Electronic Scale Tare Prompting for Measurement Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electronic scales do not effectively prevent errors caused by workers forgetting to push the tare subtraction key and/or zero adjustment key, which can lead to reliability and safety issues, especially in critical fields like medicine, chemistry, and food/beverage industries.

Innovation Solution

An electronic scale with a display unit that prompts users to push the tare subtraction and zero adjustment keys through specific displays, memorizing weight ranges and automatically adjusting displays to prevent forgetting, thereby ensuring accurate measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional electronic scales are used with tare subtraction and zero adjustment keys, then weighing operations can be performed, but workers may forget to push the required keys leading to measurement errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement accuracyVSAvoidoperation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display control unit provides visual feedback by displaying a container icon when the weighing object weight exceeds the zero adjustment range upper limit, prompting the worker to push the tare subtraction key. This feedback mechanism ensures accurate measurement while guiding the operator through the necessary steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection by comparing the weighing object weight against the zero adjustment range before the weighing process begins. This allows the system to prepare appropriate prompts and guidance in advance, ensuring the worker performs the correct operation sequence.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If tare subtraction is implemented to account for container weight, then accurate net weight measurement is achieved, but the display shows minus values when container is removed causing worker discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenet weight accuracyVSAvoiduser comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display control unit provides different display information based on the specific operational state: showing net weight during weighing, displaying container icon prompts when tare subtraction is needed, and showing removal prompts when container is removed. This localized information provision ensures accuracy while maintaining user comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the system provides detailed prompts and guidance for proper operation, then measurement accuracy improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweighing accuracyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The electronic scale performs automatic detection and comparison of weighing object weight against stored zero adjustment range, and automatically generates appropriate display prompts. This self-service approach reduces manual intervention while maintaining high measurement accuracy through intelligent control logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3447458B1Electronic scale with display unit and method for the same
Publication Date: 2021.11.24 SHINKO DENSHI
  • EP3447458B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3447458B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3447458B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5(c)

AI summary

An electronic scale includes a display unit 40 for digitally displaying the weight of a load on a weighing dish 10, a tare subtraction key 32, a display control unit 31 for controlling the display on the display unit 40 and a memory 50 for memorizing a zero adjustment range. The display control unit 31 displays on the display unit 40 a tare subtraction prompt display for prompting to push the tare subtraction key 32 when the measurement value of the load increases over the upper limit of the zero adjustment range.