Indicator for measuring devices

Abstract

The invention relates to an indicator set for a measuring device for measuring the conditions of human skin, which can display the degree of progression in at least two or more types of states. According to the invention, the indicator set is arranged for a measuring device comprising: a housing; a measuring support block supported by the housing; and a sensing element supported by the measuring support block, and the indicator set comprises: a window made in the side surface of the housing; a first display unit supported by the window and connected to the measuring support block; and a second display unit supported by the window and connected to the sensing element, and the indicator set is constructed in such a way that the direction and amount of the first display unit coincide with the direction and amount of the measuring support block, and the direction and amount of the second display unit coincide with the direction and amount of the sensing element.

Description

Indicators for measuring devices

[0001] The present invention relates to an indicator for a measuring device used in a skin quality measuring device for measuring human skin properties, and in particular to an indicator for a measuring device that has two or more movable parts that can move independently and separately, and that can display the position of each of the movable parts using a simple and highly reliable mechanism.

[0002] Skin quality measuring devices are known as devices for measuring the moisture content, elasticity, and other properties of human skin. Skin moisture measurement is typically performed by pressing a pair of electrodes, each consisting of a positive and a negative electrode, against the skin to pass an electric current and measure the electrical conductivity of the skin between the electrodes. However, the above-described skin moisture measurement methods have a problem in that the measurement sensitivity varies depending on the contact angle between the electrodes and the skin and the pressure applied, making it difficult to accurately and reproducibly measure skin moisture.

[0003] For this reason, in order to stabilize the pressure between the electrode and the skin, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-169787 (Patent Document 1), a skin moisture measuring device has been developed in which a sensor equipped with an electrode that is pressed against human skin is movably attached to a case via a spring, and when a predetermined pressure is applied to the sensor, a warning is given to the user, thereby encouraging measurement of skin moisture content under a constant pressure.

[0004] However, the skin moisture measuring device described in Patent Document 1 not only fails to stabilize the contact angle between the sensor and the skin, but also deforms the skin in the area pressed by the sensor, resulting in widespread deformation of the surrounding skin. This results in the problem that the elasticity of the skin in the measurement area is affected not only by changes in elasticity due to deformation of the skin pressed by the sensor, but also by tensile stress caused by deformation of the surrounding skin, making it extremely unstable. In other words, the skin moisture measuring device described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that even if the pressure applied by the sensor on the device is constant and stabilized, accurate and reproducible measurements of skin moisture cannot be performed unless the skin elasticity required to measure moisture on the human body is stabilized.

[0005] On the other hand, in order to stabilize the contact angle and pressure force between the electrode and the skin, a skin property measurement probe has been developed, as described in, for example, JP 2001-046344 A (Patent Document 2), in which the electrodes to be pressed against human skin are arranged in a ring shape on the end face of a probe having a certain area, and the probe end face is pressed via a spring to measure the moisture content of the skin.

[0006] However, the skin property measurement probe described in Patent Document 2 has a problem in that the probe end face on which the electrodes are arranged is formed as a flat surface with a large area. Therefore, in areas such as a human arm, which has almost no flat surface and is mostly formed as a curved surface, even if the probe end face is pressed into the skin, a pressure distribution occurs on the probe end face and within the electrode, resulting in uneven and unstable pressure on the electrode, making it impossible to accurately and reproducibly measure the moisture content of the skin.

[0007] Furthermore, in the skin moisture measuring device described in Patent Document 1, a display means has been developed that indicates the relative position of the sensor equipped with electrodes and the case, thereby informing the user of the appropriate pressure to apply to the sensor.

[0008] However, the display means described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that if the sensor equipped with electrodes is not pressed against human skin at an appropriate angle, it will display that the appropriate pressure has been reached as long as the sensor is moved to a specified position relative to the case, even though the actual pressure is not appropriate. This means that it is not possible to prevent measurement errors due to improper pressing of the sensor part, etc.

[0009] JP 2003-169787 A JP 2001-046344 A

[0010] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an indicator for a measuring device, such as a skin property measuring device for measuring human skin properties, that can display the degree of progress of at least two or more conditions, such as the pressing angle of the sensor unit and the pressing force of the sensor unit, using a simple mechanism.

[0011] The inventors have conducted extensive research into the configuration of measuring devices such as skin property measuring devices for measuring human skin properties, and as a result have discovered that if there are parts that move according to the respective conditions when detecting conditions such as the pressing angle of the sensor part or the pressing force of the sensor part, the above-mentioned problems can be solved by providing a display part mechanically connected to each of the moving parts and displaying the results aligned in a single window, and have thus completed the present invention.

[0012] That is, according to the present invention, there is provided an indicator for a measuring device which has a housing, a measurement auxiliary unit slidably supported on the housing, and a sensor section slidably supported on the measurement auxiliary unit, the indicator having a window formed on the side of the housing, a first display section slidably supported inside the window and connected to the measurement auxiliary unit, and a second display section slidably supported inside the window and connected to the sensor section, and which is configured so that the sliding direction and sliding amount of the first display section match the sliding direction and sliding amount of the measurement auxiliary unit, and the sliding direction and sliding amount of the second display section match the sliding direction and sliding amount of the sensor section.

[0013] In the case of a skin property measuring device, for example, which has two separate movable parts, such as a sensor unit for measuring the skin property of a subject and a measurement auxiliary unit for guiding the sensor unit, the indicator for the measuring device of the present invention has a first display unit that displays the movement of the measurement auxiliary unit and a second display unit that displays the movement of the sensor unit, so that the positions of the measurement auxiliary unit and the sensor unit can be easily determined by visual inspection, preventing human-caused measurement errors due to improper pressing of the cover of the measurement auxiliary unit, etc. For example, if measurement does not start because the measurement auxiliary unit and the sensor unit are not pressed in enough, the user can easily know the reason (insufficient pressing) for the measurement not to start. Furthermore, because the first and second display units move mechanically in conjunction with the measurement auxiliary unit and the sensor unit, they have the advantages of a simple structure, no power source required, and extremely high reliability.

