EP0222640A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Impact measuring system and method
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1986-10-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-10-08
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a device for generating an analog output signal indicative of an impact to a transducer. The transducer may be mounted on protective equipment utilized in various martial arts fields, such as headgear, hand or footgear, protective vests and the like or can be mounted on training equipment, such as a heavy bag, striking pad, etc. In a preferred embodiment the transducer is a piezoelectric film which, upon deformation, generates an electrical signal which is indicative of the amount of deformation. By placing the piezoelectric film on top of a deformable material, in a preferred embodiment sandwiching it in the deformable material, impacts to the deformable material will strain the piezoelectric film generating the signal output. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the piezoelectric transducer is mounted on a target pad and provides an analog output indicative of the characteristic of an object impacting the target pad, i.e., baseball, softball, tennis ball, hockey puck, golf ball, etc. For use in the martial arts, the transducer may be connected to a transmitter and remote receiver for providing an indication of the impact at a remote location. In further preferred embodiments, the transducers may be mounted on one participant's headgear so as to provide an indication of impacts delivered to that participant by another participant in the sport or mounted on the hands or feet of the participant to provide a signal by means of a flexible transducer mounted on the hand or foot, thus providing an indication of a blow delivered to another party.
Inventors
- 👤 Barry J. French
- 👤 Clifford D. Fung
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:46
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B24/00; A63B24/0021; A63B63/00; A63B69/00; A63B69/02; A63B71/00; A63B71/06; A63B71/08; A63B71/10; G; G01; G01L; G01L1/00; G01L1/16; G01L5/00; G01L5/0052; G01P; G01P15/00; G01P15/02; G01P15/08; G01P15/09; G01P7/00; A63B2024/0037; A63B71/12; A63B71/1225; A63B2071/1283; A63B2209/00; A63B2220/00; A63B2220/30; A63B2220/50; A63B2220/51; A63B2220/53; A63B2220/56; A63B2220/80; A63B2220/801; A63B2220/83; A63B2220/833; A63B2244/00; A63B2244/10; A63B71/14; A63B71/141; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S310/00; Y10S310/80
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
An apparatus for indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an externally applied impact to a deformable object, said appratus comprising: flexible transducer means, responsive to said impact, for providing an analog output; means for mounting at least a portion of said transducer means proximate said object; and means, responsive to said analog output, for indicating at least one characteristic of said impact, wherein said flexible transducer means comprises an active means for generating an electrical output in response to said impact and said generated electrical output comprises said analog output.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
94 words
An apparatus for indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an externally applied impact to a deformable object, said appratus comprising: flexible transducer means, responsive to said impact, for providing an analog output; means for mounting at least a portion of said transducer means proximate said object; and means, responsive to said analog output, for indicating at least one characteristic of said impact, wherein said flexible transducer means comprises an active means for generating an electrical output in response to said impact and said generated electrical output comprises said analog output.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said active means comprises at least a piezoelectric material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said at least a piezoelectric material comprises a plurality of physically separated, electrically connected piezoelectric materials.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said flexible detector further includes at least two layers of flexible material with said plurality of piezoelectric materials sandwiched therebetween.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said active means further includes at least two layers of flexible material with said piezoelectric material sandwiched therebetween.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
33 words
The apparatus according to one of Claims 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said mounting means comprises means for mounting said flexible transducer means on an object not attached to a human body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said object is a fixed structure and said flexible transducer mounting means includes means for mounting said flexible transducer means on said fixed structure.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
83 words
An apparatus for indicating velocity with which an object strikes a target pad, said apparatus comprising: a fixed backing plate having a front side; a layer of deformable material affixed to said front side of said backing plate; at least a portion of piezoelectric transducer means affixed to said deformable material; and indicator means, responsive to said analog output of said piezoelectric transducer means, for calculating the velocity of said object based upon said analog output and a known mass of said object.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
83 words
An apparatus for indicating velocity with which an object strikes a target pad, said apparatus comprising: a fixed backing plate having a front side; a layer of deformable material affixed to said front side of said backing plate; at least a portion of piezoelectric transducer means affixed to said deformable material; and indicator means, responsive to said analog output of said piezoelectric transducer means, for calculating the velocity of said object based upon said analog output and a known mass of said object.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said object is a deformable structure and said flexible transducer mounting means includes means for mounting said flexible transducer on said deformable structure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein said analog output has at least one characteristic such as initial rate of increase and said indicator means includes means, responsive to said initial rate of increase, for signifying velocity of said impact.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein said deformable structure comprises a punching bag and said flexible transducer mounting means includes means for mounting said flexible transducer on said punching bag.