Protective member for bite force measuring device

Abstract

To provide a protection member 40 facilitating attachment / detachment with respect to a sensor sheet 2 when repetitively using an occlusal force measuring device 1 to be inserted into an oral cavity to detect occlusal force of teeth as an electric signal.SOLUTION: There is provided a protection member 40 having flexibility for protecting a sensor sheet 2 including a widened part 12 with a pressure sensitive part 14 that is inserted into an oral cavity of a subject to detect occlusal force of teeth as an electric signal. The protection member 40 has a breadth that decreases continuously from an opening end of an insertion part 43 in which the sensor sheet 2 is inserted, toward a connection end 45 of a storage part 44 for storing the widened part 12, where the breadth of the storage part 44 is equal to the breadth of the connection end 45.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective member used in a bite force measuring device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a bite force measuring device using a sensor sheet that detects the bite force exerted on a sheet inserted into the oral cavity as an electrical signal. When measuring the bite force, the subject can bite on the pressure-sensitive part of the sensor sheet inserted into the subject's oral cavity to detect the bite force.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a protective member for protecting a bite force sensor sheet from body fluids such as saliva of a subject that adheres by being inserted into the oral cavity of the subject to be measured, and for repeatedly using a sensor for measuring the bite force.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When inserting the sensor sheet into the subject's oral cavity, it is necessary to attach a protective member to the sensor sheet to prevent the sensor sheet from getting wet and to ensure corrosion resistance to the oral cavity environment. Patent Document 1 describes a protective material having a resin-made protective bag into which a bite pressure sensor is inserted and having flexibility, but the support part and the widened part of the protective bag are narrower in width than the front part of the bite pressure sensor, and it is difficult to smoothly insert and remove the bite pressure sensor into the protective bag, so that the replacement of the protective member is very troublesome.

[0006] Here, the present invention proposes a protective member for a bite force measuring device with a new structure that facilitates the attachment and detachment of a sensor sheet to and from the protective member, when the protective member is placed over the sensor sheet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention will be described. However, each of the embodiments described below is described by way of example, and not only can they be adopted in appropriate combinations with each other, but also for the plurality of components described in each embodiment, they can be recognized and adopted as independently as possible, and can also be adopted in combination with any of the components described in other embodiments as appropriate. Thus, in the present invention, various other embodiments can be realized without being limited to the embodiments described below.

[0008] A first embodiment is used for a bite force measuring device including a gripping portion having a measurement circuit and a planar sensor sheet attached to the gripping portion. The sensor sheet is covered with a protective member that is easily attachable and detachable when the sensor sheet is inserted into a subject's oral cavity to detect the bite force of teeth. The sensor sheet is a flexible insulator sheet having a widened portion whose tip side in the insertion direction into the oral cavity is widened in the plane direction. A pressure-sensitive portion having a detection element for electrically detecting the bite force of the subject is disposed on the rear end side in the insertion direction of the widened portion, and includes a terminal portion that is connected to the pressure-sensitive portion and attached to the gripping portion, and a sensor sheet body. It includes a shape restoration layer laminated so as to cover at least the pressure-sensitive part. The protective member is formed in a planar shape by overlapping a pair of flexible sheets and fixing them at the peripheral edge, and has a bag shape with an opening at one end. It is configured to include the opening, which serves as an insertion port when the sensor sheet is inserted, and an insertion part that covers a part of the gripping part after insertion, and a storage part connected to the insertion part and configured to store at least the widened part. With the width in the plane direction orthogonal to the insertion direction defined as the lateral width, the insertion part has a continuously decreasing lateral width from the opening end at the opening to the connection end of the storage part, and the lateral width of the storage part is set to be equal to the lateral width of the connection end in the storage part. It is a protective member.

[0009] In a second aspect, in a cross-section in a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction, the inner peripheral length of the storage part in the protective member is set to be 101% or more and 107% or less of the maximum outer peripheral length of the widened part of the sensor sheet, which is the protective member described in the first aspect.

