JP7766533B2 - Thermometer case and thermometer set - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a thermometer case and a thermometer set.

A thermometer case is known that protects the thermometer, particularly the tip, from external influences and prevents breakage or malfunction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-148546

It is desirable that a case like the one described above can stably hold the thermometer when stored and also make it easy to maintain hygiene.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a thermometer case and thermometer set that can stably hold a stored thermometer and that also makes it easy to maintain hygiene.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the thermometer case has an elongated shape that defines the longitudinal, width, and thickness directions, and is capable of being stored in an internal space with the tip of the thermometer facing one side in the longitudinal direction. The case has two width walls provided on both sides of the internal space in the width direction so as to cover at least the tip of the thermometer in the stored state, two thickness walls provided on both sides of the internal space in the thickness direction, each connecting the two width walls, so as to expose at least the tip of the thermometer in the stored state, and a locking hole that penetrates one of the thickness walls and can lock a protrusion of the thermometer to prevent the thermometer in the stored state from moving to the other side in the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the thermometer case has two widthwise walls each having a reduced portion made up of two flat plate-shaped portions that are inclined so that the widthwise distance between the two widthwise walls is reduced toward one side in the longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal length of the reduced portion is at least half the longitudinal length of the two widthwise walls.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the thermometer case has two widthwise walls that have an expanding portion on one side of the narrowing portion in the longitudinal direction, where the widthwise spacing between the two widthwise walls expands toward the one side in the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the thermometer case is a case that has a tip wall that is provided on one side of the internal space in the longitudinal direction and connects the two widthwise walls so as to cover at least the tip of the thermometer in the stored state.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the thermometer set includes the case and the thermometer.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the thermometer set is a thermometer set in which the thermometer has a lid, the lid has a slit groove extending linearly in the radial direction, and is rotatable in the circumferential direction between an open/close position where the lid can be opened and closed and a closed position where the lid is kept closed, and the protrusion is located on an extension of the slit groove in the open/close position.

This disclosure provides a thermometer case and thermometer set that can stably hold a thermometer in a stored state and easily maintain hygiene.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a thermometer set having a thermometer case according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view of the thermometer set shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the thermometer set shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a side view of the thermometer set shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a rear view of the thermometer set shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a front view of the thermometer case shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a top view of the thermometer case shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the thermometer case shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the thermometer shown in FIG. 1 .

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in Figures 1 to 7, a thermometer case 1 (hereinafter also referred to as case 1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has an elongated shape defining a longitudinal direction Dl, a width direction Dw, and a thickness direction Dt, and can store a thermometer 2 in an internal space 3 with the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 facing one side in the longitudinal direction Dl. Furthermore, a thermometer set 4 according to this embodiment includes the case 1 and the thermometer 2.

The longitudinal direction D1 of the thermometer case 1 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the thermometer 2. Here, the surface of the thermometer 2 having the display 14 is referred to as the front. When viewed from the front, the width direction Dw is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Dl. The thickness direction Dt is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Dl and the width direction Dw. For ease of explanation, the longitudinal direction Dl is also referred to as the up-down direction, the width direction Dw is also referred to as the left-right direction, and the thickness direction Dt is also referred to as the front-to-back direction.

The case 1 has two side walls (width walls) 5, two thickness walls 6, and a tip wall 7. One thickness wall 6 has a locking hole 8, and the other thickness wall 6 does not have a locking hole 8. For ease of explanation, the thickness wall 6 having the locking hole 8 will also be referred to as the rear wall 9, and the thickness wall 6 not having the locking hole 8 will also be referred to as the front wall 10. The side on which the rear wall 9 is located will be referred to as the rear side, and the side on which the front wall 10 is located will be referred to as the front side.

The thermometer 2 is formed in an elongated shape in the longitudinal direction D1. When the thermometer 2 is stored in the internal space 3 of the case 1, the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 is located at the bottom of the case 1 and has an outer shape that tapers downward when viewed in the front-to-back direction and also tapers downward when viewed in the left-to-right direction. The thermometer 2 has a main body 11 and a cap 12 that forms the tip. The main body 11 has a housing 13 and a display 14, and the housing 13 has a housing main body 13a and a lid 13b (see Figure 9). The housing 13 is made of, for example, resin, and the cap 12 is made of, for example, metal.

When viewed in the stored state, the main body 11 (housing 13) has a trapezoidal (truncated isosceles triangle) outer shape with rounded upper corners and tapering downward when viewed in the front-to-back direction. When viewed in the stored state, the main body 11 (housing 13) has a trapezoidal outer shape with rounded upper corners and tapering downward when viewed in the left-to-right direction. When viewed in the stored state, the main body 11 (housing 13) has a rectangular outer shape with rounded corners.

