Contact type measuring device

Abstract

Provided is a contact-type measuring device that can obtain measurement results with high accuracy and high reproducibility by maintaining constant measurement conditions such as the contact pressure and contact angle of the sensor head. This contact-type measuring device includes: an outer case having a sensor head for contacting an object to be measured and a pressing portion for pressing the periphery of the sensor head and slidably supporting the sensor head therein; a flange supported slidably but unrotatably within the outer case; a first biasing means disposed between the flange and the sensor head for biasing the flange and the sensor head so as to separate them; and a second biasing means disposed between the sensor head and the pressing portion for biasing the sensor head so as to separate them; and when the flange reaches its lower limit of sliding relative to the outer case, the biasing forces generated by the first biasing means and the second biasing means are both constant.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact-type measuring device for measuring information on the surface of a living body such as the skin, and in particular to a contact-type measuring device that makes it possible to obtain highly accurate and reproducible measurement results by maintaining constant measurement conditions such as the contact pressure and contact angle of the sensor head against the object being measured during measurement. [Background technology]

[0002] The moisture content, elasticity, temperature, and images of the surface of a living body are widely used as basic indices for evaluating the health condition of a living body. To obtain these indices, various contact-type measuring devices have been developed to measure the moisture content, elasticity, temperature, etc. of the surface of a living body and to obtain images of the surface of a living body.

[0003] For example, a contact-type measuring device for measuring the moisture content of the surface of a living body is known, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-169787 (Patent Document 1), which calculates the moisture content by pressing an electrode (sensor) consisting of a pair of positive and negative electrodes against the skin of the person being measured, passing an electric current through it, and measuring the dielectric constant (electrical conductivity) of the skin between the electrodes.

[0004] In the case of a skin moisture measuring device using the above measurement principle, the force with which the measurer presses the electrode against the skin of the person being measured is transmitted to the electrode itself, causing an unstable contact state of the electrode with the skin. Therefore, in the skin moisture measuring device described in Patent Document 1, a sensor head equipped with electrodes is movably attached to a case via a spring, and an alert is issued to the measurer when a predetermined contact pressure is applied to the sensor head, making it easier to measure skin moisture under a constant contact pressure and improving measurement stability.

[0005] For example, as a contact-type measuring device for measuring the bilirubin concentration in blood from the surface of a living body, as described in JP 2019-184395 A (Patent Document 2), an optical bioinformation measuring device is known in which the tip of a probe is pressed against the forehead or chest of a newborn, in particular, and light from a light source is irradiated. Of the backscattered light that passes through the skin and subcutaneous tissue, the optical density difference between two wavelength bands, blue (center wavelength 450 nm) and green (center wavelength 550 nm), received by a sensor is used as the degree of yellowness of the bilirubin present in the subcutaneous tissue to calculate the bilirubin concentration.

[0006] In optical biological information measurement devices using the above measurement principle, the bilirubin concentration depends on the effective optical path length of the light-emitting and light-receiving systems, so it is necessary to ensure highly accurate and uniform contact of the tip of the probe with the biological surface. Therefore, in the optical biological information measurement device described in Patent Document 2, multiple systems of light-emitting elements and / or multiple systems of light-receiving elements are provided on the tip of the probe. By utilizing the property that different systems of light-receiving elements have different distributions depending on the angle around the central axis of the light-emitting elements, and that different systems of light-emitting elements have different distributions depending on the angle around the central axis of the light-receiving elements, the uniformity / non-uniformity of the contact of the tip of the probe with the biological surface is detected based on the light detection values ​​of each system, thereby preventing a decrease in measurement accuracy (reproducibility and precision) due to non-uniformity.

[0007] Furthermore, in recent years, in order to obtain more advanced information on the surface of living organisms, contact-type measurement devices have come to be used in sensor heads equipped with sensors such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, as well as image sensors for acquiring images, either alone or in combination, and this means that the weight of the sensor head also increases, which must be taken into consideration. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-169787 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-184395 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, in the skin moisture measuring device described in Patent Document 1, the sensor head is pressed directly against the skin of the subject by the subject's hand without any guidance, which poses the problem of being unable to stabilize the angle of pressure against the subject's skin. Furthermore, in order to reproducibly and stably measure moisture content, the tension of the subject's skin in contact with the sensor head must be uniform. However, in the skin moisture measuring device described in Patent Document 1, the skin pressed by the sensor head is deeply depressed locally and significantly deformed around the periphery of the sensor head, which causes uneven tension in the area of ​​the skin where the sensor head comes into contact, resulting in instability.

[0010] Furthermore, the optical bioinformation measuring device described in Patent Document 2 has the problem that unless the contact-type measuring device is an optical measuring device having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, it is not possible to detect the contact state of the tip surface of the probe with the biological surface, and therefore it cannot be applied to general contact-type measuring devices that are generally used to measure the moisture content, elasticity, temperature, etc. of biological surfaces or to obtain images of biological surfaces.

[0011] Furthermore, if a contact-type measuring device for measuring information about a living body surface is equipped with a sensor head that has increased weight due to the inclusion of one or more sensors, such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, or an image sensor used for image acquisition, the weight of the sensor head itself will be transmitted to the living body surface during measurement. As a result, such contact-type measuring devices are unable to measure by pressing the living body surface with the appropriate pressure required for the sensor, which poses the problem of being unable to obtain highly reproducible measurement results.

[0012] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a contact-type measurement device that makes it possible to obtain highly accurate and reproducible measurement results by maintaining constant measurement conditions such as the contact pressure and contact angle of the sensor head with the biological surface (hereinafter also referred to as the "object to be measured") during measurement, even when the sensor head has a heavy weight that affects the measurement results. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The present inventors have conducted extensive research into a method and configuration for maintaining constant the contact pressure and contact angle of a sensor head equipped with electrodes and an image sensor against an object to be measured, for a contact-type measurement device used to measure the moisture content, elasticity, temperature, etc. of an object to be measured, such as skin, or to acquire an image of the surface of the object to be measured. As a result, they have found that the above-mentioned problem can be solved by configuring the sensing portion that comes into contact with the object to be measured, by dividing it into a sensor head and an outer case that slide relative to each other, and by configuring the pressure applied by the person measuring to be transmitted to the sensor head via a first biasing means, and by configuring the weight of the sensor head to be supported by the outer case via a second biasing means, thereby completing the present invention.

