Patent ID: 8017877

Claim:
A portable collapsible scale having a collapsed condition and an extended condition comprising: a pair of rigid beams, each of the pair of rigid beams being generally elongated with opposing longitudinal ends; a weight sensor proximal each opposing longitudinal end of each of the pair of rigid beams; processing and outputting circuitry supported by a first beam of the pair of rigid beams, the processing and outputting circuitry being electrically connected with each weight sensor in the first beam and with each weight sensor in a second, remaining beam of the pair of rigid beams; and one or more flexible connectors mechanically and electrically connecting together the pair of rigid beams in side by side parallel orientation in the collapsed condition of the scale and in the extended condition of the scale and being the only connections of the scale between the pair of rigid beams in the extended condition of the scale, wherein each of the one or more flexible connectors is mounted on a reel for extension and retraction as the scale is extended and collapsed.