[0010] In a third aspect, the pair of sheets have different lengths in the insertion direction, and at the opening, the end edge of one sheet is unevenly arranged with respect to the end edge of the other sheet, which is the protective member described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0011] In a fourth aspect, the pair of sheets are formed of a translucent resin material, which is the protective member described in any one of the first aspect to the third aspect.

[0012] In a fifth aspect, the pair of resin sheets are formed with inorganic particles using a polyolefin resin as a base material, which is the protective member described in any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, when inserting a flexible bite force sensor into the oral cavity to detect the bite force of teeth as an electrical signal, the protective member covering the sensor sheet can be easily attached and detached, and the bite force measuring device can be easily reused while maintaining the cleanliness of the sensor sheet.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows an example of the bite force measuring device 1. The bite force measuring device 1 includes a sensor sheet 2 and a gripping portion 3 having a control device, and the sensor sheet 2 is connected to the gripping portion 3. The bite force measuring device 1 detects the bite force caused by the meshing of the upper and lower teeth of the subject by the sensor sheet 2. Further, a protective member 40 shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the bite force measuring device 1. The protective member 40 is placed over and protects the sensor sheet 2 when measuring the bite force by the sensor sheet 2, and is inserted into the subject's oral cavity together with the sensor sheet 2. In the following description, in principle, in the sensor sheet 2, the gripping portion 3, and the protective member 40, the vertical direction refers to the sensor thickness direction, which is the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1. Also, the front-rear direction refers to the left-right direction of FIG. 1, which is the front-rear direction of the subject during measurement, and the insertion direction into the subject's oral cavity is defined as the front. Further, the right-left direction refers to the up-down direction of FIG. 1, which is approximately the left-right direction of the subject during measurement.

[0017] <Sensor sheet> As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor sheet 2 has a sensor sheet body 10 which is generally flexible, thin, and has a substantially constant thickness and spreads out flat in a sheet shape. Such a sensor sheet 2 is inserted into the oral cavity of the person to be detected, and is arranged to spread out in a planar shape such as an arcuate or substantially wide horseshoe shape, and has a widened portion 12 that is wider in the left-right width than the connection portion described later, and a connection portion 16 that extends out of the oral cavity from the widened portion 12. The connection portion 16 has a substantially strip shape that extends rearward from the rear side of the widened portion 12, is connected to the widened portion 12 at one end in the front-rear direction, and a terminal portion 18 connected to the electric circuit on the control device (hereinafter, when referred to as the control device, it includes the gripping portion) side provided in the gripping portion 3 is provided at the other end.

[0018] The sensor sheet body 10 has a laminated sheet structure in which a first electrode sheet 29, a second electrode sheet 31, a dielectric layer 28, and a guard electrode layer 38, which have substantially the same shape in plan view, are overlapped and integrated with each other in the sheet thickness direction.

[0019] The first electrode sheet 29 has a plurality of first electrodes 30 formed on the upper surface of a flexible sheet-like first base material 50 having electrical insulation properties. In the region corresponding to the pressure-sensitive part 14, the first electrodes 30 are arranged to be substantially rectangular in plan view and longitudinally extend in the left-right direction. The first electrodes 30 are formed of a conductive paint obtained by mixing a conductive material such as carbon or silver into a rubber material or a synthetic resin material, and have flexibility that can follow the deformation of the first base material 50. Further, a first conductive wire 34 that is narrower than the first electrodes 30 is electrically connected across substantially the entire length of the center in the width direction of the first electrodes 30. The first conductive wire 34 is formed in a laminated state on the first base material 50 by a conductive paint or the like, and has the same flexibility as the first electrodes 30. Each of the first conductive wires 34 further extends rearward from the connection part 16 and is connected to the connection terminal 58.

