Intelligent flame-retardant warm-keeping glove capable of being used for monitoring vital signs

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of fire suppression gloves, and discloses an intelligent flame-retardant warm-keeping glove capable of being used for vital sign monitoring, the intelligent flame-retardant warm-keeping glove comprises a glove body and a wrist assembly connected with the glove body, the wrist assembly comprises a wearing part and a vital sign sensing module, the inner side of the wearing part is connected with an annular air bag capable of being expanded to be matched with the wrist of the human body, and the annular air bag is connected with the wrist of the human body. The vital sign sensing module is arranged on the inner side of the annular air bag, and the outer side of the vital sign sensing module is provided with a patch type triggering assembly arranged around the vital sign sensing module. The vital sign sensing module responds to a trigger signal of the patch type trigger assembly to periodically detect vital sign parameters of a wearer, the vital sign sensing module is actively pressed to the skin when inflated, it is ensured that signal collection can be continuously and stably carried out, and the defects that traditional external equipment is prone to displacement and signals are interrupted are overcome.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of firefighting gloves, and more particularly to a smart flame-retardant and warm glove that can be used for vital sign monitoring. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing complexity and danger of modern fire rescue missions, firefighters not only face direct threats such as high temperatures, flames, and dense smoke in the fire scene, but also need to maintain a stable physiological state under high-intensity operations. Therefore, real-time, continuous, and non-intrusive monitoring of firefighters' vital signs has become an important technical requirement for improving rescue safety and mission efficiency.

[0003] The radial artery is located on the inner side of the wrist, which is one of the most easily palpable and strongest superficial arteries on the body surface. A PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor can obtain a clear and stable pulse waveform here, which is convenient for accurately extracting parameters such as heart rate and blood oxygen. Secondly, the wrist swings with the arm, but compared with the fingers (frequent flexion, extension, and gripping), the wrist has a smaller displacement amplitude and lower frequency during tasks. Therefore, it is suitable to place the detection end of the vital signs sensing module at the wrist.

[0004] In existing firefighting gloves, the wrist sealing structure commonly uses Velcro or elastic webbing as the main fixing and sealing methods. However, both of these structures have significant drawbacks in practical applications. On the one hand, while Velcro offers advantages such as flexible adjustment and convenient operation, its essence is "discontinuous mechanical interlocking," resulting in numerous gaps and ventilation holes at the microscopic level. In a fire environment, high-temperature steam and chemical foam can easily seep into the glove through these gaps, causing burns, skin immersion, or chemical burns. Clearly, relying solely on Velcro provides a poor seal. On the other hand, while the elastic cuff structure can achieve a certain degree of automatic fit, its pressure distribution depends entirely on the elastic modulus of the fabric and the wearer's wrist circumference, lacking active adjustment capability. This type of fixed wristband cannot adapt to the differences in wrist circumference among different firefighters. If it is too loose, it will leak liquid, and if it is too tight, it will compress blood vessels and affect blood circulation in the hand. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of wrist sealing structure that can adapt to different wrist circumferences, actively block liquid intrusion, and be compatible with physiological monitoring devices, so as to comprehensively improve the protective performance and ergonomics of firefighting gloves. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring to solve the above-mentioned problems. This fire-fighting glove design organically combines a wrist-sealing adaptation structure with vital sign sensing functions, addressing the technical challenge of collecting physiological parameters without interfering with firefighters' operations. The specific technical solution is as follows: A smart flame-retardant and warm glove for monitoring vital signs includes a glove body and a wrist assembly connected thereto. The wrist assembly includes a wearable part and a vital sign sensing module. An inflatable annular airbag that can fit the human wrist is connected to the inner side of the wearable part. The vital sign sensing module is disposed inside the annular airbag. A patch-type triggering component is disposed around the outer side of the vital sign sensing module. The vital sign sensing module periodically detects the wearer's vital sign parameters in response to the triggering signal of the patch-type triggering component.

[0006] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the five finger segments of the glove body are provided with circular simulated fingerprints made of conductive yarn on the palm surface.

