JP6941359B2 - Examination table - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an examination table, and more particularly to an examination table used for examination and surgery of pet animals such as dogs and cats.

The examination table has a table on which pet animals such as dogs and cats (hereinafter referred to as "animals") are placed, in order to facilitate the getting on and off of animals and for veterinarians to examine in a comfortable posture. , A structure that can adjust the height of the table is desired. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a table (examination table main body) is supported by a pair of stretchable legs.
On the other hand, when the legs are installed under the table as in Patent Document 1, the legs interfere with the table and the table cannot be lowered. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a structure in which a table (pet stand) is supported by a pair of foldable X-legs.

JP-A-2007-117515 JP-A-2010-184003

In general, animal examination tables are often turned off after cleaning each examination table after the afternoon holidays and the end of consultation hours. In addition, multiple animal examination tables are often installed and used in the hospital, and if there are a large number of examination tables or if multiple animal nurses clean, cleaning of each examination table is completed. In order to determine whether or not the power is turned off, it is necessary to go close and check.

Also, after the animal is taken off the examination table after the examination, when the veterinarian is explaining the examination result to the owner near the examination table, the animal walks around the examination table even if the lead is attached. There is. At that time, when the animal nurse lowers the table for cleaning or preparing for the next medical examination, there is a risk that the animal and the table come into contact with each other.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and has a function capable of determining whether or not the power is turned on even from a distance and determining that the animal is near the lower part of the examination table. The purpose is to provide an examination table with a low risk of failure for realizing this function.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is an examination table provided with a table on which animals can be placed and can move up and down, and a display provided under the table and lit when the power is turned on. It is characterized by including a light, an intrusion detection sensor provided around the lower surface of the table, and a processing unit that changes the emission color of the indicator light when the intrusion detection sensor detects an intruder. It is something to do.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, one end of the table is supported by a cantilever support mechanism which is installed on a base and moves up and down by an elevating mechanism.

The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the intrusion detection sensor is composed of an ultrasonic sensor.

The invention of claim 4 is the invention of any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the indicator lamp is composed of a multicolor light emitting diode.

According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the power is turned on even from a distance, and it is possible to determine that the animal is near the vicinity of the examination table, and the risk of failure for realizing these functions is low. An examination table can be provided.

It is a perspective view seen from the upper part of the examination table which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view seen from the lower part of the examination table which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the examination table which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the method of detecting the invasion of an animal using an ultrasonic sensor.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment according to the examination table of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, it may be assumed that the configurations with the same reference numerals are the same in different drawings, and the description thereof may be omitted. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the examples in these embodiments, and includes all modifications within the scope of the matters described in the claims and within the scope of equality.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view seen from the upper part of the examination table according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from the lower part of the examination table. Further, FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the examination table.
The examination table 1 includes a base 2, a support column cover 5, and a table 10. The base 2 is a main body base 3 placed on the floor of the examination room and a resin base covering the upper part of the main body base 3. It is composed of a cover 4.

Above the base 2, a table 10 having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, which is larger than the base 2, is arranged, and the table 10 can be raised and lowered with respect to the base 2. An elevating mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering the table 10 up and down with respect to the base 2 is provided in the support column cover 5 provided on one end side of the base 2. The table 10 is cantilevered by an arm 6 with respect to the elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism provides, for example, a strut guide that surrounds the strut planted in the base 2 and is slidable in the vertical direction, and elevates and lowers the strut guide by a lifting motor 31 and a clutch 32. ..

As an example of its function, the examination table 1 has an operation unit 20, an elevating processing unit 30, an elevating / stopping unit 40, a weighing processing unit 50, a height detection unit 60, an indicator light processing unit 70, and a power supply unit. It includes 80 and an overall control unit 90. The overall control unit 90 is composed of a CPU 91, a memory 92, and the like, and controls the operation of the examination table 1 by loading various programs and data stored in the memory 92, for example, the ROM into the RAM and executing the various programs. be able to. The memory 92 also stores the introduction / exit position (the lowest position of the table 10) and the memory position described later.

