JP7731266B2 - charging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a charging device for charging a storage battery provided in an object to be charged.

Conventionally, a storage battery of an object to be charged has been charged by placing the object on a charging device. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for wirelessly charging an electronic device by placing the electronic device on a mounting surface.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-178837

However, when charging a storage battery, the object being charged may become hot, which can reduce charging efficiency or even make charging impossible. This situation can be prevented if sufficient heat is released from the storage battery, etc., but when the object being charged is placed on the charging device, the heat from the object being charged may not be able to be sufficiently released to the outside.

The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a charging device that can prevent a decrease in charging efficiency due to heat generation from the object to be charged.

The charging device of the present invention is a charging device for charging a storage battery provided in an object to be charged that is in contact with a housing, and is characterized in that it has a power transmission unit inside the housing that transmits power to the object to be charged, and a groove is formed on the contact surface of the outer surface of the housing that comes into contact with the object to be charged, and when the object to be charged is in contact with the housing, the object to be charged and the groove form a cooling flow path through which air can pass.

The charging device according to the present invention is also characterized in that it includes a fan that draws in air through an air intake port formed in one part of the housing and exhausts the air through an exhaust port formed in another part of the housing, and one of the air intake port or the exhaust port is formed in the groove portion.

Furthermore, the charging device according to the present invention is characterized in that the object to be charged is placed on the top surface of the housing, the groove portion is cut out continuously from the top surface of the housing to the side surface, and the cooling flow path is formed by the bottom surface of the object to be charged and the groove portion when the object to be charged is placed on the housing.

The charging device according to the present invention is also characterized in that the air intake is formed in the groove, the air exhaust is formed on the side of the housing, and the fan is a centrifugal fan.

The charging device according to the present invention is also characterized in that the air intake is formed on the side or bottom surface of the housing, the exhaust port is formed on the bottom surface of the groove, and the fan is an axial flow fan that is positioned so that the axis of the air blown from the fan overlaps with at least a portion of the exhaust port.

The charging device according to the present invention also includes a control unit that controls the operation of the fan based on the charging state, and the control unit operates the fan from when charging of the storage battery is complete until a predetermined condition is met.

Furthermore, the charging device according to the present invention is characterized in that the storage battery is provided on the surface side where the object to be charged contacts the housing, and a contact position identification unit is provided that identifies the contact position of the object to be charged so that the groove portion is positioned in the direction from the storage battery toward the contact surface.

Furthermore, the charging device according to the present invention is characterized in that the object to be charged includes a receiving coil, and the power transmission unit includes a transmitting coil capable of transmitting power to the receiving coil without contact.

Furthermore, the charging device according to the present invention is characterized in that the object to be charged is a slit lamp as a medical device.

This invention makes it possible to provide a charging device that can prevent a decrease in charging efficiency due to heat generated by the object to be charged or the device itself.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a charging device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the charging device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a configuration of a medical device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a contactless charging method applied to a medical device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a charging stand 400 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating an example in which a medical device 100 is placed on the upper surface of the housing of a charging stand 400 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a charging device 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the various components in each example embodiment described below can be combined as appropriate to the extent that no contradictions arise. Furthermore, content described in one example embodiment may be omitted in other embodiments. Furthermore, content about operations or processes unrelated to the characteristic features of each embodiment may be omitted.

[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, an example of a charging device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example configuration of a charging device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Below, the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the object to be charged 20 includes a device main body 21 and a charging-related unit 22, which will be discussed again after the description of the charging device 10.

Charging device 10 is a device for charging storage battery 22C included in object to be charged 20 placed on the top surface of its housing. In this example, charging device 10 includes housing 11 and is characterized by cooling storage battery 22C using a cooling channel formed between the bottom surface of object to be charged 20 and groove 12 formed on the top surface of housing 11. Hereinafter, the top surface of the housing of charging device 10 will be referred to as the "mounting surface." This mounting surface is an example of a contact surface that comes into contact with object to be charged 20. Note that the configuration for charging storage battery 22C is not particularly limited, and may be contactless charging, contact charging (charging by connecting dedicated terminals corresponding to each device), or wired connection charging (charging by connecting via a wired connection, such as a USB cable). The following describes an example of charging storage battery 22C using contactless charging.

As shown in FIG. 1, the charging device 10 includes at least a housing 11, a groove 12, and a power transmission coil 16. Below, we will explain an example in which the charging device 10 further includes a storage section 13, an air intake 14, an air exhaust 15, and a fan 17.

The housing 11 is a container for storing various components inside, and stores the power transmission coil 16 and fan 17 inside itself. The housing 11 also includes a component (not shown) that supplies power to the power transmission coil 16. The shape of the housing 11 is not limited to a shape that allows the object to be charged 20 to be placed on its top surface, as shown in Figure 1, but may be any shape that has a contact surface near the object to be charged 20, particularly the storage battery 22C.

