control device

Abstract

This invention provides a technology for detecting water ingress into the control device of an electrical stimulation device. [Solution] A control device 108 for an electrical muscle stimulator comprises a housing 140 for housing a circuit board and a water ingress detection unit for detecting the ingress of liquid into the housing 140, wherein the housing 140 has a hole 142a into which liquid can enter, and further comprises a guide unit disposed inside the housing 140 for guiding the liquid to the components of the water ingress detection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a control device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a muscle stimulation device that applies electrical stimulation to a user's muscles. This muscle stimulation device moves the muscles by passing a weak current through the muscles to tense and relax them. Thereby, for example, muscle strength is enhanced.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Currently, technologies for detecting water ingress into the control device of an electrical stimulation device have not been sufficiently proposed.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in such a situation, and an exemplary object of one aspect thereof is to provide a technology for detecting water ingress into the control device of an electrical stimulation device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for a muscle electrical stimulation device, and includes a housing that houses a substrate, and a water ingress detection unit that detects the ingress of liquid into the housing. The housing has holes through which liquid can enter. The housing further includes a guiding unit that is disposed inside the housing and guides the liquid to a component of the water ingress detection unit.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an electrical stimulation device. This device includes an electrode unit and the above-described control device that supplies power to the electrode unit.

[0008] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, or any substitution of the components or expressions of this disclosure between methods, apparatus, systems, etc., is also valid as a form of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] This disclosure provides a technology for detecting water ingress into the control device of an electrical stimulation device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an electrical stimulation device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the function and configuration of an electrical stimulation device. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electrical stimulation device. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the control device as seen from the rear side of the housing. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the control device as seen from the rear side of the housing. [Figure 6] This is another perspective cross-sectional view of the control device shown in Figure 1, viewed from the rear side of the housing. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the guide rib of the control device and its surroundings. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the inside of the rear housing of the control device. [Figure 9] This block diagram shows the function and configuration of an electrical stimulation device related to a modified example. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a modified control device. [Figure 11] Figures 11(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of a modified control device, respectively. [Figure 12] Figures 12(a) to 12(c) are cross-sectional views of the control device according to a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] First, the background of arriving at the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. There has been proposed an electrical stimulation device with a wearable appliance that can be washed. When washing, it is necessary to remove the control device to avoid immersion in water, but it is possible that the wearable appliance may be washed with the control device accidentally attached. In such a case, it is necessary to detect immersion in water in order to avoid using the control device without noticing that it has been immersed in water. Therefore, the inventor has intensively studied the technology for detecting immersion in water in the control device of the electrical stimulation device and has arrived at the embodiments.

[0012] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive, and not all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the present disclosure. In the embodiments and modifications, the same or equivalent components and members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical stimulation device 100 according to an embodiment. The electrical stimulation device 100 is an EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) device that applies electrical stimulation to the muscles of a user. The electrical stimulation device 100 includes a wearable appliance 102 and an electrical stimulation unit 104 attached to the wearable appliance 102.

[0014] In the present embodiment, the wearable appliance 102 is configured to be wearable on the abdomen. The wearable appliance 102 is cylindrical and is worn on the abdomen so as to surround the abdomen. The wearable appliance 102 has elasticity and adheres closely to the abdomen. The material of the wearable appliance 102 is not particularly limited.

[0015] The electrical stimulation unit 104 includes a pair of electrode units 106 and a control device 108. The pair of electrode units 106 are provided on the inner circumferential side of the wearing device 102, specifically at a location corresponding to the rectus abdominis muscle. The pair of electrode units 106 are electrically connected to the control device 108. Electric power is supplied from the control device 108 to the pair of electrode units 106. The pair of electrode units 106 apply electrical stimulation by the supplied electric power to the rectus abdominis muscle of the user.

