JP2003339682A - Underwater exercise meter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device which enables a user to easily see the measure of kinetic momentum when the user makes an underwater exercise like with a pedometer. <P>SOLUTION: The front surface and both vertical and lateral surfaces of a waterproof case 1 of a cube are provided with pressure receiving sections 2 and the rear surface is provided with a belt loop through which a belt 3 is passed. A display element 4 of an LCD and control buttons 5 in addition to the pressure receiving sections 2 are disposed atop the waterproof case 1. The control button 5, when pressed long for several seconds, operates on and off of a power source, and resetting and start/stop of measurement. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an underwater exercise meter that is attached to a body and measures the amount of underwater exercise.

[0002]

The underwater exercise is a whole body exercise that puts less strain on the lower limbs and the lower back, and is therefore optimal for maintaining / promoting health and fitness. As a result, it is supported by a wide range of age groups, and Aquabics is one of the most popular sports in fitness facilities.

When performing underwater exercise for such a purpose, it is possible to perform more effective exercise by setting a goal of exercise amount.
Also, if you know the amount of exercise at that time, you can get a sense of satisfaction and encouragement.

In swimming and underwater walking, it is common to set a distance as a target of exercise amount, but in a fitness facility where many people are crowded, a long distance is a target for swimming at a distance of one's own pace. It is difficult to walk or walk. In addition, when exercising at the same position as in aquabics, it is general to set time as a target instead of distance, but the amount of exercise greatly varies depending on the content even at the same time. Therefore, when performing exercise in water, it is necessary to measure the amount of exercise on a scale other than distance and time. However, heretofore, there has been no device such as a pedometer capable of easily estimating the amount of exercise when performing underwater exercise.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a device for easily estimating the amount of exercise when an underwater exercise is performed, like a pedometer.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following constitution.

That is, the invention according to claim 1 is a water pressure measuring means for measuring a three-dimensional water pressure by attaching a plurality of pressure sensors to a casing having a display part to be worn on the body, and the water pressure measuring means.
A water pressure adding means for adding the water pressure of the dimensions to obtain the total amount of water pressure, a time integrating means for obtaining the product of the total amount of water pressure and time, and a calorie consumption converting means for converting the time integrated water pressure into calorie consumption. The underwater exercise meter is provided with the consumed calories of underwater exercise displayed on the display unit. Claim 2
The invention according to claim 1 is the underwater exercise meter according to claim 1, wherein the casing is a cube and the pressure sensors are attached to the front surface and to the upper, lower, left and right sides. A third aspect of the invention is the underwater exercise meter according to the first aspect, wherein the housing is a hemisphere and the pressure sensors are attached to the front surface and to the upper, lower, left and right surfaces of the pressure sensor.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an underwater exerciser embodying the present invention. In the underwater exercise meter, a pressure receiving portion 2 is provided on the front surface and upper, lower, left and right sides of a cubic waterproof case 1, and a belt loop is attached to the rear surface to insert a belt 3. Waterproof case 1
In addition to the pressure receiving portion 2, the LCD display portion 4 and the control button 5 are provided on the upper surface of the. The display unit 4 and the control button 5 may be provided on the rear surface of the waterproof case 1. In that case, both ends of the belt 3 are connected to the left and right of the waterproof case 1 so that the display unit 4 and the control buttons 5 are not blocked by the belt 3. When the display unit 4 is visually inspected or the control button 5 is operated, the rear surface that comes into contact with the abdomen is tilted forward by hand to be exposed.

The control button 5 operates to turn on / off the power supply by long-on for several seconds, reset measurement, and start / stop. The waterproof case 1 may have a hemispherical shape or various polyhedron shapes as shown in FIGS.

The pressure receiving portion 2 has a built-in ultra-compact and lightweight semiconductor pressure sensor 6 as shown in FIG. 4, and the mounting surface is recessed to open the deepest portion, and the pressure port 7 of the semiconductor pressure sensor 6 is formed therein. Face the tip. The semiconductor pressure sensor 6 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, both positive and negative water pressures generated by body movement during underwater exercise are introduced from the pressure port 7 and directly received by the silicon diaphragm 8. At this time, the strain resistance element 9 formed by diffusion in the silicon diaphragm 8 is distorted and its resistance value changes. This change in resistance value is converted into an electric signal to measure both positive and negative water pressure during underwater exercise.

