JP7588110B2 - Conductive fiber unit and biosignal detection device including same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conductive fiber unit and a biosignal detection device equipped with the same.

In recent years, clothing-type wearable devices in which bioelectrodes are attached to clothing have been proposed (see Patent Document 1). Bioelectrodes are made of, for example, conductive fibers in which the outer surface of the base fiber is coated with a metal. Possible ways of connecting such conductive fibers to an electric wire include, for example, connection using snaps (see Patent Document 2) and connection using a connector (see Patent Document 3).

JP 2018-114302 A Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-135699 JP 2021-79138 A

However, when such snaps or connectors are applied to clothing-type wearable devices, there is a problem that the wearer feels a foreign body, resulting in a poor wearing experience.

In addition, if conductive fibers are crimped to the electric wire instead of using a snap or connector as described above, there is a problem that the conductive fibers are crushed, resulting in unstable contact resistance.

Furthermore, when the conductive fibers are soldered to an electric wire, there is a problem that the conductive fibers melt.

At first glance, it would seem that an effective solution to the above problems would be to eliminate the electric wires altogether and extend the conductive fibers to use them as electric wires. However, conductive fibers have the property that their resistance value changes when they stretch, and extending the conductive fibers amplifies the noise in the electrical signal passing through them, making it impractical to use conductive fibers as electric wires. In addition, from the standpoint of ensuring insulation between electric wires, there is also the problem that using conductive fibers as electric wires is impractical.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and aims to provide a conductive fiber unit that can stably connect conductive fibers to electric wires without causing a foreign body sensation, and a biosignal detection device equipped with the same.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit comprising a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biological signal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, and a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by tying the connecting fiber to the outer periphery of the exposed portion of the electric wire, and the connection portion is covered with an insulating covering member.

A second conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit comprising a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, the exposed portion of the electric wire is folded back to form a loop and soldered to the exposed portion so as to maintain the folded back state, a loop portion is formed, the connecting fiber is tied or spirally wound around the outer periphery of the exposed portion in the loop portion to form a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire, and the loop portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member.

A third conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit comprising a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, a loop portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire to form a loop and soldering the exposed portion to maintain the folded state, a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by twisting the connecting fiber to the exposed portion in the loop portion, and the loop portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member.

A fourth conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit comprising a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biological signal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, and the electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, and a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by tying the connecting fiber around the outer periphery of the exposed portion of the electric wire and tying the exposed portion around the outer periphery of the connecting fiber, and the connection portion is covered with an insulating covering member.

The fifth conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, a folded portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire toward the covering portion, and a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by spirally winding the connecting fiber around the outer periphery of the exposed portion at the folded back portion, and the folded portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member.

A sixth conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit comprising a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biological signal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, a folded portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire toward the covering portion, a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by tying the connecting fiber to the outer periphery of the exposed portion at the folded back portion, and the folded portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member.

A seventh conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a coating portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, the exposed portion of the electric wire is folded back to form a loop and soldered to the exposed portion so as to maintain the folded state, the loop portion is folded back toward the coating portion, and a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by tying or spirally winding the connecting fiber around the outer periphery of the exposed portion in the loop portion, and the loop portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating coating member.

The eighth conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit comprising a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biological signal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a coating portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, a folded portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire toward the coating portion, a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by twisting the connecting fiber to the exposed portion at the folded back portion, and the folded portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating coating member.

A ninth conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a coating portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, a loop portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire to form a loop and soldering the exposed portion to maintain the folded state, the loop portion is folded back toward the coating portion, and a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by twisting the connecting fiber to the exposed portion in the loop portion, and the loop portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating coating member.

A tenth conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body composed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biological signal , and an electric wire, wherein the conductive fiber body has a connecting fiber connected to the electric wire, the electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end, a folded portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire toward the covering portion, the connecting fiber is tied in a knot around the outer periphery of the exposed portion at the folded portion, and the exposed portion is tied in a knot around the outer periphery of the connecting fiber to form a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire, and the folded portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member.

