Method and device for measuring the length and weight of a body

Abstract

A method and device for simultaneously measuring the mass and the height of a body, wherein the measurement of the body mass is carried out by measuring the deformation of at least one deformable element, during which a scale platform is lowered, and the height measurement is realized as an absolute distance measurement relative to the scale platform, so that the distance measurement is subject to an error equal to the amount by which the scale platform is lowered. The error-prone distance measurement is converted by a correction factor into a height measurement value the absolute value of which corresponds to the averaged lowering of the scale platform.

Claims

1. A method for simultaneously measuring mass and height of a body, comprising the steps of: measuring the body mass by measuring deformation of at least one deformable element, during which a scale platform is lowered; and realizing the height measurement as an absolute distance measurement relative to the scale platform, so that the distance measurement is subject to an error equal to an amount by which the scale platform is lowered, wherein the error-prone distance measurement is converted by a correction factor into a height measurement value that corresponds to an averaged lowering of the scale platform.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the correction factor is based on a weight force-versus-deformation curve of the at least one deformable element, so that the lowering of the scale platform is correlated with the measured weight force of the body.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the weight force-versus-deformation curve is expressed mathematically.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the weight force-versus-deformation curve is expressed as tabular values.

5. The method according to claim 1, including determining the lowering of the scale platform by measurement.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the measurement is a distance measurement based on image processing, on a travel-time measurement, or on an electrical relationship.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the determined lowering comprises, additively or alternatively, a possible inclination of the scale platform, so that the correction factor takes into account the inclination of the scale platform.

8. The method according to claim 7, including determining the inclination of the scale platform by measurement.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the inclination measurement is carried out optically by an image-processing method.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the inclination measurement includes evaluation of deformation distances of several deformable elements.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the determined lowering additively comprises at least one of the following additional influencing factors: a temperature influence; a difference in acceleration due to gravity; and a non-horizontal position of a device support surface, so that the correction factor takes into account the at least one additional influencing factor.

12. The method according to claim 1, including converting the error-prone distance measurement by a correction factor into a height measurement value in an electronic height measurement recording within the device.

13. The method according to claim 1, including converting the error-prone distance measurement into a height measurement value by the correction factor after the measurement has been sent as output to an external device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of the height-measuring device with weighing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of the height-measuring device with weighing device. A profiled post 20 is mounted on a base element 30, the center axes of the two components being preferably at a right angle to each other; on the profiled post, a vertically movable head slide 50 is mounted in such a way that the height measurement data can be acquired by means of a height measurement scale 21 and an electronic measurement value readout 51.

(4) The profiled post 20 is connected either detachably or nondetachably to the base element 30 by means of a fastening shoe 22. The profiled post 20 can be disassembled at various points in the longitudinal direction, i.e., at the joints 23 between its parts, so that its size can be reduced for packaging and transport.

(5) The base element 30 comprises a scale 1, which typically is provided with support feet. The scale 1 comprises a support surface 3.

(6) A load cell can be arranged in the area of at least one of the feet 2, preferably in the area of each foot 2. In principle, however, it is also possible to locate one or more load cells in the area of the support structure of the scale 1 (not visible in FIG. 1) located geometrically between the support surface 3 and the support feet 2.

(7) The measurement readout 51 is typically configured as a display unit. Here both measurement values for the just-completed height measurement and the measurement values for the completed weight measurement can be displayed. The display unit can also show other data such as the date and time.

(8) The height data acquired by the use of the head slide 51 and/or the weight data acquired by the use of the scale 1 can be transmitted in either a wired or a wireless manner.

(9) While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.