Power generation sensor
The power generation sensor addresses alignment and connection challenges by using wider, densely sewn connector electrodes, enhancing assembly efficiency and connection security while maintaining power generation performance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- THE RITSUMEIKAN TRUST
- Filing Date
- 2022-06-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing power generation sensors face challenges in efficient alignment and connection with sensor modules, leading to increased complexity and potential damage during assembly.
The power generation sensor employs wider connector electrodes made of conductive thread, sewn with higher density, facilitating easier alignment and connection with the sensor module, while reducing contact resistance and preventing exposure to damage.
The solution simplifies the assembly process, ensures secure and durable connections, and maintains effective power generation performance by minimizing alignment issues and contact resistance.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power generation sensor.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electromotive module having an electrode that generates electromotive force by contacting urine. Such an electromotive module can be used as a power generation sensor.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the sensor according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the manufacturing method of the sensor. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating how to connect the module to the sensor. [Figure 4] Figure 4 illustrates another example of how to connect the module to the sensor. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closely connected area. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the module. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overview of how the sensor is used in the detection system. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent member body taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent member body taken along line IX-IX in Figure 7. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows the measurement results of the wireless signal obtained from experiments with the detection system conducted by the inventors. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0008] <1. Overview of power generation sensors>
[0009] (1) The power generation sensor according to the embodiment is a power generation sensor that generates electricity using a liquid, and comprises a base, a positive electrode for power generation made of a first material and provided along a first direction of the base, a negative electrode for power generation made of a second material and provided along a first direction of the base, a first connector electrode connected to a sensor module and connected to one end of the positive electrode in the first direction, and a second connector electrode connected to a sensor module and connected to one end of the negative electrode in the first direction, wherein the first connector electrode is made of a first material and its width in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction is wider than the width of the positive electrode in the second direction, and the second connector electrode is made of a second material and its width in the second direction is wider than the width of the negative electrode in the second direction.
[0010] Because the widths of the first connector electrode and the second connector electrode are wider than the widths of the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, alignment when connecting to the sensor module can be made easier than if the widths were the same as the positive and negative electrodes.
[0011] (2) The power generation sensor according to (1), preferably, the positive electrode and the negative electrode are made of conductive thread sewn to a base, and the first connector electrode and the second connector electrode are made of conductive thread sewn over a wider area than the positive electrode and the negative electrode on the base, respectively. This allows the first connector electrode and the second connector electrode to be formed by sewing conductive thread in the same way as the positive electrode and the negative electrode. Furthermore, by changing the area over which the conductive thread is sewn to the base, the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and the first connector electrode and the second connector electrode which are wider than the positive electrode and the negative electrode can be created. This eliminates the need to cut the electrode material and allows for efficient use of the electrode material.
[0012] (3)(2) The power generation sensor, preferably, has a density of conductive threads sewn to the base that constitute the first connector electrode and the second connector electrode, which is higher than the density of conductive threads sewn to the base that constitute the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively. This makes it easier to align the sensor module when connecting it to the first connector electrode and the second connector electrode, and also reduces contact resistance.
[0013] By making the widths of the first connector electrode and the second connector electrode wider than the widths of the positive electrode and the negative electrode respectively, a power generation sensor can be manufactured that can facilitate alignment during connection with a sensor module more easily than when the widths of the positive electrode and the negative electrode are the same.
[0014] <2. Example of Power Generation Sensor>
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of sensor 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the manufacturing method of sensor 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the connection method of module 3 to sensor 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining another example of the connection method of module 3 to sensor 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the close contact portion.
[0016] Sensor 1 has a first sensor member 1A and a second sensor member 1B, which are configured by being superimposed. Electrode 11 is disposed on the first sensor member 1A, and electrode 12 is disposed on the second sensor member 1B. The first sensor member 1A has a base 13A for disposing the electrode 11, and the second sensor member 1B has a base 13B for disposing the electrode 12.
