JP2000333925A - Body fat measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance practicability by easily housing a gripping part and a cable after finishing measurement by connecting the gripping part having a hand part electrode to a human body placing part having a foot part electrode with the cable, and detachably housing the gripping part together with the cable. SOLUTION: A foot part electrode 1 is installed in a human body placing part 2 being an upper surface of a body fat measuring device, a key switch 6 and a liquid crystal display 7 are arranged for inputting information on a subject, and a body weight measuring part 3 is arranged under the human body placing part 2. A box-shaped housing part 16 is formed outside the human body placing part 2, and a gripping part 5 having a hand part electrode 4 connected to the human body placing part 2 by a cable 8 is detchably housed in it. When using, the subject gets on the human body placing part 2 by gripping the gripping part 5 by hand, and impedance of the subject is measured by an impedance measuring means connected with the respective electrodes 1, 4 to arithmetically operate a body fat rate from the measuring result to be outputted to the liquid crystal display 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a body fat measuring device for measuring a body fat percentage based on impedance inside a body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional body fat measuring apparatus of this type is generally, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-59744. This device has a gripper that can be gripped with both hands on the device main body and an electrode on the foot electrode portion, and the subject can hold the device main body with both hands and take a predetermined posture while riding on the foot electrode portion for measurement. The impedance between the limb and the foot is measured by the electrodes provided on the grip and the foot electrode contacting the palm and the sole of the foot, and the body fat percentage can be measured by calculation.

[0003] Similarly, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-12635, a gripping portion gripped with both hands is mechanically fixed to a platform portion on which a person to be measured rides. By switching, the impedance between the limbs can be measured, whereby the body fat percentage can be measured. In any of these devices, the subject can grasp the body fat percentage by simply grasping the grasping portion and riding on the foot electrode portion or the base portion, and can easily perform health management. Was.

[0004]

However [0007], is a conventional body fat measuring device intended, for example, JP-A No. 7-59744, the absolutely gripping portion since it has a grip portion to the device body including an impedance measuring unit The shape became large, and two parts, a foot electrode part and a grip part having substantially the same size as the foot electrode part, were handled at the time of storage after measuring the body fat, and it was difficult to start storage and reuse.
The measurement of body fat percentage in ordinary households can be started and ended easily as in the case of weight measurement, so that daily management can be performed. Therefore, if the handling is difficult, daily management is a burden on the subject.
Further, in the apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-12635, a gripping portion mechanically fixed to a human body mounting portion is provided, so that the device becomes large, the installation place is restricted, and storage is almost impossible. It was not suitable for use, especially in homes, because it occupies volume when possible and unnecessary.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, a grip portion having a hand electrode and a human body mounting portion having a foot electrode are connected by a cable, and the outside of the human body mounting portion is connected. And a box-shaped storage portion formed continuously with the box-shaped storage portion, and the cable and the grip portion can be detachably attached to the box-shaped storage portion.

According to the above-mentioned invention, the cable and the gripping portion can be stored in the box-shaped storage portion. Also, at the start of the measurement, the measurement can be performed simply by taking out the grip portion from the box-shaped storage portion and taking the measurement posture, so that the burden on the subject is small. Further, since a structure for mechanically supporting the grip portion is not required, the entire apparatus can be made compact.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a foot electrode which comes into contact with a foot of a person to be measured, a human body rest provided with the foot electrode and on which the person to be measured rides during measurement, and a hand which comes into contact with the hand of the person to be measured. Part electrode, a gripping part which is provided with a hand part electrode and is gripped by the subject at the time of measurement,
Impedance measuring means for measuring the impedance between the foot electrode and the hand electrode in the human body mounting portion; input means for inputting subject information representing physical characteristics of the subject; and impedance and subject information Has a calculating means for calculating the body fat percentage from, and a notifying means for notifying the calculation result,
The grip portion and the human body mounting portion are connected by a cable to form a box-shaped storage portion connected to the outside of the human body mounting portion, and the cable and the grip portion can be mounted on the box-shaped storage portion.

[0008] Then, since the grip and the human body mounting portion are connected by a cable, and the grip and the cable can be detachably attached to the box-shaped storage portion, the grip and the cable are connected to the human body mounting portion after the measurement is completed. Since it can be stored with a bodily sensation, it can be easily stored and can be measured by simply taking out the gripping part from the box-shaped storage part and maintaining the measurement posture even when reusing.