The eleventh conductive fiber unit of the present disclosure is a conductive fiber unit comprising: a sheet-shaped conductive fiber body composed of a plurality of conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal ; and an electric wire, wherein the electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at at least one end thereof, and a connection portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire is formed by sewing the exposed portion of the electric wire to the conductive fiber body with a running stitch and folding back the end of the sewing of the exposed portion toward the covering portion, and the connection portion is covered with an insulating covering member.

In the conductive fiber unit, the insulating coating member may be made of a heat shrink tube that shrinks when heated.

The biosignal detection device disclosed herein is configured by attaching the conductive fiber unit to clothing , and is a biosignal detection device that detects biosignals emitted by a living body wearing the clothing, and is characterized in that the conductive fiber body functions as an electrode for detecting the biosignal.

All of the above inventions connect the conductive fiber directly to the electric wire without using a snap or connector, and therefore all of the above inventions are able to eliminate the foreign body sensation that occurs with the conventional connections. In addition, all of the above inventions connect the conductive fiber to the electric wire without crimping or soldering the conductive fiber to the electric wire, and therefore all of the above inventions avoid damage to the conductive fiber due to pressure or heat, and thus the conductive fiber can be stably connected to the electric wire. Therefore, all of the above inventions have a technical feature that clearly shows the "contribution of the invention over the prior art" of "being able to stably connect the conductive fiber to the electric wire without causing a foreign body sensation."

According to the present invention, it is possible to stably connect conductive fibers to electric wires without causing a foreign body sensation.

1 is a schematic front view showing a state in which clothing to which a biosignal detection device in embodiment 1 is attached is worn. FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view showing the garment of FIG. 1 being worn; 1 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a conductive fibrous body is sewn to a sheet-shaped electrode. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 2. FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 3. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 4. FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 5. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in the middle of twisting the connecting fiber to the exposed portion of the loop portion. 13 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 6. FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 7. 13 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 8. FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 9. FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 10. FIG. FIG. 23 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in an eleventh embodiment. FIG. 23 is a schematic view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in a twelfth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a schematic plan view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 13. FIG. 16B is a schematic side view showing a part of the conductive fiber unit of FIG. 16A. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a conductive fiber body is sewn to a sheet-like electrode with a sewing member. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a conductive fiber body is woven integrally with a fabric. FIG. 23 is a schematic plan view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit in embodiment 14. FIG. 19B is a schematic side view showing a part of the conductive fiber unit of FIG. 19A.

Embodiments 1 to 14 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that identical components in each embodiment described below will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions of those components will be omitted. Furthermore, for embodiments 2 to 14, only the differences from embodiment 1 will be described.

(Embodiment 1)
Fig. 1 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a garment A to which a biosignal detection device B is attached according to embodiment 1 is worn, and Fig. 2 is a schematic rear view showing a state in which the garment A of Fig. 1 is worn.

The first embodiment will be described using an example in which the conductive fiber units 10 to 13 are applied to a biosignal detection device B.

The biosignal detection device B detects biosignals emitted by a living organism, which is a wearer P of the garment A. Examples of biosignals include myoelectric potential and cardiac potential. The biosignal detection device B is configured by attaching a plurality of conductive fiber units 10-13 and a communication section C to the garment A (see Figures 1 and 2). The garment A is configured using, for example, chemical fibers such as polyester, polyamide, rayon, etc., or natural fibers such as cotton and wool.

The conductive fiber units 10 to 13 detect biosignals from the left and right arms and the left and right chest of the wearer P, respectively. The conductive fiber units 10 to 13 are connected to a communication unit C (see Figures 1 and 2). The configurations of the conductive fiber units 10 to 13 are the same except for the dimensional ratios, etc., and details will be described later.

The communication unit C transmits the biosignals detected by the conductive fiber units 10-13 to an external device, and includes an interface for communicating with an external device via a communication network such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The communication unit C is connected to the conductive fiber units 10-13 on the inner surface of the garment A. The communication unit C is disposed in a position on the garment A that does not interfere with the movement of the wearer P, such as on the back side of the wearer P.

Next, the configuration of the conductive fiber units 10 to 13 will be explained using the conductive fiber unit 10 as a representative example.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the conductive fiber unit 10 in embodiment 1.

