Touch-Sensitive Cladding Assembly Using Surface Acoustic Waves

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surface cladding elements lack versatility in detecting liquid coverage and contact with human body parts without requiring additional sensors or complex installations, and they often fail to provide effective detection of emergencies or hygiene-related issues in environments like sanitary rooms.

Innovation Solution

A touch-sensitive paneling element arrangement that uses surface acoustic waves, generated by transmitters and received by receivers, to determine contact or liquid coverage through mode conversion effects, allowing for the integration of detection capabilities into cladding elements like tiles without altering the surface, and includes evaluation means for generating signals or alarm triggers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If additional sensors or complex installations are added to detect liquid coverage and contact, then detection capability is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection capabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cladding element is designed to perform both its primary function (cladding/surfacing) and detection function simultaneously. The same structural element that provides surface coverage also serves as the medium for generating and detecting surface acoustic waves, eliminating the need for separate sensor installations and achieving multi-functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The transmitter and receiver components are integrated directly into the cladding element structure itself. The cladding element combines the roles of structural component and sensing component, merging functions that would traditionally require separate elements into a single unified structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If additional sensors or complex installations are added to detect liquid coverage and contact, then detection capability is improved, but installation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection capabilityVSAvoidinstallation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cladding element is designed to perform both its primary function (cladding/surfacing) and detection function simultaneously. The same structural element that provides surface coverage also serves as the medium for generating and detecting surface acoustic waves, eliminating the need for separate sensor installations and achieving multi-functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If traditional cladding elements are used without detection capabilities, then installation simplicity is maintained, but safety and hygiene monitoring capabilities are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety monitoring capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cladding element is designed to perform both its primary function (cladding/surfacing) and detection function simultaneously. The same structural element that provides surface coverage also serves as the medium for generating and detecting surface acoustic waves, eliminating the need for separate sensor installations and achieving multi-functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The cladding element itself serves as the sensing medium. By integrating the transmitter and receiver within or on the cladding element, the system uses the cladding element's own structure to detect contact and liquid coverage, making the cladding element self-sufficient for both structural and sensing functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If surface acoustic waves are used for detection, then contact and liquid coverage detection capability is improved, but energy loss increases due to mode conversion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection capabilityVSAvoidacoustic energy loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the mode conversion of surface acoustic waves to bulk acoustic waves in liquid as a beneficial detection mechanism. The energy that would otherwise be lost is converted into a detectable signal that indicates liquid presence or contact, transforming what appears to be energy loss into a useful detection feature.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables the detection of various types of contact and surface coverages, enhancing safety and hygiene by integrating switching functions into the environment, reducing the risk of short circuits and improving cleanliness, while allowing for early detection of hazards like flooding and monitoring of elderly individuals for emergencies.

Implementation Method 1

at least one transmitter for generating surface acoustic waves in the cladding element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSurface acoustic waves: Surface Acoustic Wave

Implementation Method 2

at least one receiver for receiving the generated surface acoustic wave

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Implementation Method 3

at least part of the energy of the surface acoustic wave being coupled out into the liquid if the speed of sound of the liquid is lower than the speed of sound (propagation speed) of the surface wave

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMode conversion:

Data Source

PatentEP2432126B1Cladding element assembly and method for producing a touch-sensitive cladding of a surface

Publication Date: 2020.05.20 HOCHSCHULE FUER ANGEWANDTE WISSENSCHAFTEN FACHHOCHSCHULE COBURG

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AI summary

Cladding element arrangement and method for producing a touch-sensitive covering of a surface. The invention relates to a cladding element arrangement comprising at least one cladding element (1) for covering a surface, at least one transmitter (3) for generating surface acoustic waves (4) in the cladding element (1), and at least one receiver (5) for receiving the generated surface acoustic waves (4), wherein it can be determined, based on a signal generated by the receiver (5) upon reception of the surface acoustic waves (4), whether the cladding element (1) is being touched. The invention further relates to a method for producing a touch-sensitive covering of a surface.