The groove 12 is provided on the mounting surface and has a shape that is continuously cut out to the side of the housing 11. Here, a shape that is continuously cut out to the side of the housing 11 refers to a shape that forms a space extending from a portion of the mounting surface to the side of the housing 11. Furthermore, the shape of the groove 12 when viewed from the side of the housing 11 is not particularly limited, and the shape may change along the groove. Examples of the cross-sectional shape of the groove 12 include not only rectangular and trapezoidal shapes, but also shapes that include curves. The following description uses an example in which the groove 12 is rectangular. Note that the size of the cutout of the groove 12 as viewed from the side of the housing 11 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the size take into consideration the cooling efficiency of the storage battery 22C. Meanwhile, the shape of the groove 12 when viewed from above the housing 11 is not particularly limited, and may be a shape that is continuously cut out from a portion of the mounting surface or the side of the housing 11 to the side of the housing 11. Examples of such configurations include a shape in which a notch extends continuously from a portion of the mounting surface to a location on the side of the housing 11, or a shape in which a notch extends continuously to multiple locations on the side of the housing 11. If the housing 11 has multiple side surfaces, the groove 12 may be a shape in which a notch extends continuously from a location on one side surface to a location on a different side surface. Alternatively, the groove 12 may be partially or entirely curved. Below, an example will be described in which the groove 12 extends linearly from a location on one side surface of the mounting surface to a location on another side surface.

The storage section 13 is a space provided inside the housing 11 for storing the power transmission coil 16 and fan 17, which will be described later. Note that the storage section 13 may also store components other than the power transmission coil.

The air intake 14 is formed in the groove 12 to allow air from the groove 12 to flow into the storage section 13. In this example, the air intake 14 is formed on the side of the groove 12, and the air intake 14 connects the storage section 13 to the space outside the charging device 10.

The exhaust port 15 is formed in the housing 11 to allow air in the storage section 13 to flow outside the storage section 13. In this example, the exhaust port 15 is formed on the side of the housing 11, and the storage section 13 is connected to the space outside the charging device 10 by the exhaust port 15. The position of the exhaust port 15 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably formed in a position where air drawn in through the intake port 14 by the fan 17, described below, can be properly exhausted. In other words, the exhaust port 15 may be formed in a different position depending on the structure and installation position of the fan 17, for example.

In the above example, the air intake 14 is formed in the groove 12 and the air exhaust 15 is formed in the housing 11, but the relationship between the air intake 14 and the air exhaust 15 may be reversed depending on the position and orientation of the fan 17 in the storage section 13.

The power transmission coil 16 is a coil capable of transmitting power contactlessly to the power receiving coil 22B provided in the charging-related unit 22. The charging device 10 according to the present invention includes the power transmission coil 16 as at least part of a power transmission unit configured to transmit power to the object to be charged 20 for charging the storage battery 22C. In this example, the power transmission coil 16 is disposed in an upper portion of the storage unit 13. When a current is generated in the power transmission coil 16, a magnetic field (magnetic flux) is generated. The generated magnetic field (magnetic flux) generates a current in the power receiving coil 22B. For example, the charging device 10 includes an AC adapter (not shown), and power converted from AC to DC is supplied to the power transmission coil 16 by the AC adapter. The power transmission unit is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of transmitting power to the object to be charged 20. Examples of configurations for transmitting power to the object to be charged 20 include a configuration in which dedicated terminal units corresponding to the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 are provided and the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 are connected via these terminal units to transmit power to the object to be charged 20, and a configuration in which DC power converted by an AC adapter is transmitted to the object to be charged 20 via a wired connection.

The fan 17 is a device that draws air in through the intake port 14 and exhausts it through the exhaust port 15.

The type of fan 17 is not particularly limited, and may be a centrifugal fan, which is a blower in which the suction direction and blowing direction are approximately perpendicular, or an axial fan, which is a blower in which the suction direction and blowing direction are approximately parallel. Examples of centrifugal fans include sirocco fans and turbo fans.

Fan 17 is also arranged in storage section 13, but its location within storage section 13 is not particularly limited. However, for efficient airflow, it is preferable to arrange fan 17 adjacent to exhaust port 15. In this example, fan 17 is arranged in storage section 13 adjacent to exhaust port 15 provided on the side of housing 11.

In this example, the longitudinal direction of the fan 17 is arranged approximately parallel to the top surface (contact surface or placement surface) of the housing 11, which reduces the thickness (or height) of the charging device 10. In addition to this example, if the contact surface with the object to be charged 20 is on the side of the housing 11, for example, the width of the charging device 10 can be reduced by arranging the longitudinal direction of the fan 17 approximately parallel to the side of the housing 11. Similarly, if the contact surface with the object to be charged 20 is on the bottom of the housing 11, the height of the charging device 10 can be reduced by arranging the longitudinal direction of the fan 17 approximately parallel to the bottom of the housing 11. Furthermore, if the contact surface is on the top surface of the housing 11, as in this example, using a centrifugal fan as the fan 17 can further reduce the height of the charging device 10. If an axial fan were used as the fan 17, it would need to provide space on the bottom side of the fan 17 to suck in air from the top and expel it to the bottom. Possible methods for this include making the housing 11 itself sufficiently tall and then placing the fan 17 on the top side of the housing 11, or adding additional legs to the underside of the housing 11, but in either case, a certain level of height is required for the charging device 10 as a whole. In contrast, if a centrifugal fan is used as the fan 17, it is sufficient to blow air out the side, and there is no need to provide space on the bottom side of the fan 17.

