Device for measuring the circumference of an object

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for measuring an object, comprising a winder of a measuring element arranged to form a loop about the said object, which has at least one wall and an exit opening arranged to allow the exit of at least one unwound portion of the said measuring element, which is defined between the said exit opening and a distal end of the said measuring element, which is provided with a connecting element that abuts against the said exit opening, and a connecting means being located at a distance d from the said exit opening, characterised in that the said connecting means is located on the said at least one wall, is adjacent to the said exit opening, is presented in the form of a protrusion which extends towards the said distal end, and is arranged to receive the said connecting element in a stationary manner.

Claims

1. A measuring device for measuring the circumference a limb or other object, the measuring device comprising: a winder of a flexible first measuring element designed to be affixed and form a loop around the limb or other object when the first measuring element is in a measuring position, the winder having at least one wall and an exit opening designed to allow an exit of at least one unwound portion of the first measuring element, the at least one unwound portion of the first measuring element defined between the exit opening and a distal end of the first measuring element, the distal end of the first measuring element equipped with a connecting element that abuts against the exit opening when the first measuring element is in a resting position; and connecting means of the connecting element of the distal end of the first measuring element, the connecting means located at a distance d from the exit opening, the distance d defined between the exit opening and the connecting means being less than or equal to 4 cm, wherein the connecting means is located on the at least one wall of the winder, is adjacent to the exit opening, is in the form of a protuberance, which extends in the direction of the distal end of the first measuring element, and is designed to fit, in a stationary manner, with the connecting element, when the first measuring element is in the measuring position, and wherein the first measuring element has an attachment area designed to be connected via a slider to a second measuring element with a longitudinal direction and defining a slide designed to be affixed along the length of the limb or other object, the slider having a slide passage opening delimited by four walls, of which at least two of the walls are parallel to each other and form a guide wall for the slider to position the first measuring element in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the loop formed around the limb or other object is placed in a single plane passing through a median longitudinal axis defined along the length of the first measuring element.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the winder is a spring winder equipped with a locking system and/or a rewinding system of the first measuring element.

4. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the first measuring element has graduations.

5. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the exit opening of the winder has a section similar to the section of the first measuring element.

6. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the first measuring element is made of at least one of a flexible material, a flexible plastic, or paper.

7. The measuring device according to claim 1, further including a window for reading the circumference of the limb or other object.

8. The measuring device according to claim 1, further including: an electronic measuring module to determine a circumference measurement using the unwinding of the flexible measuring element; and display means for displaying a circumference measurement determined by the electronic module.

9. The measuring device according to claim 8, further including communication means for communicating a circumference measurement determined by the electronic module to another electronic device.

10. The measuring device according to claim 9, further including control means for controlling a transmission of a circumference determined by the electronic module via the communication means.

11. An assembly comprising: the measuring device according to claim 1; and an apparatus capable of communicating with the communication means of the measuring device.

12. An assembly comprising: the measuring device of claim 1: an apparatus capable of communicating with the communication means of the measuring device, wherein: the apparatus comprises a memory comprising data that enables defining one or more positions on the slide, the apparatus is able to communicate with the communication means of the measuring device to transmit the data for defining the one or more positions on the slide; and display means to display the data to indicate the one or more positions on the slide to a user.

13. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the distance d defined between the exit opening and the connecting means is less than or equal to 3 cm.

14. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the distance d defined between the exit opening and the connecting means is less than or equal to 2 cm.

15. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the distance d defined between the exit opening and the connecting means is less than or equal to 1 cm.

16. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the distance d defined between the exit opening and the connecting means is zero.

