JP5543728B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to a structure of a palm rest on which a palm (near a wrist) is placed.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has an operation panel provided with a plurality of input devices. The operation panel is normally movable up and down and horizontally movable with respect to the apparatus main body. In a typical ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a palm rest is provided on the front side of the operation panel as a member for placing the hand to reduce the burden on the examiner. The palm rest also functions as a handle that changes the orientation of the control panel.

  Conventionally, the palm rest is fixedly installed with respect to the operation panel, and its position and posture cannot be changed. The thickness and size of the hand, or the length of the hand and the position of the shoulder are each person, that is, the preference of the person about the position and angle of the rest surface in the palm rest varies, but in conventional ultrasonic diagnostic equipment There is a problem that such individual requests cannot be satisfied.

JP 2004-53588 A (FIG. 5b)

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a keyboard is provided on the front side with respect to a control panel (operation panel). A palm rest is provided on the front side of the keyboard. However, there is no description of a mechanism for changing the position or the like. Even if the keyboard slides, that is, the palm rest slides, the height or angle of the palm rest remains unchanged.

  An object of the present invention is to improve the usability of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Alternatively, an object of the present invention is to enable the position or posture of the palm rest to be determined in accordance with the examiner's preference in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is provided on the front side of an operation panel, and includes a palm rest body having a palm rest surface on which an inspector's hand is placed, and a mechanism for connecting the palm rest body to the operation panel. And a variable mechanism having a function of changing at least one of the height and angle of the palm rest surface with respect to the panel.

  According to the above configuration, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the palm rest is provided on the front side of the operation panel, and at least one of the height or the angle of the palm rest surface that the palm rest has can be changed. The position of the surface can be adjusted to improve usability. This leads to a reduction in operation burden. It is desirable that both the height and angle of the palm rest surface be variable. Furthermore, you may comprise so that the drawer amount of the palm rest main body from the front edge of an operation panel can be varied. The palm rest body may also be used as a handle. Further, it may also be used as a cable hanger. In any case, since it is a part to which a load is applied, it is desirable to employ a mechanism that can be locked so that the height and angle once set are not inadvertently changed.

  Preferably, the variable mechanism includes a connection member provided between the palm rest body and the operation panel so that a gap is formed between the palm rest body and the operation panel, and a rear side of the connection member. A first rotation mechanism that rotates the palm rest body about a first horizontal axis that is provided corresponding to one of the end portion and the front end portion as a rotation center axis. If there is a gap, the palm rest body can be used as a handle. The first horizontal axis is an axis for changing one of the height and angle of the palm rest body. A second horizontal axis to be described later is an axis for changing the other of the height and angle of the palm rest body. Each horizontal axis may be an axis that itself rotates, or may be an axis that supports a rotating member.

  Preferably, the connecting member includes a plurality of arms, and the first rotation mechanism has a plurality of first angle adjusters corresponding to the plurality of arms, and aligns the angles between the plurality of first angle adjusters. A first synchronization mechanism is provided. According to the synchronization mechanism, even if angle adjusters are individually provided on the right side and the left side, they can be angularly synchronized to prevent the occurrence of twisting. In addition, adjustment work by the inspector becomes easy.

  Preferably, the connection mechanism further rotates the palm rest body about a second horizontal axis provided corresponding to the other of the rear end portion and the front end portion of the connection member as a rotation center axis. Including mechanism. Preferably, the second rotation mechanism includes a plurality of second angle adjusters corresponding to the plurality of arms, and a second synchronization mechanism that aligns the angles between the plurality of second angle adjusters is provided.

  Preferably, the first horizontal axis is a fixed horizontal axis provided on the operation panel, the second horizontal axis is a movable horizontal axis provided on the palm rest body, and the rotation of the first horizontal axis causes the The palm rest body moves up and down, and the angle of the palm rest body changes due to the rotation of the second horizontal axis. Desirably, the angle and height of the palm rest body may be varied so that the palm rest surface and the operation panel surface are continuous (so as to be flush with each other). Alternatively, the angle of the palm rest body may be varied so that the palm rest surface forms a horizontal plane parallel to the floor surface.

  According to the present invention, usability of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be improved. Alternatively, the position or posture of the palm rest can be determined according to the examiner's preference. Therefore, the burden on the inspector can be reduced.

