JP7712037B2 - helmet - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a helmet equipped with a sensor.

In the past, information management systems have been proposed that connect wearable devices (portable devices) such as helmets equipped with various sensors via a network (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-36071 A

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 describes a technology for attaching a biometric sensor to a helmet headband to detect the user's body temperature, etc. However, with this method, the sensor is attached to the headband in a non-detachable manner, meaning that the headband cannot be washed with water. This causes the headband to become smelly and dirty, and is also a factor in reducing the sensor's detection accuracy due to sweat. In addition, because the headband is constantly in contact with the forehead, there is the problem of it becoming steamy with sweat.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a helmet that can be washed with water by making a sensor detachable from the helmet via a covering material, thereby preventing the helmet from becoming smelly or dirty, and preventing a decrease in the detection accuracy of the sensor due to sweat, and that can absorb sweat with the covering material.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following helmet .

(1) A helmet worn by a user on the head , comprising: a sensor that detects the condition of the user; a covering material that covers a detection portion of the sensor; and a headband that secures the helmet to the user's head , wherein the covering material is a cloth-like member that is removably attached to a front portion of the headband , the sensor is attached to the covering material and detects the forehead skin temperature of the user through the covering material, the detection portion of the sensor is removably attached to a surface of the covering material opposite to the surface exposed to the user, and the covering material is wrapped around the front portion of the headband with the surface with the detection portion facing inward, by opposing at least a portion of an end of the covering material to another portion of the covering material and engaging or disengaging them with each other .

(2) The helmet described in (1) , wherein the headband has a tightening mechanism.

(3) The helmet according to (1) or (2) , wherein the covering material is a breathable material made of a conductive material such as mesh fabric, polyurethane foam, or silver fiber .

(4) The helmet described in any one of (1) to (3) , wherein the covering material is a mesh fabric and the sensor detects the body temperature of the user.

(5) A helmet as described in any one of (1) to (4) , wherein the risk of heat stroke of the user is judged based on the detection results by the sensor.

(6) The helmet according to any one of (1) to (5) , wherein the sensor is provided detachably with respect to the covering material.

According to the helmet of the present invention, the sensor can be attached and detached from the helmet via a covering material, making it possible to wash the helmet with water, preventing the helmet from becoming smelly or dirty, and preventing a decrease in the detection accuracy of the sensor due to sweat, and also enabling sweat to be absorbed by the covering material.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mutual monitoring system in which a wearable device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a detection unit. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a wearable device worn by a user. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a bottom view showing the wearable device when the covering is attached. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a covering is attached to a wearable device.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components with the same reference numerals in each drawing are the same, and their description will be omitted. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mutual monitoring system 1 using a helmet 6, which is an example of a wearable device according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the specific configuration of a detection unit 2, etc. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the helmet 6 worn by a user of the mutual monitoring system 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "user").

As shown in FIG. 1, the mutual monitoring system 1 is composed of a monitoring unit U carried by each of multiple users. If an abnormality occurs in any of the users (in this embodiment, an increased risk of heat stroke), the mutual monitoring system 1 is configured to notify the users of the mutual monitoring system 1 of the occurrence of the abnormality and the user in whom the abnormality has occurred. Note that the abnormality of users detected by the mutual monitoring system 1 is not limited to an increased risk of heat stroke, and it is also possible to configure it to detect other physical conditions, etc.