In this embodiment, the conductive fiber unit 10 includes a sheet-like conductive fiber body 2 composed of multiple conductive fibers, and an electric wire 3 (see FIG. 3). The term "sheet-like" is a concept that includes a cloth-like (woven fabric) and a knit-like (knitted fabric, for example, a plain weave) shape. Examples of conductive fibers include those with a metal coating formed on the surface of a base fiber, those made of a carbon material, and those with a carbon material, metal oxide, etc. kneaded into the fiber.

In this embodiment, the conductive fiber body 2 is disposed on the inner side of the garment A (see Figs. 1 and 2) and functions as an electrode for detecting a biosignal emitted by the living body of the wearer P. The conductive fiber body 2 may be sewn to the garment A with sewing thread, or may be housed inside a pocket or the like provided on the garment A.

In this embodiment, the conductive fiber body 2 has a connecting fiber 20 that is connected to the electric wire 3 (see FIG. 3). The connecting fiber 20 is made of a fiber bundle pulled out from the conductive fiber body 2, and is connected to one end of the electric wire 3 at a connection part 4, which will be described later.

The electric wire 3 is, for example, a spirally wound electric wire, which is a so-called stretchable electric wire with excellent stretchability. The electric wire 3 is wired so as to crawl along the inner surface of the garment A (see Figs. 1 and 2). The electric wire 3 may be housed, for example, inside a piping or the like provided by wrapping the edge of the fabric of the garment A with a tape-like fabric. In addition, when the communication unit C is connected to the conductive fiber units 10 to 13 on the outer surface side of the garment A, the electric wire 3 may be wired from the inner surface side to the outer surface side of the garment A through a ventilation hole or the like provided in the garment A.

The electric wire 3 has a covering portion 30 and an exposed portion 31 that is exposed at one end (see FIG. 3). The other end of the electric wire 3 is connected to the communication portion C of the biosignal detection device B.

The connection portion 4 is a portion that connects the conductive fiber body 2 to the electric wire 3. In this embodiment, the connection portion 4 is formed by spirally winding the connecting fiber 20 around the outer circumference of the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 (see FIG. 3).

The winding pitch and inner diameter of the connecting fiber 20 need only be set to such an extent that the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 does not come off the connecting fiber 20 even if the connecting fiber 20 or the electric wire 3 is pulled by hand, and this also applies to the following embodiment 7.

The end 21 of the connecting fiber 20 may be fixed to the electric wire 3 with vinyl tape or the like.

The connection part 4 is covered with an insulating covering member 9. In this embodiment, the insulating covering member 9 is made of a heat shrink tube that shrinks when heated. This allows the connection part 4 to be made compact while still ensuring the insulation of the connection part 4.

In addition, the conductive fiber unit 10 is not limited to the example described above, and may be composed of a single conductive fiber.

Also, all of the conductive fibers constituting the conductive fiber body 2 may be connected to the electric wire 3 as connecting fibers 20. Even in this case, the configuration of the connection portion 4 remains the same as above.

In addition to the examples described above, the conductive fiber body 2 can be used as a thread-like electrode. The conductive fiber body 2 can also be used as a sewing thread for sewing together multiple sheet-like materials.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the conductive fiber body 2 sewn to the sheet-like electrode E.

As shown in FIG. 4, the conductive fiber body 2 can be sewn to the sheet-like electrode E like a sewing thread, and used as a connecting member for connecting the sheet-like electrode E and the electric wire 3. In FIG. 4, the reference numeral 22 indicates a stitch portion 22 formed by sewing the conductive fiber body 2 to the sheet-like electrode E.

The conductive fiber unit 10 is not limited to the example of its application to the biosignal detection device B described above, but can be widely applied.

For example, the conductive fiber unit 10 can be used as a means for detecting the movement of a user such as a wearer P. Specifically, conductive fibers have the property of causing a change in resistance value when stretched, and by utilizing this property, the conductive fiber body 2 of the conductive fiber unit 10 can be used as a sensor that detects the movement of a user by stretching and contracting in accordance with the user's movement.

For example, the conductive fiber unit 10 can be used as a means for detecting moisture. Specifically, conductive fibers have the property of causing a change in resistance value upon contact with moisture, and by utilizing this property, the conductive fiber body 2 of the conductive fiber unit 10 can be used as a sensor that detects moisture upon contact with moisture. Similarly, the conductive fiber unit 10 can be used as a means for detecting sweating, bleeding, etc., of a user such as a wearer P.

