JPH0615992B2 - Electronic thermometer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (I) Background of the Invention (I-1) Technical Field The present invention relates to an electronic clinical thermometer that is approximately the same size as a mercury thermometer and electronically detects and displays a body temperature.

(I-2) Prior Art and Problems Thereof An electronic thermometer is, for example, a thermometer unit for converting body temperature information into an electric signal in a housing having a desired elongated hollow body, and a measurement for obtaining the body temperature from the electric signal. The calculation unit, the display unit that displays the body temperature obtained by the measurement calculation unit, and the battery that supplies power to each unit are housed.

A conventional electronic clinical thermometer uses a manually operated type such as a slide switch as a power switch, and the switch is large, and its knob projects from an opening on the outer surface of the housing. Therefore, for sanitary considerations, when disinfecting with an alcohol or other disinfectant, the disinfectant may seep into the switch, causing contact failure at the switch contacts, or corrosion or failure of the electronic circuit or wiring inside the housing. Yes, there was a request for improvement.

(II) Object of the invention The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned points, and even if the inside of the housing can be made liquid-tight and disinfected with a disinfectant such as alcohol, the disinfectant does not enter the inside, (EN) Provided is an electronic clinical thermometer having a waterproof structure which is free from corrosion failure of an electronic circuit inside the body, has a smooth outer surface, and can be miniaturized to a size almost equal to that of a mercury thermometer.

According to the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a temperature side body for converting body temperature information into an electric signal, a measurement operation unit for obtaining a body temperature from the electric signal, and a display unit for displaying the body temperature obtained by the side temperature calculation unit. And an electronic thermometer comprising a battery for supplying electric power to each of the parts, wherein the housing comprises a plastic hollow body, the measurement operation part, the display part, and the battery, and the housing further comprises the temperature measuring device. Achieved by an electronic thermometer characterized in that it has a cap that is detachably fitted to the end opposite to the body, and that the fitting surface of the cap has an O-ring that makes the inside of the housing liquid-tight. To be done.

Further, it is preferable that the housing is provided with a temperature measuring body portion formed in a hollow body having a required longitudinal shape and having a tip end thereof kept liquid-tight with respect to the inside of the housing.

(III) Detailed Description of the Invention FIG. 1 shows an electronic thermometer and a thermometer case of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, an electronic thermometer T has a thermometer unit 2 attached to an end of a housing 1, and a measurement / calculation unit 4, a display unit 5, a battery 6, and a switch 7 are housed inside. The housing 1 is a hollow body having a required longitudinal shape from plastic, for example, the first half portion 1a is a small-diameter portion having a circular cross section and the former half portion 1b is a flat cross section so that the appearance is almost the same as that of a flat mercury thermometer. The large-diameter portion 1b has a shape, preferably an elliptical large-diameter portion.
Is molded with a cap 1c at its end. The thermometer unit 2 uses a thermistor, which is a temperature-sensitive resistance change element, or other thermosensitive sensor to convert body temperature information into an electric signal, and the casing 1 is liquid-tight inside the casing 1. It is attached to the tip of the body 1.

Next, the measurement calculation unit 4 is an RC oscillator circuit including a temperature sensing element of the temperature sensing unit, for example, a temperature sensitive resistance changing element such as a thermistor in its system. Change the number of pulses per hit). Further, a general analog-digital signal converter may be used as long as it can convert an analog signal output from the temperature sensing element into a digital signal, but when an RC oscillator circuit is used, another conversion is performed. It is advantageous that the circuit configuration is simple and the power consumption is low as compared with the system.

Furthermore, it is composed of an adder and a memory (ROM) in which a correction value for linearizing the non-linear characteristic of the temperature sensing element is written, and the digital signal obtained by the transmitter is input to the adder as a numerical value. At the same time, input to ROM as an address signal,
Read the correction value corresponding to the address, input it to the adder, add the digital signal and the correction value to obtain a linear output, and then convert it to Celsius (° C) or Ka (° F) for output. Alternatively, it is also a circuit for predicting and calculating the final body temperature from the temperature increase rate for a predetermined time. Therefore, since there is no need for correction adjustment using a variable resistor or the like, there is no contact failure of the variable resistor and the like, which is highly reliable.