[0014] That is, according to the present invention, there is provided a contact-type measuring device comprising a sensor head for contacting an object to be measured, an outer case having a pressing portion for pressing the periphery of the sensor head and supporting the sensor head slidably inside, a flange portion supported slidably but unrotatably inside the outer case, a first biasing means arranged between the flange portion and the sensor head and biasing the flange portion and the sensor head so as to separate them, and a second biasing means arranged between the sensor head and the pressing portion and biasing the sensor head so as to separate them, wherein when the flange portion has reached its lower limit of sliding relative to the outer case, the biasing forces generated by the first biasing means and the second biasing means are both constant.

[0015] The sensor head may also be provided with, for example, electrodes for measuring the moisture content of the object being measured, an image sensor for acquiring an image of the object being measured, or a light-emitting / receiving unit for measuring the bilirubin concentration of the object being measured, on the contact surface with the object.

[0016] In the present invention, the sensing part that comes into contact with the object to be measured, such as the skin, is divided into a sensor head and an outer case that slide relative to each other, and the pressing part of the outer case is configured so that it can press the object to be measured outside the sensor head separately from the sensor head.

[0017] Therefore, when the pressing part of the outer case, which has an outer diameter larger than that of the sensor head, is pressed against the object to be measured, the outer case is guided so that the pressing angle with respect to the surface of the object to be measured is 90°, and the sensor head is also guided by the outer case so that the contact angle with respect to the surface of the object to be measured is also 90°. Furthermore, the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured that the sensor head comes into contact with is constrained by the pressing part pressing against the periphery of the measurement area, resulting in a uniform state of tension.

[0018] As described above, the outer case and the pressing portion of the outer case function to guide the sensor head so that the contact angle with the surface of the object to be measured is 90°, and to press the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to keep the measurement area in a uniformly tensed state. Therefore, it is preferable that the pressing portion has an opening through which the sensor head can enter and exit so that it can be positioned around the sensor head without interfering with the sensor head.

[0019] Furthermore, in the present invention, the sensor head is slidably attached to the outer case, and the flange portion is slidably and non-rotatably attached inside the outer case, the first biasing means is disposed between the flange portion and the sensor head so as to separate the flange portion from the sensor head, and the second biasing means is disposed between the sensor head and the pressing portion so as to separate the sensor head from the pressing portion.

[0020] Therefore, when the flange portion reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case, the first and second biasing means no longer expand or contract, and their expansion and contraction lengths become constant, so the biasing forces generated by the first and second biasing means are both constant. As a result, when the measurer further presses the contact-type measuring device against the object to be measured after the flange portion reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case, the pressing pressure applied by the measurer is transmitted directly from the flange portion that has reached the lower limit to the outer case, and from the outer case to the object to be measured. Meanwhile, the sensor head receives only the combined biasing force generated by the first and second biasing means, regardless of the amount of pressing of the contact-type measuring device, so the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head to the object to be measured is constant.

[0021] In order to limit the sliding area of ​​the flange with respect to the outer case and to inform the measurer of the position of the flange within the sliding area, for example, a slit may be provided on the side of the outer case in the sliding direction of the flange, and a slider may be attached to the flange so as to be slidably inserted in alignment with the slit. In this case, it is preferable to provide two or more slits in the circumferential direction, as this reduces rattle of the flange and allows the flange to slide more smoothly.

[0022] Thus, according to the present invention, the contact angle of the sensor head with respect to the surface of the object to be measured is stably maintained at approximately 90° during measurement, and the tension state of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured is also maintained uniform. Furthermore, if the measurer presses the flange portion of the contact-type measuring device so that it reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case, the combined biasing force generated by the first biasing means and the second biasing means becomes constant, and the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head to the object to be measured also becomes constant, so the contact-type measuring device of the present invention can obtain measurement results with high precision and high reproducibility.

[0023] In the present invention, the pressure applied by the measurer is transmitted to the sensor head via the first biasing means, and the weight of the sensor head can be controlled (cancelled) to a desired value by being supported by the outer case via the second biasing means. Therefore, even if the sensor head is heavy enough to affect the measurement results, the contact pressure of the sensor head against the object to be measured during measurement can be controlled to a desired value regardless of the weight of the sensor head.

[0024] Specifically, in the present invention, in order to improve the controllability of the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head to the object to be measured, it is preferable that the weight of the first biasing means, the second biasing means, and the sensor head 2 is configured so that the above-mentioned contact pressure is the sum of the pressure generated by the sensor head's own weight and the biasing force generated by the first biasing means minus the biasing force generated by the second biasing means.

[0025] In the present invention, when the sensor head and the pressing unit are pressed against the same surface of the object to be measured, in other words, when the contact surface of the sensor head and the pressing surface of the pressing unit are flush, the relative position of the sensor head with respect to the pressing unit (outer case) is fixed, the extension length of the second biasing unit is constant, and the biasing force generated by the second biasing unit is also constant. In other words, in the present invention, after the contact surface of the sensor head and the pressing surface of the pressing unit are flush, the pressing force transmitted from the pressing unit to the object to be measured is the biasing force generated by the second biasing unit and is constant until the flange reaches the lower sliding limit of the outer case.

[0026] As a result, the pressing portion presses and restrains the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured with which the sensor head comes into contact, temporarily maintaining a constant pressure, so that the object to be measured in the measurement area is in a more uniform state of tension, further improving the measurement accuracy and reproducibility of the contact-type measurement device.

[0027] In addition, in the present invention, the pressing unit presses and constrains the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to keep the measurement area in a uniformly tensed state. Therefore, when the sensor head and the pressing unit are pressed against the same surface of the object, it is preferable that the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head to the object be smaller than the pressing force transmitted from the pressing unit to the object.

