Patent Application
20060153278
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ear thermometer, and particularly relates to an ear thermometer having a sensor module for measuring infrared temperature and true radiation heat from a subject, and preventing the sensor module from measuring objects other than the subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
A contact thermometer of the prior art such as a mercury-in-glass thermometer or an electronic thermometer cannot satisfy requirements of users. Hence a new thermometer and a measuring method thereof need to be developed to allow a user to measure and read temperatures easily and accurately, that cannot easily harm the user and is ergonomic. Presently, an infrared non-contact thermometer with the above-mentioned advantage was developed.
Referring to
However, an inner wall of the wave guiding tube 13 needs a reflection rate that approximates 100% and an absorption rate that approximates 0% for infrared, or else the infrared ear thermometer has an accumulated temperature phenomenon. The accumulates temperature phenomenon means that, because of the wave guiding tube 13 absorbs the infrared to increase temperature of a main body of the infrared ear thermometer, the sensor module 12 detects two radiation powers. Hence, the infrared ear thermometer measures a higher temperature than the true temperature.
Referring to the
However, the heat insulation portion 23 is made of metal material and projected from a front of the sensor module 22. Hence, the sensor module 22 detects heat from a front side of the heat insulation portion 23. Moreover, the sensor module 22 detects two radiation powers and measures a higher temperature than the true temperature.
Obviously, two sensor modules of the two infrared ear thermometers of the prior art detect the temperature from both of the subject and other objects (such as wave guiding tube 13 and heat insulation portion 23) of the infrared ear thermometers. Hence the infrared ear thermometer will measure a higher temperature than the true temperature.
The present invention provides an ear thermometer. The ear thermometer has a sensor module for measuring true radiation heat from a subject, and prevents the sensor module from measuring objects other than the subject.
One aspect of the invention is an ear thermometer. The ear thermometer has a main body, and a probe projected from the main body. The ear thermometer includes a casing, a sensor module and a plastic tube. The casing is open in a front side thereof. The sensor module is installed inside the casing. The plastic tube is installed between the casing and the sensor module for positioning the sensor module inside the casing. The probe has an opening formed in a front side thereof for receiving the infrared radiation in a predetermined range.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.
The various objectives and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:
Referring to
The sensor module 32 is, installed in the casing 31. The sensor module 32 has a base plate 321, and a thermistor 322 and a thermopile 323 are installed on the base plate 321. The thermopile 323 is composed of a plurality of thermocouples connected, together. The thermistor 322 and the thermopile 323 are assembled to form a dual-sensor. The sensor module 32 has an infrared filter lens 324 installed on a front side thereof. The thermistor 322 is used to measure the temperature of a main body of the sensor module 32. The thermopile 323 is used to measure the temperature difference between the subject and the sensor module 32. Hence, the true temperature of the subject is measured. The sensor module 32 is installed on a place that can directly sense heat radiation of the subject and omit the wave guiding tube between the subject and the sensor module 32.
The plastic tube 33 is made of plastic material such as rubber or silica gel. The plastic tube 33 covers an external portion of the sensor module 32, and is installed between the sensor module 32 and the casing 31. The plastic tube 33 with an elastic function is used to position the sensor module 32 in the casing 31. Moreover the plastic tube 33 is waterproof Furthermore, the probe 3 has a first support 34 and a second support 35 installed in the casing 31. The first support 34 and the second support 35 are fixed in the casing 31. The first support 34 has a front side that abuts against and presses upon a rear side of the plastic tube 33 for positioning the waterproof plastic tube 33. The probe 3 has an opening 36 formed in a front side thereof for receiving the infrared radiation in a predetermined range that does not include any non-subject.
Referring to
The present invention provides an ear thermometer without heat insulation portion, and only needs a waterproof plastic tube 33 with a positioning function. Moreover, the probe 3 has an opening 36 formed in a front side thereof for receiving the infrared radiation in a predetermined range that does not include any non-subject. Hence the sensor module is used to measure true radiation heat from a subject, and prevents the sensor module from measuring an object other than the subject.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
