Foldable weighing scale
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHiroyuki Iida, Haruhiko Murakami, Tsuyoshi Matsumoto, Junzo Kashihara
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Abstract
A foldable weighing scale of strain gauge type comprising a pair of scale components of generally identical construction and shape. Each of the scale components comprises a platform, a base, and a strain inducing plate having at least one strain gauge. The scale components are hingedly connected together for movement between unfolded and folded positions and are held in an unfolded position when the scale is to be used for the weight measurement.
Claims16
A foldable, strain gauge type weighing scale comprising:
- a pair of scale components generally identical in construction and shape, the pair of scale components being hingedly connected together for movement between folded and unfolded positions;
- hingedly connecting means for connecting the scale components for movement between the folded and unfolded positions;
- means for electrically connecting the pair of scale components;
- and
- a display unit;
- each of said scale components including
- a base,
- a platform disposed above the base for relative movement both towards and away from the base,
- a strain inducing plate accommodated in a space delimited by the base and the platform, and supported at its opposite ends for deformation in a direction perpendicular to the strain inducing plate when a load is exteriorly applied thereto through the platform, and
- at least one strain gauge mounted on the strain inducing plate;
- said display unit being electrically connected with the strain gauges in the respective scale components for converting respective output signals from these strain gauges into a weight signal and for displaying information represented by the weight signal, and said means for electrically connecting being for connecting the strain gauges.
A foldable weighing scale for measuring the weight of an object to be weighed, which comprises:
- means for outputting a signal indicative of the weight to the outside;
- first weight detecting means for detecting the weight or a portion thereof and for generating a first weight signal;
- second weight detecting means for detecting the weight or a portion thereof and for generating a second weight signal;
- means for electrically connecting the first and second weight detecting means so that said first and second weight detecting means can be operated in unison with each other or independently from each other;
- converter means connected with the electrically connecting means for converting the first weight signal and/or the second signal into a signal indicative of the total weight so that the signal indicative of the total weight can be outputted to the outputting means;
- first retaining means for holding the first weight detecting means;
- second retaining means for holding the second weight detecting means;
- and
- connecting means for connecting the first and second retaining means for movement between a first position, in which the first and second weight detecting means can be used simultaneously, and a second position in which both cannot be used simultaneously.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.