[0017] Bases 13A and 13B are made of, for example, a liquid absorbent material. Bases 13A and 13B are, as an example, fabrics, and are formed of, for example, cotton fabric. Bases 13A and 13B have the same shape or substantially the same shape.
[0018] Bases 13A and 13B each have a first base portion 131 for constituting a housing 16 described later and a second base portion 132 on which electrodes 11 and 12 are disposed. The second base portion 132 is long in one direction, and the first base portion 131 is disposed at one end. For sensor 1, the longitudinal direction of the second base portion 132 is defined as the y-axis, and the short direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is defined as the x-axis. The first base portion 131 is disposed at the end of the second base portion 132 in the positive direction of the y-axis.
[0019] The pair of electrodes 11 and 12 are power generation electrodes. Electrode 11 functions as the positive electrode, and electrode 12 functions as the negative electrode. Electrodes 11 and 12 generate electricity by contacting the liquid present between the electrodes. Thereby, the sensor 1 functions as a power generation sensor, and the presence of liquid between electrodes 11 and 12 can be detected by the generated power of electrodes 11 and 12.
[0020] Electrodes 11 and electrode 12 are made of different materials. Also, electrodes 11 and 12 each have a filamentous or strip-shaped structure. As an example, electrode 11 is made of silver thread, and electrode 12 is made of aluminum thread. By forming electrodes 11 and 12 using threads, electrodes 11 and 12 can be easily formed by sewing as described later. Also, the widths W4 and W5 of electrodes 11 and 12 in the x-axis direction can be narrowed, and a decrease in strength can be suppressed. Note that electrode 11 has a filamentous or strip-shaped structure, and any material can be used as long as it is a material that becomes the positive electrode. For example, magnesium, zinc, or iron can be used. Also, electrode 12 has a filamentous or strip-shaped structure, and any material can be used as long as it is a material that becomes the negative electrode. For example, tin, lead, copper, stainless steel, carbon, gold, or platinum can be used.
[0021] Electrodes 11 and 12 are respectively sewn along the y-axis direction to the second base portions 132 of bases 13A and 13B which are fabrics. Specifically, in this example, both electrodes 11 and 12 have a filamentous structure with conductivity. Electrode 11 is sewn to the second base portion 132 of base 13A, and electrode 12 is sewn to the second base portion 132 of base 13B.
[0022] Preferably, at least one of electrodes 11 and 12 has a larger surface area on the negative side, that is, the rear side in the y-axis direction than the surface area on the positive side, that is, the front side in the y-axis direction. The surface area refers to the area that contacts the absorber 53 when attached to the absorber member body 5 described later, and refers to the surface area of the portions of electrodes 11 and 12 formed by the threads sewn to bases 13A and 13B that are exposed on at least the surface on the side of absorber 53 of bases 13A and 13B.
[0023] For example, the first part 111, which is the positive side in the y-axis direction, i.e., the front side, and the second part 112, which is the negative side in the y-axis direction, i.e., the rear side, of the electrode 11, have different stitching structures with respect to the base 13A. The stitching structure refers to the structure that the thread forms in the fabric when it is sewn to the base 13A and 13B. The difference in stitching structures between the first part 111 and the second part 112 means, for example, that the way the threads forming the electrode 11 are sewn is different in the first part 111 and the second part 112. Specifically, the electrode 11 is sewn to the base 13A in the second part 112 using a stitching method that has a higher density per unit area than the first part 111.
[0024] One example of a stitching method with high density per unit area is one in which the surface area of the thread forming the electrode 11 that is exposed on the absorber 53 side of the base 13A is large. For example, the first part 111 is sewn to the base 13A with a running stitch, and the second part 112 is sewn to the base 13A with a backstitch. The backstitch refers to a full backstitch or a half backstitch. As a result, the thread forming the electrode 11 is exposed on the surface of the base 13A more in the second part 112 than in the first part 111.