[0016] The control device 108 is detachably attached to the outer circumferential side of the wearing device 102. An operation unit 112 is provided on the housing 140 of the control device 108. The operation unit 112 is operated by the user. When the user operates the operation unit 112, an operation signal corresponding to the operation is generated. The control unit 118 (described later) of the control device 108 executes control based on the operation signal. The operation unit 112 may include buttons for increasing or decreasing the level of electrical stimulation.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions and configuration of the electrical stimulation device 100. Each block shown in FIG. 2 can be realized hardware-wise by elements and mechanical devices including a computer's CPU (Central Processing Unit), and software-wise by a computer program or the like. Here, however, functional blocks realized by their cooperation are depicted. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art referred to in this specification that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by combinations of hardware and software.

[0018] The control device 108 further includes a contact detection unit 114, a communication unit 116, a control unit 118, a pair of electrodes for detecting water immersion 120, and a battery 122.

[0019] The contact detection unit 114 detects when the pair of electrode parts 106 are in contact with the skin. In this embodiment, the contact detection unit 114 is configured as a current detection unit that detects the current flowing between the pair of electrode parts 106. That is, when the pair of electrode parts 106 are in proper contact with the skin, a current flows between the pair of electrode parts 106 through the skin, and skin contact can be detected by detecting this current.

[0020] The communication unit 116 communicates with an external device. The communication unit 116 may be configured as a wireless communication unit or as a wired communication unit. The purpose of communication is not particularly limited, but it may be used to transmit data stored in the electrical stimulator 100 or training history from the electrical stimulator 100 to an external device, or to receive commands from an external device regarding the operation of the electrical stimulator 100 or changes to its settings.

[0021] The battery 122 is electrically connected to the control unit 118 and supplies power to the control unit 118. The battery 122 is preferably a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, but it may also be a primary battery. The battery 122 may be charged by power received at a charging terminal (not shown), or by a contactless charging system such as wireless charging.

[0022] When the contact detection unit 114 detects that the pair of electrode units 106 are in contact with the skin, the control unit 118 applies a voltage between the pair of electrode units 106 for a predetermined operating time (e.g., 10 minutes) and at a predetermined period (e.g., a period with a frequency of 20 Hz) according to the exercise control program. In other words, it applies electrical stimulation to the location where each electrode is placed (in this example, the rectus abdominis muscle).

[0023] The control unit 118, together with a pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 and a battery 122, constitutes a water ingress detection unit 130 that detects water ingress into the control device 108. When the control unit 118 detects water ingress into the control device 108, it stores this information. If the control device 108 has a history of water ingress, the control unit 118 will not start applying electrical stimulation even if it receives a command from the user to start applying electrical stimulation.

[0024] The above describes the basic configuration of the electrical stimulation device 100. Next, its operation will be explained.

[0025] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the electrical stimulation device 100.

[0026] The power to the electrical stimulator 100 is turned on (S102).

[0027] The control unit 118 refers to its memory unit and determines whether or not there is a history of flooding (S104). If there is a history of flooding (Y in S104), the control unit 118 terminates the process. In this case, the user contacts support. If there is no history of flooding (N in S104), the control unit 118 proceeds to step S106.

[0028] The control unit 118 determines whether the electrode unit 106 is in contact with the skin based on the detection result from the contact detection unit 114 (S106). If the electrode unit 106 is not in contact with the skin (N in S106), the control unit 118 waits for a predetermined waiting time and then returns to the beginning of step S106. If the electrode unit 106 is in contact with the skin (Y in S106), the control unit 118 proceeds to step S108.

[0029] The control unit 118 starts applying electrical stimulation (S108). The application of electrical stimulation promotes blood flow. Furthermore, it is expected that the muscles will contract continuously, leading to muscle hypertrophy.

[0030] The control unit 118 determines whether or not the termination condition is met (S110). The termination condition may be, for example, that a predetermined operating time has elapsed, that the pair of electrode units 106 are no longer in contact with the skin, or that a termination instruction has been received from an external source (e.g., the user). If the termination condition is not met (N in S110), the control unit 118 waits for a predetermined waiting time and then returns the process to the beginning of S108. If the termination condition is met (Y in S110), the control unit 118 terminates the process. At this time, the power to the electrical stimulator 100 may be turned off.