Figure 1 shows monitoring units U1 to U4 carried by four users. Note that in the mutual monitoring system 1, there may be more than one user and monitoring unit U, and the number is not limited. As shown in Figure 3, the monitoring unit U in this embodiment is configured as a helmet 6, which is an example of a wearable device worn by a user. Since each monitoring unit U has the same configuration and function, the following will explain monitoring unit U1, and will omit detailed explanations of the other monitoring units U2 to U4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the helmet 6 constituting the monitoring unit U1 includes a detection unit 2, a communication unit 4, a notification lamp 7 as a first notification unit, and a specific lamp 8 as a second notification unit. The detection unit 2 and communication unit 4 are housed inside a case C provided on the helmet 6 as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5. The detection unit 2 detects an abnormality in the user carrying the monitoring unit U1. The communication unit 4 transmits and receives abnormality occurrence information that an abnormality has occurred in one of the users via a communication line 10 or the like. The notification lamp 7 as a first notification unit notifies the user carrying the monitoring unit U1 that an abnormality has occurred in one of the users. The specific lamp 8 as a second notification unit notifies the surroundings that an abnormality has occurred in the user carrying the monitoring unit U1, allowing the person with the abnormality to be identified.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the detection unit 2 includes a biometric information acquisition unit 21, an environmental information acquisition unit 22, and a monitoring control unit 3. The biometric information acquisition unit 21 and the environmental information acquisition unit 22 are various sensors provided in the helmet 6 to detect data related to the user's biometric information and environmental information. The biometric information acquisition unit 21 includes wiring 21a as shown in Figs. 3 to 6, and is connected to the detection unit 2 in the case C via this wiring 21a. The case C is detachable from the helmet 6. The monitoring control unit 3 is a control unit in which an application program (heatstroke risk calculation program) is installed. The heatstroke risk calculation program is stored in a memory unit provided in each component of the monitoring control unit 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the biometric information acquisition unit 21 and the environmental information acquisition unit 22 are provided in a helmet 6 that is worn on the head of a user, such as a worker working in a factory, a construction site, or a forest. Note that it is also possible to use other items other than the helmet 6 as wearable devices (for example, hats, wristbands, watches, glasses, necklaces, belts, bags, shoes, clothes, underwear, diapers, etc. worn by the user). In high-temperature conditions that cause a lot of sweating, it is preferable to use a helmet 6 as a wearable device, as it can become stuffy.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the biometric information acquisition unit 21 is provided on the covering material 11 attached to the front of the headband 61 of the helmet 6. The biometric information acquisition unit 21 acquires the user's biometric information at predetermined measurement times. In this embodiment, the biometric information acquisition unit 21 is a skin surface temperature sensor that measures the user's forehead skin temperature, and acquires biometric information related to the user's forehead skin temperature every minute.

The bioinformation acquisition unit 21 can acquire temperatures such as skin contact temperature or internal body temperature at a location other than the user's forehead, and can acquire various other information such as the user's pulse wave (heart rate), brain wave, or blood flow, or combine these to use as bioinformation. However, due to the high correlation with the risk of developing heatstroke, it is preferable to acquire the user's body temperature as bioinformation using a temperature sensor. In addition, for workers performing dangerous work, from the viewpoint of safety, that is, the need to insert an instrument into the body, and from the viewpoint of ease of measurement, it is more preferable to acquire the user's body temperature by providing a skin surface temperature sensor in a wearable device worn by the user. In addition, from the viewpoint of measuring bioinformation in a part close to the brain, which is most affected by heatstroke, it is more preferable to measure the user's body temperature by providing a contact temperature sensor on the forehead part of the helmet 6. In addition, the measurement function in the bioinformation acquisition unit 21 can be configured to be used not only for measuring the risk of heatstroke in workers, but also for measuring the performance of athletes and for managing the physical condition of the elderly and infants in hospitals. The bioinformation acquisition unit 21 can also be configured using an infrared sensor or an ultrasonic sensor.

In this embodiment, the environmental information acquisition unit 22 is housed inside a case C provided in the helmet 6, and acquires environmental information around the user at predetermined measurement times. In this embodiment, the environmental information acquisition unit 22 is composed of a temperature sensor that acquires the outside air temperature every minute, a humidity sensor that acquires the outside humidity every minute, and the like.

