Patent DE-102008024014-A1 (DE)
Title: Device for detecting washing process of clothing item or bandage, comprises data processing unit, which detects whether clothing item or bandage is washed based on signal of optical sensor or transponder, display, and water-tight housing
Inventor: LEDER GUENTHER
IPC: A61G12/00
Filed: 2008-05-16
Abstract: The device comprises a data processing unit, which detects whether the clothing item or bandage is washed based on a signal of an optical sensor (7) or a transponder, a display (6), which displays a request how often and/or how long a clothing item or bandage is washed and/or how often and/or how long the clothing item or bandage is yet to be washed, a water-tight housing (1), and a battery (3) and/or an accumulator. The device is arranged and/or fastened in or at the clothing item or bandage. The clothing item is a jacket, shirt, sweater, pants, compression stocking or hat. The device comprises a data processing unit, which detects whether the clothing item or bandage is washed based on a signal of an optical sensor (7) or a transponder, a display (6), which displays a request how often and/or how long a clothing item or bandage is washed and/or how often and/or how long the clothing item or bandage is yet to be washed, a water-tight housing (1), and a battery (3) and/or an accumulator. The device is arranged and/or fastened in or at the clothing item or bandage. The clothing item is a jacket, shirt, sweater, pants, compression stocking or hat. The material of the housing is transparent in whole or areas, where the sensor and/or the display are arranged behind a transparent area of the housing. The sensor capacitively and/or inductively detects liquid droplets present on the housing or sensor and/or in front of the sensor. A lens or prism or a part of the lens or prism is arranged before the sensor. The housing wall is formed as prism or lens before the sensor. The device is cast, screwed or adhered in a material forming the housing. The data processing unit has a non-volatile memory, in which the data processing unit stores the number of the detected washing processes and/or the length of all previous washing processes, and a timer, by which the time period is detectable with respect to the detected and stored washing process and/or the duration of the previously resulted washing process. The data processing unit stores the time and/or date of the last detected washing process in the memory. The data processing unit initially increases the counter for already detected washing processes after a flow of a predetermined time interval and/or reduces the counter for the remaining number of washing processes. The housing of the device has an area, by which the device is attachable, adherable, weldable or rivetable. The housing material is soft and/or flexible material. The data processing unit detects the washing process first and then the typical signals at the data processing unit when the signals of the sensor transmit through a contact with liquid or detergent for a given time period determined for the contact with the liquid and/or detergent. The device exchanges data with a reading device and/or a washing machine or a transponder present in an area of the washing machine using radio frequency identification technique. The device is a water-tightly enclosed radio frequency identification chip, which stores the number of resulted or yet acceptable washing processes. An independent claim is included for an administration system for clothing items and/or bandages.