WO2018034303A1

WO2018034303A1 - Load detector and load detection system

Info

Publication number: WO2018034303A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/029435
Authority: WO
Inventors: 邦彦佐藤
Original assignee: ミネベアミツミ株式会社
Priority date: 2016-08-19
Filing date: 2017-08-16
Publication date: 2018-02-22
Also published as: JP2018028506A

Abstract

A load detector (100) comprising: a beam-shaped load cell (21) having a free end (21sf) as a result of being cantilevered upon a first support base (11b); a beam (22) arranged facing the beam-shaped load cell and having a free end (22sf) as a result of being cantilevered upon a second support base (12b); and a placement section (3) upon which objects are placed, said placement section being provided between the beam-shaped load cell and the beam section and having a first coupling section (32) coupled to the beam-shaped load cell and a second coupling section (33) coupled to the beam section. The free end of the beam section is positioned on the opposite side to the free end of the beam-shaped load cell, in a direction in which the beam-shaped load cell extends. The first coupling section of the placement section is coupled to the beam-shaped load cell on the free end side of the beam-shaped load cell. The second coupling section of the placement section is coupled to the beam section on the free end side of the beam section.

Description

Load detector and load detection system

The present invention relates to a load detector including a beam-type load cell and a load detection system including the load detector.

There is known detection of bed presence by detecting a load applied to a bed in a hospital or a nursing facility and determining whether a patient or a resident is present on the bed. The load detector for detecting the load can be arranged at various positions, for example, under the supporting leg of the bed.

In Patent Document 1, as a load detector that can be placed under a leg of a bed, a cantilever portion to which a strain gauge is attached and a mounting plate portion attached to a base end portion of the cantilever portion. A load detector is disclosed.

Japanese Patent No. 4829020

A load cell provided in a load detector placed under a heavy object such as a bed is required to have a large rated capacity. In addition, when a load detector is placed under the bed, the rated capacity is set so that an overload is not applied to the load cell even if a subject falls on the bed, a child jumps on, or many people sit at the same time. It is desirable to increase the safety factor by using a particularly large load cell. However, if a load cell having a large rated capacity is used, the manufacturing cost of the load detector increases, and it becomes impossible to cope with a minute change in load.

An object of the present invention is to provide a load detector that can be suitably used for detecting a load of a heavy object such as a bed and whose manufacturing cost is suppressed, and a load detection system including the load detector.

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A beam-type load cell having a free end by being cantilevered on a first support;
A beam portion disposed opposite to the beam-type load cell and having a free end by being cantilevered on a second support base;
A placement part on which an object is placed, comprising: a first connection part connected to the beam-type load cell; and a second connection part connected to the beam part; the beam-type load cell and the beam part A load detector comprising a mounting portion provided between the two,
In the direction in which the beam-type load cell extends, the free end of the beam portion is located on the opposite side of the free end of the beam-type load cell;
The first connecting part of the mounting part is connected to the beam-type load cell on the free end side of the beam-type load cell, and the second connecting part of the mounting part is connected to the free end of the beam part and the beam part. A load detector connected on the side is provided.

In the load detector according to the first aspect, the beam load cell and the beam portion may be arranged in parallel.

In the load detector according to the first aspect, the free end of the beam-type load cell and the second support base may be at substantially the same position in the extending direction of the beam-type load cell. The free end and the first support base may be at substantially the same position in the extending direction of the beam-type load cell.

In the load detector according to the first aspect, the beam-type load cell may include a strain body, and the mounting portion includes a plate-shaped main body portion attached to the bottom surface of the strain body and the beam portion. But you can.

In the load detector according to the first aspect, the beam-type load cell may include a strain body, and the mounting portion may be a curved plate attached to the top surfaces of the strain body and the beam portion. The curved plate may define a U-groove extending substantially parallel to the beam-type load cell between the beam-type load cell and the beam portion.

In the load detector according to the first aspect, the load detector is disposed on the floor, and detects the load of the object placed on the placement portion by displacing the placement portion in the vertical direction. The slope may be a load detector that is fixed to the mounting portion, and when the mounting portion is displaced, the floor surface and the lower end of the slope are separated in the vertical direction. A slope may be further provided.

In the load detector according to the first aspect, the slope may be provided at both ends of the beam-type load cell in the extending direction.

The load detector according to the first aspect may further include a slope fixed to at least one of the first support base or the second support base, and the mounting portion can be displaced independently of the slope. There may be.

The load detector according to the first aspect is a load detector that is disposed on the floor and detects the load of the object placed on the placement unit by displacing the placement unit in the vertical direction. The lower end of the slope may contact the floor surface in a state where the load detector is disposed on the floor surface.

In the load detector according to the first aspect, the placing section may include a movement restricting section provided at the center.

In the load detector according to the first aspect, the first support base and the second support base may be integrally formed.

The load detector according to the first aspect may be a load detector that detects a load of a subject on a bed with casters, and the placement unit may be a placement unit on which the casters are placed. Good.

According to the second aspect of the present invention,
A load detection system for detecting the load of a subject on a bed,
A plurality of load detectors of the first aspect disposed on a leg of the bed;
There is provided a load detection system having a control unit connected to the plurality of load detectors and calculating a load of the subject based on an output of the load detectors.

The load detector of the present invention and the load detection system including the load detector can be suitably used for load detection of a heavy object such as a bed, and the manufacturing cost is suppressed.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a load detector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the load detector according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view at the center of the load detector in the width direction, and shows a state where a bed caster is placed on the placement plate. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the mounting position of the mounting plate on the load cell and the preferable mounting position of the detection object on the mounting plate. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a load detector according to a modification of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a load detector according to a modification of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a load detector according to another modification of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a load detector according to another modification of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the load detection system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the load detector 100 of the first embodiment includes first and

second base portions

11 and 12, a beam-type load cell 21 and a beam connected to the first and

second base portions

11 and 12, respectively. And a mounting plate (mounting unit) 3 that is supported between the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam part 22 by the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam part 22. In the following description, the extending direction of the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 is a longitudinal direction.

