JP6863053B2 - Measuring instrument - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a measuring instrument.

Conventionally, there is, for example, an oral moisture measuring device as a measuring device that a measurer holds by hand to measure an object (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This oral moisture measuring device has a capacitance type sensor, and the sensor is pressed against the measurement site to measure the moisture content of the object (in the oral cavity).

International Publication No. 2004/028359

By the way, in the above-mentioned measuring instrument, the measurement result (measured value) may vary depending on the measurer. Therefore, it is required to stabilize the measurement result.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a measuring instrument capable of suppressing variations in measurement results.

The measuring instrument for solving the above problems has a rod shape, has a main body having a grip portion and a sensor portion, and a guide member, and the sensor portion has a measuring unit for measuring an object on a main surface. However, the guide member has an outer dimension larger than that of the sensor portion, and has a guide surface parallel to the main surface.

According to this configuration, the measurer grips the grip portion and brings the measurement surface of the sensor portion into contact with the measurement target. The guide member has a guide surface parallel to the measurement surface of the sensor unit. Since the measurement surface abuts evenly on the surface of the measurement target by this guide surface, variation in the measurement result due to the inclination of the surface of the measurement target and the measurement surface or the like is suppressed.

In the above measuring instrument, it is preferable that the guide member is provided on the peripheral edge of the sensor portion.
According to this configuration, the guide member provided on the peripheral edge facilitates even contact of the measurement surface of the sensor unit with the surface of the measurement target.

In the above measuring instrument, the friction coefficient of the guide surface is preferably larger than the friction coefficient of the main surface of the sensor unit having the measuring unit.
According to this configuration, the relative deviation of the measurement surface of the sensor unit with respect to the surface to be measured is suppressed, and the measured value at a desired position can be obtained.

In the above measuring instrument, the guide member is preferably made of a water-repellent material.
According to this configuration, for example, in a measuring instrument for measuring the amount of water, the water does not easily leak to the outside of the guide member, and stable measurement results can be obtained.

In the above measuring instrument, the guide member is preferably a transparent member such as transparent.
According to this configuration, it becomes easy to observe the papilla of the tongue when the pressure is applied, and it is possible to improve the inspection accuracy of dysgeusia in addition to dry mouth.

In the above measuring instrument, it is preferable that the guide member is removable from the main body.
According to this configuration, the guide member can be removed from the main body.

In the above measuring instrument, it is preferable to have a cover member that covers the measuring portion.
According to this configuration, the measurement result can be obtained without the measuring unit directly touching the measurement target by the cover member.

In the above measuring instrument, it is preferable that the guide member and the cover member are integrated.
According to this configuration, by attaching the cover member to the sensor portion by the guide member, the occurrence of wrinkles on the cover member is suppressed on the measurement surface of the sensor portion.

In the above measuring instrument, it is preferable to have a protruding portion protruding from the end portion of the main body where the sensor portion is provided.
According to this configuration, the movement of the cover member is suppressed by the protruding portion, and the generation of wrinkles in the cover member is suppressed.

In the above measuring instrument, it is preferable that the surface of the protruding portion has a concave shape or a convex shape.
According to this configuration, the movement of the cover member is suppressed by the concave or convex shape.
In the above measuring instrument, the cover member has a bag shape having an opening at one end, and side portions facing each other on both sides at a predetermined distance from a tip portion on the opposite side to the opening portion toward the opening portion. It is preferable to have a welded portion extending toward.

According to this configuration, it is difficult for the sensor portion to be inserted to the tip of the cover member by the welding portion, and the occurrence of wrinkles in the cover member is suppressed.
In the above measuring instrument, it is preferable that the cover member has a bag shape having an opening at one end and has a sheet member arranged at the tip opposite to the opening.

According to this configuration, it is difficult for the sensor portion to be inserted to the tip of the cover member by the arranged seat member, and the occurrence of wrinkles in the cover member is suppressed.
In the above-mentioned measuring instrument, the cover member has a square-shaped first sheet material and a second sheet material connected to an end portion of the first sheet material, and the sheet member is said to be said. It is preferable that it is integrated with the second sheet material and is formed by bending the second sheet material.