[0014] In the indicator for a measuring device of the present invention, it is preferable that the first display portion and the second display portion each have an area consisting of at least two or more different display colors, patterns, or combinations thereof.

[0015] Furthermore, it is more preferable that the indicator for the measuring device of the present invention has a first display section having a first region consisting of a first display color, pattern, or combination thereof indicating that the cover section is in a first position relative to the housing, and a second region consisting of a second display color, pattern, or combination thereof indicating that the cover section is in a second position relative to the housing, and that the second display section has a third region consisting of a third display color, pattern, or combination thereof indicating that the sensor section is in a third position relative to the housing, and a fourth region consisting of a fourth display color, pattern, or combination thereof indicating that the sensor section is in a fourth position relative to the housing.

[0016] Furthermore, the indicator for the measuring device of the present invention is preferably configured so that when the display in the window is a combination of the first and third regions, the sensor unit is in a standby state, when the display in the window is a combination of the second and third regions, the sensor unit is in a contact state, and when the display in the window is a combination of the second and fourth regions, the sensor unit is in a measurement start state. Furthermore, when the second display in the window simultaneously displays the third and fourth regions (the boundary between the third and fourth regions), it can inform the user that the sensor unit has not been pressed sufficiently to the correct position or with the appropriate pressing force.

[0017] According to the present invention, a first display unit directly connected to the measurement auxiliary unit and divided into at least two different colors, patterns, or combinations thereof, and a second display unit directly connected to the sensor unit and divided into at least two different colors, patterns, or combinations thereof are displayed in a single window, making it possible to easily identify the multiple states of the skin characteristic measuring device by the colors, patterns, etc. displayed and their combinations, and more reliably preventing human measurement errors due to improper pressing of the cover and sensor units of the measurement auxiliary unit, etc.

[0018] In particular, when the sensor unit of the indicator for the measuring device of the present invention is pressed against the skin of the subject at an angle, the guide surface of the cover gets in the way and the tip of the sensor unit cannot come into contact with the skin of the subject, or at least it cannot move until the switch described below is turned ON. As a result, the display in the window does not advance to the combination of the second and fourth areas, accurately informing the user that the sensor unit is not pressed properly.

[0019] In the indicator of the present invention, the measuring device may be configured so that the tip of the sensor section is provided with a pair of electrodes consisting of a positive electrode and a negative electrode for measuring the moisture content of the skin of the person being measured, the measurement auxiliary unit is configured to be composed of a slider section slidably supported on a housing, and a cover section having a guide surface for pressing against the skin of the person being measured and an opening for inserting and removing the tip electrode of the sensor section disposed within the guide surface, and is detachably connected to the slider section, and further includes first biasing means for biasing the sensor section so as to move the tip electrode of the sensor section away from the slider section, and second biasing means for biasing the slider section so as to move the guide surface away from the housing. Furthermore, the above-mentioned measuring device can measure skin properties such as moisture content and elasticity as long as the measurement target is skin, even if it is animal skin.

[0020] In this case, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of electrodes at the tip of the sensor unit in order to improve the accuracy of measuring the moisture content of the subject's skin.

[0021] Furthermore, in the indicator of the present invention, it is preferable that the measuring device is configured so that as the guide surface is pressed by the skin of the person being measured, initially only the guide surface moves toward the housing, and then the guide surface and the electrode at the tip of the sensor unit move toward the housing.

[0022] In the present invention, the measuring device has the above-mentioned configuration, so that as the guide surface of the cover of the measuring device is pressed by the skin of the subject, the guide surface, which has a larger contact area than the tip of the sensor unit, comes into contact with the skin of the subject before the electrode at the tip of the sensor unit comes into contact with the skin of the subject. Therefore, in the present invention, the cover unit is first guided so that the contact angle with the skin surface of the subject is perpendicular, and then, when the electrode at the tip of the sensor unit comes into contact with the skin of the subject, the electrode at the tip of the sensor unit is also guided by the cover unit so that the contact angle with the skin surface of the subject is perpendicular, so that the skin properties of the subject can be measured in an appropriate contact manner.

[0023] In the present invention, it is preferable that as the guide surface of the cover part of the measuring device is pressed by the skin of the person being measured, the guide surface and the electrode at the tip of the sensor part move toward the housing, and then only the electrode at the tip of the sensor part moves toward the housing.

[0024] Furthermore, in the indicator of the present invention, it is preferable that the measuring device be configured so that, after the guide surface of the cover portion is pressed by the skin of the subject and the electrode at the tip of the sensor portion moves toward the housing, the pressing force per unit area generated at the tip of the sensor portion is the same as the pressing force per unit area generated at the guide surface or is greater than the pressing force per unit area generated at the guide surface.

[0025] According to the present invention, after the guide surface of the measuring device and the electrode at the tip of the sensor unit move toward the housing, the skin of the subject exposed in the opening of the guide surface is fixed by the edge of the opening, so that it maintains a uniform and constant elasticity. Therefore, by configuring the pressing force per unit area generated at the tip of the sensor unit after the above operation to be the same as or greater than the pressing force per unit area generated at the guide surface, the electrode at the tip of the sensor unit can preferentially contact the skin of the subject, which is maintained at a uniform and constant elasticity, regardless of the pressing amount (pressing force) of the guide surface, and skin properties can be measured accurately.