It is a perspective view of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with a palm rest mechanism in the present invention. It is a top view of a palm rest mechanism. It is a figure which shows the 1st operation state of a palm rest mechanism. It is a figure which shows the 2nd operation state of a palm rest mechanism.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10. This ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is used in the medical field, and is an apparatus that forms an ultrasonic image by ultrasonic transmission / reception with respect to a living body.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 includes a main body 12 and a movable part 14. The main body 12 includes four casters at the lower portion thereof, and a plurality of electronic circuit boards are accommodated in the main body 12. One or more probes are connected to the main body 12, but these are not shown. The main body 12 is provided with an elevating mechanism for elevating and moving the movable portion 14, but this is also not shown. The movable unit 14 includes an operation panel 16, a base 18, an arm mechanism 22, and a display 24. As described above, the movable portion 14 can be positioned in the vertical direction by the lifting mechanism of the main body 12. The operation panel 16 is provided with a plurality of switches, buttons, knobs and the like operated by an inspector (user). A base 18 is connected to the back side, and an arm mechanism 22 composed of a plurality of arms is mounted on the base 18. The arm mechanism 22 is a mechanism that supports a display 24 constituted by a flat panel display.

  The operation panel 16 is roughly composed of a front part 26 and a rear part 28, and the upper surface of the front part 26 is inclined toward the inspector, that is, the front side. The rear portion 28 is further inclined, and a sub display 30 is provided there. The sub display 30 constitutes a so-called touch screen panel.

  The front edge portion 26A of the operation panel 16 is a portion facing the user, and a palm rest mechanism 32 is provided there. The palm rest mechanism 32 includes a palm rest bar 34 and a variable mechanism 36. The palm rest bar 34 forms a palm rest body, and is configured as a member extending in the left-right direction when the user side is viewed as the front surface in the illustrated example. The palm rest bar 34 shown in FIG. 1 is configured as a bar-shaped member extending in the left-right direction, but it can also be configured by a plurality of members divided along the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the palm rest bar 34 is provided through a certain gap from the operation panel 16, and its height and angle can be arbitrarily changed by the variable mechanism 36. As is well known, the palm rest bar 34 is a member on which a palm (near the wrist) is placed, and is made of resin or metal.

  FIG. 2 shows a top view of the palm rest mechanism 32. As described above, the palm rest mechanism 32 includes the palm rest bar 34 and the variable mechanism 36. The variable mechanism 36 is roughly divided into a right side mechanism 36R and a left side mechanism 36L. The right side mechanism 36R and the left side mechanism 36L have a symmetric structure except for a knob point described later. The right side mechanism 36R has an arm 38, and the left side mechanism 36L has an arm 40. These arms 38 and 40 are members for connecting the palm rest bar 34 to the operation panel 16.

  The structure of the right side mechanism 36R will be described as a representative. A shaft 42 as a horizontal axis is fixedly connected to the back end of the arm 38, and a gear 44 is connected to the shaft 42. On the other hand, a base 41 is provided on the operation panel 16, and a screw rod 46 is rotatably provided by the base 41. The screw rod 46 forms a vertical axis, and an intermediate portion of the screw rod 46 is a gear, and that portion meshes with the gear 44 to constitute a worm gear. A pulley 48 is provided at the upper end of the screw rod 46.

  On the other hand, in the palm rest bar 34, a screw rod 56 is rotatably attached to the front end portion of the arm 38, and a gear is formed at an intermediate portion of the screw rod 56, and that portion meshes with the gear 54. A worm gear is constituted by the meshing of the gears. The gear 54 is connected to the shaft 52. The shaft 52 is a horizontal axis provided over the entire palm rest bar 34, and the shaft 52 constitutes a motion axis.

  The screw rod 46 provided on the operation panel 16 side constitutes a part of the adjustment mechanism. The rotation of the screw rod 46 causes the gear 44 to rotate, thereby changing the angle of the arm 38 attached to the shaft 42. To do. This causes a change in the vertical height of the palm rest bar 34. Each of the right side mechanism 36R and the left side mechanism 36L includes a mechanism for changing the angles of the arms 38 and 40, and a belt 50 is provided to synchronize the set angle between the two adjusting mechanisms. That is, the belt 50 forms a part of the synchronization mechanism, and is wound around a pulley 48 attached to the screw rod 46 on one side and similarly wound on the other side. Therefore, when the screw rod 46 is rotated, the screw rod is similarly rotated in the adjustment mechanism provided on the other side by the transmission action of the pulley 48 and the belt 50, and as a result, the angle of the arm 40 changes. The rotation angle of the arm 38 and the rotation angle of the arm 40 are always the same. This prevents torsion.

