Display system for projecting the center of gravity of the human body

• US 5,609,162 A
• Filed: 01/13/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Otto Bock Orthopadische Industrie Besitz-Und
• Original Assignee: OTTO BOCK Orthopaedische Industrie Besitz - und Verwaltungs - KG Industriestrasse
• Inventors: Blumentritt, Siegmar, Sawatzki, Steffen, van de Veen, Paul G., Brendel, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINGOOD, PAMELA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US08/372,114
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 128/774, 128/782, 128/714, 356/373
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1079 using optical or photographic means

Abstract

The invention relates to a center of gravity control display system for measuring the human body and/or prosthetic or orthotic fittings in their positions relative to the human body. According to the invention, this system consists of a measuring plate (1) for determining center of gravity (4) projected in the plane of measuring plate (1), of a person standing on measuring plate (1), and of a projection device (2) for projecting a perpendicular measuring line onto the body of said person, with measuring plate (1) being provided with pressure sensors (3) connected with one another by a circuit, said sensors delivering an electrical signal defining the determined center of gravity position, said signal controlling a drive that displaces an optical system in a plane parallel to that of measuring plate (1), said system projecting a light beam (19) as a vertical measuring line that defines a plane in which center of gravity (4) of the person being measured lies.

Claims

1. Display system controlled by the center of gravity, for measuring the human body and/or prosthetic and orthotic fittings in their position relative to the human body, comprising:

a measuring plate for determining the center of gravity, projected in the plane of said measuring plate, of a person standing on said measuring plate,

a projection device arranged outside said measuring plate and comprising an optical system for projecting a light beam defining a vertical measuring line and

a drive for displacing said optical system in a plane parallel to that of said measuring plate,

said measuring plate being provided with pressure sensors connected with another via a circuit, said sensors delivering an electrical signal defining the position of the center of gravity thus determined,

said electrical signal controlling said drive for displacing said optical system to a terminal position in which the projected vertical measuring line and the center of gravity of the measured person lying within the same vertical plane.

2. Display system according to claim 1 characterized in that the drive is a stepping motor.

3. Display system according to claim 2 characterized in that said stepping motor is mounted stationary.

4. Display system according to claim 3 characterized in that said stepping motor drives an endless toothed belt connected with a carriage supporting the optical system.

5. Display system according to claim 4 characterized in that said projection device comprises a straight carriage guide and a housing at each end of said carriage guide, one housing accommodating said stepping motor with the drive wheel for said toothed belt, and the other housing accommodating a counterbearing for returning said toothed belt.

6. Display system according to claim 1 characterized in that the optical system can be moved under manual control, by respectively defined distances.

7. Display system according to claim 1 characterized in that said light beam is a laser beam.

8. Display system according to claim 7 characterized in that the laser emitting the laser beam is mounted stationary and the optical system has a linearally guided deflecting mirror.

9. Display system according to claim 8 characterized in that said deflecting mirror is mounted on a carriage, said carriage guided on said carriage guide.

10. Display system according to claim 8 characterized in that said deflecting mirror is rotatable around an axis parallel to its displacement direction.

11. Display system according to claim 10 characterized by a motor drive for rotating said deflecting mirror.

12. Display system according to claim 11 characterized in that said carriage comprises a motor on whose drive shaft said deflecting mirror is mounted.

13. Display system according to claim 1 characterized in that the light source emitting said light beam is mounted on a carriage, said carriage being guided on said carriage guide.

14. Display system according to claim 13 characterized in that the light source is a laser with reticle optics.

15. Display system according claim 1 characterized in that said measuring plate is made in one piece.

16. Display system according to claim 15 characterized in that said measuring plate consists essentially of a honeycomb material.

17. Display system according to claim 1 characterized in that said projection device and said measuring plate are combined with one another to form a unit.

18. A display system, comprising:

means for determining a center of gravity of a person or object in a first plane;

means for projecting a measuring line on said person or object, said measuring line being perpendicular to said first plane; and

means for displacing said means for projecting said measuring line;

in response to said means for determining center of gravity, whereby said measuring line can be projected on a desired location of said person or object by said means for projecting.

19. The display system of claim 18, wherein said means for determining includes:

a support on which said person or object is positionable;

a plurality of transducers connected to said support; and

a circuit connected to said plurality of transducers, said circuit producing an electrical signal which defines the position of said center of gravity.

20. The display system of claim 19 wherein said electrical signal is supplied to said means for displacing said means for projecting said measuring line.

21. The display system of claim 18 wherein said means for projecting a measuring line includes a laser and wherein said means for displacing said means for projecting said measuring line includes a mirror positioned in line with a laser beam produced by said laser to reflect said laser beam towards said person or object.

22. The display system of claim 18 wherein said means for displacing displaces said means for projecting said measuring line on a second plane which parallel to said first plane.

23. The display system of claim 18 wherein said means for displacing said means for projecting said measuring line comprises:

a carriage, said means for projecting said measuring line being positioned on said carriage;

a track along which said carriage is movable; and

a means for moving said carriage along said track.

24. The display system of claim 23 wherein said means for projecting said measuring line comprises a mirror positioned to reflect a laser beam directed parallel to said track towards said person or object.

25. The display system of claim 18 further comprising means for directing said means for displacing to displace said means for projecting to at least two different locations with respect to said person or object.