According to this configuration, a cover member having an internally provided seat member can be easily formed.
In the above measuring instrument, the cover member has a square-shaped first sheet material and a second sheet material connected to an end portion of the first sheet material, and the sheet member is the first sheet material. It is preferable that the sheet material 1 is disposed between the sheet material 1 and the sheet material 2 above.

According to this configuration, a cover member having an internally provided seat member can be easily formed.

According to the measuring instrument of the present invention, variations in measured values can be suppressed.

(A) is a side view of the measuring instrument, (b) is an explanatory view showing the sensor part and the guide part, and (c) is a partially enlarged view showing the sensor part, the guide part and the cover member. (A) and (b) are operation explanatory views of the measuring instrument. (A) and (b) are partially enlarged views showing the attachment of the cover member and the guide member. (A) and (b) are explanatory views which show the cover member and the guide member of the modification. (A) (b) Explanatory drawing which shows the sensor part which has a protruding part and a cover member. (A) and (b) are explanatory views which show the cover member of the modification. (A) to (d) are explanatory views which show the cover member of the modification.

Hereinafter, one embodiment will be described.
In the attached drawings, the components may be enlarged for easy understanding. The dimensional ratios of the components may differ from the actual ones or those in another drawing. Further, in the cross-sectional view, hatching of some components may be omitted for easy understanding.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the measuring device 1 is an oral moisture measuring device that measures, for example, the amount of water in the oral cavity as a measurement target. The measuring instrument 1 has a main body 10, a guide member 40 attached to the main body 10, and a cover member 50.

The main body 10 has a grip portion 11 in one end region in the longitudinal direction of the main body 10 and a sensor portion 12 in the other end region in the longitudinal direction of the main body 10. In the present embodiment, the sensor unit 12 is arranged on the opposite side of the grip portion 11 and at the tip of the main body 10. The sensor unit 12 is connected to the grip portion 11 via the connecting portion 13.

The sensor unit 12 is provided with a sensor 20 and a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the sensor 20. The sensor 20 has a flat measuring surface 20a. The sensor 20 is, for example, a capacitance type sensor. The sensor 20 has a flat plate shape. As shown in FIG. 1B, a pair of electrodes 21a and 21b are provided on the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20. The pair of electrodes 21a and 21b are formed in a comb-teeth shape, for example. The pair of electrodes 21a and 21b function as electrodes of a capacitor. That is, the measurement target facing the measurement surface 20a and the liquid on the surface thereof function as a dielectric for the pair of electrodes 21a and 21b. The capacitance values of the pair of electrodes 21a and 21b are values according to the amount of water in the measurement target and its surface.

The sensor unit 12 outputs a measurement signal according to the water content of the measurement target based on the capacitance value of the sensor 20. The control circuit built in the grip portion 11 displays the amount of water to be measured on the display unit 11a based on the measurement signal output from the sensor unit 12.

The sensor unit 12 has, for example, an oscillation circuit connected to the sensor 20. The oscillation circuit outputs a signal having a period (frequency) corresponding to the capacitance value of the sensor 20. The capacitance value of the sensor 20, that is, the amount of water to be measured can be measured by the number of pulses of this output signal (the number of pulses in a predetermined time).

A guide member 40 is attached to the sensor unit 12. As shown in FIG. 1B, the guide member 40 is formed in a rectangular frame shape. That is, the guide member 40 is provided on the peripheral edge of the sensor unit 12. The guide member 40 has an external dimension larger than that of the sensor unit 12. As shown in FIG. 1A, the guide member 40 has a guide surface 40a substantially parallel to the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20. The sensor 20 is supported so that the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 protrudes from the guide surface 40a of the guide member 40. Further, the sensor 20 can move along the direction perpendicular to the measurement surface 20a (vertical direction in FIG. 1A) by pressing the sensor 20 against the measurement target.

