GB2510464A - Footgauge using touchscreen device - Google Patents

Abstract

A foot gauge having a main body with a planar surface 21 for receiving a sole of a foot which is placed with the heel against an end abutment 18 and one side against a side abutment 19. The surface 21 cooperates with a touch screen of a data processing device and the toe end and opposite side of the foot can be traced on to the touch screen with a stylus. Preferably the side abutments arc movable in a lengthwise direction. The surface of the gauge immediately above the touchscreen may comprise an aperture, or a transparent window formed of a touch screen compatible material. The touchscreen may be part of a removable computer device, or tablet. The touchscreen may be receivable in a cradle which is detachable from the main body. Also claimed is a method of using such a footgauge.

Description

I

A Foo.ttauge The present: invention relates to footgaugcs for measuring the.

length and width of feet, partiotuady.bat not. exeluskely, the Ièet of *bsbks, 1nfluts and cb Idren, Accotthng to the present invention there is provided a footgaugc cnmprisir.g a main body.

a planar sutlàe.e tar, in ate, receiving ot1t%t therewith a sc.Ie of afoot; ai end abutment and a side abutment whibh.: are upstandIng from the surface ard which cooperate with the surface in. use to locate the.foot with a lengthwke end point of the foot in contact with the end abutment and a side edge of the loot an ontact with the side abutment a to:uchsere.cn and associated dta processing means such. that. the touchsu.een iS, lfl use, clmposed below the opposite end point of the foot and an opposite side edge of the foot such that, in use, the location of the oppoSite endpoint and The qp.poit side edge of the fcot can be traced on the touchscreen by means of a styiMs In some arrangcmnts the surihee immediately above at least part of the touchscree.n comprises a through aperture.

To other arrangements at least part. of the surface. immediatdv abovt the toL cliscreen has a t1anspartnt window louned ol a tuuchsu.een compauble materiaL Preferably the. uppermost surface of the win.dthv and the. uppermost surface of the remainder of the planar surthcc. arc flush..

Ide4Uy, the touchscreen and associated data piocessing means tue consiittitedhy a itmowible touchacreen computer device.CitD).

In preferred.embcicl.lffients the Jffl) Is reecivabk in.a cradle whftk.

is selectively deiachabi.c from the ulain body. and which supports. the LCD P.U: pecttenniii. nosition relativc to the end and skk ab.utments Often th etadlo incorporates a si allow recess for receiving thc ThD, the depth.

nI the recess being snob that the screen of the TCD engages or is ithniediately below the underside oNhe.surthee.

Conveniently the cradle and/or the main body iitcofporates a kttch.

mehanism for retaining the cradle. in the underside of the. main body In somO an:angernents the cradle has an. end flange:thr engagement in a.

cooperating clot provided by the inam body nd an opposite end flange br cngagç.mcnt vitti. said latch thetthanism which.S: spdngiueded and is provided ou.tF..niain body.. In other an igcmei.tts the irwin body has a pturahty of downwardly extending hooks which engage with corresponding projections provided on. the ctaW.e and which lock therewith a sliding action.

It is a preferred feature that the main body has an. opposite side abutment spaced ft.rn the first side abutment for enga:gin.g a sIde edge of the opposite foot, the receiving space for the. TCD being centrally disposed between and heiow the two side abutments. In some arrangements the wo side abutments and the endabutnwnts are provided by a corituniouz. U-.sl.ape4 wail which is upstanding., from the planar platform.

In an alternative arrangement the surfac.t immediately above the receivmg:space comprises athrough aperture.

According to anothrn aspect theic is piovded a footgaugc as dlsclosed above and a stslus foi use in conjunction with a touchsucen wniputct device (TCD) the stylus compiismg an elongate tint elenit.nt ha ing a holthng poition at one end and a ueen engaging poffion at the ot1ei end, and a second element comprising a hotly portion surrounding at least nothon of the first element, (he, first eemeat being mounted tbr Ranted aiaI movement iciativc the cylindi cal body poi non and the body frt1nn having an ammlrr external canine!. surthce.

Preferabjly the fotgauge incorporates a docking port in which tl.ie ttusca be. plaee& oo:orang format 1.oiu.he'syh!$ and the dooking port 1eleasabl) ittmaing the stylus in the docking poit 3: A tihc MPø of iihe ptesent:inveñtht k ii a.'tsi a t,,,,ga,,di$escdSvc th'sj* the s*tf dngØSdjptsaciurSwwfthan tn4Eflbp tt:enpghtg *S',t a",' a stde otSttsjsjg the ik,e *lnncnt::usii!g'ask$us :eihopptS$thot:an4th,'posfte4Ue'e4geot the,tbotS tat touts" thhTCDt *J"","i'th" i':t *idth of P,:ho4fress. Pflhc p!', ,,t1flVcfl4Qfl, WiftAcW, be 4esct*ed in dSth %ç dc'"oa n*cs rthreisz tq S'.

