Radiation type thermometer

• US 5,169,235 A
• Filed: 08/30/1991
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hirose Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hirose Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Tominaga, Hitoshi, Ishibashi, Hideo, Tanaka, Masami, Koshino, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US07/753,403
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 374/121, 374/126, 374/129, 374/128, 374/130, 374/132, 374/133, 250/338.1, 128/664, 128/736
• US Class Current: 374/129
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/064 Ambient temperature sensor; Housing temperature sensor; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/16 Arrangements with respect to the cold junction; Compensating influence of ambient temperature or other variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/52 using comparison with reference sources, e.g. disappearing-filament pyrometer

Abstract

A thermometer includes an infrared sensor (14) for receiving infrared radiation to generate a corresponding electrical signal; a reference unit (10) for emitting a standard infrared radiation; a temperature sensor (11) for receiving the standard infrared radiation to generate a corresponding standard electrical signal; a support unit (1, 2) for supporting the infrared sensor and the reference means such that the infrared sensor receives the standard infrared radiation from the reference means in a standby state and infrared radiation from a subject in a measurement state; an arithmetic unit (44) for computing a temperature of the subject based on the electrical signals from the infrared sensor in both the standby and measurement states and from the temperature sensor.

Claims

1. A thermometer comprising:

an infrared sensor for receiving infrared radiation to generate a corresponding electrical signal;

reference means for emitting a standard infrared radiation;

a temperature sensor attached to said reference means to generate a standard electrical signal indicative of a temperature of said reference means;

support means for supporting said infrared sensor and said reference means such that said infrared sensor receives said standard infrared radiation from said reference means in a standby state and infrared radiation from a subject in a measurement state; and

arithmetic means for computing a temperature of said subject based on said electrical signals from said infrared sensor in both said standby and measurement states and from said temperature sensor.

2. The thermometer of claim 1, wherein said support means comprises a base unit and a probe unit to be mounted on said base unit and said infrared sensor and said reference means are mounted on said probe unit and said base unit, respectively, such that when said probe unit is mounted on said base unit, said infrared sensor is opposed to said reference means.

3. The thermometer of claim 1, wherein said support means comprises a probe unit and a reference mask, and said infrared sensor and said reference means are mounted on said probe unit and said reference mask, respectively, said reference mask being attached to said probe unit so as to move between a closed position where said reference means is opposed to said infrared sensor and an open position where said reference means is away from said infrared sensor.

4. A radiation-type thermometer comprising:

a probe for collecting infrared radiation;

an infrared sensor disposed at an end of said probe for receiving said infrared radiation to generate a corresponding electrical signals;

reference means for emitting a standard infrared radiation;

a temperature sensor attached to said reference means to generate a standard electrical signal indicative of a temperature of said reference means;

support means for supporting said probe and reference means such that said infrared sensor receive said standard radiation from said reference means in a standby state and infrared radiation from a subject in a measurement state;

an A/D converter for converting said corresponding and standard electrical signals into corresponding and standard digital data, respectively;

a memory for storing said digital data; and

arithmetic means for eliminating influences under temperatures of said probe based on said digital signals.

5. The radiation-type thermometer of claim 4, wherein said arithmetic means stores in said memory digital data of infrared radiation from said reference means in a stand-by state and digital data of infrared radiation from said subject and eliminates influences under temperatures of said probe to determine a temperature of said subject from the following formula:

##EQU2## wherein P is the digital data about said subject;

P'"'"' is the digital data about said reference;

Tk is the temperature of said subject;

Tr is the temperature of said reference means;

Ko is a constant independent of said thermometer;

a is a constant for said measurement state;

a'"'"' is a constant for said stand-by state.