[0028] In the present invention, the sensor head is slidably attached to the outer case, and the flange portion is slidably and non-rotatably attached inside the outer case. Therefore, in the present invention, if a through hole with a threaded inner circumferential surface is provided in the flange portion, a first shaft with a threaded outer circumferential surface is screwed into the through hole, and a first biasing means is disposed between the lower end of the first shaft and the sensor head, then by rotating the first shaft, it becomes possible to easily adjust the position of the sensor head relative to the pressing portion and the initial contact pressure of the sensor head when it comes into contact with the object to be measured.

[0029] In addition, in the present invention, in order to make the contact measurement device compact, the first shaft may be made of a cylindrical body having a hollow portion, and the sensor head may be provided with a second shaft that is arranged coaxially with the first shaft and extends upward, and the second shaft may be supported slidably within the hollow portion of the first shaft.

[0030] In addition, in the present invention, an indicator may be provided on the side of the outer case to display the position of the lower end of the first shaft relative to the outer case, so that the measurer can easily visually understand the initial contact pressure of the adjusted sensor head. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the present invention, there is provided a contact-type measuring device comprising: a sensor head for contacting an object to be measured; an outer case having a pressing portion for pressing the periphery of the sensor head and slidably supporting the sensor head inside; a flange portion supported slidably but unrotatably inside the outer case; a first biasing means arranged between the flange portion and the sensor head and applying a force to separate the flange portion and the sensor head; and a second biasing means arranged between the sensor head and the pressing portion and applying a force to separate the sensor head and the pressing portion, wherein when the flange portion has reached its lower limit of sliding relative to the outer case, the biasing forces generated by the first biasing means and the second biasing means are both constant.

[0032] According to the present invention, the contact angle of the sensor head with respect to the surface of the object to be measured is stably maintained at approximately 90° during measurement, and the tension state of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured is also maintained uniform. Furthermore, if the measurer presses the flange portion of the contact-type measuring device so that it reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case, the combined biasing force generated by the first biasing means and the second biasing means becomes constant, and the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head to the object to be measured also becomes constant, so the contact-type measuring device of the present invention can obtain measurement results with high precision and high reproducibility. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 is a photograph showing a contact-type measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above in a perspective view. [Figure 2] 2 is a photograph of the contact-type measuring device shown in FIG. 1 as seen obliquely from below. [Figure 3] 2(a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a longitudinal sectional view passing through the central axis of the rod of the contact-type measuring device of FIG. [Figure 4A] 1A and 1B show a state before measurement begins of the contact-type measuring device according to the first embodiment, in which (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device in which the sensor head is set inside the pressing part, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device of (a). [Figure 4B] 4B shows the state of the contact-type measuring device of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4A in the measurement preparation stage, where (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device in which the sensor head and the pressing part are flush with each other, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device of (a). [Figure 4C] 4B shows the state of the measurement stage of the contact-type measuring device of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, where (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device in which the flange portion has reached the lower limit of sliding relative to the outer case, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device of (a). [Figure 5A] 10A and 10B show a state before measurement begins of a contact-type measuring device according to a second embodiment, in which (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device in which the sensor head is set outside the pressing part, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device of (a). [Figure 5B] 5B shows the state of the contact-type measuring device of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5A in the measurement preparation stage, where (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device in which the sensor head and the pressing part are flush with each other, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device of (a). [Figure 5C] 5B shows the state of the measurement stage of the contact-type measuring device of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, where (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device in which the flange portion has reached the lower limit of sliding relative to the outer case, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device of (a). [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the contact pressure of the sensor head or the pressing force of the pressing unit and the pressing amount of the contact-type measuring device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the contact pressure of the sensor head or the pressing force of the pressing portion and the pressing amount of the contact-type measuring device according to the second embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] A contact-type measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the examples shown below, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. [Example]

[0035] <Contact measuring device> Fig. 1 shows a photograph of a contact-type measuring device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention as seen from above, and Fig. 2 shows a photograph of a contact-type measuring device 1 shown in Fig. 1 as seen from below. Also, Fig. 3(a) shows a front view of the contact-type measuring device 1 shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3(b) shows a vertical cross-sectional view passing through the central axis of the rod 23 of the contact-type measuring device 1 of (a).

[0036] 1 and 2, the contact-type measuring device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an image sensor 20 for acquiring an image of a measurement object 8 such as the skin of a living body (see FIGS. 5 and 6) on the contact surface of the sensor head 2, and is handy enough for the user to operate it with one hand. In this embodiment, the sensor portion does not have to be the image sensor 20, and any sensor that is pressed against the surface of the measurement object 8 to detect information about the surface of the measurement object 8, such as an electrode for measuring the moisture content of the measurement object 8 or a light emitting / receiving unit for measuring the bilirubin concentration of the measurement object 8, may be used.

[0037] 3(a) and 3(b), the contact-type measuring device 1 of this embodiment includes an outer case 3 having a pressing portion 30 at the bottom for pressing against the object to be measured 8, and a flange portion 4 that is supported within the outer case 3 so as to be slidable and not rotatable. A handle body 5 is attached to the top of the flange portion 4 so that the measurer can hold it in their hand. The handle body 5 also houses a circuit board 50 equipped with an IC chip, a battery, and the like for controlling the measurement of the contact-type measuring device 1. Thus, the contact-type measuring device 1 of this embodiment has a sensing portion that comes into contact with the object to be measured 8, such as skin, separated into the sensor head 2 and the outer case 3, which slide relative to each other. The pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3 is configured so that it can press against the object to be measured 8 outside the sensor head 2, separately from the sensor head 2.

[0038] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3, which has a larger outer shape than the sensor head 2, is pressed against the object 8 to be measured, the outer case 3 is guided so that the pressing angle with respect to the surface of the object 8 to be measured is 90°, and the sensor head 2 is also guided by the outer case 3 so that the contact angle with respect to the surface of the object 8 to be measured is also 90°. Furthermore, the measurement area of ​​the object 8 to be measured that the sensor head 2 comes into contact with is constrained by the pressing portion 30 pressing against the periphery of the measurement area, so that it is in a uniformly tense state.

