WRAP GLOVE WITH PRESSURE SENSOR

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a striking glove with a damping element, a fluid-filled body and a preferably hydrostatic pressure sensor for measuring the pressure in the fluid-filled body, wherein the damping element is located between an impact surface of the striking glove and the fluid-filled body, wherein the striking glove further comprises a computing unit or is connectable to a computing unit which is configured to assign force values ​​to the pressure measurements taken by the pressure sensor.

[0002] In combat sports, two or more athletes typically compete against each other in a ring, attempting to land blows, kicks, or other forms of physical contact. Examples of such combat sports, which are the subject of this description, include boxing, karate, kickboxing, taekwondo, kung fu, etc.

[0003] For competition purposes, as well as for training and other tests, it is desirable to classify a punch or kick, for example, by assigning it a striking frequency, acceleration, force, a value derived from acceleration or force, or a combined variable such as striking technique. Various methods are known for measuring acceleration, such as video analysis of the athletes' movements or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) integrated into a striking glove. Examples of such methods include US 2017 / 134712, US 2018 / 001141, US 2012 / 144414, and WO 2019 / 106672.However, it has become apparent that the measured kinematic acceleration is insufficient to detect a hit on the opponent's body, as the striking athlete can, for example, intentionally decelerate their hand before impact, resulting in little or no force being transmitted. Therefore, a direct force measurement would be advantageous.

[0004] For example, the study "Walilko, TJ, Viano, DC, & Bir, CA (2005). Biomechanics of the head for Olympic boxer punches to the face. British journal of sports medicine, 39(10), 710-719" measured the forces of blows to the head of a dummy. It would be beneficial to obtain measurements occurring in practice in order to establish correlations with injuries or the athletes' performance.

[0005] Direct force measurement is hardly possible, as no methods for doing so are known. However, WO 2020 / 041806 describes striking gloves with integrated fluid elements. When these gloves land a hit on an opponent, the fluid element is compressed or pressurized. According to Boyle's Law, when an air-filled body is compressed, the internal pressure increases inversely proportional to the volume. According to WO 2020 / 041806, the force corresponding to the respective striking area can be calculated for each measured pressure value.

[0006] The method described in Austrian patent application A 50128 / 2023 can be used to calibrate such a striking glove. In this method, the striking glove is accelerated onto a force plate, and the pressure measurements of the glove and the force measurements recorded by the force plate are correlated. This allows a correlation function between the measured pressure and the striking force to be created.

[0007] The described punching gloves with a fluid-filled body and pressure sensor function very well to a certain extent, especially in training situations with punching bags. However, in actual use, i.e., when an athlete equipped with the boxing glove trains or fights with another athlete, extremely implausible readings occasionally occur, which have so far been inexplicable.

[0008] Further prior art is disclosed in US patent 2011159939A1, which discloses accelerometers with a measuring range up to 8 g. The measured values ​​of the accelerometer are evaluated to calculate an impact force.

[0009] The invention therefore aims to create a striking glove with a pressure sensor that provides more reliable measurement values.

[0010] This task is solved by a striking glove comprising a damping element, a fluid-filled body, and a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure in the fluid-filled body, wherein the damping element is located between an impact surface of the striking glove and the fluid-filled body, wherein the striking glove further comprises a computing unit or is connectable to a computing unit configured to assign force values ​​to the pressure measurements taken by the pressure sensor, wherein the striking glove is designed such that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact are in contact when the striking glove, with its impact surface, strikes a substantially indeformable cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm (representing an average forearm or the cover of an athlete) with a predetermined force of at least 2.5 kN.

[0011] Surprisingly, it has been found that when a punching glove strikes certain objects, such as another athlete's forearm, a force is transmitted "through" the fluid-filled body. A finding of the invention is that prior art punching gloves function excellently when they strike a flat surface or a large-diameter cylinder, such as a punching bag. This is because the force is distributed across the glove in a substantially "flat" and uniform manner, so that the force is transmitted evenly across the entire fluid-filled body. The fluid-filled body is compressed essentially uniformly, meaning that the two sides opposite each other in the direction of impact never touch.Accordingly, the pressure in the fluid-filled body will also increase as expected, so that the measured pressure is representative of the impact force.

[0012] However, if the striking glove strikes an uneven surface, the uneven distribution of force can cause the object to penetrate further into the glove. If the force is sufficiently great, the fluid-filled glove can be compressed so severely that the sides opposite each other in the direction of impact touch. This also means that a large portion of the force is dissipated through the fluid-filled glove, rendering the pressure within the glove no longer representative of the striking force.

[0013] It should be noted that the aforementioned phenomenon of such a highly compressed, fluid-filled body is not visible to the naked eye, since firstly, all mechanical processes take place inside the striking glove, and secondly, because the two opposite sides only touch for a fraction of a second. For this reason, it has not yet been understood why the pressure sensor of existing striking gloves sometimes delivered implausible results.

[0014] Once the inventor had gained this insight, the parameters could be established to provide a more reliable striking glove with a pressure sensor. On the one hand, it became clear that it was still difficult or impossible to prevent the fluid-filled body from being compressed until the opposite sides touched, especially in extreme cases such as striking a cone tip. On the other hand, a compromise was found to avoid the most common sources of error in actual combat sports: the striking glove was designed so that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact remain in contact when the striking glove, with its impact surface, strikes the lateral surface of a substantially indeformable cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm with a predetermined force.Based on this condition according to the invention, a more reliable striking glove can be provided.