[0007] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the wearable part is provided with Velcro, and the wearable part has a built-in elastic cord that is arranged around it, and the elastic cord is connected to the Velcro.

[0008] As an improvement to the above technical solution, a pre-airbag is provided on the outer side of the wearable part and surrounds the wearable part. A press-type valve is provided between the pre-airbag and the annular airbag. The air pressure in the pre-airbag is higher than the air pressure in the annular airbag.

[0009] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the elastic cord includes a fixed section and a telescopic section. The fixed section is connected between the telescopic section and the Velcro. A trigger is connected to the middle section of the fixed section. The trigger end of the push-button valve is located on the movement path of the trigger. The trigger is used to trigger the push-button valve.

[0010] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the pre-airbag includes a primary airbag and a secondary airbag, both of which are equipped with press-type valves.

[0011] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the glove body has a built-in button battery, the vital signs sensing module is electrically connected to the patch trigger component, and the vital signs sensing module and the patch trigger component are respectively electrically connected to the button battery.

[0012] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the glove body has a built-in signal transmission module, which is electrically connected to the vital signs sensing module and the button battery.

[0013] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the inner side of the annular airbag is provided with a contact surface, the width of which is 1-3cm. The vital signs sensing module is disposed on the contact surface and is positioned towards the side closer to the glove body.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By adaptively expanding the annular airbag and actively binding the cuff of the fire suit on the outside, a three-layer dynamic sealing structure of "airbag-cuff-skin" is constructed, which completely blocks the backflow path of high-temperature steam, liquid water and chemical liquids along the gap of the wrist, thereby improving the sealing performance; When the vital signs sensing module is inflated, it is actively pressed against the skin to ensure continuous and stable signal acquisition, overcoming the defects of traditional external devices such as easy displacement and intermittent signal.

[0015] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Of course, implementing any product or method of this application does not necessarily require achieving all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wearable part of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the wearable part of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the vital signs sensing module of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a framework diagram of the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Glove body; 2. Wearing part; 3. Velcro; 4. Pre-airbag; 5. Circular airbag; 6. Vital signs sensing module; 7. Press-type valve; 8. Patch-type trigger component; 31. Fixed section; 32. Telescopic section; 33. Trigger; 41. Primary airbag; 42. Secondary airbag. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0025] Currently, mainstream firefighting gloves primarily focus on heat protection, mechanical protection, and operational flexibility. Their wrist structures often employ Velcro 3-fasteners or elastic cuffs to achieve a sealed connection with the cuffs of fire-resistant clothing. However, this type of structure has the following significant drawbacks: Traditional wristbands are insufficient to completely prevent the intrusion of high-temperature steam, liquid water, or chemical liquids, which can easily lead to the accumulation of heat and moisture inside the glove, increasing the risk of burns and skin damage. Fixed wristbands cannot adapt to the different wrist sizes of different firefighters; if they are too loose, they are prone to leakage, and if they are too tight, they can compress blood vessels and affect blood circulation in the hand. Finally, for physiological monitoring functions, some fire departments have tried to use smart bracelets or chest patch monitors, but these devices are prone to falling off in the fire scene, being damaged by high temperatures, and are not structurally integrated with the gloves, affecting operational flexibility and data stability.