17. A device for measuring the circumference of a limb or other object, the device comprising: a winder of a flexible measuring element designed to be affixed and form a loop around the limb or other object when the measuring element is in a measuring position, the winder having at least one wall and an exit opening designed to allow an exit of at least one unwound portion of the measuring element, the at least one unwound portion of the measuring element defined between the exit opening and a distal end of the measuring element, the distal end of the measuring element equipped with a connecting element that abuts against the exit opening when the measuring element is in a resting position; connecting means of the connecting element of the distal end of the measuring element, the connecting means located at a distance d from the exit opening, the distance d defined between the exit opening and the connecting means being less than or equal to 4 cm, wherein the connecting means is located on the at least one wall of the winder, is adjacent to the exit opening, is in the form of a protuberance, which extends in the direction of the distal end of the measuring element, and is designed to fit, in a stationary manner, with the connecting element, when the measuring element is in the measuring position; and at least one of: (1) at least one tension sensor housed in the winder to detect when the measuring element is tensed and to be able to measure the tension, or (2) a motor housed in the winder to apply the tension, the tension being linked to at least one of: (a) a weight between 5 and 3000 g, (b) a weight between 15 and 1500 g, (c) a weight between 15 and 1000 g, (d) a weight between 15 and 500 g, or (e) a weight between 15 and 150 g.

18. A device for measuring the circumference of a limb, the device comprising: a winder of a flexible measuring element designed to be affixed and form a loop around the limb when the measuring element is in a measuring position, the winder having at least one wall and an exit opening designed to allow an exit of at least one unwound portion of the measuring element, the at least one unwound portion of the measuring element defined between the exit opening and a distal end of the measuring element, the distal end of the measuring element equipped with a connecting element that abuts against the exit opening when the measuring element is in a resting position; and connecting means of the connecting element of the distal end of the measuring element, the connecting means located at a distance d from the exit opening, the distance d defined between the exit opening and the connecting means being less than or equal to 4 cm, wherein the connecting means is located on the at least one wall of the winder, is adjacent to the exit opening, is in the form of a protuberance, which extends in the direction of the distal end of the measuring element, and is designed to fit, in a stationary manner, with the connecting element when the measuring element is in the measuring position, and wherein the connecting means is connected to a mobile element (E.sub.m) designed to permit movement of the connecting means along the distance d defined between the exit opening and the connecting means.

Description

(1) Other features, details and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description given below, without limitation and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a measuring device according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation corresponding to the first embodiment of a measuring device according to FIG. 1, where the measuring element forms a loop.

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a measuring device according to the invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of yet another embodiment of a measuring device according to the invention.

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a measuring device according to the invention, which is connected to an iterative device for measuring the circumference of an object/limb, for example an iterative measuring device according to document WO2014/191513.

(7) In the figures, identical or similar elements bear the same references.

(8) FIG. 1 illustrates a measuring device 1 for measuring the circumference of an object, in particular the circumference of a limb. The measuring device 1 comprises: a winder 2 (for example, a spring winder 2) designed to wind and unwind a measuring element 3 in the form of a tape made of a flexible material, the winder further having an exit opening 4 designed to allow the exit of at least one unwound portion P.sub.d of the measuring element 3, this unwound portion P.sub.d being defined between the exit opening 4 and the distal end E.sub.d of measuring element 3; and connecting means C of the distal end E.sub.d of the measuring element 3, these connecting means C being located at a distance d from the exit opening 4 of the winder 2. As illustrated, the winder 2 has a reading window 6 comprising a marker 7 where the circumference can be read.

(9) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation corresponding to the first embodiment of a measuring device 1 according to FIG. 1, where the measuring element 3 forms a loop B. As illustrated, when the distal end E.sub.d of the measuring element 3 is connected using the connecting means C, the unwound portion P.sub.d of the measuring element 3 forms a loop B that, preferably, is placed in a single plane passing through a median longitudinal axis A.sub.LM defined along the measuring element 3. This connection is achieved by interlocking a connecting element 5 present at the distal end E.sub.d of the measuring element 3 in the connecting means C.

(10) Moreover, as also illustrated, the winder 2 has a reading window 6 for reading the circumference of the object/limb measured, where the operator can determine the value (typically in centimetres and millimetres) of the measured circumference.