The first base portion 11 is a member that is disposed on the floor surface and supports the beam-type load cell 21 in a cantilevered manner. The flat plate portion 11a has a rectangular shape that is substantially the same as the beam-type load cell 21, and one end of the flat plate portion 11a. And a support base 11b extending in the longitudinal direction and protruding upward. Therefore, the top surface 11bt of the support base portion 11b is located above the top surface 11at of the flat plate portion 11a.

Two screw holes Th are formed in the top surface 11bt of the support base portion 11b. The beam-type load cell 21 is fixed to the support base portion 11b through the screw T and the screw hole Th.

The second base portion 12 has the same shape as the first base portion 11 and includes a flat plate portion 12a and a support base portion 12b. The second base portion 12 is spaced apart from the first base portion 11 by a predetermined distance and is opposed to the first base portion 11 (in parallel in this example), but the support base portion 11b of the first base portion 11 is the second base portion 11. It arrange | positions so that it may become reverse direction with the base 12b. That is, the position where the support base 11b is connected to the flat plate portion 11a of the first base 11 and the position where the support base 12b is connected to the flat plate portion 12a of the second base 12 are opposite to each other. The beam portion 22 is fixed to the support base portion 12b via a screw T and a screw hole Th formed in the top surface 12bt of the support base portion 12b.

The beam-type load cell 21 includes a prismatic strain generating body 21s having a through hole h, and a strain gauge 21g attached to the strain generating body 21s. The beam type load cell 21 detects the strain generated in the strain generating body 21s as a change in the resistance value of the strain gauge 21g, and thereby detects the load applied to the beam type load cell 21.

The strain body 21s is a long prism formed of a metal such as aluminum or iron. A through hole h penetrating in the width direction is formed in the longitudinal center of the strain generating body 21s. The through-hole h has two circular holes hc having a circular cross-sectional shape and a rectangular hole hr having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape that connects the two circular holes hc in the longitudinal direction. A thin portion 21th whose thickness in the vertical direction is reduced due to the presence of the through hole h is defined in portions of the strain body 21s located above and below the through hole h.

In the vicinity of the one end portion 21ss of the strain body 21s, two screw holes Th penetrating in the vertical direction are formed. One end portion 21ss of the strain body 21s is fixed to the support base portion 11b of the first base portion 11 through the screw T and the screw hole Th. Thus, the strain generating body 21s is cantilevered by the first base 11 (support base 11b) with one end 21ss as a fixed end and the other end 21sf as a free end.

Also in the vicinity of the other end 21sf of the strain body 21s, two screw holes Th penetrating in the vertical direction are formed. A mounting plate 3 to be described later is fixed to the lower surface 21 sd near the other end 21 sf of the strain body 21 s through a screw T and a screw hole Th. That is, the strain generating body 21s (beam-type load cell 21) supports the mounting plate 3 so as to be movable in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the other end 21sf which is a free end.

Two strain gauges 21g are attached to the thin portion 21th of the strain body 21s. More specifically, one strain gauge 21g is attached to each of the upper surface 21st and the lower surface 21sd of the strain-generating body 21s at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction of the strain-generating body 21s. The strain gauge 21g is connected to an external control unit via a lead wire (not shown).

The beam portion 22 is formed of the same metal material as the strain body 21s of the beam-type load cell 21, and, like the strain body 21s, a prismatic shape in which a through hole h penetrating in the width direction is formed in the center portion. It is. The beam portion 22 is spaced apart from the beam-type load cell 21 by a predetermined distance and is opposed to the beam-type load cell 21 (in this example, in parallel).

Near the one end portion 22ss of the beam portion 22, two screw holes Th penetrating in the vertical direction are formed. One end portion 22ss of the beam portion 22 is fixed to the support base portion 12b of the second base portion 12 via a screw T and a screw hole Th. As a result, the beam portion 22 is cantilevered by the first base portion 12 (support base portion 12b) with the one end portion 22ss as a fixed end and the other end portion 22sf as a free end.

Also near the other end portion 22sf of the beam portion 22, two screw holes Th penetrating in the vertical direction are formed. A mounting plate 3 to be described later is fixed to the lower surface 22sd in the vicinity of the other end 22sf of the beam portion 22 through a screw T and a screw hole Th. That is, the beam portion 22 supports the mounting plate 3 so as to be movable in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the other end portion 22sf which is a free end. Looking at the arrangement relationship with the strain generating body 21s, one end (fixed end) 22ss and the other end (free end) 22sf of the beam section 22 are the other end of the strain generating body 21s of the beam-type load cell 21 in the longitudinal direction. The portion (free end) 21sf and the one end portion (fixed end) 22ss are in the same position. That is, the strain body 21s and the beam portion 22 extend in the same direction while facing each other, but the directions of the free ends with respect to the fixed ends are opposite to each other. Further, the support base part 11b that supports the strain generating body 21s and the other end part (free end) 22sf of the beam part 22 are at substantially the same position in the longitudinal direction, and the support base part 12b that supports the beam part 22 and the strain generation part The other end portion (free end) 21sf of the body 21s is substantially at the same position in the longitudinal direction.