Although not shown in Figure 1, the charging device 10 may also be equipped with a control unit that controls the operation of the fan 17 based on the charging state.

Here, the charging state refers to the state of charging from the charging device 10 to the storage battery 22C. The configuration for determining the charging state is not particularly limited, and may be a configuration in which the charging state is determined from the temperature state detected by a temperature sensor provided in the charging device 10, or a configuration in which the charging state is determined from the charge amount or completion of charging of the storage battery 22C. Here, when the charging state is determined from the temperature state, examples of locations where the temperature sensor may be provided include on the control unit board or at the top inside the charging device 10. Furthermore, when the charging state is determined from the charge amount or completion of charging of the storage battery 22C, the charging device 10 may be provided with receiving means for receiving a signal notifying the charge amount or completion of charging of the storage battery 22C from the charging-related unit 22.

Furthermore, while there are no particular limitations on the configuration for controlling the operation of the fan 17 based on the charging state, it is preferable that the conditions for starting the operation of the fan 17 (start conditions) and the conditions for stopping the operation of the fan 17 (stop conditions) are clear to the user of the charging device 10. An example of such a configuration is one in which the start condition is the start of charging the storage battery 22C from the charging device 10, and the stop condition is the stop or completion of the charging. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the charging state is determined from the temperature of the charging device 10, the start condition may be the temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in the charging device 10 being above a predetermined value, and the stop condition may be the temperature being below a specific value.

The control unit may also be configured to operate the fan 17 from the time charging of the storage battery 22C is completed until a predetermined condition is met. In other words, if the fan 17 is operating when charging of the storage battery 22C is completed, the control unit may be configured to continue operating the fan 17 until a predetermined condition is met. The predetermined condition is not particularly limited, and may be that the temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in the charging device 10 drops below a predetermined value, or that a predetermined time has passed since charging of the storage battery 22C is completed.

In addition, although not shown in Figure 1, it is preferable that the groove portion 12 be located below the storage battery 22C when the object to be charged 20 is placed on the charging device 10. In order to determine such a positional relationship, a placement position identification unit may be provided that identifies the placement position of the object to be charged 20 relative to the placement surface of the charging device 10.

Here, the configuration for identifying the placement position of the object to be charged 20 is not particularly limited, and may be a configuration in which positioning is performed by fitting a portion of the object to be charged 20 into a predetermined location, or a configuration in which the placement position of the object to be charged 20 is displayed on the placement surface so that it can be visually confirmed. When using a configuration in which a portion of the object to be charged 20 is fitted, one configuration is to form a convex portion and/or concave portion that follows the shape of the lower portion of the object to be charged 20 on the placement surface of the charging device 10. Furthermore, when the placement position of the object to be charged 20 is displayed on the placement surface, one configuration is to provide a marker on the placement surface that displays the placement position of the object to be charged 20. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the object to be charged 20 from shifting position when the user places it on the charging device 10.

As described above, the object to be charged 20 comprises the device main body 21 and the charging-related unit 22. Of these, the device main body 21 is not particularly limited as long as it operates by receiving power from the storage battery 22C. The device main body 21 stores various components (not shown) that enable the object to be charged 20 to function.

The charging-related unit 22 is composed of at least a housing 22A, a power receiving coil 22B, and a storage battery 22C. The configuration for installing the charging-related unit 22 on the object to be charged 20 is not particularly limited, and the charging-related unit 22 may be detachably or non-detachably installed on the device main body 21.

The housing 22A is a container for storing the receiving coil 22B and the storage battery 22C. The shape of the housing 22A allows the storage battery 22C to be installed below the device main body 21. For example, the housing 22A is provided with a battery-side terminal portion for electrical connection with the device main body 21.

The receiving coil 22B is a coil that can receive power from the transmitting coil 16. A current is generated in the receiving coil 22B due to a magnetic field (magnetic flux) generated by current flowing through the transmitting coil 16. The current generated in the receiving coil 22B is sent to the storage battery 22C under the control of a charging control IC (not shown), and the storage battery 22C is charged.

The storage battery 22C supplies power to the device main body 21. In this example, contactless charging from the charging device 10 to the storage battery 22C is possible. The storage battery 22C is, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery.

Although not shown, in order to supply power from the charging-related unit 22 to the device main body 21, the device main body 21 has a main body-side terminal portion that is responsible for conducting electricity between the charging-related unit 22, and the charging-related unit 22 has a battery-side terminal portion that is responsible for conducting electricity between the charging-related unit 22 and the object to be charged 20.

