Title: Digital type floor scale with weigh cycle control

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Abstract: A floor scale for measuring body weight having a scale base, a foot platform, an electronic digital weighing system for producing a digital display indicative of the weight applied to the scale platform, and a power switch for controlling the application of power to the electronic digital display system. A weigh cycle control is provided including a kick bar mounted on the scale base at one side of the scale for movement in a generally horizontal direction and adapted to be actuated by the foot of a person before mounting the foot platform, a momentary contact type switch mounted on the scale base for actuation by the kick bar and a timer operated by the momentary contact switch for maintaining the application of power to the electronic digital weighing system for a preselected time interval sufficient for a weighing operation. The electronic digital display system can be of the type in which the weight sensor produces a series of pulses correlative with the weight applied to the foot platform of the scale and a counter for counting the pulses, and the weigh cycle control can include means responsive to operation of the momentary contact type switch means for also resetting the counter. SU BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Scales with various different electronic digital weighing systems have heretofore been utilized. In one type of digital weighing system, herein sometimes referred to as a direct dial position sensing system such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,191, a coded dial is moved through a distance correlative with the weight applied to the scale and the dial is provided with a code pattern in the form of a series of concentric tracks and an associated bank of sensing components for sensing a code pattern on the dial when it comes to rest, to produce a digital signal indicative of the position of the coded dial and hence of the weight on the scale. In another type of electronic digital weighing system herein sometimes referred to as a scanning type dial position sensing system such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,726, the weigh scale has a scale member that is rotated through an angle corresponding to the weight applied to the scale and the position of the scale member is sensed by a servo-type scanner that is driven to follow the movement of the scale member and produce a series of pulses correlative with the angular movement of the servo scanner. The pulses produced by the scanner are then counted as an indication of the position of the scale member and hence the weight applied to the scale. In still another type of electronic digital weighing system, herein sometimes referred to as an incremental type dial motion measuring system, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,612,842 and 3,740,536, a scale dial is provided with a single track that cooperates with a sensor to produce a series of pulses as the scale dial is moved under the weight on the scale, and the series of pulses are counted as an indication of the applied weight. In order to accommodate oscillation and overshoot of the scale dial, an up-down counter is used and operated as an up counter in response to rotation of the dial in one direction and as a down counter in response to rotation of the dial in the opposite direction. In yet another type of electronic digital weighing system, herein sometimes referred to as an analog-digital weighing system, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,619, the weight applied to the scale platform is sensed by an analog transducer such as a load cell that produces an analog electrical output signal correlative with the applied weight, and the analog electrical signal is applied through an analog to digital converter to a digital display. In some weigh scales, for example commercial scales that are used in a somewhat continuous fashion for a series of weighing operations, power for the electronic digital display system can be manually turned on and left on until the series of weighing operations is completed. However, in scales that are used for single weighing operations at a time, and then only infrequently, such as in body weight scales used in homes, it is desirable to turn the electronic digital weighing system on and off for each weighing operation. In addition, in those electronic digital weighing systems which utilize a counter, it is generally desirable to reset the counter to zero before the start of each weighing operation. The power for the electronic digital weighing system can of course be turned on and off by hand. However, hand control of power would be very inconvenient in a floor type scale since it would necessitate stooping over each time to turn the scale on and off. It has also been proposed, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. 3,853,191 to use a switch that senses movement of the scale platform and is operated in response to the application of weight to the scale platform when the person steps on the scale. It has also been proposed, for example as shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,726, to control the application of power of the weighing system indirectly in response to movement of the scale platform, that is in response to movement of a member that is moved by the scale platform when weight is applied. Many scales, particularly those utiliziing electronic digital weighing systems, require only a very small movement of the scale platform between its zero and fully loaded positions. In weigh control systems in which power to the electronic digital weighing system is controlled directly or indirectly in response to movement of the scale platform, it is necessary to use switches capable of being actuated with only a small travel and, moreover, it is necessary to accurately adjust the switch so as to assure that it is properly actuated between its on and off position in response to movement of the scale platform. Moreover, the power controls using switches actuated directly or indirectly in response to application of weight to the scale platform are not suitable for use in some electronic digital weighing systems, for example the incremental type dial motion measuring system since it is necessary in such incremental weighing systems to start the weighing operation immediately upon the application of weight to the scale platform. In those electronic digital weighing systems which utilize counters, it is generally desirable to reset the counters to zero before each weighing operation. Some weighing systems utilize hand operated reset buttons to reset the counters. However, such hand operated resets are objectionable on floor scales for the same reason set forth above in connection with the control of the power to the digital weighing system. It has also been proposed, for example as shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,536 and 3,927,726 to use a reset circuit operated when the power source is actuated to reset the counters to zero. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the general object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a floor scale for measuring body weight of the type having an electronic digital weighing system and an improved weigh cycle control which enables the power for the electronic digital weighing system to be turned on for a weighing operation by the foot of a person before the person steps on the scale and conveniently in such a manner as to require only a small deviation in the foot motion usually involved in stepping on a floor scale. The weigh cycle control is also advantageously utilized to reset the counter in the electronic digital weighing system. Accordingly, the present invention provides a floor scale for measuring body weight of the type including a base and a foot platform and an electronic digital weighing system with a weight cycle control including a kick member mounted on the scale base at one side of the scale for movement in a generally horizontal direction and adapted to be actuated by the foot of a person before mounting the foot platform, a momentary contact type switch mounted on the scale base for actuation by the kick member, and a timer operated by the momentary contact type switch for maintaining the application of the power to the electronic digital weighing system for a preselected time interval sufficient for a weighing operation. A means is also provided for resetting the counter to zero in response to operation of the switch.


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