GB2309304A

GB2309304A - Temperature and humidity sensor

Info

Publication number: GB2309304A
Application number: GB9524794A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Hallewell; Andrew Thomas Beswick; Peter John Merron
Original assignee: COVERPLUS PROOFINGS Ltd
Current assignee: COVERPLUS PROOFINGS Ltd
Priority date: 1995-12-05
Filing date: 1995-12-05
Publication date: 1997-07-23
Also published as: GB9524794D0

Description

Temperature and Humidity Sensors This invention relates to temperature and humidity sensors, in particular to sensors which may be conveniently disposed on or about a body in order to make measurements of temperature and humidity both at skin level and between layers of clothing.

In the field of clothing design, it is desirable to make measurements of the temperature and humidity of a person wearing a proto typical design in realistic environmental conditions. This is particularly true with clothes, boots and gloves specifically designed for outdoors pursuits, for example, rambling and mountaineering.

The object in this instance is to produce weatherproof garments having waterproof, breathable, fabrics with considerations such as weight and aesthetic appearance also being important factors. Such measurements are also important in the design of a wide variety of industrial clothing.

Measurement of temperature and humidity are desirably made at various locations on the body, at skin level and between layers of clothing. Data produced thereby are extremely important for optimal garment design. Tests in the field involve data accumulation over a period of several days or longer, during which the tested garment is usually worn continuously. Prior art sensor arrangements used for such measurements are rather bulky, and are, therefore, inconvenient and uncomfortable for the wearer of the garment. There is a need for a sensor which may be comfortably and conveniently located on a person for making measurements of the type described above.

Furthermore, the entire sensor arrangement, which includes some form of data storage facility, should be compact enough to permit the person to engage in activities for which the garment is intended, such as walking, climbing and running, whilst having a data storage facility commensurate with data accumulation over several days.

The present invention fulfils the above described needs.

According to the invention there is provided a portable sensor arrangement for measurements of a body, the sensor arrangement comprising: a sensor; a sensor body containing sensor transduction means and data storage means; and cable connecting said sensor and said sensor body.

The measurements may be of a clothed person, and may be made on the body or between layers of clothing.

The sensor may be a temperature or a humidity sensor.

A temperature sensor may be a thermistor or a platinum sensor.

The sensor body may comprise digital data storage means, and the data may be transferable, via interfacing means, to a computer. The computer may be used to input sensor arrangement operation characteristics, and one of these characteristics may be the length of time between successive measurements.

The sensor body may comprise a modified Tinytalk datalogger of the type produced by the Orion Group.

The sensor arrangement may take both temperature and humidity measurements.

An embodiment of a portable temperature or humidity sensor arrangement according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying Figure, which shows a portable temperature sensor arrangement.

The portable sensor arrangement comprises a thermistor temperature sensor 10, a sensor body 12 containing sensor transduction means and data storage means, and a cable 14 connecting said sensor 10 with said sensor body 14.

In a preferred, but non-limiting embodiment, the sensor body 12 is a modified TinytalklM datalogger of the type produced by the Orion Group. The unmodified thermistor datalogger is unsuitable for personal temperature and humidity measurement because the thermistor is located within the sensor body. Although the sensor body is compact - it is essentially a cylinder of height ca. 4cm and diameter ca.

2.5cm - it would be at the least inconvenient to have the sensor positioned directly against the skin for temperature measurement. Indeed, for measurements of foot temperature - which is within the scope of the invention - such an approach would be highly impractical. By positioning the thermistor 10 outside of the sensor body 12 and using a thin cable 14 for connection purposes, this problem is overcome. The thermistor 10 may now be positioned easily and conveniently on the body, either directly onto the skin or between layers of clothing. The sensor body 12 is conveniently stored on or in the clothing, for example, in pockets.

The cable 14 should be sufficiently flexible and of sufficiently narrow diameter to be virtually unnoticeable whilst the person upon which the sensor is positioned performs any body movement associated with any activity, such as walking, climbing or running, for which the test garment is intended. Advantageously, the cable 14 is capable of repeated flexure, and the entire sensor arrangement produces minimal disruption during dressing and undressing.

The small physical dimensions of the thermistor 10 are in keeping with the dimensions of the cable 14 in two senses. Firstly, the cross-sectional diameter of the thermistor 10 is such that it is readily retained in the tip ofthe cable 14. Secondly, the thermistorlO is of short length; as a result the portion ofthe cable tip, which contains the thermistor 10 (and, therefore, is inflexible) is minimised. There is no need, for instance, for an inflexible "probe" upon which the sensor might be positioned.

The modified Tinytalk'M datalogger possess a number of other advantages.

A maximum of 1800 measurements may be stored in the datalogger, and these data may be transferred via a serial port (not shown) to a personal computer. Furthermore, operational characteristics, such as the length oftime between successive measurements, may be input via the computer. Thus selection of a 1.6 minute gap between measurements would permit coverage of a two day garment testing period, after which data from the testing could be downloaded for subsequent analysis. Longer testing periods are possible, but increasing the time between measurements and/or performing one or more downloading operations. It should be noted that the datalogger is powered by batteries which can provide up to 4 years continuous use.

Other forms oftemperature sensor, such as a platinum sensor, are within the scope of the invention, as are relative humidity sensors. A combined temperature and humidity sensing device is also within the scope of the invention. It is, of course, possible, and generally advisable, to utilise a plurality of sensor arrangements to provide temperature and humidity measurements at a number of locations on the body. The use of other forms of sensor for other purposes, such as for measurement of heartbeat, is also within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A portable sensor arrangement for measurements of a body, the sensor arrangement comprising: a sensor; a sensor body containing sensor transduction means and data storage means; and cable connecting said sensor and said sensor body.

2. A sensor arrangement according to claim 1 in which measurements are of a clothed person, and are made on the body or between layers of clothing.

3. A sensor arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the sensor is a temperature sensor.

4. A sensor arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the sensor is a humidity sensor.

5. A sensor arrangement according to claim 3 in which the temperature sensor is a thermistor or a platinum sensor.

6. A sensor arrangement according to any of the previous claims in which the sensor body comprises digital data storage means.

7. A sensor arrangement according to claim 6 in which data is transferable, via interfacing means, to a computer.

8. A sensor arrangement according to claim 7 in which the computer is used to input sensor arrangement operation characteristics.

9. A sensor arrangement according to claim 8 in which a sensor arrangement operation characteristic is the length of time between successive measurements.

10. A sensor arrangement according to any of claims 6 to 9 in which the sensor body comprises a modified Tinytalk TM datalogger.

11. A sensor arrangement according to any of the previous claims in which temperature and humidity measurements are taken.