JPS61260129A - Balance capable of displaying nutrient element of food - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To select easily food by constituting the balance with an external ROM storing data of various nutrients necessary for an ordinary life, plural food display cards, a card reading part, a microcomputer, etc. and pressing a prescribed key. CONSTITUTION:The balance is composed of a weight detecting part 1, a display selecting key 2, a food selecting key 3 having keys S1-Sn, the card reading part 4 including plural light emitting elements L1-Ln and photodetecting elements Q1-Qn, the food display card 5 where a by-food display is printed and displayed in characters or graphics, a display 6 displaying the type of displays selected by the display selecting key 2, the external ROM 8 storing nutrients of a variety of food and the microcomputer 7. The food card 5 is inserted into the card reading part 4, food displayed on the display 6 is selected by pressing the prescribed keys S1-Sn of the food selecting key 3, whereby the food can be selected quickly and securely.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a household weighing scale capable of displaying various nutritional components of foods to be weighed.

Traditionally, it has been said that even healthy people need to eat a balanced diet and receive appropriate nutrition, but the importance of dietary therapy will increase in the future, especially for people with certain illnesses. This trend is increasing. For this reason, efforts are currently being made to popularize correct dietary therapy using existing food composition tables and food exchange tables. However, by understanding the contents of these food composition tables and food exchange tables, you can determine the daily calorie requirement from among hundreds of foods, depending on the combination of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, salt, cholesterol, sugar, etc.
Determining the dietary content of vitamins, etc. to be ingested requires considerable knowledge, effort, and time, and is not easy. For this reason, a method is used to create daily menus based on food exchange tables. However, in order to actually weigh food, it is necessary to weigh it using a commercially available household scale, and then convert it into units or calculate calories using a calculator or the like. However, even here, it is extremely difficult to remember the weight per unit of food.
Also, the lack of accurate measurements results in a very cumbersome and inaccurate diet. For this reason, nutritional scales that can perform nutritional calculations as described below are currently being considered. In other words, this kind of nutrition scale places the food to be weighed on the weighing platform, weighs it, and when you want to know its various nutritional values, for example, it has an item list consisting of multiple food groups on a part of the main body, and displays the product name. A method is used in which the code number is entered by pressing the displayed key, but in this method, the number of foods that can be displayed on one item sheet is small, and it is necessary to use multiple item sheets by replacing them. There are some items that are difficult to use because the item table is not displayed, and as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-7520, there is a method of displaying duplicate items in this item table by coloring or other means so as not to replace the item table. However, on the other hand, the characters displayed by each food type are too small to be practical. Also, JP-A-56-1
As shown in 42418, some products are equipped with a display drum consisting of multiple food groups within the main body, but due to their structure, the number of foods that can be displayed on the display drum is at most one.
The number of food items is about 00, which is too small compared to the 600 food items generally required for food management (and is not practical. Another method is to classify various foods by code number and write the code on the main body. One possible method is to use a group of keys for number entry, that is, numeric keys from O to 9, to find the code number of the food you need from the food code number table, and input it using the numeric keys. The concept of code numbering, which involves replacing the type of food with a code number, is generally difficult to understand, and when entering the code number found from the food code number table using the numeric keypad, an error occurs when entering the key number, resulting in a different food code being entered. Furthermore, since there are many key manual steps, it causes excessive vibration to the machine, especially the weighing section, making it difficult to obtain accurate weighing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention aims to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional known techniques as described above.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples of the configuration of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a weight detection section, which is composed of a spring structure 9, a capacitance sensor 10, and an electric circuit connecting these.The spring structure 9 is a robot that converts weight into mechanical displacement.
It consists of a pallet mechanism, for example a parallelogram-shaped part using a plurality of leaf springs. Further, the capacitance sensor 10 is formed by two electrode plates 11 that are connected to each other so that the distance between them is displaced by the weight applied to the spring structure 9, and the capacitance sensor 10 is formed by a DC booster. A Schmitt circuit is connected as an integrating capacitor CI between the output side of the amplifier A1 and the operating input terminal, and is composed of an integrator formed by an integrating resistor Rs, a DC amplifier, and resistors R2 and R3. It consists of