The mounting plate 3 is a plate-like member on which a detection target is mounted, and is formed of a metal such as aluminum or iron. The mounting plate 3 includes a main body portion 31 that is a rectangular flat plate in plan view, a first connecting portion 32 that protrudes from the vicinity of one end portion of the main body portion 31 toward the first base 11 side, and the vicinity of the other end portion of the main body portion 31. And the second connecting portion 33 protruding toward the second base portion 12 side.

A slope 34 is provided at one end portion of the main body 31 so that the caster CT (FIG. 3) or the like can be rolled up on the main body 31. Similarly, a slope 35 similar to the slope 34 is provided at the other end of the main body 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower end portions of the

slopes

34 and 35 are separated from the floor surface at the time of measurement with the measurement object placed on the placement plate 3 (when the placement plate 3 fluctuates in the vertical direction). Is not grounded. A concave portion (movement restricting portion) 36 (FIG. 2) is formed at the center portion of the main body portion 31 in the longitudinal direction and the width direction. The casters CT and the like placed on the main body 31 of the placement plate 3 via the slope 34 or the slope 35 are disposed in the recess 36 and are restricted from moving in the longitudinal direction and the width direction.

Two screw holes Th are formed in the first connecting portion 32. The first connecting portion 32 is fixed to the lower surface 21 sd near the other end 21 sf (free end) of the strain body 21 s of the beam-type load cell 21 through the screw T and the screw hole Th. Similarly, two screw holes Th are also formed in the second connecting portion 33. The second connecting portion 33 is fixed to the lower surface 22sd in the vicinity of the other end portion 22sf (free end) of the beam portion 22 via the screw T and the screw hole Th. That is, the mounting plate 3 is fixed to the free end of the beam-type load cell 21 in the vicinity of one corner of the main body 31 and fixed to the free end of the beam 22 in the vicinity of the diagonal of the main body 31. The beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 are supported at two points in a state in which a minute movement is possible in the vertical direction.

Next, regarding the method of using the load detector 100, the detection target is a subject on the bed, and the placing plate 3 has a moving caster CT attached to the lower end of the leg portion BL (FIG. 3) of the bed. The case where it is placed will be described as an example.

When performing load detection using the load detector 100, the caster CT is first placed on the main body 31 of the placement plate 3. Specifically, the caster CT is climbed onto the main body 31 via the slope 34 or the slope 35, and then the caster C is disposed in the recess 36. Thereby, the caster CT is satisfactorily placed on the main body 31 in a state where movement in the longitudinal direction and the width direction is restricted. The other casters CT included in the bed are respectively placed on separate load detectors 100.

The load of the subject on the bed is transmitted to the strain body 21 s of the beam-type load cell 21 that supports the mounting plate 3 via the bed leg BL, the caster CT, and the mounting plate 3. Strain is generated in the strain generating body 21s to which the load is transmitted, and the strain gauge 21g detects this strain as a change in resistance value. The detected change in resistance value is output to a control unit (not shown) provided on the outside or the first base 11 or the second base 12 via a lead wire (not shown). A subject's load can be obtained by performing arithmetic processing in a control part.

The calculation process is performed based on the ratio of the load applied to the beam-type load cell 21 in the load of the subject placed on the placement board 3. Specifically, for example, the strain body 21s and the beam portion 22 of the beam-type load cell 21 are made of the same material and have the same shape, and the subject attaches the mounting plate 3 to the strain body 21s. (FIG. 4) and the mounting plate 3 are mounted on the mounting plate 3 on the beam-type load cell 21 when mounted at the midpoint of the mounting center C2 (FIG. 4). Since half of the subject's load is transmitted, the calculation process includes doubling the detected value based on the strain gauge 21g to obtain the subject's load.

The effects of the load detector 100 of this embodiment are summarized below.

In the load detector 100 according to the present embodiment, the load of the subject placed on the placement plate 3 is distributed and applied to the strain body 21 s and the beam portion 22 of the beam-type load cell 21. Even when a relatively large load is applied to the mounting plate 3, the load can be detected satisfactorily. That is, the load detector 100 of the present embodiment can be suitably used for detecting the load of a heavy object such as a bed and uses a beam-type load cell with a small rated capacity, so that the manufacturing cost is suppressed.

In the load detector 100 of the present embodiment, the main body 31 of the mounting plate 3 is most difficult to bend on a line segment L connecting the attachment center C1 and the attachment center C2 with the shortest distance (FIG. 4). Therefore, by placing the bed caster CT on the line segment L, the load of the subject on the bed can be detected without being affected by the deflection of the mounting plate 3. Since the mounting center C1 and the mounting center C2 are located on both sides of the mounting plate 3 in the longitudinal direction of the load detector 1, the line segment L passes through the approximate center of the mounting plate 3 and the caster CT. A suitable placement position also includes the approximate center of the placement plate 3.

In the load detector 100 of the present embodiment, the mounting plate 3 is directly connected to the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 that are separated from each other, and is disposed between the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22. ing. Therefore, the overall configuration of the load detector 100 including the beam-type load cell 21, the beam portion 22, and the mounting table 3 can be made compact, and the mounting plate 3 can be placed between the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22. In the space defined, it can be arranged at a position (low position) closer to the floor on which the load detector 100 is installed. Thereby, it is possible to make it easy for the rolling elements such as casters CT to ride on the mounting plate 3.

In the load detector 100 of the present embodiment, a recess 36 is formed at the center in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the mounting plate 3. Therefore, even if the object placed on the placement plate 3 at the time of detection is a rollable rotating body such as a bed caster CT, the object is held on or near the straight line L of the placement plate 3. Load detection can be performed accurately and stably.

