JP2565911Y2 - Pedometer - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pedometer for measuring the number of steps, and more particularly to an improvement of a contact portion thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A pedometer is attached to a band or the like and records and displays the number of steps taken by vertical vibration when walking. In addition to the distance walked and the number of steps, the calorie consumption during the conversion is displayed. Some of them are also known. Various sensors have been proposed for such a pedometer, but are roughly classified into two types: a mechanical type and an electronic type. Among them, in the electronic type, the number of vibrations of the pendulum is detected by a detection unit and converted into an electric signal, which is electrically processed by a processing circuit, and is counted and displayed by a display unit such as a liquid crystal display device. Are the most common (for example, JP-A-59-109987 and JP-A-59-202).
016, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-50615, etc.).

FIGS. 6 to 8 show a conventional example of such an electronic pedometer detecting section, in which a spring 2 for holding a pendulum 1 at an initial position for fishing is used as a part of a processing circuit. The pendulum 1 has its base supported by a shaft 3 so as to be freely rotatable in the vertical direction, and has a contact 4 at its free end integrally,
The contact 4 and the contact piece 6 provided on the substrate 5 form a detection unit (switch) of the processing circuit. The spring 2 forms a good conductor by using a thin stainless steel spring wire or the like. One end of the spring 2 is inserted into an insertion hole (not shown) provided in the substrate 5, and a processing circuit of the substrate 5 is soldered. , While the other end is J-shaped,
It is bent into an L-shape or the like and inserted and locked in a small hole 9 formed in the contact 4. The reason why the spring 2 is inserted and locked into the small hole 9 is that when the end of the spring 2 on the opposite side to the substrate is fixed to the contact 4 rigidly by soldering, caulking, or the like in order to improve conduction between the spring 2 and the contact 4. This is because it is difficult to obtain good vibration characteristics of the pendulum 1 because the spring characteristics change due to deformation, torsion, and the like of the spring itself, and to avoid an increase in adjustment work for this. The contact piece 6 is made of a good conductive material, one end of which is inserted into a mounting hole 10 provided in the substrate 5, and is connected and fixed to the conductive part 12 by solder 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes an upper limit stopper of the pendulum 1.

In a pedometer having such a configuration,
Each time the pendulum 1 rotates clockwise against the spring 2 in accordance with the vertical vibration of the body and the contact element 4 comes into contact with the contact piece 6, the processing circuit is closed, the number of steps is counted, and the display section is displayed. To be displayed.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned conventional pedometer has the following problems. The spring load that suspends the pendulum 1, that is, the contact pressure between the spring 2 and the contact 4 is usually about 1 g, and the contact pressure is considerably small, so that electrical conduction is not stable. Since the contact 2 and the contact 4 are momentarily out of contact with each other, the counting error is large and the reliability is lacking.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, if the spring 2 is rigidly fixed to the contact 4 to improve conduction, variations in fixing conditions,
Since the spring characteristics change due to deformation, torsion, and the like of the spring itself, it is difficult to obtain good vibration characteristics of the pendulum 1. The spring 2 is likely to change shape (twist, bend, etc.) during adjustment, and if the spring characteristics are impaired, it is difficult to guarantee accuracy over time. Since both the contact 4 and the contact piece 6 are made of metal, each time the contact 4 hits the contact piece 6, an impact noise is generated, which is annoying.
Metal oxides are generated due to wear of the contact portions between the contacts 4 and the contact pieces 6, which lowers the reliability of electrical contact between the contacts.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and has as its object to eliminate the need to fix the end of the spring rigidly, and to perform the mounting and adjusting work of the spring. Is simple and easy, can obtain stable spring characteristics, and can make stable and reliable contact between the contact and the contact piece with low noise, little wear, reliability of electrical contact between contacts and It is an object of the present invention to provide a pedometer with improved durability.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pedometer which detects the number of vibrations of a pendulum provided with a rotation behavior in a return direction by a spring based on the number of contact and separation of a contact portion. The contact portion may include a swingable contact made of a good conductive material and having a central portion pivotally supported and disposed at a free end of the pendulum. And a contact piece made of a pair of conductive elastic materials which are disposed so as to be positioned on both sides of the center of rotation of the pendulum and which are brought into conduction with each other when the contactor comes into contact when the pendulum vibrates. is there.

