Movement detector
Assignee3416704 Canada Inc.
InventorsMaurice Pinsonneault, John Keith Millns
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A movement detector for sensing movement from an infant lying on a mattress whether the infant is awake or asleep. The movement detector is comprised of a piezoelectric transducer secured between a pair of plates with a collector one of the plates having a bore or cavity configured in an inner flat surface thereof at the center of the plate, and with the backing plate of the transducer being secured about the cavity. A spacer element between the center of the transducer and the bottom plate, concentrates the movement forces on to the transducer. Electronic control circuits are provided to monitor the signals generated by the transducer to detect predetermined conditions of the signals in response to movement of the infant placed on the mattress.
Claims13
A movement detector comprising a pair of flat plates of semi-rigid material supported spaced apart by separator support members secured between said plates adjacent an outer circumferential edge of said plates, a piezoelectric compression transducer secured between said plates substantially centrally thereof, said plates each defining an outer and inner flat surface, a collector one of said plates having a cavity configured in said inner flat surface thereof substantially centrally thereof, said piezoelectric crystal transducer having an electrically conductive backing plate disposed over and bridging a periphery of said cavity, a crystal supported on said backing plate exteriorly of said cavity, an electrode film secured in contact with said crystal, a spacer element of semi-rigid material bridging an outer face portion of said electrode film and said inner flat surface of a supporting one of said plates for concentrating forces on said transducer, a pair of conductor wires connected respectively to said backing plate and said electrode film whereby to generate electric signals when said plates flex with respect to one another by displacement of an exterior load positioned over said top plate, said conductor wires being connected to electronic control circuit means to monitor said signals and to generate alarm signals upon detecting predetermined conditions of said signals, said collector plate and said supporting plate being molded of semi-rigid plastic material, said separator support members being corner posts molded with at least one of said plates and connected to the other of said plates to maintain said plates positively secured in close spaced apart registry with one another, and reinforcing ribs formed integral with said collector plate and supporting plate and protecting from an inner surface of said plates.
A movement detector comprising a pair of flat plates of semi-rigid material supported spaced apart by separator support members secured between said plates adjacent an outer circumferential edge of said plates, a piezoelectric compression transducer secured between said plates substantially centrally thereof, said plates each defining an outer and inner flat surface, a collector one of said plates having a cavity configured in said inner flat surface thereof substantially centrally thereof, said piezoelectric crystal transducer having an electrically conductive backing plate disposed over and bridging a periphery of said cavity, a crystal supported on said backing plate exteriorly of said cavity, an electrode film secured in contact with said crystal, a spacer element of semi-rigid material bridging an outer face portion of said electrode film and said inner flat surface of a supporting one of said plates for concentrating forces on said transducer, a pair of conductor wires connected respectively to said backing plate and said electrode film whereby to generate electric signals when said plates flex with respect to one another by displacement of an exterior load positioned over said top plate, said conductor wires being connected to electronic control circuit means to monitor said signals and to generate alarm signals upon detecting predetermined conditions of said signals, there being further provided a pair of compression springs, each spring of said pair being retained captive between said collector and bottom plates adjacent an outer side edge of said plates and aligned with a central transverse straight axis passing through said transducer to maintain said plates spaced apart while permitting said plates to move towards one another in the area of said transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.