[0026] Furthermore, in the indicator of the present invention, it is preferable that the measuring device is configured so that a switch is attached to the base of the housing, and the rear end of the sensor unit turns the switch ON when the electrode at the tip of the sensor unit moves toward the housing to a predetermined position.

[0027] According to the present invention, the electrode at the tip of the sensor part of the measuring device is guided so that it is pressed at a right angle against the skin surface of the person being measured, and when the skin of the person being measured is maintained in a homogeneous and constant elasticity state, the switch is turned on and measurement begins, thereby enabling accurate and stable measurement of skin properties such as moisture content and elasticity.

[0028] In the indicator of the present invention, the measuring device preferably has a first cylindrical portion in sliding contact with the base portion in the sensor portion, a second cylindrical portion in sliding contact with the sensor portion in the base portion, and the central axes of the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion are arranged coaxially so that the first and second biasing means can be easily supported and arranged compactly.

[0029] Furthermore, when the slider portion of the measuring device has an opening that slides against the sensor portion, it is more preferable that the central axis of the opening is coaxial with the central axis of the first cylindrical portion of the sensor portion.

[0030] In the indicator of the present invention, when the sensor portion of the measuring device has a first cylindrical portion and the base portion also has a first cylindrical portion as described above, it is preferable that the measuring device uses a first helical spring as the first biasing means and a second helical spring as the second biasing means, and that the central axes of the first and second helical springs are arranged coaxially.

[0031] In the indicator of the present invention, it is preferable that the first helical spring of the measuring device is disposed between the base and the sensor portion, and the second helical spring is disposed between the base and the slider portion.

[0032] In the indicator of the present invention, in order to minimize the occurrence of human error as described above, it is preferable that the cover part of the measurement auxiliary unit is transparent or translucent so that the sensor part inside the cover part and the contact state between the sensor part and the skin of the person being measured can be visually observed.

[0033] According to the present invention, an indicator is provided for a measuring device having a housing, a measurement auxiliary unit slidably supported on the housing, and a sensor section slidably supported on the measurement auxiliary unit, the indicator having a window formed on the side of the housing, a first display section slidably supported inside the window and connected to the measurement auxiliary unit, and a second display section slidably supported inside the window and connected to the sensor section, and the sliding direction and amount of sliding of the first display section are the same as those of the measurement auxiliary unit, and the sliding direction and amount of sliding of the second display section are the same as those of the sensor section.

[0034] According to the present invention, by providing an indicator that has a first display unit that displays the movement of the measurement assistance unit (cover unit and slider unit) and a second display unit that displays the movement of the sensor unit, it is possible to easily visually determine the respective positions of the measurement assistance unit and the sensor unit, thereby preventing human-induced measurement errors due to improper pressing of the cover unit and sensor unit of the measurement assistance unit, etc.

[0035] In addition, in the indicator of the present invention, the measuring device may be provided with a pair of electrodes consisting of a positive electrode and a negative electrode at the tip of the sensor section for measuring the moisture content of the skin of the person being measured, and the measurement auxiliary unit may be composed of a slider section slidably supported on the housing, a cover section having a guide surface for pressing against the skin of the person being measured and an opening for inserting and removing the electrode at the tip of the sensor section arranged within the guide surface, and being detachably connected to the slider section, and may be configured to include a first biasing means for biasing the sensor section so as to move the electrode at the tip of the sensor section away from the slider section, and a second biasing means for biasing the slider section so as to move the guide surface away from the housing.

[0036] In the indicator of the present invention, before the tip of the sensor part of the measuring device comes into contact with the skin of the person being measured, the guide surface of the measurement auxiliary unit, which has a wider contact area than the tip, comes into contact with the skin of the person being measured.Therefore, first the cover part of the measurement auxiliary unit is guided so that the angle of pressure against the skin surface of the person being measured is right angles, and then the tip of the sensor part is also guided by the cover part so that the angle of pressure against the skin surface of the person being measured is right angles.As a result, the skin properties of the person being measured can be measured in an appropriate contact manner.

[0037] Furthermore, with the indicator of the present invention, the subject's skin exposed in the guide surface opening of the measurement auxiliary unit of the measuring device is fixed by the edge of the opening, so that the tip of the sensor part can come into preferential contact with the subject's skin, which is maintained at a homogeneous and constant elasticity, regardless of the amount of pressure (pressing force) applied to the guide surface, thereby improving the accuracy of measuring skin properties.

[0038]

[0023] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the entire skin property measuring device used in an indicator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view partially showing the interior of a skin property measuring device used in an indicator according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the skin property measuring device, (b) is a side cross-sectional view of the skin property measuring device, and (c) is a bottom cross-sectional view of the skin property measuring device. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the operating states of a sensor unit of a skin property measuring device used in an indicator according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit in a standby state, (b) and (c) are cross-sectional views of the sensor unit in a contact state, and (d) is a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit in a measurement start state. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the operating states of an indicator according to one embodiment of the present invention in a skin property measuring device, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit in a standby state, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit in a contact state, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit in a measurement start state.

[0039] An indicator for a measuring device according to one 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.

[0040] <Skin Property Measuring Device> Fig. 1 shows a perspective view illustrating the entire skin property measuring device 1 used in an indicator 8 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows cross-sectional views partially illustrating the interior of the skin property measuring device 1 used in an indicator 8 according to one embodiment of the present invention, with Fig. 2(a) being a front cross-sectional view of the skin property measuring device 1, Fig. 2(b) being a side cross-sectional view of the skin property measuring device 1, and Fig. 2(c) being a bottom cross-sectional view of the skin property measuring device 1. The configuration and operation of the skin property measuring device 1 used in the indicator 8 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Note that in this specification, "above" as in upper part, upper end, etc. refers to the upper side of the drawing in Fig. 2 illustrating the skin property measuring device 1, and "below" as in lower part, lower end, etc. refers to the lower side of the drawing in Fig. 2 illustrating the skin property measuring device 1.