Furthermore, in this example, the charging-related unit 22 including the housing 22A, the receiving coil 22B, and the storage battery 22C is described as being provided in the charging-related unit 22, but the storage battery 22C may also be provided directly within the device main body 21.

The above describes an example configuration of the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Next, we will explain the operation of the charging device 10.

Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the charging device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 2 is a top view of the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20, viewed from above, to illustrate the state when the fan 17 is operated with the object to be charged 20 placed on the placement surface of the charging device 10. In Figure 2, the groove 12 is indicated by a dashed line. Also, in Figure 2, the positions of the fan 17, charging-related unit 22, power receiving coil 22B, and storage battery 22C are indicated by a dashed-dotted line. Also, in Figure 2, it is assumed that the object to be charged 20 is properly placed on the charging device 10, with the groove 12 positioned below the storage battery 22C. Below, the operation of the charging device 10 will be described using an example in which the charging device 10 includes a control unit that controls the operation of the fan 17 based on the charging state.

First, the user places the object to be charged 20 on the mounting surface of the charging device 10 in order to charge the storage battery 22C included in the object to be charged 20. When the object to be charged 20 is placed on the mounting surface of the charging device 10, charging of the storage battery 22C begins. When the storage battery 22C is being charged, the power transmitting coil 16, power receiving coil 22B, storage battery 22C, etc. generate heat. This heat causes the temperature of the storage battery 22C to rise.

Next, the control unit starts the operation of the fan 17 at a predetermined operation start timing. Here, the timing at which the control unit starts the operation of the fan 17 is not particularly limited, and may be the timing when charging of the storage battery 22C begins, or the timing when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor provided in the charging device 10 reaches or exceeds a predetermined value.

When the fan 17 starts operating, it draws in air from the intake direction and begins to expel the air in the blowing direction. As the fan 17 draws in and expels air, air begins to flow from the end of the groove 12 into the cooling flow path formed by the groove 12 of the housing 11 and the bottom surface of the object to be charged 20, and the air flows through the cooling flow path toward the intake port 14. Because the storage battery 22C is located directly above the intake port 14, the air passing through the cooling flow path removes heat from the storage battery 22C located below the object to be charged 20 and flows into the interior of the housing 11 through the intake port 14. The air that has flowed into the interior of the housing 11 passes through the storage section 13 toward the intake point of the fan 17, and the air drawn in from the intake point of the fan 17 is exhausted from the exhaust point of the fan 17 and is exhausted to the outside of the housing 11 through the exhaust port 15 of the housing 11. Here, the air passing through the storage section 13 removes heat from the power transmission coil 16. As shown by the arrows in Figure 2, operation of the fan 17 causes air to flow in from outside the housing 11, pass through the cooling flow path and storage section 13, and be exhausted from the exhaust port 15. As a result, the air that has removed the heat does not remain in the cooling flow path and storage section 13, allowing for more efficient cooling than when the fan 17 is not operated.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation of the fan 17 causes air flowing in from outside the housing 11 to flow through a path that passes through the cooling flow path toward the air intake 14, and the air does not escape to a path that does not contribute to cooling the storage battery 33. Therefore, the operation of the fan 17 allows the air flowing in from outside the housing 11 to be used for air cooling without waste, allowing for more efficient cooling.

The control unit may also stop the operation of the fan 17 when the fan 17 is operating and the temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in the charging device 10 falls below a predetermined value. The control unit may then resume the operation of the fan 17 when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor rises above a predetermined value. The temperature threshold for starting the operation of the fan 17 and the temperature threshold for terminating the operation of the fan 17 may be set to different values. For example, if the temperature threshold for terminating the operation is set to a temperature lower than the temperature threshold for starting the operation, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the operation is repeatedly terminated and started across the threshold, resulting in the fan 17 continuing to rotate.

Furthermore, if the fan 17 is operating when charging of the storage battery 22C is completed, the control unit may stop the operation of the fan 17 using the completion of charging of the storage battery 22C as a trigger.

Furthermore, if the fan 17 is operating when the control unit detects that charging of the storage battery 22C is complete, the control unit may continue operating the fan 17 from the time the charging of the storage battery 22C is completed until a predetermined condition is met. The predetermined condition is not particularly limited, but may be a condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since charging of the storage battery 22C is completed, or a condition that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor falls below a predetermined value. The predetermined time is not particularly limited, and may be a time determined based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the time charging of the storage battery 22C is completed, or a preset, unchanging time. Furthermore, the predetermined value may be, for example, approximately the same value as the value used to determine whether to operate the fan 17 while charging the storage battery 22C. By continuing to operate the fan 17 until the predetermined condition is met, the air passing through the cooling flow path and the storage unit 13 will absorb heat from the charging device 10 and the storage battery 22C remaining at the time of charging completion. Therefore, it is possible to continue lowering the temperature of the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 even after charging is completed. This further ensures the safety of the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20. Furthermore, by continuing to lower the temperature of the charging device 10 even after charging is complete, in cases where it becomes necessary to charge the storage battery 22C of an object to be charged 20 other than the object to be charged 20 for which charging has completed, it becomes possible to start the next charge from a state where the temperature on the charging device 10 side has been sufficiently cooled. Furthermore, by continuing to cool the object to be charged 20 placed on the charging device 10 even after charging is complete, it becomes possible to cool the object to be charged 20 sufficiently to a level that does not adversely affect its use.

