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US4754264A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Water content detecting device for diaper

Assignee: Nippon Kodoshi Corp
•
Filing: 1986-05-28
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Granted: 1988-06-28
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Expires: 2006-05-28
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Abstract

Abstract A water content detecting device for any type of diaper such as a cloth made reusable diaper, a paper made disposable diaper, or the like includes a sensing unit for sensing the degree of wetness of the diaper and an informing unit for transmitting the information representing the degree of wetness to a nursing person at a remote place. The sensing unit is detachably interposed in the diaper to be detected. The sensing unit is composed of a water impermeable upper sheet, a water permeable lower sheet, and a pair of metal layers placed between the upper sheet and the lower sheet and extending in the longitudinal direction of the sheets in parallel. One of the metal layers is covered with an electrical insulating layer. The informing unit is connected to the sensing unit through a pair of leads, and composed of a water content detecting circuit for detecting the change of electrostatic capacitance between the two metal layers of the sensing unit, a wave form shaping circuit, and an oscillating circuit. This water content detecting circuit mainly consists of an astable multivibrator which uses the two metal layers of the sensing unit as its feedback capacitor.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shigeru Okada
  • 👤 Katsutoshi Rokuta
  • 👤 Toshio Ikegawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 00:27
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/02; G01N27/22; G01N27/223; A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/42; A61F5/00; A61F5/48

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 167 words
A water content detecting device for any type of diaper, comprising: a sensing unit for sensing the degree of wetness in a diaper, said sensing unit including a water permeable upper sheet, a water impermeable lower sheet and pair of metal layers positioned intermediate said water permeable upper sheet and said water impermeable lower sheet, one of said pair of metal layers being covered with an electrical insulating layer; a water content detecting circuit for detecting a change in electrostatic capacitance between said pair of metal layers of said sensing unit, said water content detecting circuit including a multivibrator, said pair of metal layers of said sensing unit, said water content detecting circuit including a multivibrator, said pair of metal layers of said sensing unit forming a feedback capacitor of said multivibrator; a wave form shaping circuit operably associated with said water content detecting circuit; and an oscillating circuit operably associated with said wave form shaping circuit for transmitting a signal indicating that the diaper is wet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 167 words
A water content detecting device for any type of diaper, comprising: a sensing unit for sensing the degree of wetness in a diaper, said sensing unit including a water permeable upper sheet, a water impermeable lower sheet and pair of metal layers positioned intermediate said water permeable upper sheet and said water impermeable lower sheet, one of said pair of metal layers being covered with an electrical insulating layer; a water content detecting circuit for detecting a change in electrostatic capacitance between said pair of metal layers of said sensing unit, said water content detecting circuit including a multivibrator, said pair of metal layers of said sensing unit, said water content detecting circuit including a multivibrator, said pair of metal layers of said sensing unit forming a feedback capacitor of said multivibrator; a wave form shaping circuit operably associated with said water content detecting circuit; and an oscillating circuit operably associated with said wave form shaping circuit for transmitting a signal indicating that the diaper is wet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 15 words
The device of claim 1, wherein: said sensing unit is detachably connected to the diaper.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 12 words
The device of claim 2, wherein: said diaper is formed from cloth.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 12 words
the device of claim 2, wherein: said diaper is formed from paper.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 76 words
The device of claim 1 wherein: said multivibrator of said water detecting circuit includes first and second terminals operably associated with said pair of metal layers, a feedback resistor, a current limiting resistor, and first, second, and third inverters; said first, second and third inverters are connected in series; said first, second and third inverters each have an input and output side; and said output side of said second inverter is connected to said feedback capacitor.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3460123A Cited
US3824460A Cited
GB2113438A Cited
US4539559A Cited
US4653491A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-06-28 1991-12-28 1992-06-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-06-28 1995-12-28 1996-06-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-06-28 1999-12-28 2000-06-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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