[0008]

In the present invention, the spring gives the pendulum a turning behavior in the return direction and holds the pendulum at the initial position. When the contact member comes into contact with the contact pieces, it swings around the center portion as a pivot point to contact the pair of contact pieces with the same contact pressure, and conducts these contact pieces to each other. The contact pieces are made of a conductive elastic material, and are electrically connected to each other through contacts, thereby closing the processing circuit. In addition, the occurrence of abrasion due to a striking sound and rubbing when the contact is applied is reduced.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a sensor unit showing an embodiment of a pedometer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a main part. In the drawings, the same components as those in FIGS. 6 to 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
In these figures, the pendulum 1 is formed to be bent in an L-shape, and its bent portion 1a is rotatably supported by a shaft 3 and a contact element is provided at the tip of a horizontal arm 1A extending in the horizontal direction. 4 is swingably mounted via a horizontal shaft 15,
One end 2a is locked to the lower end of the vertically extending vertical arm 1B, and the other end 2b is provided with a return spring in the clockwise direction in FIG. ing.

A spring pressure adjusting mechanism 16 of the spring 2 includes a plate 18 having a rack 17 and movable in the left-right direction.
A pinion 19 that meshes with the rack 17 and moves the plate 18 in the left-right direction. The other end 2 b of the spring 2 is locked to the plate 18 via a screw 20. Therefore, when the pinion 19 is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise to move and adjust the plate 18 in the left-right direction, the spring pressure of the spring 2 is adjusted. This spring pressure is adjusted while looking at the pointer 21 protruding from the distal end surface of the horizontal arm 1A of the pendulum 1 and the scale 23 of the scale plate 22 provided in the vicinity of the pointer 21 on the apparatus fixing part side.

The tension P of the spring 2 is expressed by the following equation. P = k · l + Pi where k is a spring constant, l is the amount of tension of the spring, and Pi is the initial tension of the spring. The relationship between the change Δl in the amount of pulling l and the corresponding change ΔP in tension is proportional as shown by the following equation. ΔP = P1−P2 = (k · l + Pi) − {k (l + Δl) + Pi} = k · Δl This is the change in the vertical vibration intensity, that is, the change in the spring tension (ΔP) is the spring tension. Since it indicates that it is proportional to the amount, the vibration necessary for the pendulum 1 to operate completely is adjusted by rotating the pinion 19 to adjust the position of the plate 18 in the left-right direction to the equally-spaced scales 23. In a way, it can easily be changed.

The contact 4 is formed in a bilaterally symmetrical shape with a good conductive metal, and is disposed in a recess 25 recessed on the surface of the distal end of the horizontal arm 1A of the pendulum 1, and the center thereof is provided. By being pivotally supported by the shaft 15, a normal horizontal state is maintained. The upper surface of the concave portion 25 is provided with a swing angle regulating portion 2 for regulating the inclination angle of the contact 4.
5a is formed.

A pair of contact pieces 6A and 6B provided on the substrate 5 corresponding to the contacts 4 are made of a conductive elastic material, for example, a conductive rubber tube, and project from the surface of the substrate 5. The pins 26A and 26B are closely fitted to the respective pins 26A and 26B. The contact piece 6A, 6B, the contact 4 is a contact piece 6A,
6B are provided at substantially the same distance on both sides of a vertical line passing through the center of the shaft 15 when contacting the shaft 6B, and at the same height position. The portion is located directly below the contact 4 with a required spacing. The pair of pins 26A and 26B are made of a good conductive metal, one end of which is inserted into an insertion hole (not shown) of the substrate 5, and
1 electrically connects to a conductive portion (not shown).

