example 4:

[0053] The method for preparing the shear-hardening adhesive layer is as follows:

[0054] Hydroxy silicone oil (poly(dimethylsiloxane) hydroxyl-terminated, weight-average molecular weight 4000) in a mass ratio of 3:1 was mixed with boric acid and placed in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 3 hours to react fully, resulting in a shear-hardening adhesive layer.

[0055] Example 5:

[0056] The method for preparing the shear-hardening adhesive layer is as follows:

[0057] Hydroxy silicone oil (poly(dimethylsiloxane) hydroxyl-terminated, weight-average molecular weight 4000) in a mass ratio of 12:1 was mixed with boric acid and placed in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 3 hours to react fully, resulting in a shear-hardening adhesive layer.

[0058] Example 6:

[0059] The method for preparing the shear-hardening adhesive layer is as follows:

[0060] Hydroxy silicone oil (poly(dimethylsiloxane) hydroxyl-terminated, weight-average molecular weight 4000) in a mass ratio of 21:1 was mixed with boric acid and placed in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 3 hours to react fully, resulting in a shear-hardening adhesive layer.

[0061] Example 7:

[0062] The method for preparing the shear-hardening adhesive layer is as follows:

[0063] Hydroxy silicone oil (poly(dimethylsiloxane) hydroxyl-terminated, weight-average molecular weight 4000) in a mass ratio of 30:1 was mixed with boric acid and placed in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 3 hours to react fully, resulting in a shear-hardening adhesive layer.

[0064] Example 8:

[0065] The preparation method of the inner buffer layer is as follows:

[0066] (1) Dissolve 100 g of shear-hardening adhesive layer obtained in Example 7 in 100 ml of ethanol and sonicate until no more precipitate is present;

[0067] (2) The ceramic conductive layer with a volume of 30 cubic centimeters obtained in Example 2 was ultrasonically impregnated for 1 hour in the shear hardening adhesive layer-ethanol solution obtained in step (1);

[0068] (3) The product obtained in step (2) was placed in a vacuum oven at 60 degrees Celsius for 48 hours to remove acetone, resulting in an inner buffer layer with a thickness of 4 mm.

[0069] Example 9:

[0070] The preparation method of the outer protective layer is as follows:

[0071] A 1.75 mm diameter polycaprolactone wire was melted at 100 degrees Celsius for 1 hour and then 3D programmed and printed onto a substrate at room temperature to obtain a 4 mm thick outer protective layer.

[0072] Example 10:

[0073] The preparation method of the outer protective layer is as follows:

[0074] Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic wire with a diameter of 1.75 mm was melted at 220 degrees Celsius for 1 hour and then 3D programmed and printed onto a substrate at 100 degrees Celsius to obtain an outer protective layer with a thickness of 4 mm.

[0075] Example 11:

[0076] The preparation method of the outer protective layer is as follows:

[0077] A 1.75 mm diameter polylactic acid wire was melted at 200 degrees Celsius for 1 hour and then 3D programmed and printed onto a substrate at 50 degrees Celsius to obtain a 4 mm thick outer protective layer.

[0078] Example 12:

[0079] The preparation method of intelligent protective equipment is as follows:

[0080] The outer protective layer obtained in Example 10 and the inner buffer layer obtained in Example 8 are bonded and assembled, and an external programmable power supply is connected to apply voltage.

[0081] Example 13:

[0082] The steps for implementing the impact protection function of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12) are as follows:

[0083] (1) Set the impact threshold to 73 ohms to trigger an alarm and remind the user to avoid impact injury;

[0084] (2) When the outer protective layer of the smart protective equipment is struck with a 500-gram hammer, the resistance of the smart protective equipment changes. The dynamic status of the smart protective equipment can be visualized through the Bluetooth module, allowing users to check the situation in real time and assess the strength of the impact.

[0085] (3) An alarm is triggered when the resistance of the intelligent protective equipment reaches the impact threshold. The alarm stops when the resistance of the intelligent protective equipment is less than the impact threshold.