[0015] The 7 cm diameter cylinder simulates, for example, a forearm or another body part of the opposing athlete. With the proposed solution, implausible pressure sensor readings were virtually eliminated. It should be noted that the proposed solution also prevents contact between the fluid-filled body and the sides opposite each other in the direction of impact, provided a cylinder diameter greater than 7 cm (e.g., 10 cm) is used. However, with a cylinder diameter of less than 7 cm (e.g., 5 cm), contact cannot be completely ruled out, but this is accepted as such thin elements are rarely used in combat sports.In principle, the striking glove could be made even more resistant to complete longitudinal contraction of the fluid-filled body by adjusting the materials or other properties, so that contact is impossible even with a cylinder diameter of, for example, 5 cm. This can be achieved, for instance, by further increasing the damping coefficient, reducing the residual volume, or increasing the internal pressure of the fluid-filled body (although this is difficult to implement permanently).

[0016] For the solution according to the invention, an impact force of 2.5 kN was chosen because, with such a force, contact occurs with currently known striking gloves with pressure sensors, at least when striking a cylinder as specified above. At the same time, however, this force is frequently reached in combat sports, particularly boxing. Knowing the problem posed by the invention and the associated solution, it was therefore necessary to design the striking glove in such a way that the sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact do not touch when striking the aforementioned cylinder with an impact of 2.5 kN, in order to deliver good measurement results even when blows are blocked by the forearm.

[0017] The predetermined force of 5 kN is particularly preferred, as this is the highest striking force used in heavyweight boxing, see the study by Walilko. Although contact between the sides of the fluid-filled body opposite the direction of impact when striking the aforementioned cylinder is not always prevented in the case of the punching glove according to the invention, if the striking force is, for example, 10 kN, this appears to be insignificant for the present application.

[0018] To prevent over-dimensioning, the striking glove can also be designed such that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact touch when the glove strikes the cylinder's surface with a second predetermined force greater than the first, for example, at least 6 kN. In other words, there is a threshold at which the opposite sides touch. This threshold is generally outside the range of forces prevalent in the respective application. For example, in heavyweight boxing, the second predetermined force might be 5.5 kN, 6 kN, or higher. In other weight classes, such as middleweight boxing, the second predetermined force could be, for example, 4 kN or 5 kN.

[0019] Once a person skilled in the art is equipped with the knowledge that the striking glove should be designed such that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact should remain in contact during a strike with the specified requirements, they can take suitable measures to implement this condition. It is understood that there are many measures to prevent the aforementioned contact of the opposite sides during a strike with the specified requirements, so a complete list of measures cannot be provided here.

[0020] In particular, the person skilled in the art can choose the geometry and arrangement of the fluid-filled body, the volume ratio of the fluid-filled body to the remaining volume of the striking glove, the damping coefficient for a force acting on the fluid-filled body, the expansion coefficient of the fluid-filled body under a force, and / or the internal pressure of the fluid-filled body so that the striking glove has the property explained above.

[0021] The damping coefficient of the striking glove is particularly preferably at least 20%, and preferably at least 30%, when a force corresponding to the predetermined force is applied to the impact surface. To achieve a high damping coefficient, the striking glove can, for example, include an additional support structure (e.g., an open-cell foam) within its fluid-filled body, while still allowing air to flow freely towards the pressure sensor.

[0022] Preferably, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the fluid-filled body is up to 5%, more preferably up to 3%, or most preferably up to 1%. These values ​​have proven suitable for achieving the property specified above. However, the stated values ​​are not mandatory, for example, if the specified property is achieved by choosing a particular shape or arrangement of the fluid-filled body. Furthermore, the internal pressure of the fluid-filled body could be increased to over 1 bar, for example, to at least 1.5 bar, at least 2 bar, or at least 4 bar. However, since this is difficult to implement permanently, the aforementioned measures are preferred. Furthermore, the fluid-filled body could also be filled with a different medium instead of air, in particular with a fluid with a higher density than air. This would then result in a different pressure ratio within the fluid-filled body under compression, which would also change the formulas below.

[0023] It should be mentioned here that, according to previous understanding, it was advantageous to keep the damping coefficient particularly low, since a low damping coefficient was expected to result in a more direct pressure transmission to the fluid-filled body. However, according to the invention, it was found that a high damping coefficient, as described above, is advantageous for other reasons.

[0024] It is particularly preferred if the striking glove is designed such that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact are separated by a distance of at least 1 mm or at least 3 mm when the striking glove impacts the cylinder with the predetermined force. This allows even higher forces to be absorbed without the opposite sides of the fluid-filled body touching, thus creating an even more robust striking glove. To determine this distance, a computer simulation of the striking glove can be performed, for example, or the formulas given in the figure description can be used.

[0025] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the striking glove includes a high-acceleration sensor capable of measuring kinetic acceleration values ​​of at least 64 g (where 1 g = 9.81 m / s²) in all three orthogonal spatial directions (six directions). It has been found that, according to the current state of the art, measuring striking gloves contain acceleration sensors that may be part of IMUs and can only measure up to a maximum of 8 g (e.g., US2011159939A1) or 16 g. This often leads to overloading in the sense of exceeding the measuring range on several axes, especially during deceleration upon impact with the target. In this case, the conventional acceleration sensor outputs the end-range value, but not the actual current acceleration measurement.Without this deceleration, there is a significant additional inaccuracy, as either the "pre-movement" before the start of the striking event (due to changes in velocity) is unknown (meaning no force transfer to the target can be calculated). Furthermore, with continuous measurement, the aforementioned measurement error accumulates permanently and leads to a relevantly high inaccuracy over time. The measurements from the high-acceleration sensor can therefore be used, among other things, for significantly more accurate striking tracking.