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of an underwater exerciser embodying the present invention. The underwater exercise meter amplifies the output voltages of the semiconductor pressure sensors 6 provided on the front surface of the waterproof case 1 and on the upper, lower, left and right sides by an amplifier 10, inputs them to an adder circuit 11 and adds them, and outputs the output voltage to A It is input to the / D conversion circuit 12 and converted into a digital numerical value, which is input to the CPU 14 via the input / output circuit 13. CPU14
This digital numerical value is added at fixed time intervals and the memory 15
At the same time, the total amount of water pressure of both positive pressure and negative pressure from the start of measurement to the present is obtained, and at the same time, it is converted into the amount of calories according to the law of thermodynamics. The total amount of water pressure converted into the calorie amount is displayed on the display unit 4 via the input / output circuit 13 as the calorie consumption of the underwater exerciser.

When a reset signal for the control button 5 is input via the input / output circuit 13, the memory 15 is cleared to zero the display. Further, when the start signal of the control button 5 is input through the input / output circuit 13, the measurement is started and the measured value is added to the memory 15. Further, when the stop signal of the control button 5 is input through the input / output circuit 13, the measurement is stopped and the memory 15 and the display are kept as they are.

The underwater exerciser embodying the present invention has the above-described structure. When measuring the amount of exercise in underwater exercise, the waterproof case 1 is attached to the belt 3 and attached to the abdomen, and the control button 5 is pressed to perform measurement. Start. When underwater exercise is performed in this state, the three-dimensional water pressure received by the pressure receiving unit 2 changes with time, as shown in FIG. 7. The total amount of this water pressure is integrated over time, converted into consumed calories, and displayed on the display unit 4 as time passes. With this, it is possible to know the calorie consumption from the start of measurement to the present.

If the control button 5 is pressed at any time to stop the measurement, the calorie consumption at that time remains displayed. Next, when the control button 5 is pressed and reset, the display on the display unit 4 becomes zero. Next, when the control button 5 is pressed to restart the measurement, the calorie consumption recounted from 0 is displayed on the display unit 4 as time passes.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the calorie consumption during underwater exercise is displayed on the display unit, it can be used as a barometer to set a goal for the amount of exercise, and also to grasp the achievement status of the goal.
Therefore, it can be an encouragement for health promotion and fitness, and a sense of satisfaction when the goal is achieved can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an underwater exerciser embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a modified example of the underwater exercise meter in which the present invention is implemented.

FIG. 3 is another modified example of the underwater exercise meter embodying the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a semiconductor pressure sensor.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when a semiconductor pressure sensor measures pressure.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an underwater exercise meter embodying the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph of water pressure changing over time.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 waterproof case 2 Pressure receiving part 3 belts 4 Display 5 control buttons 6 Semiconductor pressure sensor 7 Pressure port 8 Silicon diaphragm 9 Strain resistance element 10 amplifiers 11 adder circuit 12 A / D conversion circuit 13 I / O circuit 14 CPU 15 memory

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Keiko Kurokawa             2-20 Muromachi, Ikeda-shi, Osaka (72) Inventor Mikio Numata             56-4 Yamatonishi, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture (72) Inventor Toshie Iwasa             4-10-6 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo F term (reference) 2F055 AA39 BB11 CC02 DD05 EE13                       FF49 GG49

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A water pressure measuring means for measuring a three-dimensional water pressure by attaching a plurality of pressure sensors to a casing having a display part to be worn on the body, and a water pressure measuring means for adding the three-dimensional water pressure to determine the water pressure. The water pressure adding means for obtaining the total amount, the time integration means for obtaining the product of the total amount of the water pressure and the time, and the calorie consumption converting means for converting the time integrated water pressure into the calorie consumption are provided with Underwater exercise meter displayed on the display. 2. The pressure sensor is attached to the front surface and to the top, bottom, left and right sides of the housing as a cube.
Underwater exercise meter described. 3. The pressure sensor is attached to the front surface and to the top, bottom, left and right sides of the housing, wherein the housing is a hemisphere.
Underwater exercise meter described.