[0086] Example 14:

[0087] The steps for implementing the low-temperature protection function of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12) are as follows:

[0088] (1) Set the temperature threshold to 40 degrees Celsius to trigger an alarm and remind users to avoid heat damage;

[0089] (2) Adjust the voltage of the programmable power supply and apply the voltage to the intelligent protection equipment. The intelligent protection equipment generates Joule heat and the temperature rises until it reaches the saturation temperature, thus achieving a continuous and stable thermal management process.

[0090] (3) The dynamic intelligent protective equipment can be visualized through the Bluetooth module, allowing users to check the situation in real time and assess the temperature.

[0091] (4) An alarm is triggered when the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment reaches the temperature threshold. The alarm stops when the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment is lower than the temperature threshold.

[0092] (5) Stop applying voltage to the programmable power supply. The Joule heating effect of the intelligent protection equipment disappears and the temperature drops rapidly to room temperature.

[0093] Comparative Example 1:

[0094] The traditional methods for manufacturing protective equipment are as follows:

[0095] Traditional protective equipment is formed by heating thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer for 1 hour to obtain traditional protective equipment with a thickness of 4 mm.

[0096] Comparative Example 2:

[0097] The preparation method of polyurethane protective equipment is as follows:

[0098] A 4 mm thick thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer was used as the outer protective layer, and a 4 mm thick polyurethane was used as the inner buffer layer, and then assembled.

[0099] Comparative Example 3:

[0100] The preparation method of polyethylene protective equipment is as follows:

[0101] A 4 mm thick thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer is used as the outer protective layer, and a 4 mm thick polyethylene is used as the inner buffer layer, which are then bonded together.

[0102] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the impact resistance of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12). When the intelligent protective equipment is subjected to external stimuli, the outer protective layer disperses the impact kinetic energy to the surroundings, while the inner buffer layer absorbs most of the energy to protect the human body from external harm.

[0103] Figure 2 This is a physical image of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12). The intelligent protective equipment consists of a 4 mm thick inner buffer layer formed by a ceramic conductive material layer (Example 2) and a shear-hardening adhesive layer (Example 7), and a 4 mm thick outer protective layer formed by acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic.

[0104] Figure 3 This study compares the maximum impact force of different protective equipment (Example 12, Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 2, and Comparative Example 3) under a 50cm drop hammer impact. Using conventional protective equipment (Comparative Example 1) as a baseline, the maximum impact force of polyurethane protective equipment (Comparative Example 2) and polyethylene protective equipment (Comparative Example 3) was reduced by 67.82% and 87.91%, respectively. The maximum impact force of the intelligent protective equipment was reduced by 81.48% and 50.70% compared to the polyurethane and polyethylene protective equipment, respectively, demonstrating superior impact resistance.

[0105] Figure 4 This diagram demonstrates the impact protection function of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12). When subjected to impact, the resistance of the intelligent protective equipment changes, which is displayed in real time via Bluetooth module. An alarm is triggered when the set impact threshold of 73 ohms is reached. The alarm stops when the resistance of the intelligent protective equipment falls below the impact threshold.

[0106] Figure 5The relationship between the resistance change of the inner buffer layer (Example 8) and the peak force under drop hammer impact at different heights is shown. When the inner buffer layer is subjected to drop hammer impact, the resistance changes drastically and shows a typical positive correlation with the peak force, which helps to accurately assess the strength of the impact force.

[0107] Figure 6 This diagram demonstrates the low-temperature protection function of the intelligent protective equipment (Example 12). When a 3-volt voltage is applied to the intelligent protective equipment, its temperature rises rapidly and is displayed via Bluetooth. When the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment reaches the temperature threshold of 40 degrees Celsius, an alarm is triggered. When the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment falls below the temperature threshold, the alarm stops. When the voltage is removed, the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment rapidly drops to room temperature.

[0108] Figure 7 The relationship between the temperature of the inner buffer layer (Example 8) and the square of the applied voltage is shown. When a voltage of 1 to 9 volts is applied to the inner buffer layer, the inner buffer layer exhibits a Joule heating effect, with the temperature changing from 30.78 degrees Celsius to 110.36 degrees Celsius. The temperature exhibits a typical linear relationship with the square of the voltage, which is helpful for precise control of thermal management.

