Weighing scales – Collapsible – foldable – knockdown
Patent
1995-10-10
1998-07-14
Spyrou, Cassandra C.
Weighing scales
Collapsible, foldable, knockdown
177126, 177144, 177238, 177253, G01G 2100, G01G 1952, G01G 2128, G01G 2122
Patent
active
057807817
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns, in particular, the weighing of persons who are in intensive care and, more generally, weighing persons who cannot get out of bed and/or move around.
When treating certain illnesses, it is necessary to monitor changes in the patient's weight by taking daily notes. Given the condition of the patient, i.e. the fact that he/she is confined to bed, various solutions are currently employed.
The most widely employed solution is to lift the patient from the bed by suspending him/her from a hoist harness by means of a system of slings linked to sensors. It is clear that this solution is difficult to implement and may pose a certain risk to the patient.
In addition, the time needed to weigh the patient is considerable given the many manipulations that have to be performed.
Another solution is to place a system under the feet of the bed that makes it possible to weigh the bed as well as the patient. Once again this solution is not satisfactory because the weighing system cannot be permanently installed. Similarly and most importantly, there is considerable risk of measuring errors given the fact that various accessories may be added compared with the initial weighing, thus altering the tare weight.
Beds are known which incorporate sensors. Although the results obtained are satisfactory, the design of this type of bed involves very complicated technology and they are expensive compared with the beds that are usually used. In fact, these beds incorporate other items that are not necessarily used depending on the pathological case to be treated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages in a simple, safe, effective and rational manner.
The problem of weighing is made more awkward because beds have a bed frame that is generally articulated in at least three parts. The weighing operation must be carried out with the patient in a horizontal or substantially horizontal position. It is apparent that it is obviously not possible to eliminate the articulation of the bed frame.
The problem that the invention intends to solve is to allow the weighing of a person confined to bed with the objective of, on the one hand, not lifting the patient from the bed and, on the other hand, of being able to articulate the bed frame of the bed at will.
In order to solve such a problem, a weighing device has been designed and developed that comprises several modules that are linked so that they are articulated in order to very closely match the geometrical shape of an articulated bed frame, each module being fitted with at least one sensor capable of performing, in combination, the weighing function.
Another problem that the invention intends to solve is to correct the torque force caused by the misalignment of the applied force with the sensor in order to obtain the most accurate possible weighing.
Such a problem is solved by fitting each module with several sensors, each sensor being rigidly fixed on a mounting that is itself fixed to the corresponding module with the capacity of micro displacement and micro rotation.
This capacity for micro displacement and micro rotation makes it possible to create free support conditions in order to subject the sensors only to vertical forces produced by weight and eliminate the effect of internal forces caused by deformation of connecting elements such as flexing under load, expansion, etc.
In order to solve the stated problem of weighing, each module consists of two independent nestable shells, one that rests on the bed frame and the other which accommodates the mattress with the mountings of the sensors being fixed between the two shells.
Each sensor mounting consists of two independent parts that are rigidly fixed either side of the sensor, each of these parts being connected to the corresponding shell of the module in question with the capacity for micro displacement and micro rotation.
In situations where this device is used, it is often beneficial for the largest possible surface area to be transpa
REFERENCES:
patent: 4363368 (1982-12-01), Paddon et al.
patent: 4934468 (1990-06-01), Koerber, Sr. et al.
Berger Antoine
Esteveny Serge
Centre Stephanois de Recherches Mecaniques Hydromecanique et Fro
Mai Anh
Spyrou Cassandra C.
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