[0039] The outer case 3 and the pressing portion 30 extending inward (laterally) from the lower end of the outer case 3 function to guide the sensor head 2 so that the contact angle with the surface of the object to be measured 8 is 90°, as described above, and to press the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8 so that the measurement area is in a uniformly tensed state. Therefore, the pressing portion 30 does not necessarily need to extend inward (laterally) without interruption from the entire circumference of the lower end of the outer case 3; it may extend inward (laterally) with interruptions in various places from the lower end of the outer case 3, for example, like the teeth of a comb. Furthermore, the pressing portion 30 preferably has an opening 31 ( FIG. 2 ) through which the sensor head 2 enters and exits so that it can be positioned around the sensor head 2 without interfering with it.

[0040] In this embodiment, four elongated slits 32 extending vertically and spaced 90° apart in the circumferential direction are provided on the outer peripheral surface (side surface) of the cylindrical outer case 3. A slider 42, such as a screw, threaded bolt, or small-diameter bolt having a head wider than the width of the slit 32, is inserted into each slit 32 and fixed to the outer peripheral end surface of the flange portion 4. Therefore, the flange portion 4 is slidably attached to the outer case 3 via the slider 42 and the slits 32, and the sliding range relative to the outer case 3 is limited. The amount of sliding of the flange portion 4 relative to the outer case 3 can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the slits 32.

[0041] There is no limitation on the number of slits 32 or the number of sliders 42, and the slide mechanism is not limited to the above configuration as long as it allows the flange portion 4 to slide in a predetermined direction relative to the outer case 3. In this embodiment, four slits 32 are provided circumferentially, spaced 90° apart, thereby eliminating rattle in the flange portion 4 and achieving smooth sliding of the flange portion 4. In this embodiment, the heads of the sliders (screws) 42 exposed to the outside from the slits 32 are conveniently displayed so that the operator can easily see the position of the flange portion 4 within the slits 32 (sliding area).

[0042] A through-hole 40 is provided near the center of the flange portion 4, and a screw thread 41 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 40. A first shaft 21, which has a screw thread 210 formed on its outer peripheral surface, is threaded into the through-hole 40, and a rod 23 is connected to the upper part of the first shaft 21 for rotating the first shaft 21 from outside the contact-type measuring device 1. A removable cap 51 is attached to the upper end of the handle body 5, and a through-hole 52 is provided near the center of the cap 51. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rod 23 is inserted into the through-hole 52 of the cap 51, and a pair of rotating rings 53, each having a diameter larger than that of the through-hole 52, are fixed to the rod 23 from above and below the through-hole 52, thereby determining the rotational position of the rod 23 relative to the cap 51 and the outer case 3.

[0043] The sensor head 2 is slidably supported inside the outer case 3, and a second shaft 22 is connected to the upper part of the sensor head 2. The first shaft 21 is a cylindrical body having a hollow portion 211 inside, and the second shaft 22 is slidably supported in the hollow portion 211 of the first shaft 21. Therefore, the second shaft 22 is slidably supported in the outer case 3 via the first shaft 21 and the flange portion 4 that is screwed with the first shaft 21.

[0044] In this embodiment, the outer case 3 is a cylindrical body, but is not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate the sensor head 2, the second shaft 22, the first shaft 21, the flange portion 4 that screws onto the first shaft 21, etc., and may be a cylindrical body of another shape, such as a rectangular prism. Also, the handle main body 5 is a rectangular prism-shaped body, but is not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate the first shaft 21, the rod 23 for rotating the first shaft 21, the substrate 50, etc., and may be a cylindrical body of another shape, such as a rectangular prism other than a rectangular prism or a cylinder.

[0045] The contact-type measuring device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a first biasing means 6 that functions mainly to maintain the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 at a predetermined value, and a second biasing means 7 that functions mainly to counteract (cancel) the weight of the sensor head 2. Therefore, the contact-type measuring device 1 of this embodiment can maintain constant measurement conditions such as the contact pressure and contact angle of the sensor head 2 with respect to the object to be measured 8 during measurement, even if the sensor head 2 has a weight that affects the measurement results.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first biasing means 6 is a helical spring, and is arranged around the second shaft 22 between the flange portion 4 and the sensor head 2. Therefore, the first biasing means 6 biases the flange portion 4 and the sensor head 2 so as to separate them, and generates a contact pressure by the sensor head 2 against the object to be measured 8. Note that in this embodiment, in order to make the contact-type measuring device 1 compact, the first biasing means 6 is arranged coaxially with the central axis z of the first shaft 21, the second shaft 22, and the rod 23.

[0047] The second biasing means 7 is a helical spring, and four of them are arranged around the sensor head 2, spaced at 90° intervals, between the sensor head 2 and the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3. Therefore, the second biasing means 7 biases the sensor head 2 and the pressing portion 30 so as to separate them, thereby canceling the contact pressure of the sensor head 2 on the object to be measured 8 due to its own weight.

[0048] In this embodiment, the weight of the first biasing means 6, the second biasing means 7, the sensor head 2, etc. may be configured so that the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 is the sum of the pressure generated by the sensor head 2's own weight and the biasing force generated by the first biasing means 6 minus the biasing force generated by the second biasing means 7, in order to improve the controllability of the contact pressure.

[0049] In this embodiment, the pressing unit 30 presses and constrains the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8 so that the measurement area is in a uniformly tense state. Therefore, when the sensor head 2 and the pressing unit 30 are pressed against the object to be measured 8 on the same surface, the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 may be set to be smaller than the pressing force transmitted from the pressing unit 30 to the object to be measured 8.

[0050] As described above, in the contact-type measuring device 1 of this embodiment, when the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the first and second biasing means 6 and 7 no longer expand or contract, and the expansion and contraction lengths become constant, so that the biasing forces generated by the first and second biasing means 6 and 7 are both constant. As a result, when the measurer further presses the contact-type measuring device 1 against the object 8 to be measured after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the pressing pressure applied by the measurer is transmitted from the flange portion 4, which has reached the lower limit of the sliding, to the outer case 3, and then directly from the outer case 3 to the object 8 to be measured. On the other hand, only the combined biasing forces generated by the first and second biasing means 6 and 7 are transmitted to the sensor head 2, regardless of the amount of pressing of the contact-type measuring device 1, so that the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object 8 to be measured is constant.