The guide surface 40a of the guide member 40 has a predetermined coefficient of friction. As the friction coefficient of the guide surface 40a, for example, the static friction coefficient is 0.02 or more, or the dynamic friction coefficient is 0.1 or more. The guide member 40 is made of a water-repellent material. As this material, for example, a fluororesin such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or PFA (perfluoroalkoxy alkane) can be used. The guide surface 40a of such a guide member 40 is less slippery than the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the cover member 50 has a bag shape. The cover member 50 is formed in a bag shape by welding two resin sheets, for example. The sensor unit 12 is covered with a cover member 50. As shown in FIG. 1 (c), in the present embodiment, the cover member 50 is fixed to the sensor unit 12 by the guide member 40. Further, the cover member 50 is fixed to the sensor portion 12 by the guide member 40 so that the tip portion 50a thereof is separated from the sensor portion 12. As shown in FIG. 1 (c), the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 included in the sensor unit 12 is covered with the cover member 50.

As the material of the cover member 50, for example, a resin having hydrophobicity can be used. As the resin, for example, a thermoplastic resin can be used. As such a resin material, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, or polyvinyl chloride can be used.

2 (a) and 2 (b) show an example of the configuration of the sensor unit 12. The sensor 20 has a flat plate shape, and a support rod 22 is attached to a surface opposite to the measurement surface 20a. The support rod 22 is movably supported by the support portion 24 along a direction perpendicular to the main surface (measurement surface 20a) of the sensor 20. A spring 23 is arranged between the sensor 20 and the support portion 24, and the spring 23 urges the sensor 20 in a direction in which the sensor 20 protrudes from the sensor portion 12 (downward in FIG. 2A). ..

A switch 26 is attached to the support board 25. The switch 26 is turned on and off by the support rod 22 of the sensor 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 is brought into contact with the surface of the measurement target 90, and the sensor unit 12 is further pressed toward the measurement target 90. The measurement target 90 is, for example, the tongue in the oral cavity and the mucous membrane in the oral cavity. When a predetermined load is applied to the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 by pressing the sensor unit 12, the sensor 20 and the support rod 22 move against the urging force of the spring 23. The movement of the support rod 22 turns on the switch 26. When the pressing force in the sensor unit 12 is weakened, the sensor 20 and the support rod 22 move downward due to the urging force of the spring 23. The movement of the support rod 22 turns off the switch 26.

An oscillation circuit, an output circuit, and the like are formed on the support substrate 25. For example, the oscillator circuit operates based on the on of the switch 26 to generate a signal. The output circuit outputs the measurement result (measured value) by the sensor 20 based on the signal of the oscillation circuit.

Next, the operation of the above-mentioned measuring instrument 1 will be described.
In this measuring instrument 1, the measurer grips the grip portion 11 and brings the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 of the sensor portion 12 into contact with, for example, the tongue as the measurement target 90 in the oral cavity of the person to be measured.

A guide member 40 is attached to the sensor unit 12 of the measuring instrument 1. The guide member 40 has a guide surface 40a substantially parallel to the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 of the sensor unit 12. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2B, the guide surface 40a, which presses the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 against the measurement target 90, comes into contact with the surface 90a of the measurement target 90. At this time, the guide member 40 makes it difficult for the sensor unit 12 to tilt with respect to the surface of the measurement target 90, and the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 evenly contacts the surface 90a of the measurement target 90. Therefore, the variation in the measured value of the sensor 20 is suppressed, and the water content of the measurement target 90 can be stably measured. For example, when measured without using the guide member 40, the standard deviation of the measured values was 1.34. On the other hand, when measured using the guide member 40, the standard deviation was 0.67.

The guide surface 40a of the guide member 40 has a desired coefficient of friction. Due to this friction coefficient, the sensor unit 12 is difficult to move on the surface of the measurement target 90. Therefore, it is possible to measure the amount of water at the position where the sensor 20 is in contact with the sensor 20.