&sMist M4ML Fi$Ult I IS *:pwt ex$odetperspecdveww sho':'4ng:aøtge' 40c0t41' to the'pveseñt inveSt bt: ot1"tb a is,':Qunpe Fig,urc:2 is anwi4en,,,, vkw'ott, bO'y$ilt ftgauge sesraM Sn",: 3' s st t",rx" pei",:'*s tfl cSkS maRt S" dØg" ,2,,bot":w"S Fig,,, 4inwuttnsk*woItiS'thJS St$", sLdevIewof the ç°otae, flgw,',.a*,,,4i,tonhi&tJ4I PtJ,,,,.4: Rguwlisa'pIs'vkw øtdsføøgn4fl Bj"ta is:* ", ,S:Mhte' V'S Vth,if f1c Figuret:;s'uetIon':on:1rne'JX4X ofll"'e Figur. Qa.:3$: a vcttjS seotlon,;lSt" a Sth'' aecS%'' Ie thö p4*hiveflftan t; an MactM po*iøn Plobsavknthtougbthenylusinanactive I1gj,,',:'," ot'lbcflj''eai4 stØ" tos',"uit a Figurs: 1$ i' a' j$tt:e#idtt pt *. iho*kng a aP,na,:i,: j%c4gspg ØØflftflg' : pSSeiiUn"t U'"thet *tth a ie*. C,.,cP) Fiture.16 is.a plan view of the. footgau.ge of figure 15, Figure 17 is a sc.Uon.on fine A-A of figure 1.6, Figure 18 is a seetionon line B-B of figure. 16, i4gu:rc 19 is a section on line C-C of figure 16, Figure 20 is a seoti.otIon line. O-D c{figure 16, Figure 21. i.s a. vertical section. throUgh i modified stylus i an uctivp position.

Figure 22 is a pei:spectivc view of au &iernative footgauge according to the.VescPt jn.veitit ion, Figute 23 is a çexspective vww of t'u Iootgauge of figuic 22 in an a.lternativeeonfiguration, Figure 24 is a side View of the foolgauge of figure.2.2, and Eigure 25 is amend view of the footgauge of figure 22.

In the Uguies theie is shown a footuge 10 compusmg a main body ii for use with a stylus I 2. The main body.1. 1 incorporates a removable oradk. IS.

The maIn bod U has a genelall) planar piatloirn 14 which has an upward taemg suiface 15 foi ietewmg in contat theteswtb a sole of a foot 16 when the footgauge 10 is in use Upstanding Iron the platfhrrn 14 is a substantially U-shaped. wall 1.7 whk define an end abutment 18.. a left side abutment 19 and a right side abutment 20 spactd horn the Left side abutment 1.9. The end abutment could be contoured to provide lice! receiving cups. and the: main body could ho contoured to ma..irni.sc the ci gonomics of the footmzauge sith rcgw d to being held 1w the usci The footgaugL 10 is primaim1 nneuded Ici usu in a weight oil situation Ibi baby or infant feet such that the main body is engaged with the lout.withotthe. person standing. ci the fgotgaugc. It could however be adapted for use tn a weight on' si:tuatkni provided nfl nccar' components had ufficient strength.

Midway betweemm the side abutments l., 20 is a window Ji foi mcd 11am a material that is compatible vith a sccn of a Toudmucen Computci Des icc (lCD) 22,o as to i egistei contacts with sn uppem surface of the window 21 through to a RI). screen disposed below the window.21,. In this waythe material 21 protects the TOD screen. ideally the upper surfhe e of the whidow 21 is flush with the upward facing.

