METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRONIC THERMOMETERS AND A THERMOMETER PRODUCED ACCORDING TO THE METHOD
Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to a method for fast, facile and accurate method is significantly increases when a greater number of components is to be applied and fixed within the thermometer tip, and as much as the accuracy of the relative spatial positioning of said components is important (such as in heat-flux-sensitive thermometers i.e., thermometers which calculate the temperature of a heat source without really measuring it, but by swiftly calculating it according to the differences between temperature data supplied to a calculation means from two apart heat sensors having different distances from the measured heat source).
More specifically the present invention relates to a method for a fast, facile and accurate placement and fixation of heat sensors or other components requiring a very accurate spatial positioning relatively to each other within the tip of a thermometer.
The present invention further relates to a thermometer produced according to the said method.
Background of the invention:
Up to date, electronic components are placed and fixed within the tip of electronic thermometers as separate free elements and are being wired to the main electronic circuit of the thermometer by means of separate wires. During the manufacturing process the components are firstly have to be placed, then adhered to the interior of the thermometer tip using
adhesive materials naturally requiring a predetermined hardening time, and then to be wired to the electronic circuit by soldering. This is a relatively long and complicated process by which the efficiency of the production line is significantly decreased. The problem is worsened as the number of components to be place within the thermometer tip grows, and as much as the accuracy of their relative spatial positioning is important, which is the situation with heat-flux-sensitive thermometers.
The accuracy of heat-flux-sensitive thermometers depends essentially on the accurate spatial positioning of the heat sensors relatively to each other. This is since the heat flux is calculated according to the temperature difference between the two sensors, which depends on the tiny gap between the sensors through which crosses the heat coming out of the measured heat source. In other words, the two sensors need to be located along the same axis, because heat flux must be defined along a well defined axis.
A thermometer tip usually has relatively small dimensions, and the thermometer probe is relatively thin (i.e. having a small cross-section diameter), such that the placement and fixation of the heat sensors and their associate electrical connections is very difficult, especially in terms of mass-production. The heat sensors (and other optional components such as associate resistors using as heaters) must be placed accurately in the required spatial position relatively to each other within the probe tiny tip. Furthermore the wiring of the said components through the relatively thin probe to the main electronic circuitry, is also a relatively complicated matter, wherein up to six different wires should be passed through the casing and be connected at the one end to a tiny electrical component, and at the other end to the main electronics circuit board.
Thus, a fast facile and accurate method for the production of thermometers is essentially required.
The method of the present invention simplifies and significantly industrializes the production technology of electronic thermometers, by enabling working on flat surfaces, and using common conventional production machines.
Summary of the invention:
The present invention relates to a fast facile and accurate method for the production of electronic thermometers, especially heat-flux-sensitive thermometers i.e., thermometers which calculate the temperature of a heat source without really measuring it, but by swiftly calculating it according to temperature differences data supplied to a calculating means from two apart heat sensors having different distances from the measured heat-source.
More specifically the present invention relates to a method according which a narrow and elongated portion of a flexible electronic circuit board having a plurality of components (such as heat sensors and heating elements) fixed distant from each other on one of its ends according to a predetermined positioning design, is inserted into the thermometer tip bent according to the interior contour of the tip until the plurality of components meet a predetermined spatial position useful for calculating the heat-flux between at least two heat sensors by supplying their different temperature measurements to a calculator means through the inherent conductors and connector means of the electronic circuit board.
The said method facilitates the production of heat-flux-sensitive thermometers because by a single action of a robot inserting the flexible electronic circuit board into the probe, a plurality of components requiring a predetermined relative positioning are accurately placed and fixated.
Generally the present invention relates to a method for fast production of electronic thermometers, comprising (a) producing a plurality of identical narrow elongated circuit boards each having at least two terminals near one of its two remote ends adapted to receiving at least one electronic component, and at least two printed conductors in electrical connection with said terminals extending between its two remote ends; (b) soldering electronic components including at least one heat sensor to the said at least two terminals, at a predetermined location near the circuit board end; (c) inserting the end (the one including the heat sensor) of each of said narrow elongated circuit boards into a thermometer tip and fixing it therein.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elongated electronic circuit board is made of a flexible material and its end inserted into the thermometer tip is being positioned within the tip of the probe bent in adjustment to the tip inner contour.
According to various embodiments of the present invention, the method is further comprising connecting a plurality of conductor terminations located on the other opposite end of the narrow elongated circuit board to a temperature-computing means (in the context of the present invention called also "main electronic circuit board") of the thermometer.