The table 10 can be raised and lowered by operating the operation unit 20 shown in FIG. Further, the table 10 is provided with a top plate 11 that also functions as a weighing table, and a load cell (not shown) of the weighing processing unit 50 shown in FIG. 3 is installed in the table lower cover 12 to provide a ceiling. The load generated on the arm 6 via the plate 11, for example, the weight of the animal can be detected.

The operation unit 20 includes a power switch 21 provided on the side surface of the support column cover 5, a weight scale operation switch 22 provided on the support upper plate 7 covering the upper portion of the support column cover 5, and a foot switch 23. It is provided with a display unit 24 for displaying the weight of an animal and the like and displaying various states of the examination table. The foot switch 23 may be installed on the side surface of the base 2, or may be provided near the base 2 via a cord. The foot switch 23 may be provided with, for example, a button for raising and lowering the table 10 and a memory operation button that operates up to a predetermined height in which the table 10 is stored as a memory position. Therefore, the examination table 1 has a height detection unit 60 that detects the height of the table 10. The ascending / descending button may be configured so that the table 10 can be raised / lowered by continuously pressing the button, or may be automatically raised / lowered by pressing once. The button for raising and lowering can be provided not only on the foot switch 23 but also on the support upper plate 7.

The elevating processing unit 30 receives an operation signal from the operating unit 20 and drives the motor 31 to elevate the table 10. When the table 10 is lowered to the introduction / retracting position, which is the lowest position, the driving of the motor 31 is stopped regardless of the operation signal from the operation unit 20. Further, even when the table 10 is raised to the uppermost position, the driving of the motor 31 is stopped regardless of the operation signal from the operation unit 20. The bottom position and the top position of the table 10 may be detected by the height detection unit 60 or by providing a separate micro switch.

The elevating stop unit 40 stops the elevating operation of the table 10 when an external force acts on the base 2 such as when an animal or an operator steps on the base cover 4 while the table 10 is being elevated by the elevating processing unit 30. An emergency stop signal is sent to the elevating processing unit 30 as described above. The detection of the external force on the base 2 is performed by the safety switch 41.

As the safety switch 41, if a micro switch is provided under the base cover 4 and a spring (not shown) that supports the weight of the base cover 4 is installed, a load exceeding the weight of the base cover 4 is generated. When the base cover 4 moves downward against the urging force of the spring, the presence or absence of an external force can be detected by switching the microswitch. As a result, it is possible to detect that a small animal is placed on the base cover 4, and further, the operator can step on the base cover 4 to make an emergency stop of the movement of the table 10.

An object of the present invention is to provide an examination table in which it can be determined whether or not the power is turned on even from a distance, and it can be determined that an animal is near the examination table. As a configuration for realizing this, the examination table 1 is provided with an indicator light processing unit 70. In the present embodiment, the indicator light processing unit 70 has an LED (light emitting diode) 71 as an indicator light and an ultrasonic sensor 72 as an example of an intrusion detection sensor.

The LED 71 is provided in a plurality of lines on the table under cover 12 provided on the lower side of the table 10 so as to illuminate the base 2. The LED 71 is composed of, for example, a multicolor LED having white and red emission colors. Then, when the power switch 21 of the operation unit 20 is turned on, power is supplied from the power supply unit 80 to each part of the examination table 1, and the LED 71 lights up in white, for example. As a result, the operator's feet are brightly illuminated, and it is possible to determine that the examination table 1 is turned on even from a distance.