The guide member 40 has water repellency. Therefore, the moisture on the surface 90a of the measurement target 90 that comes into contact with the sensor unit 12 (sensor 20) is unlikely to leak from the sensor 20 to the outside of the guide member 40. Therefore, since the amount of water in the sensor unit 12 is unlikely to change, high measurement accuracy can be obtained.

The sensor unit 12 is covered with a cover member 50. Therefore, since the sensor unit 12 (sensor 20) does not come into direct contact with the measurement target 90, it is possible to reduce the time and effort required to clean the sensor unit 12. Further, the cover member 50 is fixed to the sensor unit 12 by the guide member 40. Therefore, the cover member 50 can be easily replaced.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the sensor unit 12 is inserted into the bag-shaped cover member 50. Then, the sensor unit 12 is arranged so that the tip of the cover member 50 is separated from the tip of the sensor unit 12 (the left end in FIG. 3A). Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the guide member 40 is attached to the sensor unit 12. The cover member 50 is fixed to the sensor unit 12 by the guide member 40. By arranging the sensor unit 12 so that the tip of the cover member 50 is separated from the sensor unit 12, wrinkles are less likely to occur on the cover member 50 on the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 included in the sensor unit 12.

For example, the sensor unit 12 may be inserted up to the tip of the cover member 50. The cover member 50 is formed in a bag shape by welding two resin sheets, for example. In this case, the cover member 50 may be squeezed by inserting the sensor unit 12, and wrinkles may occur on the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20. Such wrinkles prevent the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 from being evenly contacted with the surface to be measured.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the cover member 50 is fixed to the sensor unit 12 by the guide member 40. Therefore, the cover member 50 does not move, and the sensor unit 12 is not inserted to the tip of the cover member 50, so that the occurrence of wrinkles is suppressed. Therefore, the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 can be evenly brought into contact with the surface of the measurement target 90, and stable measurement can be performed.

Further, when the sensor unit 12 is inserted to the tip of the cover member 50, an unreasonable force may be applied to the sensor 20 by the cover member 50. In this case, the sensor 20 becomes difficult to move and the switch 26 shown in FIG. 2A does not turn on, or the sensor 20 is pressed by the cover member 50 and the switch 26 turns on.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the cover member 50 is fixed to the sensor unit 12 by the guide member 40. Therefore, since an unreasonable force is not applied to the sensor 20, the sensor 20 can be moved by the pressing corresponding to the measurement target 90, and the water content of the measurement target 90 can be measured.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects are obtained.
(1) The measuring instrument 1 has a rod shape, has a main body having a grip portion 11 and a sensor portion 12, and has a guide member 40, and the sensor portion 12 has an electrode 21a on the main surface for measuring an object. , 21b, and the guide member 40 has a guide surface 40a parallel to the main surface. The measurer grips the grip portion 11 and brings the measurement surface 20a of the sensor portion 12 into contact with the measurement target. The guide member 40 has a guide surface 40a parallel to the measurement surface 20a of the sensor unit 12. Since the measurement surface 20a abuts evenly on the surface of the measurement target by the guide surface 40a, it is possible to suppress variations in the measurement results due to the inclination of the surface of the measurement target and the measurement surface 20a.

(2) In the measuring instrument 1, the guide member 40 is provided on the peripheral edge of the sensor unit 12. With this guide member 40, the measurement surface 20a of the sensor unit 12 inside the guide member 40 can be easily evenly contacted with the surface to be measured.

(3) In the measuring instrument 1, the friction coefficient of the guide surface 40a is larger than the friction coefficient of the main surface of the sensor unit 12 having the electrodes 21a and 21b. Therefore, the relative deviation of the measurement surface 20a of the sensor unit 12 with respect to the surface to be measured is suppressed, and the measured value at a desired position can be obtained.

(4) In the measuring instrument 1, the guide member 40 is made of a water-repellent material. For example, in the measuring instrument 1 for measuring the amount of water, the water does not easily leak from the sensor 20 to the outside of the guide member 40, and a stable measurement result can be obtained.