[0026] In view of this, please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment of the invention, an intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove that can be used for vital sign monitoring includes a glove body 1 and a wrist assembly connected thereto. The glove body 1 is made of multi-layer composite high temperature resistant, flame retardant and cut resistant material to protect the hands from flames, heat radiation, sharp objects and chemicals, while the wrist component is used to achieve a sealed connection with the cuff of the fire suit and physiological state sensing function. The wrist assembly includes a wearable part 2 and a vital signs sensing module 6. The wearable part 2 is a ring-shaped or semi-ring-shaped flexible structure. An inflatable annular airbag 5 is connected to the inner side of the wearable part 2 around the wearer's wrist. The annular airbag 5 is made of medical-grade TPU or silicone composite material with high elasticity and excellent airtightness. The vital signs sensing module 6 is located inside the annular airbag 5. Specifically, the vital signs sensing module 6 is placed on the inner skin-contact surface of the annular airbag 5, that is, the side of the airbag that contacts the wearer's skin. A patch-type trigger component 8 is provided around the vital signs sensing module 6 on the outer side. The vital signs sensing module 6 periodically detects the wearer's vital signs parameters in response to the trigger signal of the patch-type trigger component 8. Furthermore, the vital signs sensing module 6 includes, but is not limited to: a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, a miniature thermistor, an impedance-type respiratory sensor, or a flexible electrode array, used for non-invasive acquisition of key physiological parameters such as the wearer's heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, skin temperature, and respiratory rate; while the patch-type trigger component 8 is composed of flexible pressure-sensitive material, a capacitive touch array, or a mechanical microswitch, and has a low trigger threshold and high environmental tolerance. The vital signs sensing module 6 responds to the trigger signal and starts a periodic physiological parameter acquisition program, for example: acquire data for 10 seconds after triggering → after a 2-minute interval → acquire data again on the next trigger; Furthermore, since the human body experiences different sensations when the patch trigger component 8 and the annular airbag 5 come into contact with the human body, the vital signs sensing module 6 can be accurately detected based on whether the patch trigger component 8 is in contact with the human body to determine whether it has reached the predetermined position.

[0027] Although modern fire gloves have made significant progress in terms of thermal protection, mechanical strength and wrist sealing, they still have significant shortcomings in human-computer interaction and adaptability to refined operations, making it difficult to meet the new demands of intelligent and information-based firefighting operations.

[0028] Specifically, most current mainstream firefighting gloves use thick insulating materials (such as flame-retardant leather and aramid fabric) for the finger structure. While this effectively isolates the fingers from high temperatures and physical damage, it also prevents the establishment of effective electrical contact between the fingers and electronic devices. In actual combat, firefighters often need to operate smart terminals, command tablets, thermal imagers, or communication devices equipped with capacitive touchscreens. Traditional gloves, due to their insulating surface and lack of conductive pathways, are completely unable to respond to touch commands, forcing firefighters to remove their gloves in hazardous environments, greatly increasing the risk of burns, cuts, and infections.

[0029] Therefore, the present invention also provides some embodiments. Specifically, the five finger segments of the glove body 1 are provided with circular simulated fingerprints made of conductive yarn material (specifically flame-retardant conductive yarn) on the palm surface. The simulated fingerprint structure is distributed in an array, and its raised shape is designed to mimic the texture of human fingerprints, which can significantly increase the contact friction coefficient and prevent instruments or equipment from slipping out of the hand in wet, slippery, or oily environments. At the same time, the conductive yarn material gives this area stable surface conductivity, making it compatible with capacitive touch screens (such as smart terminals, command tablets, and vehicle systems), and enabling precise touch operation while wearing gloves. Considering cost control, the corresponding circular simulated fingerprints can be designed only on 1-2 specific fingers.

