JPH0449897B2 - - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic clinical thermometer having a switch part with excellent waterproofness and durability on the surface of a case.

Prior art and its problems An electronic thermometer includes, for example, a thermometer that converts body temperature information into an electrical signal, a measurement section that converts the electrical signal of the thermometer into a digital signal, and a calculation section that calculates the body temperature from this digital signal. It is composed of a display section that displays the body temperature determined by this calculation section, a battery that supplies power to each of these sections, and a case that houses each of the sections.

With the miniaturization of LSI and other electronic circuit elements, this type of electronic thermometer can be made considerably smaller due to circuit technology.

When such an electronic thermometer is used in a hospital or the like, it is essential to perform infection prevention treatments such as disinfection and cleaning of the outer surface of the thermometer in order to prevent mutual infection between patients using the electronic thermometer.

Therefore, the present applicant has proposed to impart waterproofness to electronic thermometers by various methods (Utility Application No. 57-184112, Japanese Patent Application No. 59-169088).

Incidentally, it is preferable that the electronic thermometer is provided with a movable switch for turning off the battery when not in use.

Conventionally, when installing a movable switch in the case of an electronic thermometer, the switch operating part and the switch mounting part had to be constructed from separate parts, and it was difficult to make the joint part liquid-tight, so it was difficult to make the joint part waterproof. I couldn't let it go.

Therefore, it is also possible to bond the switch operating part and the switch mounting part made of soft resin with adhesive or to integrally mold them by two-color molding (disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 59-247260 by the present inventors). Conceivable.

However, the method of gluing the switch operation part is likely to cause water leakage due to peeling. Furthermore, even when integrally molded, sufficient waterproofness and durability could not be obtained due to poor moisture permeability of the soft resin and poor chemical resistance at bent portions. In particular, the soft resin is susceptible to deterioration due to contact with disinfectants and cleaning agents during disinfection and cleaning operations in hospitals as described above.

Furthermore, turn the switch operating part and switch mounting part into O
- A switch structure with only a ring interposed has been considered, but this too has not been able to maintain complete waterproofness for a long time.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic thermometer equipped with a mechanical switch operated from the outside of the case, which is waterproof and has sufficient durability.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION These objects are achieved by the invention described below.

That is, the present invention provides an electronic thermometer having a switch part, in which an electronic circuit element and a battery are housed in a rod-shaped hard resin box having a thin extension part at one end with a temperature-sensing part provided at the tip. A part of the crown body has a deformable member made of a soft resin that is integrally molded in a liquid-tight manner with a hard resin part, and a crown body that liquid-tightly and movably holds a movable pressing member that can press the deformable member from the outside. The deformable member is provided so as to cover the deformable member, a liquid-tight space is formed between the deformable member and the crown body, and the deformable member is deformed by the pressure of the movable pressing member to activate the switch mechanism in the case. This electronic thermometer is characterized by having a switch section that is activated.

Specific Configuration of the Invention The specific configuration of the present invention will be described in detail below.

1 to 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 are a partial sectional view, a perspective view, and a sectional view of an electronic thermometer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the electronic thermometer 1 includes a case 2
A crown body 8 of the main body 3 of the box is provided so as to cover a deformable member 25, which will be described later.

The crown body 8 has a hole 81 through which the movable pressing member 51 of the switch 5 projects, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.

The material of this crown body 8 is made of hard resin. Usually, polyethers such as polyphenylene oxide; polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate; polyacetal; acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate; polystyrene resins such as ABS resin;
Polyolefins such as 2-methylpentene and polypropylene; formed from opaque resins such as polycarbonate or resins made opaque by coloring.

That is, in this embodiment, the hole 81 of the crown body 8 provided at the rear end of the box 2 is used as a hole for the movable pressing member 51.

In this embodiment, the hole 81 of the movable pressing member 51 is provided on the rear end surface of the crown body 8, but the hole 81 may be provided on the side surface of the crown body 8 as the case may be.

The hole 81 is formed by a movable pressing member 5 which will be described later.
1, and the size of the hole 81 is preferably slightly larger than the size of the movable pressing portion in order to insert an O-ring 510, etc., which will be described later.

The movable pressing member 51 is used to press and deform a deformable member 25, which will be described later, to open and close the contacts 9 of the switch mechanism.

