Radiation thermometer comprising a heated measuring tip

• US 7,014,358 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2002
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Kraus, Bernhard, Klös, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Verbitsky, Gail
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jagan, Mirellys
• Application Number:
  US10/467,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20040086022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,508 Days
• Field of Search: 374/121, 374/164, 374/131, 374/132, 374/120, 374/130, 374/133, 600/474, 702/131, 702/135
• US Class Current: 374/121
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/061 by controlling the temperature of the apparatus or parts thereof, e.g. using cooling means or thermostats
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/223 Infrared clinical thermometers, e.g. tympanic

Abstract

The invention relates to an infrared thermometer, especially an ear thermometer for measuring temperature, comprising an infrared sensor, a measuring tip which can be heated by a heating element, an actuating device which can be operated by a user, a control device and a display device. The invention also relates to a method for measuring temperature, especially by means of a radiation thermometer having a heatable measuring tip. Said control device switches off the heating element after the user has actuated an actuating device. After a certain amount of time, multiple temperature measurements are successively carried out, and the temperature to be displayed is determined from said measured temperatures or an error message is generated. At the latest, after a maximum measuring time has elapsed or after a maximum number of temperatures have been measured, the temperature to be displayed or an error message is displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. An infrared thermometer comprising an infrared sensor contained within a measuring tip, an evaluating device for processing signals from the infrared sensor to determine a measured temperature, a heating element for preheating the measuring tip, a display device for displaying a temperature or an error message, and a control device controlling the performance of the following functions:

turning on the heating element after operation of the thermometer has been initiated,

turning off the heating element after the measuring tip has reached a specific temperature,

causing the infrared sensor to carry out a plurality of sequential temperature measurements after an actuating device has been actuated by a user, and

after a maximum measurement time has elapsed or after a maximum number of temperature measurements, sending a signal containing the measured temperature or an error message to the display device.

2. The thermometer according to claim 1, further comprising

a signaling device which can be controlled by the control device which signals that the thermometer is in operation and the end of the temperature measurements.

3. The thermometer according to claim 1, further comprising

a data storage device and a signalling device, the data stored in the data storage device being output by means of the signaling device, and the control device controlling the signals output by the signalling device.

4. The thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the actuating device is a button, which is actuated by pressing.

5. The thermometer according to claim 1,

the control device further carrying out the function of determining a criterion for the validity of the measured temperatures and sending a signal to the display device containing the measured temperature if the criterion is satisfied, or after a minimum measurement time or after a minimum number of temperature measurements, sending a signal to the display device containing the error message if the criterion cannot be expected to be satisfied within the maximum measurement duration or after a maximum number of temperature measurements.

6. The thermometer according to claim 5, further comprising a data storage device and a signalling device, with the data stored in the data storage device being output by means of the signaling device, and the control device controlling the signals output by the signaling device.

7. A method for measuring temperature by means of a radiation thermometer comprising a heatable measuring tip, an infrared sensor which provides temperature dependent output signals, and an evaluating device

characterized in that after switching on the thermometer, a heating element is switched on which heats the measuring tip, the heating element being switched off either in response to the measuring tip reaching a specific temperature or in response to an actuating device being actuated by a user,

after the actuating device has been actuated by a user, a plurality of sequential temperature measurements are carried out by means of the infrared sensor,

the evaluating device processes the output signals from the infrared sensor to determine measured temperature values, and

a temperature to be displayed is determined from the measured temperature values or an error message is generated, and at the latest after a maximum measurement time has elapsed or after a maximum number of temperature measurements, the temperature to be displayed or the error message is displayed on a display device.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that a criterion for the validity of the measured temperatures is determined and the temperature to be displayed is then displayed if the criterion is satisfied or, after a minimum measuring time or after a minimum number of temperature measurements the error message is displayed if the criterion cannot be expected to be satisfied within the maximum measurement time or after a maximum number of temperature measurements.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the sequence and the end of the temperature measurements is signaled to the user.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the actuating device is a button, which is actuated by pressing.

11. A method for measuring temperature using a radiation thermometer comprising a heatable measuring tip, an infrared sensor which provides temperature dependent output signals, and an evaluating device,

characterized in that after turning on the thermometer, a heating element is turned on which heats the measuring tip,

after actuating an actuating device, the heating element is turned off,

after a certain time has elapsed a plurality of temperature measurements are carried out by means of the infrared sensor,

the evaluating device processes the output signals from the infrared sensor to determine measured temperature values,

a temperature to be displayed is determined from the measured temperature values,

a criterion for validity of the measured temperature values is determined and, after a minimum measuring time or after a minimum number of temperature measurements an error message is displayed if the criterion cannot be expected to be satisfied within a maximum measurement time or after a maximum number of temperature measurements, and

if the criterion for validity is satisfied, at the latest after the maximum measurement time has elapsed or after the maximum number of temperature measurements, the temperature to be displayed is shown on a display device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the actuating device is a button, which is actuated by pressing.