[0026] Another advantage of the high-acceleration sensor is that the aforementioned processing unit, or another processing unit (which may be located in the glove or externally, e.g., in the cloud), can be configured to determine a reference value for the impact force from measurements taken by the high-acceleration sensor during an impact, together with an estimated effective mass. Consequently, the aforementioned processing unit, or the other processing unit, can, for example, output the force value determined by the pressure sensor as the impact force if the reference value determined by the high-acceleration sensor is within a tolerance of 10%, 20%, or 30% of the force value determined by the pressure sensor, and output the reference value as the impact force if the reference value is outside the specified tolerance.Alternatively or additionally, the reference value can also be used to validate the striking glove, see below. Validation here means determining whether the striking glove possesses the properties according to the invention, i.e., whether the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact are non-contacting when the striking glove impacts a lateral surface of a substantially indeformable cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm with a predetermined force of at least 2.5 kN.

[0027] It is particularly preferred if the striking glove includes an inertial measurement unit with an accelerometer, wherein the inertial measurement unit or the (standard) accelerometer is preferably separate from the high-acceleration sensor, and wherein the aforementioned computing unit or a further computing unit is preferably configured to use the measured values ​​of the inertial measurement unit. The high-acceleration sensor can be used, in particular, to measure the peak acceleration during an impact, from which an impact force can be estimated. An impact force determined in this way can be compared with an impact force determined by the computing unit based on the pressure data (see below). If the high-acceleration sensor is separate from the IMU, this has the advantage that it only needs to be activated upon impact, thereby reducing energy consumption.

[0028] In another aspect, the invention provides a method for validating a striking glove with a damping body, a fluid-filled body and a pressure sensor for measuring the hydrostatic pressure in the fluid-filled body (preferably for validating a striking glove according to one of claims 1 to 4), comprising the steps: Numerically or empirically determining an expected pressure in the fluid-filled body when the striking glove strikes the cylinder with the stated predetermined force, striking the striking glove with the stated predetermined force against the cylinder, measuring the pressure in the fluid-filled body, and comparing whether the measured pressure is substantially the same as the expected pressure.

[0029] If, during the comparison step, it is found that the measured pressure essentially corresponds to the expected pressure, it can be concluded that the sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact have not touched, i.e., it is a striking glove according to the invention as specified above.

[0030] In a first preferred variant, the step of numerically determining the expected pressure comprises the following steps: Estimating the damping coefficient of the striking glove, the expected impact area of ​​the cylinder on the fluid-filled body, and optionally the expansion coefficient of the fluid-filled body, involves determining the expected pressure using the formula p = F(1-c+β) / A, where F is the predetermined force, c is the damping coefficient, β is the expansion coefficient, and A is the expected impact area of ​​the cylinder on the fluid-filled body. It is understood that the damping coefficient and the expansion coefficient may be a function of the tensile and compressive forces, respectively, depending on the material.

[0031] This has the advantage that no reference blows (i.e., empirical determination) are necessary, thus enabling faster validation. Estimating the stated values ​​based on the experience of a person skilled in the art is sufficient for validation, since a measured pressure value will be far less accurate if the opposite sides of the fluid-filled body touch during the blow.

[0032] In a second preferred variant, the step of empirically determining the expected pressure comprises the following steps: Striking the striking glove with the stated force against a flat surface and measuring the pressure in the fluid-filled body to obtain the expected pressure.

[0033] This has the advantage that a clear reference value can be obtained, from which it can be assumed with an extremely high probability that the opposite sides of the fluid-filled body will not touch during the strike, since this will be the case for the planar planes even with striking gloves according to the state of the art.

[0034] In a third preferred variant, the step of empirically determining the expected pressure comprises the following steps: Striking the striking glove with a test force on the aforementioned cylinder, wherein the test force is less than the predetermined force, preferably less than 4 kN, less than 3 kN, less than 2 kN or less than 1 kN, and measuring the pressure in the fluid-filled body to obtain a test pressure measurement, determining the expected pressure based on the test pressure measurement.

[0035] This has the advantage that the same striking surface can be used for both the reference strike and the actual test strike, eliminating the need to change the striking surface. This approach assumes a small force, with the expectation that the opposite sides of the fluid-filled body will not touch during the strike. The relationship between the test pressure measurement and the expected pressure can be determined beforehand through trials with a previously validated striking glove. In the simplest case, a linear relationship can be assumed (if the predetermined force is twice the test force, the expected pressure should be twice the test pressure measurement), but this method is by no means limited to this and other relationships can also be used.

[0036] In a fourth preferred variant of the empirical determination, the striking glove can include a high-acceleration sensor capable of measuring acceleration values ​​of at least 64 g. A reference value is determined from the high-acceleration sensor readings during an impact, i.e., during deceleration, together with an estimated effective mass. The empirical determination of the expected pressure step includes determining the reference value during the impact step of striking the cylinder with the specified force of, for example, 2.5 kN or 5 kN. The reference value is a force value and can be converted into the expected pressure using an estimated or calculated impact area. This has the advantage that empirical determination can also take place during the same impact.

