Handheld Electronic Luggage Scale

• US 20110186356A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heys International Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Heys (USA), Inc.
• Inventors: Sheikh, Haroon
• Granted Patent: US 8,884,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/25.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/414 using electronic computing means only
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/58 combined with handles of suit-cases or trunks
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/28 Frames, Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/283 Details related to a user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/36 Indicating the weight by electrical means, e.g. using photoelectric cells

Abstract

A hand-held electronic luggage scale includes a handle designed to be held generally horizontally, and a hook supported by the handle, which extends generally vertically below the handle. The handle houses an electronic scale, the electronic scale connected to the hook for calculating a weight of an object suspended from the hook. The hook may be metal and have a rubber and/or plastic exterior. A touch screen display may be provided in a top surface of the handle that displays the calculated weight from the electronic scale component. The touch screen display may include an icon representing a virtual control button that controls a user-selectable setting, and provides haptic feedback when the user-selectable setting changes due to a user pressing the virtual control button for a predetermined period of time. The touch screen display may include icons that control power, illumination, units of measurement, and/or other functionality.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic luggage scale comprising:

a handle;

a curved hook supported by the handle, and extending generally vertically below the handle, the curved hook having a metal body and rubber cover covering at least a portion of the metal body;

the handle acting as a housing for at least one electronic scale component, the electronic scale component connected to the curved hook for calculating a weight of an object suspended from the curved hook; and

a touch screen display provided in a surface of the handle, the touch screen display being configured to display the weight of the object calculated by the electronic scale component; and

a virtual control button within the touch screen display, wherein the virtual control button within the touch screen display is configured to change a user-selectable setting of the handheld electronic luggage scale when a user presses the virtual control button for a predetermined period of time.

2. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the handle is curved from the central portion the handle to both ends of the handle to provide an ergonomic support for the user to lift the object to be weighed.

3. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 1, wherein the touch screen display is provided in a top surface of the handle and the virtual control button is visually depicted on the touch screen display as a circular icon.

4. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 3, wherein the curved hook supported by the handle is interconnected with the handle via a connector, the curved hook having a small hook portion sized to be accepted by an opening on the connector and a large hook portion configured to hook luggage handles, the small hook portion having a vertical alignment that is approximately parallel to a longitudinal length of the handle and the large hook portion having a vertical alignment that is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the handle.

5. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 3, wherein the virtual control button provides haptic feedback once a user-selectable setting of the virtual control button changes.

6. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 3, wherein the curved hook is centrally located with respect to the bottom surface of the handle.

7. A handheld electronic luggage scale comprising:

a handle;

a luggage hook attachment that is centrally located on a bottom surface of the handle, the luggage hook protruding from the bottom surface of the handle in the downward direction;

a connector housed within the luggage hook attachment with an opening at one end;

a curved hook having a diameter sized to be accepted by the opening of the connector such that the curved hook is supported by the connector and extends generally vertically below the handle; and

an electronic scale housed within the handle, the electronic scale interconnected with the curved hook via the connector for calculating a weight of an object suspended from the curved hook, wherein a touch screen display is provided on a surface of the handle, the touch screen display being configured to display (1) the calculated weight from the electronic scale component, and (2) an icon representing a virtual control button, the virtual control button being configured to adjust a user-selectable setting when a user touches the icon representing the virtual control button for a predetermined period of time.

8. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 7, wherein the bottom surface of the handle is curved from the luggage hook attachment centrally located on the bottom surface of the handle to both longitudinal ends of the bottom surface to provide an ergonomic support for the user to lift the object to be weighed.

9. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 8, wherein the touch screen display is provided on a top surface of the handle and the virtual control button is an off/on switch.

10. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 8, wherein the touch screen display includes a second icon representing a second virtual control button that is configured to switch units of measurement of the object being weighed.

11. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 7, wherein the touch screen display includes a battery gauge.

12. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 7, wherein the handle is approximately 4 inches long, and the touch screen display is configured to change colors.

13. A handheld electronic luggage scale comprising:

a handle;

an electronic scale component configured to weigh an object, the handle acting as a housing for the electronic scale component;

a luggage hook attachment that is centrally located on the handle, the luggage hook attachment protruding from a bottom surface of the handle in the downward direction;

a connector housed within the luggage hook attachment with an opening at one end, the one end of the connector with the opening extending below the luggage hook attachment;

a curved hook having a diameter sized to be accepted by the opening of the connector such that the curved hook is supported by the connector and interconnected with the electronic scale component via the connector, the curved hook extending generally vertically below the handle and being at least partially covered with a rubber material; and

a touch screen display provided in a top surface of the handle, wherein the touch screen display is configured to display the calculated weight of the object being lifted via the curved hook from the electronic scale component, the touch screen display includes an icon representing a virtual control button that (1) controls a user-selectable setting, and (2) provides at least one of auditory, visual, and haptic feedback when the user-selectable setting changes due to a user pressing the virtual control button for a predetermined period of time.

14. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 13, wherein the bottom surface of the handle is curved from the luggage hook attachment that is centrally located to a first and a second longitudinal end of the handle to provide an ergonomic support for the user to lift the object to be weighed.

15. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 13, wherein the curved hook comprises a large hook portion having a bottom curved hook extending at least approximately 180 degrees radially, the bottom curved hook configured to hook a handle or strap on the object.

16. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 15, wherein the curved hook comprises a small hook portion having a top curved hook extending from the large hook portion, the vertical alignment of the small hook portion and the vertical alignment of the large hook portion being approximately 90 degrees offset with respect to each other.

17. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 13, wherein the touch screen display includes two icons representing two virtual control buttons, each of the two virtual control buttons being configured to change an associated user-selectable setting.

18. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 13, wherein the virtual control button is a virtual on and off button.

19. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 13, wherein the virtual control button is configured to change a unit of measurement of the weight of the object being weighed by the electronic scale component.

20. The handheld electronic luggage scale of claim 13, wherein the user-selectable setting changes a background color of the touch screen display.