Furthermore, for example, the conductive fiber unit 10 can be used as a heat generating means by utilizing the property of conductive fibers of generating heat when electricity is passed through them.

In addition, the conductive fiber unit 10 can be widely applied to things that use the conductive fibers that make up the conductive fiber body 2.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to the second embodiment.

In embodiment 2, the connection portion 4 is formed by tying the connecting fiber 20 to the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 (see FIG. 5).

The connecting fiber 20 may be knotted in any manner that can fasten the connecting fiber 20 to the outer circumference of the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3, such as a single knot or a coil knot. In this specification, a "single knot" refers to a knotting method in which the connecting fiber 20 is wound around the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 once to form a knotting loop 23, as shown in FIG. 5, and the connecting fiber 20 is passed through the opening 24 of the knotting loop 23. The knot may be tight enough that the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 does not come off the connecting fiber 20 even if the connecting fiber 20 or the electric wire 3 is pulled by hand, and this also applies to the following embodiment 8.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to the third embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the loop portion 5 is formed by folding the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 back to form a loop and soldering the exposed portion 31 to maintain the folded state (see FIG. 6). In FIG. 6, the shaded areas indicate the soldered areas.

The circumference of the loop portion 5 is set to, for example, about 3 to 15 mm, and this also applies to the following embodiments 5, 9, and 11.

In embodiment 3, the connection portion 4 is formed by tying the connecting fiber 20 to the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 in the loop portion 5.

The connecting fiber 20 may be knotted in any manner that can fasten the connecting fiber 20 to the outer circumference of the exposed portion 31 of the loop portion 5, such as a single knot or a coil knot. The knot may be tight enough that the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 does not come off the connecting fiber 20 even if the connecting fiber 20 or the electric wire 3 is pulled by hand, and this also applies to the following embodiment 9.

Although not shown, the connection portion 4 may be formed by spirally winding the connecting fiber 20 around the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 in the loop portion 5. In this case, the winding pitch and inner diameter of the connecting fiber 20 may be set to such an extent that the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 does not come off the connecting fiber 20 even if the connecting fiber 20 or the electric wire 3 is pulled by hand, and the same applies to the following embodiment 9.

The loop portion 5 and the connection portion 4 formed as described above are covered with an insulating covering member 9 (see FIG. 6), and the same applies to the following embodiment 5.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to the fourth embodiment.

In the fourth embodiment, the connection portion 4 is formed by twisting the connecting fiber 20 to the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 (see FIG. 7). In other words, the connection portion 4 is formed by overlapping the connecting fiber 20 and the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 and twisting them together.

The degree of twisting between the connecting fiber 20 and the electric wire 3 may be such that the connecting fiber 20 and the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 do not come apart from each other even if the connecting fiber 20 or the electric wire 3 is pulled by hand, and this also applies to the following embodiment 10.

(Embodiment 5)
Fig. 8A is a schematic diagram showing a part of the conductive fiber unit 10 in embodiment 5. Fig. 8B is a schematic diagram showing a state in the middle of twisting the connecting fiber 20 to the exposed portion 31 of the loop portion 5.

In the fifth embodiment, the loop portion 5 is formed by folding the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 back to form a loop and soldering the exposed portion 31 to maintain the folded state (see FIG. 8A). In FIGS. 8A and 8B, the hatched areas indicate the soldered areas.

In the fifth embodiment, the connection portion 4 is formed by twisting the connecting fiber 20 to the exposed portion 31 of the loop portion 5 (see FIG. 8A). Specifically, the connection portion 4 is formed by inserting the connecting fiber 20 through the opening 50 of the loop portion 5 and twisting them together (see FIGS. 8A and 8B).

The degree of twisting between the connecting fiber 20 and the exposed portion 31 in the loop portion 5 may be such that the connecting fiber 20 and the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 do not come apart from each other even if the connecting fiber 20 or the electric wire 3 is pulled by hand, and this also applies to the following embodiment 11.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to a sixth embodiment.

