Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS  
     FEDERAL HELP  
       [0001]     No federally sponsored research or development is related to this application.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that excess weight is a national problem with approximately thirty-percent of U.S. citizens over weight. He has also stated that excess weight is likely to soon replace cigarette smoking as the leading cause of preventable premature death. Additional information released by the American Obesity Association also indicates the problem will become even more intense in the future. In 1978, 5% of children ages 12 to 19 were obese. In 2000 15.5% of children 12 to 19 were obese.  
         [0003]     As a result of the above situation, there are many commercial and non-profit groups with efforts directed toward weight loss. These groups often meet for demonstrations and discussions on dieting and exercise with an eye toward losing weight. Some participants have difficulty separating the emotional and psychological aspects of weight control from the physical aspects of weight control.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     This invention is a qualitative analog device which graphically demonstrates physical relationship between diet, exercise and weight without emotional and psychological components of weight control. Its size makes it suitable for use by a speaker before a modest audience. The analog folds to reduce its size, which makes it easily portable in a carrying case.  
         [0005]     The analog shows how the body is like any other self-limiting system powered by an energy source, and how all such systems follow the first law of thermodynamics, which states that energy can not be created or destroyed.  
         [0006]     The analog responds to diet and exercise like the human body, and it shows that every combination of diet and exercise results in a certain equilibrium weight. For the analog, “diet” is defined as calories eaten or energy “in”. “Exercise” is defined as all forms of energy use by the body or as energy “out”. These include energy for operating the heart and lungs, maintaining body temperature and any physical movement of the body. If diet is increased with no seeming change in exercise, weight will increase. A frequent surprise to a viewer is that exercise as defined above does increase without the person knowing it.  
         [0007]     As weight increases every physical activity takes more energy. A heavy person&#39;s heart must work harder, muscles that work his lungs work harder; every physical activity takes more energy. For example if a person weighing 125 pounds gains to 250 pounds, twice as much energy is needed to climb a flight of stairs at 250 pounds as needed at 125 pounds. Everything about the body at 250 pounds works harder and uses more energy than at 125 pounds.  
         [0008]     If diet is held constant body weight adjusts itself so that energy “out”, defined above as exercise, always matches energy “in” at equilibrium. The analog shows these same changes to weight in response to simulated changes to diet and/or exercise. 
     