In the load detector 100 of this embodiment, the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 that support the mounting plate 3 are arranged on both sides of the mounting plate 3. Therefore, the caster CT can enter the mounting plate 3 between the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 without interfering with the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22. That is, the caster CT can enter the mounting plate 3 from either the free end side of the beam-type load cell 21 or the free end side of the beam portion 22. Moreover, since the

slopes

34 and 35 are provided in the both ends of the mounting plate 3 in the longitudinal direction, it is easy to mount the caster CT. Therefore, when the load detector 100 is arranged under the bed, it is only necessary that the longitudinal direction of the load cell is oriented in the direction in which the bed is moved, and the arrangement of the load detector 100, particularly the arrangement of the plurality of load detectors 100, can be simplified. It can be carried out.

Next, a method for manufacturing the load detector 100 of this embodiment will be described.

In manufacturing the load detector 100 of the present embodiment, first, the first base portion 11, the second base portion 12, the beam-type load cell 21, the beam portion 22, and the mounting plate 3 are individually created. The first and

second bases

11 and 12 may be any material such as resin or metal, but an aluminum rolled material can be used as an example. The mounting plate 3 can be easily formed by simply cutting and bending an aluminum rolled plate to provide the first and second connecting

portions

32 and 33 and the

slopes

34 and 35.

Next, the first base 11, the second base 12, the beam-type load cell 21, the beam 22, and the mounting plate 3 that are separately created are fixed together with screws T. As described above, the load detector 100 according to the present embodiment has a small number of parts and can be manufactured only by an easy process such as cutting, bending, and screwing.

<Modification>
Next, a load detector 200 according to a modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The load detector 200 of the modification is the same as the load detector 100 of the first embodiment in that it includes the first base portion 11, the second base portion 12, the beam-type load cell 21, and the beam portion 22, but the beam-type load cell 21. Instead of the mounting plate 3 fixed to the lower surface 21 sd of the strain generating body 21 s and the lower surface 22 sd of the beam portion 22, a mounting plate (mounting) fixed to the upper surface 21 st of the strain generating body 21 s and the upper surface 22 st of the beam portion 22. The point which has (placement part) 4 differs from the load detector 100 of 1st Embodiment.

In the configuration of the load detector 200 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the description of the first base portion 11, the second base portion 12, the beam-type load cell 21, and the beam portion 22 is omitted.

The mounting plate 4 is a member that supports a detection target, and is formed of an aluminum rolled plate. The mounting plate 4 includes a concave portion 41 having a bottom surface 41b having a rectangular shape in plan view and a side surface 41s having a rectangular shape in side view, and a rectangular shape having a rectangular shape in plan view extending substantially horizontally from the upper end portion of the side surface 41s toward the first base portion 11 side. 1 connection part 42 and the 2nd connection part 43 of the planar view rectangular shape mainly extended to the 2nd base 12 side from the upper end part of the side surface 41s of the recessed part 41 are mainly included. The cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first load cell 21 of the recess 41 is substantially U-shaped. That is, the mounting plate 4 is a curved plate that defines a U-groove extending between the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 substantially in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the beam-type load cell 21.

Slopes

44 and 45 rising in the longitudinal direction center are provided in the vicinity of both longitudinal ends of the bottom surface 41 b of the recess 41. As a result, a holding area (movement restricting portion) CA surrounded by the end surface 44 a of the slope 44, the end surface 45 a of the slope 45, and the side surface 41 s of the recess 41 is defined at the longitudinal center of the bottom surface 41 b of the recess 41. The

Two screw holes Th are formed in the vicinity of one end of the first connecting portion 42 in the longitudinal direction. The first connecting portion 42 has a plate-like spacer 51 sandwiched between the first connecting portion 42 and the beam-type load cell 21 from above and below, and a strain generating body of the beam-type load cell 21 through the screw T and the screw hole Th. It is fixed near the other end 21sf (free end) of 21s.

Similarly, two screw holes Th are also formed in the vicinity of the other end of the second connecting portion 43 in the longitudinal direction. The second connecting portion 43 has a spacer (not shown) similar to the spacer 51 sandwiched between the second connecting portion 43 and the beam portion 22 from above and below, via the screw T and the screw hole Th. It is fixed near the other end 22sf (free end). That is, the mounting plate 4 is fixed to the free end of the beam-type load cell 21 in the vicinity of one corner portion of the bottom surface 41b of the rectangular recess 41 and the beam portion 22 in the vicinity of the diagonal portion of the bottom surface 41b of the recess 41. It is fixed to the free end and is supported at two points by a beam-type load cell 21 and a beam portion 22 in a state in which a minute movement is possible in the vertical direction.

The modified load detector 200 can also be used in the same manner as the load detector 100 of the first embodiment.

Also in the load detector 200 of the modified example, the same effect as the load detector 100 of the above embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the load detector 200 of the modified example, the mounting plate 4 has a concave portion 41, and the concave portion 41 has a bottom surface 41 b whose width is smaller than the separation distance between the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22. is doing. Due to this shape, the mounting plate 4 is less likely to bend with respect to a load from above, so that the load detector 200 can further reduce the influence of the deflection of the mounting plate 4 than the load detector 100.

Furthermore, in the load detector 200 of the modified example, the side surface 41s of the concave portion 41 of the mounting plate 4 is disposed between the beam-type load cell 21 and the holding area CA and between the beam portion 22 and the holding area CA. Yes. Accordingly, collision between the caster CT and the like placed in the holding area CA, the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 is prevented.