The environmental information acquisition unit 22 calculates an approximation of the WBGT index (wet bulb globe temperature), known as a heat index, every minute from the acquired outdoor temperature and outdoor humidity (hereinafter, simply referred to as "WBGT"). The WBGT index is an index that represents the degree of heat stress on the human body, taking into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, and radiant heat, and it is considered desirable to stop work or sports when this value is large. In addition to the outdoor temperature and outdoor humidity, the environmental information acquisition unit 22 can also acquire solar radiation intensity, weather, illuminance, etc., and acquire various information such as time and location information, or combine these to use as environmental information. However, from the viewpoint of ease of measurement, it is preferable to calculate the environmental information based on the temperature and humidity around the user.

As shown in FIG. 2, the monitoring control unit 3 includes a user score calculation unit 31, a judgment score calculation unit 32, and a judgment unit 33, and each unit includes a storage unit (memory, etc.) and a calculation unit (CPU, etc.) not shown. Each unit will be described in detail below.

The user score calculation unit 31 calculates the user score for each measurement time (1 minute) based on the user's biometric information (in this embodiment, the user's forehead skin temperature) acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 21 and the environmental information (in this embodiment, the WBGT around the user) acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 22.

In detail, the memory unit of the user score calculation unit 31 stores a score (hereinafter referred to as "biome score") that is preset corresponding to the biometric information data (user's forehead skin temperature) acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 21. The memory unit of the user score calculation unit 31 also stores a score (hereinafter referred to as "environment score") that is preset corresponding to the environmental information data (WBGT) acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 22. The calculation unit of the user score calculation unit 31 then adds up the biometric score corresponding to the received biometric information data and the environmental score corresponding to the received environmental information data to calculate the user score for each measurement time.

The judgment score calculation unit 32 calculates the judgment score for each measurement time by accumulating the values calculated from the user score calculated by the user score calculation unit 31 and a time coefficient set for each elapsed time going back from the present to the past.

The judgment unit 33 judges whether the judgment score calculated by the judgment score calculation unit 32 exceeds a preset threshold value. Specifically, if the judgment score is less than the threshold value, it is judged as "safe", and if the judgment score is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it is judged as "dangerous". If the judgment unit 33 judges it as "dangerous", the detection unit 2 transmits abnormality occurrence information to the communication unit 4 to the effect that an abnormality has occurred to the user.

As shown in FIG. 1, the communication unit 4 in the monitoring unit U has a two-way communication function for exchanging data with the communication unit 4 in other monitoring units U via a communication line 10. In the mutual monitoring system 1, one-to-many wide-range wireless communication is used for communication between the communication units 4. Specifically, Bluetooth (registered trademark) is used as the communication method between the communication units 4. Wi-Fi (registered trademark), wireless LAN, ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, etc. can also be used as the communication method between the communication units 4. Bluetooth is preferable as the communication method between the communication units 4 because it allows communication over a distance of 400 m and broadcast communication.

The communication unit 4 also has a transmission function for transmitting abnormality occurrence information to the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8. One-to-one short-range wireless communication is used for communication between the communication unit 4 and the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8. Specifically, Bluetooth is used as the communication method between the communication unit 4 and the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8, as is the case with communication between communication units 4. Communication between the communication unit 4 and the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8 is possible up to 30 m, and ANT can also be used within a range of several meters from the perspective of power saving. In this embodiment, communication between the communication unit 4 and the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8 is wireless, preventing wiring from getting in the way when using the monitoring unit U.

The notification lamp 7, which is the first notification unit, and the specific lamp 8, which is the second notification unit, are light-emitting members that use LEDs. As the first notification unit and the second notification unit, in addition to light-emitting members, sound-emitting members such as buzzers, oscillation members such as vibrators, heat-generating members, display members such as displays, odor-generating members, etc. can be used alone or in combination. In addition, the first notification unit and the second notification unit may have different notification methods. In this embodiment, the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8, which are light-emitting members that can be recognized even in a work site with a lot of noise and vibration, are used as the first notification unit and the second notification unit.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the notification lamp 7 is fixed to a location on the helmet 6 that is visible to the user wearing the helmet 6 (in this embodiment, the underside of the visor of the helmet 6). The specific lamp 8 is fixed to a location on the helmet 6 that is easily visible to other users (in this embodiment, the rear of the helmet 6).