[0041] 1 and 2 , the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment is a handheld measuring device sized to be operated by a user with one hand, and includes a housing 2 with a truck-shaped cross section, one end of which is open and the other end of which is fitted with a silicone resin lid 21 equipped with a power switch. A base 20 is fixed inside the housing 2, and a control board 22 equipped with an IC chip or the like for controlling the measurement of the skin property measuring device 1 and a power source 23 such as a battery for driving the control board 22 are also mounted. The power source 23 such as a battery inside the housing 2 can be replaced by removing a portion of the side of the housing 2. The cross-sectional shape of the housing 2 does not necessarily have to be truck-shaped; it may be any other common shape, such as rectangular, polygonal, circular, or elliptical, as long as it can accommodate necessary devices such as the control board 22 and power source 23 and can be operated with one hand.

[0042] [Base] The base 20 may be a separate component separate from the housing 2, or may be a component integrally formed with the housing 2. The base 20 has a first flange 200 and a second cylindrical portion 201 that is fully or partially hollow or solid and extends downward from the first flange 200. The second cylindrical portion 201 is attached to the interior of the housing 2 so that the central axis b of the second cylindrical portion 201 coincides with the central axis (not shown) of the housing 2. A second flange 202 is formed at the lower end of the second cylindrical portion 201 for pressing the first biasing means 6, which may be a helical spring or the like, as described below. The second cylindrical portion 201 does not necessarily have to be cylindrical; it may be a rectangular column, an elliptical column, or the like, as long as it is suitable for supporting the second biasing means 7, which may be a helical spring or the like, as described below.

[0043] [Slider section] A slider section 31 is slidably attached to the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2, and a part of it protrudes to the outside through an opening in the housing 2. One end of the slider section 31 is formed with a circular opening 310 through which the second cylindrical section 201 of the base 20 can slidably pass, and the other end is formed with a track-shaped opening 311 through which the sensor section 4 (described later) can slidably pass.

[0044] [Cover section] The cover section 30 is attached to the portion of the slider section 31 that protrudes outward from the opening of the housing 2. The cover section 30 and the slider section 31 are detachably connected by providing a small circular recess 302 on the inner peripheral surface near the open end of the cover section 30 and a small hemispherical protrusion 312 that engages with the recess 302 on the side surface of the slider section 31 that protrudes outward, and together they form the measurement assistance unit 3 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0045] The cover unit 30 is a cylinder having an open end attached to the slider unit 31 and a flat, track-shaped guide surface 300 formed at the end that is pressed against the subject's skin. A small, track-shaped opening 301 is formed in the center of the guide surface 300 for inserting and removing the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4. The shape of the guide surface 300 does not necessarily have to be track-shaped, and may be any other common shape such as a rectangle, polygon, circle, or ellipse, as long as it can secure an area suitable for guiding the cover unit 30 to a right angle with respect to the subject's skin when pressed against the subject's skin.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the cover part 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 is formed from a transparent or translucent material so that the sensor part 4 inside the cover part 30 and the contact state between the sensor part 4 and the skin of the person being measured can be visually observed, but it does not necessarily have to be transparent or translucent and may be opaque.

[0047] [Sensor Section] Inside the cover section 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3, the sensor section 4 is slidably supported in the opening 311 of the slider section 31. The sensor section 4 has a first cylindrical section 42 that is fully or partially hollow or solid at the end attached to the base section 20, and a flat, track-shaped sensing surface at the tip section 40 that is pressed against the subject's skin, giving the sensor section 4 a columnar shape with a track-shaped cross section as a whole. Note that the first cylindrical section 42 primarily functions to support the first biasing means 6, which may be a helical spring or the like, as described below. Therefore, it does not necessarily have to be cylindrical; it may be in the shape of a square pillar, an elliptical pillar, or the like, as long as it is suitable for supporting the first biasing means 6 and can slidably fit into the second cylindrical section 201 of the base section 20.

[0048] Furthermore, in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, a switch 5 is attached to the base 20 of the housing 2, and the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4 moves toward the base 20 of the housing 2 to a predetermined position, and the rear end of the sensor unit 4 blocks light from the photoswitch, or the switch is pressed, turning the switch 5 on.

[0049] In the skin texture measuring device 1 of this embodiment, electrodes 41 are arranged in a comb-like pattern on the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4 to measure the moisture content of the subject's skin (see FIG. 2(c)). Each electrode 41 consists of a pair of positive and negative electrodes, and in this embodiment, three electrodes 41 are arranged in a horizontal row on the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, by increasing the area of ​​the electrodes 41, the influence of local differences in moisture content on the subject's skin is reduced, improving the moisture content measurement accuracy. Furthermore, the influence of uneven skin texture due to differences in measurement location may be reduced and the moisture content measurement accuracy improved by measuring and averaging the moisture content at three points on the subject's skin.

[0050] The skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment is suitable for measuring skin properties that require accurate pressing angle and pressure, and the measurement target is not limited to skin moisture content. For example, although not shown, the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment can be configured to include a vibration detection element in the sensor unit 4, and the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4, which is vibrated at a predetermined frequency by the sensor unit 4, be brought into contact with the skin of the subject, and the vibration frequencies before and after the contact are detected by the vibration detection element. The detected frequencies are then amplified by the control board, allowing the elasticity of the skin to be measured based on the difference in frequency before and after the contact with the skin.