In the modified load detector 200, the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 that support the mounting plate 4 are disposed on both sides of the bottom surface 41 b of the concave portion 41 of the mounting plate 4. Therefore, when the subject to be measured is the subject on the bed and the moving caster CT attached to the lower end of the bed leg BL (FIG. 3) is placed on the placing plate 4, the caster CT is Thus, it is possible to enter the mounting plate 4 between the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 without interfering with either the beam-type load cell 21 or the beam portion 22. That is, the caster CT can enter the mounting plate 4 from either the free end side of the beam-type load cell 21 or the free end side of the beam portion 22. Further, since the mounting plate 4 is provided with the

slopes

44 and 45, the caster CT can be easily mounted on the bottom surface 41 b using the slope 44 or the slope 45. The caster CT placed is restrained from moving in the longitudinal direction by the end surface 44 a of the slope 44 and the end surface 45 a of the slope 45, and is restrained from moving in the width direction by the side surface 41 s of the recess 41.

Next, a load detector 300 according to another modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The load detector 300 of the modified example is the same as the load detector 100 of the first embodiment in that the first base portion 11, the second base portion 12, the beam-type load cell 21, and the beam portion 22 are provided. The point which is provided with the guide member 6 fixed to the 2nd base 12 and the point provided with the mounting board (mounting part) 5 which replaces with the mounting plate 3, and comprises the wall part 54 and defines the notch part N is the 1st. Different from the load detector 100 of the embodiment.

Among the configurations of the load detector 300 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first base 11, the second base 12, the beam-type load cell 21, and the beam 22 are the first base 11 and the second base of the first embodiment. 12, the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 are the same as each other, and the description thereof is omitted.

The mounting plate 5 is a member on which a detection target is mounted in the same manner as the mounting plate 3, and includes a flat plate-like main body portion 51 and a first connecting portion 52 that protrudes from the main body portion 51 toward the first base portion 11. The second connecting portion 53 protrudes from the main body portion 51 toward the second base portion 12 side, and the wall portion 54. The wall portion 54 is formed so as to stand upright from the upper surface of the main body portion 51.

The main body 51 has a rectangular shape 51r that is long in the extending direction (longitudinal direction) of the beam-shaped load cell 21 and the beam 22 and a pair of protrusions protruding in the long side direction from one end of the long side direction of the rectangular portion 51r. And a protrusion 51p. The pair of projecting portions 51p is provided in the vicinity of both ends in the short side direction of the rectangular portion 51r, and a cutout portion N is defined by one short side of the pair of projecting portions 51p and the rectangular portion 51r.

The first connecting portion 52 protrudes from the one of the pair of protruding portions 51p toward the first base portion 11 side. Two screw holes Th are formed in the first connecting portion 52, and the first connecting portion 52 is connected to the other end portion 21sf (freely) of the strain body 21s of the beam-type load cell 21 via the screw T and the screw hole Th. It is fixed to the lower surface 21sd in the vicinity of the end.

The second connecting portion 53 protrudes toward the second base portion 12 from the end opposite to the one end where the protruding portion 51p of the rectangular portion 51r is provided. Two screw holes Th are formed in the second connecting portion 53, and the second connecting portion 53 has a lower surface 22sd in the vicinity of the other end 22sf (free end) of the beam portion 22 through the screw T and the screw hole Th. It is fixed to.

The wall portion 54 is U-shaped in plan view (substantially U-shaped), a pair of long wall portions 54l (FIG. 8) extending along the long side direction of the rectangular portion 51r of the main body portion 51, and the rectangular portion of the main body portion 51. It includes a short wall portion 54s (FIG. 8) that extends along the short side direction of 51r and connects the pair of long wall portions 54l. Each of the pair of long wall portions 54l extends on the main body 51 over the entire region of the protruding portion 51p and most of the rectangular portion 51r.

A recess (movement restricting portion) 55 (FIG. 8) having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view is provided in a region surrounded by the wall portion 54 and the cutout portion N in the center of the upper surface of the rectangular portion 51r of the main body portion 51. . The center of the recess 55 is substantially located on a diagonal line connecting the central portion of the first connecting portion 52 and the central portion of the second connecting portion 53 in plan view.

The guide member 6 is a wedge-shaped (or triangular prism-shaped) member, and has an inclined surface (slope) 61 that guides rolling elements such as casters CT from the floor surface onto the mounting plate 5. The guide member 6 is fixed to the flat plate portion 12a of the second base portion 12 via a connecting portion 62 extending from a side surface orthogonal to the inclined surface 61, and below the mounting plate 5, the first base portion 11 and the second base portion 12 Located between. The inclined surface 61 of the guide member 6 is located inside the notch N defined by the mounting plate 5 in plan view. The lower end portion of the inclined surface 61 is formed between the other end portion (free end) 21sf of the beam load cell 21 and the other end portion (free end) 22sf of the beam portion 22 in the longitudinal direction in which the beam load cell 21 extends. Located between. That is, the guide member 6 is within the dimensions of the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 in the longitudinal direction.

This modification is different from the first embodiment in that the mounting plate 5 is displaced independently of the guide member 6 having the inclined surface 61. Specifically, the mounting plate 5 can be displaced independently of the inclined surface (slope) 61. The guide member 6 is fixed to the second base portion 12 so that the lower end portion of the inclined surface 61 and the lower surfaces of the first base portion 11 and the second base portion 12 are located on substantially the same plane, and the load detector 300. Is installed on the floor surface, the lower end of the inclined surface 61 of the guide member 6 contacts the floor surface. Since the mounting plate 5 is displaced independently of the guide member 6, even if the inclined surface 61 is in contact with the floor surface, the load measurement is not affected.

In the present modification, the height of the inclined surface 61 is substantially equal to the distance between the lower surfaces of the first base portion 11 and the second base portion 12 and the upper surface of the mounting plate 5. Therefore, in the load detector 300 of the present modification, the upper end portion of the inclined surface 61 of the guide member 6 and the upper surface of the mounting plate 5 are located on substantially the same plane and roll on the inclined surface 61. Thus, the caster CT reaching the upper end of the inclined surface 61 can easily cross the upper surface of the mounting plate 5.