[0037] Advantageous and non-restrictive embodiments of the invention described in the claims are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a striking glove for force measurement in a schematic view with the components located inside the striking glove. Figure 2 shows a striking glove during a strike onto a flat surface before the moment of impact. Figure 3 shows a striking glove during a strike onto a flat surface at the moment of impact. Figure 4 shows a striking glove according to the state of the art during a strike on a cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm with an impact force of 5 kN at the time of impact. Figure 5 shows a striking glove according to the invention during a strike on a cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm with an impact force of 5 kN at the time of impact. Figure 6shows a test rig for validating a striking glove for force measurement. Figures 7, 8 and 9 The acceleration curves occurring during an impact on a striking glove are shown along an x-axis ( Figure 7 ), a y-axis ( Figure 8 ) and a z-axis ( Figure 9 ). In the diagrams, the measured value is given in g and not in m / s 2< , where 1 g = 9.81 m / s 2< is assumed. Figure 10 shows a striking glove whose fluid-filled body includes a support structure.

[0038] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a striking glove 1 that includes a fluid-filled body 2 (also called a "pad"). The fluid-filled body 2 consists of a deformable shell filled with a fluid, in particular a gas such as air or a liquid. Inside the fluid-filled body 2 is a pressure sensor 3 that measures the hydrostatic pressure within the fluid-filled body and transmits this data, for example, to a processing unit 3', which can be located inside or outside the striking glove 1. The processing unit 3' can convert the pressure measurements from the pressure sensor 3 into force measurements, thus enabling the determination of the striking force of the striking glove 1. The processing unit 3' can be located inside or outside the body of the striking glove 1.

[0039] In one variant, an electronic circuit board 5 can be provided inside the fluid-filled body 2 to implement the aforementioned setup, on which, in addition to the aforementioned pressure sensor 3, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 4 and a high-acceleration sensor 4' intended for special evaluations (see below) can also be located. Figures 7 to 9), a computing unit with an internal or external transmission unit 6 (e.g., for communication with the computing unit 3'). The electronic circuit board 5 is usually located partially or completely inside the fluid-filled body and can be connected via a cable to a battery 7 located outside the fluid-filled body 2. It is understood that other variations are possible. For example, the battery could also be located inside the fluid-filled body 2, and the electronic circuit board 5 could be molded in. The device also does not have to be wireless if, for example, hardware interfaces are present. Furthermore, the high-acceleration sensor 4' could be part of the IMU, and there could be no additional high-acceleration sensor 4'.

[0040] Furthermore, the striking glove 1 includes a cushioning element 8, which is located between an impact surface 9 of the striking glove 1 and the fluid-filled body 2. The cushioning element 8 typically consists of an outer shell 10 and a foam core 11. The outer shell 10 is in most cases a layer of leather or a synthetic leather layer, i.e., a layer of plastic. One side of the outer shell 10 forms the impact surface 9, and the foam core 11 is located on the other side of the outer shell 10. The foam core 11 separates the fluid-filled body 2 from the outer shell 10.

[0041] The impact surface 9 is essentially the frontal surface (convex side in front of the palm extension) of the striking glove 1, which is usually used to deliver a punch, as in Figure 1The impact surface 9 could also be located on the back of the hand or at another point on the striking glove 1, with the fluid-filled body 2 being designed accordingly.

[0042] The damping element 8 has the effect of reducing an incoming impact force Fs (or the force exerted by the striking glove 1) by a certain factor, and consequently the fluid-filled body 2 experiences a lower effective force Fe. This is referred to as the damping coefficient c of the striking glove 1. This is in Figure 1 The diagram shows that on the inside of the striking glove 1, a striking force Fs is exerted by the athlete's hand, and on the outer impact surface 9, the opposite force Fs is present. However, due to the damping of the damping body 8, the fluid-filled body 2 experiences only the effective force Fe, which is less than the striking force Fs (in Figure 1The effective force Fe is shown offset for easier overview.

[0043] The damping coefficient c is generally dependent on the material properties and thicknesses of the materials used in the striking glove 1 and is usually not linear, but can vary depending on the impact force Fs. For example, the damping coefficient of the same striking glove 1 might be 15% for an impact force of 1 kN and 18% for an impact force of 2 kN (values ​​arbitrarily chosen). The damping coefficient c should therefore be specified for a given impact force Fs.

[0044] The damping coefficient c can be determined in the simplest case by a computer simulation if the material properties of the components of the striking glove 1 and its internal structure are known. However, essentially the same result is obtained by determining the damping coefficient c empirically, e.g., using a test rig 101 as described in Figure 6 The test rig 101 optionally includes a substantially horizontally arranged force measuring plate 102, which measures and outputs force values ​​(or simply a rigid plate 103 as shown in the Figures 2 and 3(shown without further functions), and at least two holding positions x1, x2. The optional force plate 102 can have a sensor range of, for example, 5 kN, as this is the largest expected force measurement. A predetermined mass of, for example, 3 kg is typically arranged in the striking glove 1. In the illustrated example, the holding positions x1, x2 are located at different distances vertically above the force plate 102. If the striking glove 1 is now moved to one of the holding positions x1, x2 and dropped, it is accelerated by gravity towards the force plate 102. Due to the different distances of the holding positions x1, x2 from the force plate 102, the striking glove 1 will impact the force plate 102 at different speeds, so that dropping it from the two holding positions x1, x2 will result in different impact forces Fs.The test stand 101 could naturally also be designed differently, e.g. by means of a predetermined acceleration of the striking glove 1 in a horizontal direction, e.g. if the striking glove 1 is accelerated by a spring or a motor.