[0031] However, even with a water ingress detection unit 130, water ingress cannot be detected unless the ingress liquid comes into contact with the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120. Therefore, the control device 108 is configured to guide the ingress liquid to the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120. This will be explained in detail below.

[0032] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the control device 108 from the rear housing portion 142 side. Figure 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the control device 108 from the rear housing portion 142 side. Figure 6 is another perspective cross-sectional view of the control device 108 from the rear housing portion 142 side. Note that in Figure 6, the display of various components has been omitted to make the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 and their surroundings easier to see. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the guide rib 136 and its surroundings. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the inside of the rear housing portion 142.

[0033] The housing 140 includes a front housing portion 141 on which the operating section 112 is provided, and a rear housing portion 142 facing the front housing portion 141 and to which the front housing portion 141 is attached. Both the front housing portion 141 and the rear housing portion 142 are concave, and a storage space S is formed between them. Note that only one of the front housing portion 141 or the rear housing portion 142 may be concave. The rear housing portion 142 and thus the housing 140 are detachably attached to the mounting device 102. Note that the housing 140 may include at least one other housing portion in addition to the front housing portion 141 and the rear housing portion 142. In other words, the housing 140 may be composed of three or more housing portions.

[0034] The storage space S, although not limited to these, houses two circuit boards: a main board 132 and a sub-board 134. The two circuit boards 132 and 134 are made up of printed circuit boards, and control circuits and electronic components (not shown) are mounted on the surface of each of the two circuit boards 132 and 134. The control unit 118 is made up of control circuits and electronic components mounted on the main board 132.

[0035] The pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 are arranged on the surface of the main circuit board 132 facing the rear housing portion 142, with a predetermined distance between them. As described above, the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 together with the control unit 118 and the battery 122 constitute a water ingress detection unit 130 that detects water ingress.

[0036] When liquid enters the housing 140 of the control device 108 and comes into contact with the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120, a short circuit occurs. Therefore, if the control unit 118 detects a short circuit, it means that water has entered the control device 108. In other words, the control unit 118 can detect water ingress into the control device 108 by detecting a short circuit. The control unit 118 also stores the detection of water ingress. The water ingress detection unit 130 has a known configuration, so further detailed explanation is omitted.

[0037] The rear housing portion 142 has four holes 142a for exposing the terminals 138. These terminals 138 detachably attach the control device 108 to the mounting device 102 and electrically connect the control device 108 to a pair of electrode portions 106.

[0038] The hole 142a in the rear housing portion 142, which exposes the terminal 138, penetrates the rear housing portion 142 and connects the storage space S with the outside of the housing 140. Therefore, because the rear housing portion 142 has the hole 142a, liquid can easily enter the inside of the housing 140. If the control device 108 is submerged in water, some water will inevitably enter. Therefore, if water will enter anyway, deliberately allowing water to enter can more reliably detect the water ingress. On the other hand, during normal use of the electrical stimulation device 100, even if you sweat or touch the control device 108 with wet hands, water is unlikely to enter through the hole 142a in the rear housing portion 142. As a modification, in addition to the rear housing portion 142, or instead of the rear housing portion 142, a hole may be formed in another part of the housing 140, for example, the front housing portion 141.

[0039] Inside the rear housing portion 142, the four holes 142a of the rear housing portion 142 are surrounded on all four sides by walls. Therefore, liquid that seeps in through the holes 142a does not easily spread laterally and tends to flow toward the front housing portion 141 opposite the rear housing portion 142. Consequently, liquid that seeps in through the hole 142a closest to the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 tends to flow toward the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120.

[0040] The control device 108 further includes guide ribs (guide parts) 136 inside the housing. The guide ribs 136 protrude toward a pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120, which are components of the water ingress detection unit 130 that the liquid is to come into contact with. The tips of the guide ribs 136 face the water ingress detection electrodes 120, preferably with a small gap (for example, a gap of a few millimeters) in between.