Further, the cable has a curl-like elastic shape, and when the grip portion is mounted on the box-shaped storage portion, the cable is stored in a lower portion of the box-shaped storage portion, and the grip portion is mounted on the upper side of the box-shaped storage portion. Since the cable is held at the lower part of the grip, the curled cable shrinks when the grip is attached and is held down by the grip in the box-shaped storage part, and the cable is removed from the box-shaped storage part during storage or movement. The gripping portion and the cable do not interfere with the storage and movement without protruding, and at the time of re-measurement, the measurement can be started immediately simply by taking out the gripping portion from the box-shaped storage portion, and the curled cable is stretched to take the measurement posture.

Further, the grip portion is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the side surface portion and the upper end portion of the box-shaped storage portion are provided with an uneven portion for locking the grip portion and the box-shaped storage portion. The mounting of the parts is simple, and there is no need for a separate member for locking, so that the mounting can be performed securely.

Further, since the box-shaped storage section is formed of a separate member from the human body mounting section and is located at the human body mounting section by means of screws or the like, the box-shaped storage section is removed from the human body mounting section.
Unless the grip and the cable are connected, there is no effect on the weight measuring unit having the weight measuring mechanism, so that the same parts can be easily deployed on only the scale.

The hand electrode of the grip portion is composed of two electrodes which are electrically insulated from each other, and the foot electrode of the human body rest portion is a pair of electrically insulated electrodes separated on the heel side and the toe side of the foot. The two heel side electrodes and the two toe side electrodes are electrically connected to each other, so the whole body impedance measurement between the hands and feet can be measured simply by holding the gripper in one hand and resting on the human body rest part, and the measurement accuracy is improved. Get nervous.

Also, since the surface of the human body mounting portion between the electrodes separated on the heel side and the toe side of the foot electrode of the human body mounting portion is provided with a convex portion up to a position higher than the surface of the foot electrode, the distance between the electrodes is reduced. Even when a conductor such as water is attached to the substrate, the convex portion serves as a barrier, and a short circuit between the electrodes can be prevented.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external view of a body fat measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram thereof, FIG. 3 is a state diagram at the time of measurement, FIG. 4 is a side view at the time of wearing, and FIG. It is a perspective view at the time. In the body fat measurement device of the present embodiment, a human body mounting portion 2 is formed on an upper surface, and a foot electrode 1 is attached thereto. A key switch 6 as input means for inputting subject information and a liquid crystal display 7 as notifying means are provided on the human body mounting portion 2.
Is provided. A weight measuring section 3 having a weight measuring mechanism is formed below the human body placing section 2.
And the gripper 5 are connected by a cable 8. In this embodiment, the grip 5 is made of a resin, and the hand electrode 4 is made of a conductor such as a thin stainless steel. The weight is 35 g, which is light. At the time of measurement, the subject 11 grips the grip portion 5 as shown in FIG. 3 and rides on the human body placing portion 2 with bare feet. At this time, the hand electrode 4 contacts the palm of the subject 11 and the foot electrode 1 contacts the sole of the subject 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the foot electrode 1 and the hand electrode 4 are connected to impedance measuring means 9. Impedance measuring means is 4
By the terminal method, a constant current is passed between one electrode of the foot electrode 1 and one electrode of the hand electrode 2, and a voltage is measured between the other electrode of the foot electrode 1 and the other electrode of the hand electrode 2. By doing so, the impedance can be measured. In this embodiment, a weak current of 50 kHz and 800 μA which is not felt by the human body is used. The measured impedance is input to the microcomputer 10 as calculation means. The key switch 6 and the liquid crystal display 7 described above are connected to the microcomputer 10. A wall 15 is provided in the vicinity of the bottom portion 14 so as not to be in contact with the floor surface 13 in the space between the human body placing portion 2 and the outside of the human body placing portion 2 so as to be in contact with the floor surface 13. A box-shaped storage section 16 is provided, and the cable 8 and the grip section 5 are configured to be detachably attached to the box-shaped storage section 16 during storage and use.

