Contact pressure detecting sensor and contact pressure measuring device including same

• US 6,134,970 A
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cape PLC (Altrad Investment Authority SAS)
• Original Assignee: Cape PLC (Altrad Investment Authority SAS)
• Inventors: Kumakawa, Yoshiyuki, Sanada, Hiromi
• Primary Examiner(s): Oen, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): AW MUSSE, ABDULLAHI H
• Application Number:
  US09/412,350
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 73/730 OR, 73/713, 73/714, 73/729.1, 73/729.2, 73/756, 73/172, 600/592, 600/595, 600/597
• US Class Current: 73/730
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/168 Fluid filled sensor housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/061 construction or mounting of bellows

Abstract

A contact pressure detecting sensor having a simplified structure. The sensor includes a pair of air-impermeable sheets and at least one foamed plastic member interposedly arranged between the air-impermeable sheets while being kept from being uncompressed. The foamed plastic member is capable of resuming its original configuration after compression. The sensor also includes at least one tube arranged so as to extend from the vicinity of the foamed plastic member to outside the air-impermeable sheets. The air-impermeable sheets are joined to each other at portions thereof positioned around the foamed plastic member and tube.

Claims

1. A contact pressure detecting sensor comprising:

a pair of air-impermeable sheets;

at least one foamed plastic member capable of resuming its original configuration after compression and interposedly arranged between said air-impermeable sheets while being kept uncompressed; and

at least one tube arranged so as to extend from the vicinity of said foamed plastic member to outside said air-impermeable sheets;

said air-impermeable sheets being joined to each other at portions thereof positioned around said foamed plastic member and tube.

2. A contact pressure detecting sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said foamed plastic member is made of one of a foamed polyurethane resin material and a foamed polyethylene resin material and formed to have a thickness of 1 to 3 mm.

3. A contact pressure detecting sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said air-impermeable sheets are each made of one of a polyurethane film and a vinyl chloride film and formed to have a thickness of 0.02 to 0.3 mm.

4. A contact pressure detecting sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the foamed plastic members are arranged and a plurality of the tubes are arranged, the number of said plurality of the foamed plastic members corresponding to the number of said plurality of the tubes.

5. A contact pressure detecting sensor as defined in claim 2, wherein a plurality of the foamed plastic members are arranged and a plurality of the tubes are arranged, the number of said plurality of the foamed plastic members corresponding to the number of said plurality of the tubes.

6. A contact pressure detecting sensor as defined in claim 3, wherein a plurality of the foamed plastic members are arranged and a plurality of the tubes are arranged, the number of said plurality of the foamed plastic members corresponding to the number of said plurality of the tubes.

7. A contact pressure measuring device comprising:

a contact pressure detecting sensor including a pair of air-impermeable sheets, at least one foamed plastic member capable of resuming its original configuration after compression and interposedly arranged between said air-impermeable sheets while being kept uncompressed, and at least one tube arranged so as to extend from the vicinity of said foamed plastic member to outside said air-impermeable sheets, said air-impermeable sheets being joined to each other at portions thereof positioned around said foamed plastic member and tube;

a pressure detector coupled to a distal end of said tube of said contact pressure detecting sensor so as to generate a pressure signal;

a conversion circuit arranged so as to receive the pressure signal of said pressure detector and output a converted output signal in such a manner that said conversion circuit outputs a converted output signal corresponding to the pressure signal without subjecting the pressure signal to any processing when the pressure signal fed from said pressure detector is a single signal and that said conversion circuit outputs a converted output signal corresponding to either an average value of the pressure signal or a maximum value thereof when the pressure signal fed from said pressure detector is a plurality of signals; and

a display section for displaying the converted output signal of said conversion circuit in a digitized form.

8. A contact pressure measuring device as defined in claim 7, wherein said foamed plastic member is made of one of a foamed polyurethane resin material and a foamed polyethylene resin material and formed to have a thickness of 1 to 3 mm.

9. A contact pressure measuring device as defined in claim 7, wherein said air-impermeable sheets are each made of one of a polyurethane film and a vinyl chloride film and formed to have a thickness of 0.02 to 0.3 mm.

10. A contact pressure measuring device as defined in claim 7, wherein a plurality of the foamed plastic members are arranged and a plurality of the tubes are arranged, the number of said plurality of the foamed plastic members corresponding to the number of said plurality of the tubes.

11. A contact pressure measuring device as defined in claim 8, wherein a plurality of the foamed plastic members are arranged and a plurality of the tubes are arranged, the number of said plurality of the foamed plastic members corresponding to the number of said plurality of the tubes.

12. A contact pressure measuring device as defined in claim 9, wherein a plurality of the foamed plastic members are arranged and a plurality of the tubes are arranged, the number of said plurality of the foamed plastic members corresponding to the number of said plurality of the tubes.