Electronic clinical thermometer and method of producing the same

• US 7,806,587 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited), A Stucki Company (Stone Canyon Industries LLC)
• Original Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Isamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo; Lisa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jagan; Mirellys
• Application Number:
  US11/663,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20080031305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 374/185, 374/208, 374/163
• US Class Current: 374/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/25 Protective devices therefor, e.g. sleeves preventing contamination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49085 Thermally variable

Abstract

A method of producing an electronic clinical thermometer is disclosed, the electronic clinical thermometer including a temperature-sensitive element, lead wire that is connected to the temperature-sensitive element, a body case having a probe part in which an insertion path for the lead wire to be inserted is formed, and a sensor cap having a cavity one end of which is opened and the other end is closed, both the lead wire projecting from the insertion path and the temperature-sensitive element being stored within the sensor cap, and the method includes a step for mounting the sensor cap on the probe part, in a state where the lead wire having the temperature-sensitive element mounted on the tip thereof projects from the insertion path of the probe part.

Claims

1. A method of producing an electronic clinical thermometer that comprises a temperature-sensitive element, lead wire that is connected to the temperature-sensitive element, a body case having a probe part in which an insertion path for the lead wire to be inserted is formed, and a sensor cap having a cavity one end of which is opened to the body and the other end is closed, both the lead wire projecting from the insertion path and the temperature-sensitive element being stored within the sensor cap, the method comprising:

mounting the sensor cap on the probe part, in a state where the lead wire having the temperature-sensitive element mounted on the tip thereof projects from the insertion path of the probe part, said mounting the sensor cap on the probe part comprises the steps of;

setting a projecting length of the lead wire so that the projecting length is longer than a distance between a tip of the probe part and a tip of an inner wall of the cavity, when the sensor cap is mounted on the probe part and

applying a pressing force to the sensor cap to cause the temperature-sensitive element to rotate which causes the lead wire, which is straight, to deform in proximity to the temperature-sensitive element by buckling so that the lead wire in deformed state comes into contact with an inner wall of the cavity near the temperature-sensitive element.

2. The method of producing the electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1, wherein,

the projecting length of the lead wire has a length to a degree that allows the lead wire near the temperature-sensitive element to come into contact with the inner wall of the cavity.

3. The method of producing the electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1 or claim 2, the electronic clinical thermometer further comprising a circuit board, the method comprising,

a temperature-sensitive element mounting step that mounts the temperature-sensitive element on the lead wire,

a connecting step that connects the lead wire with the circuit board, and

an incorporating step that incorporates the circuit board into the body case, wherein,

the temperature-sensitive element mounting step, the connecting step, and the incorporating step are carried out in order, alternatively in reverse order.

4. The method of producing the electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein,

in the sensor cap mounting step that mounts the sensor cap on the probe part, the temperature-sensitive element is moved rotationally, when the inner wall of the end being closed of the cavity is pressed against the temperature-sensitive element.

5. The method of producing the electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein,

the sensor cap mounting step that mounts the sensor cap on the probe part is carried out in a state where at least a part of the lead wire other than the projecting part thereof is fixed.

6. The method of producing the electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein,

the tip of the cavity is formed in an almost hemispherical shape or in an almost half-oval-spherical shape, against which the temperature-sensitive element abuts.

7. The method of producing the electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1, further comprising,

an adhesive filling step that fills an area near the end, which is closed, in the sensor cap with an adhesive.

8. The method of producing the electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 7, wherein,

the adhesive filling step is carried out before the sensor cap is mounted on the probe part.

9. The method of producing the electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein,

in the adhesive filling step, an amount of the adhesive used for the filling corresponds to the amount being required for fastening only the temperature-sensitive element and the lead wire near the temperature-sensitive element.