JP3109068U - Ear thermometer probe and probe cover - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are an ear thermometer probe having a detachable structure and a disposable cover that can be easily and smoothly attached and detached and can reliably prevent reuse of a used probe cover.
A fitting projection provided on a probe, an L-shaped fitting groove provided on a cover, a tension portion extending from an outer peripheral edge of the cover, and a cut provided at the base thereof are fitted. The cover can be detachably attached to the probe by inserting or withdrawing the protrusion into the fitting groove, and the probe is attached to the probe by pulling the tension part and causing the probe cover to crack from the cut. The probe cover can be detached.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a probe and a probe cover of an ear-type thermometer, and more particularly to a disposable structure in which easy attachment / detachment of a probe cover and reliable disposal of a used probe cover are expected.

  There are various types of thermometers for measuring body temperature, but ear-type thermometers are widely used mainly in general households as a method for measuring body temperature accurately in an extremely short time of about 1 second. In addition, with the improvement of measurement accuracy, ear-type thermometers are being introduced due to the need to quickly measure the temperature of many patients, particularly in medical institutions such as hospitals.

  Since the ear-type thermometer is an instrument that detects infrared rays emitted from the eardrum with an infrared sensor inside the probe and displays it as a temperature (body temperature), the probe is inevitably used by being inserted deep inside the ear cavity. For this reason, compared with an axillary thermometer that only comes into contact with the skin of the armpit, the ear thermometer needs to be strictly managed in terms of hygiene.

  In the ear-type thermometer, a probe cover having an infrared transmission film is attached to the surface of the probe, and hygiene is maintained by replacing the cover for each patient. In addition, the ear thermometer product itself calibrates infrared wavelengths on the premise that the probe cover is used.

  Various types of probe covers for ear-type thermometers have been proposed in the past, including their manufacturing methods. For example, Prior Art Document 1 (Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-137197) describes an invention relating to a probe cover of an ear thermometer, a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof. A typical example of a conventional probe cover and its attachment / detachment structure is shown in FIG. 10 is a thermometer body, 11 is a probe, 12 is a projection for attaching a cover, 20 is a probe cover, and 21 is a peripheral edge of the opening of the probe cover 20 into which the probe 11 is inserted (hereinafter referred to as “outer peripheral edge”). It is the fitting groove provided. The protrusion 12 is provided over the circumference of the base portion of the probe 11, and the probe cover 20 is attached to the probe 11 when the protrusion 12 is fitted into the fitting groove 21. On the other hand, the probe cover 20 can be detached from the probe 11 by picking an arbitrary part of the probe cover 20 and pulling it out.

  However, the above structure has the following drawbacks. First, it is possible to maintain hygiene for use by multiple people by replacing a used probe cover with a new one, but the detached probe cover 20 cannot be distinguished from a new one in appearance. The collected probe cover may be reused by mistake. In order to completely prevent such reuse, it is troublesome to put a mark on the used probe cover.

Secondly, the fitting groove 21 of the probe cover 20 is likely to have a subtle error during molding, and when the protrusion 12 and the probe cover 20 are firmly fitted, the used probe cover can be smoothly detached. Difficult to do.
JP 2001-137197 A

  Therefore, the probe ear attachment / detachment structure of the conventional ear thermometer does not necessarily achieve the purpose of easy attachment / detachment and reliable disposable in actual use.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the ear thermometer having an attachment / detachment structure that can easily and smoothly attach and detach the cover to the probe of the ear thermometer and can reliably prevent reuse of the used probe cover. It is an object to provide a probe and a disposable probe cover.

  The present invention provides a probe / cover attachment / detachment structure of a kind of ear thermometer, and a probe / cover having the attachment / detachment structure, and specifically provides the following devices and related devices. .

(1) A structure for attaching and detaching a probe and a probe cover of an ear thermometer,
One or more fitting protrusions provided on the periphery of the base of the probe;
One or a plurality of fitting grooves provided on the outer peripheral edge of the probe cover so as to face all of the fitting protrusions, respectively;
One or more tension portions extending from the outer periphery of the probe cover;
With respect to at least one of the tension portions, a slit provided at a boundary portion between the tension portion and the outer peripheral edge of the probe cover so as to be cut toward the generatrix direction of the probe cover;
With
By fitting or removing the fitting protrusion into or from the fitting groove, the probe cover can be detachably attached to the probe.
The probe cover attached to the probe can be detached by pulling the pulling portion and causing the probe cover to crack from the cut line. Detachable structure.