&urthce. 15 of the plait nit 14 suii'ounding the window fl, as is. shown in figures 8 and 9 Th& window 21 could aho he bitned. as a through opening leaving the TC1) ereen ex.poçd. for direct, contact with the stylus The ern.dle 13 provides, a shallow reç.e$s 23 in hs upward lacing side and ptoides foivrnd and ieai.wad prnecUng flangts 24, 25 at etch end, The shallow recess 23 is4imensiofled Wv receiving i lCD 22 in a predetermined position therein. In the illustrated embodiment,, the. TCD 22 is in the form of a toucliscreen telephone hut it 4\ill he appitc ted that the dimensional scaling of the footgauge, in particulai the rnam body! crodIe/window, could easily bc. altered such that the T) coul.d be of any' size or shape, for example a tablet: or.ininkablet type TCD. The cradle recess 2 could also be adapted to be of variable size. such that a single footgauge couid be used. with TCDs of varying sizes, Larger screejis!windows can enable the tbotgauge to be usahle. with a greater range of foot sizes See figures 15 to 20 and ssociaed desuption fot an examule, In the underside of the main body 1.1 is a receiving space or void 26 for receiving, the cradle 13. The forward flange 24 of the cradle 13 is' inserted into a. forward slot.27 defined towards the thiward end of the.

void 26 and the. rearward flange 2'S is then teceiveci. in an openable.

rearward slot 28 towards the rearward end of t]e void 26. The roanvard slot 28 is in pan defined tiy a movable Up 29 piovided by a latch mechanism 30., The latch mechanism 30 and hence the lip 29 s, urged iesiliently forwad by a spung Ii (a cod spdng in this e\ample) suuh that the lip 29 is engaged below the ieaiwa&d flange 25, thexetv etaintng tbr ewdie 13 in the void 26 of the main body 11 Ike latch mechamsm 30 cait be moved reanvai dl against the spring 3.1. by the user's flnger'(rot: shbwn}sb iw to release the. cradle 13 from the i:iiriitthOdy H..

The uadle 11 Md the main body 11 arc dimensioned such that the suecu of the IC!) 22 when in the cradle 13 is ii contact with, or n in ver diose proximity, to,. the underside of' the window 21 of the platform 14'. In this: way, styLts eantact. with (he upper surface of the window 2.1 is transmitter! to and registtcd by the TCI) 22 Via the tcreeit Tle stylus 12 example sbown:in figures 1 Ga and. lOb comprises a.

lii st element 4D evict a second clement 41 [he second element 41 comptiss a. cyli.ndtinl body portion 42 having a hcular ey!.inddeal:, axially extending external conlac.t surface 43 and an internal prcjcdtion 44 having a central hole.4. [he lower. thee 46 of thebody portion is smooth.

and extends iathall1 to enable the face 46 to slide easily ovei the uppi surface of the. window 21 with the surface 43 perpendicular to the surface of the window The first element 40 comprises, a holding portion. 47 having a downwardly extending sten.$8.whieh passes through. the central hole. 4:5 of the. body portion. The lowenuost end of the stern 48 has a screen.engagng portion 49 in. the form of a tip which could have, any desired shape.

Thefirsi element 40 is axially movable relative't& the body portion 42 but is resiliently utged upiards by a coil spung 50 disposed between the prqjection 44 and the holding podion.47. The styiu.s'has an inaetiye position in whiëh. the first element 40 is urged upwards by the sptiug 5.0 so that the screen engaging: portion 49 is:.retracted (figure. 1 Ga). The stylus also has an active position in which the. first element 40 is. pressed clown against the force of the spring 50 so that the semen engaging portion 49 is level with the radial face $6 of the.. body 1xwton 42 so as. to engage the upper sm lace at the window 21 through which the contact is tegisteicd on the necn of the liD 22 disposed in the ciadle Again the materials of the. fii'f element 40 must be. TCi) comjatfhie such as to register contacts with the window 21/screen. of the TOl) 23.

Some of' the ligu Cs show the Ushapcd wail 17 of the main body at the lootgaugc I 0 incoipm atirig a port 60 oi ieeei mg the stylus 12 The port 60 could.a o incorporate iflC:anW fop retaining the stylus such as by flietion or a latdh or sonic other inhsaisiti The footgauge 10 in ue is dmwn in hgurcs I to 14 ktsty. the lCD 22 s piaced a the ciadhe 13 whach is then located in the void 26 in the main body 11 by means. of the latch:mechanism. 30 descrIbed áhoe.

The right [bet.16 to be nieasured.for Length. is placed on the upward liming surface 15 of the plattbrm 14 so that a. Iength.wisc en:d:of the foot, .n.aindy the heel. in. this embodiment, abuts the end. abtitment. 18 Of the tFtduipthd wall 17 and the i ight hand edge of the toot abuts the i ight side abutment The footgaugc 11 and the window 21 ate duncnsLoncd so that the opposite erd. of the foot, namely the furthest toe point and the opposite (leA) edge of the foot, are positioned, above the window 2.1.