[0045] The test stand 101 allows a predetermined impact force Fs to be applied to the striking glove 1. This force can be determined by the mass and height of the holding positions x1, x2 or measured via the force plate 102. Simultaneously, the pressure inside the striking glove 1 can be measured by the pressure sensor 3. The effective force Fe can then be determined from the pressure sensor 3 using the formula Fe = p*A. The damping coefficient c can subsequently be determined using the formula Fe = (1-c)*Fs.

[0046] The explanations above (regarding both numerical and empirical determinations) are sufficient as a first approximation; however, the expansion coefficient β of the fluid-filled body 2 can also be taken into account. The expansion coefficient β describes the expansion of the fluid-filled body 2 under the influence of a force, such that the surface area of ​​the fluid-filled body 2 can change. Considering the expansion coefficient β, the effective force Fe can be determined using the formula Fe = (1-c+β)*Fs. However, since the expansion coefficient β is generally smaller than the damping coefficient c, it can also be neglected or set to β = 0 as a first approximation.

[0047] The Figures 2 and 3The figures show typical deformations of the striking glove 1 when struck against a flat surface 103 (such as the force plate 102 or a rigid plate of the described test rig 101). The flat surface 103 could also be formed by a punching bag, which, due to its large diameter, forms a substantially flat surface. The deformations shown occur both with striking gloves 1 with a fluid-filled body 2, constructed according to the prior art and according to the present invention. Figure 2 Figure 1 shows the fluid-filled body 2 during acceleration, i.e., before impact with the flat surface 103, i.e., essentially without external force, at which a rest pressure p0 (e.g., 1 bar) exists in the fluid-filled body. The fluid-filled body 2 can be described as essentially undeformed.

[0048] Figure 3 shows the striking glove 1 of Figure 2Upon impact with the flat surface 103, i.e., while the impact force Fs of, for example, 5 kN is applied to the impact surface 9, the force is transferred evenly to the fluid-filled body 2 via the flat surface 103, so that it is essentially compressed uniformly. This is an ideal case that occurs in training situations and during tests using a test rig 101. However, this situation is also regularly reached in real combat situations, for example, when a body shot occurs, with the body forming the flat surface 103.

[0049] It should be evident that in such a crushing action between two essentially flat surfaces, the two sides of the fluid-filled body 2 opposite each other in the direction of impact will never come into contact. However, it is a finding of the invention that this situation is different for a striking glove according to the prior art when the striking glove impacts an uneven surface such as a forearm or a cylinder 104 with a diameter of 7 cm (which approximates the shape of a forearm). This situation is in Figure 4 shown.

[0050] Out of Figure 4It is evident that with an arbitrarily manufactured striking glove 200, the incoming force cannot be distributed over the entire surface of the fluid-filled body 2, but only over a portion of it. As a result, the fluid-filled body 2 is only locally compressed until the two sides of the fluid-filled body 2 opposite each other in the direction of impact come into contact. Consequently, however, there is no longer any pressure within the fluid-filled body 2 that is representative of the incoming impact force Fs. This problem, or rather its cause, went unrecognized for a long time and is not corrected in striking gloves according to the state of the art, since the phenomenon of the complete compression of the fluid-filled body 2 is not visible to the naked eye.

[0051] Figure 5shows that the striking glove 1 produced according to the invention is designed in such a way that there is no contact between the two sides of the fluid-filled body 2 opposite each other in the direction of impact, even when the striking glove 1 strikes a lateral surface of a substantially indeformable cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm with a force of 5 kN.

[0052] It should be noted that the force of 5 kN in this example is considered a predetermined force, meaning that the striking glove 1 is designed to deliver reliable measurement results at 5 kN. The predetermined force could also be lower, e.g., 4 kN, 3 kN, or 2.5 kN, or higher, e.g., 6 kN. In the following examples, the predetermined force is set to 5 kN, but it could also be assumed to be more general, at least 2.5 kN.

[0053] Under the conditions stated above, it is easy for a person skilled in the art to construct the striking glove 1 according to the invention, for example by using a higher damping coefficient c and / or a lower coefficient of expansion β than in the prior art. In particular, the damping coefficient c of the striking glove 1 can be at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, when a force of 5 kN is applied to the impact surface, and / or the coefficient of expansion β of the fluid-filled body can be up to 5%, preferably up to 3%, or particularly preferably up to 1%.

[0054] To achieve a high damping coefficient c, the person skilled in the art can, for example, use a different, better damping material for the foam body 11, introduce an additional material such as a separating layer into the foam body 11 and / or increase the distance between the impact surface 9 and the fluid-filled body 2 – in particular, this distance should be chosen to be higher than in Figure 1 as is evident.

[0055] To achieve a low coefficient of expansion β, the fluid-filled body can, for example, be made from a less elastic material.

[0056] Further considerations can be taken into account to ensure that, under the specified conditions, the two sides of the fluid-filled body 2 opposite each other in the direction of impact do not come into contact. For example, the distance between the impact surface 9 and the fluid-filled body 2 can be made greater than is the case with striking gloves according to the prior art, firstly because this increases the damping coefficient c as explained above, and secondly to reduce the penetration volume of the cylinder 104 into the fluid-filled body 2.

[0057] The maximum permissible penetration volume Vx of cylinder 104 into the fluid-filled body 2 can be calculated as Vx = Vz / 2+dz*hz*(hpad-dz / 2-hrest). Where: Vz is the cylinder volume with a cylinder height hz assumed at the impact surface, dz is the cylinder diameter, hz is the cylinder height hz assumed at the impact surface normal to the impact direction and to the cylinder diameter, hpad is the thickness of the fluid-filled body before a force is applied (e.g. the distance from the bottom and top of the fluid-filled body in the impact direction), and hrest is the remaining thickness of the fluid-filled body 2 when a force is applied in the impact direction.