Next, the operation and operation will be described. Prior to the measurement, the subject 11 uses the key switch 6 to input height and gender as subject information. Since the key switch 6 is connected to the microcomputer 10, the microcomputer 10 is input with the subject information in advance. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the subject 11 grips the grip 5 with the arm extended horizontally and rides on the human body placing section 2. At this time, the weight value is measured by the weight measurement unit 3 and the result is input to the microcomputer 10. The hand electrode 4 is placed on the palm of the subject 11, and the foot electrode 1 is placed on the sole of the subject 11. Contact. The hand electrode 4 and the foot electrode 1 are connected to the impedance measuring means 9 and measure the impedance between the limbs of the subject 11. When the impedance from the impedance measuring means 9 is input to the microcomputer 10, the microcomputer 10 calculates the body fat percentage from the impedance and the information on the subject by a program, and outputs the result to the liquid crystal display 7. Various formulas are known for calculating the body fat percentage, but in the present embodiment, Brozec's formula (Brozec et al.'S report J. Brozec, FG)
Rande, J .; T. Anderson and A.
Key; “An NY Acad.sci 110 (1
963) 113-40). For example, in the case of a man, it is as follows.

Body density = 1.154-. 0841 × body weight × impedance / height ² body fat percentage (%) = (4.95 / body density−4.5) × 10
0 Although this formula is a formula for a male, it can be applied to a female by changing the coefficient of each unit. Therefore, the formula is switched based on the gender included in the subject information. In addition, many other formulas have been reported for the formula for calculating the body fat percentage, but any formula for calculating the body fat percentage from impedance deviates from the gist of the present invention. Not something.

At this time, an important point for performing accurate measurement is that the subject 11 needs to take a fixed posture as shown in FIG. This is because the body fat percentage is measured by measuring the impedance between the hand and the foot in the measurement by the impedance method as in the present embodiment. This is because the change in appears as a variation of the measured value as it is. In general, a posture as shown in FIG. 3 is used, in which the contact area between the arm and the torso is small, and the arm, which can easily take a relatively fixed posture, is extended horizontally. Therefore, it is fully conceivable that the weight of the gripping portion 5 becomes a burden on the subject 11. The heavier the weight, the more difficult it is to keep the arm horizontal, resulting in variations in measured values. But,
In the body fat measurement device according to the present embodiment, the weight of the grip 5 is as light as 35 g, which can be a burden on the subject, and can easily take a fixed posture. There is no variation. At the time of storage after completion of the measurement, the grip portion 5 and the cable 8 can be stored in the box-shaped storage portion 16 and can be attached to the human body mounting portion 2 with a sense of unity. Since the box-shaped storage section 16 includes the space of the back surface 12 of the human body mounting section 2, the cable 8 can be stored in that space, and only the grip section 5 comes out on the front side, so that the human body mounting section At the same time, there is a sense of unity with the part 2 and the aesthetic appearance is also good.
Further, since the box-shaped storage portion 16 has the bottom portion 14 and the wall 15, the stored cable 8 and the grip portion 5 do not protrude from the box-shaped storage portion 16 and fall, so that the storage and movement may be obstructed. Inadvertent kicking does not occur, and the probability that the gripper 5 breaks down can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the body fat percentage obtained from the impedance is displayed as it is, but the body fat weight, the lean fat weight, the lean fat percentage, etc., which are determined from the body fat percentage, are displayed. Is also good. Further, although the key switch 6 is used as the input means, any other means can be used as long as it can input desired subject information. In addition, although the liquid crystal display is used as the notifying means, other notifying means, for example, those using a light emitting diode and those notifying by voice are also included in the scope. Further, the frequency and the magnitude of the current can be arbitrarily changed as long as the constant current is in a range not felt by the human body.