The structure of this movable pressing member 51 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

This movable pressing member 51 is usually made of hard resin, and as shown in FIGS. It has a locking part 512 whose end face is a pressing surface 513.

Although this locking portion 512 can be formed partially on the pressing surface 513 side of the movable pressing member 51, it is usually formed into a wide-diameter disc-shaped portion that completely covers the hole 81. It is preferable that

Furthermore, the locking portion 512 of this movable pressing member 51
The lower end surface, that is, the pressing surface 513 is preferably a curved surface that is substantially the same as the surface when the deformable member 25 is deformed, as shown in FIG. By adopting such a shape, the contact area between the deformable member 25 and the movable pressing member 51 is widened, and the stress generated at the contact portion of the movable pressing member 51 when the deforming member 25 is deformed is dispersed without being concentrated. . This results in
Progress of deterioration at the contact portion of the movable pressing member 51 is suppressed, and the durability of the deformable member 25 is improved.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body 511 of the movable pressing member 51 slides liquid-tightly onto the inner surface of a hole 81 normally provided in the crown body 8 via an O-ring 510. It is set up so that you can. This improves the waterproofness, and the crown body 8 and O-ring 510 prevent chemicals such as disinfectants from coming into direct contact with the deformable member 25, thereby improving the deformable member 25. .

Note that the O-ring 510 may be integrated with the main body 51 or may be integrated with the hole 81.

The O-ring 510 is preferably made of rubber or resin, which has excellent elasticity and waterproof properties.

In addition to the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the structure of the movable pressing member 51 may be as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, a ring-shaped packing 514 is provided on the upper surface of the locking portion 512 to further improve the liquid tightness when the contact 9 is closed.
In this case, the switch itself does not have the restoring force of the movable pressing member 51, but returns with the restoring force of the deformable member 25 and the contact point 9, which will be described later.

In the example shown in FIG.
The central shaft 5115 of No. 1 is fitted, and liquid tightness is maintained. The movable pressing member 51 includes a central shaft 5115 and a cap 5115 integrated therewith.
It has a cap 5111 and an O-ring 510.
A spring 518 (another elastic body may be used) is arranged in between.

Further, a locking portion 512 that locks on the inner surface of the hole 81 is provided at the lower end of the central axis, and the other hole 8
1 has a step and is configured to be able to lock the cap 5111.

In this case, the switch itself has the force to return the movable pressing member 51 after the pressure is released. That is, since the return force of the movable pressing member 51 is strengthened by the spring 518, the contact pressure between the O-ring 510 and the central shaft 5115 can be increased to strengthen liquid tightness.

Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to provide the above-mentioned packing 514 on the locking portion 512.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the movable pressing member 51 has a main body 511, a deformed part 515 on the periphery of the main body, and a contact part 516 on the periphery of the deformed part, which are integrally formed of soft resin. . A close contact portion 516 is formed at the peripheral edge of the hole 81 inside the crown body 8 in a liquid-tight manner by integrally forming it by two-color molding or the like.

When the main body 511 of the movable pressing member 51 is pressed, the deforming portion 515 is mainly deformed, and the inward movement of the movable pressing member 51 accompanying the deformation of the deforming portion causes the deforming member 25 to deform, and the contact 9 It is configured to open and close.

Note that the movable pressing member 51 may be pressed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 with a human finger or the like, or may be pressed when the thermometer is stored in the case.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the electronic thermometer 1 has a case body 3 forming a case 2. As shown in FIGS.

The case body 3 includes, for example, a window member 4, a housing 30, and a sealing member 20.

The sealing member 20 is made of hard resin and is fixed to the rear end of the case body 3 by adhesive bonding or ultrasonic fusion. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, preferably, a locking portion 201 such as a step is provided for fixation.

This sealing member 20 is usually cylindrical, and the crown body 8 is fitted into this. In the illustrated example, ribs 205 are provided on the outer surface of the sealing member 20 in order to firmly fit the two together.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a deformable member 25 is integrally formed at the upper end of this sealing member 20 in a liquid-tight manner. Then, the crown body 8 and the deformable member 2
5, a liquid-tight space is formed.

This deformable member 25 is made of soft resin, and when pressed by the movable pressing member 51, deforms downward into a convex shape and brings the contact points 9 into contact.

