Assembly method and structure of an electronic clinical thermometer

• US 20040105487A1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Actherm Inc.
• Original Assignee: Actherm Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Sanlian
• Granted Patent: US 6,976,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals

Abstract

An assembly method and structure of an electronic clinical thermometer is disclosed. The thermometer can be disassembled or assembled as required, wherein one of the detachable modules such as the measuring body has an incomplete electronic clinical thermometer circuit lacking at least two elements, and these electronic elements are mounted within the other module such as the measuring probe, so that the two modules when attached together form a complete clinical thermometer.

Claims

1. An electronic clinical thermometer comprising two detachable modules, wherein a first one of said detachable modules has an incomplete electronic temperature measuring circuit lacking at least two electronic elements, and said electronic elements are mounted within a second one of said detachable modules, so that said two modules when attached together form a complete clinical thermometer for measuring the temperature of patients.

2. The electronic clinical thermometer of claim 1, wherein said electronic elements of said first module is a resistance matching module connected by soldering or a connection structure to said incomplete electronic clinical thermometer measuring circuit.

3. An electronic clinical thermometer comprising:

a measuring body including a power switch, a display and an incomplete temperature-measuring circuit lacking at least two electronic elements and being controlled by an integrated circuit;

a temperature sensing device including a measuring probe, a temperature sensing section, a connection seat and at least two electronic elements which are not present in said measuring body; and

a connection structure mounted between said measuring body and said temperature-sensing device and being a conductive member;

whereby when said measuring body is connected with said temperature sensing device via said connection structure, said incomplete electronic clinical thermometer circuit of said measuring body will be connected to said electronic elements of said temperature sensing device to form an effective and complete temperature measuring circuit.

4. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein the electronic elements which are not present in said measuring body are a reference resistor and a temperature sensor.

5. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein the measuring body is provided with a light generator and a buzzer, said buzzer being mounted at an opening on said circuit.

6. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein the display is provided with a backlight plate and said integrated circuit is provided with a delay circuit and a reset circuit for said backlight plate.

7. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein the temperature sensing device is provided with a transmitter and said incomplete temperature measuring circuit has a wireless transmission circuit for transmitting measured result to a central control system.

8. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein said temperature sensing section connected to said measuring probe of said temperature sensing device is made of rigid or soft material.

9. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein said connection structure is positioned between said measuring body and said temperature sensing device, said connection structure comprising a cap for keeping a plurality of resilient conductive members on said circuit, said resilient conductive members protruding partially out of said cap, a sliding slot formed on said connection seat for mounting a control board having one side being connected to said conductive wire of said temperature sensor, said control board being provided with metal contacts for the mounting of said reference resistor.

10. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein said connection structure is PIN header to socket or edge card to socket or metal string to Simm card.

11. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein said measuring body comprises a top cover and a bottom cover made from hard plastic material, a front section of said bottom cover being formed with a slot on a top and a recess on a bottom, and two lateral sides of said front section of said bottom cover being each formed with an engaging block.

12. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein the measuring body is provided with a battery cover and contains flexible or rigid circuit board circuit on which are mounted said power switch, said display, said buzzer, and said light generator.

13. The clinical thermometer of claim 11, wherein said connection seat is a hollow member provided at a top with a notch and at two lateral sides with an engaging slot which is configured to engage with an engaging block 232 of said bottom cover, an inner side of a top front portion of said connection seat having a protuberance adapted to engage with said slot of said bottom cover 12.

14. The clinical thermometer of claim 4, wherein common environmental temperature is set as follows:

25°

C. for said reference resistor and 37°

C. for said temperature sensor.

15. The clinical thermometer of claim 3, wherein said measuring probe is made of stacked metal films with good conductivity, said temperature sensor and a part of said conductive wire being positioned between the metal firms, and said conductive wire is concentrically coiled or arranged into a wave shape.