Wearable device

Abstract

This disclosure enables the thinning of wearable devices. The wearable device comprises: a base worn on the body, formed of an elastomer; at least one electronic device fixed to the base; and at least one conductive wire sewn to the base and electrically connected to the electronic device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wearable devices. Background Technology

[0002] Wearable devices that are worn on the body are known (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-167572 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] Traditional wearable devices have a structure with sensors, insulated cables, and other components embedded between the inner and outer layers, resulting in a large thickness and difficulty in moving the body while wearing them. Therefore, there is a desire to make wearable devices thinner.

[0008] Methods for solving problems

[0009] This disclosure can be implemented in the following ways.

[0010] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a wearable device is provided. The wearable device comprises: a base worn on the body, the base being formed of an elastomer; at least one electronic device fixed to the base; and at least one conductive wire sewn to the base and electrically connected to the electronic device.

[0011] Wearable devices based on this method embed electronic devices and conductive lines in a base plate, thus enabling the wearable device to be made thinner.

[0012] (2) Alternatively, in the wearable device described above, the base may have: a substrate layer with the conductive wires sewn on it; and a coating layer covering the conductive wires sewn on the substrate layer.

[0013] Wearable devices based on this method can protect conductive wires through a coating layer.

[0014] (3) Alternatively, in the wearable device described above, the at least one electronic device may include a first electronic device and a second electronic device fixed at a different position from the first electronic device, wherein the conductive line has a first portion electrically connected to the first electronic device and a second portion electrically connected to the second electronic device, and the first portion and the second portion intersect each other in three dimensions through an insulator.

[0015] Wearable devices based on this method can increase the freedom of layout for conductive lines.

[0016] (4) Alternatively, in the wearable device described above, the base may be configured as a glove and worn on the hand.

[0017] Wearable devices based on this method can provide thin, flexible wearable devices that allow for easy finger movement. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of wearable devices.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a wearable device.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the intersection of three solids.

[0021] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram showing other examples of the intersection of three solids. Detailed Implementation

[0022] A. Implementation method:

[0023] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a wearable device 10 as one embodiment of the present disclosure. The wearable device 10 is used when worn on a person's body. In this embodiment, the wearable device 10 is worn on the hand of the user UR and is used to detect the bending state of the user UR's fingers. The wearable device 10 includes a base 20, a plurality of sensors 30, a plurality of conductive wires 40, and a controller 50. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the sensors 30 are sometimes referred to as electronic devices.

[0024] The base 20 is worn on the hand of the user UR. In this embodiment, the base 20 is configured as a glove, covering the portion from the user UR's fingers to their wrist. The base 20 is configured to cover each finger individually. The base 20 is configured so that the fingertips are exposed. However, the base 20 may also be configured to cover the fingertips. The base 20 is formed of an insulating elastomer. In this embodiment, the base 20 is formed of silicone rubber.

[0025] Multiple sensors 30 are fixed to the base 20. In this embodiment, there are 10 sensors 30. Each sensor 30 is fixed to the back surface of the base 20. Each sensor 30 is positioned at a location corresponding to a finger joint. Here, the finger joints are referred to sequentially from the fingertip as the first joint, the second joint, and the third joint. The thumb has a first joint and a second joint, and the four fingers other than the thumb have a first joint, a second joint, and a third joint. Two of the ten sensors 30 are positioned on the thumb at the positions corresponding to the first joint and the second joint. Eight of the ten sensors 30 are positioned on the four fingers other than the thumb at the positions corresponding to the second joint and the third joint. Each sensor 30 is a bending sensor for detecting the bending state of the finger. The bending sensor is configured as a flat plate that bends and deforms following the movement of the finger. The resistance of the bending sensor changes according to the bending state. Therefore, the bending state of the finger can be detected based on the output voltage of each sensor 30. In this embodiment, each sensor 30 is inserted into a pouch-like portion provided in the base 20 and is bonded to the base 20 by silicone rubber.

[0026] Multiple conductive threads 40 are sewn to the base 20. The conductive threads 40 are conductive threads. In this embodiment, the conductive threads 40 are composed of bundles of nylon fibers and a silver-plated layer covering the fiber bundles. The conductive threads 40 do not have an insulating coating. In this embodiment, the conductive threads 40 are sewn to the base 20 in a straight-line stitch using a flat-seam sewing machine. The top thread of the sewing machine uses the conductive threads 40, and the bottom thread uses an insulating thread 45 (see reference). Figure 3 The insulated wire 45 is an insulating wire. The insulated wire 45 is composed of fiber bundles of insulating fibers, such as natural fibers like cotton, chemical fibers like nylon, or blended fibers containing both natural and chemical fibers. The insulated wire 45 does not have a metal plating or insulating coating. Furthermore, the conductive wire 40 can be sewn to the base 20 using a circular sewing machine or by hand.