[0030] While some existing fire gloves or medical braces have attempted to incorporate inflatable structures to improve wrist fit and sealing, their inflation control mechanisms generally suffer from fundamental flaws such as cumbersome operation, reliance on external sources, uncontrollable pressure, and poor environmental adaptability. These shortcomings make it difficult to meet the stringent requirements of firefighting operations for rapid donning, one-handed operation, safety without pressure, and reliability in extreme environments. Specifically, current mainstream solutions mostly use external manual air pumps or electric micro-pumps for inflation, requiring users to perform multiple presses or button operations after donning the gloves. This not only prolongs preparation time but is also difficult to implement in emergency fire scenes or scenarios where one hand is restricted. Without excessive reliance on power, without adding operational steps, and without sacrificing reliability, this invention also provides some embodiments. Specifically, the wearable part 2 is provided with Velcro 3, and the wearable part 2 has a built-in elastic cord that is wrapped around it. The elastic cord is connected to the Velcro 3. A pre-inflated airbag 4 is provided around the wearable part 2. A press-type valve 7 is provided between the pre-inflated airbag 4 and the annular airbag 5. The air pressure in the pre-inflated airbag 4 is higher than the air pressure in the annular airbag 5. The elastic cord includes a fixed section 31 and a telescopic section 32. The fixed section 31 is connected between the telescopic section 32 and the Velcro 3. A trigger 33 is connected to the middle section of the fixed section 31. The trigger end of the press-type valve 7 is set on the movement path of the trigger 33. The trigger 33 is used to trigger the press-type valve 7. When the user tightens the Velcro 3, the elastic cord stretches accordingly, causing the fixed section 31 to move, which in turn drives the trigger 33 to press the trigger end of the valve, so that the high-pressure gas in the pre-inflated airbag flows unidirectionally into the annular airbag 5, achieving adaptive inflation and fit. Users only need to tighten the Velcro 3 to trigger inflation simultaneously, without the need for additional operation of the air pump or buttons, greatly improving wearing efficiency and fire scene applicability; combined with the pressure limiting design of the pre-inflated airbag 4, it ensures that the pressure of the annular airbag 5 is always within a safe and comfortable range (such as 40~80mmHg), avoiding vascular compression or tissue damage; utilizing the potential energy stored in the pre-inflated airbag, it is released immediately upon triggering, with an inflation response time of <2 seconds, meeting the needs of rapid donning and emergency missions.

[0031] In some embodiments, both the annular airbag 5 and the pre-airbag 4 are equipped with emergency pressure relief ports. The pre-airbag 4 includes a primary airbag 41 and a secondary airbag 42. Both the primary airbag 41 and the secondary airbag 42 are equipped with push-button valves 7. The primary airbag 41 and the secondary airbag 42 form a redundant design. Furthermore, as needed, for example, the primary airbag 41 can provide a basic sealing pressure (e.g., 40 mmHg) to meet daily sealing requirements; the secondary airbag 42 can provide enhanced pressure (e.g., 80 mmHg) to cope with high-risk liquid intrusion scenarios. Users can trigger different pressure levels by pulling the Velcro 3 to tighten it.

[0032] To ensure the continuous and stable operation of the vital signs sensing module 6 and the patch trigger component 8, the present invention embeds and integrates a micro button battery in the sandwich structure of the glove body 1. The battery is preferably a high-temperature resistant lithium manganese battery or a solid-state battery, with an operating temperature range covering -20°C to +85°C, and has high energy density, long cycle life and excellent vibration resistance, which can meet the power supply requirements in fire fighting environments. The vital signs sensing module 6 and the patch trigger component 8 are connected to the button battery with low impedance through flexible printed circuit (FPC) or conductive fabric wiring, forming an independent power supply circuit. This ensures that the sensing module can start instantly and complete the collection of physiological parameters when the trigger action occurs, avoiding data loss due to power supply delay. Furthermore, the glove body 1 also integrates a miniature signal transmission module, which is also electrically connected to the button battery through a flexible circuit and establishes a high-speed data path with the vital signs sensing module 6. This signal transmission module supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE5.0+), ZigBee or Sub-1GHz wireless protocols, and can wirelessly transmit the collected physiological data such as heart rate, blood oxygen, and body temperature to external receiving terminals (such as command terminals, smart helmets, and mobile monitors) in real time or periodically, so as to realize remote vital signs monitoring and abnormal warnings. All electronic modules (sensing modules, triggering components, signal transmission modules) and power supply units are sealed in a flame-retardant, heat-insulating, and waterproof flexible encapsulation layer, and are physically isolated from the annular airbag 5 and the outer protective material to ensure stable operation in high-temperature, moisture, and impact environments, and to avoid short circuits, corrosion, or thermal failure.

