GB2140157A - Automatic digital display machine for measuring height of person - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine includes a slider moved vertically up to a height between eye level and top-of-the-head of the person using the machine. A digital display travels with the slider and is actuated by a photocell 3 which, in turn, is actuated by alternating opaque and transparent strips (on a scale plate 9) as it moves vertically in association with the slider. The height of the person, and the stopping point of the slider, is effected either by infra-red radiation 8 reflected from the top of the head of the user to a sensor 7 or by a sensing element (13, Fig 9) lowered by movement of the slider to contact the top of the head of the user. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An automatic digital display machine for measuring body height This invention relates to a machine for measuring body height having an improved display and sensing method. In height measuring machines, the height display is usually positioned at a fixed point on the apparatus. If it is too high, a short person has to raise his (or her) head to read the digits displayed; if it is too low, a tall person has to lower his head to read the digits. This motion of raising or lowering one's head is liable to cause some errors in measuring the body height. The best position of said digital display for obtaining accurateheightmeasurmentisapprox- imatelyoppositetheforehead of an average person.

Further, in my patent specification GB.2095839A I describe a digital display means in which the signal is generated by means of a metal contact running on a sliding circuit board. The contact between the metal contact point and the sliding circuit board has to be accurate and smooth. When assembling them, special care must be taken to position them without any error; further, bad contact orwearand tear may result and cause the whole expensive machine to become unserviceable.

The present invention provides an improved automatic digital display machine for measuring height in which a slider is driven vertically towards the point at which the height of a person using the machine is detected, a digital display on the slider being operated during the vertical travel ofthe slider by a photocell which is associated with the slider and receives intermittent exposure to lightthrough a scale of alternating opaque and transparent horizontal strips in a vertical scale located in line with the path ofthe slider, the drive to the slider being cut offwhen the slider reaches a height in the range corresponding to from eye level to the top of the head of the person using the machine, the operation ofthe digital display on the slider being co-ordinatedto indicateatthe point where the slider stops, the height ofthe person using the machine.

In one embodiment of the invention, the slider is associated with a sensor, the drive to the slider being cut off when the sensor reaches a height at which it receives infra-red rays emitted from the upper part of the machine and reflected from the top ofthe head of the person using the machine.

In another embodiment, the drive to the slider is cut off when a sensing element lowered from the upper partofthe machine contacts the top ofthe head ofthe person using the machine.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment in this invention.

Fig. 2showsthetransmission mechanism, the photocell sensing means, and the scale plate of an embodiment in this invention.

Fig. 3 shows a top and sectional view of an embodiment in this invention.

Fig. 4 shows operation using special rays and the sensor in an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the scale plate in an embodiment ofthis invention.

Fig. 6 shows a conventional pulse signal amplification shaping and output circuit used in this invention.

Fig. 7 shows a conventional digital display system used in this invention.

Fig. 8 shows a conventional power supply circuit used for UP/DOWN driving function in this invention.

Fig. 9 shows in section an embodiment using a mechanical height detector.

Fig. 10 shows the micro switch assembly at the end of the detector of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 shows the micro switch assembly atthe end of the detector of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 shows an outerviewofan embodiment using the detector of Fig. 9.

In this invention, the digital display means is positioned on the sliding plate (1) as shown in Fig. 1,2 and 3. The sliding plate (1) may slide up and down along the guide groove atthe side of said body (2). At the back of said sliding plate (1), a photocell sensing means (3) and a sliding guide base (4) are mounted; said sliding guide base is fixedly attached to a winding transmission cord (5) so as to have the whole sliding plate (1) being driven with a motor (6) to move up and down along the guide groove atthe body (2) side. The starting, stop, reverse rotation and stop controls to the motor (6) are the same as those described in my specification NO. GB.2095839A. of the preceding case.