[0051] [First Biasing Means] In the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, the first cylindrical portion 42 of the sensor unit 4 is slidably inserted inside the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base 20. The skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment also includes a first biasing means 6 that biases the sensor unit 4 so as to move the tip portion 40 of the sensor unit 4 away from the slider portion 31. In this embodiment, a first helical spring 6 is used as the first biasing means 6, and the first helical spring 6 is disposed between the second flange portion 202 of the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base 20 and the upper end of the sensor unit 4, around the first cylindrical portion 42 of the sensor unit 4, so that it is supported so as to be pressable by the sensor unit 4.

[0052] Although not shown, in this embodiment, the second flange portion 202 of the second cylindrical portion 201 can be omitted, so that the first cylindrical portion 42 of the sensor unit 4 can be slidably inserted outside the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base portion 20. In this case, if the first helical spring 6 is disposed inside the first cylindrical portion 42, between the lower end of the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base portion 20 and the upper end inside the first cylindrical portion 42 of the sensor unit 4, it can be supported so as to be pressable by the sensor unit 4.

[0053] [Second Biasing Means] In the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base 20 slidably passes through the opening 310 at the top of the slider portion 31. The skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment also includes a second biasing means 7 that urges the slider portion 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3 so as to move the guide surface 300 of the cover portion 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 away from the housing 2. In this embodiment, a second helical spring 7 is used as the second biasing means 7, and the second helical spring 7 is disposed around the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base 20 between the first flange portion 200 of the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base 20 and the upper end of the slider portion 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3, so that it is supported so as to be able to be pressed by the slider portion 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3.

[0054] In the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, the central axis a of the first cylindrical portion 42 of the sensor unit 4 is arranged coaxially with the central axis b of the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base 20, so that the first helical spring 6 and the second helical spring 7 can be easily supported and arranged compactly, and further, the central axis c of the opening 310 at the top of the slider portion 31 of the measurement auxiliary unit 3 is arranged coaxially with the central axis b of the second cylindrical portion 201 of the base 20 and the central axis a of the first cylindrical portion 42 of the sensor unit 4.

[0055] Therefore, the central axis (not shown) of the first helical spring 6 mounted around the first cylindrical portion 42 is also arranged coaxially with the central axis (not shown) of the second helical spring 7 mounted around the second cylindrical portion 201, allowing the skin property measuring device 1 to be stored in an extremely compact, handy size.

[0056] In this embodiment, there is no particular limitation on the materials used for the housing 2, base 20, cover 30, slider 31, and sensor 4, and although a resin material, a metal material, or a composite material combining these may be used, it is preferable to use a hard plastic material because it is lightweight, has excellent formability, and has excellent insulating properties. Also, in this embodiment, there is no particular limitation on the materials used for the first biasing means 6 and the second biasing means 7, and although an elastic metal material or an elastic resin material or a composite material combining these may be used, it is preferable to use an elastic metal material because of its excellent durability.

[0057] [Operation of Skin Property Measuring Device] Figure 3 shows cross-sectional views illustrating the operating states of the sensor unit 4 of the skin property measuring device 1 used in the indicator 8 according to one embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 3(a) being a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit 4 in a standby state, Figures 3(b) and 3(c) being cross-sectional views of the sensor unit 4 in a contact state, and Figure 3(d) being a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit 4 in a measurement start state. The operation of the skin property measuring device 1 used in the indicator 8 according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0058] 3(a), in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, when it is in an unloaded state, i.e., before the guide surface 300 of the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is pressed against the subject's skin (skin) 9, the tip part 40 of the sensor part 4 is urged by the first urging means (first helical spring) 6 to a position furthest from the base part 20 of the housing 2 and the slider part 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3, and the guide surface 300 of the cover part 30 is also urged by the second urging means (second helical spring) 7 to a position furthest from the base part 20 of the housing 2. At this time, the tip part 40 of the sensor part 4, which is equipped with the electrode 41, is held within the cover part 30, so that the tip part 40 of the sensor part 4 is protected from damage by the cover part 30 and malfunctions due to unexpected contact of the tip part 40 are also prevented.

[0059] (2) Contact state with skin - 1 As shown in Figure 3 (b), in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, when the guide surface 300 of the cover part 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 is pressed against the skin 9 of the person being measured, first only the guide surface 300 moves toward the base part 20 of the housing 2, and then the guide surface 300 and the tip part 40 of the sensor part 4 move toward the base part 20 of the housing 2.

[0060] As a result, in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, before the tip 40 of the sensor part 4 comes into contact with the skin 9 of the person being measured, the guide surface 300, which has a wider contact area than the tip 40, comes into contact with the skin 9 of the person being measured, so that first the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is guided so that the contact angle with the skin surface of the person being measured is perpendicular, and then the tip 40 of the sensor part 4 also comes into contact with the skin 9 of the person being measured, guided by the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 so that the contact angle with the skin surface of the person being measured is perpendicular. Therefore, the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment can measure the skin property (skin moisture content) of the person being measured at an appropriate contact angle.

[0061] (3) Contact condition with skin - 2 In the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, after the tip 40 of the sensor section 4 comes into contact with the skin 9 of the person being measured, in other words, after the guide surface 300 of the cover section 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 is pressed against the skin 9 of the person being measured and the guide surface 300 and the tip 40 of the sensor section 4 move toward the base 20 of the housing 2, the pressing force per unit area generated on the tip 40 of the sensor section 4 is set to be the same as the pressing force per unit area generated on the guide surface 300 or greater than the pressing force per unit area generated on the guide surface 300.