[0033] In some embodiments, the gas filled in the pre-airbag 4 is carbon dioxide. The inner side of the annular airbag 5 has a contact surface with a width of 1-3 cm. The vital signs sensing module 6 is disposed on the contact surface and is positioned towards the side closer to the glove body 1, while the other side is used to restrain the cuff of the fire suit. This layout design ensures that when the airbag is inflated, the module is evenly pressed against the skin surface, achieving stable and slip-free physiological signal acquisition. At the same time, the outer area of ​​the annular airbag 5 forms a ring-shaped raised structure after inflation. Its height and hardness are designed to tightly wrap and restrain the outer edge of the fire suit cuff, forming a three-layer sealing structure of "airbag-cuff-skin". This effectively prevents external high-temperature steam, liquid water or chemical liquids from flowing back into the sleeve, significantly improving the sealing integrity of the overall protection system.

[0034] Regarding the width of the contact surface, it is understandable that: If the sleeve is too narrow (<1cm), the contact area will be insufficient. Specifically, this can easily lead to excessively high local pressure or unstable signal acquisition. In addition, the reserved space is not enough to restrain the cuffs of the fire suit, making it impossible to cooperate. If the width is too wide (>3cm), it will increase the resistance to wrist movement and affect the flexibility of operation; Therefore, the contact width is designed to be 1-3cm to achieve the best balance between ensuring sensor fit stability and physiological comfort.

[0035] In some embodiments, an ambient temperature sensor is installed on the back of the hand / outer side of the wrist to monitor local thermal radiation and air temperature in real time at the fire scene, compensating for the blind spots of human subjective perception. An environmental monitoring alarm temperature can be set according to the actual situation on site (e.g., when the ambient temperature is ≥45°C for 5 seconds), which will be automatically triggered to remind the user to pay attention to the risk of heat exposure. At the same time, corresponding signals can also be sent to a micro signal transmission module, such as MLX90614 and TMP006. Adding ambient temperature sensing and high temperature alarm functions to the existing smart fire-fighting gloves is a key upgrade to improve the firefighters' heat stress early warning capabilities.

[0036] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this document are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features.

[0037] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart flame-retardant and warm glove that can be used for vital sign monitoring, characterized in that, The device includes a glove body and a wrist assembly connected thereto. The wrist assembly includes a wearable part and a vital signs sensing module. The inner side of the wearable part is connected to an annular airbag that can expand to match the human wrist. The vital signs sensing module is disposed inside the annular airbag. The outer side of the vital signs sensing module is provided with a patch-type trigger component surrounding the vital signs sensing module. The vital signs sensing module periodically detects the wearer's vital signs parameters in response to the trigger signal of the patch-type trigger component.

2. The intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The five finger segments of the glove body have circular simulated fingerprints made of conductive yarn on the palm surface.

3. The intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wearable part is provided with Velcro, and the wearable part has a built-in elastic cord that is wrapped around it and connected to the Velcro.

4. The intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer side of the wearable part is provided with a pre-airbag surrounding the wearable part, and a press-type valve is provided between the pre-airbag and the annular airbag. The air pressure in the pre-airbag is higher than the air pressure in the annular airbag.

5. The intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic cord includes a fixed section and a telescopic section. The fixed section is connected between the telescopic section and the Velcro. A trigger is connected to the middle section of the fixed section. The trigger end of the push-button valve is located on the movement path of the trigger. The trigger is used to trigger the push-button valve.

6. The intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pre-airbag includes a primary airbag and a secondary airbag, both of which are equipped with a press-type valve.

7. The intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The glove body has a built-in button battery, the vital signs sensing module is electrically connected to the patch trigger component, and the vital signs sensing module and the patch trigger component are respectively electrically connected to the button battery.

8. The intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring according to claim 7, characterized in that: The glove body has a built-in signal transmission module, which is electrically connected to the vital signs sensing module and the button battery.

9. The intelligent flame-retardant and warm glove for vital sign monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner side of the annular airbag has a contact surface with a width of 1-3cm. The vital signs sensing module is disposed on the contact surface and is positioned towards the side closer to the glove body.

Images