As described above, the charging device 10 of the present invention is a charging device for charging a storage battery 22C included in an object to be charged 20 in contact with the housing 11, and includes a power transmission unit inside the housing 11 that transmits power to the object to be charged 20. A groove 12 is formed on the placement surface of the outer surface of the housing 11, i.e., the contact surface with which the object to be charged 20 comes into contact. When the object to be charged 20 is in contact with the housing, the object to be charged 20 and the groove 12 form a cooling flow path through which air can pass, thereby preventing a decrease in charging efficiency due to heat generated by the object to be charged 20.

In other words, by forming the grooves 12 in the charging device 10, a cooling flow path is created between the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20, allowing air to pass through the cooling flow path and remove heat from the object to be charged 20. As a result, the object to be charged 20 can be cooled more efficiently than if the grooves 12 were not formed.

The positional relationship between the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 is not limited to a relationship in which the object to be charged is placed on top of the charging device 10. In other words, the charging device 10 is a charging device for charging the storage battery 22C provided in the object to be charged 20 in contact with the housing 11, and is equipped with a power transmission unit inside the housing 11 that transmits power to the object to be charged 20. A groove 12 is formed on the outer surface of the housing 11 on which the object to be charged 20 comes into contact, and when the object to be charged 20 is in contact with the housing 11, a cooling flow path through which air can pass is formed by the object to be charged 20 and the groove 12. Other examples of the positional relationship between the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 include a state in which the object to be charged 20 is in contact with the side surface of the housing 11, with the side surface serving as the contact surface, or a state in which the charging device 10 is placed on top of the object to be charged 20 with the bottom surface of the housing 11 as the contact surface.

Furthermore, if the storage battery 22C is provided on the surface side where the object to be charged 20 contacts the housing 11, the charging device 10 may be configured to include a contact position identification unit that identifies the contact position of the object to be charged 20 so that the groove portion 12 is positioned in the direction from the storage battery 22C toward the contact surface. For example, when the storage battery 22C is charged by placing the object to be charged 20 on the top surface of the housing 11 of the charging device 10, the surface side where the object to be charged 20 contacts the housing 11 is the lower inside of the object to be charged 20, and the direction from the storage battery 22C toward the contact surface is downward of the storage battery 22C.

Second Embodiment
Next, a case where the charging target 20 is a medical device will be described. The medical device according to the second embodiment of the present invention can be any medical device that requires power supply from a battery. One example of a medical device is a device known as a slit lamp, which irradiates a slit light onto a subject's eye (hereinafter referred to as the "examined eye") and examines the cornea, lens, etc. of the subject's eye by observing the scattered light generated by the subject's eye. Other examples of medical devices include ophthalmic devices such as a tonometer, a fundus camera, and an autorefractor, as well as a thermometer. The following describes the configuration of an examination device using a slit lamp, which is an example of a medical device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the external appearance of a medical device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The medical device 100 is a device for examining a subject's eye by operating it while holding it in one hand, and is an example of an object to be charged. As shown in Figure 3, the medical device 100 includes an irradiation unit 110, an observation unit 120, a grip unit 130, a finger rest unit 140, an index finger side operation unit 150, a thumb side operation unit 160, a base unit 170, an irradiation angle adjustment unit 180, and a scale unit 190.

The irradiation unit 110 has the function of irradiating the subject's eye with irradiation light. In this example, the irradiation unit 110 has the function of irradiating the subject's eye with slit light or spot light as irradiation light. The irradiation unit 110 consists of an irradiation tube 111, an irradiation port 112, a disk operation unit 113, a swing unit 114, and a separate light source installation unit 115. The irradiation tube 111 has a configuration for irradiating slit light arranged inside. In this example, the irradiation tube 111 is equipped with a light source, a condenser lens, a spot disk, a slit disk, and a projector lens inside. An example of a light source is an LED. In the irradiation tube 111, light emitted from the light source is focused by a condenser lens and then passes through the slit disk to generate slit light or spot light. The slit light or spot light enters the irradiation port 112. The irradiation port 112 consists of a projector prism arranged inside. The slit light or spot light incident on the projector prism changes direction and is projected toward the eye to be examined outside the device. The disk operation unit 113 is a dial that the operator rotates the spot disk and slit disk to select the length and width of the slit light to be projected and the diameter of the spot light. The swing unit 114 is a plate-shaped member that is provided at one end and below the irradiation tube 111, and at the other end, located a predetermined distance from the irradiation tube 111, is connected to the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180, which will be described later. Note that a marker is provided on the part of the swing unit 114 that contacts the outer periphery of the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 to indicate the rotation angle of the irradiation unit 110.