In order to know when the power of the examination table 1 is turned on, it is conceivable to provide a high-brightness indicator light at a conspicuous place such as the support upper plate 7 and turn on / off the indicator light by turning the power on / off. When the animal is being treated, if the indicator light is directly in the eyes of the surgeon or veterinary nurse, it may interfere with the treatment. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the LED 71 is provided under the table 10 so that it can be used as indirect lighting to illuminate the base 2 without directly entering the eyes of the operator or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, ultrasonic sensors 72 are provided at four locations around the lower surface of the table 10. An ultrasonic sensor 72 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object and the distance to the object by transmitting ultrasonic waves toward the object by a transmitter and receiving the reflected wave from the object by a receiver. Yes, the distance from a sensor to an object can be calculated by calculating the relationship between the time required from the transmission to reception of ultrasonic waves and the speed of sound.

The detection area in which the ultrasonic sensor 72 can detect an object is in the range of about 30 degrees at a half-value angle, although it is related to the directivity of the ultrasonic sensor 72. Therefore, by using a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 72 so that the entire detection area is larger than the area projected on the mounting surface of the table 10, the lower part of the table 10 and its surroundings are approached. It is possible to detect animals.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting an animal invasion using an ultrasonic sensor. FIG. 4A shows a case where the table 10 is at the uppermost position with respect to the mounting surface G of the examination table 1, and the height from the ultrasonic sensor 72 to the mounting surface G is the height H1. ing. The height H1 itself from the ultrasonic sensor 72 to the mounting surface is known by the height detecting unit 60. When an ultrasonic oscillating wave is transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor 72 in this state, the reflected wave from the mounting surface G directly below the ultrasonic sensor 72 reaches the ultrasonic sensor 72 as a received wave at the earliest. The relationship between the oscillating wave and the received wave is shown in the waveform diagram on the right side of FIG. 4 (A). Assuming that the time required from transmission to reception from the ultrasonic sensor 72 is T1, the detection distance L between the ultrasonic sensor 72 and the mounting surface G is L = C × (T1) / 2 (however, C is (Sound velocity at the time of detection). Here, in consideration of the detection error of the ultrasonic sensor 72 and the height detection unit 60, when the detection distance L ≧ height H1, it is determined that no animal has invaded the lower part of the table 10. In this case, the indicator light processing unit 70 maintains the display color of the LED 71 as white.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (B), when the table 10 is at the uppermost position with respect to the mounting surface G of the examination table 1, when an animal invades the lower part of the table 10, ultrasonic waves are generated. The ultrasonic waves transmitted from the sensor 72 are reflected by the animal A, and the reflected waves reach the ultrasonic sensor 72 earliest. Assuming that the time required from transmission to reception from the ultrasonic sensor 72 is T, the detection distance L between the ultrasonic sensor 72 and the target animal A is L = C × T / 2. Since T <T1, the detection distance L from the ultrasonic sensor 72 to the target animal A is L <L1. Since the height H1 itself from the ultrasonic sensor 72 to the mounting surface is known by the height detection unit 60, when the detection distance L <height H1, an animal invades the lower part of the table 10. Determine if there is. In this case, the indicator light processing unit 70 changes the lighting color of the LED 71 to red. The LED 71 may be blinked in order to call attention.

FIG. 4C shows a case where the table 10 is lower than the state shown in FIG. 4A. In this case, the height from the ultrasonic sensor 72 to the mounting surface G is the height H2. The height H2 itself from the ultrasonic sensor 72 to the mounting surface is known by the height detecting unit 60. Therefore, when the detection distance L ≧ height H2, it is determined that no animal has invaded the lower part of the table 10, and when the detection distance L <height H2, the animal has invaded the lower part of the table 10. Determine that it is. That is, when the detection distance L by the ultrasonic sensor 72 is shorter than the height of the table 10 at that time, it is determined that an animal has invaded the lower part of the table 10.