[0025] The length (width) W1 in the X-axis direction of the first base portion 131 of bases 13A and 13B is greater than the width W2 of the second base portion 132. The first base portion 131 forms a housing 16 in which the module 3 that receives generated power is housed. The housing 16 has a space 16A formed between the first base portions 131 of the superimposed first sensor member 1A and second sensor member 1B, and the module 3 is housed in the space 16A.
[0026] Connector electrodes 14 and 15 are positioned on the first base portion 131 of bases 13A and 13B, respectively. Connector electrode 14 is connected to the front end of electrode 11 in the y-axis direction, and connector electrode 15 is connected to the front end of electrode 12.
[0027] The connector electrodes 14 and 15 are made of the same material as electrodes 11 and 12, respectively. In this example, electrodes 11 and connector electrode 14 are made of silver, and electrodes 12 and connector electrode 15 are made of aluminum. For example, connector electrode 14 is made of silver thread, similar to electrode 11, and connector electrode 15 is made of aluminum thread, similar to electrode 12. This allows connector electrodes 14 and 15 to be sewn to bases 13A and 13B in a series of operations, similar to the sewing of electrodes 11 and 12 to bases 13A and 13B. Electrode 11 has a thread-like or strip-like structure, and any material can be used as the positive electrode; for example, magnesium, zinc, or iron may be used. Similarly, electrode 12 has a thread-like or strip-like structure, and any material can be used as the negative electrode; for example, tin, lead, copper, stainless steel, carbon, gold, or platinum may be used.
[0028] The length (width) W3 of the connector electrode 14 in the X-axis direction is greater than the length (width) W4 of the electrode 11 in the X-axis direction. Also, the length (width) W3 of the connector electrode 15 in the X-axis direction is greater than the width W5 of the electrode 12. As a result, when the module 3 is housed in the housing 16 as described later, positioning for connection between the connector electrodes 31 and 32 of the housed module 3 and the connector electrodes 14 and 15 can be easily performed or made unnecessary.
[0029] Preferably, the density of the threads sewn to the bases 13A and 13B that constitute the connector electrodes 14 and 15 is higher than the density of the threads sewn to the bases 13A and 13B that constitute the electrodes 11 and 12. This increases the likelihood that the connector electrodes 14 and 15 will come into contact with the connector electrodes 31 and 32 of the housed module 3 when the module 3 is housed in the housing 16, as described later. As a result, not only can positioning for connection between the connector electrodes 31 and 32 of the module 3 and the connector electrodes 14 and 15 be made easier or unnecessary, but the contact resistance between the connector electrodes 14 and 15 and the connector electrodes 31 and 32 of the housed module 3 can also be reduced.
[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the sensor 1 has electrodes 11 and 12 on bases 13A and 13B, respectively, along the y-axis direction, and connector electrodes 14 and 15 are formed at the upper ends of each. These are formed by sewing bases 13A and 13B together with conductive thread.
[0031] Next, the first sensor member 1A and the second sensor member 1B are superimposed in a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the x and y axes (z-axis direction) so that the shapes of the bases 13A and 13B match or approximately match, and then sewn together. The bases 13A and 13B are provided with seam allowances 133 on all edges except the top edge. The first sensor member 1A and the second sensor member 1B are superimposed and fixed together by sewing the seam allowances 133 together.
[0032] At this time, bases 13A and 13B are superimposed so that electrodes 11 and 12 do not overlap, as shown in Figure 2. As a result, electrodes 11 and 12 are spaced apart in the x-axis direction. Consequently, sensor 1 can detect the presence of liquid between electrodes 11 and 12 by generating electricity.
[0033] As shown in Figure 3, when bases 13A and 13B are sewn together with a seam allowance 133, a space 16A is created between the first base portions 131 of bases 13A and 13B. This space 16A can then be used as a space to house module 3, making it easy to construct the storage body 16.
