CN108844607B

CN108844607B - Domestic body fat weighing machine

Info

Publication number: CN108844607B
Application number: CN201810996410.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马至翔
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-08-29
Filing date: 2018-08-29
Publication date: 2020-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-29
Also published as: CN108844607A

Abstract

The invention provides a household body fat weighing machine, which comprises: a body including a bottom portion in which a weight measuring unit is installed, and a horizontal weighing surface; and at least two electrode parts arranged on the bottom of the main body, wherein at least two electrodes which are spaced from each other are arranged in each electrode part, and each electrode is provided with a top surface which can be in direct contact with the sole of a user so as to be used for measuring the body fat rate of the user. Wherein the top surfaces of the electrodes are configured not to be in the same plane relative to the weighing surface. The household body fat weighing machine can improve the accuracy and stability of measurement.

Description

Domestic body fat weighing machine

Technical Field

The invention relates to a tool for measuring body data, in particular to a household body fat weighing machine.

Background

With the development and progress of society, people pay more attention to the pursuit of health and beauty. Particularly, people pay attention to the weight closely related to health and beauty.

A scale is a common tool for measuring body weight, and has been commonly used in home life. In order to meet the requirements of the modern network society, the household weighing scales sold in the market at present generally have the function of wireless communication. Therefore, the measurement data of the weight scale can be wirelessly transmitted to a mobile communication tool such as a mobile phone of a user, so that the user can better view the measurement result, and the historical data is compared to make a corresponding plan to control the weight.

In addition to body weight, it is increasingly recognized that body fat rate is also a parameter closely related to health and beauty, and it is necessary to measure body fat rate data and analyze and monitor it together with body weight data. Therefore, many home-use weighing machines also have an added function of measuring body fat percentage, thereby becoming a body fat weighing machine.

The common household body fat weighing meters on the market generally utilize a bioelectrical impedance method to measure body fat rate data. Generally, a number of planar electrodes are provided at the weighing surface of a body fat scale. In use, a user stands on the weighing surface with several areas of his sole in contact with the electrodes arranged on the weighing surface, respectively. Thus, on the one hand, body weight data can be measured in a conventional manner, and on the other hand, body fat rate data of the user can also be obtained by the electrodes.

However, such conventional home-use body fat scales generally have a problem that the measurement of body fat rate data is inaccurate. It is estimated that such conventional home-use body fat scale measurement data often has a deviation of about 10-15% compared to professional body fat scale measurement instruments. Also, for the same user, even repeated measurements over a short period of time may yield inconsistent data. That is, the measurement result of such a conventional home-use body fat scale is unstable.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a home-use body fat scale that is capable of more accurately and/or more stably measuring body fat rate data.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a household body fat scale, which can measure body fat rate data more accurately, has a small volume, and is suitable for storage. The invention also aims to provide a household body fat weighing machine, which has more stable measuring result and small fluctuation.

According to the present invention, there is provided a household body fat weight scale comprising: a body including a bottom portion in which a weight measuring unit is installed, and a horizontal weighing surface; and at least two electrode portions disposed above the bottom of the main body, at least two electrodes spaced apart from each other being disposed in each electrode portion, each of the electrodes having a top surface capable of being in direct contact with a sole of a foot of a user for measuring a body fat rate of the user. Wherein the top surfaces of the electrodes are configured not to be in the same plane relative to the weighing surface.

In a preferred embodiment, the electrode is formed of a flexible sheet so as to be able to fit the sole of the user's foot when the user stands on the electrode portion.

In a preferred embodiment, the electrode portions are integrally made of a flexible material, the main body further includes at least two recesses on the bottom, and each of the electrode portions is mounted in a corresponding one of the recesses.

In a preferred embodiment, the electrode part is provided with a blocking wall at a region near the ankle of the user, the blocking wall including an outer branch extending near the periphery of the main body, an inner branch extending near the center of the main body, and a bottom branch connecting the outer branch and the inner branch and configured to fit the side of the ankle of the user.

In a preferred embodiment, additional electrodes for measuring the body fat mass of the user are provided in the baffle wall.

In a preferred embodiment, the top surface of the electrode is configured to be inclined downward in a direction from the periphery to the center of the body, and the inner branch of the blocking wall has a longer length than the outer branch.