The modified load detector 300 can also be used in the same manner as the load detector 100 of the first embodiment, and the same effect as the load detector 100 of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Furthermore, in the load detector 300 of the modified example, it is possible to easily guide the rolling elements such as casters CT from the floor surface to the upper surface of the mounting plate 5 by using the inclined surface 61 of the guide member 6.

Further, in the load detector 300 of the modified example, the mounting plate 5 defines the notch portion N, and the guide member 6 is disposed inside the notch portion N in plan view. Further, the lower end portion of the inclined surface 61 has the other end portion (free end) 21sf of the beam-type load cell 21 and the other end portion (free end) 22sf of the beam portion 22 in the longitudinal direction in which the beam-type load cell 21 extends. Is located between. Therefore, the guide member 6 and the inclined surface 61 do not protrude outside the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 in the longitudinal direction, and are compact.

Further, in the load detector 300 of the modified example, a wall portion 54 is provided on the upper surface of the main body portion 51 of the mounting plate 5. Therefore, collision between the rolling elements such as casters CT placed in the recess 55 and the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 is prevented.

In the load detector 300 of this modification, the following modification can be adopted.

In the load detector 300 of this modification, the guide member 6 does not necessarily have to be fixed to the second base 12, and may be fixed to the first base 11, and the first base 11 and the second base 12 It may be fixed to both. Further, the guide member 6 may be disposed so as to protrude outside the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the guide member 6 is fixed to an arbitrary member by an arbitrary method so that the mounting plate 5 is not in contact with the guide member 6 and can move independently with respect to the guide member 6. obtain. Further, the guide member 6 is not necessarily fixed to the second base 12 or the like in a non-removable state, and may be detachable.

In the load detector 300 of this modification, the guide member 6 may not be wedge-shaped. The guide member 6 may be a flat plate having an inclined surface (slope), for example. Further, the inclination angle of the inclined surface (slope) may not be constant, and may change along the traveling direction of the rolling elements such as casters CT.

In the load detector 300 of this modification, the shape of the mounting plate 5 is arbitrary. The mounting plate 5 does not necessarily have the wall portion 54, and the main body portion 51 of the mounting plate 5 does not have to have the protruding portion 51p. When the main body portion 51 does not have the protruding portion 51p, the first connecting portion 52 can protrude from the rectangular portion 51r of the main body portion 51. Alternatively, the protruding portion 51p of the main body 51 can be omitted from the mounting plate 5 having the wall 54. In this case, the first connecting portion 52 may be provided on the long wall portion 54 l of the wall portion 54. In addition, it is desirable to provide the concave portion 55 on the line connecting the first connecting portion 52 and the second connecting portion 53 in a plan view, although the mounting plate 5 has any shape. Absent. Instead of the mounting plate 5, a mounting portion having a curved shape such as the mounting plate 4 can be used.

The

load detectors

100, 200, and 300 of the above-described embodiments and modifications are placed on the

placement plates

3, 4, and 5 (that is, placed on the

placement plates

3, 4, and 5). It may be configured to detect not only the weight of the subject) but also the temporal variation of the load applied to the mounting

plates

3, 4, 5. In the present specification and the present invention, the “load detector” is an apparatus configured not to measure the weight of the subject placed on the placing plate but to calculate only the temporal variation amount. Including. In addition, “load detection” includes not only the absolute value of the load but also detecting only the temporal fluctuation amount of the load.

In the

load detectors

100, 200, and 300 of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the beam portion 22 may be formed of a material different from that of the strain body 21 s of the beam-type load cell 21 and has a different shape. May be. For example, the beam portion 22 may be a prism without the through hole h, or may be a long flat plate extending in the longitudinal direction of the

load detectors

100, 200, 300. Note that the amount of strain generated in the strain body 21s when the spring constant of the strain body 21s and the spring constant of the beam portion 22 are the same and the subject is placed at the center of the

placement plates

3, 4, and 5 is used. And the amount of strain generated in the beam portion 22 may be the same. Thereby, the calculation which calculates | requires the weight of a test subject based on the detected value of the beam-type load cell 21 becomes easy. Since the spring constant is determined based on the material and shape of the strain body 21s and the beam portion 22, for example, if the material and shape of the strain body 21s and the beam portion 22 are the same, the strain body 21s and the beam portion 22 However, the method of making the spring constants of both the same is not limited to this.

In addition, in said embodiment and modification, the length of the longitudinal direction of the flat plate part 11a of the 1st base 11 and the flat plate part 12a of the 2nd base 12 is arbitrary. One or both of the flat plate portion 11a and the flat plate portion 12a can be omitted.

In addition, in said embodiment and modification, although the 1st base 11 and the 2nd base 12 were separate components mutually independent, it is not restricted to this. The first base portion 11 and the second base portion 12 may be integrated. For example, the flat plate portion 11a and the flat plate portion 12a may be connected by a flat plate extending below the mounting plate 3.

In the above-described embodiment and modification, the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 are fixed to the first base portion 11 and the second base portion 12 with the screws T, but this is not limitative. Fixing the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 to the first base portion 11 and the second base portion 12 may be performed using bolts or rivets, or may be performed by welding.

In the embodiment and the modification described above, the beam-type load cell 21 is attached to the first base portion 11 with the top surface 11bt of the support base portion 11b and the lower surface 21sd of the strain body 21s in contact with each other. However, it is not limited to this. The beam-type load cell 21 may be attached to the first base portion 11 with the front surface of the support base portion 11b and the longitudinal end surface of the strain generating body 21s in contact with each other, for example. The same applies to the attachment of the beam portion 22 to the second base portion 12.