[0058] According to Boyle's Law, the equation V0 / Vy = ppad / p0 can now be formulated. Where: Vx is the specified penetration volume, Vy is the residual volume, where Vy = V0-Vx, where V0 is the volume of the fluid-filled body 2 before a force is applied, ppad is the maximum pressure in the fluid-filled body 2 during contact with the target, and p0 is the specified static pressure, usually 1 bar.

[0059] The pressure ppad in the fluid-filled body 2 during the impact can in turn be calculated from ppad = Fe / Az. Here: Fe is the effective force acting on the fluid-filled body 2, which is calculated as above as Fe = (1-c+β)*Fs, and Az is the imaginary contact area of ​​the cylinder 104 on the fluid-filled body 2 during the impact, e.g. roughly Az = dz*hz.

[0060] It is understood that the above formulas can be further refined, for example, if the geometry of the fluid-filled body 2 is described in more detail. Furthermore, it is understood that the formula can be modified so that not the entire half of the cylinder penetrates, but only a corresponding circular segment of the base is included in the calculation.

[0061] The preceding formulas include the condition according to the invention that the two sides of the fluid-filled body 2 opposite each other in the direction of impact are non-contacting when the striking glove 1 with impact surface 9 strikes the cylinder 104 with a force of 5 kN, i.e., the residual thickness hrest of the fluid-filled body 2 under force is greater than zero. It is advantageous if the striking glove 1 is dimensioned such that the residual thickness hrest of the fluid-filled body 2 under a force of 5 kN is at least 1 mm or at least 3 mm.

[0062] In an example, the geometric dimensions V0, hz, Vz, dz, hpad, Az can be considered given. Furthermore, the exemplary values ​​p0 = 1 bar and Fs = 4.7 kN can be assumed. If the boundary condition is set that the opposite sides of the fluid-filled body 2 should only approach each other to within hrest = 0.1 cm, a penetration volume Vx can be calculated. For the equation V0 / Vy = ppad / p0 to be satisfied, the damping coefficient c and the expansion coefficient β must be chosen accordingly, e.g., with c = 50% and β = 5%.

[0063] In particular, it is evident from the formulas above that the conditions according to the invention are achieved when the effective force is particularly small, which can be achieved by choosing a particularly large damping coefficient c and a particularly small expansion coefficient β. Furthermore, the ratio V0 / Vy can be adjusted by shaping and arranging the fluid-filled body 2 within the striking glove 1.

[0064] It is evident that the person skilled in the art is free to adjust a variety of parameters to meet the condition according to the invention. In practice, it is advantageous for the person skilled in the art to manufacture a striking glove 1 according to the outlines of the above teaching and then test (validate) whether it has the property that the two sides of the fluid-filled body 2 opposite each other in the direction of impact are non-contacting when the striking glove 1 impacts a lateral surface of a substantially indeformable cylinder 104 with a diameter of 7 cm with a force of 5 kN.

[0065] To validate a striking glove 1, i.e. to test that the sides opposite in the direction of impact are indeed non-contacting when the cylinder 104 is struck with 5 kN, the following procedure can be used.

[0066] First, the pressure expected in the fluid-filled body when the striking glove 1 impacts the cylinder 104 with a force of 5 kN is determined. This determination of the expected pressure can be carried out in several ways. For example, the pressure can be determined numerically by having a person skilled in the art estimate the damping coefficient c of the striking glove, the expected impact area A of the cylinder 104 on the fluid-filled body 2, and optionally the coefficient of thermal expansion β. The expected pressure can then be estimated as p = F(1-c+β) / A, where F = 5 kN.

[0067] The expected pressure can also be determined empirically, for example, by first striking the striking glove 1 with 5 kN onto a flat surface 103 and measuring the pressure (it should be expected that, regardless of the object's shape, the same striking force will result in at least similar pressure measurements). Alternatively, the expected pressure can be determined by first striking the aforementioned cylinder 104 with a force lower than 5 kN, whereby the lower force is chosen such that the sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact do not touch, for example, at approximately 3 kN. Since the expected impact area A of the cylinder 104 on the fluid-filled body 2 will not change or will change only negligibly, a determinable relationship between pressure and force is expected, allowing the measured pressure value for the lower force to be extrapolated to the force of 5 kN.

[0068] After or before the expected pressure has been determined, the next step involves striking the striking glove 1 with the specified force of 5 kN on the specified cylinder 104 and measuring the pressure in the fluid-filled body 2. This (and also the strikes for empirically determining the expected pressure) can be carried out using the specified test stand 101.

[0069] Once the expected pressure of 5 kN upon impact on cylinder 104 and the measured pressure of 5 kN upon impact on cylinder 104 are available, the impact glove 1 can be validated, i.e., the two values ​​are compared, for example, using an evaluation unit 105, which receives the measured values ​​from the pressure sensor 2 and can also be connected to the force plate 102 to confirm the measured impact force Fs. If the expected pressure essentially corresponds to the measured pressure, it can be concluded that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact did not touch when the cylinder 104 was struck with 5 kN. Thus, an impact glove 1 with the properties according to the invention is present.However, if the expected pressure and the measured pressure differ significantly, it can be concluded that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact touched the cylinder 104 when struck with 5 kN. Therefore, this is not a striking glove with the properties of the invention, but rather a striking glove 200 as described in [reference missing]. Figure 4 shown.