(2) Instead of the probe cover,
A forehead temperature detection cover having one or a plurality of fitting grooves provided on the outer peripheral edge so as to face all of the fitting protrusions,
The forehead temperature detection cover can be detachably attached to the probe by inserting or removing the engagement protrusion into or from the engagement groove of the forehead temperature detection cover (1). ) Detachable structure of the probe and probe cover of the ear-type thermometer as described above.

(3) The whole or part of the fitting groove is L-shaped, and has a fixing groove for locking the fitting protrusion at the inner end of the fitting groove (1) or (2) Detachable structure of the probe and probe cover of the ear-type thermometer as described.

(4) A probe and a probe cover of an ear thermometer having the detachable structure according to (1) to (3).

(5) The probe of the ear-type thermometer according to claim 4, wherein the probe and the temperature sensor are fitted with a space between the probe and the temperature sensor of the ear-type thermometer. And probe cover.

  The probe cover of the ear-type thermometer according to the present invention has a tension portion provided at a peripheral edge, and a cut provided at a boundary portion between the outer periphery of the probe cover and a root of the tension portion. To do. By pulling the pulling portion, the cut is cracked and the used probe cover is broken, so that the probe cover can be easily removed from the probe.

  At this time, the operation of making a crack in the cut and the operation of pulling out the cracked probe cover from the probe are both performed by a series of operations of pulling the pulling portion, so the probe cover is removed very quickly and smoothly. be able to.

  In addition, since the cracked probe cover is clearly distinguished from the unused probe cover, there is an advantage that it is possible to reliably prevent a used probe cover from being reused by mistake. is there.

  Further, after the fitting protrusion provided on the periphery of the base portion of the probe is pushed into the fitting groove such as an L shape provided in the probe cover and the forehead temperature detection cover, the cover and the probe are twisted. Since the mating is simply performed by turning them in a direction opposite to each other by a certain angle, the operation of attaching a new cover is also easy.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an ear thermometer, a probe, and two types of covers according to the present invention. 30 is a thermometer body, 31 is a probe, 33 is a temperature sensor, 40 is a probe cover, 43 is a tension part, 44 is a cut, 50 is a forehead temperature detection cover, 51 is a fitting groove, and 52 is a fixing groove.

  2 shows a state in which the probe cover 40 is attached to the probe 31, and FIG. 3 shows a state in which the forehead temperature detection cover 50 is attached to the probe 31 in a perspective view.

  The probe cover 40 is a sanitary disposable cover that is attached to the surface of the probe when the probe of the ear thermometer is inserted into the ear cavity of the user and the body temperature is measured. The tip of the probe cover 40 facing the temperature sensor 33 is perforated or an infrared transparent thin film material is used so as not to prevent infrared detection by the temperature sensor. About the attachment site | part fitted to the probe 31, it is suitable to have predetermined | prescribed thickness and rigidity. Although the material is not particularly limited, a general resin material is preferably used for the same part from the viewpoints of cost, processability, antibacterial properties, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a tension portion 43 extends on the outer peripheral edge of the probe cover 40. The tension portion 43 may be provided at one location, but there is no problem even if it is provided at a plurality of locations in advance. One or a plurality of cuts 44 are provided at the base of the pulling portion 43 and at the boundary with the outer peripheral edge of the probe cover 40 so as to cut toward the generatrix of the probe cover 40.

  The pulling portion 43 is a portion that can be picked when the probe cover 40 is pulled by hand when the probe cover 40 is detached from the probe 31, and the cut 44 is the beginning for breaking the probe cover 40. As shown in the figure, the cuts 44 may be provided on both sides so as to sandwich the tension portion 43, or may be provided only on one side. It is also preferable to extend a perforation not shown from the cut 44.