Further, in this embodiment, the cable 8 is formed into a curl-shaped telescopic shape so that the cable 8 is stored in the space 17 below the box-shaped storage portion 16 when the grip portion 5 is mounted on the box-shaped storage portion 16. The grip portion 5 is attached to the upper side space 18 of the portion 16, and the cable 8 is held at the lower portion of the grip portion 5. Since the cable 8 can be freely expanded and contracted, the cable 8 contracts when stored, so that the cable 8 can be easily stored in the box-shaped storage unit 16. After storage, the cable 8 is connected to the back surface 12 of the human body mounting unit 2, the wall 15 of the box-shaped storage unit 16, and the bottom. Since the cable 8 is enclosed by 14 and the lower part of the holding portion 5, the cable 8 does not come out of the box-shaped storage portion 16 during storage or movement, and is aesthetically superior, and does not become an obstacle during movement or storage. In addition, at the time of re-use, if the grip portion 5 is taken out and the measurement posture is taken, the cable 8 is freely extended, so that the measurement can be easily started without having to take out the cable 8 from the box-shaped storage portion 16.

In this embodiment, the grip 5 has a substantially cylindrical shape, a concave portion 19 is formed on a side surface thereof, and a convex portion 21 which is engaged with the concave portion 19 is formed on an upper end 20 of the box-shaped storage portion 16. It is. The convex portion 21 has a slit 2 so as to have a spring property.
The grip portion 5 has a claw shape provided with a gripping portion 5. The holding portion 5 has a substantially cylindrical shape, so that when holding, the holding portion 5 is only pressed down from above, and the concave portion 19 and the convex portion 20 are locked.
It can be securely attached without dropping off from the gripping part.
By simply grasping and pulling upwards, it easily comes off and measurement can be started easily.

The holding portion 5 has a concave portion 19 and a box-shaped storage portion 16.
Although the convex portion 21 is formed in the first embodiment, it is needless to say that the same configuration can be implemented in a reverse configuration.

Further, in this embodiment, the box-shaped storage section 16 is formed as a separate member from the human body mounting section 2 and is fixed to the back surface section 12 of the human body mounting section 2 with screws. Since the box-shaped storage section 16 is a separate member from the human body mounting section 2, the box-shaped storage section 16 is constituted by only the human body mounting section 2 without being attached to the human body mounting section 2, and the cable 8
Since the body weight measuring unit 3 is configured below the human body placing unit 2 unless the grip unit 5 is provided, the weight can be easily adjusted without forming a separate member as a weight scale having no body fat measuring function. The meter can be configured.

In this embodiment, the hand electrode 4 of the grip 5
Is composed of two electrodes electrically insulated by the space 24, and the foot electrode 1 of the human body placing portion 2 is constituted by a pair of electrically insulated electrodes separated into the heel side electrode 1a and the toe side electrode 1b of the foot. The two heel side electrodes 1a and the two toe side electrodes 1b are electrically connected to each other. Holding the grip 5 with one hand makes it possible to measure the whole body impedance between the hand and the foot by contacting the hand electrode 4 and making contact with the foot electrode 1 as far as the human body resting part 2, so the body fat measurement accuracy Rises. In addition, since both the heel side electrode 1a and the toe side electrode 1b of the foot electrode 1 are electrically connected to each other, the human body resistance between both feet and the torso becomes parallel, so that the impedance becomes 1/2 compared with the one foot measurement. When the whole body impedance is measured, the impedance between the foot and the torso decreases, so that the torso impedance accuracy is further improved and the whole body impedance accuracy is improved.

In the present embodiment, the projection 25 having a height equal to or higher than the height of the foot electrode 1 is provided on the surface of the body placing portion 2 between the heel side electrode 1a and the toe side electrode 1b of the foot electrode 1. Is provided. The heel-side electrode 1a and the toe-side electrode 1b are electrically insulated from each other.
Since 5 serves as a barrier, the foot electrode 1 is not short-circuited and no error is given to the impedance value. In addition, since the convex portion 25 is near the arch of the foot, the convex portion 25 rides on the human body placing portion 2 to stimulate the sole of the foot at the time of measurement, thereby providing comfort.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, the gripping portion provided with the hand electrode is separated from the human body mounting portion, the weight is reduced, and the gripping portion and the human body mounting portion are connected by a cable. A box-shaped storage section is formed in series with the outside of the section, and the grip section and the cable can be detachably attached to the box-shaped storage section. Can be stored with a sense of unity with the body resting part, so that the gripping part and the cable are not obstructive and are aesthetically excellent. Further, since the grip portion is not stepped on or kicked off, the grip portion and the cable are not hurt and the possibility of failure can be reduced. Since the measurement can be performed only by taking out the grip portion from the human body mounting portion and maintaining the measurement posture at the time of re-use, the burden of setting the device on the person to be measured is eliminated, and the device can be made compact.