[0051] In addition, in the contact-type measuring device 1 of this embodiment, the flange portion 4 slidably attached to the outer case 3 is screwed onto the first shaft 21 within the through hole 40 of the flange portion 4, and the first biasing means 6 is arranged between the flange portion 4 and the sensor head 2 and between the lower end 212 of the first shaft 21 and the sensor head 2.

[0052] The first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 are set in a state compressed from their natural lengths so that, while the contact-type measuring device 1 is in operation, the first biasing means 6 biases the sensor head 2 away from the flange portion 4, and the second biasing means 7 biases the sensor head 2 away from the pressing portion 30.

[0053] Therefore, in this embodiment, by rotating the first shaft 21 or the rod 23 connected to the first shaft 21, it is possible to easily change the distance between the flange portion 4 and the sensor head 2 and the distance between the lower end 212 of the first shaft 21 and the sensor head 2. Furthermore, since the balance position of the sensor head 2, which is biased from above and below by the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7, also changes, it is possible to easily change the initial contact pressure of the sensor head 2 generated by the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 when the sensor head 2 comes into contact with the object to be measured 8, and the position of the sensor head 2 with respect to the pressing portion 30.

[0054] In addition, in this embodiment, an indicator 24 extending from the first shaft 21 to the side of the outer case 3 is attached to the lower end 212 of the first shaft 21, and a display window 33 is provided on the side of the outer case 3 through which the tip of the indicator 24 is exposed to the outside, making it easy for the person measuring to visually understand the position of the lower end 212 of the first shaft 21 relative to the outer case 3, i.e., the initial contact pressure of the modified sensor head 2.

[0055] In this embodiment, there are no particular limitations on the materials used for the sensor head 2, the first and second shafts 21 and 22, the rod 23, the outer case 3 and pressing portion 30, the flange portion 4, the handle main body 5, and the cap 51, and although resin materials, metal materials, or composite materials combining these can be used, hard plastic materials are often used because they are lightweight, have excellent formability, and have excellent insulating properties. Also, in this embodiment, there are no particular limitations on the materials used for the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7, and although elastic metal materials, elastic resin materials, or composite materials combining these can be used, elastic metal materials are used because of their excellent durability.

[0056] <Operational aspects of contact-type measurement device> Next, the operating mode for measuring surface information of a measurement object 8 such as skin using the contact-type measuring device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention described above will be explained separately for the contact-type measuring device 1 according to the first embodiment in which the sensor head 2 is set inside the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3 before measurement begins, and the contact-type measuring device 1 according to the second embodiment in which the sensor head 2 is set outside the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3 before measurement begins.

[0057] First Embodiment 4A shows the state of the contact-type measuring device 1 according to the first embodiment before measurement begins. (a) shows a front view of the contact-type measuring device 1 with the sensor head 2 set inside the pressing unit 30, and (b) shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device 1 of (a). FIG. 4B shows the state of the contact-type measuring device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4A in a measurement preparation stage. (a) shows a front view of the contact-type measuring device 1 with the sensor head 2 and the pressing unit 30 flush with each other, and (b) shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device 1 of (a). FIG. 4C shows the state of the contact-type measuring device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4B in a measurement stage. (a) shows a front view of the contact-type measuring device 1 with the flange 4 reaching the lower limit of sliding relative to the outer case 3, and (b) shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device 1 of (a).

[0058] 1. Before starting measurement 4A(a) and 4A(b), before measurement begins in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the first embodiment, the rod 23 protruding from the upper end (cap 51) of the gripping body 5 is rotated to adjust the contact surface of the sensor head 2 to be positioned more inward than the pressing surface of the pressing part 30. Therefore, in the contact-type measuring device 1 before measurement begins, the image sensor 20 attached to the sensor head 2 is held inside the pressing part 30 and is therefore protected from damage.

[0059] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the contact pressure of the sensor head 2 or the pressing force of the pressing unit 30 and the pressing amount of the contact-type measuring device 1 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 6, the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object 8 to be measured is designated as f(x), and the pressing force transmitted from the pressing unit 30 to the object 8 to be measured is designated as g(x) (where x is the amount of pressing (deformation) of the handle body 5 by the measurer). The profiles of the contact pressure f(x) and pressing force g(x) shown in FIG. 6 are merely an example of the first embodiment. By changing the biasing force of the first biasing unit 6, the biasing force of the second biasing unit 7, the weight of the sensor head 2, and the like, the initial pressure of the contact pressure f(x) and / or pressing force g(x), the point at which the pressure begins to act, the pressure gradient, and the like can be changed to any desired profile.

[0060] 4A(a) and (b), when the measurer operates the handle body 5 to place the contact-type measuring device 1 on the surface of the object to be measured 8, the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3 comes into contact with the object to be measured 8, and transmission of a pressing force g(x) from the pressing portion 30 to the object to be measured 8 begins (point a of g(x) in FIG. 6). Then, when the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8, the slider 42 of the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 relatively descends within the slit 32 of the outer case 3 until the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30 becomes flush with the contact surface of the sensor head 2, as shown in FIGS. 4B(a) and (b), and the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 deform according to the amount of pressing (deformation) of the handle body 5 by the measurer. Therefore, the pressing force g(x) transmitted from the pressing portion 30 to the object to be measured 8 increases in accordance with the above-mentioned deformation amount of the first and second biasing means 6 and 7 (from point a to point b of g(x) in Figure 6).

[0061] On the other hand, the sensor head 2 does not come into contact with the object to be measured 8 until the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30 becomes flush with the contact surface of the sensor head 2, so the contact pressure f(x) is not transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8, resulting in no load (see Figure 6).

[0062] As described above, in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the first embodiment, before the sensor head 2 contacts the object 8 to be measured, the pressing part 30, which has a larger outer shape than the sensor head 2, contacts and presses against the object 8 to be measured. Therefore, the outer case 3 having the pressing part 30 is guided so that the pressing angle with respect to the surface of the object 8 to be measured is 90°, and the sensor head 2 is also guided by the outer case 3 so that the contact angle with respect to the surface of the object 8 to be measured is 90°.

