Apparatus for determining levels of physical loads

An apparatus for determining levels of physical activity comprising:

• a housing;
• a seismic mass constituted by a permanent magnet;
• elastic suspension means for securing said mass in said housing for movement along a path and for holding said mass in a rest position, said mass being movable from said rest position by physical activity of a user carrying the housing;
• a first switching element positioned in said having along the path of movement of said seismic mass and constituted by a group of magnetically operated hermetically sealed change-over contacts including a normally open contact, a normally closed contact spaced from said normally open contact along the path of movement, and a common contact, said normally open contact and said normally closed contact being interrelated so that closing of one opens the other;
• a second switching element spaced from said first switching element and positioned in said housing along the path of movement of said seismic mass and constituted by a pair of magnetically operated hermetically sealed normally open contacts, one of which is connected to said common contact of said first switching element;
• an indicator positioned in said housing and including a first indicating element for indicating closing of said normally open contact of said first switching element and having a first terminal and a second terminal;
• a second indicating element for indicating closing of said normally closed contact upon movement of said mass resulting from a predetermined level of physical activity and having a first terminal and a second terminal;
• and a third indicating element for indicating closing of said contacts of said second switching element upon movement of said mass resulting from a level of physical activity exceeding the predetermined level by a predetermined amount and having a first terminal and a second terminal;
• said first terminal of said first indicating element of said indicator being connected to said normally open contact of said first switching element, said first terminal of said second indicating element of said indicator being connected to said normally closed contact of said first switching element, and said first terminal of said third indicating element of said indicator being connected to the other of said normally open contacts of said second switching element;
• a power supply unit having a first output terminal and a second output terminal, said first output terminal being connected to said common contact of said first switching element;
• and
• a cut-out switch for controlling supply of power from said power supply unit and having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal being connected to said second output terminal of said power supply unit and said second terminal being connected to said second terminals of said first, second and third indicating elements, the positioning of said first and said second switching elements and the relationship between said first and said second switching elements, said indicator, and said cut-out switch being such that said first indicating element is energized by closing of said cut-out switch, said second indicating element is energized when said mass moves a first predetermined distance from said rest position, and said third indicating element is energized when said mass moves a second predetermined distance from said rest position, said second predetermined distance being greater than said first predetermined distance.

An apparatus for sensing and for generating signals representative of a first level of physical load, a second level higher than said first level of physical load, and a third level higher than said second level of physical load, said apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a seismic mass comprising a permanent magnet;
• elastic suspension means within said housing having first and second elements for supporting said seismic mass for movement in a given direction, said first element being secured to said housing and said seismic mass;
• means installed in said housing for adjusting said levels of sensed physical load, said second element being secured between said seismic mass and said means for adjusting;
• a first switching element positioned in said housing along the direction of movement of said seismic mass and constituted by a group of reed relays including a normally open contact, a normally closed contact, and a common contact and having a zone of operation defining said first level of physical load, said seismic mass being positioned within a zone of operation of said first switching element when the sensed level of physical load is less than the second level;
• a second switching element positioned in said housing along the direction of movement of said seismic mass within the operating range thereof and constituted by a pair of normally open reed switches, wherein one of said switches is coupled to a common contact of said first switching element, said second switching element having a zone of operation determining said third level of physical load, wherein an intermediate zone between said zones of operation of said switching elements defines said second level of physical load;
• indicator means positioned in said housing and including a first indicating element for indicating said first level of physical load and having a first lead-out and a second lead-out, a second indicating element for indicating said second level of physical load and having a first lead-out and a second lead-out, and a third indicating element for indicating said third level of physical load and having a first lead-out and a second lead-out, said first lead-out of said first indicating element of said indicator means being connected to said normally open contact of said first switching element, said first lead-out of said second indicating element of said indicator means being connected to said normally closed contact of said first switching element, and said first lead-out of said third indicating element of said indicator means being connected to the other of said normally open contacts of said second switching element;
• power supply means for said apparatus having a first output terminal and a second output terminal, said first output terminal being connected to said common contact of said first switching element;
• and
• cut-out switch means having a first lead-out and a second lead-out, said first lead-out of said cut-out switch means being connected to said second output terminal of said power supply means and said second lead-out of said cut-out switch means being connected to said second lead-outs of said first, second and third indicating elements.