[0027] Multiple conductive lines 40 are electrically connected to the sensor 30 and the controller 50, transmitting and receiving electrical signals between the sensor 30 and the controller 50. The multiple conductive lines 40 include one input-side conductive line 41 and ten output-side conductive lines 42. Figure 1 In the diagram, the input-side conductive line 41 is represented by a solid line, and the output-side conductive line 42 is represented by a dashed line. The input-side conductive line 41 branches from one to ten, each having one base end and ten front ends. The base end of the input-side conductive line 41 connects to the controller 50, and the front ends of the input-side conductive line 41 connect to the input-side terminal of the sensor 30. The output-side conductive line 42 is unbranched, having one base end and one front end. The base end of the output-side conductive line 42 connects to the output-side terminal of the sensor 30, and the front ends of the output-side conductive line 42 connect to the controller 50.

[0028] The controller 50 is fixed to the wrist portion of the base 20. In this embodiment, the controller 50 has one terminal connected to the base end of the input-side conductive line 41 and ten terminals connected to the front end of the output-side conductive line 42. The controller 50 includes a battery that applies voltage to each sensor 30 via the input-side conductive line 41, and a circuit board that processes the electrical signals acquired from each sensor 30 via the output-side conductive line 42. The controller 50 may also include a communicator for transmitting the detection results of each sensor 30 to an external device.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the wearable device 10. In this embodiment, the base 20 has a substrate layer 21 and a coating layer 22 disposed on the substrate layer 21. Conductive wires 40 are sewn onto the substrate layer 21. The coating layer 22 is configured to cover the conductive wires 40 sewn onto the substrate layer 21. The coating layer 22 may be disposed only on the portion of the base 20 where the conductive wires 40 are disposed, and may not be disposed on the entire area of ​​the base 20. In this embodiment, the substrate layer 21 and the coating layer 22 are formed of silicone rubber.

[0030] The substrate layer 21 can also be manufactured in multiple components. For example, the substrate layer 21 can be manufactured in two parts: a palm-side component and a back-side component. The palm-side component and the back-side component can be manufactured using an injection molding machine or a 3D printer. The back-side component is preferably flat to facilitate sewing the conductive wire 40 together using a sewing machine. After sewing the conductive wire 40 to the back-side component, the adhesive allowance of the palm-side component and the back-side component is heated to merge them together, thereby integrating the two components to obtain the substrate layer 21 with the conductive wire 40 sewn on. It is preferable to cut off any excess adhesive allowance. By coating the conductive wire 40 sewn onto the substrate layer 21 with silicone rubber, a coating layer 22 can be formed.

[0031] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the intersection of three-dimensional parts 49. Figure 4 These are explanatory diagrams showing other examples of the intersection of three-dimensional parts 49. For example... Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the wearable device 10 has two or more conductive wires 40 that intersect in a three-dimensional manner through an insulator, forming a three-dimensional intersection portion 49. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional intersection portion 49 is constructed by placing an insulating wire 45 and an input-side conductive wire 41 on top of the output-side conductive wire 42. However, the three-dimensional intersection portion 49 may also be constructed by placing an insulating wire 45 and an output-side conductive wire 42 on top of the input-side conductive wire 41. Figure 3In this embodiment, the input-side conductive line 41 and the output-side conductive line 42 intersect approximately at a right angle. However, the input-side conductive line 41 and the output-side conductive line 42 may also intersect at an angle of less than 90 degrees. In this embodiment, the sensors 30 connected to the intersecting input-side conductive line 41 and the output-side conductive line 42 are different. However, the sensors 30 connected to the intersecting input-side conductive line 41 and the output-side conductive line 42 may also be the same.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the insulating wire 45 is arranged approximately at a right angle to the lower conductive wire 40. However, it can also be arranged as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the insulating wires 45 are arranged substantially parallel to the lower conductive wires 40. In the three-dimensional intersection 49, the insulating wires 45 are arranged in a high-density configuration, for example, by satin stitching. Preferably, the spacing of the insulating wires 45 in the three-dimensional intersection 49 is smaller than the diameter of the upper conductive wire 40 or the lower conductive wire 40 with a smaller angle relative to the insulating wire 45. In this embodiment, the spacing of the insulating wires 45 in the three-dimensional intersection 49 is approximately zero, smaller than the diameter of the upper conductive wire 40 (i.e., the input-side conductive wire 41), and smaller than the diameter of the lower conductive wire 40 (i.e., the output-side conductive wire 42). Furthermore, in this disclosure, one of the two conductive wires 40 constituting the three-dimensional intersection 49 is sometimes referred to as the first part, and the other as the second part. The first part and the second part may also be two parts branching from a single input-side conductive wire 41. When the first part and the second part are connected to different sensors 30, the sensor 30 connected to the first part is sometimes referred to as the first electronic device, and the sensor 30 connected to the second part is referred to as the second electronic device.