The separate light source installation unit 115 has the function of irradiating the subject's eye with light for fluorescent observation illumination and background illumination, and is provided separately from the irradiation port 112. The separate light source installation unit 115 consists of a fluorescent observation illumination light source installation unit and a background illumination light source installation unit. For example, the fluorescent observation illumination light source installation unit is provided with a blue LED as its light source, and the background illumination light source installation unit is provided with a white LED as its light source. Note that the separate light source installation unit 115 may include only one of the fluorescent observation illumination light source installation unit and the background illumination light source installation unit. The separate light source installation unit 115 is provided so that the light irradiated from the irradiation port 112 and the light irradiated from the separate light source installation unit 115 always face in approximately the same direction. For example, the separate light source installation unit 115 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the irradiation port 112.

The observation unit 120 has the function of observing the subject's eye with the irradiation light emitted from the irradiation unit 110. In this example, the observation unit 120 includes an observation housing 121, an eyepiece for the right eye 122, an eyepiece for the left eye 123, and a magnification lever 124. The observation housing 121, the eyepiece for the right eye 122, and the eyepiece for the left eye 123 each have an observation optical system configured therein. The observation optical system is divided into an optical system for observation with the right eye and an optical system for observation with the left eye. The optical system for observation with the right eye is configured inside the observation housing 121 and the eyepiece for the right eye 122. The optical system for observation with the left eye is configured inside the observation housing 121 and the eyepiece for the left eye 123. For example, the observation optical system consists of at least an objective lens, an eyepiece prism, a reticle lens, and an eyepiece. The slit light from the irradiation unit 110 is scattered by the subject's eye and enters the objective lens as scattered light. The incident scattered light passes through the eyepiece prism, reticle lens, and eyepiece lens to become light that the operator can observe. The magnification change lever 124 is a lever that can change the observation magnification of the subject's eye by moving it left and right to move the objective lens back and forth.

The grip unit 130 is provided so that it can be held by the operator between the thumb and at least one of the four fingers on the index finger side of one hand. There are no particular restrictions on the shape of the grip unit 130 as long as it can be held by the operator, but a roughly cylindrical shape is preferable. In this example, the grip unit 130 is attached to the bottom of the observation housing 121 and has a curved cylindrical shape, as shown in Figure 3.

The finger hook 140 is provided on the grip unit 130 so that it can hook onto one of the fingers located on the index finger side when the operator holds the grip unit 130 with one hand. Here, the "index finger side" refers to the side of the side of the grip unit 130 that the index finger can come into contact with when gripping the grip unit 130. The fingers located on the index finger side are at least one of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. Furthermore, "the finger hook 140 hooking onto the finger" refers to the finger being in a state where it bears the load of the finger hook 140. The shape of the finger hook 140 is not particularly limited as long as it can hook onto one of the fingers located on the index finger side. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the finger hook 140 has a flange-like shape that protrudes from the side of the grip unit 130.

The index finger side operation unit 150 is used for the examination operation, and is provided at a position within the reach of a finger presumed to be used for operation, among the fingers on the index finger side whose position is determined by the finger hook 140 when the operator holds the grip unit 130 with one hand. The finger presumed to be used for operation is not particularly limited as long as it is any finger on the index finger side, but a finger other than the finger hooked by the finger hook 140 is preferable. In this example, the index finger is presumed to be the finger used for operation. Furthermore, a position within the reach of the finger refers to a position that can be reached by moving the finger. The index finger side operation unit 150 is, for example, a button or switch. In this example, the index finger side operation unit 150 is a switch that, when pressed, emits light from a light source arranged in the irradiation tube 111 of the irradiation unit 110, and emits light from the irradiation port 112.

The thumb-side operation unit 160 is used for operating the examination of the subject's eye, and is located within reach of the thumb, whose position is determined by the finger hook 140 when the operator holds the grip unit 130 with one hand. The thumb-side operation unit 160 may be provided with multiple operation points. The operation points are provided with operation members such as buttons, various switches, and dials for inputting operations related to the examination of the subject's eye. In this example, the operation points of the thumb-side operation unit 160 are provided with operation buttons 161-163 (not shown) and an operation dial 164 as operation members. The operation buttons 161-163 are assigned various examination-related functions, such as turning on and off fluorescent observation illumination and background illumination. The operation dial 164 is also assigned the function of adjusting the light intensity of the slit light emitted from the irradiation port 112 of the irradiation unit 110, for example.

The base portion 170 is a plate-shaped member with one end attached to the bottom of the grip portion 130. The other end of the base portion 170 is provided with the irradiation angle adjustment portion 180, which will be described later.

The irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 is a component that adjusts the irradiation angle of the irradiation light by rotating the irradiation unit 110 around a rotation axis. In this example, the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 is fixedly attached to the other end of the base unit 170. In this example, the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 is rotatably attached to a hole formed in the swing unit 114 at a predetermined distance from the irradiation tube 111, with its top surface exposed. In other words, the base unit 170 and swing unit 114 are connected via the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180, and the swing unit 114 is rotatable relative to the base unit 170 around the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180. The irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 is configured, for example, by a bearing.

