Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – To produce composite – plural part or multilayered article
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-18
2001-11-20
Ortiz, Angela (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article
C264S272150, C264S277000, C264S272170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319448
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of the production of apparatus and instruments, more particularly those subjected to extreme conditions of use and/or cleaning, and has for its object a process for the production of an apparatus or instrument, as well as an apparatus or instrument, particularly of the electronic thermometer type, obtained by this process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Certain apparatus or instruments enclosing electrical and/or electronic components can be used under conditions of shock, exposure to liquids, disinfection and strong chemical and physical aggression.
Such is particularly the case with electronic thermometers, particularly those used in a hospital environment.
However, these instruments are at present produced by assembly, for example by screwing, welding or snapping in, of two half shells or by assembly of a single shell body with a cap, the printed card or circuit supporting functional elements being first introduced into the body of these instruments.
As a result, there are joint lines and surface discontinuities, which constitute regions of weakness in terms of sealing, which can give rise to damage to the instrument, particularly when it is immersed for a prolonged period into a liquid, for example a disinfectant. Such instrument requires a long cleaning and disinfection time, which is troublesome for personnel in charge of this operation and for this reason often shortened.
There are known moreover techniques of production of pieces or elements by overmolding by injection of thermoplastic material, permitting creating pieces and elements resistant to shocks, compact and relatively sealed, without requiring recourse to fastidious and economically undesirable assembly processes.
However, the present overmolding techniques use wedging elements opening on the external surface of the overmolded piece and constitute discontinuities at this point, not permitting the overmolding of pieces sensitive to heat, or pressure, nor permitting a passage extending from the element to be overmolded to the external surface of the overmolded product. These techniques give rise to a large consumption of thermoplastic material, increasing the cost of production and the weight of the finished product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has particularly for its object to overcome at least certain of the mentioned drawbacks.
To this end, the present invention has for its object a process for the production of a measuring apparatus or instrument by total or partial overmolding of its functional and/or constituent elements, particularly of its components and electrical or electronic circuits, which comprises positioning the support structure carrying said functional elements and which can be present particularly in the form of one or several cards or plates, in an injection mold, said support structure being positioned in the mold particularly by means of at least one element in the form of a cap or shell provided on said support structure and of which a portion of the wall at least rests directly against the internal surface of said mold, then in injecting, after closing the mold, the thermoplastic material adapted to form the body or at least a part of the body of the apparatus or of the instrument in question and covering entirely or partially the element or elements in the form of a cap or shell, except the wall or walls or portions thereof in contact with the internal surface of the mold of this latter and, finally, after solidification of the thermoplastic material, extracting said apparatus or instrument from said mold.
The invention also has for its object an electronic thermometer comprising a card or printed circuit supporting the functional elements and connected to a module for detecting temperature terminating in a probe, obtained by the preceding process.
The invention will be better understood from the following description, which relates to a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, and explained with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
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Elefteriou Pierre
Kirchdoerffer Remy
Ortiz Angela
Young & Thompson
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