[0033] According to the wearable device 10 described above in this embodiment, a sensor 30 and a conductive wire 40 are embedded in a base 20. Therefore, compared to a base consisting of two stacked layers (inner and outer), with the sensor and insulated cable embedded between the inner and outer layers, the structure of the wearable device 10 is simplified, and the wearable device 10 can be made thinner. Specifically, in this embodiment, a conductive wire 40 without insulation is used to transmit and receive electrical signals from the sensor 30; therefore, compared to using an insulated cable with insulation, the wearable device 10 can be effectively made thinner. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base 20 and the conductive wire 40 are integrated by sewing the conductive wire 40 to the base 20. Therefore, the structure of the wearable device 10 can be effectively simplified.

[0034] Furthermore, if the wearable device 10 is a glove-type device worn on the hand, its thickness would make it difficult to move the fingers, thus reducing comfort and operability. In contrast, in this embodiment, since the wearable device 10 is made thin, it provides a wearable device 10 with good comfort and operability.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the conductive wires 40 sewn to the substrate layer 21 of the base 20 are covered by the coating layer 22. Therefore, the coating layer 22 can protect the conductive wires 40 from external forces, etc.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the substrate layer 21 and coating layer 22 of the base 20 are formed of silicone rubber. Therefore, the water resistance and rust resistance of the portion where the conductive wires 40 are sewn together can be improved. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the water resistance of the portion where the conductive wires 40 are sewn together is improved, the wearable device 10 can be washed with water.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the input-side conductive line 41 branches from one to ten. Therefore, the number of input-side conductive lines 41 can be reduced. In addition, when the input-side conductive line 41 is not branched, one input-side conductive line 41 is required for each sensor 30.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a three-dimensional intersection portion 49 is provided where the input-side conductive line 41 and the output-side conductive line 42 intersect each other across an insulating line 45. Therefore, the layout freedom of the conductive lines 40 can be increased.

[0039] B. Other implementation methods:

[0040] (B1) The wearable device 10 of each of the above embodiments includes a sensor 30 for detecting the bending state of the fingers. In contrast, the wearable device 10 may also replace the sensor 30 for detecting the bending state of the fingers with an accelerometer sensor for detecting hand acceleration, a gyroscope sensor for detecting hand angular velocity, a pressure sensor for detecting pressure applied to the hand, etc. In addition to the sensor 30 for detecting the bending state of the fingers, the wearable device 10 may also include, for example, an accelerometer sensor for detecting hand acceleration, a gyroscope sensor for detecting hand angular velocity, a pressure sensor for detecting pressure applied to the hand, etc. Furthermore, the wearable device 10 may replace the sensor 30 with electronic devices such as LEDs, speakers, and actuators. The wearable device 10 may also include electronic devices such as LEDs, speakers, and actuators in addition to the sensor 30.

[0041] (B2) In the wearable device 10 of the above embodiment, the base 20 is configured as a glove type worn on the hand. In contrast, the base 20 may be configured as an armband type worn on the arm, a sock type worn on the foot, or a headband type worn on the head.

[0042] (B3) The wearable device 10 of the above embodiment includes a plurality of sensors 30 and a plurality of conductive wires 40. In contrast, the wearable device 10 may also include only one sensor 30 and only one conductive wire 40.

[0043] (B4) The wearable device 10 of the above embodiment has a coating layer 22 covering the conductive wire 40. In contrast, the wearable device 10 may also not have a coating layer 22.

[0044] (B5) The wearable device 10 of the above embodiment has two or more conductive wires 40 that intersect in three dimensions through an insulator, forming a three-dimensional intersection portion 49. In contrast, the wearable device 10 may also not have a three-dimensional intersection portion 49.

[0045] (B6) The wearable device 10 of the above embodiment includes a controller 50. Alternatively, the wearable device 10 may be configured separately from the controller 50.

[0046] (B7) The wearable device 10 of the above embodiment is used when worn on a person's body. In contrast, the wearable device 10 can also be used when worn on a humanoid robot's body.

[0047] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, technical features in embodiments corresponding to the technical features described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. In addition, technical features can be appropriately deleted if they are not described as essential technical features in this specification.

[0048] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0049] 10……Wearable device, 20……Base, 21……Substrate layer, 22……Coating layer, 30……Sensor, 40……Conductive line, 41……Input side conductive line, 42……Output side conductive line, 45……Insulated line, 49……Three-dimensional intersection, 50……Controller.

Claims

1. A wearable device, It possesses: It is worn at the base of the body, the base being formed of an elastomer; At least one electronic device is fixed to the base; and At least one conductive wire is sewn to the base and electrically connected to the electronic device.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein, The base has: a substrate layer on which the conductive wire is stitched; and a coating layer covering the conductive wire stitched to the substrate layer.

3. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one electronic device includes a first electronic device and a second electronic device fixed at a different position than the first electronic device. The conductive wire has a first portion electrically connected to the first electronic device and a second portion electrically connected to the second electronic device. The first part and the second part intersect three-dimensionally through an insulator.

4. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein, The base is configured as a glove and is worn on the hand.

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