The: stylus 1.2 is then placed on the platfonli 14 so that its axial contact surface 43 lies agaJnst the perimeter of the foot and the lower fUec 46 lies against tlw platfOrm Downward pressure is applied to the holding poi oon 47 of the stylus n that the seieen ingagnig poiflon 49 is moved into its acuse position I he stylus UI is then moved iuountl the foot 16 such that the stylus allows a path 51 determined 1y the shape of the. foot and that part of the path around the furthest toe poi.t1. and tlie opposite (leffi edge of the foot is ttansnntted thwugh the window an into the ItO 23 via its sueer+ The flushness of the top sw face 15 of the platfoirn and the window 21 makes the.tracing process smoother and. easier.

The TC.L) 22 incorporates suitable programming (an app) sueh that lam the traced path, from the predetermined location of the TCI) relative to the side and end abmment and froi.n th.e known radial distance from the Iergthwise rus of the stylus 12 to the axial contact sw free 43, the lCD can calculate and display the:'fbot. size and/cr the foot width,.

By keepmg tim iadial loet face 46 a! the iody poitloii fLat igainst the window and the axial contcct surface. 43 against the fool; an.

accuMtó trad.hg eati be made. Although it would. be posih1ø to adapt the in.ven.tk.n.ttr Use with a shnpl.o *elöngEtte stylUs or (hr v4th finger instead 0 U sepathte:.sL>1.u it is.esential to kep it vOrtical. beciUs

S

aitg!itig of the stylus would result. in i:uaclcurate: tracing and hence inaeurtte foot measurements, imicas appropriate, changes were made. to the. app in the TOE); I he thotgatige embodiment shewn tn figures 1 5 to 20 is qinnhu hi m.wty aspects to chat shown in the earlier figures. Like parts have, therefore, been given like. referenee numerals. The embodiment ffigiwes to 20 shows a tbctgauge 1.10 in which is Incorporated a.FD h'. thefl form ef a computer tablet hr inini$ablet. Aetuat.size is nct rCIc\'aflt to the.

overall. construction and operating principal of the fuoigauge I 10/stylus Again the footgauge 110 has a main body 11 vIuch mvoipoiates the planai p1attoim 14 and upstanding at 1 1 7 defining the end abutment and. side abutments. The main body 1. connects to a. lower cradle 13/body portionr which provides a. recess f the TOE) 21. Various locating tabs 111 are provided:Ifl the cradle and/or the main body 11 to ensuic coi ect posihorung of the lCD 22 I he main body 11 also has a senes of downwaidiy extending hooks 112 (see figwe 19) which engage below corresponding moleellons 113 on the etadlc 13 as a iesult of a ma1I slitlhi.g action. afierihe main body and the cradle meet each othet..

An optional further: locking arraugemeht 114 is provicle.d i.n the base of the poit 60 lot iecetving the stylus 12 hut this sull not be discussed in detail. The thrther locking ar.rangethent is somewhat concealed hut can he unlocked b order to enable the main body 11. and cradle 13 to be separated so as to remove the. TCD. The irni 61) also shows in figures 16 and 20 a series of resilient tongues II 5 spaced. around the inner petiphety of the poit 60 These tongr es 115 can engage In a couespondmg iceess 116 or ieceses piovided in the cute! surface of the st Ins 1 12 shown in figure 21 so as to seleenvely ietain the stylus 112 in the: poU with. a light snap-action. in stylus 112 there is also. a. recess 1.13 Lfl the r denide at' the body:pOCtion:42 to reduce friction with the tdu.ôhsdicón. There j:s. ii1:sp a stopped rcc»=s 62 l3vi.ng tat uppr shoulder 63 whidi. limits upward travel of the screen engagihg;c.rtion 49 away horn (he screen.

The. cradk 13 also optlon.aflyprovjdes one or more openings 1.17 through whmh Power:01 data plugs cam be inserted, into the LCD. The main body Ii again provides a transparent window l formed of a tonebsereen compatible material on which wIndow 21. the stylus moves 11-c window 21 piotects the actual scicen of the TCD but It is posthk to enw*ge embodunents in Jucn the window 21 is a thiough opcnmg and the stylus 12 engages thescreen 10 of the TC[) ctiect1y Ii is also noted that the underside of th cradle incorporates one cr more contours itS in the fonn of.depressitns artd/or formatiotis which facilitate operation of the devke, In iarticuiar these enable the' user in hold better the. foot of an infant against the screen., whilst at the same time tracing the foot outiin.e with a. styhis.

