WO2009049745A1

WO2009049745A1 - Mouthpiece for a measuring device

Info

Publication number: WO2009049745A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/007917
Authority: WO
Inventors: Miquel Massaguer
Original assignee: A. Raymond Et Cie
Priority date: 2007-10-15
Filing date: 2008-09-19
Publication date: 2009-04-23
Also published as: FR2922093A1

Abstract

A mouthpiece for a measuring device, in particular a device for measuring the level of alcohol in the air exhaled by an individual, that comprises a first hollow part (2) intended to be brought into contact with the mouth of said individual, a second hollow part intended to be connected in a detachable manner to said device for measuring the level of alcohol in the exhaled air, said first and second hollow parts being inserted one inside the other, and a valve (10) for allowing the air to pass in a single direction which is the direction of exhalation of the individual. The valve (10) is an elastically deformable lamella which is an integral portion of said first hollow part and which seals an opening (9) formed in a transverse partition (8) of said first hollow part.

Description

ORAL TIP FOR MEASURING APPARATUS

1

The invention relates to a mouthpiece for a measuring device, in particular an apparatus for measuring the level of alcohol in the air exhaled by an individual, comprising a first hollow part intended to be brought into contact with the mouth of said individual, a second hollow part intended to be connected in a detachable manner to said measuring apparatus, said first and second hollow parts fitting one into the other, and a valve intended to allow air to pass in a single direction between the first hollow part and the second hollow piece, which is for example the direction of expiration of the individual. Measurements of the blood alcohol level are mainly carried out during police checks to check the blood alcohol level of motorists. A reliable measurement of the blood alcohol level in an individual can be performed by measuring the alcohol content in the air exhaled by said individual by means of a device, preferably portable, also called breathalyzer. For hygienic reasons, a mouthpiece is placed at the mouth of the breathalyzer so that the individual can blow into it without touching it. This avoids possible contamination of the device.

Such endpieces very generally include a tubular hollow part that can fit on one side on said apparatus and on the other in the mouth of the individual. It is necessary to use a mouthpiece per individual, so that these tips must be most often disposable. A major disadvantage of disposable tips is their poor ecological impact on the environment, especially since they are often thrown into the wild after use. US Pat. No. 4,564,021 discloses a mouthpiece for a disposable breathalyzer consisting of a tubular part comprising a first end adapted to be fixed on an alcoholometer and a second end adapted to be placed in the mouth by the individual. This piece is made by injection molding. A check valve can be inserted between said piece and said breathalyzer so that only the breath exhaled by the individual (and not the inspired air) passes through, so as not to distort the result of the measurement. This valve is held in place by means of a tubular section which can be inserted into said tubular part, also produced by injection molding. This valve is made of flexible material. This tip with valve has the disadvantage of being composed of three parts requiring assembly. In addition, this nozzle with valve is disposable and is therefore a source of pollution.

In addition, disposable mouthpieces are also known for use in a spirometer. For example, US Pat. No. 6,176,833 discloses a disposable spirometer tip consisting of a two-part tube connected by a resistive portion sized to cause a pressure difference between said two parts of the tube. It has the advantage of being disposable and biodegradable. However, this mouthpiece is not suitable for use with a breathalyzer. In addition, it requires an assembly and does not include a check valve of exhaled air.

The object of the invention is to provide a mouthpiece for measuring apparatus, in particular the rate of alcohol in the air exhaled by an individual, which is simple and quick to assemble, which easily adapts to a commercial alcohol tester and which includes a valve allowing air to pass only in an axial direction. In addition, another object of the invention is to provide such a biodegradable disposable mouthpiece to reduce the impact on the environment of the nozzle after use.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a mouthpiece for measuring apparatus, in particular an apparatus for measuring the level of alcohol in the air exhaled by an individual, comprising a first hollow part intended to be brought into contact with the body. said mouth of said individual, a second hollow piece to be removably connected to said measuring apparatus, said first and second hollow parts fitting into each other, and a valve for passing air in a single direction between the first hollow part and the second hollow part, characterized in that said valve comprises an elastically deformable strip which is an integral part of said first hollow part and which closes an opening formed in a transverse wall of said first hollow part.

The mouthpiece according to the invention may have the following particularities:

said first and second hollow parts of the nozzle are manufactured by injection molding;

said first and second hollow parts of the mouthpiece are made of a biodegradable material;

said second hollow part comprises a hollow front section having a peripheral inner surface which defines with a plurality of radial tongues a wedging space in which is inserted and blocked said first hollow part; said second hollow part comprises a flange intended to receive an inscription; said second hollow part is formed with standardized dimensions so as to adapt to a device for measuring the level of alcohol in the exhaled air.

The invention also extends to a kit for a mouthpiece for measuring apparatus, in particular an apparatus for measuring the level of alcohol in the air exhaled by an individual, characterized in that it comprises a mouthpiece according to the invention. invention and a packaging package for containing said mouthpiece.

According to a particular embodiment of the kit according to the invention, said packaging package is hermetically sealed. Said packaging can also be made of a water-soluble material and / or biodegradable.