[0020] On the other hand, the second electrode sheet 31 has a plurality of second electrodes 32 formed on the lower surface of a second base material 52 formed of the same material as the first base material 50. In the region corresponding to the pressure-sensitive part 14, the second electrodes 32 are arranged to be substantially rectangular in plan view and longitudinally extend in the front-rear direction. The second electrodes 32 are formed of a conductive material in the same manner as the first electrodes 30, and have flexibility that can follow the deformation of the second base material 52. Further, a second conductive wire 36 that is narrower than the second electrodes 32 is electrically connected across substantially the entire length of the center in the width direction of the second electrodes 32. The second conductive wire 36 is formed in a laminated state on the second base material 52 by a conductive paint or the like, and has the same flexibility as the second electrodes 32. Each of the second conductive wires 36 further extends rearward from the connection part 16 and is connected to the connection terminal 58.

[0021] The dielectric layer 28 is in the form of a sheet made of an electrically insulating material of a synthetic resin such as rubber, polyurethane, polyethylene, or polypropylene, and is a porous elastic body having a large number of air bubbles that allow elastic compressive deformation in the vertical direction. It can obtain a large capacitance and has a small Young's modulus in the vertical direction.

[0022] Then, the first electrode sheet 29 and the second electrode sheet 31 are overlapped with each other with the dielectric layer 28 therebetween. As shown in FIG. 2, in the pressure-sensitive portion 14, the first electrode 30 and the second electrode 32 are arranged to cross each other with the dielectric layer 28 therebetween. Each of the crossing portions of the first electrode 30 and the second electrode 32, which are surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 3, is a detection element 24.

[0023] On the surface (lower surface) of the first electrode sheet 29 opposite to the overlapping surface with the dielectric layer 28, a guard electrode layer 38 is overlapped. The guard electrode layer 38 is formed of a flexible third base material 66 made of the same material as the first and second base materials 50 and 52. On the upper surface of the third base material 66, a guard electrode 68 is formed of a conductive material in the same manner as the first and second electrodes 30 and 32 and has flexibility. The guard electrode 68 has a structure covering substantially the entire plurality of detection elements 24 in the vertical projection. Further, the guard electrode layer 38 is provided with a ground wiring 70 that is electrically connected to the guard electrode 68 and extends rearward from the guard electrode 38 and is connected to a ground terminal 72 provided on the third base material 66.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, a shape restoration layer 80 is provided outside the sensor sheet body 10. The shape restoration layer 80 is, for example, a sheet-shaped elastic foam made of synthetic resin, which is easily deformed under the action of a load and has an elasticity to quickly restore to its original shape when the load is removed. The shape restoration layer 80 is shaped to cover substantially the entire pressure-sensitive portion 14 in the widened portion 12 in plan view. In the present embodiment, two shape restoration layers 80 are overlapped from the upper and lower outer sides of the sensor sheet body 10 and are provided to extend beyond the outer periphery of the pressure-sensitive portion 14.

[0025] <Control device> As shown in FIG. 1, the sensor sheet 2 is connected to the control device 3 by a connection terminal 58 provided at the terminal portion 18 and a ground terminal 72. When the ground terminal 72 is connected to the control device 3, the guard electrode 68 is grounded and maintained at a reference potential.

[0026] Furthermore, the control device 3 is connected to the first and second electrodes 30 and 32 by the first and second conductive wires 34 and 36, and includes a power supply device that applies a voltage for capacitance measurement between the first electrode 30 and the second electrode 32, a detection means that detects the change amount of the capacitance in each detection element 24, a bite force calculation means that calculates the bite force based on the detection result of the capacitance by the detection means, and a display means that displays the calculated bite force. Also, the control device 3 also serves as the gripping portion 3, and when the user of the bite force measurement device 1 inserts the sensor sheet 2 into the subject's oral cavity and measures the bite force, the user can easily operate by holding the gripping portion 3.