In a preferred embodiment, the top surface of the electrode is configured to be inclined upward in a direction from the periphery to the center of the body, and the inner branch of the blocking wall has a shorter length than the outer branch.

In a preferred embodiment, the blocking wall is made of an elastic material and has a decreasing cross-sectional area in a vertical direction away from the body.

In a preferred embodiment, the electrode part is connected to the bottom of the main body by a plurality of sets of springs so that the top surface of the electrode can vary its inclination angle in conformity with the shape of the sole of the foot of the user.

In a preferred embodiment, the home body fat scale further comprises a communication unit for wirelessly transmitting the measurement data to the associated mobile device, and a display screen for displaying the weight data and/or the body fat data.

According to the present invention, by specially configuring the top surfaces of the electrodes for measuring body fat percentage not to be on the same plane with respect to the weighing surface, it is possible to more sufficiently contact the electrodes with the sole of the foot of the user. For example, by making the electrode or the entire electrode portion of a flexible material, or making the top surface of the electrode inclined with respect to the weighing surface, the degree of intimate engagement of the electrode with the sole of the foot of the user can be increased, thereby making the measurement result more accurate. In addition, by providing a retaining wall in the ankle area, the sole of the foot of the user can be positioned better, thereby making the measurement result more stable.

Drawings

The invention will be described hereinafter on the basis of exemplary embodiments shown with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

fig. 1 shows a top view of a household body fat scale according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view through the electrodes of the household body fat scale shown in FIG. 1;

fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view through electrodes of a household body fat scale according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view through electrodes of a household body fat scale according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 shows a top view of a household fat weight scale according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 6 shows a top view of a household body fat scale according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals. The figures are not drawn to scale and certain details in the figures are intentionally exaggerated to show desired details.

Detailed Description

The invention will be further explained with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a household body fat scale 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the household body fat scale 100 includes a generally square body 10. The upper surface of the body 10 is a horizontal weighing surface 20. The user stands on the weighing surface 20 and obtains weight data of the user by means of a conventional weighing cell, not shown.

It will be readily appreciated that a display screen (not shown) may also be provided on the weighing surface 20 to enable direct display of the user's weight data in an intuitive manner. In addition, the home body fat scale 100 may also include a communication unit (not shown) for wirelessly transmitting the measured data to a mobile device (e.g., a user's cell phone) associated therewith for better viewing and processing of the measured data by the user.

The weighing surface 20 typically comprises two electrode portions 30, respectively arranged at a left and a right portion of the weighing surface 20. The two electrode portions 30 each include at least two electrodes 40 disposed at upper and lower portions of the respective electrode portion 30. Thus, when a user stands on the weighing surface 20, their left and right feet are positioned on the left and right electrode portions 30, respectively, and their forefoot and heel are in contact with the upper and

lower electrodes

40 and 40, respectively. Thus, the body fat rate data of the user can be measured by using the bioelectrical impedance method. The body fat rate data can be wirelessly transmitted to the user's mobile device through the communication unit or can be directly displayed on the display screen.

The above structures, arrangements and related principles are all well known in the art. For economy of space, it is not described in detail herein.

However, with the conventional household body fat scale, both the electrode section and the electrode provided inside the electrode section as described above are arranged on the weighing surface. The electrode portion and the electrode are both planar and are at the same level as the weighing surface. However, the sole of a person's foot is not a flat surface, but is undulating. Therefore, the sole of the person cannot make sufficient contact with the electrode in the electrode portion. For some users whose soles are different from those of normal persons, the contact area of the soles with the electrodes in the electrode portions may be smaller. This makes the electrodes unable to accurately measure body data, resulting in the inability to obtain accurate body fat rate data. At the same time, since the position at which the user stands on the weighing surface is not fixed, it is easy to cause large fluctuations in the data between several measurements.

According to the invention, the top surfaces of the electrodes 40 are arranged not in the same plane with respect to the weighing surface 20. Thus, the electrodes 40 can be brought into more sufficient contact with the sole of the foot of the user, thereby improving the accuracy of the body fat percentage data.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the electrodes 40 are made of flexible sheets. That is, the electrode 40 is capable of deforming when subjected to a force. In this way, when a user stands on the weighing surface 20, the electrodes 40 will deform under the weight of the user to better fit the sole of the user's foot, creating a more full and effective contact area. Thus, the electrodes 40 can be more effectively brought into contact with the sole of the user, thereby accurately measuring the body data and finally obtaining more accurate body fat rate data.