In such a configuration, when the pendulum 1 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 around the shaft 3 against the spring 2 due to the vertical acceleration, the contact 4 descends, and the lower surface at both ends becomes a contact piece. Contact 6A, 6B. At this time, since the contact 4 is located at the center of the pair of contact pieces 6A and 6B, even if it comes into contact with one of the contact pieces, the contact piece 4 swings around the shaft 15 and contacts both the contact pieces 6A and 6B. Contact with the same contact pressure. Therefore, the contact 4 stably and surely contacts the contact pieces 6A, 6B, and the contact pieces 6A, 6B are conducted through the contact 4. Then, the processing circuit is closed by this conduction, and the number of vibrations of the pendulum 1 is increased by the contact pieces 4 and 6.
The number of contacts A and 6B is counted and displayed on the display unit.
The contact pressure between the contact element 4 and the contact pieces 6A, 6B can be freely set by expanding and contracting the spring 2, and each end 2a, 2b of the spring 2 is merely engaged with the pendulum 1 and the plate 18. Since it is only stopped, there is no need to caulk or fix by soldering, so the installation and adjustment work of the spring 2 is extremely simple and easy, and a stable spring characteristic and good vibration characteristics of the pendulum 1 are obtained. Can be. Moreover, even if the spring pressure is adjusted by the spring pressure adjusting mechanism 16, the spring 2 does not change its shape merely by expanding and contracting, so that the spring characteristics are not impaired and stable accuracy is guaranteed for a long period of time. I do. In addition, since the pair of contact pieces 6A and 6B are made of an elastic conductive rubber tube, a striking sound when the contact 4 is hit is less generated, and a quiet pedometer is provided. In addition, when the contact pieces 6A and 6B are formed of a conductive elastic material, wear due to rubbing of the contact 4 is reduced.
As a result, the generation of metal oxides is small, the electrical contact of the contact portion is improved, and the reliability and durability can be improved.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are sectional views showing other embodiments of the contact piece. FIG. 3A shows that a pair of contact pieces 6A and 6B are made of a conductive elastic material.
A and 6B are connecting members 3 made of an insulating material such as rubber or resin.
0 shows an example in which they are integrally connected. In such a configuration, a pair of contact pieces 6A, 6B are connected to pins 26A, 26B.
Can be fitted at the same time, so that there is an advantage that the assemblability of the contact piece can be improved. FIG. 4B shows a pair of contact pieces 6A and 6B made of a conductive elastic material.
These two connecting pieces 6A and 6B are integrally connected by a connecting member 30 made of an insulating material such as rubber or resin, and a hollow portion 31 is provided near a portion of the connecting pieces 6A and 6B where the contact contacts.
An example in which a and 31b are provided is shown. In such a configuration, in addition to improving the assemblability of the contact piece, the cavity 31
Since a and 31b facilitate the deformation of the contact portions of the contact pieces 6A and 6B and disperse the stress, the durability of the contact pieces 6A and 6B can be improved. The pins 26A, 2
Although 6B has a rectangular cross section and a circular cross section, it is possible to adopt various shapes without being limited thereto.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the spring pressure adjusting mechanism. In this embodiment, a movable body 34 is disposed on the surface of a plate 33 by a long hole 35 and a screw 36 so as to be movable in the left-right direction, and the counter pendulum side end 2a of the spring 2 is locked to the movable body 34. The screw portion of the adjusting screw 37 which is arranged so that it cannot move forward and backward but is allowed to rotate only
By screwing the adjusting screw 37 to move the movable body 34 in the left-right direction.
The spring pressure of the spring 2 is variably set.
With such a spring pressure adjusting mechanism 16, the same effect as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing still another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment uses a wire spring 40, one end of which is bent into a J-shape, U-shape, etc.
1 and the other end is also bent in a U-shape to be inserted and locked in a small hole 42 provided in the pendulum 2. Other configurations (except for the spring pressure adjusting mechanism) are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. Even in such a configuration, since the both ends of the wire spring 40 are simply inserted into the small holes 41 and 42 and are not fixed to the rigid body, the attachment and adjustment work of the wire spring 40 is simple and similar to the above embodiment. It is easy and does not adversely affect the spring characteristics.

The present invention can be variously modified and changed without being limited to the above embodiment. For example, instead of disposing the spring 2 shown in FIGS. Of course, it may be provided.

[0019]

As described above, in the pedometer according to the present invention, the pendulum is provided with a contact that is pivotally supported at the center at the center, and a pair of contacts is provided on the substrate side corresponding to the contact. A contact piece made of a conductive elastic material is provided so as to be located on both sides of the center of rotation (oscillation) of the contact piece, and the contact piece is brought into contact with the two contact pieces with the vibration of the pendulum. Since these two connecting pieces are configured to be conducted through the contacts, there is no need to fix the end of the spring to the rigid part, and the mounting and adjustment work of the spring is simple and easy, and stable spring characteristics are obtained. be able to. In addition, the number of striking noises at the contact portions is small, the number of steps can be counted quietly, and the wear of the contacts due to rubbing is reduced, and the resulting generation of metal oxides is also reduced. The contact is improved and reliability and durability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a sensor unit showing an embodiment of a pedometer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a main part.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are front views showing other embodiments of the contact piece, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the spring pressure adjusting mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a conventional example of a pedometer sensor unit.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a locking structure of a spring for a contact.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting structure of the contact piece to the substrate.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pendulum 2 Spring 3 Axis 4 Contact 5 Substrate 6, 6A, 6B Contact piece 7 Solder 8 Conductive part 15 Axis 16 Spring pressure adjusting mechanism 40 Spring

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A pedometer wherein the number of vibrations of a pendulum provided with a rotation behavior in a return direction by a spring is detected based on the number of contacting and separating times of a contact portion, wherein said contact portion is pivotally supported at a central portion. A swingable contact made of a good conductive material disposed at a free end of the pendulum,
A pair of conductive elastic members are disposed on the substrate corresponding to the contacts, so as to be located on both sides of the center of rotation of the contacts, and are brought into contact with each other when the contacts come into contact when the pendulum vibrates. A pedometer characterized by comprising a contact piece made of a material.