[0062] 3(c), after the tip 40 of the sensor part 4 comes into contact with the skin 9 of the person being measured, when the guide surface 300 of the cover part 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 and the tip 40 of the sensor part 4 are pressed against the skin 9 of the person being measured, the slider part 31 of the measurement assistance unit 3 moves first toward the base part 20 of the housing 2 and becomes unable to move when it reaches the sliding limit 313. As a result, after the slider part 31 reaches the sliding limit 313, only the tip 40 of the sensor part 4 moves toward the base part 20 of the housing 2.

[0063] In this way, after the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4 comes into contact with the subject's skin 9 and the guide surface 300 of the cover part 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 and the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4 move toward the base part 20 of the housing 2, the subject's skin 9 exposed in the opening 301 of the guide surface 300 is fixed by the edge of the opening 301, and therefore maintains a uniform and constant elasticity. Therefore, the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4 can preferentially come into contact with the subject's skin 9, which is maintained with a uniform and constant elasticity, regardless of the amount of pressure (pressing force) applied to the guide surface 300, and skin properties (skin moisture content) can be measured with high accuracy.

[0064] (4) Measurement start state As shown in FIG. 3(d), in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, after the slider portion 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3 reaches the sliding limit 313, when the tip portion 40 of the sensor portion 4 is pressed against the skin 9 of the person being measured, the sensor portion 4 moves slightly toward the base portion 20 of the housing 2 and the slider portion 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3, and at approximately the same time as it reaches the sliding limit, the rear end portion of the sensor portion 4 blocks the light of the photoswitch attached to the base portion 20 of the housing 2, or the switch 5 is pressed to turn on, and the skin property measuring device 1 begins measuring the skin property (skin moisture content) of the person being measured.

[0065] As a result, in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, the tip 40 of the sensor unit 4 is guided so that it is pressed against the skin surface of the person being measured at a right angle, and the switch 5 is turned on and measurement begins when the skin 9 of the person being measured is homogeneous and maintained at a certain elasticity, so that skin property (skin moisture content) can be measured accurately and stably. Note that the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment is not limited to measuring human skin (skin), and can also measure skin properties such as moisture content of animal skin.

[0066] <Indicator for measuring device> Figure 4 shows cross-sectional views illustrating the operating states of an indicator 8 according to one embodiment of the present invention in the skin property measuring device 1, with Figure 4(a) being a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit 4 in a standby state, Figure 4(b) being a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit 4 in a contact state, and Figure 4(c) being a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit 4 in a measurement start state. The configuration and operating mode of the indicator 8 according to one embodiment of the present invention in the skin property measuring device 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4.

[0067] 2, the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment is provided with an indicator 8 on the side of the housing 2 for indicating the relative position of the measurement assistance unit 3 (cover 30 and sensor 4) with respect to the housing 2. The indicator 8 is provided with a window 80 opening in the side of the housing 2, a first display unit 81 slidably supported within the window 80, and a second display unit 82 adjacent to the first display unit 81 and supported slidably in the same direction as the first display unit 81.

[0068] The first display part 81 is a long, thin rod-shaped part, and is directly and integrally connected to the slider part 31 of the measurement assistance unit 3 via a first connecting member 810. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sliding direction and sliding amount of the first display part 81 are configured to match the sliding direction and sliding amount of the cover part 30 and slider part 31 of the measurement assistance unit 3.

[0069] Furthermore, the surface of the first display section 81 exposed through the window section 80 is color-coded into a first colored area 811 colored in a first display color indicating that the cover section 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 is in a standby position (first position) relative to the housing 2, and a second colored area 812 colored in a second display color indicating that the cover section 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 is in a position (second position) where the cover section 30 has reached the slide limit 313 relative to the housing 2. Note that if the characteristics of the measuring device to which the indicator 8 is applied require three or more status positions to be displayed, the first display section 81 may be color-coded according to the number of positions. The first and second areas may be distinguished not only by display colors but also by patterns or a combination thereof.

[0070] Furthermore, the first display unit 81 does not necessarily have to be directly and integrally connected to the slider unit 31, and may be indirectly connected to the slider unit 31 by using, for example, another connecting member (not shown) that utilizes the principle of leverage to increase or decrease the amount of sliding of the measurement assistance unit 3. Furthermore, the first display unit 81 may be a component that is separate from the cover unit 30 and the slider unit 31, as long as it is connected to the measurement assistance unit 3.

[0071] The second display unit 82 is also a long, thin rod-shaped part, and is directly and integrally connected to the sensor unit 4 via a second connecting member 820. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sliding direction and amount of sliding of the second display unit 82 are configured to match the sliding direction and amount of sliding of the sensor unit 4.

[0072] Furthermore, the surface of the second display unit 82 exposed through the window 80 is color-coded into a third colored area 821 colored in a third display color indicating that the sensor unit 4 is in a standby state position (third position) relative to the housing 2, and a fourth colored area 822 colored in a fourth display color indicating that the sensor unit 4 is in a measurement start state position (fourth position) relative to the housing 2. Note that if the characteristics of the measuring device to which the indicator 8 is applied require that there be three or more states to be displayed, the second display unit 82 may be color-coded according to the number of states. The third and fourth areas may be distinguished not only by display colors but also by patterns or a combination thereof.

[0073] Furthermore, the second display unit 82 does not necessarily need to be directly and integrally connected to the sensor unit 4, and may be indirectly connected to the sensor unit 4 by using, for example, another connecting member (not shown) that utilizes the principle of leverage to increase or decrease the amount of sliding of the sensor unit 4. Furthermore, the second display unit 82 may be a component separate from the sensor unit 4, as long as it is connected to the sensor unit 4.