The notification lamp 7 can be fixed to clothing other than the helmet 6, provided that it is in a location that is visible to the user. The specific lamp 8 can also be fixed to clothing other than the helmet 6, provided that it is in a location that is easily visible to other users. The notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8 can also be fixed to clothing other than the helmet 6. The means for fixing the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8 can be any means, such as clips, screws, hook-and-loop fasteners, magnets, double-sided tape, snap pins, etc., but it is preferable to use clips that are easy to attach and remove.

The size of the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8 is preferably small (20 mm to 50 mm x 20 mm to 60 mm) for ease of portability and wearability. The shape of the notification lamp 7 and the specific lamp 8 may be any shape, such as round or polygonal, with a round shape being particularly preferred for reasons of light distribution, waterproofness, and miniaturization.

In this embodiment, if the judgment unit 33 judges that it is "safe," the judgment unit 33 determines that no abnormality (increased risk of heat stroke) has occurred to the user, and does not transmit abnormality occurrence information. In this case, the notification lamp 7 and specific lamp 8 do not light up in any of the monitoring units U1 to U4.

On the other hand, if the judgment unit 33 judges that the condition is "dangerous," the judgment unit 33 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the user (increased risk of heat stroke) and transmits abnormality information to the communication unit 4. The communication unit 4, which receives the abnormality information from the detection unit 2 in the same monitoring unit U, transmits the abnormality information to the notification lamp 7 and specific lamp 8 in the monitoring unit U1, and to the communication units 4 in the other monitoring units U2 to U4.

The notification lamp 7 and specific lamp 8 in the monitoring unit U1 receive abnormality information and emit light to notify the user that the risk of heat stroke has increased. The user of the monitoring unit U1 recognizes that the notification lamp 7 and specific lamp 8 on the monitoring unit U1 that the user carries with them are emitting light and thus recognizes that the user is at high risk of heat stroke.

In the other monitoring units U2 to U4, the communication unit 4 that receives the abnormality information from the communication unit 4 in the monitoring unit U1 transmits the abnormality information to the notification lamp 7. That is, when the communication unit 4 receives the abnormality information from the communication unit 4 in the other monitoring units U via the communication line 10, it transmits the abnormality information only to the notification lamp 7. Then, the notification lamps 7 in the other monitoring units U2 to U4 light up to notify that the risk of heat stroke for any of the users has increased.

By visually checking that their own notification lamp 7 is illuminated and that their own specific lamp 8 is not illuminated, the users of the monitoring units U2 to U4 recognize that the risk of heat stroke in users other than themselves has increased. By visually checking that the specific lamp 8 of the user of the monitoring unit U1 is illuminated, the users of the monitoring units U2 to U4 identify those at high risk of heat stroke and recognize that the risk of heat stroke for that user has increased.

As described above, the mutual monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment is configured to notify people (users of monitoring units U2-U4) around a person at risk of heat stroke (user of monitoring unit U1) of the presence of the person at risk of heat stroke and the location of that person. In other words, the mutual monitoring system 1 is configured to transmit abnormality occurrence information to the communication units 4 of other monitoring units U2-U4 that are in a position where communication is possible with the communication unit 4 in monitoring unit U1 (near the person at risk of heat stroke). This encourages rescue by people in the vicinity, making it possible to carry out rescue activities quickly and appropriately when the risk of heat stroke increases.

As described above, the helmet 6, which is worn by the user as an example of a wearable device in the mutual monitoring system 1, includes a biometric information acquisition unit 21, which is a sensor that detects the user's condition, and a covering material 11 that covers the detection unit of the biometric information acquisition unit 21. The biometric information acquisition unit 21 is provided in the covering material 11 and detects the user's condition through the covering material 11.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the covering material 11 is a substantially rectangular cloth-like member. As shown in Fig. 6, four hook-and-loop fasteners are provided as engagement members 12 on one surface of the covering material 11 (the inner peripheral surface when the covering material 11 is wrapped around the headband 61). The engagement method using the engagement members 12 is not limited to hook-and-loop fasteners, and other engagement methods such as clips and buttons can also be used. In addition, cylindrical storage sections 13, 13 are attached to one surface of the covering material 11 midway along the short side. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the gap between the storage sections 13, 13 is located in the center of the covering material 11.