The scale section 190 has markings on the upper surface of the rotation shaft that indicate the rotation angle. Specifically, the scale section 190 has markings on the upper surface of the rotation shaft in an arc shape that correspond to the irradiation angle of the light emitted by the irradiation section 110. In this example, the scale section 190 is provided as an arc-shaped mark on the upper surface of the irradiation angle adjustment section 180 fitted to the swing section 114 that indicates the rotation angle based on the irradiation angle adjustment section 180 of the swing section 114.

A battery pack 200 is also provided at the bottom inside the medical device 100. The battery pack 200 can be charged by contactless charging and is detachably attached to the main body of the medical device 100.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a contactless charging method applied to a medical device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the charging base 400 is an example of a charging device equipped with a power transmission coil 416 for transmitting power via contactless charging and an AC adapter 420. The battery pack 200 includes a power receiving coil 250 that receives the magnetic field (magnetic flux) generated by the power transmission coil 416 and converts it into current, a charging control IC 260 that controls charging based on the current converted by the power receiving coil 250, a storage battery 270 to be charged, and a battery-side terminal 210 for electrically connecting to the main body. The medical device 100 supplies power from the battery pack 200 to required locations via a main body-side terminal 171 that is electrically connected to the battery-side terminal 210. When the medical device 100 or the battery pack 200 alone is correctly positioned and placed on the charging base 400, it is preferable that the power transmission coil 416 and the power receiving coil 250 face each other to maximize charging efficiency.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a charging stand 400 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 shows a housing 411, a groove 412, an air intake 414, an exhaust 415, and a placement position identification unit 418. The housing 411 is configured in a roughly cylindrical shape. The top surface of the housing 411 is a placement surface for placing the medical device 100. The groove 412 is formed by cutting out the top surface of the housing 411 and continuing to the side surface. Multiple air intakes 414 are formed on the side surface of the groove 412 facing the exhaust 415. The exhaust 415 is formed on the side surface of the housing 411 facing the groove 412, with the axis of the roughly cylindrical shape of the housing 411 as the center.

The placement position specifying portion 418 is a convex member formed on the placement surface. The placement position specifying portion 418 specifies the placement position of the medical device 100 based on the shape of the placement surface. By fitting a part of the medical device 100 into the placement position specifying portion 418, the medical device 100 is placed at a specific position on the charging stand 400. This specific position is the placement position of the medical device 100 where the groove portion 412 is located below the storage battery 270 when the medical device 100 is placed on the placement surface.

Figure 6 is a side view showing an example of a case in which a medical device 100 is placed on the top surface of the housing of a charging stand 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 shows the medical device 100 placed in a placement position identified by the placement position identification unit 418. In the state shown in Figure 6, contactless charging of the storage battery 270 is performed from the charging stand 400. Here, the placement position is identified by the placement position identification unit 418, and the groove portion 412 is located below the storage battery 270. A cooling flow path is formed by the bottom surface of the medical device 100 and the groove portion 412. When the fan 417 starts operating, air begins to flow into the cooling flow path, and the air flows from the intake port 414 into the storage section 413. The air that flows into the storage section 413 passes through the storage section 413 toward the intake point of the fan 417, and the air drawn in from the intake point of the fan 417 is exhausted from the exhaust point of the fan 417 and is exhausted to the outside of the storage section 413 through the exhaust port 415. In this way, the storage battery 270 and the power transmission coil 416 are air-cooled.

As described above, the charging stand 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a housing 411, a groove 412, an intake port 414, an exhaust port 415, and a fan 417. This allows air to pass through the cooling flow path toward the intake port 414, thereby air-cooling the storage battery 270, preventing a decrease in the charging efficiency of the storage battery 270. As a result, it is possible to provide a charging stand 400 that meets the needs of medical facilities, who want to reliably charge medical equipment and quickly ensure that the medical equipment is ready for use.

In the above example, the medical device 100 is a slit lamp, but the medical device that is the charging object according to the present invention is not limited to a slit lamp.

[Third embodiment]
Next, with reference to FIG. 7 , an example of a charging device 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the charging device 10 according to the first embodiment, the air intake 14 is formed in the groove 12, and the air exhaust 15 is formed on the side surface of the housing 11. Therefore, after the fan 17 starts operating, outside air flows into the cooling channel from the notch in the side surface of the housing 11 and flows from the air intake 14 to the storage section 13, thereby air-cooling the lower portion of the object to be charged 20. However, the positions of the air intake and exhaust vents in the charging device according to the present invention are not limited to this. In the third embodiment, the exhaust vent is formed on the bottom surface of the groove, and the air intake vent is formed on the side surface or bottom surface of the housing of the charging device. That is, in the third embodiment, the air flow direction is reversed compared to the first embodiment.