In the sixth embodiment, the connection portion 4 is formed by tying the connecting fiber 20 around the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3, and tying the exposed portion 31 around the outer periphery of the connecting fiber 20 (see FIG. 9). In FIG. 9, the reference symbol 4A indicates the knot 4A formed by tying the connecting fiber 20 around the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3, and the reference symbol 4B indicates the knot 4B formed by tying the exposed portion 31 around the outer periphery of the connecting fiber 20.

The knot of the connecting fiber 20 may be tight enough so that the connecting fiber 20 and the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 do not come apart from each other even if the connecting fiber 20 or the electric wire 3 is pulled by hand, and the same applies to the following embodiment 12.

(Embodiment 7)
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to the seventh embodiment.

In the seventh embodiment, the exposed portion 31 of the wire 3 is folded back toward the coated portion 30 to form the folded back portion 6 (see FIG. 10). The degree to which the exposed portion 31 is folded back at the folded back portion 6 may be such that the connection portion 4 described below can be formed, and it does not matter whether it overlaps with the coated portion 30, and this also applies to the eighth, tenth, and twelfth embodiments described below.

In embodiment 7, the connection portion 4 is formed by spirally winding the connection fiber 20 around the outer circumference of the exposed portion 31 in the folded portion 6 (see FIG. 10).

The folded portion 6 and the connection portion 4 formed as described above are covered with an insulating coating member 9 (see FIG. 10), and the same applies to the following embodiments 8, 10, and 12. In this way, by providing the folded portion 6 and covering the folded portion 6 and the connection portion 4 collectively with the insulating coating member 9, the connection portion 4 that connects the conductive fiber body 2 to the electric wire 3 has a more complex structure, and the conductive fiber body 2 can be more firmly connected to the electric wire 3.

(Embodiment 8)
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to the eighth embodiment.

In embodiment 8, the folded portion 6 is formed by folding back the exposed portion 31 of the wire 3 toward the coated portion 30 (see FIG. 11).

In embodiment 8, the connection portion 4 is formed by tying the connecting fiber 20 to the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 in the folded portion 6 (see FIG. 11).

(Embodiment 9)
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to a ninth embodiment.

In the ninth embodiment, the loop portion 5 is formed by folding the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 back to form a loop and soldering the exposed portion 31 to maintain the folded state (see FIG. 12). In FIG. 12, the shaded areas indicate the soldered areas.

The loop portion 5 is folded back toward the covering portion 30. The degree to which the loop portion 5 is folded back may be such that the connection portion 4 described below can be formed, and it does not matter whether it overlaps with the covering portion 30, and this also applies to the following embodiment 11.

In embodiment 9, the connection portion 4 is formed by tying the connecting fiber 20 to the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 in the loop portion 5 (see FIG. 12).

Although not shown, the connection portion 4 may be formed by spirally winding the connecting fiber 20 around the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 in the loop portion 5.

The loop portion 5 and the connection portion 4 formed as described above are covered with an insulating covering member 9 (see FIG. 12), and the same applies to the following embodiment 11. In this way, by folding the loop portion 5 back toward the covering portion 30 and covering the loop portion 5 and the connection portion 4 together with the insulating covering member 9, the connection portion 4 connecting the conductive fiber body 2 to the electric wire 3 has a more complex structure, and therefore the conductive fiber body 2 can be more firmly connected to the electric wire 3.

(Embodiment 10)
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 in a tenth embodiment.

In the tenth embodiment, the folded portion 6 is formed by folding back the exposed portion 31 of the wire 3 toward the coated portion 30 (see FIG. 13).

In embodiment 10, the connection portion 4 is formed by twisting the connecting fiber 20 to the exposed portion 31 in the folded portion 6 (see FIG. 13).

(Embodiment 11)
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to an eleventh embodiment.

In the eleventh embodiment, the loop portion 5 is formed by folding back the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 to form a loop and soldering the exposed portion 31 so as to maintain the folded state (see FIG. 14). In FIG. 14, the hatched area indicates the soldered area. The loop portion 5 is folded back toward the coating portion 30.

In embodiment 11, the connection portion 4 is formed by twisting the connecting fiber 20 to the exposed portion 31 in the loop portion 5 (see FIG. 14).

(Embodiment 12)
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 according to a twelfth embodiment.

In embodiment 12, the folded portion 6 is formed by folding back the exposed portion 31 of the wire 3 toward the coated portion 30 (see FIG. 15).

