Ear thermometer probe structure

• US 6,749,334 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Radiant Innovation Inc.
• Original Assignee: Radiant Innovation Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEJESUS, LYDIA M
• Application Number:
  US10/215,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20040028116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 374/120, 374/121, 374/131, 374/194, 374/200, 374/208, 374/158, 374/209, 600/474, 600/549
• US Class Current: 374/121
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/06 Arrangements for eliminating effects of disturbing radiation; Arrangements for compensating changes in sensitivity for adjusting of solid angle of collected radiation G01J5/07; means for wavelength selection G01J5/0801
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0818 Waveguides

Abstract

An ear thermometer probe structure comprises a shell body. A hollow thermal absorption component is disposed in the shell body, and contacts several positioning points one the inner wall of the shell body. An air gap is formed at the part of the thermal absorption component not contacting the shell body. A wave guide is disposed in the thermal absorption component. The rear section of the wave guide tightly contacts the thermal absorption component, and the front section thereof is separated from the shell body by an air gap. A filter is disposed at the front end of the wave guide to let infrared rays be transmitted. An annular sealing pad is located between the filter and the top of the shell body. A sensor is disposed behind the wave guide and fixed on the thermal absorption component. The sensor is separated from the thermal absorption component and the wave guide by an annular air room.

Claims

1. An ear thermometer probe structure forming a front end structure of an ear thermometer, said ear thermometer probe structure comprising:

a shell body having a narrower front end and a wider rear end to form a probe shape, three annularly spaced positioning flanges disposed on an inner wall of said shell body, and an annular flange formed at said front end of said shell body;

a hollow thermal absorption component disposed in said shell body and having an upper end portion contacting said positioning flanges of said shell body, other than at said positioning flanges said hollow thermal absorption component being separated from said shell body by an air gap said hollow thermal absorption component having an annular retaining groove formed in a rear end thereof;

a wave guide disposed in said hollow thermal absorption component, a rear section of said wave guide tightly contacting said thermal absorption component, a front section of said wave guide protruding out of said thermal absorption component and being separated from said shell body by an air gap;

a filter disposed on said shell body and located at a front end of said wave guide, said filter having a periphery thereof contacting said shell body and permitting infrared rays to be transmitted therethrough and enter said wave guide;

an annular sealing pad disposed adjacent said annular flange of said shell body and being located between said filter and said annular flange; and

,

a sensor disposed behind said wave guide and having a portion thereof fixed on to said annular retaining groove of said thermal absorption component, said sensor being separated from a remaining portion of said thermal absorption component and said wave guide by an annular air room.

2. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a thermal discharge component disposed behind said sensor, said thermal discharge component and said thermal absorption component forming an annular contact therebetween and are fixedly connected together.

3. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said thermal absorption component and said thermal discharge component are made of A1—

Zn alloy.

4. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein an airtight air room is formed between said sensor and said thermal discharge component.

5. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell body is made of plastic material of low thermal conductance.

6. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell body is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, glass fiber, and mixtures thereof.

7. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wave guide is made of material of high reflectance.

8. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inner wall of said wave guide is plated with a layer of gold.

9. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of said sealing pad has a high transmittance of infrared rays.

10. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said filter is made of a silicon chip.

11. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 10, wherein the surface of said silicon chip is coated with several layers of films.

12. An ear thermometer probe structure forming a front end structure of an ear thermometer, said ear thermometer probe structure comprising:

a shell body having a narrower front end and a wider rear end to form a probe shape, at least one positioning point disposed on an inner wall of said shell body, and an annular flange formed at the front end of said shell body;

a hollow thermal absorption component disposed in said shell body and contacting said positioning point of said shell body, and an air gap being formed at portions of said hollow thermal absorption component not contacting said shell body;

a wave guide disposed in said hollow thermal absorption component, a rear section of said wave guide tightly contacting said thermal absorption component, a front section of said wave guide protruding out of said thermal absorption component and being separated from said shell body by an air gap;

a filter disposed in said shell body and located at a front end of said wave guide, said filter having a periphery thereof contacting said shell body and permitting infrared rays to be transmitted therethrough and enter said wave guide;

an annular sealing pad disposed adjacent said annular flange of said shell body and being located between said filter and said annular flange;

a sensor disposed behind said wave guide and fixed on said thermal absorption component, said sensor being separated from said thermal absorption component and said wave guide by an annular air room; and

,

an elastic fixing sheet pressing said sensor against said thermal absorption component to provide a floating positioning of said sensor.

13. The ear thermometer probe structure as claimed in claim 12, wherein said elastic fixing sheet is made of metallic material.