Upon the motor(6) being started, it will rotate forwards to have the sliding plate (1) moving upwards; as soon as the sensor (7) on said sliding plate (1 ) senses the infra-red rays reflected from the head of the person using the machine, the motor (6) will stop; atthe same time, a time-interval counter will startto count time. When the end of the time interval is reached, said motor (6) starts to rotate reversely so as to move said sliding plate (1 ) downwards. As soon as said sliding plate (1) reaches the lowest position, the power supply of said motor (6) will be cut off by a micro-switch to stop the driving power.The position of said infrared sensor (7) is determined with the average heights from the level of eyes to the head top of a person and said sensor is mounted overthe sliding plate (1), and will movetogetherwith said plate (1 ) to timely cut off the power supply of said motor (6) and to startatime-interval counter.

The source of the infrared rays is an infrared emitter (8) mounted on the top ofthe body (2). This emits infrared rays at a given downwards slanting angle, as shown in Fig. 4; when said infrared rays reach the person's head, said rays will be reflected horizontally to pass through a transparent glass in the front of said body (2) to have said sensor (7) moving upwards; upon reaching said position and starting to sense the infrared rays, it will trigger a driving function.

The drawing(s) originally filed were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from later filed formal copies.

The claims were filed later than the filing date within the period prescribed by Rule 25(1) of the Patents Rules 1982.

The measuring and digital display means of this invention comprises a photocell sensing means (3) able to slide up and down anda scale plate (9) being furnished with a black and transparent strips in alternate arrangement and equal width and being vertically mounted on said body (2). Said photocell sensing means (3) includes LED and a sensing element, which are correspondingly sliding along both sides of said scale plate (9) respectively.By means of an intermittent light-throwing method, a digital display circuit in said sliding plate(1) is driven to display a number of digits on a quantitative increasing manner, or on a quantitative decreasing manner as shown in Fig. 6.The aforesaid LED and sensing element, being coupled to and sliding with said scale plate (1), said sensing element will receive light intermittently because of on/off light-passing nature of said scale plate (1); as a result, an intermittent output voltage will be generated to pass through a shaping circuit, and then a pulse is delivered into a counter as shown in Fig. 7. Said counter is installed inside the sliding plate (1), and its digital display is at thefrontpanel of said sliding plate (1).

The aforesaid digital display means may, if necessary, be set with a lowest point to start digit display and a highest point to startthe digit display in accordance with the length of said scale plate (9). In accordance with precision requirements, said scale plate (9) may be provided with furtherfine scales; simultaneously, the digit carrying system in the display means should also be modified to adapt to said fine scale plate so as to be able to indicate the height measuring function with further precision.

Upon said time-interval counter being stopped, and the motor (6) rotating reverselyto drive said photocell sensing means (3) moving downwards, the digital displaycircuitinthis invention mayinstructthe UP/DOWN control circuit (shown in Fig. 8) of the power supply to generate a voltage output in a manner of intermittent "LOW-HIGH-LOW-HIGH" so asto have said counter making a reverse counting; in other wo rds, with the photocell sensing means (3) moving downwards coupled with said scale plate (9), said digital display circuit may be driven to perform a quantitative decreasing digital display, oranotherset of LED and sensing element may be furnished in said photocell sensing means (3) to adapt to the scale plate (9) (shown in Fig. 5) atthe corresponding position for driving said digital display circuitto perform quantitative decreasing digital display.

Briefly, as soon as the motor starts to rotate, the light emitter (8) on the machine top, and the digital display circuit and the photocell sensing means (3) in said sliding plate (1 ) will be driven simultaneously; now, the digits of body height displayed in the front of said sliding plate (11 will be increased quantitatively because ofthe photocell sensing means (3) driving the digital display circuit. Upon said sensor (7) receiving the infrared rays refracted from the top of the head of the person being measured, the power supply of motor (6) will immediately be cut off and simul taneouslyatime-intervalcounterwill also be actuated. Now, the digits displayed in the front face of said sliding plate (1 )will be the height and the weight ofthe person under measuring.

