A product, in particular a shoe, apparel, a ball or a fishing lure, incorporating an impact sensing element made from polymeric piezoelectric material. In response to impact, the piezoelectric material generates an electrical signal to a battery-powered light- or sound-emitting unit or to an information display device which is at least partially molded into or contained in the product, thus causing circuitry to energize the light- or sound-emitting device from the battery or to display information on the information display device. In some embodiments involving light-emitting devices such as LEDs, the light is conducted to an outside surface of the product directly through the LED or via one or more optical fibers. A shoe can be provided with numerous light-emitting devices, one or more impact sensing elements, a temperature sensor and appropriate circuitry to process the impact and temperature information. This information is then used to light appropriate light-emitting devices such as to display a bar graph of temperature or force of impact, to light or flash individual light-emitting devices or to activate an information display device. In addition, a microprocessor can be included in the circuitry to provide preprogrammed control of the light emitting devices or to evaluate the input from the impact sensing element and then light the appropriate light emitting device or devices or to control the information displayed on the information display de2vice.

Products incorporating piezoelectric material

Disclosed is a device for generating an analog output signal indicative of an impact to a transucer. The tranducer 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 embodiement 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 transucers 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 flow delivered to another party.

Sports scoring device including a piezoelectric transducer

In combination with a device adapted for at least partial implantation in a living body to perform a function with respect to that body such as introducing a material into the body, relieving the body of a material, monitoring a condition within the body, or introducing electrical stimulus into the body, servicing apparatus is provided in association with the device for maintaining the device in effective operating condition. The device and servicing apparatus may be arranged in a single housing such that a portion of the device extends from the housing into operable position in the body, in separate but operably connected housings, or the servicing apparatus may be split between the device and a separate housing. The actual servicing of the device may be done within a service housing where the portion of the device to be serviced is drawn into the service housing and mechanically or chemically serviced, the servicing instrumentality may be moved from a service housing to the device to be serviced when servicing is necessary, or a portion of the servicing instrumentality may be built in or permanently positioned with respect to the device and operated by the remainder of the servicing apparatus located in a common housing with the device or in a separate housing. Circuitry is preferably provided to initiate and control the servicing operation.

Robotic implantable medical device and/or component restoration system

An apparatus for measuring pressure within a conduit is disclosed preferably comprising a tube whose resonant frequency varies with the pressure of fluid within the tube; means for passing the fluid to be measured through the tube; two active piezoelectric films disposed in intimate contact with the tube on opposite sides thereof; first electronic means for energizing the first of the films to cause the tube to resonate at its natural frequency, and second electronic means connected to the other of the films to monitor the frequency of the tube.

Piezoelectric apparatus for measuring bodily fluid pressure within a conduit

A light flasher for an article of apparel includes one or more lamps that produce light visible from the exterior of the apparel A switch, which may be of the mechanical or electronic variety, causes a switch closure responsive to motion of the apparel A circuit, attached to the switch and the light, causes the lights to illuminate in a series of random duration flashes for a predefined time interval in response to the closure of the switch

Motion activated apparel flasher

Pressure wave sensor formed of at least one elongated piezoelectric element having two faces, each associated to a flexible conducting electrode substantially over the whole length of the sensitive element. When the sensor is formed of a plurality of sensitive elements the latter are electrically connected to one another.

Cholet J

Papers

Pressure wave piezoelectric sensor of continuous structure

Piezoelektrischer druckwellengeber von kontinuierlicher bauart