Sensor housing container and sensor attachment method using same

• US 9,297,674 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JAMEL E
• Application Number:
  US14/388,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20150047431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 734/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0817 the articles being automatically urged towards the dispensing aperture, e.g. spring-loaded B65D83/0823 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48757 Test elements dispensed from a stack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A sensor housing container comprises a container having an opening, a lid that covers the opening, and a sensor housing body that can be pulled out of the opening of the container. The sensor housing body includes a sensor case, a plurality of sensors, and a spring that biases these sensors. The sensor case is provided with a sensor discharge port at the portion where the sensors are biased by the spring. Also, this sensor discharge port is provided with a guide protrusion for aligning the sensor discharge port with a sensor insertion port of a measurement device. Furthermore, the inner face of the container is provided with a push-out protrusion that contacts with the end of the sensors on the opposite side from electrodes, at the portion corresponding to the end of the sensors on the opposite side from the electrodes inside the sensor case.

Claims

1. A sensor housing container, comprising:

a container including an opening, a first push-out protrusion, and an inner face;

a lid covering the container, the lid configured to open and close; and

a sensor housing body configured to be pulled out of the opening when the lid is open;

the sensor housing body including a sensor case, a plurality of flat sensors, a biasing body, and a sensor discharge port;

the sensor case configured to be pulled out of the opening;

the flat sensors disposed stacked inside of the sensor case, each flat sensor including an electrode side and a second side opposite to the electrode side, the flat sensors stacked such that the electrode side is nearest to the opening of the container when the sensor housing body is disposed inside of the container;

the biasing body biasing the sensors towards a first side of the sensor case;

the sensor discharge port including a guide protrusion, the sensor discharge port disposed through a face of the sensor case facing the opening when the sensor housing body is disposed inside of the container;

the guide protrusion disposed on an outer surface of the sensor discharge port, and configured to align the sensor discharge port; and

the first push-out protrusion disposed on the inner face of the container adjacent to the opening and configured to come into contact with the second side of the flat sensors when the sensor case is pulled out of the opening.

2. The sensor housing container according to claim 1, wherein:

the sensor case further includes a groove-shaped guide opening;

the groove-shaped guide opening is disposed corresponding to the first push-out protrusion; and

the first push-out protrusion is configured to slide through the guide opening.

3. The sensor housing container according to claim 2, wherein:

the guide protrusion is disposed adjacent to the first push-out protrusion when the sensor case is disposed inside of the container.

4. The sensor housing container according to claim 1, wherein:

the container further includes a second push-out protrusion;

each of the flat sensors further includes a specimen deposit component disposed on the second side of the sensors, the specimen deposit component including two sides; and

the first push-out protrusion and the second push-out protrusion are configured to come into contact with both sides of the specimen deposit component.

5. The sensor housing container according to claim 1, wherein:

the lid is linked to a portion of the opening opposite from the first push-out protrusion.

6. The sensor housing container according to claim 1, wherein:

the sensor case further includes a sensor housing opening, a second side, and a housing lid;

the second side opposite the first side of the sensor housing;

the sensor housing opening disposed on the second side of the sensor housing; and

the housing lid openably and closeably covers the sensor housing opening, and is configured so that the housing lid is biased by the biasing body toward the outside of the sensor case.

7. The sensor housing container according to claim 6, wherein:

the housing lid includes a connector, a first end, and a second end;

the connector connecting the first end of the housing lid to the housing opening, the first end of the housing lid being an end of the housing lid nearest to the opening of the container when the sensor housing body is housed in the container; and

the second end of the housing lid disposed opposite to the first end of the housing lid and being a free end.

8. The sensor housing container according to claim 6, wherein:

the housing lid further includes a pressing protrusion disposed extending from the second end of the housing lid towards the connector on an outer surface of the housing lid.

9. The sensor housing container according to claim 7, wherein:

the housing lid and the sensor case are connected by a flexible connector, and

the housing lid, the sensor case, and the flexible connector are molded integrally together.

10. The sensor housing container according to claim 9, wherein:

the container further includes a stopper disposed adjacent to the opening;

the housing lid further includes a pull-out stopper disposed on the second end of the housing lid; and

the pull-out stopper engages the stopper when the sensor case is pulled out of the container.

11. The sensor housing container according to claim 10, wherein:

the sensor discharge port further includes a sensor receiving protrusion disposed facing the guide protrusion from an opposite side of the sensor discharge port.

12. The sensor housing container according to claim 1, wherein:

the sensor case further includes a remaining sensor confirmation window disposed on a face of the sensor case visible through the opening of the container when the container is open and the sensor case is disposed inside of the container.

13. The sensor housing container according to claim 12, wherein:

the sensor case further includes a sensor platform disposed between the biasing body and the stacked sensors, perpendicular to the sensor confirmation window, and the sensor platform configured to slide in the interior of the sensor case; and

the sensor platform includes a first end that is viewable through the remaining sensor confirmation window.

14. The sensor housing container according to claim 13, wherein:

the sensor platform is a different color from the sensor case.

15. The sensor housing container according to claim 13, wherein:

the sensor case further includes a desiccant housing chamber disposed inside of the sensor case, and the desiccant housing chamber houses a desiccant.

16. The sensor housing container according to claim 15, wherein:

the desiccant housing chamber includes an opening adjacent to the second side of the sensor case.

17. The sensor housing container according to claim 13, wherein:

the container further includes a cylindrical housing that houses one end of the biasing body, the cylindrical housing disposed on an opposite side of the sensor platform from the flat sensors.

18. A sensor attachment method using the sensor housing container according to claim 1, comprising:

opening the lid of a container;

pulling part of a sensor case out of the container through an opening in the container;

aligning a guide protrusion of the sensor case with a sensor insertion port of a measurement device; and

pressing the measurement device and the container together to push a sensor housed in the sensor case into the sensor insertion port of the measurement device.