This deformable member 25 is liquid-tightly molded integrally with the sealing member 20 by two-color molding or the like as described later.
Preferred materials include SBS elastomer, polyester elastomer, olefin elastomer, urethane elastomer, and the like.

It is preferable that the deformable member 25 has a plate shape that has the same planar shape as the upper part of the normal sealing member 20 .
The thickness of this deformable member 25 is usually about 0.3 to 2 mm in consideration of strength, amount of deformation, etc.

Note that the amount of deformation of this deformable member 25 only needs to be a distance sufficient to open and close the contact 9, and is usually 0.5~
It is said to be about 2mm. Since the plate-shaped deformable member 25 is deformed by curving in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface,
The deformable member 2
5, and the deformable member 25 suffers less fatigue. Therefore, durability against repeated use is improved.

The liquid-tight integration of the deformable member 25 into the sealing member 20 is preferably performed by two-color molding.

Two-color molding is performed according to a conventional method, and the molding order, molding conditions, etc. can be changed in various ways.

Such a deformable member 25 is usually
Although it is formed on the upper end of the sealing member 20 fixed to the case 2, it may be formed on other parts of the sealing member 20, or it may be directly attached to the case 2 in a liquid-tight manner without providing such a sealing member. It is also possible to integrally mold it. As described above, by integrally forming the parts, it is only necessary to attach the sealing member 20 and the crown body 8 to the case 3 in this order, making assembly extremely easy.

Inside the sealing member 20, there is a contact 9 as a switch mechanism.

Various types of contact points 9 are possible.

Further, the opening/closing operation of the contact 9 may be closed when pressure is released, opened when pressed, or may be switched between opening and closing upon pressure, and these may be selected as appropriate depending on the type of contact 9. Bye.

As shown in FIG. 6, on the outer surface of the window member 4,
An opaque resin housing 30 is covered except for a display window 35 to form a housing body 3.

Furthermore, the front end side of the box 2 has a housing 30 in the longitudinal direction.
The probe cap 11 extends to a small diameter and is connected to a probe cap 11 that protects the temperature sensing part, and its rear end is connected to the crown body 8 via a sealing member 20.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the electronic thermometer 1 houses a temperature measuring element 10 such as a thermistor that converts body temperature information into an electrical signal within the tip of the probe.

The temperature measuring body 10 is connected to electronic circuit elements such as the calculation display section 6 which is driven by the battery 7. The calculation/display unit 6 digitizes the signal from the temperature measuring body 10, calculates it, and displays it, and may use any known measurement circuit such as a direct display type or a prediction type.

These temperature measuring body 10, calculation display section 6, and battery 7 are as follows:
It is housed in the box 2 of the present invention. A metal probe cap 11 made of stainless steel or the like is fitted onto the tip of the housing 2, and the temperature measuring element 1
0. A potting material 12 is filled between the probe cap 11 and the tip of the case body 3.

Preferably, a battery holder 85 is installed at the rear of the case body 3 forming the case 2, and the battery 7 is housed therein.

A contact 9 and a switch 5 are arranged at the rear of the battery 7. As the switch 5 operates, the contacts 9 come into contact or separate, thereby opening and closing the circuit.

In such a case, the box body 3 constituting the box 2
Similar to the crown body 8, polyether such as polyphenylene oxide; polyethylene terephthalate,
Polyesters such as polybutylene terephthalate;
It is formed from opaque or colored hard resin such as polyacetal; acrylic resin such as polymethyl methacrylate; polystyrene resin such as ABS resin; polyolefin such as poly-2-methylpentene and polypropylene; and polycarbonate.

The window member 4 may be made of transparent resin such as polystyrene such as polystyrene; polyolefin such as poly-2-methylpentene or polypropylene; acrylic resin such as polymethyl petacrylate; cellulose ester such as cellulose acetate; It is formed from polyester or the like.

In addition, the probe cap 11 is made of stainless steel,
Made of metal such as aluminum.

In such a case, the window member 4 and the case body 3 made of opaque resin are such that the case body 3 is the display window 3 of the window member 4.
Any material may be used as long as it is integrated in liquid-tight contact with 5.

Therefore, their integration can be done in various ways.