In the above embodiment and modification, the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 face each other in parallel, but the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 have an angle smaller than about 5 °. You may face each other.

In the embodiment and the modification described above, two strain gauges 21g are attached to the strain body 21s of the beam-type load cell 21, but the number of strain gauges 21g attached to the strain body 21s is one. It may be three or more.

In the embodiment and the modification described above, the first connecting

portions

32, 42, 52 of the mounting

plates

3, 4, 5 are attached in the vicinity of the other end portion 21 sf of the strain body 21 s of the beam-type load cell 21. It was. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first connecting

portions

32, 42, 52 of the mounting

plates

3, 4, 5 are on the other end 21 sf side (free end) from the longitudinal center of the strain-generating body 21 s of the beam-type load cell 21. It may be attached to the side). Further, the first connecting

portions

32, 42, 52 of the mounting

plates

3, 4, 5 can be attached at an arbitrary position on the free end side than the thin portion 21 th of the strain body 21 s of the beam-type load cell 21.

In addition, in said embodiment and modification, although the mounting board 3, the mounting board 4, and the mounting board 5 were being fixed to the 1st load cell 21 and the 2nd load cell 22 with the screw T, it is not restricted to this. . The mounting plate 3, the mounting plate 4, and the mounting plate 5 may be fixed to the first load cell 21 and the second load cell 22 by using bolts or rivets, or may be performed by welding.

In the above-described embodiment, the first and second connecting

portions

32 and 33 of the mounting plate 3 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31, but are not limited thereto. The 1st,

2nd connection parts

32 and 33 should just be provided in the other side on both sides of the longitudinal direction center in the longitudinal direction of the main-body part 31 (or mounting plate 3).

In addition, in said embodiment and modification, although the

1st connection parts

32 and 52 of the mounting board 3 and the mounting board 5 were formed as a flat plate part extended in a horizontal direction, the 1st connection part 32, It is also possible to make 52 into a shape including a flat plate portion extending in the vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In this case, the mounting plate 3 and the mounting plate 5 are attached to the beam-type load cell 21 with one surface of the flat plate portion extending in the vertical direction and the end surface in the longitudinal direction of the strain body 21s of the beam-type load cell 21. Perform in contact. The same applies to the mounting plate 3 and the second connecting portions 33 and 53 of the mounting plate 5.

In the above embodiment, the length in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 31 of the mounting plate 3 is the same as the length in the longitudinal direction of the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22, but is not limited thereto. The main body 31 of the mounting plate 3 may be shorter or longer than the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam 22.

In the above modification, the first and second connecting

portions

42 and 43 of the mounting plate 4 are attached to the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface 41 b of the recess 41. I went there, but it is not limited to this. The first and second connecting

portions

42 and 43 are attached to the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 in the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface 41b (or the mounting plate 4) of the concave portion 41 and opposite to each other across the longitudinal center. If it is done in.

In the above-described modification, flat plate portions that extend in the vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be provided at the ends of the first and second connecting

portions

42 and 43 of the mounting plate 4. In this case, the mounting plate 4 is attached to the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 in the longitudinal direction of one surface of the flat plate portion extending in the vertical direction, the strain body 21 s of the beam-type load cell 21, and the beam portion 22. The process is performed in a state where the end surfaces are brought into contact with each other and a predetermined gap is provided between the lower surfaces of the first and second connecting

portions

42 and 43 and the upper surfaces of the strain generating bodies 21s and 22s. A spacer may or may not be disposed between the first connecting

portions

42 and 43 and the strain generating bodies 21s and 22s.

In the above modification, the length of the mounting plate 4 in the longitudinal direction is the same as the length of the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22 in the longitudinal direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The mounting plate 4 may be shorter or longer than the beam-type load cell 21 and the beam portion 22.

In the load detector 100 of the above embodiment and the load detector 300 of the modified example, the mounting plate 3 and the mounting plate 5 are the upper surface 21st of the strain body 21s of the beam-type load cell 21 and the upper surface of the beam portion 22. It may be fixed to 22st.

In the load detector 200 of the above-described modification, the mounting plate 4 may be fixed to the lower surface 21 sd of the strain body 21 s of the beam-type load cell 21 and the lower surface 22 sd of the beam portion 22.

In the load detector 100 of the above embodiment, one or both of the slope 34 and the slope 35 of the mounting plate 3 may be omitted. When one slope is omitted, a substantially vertical wall may be formed at the end of the main body 31 of the mounting plate 3 that does not have a slope so that the caster CT or the like cannot pass. Similarly, in the load detector 200 of the above-described modified example, one or both of the slope 44 and the slope 45 of the mounting plate 4 may be omitted. When one slope is omitted, a substantially vertical wall connected to the bottom surface 41b and the side surface 41s may be formed at the end portion of the mounting plate 4 that does not have the slope.

In the load detector 100 of the above-described embodiment, the recess 36 may not be formed on the mounting plate 3.

In the load detector 100 of the above-described embodiment, the beam load cell 21 is prevented from being overloaded by controlling the gap (gap) between the first base portion 11 and the first connecting portion 32. May be. Here, the gap control refers to, for example, reducing the height of the support base 11b, increasing the thickness of the first connecting part 32, and / or extending the flat plate part 11a in the longitudinal direction, thereby extending the first connecting part 32. This means that the beam-type load cell 21 is restricted so as not to be distorted beyond its limit load (that is, a stopper mechanism).

Similarly, in the load detector 300 of the above modification, the beam-type load cell 21 may not be overloaded by the gap control between the first base portion 11 and the first connecting portion 52.

Second Embodiment
A load detection system 500 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The load detection system 500 mainly includes four load detectors 100 and a controller CONT. The four load detectors 100 and the controller CONT are connected by wiring.