[0034] Because the seam allowance 133 is not provided on the top edge of the bases 13A and 13B, when the bases 13A and 13B are sewn together at the seam allowance 133, the top edges of the bases 13A and 13B form the opening 16B of the storage body 16, as shown in Figure 3. The opening 16B functions as an insertion point for the module 3 into the storage body 16. This makes it possible to easily insert the module 3 into the storage body 16 from the opening 16B, as shown in Figure 3.
[0035] Furthermore, the insertion point for module 3 into the storage body 16 only needs to be provided on a part of the storage body 16 and is not limited to the top edge. That is, any edge of the first base portion 131 that does not have a seam allowance 133 may be any edge in the x-axis direction. As another example, as shown in Figure 4, the horizontal edges of bases 13A and 13B may form the opening 16C of the storage body 16, or both horizontal edges may form the opening 16C. Even in this case, as shown in Figure 4, it becomes possible to easily insert module 3 into the storage body 16 from the opening 16C.
[0036] Module 3 is provided with connector electrodes 31 and 32 on both sides, one side and the back side of that side. For example, module 3 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and connector electrodes 31 and 32 are provided on two opposite sides of its six faces. The connector electrodes 31 and 32 function as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively.
[0037] As shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4, module 3 is housed in a housing 16 such that the positive connector electrode 31 faces the positive connector electrode 14 and the negative connector electrode 32 faces the negative connector electrode 15. The connector electrodes 14 and 15 are sewn to the first base portion 131 so as to be exposed on the inner surface of the housing 16. As a result, the connector electrodes 31 and 32 are in contact with the connector electrodes 14 and 15 exposed on the inner surface of the housing 16. This causes the connector electrodes 14 and 15 to be connected to the connector electrodes 31 and 32 of module 3, respectively. Consequently, electrodes 11 and 12 are connected to the connector electrodes 31 and 32 of module 3 via the connector electrodes 14 and 15 attached to their respective ends.
[0038] Since the connector electrodes 14 and 15 are sewn to the inner surface of the housing 16 so as to be exposed, the connector electrodes 14 and 15 can be easily connected to the connector electrodes 31 and 32 simply by placing the module 3 into the housing 16. At this time, because the width of the connector electrodes 14 and 15 is greater than the width of electrodes 11 and 12, alignment with the connector electrodes 31 and 32 is unnecessary or easy. In addition, since the module 3 is not exposed to the outside, damage and dirt can be prevented, and the connection to the connector electrodes 14 and 15 can not be compromised.
[0039] Preferably, at least one of the sensor 1 and the module 3 further includes a contact portion that brings the connector electrodes 31 and 32 of the module 3 housed in the housing 16 into close contact with the connector electrodes 14 and 15 inside the housing 16.
[0040] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the contact portion. The contact portion of the sensor 1 includes a pressing member that presses the module 3 housed in the housing 16 against the inner surface of the housing 16. The pressing member may be, for example, a belt 17 that is wrapped around the housing 16 from the outside. Preferably, the belt 17 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and secures the module 3 after it has been housed from the outside of the housing 16. In addition to a belt 17 or other opening and closing type member, the pressing member may be a clip-type member that clamps the housing 16 from the outside, or it may be a member such as a button or hook-and-loop fastener provided inside the housing 16 that closes the opening 16B of the housing 16, or a combination of these.
[0041] The contact portion of module 3 is a projection provided on the surface of module 3. The projection may be, for example, a convex portion 33 provided on the surface on which the connector electrodes 31 and 32 are installed. Alternatively, both sensor 1 and module 3 may have these structures. By having a contact portion on at least one of sensor 1 and module 3, the connector electrodes 31 and 32 of module 3 housed in the housing 16 are brought into close contact with the connector electrodes 14 and 15 inside the housing 16. This ensures that the connection of these connector electrodes is secure and that the connection is maintained.