Flexible sheets or materials suitable for such purposes are well known and will not be described in detail herein.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view through the electrode 40 of a household body fat scale 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2, the electrode 40 can be deformed downward by the weight of the user, thereby more sufficiently fitting the sole of the user and forming a larger effective contact surface.

Preferably, the entire electrode portion 30 including the electrode 40 is made of a flexible material. That is, the entire electrode portion 30 including the electrode 40 is formed as one integral flexible block, for example, a rectangular block. The body 10 of the household body fat scale 100 comprises a bottom portion 15, a middle portion 18, and two grooves 12 disposed on the bottom portion 15 and on the left and right sides of the middle portion 18. The bottom 15 is preferably made planar. In this way, the electrode portion 30 is mounted directly into the recess 12 as a unitary flexible mass. In this case, the entire sole of the user can be in close contact with the surface of the flexible electrode part 30, particularly the top surface of the electrode 40, providing the maximum contact area, thereby further improving the measurement accuracy.

It will be readily understood that in one embodiment, not shown, the two electrode portions 30 may be formed in one piece, provided that a sufficient number of electrodes 40 spaced apart from one another are provided therein. In this case, the body 10 does not include the middle portion 18.

In this embodiment, a conventional weighing cell (not shown) for measuring body weight may be arranged within the bottom portion 15. For example, the conventional weighing cell may measure the total weight of the user and the two electrode portions 30 and the middle portion 18 (if any). The weight of the user can be obtained by subtracting the weight of the two electrode portions 30 and the central portion 18 (if any) from the measurement data. This is readily accomplished by those skilled in the art in light of the prior art.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to fig. 2, showing a household body fat weight scale 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The home body fat scale 200 is substantially the same as the home body fat scale 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and therefore only the differences therebetween will be described below.

In this embodiment, the surface of the electrode portion 230 is provided to be inclined. As shown in fig. 3, the electrode part 230 is provided to have a shape inclined downward from the periphery toward the center of the main body 210 of the household body fat scale 200, and the electrode 240 disposed within the electrode part 230 still employs a conventional planar electrode, but the top surface of the electrode 240 is provided to conform to the top of the electrode part 230. Such a tilted electrode arrangement is particularly suitable for users having a foot shape that is tilted inward, which is better able to conform to the sole of the foot of such users. At the same time, the conventional planar electrode is still used in this embodiment, so it is easy to manufacture and assemble and is low in cost.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to fig. 3, showing a household body fat weight scale 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The home body fat scale 300 is substantially the same as the home body fat scale 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and therefore only the difference therebetween will be described below.

In this embodiment, the surface of the electrode portion 330 is also provided to be inclined. However, as shown in fig. 4, the electrode part 330 is provided to have a shape inclined upward from the periphery toward the center of the main body 310 of the household body fat scale 300, and the electrode 340 disposed within the electrode part 330 still employs a conventional planar electrode, but the top surface of the electrode 340 is provided to conform to the top of the electrode part 330. Such a tilted electrode arrangement is particularly suitable for users having a foot shape that is camber, which is able to better conform to the sole of the foot of such users. At the same time, the conventional planar electrode is still used in this embodiment, so it is easy to manufacture and assemble and is low in cost.

In one embodiment, not shown, the electrode portion is still configured to be planar, and the electrode still employs a planar electrode. However, at least two, and preferably more, sets of springs are provided beneath each electrode. Thus, when a user stands on the weighing surface, the sets of springs are pressed down by different strokes according to different shapes of the user's sole, so that the planar electrodes can also be well in contact with the user's sole, thereby improving the measurement accuracy.

It is easily understood that in this embodiment, the electrodes and the electrode portion may also be of a flexible structure, whereby the degree of fitting of the electrodes to the sole of the foot of the user can be further improved, thereby improving the measurement accuracy.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of a household body fat scale 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The home body fat scale 400 may have substantially the same structure as the home body fat scale of any of the above embodiments, except that a blocking wall 450 is provided at a region of the electrode part near the ankle of the user (i.e., a lower portion in fig. 5).