The invention will now be described in more detail and with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate non-limiting examples thereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mouthpiece according to the invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view in section along the axis H-II of Figure 1 of the first piece of the mouthpiece according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view in section along the axis MI-III of Figure 1 of the second piece of the mouthpiece according to the invention. In Figure 1, there is shown the mouthpiece 1 according to the invention comprising a first hollow part 2 and a second hollow part 3, these two parts being intended to be inserted into one another. Each of these two parts 2 and 3 is preferably made in one piece, for example by injection molding of a thermosetting material.

The first piece 2 is here in the form of a substantially cylindrical tube 2 having a diameter narrowing on an end section, with a length-length section 4 of the tube 2 and a rear length section 5 of the tube 2. More particularly, the diameter of the front section 4 is slightly greater than the diameter of the rear section 5. The front section 4 is dimensioned so as to be brought into contact with the mouth of the user. The diameter of the front section 4 is here of the order of 20 mm.

The second hollow part 3 is composed of a front section 6, here substantially cylindrical, connected to a rear section 7 located in the axial extension of the front section 6, the rear section 7 is here also substantially cylindrical. The rear section 7 is intended to be removably connected to a measuring device, in particular an alcohol meter. The diameter of the rear section 7 is here of the order of 6 mm and its length of about 14 mm. These dimensions can be adapted and standardized according to the type of breathalyzer. The rear section 5 of the first piece 2 and the front section 6 of the second piece 3 are sized to fit into each other. In Figure 2, there is shown the first part 2 of the mouthpiece 1 in section along the axis M-II of Figure 1. A wall 8 transverse to the axial direction is formed at the narrowing diameter, between the front section 4 and the rear section 5. This wall 8 is in the form of a partition disk or partition pierced with an opening 9, for example of trapezoidal shape, the opening 9 being substantially centered on the axis of the first piece 2. A strip 10 is formed by molding at the opening 9 in the partition 8, this strip 10 extending in superposition along the partition 8 on the side of the rear section 5 of the first piece 2 being attached to a periphery portion of the opening 9 by a connecting zone 11 (of small dimension relative to the periphery of the opening 9). This connecting zone 11 is here the small side of the trapezium of the opening 9. In FIG. 2, this slat 10 extending under the partition 8 faces the opening 9. The slat 10 is thus made of a single piece with the first hollow part 2, that is to say, it is an integral part thereof. This is particularly advantageous in the case where the part 2 is made by injection molding, because a single two-part mold is necessary for the production of the part 2 comprising the plate 10. This avoids the manufacture of several parts, necessary in the tips of the prior art. In this way, it also eliminates the assembly and assembly of such parts and the possible use of adhesive to fix these parts. These advantages make it possible to make substantial savings on the manufacturing costs of the tip 1. The slat 10 is thin (lower than the thickness of the partition 8, here of the order of 0.25 mm) and substantially similar in shape to the shape of the opening 9, the outer dimensions of the slat 10 being slightly greater than the dimensions of the opening 9. The material used for producing the part 2 and the strip 10 is sufficiently flexible and elastically deformable so that on the one hand the connection zone 11 behaves like a zone of hinge around which the blade 10 can rotate and on the other hand the blade can be deformed under a low stress, here the constraint of the air blown by a user. The trapezoidal shape of the aperture 9 and the non-return lamella 10 is given by way of example. It will be understood that any other adapted form may be used within the scope of the invention, insofar as the size of the lamella is slightly larger than that of the opening 9.

In FIG. 3, there is shown the second piece 3 of the mouthpiece 1 in section along the axis III of FIG. 1. The diameter of the rear section 7 is smaller than the diameter of the front section 6 and a wall 12 annular connects these two sections 6 and 7 at their junction. The inside diameter of this wall 12 is substantially equal to the inside diameter of the rear section 7, so as to allow a passage of air blown by a user. The inner peripheral surface 13 of the front section 6 and the annular wall 12 form a receiving housing 14 for receiving the rear section 5 of the first part 2.

A plurality of tongues 15 project on the annular wall 12 at a distance from the inner peripheral surface 13 of the front section 6, to the interior of the receiving housing 14. The tabs 15 are formed here with their axially extending length and their radially extending width. The outer edge 16 of each tongue 15 (relative to the axis of the piece 3) is inclined inwardly with respect to the inner surface 13, so as to define a substantially conical space 17 between the outer edge 16 of the tongue 15 and the inner surface 13. The blocking or jamming of the first piece 2 inserted in the second piece 3 is ensured by this space 17. In general, three tabs 15 as described above make it possible to obtain a space of satisfactory jamming of the two hollow parts inserted into one another. It will be understood that the height of the tongues is less than the height of the rear section 5 of the first piece, so as not to hinder the pivoting of the blade 10.

The front section 6 is extended in the opposite direction to the rear section 7 by an outer collar 18 of which one of the radial faces is adapted to receive an inscription 19. For example, the mention "Biodegradable" (in a circular form) may be written and an identification logo, as shown in Figure 1.