[0042] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of module 3. Module 3 is a sensor module that detects the power generated at electrodes 11 and 12 of sensor 1 and outputs a signal representing the detection result. More specifically, as shown in Figure 6, module 3 includes a capacitor 34. Capacitor 34 is connected to sensor 1 via connector electrodes 31, 32 and connector electrodes 14 and 15, and stores the power generated by electrodes 11 and 12. In Figure 6, connector electrodes 31, 32 and connector electrodes 14 and 15 are omitted.
[0043] Module 3 includes an intermittent power conversion circuit 35. A capacitor 34 is connected to the power terminal of the intermittent power conversion circuit 35. The intermittent power conversion circuit 35 operates using the capacitor 34 as its operating power source. The intermittent power conversion circuit 35 monitors the charging voltage of the capacitor 34.
[0044] A wireless transmitter 36 is connected to the intermittent power conversion circuit 35. The wireless transmitter 36 outputs a communication signal via wireless communication. Wireless communication can be, for example, Bluetooth® or Bluetooth Low Energy®.
[0045] The intermittent power conversion circuit 35 detects when the charging voltage of the capacitor 34 reaches the set voltage configured as the driving condition for the wireless transmitter 36. Upon detection, the intermittent power conversion circuit 35 supplies the power charged in the capacitor 34 to the wireless transmitter 36. As a result, the wireless signal SG is output from the wireless transmitter 36.
[0046] The intermittent power conversion circuit 35 consumes power from the capacitor 34 by supplying power to the wireless transmitter 36. When power is consumed, the potential of the capacitor 34 drops, and the intermittent power conversion circuit 35 stops operating. As a result, the power supply to the wireless transmitter 36 stops. If the electrodes 11 and 12 are generating power, the capacitor 34 will be recharged.
[0047] If electrodes 11 and 12 are generating electricity, the capacitor 34 will repeatedly charge and discharge. Consequently, the output of the radio signal SG from the radio transmitter 36 will be intermittent. Therefore, the radio signal SG output from the radio transmitter 36 will be a detection signal indicating the presence of liquid between electrodes 11 and 12.
[0048] The interval H of the output of the wireless signal SG from the wireless transmitter 36 depends on the charging speed of the capacitor 34. The charging speed increases as the amount of power generated increases. Therefore, the interval H of the output of the wireless signal SG from the wireless transmitter 36 becomes shorter as the amount of power generated by electrodes 11 and 12 increases, and longer as the amount of power generated decreases.
[0049] Sensor 1 is installed, for example, on a component worn on the human body and is used to detect the presence or absence of liquid in that component. The component worn on the human body is, for example, a diaper. Because Sensor 1 is installed on the component worn on the human body, the housing 16 is also installed on that component. Therefore, Module 3 can be inserted into the component worn on the human body. This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of liquid in the component worn on the human body using a wearable device.
[0050] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of a detection system 100 in which the sensor 1 is installed on the absorbent body 5, which is an example of a component worn on the human body, and used to detect the presence of liquid in the absorbent body 5. The detection system 100 detects the liquid present in the absorbent body 5 using the sensor 1 installed on the absorbent body 5. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent body 5 taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent body 5 taken along line IX-IX in Figure 7. The absorbent body 5, as an example, has the basic configuration of a diaper.
[0051] The absorbent member body 5 is approximately rectangular in shape, elongated in one direction, when viewed from above in its deployed state. The longitudinal direction of the absorbent member body 5 is defined as the Y-axis, the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as the X-axis, and the direction perpendicular to both as the Z-axis. The Y-axis direction coincides with the front-to-back direction when worn by the wearer. That is, positions with larger positive values in the Y-axis direction are considered the front side, and positions with larger negative values are considered the rear side. The X-axis direction coincides with the width direction. The Z-axis direction coincides with the up-and-down direction when worn; the positive Z-axis direction is upward, facing the wearer when worn, and the negative Z-axis direction is downward, facing outwards when worn.
