Attachable sensing pod comprising a piezoelectric unit

Abstract

A sensor pod assembly comprising a gel pad, a gel pad cap, a piezoelectric sensor, a base plate, a base plate support, a wiring harness, a battery, a noise attenuating backing, and a charging component; said gel pad comprising a top and bottom, said bottom having a flat bottom and a concave recess; said flat bottom acoustically contacting said piezoelectric sensor; said piezoelectric sensor secured to a first side of said base plate support and a second side of said base plate support secured to said base plate, a wiring harness and a battery connected to said base plate, and a charging component having exposed annular rings on an exterior side of said sensor pod assembly; a noise attenuating backing compressing the charging component against the base plate; and a gel pad cap having outer and inner faces, said inner face in contact with said base plate support.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sensor pod assembly comprising:
 a base plate;   an electronic circuitry;   a piezoelectric device;   a gel pad and a gel pad cap;   wherein attached to the base plate is the electronic circuitry, including a battery, a wireless connection device, and memory suitable to electronically run the sensor pod assembly;   a retaining element positioned on the base plate and a piezoelectric unit positioned on the retaining element;   a gel pad having a piezoelectric device contacting surface and a skin facing surface;   wherein the piezoelectric device contacting surface is in contact with a first side of the piezoelectric device; and   a gel pad cap attached to the base plate with corresponding threaded components on the base plate and the gel pad cap so as to secure the gel pad into place.   
     
     
         2 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 1  wherein the retaining element is an O-ring. 
     
     
         3 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 1  wherein the gel pad cap is constructed having a sound attenuating material disposed within a shell. 
     
     
         4 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 1  wherein a sound attenuating material is further disposed of between the base plate and the piezoelectric device. 
     
     
         5 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 1  wherein a sound attenuating material is further disposed of between the piezoelectric device and the gel pad cap. 
     
     
         6 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 1  wherein the gel pad and the gel pad cap are a single disposable unit, wherein the gel pad is attached to the gel pad cap. 
     
     
         7 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 1  wherein the gel pad comprises an adhesive on the skin facing surface. 
     
     
         8 . A sensor pod assembly comprising:
 a base plate having a top side and a bottom side, a piezoelectric unit, a battery, a noise attenuating backing, a wireless charging coil, a sound attenuating cap, and a sensor pad, said base plate comprising electronic circuity connected to said battery, said piezoelectric unit, and said wireless charging coil, said piezoelectric unit attached to said top side of said base plate and said wireless charging coil, and said battery attached to said bottom side;   said sound attenuating cap having a ring shape, having an inner side wall and an outer side wall and a circular opening providing access to the piezoelectric unit from the top side;   said noise attenuating backing engaged to the bottom side of the base plate; and   said sensor pad positioned within the circular opening of said sound attenuating cap and in contact with at least a portion of the piezoelectric unit.   
     
     
         9 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 8  further comprising a base plate support having a top and a bottom, said bottom of the base plate support engaged to the top side of the base plate and said piezoelectric unit attaching directly to the top of the base plate support. 
     
     
         10 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 9  wherein said base plate support further comprises a securing ridge corresponding to a tab on said noise attenuating backing. 
     
     
         11 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 9  wherein said sound attenuating cap comprises a securing component on an inner side having a paired securing component on said base plate support for selective attachment thereto. 
     
     
         12 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 8  further comprising a sound attenuating material defined between the bottom side of the base plate and said noise attenuating backing. 
     
     
         13 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 9  comprising an adhesive contact between said piezoelectric unit and said base plate support. 
     
     
         14 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 8  wherein said wireless charging coil comprises a positive charging contact and a negative charging contact sandwiched around an insulating spacer. 
     
     
         15 . A sensor pod assembly comprising:
 a gel pad, a gel pad cap, a piezoelectric sensor, a base plate, a base plate support, a wiring harness, a battery, a noise attenuating backing, and a charging component;   said gel pad comprising a top and a bottom, said bottom having a flat bottom and a circumferential flange and said top having a concave recess;   said flat bottom acoustically contacting said piezoelectric sensor;   said piezoelectric sensor secured to a first side of said base plate support, and a second side of said base plate support secured to said base plate, a wiring harness and a battery connected to said base plate, and a charging component having exposed annular rings on an exterior side of said sensor pod assembly;   a noise attenuating backing compressing the charging component against the base plate; and   a gel pad cap having an outer face and an inner face, said inner face in contact with said base plate support.   
     
     
         16 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 15  wherein said charging component comprises a negative annular ring having a negative contact point, a spacer, and a positive annular ring having a positive contact point, wherein the negative annular ring and positive annular ring sandwich the spacer. 
     
     
         17 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 16  wherein said negative annular ring and said positive annular ring are connected to said wiring harness. 
     
     
         18 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 15  further comprising a sound attenuating material disposed of between said base plate and said noise attenuating backing. 
     
     
         19 . The sensor pod assembly of  claim 15  wherein said gel pad cap comprises threads on the inner face corresponding to threads on a portion of the base plate support, said threads provided for selective attachment of the gel pad cap to said base plate support.