(11) Advantageously, a measuring device 1 as illustrated in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2 also comprises a locking system (not shown) and a rewinding system, for example one that uses a motor or a spring (not shown), of the measuring element 3. For example, these systems can be operated by a button located on winder 2.

(12) FIG. 3 illustrates another measuring device 1 for measuring the circumference of an object, in particular the circumference of a limb. This measuring device 1 according to FIG. 3 includes the same elements as those shown in FIG. 1, but the connecting means C and the exit opening 4 of the winder 2 are further apart from one another at a distance d of less than or equal to 4 cm, preferably less than or equal to 3 cm, preferably less than or equal to 2 cm, more preferably less than or equal to 1 cm.

(13) FIG. 4 illustrates yet another measuring device 1 for measuring of the circumference of an object, in particular the circumference of a limb. This measuring device 1 according to FIG. 3 comprises the same elements as those shown in FIG. 1, but the connecting means C is connected to a mobile element E.sub.m designed to permit the movement of the connecting means C (as indicated by the double arrow) at distance d defined between the said exit opening 4 and the said connecting means C, i.e. at a distance d of less than or equal to 4 cm, preferably less than or equal to 3 cm, preferably less than or equal to 2 cm, more preferably less than or equal to 1 cm.

(14) FIG. 5 shows a measuring device 1 according to the invention, connected to an iterative device for measuring the circumference of an object/limb, such as the iterative measuring device according to document WO2014/191513.

EXAMPLE

(15) In order to validate the measuring device according to the invention, several measurements were made at different parts of the bodies of two patients. As indicated in the table below, the following measuring devices were compared: measuring device according to the invention where the distance d defined between the exit opening and the said connecting means is 0.5 cm; measuring device of the prior art where the distance d defined between the exit opening and the said connecting means is equal to 5.5 cm; a conventional measure (tape measure) as a reference (control).

(16) Measurements were taken at the index finger (above and to the side), at the wrist when the device is positioned just behind the head of the ulna (like a wristwatch), at the wrist when the device is offset by 90° with respect to the position just behind the head of the ulna, at the ankle when the device is positioned above the malleolus and at the ankle when the device is offset by 90° with respect to the previous position.

(17) The results obtained during these measurements are presented in Table 1 below. In this Table, the measurements relating to the first individual are in “normal” font while the measurements of the second individual are shown in italics.

(18) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Wrist Finger (index) Ankle Offset On top Offset Offset Like a by of the by Above the by wristwatch 90° finger 90° malleolus 90° Tape 14.5 cm 14.5 cm 4.8 cm 4.8 cm 21.2 cm 21.3 cm measure: 17.2 cm   17 cm 5.5 cm 5.5 cm 22.3 cm 22.3 cm control Current 16.3 cm 17.2 cm  11 cm  11 cm 22.4 cm 21.3 cm device   18 cm 19.4 cm  11 cm  11 cm 23.3 cm 22.2 cm Device as 14.5 cm 14.5 cm 4.6 cm 4.6 cm 21.1 cm 21.1 cm per the   17 cm   17 cm 5.5 cm 5.5 cm 22.1 cm 22.2 cm invention

(19) As can be seen, with a device according to the invention, for each individual and each limb considered, only a difference of 1 to 2 mm is observed compared to the measurements taken with the control (tape measure). This proves that a device according to the invention enables taking reliable measurements regardless of the positioning of the measuring device on the limb in question.

(20) On the contrary, with a device of the prior art (current device), measurement differences of several centimetres (up to 6 cm in the case of measuring the circumference of an index finger) are observed with respect to the control. As can be seen, the smaller/thinner the limb, the more erroneous and biased the measurement is when using a measuring device according to the prior art, but not when using a device according to the invention, which is versatile and allows taking measurements that are not only reliable but also reproducible.

(21) It is understood that this invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above and that many modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.