[0041] More specifically, in the examples shown in Figures 5-7, the guide rib 136 is directly connected to the inner wall of the rear housing portion 142 having a hole 142a. The guide rib 136 may be formed integrally with the rear housing portion 142, or it may be formed separately from the rear housing portion 142 and then fixed to the rear housing portion 142. Furthermore, the guide rib 136 may be connected to the rear housing portion 142 via a member not shown. In other words, the guide rib 136 may be indirectly connected to the inner wall of the rear housing portion 142. The guide rib 136 may also be directly or indirectly connected to the inner wall of the front housing portion 141.

[0042] In any case, the guide rib 136 is positioned inside the housing and protrudes toward the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120. As a result, if, for example, the control device 108 is placed in a washing machine, any liquid that seeps into the housing 140 through the hole 142a will reach the guide rib 136 as the control device 108 rotates, for example, inside the washing machine. The liquid will then flow along the guide rib 136 toward the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 and come into contact with them due to free fall or centrifugal force from the washing machine's rotation. In other words, the guide rib 136 guides the seeping liquid toward the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120. Therefore, according to this embodiment, since the seeping liquid can easily reach the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120, water ingress is easily detected.

[0043] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figures 5-7, the guide rib 136 is directly connected to the inner wall of the rear housing portion 142 which has a hole 142a. Therefore, it is easy for the guide rib 136 to reach the guide rib 136 via the inner wall of the rear housing portion 142 from the hole 142a. As a result, the immersed liquid can easily reach the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120, and thus water ingress can be easily detected.

[0044] Furthermore, in the examples shown in Figures 5-7, the possible path for liquid from hole 142a to guide rib 136 includes a portion going from the rear housing portion 142 to the front housing portion 141 (from the top to the bottom of the paper in Figure 7), but does not include a portion going from the front housing portion 141 to the rear housing portion 142 (from the bottom to the top of the paper in Figure 7). Therefore, liquid that enters the interior of housing 140 through hole 142a can easily reach the guide rib 136 and, consequently, the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120, making water ingress easily detectable.

[0045] The guide rib 136 is positioned below the hole 142a in the rear housing portion 142 when the rear housing portion 142 is positioned above the front housing portion 141. As a result, liquid that enters the interior of the housing 140 through the hole 142a is more likely to flow to the guide rib 136 when the rear housing portion 142 is positioned above the front housing portion 141, and from there is more likely to move towards the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 by free fall. Therefore, water ingress is more easily detected.

[0046] The present invention has been described above based on embodiments. These embodiments are illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in combinations of their components and processing steps, and that such modifications are also within the scope of this disclosure. Such modifications will be described below.

[0047] (Variation 1) Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the function and configuration of an electrical stimulation device 100 according to a modified example. Figure 9 corresponds to Figure 2. In this modified example, the control device 108 includes a sheet 121 instead of a pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120. The sheet 121 is placed on the surface of the main circuit board 132 facing the rear housing portion 142. The sheet 121 constitutes the water ingress detection unit 130.

[0048] Sheet 121 is a sheet whose appearance changes when it comes into contact with a liquid. Sheet 121 may be, for example, a sheet on which water-soluble ink is coated. In this case, when the liquid that has entered the control device 108 comes into contact with sheet 121, the water-soluble ink seeps onto the surface of sheet 121. In other words, the appearance of sheet 121 changes.

[0049] The guide rib 136 protrudes, or extends, toward the sheet 121, which is a component of the immersion detection unit 130 that the liquid is to come into contact with.

[0050] (Modification 2) Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a modified control device 108. The electrical stimulation device 100 of this modified version includes a first guide rib (first guide portion) 136_1 that protrudes from the front housing portion 141 toward the rear housing portion 142, and a second guide rib (second guide portion) 136_2 that protrudes from the rear housing portion 142 toward the front housing portion 41. The first guide rib 136_1 and the second guide rib 136_2 have a concave cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (protrusion direction), and when they face each other, a tunnel-shaped waterway is formed. The first guide rib 136_1 has a hole 136_1a that guides liquid to a pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120. Liquid that enters through the hole 142a of the rear housing portion 142 is guided to the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 by flowing through the tunnel-shaped waterway. According to this modified version, the same operation as the embodiment can be achieved.