When stored, the cap 12 extends downward from the tip of the main body 11, has a cylindrical shape with a rounded bottom end, and contains a temperature sensor, such as a thermistor, inside. In this way, the thermometer 2 is an electronic thermometer with a temperature sensor. The display 14 is located in an opening on the front of the housing 13 when stored, and displays the body temperature measured by the temperature sensor, the remaining battery power, etc.

The two side walls 5 are arranged facing each other on both sides of the width direction Dw of the internal space 3 so as to cover at least the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 in the stored state. The two thickness direction walls 6 are arranged on both sides of the internal space 3 in the thickness direction Dt so as to expose at least the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 in the stored state, and each connects two side walls 5. The tip wall 7 is arranged below the internal space 3 so as to cover at least the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 in the stored state, and connects two side walls 5. Both ends of the tip wall 7 in the width direction Dw are connected to the lower ends of the side walls 5. Note that the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 may be configured to contact the upper surface of the tip wall 7 in the stored state, or may not be configured so as to contact the upper surface of the tip wall 7 in the stored state.

The two side walls 5 have a reduced portion 5a consisting of two flat portions that slope downward so that the distance between them in the width direction Dw decreases. When the thermometer 2 is in the stored state, the display 14 of the thermometer 2 is located between the reduced portions 5a. The length L2 of the reduced portion 5a in the longitudinal direction Dl is at least half the length L1 of the two side walls 5 in the longitudinal direction Dl. The inclination angle of the two flat portions that make up the reduced portion 5a is set to be equal to the inclination angle of the housing 13 of the thermometer 2 in the stored state. Therefore, when viewed from the front, the two flat portions that make up the reduced portion 5a extend along the housing 13 of the thermometer 2 in the stored state.

The two side walls 5 have an enlarged portion 5b below the narrowed portion 5a, where the distance between the two side walls 5 in the width direction Dw increases downward. The enlarged portion 5b has two flat portions that slope so that the distance between the two side walls 5 in the width direction Dw increases downward. The two flat portions that make up the enlarged portion 5b are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the thermometer 2 and case 1 along the longitudinal direction D1. The enlarged portion 5b is not limited to a configuration with two flat portions. The enlarged portion 5b smoothly connects to the lower end of the narrowed portion 5a via a curved portion.

The two side walls 5 have a tip portion 5c located below the enlarged portion 5b, where the distance between the two side walls 5 in the width direction Dw decreases downward. The tip portion 5c has two flat portions that slope so that the distance between the two side walls 5 in the width direction Dw decreases downward. The two flat portions that make up the tip portion 5c are arranged symmetrically about the central axis of the thermometer 2 and case 1 along the longitudinal direction D1. The tip portion 5c is not limited to a configuration with two flat portions. The tip portion 5c smoothly connects to the lower end of the enlarged portion 5b via a curved portion.

The case 1 is formed by the upper end of the front wall 10, the upper end of the rear wall 9, and the upper ends of the two side walls 5, and has an insertion opening 15 into which the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 can be inserted with its tip 2a facing downward. At the insertion opening 15, the upper ends of the front wall 10 and the rear wall 9 are located higher than the upper ends of the two side walls 5. However, this is not limiting, and for example, the upper ends of the front wall 10 and the rear wall 9 may be configured to be lower than the upper ends of the two side walls 5.

The thermometer 2 can be stored by inserting it into the internal space 3 through the insertion opening 15 with the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 facing downward. When stored in the case 1, the thermometer 2 is sandwiched between the two thickness-direction walls 6 on both sides in the thickness direction Dt and between the two side walls 5 on both sides in the width direction Dw.

The case 1 has a front opening 16 located on the front side of the internal space 3, and a rear opening 17 located on the rear side of the internal space 3. In the stored state, at least the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 is located between the front opening 16 and the rear opening 17.

The front opening 16 is formed by the lower end of the front wall 10, the front ends of the two side walls 5 (portions below the front wall 10), and the front end of the tip wall 7. The rear opening 17 is formed by the lower end of the rear wall 9, the rear ends of the two side walls 5 (portions below the rear wall 9), and the rear end of the tip wall 7. The front opening 16 is provided over a wider area in the longitudinal direction Dl than the rear opening 17.

The upper end of the rear opening 17 is located below the narrowing portion 5a, and more specifically, at the same height as the lower end of the expanding portion 5b. However, the position of the upper end of the rear opening 17 is not limited to this, and may be located, for example, below the lower end of the expanding portion 5b, below the narrowing portion 5a but above the lower end of the expanding portion 5b, or above the narrowing portion 5a.

