Shock-absorbing device for human body

• US 9,364,033 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Kim, Choong-Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US14/000,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 600/595
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0155 having inflatable structure, e.g. non automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/018 inflatable automatically
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/05 protecting only a particular body part ear protectors A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement

Abstract

A shock-absorbing device for a human body which can reduce an impact applied to the human body when a wearer falls is provided. The shock-absorbing device for the human body includes: i) an airbag configured to surround the human body; ii) a compressed gas cartridge connected to the airbag and configured to store a gas to be injected into the airbag; iii) a compressed gas cartridge opener connected to the compressed gas cartridge and configured to eject the gas from the compressed gas cartridge; iv) a foot sensor placed at a foot of the human body and configured to sense and store a mass center of the human body; v) an acceleration sensor configured to sense a motion of the human body; vi) a fall detection sensor connected to the foot sensor and the acceleration sensor and configured to determine whether or not the human body is falling based on detection signals received from the foot sensor and the acceleration sensor, respectively; and vii) a control unit configured to control opening of the compressed gas cartridge opener in response to a signal received from the fall detection sensor. When the mass center detected by the foot sensor deviates from a sensing area, the fall detection sensor sends a fall signal to the control unit. When motion acceleration of the human body exceeds predetermined acceleration, the fall detection sensor can send another fall signal to the control unit.

Claims

1. A shock-absorbing device for a human body, comprising:

an airbag configured to surround a hip, knee, head, neck, or wrist of the human body;

a compressed gas cartridge connected to the airbag and configured to store a gas to be injected into the airbag;

a compressed gas cartridge opener connected to the compressed gas cartridge and configured to eject the gas from the compressed gas cartridge;

a foot sensor configured to be placed at a foot of the human body wherein the foot sensor comprises a circuit fabricated with a semiconductor ink that exhibits an electrical resistance inversely proportion to applied pressure in which the circuit is configured to measure static and dynamic pressure distributions from changes in the electrical resistance of the semiconductor ink to analyze and to store data corresponding to a center of mass of the human body;

an acceleration sensor configured to sense a motion of the human body;

a fall detection sensor connected to the foot sensor and the acceleration sensor and configured to determine whether or not the human body is falling based on detection signals received from the foot sensor and the acceleration sensor, respectively; and

a control unit configured to control opening of the compressed gas cartridge opener in response to a signal received from the fall detection sensor,

wherein when the center of mass detected by the foot sensor deviates from a sensing area, the fall detection sensor sends a fall signal to the control unit.

2. The shock-absorbing device of claim 1, wherein the fall detection sensor sends another fall signal to the control unit when motion acceleration of the human body exceeds a predetermined acceleration.

6. The shock-absorbing device of claim 1, further comprising clothes configured to cover the human body and having the airbag attached to the clothes, wherein an electric wire for electrically coupling the foot sensor and the fall detection sensor is fixed to the clothes.

7. The shock-absorbing device of claim 6, wherein the clothes comprise a trouser unit covering a leg of the human body, and sewing holes into which the electric wire are inserted are formed in a length direction of the trouser unit.

8. The shock-absorbing device of claim 7, wherein the airbag is detachably attached to the clothes and placed at a portion corresponding to a hip of the human body, and the airbag is made of moisture-permeable and water proofing fabrics.

9. The shock-absorbing device of claim 1, further comprising a display unit connected to the control unit and configured to digitize and display a health state of the human body by converting information about motion of the human body.

10. The shock-absorbing device of claim 9, further comprising a load sensor attached to the airbag and configured to sense weight of the human body, wherein the load sensor is connected to the display unit and configured to transmit a load sensed by the load sensor to the display unit.

11. The shock-absorbing device of claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit configured to wirelessly send an operating state of the airbag if the airbag is connected to the control unit and actuated.

12. The shock-absorbing device of claim 6, wherein parts of the clothes corresponding to genitals and anus of the human body are opened.

3. A shock-absorbing device for a human body, comprising:

an airbag configured to surround a hip, knee, head, neck, or wrist of the human body;

a compressed gas cartridge connected to the airbag and configured to store gas to be injected into the airbag;

a compressed gas cartridge opener connected to the compressed gas cartridge and configured to eject the gas from the compressed gas cartridge;

a foot sensor configured to be placed at a foot of the human body wherein the foot sensor comprises a circuit fabricated with a semiconductor ink that exhibits an electrical resistance inversely proportion to applied pressure in which the circuit is configured to measure static and dynamic pressure distributions from changes in the electrical resistance of the semiconductor ink to analyze and to store data corresponding to a center of mass of the human body;

an acceleration sensor configured to sense a motion of the human body;

a fall detection sensor connected to the foot sensor and the acceleration sensor and configured to determine whether or not the human body is falling based on detection signals received from the foot sensor and the acceleration sensor, respectively; and

a control unit configured to control opening of the compressed gas cartridge opener in response to a signal received from the fall detection sensor,

wherein when the center of mass deviates from a sensing area and motion acceleration of the human body exceeds predetermined acceleration, the control unit determines whether or not a fall direction is a front direction of the human body.

4. The shock-absorbing device of claim 3, wherein the control unit actuates the compressed gas cartridge opener if, as a result of the determination, it is determined that the fall direction is not the front direction of the human body.

5. The shock-absorbing device of claim 4, wherein the fall detection sensor sends a fall signal to the control unit.

13. A shock-absorbing device for wearing on a human body, the device comprising:

an airbag configured to surround a portion of the human body;

a gas cartridge connected to the airbag;

a foot sensor comprising a circuit fabricated with a semiconductor ink that exhibits an electrical resistance inversely proportion to applied pressure in which the circuit is configured to measure static and dynamic pressure distributions from changes in the electrical resistance of the semiconductor ink to analyze and to store data corresponding to a center of mass of the human body;

an acceleration sensor configured to sense a motion of the human body;

a fall detection sensor connected to the foot sensor and to the acceleration sensor wherein the fall detection sensor is configured to determine whether the human body is falling based on signals from the foot sensor and the acceleration sensor; and

a control unit connected to the fall detection sensor and coupled to the gas cartridge, wherein the control unit is configured to control release of gas from the gas cartridge into the airbag in response to a signal from the fall detection sensor.

14. The shock-absorbing device of claim 13, wherein when the data corresponding to the center of mass center deviates from a sensing area then the fall detection sensor is configured to send a fall signal to the control unit that subsequently controls the release of gas from the gas cartridge into the airbag.

15. The shock-absorbing device of claim 13, further comprising a compressed gas cartridge opener connected between the gas cartridge and the control unit.

16. The shock-absorbing device of claim 13, wherein the portion of the human body is selected from the group consisting of a hip, a knee, a head, a neck and a wrist.

17. The shock-absorbing device of claim 13, further comprises clothing configured to cover the portion of the human body, wherein the airbag is attached to the clothing in which electric wires coupling the foot sensor and the fall detection sensor are fixed to the clothing.

18. The shock-absorbing device of claim 17, wherein the clothing comprises a trouser unit covering a leg of the human body, and sewing holes into which the electric wires are formed and inserted in a length direction of the trouser unit.

19. The shock-absorbing device of claim 17, wherein the airbag is detachably attached to the clothing and placed at a portion corresponding to a hip of the human body, and the airbag is made of moisture-permeable and water proofing fabrics.

20. The shock-absorbing device of claim 13, further comprising a display unit connected to the control unit and configured to digitize and display a health state of the human body by converting information about motion of the human body.