[0070] Since the pressure measurements in the fluid-filled body 2 will in practice hardly correlate with the impact force when the opposite sides of the fluid-filled body 2 are in contact, the criterion that the expected pressure should essentially correspond to the measured pressure can be interpreted broadly, e.g., as + / -10% or even as + / -20%. Therefore, the estimation of the aforementioned values ​​for numerical determination can also be extremely rough.

[0071] The Figures 7 to 9The acceleration values ​​ax, ay, az are shown for a strike with the striking glove 1, where the impact force Fs = 5 kN. The vertical axis shows the acceleration in units of g, where g = 9.81 m / s². The horizontal axis shows a time curve, with the impact of the strike beginning at approximately 0.72 seconds. In the strike for which the acceleration values ​​are shown, the striking glove 1 struck a flat surface 103, and the same or at least similar acceleration values ​​are expected for a strike on a cylinder 104 with the aforementioned properties. The acceleration value ay was measured along the direction of the strike, and the acceleration values ​​ax, az in orthogonal directions normal to the direction of the strike; see also the coordinate system in [reference missing]. Figure 1 .

[0072] It should be noted here that this acceleration profile, which occurs after the striking glove 1 hits a target, is not measured in the prior art for the striking gloves 200. While, for example, the striking glove of WO 2020 / 041806 also includes an accelerometer, this is used to track the movement of the hand during a strike ("during the execution of the strike"). However, the accelerometer described there is only a conventional accelerometer, and it is specifically stated that the accelerometer shown there is not suitable for deriving a force from the acceleration during impact.

[0073] One problem with the accelerometers built into state-of-the-art striking gloves is that they are usually part of conventional IMUs and can typically only record negative accelerations of a maximum of 16 g (in each direction). IMUs are relevant because, in addition to linear acceleration, they also record rotation rates, which are necessary for tracking the hand during the execution of a striking motion. From the curves of the Figures 7 to 9 However, it is evident that such accelerometers are insufficient to adequately determine the peak accelerations, as these range from 50 g to 64 g, or even slightly higher across axes, e.g., 71 g. Such precise determination is also unnecessary in the prior art, since measuring accelerations up to 16 g is sufficient when tracking a hand.

[0074] In a further aspect of the invention, a high-acceleration sensor 4' is used which can measure accelerations of at least 64 g per direction. This can be part of an IMU, but it is particularly preferred that the high-acceleration sensor 4' is provided in addition to an IMU which has a conventional accelerometer that can, for example, measure accelerations of up to 16 g.

[0075] If the high-acceleration sensor 4' is implemented separately from the IMU, this has the particular advantage that the IMU's gyroscope can be used to adequately compensate for gravity in the acceleration data from the high-acceleration sensor 4'. In other words, the measurement data from the high-acceleration sensor 4' and the IMU's gyroscope can be combined to determine the acceleration values ​​of the striking glove 1, which can be done, for example, via the processing unit 3'.

[0076] The acceleration values ​​determined by the high-acceleration sensor 4' can be used to determine an impact force, either as an alternative or in addition to the fluid-filled body 2 with pressure sensor 3. It should be noted that an impact force Fs determined via the high-acceleration sensor 4' is informative, but generally less precise than an impact force Fs determined via the pressure sensor 3.

[0077] To determine the impact force Fs using the high-acceleration sensor 4', an effective mass can be estimated and multiplied by the acceleration readings from the high-acceleration sensor 4' to calculate the impact force Fs. Alternatively, the effective mass can be measured empirically and then used statistical methods (e.g., machine learning) to approximate the force. The impact force determined in this way using the high-acceleration sensor 4' can serve as a reference value, for example, to verify a pressure force measured by the pressure sensor 3. If the reference value is within a tolerance of, for example, 10%, 20%, or 30% of the impact force Fs determined by the pressure sensor 3, it can be concluded that the sides of the fluid-filled body 2 opposite each other in the direction of impact did not touch.However, if the reference value lies outside the specified tolerance, it can be concluded that the measured values ​​of pressure sensor 3 are not meaningful, e.g., because the sides of the fluid-filled body 2 opposite each other in the direction of impact were in contact, or because a different type of impact occurred for which the fluid-filled body 2 is not designed, e.g., a lateral blow with the striking glove 1 or a backhand strike. In summary, the impact force is preferably determined based on the data supplied by pressure sensor 3 if the reference value lies within the specified tolerance; otherwise, the reference value itself can be used as the impact force.

[0078] Furthermore, the data supplied by the high acceleration sensor 4' can be used for more accurate impact detection (via, for example, machine learning or decision tree statistics), since the high acceleration sensor 4' can also determine an exact direction of impact (with a classic IMU, several axes are usually overloaded or have plateau formations, so that they experience an exceedance of the measurement range, which leads to a serious measurement error).