[0027] <Protective member> The sensor sheet body 10 to which the shape restoration layer 80 is bonded is attached with a protective member 40 as shown in FIG. 1, for example. The protective member 40 is formed of a synthetic resin material, an elastomer material, or the like that has water resistance to prevent the passage of water, corrosion resistance to the oral environment, and is harmless to the human body even when placed in the oral cavity.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the protective member 40 is formed by overlapping a pair of upper and lower flexible sheets made of synthetic resin or elastomer, and fixing them to each other at the peripheral edges 41 of the three sides of the front, left, and right sides of the outer periphery to form a planar shape, and having an opening 42 that is open without being welded at the rear end side. It is configured to be detachably covered from the front side of the sensor sheet 2.

[0029] By providing the protective member 40 so as to cover the sensor sheet 2, it is possible to prevent the sensor sheet 2 from directly contacting saliva in the oral cavity, and a decrease in detection accuracy and malfunctions can be prevented. Moreover, after taking out the sensor sheet 2 covered with the protective member 40 from the subject's oral cavity, by replacing the protective member 40 with a new one, the bite force measurement device 1 can be easily reused while keeping the sensor sheet 2 clean.

[0030] Note that the means for fixing a set of sheets is not particularly limited, and for example, known means such as welding, fusing, adhesive tape, and adhesives can be used. Further, when welding by heat, various welding means such as ultrasonic welding, heat and pressure welding, hot air welding, and high frequency welding can be adopted.

[0031] Furthermore, the protection member 40 includes an insertion portion 43 and a housing portion 44. The insertion portion 43 is configured to include an opening 42 and serves as an insertion port when inserting the sensor sheet 2 into the protection member 40. The housing portion 44 can house the widened portion 12 and the connection portion 16 when inserting the protection member 40 into the sensor sheet 2.

[0032] The insertion portion 43 is made wider than the left - right width which is the width of the widened portion 12 in the sensor sheet 2, and its left - right width is continuously decreased, and the front end is connected to the housing portion 44 at the connection end 45 which is the rear end of the housing portion 44. The left - right width of the connection end 45 is made wider than the left - right width of the widened portion 12 in the sensor sheet 2. The housing portion 44 has a left - right width substantially equal to that of the connection end 45 and extends forward. The sensor sheet 2 inserted from the opening 42 is guided along the insertion portion 43 with continuously decreasing dimensions and can be smoothly inserted deeper into the protection member 40 along the inner surface of the housing portion 44.

[0033] That is, when covering the sensor sheet 2 with the protection member 40, the relatively wide width of the insertion portion 42 of the protection member 40 makes it easier to insert the sensor sheet 2, and then it can be inserted along the housing portion 44 to the depth of the protection member 40. Thus, the insertion operation can be facilitated, and it is also easy to remove the sensor sheet 2 from the protection member 40.

[0034] Furthermore, a recess 46 corresponding to the recess 54 of the widened portion 12 is provided at the center in the left - right direction of the front end portion of the protection member 40, so that when the sensor sheet 2 is housed, the widened portion 2 can be more easily inserted into a predetermined internal position in the protection member 40.

[0035] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VA-VA in FIG. 1 showing a left-right longitudinal cross-section of a connection portion 16 of the sensor sheet 2 and a housing portion 44 of the protection member 40 in a state where the protection member 40 is attached to the bite force measuring device 1. The connection portion 16 is located within an inner space formed by expanding the housing portion 44 by the thickness of the sensor sheet 2.

[0036] On the other hand, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. 1 showing a left-right longitudinal cross-section of a portion where the left-right width of the widened portion 12 of the sensor sheet 2 is maximum and the protection member 40 in a state where the protection member 40 is attached to the bite force measuring device 1. The protection member 40 covers the sensor sheet 2 in which a pair of shape restoration layers 80 are arranged to face each other with the sensor sheet main body 10 interposed therebetween in the sheet thickness direction.

