Pressure sensing chair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10548404-B2
Application number	US-201615757494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2016
Priority date	Sep 3, 2015
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pressure sensing chair capable of wireless charging, detecting body pressure, and measuring the distribution of body pressure. A pressure sensing chair according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: at least one sensor unit including a first electrode layer having a plurality of first electrode patterns arranged in a first direction, a second electrode layer having a plurality of second electrode patterns arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a dielectric layer arranged between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer; and a module unit connected to the sensor unit and including a communication unit and a wireless charging unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A body pressure sensing chair comprising:
a sensor unit disposed at a seat of the chair, the sensor unit to detect a pressure on the seat; and
a module unit electrically connected to the sensor unit and including a communication unit and a wireless charging unit, the module unit being disposed in an armrest,
wherein the sensor unit includes:
a first electrode layer including a plurality of first electrode patterns arranged in a first direction,
a second electrode layer including a plurality of second electrode patterns arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and
a dielectric layer arranged between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer,

the plurality of first electrode patterns include regions which overlap the plurality of second electrode patterns, and
the overlap regions are arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

2. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit senses a change in a thickness of the dielectric layer in the regions by an external pressure, wherein in response to the detection of the pressure on the seat by the sensor unit, the wireless charging unit is to be turned on.

3. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the communication unit includes a communication module such as a Bluetooth module, a Z-Wave module, or the like, and the communication unit transmits pressure information sensed by the sensor unit to a receiver.

4. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the wireless charging unit receives wireless power using an electromagnetic induction method or a resonance method.

5. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer include fibers having conductivity or are formed by printing a conductive ink on the dielectric layer.

6. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode patterns and the second electrode patterns have a shape selected from a bar shape, a zigzag shape, and a wavy shape.

7. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein widths of the plurality of first electrode patterns are the same as widths of the plurality of second electrode patterns.

8. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first electrode patterns and the plurality of second electrode patterns have different widths.

9. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the module unit further includes an alarm unit configured to output a signal of a posture correction.

10. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the overlap regions are in a form of a matrix.

11. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit is in a form of a mat.

12. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of first electrode patterns are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction; and
the plurality of second electrode patterns are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction.

13. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein, when a pressure is applied to the sensor unit, a distance between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in overlap regions decreases.

14. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer includes at least one of polyurethane, silicone, or a thermoplastic elastomer.

15. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein:
the dielectric layer includes a conductive filler; and
the conductive filler includes at least one of carbon, a metal, ceramic, and a conductive polymer.

16. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein a distance from a backrest of the chair to the wireless charging unit is greater than a distance from the backrest to the communication unit.

17. The body pressure sensing chair of claim 1 , wherein distances between the plurality of first electrode patterns range from 5 mm to 30 mm.

18. A sensing system comprising:
a body pressure sensing chair; and
a desk including a power transmission unit configured to transmit power to the body pressure sensing chair,
wherein the body pressure sensing chair includes:
a sensor unit, and
a module unit electrically connected to the sensor unit and including a communication unit and a wireless charging unit,

the sensor unit includes:
a first electrode layer including a plurality of first electrode patterns arranged in a first direction,
a second electrode layer including a plurality of second electrode patterns arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and
a dielectric layer arranged between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer,

the plurality of first electrode patterns include regions which overlap the plurality of second electrode patterns,
the overlap regions are arranged to be spaced apart from each other, and
the power transmission unit transmits power to the wireless charging unit.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Won Keun
• Kim Bi Yi
• Kim Jeong Han
• Park Hyun Gyu
• Cho In Hee
• Jo Hyun Jin

Classifications

• A61B5/4561

  Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature (A61B5/1116 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01L1/146

  for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays (G01L1/148 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/1036

  Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies · CPC title

• A61B2560/0204

  of power management · CPC title

• H02J50/12

  of the resonant type · CPC title