However, since it is preferable to integrate the two by two-color molding, in this case, it is preferable that the window member 4 be made into a cylindrical body, since this will widen the range of liquid-tight contact.
This makes the window portion extremely waterproof.

Further, the window member 4, which is preferably shaped as a cylindrical body, has a display window 35 as shown in FIG.
It is preferable to form a step locking part on the periphery of the housing to improve the connection with the case body 3 made of opaque resin.

Specific Effects of the Invention The electronic thermometer of the present invention converts body temperature information into an electrical signal by the temperature measuring element provided at its tip, and converts this electrical signal into a digital signal by the measuring section. Furthermore, the arithmetic section calculates the body temperature from this digital signal, and displays this on a display section such as a liquid crystal.

Electric power is supplied to each of these parts by a battery.

On the other hand, this power is not constantly supplied, but is turned on and off by opening and closing contacts. In other words, the power is turned on only when the electronic thermometer is used.

This contact is opened and closed by driving the switch 5.

The switch 5 is driven by pressing the movable pressing member 51 with a finger or the like. Movable pressing member 51
Once pressed, the contact 9 moves long enough to make contact and remains there until pressed again, preferably by means of a stopper mechanism. If you press it again, the stopper will release and return to its original position, and the contact 9 will separate.

A one-shot pulse signal can be sent to an electronic switch using a flip-flop, etc. by using a general-purpose button switch or by making contact when pressed.
It may be one that repeats ON-OFF operations.

Specific Effects of the Invention According to the electronic thermometer of the present invention, the movable pressing member is preferably formed in a liquid-tight manner on the crown body, and the deformable member pressed by the movable pressing member is integrally molded in the case in a liquid-tight manner. This makes it possible to significantly improve waterproofness and chemical resistance compared to switches with conventional waterproof mechanisms.

In addition, since the deformable member is formed by integral molding, the adhesive surface that is bonded with an adhesive will not peel off, and it has excellent durability even after multiple uses.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the number of parts is reduced and the structure is simple, making assembly easy and improving reliability. That is, since switching is performed by deforming a plate-shaped deformable member into a curved surface shape, the deformable member suffers less fatigue, and the crown resistance prevents contact with chemicals.
The life of the deformable member has been extended, and its reliability in long-term use has been dramatically improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing an embodiment of the invention with the contacts in an open state. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention in a closed state of the contacts. FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 are partial sectional views showing other embodiments of the crown body. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. Figure 7 is the 6th
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electronic thermometer shown in the figure. Explanation of symbols, 1...Electronic thermometer, 2...Case,
20... Sealing member, 201... Locking part, 205...
... Rib, 25 ... Deformable member, 3 ... Case body, 3
0... Housing, 35... Display window, 4... Window member, 5
...Switch, 51...Movable pressing member, 510...
... O-ring, 511 ... Pressing part body, 5111
... Cap, 5115 ... Central shaft, 512 ... Locking part, 513 ... Pressing surface, 514 ... Packing, 515 ... Deformation part, 516 ... Close contact part, 51
8...Spring, 6...Calculation display section, 7...Battery, 8
... Corona body, 81 ... Hole, 9 ... Contact, 10 ...
Temperature measuring element, 11...probe cap, 12...potting material.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An electronic thermometer having a switch part, in which an electronic circuit element and a battery are housed in a rod-shaped hard resin box having a narrow extension part at one end with a temperature-sensing part provided at the tip; A part of the body has a deformable member made of a soft resin that is integrally molded in a liquid-tight manner with a hard resin part, and a crown body that fluid-tightly and movably holds a movable pressing member that can press the deformable member from the outside. is provided so as to cover the deformable member, a liquid-tight space is formed between the deformable member and the crown body, and the deformable member is deformed by the pressure of the movable pressing member to activate the switch mechanism in the case. An electronic thermometer characterized by having a switch section configured to operate the electronic thermometer. 2. The electronic thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the deformable member is plate-shaped and deforms into a curved surface shape by the pressure of the movable pressing member. 3. The electronic thermometer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressing surface of the movable pressing member that contacts the deformable member is a curved surface that is substantially the same as the surface when the deformable member is deformed. 4. The box is characterized by having a hollow box main body, a sealing member liquid-tightly coupled to the open end of the box main body, and a deformable member integrally molded with the sealing member. An electronic thermometer according to any one of claims 1 to 3.