(5) It is preferable that the measuring instrument 1 has a cover member 50 that covers the electrodes 21a and 21b. The cover member 50 allows the measurement results to be obtained without the electrodes 21a and 21b directly touching the measurement target. Therefore, it is excellent in hygiene. Further, it is not necessary to clean the electrodes 21a and 21b after the measurement.

(6) The cover member 50 is fixed to the sensor unit 12 by the guide member 40. Therefore, wrinkles are less likely to occur on the cover member 50 on the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20 of the sensor unit 12, and stable measurement results can be obtained. Moreover, the cover member 50 can be easily replaced.

In addition, the said embodiment may be carried out in the following aspects.
In the above embodiment, the guide member 40 is attached to the sensor unit 12, that is, the guide member 40 can be attached to and detached from the sensor unit 12, but the guide member 40 may be integrated with the sensor unit 12.

-For the above embodiment, the cover member 50 may be integrated with the guide member 40. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, the guide member 40 may be attached to the inner surface of the bag-shaped cover member 50. In a configuration that covers not only the entire sensor unit 12 but also the guide member 40, the guide member 40 can be reused, so that the increase in cost can be minimized and hygiene can be ensured. ..

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the guide member 40 may be attached to the outer surface of the bag-shaped cover member 50. In these cases, the cover member 50 and the guide member 40 can be easily attached to the sensor unit 12. Further, since the cover member 50 and the guide member 40 are integrated, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deviation and wrinkles of the cover member 50 on the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20.

-The sensor unit 12 and the cover member 50 may be appropriately changed with respect to the above embodiment.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the end portion opposite to the grip portion 11 (see FIG. 1A) (the left end in FIG. 5A), that is, the side on which the sensor portion 12 is provided. It has a protruding portion 101 protruding from the end portion. The protruding portion 101 suppresses wrinkles of the cover member 50 on the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20. For example, the cover member 50 is formed by welding two resin sheets. By making the protruding portion 101 into a flat plate shape with respect to the cover member 50, it is possible to prevent the cover member 50 from being squeezed by the sensor portion 12. As a result, the cover member 50 is prevented from moving in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the drawing in FIG. 5A) and the insertion / removal direction with respect to the oral cavity (left-right direction in FIG. 5A) on the measurement surface 20a of the sensor 20. , The occurrence of wrinkles is suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the protrusion 102 may be spherical, for example. By using the rounded protruding portion 102, it is possible to suppress the tearing of the cover member 50. The rounded shape is preferably a shape that is not sharp, such as a shape with a curved tip. Further, it is preferable that the surfaces of the protruding portion 101 shown in FIG. 5A and the protruding portion 102 shown in FIG. 5B have a concave shape or a convex shape, whereby the movement of the cover member 50 is suppressed, and the sensor 20 The occurrence of wrinkles is suppressed on the measurement surface 20a.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the cover member 110 is formed by welding two resin sheets 111a and 111b. Further, the cover member 110 has welded portions 112a and 112b extending from the tip ends 110a (upper end in the drawing) to predetermined positions from the end portions 110b and 110c toward the end portions 110c and 110b facing each other. As shown in FIG. 6B, the welding portions 112a and 112b prevent the sensor portion 12 from being inserted up to the tip 110a of the cover member 110. As a result, the tip 110a of the cover member 110 is separated from the sensor portion 12 to secure a clearance, and the occurrence of wrinkles is suppressed.

As shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b), the cover member 120 has a third resin sheet 121c arranged between the two resin sheets 121a and 121b. The third resin sheet 121c is arranged at the tip 120a (left end in the drawing) of the cover member 120. The third resin sheet 121c suppresses the insertion of the sensor unit 12 up to the tip 120a of the cover member 120. As a result, the tip 120a of the cover member 120 is separated from the sensor portion 12 to secure a clearance, and the occurrence of wrinkles is suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 7C, the third resin sheet 121c may be disposed between the resin sheets 121a and 121b separately from the two resin sheets 121a and 121b and welded. .. Further, as shown in FIG. 7D, the portion 123a in which one of the resin sheets 123 is bent may be used as the above-mentioned third resin sheet 121c. As a result, the cover member 120 can be easily obtained.