    
     DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  shows the front of the diet, weight and exercise hydraulic analog with labeling signs in place, as it would be presented to an audience.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows the rear of the hydraulic analog folded and with labeling signs removed for transporting.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  shows the folded analog in its carrying case for transporting.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a simplified schematic drawing that shows functional operating parts from both  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     The analog device is powered by flow of some form of energy such as an electrical current or a pressurized fluid through a suitable conductor such as a wire or a tube, for example. Energy flows in series first through a variable restrictor that can be changed to simulate changes in energy rate as “diet”. For example, a variable electrical resistor or a valve for fluids can be used for this function. The selected energy form then flows through an energy rate meter which displays as “diet”. An ammeter or fluid flow meter, for example, can be used for this measurement. A second matching energy rate meter displays as “exercise”. A second matching variable restrictor can be changed to simulate changes in energy rate as “exercise”. An energy magnitude meter measuring between the “diet” flow meter and the “exercise” flow meter displays as “weight”. A voltmeter or a pressure gage, for example, can be used to measure energy magnitude.  
         [0014]     In use it will be seen that equal changes to diet and to exercise cause no change in weight. All other changes to diet and or exercise will cause a change in weight. It will also be noted that weight will always reach a value as needed to make exercise-energy flow out equal to diet-energy flow in.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a simplified schematic of a hydraulic form of the analog device. In this case a pressurized flowing liquid  16  is used to simulate energy supplied to power the analog. An electrically-driven fish-tank type pump  1  is submerged in liquid  16  inside a pump tank  51 . Pump tank  51  serves as a reservoir for liquid  16 , and it also allows re cycling liquid  16 . Pressure delivered by pump  1  is not critical, but the range of 25 to 40 inches of water is most suitable for moderately large audiences. Colored water for visibility and antifreeze as needed make a suitable liquid  16 . Pump  1  is powered by an electrical source  22 . Liquid  16  leaves tank  51  at a pump discharge  3 . During pump start-up entrapped air at discharge  3  may hinder pump operation. A combined screw-type vent-and-elbow  24  can used to vent entrapped air from pump discharge  3  if necessary.  
         [0016]     A “diet” valve  45  is used to throttle liquid  16  in a tube  5 . Tube  5  and all other flow lines are most suitably made from clear, flexible plastic tubing that allows a clear vision of flowing liquid  16 . Liquid  16  passes through a “diet” flow meter  6  where the flow of liquid  16  represents calories or energy taken in by a person or by any self limiting system that uses fuel to accomplish some form of work. Liquid  16  leaves “diet” meter  6  through a tube  7 , passes a tubing “T”  42  and continues through a tube  50  to an “exercise” flow meter  11 . A vertical tube  17  branches from tubing “T”  42  to form a manometer. Tube  17  is high enough to contain pressure developed by pump  1 . An arbitrary scale  40  shows simulated weight resulting from simulated diet and simulated exercise. Flow of liquid  16  through “exercise” meter  11  represents all uses of energy by a self-limiting system under consideration. In the case of a human body, these uses include energy for heart muscles, energy for breathing, energy to maintain body temperature and any additional energy used by the body for movement.  
         [0017]     Liquid  16  leaving “exercise” meter  11  passes through an “exercise” valve  13  before entering a return tube  14  which discharges liquid  16  into tank  51 . Exercise valve  13  matches diet valve  45  in size, and preferably both valves are the “needle” type for making small flow adjustments to liquid  16 . These flow adjustments represent changes in diet (energy in) and to exercise (energy out).  
         [0018]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show physical construction used to implement the analog&#39;s schematic flow diagram in  FIG. 4 . The nature of its construction is based upon an assumption that the analog will be demonstrated before an audience, and that it can be easily transported to a new location.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows the analog, as it would be presented to an audience. A base  18  carries a vertical support for tube  17 . This vertical support is cut twice to form a three-part hinged support for tube  17  so that it can be folded to reduce the analog&#39;s size for transporting. Base  18  also has an “eye”  21  on each of its four edges as part of a latch system for attaching a carrying case  47  in  FIG. 3  to base  18 . The vertical support In  FIG. 1  consists of a lower support  8 , a middle support  9  and an upper support  10 . All three supports have a central lengthwise groove  39 , which has depth and width equal to tube  17 &#39;s diameter. This allows transparent plastic tube  17  to be completely recessed in groove  39 . Supports  8  and  9  have a hinged joint  30 , which allows support  9  to fold forward onto support  8 . A similar hinged joint  50  allows support  10  to fold back onto support  9 . Groove  39  is cut totally through supports  8  and  9  above and below hinged joint  30  and above and below hinged joint  50  to avoid crimping tube  17  when supports  9  and  10  are folded. The extent of these cut-through grooves is shown in  FIG. 1  as  33  at hinged joint  50  and as  19  at hinged joint  30 . Cut-through  19  on support  8  is also shown on  FIG. 2 . Although construction material is not critical to the invention, nominal ¾-inch thick wood is suitable for base  18  and for supports  8 ,  9  and  10 .  
         [0020]     In  FIG. 1 a  hook  37  on support  9  and an eye  38  on support  8  are provided to hold support  9  in an up-right position. Similarly, a hook  35  on support  10  and an eye  36  on support  9  are used to hold support  10  in an up-right position. In  FIG. 2  hook  37  attached to support  9  and an eye  25  attached to support  10  are used for transporting the analog in its folded position. In a similar manner, hook  37  on support  9  and an eye  24  on support  8  are also used in the folded position.  
         [0021]     In  FIG. 1  lower support  8  carries a cross member  20  which supports “diet” flow meter  6  and “exercise” flow meter  11 . Any type of flow meters can be used; however, matched transparent-plastic meters using a tapered tube with float and a visible scale are preferred.  
         [0022]     Cross member  20  also supports a DIET sign  26  and an EXERCISE sign  27 . Also, a WEI sign  28  is attached to support  10  and a GHT sign  29  is attached to support  9 . These signs are only attached during a demonstration and their easy attachment and removal as described below for sign  26  is typical for all four signs.  
         [0023]     For DIET sign  26 , a screw  43  is screwed partway into cross member  20 . Free space between the head of screw  43  and member  20  is slightly more than the thickness of sign  26 . A hole-and-vertical-slot  44  in sign  26  allows the sign&#39;s removal by lifting sign  26  to align screw  43  with hole  44 . Hole  44  is slightly larger in diameter than the head of screw  43 , and slot  44  is slightly wider than the shaft of screw  43 . EXERCISE sign  27  is attached to cross member  20  in a similar manner.  
         [0024]     WEI sign  28  and GHT sign  29  have 90-degree backward bends equal to support material thickness where the signs touch their supports  9  and  10 . Screws like screw  43  are attached at each end of support  9  and of support  10 . Matching holes-and-slots similar to hole-and-slot  44  at each end of the bend for sign  28  and for sign  29  allow their easy installation and removal.  
         [0025]     All signs are made of a thin light material, preferably approximately . 020  inch thick aluminum. Dimensions of the signs are limited so that the signs fit into a carrying case  47  in  FIG. 3  in front of the folded analog shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0026]     Tank  51  in  FIG. 2  is made of transparent material so that the level of liquid  16  can be monitored. Pump  1  is attached to the underside of a screw-fitting top  15  for tank  51 . Openings in top  15  allow pump outlet  3  and electrical power line  22  to protrude from top  15 . Spaces around outlet  3  and line  22  are sealed. A hole  2  in top  15  is larger in diameter than return tube  14 , and space around tube  14  serves as an atmospheric vent for tank  51  when the analog is being demonstrated.  
         [0027]     Tank  51  can be removed for draining or for filling. Top  15  is held while tank  51  is unscrewed. The length of tube  5  allows top  15  with pump  1  to be lifted and tank  51  removed.  
         [heading-0028]     Preparing the Analog for Transporting  
         [none]    
       