[0063] 2. Measurement preparation stage As shown in Figures 4B(a) and (b), the measurement preparation stage in the contact-type measurement device 1 of the first embodiment begins when the measurer presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 so that the pressing surface of the pressing part 30 is flush with the contact surface of the sensor head 2.

[0064] In the first embodiment, after the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30 becomes flush with the contact surface of the sensor head 2, when the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8, the slider 42 of the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 further descends within the slit 32 of the outer case 3, as shown in Figures 4C(a) and (b), and reaches the lower limit of the slit 32, i.e., the lower slide limit.

[0065] However, after the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30 becomes flush with the contact surface of the sensor head 2, the relative position (separation distance) of the sensor head 2 with respect to the pressing portion 30 is fixed and the extension length of the second biasing means 7 also becomes constant, so the biasing force generated by the second biasing means 7 becomes constant. Therefore, in the first embodiment, after the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30 becomes flush with the contact surface of the sensor head 2, the pressing force g(x) transmitted from the pressing portion 30 to the object to be measured 8 also becomes constant until the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of sliding of the outer case 3 (from point b to point c of g(x) in FIG. 6).

[0066] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4B(a) and (b), the sensor head 2 comes into contact with the object 8 to be measured when the measurer presses the handle body 5 against the object 8 to be measured, and the transmission of contact pressure f(x) from the sensor head 2 to the object 8 to be measured begins (point O of f(x) in FIG. 6; point O is the initial contact pressure of the sensor head 2). Then, when the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object 8 to be measured, as shown in FIGS. 4C(a) and (b), the slider 42 of the flange 4 connected to the handle body 5 descends within the slit 32 of the outer case 3 until the flange 4 reaches the lower limit of the outer case 3, and the first biasing means 6 is compressed in accordance with the amount of pressure (deformation) of the handle body 5 by the measurer. Therefore, the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object 8 to be measured increases in accordance with the above-mentioned amount of compression (deformation) of the first biasing means 6 (from point O to point P of f(x) in FIG. 6).

[0067] In this way, in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the first embodiment, after the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30 becomes flush with the contact surface of the sensor head 2, until the flange portion 4 reaches the lower sliding limit of the outer case 3, the pressing portion 30 presses and restrains the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8 that the sensor head 2 contacts with with a constant pressing force g(x), thereby creating a uniform state of tension in the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8.

[0068] During this time, the pressing pressure from the person measuring is not transmitted directly to the sensor head 2, but is transmitted while being absorbed (reduced) by the compression (deformation) of the first biasing means 6, so the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 increases gradually. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the sensor head 2 can be brought into gentle contact with the surface of the object to be measured 8, which is in a uniformly tensed state, thereby improving the measurement accuracy and repeatability of the contact-type measuring device 1.

[0069] 3. Measurement Phase 4C(a) and (b), the measurement stage in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the first embodiment begins when the measurer presses the handle body 5 against the object 8 to be measured and the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of sliding of the outer case 3. Therefore, when the contact-type measuring device 1 has a switch for starting measurement, the start of measurement by the contact-type measuring device 1 may be configured so that the switch turns ON automatically when the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of sliding of the outer case 3, or the switch may be configured so that it must be turned ON manually.

[0070] In the first embodiment, even if the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of sliding of the outer case 3, the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 does not move with respect to the outer case 3, and the relative positional relationship between the two remains as shown in Figures 4C(a) and (b). Therefore, after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of sliding of the outer case 3, the pressing pressure by the measurer is transmitted directly from the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 to the outer case 3, and from the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3 to the object to be measured 8 as pressing force g(x) of the pressing portion 30 (from point c of g(x) in Figure 6 onwards).

[0071] On the other hand, with respect to the sensor head 2, even if the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 does not move with respect to the outer case 3, and the relative positional relationship between them remains as shown in Figures 4C(a) and (b). Therefore, after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the relative position (separation distance) of the sensor head 2 with respect to the flange portion 4 that has reached the lower limit and the relative position (separation distance) of the sensor head 2 with respect to the pressing portion 30 are fixed, and the extension lengths of the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 are both constant, so the combined biasing force generated by the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 is constant.

[0072] Therefore, in the first embodiment, even if the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower sliding limit of the outer case 3, the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 remains constant (after point P of f(x) in Figure 6).

[0073] Thus, with the contact-type measuring device 1 of the first embodiment, the contact angle of the sensor head 2 with respect to the surface of the object to be measured 8 is stably maintained at approximately 90° during measurement, and the tension state of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8 is also maintained uniform. Furthermore, if the measurer presses the flange portion 4 of the contact-type measuring device 1 so that it reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the combined biasing force generated by the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 becomes constant, and the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 also becomes constant, so that with the first embodiment, measurement results with high accuracy and high reproducibility can be obtained.

[0074] In the first embodiment, the pressing unit 30 is used to press and constrain the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8 so that the measurement area is in a uniform state of tension. Therefore, in the measurement preparation stage (from point O to point P of f(x) in Figure 6), the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 is set to be smaller than the pressing force g(x) transmitted from the pressing unit 30 to the object to be measured 8, but the reverse may also be true.

[0075] Furthermore, the contact-type measuring device 1 of the first embodiment is configured so that the pressing pressure applied by the measurer is transmitted to the sensor head 2 via the first biasing means 6, and the weight of the sensor head 2 can be controlled (cancelled) to a desired value by being supported by the outer case 3 via the second biasing means 7. Therefore, even if the sensor head 2 has a heavy weight that affects the measurement results, f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 during measurement can be controlled to a desired value regardless of the weight of the sensor head 2.

[0076] Specifically, the contact pressure f(x) of the sensor head 2 against the object to be measured 8 during measurement can be set to be the sum of the pressure generated by the weight of the sensor head 2 and the biasing force generated by the first biasing means 6 minus the biasing force generated by the second biasing means 7.