-In each of the above forms, the guide member 40 may be a transparent member such as transparent. In this case, it becomes easy to observe the papilla of the tongue when the pressure is applied, and it is possible to improve the inspection accuracy of dysgeusia in addition to dry mouth.

-In the above embodiment, the measuring device 1 for measuring the water content in the oral cavity has been described, but the water content may be measured outside the oral cavity.
-In the above embodiment, the measuring instrument for measuring the water content is used, but other measuring instruments may be used. For example, it may be a measuring device such as a pH measuring device or an oral bacteria measuring device. It may also be used as a measuring device for measuring blood flow and blood oxygen. Further, it may be a measuring instrument for measuring a plurality of types of measured values. At that time, it goes without saying that the capacitance type sensor of the above embodiment is used as the sensor corresponding to the measurement target.

1 ... Measuring instrument, 10 ... Main body, 11 ... Gripping part, 12 ... Sensor part, 20 ... Sensor, 20a ... Measuring surface (main surface), 21a, 21b ... Electrode (measuring part), 40 ... Guide member, 40a ... Guide Surface, 50 ... Cover member.

Claims (11)

A rod-shaped body having a grip and a sensor,
Guide member and
Have,
The sensor unit has a measuring unit that measures an object on the main surface.
The guide member has a larger outside dimension than the sensor unit, possess the principal surface parallel to the guide surface,
The guide member is removable from the main body.
Measuring instrument. A rod-shaped body having a grip and a sensor,
Guide member and
Have,
The sensor unit has a measuring unit that measures an object on the main surface.
The guide member has a larger outside dimension than the sensor unit, possess the principal surface parallel to the guide surface,
It has a cover member that covers the measuring part, and has a cover member.
The guide member and the cover member are integral with each other.
Measuring instrument. A rod-shaped body having a grip and a sensor,
Guide member and
Have,
The sensor unit has a measuring unit that measures an object on the main surface.
The guide member has a larger outside dimension than the sensor unit, possess the principal surface parallel to the guide surface,
It has a cover member that covers the measuring part, and has a cover member.
It has a protruding portion that protrudes from the end portion of the main body on the side where the sensor portion is provided.
Measuring instrument. A rod-shaped body having a grip and a sensor,
Guide member and
Have,
The sensor unit has a measuring unit that measures an object on the main surface.
The guide member has a larger outside dimension than the sensor unit, possess the principal surface parallel to the guide surface,
It has a cover member that covers the measuring part, and has a cover member.
The cover member has a bag shape having an opening at one end, and is welded so as to extend from the tip on the opposite side of the opening to the opening at a predetermined distance toward the sides facing each other on both sides. Have a part,
Measuring instrument. A rod-shaped body having a grip and a sensor,
Guide member and
Have,
The sensor unit has a measuring unit that measures an object on the main surface.
The guide member has a larger outside dimension than the sensor unit, possess the principal surface parallel to the guide surface,
It has a cover member that covers the measuring part, and has a cover member.
The cover member has a bag shape having an opening at one end, and has a sheet member arranged at the tip opposite to the opening.
Measuring instrument. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guide member is provided on the peripheral edge of the sensor unit. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the friction coefficient of the guide surface is larger than the friction coefficient of the main surface of the sensor unit having the measuring unit. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the guide member is made of a water-repellent material. The measuring instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the surface of the protruding portion has a concave shape or a convex shape. The cover member has a quadrangular first sheet material and a second sheet material connected to an end portion of the first sheet material, and the sheet member is the second sheet material. The measuring instrument according to claim 5 , which is integrated and is formed by bending the second sheet material. The cover member has a quadrangular first sheet material and a second sheet material connected to an end portion of the first sheet material, and the sheet member includes the first sheet material and the said. The measuring instrument according to claim 5 , which is arranged between the second sheet material and the second sheet material.

Images