When the time interval is completed, the motor(6) will rotate in reverse to drive the sliding plate (1 ) downwards; simultaneously, said photocell sensing means (3) will also drive the digital display circuit to quantitatively decrease the digital display.

The stop control of said sliding plate (1 ) during sliding may also be achieved by using atouch means to cut off the power of said motor (6) as shown in Fig.

9, of which the structure comprises a flexible hose (10) which extends from said sliding plate (1) to the top of the machine body (2) at an ar,gle of 1 80C, and hangs overtheheadofa person to be measured. At the end of said hose, there is a cup lid assembly as shown in Fig. 10, which includes a conic base (11), a microswitch (12), a soft lid (13) and a spring (14). Thetouch piece of said micro-switch (12) is hung downwards to have a suitable space to the soft lid (13) with a spring (14) between them.

The operation of said touch control is that, when the cup lid assembly slides downwards as shown in Fig.

11,the person's headwilltouch said soft lid (13) and said micro-switch (12) to cut offthe power supply of said motor (6). The hose (10) in the aforesaid means is used to replace the sensor (7), and the emitter (8).

Along the line of passage of said hose (10), a suitable number of rollers (16) are installed to guide said hose for smoothly sliding back and forth. When not performing a measurement, said cup lid assembly is tucked underthetopcoverofthe machine body (2), while the sliding plate (1 ) is at its lowest position.

Upon a person standing atthe measuring position and turningonthe power supply of said motor (6), said sliding plate (1 ) will be pulled upwards, while said cup lid assembly moves downwards. In the control circuit of said means, the output voltage sequence is reversely different from the aforesaid method of using light emitter (8) and sensor (7), i.e. when the photocell sensing means (3) on said sliding plate (1 )sliding upwards along said scale plate (9) having black-andtransparent strips in alternate arrangement and equal width, said control circuit will generate an "LOW HIGH - LOW- HIGH" outputvoltageto cause the counter in said sliding plate (1) to show a quantitative decreasing digital display.

Further, when said soft lid (13) ofthe cup lid assemblytouches the top of the head of a person being measured, said spring (14) will be retract because ofthe softness of said soft lid (13) to reduce the space between the bottom of said conic base to 1) and the soft lid (13), and to trigger said micro-switch (12) to cut off the power supply of the motor (6) and simultaneouslyto actuate the time-interval counter.

Atthattime, the digits indicated in the front of the sliding plate (1) are the heightandweightofthe person under measuring.As soon asthetime counting is completed, and the digital display is discontinued,and the head of the person being measured is disengaged from said cup lid assembly, said spring (14) releases said micro-switch to turn on the powersupply of said motor(6). Upon said motor rotating reversely, said cup lid assembly and the sliding plate (1) will be returnedto their original positions.

The advantages and features of the present invention are as follows:- 1) The digital display screen is installed on the sliding plate (1) and the distance between said sensor (7) and said digital display screen is similarto that from the eye level to the head top; thus, the figures of bodyheightto be seen bytheperson being measured are more accurate.

2) Since the sensing means in this invention is a photocell sensing means (3), which slides along both sides of said scale plate (9), its precision requirement is rather low; therefore, a simple winding transmis sion cord means will satisfy the requirement.

3) The sliding movement between the photocell sensing means (3) and said scale plate (9) is a non-contact type; therefore, it has a low precision requirement, and has no wear and tear problem or precise assembling problem.

4) During measuring, digits are displayed in a quantitative increasing manner, while when the slide plate (1) slides backwards, the digits are displayed in a quantitative decreasing manner.

5) In the touch means to stop the sliding plate and to display digit, the strength of said spring (14) is constant, the micro-switch (12) would not be triggered until the head ofthe person is actually touched; in otherwords,the person's hair cannot affect the accuracy ofthe measurement because it has insufficient resistance to push the bottom ofthe cup lid assemblyto trigger said micro-switch (12).

