CUSHION WITH SCALE

Abstract

Provided is a cushion capable of accurately measuring and displaying a weight of a user sitting on the cushion, and convenient to store, use, and carry. The cushion includes a flexible sheet constituting a bottom part; a flexible seat having an integrated rectangular space part formed on the flexible sheet; a pressure transfer medium injected into the space part of the flexible seat; a pressure transfer medium injected into the space part of the flexible seat; and a scale for sensing pressure applied to the pressure transfer medium by an external pressure applied to the flexible seat and displaying the pressure as a weight, in which the scale includes a load cell, a base member, a control unit, a first display unit and a second display unit.

Claims

1. A cushion with a scale, the cushion comprising: a flexible sheet constituting a bottom part; a flexible seat having an integral rectangular space part formed on the flexible sheet; a pressure transfer medium injected into the space part of the flexible seat; and a scale for sensing a pressure applied to the pressure transfer medium by an external pressure applied to the flexible seat and displaying the pressure as a weight, wherein the scale includes a load cell positioned in the space part of the flexible seat to sense the pressure applied to the pressure transfer medium without coming into contact with the flexible seat, a control unit for calculating the pressure applied to the load cell into the weight, and a display unit for displaying the calculation result of the control unit as a weight value.

2. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the scale further includes a base member fixed to the flexible sheet constituting the bottom part to support the load cell.

3. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a first display unit for displaying a weight value which is actually measured, and a second display unit for displaying a difference between a predetermined set value inputted through the control unit and the weight value of the first display unit.

4. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the pressure transfer medium includes air or fluid.

5. The cushion of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the space part of the flexible seat is in a range of 30 mm to 100 mm, and an area of an upper surface of the flexible seat is in a range of 900 cm.sup.2 to 2,500 cm.sup.2.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional cushion for posture correction.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional cushion for posture correction.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cushion with a scale of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a cushion with a scale of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a state in which a load is applied to a cushion with a scale of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a cushion with a scale of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another example of a cushion with a scale of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] Hereinafter, the technical configuration and operation of the cushion with a scale of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the cushion 200 with a scale of the present invention includes a flexible sheet 210 constituting a bottom part, and a flexible seat 220 having an integrated rectangular space part 221 formed on the flexible sheet.

[0038] The flexible sheet 210 may be formed of a fabric, or a natural or artificial leather to which vinyl or the like for maintaining the airtightness is attached. In addition, the flexible seat 220 may be formed of a material such as a leather which is flexible and has low elasticity to prevent a pressure transfer medium from leaking to the outside, even if pressure is applied to the pressure transfer medium injected into the space part in a state that the integrated space part 221 is completely sealed in an airtight state at a portion on which a user using the cushion seats (Preferably, the pressure transfer medium is formed of air for weighting and handling convenience though any fluid such as air and water may be used). As shown in FIG. 5, when the user sits on the flexible seat 220 while putting the weight of the user thereon, the pressure transfer medium is required to be injected enough to prevent a surface of the flexible seat 220 from coming into contact with a surface of the flexible sheet 210. This is because an accurate load cannot be measured if the surface of the flexible seat 220 comes into contact with the surface of the flexible sheet 210 when the user seats, while putting the weight, on the flexible seat 220, due to small amounts of the pressure transfer medium which is injected.

[0039] The pressure transfer medium may be injected or exhausted at suitable amounts through a pressure transfer medium inlet 222.

[0040] Particularly, a scale 230, which senses pressure applied to the pressure transfer medium by an external pressure applied to the flexible seat and displays the pressure as a weight, is installed in the cushion.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4 for example, the scale 230 includes a load cell 231 positioned in the space part 221 of the flexible seat to sense the pressure applied to the pressure transfer medium without coming into contact with the flexible seat, a base member 232 formed of a hard material such as plastic, exposed and fixed to an outer side of the flexible sheet 210 constituting the bottom part so as to support the load cell, a control unit 236 for calculating the pressure applied to the load cell into the weight, and a display unit 233 for displaying the calculation result of the control unit as a weight value. The control unit 236 and the load cell 231 are connected to each other by a wiring 234, and the control unit 236 may be supplied with power by using a small battery (not shown).

[0042] The load cell 231 is not limited to a structure, as shown FIG. 4, in which the load cell 231 is fixed to the base member 232 formed of a hard material such as plastic exposed and fixed to the outer side of the flexible sheet 210. The load cell 231, as shown in FIG. 7, may be fixed to the flexible sheet 210 in the space part, such that the base member 232 is prevented from being exposed to the outer side of the flexible sheet 210.

[0043] The load cell 231 is configured by using a principle in which a physical strain generated in a detecting unit of an elastic strain member, which generates a structurally stable deformation with respect to a force or a load, is converted into an electrical resistance variance by using a strain gauge, and the electrical resistance variance is converted into a precise electrical signal by an electrical circuit referred to as a wheat stone bridge. Since the above technique has been already known and used for a scale or the like, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0044] In addition, the display unit 233 includes a first display unit 233a for calculating pressure applied to the load cell by the control unit 236 and displaying the calculated pressure as a weight value, and a second display unit 233b for displaying a difference between a predetermined set value inputted by the user through the control unit and the weight value of the first display unit. The second display unit may be configured by adding a separate alarm device or voice device. The first display unit 233a, the second display unit 233b, and the alarm device are configured as described above to provide information for preventing the cushion user from overeating foods more than a predetermined weight when the cushion user eats the foods.

[0045] In addition, an input key 235 may be additionally configured to set a mode as a weight measurement mode, reset contents displayed on the display unit 233, or command an instruction to the control unit. For example, the setting a mode as a weight measurement mode signifies that the control unit preliminarily deduction-calculates a pressure value of the pressure transfer medium injected into the space part 221 in a state that the user is not sitting on the cushion, such that a display window displays 0 Kg. Of course, when the user sits on the cushion seat set as the weight measurement mode, the deduction-calculated pressure value is added to the additional pressure value applied onto the cushion seat, such that the weight value of the user may be accurately displayed on the first display unit.

[0046] Although the present invention illustrated the structure that the control unit 236 and the display unit 233 are provided on the flexible seat, the control unit 236 and the display unit 233 also may be arranged outside the cushion and connected by a wiring cable or the like.

[0047] In addition, the base member 232 supporting the load cell 231 is fixed to the flexible sheet 210 of the bottom part to minimize an influence of the cushion parts of the cushion on the pressure sensing of the load cell.

[0048] When the user places the weight of the user on the cushion of the present invention configured in the above manner, especially on the flexible seat 220, a thickness of the space part of the flexible seat 220 may be about 30 mm to about 100 mm to prevent a surface of the flexible seat 220 from coming into contact with a surface of the flexible sheet 210, and an area of an upper surface of the flexible seat may be 900 cm.sup.2 to 2500 cm.sup.2 to enable the user to sit thereon with an entire body weight.