Abstract:
The height-measuring device of the present invention is foldable, or collapsible, on itself, in order to provide an easier and less-costly method of packaging and shipping. The height-measuring device of the present invention is also provided with an inherent, slidable or extensible leg or setup section that is slidably mounted in the rear of the sale-part, which extensible leg has a length equal to the lowest measurement-reading of the scale-section, whereby the bottom edge surface of the scale-part may be readily located during installation of the height-measuring device the proper distance above the floor.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a device for measuring the height of a person, and has especial, but not limited, use to the measurement of the height of children and elderly persons suffering from osteoporosis. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,581 which is incorporated by reference herein, there is disclosed a height-measuring device in which there are provided a vertical scale-part that is used for measuring the height of child or adult. Connected to this scale-part is a mounting part by which the unit is vertically fastened to a wall. Also provided is a vertically slidable indicator part that is placed on the person&#39;s head and used to indicate on the vertical scale-part the height being measured. However, owing to the bulk of construction, this prior-art height-measuring device is costly to ship. Furthermore, when mounting this height-measuring device to a wall, the bottom edge-surface of the scale-section must be located a specific distance above the floor, which distance is that measurement at which the lower end of the scale-section starts; for example, since children that are able to stand are more than two feet tall, the scale-section will start with the measurement of twenty-four inches. Therefore, the bottom edge-surface of the scale-section must be located exactly twenty-four inches above the floor. Even though the fastening of the height-measuring device is performed only once, at the time of initial installation, this can be exacting task, and one that may be done incorrectly, if the installer of the height-measuring device is not careful. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, the primary objective of the present invention to eliminate the above-noted drawbacks of the height-measuring device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,581. 
     Toward these and other ends, the height-measuring device of the present invention is foldable, or collapsible, on itself, in order to provide an easier and less-costly method of packaging and shipping. The height-measuring device of the present invention is also provided with an inherent, slidable or extensible leg or set-up section that is slidably mounted in the rear of the scale-part, which extensible leg has a length equal to the lowest measurement-reading of the scale-section, that is twenty-four inches in length, whereby the bottom edge surface of the scale-part may be readily located during installation of the height-measuring device twenty-four inches up from the floor. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The invention will be more readily understood with reference to be accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the height-measuring device of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 2 is a side, elevational view thereof showing the device folded, or collapsed, on itself for storage and shipping; 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the height-measuring device of the present invention, as attached to a wall, with foot-prints and scale placed on the floor to indicate to the person the location he or she should stand, in order to properly measured and weighed; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 10, 
     FIG. 6 is a side view showing the connection between the two sections of the scale-part and the mounting part, with a fastener strap thereon for securing the two sections together when the height-measuring device has been unfolded for use; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4, but using mounting tape for mounting the device to a wall; 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view showing the prior-art sliding indicator bracket used in the device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a detailed side view showing the cooperating retaining strap for connecting together members on each half-section of the device&#39;s scale-part and mounting part when the device has been unfolded for use; and 
     FIG. 10 is a detailed side elevational view showing the extensible leg for use in setting up the device on a wall a specific distance vertically upwardly from the floor, which leg is slidable in the rear section of the scale-part of the height-measuring device of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring out to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown the height-measuring device  10  of the present invention. The height-measuring device  10  includes a main body or frame  12  consisting of a first scale-section or part  14  and a rail-mounting section or part  16 , as best seen in FIG.  8 . Slidably mounted to the rail-mounting section, via guide rails  18 ,  18 ′, is a bracket-indicator member  20  which slides vertically therealong, which bracket-indicator member has a bottom flat surface portion  22  which rests upon the child&#39;s or adult&#39;s head as he or she is being measured. The bracket-indicator member is held in place by means of a screw having enlarged head  26  on side of the bracket-indicator member and a cooperating nut on the other side, as fully described and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,581. According to the present invention, the main body frame or portion  12  is made up of two separate parts: An upper section  12 ′ and a lower section  12 ″. The upper and lower sections may or may not be pivotally connected together at their respective edge-surfaces  30  (see FIG.  6 ). Such a pivotal connection may be by means of a conventional living hinge or other conventional hinge. Such an arrangement allows the main body frame to be