The upper end of the front opening 16 is located above the enlarged portion 5b, more specifically, at the height of the upper ends of the two side walls 5. However, the position of the upper end of the front opening 16 is not limited to this; for example, it may be located below the enlarged portion 5b, or it may be located above the enlarged portion 5b and below the height of the upper ends of the two side walls 5.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6 to 8, the reduced portions 5a of the two side walls 5 each have a locking protrusion 18 on the inner surface in the width direction Dw that locks the thermometer 2 to prevent it from moving forward when stored. The two locking protrusions 18 are provided symmetrically on the upper part of the reduced portion 5a with respect to the central axis of the thermometer 2 and case 1. However, the two locking protrusions 18 are not limited to this, and may be provided, for example, on the lower part of the reduced portion 5a, or may be provided asymmetrically. The two locking protrusions 18 prevent the thermometer 2 from moving forward so that the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 protrudes forward from the front opening 16 when stored. To facilitate this effect, it is preferable that the two locking protrusions 18 have an elongated shape in the vertical direction, as shown in the figure.

As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the rear wall 9 has a locking hole 8 that penetrates the rear wall 9. The locking hole 8 can lock a protrusion 19 provided on the underside of the thermometer 2. This prevents the thermometer 2 from moving above the front opening 16 when stored. As shown in Figure 9, the protrusion 19 and the cover 13b are each provided on the rear surface of the thermometer 2, which is located at the rear when stored. The protrusion 19 is a hemispherical protrusion, and the locking hole 8 is a circular through-hole when viewed from the front and rear. Note that the shapes of the protrusion 19 and the through-hole that constitutes the locking hole 8 are not limited to these; for example, the protrusion 19 may be a protrusion or a convex rib with a shape other than hemispherical, and the through-hole may be shaped to match the shape of the protrusion 19.

The lid 13b can open and close a circular opening in the housing main body 13a, which is used to insert and remove a button battery from inside the housing main body 13a. When stored, the lid 13b is circular when viewed from the front to back. The lid 13b has a slit groove 20 extending linearly in the radial direction. By inserting and twisting an engaging member such as a coin or flathead screwdriver into the slit groove 20, the lid 13b can be rotated 90 degrees circumferentially (in the direction indicated by the white arrow in Figure 9) between an open/close position where the lid 13b can be opened and closed, and a closed position where the lid 13b is kept closed. Furthermore, the protrusion 19 is located on an extension of the slit groove 20 in the open/close position. This configuration allows the protrusion 19 to be used as a marker for rotating the lid 13b to the open/close position, eliminating the need for a separate printed marker. This is advantageous because the printing will not fade even if the thermometer 2 is frequently wiped clean.

In Figure 9, the slit groove 20 in the closed position is shown by a two-dot chain line, and the slit groove 20 in the open/closed position is shown by a solid line. The radial direction refers to the radial direction relative to the rotation center of the lid 13b, and the circumferential direction refers to the circumferential direction relative to the rotation center of the lid 13b. The rotation angle of the lid 13b is not limited to 90°.

According to this embodiment, the thermometer 2 can be stably held in the stored state by the two side walls 5 (particularly the reduced portion 5a and the two locking protrusions 18), the two thickness direction walls 6, the convex portion 19, and the locking hole 8. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 in the stored state is protected from the outside by the two side walls 5 and the tip wall 7, thereby reducing the occurrence of breakage or malfunction.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the thermometer 2 and case 1 can be easily disinfected by simply immersing them in a cleaning liquid, such as a disinfectant or cleaning solution, in their stored state. For example, disinfectant can penetrate the surface of the thermometer 2 and the inner surface of the case 1 through the front opening 16 and rear opening 17. After leaving them for a predetermined time, the case 1 can be removed from the disinfectant and dried, easily completing the cleaning process. Furthermore, since the locking hole 8 is a through-hole, the disinfectant can easily reach the inside of the locking hole 8 and the protrusion 19 of the thermometer 2, and dirt can be prevented from accumulating in the locking hole 8 after the cleaning process. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the thermometer 2 can be stably held in its stored state, and hygiene can be easily maintained.

In addition, in this embodiment, the two side walls 5 have enlarged portions 5b, ensuring a wide gap in the width direction Dw between the tip ends 5c of the two side walls 5. Therefore, when performing cleaning work by wiping, fingers can be easily inserted between the tip ends 5c, making cleaning work easy.

