Height measuring apparatus and bioinstrumentation apparatus with height measuring device

• US 20050155246A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tanita
• Original Assignee: Tanita
• Inventors: Montagnino, James G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 33/832
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4869 Determining body composition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/50 having additional measuring devices, e.g. for height

Abstract

A height measuring apparatus and a bioinstrumentation apparatus with a height measuring device are provided capable of precise measurement accuracy without being affected by an examinee and being highly convenient to assemble, handle and operate. A height detector (a transceiver and a reflector or a transmitter and a receiver having a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam) has components arranged in a movable part (a head-contact arm or a movable bar) and in a stationary part (a height measurement unit (base platform) or a fixed bar) of a telescoping height measurement bar such that a communication signal route between the parts is not blocked when an examinee is standing thereon, to obtain a height measurement by detecting the distance between the movable and stationary parts.

Claims

1. A height measuring apparatus comprising:

a base platform on which an examinee stands;

a height measurement bar including a fixed bar erected from the base platform in a height direction of the examinee standing on the base platform and a movable bar provided in the fixed bar telescopically movably in the height direction;

a head-contact arm in the movable bar and operatively associated with the telescopic movement of the movable bar, or being movable using the movable bar as a guide, so as to abut the head of the examinee;

a height detector having components arranged to oppose each other such that a communication signal route between the components is not blocked when the examinee stands on the base platform, and a signal responsive to the distance between the opposing components is detected;

a height-producing processor for obtaining a height based on the distance signal detected by the height detector; and

a display panel including a display for displaying the height obtained by the height-producing processor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height measurement bar comprises a plurality of portions in the height direction and a snap lock for connecting the portions together by hand, and

wherein the fixed bar is separatably connectible to the base platform with a knob for connecting the fixed bar and the base platform by rotating the knob by hand.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable bar is automatically movable in a telescopic movement.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display panel is formed about the fixed bar in a flat shape or in a wrap-around shape, and the display is divided about the movable bar.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display panel is rotatable about the fixed bar.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the movable bar is collapsable to a position level with or lower than that of the display panel.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height detector comprises a transceiver in the base platform or the fixed bar and a reflector in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the transceiver has a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height detector comprises a reflector in the base platform or the fixed bar and a transceiver in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the transceiver has a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height detector comprises a transmitter in the base platform or the fixed bar and a receiver in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the transmitter and the receiver have a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height detector comprises a receiver in the base platform or the fixed bar and a transmitter in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the transmitter and the receiver have a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

15. A bioinstrumentation apparatus with a height measuring device comprising:

a weight measurement unit on which an examinee stands for measuring a weight;

a height measurement bar including a fixed bar erected in a height direction of the examinee standing on the weight measurement unit and a movable bar in the fixed bar telescopically movably in the height direction;

a head-contact arm in the movable bar and operatively associated with the telescopic movement of the movable bar, or being movable using the movable bar as a guide, so as to abut the head of the examinee;

a height detector having components that are arranged to oppose each other such that a communication signal route between the components is not blocked when the examinee stands on the weight measurement unit, and a signal responsive to the distance between the opposing components is detected;

a height-producing processor for obtaining a height based on the distance signal detected by the height detector;

a biogenic-information calculation unit for calculating biogenic-information about obesity based on the weight measured by the weight measurement unit and the height obtained by the height-producing processor; and

a display panel including a display for displaying the biogenic-information about obesity calculated by the biogenic-information calculation unit.

16. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the biogenic-information about obesity is a BMI (body mass index).

17. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the height measurement bar comprises a plurality of portions in the height direction and a snap lock for connecting the portions together by hand, and

wherein the height measurement bar is separatably connectible to the weight measurement unit with a knob for connecting the height measurement bar and the weight measurement unit by rotating the knob by hand.

18. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the movable bar is automatically movable in a telescopic movement.

19. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the display panel is formed about the fixed bar in a flat shape or in a wrap-around shape, and the display is divided about the movable bar.

20. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the display panel is rotatable about the fixed bar.

21. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the movable bar is collapsible to a position level with or lower than that of the display panel.

22. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the height detector comprises a transceiver in the weight measurement unit or the fixed bar and a reflector in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

23. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the transceiver has a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

24. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the height detector comprises a reflector in the weight measurement unit or the fixed bar and a transceiver in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

25. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the transceiver has a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

26. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the height detector comprises a transmitter in the weight measurement unit or the fixed bar and a receiver in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

27. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the transmitter and the receiver have a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

28. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the height detector comprises a receiver in the weight measurement unit or the fixed bar and a transmitter in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

29. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the transmitter and the receiver have a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

30. A bioinstrumentation apparatus with a height measuring device comprising:

a weight measurement unit on which an examinee stands for measuring a weight;

a biogenic-impedance measurement unit for measuring the biogenic impedance of the examinee;

a height measurement bar including a fixed bar erected in a height direction of the examinee standing on the weight measurement unit and a movable bar in the fixed bar telescopically movably in the height direction;

a head-contact arm in the movable bar and operatively associated with the telescopic movement of the movable bar, or movable using the movable bar as a guide, so as to abut the head of the examinee;

a height detector having components that are arranged to oppose each other such as a communication signal route between the components is not blocked when the examinee stands on the weight measurement unit, and a signal responsive to the distance between the opposing components is detected;

a height-producing processor for obtaining a height based on the distance signal detected by the height detector;

a biogenic-information calculation unit for calculating biogenic-information about body composition based on the weight measured by the weight measurement unit, the biogenic impedance measured by the biogenic-impedance measurement unit, and the height obtained by the height-producing processor; and

a display panel including a display for displaying the biogenic-information about the body composition calculated by the biogenic-information calculation unit.

31. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the biogenic-information about the body composition is a value relating to at least one of body fat, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, muscle, bones, and body water.

32. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the height measurement bar comprises a plurality of portions in the height direction and a snap lock for connecting the portions together by hand, and

wherein the height measurement bar is separatably connectible to the weight measurement unit with a knob for connecting the height measurement bar and the weight measurement unit by rotating the knob by hand.

33. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the movable bar is automatically movable in a telescopic movement.

34. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the display panel is formed about the fixed bar in a flat shape or in a wrap-around shape, and the display is divided about the movable bar.

35. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the display panel is rotatable about the fixed bar.

36. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the movable bar is collapsable to a position level with or lower than that of the display panel.

37. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the height detector comprises a transceiver in the weight measurement unit or the fixed bar and a reflector in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

38. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the transceiver has a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

39. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the height detector comprises a reflector provided in the weight measurement unit or the fixed bar and a transceiver in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

40. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the transceiver has a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

41. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the height detector comprises a transmitter in the weight measurement unit or the fixed bar and a receiver in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

42. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the transmitter and the receiver have a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.

43. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the height detector comprises a receiver in the weight measurement unit or the fixed bar and a transmitter in the head-contact arm or the movable bar.

44. The bioinstrumentation apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the transmitter and the receiver have a communication conformation with a laser or ultra sonic beam.