If it can be assumed that the sound velocity at the time of detection is substantially constant, the invasion of an animal may be determined based on the time T required from transmission to reception from the ultrasonic sensor 72. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 4 (A), when the detection time T <T1, it is determined that an animal has invaded the lower part of the table 10, and in the case of FIG. 4 (C), the detection time T. <In the case of T2, it is determined that an animal has invaded the lower part of the table 10. When discriminating by time, it is preferable to record in the memory 92 a reference table in which the time required from transmission to reception from the ultrasonic sensor 72 is measured in advance for each height of the table 10.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 72 as an intrusion detection sensor is installed under the table 10, and the LED 71 as an indicator light is also arranged under the table 10. By installing the indicator light processing unit 70 under the table 10, the wiring of the LED 71 and the ultrasonic sensor 72 can be shortened. Therefore, there is no need to route the wiring, the risk of failure such as disconnection is reduced, and there is an advantage that it can be manufactured robustly and inexpensively as a whole. Further, in the case of an examination table in which the table 10 is cantilevered and can be raised and lowered, the stroke of raising and lowering the table 10 can be increased. Therefore, in order to avoid the risk of pinching small animals, the configuration of the present embodiment is configured. Especially effective.

When the surgeon or the animal nurse raises or lowers the table 10 by operating the foot switch 23, the emission color of the LED 71 is changed by detecting the feet of the surgeon or the animal nurse by the ultrasonic sensor 72. However, since the surgeon or the animal nurse can determine that the emission color of the LED 71 has been changed by his / her own operation, there is no possibility of misidentifying that the animal has invaded.

Further, when the ultrasonic sensor 72 detects an intruder in the vicinity of the lower part of the table 10, the operation of automatically lowering the table 10 is invalidated, or the operation is stopped when the table 10 is automatically lowered. You may do so. As a result, when an animal invades the lower part of the table 10 and steps on the lowering button of the foot switch 23, it is possible to prevent an accident in which the animal is caught between the mounting surface G and the table 10. Further, it is possible to prevent a pinch accident when an animal invades the lower part of the table 10 without stepping on the base cover 4 while the table 10 is automatically lowered. In this case, since the operator cannot operate the automatic descent by the foot switch 23, it is preferable to separately provide a button for disabling or canceling the automatic descent operation.

In this embodiment, an example using four ultrasonic sensors has been described, but by changing the number of ultrasonic sensors and the range of directivity, the invasion of animals in a more limited area can be detected. May be good. Further, the intrusion detection sensor is not limited to an ultrasonic sensor, and a non-contact type sensor such as an optical sensor or a pyroelectric sensor can be used. Further, a light source other than the LED may be used for the indicator lamp, and the emission color thereof may be any color other than white and red.

1 ... Examination table, 2 ... Base, 3 ... Main body base, 4 ... Base cover, 5 ... Strut cover, 6 ... Arm, 7 ... Support top plate, 10 ... Table, 11 ... Top plate, 12 ... Table bottom cover, 20 ... Operation unit, 21 ... Power switch, 22 ... Weight scale operation switch, 23 ... Foot switch, 24 ... Display unit, 30 ... Elevating processing unit, 31 ... Motor, 32 ... Clutch, 40 ... Elevating stop unit, 41 ... Load Sensor, 50 ... Weighing processing unit, 60 ... Height detection unit, 70 ... Indicator light processing unit, 71 ... LED, 72 ... Ultrasonic sensor, 80 ... Power supply unit, 90 ... Overall control unit, 91 ... CPU, 92 ... Memory ..

Claims (4)

An examination table equipped with a table on which animals can be placed and moved up and down.
An indicator light provided under the table that lights up when the power is turned on,
An intrusion detection sensor provided around the lower surface of the table and
An examination table including a processing unit that changes the emission color of the indicator lamp when the intrusion detection sensor detects an intruder. The examination table according to claim 1, wherein the table is supported at one end by a cantilever support mechanism that is installed on a base and moves up and down by an elevating mechanism. The examination table according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the intrusion detection sensor is composed of an ultrasonic sensor. The examination table according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indicator lamp is composed of a multicolor light emitting diode.

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