[0052] The absorbent member body 5 comprises a surface sheet 51, a back sheet 52, and an absorbent body 53. The absorbent body 53 is positioned between the surface sheet 51 and the back sheet 52. The surface of the absorbent member body 5 refers to the side that comes into contact with the wearer when the absorbent member is worn by the wearer. Therefore, the wearer's excrement is transferred from the surface sheet 51 side to the absorbent body 53.
[0053] The surface sheet 51 is a nearly rectangular, liquid-permeable sheet. The surface sheet 51 is formed, for example, from a nonwoven or woven fabric. When the surface sheet 51 is attached to the wearer, it comes into contact with the wearer's skin. The surface sheet 51 is configured to improve liquid permeability and to prevent the permeated liquid from flowing back to the wearer. This allows urine excreted from the wearer to pass quickly to the absorbent material 53. Therefore, even after urination, the surface sheet 51 does not substantially retain urine and remains substantially dry, as long as there is sufficient absorbency in the absorbent material 53. As a result, contact of urine with the wearer's skin is suppressed.
[0054] The backing sheet 52 is a nearly rectangular, liquid-permeable sheet. The backing sheet 52 is formed of a waterproof material, such as a waterproof film. The backing sheet 52 prevents urine absorbed by the absorbent 53 from leaking out.
[0055] The absorbent material 53 is composed of absorbent fibers such as pulp and a superabsorbent polymer. The superabsorbent polymer allows the absorbent material 53 to hold a large amount of liquid. The absorbent material 53 is a roughly rectangular mat that is elongated in one direction. The longitudinal direction of the absorbent material 53 is roughly coincide with the Y-axis direction of the absorbent member body 5, and it is positioned to span both the front and rear sides of the absorbent member body 5. Therefore, the absorbent material 53 can absorb urine excreted on the front side and absorb any urine exceeding the absorption capacity of the front side on the rear side.
[0056] The sensor 1 is positioned between the absorbent material 53 and the backing sheet 52. In other words, the sensor 1 is located on the backing sheet 52 side of the absorbent material 53. The sensor 1 functions as a urine-powered battery.
[0057] Sensor 1 is positioned on the absorbing member body 5 such that its positive and negative directions in the y-axis direction generally coincide with the positive and negative directions in the Y-axis direction of the absorbing member body 5. Accordingly, electrodes 11 and 12 are provided along the Y-axis direction with a gap in the X-axis direction relative to the absorbing member body 5.
[0058] Figure 8 shows a cross-section of the sensor 1 at the rear of the absorbent member body 5 where the sensor 1 is located, and Figure 9 shows a cross-section of the sensor 1 at the front, where the housing 16 is located. Referring to Figure 8, electrodes 11 and 12 are arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction at the rear of the absorbent member body 5. Referring to Figure 9, the module 3 is housed at the rear of the absorbent member body 5 in the space 16A between the bases 13A and 13B that constitute the housing 16, such that connector electrodes 31 and 32 are in contact with connector electrodes 14 and 15 provided on the housing 16, respectively.
[0059] Sensor 1 is positioned on the absorbent member body 5 such that the superimposed bases 13A and 13B are in contact with the back sheet 52 side of the absorbent 53.
[0060] Since the superimposed bases 13A and 13B are positioned in contact with the absorber 53, the liquid absorbed by the absorber 53 moves to the superimposed bases 13A and 13B. The superimposed bases 13A and 13B, having absorbed the liquid from the absorber 53, become the current generation path between electrodes 11 and 12. Therefore, current is generated at electrodes 11 and 12 when they come into contact with the liquid absorbed by the absorber 53. As a result, sensor 1 is used to detect liquid absorption into the absorber 53.
[0061] The larger the surface area of electrodes 11 and 12 in contact with the liquid, the greater the amount of electricity generated. In other words, since electrodes 11 and 12 are positioned in contact with the absorber 53, with their longitudinal directions roughly aligned with the longitudinal direction of the absorber 53, the greater the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorber 53, the greater the amount of electricity generated. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, the interval H of the output of the wireless signal SG from the wireless transmitter 36 represents the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorber 53.