Therefore, when there is no load on the spring structure 9, the value of the integrating capacitor C1 is constant and is charged by the integrating resistor RI, but when it exceeds the threshold level of the Schmitt circuit. DC amplifier A3
The output B of the Schmitt circuit is inverted, the integrating capacitor CI is discharged, and when its value exceeds the hysteresis width of the Schmitt circuit, the output B of the Schmitt circuit is configured to invert again. Therefore, a rectangular wave having a frequency determined by the value of the integrating capacitor C1 is generated at the output B of the DC amplifier. In this case, the capacitance of the integrating capacitor C1 as a sensor changes with the change in the weight placed on the spring structure, and the weight change causes a rectangular wave output at the output level of the DC amplifier. It is output as a frequency change. Further, as another means, a load cell may be used instead of the static torque JL sensor 10, and A-D conversion may be performed after the DC amplifier to convert the weight change into a frequency change. Reference numeral 2 is a display selection key for switching the display type of the display 6 attached to the main body to display of weighing amount or display of various nutritional elements. The display device 6 mainly has a 7-segment numerical display, and includes an LCD (liquid crystal display element) and an LED.
(Light Emitting Diode), FL (Fluorescent Display Tube), etc., digitally displays the display type selected by the display selection key 2, and also displays the type in a part of the display 6 in figures or letters. It is something. In addition, as other display means, for example, only digital display can be performed using these indicators 6, and the type can be displayed by means such as printing on other parts, or the type can be displayed by lighting lamps, LEDs, etc. provided individually on the display part. , may be displayed. 8 is external ROM (RO
M read-only memory), the nutritional value of the food, such as fat, protein, carbohydrates, salt, cholesterol, vitamins, etc., is displayed in advance and is formed into a flat plate using a separate food coat base material. On this flat surface, each food item is displayed in binary numbers by letters, pictures, or the presence or absence of a notch in the part. A number may also be displayed. 4 is a card reading unit that includes a plurality of light emitting elements Ll-Ln, for example, LEDs (light emitting diodes) and their light emitting elements L1 to Ln.
Light receiving elements Qt, Qn, provided at positions opposite to n,
For example, it is composed of a phototransistor, a CDS, etc., and is arranged so that when there is no card, the light-receiving element Qs receives the lighting of the light-emitting element L1.
For example, if there is a notch in the binary number display section adapted to the part between the light emitting element Ll and the light receiving element Qs, the light emitting element Ll
The light receiving element Qt detects the light of the light emitting elements L1 to Ln, and if there is no notch in this part, the light of the light emitting elements L1 to Ln is detected by the light receiving element Q! ~n detected by Qn or expressed by a combination of the presence or absence of a curved notch
The binary representation of bits is output from the microcomputer 7 by the light emitting elements L1 to Ln connected to OPt to OPn.
Light up one by one, and at this time, the corresponding input capo)
This is done by repeating this operation n times to capture the output LOW or HIGH level of the light receiving elements Qs to Qn connected to IPt to IPn. controlled by Moreover, this external light element Lt-Ln
There is also a method of lighting up all at once and sequentially accessing and inputting only the input ports IP1 to IPn. Also, connect the notch at the bottom of these light leads 5 with a micro switch 5l-8.
The food item is selected by pressing a desired key among n keys. Therefore, the present invention is constructed by connecting the above-mentioned respective elements as follows.

That is, the output of the weight detection section 1 is connected to the external clock input of the microcomputer 7, and each output side of the display selection key 2, food selection key 3, card reading section 4, and external ROM (ROM) 8 is connected to the input selection. It is connected to the input port of the microcomputer 7 as well as to the necessary output ports via a functional buffer. Further, the display device 6 is connected to the output port of the microcomputer 7.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained below using a flowchart in FIG. Note that 1 to 13 in the figure indicate each step of the flowchart. Now, Ki is 0N10FF
One person starts the operation of the entire system, and then mentally waits until each part stabilizes. Next, in 3, weight detection part 1
The number of output pulses is counted for a certain period of time, for example, 0.5 seconds as an external clock input, and this is stored as the initial pulse number.Next, in step 5, the food number is input using the food selection key 3. Next, at step 6, use the tare or zero floating clear key to set the display to zero, and at step 7, change the initial pulse number to the current pulse number. Next, in step 8, the weight is calculated as (current number of pulses - initial number of pulses) XK. If there is a 5 here, the operation moves to KIO,
Calculates weighed values and food nutritional value data as displayed values.