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said object comprises a dummy.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to one of Claims 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said mounting means comprises means for mounting said flexible transducer on a human body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said flexible transducer mounting means comprises a vest.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said flexible transducer mounting means comprises a protective headgear.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said flexible transducer mounting means comprises a protective glove.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said flexible transducer mounting means comprises protective footwear.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said indicator means comprises: transmitter means, responsive to said analog output, for transmitting a signal representative of said analog output to a remote location; and receiver means, responsive to said transmitted signal, for providing an indication of said at least one characteristic of said impact at said remote location.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
62 words
The apparatus according to one of Claims 1 or 18, wherein said analog output has at least one characteristic, such as an initial rate of increase, a peak amplitude and a duration, and said indicator means includes means, responsive to said at least one of said analog output characteristics, for signifying at least a corresponding characteristic (velocity, force, energy) of said impact.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus according to Claim 19, wherein said signifying means includes means for comparing at least one of said analog output characteristic with at least one predetermined characteristic and for indicating said comparison results.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an externally applied impact to a deformable object, said method comprising the steps of: providing a flexible transducer means, responsive to said impact, for generating an analog output; mounting at least a portion of said transducer means proximate said object; impacting said deformable object in the region of said transducer; and indicating, in response to said generated analog output, at least one characteristic of said impact.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an externally applied impact to a deformable object, said method comprising the steps of: providing a flexible transducer means, responsive to said impact, for generating an analog output; mounting at least a portion of said transducer means proximate said object; impacting said deformable object in the region of said transducer; and indicating, in response to said generated analog output, at least one characteristic of said impact.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an impact applied to a training device by at least one individual, said method comprising the steps of: providing a transducer means, responsive to said impact for generating an analog output; mounting at least a portion of said transducer means proximate said training device; impacting said training device; and indicating, in response to said electrical analog signal output, at least one characteristic of said impact.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an impact applied to a training device by at least one individual, said method comprising the steps of: providing a transducer means, responsive to said impact for generating an analog output; mounting at least a portion of said transducer means proximate said training device; impacting said training device; and indicating, in response to said electrical analog signal output, at least one characteristic of said impact.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
88 words
A method of indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an impact to a first practitioner by a second practitioner in a contact sport, said method comprising the steps of: providing said first practitioner with a flexible transducer means, responsive to said impact, for generating an analog output; mounting at least a portion of said transducer means on said first practitioner; and providing an indicator means, responsive to said analog output, for indicating said at least one characteristic of said impact to said first practitioner.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
88 words
A method of indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an impact to a first practitioner by a second practitioner in a contact sport, said method comprising the steps of: providing said first practitioner with a flexible transducer means, responsive to said impact, for generating an analog output; mounting at least a portion of said transducer means on said first practitioner; and providing an indicator means, responsive to said analog output, for indicating said at least one characteristic of said impact to said first practitioner.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an externally applied impact to a deformable object, said method comprising the steps of: providing a transducer means, responsive to said impact, for generating an analog output; mounting at least a portion of said transducer means proximate said object; delivering a calibration impact to said object and recording said at least one characteristic of said calibration impact; comparing said at least one characteristic of said calibration impact with a corresponding characteristic of subsequent impacts to said object; and indicating the results of said comparison with each subsequent impact.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of indicating at least one characteristic (velocity, force and/or energy) of an externally applied impact to a deformable object, said method comprising the steps of: providing a transducer means, responsive to said impact, for generating an analog output; mounting at least a portion of said transducer means proximate said object; delivering a calibration impact to said object and recording said at least one characteristic of said calibration impact; comparing said at least one characteristic of said calibration impact with a corresponding characteristic of subsequent impacts to said object; and indicating the results of said comparison with each subsequent impact.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to Claim 23, wherein said contact sport comprises fencing and said impact is contact between a weapon held by said second practitioner and said flexible transducer means mounted on said first practitioner.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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