This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

Therefore, the thermometer case 1 according to the above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways, as long as it has an elongated shape defining a longitudinal direction Dl, a width direction Dw, and a thickness direction Dt, and can store a thermometer 2 in the internal space 3 with the tip 2a facing one side in the longitudinal direction Dl. It has two side walls 5 on both sides of the internal space 3 in the width direction Dw to cover at least the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 in the stored state, two thickness walls 6 on both sides of the internal space 3 in the thickness direction Dt to connect the two side walls 5, and a locking hole 8 that penetrates one of the thickness walls 6 and can lock the protrusion 19 of the thermometer 2 to prevent the thermometer 2 from moving to the other side in the longitudinal direction Dl in the stored state. Furthermore, the thermometer set 4 according to the above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways, as long as it is a thermometer set 4 including a thermometer case 1 and a thermometer 2.

For example, the length of the reduced portion 5a in the longitudinal direction Dl does not have to be more than half the length of the two side walls 5 in the longitudinal direction Dl. The two side walls 5 do not have to have an expanded portion 5b. The two side walls 5 do not have to have a configuration in which the distance between the tip portions 5c of the two side walls 5 in the width direction Dw decreases downward. The two side walls 5 do not have to have two locking protrusions 18. The thermometer 2 does not have to have a lid 13b.

In the thermometer case 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the two side walls 5 preferably have a reduced portion 5a made up of two flat plate-shaped portions that are inclined so that the distance between the two side walls 5 in the width direction Dw decreases toward one side in the longitudinal direction Dl, and the length of the reduced portion 5a in the longitudinal direction Dl is at least half the length of the two side walls 5 in the longitudinal direction Dl.

The thermometer case 1 according to the above-described embodiment is preferably a case 1 in which the two side walls 5 have an enlarged portion 5b on the one side in the longitudinal direction Dl, where the spacing between the two side walls 5 in the width direction Dw increases toward that side in the longitudinal direction Dl, and the enlarged portion 5b is located on the one side in the longitudinal direction Dl relative to the reduced portion 5a.

The thermometer case 1 according to the embodiment described above preferably has a tip wall 7 that connects the two side walls 5 and is provided on one side of the internal space 3 in the longitudinal direction Dl so as to cover at least the tip 2a of the thermometer 2 in the stored state.

In the thermometer set 4 according to the embodiment described above, the thermometer 2 preferably has a lid 13b, the lid 13b has a slit groove 20 that extends linearly in the radial direction, and is rotatable in the circumferential direction between an open/close position where the lid 13b can be opened and closed, and a closed position where the lid 13b is kept closed, with the protrusion 19 located on an extension of the slit groove 20 in the open/close position.

1 Case 2 Thermometer 2a Tip 3 Internal space 4 Thermometer set 5 Side wall (width direction wall)
5a Reduced portion 5b Expanded portion 5c Tip portion 6 Thickness direction wall 7 Tip wall 8 Locking hole 9 Rear wall 10 Front wall 11 Main body portion 12 Cap 13 Housing 13a Housing main body 13b Lid 14 Display 15 Insertion opening 16 Front opening 17 Rear opening 18 Locking protrusion 19 Convex portion 20 Slit groove Dl Longitudinal direction Dt Thickness direction Dw Width direction L1 Longitudinal length of two side walls (widthwise walls) L2 Longitudinal length of reduced portion

Claims (4)

A thermometer case having an elongated shape defining a longitudinal direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction, in which a thermometer can be stored in an internal space with the tip of the thermometer facing one side in the longitudinal direction,
two widthwise walls provided on both sides of the internal space in the width direction so as to cover at least the tip of the thermometer in a stored state;
two thickness direction walls provided on both sides of the internal space in a thickness direction so as to expose at least the tip of the thermometer in the stored state, the thickness direction walls connecting the two width direction walls, respectively;
a locking hole that penetrates one of the thickness direction walls and is capable of locking a protrusion of the thermometer so as to restrict the thermometer in the stored state from moving toward the other side in the longitudinal direction ,
the two width-direction walls have a narrowing portion made up of two flat plate-like portions that are inclined so that the widthwise distance between the two width-direction walls narrows toward the one side in the longitudinal direction,
the length of the reduced portion in the longitudinal direction is equal to or greater than half of the length of the two width-direction walls in the longitudinal direction;
A case in which the two width-direction walls have an expanding portion on the one side in the longitudinal direction of the narrowing portion, in which the width-direction spacing between the two width-direction walls expands toward the one side in the longitudinal direction . The case according to claim 1 , further comprising a tip wall that is provided on the one side in the longitudinal direction of the internal space and connects the two widthwise walls so as to cover at least the tip of the thermometer in the stored state. A thermometer set comprising the case according to claim 1 or 2 and the thermometer. 4. The thermometer set according to claim 3, wherein the thermometer has a lid, the lid has a slit groove extending linearly in a radial direction, and is rotatable in a circumferential direction between an open/close position where the lid can be opened and closed and a closed position where the lid is kept closed, and the protrusion is located on an extension of the slit groove in the open / close position.