The invention features: (1) An automatic digital display machine for measuring body height and weight, which using a winding transmission cord means to drive a sliding plate that having sensing, measuring and digital displayfunctions, and during said sliding plate moving upwards, the photocell sensing means being coupled to said black and transparent scale plate so as to have said photocell sensing means driving the digital display circuit to generate a quantitative increasing digital display, and to generate a quantitative decreasing digital display during said sliding plate moving downwards; and upon said sensor receiving the special rays reflected from the head top of a person under measuring, the powersupplyofthe motor being cut off to have sliding plate being stopped.

(2) Asliding plate as in (1), wherein a photocell sensing means being coupled to said scale plate and a sliding guide base being driven with said winding transmission cord means are installed behind said sliding plate; and inside said sliding plate, a conventional increasing and decreasing digital display circuit is furnished.

(3) A photocell sensing means as in (1), wherein the elements include a LED and a sensing element, and both ofthem are sliding over a scale plate having black and transparent scales in alternate arrangement and equal width; and by means of the equal distance light-throwing effect, said sensing element will drive said digital display circuit inside the sliding plate to generate a sequential digital display function.

(4) A measuring machine for body height and weight as in (1 ), wherein the front digital display screen of said sliding plate and said sensor over said sliding plate are separated with a space equal to a distance between the eye level and the head top of the average person.

(5) A sliding plate as in any of (1 ) to (4) which may be stopped to go up, when a light emitter on top of said machine emits an infrared rays bearwto the head of a person under measuring, which is then refracted to a sensor on said sliding plate.

(6) A sliding plate as in (2) wherein the front is furnished with a digital display screen for showing the body height and weight of a person under measuring and also showing the height of said sliding plate.

(7) A scale plate as in (3), which is vertically fixed on said machine, and is in a shape of black and transparent strips in alternate arrangementand equal width, and which is used for generating an intermittent signal when said LED and sensing element of the photocell sensing means are sliding along both sides.

(8) A sliding plate as in (1 ),wherein the digital display circuit can have the counter making reverse or decreasing digital display to be shown on said sliding plate by means of reverse rotation of said motor, and the up/down control circuit to control the power supply means producing a LOW- HIGH - LOW- HIGH" output.

(9) A height measuring method as in (1) wherein a cup lid assembly may be used for touching the head of a person under measuring so as to cut off the power supply of a motorto have a moving sliding plate stopped and the height of a person displayed.

(10) Atouchingforstoppingthesliding plate means for measuring purpose as in (9), wherein a flexible hose with a suitable length extending upwards from said sliding plate and bending back at an angle of 1800from topofsaid machine; and atthe end of said hose, a cup lid assembly being attached and it comprising a conic base, a micro-switch, a soft lid, and a spring; and said conic base being used to attach to the end of said hose, and in said conic base said micro-switch being installed, and at the outside of said conic base, a soft lid being furnished; and the touch piece of said micro-switch being hung over said spring and said soft lid with a suitable space.

Claims (3)

1. Animprovedautomatiedigitaldisplaymachine for measuring height in which a slider is driven verticallytowardsthepointatwhichthe height of a person using the machine is detected, a digital display on the slider being operated duringthevertical travel ofthe slider by a photocell which is associated with the slider and receives intermittent exposure to light through a scale of alternating opaque and transparent horizontal strips in a vertical scale located in line with the path of the slider, the drive to the slider being cut off when the slider reaches a height in the range corresponding to from eye level to the top ofthe head ofthe person using the machine, the operation of the digital display on the slider being co-ordinated to indicate, at the point where the slider stops, the height ofthe person using the machine.

2. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the slider is associated with a sensor, the drive to the slider being cut off when the sensor reaches a height at which it receives infra-red rays emitted from the upper part ofthe machine and reflected from the top of the head ofthe person using the machine.

3. A mach ine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the drive to the slider is cut off when a sensing element lowered from the upper partofthe machine contacts the top ofthe headofthe person using the machine.