Device for weighing individuals on a toilet seat

• US 4,697,656 A
• Filed: 04/09/1986
• Issued: 10/06/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Emmanuel De Canecaude
• Original Assignee: Emmanuel De Canecaude
• Inventors: de Canecaude, Emmanuel
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER JR, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US06/810,384
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 177/144, 177/209, 177/262
• US Class Current: 177/144
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/36 Indicating the weight by electrical means, e.g. using photoelectric cells

Abstract

The weighing device comprises at least a force sensor (1,2,3) integrated in a toilet seat (4) resting on the upper edge of the bowl (11); the sensor works with an electronic unit (6) comprising means for formatting the measurement signal that drives a means (8) for displaying the user'"'"'s weight, said means (8) being placed on an extension (9) of seat (4); the hinge along the XX axis comprises an oblong hole to avoid affecting the measurement.

Claims

1. Device for weighing individuals on a toilet seat, comprising a seat (4) and a cover hinged on a support fastened to a bowl (11), means for measurement of the user'"'"'s weight made solid with seat (4) made to rest on the upper edge of bowl (11), said measuring means work with a means (8) for displaying the user'"'"'s weight, the hinge of the seat is provided with an oblong hole or with sufficient play to avoid disturbing the measurement, characterized in that means for measurement of the user'"'"'s weight consist of three active strain gage blades mounted in series on a Wheatstone bridge together forming a sensor, said blades are oriented toward the epicenter of seat (4), and the part of the support of said blades in contact with the bowl is of semirigid material, and said sensor works with an electronic unit comprising means for formatting the measurement signal and for transmission to a digital weight display means (8, 13) placed on a front extension (9) of the seat, and the seat is overfilled on a rigid metallic structure, and hinge (56) of cover (55) is fastened on a support (57) outside of the seat.

2. Device as in claim 1, wherein the measurement signal coming from the electronic formatting unit is sent by an electromagnetic wave transmitter to an outside weight signal receiver.

3. Device as in claim 1, wherein the measurement signal coming from the electronic formatting unit drives an electronic voice synthesis unit for indicating the weight of the user under the action of a fleeting action control button.

4. Device as in claim 1, wherein the means for displaying the weight is a printer delivering a ticket bearing the results of the measurement and the corresponding date.

5. Device for weighing a user of a toilet, comprising

a toilet seat (15) fastened by hinges to a bowl (11) and,

means for measurement of the user'"'"'s weight made integrally with said seat (4) and to rest on the upper edge of said bowl (11), including means (8) for displaying the user'"'"'s weight,

wherein each said hinge of the seat is provided with an oblong hole or with sufficient play to avoid disturbing the weight measurement, and

said means for measurement of the user'"'"'s weight includes at least one hydraulic sensor (16,17,18) fastened under said seat (15), and connected to a rigid pipe (19, 20) filled with a pressure transmission liquid, each said sensor (16,17,18) resting on the top edge (29) of the bowl (11) and measuring the pressure prevailing in the pressure transmission liquid therein, and means for displaying said pressure translated into the corresponding weight for display.

6. Device as in claim 5, wherein said hydraulic sensors (16,17,18), pipe (19,20) and means for filling them with said pressure transmission liquid and for zero adjustment (36,37,38) thereof are molded in a single piece with said seat (15).

7. Device as in claim 5, wherein said hydraulic sensors (16,17,18), pipe (19,20) and means for filling them with said pressure transmission liquid (36,37) are molded in at least two plastic parts, and said parts are then glued along a plane (XX) connecting lower parts of the pipe, sensors and their filling means with corresponding upper parts thereof molded in the body of the seat (15).

8. Device as in claim 5, comprising three of said sensors distributed under said seat (15) and connected by said pipe.

9. Device as in claim 5, wherein each said hydraulic sensor is isolated from said pressure transmission fluid by a respective membrane (30).

10. Device for weighing a user of a toilet, comprising

a toilet seat (15) fastened by hinges to a bowl (11) and,

means for measurement of the user'"'"'s weight made integrally with said seat (4) and to rest on the upper edge of said bowl (11), including means (8) for displaying the user'"'"'s weight,

wherein each said hinge of the seat is provided with an oblong hole or with sufficient play to avoid disturbing the weight measurement, and

said means for measurement of the user'"'"'s weight including a flexible pipe (50) provided with the seat (15) to rest on the top of the bowl (11) over a large part of its length, a zero adjustment screw (54) placed in a first fitting (53) at one end of the flexible pipe (50), and a second fitting (52) of a unit (51) in which is placed said at least one sensor protected by a membrane, said second fitting being connected to the other end of said flexible pipe, and an electronic unit connected to said at least one sensor for converting the pressure of the pressure transmission liquid for digital display by said displaying means at the front of the seat.