folded up or collapsed for storage and transport. If there is no pivotal connection, then the two sections are just simply stored back-to-back The lower section  12 ″ is pivoted counterclockwise when viewing FIG. 6, so that the rear surface of the lower section abuts against the rear surface of the upper section, so that the bracket-indicator member  20  does not interfere with the folding, or collapse of the device, as can be seen in FIG.  6 . Since the height-measuring device  10  is only folded up or collapsed for initial storage and transport, the upper and lower sections need not be retained together, although it is within scope and purview of the present invention to provide for such a retainer. When the device  10  is removed from its shipping carton, and unfolded or erected for use, there are provided stiff fastening straps  32  on each side surface of the main frame  12 . Each fastening strap  32  spans the edge-surfaces  30  of the lower and upper sections, as can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 9. Each strap  32  consists of an elongated member  32 ′, having an upper end  34  and a lower end  36 . Projecting rearwardly from each upper and lower end  34 ,  36  is a conventional fastening button or member  38 ,  40 , respectively, such as snap-fit connections, which cooperate with conventional mating fasteners elements  42 ,  44 , provided on the side surfaces of the upper and lower sections  12 ′,  12 ″, as can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. The mating fastener elements  42 ,  44  of the lower section  12 ″ is located in opposite juxtaposition to the similar mating fastener elements of the upper section  12 ′, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 9. When the height-measuring device  10  is in its folded or collapsed storage-state, the lower fasteners  40  are disconnected from the mating fastener elements  42 ,  44  of the lower section  12 ″, so that the fastening straps  32  may simply hang down from the lower edge-surface  30  of the upper section  12 ′. When the height-measuring device is ready to be installed at a fixed premises, such as a doctors office, the lower section  12 ″ is moved or pivoted down in the clockwise direction, and firmly fastened in vertical alignment with the upper section  12 ′ by connecting lower fastening member  36 ,  38  of the fastening straps  32  to the mating or cooperating elements  42 ,  44  on the lower section  12 ″. The fastening straps will keep the upper and lower sections  12 ′,  12 ″ in perfect alignment, as the main frame  12  is secured to a wall by means of screws  48  passing through selected holes  50  formed in the rail-mounting section  16 . 
     In FIG. 7, there is shown an alternative manner of securing the main frame to the wall. Instead of using screws, two-sided tape  52  may be used along the rear surface of the rail-mounting section  16 , at spaced intervals. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5,  9  and  10 , there is shown another aspect of the present invention. As stated above, the lower edge-surface  54  of the lower scale half-section  14 ″ starts with a measurement of twenty-four inches. Therefore, the lower edge-surface  54  must be located twenty-four inches above the floor. Therefore, the height-measuring device  10  of the invention is provides an extensible orienting leg or member  60  that is slidable in the rear of the scale half-section  14 ″. The scale-section  14  has a U-shaped cross-section defined by rearwardly-facing leg-sections,  62 , as seen in FIG. 1,  3  and  8 . The extensible leg has a rectangular cross-section for a sliding fit between the two leg-sections,  62 . The extensible leg  60  is provided with a vertically-extending slot (not shown) by which the extensible leg is held in a desired location by means of retaining screw  68  passing through the slot. The screw is tightened in place by means of a nut  68 ′. The screw passes through a hole formed in the leg-section  62 , and then through the vertically-extending slot, whereby the head of the screw and the nut sandwich therebetween the extensible leg  60 . During storage and shipping, the extensible leg  60  is in an upper position. When it is necessary to install the device, the extensible leg  60  is lowered by loosening the screw  68 , and sliding the extensible leg to its downward location, where the leg protrudes from the lower edge-surface by a distance of twenty-four inches. The installer will know when the extensible leg extends twenty-four inches from the lower edge-surface of the lower scale-section  12 ″. An indicator may be provided on the extensible leg indicating that twenty-four inches of extensible leg  60  has been pulled out. This indicator may be a line on the extensible leg, which, when juxtapositioned against the lower edge-surface of the scale-section  14 , will indicate to the installer that twenty-four inches has been extended. At this point, the mounting screws are inserted through the holes  50  in the rail-mounting section  16 , whereby the height-measuring device  10  is fastened to the wall for use. After such installation, the device  10  is operated in the same manner as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,581. 
     In a modification of the device  10 , there may also be provided a conventional weighing scale  80  mounted in the floor of the room where the device  10  is mounted, and directly aligned therebelow as seen in FIG.  3 . On the upper surface of the scale  80  is imprinted, or otherwise, marked, a pair of feet indicating to the person where to stand, whereby he or she may be weighed and measured at the same time, with the foot-prints ensuring proper location for both the weighing and the measuring. 
     While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, any conventional slide-retainer may be used besides the screw  68  discussed hereinabove. In addition, the extensible leg  60  may be slidingly mounted in the U-shaped rail-mounting section  16 . Moreover, other conventional fastening means besides the fastening strips  32  may be used. In addition, instead of the extensible leg  60  being slidable, it may pivotally mounted and swung out during installation.