         
           
              Several steps are necessary in preparing the analog for transport:  
              All signs are removed.  
              Power cord  22  is disconnected from its power source.  
              As much liquid  16  as possible is drained back to tank  51  by opening valves  13  and  45 .  
              Support  10  is folded back in  FIG. 1  onto support  9 , and hook  37  connected into eye  25 .  
              Support  9  (with  10 ) is folded forward in  FIG. 1  onto support  8 , and hook  35  connected into eye  24 .  
              Return tube  14  in  FIG. 2  is removed from hole  2 .  
              Hole  2  is sealed with a stopper.  
              Valves  13  and  45  are closed.  
              A hose clamp is used to seal tube  17  at an extension  41  if necessary.  
              All signs are placed in front of support  8 .  
              Carrying case  47  in  FIG. 3  is placed over the folded analog shown in  FIG. 2 , and four hasps  49  in  FIG. 3  latch case  47  to eyes  21  on base  18 .  
              A handle  48  in  FIG. 3  is used to carry the analog.  
           
         
       
     
         [0042]     The analog of this invention uses hydraulic principles to show the effect of energy used by a self-regulating system to perform some form of work. The human body (and all animals) are this type of system with regard to diet, exercise and weight.  
         [0043]     An electrical, digital or pneumatic device could show the same relationship between diet, exercise and weight. However, it is believed that the hydraulic system has an inherent advantage because of its simplicity and transparency. Any of the other devices require some form of “black box” which many people view as mysterious and capable of doing anything for which it is programmed. An audience is more likely to trust the hydraulic system where every thing is visible, and its most complicated part is a familiar fish-tank pump.

Technology Category: 3