[0077] <Second embodiment> 5A shows a state before measurement begins for the contact-type measuring device 1 according to the second embodiment, where (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device 1 with the sensor head 2 set outside the pressing unit 30, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device 1 of (a). FIG. 5B shows a state in a measurement preparation stage for the contact-type measuring device 1 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, where (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device 1 with the sensor head 2 and the pressing unit 30 flush with each other, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device 1 of (a). FIG. 5C shows a state in a measurement stage for the contact-type measuring device 1 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, where (a) is a front view of the contact-type measuring device 1 with the flange 4 reaching the lower limit of sliding relative to the outer case 3, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact-type measuring device 1 of (a).

[0078] 1. Before starting measurement As shown in Figures 5A(a) and (b), before measurement begins in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the second embodiment, the rod 23 protruding from the upper end (cap 51) of the gripping body 5 is rotated to adjust the contact surface of the sensor head 2 to be positioned more externally than the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the contact pressure of the sensor head 2 or the pressing force of the pressing unit 30 and the pressing amount of the contact-type measuring device 1 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 7, the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object 8 to be measured is designated as f(x), and the pressing force transmitted from the pressing unit 30 to the object 8 to be measured is designated as g(x) (where x is the amount of pressing (deformation) of the handle body 5 by the measurer). The profiles of the contact pressure f(x) and pressing force g(x) shown in FIG. 7 are merely an example of the second embodiment. By changing the biasing force of the first biasing unit 6, the biasing force of the second biasing unit 7, the weight of the sensor head 2, and the like, the initial pressure of the contact pressure f(x) and / or pressing force g(x), the point at which the pressure begins to act, the pressure gradient, and the like can be changed to any desired profile.

[0080] 5A(a) and (b), when the measurer operates the handle body 5 to place the contact-type measuring device 1 on the surface of the object to be measured 8, the sensor head 2 comes into contact with the object to be measured 8, and the transmission of contact pressure f(x) from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 begins (point O of f(x) in FIG. 7, point O is the initial contact pressure of the sensor head 2). Then, when the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8, the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 deform according to the amount of pressing (deformation) of the handle body 5 by the measurer until the contact surface of the sensor head 2 becomes flush with the pressing surface of the pressing part 30, as shown in FIGS. 5B(a) and (b). Therefore, the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 increases according to the above-mentioned deformation of the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 (from point O to point P of f(x) in FIG. 7).

[0081] In the second embodiment, although not shown, when the measurer presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 until the contact surface of the sensor head 2 is flush with the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30, the first pressing means 6 is compressed, and at the same time, the pressing forces of the first and second pressing means 6, 7 can be adjusted so that the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 moves relatively downward within the outer case 3.

[0082] On the other hand, the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3 does not come into contact with the object to be measured 8 until the contact surface of the sensor head 2 is flush with the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30, so the contact pressure g(x) is not transmitted from the pressing portion 30 to the object to be measured 8, and there is no load (see Figure 7).

[0083] As described above, in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the second embodiment, the pressing pressure of the measurer is not transmitted directly to the sensor head 2, but is transmitted while being absorbed (mitigated) by the deformation of the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7, so that the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 increases gradually. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the sensor head 2 can be brought into gentle contact with the surface of the object to be measured 8, improving the measurement accuracy and repeatability of the contact-type measuring device 1.

[0084] 2. Measurement preparation stage As shown in Figures 5B(a) and (b), the measurement preparation stage in the contact-type measurement device 1 of the second embodiment begins when the measurer presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 so that the contact surface of the sensor head 2 is flush with the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30.

[0085] In the second embodiment, after the contact surface of the sensor head 2 becomes flush with the pressing surface of the pressing part 30, when the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8, the slider 42 of the flange part 4 connected to the handle body 5 descends in the slit 32 of the outer case 3 until the flange part 4 reaches the lower limit of the slide of the outer case 3, as shown in Figures 5C(a) and (b), and the first biasing means 6 is compressed according to the amount of pressing (deformation) of the handle body 5 by the measurer. Therefore, the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 increases according to the above-mentioned amount of compression (deformation) of the first biasing means 6, as before the measurement started (from point P to point Q of f(x) in Figure 7).

[0086] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 5B(a) and (b), when the measurer presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8, the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3 comes into contact with the object to be measured 8, and the transmission of contact pressure g(x) from the pressing portion 30 to the object to be measured 8 begins (point O of f(x) in Figure 7).

[0087] However, after the contact surface of the sensor head 2 becomes flush with the pressing surface of the pressing unit 30, the relative position (separation distance) of the sensor head 2 with respect to the pressing unit 30 is fixed and the extension length of the second biasing unit 7 also becomes constant, so the biasing force generated by the second biasing unit 7 becomes constant. Therefore, in the second embodiment, after the contact surface of the sensor head 2 becomes flush with the pressing surface of the pressing unit 30, the pressing force g(x) transmitted from the pressing unit 30 to the object to be measured 8 also becomes constant until the flange unit 4 reaches the lower limit of sliding of the outer case 3 (from point a to point b of g(x) in FIG. 7).

[0088] Thus, in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the second embodiment, after the contact surface of the sensor head 2 becomes flush with the pressing surface of the pressing part 30, the pressing part 30, which has a larger outer shape than the sensor head 2, comes into contact with and is pressed against the object to be measured 8. Therefore, the outer case 3 having the pressing part 30 is guided so that the pressing angle with respect to the surface of the object to be measured 8 is 90°, and the sensor head 2 is also guided by the outer case 3 so that the contact angle with respect to the surface of the object to be measured 8 is 90°.

[0089] Furthermore, after the contact surface of the sensor head 2 becomes flush with the pressing surface of the pressing portion 30, until the flange portion 4 reaches the lower sliding limit of the outer case 3, the pressing portion 30 presses and restrains the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8 that the sensor head 2 contacts with a constant pressing force g(x), creating a uniform state of tension in the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8.

[0090] Furthermore, during this time, just as before the measurement started, the pressing pressure from the measurer is not transmitted directly to the sensor head 2, but is transmitted while being absorbed (reduced) by the compression (deformation) of the first biasing means 6, so the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 increases gradually. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the sensor head 2 can be brought into gentle contact with the surface of the object to be measured 8, which is in a uniformly tensed state, further improving the measurement accuracy and repeatability of the contact-type measurement device 1.