[0051] (Variation 3) Figures 11(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of modified control devices 108, respectively. In these modified examples, the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 are arranged on the surface of a sub-substrate 134 facing the rear housing portion 142. That is, the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 are located on the sub-substrate 134, which is closer to the holes 142a than the main substrate 132. Although not limited to this, the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 are located in the central part of the sub-substrate 134, and liquid that has entered through the multiple holes 142a flows into the pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120. The pair of water ingress detection electrodes 120 can be arranged together with the control unit, which is composed of control circuits and electronic components mounted on the sub-substrate 134, and the battery 122 to form a water ingress detection unit 130. Also, in the example of Figure 11(b), the holes 142a are formed in a mortar shape to allow liquid to enter easily.

[0052] (Modification 4) Figures 12(a) to 12(c) are cross-sectional views of modified control devices 108, respectively. In these modified versions, the sheet 121 is placed in a space isolated from the mounting surface 132a of the main substrate 132. According to these modified versions, the sheet 121 is more easily exposed to liquid, while the main substrate 132 is less susceptible to water ingress.

[0053] In the examples in Figures 12(a) and (b), the sheet 121 is placed in a space isolated from the storage space S by the partition wall 144. In the example in Figure 12(c), the sheet 121 is placed in a space isolated from the mounting surface 132a of the main board 132 by the partition wall 144 and the non-mounted surface 132b of the main board 132.

[0054] (Variation 5) The attachment device 102 only needs to be wearable on the body and is not limited to that of the embodiment. For example, the attachment device 102 may be of the belt type and be wearable on the abdomen, arms, legs, or other body parts. Alternatively, for example, the attachment device 102 may be of the clothing type and be wearable on the upper or lower body.

[0055] Any combination of the embodiments and modifications described above is also useful as an embodiment of this disclosure. The new embodiments resulting from such combinations will possess the combined effects of the respective embodiments and modifications. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be performed by each component described in the claims can be achieved by each component shown in the embodiments and modifications individually or in combination thereof.

[0056] The embodiments and variations described above can be generalized to obtain the following embodiments.

[0057] [Aspect 1] A control device for a muscle electrical stimulation device, A housing for the circuit board, A water ingress detection unit that detects the ingress of liquid into the interior of the housing, Equipped with, The housing has holes into which liquid can enter, A guide unit disposed inside the housing, further comprising a guide unit that guides liquid to the components of the water immersion detection unit, Control device.

[0058] [Aspect 2] The aforementioned guide portion is a guide rib that protrudes toward the aforementioned component. The control device described in Embodiment 1.

[0059] [Aspect 3] The aforementioned enclosure is It includes a front housing portion having an operating section and a rear housing portion facing the front housing portion, One of the front housing portion and the back housing portion has the hole, The guide rib is directly or indirectly connected to the inner wall of one of the front and rear housing portions. The control device described in Embodiment 2.

[0060] [Aspect 4] The aforementioned hole is a hole for exposing the terminal. A control device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3.

[0061] [Aspect 5] Electrode section, A control device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4 for supplying power to the electrode portion, An electrical stimulation device equipped with the following features. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 100 Electrical stimulator, 102 Wearing device, 104 Electrical stimulator, 106 Electrode unit, 108 Control device, 120 Electrode for detecting water ingress.

Claims

1. A control device for a muscle electrical stimulation device, A housing for the circuit board, A water ingress detection unit that detects the ingress of liquid into the interior of the housing, Equipped with, The housing has holes into which liquid can enter, A guide unit disposed inside the housing, further comprising a guide unit that guides liquid to the components of the water immersion detection unit, Control device.

2. The guiding portion is a guiding rib that protrudes toward the component. The control device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned enclosure is It includes a front housing portion having an operating section and a rear housing portion facing the front housing portion, One of the front housing portion and the back housing portion has the hole, The guide rib is directly or indirectly connected to the inner wall of one of the front and rear housing portions. The control device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned hole is a hole for exposing the terminal. The control device according to claim 1.

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