[0062] As shown in Figure 7, the detection system 100 may include a receiver 7. The receiver 7 receives a radio signal SG transmitted from the radio transmitter 36. The receiver 7 may be connected to a management device 9. The management device 9 is provided with received data from the receiver 7. The management device 9 is a computer having a processor 91 and memory 92, and may, for example, be a terminal device such as a smartphone.
[0063] The processor 91 can perform processing related to the degree of water absorption of the absorbent material 53 of the absorbent member body 5 by executing a program stored in the memory 92. Processing related to the degree of water absorption of the absorbent material 53 of the absorbent member body 5 is, for example, the process of determining whether a diaper change is necessary. The absorbent member body 5 determines that it is time to change the diaper when the liquid reaches the rear side of the absorbent material 53. If it is determined that a diaper change is necessary, the output device 93 of the management device 9 outputs that a diaper change is necessary.
[0064] The inventors conducted an experiment to evaluate the sensing capabilities of the sensor 1 according to this embodiment. In the experiment, the sensor 1 was placed in the absorbent body 5, 600 ml of liquid was injected into the absorbent body 5, and then the presence or absence of reception of the wireless signal SG at the receiver 7 was measured to obtain the measurement results shown in Figure 10. The vertical axis represents the presence or absence of reception of the wireless signal SG, where "0" indicates no reception and "1" indicates reception. The horizontal axis represents the elapsed time since 600 ml of liquid was injected into the absorbent body 5. Therefore, the measurement results in Figure 10 show the timing of reception of the wireless signal SG after liquid injection, as indicated by the elapsed time since liquid injection.
[0065] As shown in Figure 10, the reception of the wireless signal SG begins 600 seconds after the liquid is injected. In other words, it was found that when 600 ml of liquid is injected into the absorbent body 5, it is detected 600 seconds later using the sensor 1.
[0066] <3. Addendum> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. In the above embodiments, urine was used as an example of a liquid, but it is not limited to urine; any liquid that generates electricity at the electrode when in contact with it can be detected. It can be used as a water leak sensor or a rainwater sensor. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0067] 1: Sensor 1A: First sensor member 1B: Second sensor member 3: Module 5: Absorbent material body 7: Receiver 9: Management device 11: Electrode 12: Electrode 13A: Bass 13B: Bass 14: Connector electrodes 15: Connector electrodes 16: Storage unit 16A: Space 16B: Opening 16C: Opening 17: Belt 31: Connector electrode 32: Connector electrode 33: Convex part 34: Capacitor 35: Intermittent power supply conversion circuit 36: Wireless Transmitter 51: Surface sheet 52: Back sheet 53: Absorbent material 91: Processor 92: Memory 93: Output device 100: Detection System 111 :1st part 112:Second part 131: First base section 132: Second base section 133: Seam allowance H: Interval SG: Wireless signal W1: width W2: width W3: width W4:width W5: Aspect
Claims
1. A power generation sensor that generates electricity using liquid, Bass and, A positive electrode for power generation, made of a first material, is provided along the first direction of the base, The negative electrode for power generation, made of a second material, is provided along the first direction of the base, A first connector electrode connected to a sensor module is connected to one end of the positive electrode in the first direction, The negative electrode comprises a second connector electrode connected to the sensor module, which is connected to one end of the negative electrode in the first direction, The first connector electrode is made of the first material, and its width in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction is wider than the width of the positive electrode in the second direction. The second connector electrode is made of the second material, and its width in the second direction is wider than the width of the negative electrode in the second direction. Power generation sensor.
2. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are composed of conductive threads sewn to the base. The first connector electrode and the second connector electrode are each composed of threads sewn over a wider area than the positive and negative electrodes of the base. The power generation sensor according to claim 1.
3. The density of the threads sewn to the base that constitute the first connector electrode and the second connector electrode is higher than the density of the threads sewn to the base that constitute the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively. The power generation sensor according to claim 2.