Preferably, each piece 2 and 3 of the nozzle 1 according to the invention can be respectively manufactured in one piece by injection molding of a material composed of elements allowing it to have biodegradability characteristics. Such a material may be for example a natural polymer or a biodegradable polyester such as polyhydroxybutyric acid (PHB), injectable. Thus, the entire mouthpiece 1 is biodegradable. from then, after use, a tip 1 has a lower ecological impact on the environment as a waste, especially when it is thrown into the nature.

The assembly of the two parts 2 and 3 to form the tip 1 is simple and quick to perform, since it is sufficient to insert the first part 2 in the second part 3 in the direction of the arrow A shown in Figure 1 , until jamming of the first piece 2 in the second piece 3. This intuitive assembly does not require user instructions for the user.

Thus, the two parts 2 and 3 of the tip 1 can be marketed separately, which eliminates their assembly in the factory and thus achieve substantial savings on the cost of the tip

1.

In use of the tip 1, a user inserts the first piece 2 in the second piece 3 until jamming, then places the tip 1 on an alcohol tester. It can then blow (or exhale) in the breathalyzer via the tip 1. The blade 10 acts as a check valve 10, that is to say that can either obstruct the opening 9 to block the passage of air, or leave the opening 9 open to allow air to pass. More specifically, the nonreturn valve 10 is intended to let the air axially in one direction in the nozzle 1, which is the user's direction of expiration, from the first piece 2 to the second piece 3 (indicated by the arrow A in Figure 1). When the user blows into the tip 1, the blade 10 pivots around the connection zone 11 and deforms away from the opening 9. Thus, the air blown by the user during a expiration can flow to the analyzer system. On the other hand, if the user attempts to suck air through the nozzle 1, the blade 10 is folded over the opening 9 and the edges of the blade 10 are pressed on the periphery of the opening 9 to obstruct it. This is to prevent the user from inhaling a quantity of air potentially polluted by a previous analysis and then blow into the breathalyzer, which could distort the measurement of this user's blood alcohol level.

The partition 8 and possibly the annular wall 12 may advantageously serve as a blocking and saliva tank emitted by the user during the blowing into the nozzle 1. In order to ensure perfect cleanliness of the nozzle 1 before use, it is packaged in a hermetically sealed package (the two pieces 2 and 3 being separated). This ensures that no impurity is present on the tip 1 and the tip 1 has never been used before. The hermetic package may advantageously be made of biodegradable material and / or water-soluble. The water-soluble characteristic is defined so that after a few minutes during which the package is immersed in an aqueous solution, it dissolves completely. The biodegradable and / or water-soluble characteristic of the hermetic packaging is intended, like the use of a biodegradable material for the production of parts 2 and 3 of the nozzle 1, to preserve the environment, in particular in the case where the The packaging of the tip 1 would be thrown to the ground inadvertently.

The general shape, in particular the cylindrical shape of the parts 2 and 3 of the mouthpiece 1, as well as the number and the shape of the tongues 15, is given by way of exemplary embodiment and it will be clearly understood that other shapes / number of tongues may be used while remaining within the scope of the invention. For example, the parts 2 and 3 could be rectangular or oblong, so as to be more perfect match with an oral form.

Claims

1 / Mouthpiece for measuring apparatus, including an apparatus for measuring the level of alcohol in the air exhaled by an individual, comprising a first hollow part (2) intended to be brought into contact with the mouth of said individual; a second hollow piece (3) to be removably connected to said measuring apparatus, said first and second hollow pieces (2, 3) fitting one into the other; and a valve (10) for passing air in a single direction (A) between the first hollow part and the second hollow part, characterized in that said valve (10) comprises an elastically deformable strip which is an integral part said first hollow part (2) and closing an opening (9) formed in a transverse partition (8) of said first hollow part (2).

2 / mouthpiece according to claim 1, wherein said first and second hollow pieces (2,3) are manufactured by injection molding.

3 / mouthpiece according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein said first and second hollow parts (2,3) are made of a biodegradable material. 4 / mouthpiece according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said second hollow part (3) comprises a hollow front section (6) having a peripheral inner surface (13) which defines with a plurality of radial tabs (15) a space wedge (17) in which is inserted and blocked said first hollow part (2).

5 / mouthpiece according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said second hollow part (3) comprises a flange (18) for receiving an inscription (19).

6 / mouthpiece according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said second hollow part (3) is formed with standard dimensions to fit a device for measuring the level of alcohol in exhaled air.

7 / Kit for mouthpiece for measuring device, including a device for measuring the level of alcohol in the air exhaled by an individual, characterized in that it comprises a mouthpiece according to one of the preceding claims and a package packaging for containing said mouthpiece.

8 / mouthpiece kit according to claim 7, wherein said packaging package is hermetically sealed. 9 / kit for mouthpiece according to one of claims 7 or 8, wherein said packaging package is made of a water-soluble material.

10 / kit for mouthpiece according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein said packaging packaging is made of a biodegradable material