[0109] The parts of this invention not described in detail are well-known to those skilled in the art. The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the invention, and do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Various modifications and improvements to the technical solutions of this invention made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing intelligent protective equipment, characterized in that: The structure of the intelligent protective equipment includes an inner buffer layer and an outer protective layer, which are bonded together. The thickness of the inner buffer layer is 1.5 mm to 7 mm, and the thickness of the outer protective layer is 1 mm to 7 mm. The intelligent protective equipment integrates impact resistance, force sensing, thermal management, and alarm functions, and achieves impact protection and low temperature protection functions through the inner buffer layer. The inner buffer layer comprises a ceramic conductive material layer and a shear-hardening adhesive layer; The ceramic conductive material layer is formed by freezing and freeze-drying one or more ceramic materials selected from montmorillonite, hydroxyapatite or cellulose nanofibers and one or more conductive materials selected from metal carbides, graphene or carbon nanotubes; the mass ratio of ceramic material to conductive material is 1:3 to 3:1; the freeze-drying process is carried out at a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius to -30 degrees Celsius, a pressure of 20 Pa to 200 Pa, and a time of 24 hours to 72 hours. The shear-hardening adhesive layer is formed from silicone oil and boride; the mass ratio of silicone oil to boride is 3:1 to 30:1; the shear-hardening adhesive layer is formed at a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius to 220 degrees Celsius. The silicone oil is one or more of methyl silicone oil, dimethyl silicone oil, or hydroxyl silicone oil; The boride is one or more of boric acid, boron oxide, or borates; The outer protective layer is formed from one or more printing filaments selected from polycaprolactone, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic, or polylactic acid; The filaments are formed at temperatures ranging from 50°C to 300°C; the diameter of the filaments is 1 mm to 4 mm. The preparation method includes the following steps: (1) Ceramic materials and conductive materials are freeze-dried and assembled into a ceramic conductive material layer; (2) The silicone oil and boride are mixed and heat-treated to obtain a shear-hardened adhesive layer; (3) The shear-hardening adhesive layer is infiltrated into the ceramic conductive material layer to obtain an inner buffer layer; (4) The printing filament is printed using 3D programming to obtain an outer protective layer; (5) Assemble the outer protective layer and the inner buffer layer to obtain intelligent protective equipment.

2. A method for preparing intelligent protective equipment using the method described in claim 1, characterized in that, Assessing impact protection capabilities involves the following steps: (A1) Set the impact threshold to trigger an alarm and remind the user to avoid impact injury; (A2) When the smart protective equipment is struck with a heavy hammer, the resistance of the smart protective equipment changes. The dynamic status of the smart protective equipment can be visualized through the Bluetooth module, allowing the user to check the situation in real time and assess the strength of the impact. (A3) When the resistance of the intelligent protective equipment reaches the impact threshold, an alarm is triggered; when the resistance of the intelligent protective equipment is less than the impact threshold, the alarm stops.

3. A method for preparing intelligent protective equipment using the method described in claim 1, characterized in that, Assessing cryogenic protection capabilities involves the following steps: (B1) Set a temperature threshold in the alarm module to trigger an alarm and remind users to avoid low-temperature damage; (B2) Adjust the voltage of the programmable power supply and apply the voltage to the intelligent protection equipment. The intelligent protection equipment generates Joule heat and the temperature rises until it reaches the saturation temperature, thus achieving a continuous and stable thermal management process. (B3) The dynamic intelligent protective equipment can be visualized via Bluetooth module, allowing users to check the situation in real time and assess the temperature. (B4) When the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment reaches the temperature threshold, an alarm is triggered; when the temperature of the intelligent protective equipment is lower than the temperature threshold, the alarm stops. (B5) Stop applying voltage to the programmable power supply, the Joule heating effect of the intelligent protective equipment disappears, and the temperature drops to room temperature.

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