  The forehead temperature detection cover 50 shown in FIG. 3 is a reusable cover for suitably capturing infrared rays emitted from the forehead by the temperature sensor 33 when measuring the forehead temperature. The shape of the forehead temperature detection cover 50 is basically cylindrical, but is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 3, a taper may be provided so that the opening diameter increases toward the tip.

  The forehead temperature detection cover 50 contacts only the surface of the user's forehead and is not inserted into the body such as the inner part of the ear cavity, so that alcohol can be reused for a plurality of users. Hygiene can be maintained sufficiently by disinfection.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the probe cover 40 is attached to the probe 31 of the thermometer body 30. Reference numeral 32 denotes a projecting ring, 34 denotes a concave ring groove, 35 denotes a separation heat space, 36 denotes a fitting protrusion, 41 denotes a fitting groove, and 42 denotes a fixing groove.

  It is preferable that the temperature sensor 33 is fixed to the probe 31 with a separation heat space 35 therebetween. This is because the space heat space 35 has a function of buffering heat conduction or heat radiation that becomes temperature noise with respect to the temperature of the eardrum to be measured, for example, when the probe 31 is at room temperature or lower. The fixing method is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a projecting ring 32 projecting into the probe 31, and a concave ring groove 34 provided on the surface of the base of the temperature sensor 33. And a method of fitting them. Thereby, although the temperature sensor 33 is joined to the probe 31 with a bracket or the like, it is possible to provide the separation heat space 35 around the sensor sensitive portion at the tip.

  One or a plurality of fitting protrusions 36 are provided on the side of the probe 31 that joins the thermometer body 30, that is, on the periphery of the root portion. In addition, a fitting groove 41 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the probe cover 40 at a location facing the fitting projection 36 (see FIG. 1). The number of the fitting grooves 41 may be more than that as long as at least all of the fitting protrusions 36 can be fitted. It is also possible to share a probe cover with the thermometer.

    In FIG. 5, the example of the enlarged view in the fitting state of a pair of fitting groove 41 and the fitting protrusion 36 is shown. The fitting groove 41 is L-shaped, and a fixed groove 42 is provided at the inner end of the L-shape in accordance with the shape of the fitting projection 36.

  However, in the present invention, the shape of the fitting groove 41 is not particularly limited as long as the fitting groove 41 and the fitting protrusion 36 can be inserted and fixed by twisting each other as will be described later. Absent. Accordingly, it is preferable that the fitting groove 41 has a shape including an L shape in part, such as a letter shape, an H shape, and a hook shape, in addition to a strict L shape. In addition, the L-shape here includes a broad L-shape such as a fishhook shape and a substantially L-shape.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an L-shaped fitting groove 51 fitted to a portion facing the fitting protrusion 36 also in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the forehead temperature detection cover 50, similarly to the probe cover 40, A fixing groove 52 is provided at the tip of the L shape.

  The fitting grooves 41 and 51 can be easily obtained by abutting the fitting projection 36 on the outer end portion of the L-shape, that is, the entrance portion, lightly pushing it, and then rotating them by a certain angle so as to twist each other. The fitting protrusion 36 can be fitted and fixed. Further, the probe cover 40 or the forehead temperature detection cover 50 can be easily detached from the probe 31 by twisting and pulling in the opposite direction.

  In FIG. 5, since the fitting protrusion 36 is illustrated as a short cylinder, the fixed groove 42 has a shape in which the tip of the L-shape is inflated in a circular shape so as to be suitably fitted therewith. The fixing grooves 42 and 52 lock the fitting protrusions 36 fitted in the fitting grooves 41 and 51 at the inner end, so that the fitting protrusions 36 can be easily detached and the covers 40 and 50 fall off. It is provided to prevent this. Therefore, although the shape and position are not particularly limited, it is preferable that the cover 40 and 50 are cut in the direction of the bus bar as a barb (inverted) against the inner end of the L shape.

  However, the used probe cover 40 should not be detached from the probe 31 by twisting as described above, but should be detached by pulling the tension portion 43 as described later.