Further, the cable has a curl-like expandable and contractible shape, and when the grip portion is mounted, the cable is stored in a lower portion of the box-shaped storage portion. When the grip is attached, the curled cable shrinks and is held down by the grip in the box-shaped storage section, and the cable is stored and moved without protruding from the box-shaped storage section during storage and movement. Sometimes, the grip and the cable are not in the way, and at the time of re-measurement, the measurement can be started immediately simply by taking out the grip from the box-shaped storage section and the curled cable stretching and taking the measurement posture.

Further, since the grip portion is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an uneven portion for locking the grip portion and the box-shaped storage portion is formed on a side surface portion and an upper end portion of the box-shaped storage portion. The mounting of the parts is simple, and there is no need for a separate member for locking, so that the mounting can be performed securely.

Further, since the box-shaped storage part is formed of a member separate from the human body mounting part and is located at the human body mounting part by means of screws or the like, the box-shaped storage part is removed from the human body mounting part.
Without connecting the grip and the cable, the scale can be easily constructed with the same components.

The hand electrode of the grip portion is composed of two electrodes that are electrically insulated from each other, and the foot electrode of the human body resting portion is a pair of electrically insulated electrodes separated on the heel side and the toe side of the foot. The two heel side electrodes and the two toe side electrodes are electrically connected to each other, so the whole body impedance measurement between the hands and feet can be measured simply by holding the gripper in one hand and resting on the human body rest part, and the measurement accuracy is improved. It is up.

Further, a convex portion is provided on the surface of the human body mounting portion between the electrodes separated on the heel side and the toe side of the foot electrode of the human body mounting portion up to a height equal to or higher than the height of the foot electrode surface position. Therefore, even when a conductor such as water is attached between the electrodes, the convex portion serves as a barrier, thereby preventing a short circuit between the electrodes and eliminating a measurement error.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a body fat measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a body fat measuring device.

FIG. 3 is a state diagram at the time of measurement by the body fat measuring device.

FIG. 4 is a side view when the body fat measuring device is worn.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the body fat measurement device when worn.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A foot electrode which is in contact with a foot of a subject, a human body rest provided with the foot electrode and on which the subject rides upon measurement,
A hand electrode in contact with the hand of the person to be measured, a gripping part provided with the hand electrode and gripped by the person to be measured during measurement, and between the foot electrode and the hand electrode in the human body mounting part. Impedance measuring means for measuring the impedance of the subject, input means for inputting subject information representing the physical characteristics of the subject, calculation means for calculating the body fat percentage from the impedance and the subject information, A notification unit for notifying a calculation result; connecting the gripping portion and the human body mounting portion with a cable; forming a box-shaped storage portion by being connected to the human body mounting portion; Body fat measurement device that can be mounted in the box-shaped storage section. 2. The cable has a curl-like stretchable shape,
When the grip portion is mounted on the box-shaped storage portion, the cable is stored in a lower portion of the box-shaped storage portion, and the grip portion is removably mounted on an upper side of the box-shaped storage portion. The body fat measurement device according to claim 1, which is held at a lower portion of the grip portion. 3. The body according to claim 1, wherein the grip portion has a substantially cylindrical shape, and an uneven portion on which the grip portion and the box-shaped storage portion are locked is formed on a side surface portion and an upper end of the box-shaped storage portion. Fat measuring device. 4. The body fat measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the box-shaped storage portion is formed of a member separate from the human body mounting portion and is located on the human body mounting portion by means of screws or the like. 5. The hand electrode of the grip portion is composed of two electrodes electrically insulated from each other, and the foot electrode of the human body resting portion is a pair of electrically insulated electrodes separated on the heel side and the toe side of the foot. 2. The body fat measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the two heel side electrodes and the two toe side electrodes are electrically connected to each other. 6. A protruding portion is provided on the surface of the human body mounting portion between the heel side and toe side separated electrodes of the foot electrode of the human body mounting portion to a height equal to or higher than the height of the foot electrode surface position. Claim 5
The body fat measurement device according to claim 1.