[0079] Figure 10Figure 1 shows a particularly preferred embodiment in which a support structure 20 is located inside the fluid-filled body 2. The support structure 20 exerts resistance when the fluid-filled body 2 is compressed, thus increasing the damping coefficient c of the striking glove 1. The support structure 20 is designed such that the fluid within the fluid-filled body 2 can continue to spread undisturbed, thereby ensuring that the pressure measurement is not affected. For this purpose, the support structure 20 is, for example, designed to be open-pored. In the embodiment shown in Figure 20, the support structure 20 is designed to be open-pored. Figure 10The fluid-filled body 2 is shown with a honeycomb-shaped support structure 20, which has proven particularly effective in practice. In this embodiment, the two opposite sides of the fluid-filled body indirectly touch when the support structure 20 is compressed to a maximum. It could also be defined that the striking glove 1 is designed such that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact are in contact without a maximally compressed support structure 20 (if present) and / or at a minimum distance of, for example, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm or more (at this minimum distance, the support structure 20 will in any case not yet be maximally compressed) when the striking glove is struck with the impact surface with a predetermined force, which, for example,The impact force is at least 2.5 kN or at least 5 kN, and the impact surface is on a lateral surface of a substantially indeformable cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm. If no support structure 20 is present between the sides opposite each other in the direction of impact, it can be defined that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact are in any case non-contact when the striking glove impacts the lateral surface of a substantially indeformable cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm with a predetermined force of at least 2.5 kN. Regardless of whether a support structure 20 is present, it could also be defined that the two sides of the fluid-filled body opposite each other in the direction of impact are at a minimum distance of, for example, 2.5 kN.1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm or more are present when the striking glove with the impact surface strikes a lateral surface of a substantially indeformable cylinder with a diameter of 7 cm with a predetermined force of at least 2.5 kN.

Claims

1. A boxing glove (1) comprising a cushioning body (8), a fluid-filled body (2) and a pressure sensor (3) for measuring the hydrostatic pressure in the fluid-filled body (2), wherein at least a portion of the damping body (8) is situated between an impact surface (9) of the impact glove (1) and the fluid-filled body (2), wherein the impact glove (1) further comprises a computing unit (3') or is connectable to a computing unit (3') which is designed to assign force values to the pressure readings measured by the pressure sensor (3), characterised in that the impact glove (1) is designed such that the two sides of the fluid-filled body (2) opposite one another lie contact-free in the direction of impact when the impact glove (1) strikes, with its impact surface (9), a lateral surface of a substantially non-deformable cylinder (104) with a diameter of 7 cm.

2. Impact glove (1) according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined force is substantially 2.5 kN, substantially 3 kN, substantially 4 kN or substantially 5 kN.

3. Impact glove (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the impact glove (1) is configured such that the two sides of the fluid-filled body (2) opposite one another in the direction of impact come into contact when the impact glove (1) strikes the outer surface of said cylinder (104) with the impact surface (9) with a further predetermined force which is greater than the first-mentioned predetermined force and amounts, for example, to at least 6 kN.

4. Impact glove (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a support structure (20) is present within the fluid-filled body (2).

5. Impact glove (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the damping coefficient of the impact glove (1) is at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, when a force corresponding to the predetermined force impacts the impact surface (9).

6. Impact glove (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the expansion coefficient of the fluid-filled body is up to 5%, preferably up to 3% or more preferably up to 1%.

7. Impact glove (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the impact glove (1) is designed such that the two sides of the fluid-filled body (2) opposite one another in the direction of impact are spaced apart by at least 1 mm or at least 3 mm when the impact glove (1) strikes the said cylinder (104) with the impact surface (9) with the predetermined force.

8. Impact glove (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the impact glove (1) comprises a high-acceleration sensor (4') capable of measuring acceleration values of at least 64 g.

9. Impact glove (1) according to claim 8, wherein the said computing unit (3') or a further computing unit is configured to determine a reference value from measured values of the high-acceleration sensor (4') during an impact, together with an estimated effective mass, and wherein said computing unit (3') or the further computing unit is preferably further configured to output the force value determined via the pressure sensor (3) as an impact force (Fs) if the reference value determined via the high-acceleration sensor (4') lies within a tolerance of 10%, 20% or 30% of the force value determined via the pressure sensor (3), and to output the reference value as an impact force (Fs) if the reference value lies outside the said tolerance.

10. A method for validating an impact glove (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a damping body (8), a fluid-filled body (2) and a pressure sensor (3) for measuring the hydrostatic pressure in the fluid-filled body (2), comprising the steps of: - numerically or empirically determining an expected pressure that is expected in the fluid-filled body (2) when the impact glove (1) strikes a lateral surface of a substantially non-deformable cylinder (104) with a diameter of 7 cm with a predetermined force of at least 2.5 kN, - impacting the impact glove (1) against said cylinder (104) with said force and measuring the pressure in the fluid-filled body (2) by means of the pressure sensor (3), and - comparing whether the measured pressure substantially corresponds to the expected pressure.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of numerically determining the expected pressure comprises the following steps: - Estimating a damping coefficient (c) of the impact glove (1), the expected impact area of the cylinder (104) on the fluid-filled body (102) and, optionally, also an expansion coefficient (β) of the fluid-filled body (2), - determining the expected pressure, preferably using the formula p = F(1-c+β) / A, where F is the predetermined force, c is the damping coefficient, β is the expansion coefficient, and A is the expected impact area of the cylinder (104) on the fluid-filled body (2).

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of empirically determining the expected pressure comprises the following steps: - striking a flat surface (103) with the impact glove (1) using said force and measuring the pressure within the fluid-filled body (2) to obtain the expected pressure.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of empirically determining the expected pressure comprises the following steps: - striking the impact glove (1) with a test force against said cylinder (104), wherein the test force is less than the predetermined force, preferably less than 4 kN or less than 3 kN, and measuring the pressure in the fluid-filled body (2) to obtain a test pressure reading, - determining the expected pressure on the basis of the test pressure measurement value.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the impact glove (1) comprises a high-acceleration sensor (4') capable of measuring acceleration values of at least 64 g per axis, and a reference value is determined from measurement values of the high-acceleration sensor (4') during an impact together with an estimated effective mass, wherein the step of empirically determining the expected pressure comprises determining the reference value during the step of striking said cylinder (104) with said force.