However, the food nutritional value data is read out from a data table in an external ROM using the input food selection key 3 and display selection key 2 manually. Next, the calculated value is displayed digitally and the type is displayed on the display 6 using Kn. Next, at Kt2, the elapsed time from the last key is measured, and if the set time is exceeded, the operation preparation is completed.The details of the ON access part will be explained using the flowchart FIG. 6. Note that this flow is inserted at P1 to P12 in the figure. Next, at P3, the light emitting elements Ll-Ln, the light receiving element Q
1 to Qn are accessed. Next, in P4, 0 and the maximum display value are not used for the do number. Depending on the maximum value displayed, the number of redos required to prevent food card 5 from entering the food card 5 is the required number of times. When expressing sequentially from 0, food code number = (
When food card number Nα-1)XIO+(food selection key number-1), that is, food selection key 1 is selected with food card number Nα=1, O is obtained from the above calculation formula. Then P
IO ends the subroutine.

As is clear from the above description, the present invention has the following excellent effects: In addition to the conventional food composition table, the present invention has various nutritional data necessary for a general diet in the food exchange table in the order of food code numbers. Since it can be entered using a very common method that stores information in binary numbers, it is completely free of complexity (also, it is very easy to use a traditional nutritional scale to find out the nutritional value data you need from hundreds of foods). However, in the present invention, the food input means is two-fold, and the operation is extremely complicated and prone to errors. Insert multiple food labeling cards with individual code numbers expressed in decimal numbers into a card reader that automatically reads the code number of each food labeling card, and read each food displayed on the food labeling card. Since the necessary food can be selected using the food selection key, food selection can be made extremely quickly and reliably.

In addition, the combination of the conventional item table and code number key is, for example, 600 types of food items when converted to item keys.
0 keys are required, and if you display them redundantly and use one key → If you color-code and display the types of food, you can operate it with 65 item keys, but since the size of each item key becomes smaller. However, in the present invention, each food can be displayed in a large size because input can be made using multiple separate food display cards, making it easier to see and operate. It has characteristics.

In addition, in the case of the known drum display, the number of foods that can be displayed on the drum is about 100, considering the size of the entire pushing device, and the 600 types required for a typical diet cannot be displayed. In addition, the drum for displaying these 600 types of foods is extremely large, which makes the entire device large, making it impractical. However, in the present invention, these 600 types of foods can be displayed simply with a plurality of food display cards, and if each food is classified into food display cards classified by food group and a whole sort key is provided, these necessary foods can be quickly and easily displayed. It has the effect of being easily extracted. In addition, with conventional food code input means using a numeric keypad, for example, if there are 600 types of food, the code number will be 3 digits, and the code number will be searched for and input from a code number table with 600 types. There was a risk that ordinary people would make incorrect inputs, and in addition to inputting the food code number, adding the necessary nutritional value key operations had the disadvantage that the number of key operations would increase dramatically. However, the food code input means in the present invention takes out the card of the required food group from a plurality of food display cards, inserts it into the card reading section, and inputs the required food from among them using the food selection key. However, it can be done quickly and reliably by simply operating the necessary nutritional value keys, so there is no need to input incorrect codes, and the operation is simple and reliable.

In addition, since the present invention requires fewer key operations when inputting a food code, it is possible to capture the desired food by letter when swiping the main body weighing mechanism, and the food selection key at the position that contacts the food can be pressed. Pressing the button completes the food code input, allowing for accurate input without errors.As a result, the necessary weighing values and accurate values of various nutrients are calculated and displayed.Since multiple codes are set, it is generally useful for food management. This invention is capable of handling the 600 types of food required, and by providing a Rousoto key, it is possible to produce the desired food, making it an extremely effective invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 1 is an overall external view, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the main parts, Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of electrical conversion of the metering mechanism, and Fig. 4 is an illustration of each element. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a combination of. 1...Weight detection section 2...Display selection key 7...-Microcomputer-8...External ROM

Claims (1)

[Claims] It has a food weight detection section, a food number input means using a food selection key, an external ROM for reading out food nutritional value data and its display selection means, and a display section for these calculated values, and further has a plurality of food number input means using a food selection key. A weighing device capable of displaying the nutrients of food, comprising a food display card, a card reader equipped with a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and a means for selecting food by connecting a microcomputer to each device.