In embodiment 12, the connection portion 4 is formed by tying the connecting fiber 20 around the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 in the folded portion 6, and tying the exposed portion 31 around the outer periphery of the connecting fiber 20 (see FIG. 15). In FIG. 15, reference numeral 4A denotes a knot 4A formed by tying the connecting fiber 20 around the outer periphery of the exposed portion 31 in the folded portion 6, and reference numeral 4B denotes a knot 4B formed by tying the exposed portion 31 around the outer periphery of the connecting fiber 20.

(Embodiment 13)
Fig. 16A is a schematic plan view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 in embodiment 13. Fig. 16B is a schematic side view showing a part of the conductive fiber unit 10 in Fig. 16A.

In embodiment 13, the conductive fiber unit 10 includes a sheet-like conductive fiber body 2 composed of a plurality of conductive fibers, and an electric wire 3 (see Figs. 16A and 16B). The conductive fiber body 2 is formed in a ribbon shape and sewn to a sheet-like fabric F with a sewing material S such as sewing thread. The conductive fiber body 2 is arranged so as to protrude from a side portion Fs of the fabric F to an extent that a connection portion 4, which will be described later, can be formed. The conductive fiber body 2 is similar to the conductive fiber body 2 in embodiment 14 below.

In the thirteenth embodiment, the connection part 4 does not connect the conductive fiber body 2 to the electric wire 3 by connecting the connecting fiber 20 among the conductive fibers constituting the conductive fiber body 2 to the exposed part 31 of the electric wire 3 as in the first embodiment, but instead connects the conductive fiber body 2 to the electric wire 3 by sewing the exposed part 31 of the electric wire 3 to the conductive fiber body 2 like a sewing thread. Specifically, the connection part 4 is formed by sewing the exposed part 31 of the electric wire 3 to the conductive fiber body 2 with a running stitch (see Figs. 16A and 16B). A running stitch refers to a sewing method in which a needle is inserted and removed alternately on the front and back. The width and number of stitches of the exposed part 31 of the electric wire 3 may be such that the exposed part 31 of the electric wire 3 does not come off the conductive fiber body 2 even if the conductive fiber body 2 or the electric wire 3 is pulled by hand, and the same applies to the following fourteenth embodiment.

In addition, the conductive fiber body 2 is not limited to the example described above, and may protrude outward from the surface of the fabric F to an extent that the connection portion 4 can be formed.

Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing the conductive fiber body 2 sewn to the sheet-like electrode E with a sewing member S.

As shown in FIG. 17, the conductive fiber body 2 can be used as a connecting member for connecting the sheet-like electrode E and the electric wire 3 by sewing the conductive fiber body 2 to the sheet-like electrode E with a sewing member S.

Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing the conductive fiber body 2 woven integrally with the fabric F.

As in the above-described example, the conductive fiber body 2 can be easily provided on the fabric F by sewing the conductive fiber body 2 to the fabric F with a sewing material S. This is particularly suitable when the conductive fiber body 2 is used as an electrode. If, instead of the above-described example, the conductive fiber body 2 is woven (or knitted) integrally with the fabric F as shown in FIG. 18, it is technically difficult to weave (or knit) the conductive fiber body 2 integrally with the fabric F while protruding the conductive fiber body 2 from the side portion Fs of the fabric F to an extent that the connection portion 4 can be formed, due to the structure of the woven fabric (or knitted fabric). In this regard, sewing the conductive fiber body 2 to the fabric F with a sewing material S as in the above-described example is technically easy to produce and has excellent mass productivity.

(Embodiment 14)
Fig. 19A is a schematic plan view showing a part of a conductive fiber unit 10 in embodiment 14. Fig. 19B is a schematic side view showing a part of the conductive fiber unit 10 in Fig. 19A.

In the fourteenth embodiment, the connection portion 4 is formed by sewing the exposed portion 31 of the electric wire 3 to the conductive fiber body 2 with a running stitch, and folding back the end 32 of the sewing of the exposed portion 31 toward the covering portion 30 (see Figs. 19A and 19B). The degree of folding back of the end 32 of the sewing is, for example, about 5 to 30 mm. In this way, by folding back the end 32 of the sewing of the exposed portion 31 toward the covering portion 30, the connection portion 4 that connects the conductive fiber body 2 to the electric wire 3 has a more complex structure, and therefore the conductive fiber body 2 can be more firmly connected to the electric wire 3.