In the helmet 6, the covering material 11 may be any material that is highly flexible, and may be, for example, mesh fabric, Gore-Tex (registered trademark), polyurethane foam, silver fiber, or other conductive materials. When the helmet 6 is used in a mutual monitoring system 1 that measures the risk of heat stroke as in this embodiment, it is preferable to use a laminate of breathable mesh fabric and polyurethane foam as the covering material 11 from the viewpoints of increasing the cooling effect of the skin contact surface and improving the feel and softness. In addition, by using polyurethane foam, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the detection unit and wiring 21a and eliminate the discomfort felt when wearing the helmet 6.

In this embodiment, the biometric information acquisition unit 21 and the covering material 11 are provided so as to be detachable from the helmet 6. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 5 to 7, when attaching the covering material 11 to the helmet 6, the biometric information acquisition unit 21 and the wiring 21a are inserted into one of the storage sections 13 (the storage section 13 on the right side in Figs. 5 and 6), and the detection section of the biometric information acquisition unit 21 is exposed from the gap between the storage sections 13. Then, as shown in Fig. 7, the covering material 11 is wrapped around the front of the headband 61 of the helmet 6 so that the surface on which the biometric information acquisition unit 21 is exposed faces inward, and the opposing engagement members 12 are engaged. This allows the covering material 11 to be attached to the helmet 6 together with the biometric information acquisition unit 21. Conversely, by releasing the engagement of the engagement members 12 on the covering material 11, the covering material 11 can be removed from the helmet 6 together with the biometric information acquisition unit 21.

As described above, the helmet 6 allows the covering material 11 provided with the biometric information acquisition unit 21 to be removed from the headband 61. Therefore, after using the helmet 6, the covering material 11 and the biometric information acquisition unit 21 can be removed from the headband 61 and the headband 61 can be washed with water. In other words, odor and dirt on the headband 61 can be suppressed, and a decrease in the detection accuracy of the biometric information acquisition unit 21 due to sweat can be prevented.

In addition, in this embodiment, the covering material 11 is attached to the headband 61, so that sweat can be absorbed by the covering material 11 to prevent stuffiness. Furthermore, by removing the case C from the helmet 6, the biometric information acquisition unit 21 can be removed from the helmet 6. This makes it possible to wash the entire helmet 6 with water. Also, since the covering material 11 is interposed between the headband 61 and the forehead, sweat can be absorbed by the covering material 11 to prevent stuffiness. Furthermore, if the headband has a tightening mechanism, tightening the headband brings the covering material 11 into closer contact with the forehead, which enhances the sweat absorption effect of the covering material 11 and also improves the detection accuracy of the detection unit.

In addition, in the helmet 6, the detection unit in the biometric information acquisition unit 21 is detachably attached to the surface (the inner surface) of the covering material 11 opposite to the surface exposed to the user (the outer surface when the covering material 11 is wrapped around the headband 61). This allows the covering material 11 to be inserted between the detection unit and the forehead, and the covering material 11 can absorb sweat, further preventing a decrease in the detection accuracy of the biometric information acquisition unit 21 due to sweat. In addition, by removing the biometric information acquisition unit 21 from the covering material 11, it is possible to replace the covering material 11 with a new one or wash and reuse a dirty covering material 11.