[0037] In FIG. 5B, the maximum outer peripheral length S of the widened portion 12 is indicated by a broken line. The maximum outer peripheral length S of the widened portion 12 is the length obtained by connecting the left and right inner ends of the outer surfaces of the respective shape restoration layers 80 divided left and right, and further connecting the left and right outer ends of the outer surfaces of the respective shape restoration layers 80 and the ends of the upper and lower surfaces of the sensor sheet main body 10, and adding the thickness of the sensor sheet to the total length of the left and right widthwise lengths of the outer surfaces of the respective shape restoration layers 80.

[0038] For example, the inner peripheral length of the housing portion 44 of the protection member 40 shown in FIG. 5A is 101% or more and 107% or less, preferably 103% or more and 105% or less, with respect to the maximum outer peripheral length S of the widened portion 12. Since the inner peripheral length of the housing portion 44 is within this range with respect to the maximum outer peripheral length S of the widened portion 12, when inserting the sensor sheet 2 into the protection member 10, the smooth insertion is inhibited because the sensor sheet 2 gets caught by the protection member 40, and the bite feeling during the bite force measurement is reduced due to wrinkles generated by the protection member 40 being loose, and measurement errors occur. In some cases, it is possible to prevent the subject from feeling discomfort due to contact with the oral side surface.

[0039] The protective member 40 is structured to cover not only the widened portion 12 including the first and second electrodes 30 and 32 but also the connection portion 16 and a part of the control device 3. In particular, by covering the control device 3 that does not insert the insertion portion 43 into the oral cavity, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering the inside of the protective member 40 from the opening 42. Also, by covering the wide control device 3, it is possible to prevent the protective member 40 from accidentally falling off when it is inserted into the subject's oral cavity. The protective member 40 may cover the entire control device 3.

[0040] The pair of sheets constituting the protective member 40 may have different lengths in the insertion direction, that is, the front-rear direction. For example, at the opening 42, the edge of one sheet may be unevenly arranged with respect to the edge of the other sheet. By the uneven distribution of the sheets, at the opening 42, the edge of one sheet extends further rearward than the other, and when inserting the sensor sheet 2 into the protective member 40, it can be easily inserted by placing it along, for example, on the portion where the front end side of the sensor sheet 2 extends. Also, due to the different lengths of the sheets, while one sheet firmly covers the control device 3 to suppress the intrusion of moisture and the like, the other sheet covers the control device 3 while avoiding the display means for displaying the biting force calculated by the biting force calculating means arranged on the control device 3, thereby ensuring the visibility of the calculation result display.

[0041] The protective member 40 is preferably translucent, and is constituted by, for example, a translucent sheet. In the present invention, the term "translucent" means a state in which the color of at least the surface of the shape restoration layer 80 of the sensor sheet 2 inserted into the protective member 40 can be seen through the protective member 40 without hindering discrimination. When the sensor sheet 2 is inserted, by visually checking the insertion state of the sensor sheet 2 from the upper surface of the protective member 40, it is possible to quickly confirm whether the sensor sheet 2 is sufficiently inserted to the depth of the protective member 40 and whether the sensor sheet 2 is bent, and thus the insertion operation can be easily performed. Further, since the protective member 40 is translucent, for example, when dents or scratches due to meshing are found on the sensor sheet 2 inserted into the protective member 40, it is possible to prevent unnecessary anxiety from being given to the subject by making them difficult to visually recognize. The protective member 40 may be colored as long as it is translucent, may be partially translucent, may have different degrees of transparency, or may have a design.

[0042] Furthermore, at least the inner surface of the protective member 40 has fine irregularities over the entire surface. By roughening the inner surface, the slipperiness between a pair of sheets constituting the protective member 40 can be improved, and it is possible to easily separate the sheets when inserting the sensor sheet 2. In addition, the contact resistance between the inner surface of the protective member 40 and the sensor sheet 2 can be reduced, and the sensor sheet 2 can be smoothly inserted into the protective member 40. Note that a part of the inner surface may have irregularities, or the roughness of the irregularities may differ depending on the site, and the front surface may also have irregularities.