According to one preferred embodiment connecting the said conductor terminations is by soldering the conductor terminations of the narrow
elongated circuit board to a matching conductor terminations of a main electronic circuit board of the thermometer. This could be done by conventional methods using common production machines (such as by mechanized soldering hot bar) as well known in the art.
According to another preferred embodiment the connection of the conductor termination is made by inserting the end of the narrow elongated electronic circuit board (with the conductor terminations) into a matching female connector of a temperature-computing means of the thermometer.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention the narrow elongated circuit board is an integral extension protruding from a main electronic circuit board of the thermometer.
The present invention further relates to an electronic thermometer, comprising a thermometer casing having an elongated probe, and a narrow elongated electronic circuit board extending through the interior of the elongated probe, wherein the narrow elongated circuit board has at least one heat sensor fixed on a first of its two apart ends, and said first end is located within the tip of the thermometer probe.
According to various preferred embodiments of the thermometer according to the present invention, the narrow elongated circuit board is made of a flexible material.
According to further embodiments, the end of the narrow elongated circuit board located within the thermometer tip is bent according to the inner contour of the tip. The present invention further relates to thermometers which their probe is having inner grooves for guiding the insertion and positioning of the electronic circuit board, and to
thermometers which their tip has means for guiding the bending and positioning of the end of a flexible electronic circuit board inserted into the tip.
According to various preferred embodiments of the thermometer according to the present invention the heat sensors and the temperature-computing means are placed on one integral electronic circuit board, wherein the narrow elongated circuit board having the heat sensors, is an extension protruding from the main electronic circuit board of the thermometer. According to other preferred embodiments the narrow elongated circuit board and the main electronic circuit board are connected to each other by means of an electrical connector or by means of soldering.
One specific preferred embodiment of the thermometer according to the present invention is of a heat-flux-sensitive thermometer, comprising at least two heat sensors located within a thermometer tip fixed near one end of a narrow elongated circuit board with a predetermined tiny gap between them, said gap is adapted for calculating the temperature of a measured heat source according to the temperature differences between the two sensors. According to one preferred embodiment of the said heat-flux-sensitive thermometer, the gap between the sensors is achieved by placing the two sensors facing each other from two opposite sides of one double-sided circuit board, which its width determines the gap in between.
Detailed description of the invention:
The present invention will be further described in detail by Figures 1-3. These Figures are solely intend to illustrate one preferred embodiment of a flexible electronic circuit board for insertion into a thermometer probe according to the method of the present invention, and in no manner intends to limit the scope of the invention.
Brief description of the Figures:
Figure 1 illustrates a front view of a flexible electronic circuit board for use in the method according to the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the flexible electronic circuit board of Figure 1, as it is seen before inserting it into a thermometer probe.
Figure 3 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a thermometer probe, with the flexible electronic circuit board of Figure 2 assembled within.
Detailed description of the Figures:
Figure 1 illustrates a front view of a double-sided narrow elongated flexible electronic circuit board (1) for use in the method according to the present invention. The flexible electronic circuit board (1) has a few electronic components resistors (5) and (6) using as heaters, and heat-sensors (2) and (3) (3 is not seen in Figure 1) soldered near a first of its two distant ends to the circuit board conductors (7). The conductors (7) terminate at the second of the circuit board two distant ends, using as
a male connector (6) to be connected to a corresponding female connector of the thermometer main circuitry (not illustrated).
Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the narrow elongated flexible electronic circuit board (1) of Figure 1, before inserting it into a thermometer probe. The heat sensors (2) and (3) are positioned facing each other on the two opposite planes of the double-sided flexible circuit board (1), which is using also as a thermal isolator between the two heat sensors, and determines the gap in between.
Figure 3 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a thermometer probe with the narrow elongated flexible electronic circuit board (1) of Figure 1 assembled within. The probe is comprised of a plastic tube (8) through which the flexible circuit board (1) is inserted, and of a metallic tip (2) within located that end of the flexible circuit board having the electronic components, bent according to the inner contour of the metallic tip (9). The probe has guiding slots in its inner walls (not illustrated) assisting in the insertion and final positioning of the flexible circuit-board within.
According to one embodiment of the method of the present invention the tube (8) and tip (9) are assembled prior to the insertion of the flexible circuit board. According to another embodiment of the method of the present invention the flexible circuit board is inserted to the open plastic tube first, then the end of the flexible circuit board is bent and the metallic tip is fixed to the tube.
The circuit board is connected through its male connector (6) termination, to a corresponding female connector of the thermometer main circuitry (not illustrated).