Next, the display unit 5 uses, for example, a digital display such as a liquid crystal display, which digitally displays the body temperature by inputting a digital signal from the calculation unit 4, and is housed so that it can be seen through from the outside of the housing. ing. The above-described measurement / calculation unit 4 is integrated into an LSI and is housed in an appropriate portion of the large diameter portion 1b of the housing 1. The housing 1 has at least the display unit 5
It suffices if the part corresponding to is transparent. It is advantageous to use a liquid crystal as the display because it consumes less power. The battery 6 is, for example, a rod-shaped 3VDC lithium battery, which supplies electric power to the respective parts, and is housed in the large diameter part 1b of the housing 1. The battery 6 is provided near the end of the large-diameter cross section of the housing 1 so that the battery 6 can be replaced.

The electronic thermometer according to the present invention may be one that issues a signal indicating the end of measurement or a signal indicating the completion of prediction after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of measuring the body temperature. The cap 1c for battery replacement is fitted in a liquid-tight manner, and as shown in FIG. 2 or 3, an O-ring 1b for making the inside of the housing liquid-tight is used on the fitting surface. To do.

In FIG. 2, the cap 1c is fitted inside the housing 1 and the O-ring 1b is fitted on the fitting surface of the cap 1c.
In FIG. 3, it is the reverse of FIG. When the side thermometer unit 2 of the electronic thermometer T is sandwiched under the armpit, temperature measurement information of the temperature thermometer unit 2 is detected, an electric signal corresponding thereto is output, and the measurement arithmetic unit 4 calculates the electric signal. The body temperature is obtained, and the display unit 5 displays the body temperature as a number or bar signal by the digital signal. When the electronic thermometer T becomes dirty due to use, or is disinfected with a disinfectant such as alcohol in a hospital used by a plurality of people, the outer surface of the housing 1 of the electronic thermometer T is smooth and easy to clean, and The inside becomes completely liquid-tight, and the disinfecting liquid such as alcohol does not penetrate into the inside of the casing 1.

(IV) Specific Effects of the Invention As described above, the electronic thermometer of the present invention is a thermometer unit that converts body temperature information into an electric signal, a measurement calculation unit that obtains a body temperature from the electric signal, and the measurement. In an electronic thermometer consisting of a display unit that displays the body temperature obtained by the calculation unit and a battery that supplies power to each of the units, the measurement calculation unit, the display unit, and the battery in a housing made of a hollow plastic body. Further, the housing has a cap that is detachably fitted to an end portion on the opposite side of the temperature measuring unit, and an O-ring that makes the inside of the housing liquid-tight on a fitting surface of the cap. With this configuration, it is possible to easily and inexpensively keep the inside of the housing liquid-tight.

Further, since the housing is formed into a hollow body having a required longitudinal shape and a temperature measuring body portion is provided at the tip of the housing to keep liquid-tight with respect to the inside of the housing, disinfection of alcohol or the like even in a battery exchange type electronic thermometer. The liquid does not enter the housing, thus eliminating the possibility of corrosion failure of the electronic circuit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which an electronic thermometer according to the present application is housed in a case, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are liquid-tight caps at the ends of the housing of the electronic thermometer according to the present application. It is sectional drawing which shows an attachment structure. T ... Electronic thermometer, 1 ... Case, 1c ... Cap, 2 ... Temperature measuring unit, 4 ... Measurement calculation unit, 5 ... Display unit, 6 ... Battery, 7 ... Switch, 11 ... … Permanent magnet, K… Case.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A temperature measuring unit for converting body temperature information into an electric signal, a measurement operation unit for obtaining the body temperature from the electric signal, a display unit for displaying the body temperature obtained by the measurement operation unit, and an electric power for each unit. In an electronic thermometer comprising a battery for supplying a battery, the measurement operation unit, the display unit, and the battery are provided in a casing made of a plastic hollow body, and the casing is provided on the opposite side of the temperature measuring unit. An electronic clinical thermometer having a cap that is detachably fitted to an end portion, and an O-ring that liquid-tightly seals the inside of the housing on a fitting surface of the cap. 2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a temperature measuring body portion which is formed in a hollow body having a required longitudinal shape and which is kept liquid-tight with respect to the inside of the housing at the tip thereof. Electronic thermometer described.