[0043] In the present embodiment, a pair of sheets may be formed by including inorganic particles using a resin or an elastomer as a base material, and irregularities may be formed on the surface of the sheet by exposing a part of the inorganic particles on the surface of the sheet, or irregularities may be formed on the surface of the sheet without exposing the inorganic particles on the sheet surface (while being covered by the base material).

[0044] The inorganic particles are 1.4 parts by mass or less based on 100 parts by mass of the base material, and may be contained in an amount of 1.1 parts by mass or less. The presence of the inorganic particles in the base material can further reduce the glossiness of the sheet, and the formation of irregularities on the surface can make the sheet translucent.

[0045] As the base material, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate resin, acrylic resin, cellulose resin, ionomer resin, silicone resin, fluororesin, etc. may be used. As the inorganic particles, for example, silicon dioxide which is recognized for use as a food additive can be used.

[0046] Also, the sheet may have a structured surface that can be formed by surface treatment such as embossing, or may have a substantially smooth surface, and may be surface-modified by plasma treatment, chemical treatment, etc. By using printing techniques such as inkjet printing, gravure printing, electrostatic printing, screen printing, offset printing, etc., low friction can be imparted, the sheet can be made translucent, or various decorative properties can be imparted to the sheet.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0047] 1 Bite force measuring device 2 Sensor sheet 3 Control device (grip part) 10 Sensor sheet body 12 Width expansion part 14 Pressure-sensitive part 16 Connection part 18 Terminal part 24 Detection element 40 Protection member 41 Peripheral part 42 Opening part 43 Insertion part 44 Accommodation part 45 Connection end 80 Shape restoration layer S Outer peripheral maximum length

Claims

1. It is used in a bite force measuring device including a gripping part having a measurement circuit and a planar sensor sheet attached to the gripping part. When the sensor sheet is inserted into the subject's oral cavity to detect the bite force of teeth, it is a protective member that is placed over the sensor sheet and can be easily attached and detached, wherein the sensor sheet is a flexible insulator sheet having a widened portion whose tip side in the insertion direction into the oral cavity is widened in the plane direction. The sensor sheet body includes a pressure-sensitive part having a detection element for electrically detecting the subject's bite force in the widened portion and a terminal part that is arranged on the rear end side in the insertion direction of the widened portion, is connected to the pressure-sensitive part, and is attached to the gripping part, and includes a shape restoration layer laminated so as to cover at least the pressure-sensitive part, wherein the protective member is formed in a planar shape by overlapping a pair of flexible sheets with each other and fixing them at the peripheral edge, and has a bag shape having an opening at one end, including the opening, which serves as an insertion port when the sensor sheet is inserted, and an insertion part that covers a part of the gripping part after insertion, and a housing part that is connected to the insertion part and houses at least the widened portion, and is provided with, with the width in the plane direction orthogonal to the insertion direction being the lateral width, the insertion part has the lateral width continuously decreased from the opening end in the opening to the connection end of the housing part, and the lateral width of the housing part is set to be equal to the lateral width of the connection end in the housing part. A protective member.

2. In the cross-section in the direction orthogonal to the insertion direction, the inner peripheral length of the housing part in the protective member is set to be 101% or more and 107% or less of the maximum outer peripheral length of the widened part of the sensor sheet. The protective member according to claim 1.

3. The pair of sheets have different lengths in the insertion direction, and at the opening, the end edges of one sheet are arranged unevenly with respect to the end edges of the other sheet. The protective member according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The pair of sheets are formed of a translucent resin material. The protective member according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The pair of resin sheets are formed including inorganic particles with a polyolefin resin as a base material. The protective member according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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