Thin Weighing Scale With A Sandwich Structure

• US 20170199073A1
• Filed: 01/08/2016
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Withings S.A.
• Original Assignee: Withings S.A.
• Inventors: Retiere, Thibaut, Joussain, Antoine, Carreel, Eric, Juan, Paul Edouard, Debreuil, Xavier
• Granted Patent: US 10,309,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/23 Support or suspension of weighing platforms G01G21/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/244 combined with flexure-plate fulcrums flexure-plate fulcrums G01G21/07
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/1402 Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports

Abstract

A thin weighing scale having a thickness of less than 25 mm, comprising a first rigid bottom plate, extending along a reference plane defined by a first direction X and a second direction, a second rigid top plate, at least four load cells 4, interposed between the first and second rigid plates, a set of linkages comprising arms, some arms extend in the first direction and some other arms extend in the second direction, each arm having an elongated shape with a first end attached to the first rigid plate and a second end rigidly connected to the second rigid plate, whereby a movement is provided along a third direction, the set of linkages preventing relative movement between first and second rigid plates along the first and second direction.

Claims

1. A thin weighing scale having a thickness of less than 25 mm, comprising:

a first rigid plate, extending along a reference plane defined by a first direction X and a second direction,

a second rigid plate, arranged parallel and at distance from the first rigid plate, with no direct contact between first and second rigid plates,

at least four load cells, each interposed between the first and second rigid plates,

a set of linkages comprising at least four arms, among which at least two arms extend in the first direction and at least two other arms extend in the second direction,

each arm having an elongated shape with a first end attached to the first rigid plate and a second end rigidly connected to the second rigid plate,

whereby the second rigid plate is movably mounted with regard to the first rigid plate, substantially along a third direction perpendicular to the reference plane XY, the set of linkages preventing substantive relative movement between first and second rigid plates along the first and second direction.

2. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein there is provided at least two stop arrangement with a part rigid with the first rigid plate and a counterpart rigid with the second rigid plate.

3. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the set of linkages comprises at least two linking units, the at least four arms are formed in the linking units.

4. The weighing scale of claim 3, wherein the set of linkages comprises four linking units, each linking unit comprising two arms, one extending in the first direction X and one extending in the second direction Y.

5. The weighing scale of claim 4, wherein each linking unit is provided with a stop arrangement.

6. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the arms extend over more than ⅓

of the scale side length.

7. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the weighing scale is less than 20 mm, preferably less than 18 mm.

8. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the first and second rigid plates are flat and have a constant thickness.

9. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the first rigid plate forms the bottom plate.

10. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the second rigid plate forms the top plate.

11. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the second rigid plate is made of glass.

12. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the arms are at the vicinity of the borders of the scale and the arms cover the peripheral area next to one another.

13. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the bottom plate is slightly smaller in X Y than the top plate.

14. The weighing scale of claim 1, wherein the linking units are L-shaped or Square-shaped and the internal corner lodges the corresponding load cell.