Pressure Sensor

• US 20080307899A1
• Filed: 11/23/2006
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingo Mayer GmbH & Co. KG.
• Original Assignee: Alpha-Fit=GmbH
• Inventors: Asfour, Jean-Michel, Von Lilienfeld-Toal, Hermann
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/862.68
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1074 Foot measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/02431 with electronic components, e.g. sensors or switches
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements

Abstract

The invention relates to a pressure sensor which can be incorporated into textile products. The pressure sensor includes a multilayer thread having a pressure sensitive layer exhibiting a pressure-dependent electrical resistance, and a conductive layer in contact with the pressure sensitive layer. Further, the sensor includes conductive threads in contact with the multilayer thread.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising a plurality of conductive threads, wherein

at least one of said conductive threads is a multilayer thread in contact with other said conductive threads and includes a pressure sensitive layer having a pressure-dependent electric characteristic, and

said multilayer thread includes a non-conductive fiber covered by a conductive coating overlaid by said pressure sensitive layer.

2. A pressure sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pressure sensitive layer of said multilayer thread is in electric contact with said other conductive threads.

3. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is incorporated in a fabric including parallel zones which contain said other conductive threads and are spaced apart by non-conductive zones, each of said parallel zones and non-conductive zones intersecting the multilayer thread so as to form an array of discrete regions where the multilayer thread and said other conductive threads intersect each other.

4. The pressure sensor of claim 3, wherein the fabric is made by knitting the non conducting threads and said other conductive threads as warp threads, and further includes said multilayer thread as a filler thread.

5. The pressure sensor of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of said multilayer threads are provided so as to extend in parallel to and being spaced apart from each other, so as to form a two-dimensional array of discrete regions where the multilayer threads intersect said other conductive threads.

6. The pressure sensor of claim 1, comprising a rope made of said multilayer threads, said other conductive threads and non-conductive threads.

7. The pressure sensor of any preceding claim, wherein said multilayer thread is implemented as a strip of laminated film.

8. The pressure sensor of any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of further said multilayer threads are used for said other conductive threads.

9. A garment including a pressure sensor in accordance with claim 1.

10. A sock including a pressure sensor in accordance with claim 1.