TOILET SEAT WITH A BUILT-IN WEIGHING SENSOR
The present invention relates to a toilet seat.
Such a toilet seat is generally known.
The object of the present invention is to enhance the application possibilities and the serviceability of a toilet seat, in particular, but not exclusively, for persons who are not able to walk very well.
In order to accomplish that objective, the toilet seat according to the invention is characterized in that the toilet seat includes at least one weighing sensor and also weight determining means connected to said at least one weighing sensor. The advantage of the toilet seat according to the invention is that the separate scales or weighing chairs that are generally used in practice, which are not present at one fixed location, onto which scales or weighing chairs the persons to be weighed must be hoisted in some cases, are no longer needed. The scales will no longer form a dangerous obstacle. Weighing is carried out in a simple manner, always at the same location, unnoticed, during visits to the toilet. Since such visits to the toilet take place at regular intervals in the course of a day anyway, the measuring accuracy is enhanced, and thus it is possible to monitor a person's weight at short intervals, and thus accurately, also over a longer period of time, without any additional operations being required. Moreover, it is possible to derive from the data provided by the weighing sensors - also called force sensors - how much weight said person has actually lost during a respective toilet visit. The measuring data can be used by a physician, and the data can furthermore be utilized for monitoring the weight development of people on a diet or of sporting people, in fitness centres or sporting institutes.
In one embodiment the toilet seat according to the invention is characterized in that the toilet seat includes supporting points, via which it is supported on a supporting structure, for example a toilet bowl, and that said at least one weighing sensor is mounted in said supporting points. Generally, said at least one weighing sensor and said supporting points will be mounted in the toilet seat in a moisture-proof manner, which is preferably done by using an adequate seal or by integrating the two in the toilet seat.
With a view to enabling easy cleaning, the toilet seat and/or the toilet bowl include detachable connecting means.
The present invention furthermore relates to a weighing system comprising the aforesaid toilet seat. A variety of embodiments can be realised by providing the weighing system with:
- a power supply unit connected to said at least one weighing sensor, and/or
- weight determining means connected between said power supply unit and said at least one weighing sensor, and/or
- a visual display device connected to said weight determining means, and/or
- a recording device connected to said weight determining means.
Another embodiment of the weighing system according to the invention, which provides additional functionality, is characterized in that the weighing system includes a timer which generates an alarm signal when said at least one weighing sensor is operative longer than a predetermined
period of time. This embodiment provides additional safety and monitoring functionality in old people's homes, hospitals or nursing homes, for example, in that a possibility is provided to have the weighing system deliver an alarm signal when the person in question stays on the toilet too long. This alarm signal is delivered to a monitoring centre, or it will for example activate a beeper of the kind that nursing staff usually carry with them.
The various functions of the toilet seat and the weighing system can be performed advantageously by a microprocessor that requires comparatively little power.
Although it is in principle possible to build one or more components of the group comprising: the at least one weighing sensor, the power supply unit, the weight determining means, the visual display device and the recording device into the toilet seat, it is preferable to connect one or more of said components wirelessly to one or more of the other components of said group. With regard to the power supply unit, sufficient electromagnetic energy is sent to one or more coil windings in the toilet seat, so that it is not necessary to build an exchangeable battery into the toilet seat. The reading of the weight can for example take place from a visual display device mounted on the wall, or the information can be discretely processed, stored and read for the purpose of obtaining medical data.
One preferred embodiment of the weighing system according to the invention is characterized in that at least one of the weighing sensors functions as a switch for automatic activation and deactivation of components of the weighing system. The advantage of this preferred embodiment is that
this enables efficient utilization of the electric energy that is consumed by the built-in components, since this energy consumption only takes place during the time someone is present on the toilet.
Another preferred embodiment of the weighing system is characterized in that at least one of the weighing sensors is an electricity generating device. Devices of this kind include a coil and/or a crystal, for example, on which a mechanical pressure is exerted, and which subsequently delivers a voltage for feeding components, viz. circuits, or for recharging battery cells that are built into the toilet seat.
The present invention and its further advantages will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein like parts are numbered alike in the various figures. In the drawing:
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a weighing system according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a weighing system according to the invention; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a toilet seat according to the invention at the location of a weighing sensor.
Figures 1 and 2 each show a weighing system 1, which includes a toilet seat 2, in which four force sensors or weighing sensors 3 are incorporated in the illustrated situation. Weighing sensors 3 are each connected to a generally microprocessor-controlled unit 4. In the illustrated embodiment, unit 4 is built up of the following interconnected components:
- weight determining means 5, which process measuring signals from the weighing sensors 3 into a weighing signal, which is representative of the overall weight as measured by weighing sensors 3 of a person who is fully supported on the toilet seat 2;
- a visual display device 6 connected to said weight determining means 5, which displays a digital value representing the measured overall weight on the basis of the weighing signal; - a recording device 7, which stores the measured overall weight, together with other information, such as data relating to the person being weighed, the time of weighing, etc. in a data file;
- a power supply unit connected 8, possibly comprising a battery or a rechargeable cell, for supplying the aforesaid components and the weighing sensors 3 with electric energy.
In the embodiment of Figure 2 all components are assembled and sealed in the toilet seat 2 in a moisture-proof and acid-proof manner. Power supply unit 8 includes a battery or a rechargeable cell in that case, and the visual display device 6 is built into the toilet seat 2 together with the weight determining means 5.
In the embodiment of Figure 1, a number of components are disposed outside the toilet seat 2, and said components are in wireless communication with the weighing sensors 3. Toilet seat 2 is only provided with a transmitter 9 that is connected to the sensors 3 in this case, which transmitter, after combining the individual measuring signals from sensors 3, transmits the thus combined measuring signal to a receiver 10 disposed outside toilet seat 2, which forwards said signal to the components 5 - 8. The power supply to sensors 3 can for example be
realised by configuring receiver 10 to act as a transmitter as well, so that electromagnetic energy is emitted to the transmitter 9, which is configured to act as a receiver as well, which energy is converted there into a supply voltage and supply current that is required for the sensors.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a toilet seat 2 at the location of a supporting point 11, at which point the weighing sensor 3 is built in. Sensor 3 is accommodated in a casing in an opening of seat 2. A moisture-proof seal 13 is provided round supporting element 14, which, when a person sits down on the seat 2, transmits mechanical force to sensor 3 when seal 13 is supported on a supporting structure (not shown), such as a toilet bowl.
It is possible to realise a number of advantageous variants. Thus the signal delivered by one of the sensors can also be used as a command signal for switching one or more components of toilet seat 2 on and off. One or more of the sensors 3 may be adapted to generate electricity, for example comprising a crystal, in which electrostriction is used, or electromagnetic elements, by means of which electricity is generated each time a mechanical force is exerted. The microprocessor can be programmed to function as a timer, so that an alarm signal will be generated when the weighing system 1 is operative longer than a predetermined period of time, during which period pressure continues to be exerted on sensors 2. Furthermore the toilet seat 2 and the toilet bowl may be provided with connecting means (not shown in the figures) , as is explained in EP-A-0 528 838, which European patent publication is considered to be incorporated herein by reference .