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example configuration of a charging device 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the charging device 40 according to the third embodiment, an air intake 44 (not shown) is formed on the side or bottom surface of the housing 41 of the charging device 40, and an exhaust vent 45 is formed on the bottom surface of the groove portion 42. The fan 47 in the charging device 40 is an axial fan, and is arranged in the storage section 43 so that the axis of air blown from the fan 47 overlaps at least a portion of the exhaust vent 45. Here, the axis of air blown from the fan 47 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the fan 47 and refers to an axis extending from the rotation axis of the fan 47 in the air blowing direction.

In the example shown in Figure 7, the fan 47 is an axial fan, and is positioned so that its rotation axis passes through the center of the exhaust port 45. With this configuration, the air blown out by the fan 47 directly hits the bottom surface of the object to be charged 20. In other words, the air blown out by the fan 47 hits the bottom surface of the object to be charged 20 without weakening its pressure. Therefore, compared to a case without this configuration, the air blown out by the fan 47 removes more heat from the bottom surface of the object to be charged 20, enabling more efficient cooling of the storage battery 22C.

As described above, in the charging device 40 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the air intake 44 is formed on the side or bottom surface of the housing, the exhaust 45 is formed on the bottom surface of the groove 42, and the fan 47 is an axial fan that is positioned so that its airflow axis overlaps at least a portion of the exhaust 45. This allows the air from the fan 47 to directly hit the bottom surface of the object to be charged 20, enabling efficient air cooling using an axial fan, which is more versatile than a centrifugal fan.

In the example described above, the fan 47 was positioned in the storage section 43 so that the axis of airflow from the fan 47 overlapped at least a portion of the exhaust port 45. However, as long as air can pass upward from the exhaust port 45 when the fan 47 is operating, the axis of airflow from the fan 47 may not overlap the exhaust port 45. With this configuration, even in cases where it is difficult to position the fan 47 so that the axis of airflow from the fan 47 overlaps the exhaust port 45 due to design considerations of the charging device 10, efficient air cooling is possible as the air from the fan 47 directly hits the bottom surface of the object to be charged 20.

10, 40 Charging device 11, 41, 411 Housing 12, 42, 412 Groove portion 13, 43, 413 Storage portion 14, 44, 414 Intake port 15, 45, 415 Exhaust port 16, 46, 416 Power transmission coil 17, 47, 417 Fan 20 Object to be charged 21 Device main body 22 Charging-related unit 22A Housing 22B, 250 Power receiving coil 22C, 270 Storage battery 100 Medical device 110 Irradiation unit 111 Irradiation tube 112 Irradiation port 113 Disk operation unit 114 Swing unit 115 Marker 120 Observation unit 121 Observation housing 122 Observation unit for right eye 123 Observation unit for left eye 124 Magnification lever 130 Grip section 140 Finger hook section 150 Index finger side operation section 160 Thumb side operation section 170 Base section 171 Main body side terminal section 180 Illumination angle adjustment section 190 Scale section 200 Battery pack 210 Battery side terminal section 260 Charging control IC
400 Charging stand 418 Placement position identification unit 420 AC adapter

Claims (7)

A charging device for charging a storage battery included in an object to be charged that is in contact with a housing,
a power transmission unit that transmits power to the object to be charged, the power transmission unit being disposed inside the housing;
a groove is formed on a contact surface of the outer surface of the housing with which the object to be charged comes into contact;
When the object to be charged is in contact with the housing, a cooling flow path through which air can pass is formed by the object to be charged and the groove portion ;
a fan for drawing in air through an intake port formed in one part of the housing and discharging air through an exhaust port formed in another part of the housing;
one of the intake port and the exhaust port is formed in the groove portion,
The object to be charged is placed on the upper surface of the housing,
The groove portion has a shape in which the upper surface of the housing is cut out continuously to a side surface,
The cooling flow path is formed by a bottom surface of the object to be charged and the groove portion when the object to be charged is placed on the housing.
A charging device characterized by: The air intake is formed in the groove,
the exhaust port is formed in a side surface of the housing,
The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein the fan is a centrifugal fan. The air intake is formed on a side surface or a bottom surface of the housing,
the exhaust port is formed in a bottom surface of the groove,
The fan is
It is an axial flow fan,
The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein the fan is disposed so that an axis of airflow from the fan overlaps with at least a portion of the exhaust port. a control unit that controls the operation of the fan based on a charging state;
The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit operates the fan from the time when charging of the storage battery is completed until a predetermined condition is satisfied. the storage battery is provided on a surface side where the object to be charged comes into contact with the housing,
The charging device according to claim 1 , further comprising a contact position specifying unit that specifies a contact position of the object to be charged so that the groove portion is positioned in a direction from the storage battery toward the contact surface. the object to be charged includes a receiving coil,
The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein the power transmission unit includes a power transmission coil capable of transmitting power to the power receiving coil in a non-contact manner. The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein the object to be charged is a slit lamp as a medical device.