As shown in fig. 5, the blocking wall 450 is disposed around the lower portion of the electrode part, substantially conforms to the shape of the ankle of the person, and extends upward from the weighing surface 420. Retaining wall 450 includes lateral branch 451, medial branch 452, and bottom branch 453, with bottom branch 453 being configured to generally conform to the shape of a person's ankle, among other things. Thus, when a user stands on the weighing surface 420 of the household weight scale 400, the ankle portion thereof may be received within the area defined by the retaining wall 450, thereby providing a guide and location for the standing position of the user. This improves the stability of the measurement data between measurements.

In addition, additional electrodes (not shown) for measuring body fat rate data may also be disposed in the barrier wall 450. Thus, when both feet of the user are positioned within the electrode part 430, not only the sole of the foot of the user is in contact with the electrode 440 within the electrode part 430, but also the ankle region of the user is in contact with the additional electrode in the barrier wall 450, thereby increasing the electrode measuring points and further improving the accuracy of the measurement.

Preferably, in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the retaining wall 450 is arranged so that the length of its outer branch 451 is greater than the length of its inner branch 452. This arrangement is particularly suitable for users whose feet are of the camber type, i.e. in particular in combination with the structure of the embodiment shown in figure 4, providing more stable support and more accurate measurements for such users.

Fig. 6 shows a top view of a household body fat scale 500 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The home body fat scale 500 differs from the home body fat scale 400 only in that the blocking wall 550 is provided such that the length of the outer branch 551 thereof is smaller than the length of the inner branch 552 thereof. This arrangement is particularly suitable for users with a toe-in style, i.e. particularly in combination with the structure of the embodiment shown in figure 3, providing more stable support and more accurate measurements for such users.

In an embodiment not shown, the retaining wall is made of an elastic material and the area enclosed by it has a varying cross-sectional area in the vertical direction. That is, at the weighing surface, the cross-sectional area defined by the blocking wall is largest, which is arranged to be slightly larger than the average heel area of the person, while the cross-sectional area defined by the blocking wall decreases in the vertical direction away from the weighing surface. In this way, the larger bottom part of the retaining wall enables most users to place their heel in the area defined by the retaining wall, while the smaller upper part of the retaining wall enables the retaining wall to be sufficiently conformed to the ankle of the user by means of its own elasticity. This provides, on the one hand, a better positioning and thus an improved stability of the measurement and, on the other hand, an improved accuracy of the measurement.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, various modifications may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way as long as there is no structural conflict. It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A household body fat weight scale comprising:

a body including a bottom portion in which a weight measuring unit is installed, and a horizontal weighing surface; and

at least two electrode portions disposed above the bottom of the main body, at least two electrodes spaced apart from each other being disposed in each electrode portion, each of the electrodes having a top surface capable of being in direct contact with a sole of a user for measuring a body fat rate of the user,

wherein the top surfaces of the electrodes are configured not to be in the same plane relative to the weighing surface,

the electrode part is provided with a blocking wall at a region near the ankle of the user, the blocking wall including an outer branch extending near the periphery of the main body, an inner branch extending near the center of the main body, and a bottom branch connecting the outer branch and the inner branch and configured to fit the side of the ankle of the user,

an additional electrode for measuring the body fat rate of the user is arranged in the baffle wall,

the blocking wall is made of an elastic material and has a sectional area gradually decreasing in a vertical direction away from the body,

wherein the top surface of the electrode is configured to be inclined downward in a direction from the periphery to the center of the body and the inner branch of the blocking wall has a longer length than the outer branch, or the top surface of the electrode is configured to be inclined upward in a direction from the periphery to the center of the body and the inner branch of the blocking wall has a shorter length than the outer branch.

2. The home body fat scale of claim 1, wherein the electrode is formed of a flexible sheet so as to be able to fit to a sole of a user when the user stands on the electrode part.

3. The home body fat scale of claim 2, wherein the electrode portions are integrally formed of a flexible material, the body further comprising at least two recesses in the base, each electrode portion being mounted in a respective one of the recesses.

4. The household body fat scale according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electrode part is connected to the bottom of the main body by a plurality of sets of springs so that the top surface of the electrode can vary its inclination angle in conformity with the shape of the sole of the user.

5. A home weight scale according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a communication unit for wirelessly transmitting measurement data to an associated mobile device, and a display screen for displaying weight data and/or body fat data.