In addition, in the helmet 6, storage sections 13, 13 are provided on the inner peripheral surface when the covering material 11 is wrapped around the headband 61. The wiring 21a, which is part of the biometric information acquisition unit 21, is configured to be stored in the storage section 13. This allows the biometric information acquisition unit 21 to be provided on the covering material 11 simply by inserting it into the storage section 13, making it easy to attach and detach the biometric information acquisition unit 21 to and from the covering material 11. It is also possible to configure the storage section 13 to store the entire biometric information acquisition unit 21, including the detection unit.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the bioinformation acquisition unit 21 is attached to the covering material 11, the detection unit and the covering material 11 are in direct contact with each other. In other words, only the covering material 11 is placed between the user's skin and the detection unit, and the distance between the skin and the detection unit does not increase, so that the detection accuracy of the bioinformation acquisition unit 21 can be prevented from decreasing.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the detection unit of the bioinformation acquisition unit 21 is exposed, the detection unit can be fixed to the covering material 11 by attaching a sticker coated with adhesive to one or both sides of the detection unit. This makes it possible to prevent the detection unit from shifting position. When fixing the detection unit with a sticker coated with adhesive on one side, the sticker is attached to the covering material 11 in a state where all or part of the detection unit is covered. When fixing the detection unit with a sticker coated with adhesive on both sides, one adhesive side of the sticker is attached to the covering material 11, and the detection unit is attached and fixed to the other adhesive side of the sticker. Note that as long as the detection unit can be fixed, any size and shape of the sticker can be selected regardless of the size and shape of the detection unit.

The base material of the seal may be urethane nonwoven fabric, polyvinyl chloride, elastic cotton cloth, sponge sheet, urethane film, olefin film, etc. From the viewpoints of waterproofing, moisture permeability, and breathability, it is preferable to use urethane nonwoven fabric or urethane film as the base material of the seal. In addition, in order to ensure breathability, the seal may be used with mesh-shaped holes. The adhesive may be acrylic resin, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone resin, etc., and may be selected according to the purpose such as moisture permeability, cold resistance, heat resistance, and chemical resistance. It is preferable that the adhesive of the seal has an adhesive strength that allows it to be peeled off when the covering material 11 is replaced or washed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the covering material 11 is made of a breathable material. This enhances the cooling effect of the skin contact surface, improving the comfort of the user. Furthermore, it is preferable to form the covering material 11 from a mesh fabric and configure the biometric information acquisition unit 21 to detect the body temperature of the user. This improves the breathability of the covering material 11 and lowers the temperature near the detection unit, making it less likely that errors will occur when measuring body temperature.

1 Mutual monitoring system 2 Detection unit
3 Monitoring control unit 4 Communication unit
6. Helmet (wearable device)
7 Notification lamp 8 Specific lamp
10 Communication line 11 Covering material
12 Engagement member 13 Storage section
21 Biometric information acquisition unit 21a Wiring
22 Environmental information acquisition section 31 User score calculation section
32 Judgment point calculation section 33 Judgment section
61 Headband U Monitoring unit

Claims (6)

A helmet that is worn by a user on the head ,
The helmet includes a sensor that detects a state of a user, a covering material that covers a detection portion of the sensor, and a headband that fixes the helmet to the user's head ,
The covering material is a cloth member detachably provided on a front portion of the headband ,
The sensor is provided in the covering material and detects a forehead skin temperature of the user through the covering material;
The detection unit of the sensor is detachably attached to a surface of the covering material opposite to a surface exposed to a user,
The helmet is capable of being attached and detached to the front of the headband by wrapping the covering material around the front of the headband with the surface on which the detection unit is provided facing inward, and by opposing at least a portion of an end of the covering material to another portion of the covering material and engaging or disengaging them from each other . The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the headband has a tightening mechanism. 3. The helmet according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the covering material is a breathable material made of mesh fabric, polyurethane foam, or conductive material such as silver fiber . 4. The helmet according to claim 1 , wherein the covering material is a mesh fabric, and the sensor detects the body temperature of the user. 5. The helmet according to claim 1, wherein a risk of heat stroke of the user is determined based on the detection result by the sensor. The helmet according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is detachably provided on the covering material.