FI71631B - TRYCKKNAPP - Google Patents

Description

BUTTON - TRYCKKNAPP

The present invention relates to a button for making a call or an alarm, consisting of a substantially closed housing, in which are arranged movable parts which, when pressed on the side of the housing, create an electrical contact which further triggers a signal or alarm element to which the button is connected by wire. .

The electrically operated buttons are known, for example, from doorbells, in which a pushbutton placed on the wall next to the door is connected via a cable to a buzzer inside the door. Similar call or alarm devices are used in hospitals so that the patient can push a call to the nurse's place by pressing a button. The pushbutton may then be fixed to a wall or patient's bedside table, or alternatively a encapsulated, hand-held button may be used in which the pushbutton is attached to a rigid housing within which the electrically generating members are located.

The disadvantage of the call buttons currently used in hospitals is that their use may cause difficulty for a patient in poor condition. In addition, the current buttons make it difficult to get a feel for how they work, meaning they leave the patient unsure whether the call has been received.

The object of the present invention is to provide a button which is particularly suitable for hospital use, in which the above drawbacks have been avoided. The invention is characterized in that each of the two opposite sides of the button-forming housing is formed resiliently and that said mutually movable, electrically contacting parts are located between the flexible sides of the housing so that contact is made by pressing either side of the housing or alternatively both sides of the housing. one towards the other.

71631

The housing forming the button according to the invention is preferably formed as a substantially disc-shaped or plate-like body, the substantially flat and mutually parallel sides of which are inwardly resilient.

The ease of use of the button according to the invention is essential, as it can be held in the hand and is made to work simply by pressing its sides lightly towards each other. The button can also be placed on a table or similar base, in which case it works when the side of the housing is pushed inwards, i.e. towards the base. In this case, the position of the button does not affect its operation, ie it does not matter which side of the housing is located against the base.

It is possible to construct a button according to the invention in such a way that its moving parts generate a clicking sound when pressed. The sound is generated by the tension of the moving parts of the button and the tension produced by the the rapid return of the parts to their initial position at the stage when printing is stopped, and the audibility of the sound is facilitated by the housing-like structure of the button, in which the inner surfaces of the housing act as sound-reflecting surfaces. The sound is a sign to the patient that the printing has been successful and the call has been received.

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The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which

Figure 1 shows a top view of a button according to the invention and

Fig. 2 shows the button according to Fig. 1 seen from the side and partly in section.

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The drawing shows a button 1 intended for hospitals as a device by which a patient can call a caregiver to the scene. The operation of the button 1 is based on an electrical contact created by pressing, from which an electric current is transmitted along the line 2 to a signaling or alarm device located outside the patient's room, such as an indicator light or a buzzer, and thus triggers the device operation.

The button 1 is formed by a disc-shaped housing 3 of rigid plastic material, the sides 4 of which are substantially flat and parallel to each other. The sides 4 of the housing are arranged to flex inwards towards each other when pressed. With the exception of the opening 5 formed for the line 2, the housing 3 is closed.

The parts providing the electrical contact required for the operation of the button 1 are placed in the housing 3 between the flexible, pressable sides 4. Said parts consist of support frames 6 fixed to the sides 4 of the housing and a contact member 7 supported thereon, comprising a box-like housing 8 and a cover 9 movable relative thereto. Three conductors 10 of a wire 2 are connected to the bottom of the housing 8 of the contact member 7. through the connection of each other. The desired electrical contact is created by the bridge 11 contacting the middle conductor 10, and to achieve this the sides 4 of the housing 3 are provided with pins 12 pressing the parts 8, 9 of the contact member 7 and the contact member cover 9 with a pin 13 pressing against the bridge 11. towards thus causes the current flowing in the outermost conductors 10 from being transmitted from the bridge 11 to the middle conductor and thus further to the signaling or alarm device.

To ensure the operation of the button 1, a spring 14 is placed between the cover 9 of the contact member 7 and the side 4 of the housing, which ___ .. - ΈΤ 4 71631 returns the cover 9 to its initial position after the button is no longer pressed. A quick recovery movement produces a clicking sound to indicate to the patient that the button has passed the call. In addition, the recovery movement causes a light but easily felt finger, which allows a hearing-impaired patient to detect the operation of the button.

The button 1 shown can be pressed in a number of different ways, allowing even a patient in poor condition to use it. The simplest way to use it is to hold the button in your hand and press its sides towards each other with your fingers. In addition, the button may be positioned around the patient's neck so that it can be pressed by the chin. Furthermore, the button can be placed on a fixed base so that it can be pressed from the other side, e.g. by hand or on the elbow.

A special advantage of the closed housing-like structure of the button 1 is its hygiene. This is based on the fact that the button does not have any gaps between the moving parts that are difficult to clean into which bacteria could nest.

It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the various embodiments of the invention are not limited to the example shown but may vary within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the use of the button according to the invention is not limited to hospitals but also comes into question, for example, in nursing homes or other similar institutions where call or alarm systems operating in the same way are required.

Claims (3)

A button (1) for making a call or an alarm, consisting of a substantially closed housing (3), in which are arranged movable parts which, when pressed on the side (4) of the housing, create an electrical contact which further triggers a signal or alarm element to which the button is connected via a cable (2), characterized in that each of the two opposite sides (4) of the housing (3) forming the button (1) is formed resiliently and that said electrically moving parts (7-13) moving relative to each other are located in the resilient housing between the sides so that contact is made by pressing either side of the housing or alternatively both sides of the housing towards each other. Button according to Claim 1, characterized in that the housing (3) is formed as a substantially disc-shaped or plate-like body, the substantially flat and mutually parallel sides (4) of which are inwardly resilient. Button according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the moving parts of the button (1) are arranged to generate a clicking sound when pressed.