The above embodiments and examples are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be a basis for restrictive interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted solely by the above embodiments and examples, but is defined based on the claims. Furthermore, all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims are included.

A: clothing B: biosignal detection device C: communication units 10 to 13: conductive fiber unit 2: conductive fiber body 20: connecting fiber 3: electric wire 30: covering portion 31: exposed portion 4: connecting portion 5: loop portion 50: opening 6: folded portion 9: insulating covering member E: sheet-shaped electrode F: fabric P: wearer

Claims (13)

A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
The connecting fiber is tied to the outer periphery of the exposed portion of the electric wire to form a connecting portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit is characterized in that the connection portion is covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
The exposed portion of the electric wire is folded back to form a loop and soldered to the exposed portion so as to maintain the folded back state, thereby forming a loop portion;
The connecting fiber is tied or spirally wound around the outer periphery of the exposed portion of the loop portion to form a connecting portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the loop portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
The exposed portion of the electric wire is folded back to form a loop and soldered to the exposed portion so as to maintain the folded back state, thereby forming a loop portion;
The connecting fiber is twisted to the exposed portion of the loop portion to form a connecting portion for connecting the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the loop portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
The connecting fiber is knotted around the outer periphery of the exposed portion of the electric wire, and the exposed portion is knotted around the outer periphery of the connecting fiber to form a connecting portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit is characterized in that the connection portion is covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
a folded portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire toward the coated portion,
The connecting fiber is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the exposed portion at the folded-back portion to form a connecting portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit is characterized in that the folded portion and the connecting portion are covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
a folded portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire toward the coated portion,
The connecting fiber is tied to the outer periphery of the exposed portion at the folded portion to form a connecting portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit is characterized in that the folded portion and the connecting portion are covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
The exposed portion of the electric wire is folded back to form a loop and soldered to the exposed portion so as to maintain the folded back state, thereby forming a loop portion;
The loop portion is folded back toward the covering portion,
The connecting fiber is tied or spirally wound around the outer periphery of the exposed portion of the loop portion to form a connecting portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the loop portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
a folded portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire toward the coated portion,
The connecting fiber is twisted with the exposed portion of the folded portion to form a connecting portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit is characterized in that the folded portion and the connecting portion are covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
The exposed portion of the electric wire is folded back to form a loop and soldered to the exposed portion so as to maintain the folded back state, thereby forming a loop portion;
The loop portion is folded back toward the covering portion,
The connecting fiber is twisted to the exposed portion of the loop portion to form a connecting portion for connecting the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the loop portion and the connection portion are covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a conductive fiber body formed of one or more conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The conductive fiber body has connecting fibers that are connected to the electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
a folded portion is formed by folding back the exposed portion of the electric wire toward the coated portion,
The connecting fiber is knotted around the outer periphery of the exposed portion at the folded-back portion, and the exposed portion is knotted around the outer periphery of the connecting fiber to form a connecting portion that connects the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit is characterized in that the folded portion and the connecting portion are covered with an insulating covering member. A conductive fiber unit including a sheet-shaped conductive fiber body formed of a plurality of conductive fibers and functioning as an electrode for detecting a biosignal , and an electric wire,
The electric wire has a covering portion and an exposed portion exposed at least at one end portion,
The exposed portion of the electric wire is sewn to the conductive fiber body with a running stitch, and the end of the stitching of the exposed portion is folded back toward the covering portion to form a connection portion for connecting the conductive fiber body to the electric wire,
The conductive fiber unit is characterized in that the connection portion is covered with an insulating covering member. The conductive fiber unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The conductive fiber unit is characterized in that the insulating covering member is made of a heat shrink tube that shrinks when heated. A biosignal detection device comprising a conductive fiber unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11 attached to clothing , the biosignal detection device detecting a biosignal emitted by a living body that is a wearer of the clothing,
The biosignal detection device is characterized in that the conductive fibrous body functions as an electrode for detecting the biosignal.