It is also envisaged that the footgauge and TED: combination could eadiIy he effected as a hilly miegiated stanthalonc footgaugc iOi the touchsc.reen 10 and associated data proeesing means hicorporated in.a single unit Clcady in such alt anangenient thete would be no removable TCD and the da pwssing means may mcoipoiate all N a wlauon of Of mole: data processors, program storage sucli as ltA\4 ROM, controi.cireuits, apowersource Tn an alternative stylus,. there is provided a. freely rolating cylindrical sleeve ami.ind the body portIon 42. in (his. arrangement the axial contact surfiice 43. is' constituted. by the ecternal surihec of the' cyl'induieal.stecvc. in such an embodiment the stylus is able to roll around the peuphery of the foot iathci than just be in ontaet with the toot white the stylus is being used to hace atound the foot Any change to the diameter of the styLis can be i.eflcuecl in the piogramming of the app to accuratc. .i.neasurcrhent Figures 22 to' 25 show an alternative. ibctaLqe 2.10 which is similarin many respects I.e the fooigaugc 11.0. shown. in figures 15 to.2( i. ike parts have been. given like reference: unretals. The tbotgau'gc 2 I U. 1O has been modified ih ordet to assist the user during the k'ot measuring piocess and is bcttci wiled to measunng feet of different lengths tegaidless of whethet the uset is left o nghthanckd lu the:fbotginige 210 there is provided on each side of the fontgaugc a reduced length side abutment 21, 220 Each of tiies.e reduced 1en[h side a.huttheiits is cant ceted. 1 rough.a slot 211 to a handle 21) whic'i s thsposed at the undet side of the tootgduge 210 and each reduced length side abutment 21.9;. 220 is mounted far independent, lincaç lengthwise gude4 travel along the side of the footgaqge. The side abutments 219, 220 may be niovable indepencletitly f each other or together and thcy may be seletivety securabie in a. chosen position relative to the heel ahv (meat 1.8. Oth.er.guide means such as channels, tails, toothed iacks ouid be possthie F'gure 22 shows the s'de abutments at positions temote horn the end/heel abutment I and figure 23 shows the side abutments at positions adjacent the erd/heeF abutment 1$ Each handle 21 2 may have fomiations 21 for locating the tingets of the usei The side tdge poiCons 214 of the footgauge platform laterally be yond the. window 21. are flush, with the window 21 for reasons which will be expIaned.

Some users of the footgau.ge, that i people. using the device to measure the fëet:of a customer, tend to prefer to hold the fciotgauge with the same hand (left or right) regardless of which cuStomer foot. is. being mc.aurcd. During the measuring process, the uei'.s fitigers are placed through the handle 21.2 under the fhotgauge with.the thunTh phiced on top of the'tbot oF the' customer to apply gentle downward pressure to ensure the foot h flat on the wmdos 21 Fhe handle 212 and tonnations 213 assist this process in which one side of the foot at itq udest point lie' against, the side abintuent, When the user traces, the, outline of the foot (i.h a midai mannet to Thai shown in figniec 12 and 13), thu stylus 12, 112 is able u run off the. side at. the footgauge beyond the line of the' side abu.tmcnt andover the flush side edge portions 2'i4: I: A tcit. tib uae S am hand m idid S:tootg' ed.. th iuns:td6tsgnksotwhinJi foot libçMg measure c...

zneaswe:t, a!=4:;'U!c aanç; s* *i$wj The,Jtp crcatttby:fhø thhM4,nons ndmo$bksiká1duwt mr3aa IL" urSi:fopt length aazreinexfls can be made even tt4imt the longiw point of the fOot s closest to die side abutment (e4 right kot bctngkgamah'tt1'S&aSnc'tii *hotthosAa: wUflfr'mS' ofJ "til4ttthh &lhEstyhts can rsukhrt1tç ati h,,tkw$flWc Hha,M'*ttc4 t1qg fl$P,flP!=, The, Went:øb,,r' : es øvercow* it s eu*agcd thauttgsge i4co so th"p"ent hwSS couki mc01:tate a.Stheci abut' "tinith'gt' . st1e' ths'stwtiktst: Mit dtBbktmei,,,Øngbohiiflj4. lflé4 Pie main,b,,, ILls styiw:ta4 Ike ask 1$ cathe tbrnzed; a., sSS$asti bøødao'btt,,,e4,'Sbst'M, nfr'': møøitwot A1sø 1'" y' t'a1'gtSk tS U', The, lsifl4 It, ot:odt*'Wt' si SE a"?to"di1"e"M"'d and i'.vi'"4 ttth':iw'"oiainis. daina