JPH0634265B2 - Pedometer - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a step counter that counts and displays the number of steps.

(Background Art) Conventionally, there is one that counts the number of steps and the walking distance by a pendulum type or a method of detecting a leg breakage using a piezo element.
It is known that an error is likely to occur due to the way a person operates, and a load change detection method of detecting the number of steps by moving the load applied to the foot is known to be good in order to accurately measure the number of steps.

As this load change detection method, as shown in FIG.
There is a shoe 5 in which a sensor S ″ made of a strain gauge piezoelectric element, a piezoelectric rubber or the like for detecting the number of steps is incorporated in the sole of the footwear itself, and the shoe 5 is provided with a display main body 1 ″.
In this case, the sensor S ″ cannot be reattached to other footwear, so that the footwear is limited and the assembly is complicated.

Therefore, some shoes have an insole with a sensor, but if the insole is damaged, it cannot be used.If the insole is put in leather shoes, the foot becomes cramped and the foot hurts. However, there is a drawback that the number of steps cannot be counted when commuting to work, and since it is necessary to wear shoes, it is not possible to count the number of steps indoors.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a partial sensor of the arch of the sole of the foot so that commuting, jogging, indoors, etc. Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple step counter that can count the number of steps regardless of the presence or absence of shoes, the specifications of shoes, etc.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 4 (a), (b), and FIG. 7 show a first embodiment of the present invention. First, in FIG. 1, F is a foot,
A sensor S having a substantially hemispherical shape and size substantially corresponding to the space is provided in the arch Fa on the sole of the foot. The sensor S is of a load change detection type, and is electrically connected to the display main body 1 which is detachably provided slightly above the ankle Fb via the lead wire 2 and displays the number of steps on the display. It has become. That is, the sensor S and the display unit body 1 are fixed to the foot F by a stretchable elastic band 3 such as a supporter, and in particular, the display unit body 1 is housed in a pocket portion 3a provided on the elastic band 3, An opening window 3b is provided in the pocket portion 3a so that the display of the display unit main body 1 can be seen outside the opening window 3b.

FIG. 2 shows the operating state of the sensor S. When the heel Fc of the foot F touches the ground or the floor while the foot F floats during walking, the sensor S whose outer shell is made of an elastic member is Since it is pressed by the arch of the foot Fa, the first contact point A provided inside the sensor S and the second contact point B which is arranged to face the first contact point A and which can be brought into contact with and separated from the first contact point A come into contact with each other, and the operating state thereof is changed. It is sent to the display unit main body 1 via the lead wire 2. As shown in FIG. 7, a sensor output detection circuit 1a, a counting circuit 1b, a display unit 1c, etc. are provided in the display unit main body 1 to confirm that the contacts A and B of the sensor S are closed and conductive. The sensor output detection circuit 1a detects the output and outputs a signal to the counting circuit 1b. The counting circuit 1b counts the output signal and displays the number of steps on the display unit 1c.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the sensor S and the display main body 1 are set on the foot F via the elastic band 3, and socks 4 and shoes 5 are worn as necessary. In this way, when used outdoors, the sock 4 and the shoes 5 are attached to the sock 4 so that the display body 1 is
It is hidden by and can be used even when commuting without worrying about the appearance.

FIG. 4 shows a specific structure of the sensor S.
Has a substantially hemispherical shape, and a plurality of protrusions Sa are formed on the upper surface facing the arch. The protrusion amount of the protrusion Sa is highest in the central portion and gradually decreases toward the outer periphery. Therefore, an acupressure effect can be obtained through the protrusion Sa when stepping on the foot, and the sensor S is fitted to the arch of the foot F so that the operation of the sensor S is smooth.

FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the sensor S'is provided with a contact A,
There is no B and, as shown in FIG. 6, there is a cavity in the sensor S '.
Sa ′ is formed, and when the weight is added, the volume of the internal cavity Sa ′ changes and the air pressure changes, and this is changed to the air pipe 2 ′.
It is characterized in that the pressure sensor provided in the display unit main body 1'is configured to detect the change in the internal pressure and count the number of steps. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the display unit body 1'in this embodiment has a pressure sensor 1a ', a predetermined pressure setting circuit 1b', and a pressure comparison circuit 1 '.
c ', a counting circuit 1d', a display section 1e ', etc. are provided, and the pressure from the sensor S'is measured by the pressure sensor 1a',
The pressure value is compared with a predetermined pressure set by the predetermined pressure setting circuit 1c 'in the pressure comparison circuit 1b', and if it is higher than the predetermined pressure, a signal is output to the counting circuit 1d 'and the counting circuit 1d' counts. The number of steps is displayed on the display unit 1e '. The other structure is similar to that of the first embodiment.

In addition to this, the sensor may be a piezoelectric element (piezo element, strain gauge, piezoelectric rubber, etc.). Further, the sensor may be detachably attached to the upper surface of the bottom of the footwear with a sheet fastener, an adhesive tape or the like.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention counts the sensor output, which is provided in the arch of the sole and detects the change in the load applied to the foot during walking, and the number of steps. The display body to be displayed is attached to the foot via a stretchable band, so that you can use it with bare feet without limiting the footwear, so you can use it anywhere in the house. Can be used outdoors.

Further, since the position where the sensor is provided is the arch, there is little feeling of foreign matter during use, and in addition, there is an effect of massaging the arch of the foot.

Furthermore, since the sensor is not provided in the shoe or the insole, there is an effect that the assembly is not complicated and the cost is reduced correspondingly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIGS. 1 to 4 (a), (b) and FIG. 7 show a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a sensor and a display main body are attached to bare feet. 2, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the same as above, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a state in which shoes are worn, FIG. 4 (a) is a perspective view of a sensor used in the present invention, (b) is (a) FIG.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A ′, FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the structure of the sensor and the display unit main body in a block form, and FIGS. 5, 6, and 8 are the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Is an explanatory view of a state in which shoes are worn, FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view, FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the sensor and the display unit main body in blocks, and FIG. 9 is a conventional example. S, S '... sensor, Sa ... protrusion, Sa' ... cavity, 1,
1 '... Display main body, 2 ... Lead wire, 3 ... Elastic band

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sensor provided on the arch of the sole of the foot for detecting the number of steps by detecting a change in the load applied to the foot during walking, and a display unit main body for counting and displaying the sensor output. A pedometer that is attached to a foot via a band having elasticity. 2. The step counting device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is formed into a substantially hemispherical shape along the shape of the arch of the sole of the foot, and a plurality of protrusions are formed at a portion contacting the arch. vessel. 3. The step counter according to claim 1, wherein the sensor has a pair of contacts, and counts the number of steps by turning them on and off. 4. A step counter according to claim 1, wherein the sensor has a hollow cavity, and counts the number of steps by the fluctuation of the air pressure in the cavity.