[0074] The indicator 8 of this embodiment is not limited to being used in the measuring device 1 for measuring skin properties such as moisture content and elasticity, but can also be used in other measuring devices that have two or more movable parts that can be separated and moved independently, such as the measurement auxiliary unit 3 (cover part 30 and slider part 31) and the sensor part 4. Furthermore, if there are three or more movable parts, it is sufficient to provide a display part according to the number of movable parts.

[0075] In this way, the indicator 8 of this embodiment can be applied to any measuring device that has at least a housing 2, a measurement assistance unit 3 slidably supported on the housing 2, and a sensor part 4 slidably supported on the measurement assistance unit 3.

[0076] In this embodiment, there are no particular limitations on the materials used for the first display portion 81, the first connecting member 810, the second display portion 82, and the second connecting member 820 of the indicator 8, and resin materials, metal materials, or composite materials combining these can be used, but it is preferable to use hard plastic materials because they are lightweight and have excellent moldability.

[0077] 4(a), in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, in an unloaded state, i.e., before the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is pressed against the skin (skin) 9 of the person to be measured, the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is located at a first position furthest from the housing 2, and the first display part 81 connected to the slider part 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3 displays a first colored area 811 in a first display color in the window part 80, indicating that the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is located at the first position. Meanwhile, the sensor part 4 is also located at a third position furthest from the housing 2, and the second display part 82 connected to the sensor part 4 displays a third colored area 821 in a third display color in the window part 80, indicating that the sensor part 4 is located at the third position.

[0078] As a result, a combination of the first colored area 811 and the third colored area 821, which indicates that the sensor unit 4 is in a standby state, is displayed in the window 80 of the skin property measuring device 1, so that the user can easily visually determine that the sensor unit 4 is in a standby state.

[0079] (2) Contact State with Skin As shown in Figure 4(b) , in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, when the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is further pressed against the skin 9 of the subject, the slider part 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3 moves toward the base part 20 of the housing 2 and reaches the second position, which is the sliding limit 313. Therefore, the first display part 81 connected to the slider part 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3 displays a second colored area 812 in the window part 80, indicating that the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 has reached the second position.

[0080] Meanwhile, while the sensor section 4 is held in the third position farthest from the housing 2, the cover section 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 moves back relatively to the sensor section 4, thereby coming into contact with the subject's skin 9. Therefore, the second display section 82 connected to the sensor section 4 displays a third colored area 821 in the third display color in the window section 80, which indicates that the sensor section 4 is held in the third position.

[0081] As a result, a combination of the second colored area 812 in the second display color and the third colored area 821 in the third display color, which indicates that the sensor unit 4 is in contact with the skin 9 of the person being measured, is displayed in the window 80 of the skin property measuring device 1, so that the user can easily and accurately see by visual inspection that the sensor unit 4 is in contact with the skin 9 of the person being measured but that measurement has not yet begun.

[0082] (3) Measurement start state As shown in Figure 4 (c), in the skin property measuring device 1 of this embodiment, when the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is further pressed against the skin 9 of the person being measured, the slider part 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is held in the second position, which is the slide limit 313, and the first display part 81 connected to the slider part 31 of the measurement assistant unit 3 displays a second colored area 812 of the second display color in the window part 80, indicating that the cover part 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 is held in the second position.

[0083] Meanwhile, sensor unit 4 moves toward base 20 of housing 2, and at approximately the same time as it reaches the fourth position, which is the sliding limit, the rear end of sensor unit 4 blocks light from a photoswitch attached to base 20 of housing 2 or presses the switch, turning switch 5 to the ON state. Therefore, second display unit 82 connected to sensor unit 4 displays a fourth colored area 822 of the fourth display color in window 80, which indicates that sensor unit 4 has reached the fourth position and turned switch 5 to the ON state.

[0084] As a result, a combination of the second colored area 812 and the fourth colored area 822 is displayed in the window 80 of the skin property measuring device 1, indicating that the sensor unit 4 has started measuring the skin property (skin moisture content) of the person being measured by turning on the switch 5, allowing the user to easily and accurately visually determine that the sensor unit 4 has come into contact with the person being measured's skin 9 and started measurement. Note that if the second display area 83 in the window 80 simultaneously displays the third colored area 821 and the fourth colored area 822 (the boundary between the third colored area 821 and the fourth colored area 822), the user can easily determine that the sensor unit 4 has not been pressed sufficiently to the correct position with the appropriate pressure.

[0085] As described above, the indicator 8 for a skin property measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a first display unit 81 that displays the movement of the measurement assistant unit 3 and a second display unit 82 that displays the movement of the sensor unit 4, so that the respective positions of the measurement assistant unit 3 and the sensor unit 4 can be easily and accurately grasped by visual inspection, and human-induced measurement errors due to improper pressing of the cover unit 30 of the measurement assistant unit 3 and the sensor unit 4 can be prevented in advance. For example, if measurement does not start because the measurement assistant unit 3 and the sensor unit 4 are not pressed in enough, the user can easily recognize the reason why measurement did not start (insufficient pressing). Furthermore, because the first display unit 81 and the second display unit 82 move mechanically in conjunction with the measurement assistant unit 3 and the sensor unit 4, they have the advantages of being simple in structure, requiring no power source, and being extremely reliable.

[0086] Furthermore, according to the indicator 8 for the skin characteristic measuring device of this embodiment, the first display section 81, which is directly connected to the measurement assistance unit 3 and is color-coded in at least two or more different colors, and the second display section 82, which is directly connected to the sensor section 4 and is color-coded in at least two or more different colors, are displayed in a single window section 80. This makes it possible to easily identify the multiple states of the skin characteristic measuring device 1 by the color displays and their combinations, and more reliably prevents human measurement errors due to improper pressing of the cover section 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 and the sensor section 4, etc.