[0091] 3. Measurement Phase 5C(a) and (b), the measurement stage in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the second embodiment begins when the measurer presses the handle body 5 against the object 8 to be measured and the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of sliding of the outer case 3. Therefore, when the contact-type measuring device 1 has a switch for starting measurement, the start of measurement by the contact-type measuring device 1 may be configured so that the switch turns ON automatically when the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of sliding of the outer case 3, or the switch may be configured so that it must be turned ON manually.

[0092] In the second embodiment, even if the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 does not move with respect to the outer case 3, and the relative positional relationship between them remains as shown in Figures 5C(a) and (b). Therefore, after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the relative position (separation distance) of the sensor head 2 with respect to the flange portion 4 that has reached the lower limit and the relative position (separation distance) of the sensor head 2 with respect to the pressing portion 30 are fixed, and the extension lengths of the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 are both constant, so the combined biasing force generated by the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 is constant.

[0093] Therefore, in the second embodiment, even if the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower sliding limit of the outer case 3, the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 remains constant (after point Q of f(x) in Figure 7).

[0094] On the other hand, with regard to the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3, even if the measurer further presses the handle body 5 against the object to be measured 8 after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 does not move with respect to the outer case 3, and the relative positional relationship between the two remains as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b). Therefore, after the flange portion 4 reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the pressing pressure by the measurer is transmitted directly from the flange portion 4 connected to the handle body 5 to the outer case 3, and from the pressing portion 30 of the outer case 3 to the object to be measured 8 as a pressing force g(x) of the pressing portion 30 (from point b of g(x) in Figure 7 onwards).

[0095] Thus, with the contact-type measuring device 1 of the second embodiment, the contact angle of the sensor head 2 with respect to the surface of the object to be measured 8 is stably maintained at approximately 90° during measurement, and the tension state of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8 is also maintained uniform. Furthermore, if the measurer presses the flange portion 4 of the contact-type measuring device 1 so that it reaches the lower limit of the sliding of the outer case 3, the combined biasing force generated by the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7 becomes constant, and the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 also becomes constant, so that the second embodiment can obtain measurement results with high accuracy and reproducibility.

[0096] In the second embodiment, the pressing unit 30 is used to press and constrain the periphery of the measurement area of ​​the object to be measured 8 so that the measurement area is in a uniform state of tension. Therefore, in the measurement preparation stage (from point P to point Q of f(x) in Figure 7), the contact pressure f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 is set to be smaller than the pressing force g(x) transmitted from the pressing unit 30 to the object to be measured 8, but the reverse may also be true.

[0097] Furthermore, in the contact-type measuring device 1 of the second embodiment, the pressing pressure applied by the measurer is transmitted to the sensor head 2 via the first biasing means 6, and the weight of the sensor head 2 can be controlled (cancelled) to a desired value by being supported by the outer case 3 via the second biasing means 7. Therefore, even if the sensor head 2 has a heavy weight that affects the measurement results, f(x) transmitted from the sensor head 2 to the object to be measured 8 during measurement can be controlled to a desired value regardless of the weight of the sensor head 2.

[0098] Specifically, the contact pressure f(x) of the sensor head 2 against the object to be measured 8 during measurement can be set to be the sum of the pressure generated by the weight of the sensor head 2 and the biasing force generated by the first biasing means 6 minus the biasing force generated by the second biasing means 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1...Contact measuring device 2. Sensor head 20. Image sensor 21. First shaft 210···Thread 211...Cavity 212...bottom edge 22...Second shaft 23 Rod 24····Indicator 3. Outer case 30 Pressing section 31 Opening 32...slit 33 Display window 4. Flange part 40...Through hole 41....Thread 42 Slider 5...Handle body 50... board 51····Cap 52...Through hole 53 Rotating ring 6. First biasing means (helical spring) 7. Second biasing means (helical spring) 8. Measurement object (e.g., subject's skin) z Central axis of the first and second shafts and rod

Claims

1. a sensor head for contacting the object to be measured; an outer case having a pressing portion for pressing the periphery of the sensor head and supporting the sensor head slidably therein; a flange portion supported non-rotatably and slidably inside the outer case; a first biasing means disposed between the flange portion and the sensor head and biasing the flange portion and the sensor head so as to separate them from each other; a second biasing means disposed between the sensor head and the pressing portion and biasing the sensor head and the pressing portion so as to separate them from each other; and A contact-type measuring device characterized in that when the flange portion reaches the lower limit of sliding relative to the outer case, the biasing forces generated by the first biasing means and the second biasing means are both constant.

2. 2. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head to the object to be measured is the sum of the pressure generated by the weight of the sensor head and the biasing force generated by the first biasing means minus the biasing force generated by the second biasing means.

3. The flange portion has a through hole with an inner peripheral surface on which a screw thread is formed, a first shaft having an outer peripheral surface on which a screw thread is formed is screwed into the through hole; the first biasing means is disposed between the lower end of the first shaft and the sensor head; and 2. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the position of the sensor head relative to the pressing portion and the initial contact pressure of the sensor head are adjustable by rotating the first shaft.

4. 4. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the outer case has an indicator on a side surface thereof for indicating the position of the lower end of the first shaft relative to the outer case.

5. the first shaft is a cylindrical body having a hollow portion, the sensor head includes a second shaft disposed coaxially with the first shaft and extending upward; and 4. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the second shaft is slidably supported in the hollow portion.

6. 2. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing force generated by the second biasing means is constant when the sensor head and the pressing portion are pressed against the same surface of the object to be measured.

7. 2. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion has an opening through which the sensor head enters and exits.

8. A slit is formed on a side surface of the outer case in the sliding direction of the flange portion, 2. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein a slider is attached to the flange portion so as to be slidably inserted in alignment with the slit.

9. 2. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein when the sensor head and the pressing portion are pressed against the same surface of the object to be measured, the contact pressure transmitted from the sensor head to the object to be measured is smaller than the pressing force transmitted from the pressing portion to the object to be measured.

10. 10. The contact-type measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor head is provided with an image sensor or an electrode for measuring the moisture content of the object to be measured on the contact surface with the object to be measured.

Images