  In addition, since it is not preferable that the one or a plurality of tension portions 43 extending from the outer peripheral edge of the probe cover 40 block the outer end portion of the fitting groove 41, the tension portion 43 is formed between the adjacent fitting grooves 41. It is preferable to provide at a substantially intermediate position.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the probe cover 40 is cracked starting from the tension portion 43 and starting from the cut 44. This figure shows a state in which the tension portion 43 is pulled in the left direction from the front in the figure.

  A cut 44 is provided at the base of the tension portion 43. Since the probe cover 40 is mainly made of a resin material, by pulling the pulling portion 43, a crack in the probe cover 40 that starts with the cut 44 is easily developed.

  With respect to the probe cover 40 in which a crack has occurred, the fitting projection 36 is pulled out of the fixing groove 42 by pulling the pulling portion 43 as it is or raising the tearing opening, so that the probe cover 40 does not undergo the twisting operation described above. The cover 40 can be detached from the probe 31.

  Further, when the used probe cover 40 is removed from the probe 31 by such a method, the probe cover 40 is cracked and can be easily distinguished from the unused product. It can be surely prevented.

  That is, pulling the tension part and further pulling it out while causing a crack in the probe cover from the cut can be used not only to quickly remove the probe cover from the probe but also to be used. This provides an effect of giving the probe cover a mark for clearly identifying the above, and thus can be said to fulfill the purpose of the present invention.

  The present invention provides an ear thermometer probe / probe cover attaching / detaching structure, and an ear thermometer and probe cover having such an attaching / detaching structure, but the probe is inserted not only into the ear cavity but also into the oral cavity or nasal cavity. Since all medical devices used are required to have strict hygiene management, the present invention can be applied to various types of disposable cover attachment / detachment structures.

The exploded three-dimensional figure showing embodiment of this invention. The three-dimensional figure showing the state which attached the probe cover to the probe. The three-dimensional figure showing the state which mounted | wore the forehead temperature detection cover with the probe. Sectional drawing showing the state which attached the probe cover to the probe. The enlarged view showing the fitting part of a probe and a cover. The operation diagram showing the state where a cover is torn. Sectional drawing showing the conventional ear-type thermometer.

Explanation of symbols

10, 30 Thermometer body 11, 31 Probe 12 Protrusion 20, 40 Probe cover 21, 41, 51 Fitting groove 32 Protrusion ring 33 Temperature sensor 34 Concave ring groove 35 Separation heat space 36 Fitting protrusion 42, 52 Fixing groove 43 Tensile part 44 Cut 50 Forehead temperature cover

Claims (5)

A structure for attaching and detaching the probe of the ear thermometer and the probe cover,
One or more fitting protrusions provided on the periphery of the base of the probe;
One or a plurality of fitting grooves provided on the outer peripheral edge of the probe cover so as to face all of the fitting protrusions, respectively;
One or more tension portions extending from the outer periphery of the probe cover;
With respect to at least one of the tension portions, a slit provided at a boundary portion between the tension portion and the outer peripheral edge of the probe cover so as to be cut toward the generatrix direction of the probe cover;
With
By fitting or removing the fitting protrusion into or from the fitting groove, the probe cover can be detachably attached to the probe.
The probe cover attached to the probe can be detached by pulling the pulling portion and causing the probe cover to crack from the cut line. Detachable structure. Instead of the probe cover,
A forehead temperature detection cover having one or a plurality of fitting grooves provided on the outer peripheral edge so as to face all of the fitting protrusions,
The forehead temperature detection cover can be detachably attached to the probe by inserting or removing the engagement protrusion into or from a fitting groove of the forehead temperature detection cover. 2. A detachable structure of the probe and probe cover of the ear thermometer according to 1.   The ear type according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the whole or part of the fitting groove is L-shaped, and an inner end portion of the fitting groove has a fixing groove for locking the fitting protrusion. Attachment and detachment structure of thermometer probe and probe cover.   A probe and a probe cover of an ear thermometer having the detachable structure according to claim 1.   The probe and the probe cover of the ear-type thermometer according to claim 4, wherein the probe and the temperature sensor are fitted to each other while providing a separation heat space between the probe and the temperature sensor of the ear-type thermometer. .

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