   In the palm rest bar 34 as well, the angle synchronization of the adjustment mechanisms provided on the left and right sides by the belt 60 is achieved. That is, the screw rod 56 is provided with a pulley 58, and the pulley 58 is wound around one side of the belt 60. The other side of the belt 60 is also wound around a pulley 58 provided on the screw rod. Therefore, if the screw rod 56 is rotated, the rotational movement of the screw rod 56 rotates the screw rod in the other side adjuster via the pulley 58 and the belt 60. As a result, the shaft 52 rotates in both the right and left sides of the palm rest bar 34, and as a result, the angle of the palm rest bar 34, that is, the angle of the palm rest surface can be changed. These are described in detail below.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows a side view of the palm rest mechanism. In FIG. 3, the panel upper surface 16A of the operation panel 16 and the bar upper surface 34A of the palm rest bar 34 have the same angle θ1, that is, the respective surfaces are connected to form a flush state. On the back side of the arm 38, the screw rod 46 is provided vertically, and if the knob 62 is turned, the screw rod 46 can be rotated in the positive direction or the negative direction. The gear portion formed at the intermediate portion of the screw rod 46 meshes with the gear 44, and the rotary motion of the knob 62 is converted into the rotary motion of the gear 44, that is, the rotary motion of the shaft 42. The rotational movement of the knob 62 becomes the rotational movement of the pulley 48 on one side, and the rotational movement is transmitted to the other side adjuster via the belt 50.

  In the palm rest bar 34, a screw rod 58 is attached to the arm 38, and a knob 64 is provided at the lower end thereof. When the knob 64 is rotated, the gear portion provided at the intermediate portion of the screw rod 58 and the gear 54 are engaged with each other. As a result, the shaft 52 rotates, and as a result, the angle of the bar upper surface 34A is changed. On the other hand, the rotational movement of the knob 64 is also transmitted to the adjuster provided on the other side via the pulley 56 and the belt 60.

  Thus, the height and angle of the palm rest bar 34 can be arbitrarily adjusted using the pair of adjusters provided on the operation panel 16 side and the pair of adjusters provided on the palm rest bar 34 side. is there. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the angle of the bar upper surface 34 </ b> A can be easily leveled after the height of the palm rest bar 34 is lowered. Incidentally, in the state shown in FIG. 4, the angle of the arm upper surface 16A and the angle of the bar upper surface 34A differ by θ2, and the bar upper surface 34A forms a horizontal plane parallel to the floor surface. The height of the bar upper surface 34A is set to be lower by h1 than the height of the front edge of the panel upper surface 16A.

  In any case, if the position and height of the palm rest bar are changed using the variable mechanism as described above, a palm rest posture suitable for the examiner's preference is realized, thereby improving the operability of the operation panel. However, it is possible to obtain an advantage that the burden caused during the operation can be reduced. You may enable it to change arbitrarily the drawer amount of a palm rest bar with respect to the operation panel main body. Incidentally, since the worm gear is employed in the above-described embodiment, the angle set in the adjuster is locked by its own action. Therefore, the problem that the position and angle change carelessly is prevented. Of course, a lock mechanism may be provided separately. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the knobs 62 and 64 are provided only on the right side, but such a knob may be further provided on the left side.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, 12 main body, 14 movable part, 16 operation panel, 32 palm rest mechanism, 34 palm rest bar, 36 variable mechanism.

Claims (2)

An operation panel provided to be movable up and down with respect to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body;
A palm rest body having a palm rest surface as an upper surface on which an inspector's hand is placed, provided so that a gap is formed between the operation panel and the front side of the operation panel;
A mechanism for connecting the palm rest body to the operation panel, a variable mechanism having a function of changing the height of the palm rest surface and the angle of the palm rest surface with respect to the operation panel;
Only including,
The variable mechanism is
A plurality of arms provided between the palm rest body and the operation panel;
A mechanism for changing the height of the palm rest body by rotating the plurality of arms around a first horizontal axis provided on the operation panel as a rotation center axis, and at the operation panel side end of the plurality of arms. A plurality of first angle adjusters provided;
A first synchronization mechanism that is provided between the plurality of first angle adjusters and aligns the angles between the plurality of first angle adjusters;
A mechanism for changing the angle of the palm rest surface by rotating the palm rest body about a second horizontal axis provided on the palm rest body as a rotation center axis, provided at the palm rest body side end of the plurality of arms. A plurality of second angle adjusters,
A second synchronization mechanism that is provided between the plurality of second angle adjusters and aligns the angles between the plurality of second angle adjusters;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The apparatus of claim 1.
The palm rest surface and the upper surface of the operation panel are flush with each other by varying the height of the palm rest surface and the angle of the palm rest surface by the variable mechanism.
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

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