When using the load detection system 500, the casters CT attached to the four legs of the bed BD are placed on the placement plates 3 of the four load detectors 100 (FIG. 9). Thereby, each of the four load detectors 100 detects a part of the test subject's load on the bed BD applied via the leg of the bed BD.

The controller CONT connected to the four load detectors 100 adds the outputs from the beam-type load cells 21 of the respective load detectors 100 by a predetermined number (two times as an example), and adds them together to determine the weight of the subject on the bed BD. Ask for. Further, any other processing may be performed by the controller CONT. For example, based on the output from the beam-type load cell 21, the position of the center of gravity of the subject on the bed BD and how it fluctuates may be calculated. The position of the center of gravity of the subject on the bed BD does not depend on the absolute values of the four output values of the four beam load cells 21 of the four load detectors 100, but is based only on the relative magnitude relationship of the four output values. Therefore, the load detector 100 may calculate only the position of the center of gravity of the subject and how it fluctuates without obtaining the weight of the subject on the bed BD.

Since the load detection system 500 of the present embodiment uses the load detector 100 of the first embodiment, the same effect as the load detector 100 of the first embodiment can be obtained. In particular, the load detection system 500 of the present embodiment is advantageous in that the position of the center of gravity of the subject on the bed BD and its variation can be calculated with high accuracy using the load detector 100 with a low manufacturing cost.

In the load detection system of the present embodiment, the number of load detectors 100 is not limited to four, and may be three or less, or five or more. In place of the load detector 100, modified

load detectors

200 and 300 may be used.

It should be noted that the load detection system of the present embodiment can be used by placing the leg of the bed BD directly on the placement plate 3 of the load detector 100 instead of the caster CT. In addition, when the bed leg is vertically divided into two, the first and

second bases

11 and 12 of the load detector 100 are arranged above the lower leg of the divided legs, and the mounting plate 3 It is also possible to detect the subject's load by placing the upper leg on the top. In this specification, “place a load detector on the leg of the bed” means that when the load detector is placed under the caster CT, when the load detector is placed directly under the leg of the bed BD, Including a case where a load detector is disposed between the lower leg and the lower leg.

In the load detection system of this embodiment, the output from the load detector 100 may be transmitted to the controller CONT by radio instead of wiring. The controller CONT may be connected to a display for displaying the load determined by the controller CONT and an alarm for performing predetermined notification based on the determined load.

As long as the characteristics of the present invention are maintained, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. .

The load detector and load detection system of the present invention can be suitably used for load detection of heavy objects such as beds, and the manufacturing cost is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to promote the spread of management of patients and care recipients based on load detection in hospitals, care facilities, etc., and contribute to improving the quality of medical care and care.

11 1st base, 12 2nd base, 21 beam type load cell, 22 beam part, 3, 4, 5 mounting part, 5 spacer, 100, 200, 300 load detector, 500 load detection system, BD bed, CT caster

Claims

A beam-type load cell having a free end by being cantilevered on a first support;
A beam portion disposed opposite to the beam-type load cell and having a free end by being cantilevered on a second support base;
A placement part on which an object is placed, comprising: a first connection part connected to the beam-type load cell; and a second connection part connected to the beam part; the beam-type load cell and the beam part A load detector comprising a mounting portion provided between the two,
In the direction in which the beam-type load cell extends, the free end of the beam portion is located on the opposite side of the free end of the beam-type load cell;
The first connecting part of the mounting part is connected to the beam-type load cell on the free end side of the beam-type load cell, and the second connecting part of the mounting part is connected to the free end of the beam part and the beam part. Load detector connected on the side.
The load detector according to claim 1, wherein the beam-type load cell and the beam portion are arranged in parallel.
The free end of the beam-type load cell and the second support base are at substantially the same position in the extending direction of the beam-type load cell, and the free end of the beam portion and the first support base are The load detector according to claim 2, wherein the load detector is at substantially the same position in the extending direction of the beam-type load cell.
The beam-type load cell includes a strain body, and the mounting portion includes a plate-like main body portion attached to the bottom surface of the strain body and the beam portion. Load detector.
The beam-type load cell includes a strain body, and the mounting portion is a curved plate attached to the top surface of the strain body and the beam portion, and the curved plate includes the beam-type load cell, the beam portion, and The load detector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a U-groove extending substantially in parallel with the beam-type load cell is defined therebetween.
The load detector is a load detector that is disposed on the floor and detects the load of the object placed on the placement unit by displacing the placement unit in the vertical direction.
A slope fixed to the placing portion, further comprising a slope in which the floor surface and the lower end portion of the slope are separated in the vertical direction when the placing portion is displaced. The load detector according to any one of the above.
The load detector according to claim 6, wherein the slope is provided at both ends of the beam-type load cell in the extending direction.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a slope fixed to at least one of the first support base or the second support base, wherein the mounting portion is displaceable independently of the slope. Load detector.
The load detector is a load detector that is disposed on the floor and detects the load of the object placed on the placement unit by displacing the placement unit in the vertical direction.
The load detector according to claim 8, wherein a lower end portion of the slope contacts the floor surface in a state where the load detector is disposed on the floor surface.
The load detector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the placement unit includes a movement restricting unit provided in a central part.
The load detector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first support base and the second support base are integrally formed.
The load detector is a load detector that detects a load of a subject on a bed with casters, and the placement unit is a placement unit on which the casters are placed. The load detector according to one item.
A load detection system for detecting the load of a subject on a bed,
A plurality of load detectors according to any one of the preceding claims, arranged on a bed leg;
A load detection system having a control unit connected to the plurality of load detectors and calculating the load of the subject based on the output of the load detectors.