Pumps – Three or more cylinders arranged in parallel – radial – or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2003-07-15
Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Three or more cylinders arranged in parallel, radial, or...
C091S499000, C092S071000, C092S09800R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06592339
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a small-sized pump device that is used as means for sending air into a cuff band member for use on a blood pressure meter or into various kinds of air supplies and applying pressure to its interior, and a blood pressure meter using this small-sized pump device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general type of blood pressure meter has an appearance such as that illustrated in FIGS.
38
(A) and
38
(B) and has a construction illustrated in FIG.
39
.
When having its main body cover
79
demounted, the blood pressure meter has equipped therein an electromagnetic valve
87
, a display panel
81
, a control circuit
93
, a small-sized. pump device
91
, a pressure sensor
89
, and a slow leak valve
85
. The cuff band member
83
and a group of the small-sized pump device
91
, slow leak valve
85
, electromagnetic valve
87
, and pressure sensor
89
are connected to each other by means of a hollow tube
95
.
And, when turning on a measuring switch after a power source is supplied to the blood pressure meter, the electromagnetic valve is closed, and the small-sized pump device performs its pumping operation to thereby speedily send air into the cuff band member and thereby pressurize the same. And, when the pressurization of the cuff band member up to a set value has been sensed by the pressure sensor, the small-sized pump device is stopped. And the pressure within the cuff band member is reduced by gradually discharging the air therewithin at a fixed speed through the slow leak valve. And while this pressure is being reduced, measurement is performed of a change in pressure and measurement is performed of the blood pressure value and the pulsation. After completion of such measurements, the electromagnetic valve is released in order to speedily discharge the air remaining within the cuff band member. And display is made of the measurement results on the display panel.
The above-described operation will now be explained with reference to a flow chart of
FIG. 40
illustrating a pneumatic system as well as with reference to an electric block diagram of FIG.
39
. First, the cuff band member
83
that is connected to the blood pressure meter is wound around the arm to thereby make preparations for measurement. Next, when having turned on the power source button of the blood pressure meter, the conditions to be set in the pressurization, etc., are displayed on the display panel
81
. Here, in a case where set conditions to be set in the pressurization should be changed, this change can be made by operating pressurization set buttons. In a case where performing no changes in the set conditions, a push is made on a measurement-starting button.
When the measurement-starting button is pushed, an electric power is supplied to the electromagnetic valve
87
, whereby the electromagnetic valve
87
is closed.
Almost simultaneously with this, the power is also supplied to the small-sized pump
91
, whereby air is sent into the cuff band member
83
by the small-sized pump
91
.
Regarding the pressured value within the cuff band member
83
, into which air is sent, the analog signal obtained from the pressure sensor
89
is converted to a digital value by an A/D converter circuit, which is arbitrarily detected by a microcomputer (the control circuit
93
). The power is supplied to the small-sized pump
91
until the pressure value within the cuff band member reaches from 0 mm Hg to the pressure value of the set conditions for the pressurization (e.g., a set value ranging from 160 to 280 mm Hg).
The control circuit compares the digital value with the set value and, when the digital signal is smaller than the set value, continues to drive the pump. When the pressure within the cuff band member
83
reaches the set value, the control circuit stops the small-sized pump device
91
. On the other hand, the slow leak valve
85
gradually discharges the air within the cuff band member
83
with units of a fixed amount (several mm Hg/sec) and thereby goes on reducing the pressure therewithin.
During this time period, the fluctuation in the pressure in the cuff band member is measured as pulse waves by the pressure sensor
89
and is sampled at prescribed intervals by the microcomputer
93
.
By the pulse waves being detected, the maximum blood pressure, the minimum blood pressure, and the pulsation are respectively determined. Generally saying, at the point in time when the pressure reduction has been made up to approximately 50 mm Hg, the measurement of the maximum blood pressure value and the minimum blood pressure value are ended. A time period required in doing so, will be about 30 seconds.
After that determination, a signal indicating the end of the measurement is generated, whereby the supply of the power to the electromagnetic valve
87
is stopped and the cuff band member
83
is released. As a result of this, the air having remained within the cuff band member
83
is speedily discharged, whereby the pressure value is made to be 0 mm Hg.
Along with this, the maximum blood pressure value, the minimum blood pressure value, and the pulsation times, which are the measurement results, are displayed on the panel of the display portion
81
.
And, as the small-sized pump device used in the above-described blood pressure meter, there is the one that is shown in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2551757. Illustration is made of this pump device in
FIG. 41. A
reference numeral
101
denotes a small-sized DC motor. A reference numeral
103
denotes an output shaft of a small-sized DC motor
101
; a reference numeral
105
denotes a case that has been mounted on an output shaft surface of the small-sized DC motor
101
. A reference numeral
107
denotes a collar that has been mounted on the output shaft
103
. On the collar
107
is mounted a drive shaft
109
that is inclined at a prescribed angle with respect to the output shaft
103
and a forward end of that exists on a center axis of the output shaft
103
. A reference numeral
111
denotes a drive member that is formed into the shape of a circular plate. Also, a reference numeral
113
denotes a diaphragm member and a reference numeral
115
denotes a diaphragm portion that is shaped like a hanging bell extended downward from the diaphragm member
113
and formed integrally therewith. And a reference numeral
117
denotes a drive portion located at the center of the diaphragm portion. A reference numeral
119
denotes a valve element portion that is shaped like a circular-cylindrical configuration extended upward from the central portion of the diaphragm member
113
and formed integrally therewith. The drive portion
117
is forcedly inserted into a hole of the drive member
111
and is retained thereby. A reference numeral
121
denotes a lid member. The lid member
121
is fixed to the case
105
with the diaphragm member
113
being clamped between the lid member
121
and the case
105
. Pump chambers
123
a
,
123
b
are formed by the space formed between the lid member
121
and the diaphragm portion
115
. A reference numeral
125
denotes a valve chamber portion formed in a central portion of the lid member
121
in such a way as to be directed upward, and
127
denotes an exhaust port. The valve element portion
119
is in contact with the inner-peripheral surface of the valve chamber portion
125
and is arranged to close the passage. A reference numeral
129
denotes a spherical valve element member, which has formed therearound a plurality of suction openings
131
.
In the small-sized pump device that has been constructed as mentioned above, upon rotation of the output shaft
103
due to the supply of an electricity to the small-sized DC motor
101
, the drive shaft
109
rotates together with the collar
107
. As a result of this, the drive member
111
makes a countersunk turn motion, whereby the drive portion
117
of the diaphragm member
113
is vibrated in the vertical direction. The volume of the pump chamber
123
is thereby periodically c
Fukushima Toshiaki
Nakamoto Yoshirou
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Freay Charles G.
Scully Scott Murphy & Presser
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