[0087] In particular, with the indicator 8 of this embodiment, when the sensor unit 4 is pressed against the subject's skin 9 at an angle, the guide surface 300 of the cover part 30 of the measurement assistance unit 3 gets in the way and the tip part 40 of the sensor unit 4 cannot come into contact with the subject's skin 9, or at least cannot move enough to turn the switch 5 ON. As a result, the display in the window part 80 does not progress to the combination of the second colored area 812 and the fourth colored area 822, and the user can be properly informed that the sensor unit 4 is not pressed properly.

[0088] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Skin property measuring device 2: Housing 20: Base 200: First flange 201: Second cylindrical portion 202: Second flange 21: Lid 22: Control board 23: Power supply 3: Measurement auxiliary unit 30: Cover 300: Guide surface 301: Opening 302: Recess 31: Slider 310, 311: Opening 312: Convex 313: Slide limit 4: Sensor 40: Tip 41: Electrode 42: First cylindrical portion 5: Switch 6: First biasing means (first helical spring) 7: Second biasing means (second helical spring) 8: Indicator 80: Window 81: First display 810: First connecting member 811: First colored region 812: Second colored region 82: Second display section 820: Second connecting member 821: Third colored region 822: Fourth colored region 9: Skin of person being measured a: Central axis of first cylindrical portion b: Central axis of second cylindrical portion c: Central axis of opening

Claims

1. An indicator provided in a measuring device comprising a housing, a measurement assistant unit slidably supported in said housing, and a sensor section slidably supported in said measurement assistant unit, the indicator having a window section formed in a side section of said housing, a first display section slidably supported within said window section and connected to said measurement assistant unit, and a second display section slidably supported within said window section and connected to said sensor section, wherein the sliding direction and sliding amount of said first display section match those of said measurement assistant unit, and the sliding direction and sliding amount of said second display section match those of said sensor section.

2. An indicator for a measuring device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the first display section and the second display section each have areas consisting of at least two different display colors, patterns, or combinations thereof.

3. An indicator for a measuring device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the first display section has a first area consisting of a first display color, pattern or combination thereof that indicates that the measurement assistance unit is in a first position relative to the housing, and a second area consisting of a second display color, pattern or combination thereof that indicates that the measurement assistance unit is in a second position relative to the housing, and the second display section has a third area consisting of a third display color, pattern or combination thereof that indicates that the sensor section is in a third position relative to the housing, and a fourth area consisting of a fourth display color, pattern or combination thereof that indicates that the sensor section is in a fourth position relative to the housing.

4. An indicator for a measuring device as described in claim 3, characterized in that it is configured so that when the display in the window is a combination of the first area and the third area, it indicates that the sensor unit is in a standby state, when the display in the window is a combination of the second area and the third area, it indicates that the sensor unit is in a contact state, and when the display in the window is a combination of the second area and the fourth area, it indicates that the sensor unit is in a measurement start state.

5. An indicator for a measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the measuring device has an electrode at the tip of the sensor section for measuring the moisture content of the subject's skin, and the measurement auxiliary unit is composed of a slider section slidably supported on the housing, a guide surface for pressing against the subject's skin, and a cover section detachably connected to the slider section, the cover having an opening for inserting and removing the electrode arranged within the guide surface, and is further provided with first biasing means for biasing the sensor section so as to move the electrode away from the slider section, and second biasing means for biasing the slider section so as to move the guide surface away from the housing.

6. The indicator for a measuring device according to claim 5, characterized in that the measuring device has a plurality of electrodes arranged thereon.

7. An indicator for a measuring device as described in claim 5, characterized in that the measuring device is configured so that as the guide surface is pressed by the skin of the person being measured, initially only the guide surface moves toward the housing, and then the guide surface and the electrode move toward the housing.

8. An indicator for a measuring device as described in claim 7, characterized in that the measuring device is configured such that as the guide surface is pressed by the skin of the person being measured, the guide surface and the electrode move toward the housing, and then only the electrode moves toward the housing.

9. An indicator for a measuring device as described in claim 8, characterized in that the measuring device is configured so that, after the guide surface and the electrode move toward the housing as the guide surface is pressed by the skin of the person being measured, the pressing force per unit area generated at the tip of the sensor section is the same as or greater than the pressing force per unit area generated at the guide surface.

10. An indicator for a measuring device as described in claim 9, characterized in that the measuring device has a base fixed inside the housing, a switch attached to the base, and is configured so that when the electrode moves toward the housing to a predetermined position, the rear end of the sensor unit turns the switch on.

11. The indicator for a measuring device described in claim 5, characterized in that the measuring device has a first cylindrical portion in sliding contact with the base portion, the base portion has a second cylindrical portion in sliding contact with the slider portion, and the central axis of the first cylindrical portion and the central axis of the second cylindrical portion are arranged coaxially.

12. The indicator for a measuring device according to claim 11, characterized in that the measuring device has an opening where the slider portion makes sliding contact with the sensor portion, and the central axis of the opening is arranged coaxially with the central axis of the first cylindrical portion.

13. The indicator for a measuring device according to claim 5, characterized in that the first biasing means comprises a first helical spring, the second biasing means comprises a second helical spring, and the central axes of the first helical spring and the second helical spring are arranged coaxially.

14. An indicator for a measuring device as described in claim 13, characterized in that the measuring device is characterized in that the first helical spring is arranged between the base and the sensor portion, and the second helical spring is arranged between the base and the slider portion.

15. The indicator for a measuring device according to claim 5, characterized in that the cover portion is transparent or translucent so that the sensor portion within the cover portion can be visually observed.

Images