stethoscope head

Abstract

A stethoscope head includes a shell, the shell including a first portion that is open on one side and contracted on the other side, and a second portion located on one side of the first portion, the shell being formed by integral metal stamping; a core member located inside the shell and including a fourth portion that closely fits the inner wall of the second portion of the shell; and a connector that is a hollow tube extending from the outside of the shell into the space in the middle of the core member, the space in the middle of the core member being connected to the sound pickup space of the stethoscope head. The stethoscope head using the above structure has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and is simple to assemble, and is particularly suitable for use as a disposable stethoscope head.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an auscultation head of a stethoscope. Background Art

[0002] The stethoscope is a common diagnostic tool used by doctors. Its structure includes a stethoscope head, a sound guide tube, and an ear hook. The stethoscope head can be either a membrane or cup type. The membrane head is excellent for hearing high-frequency sounds, while the cup type is suitable for hearing low-frequency sounds or noises. Some stethoscopes are double-sided, with both a membrane and cup type head, which can be switched between by simply rotating 180°. Existing stethoscopes, especially high-end ones, typically have heads made of lathe-machined metal, resulting in high costs. To prevent cross-infection in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, stethoscopes must be constantly sterilized or disposable, which is more suitable. Consequently, disposable stethoscopes made entirely of plastic have emerged in the prior art, including stethoscope heads. Plastic can be molded in one go, making both the material and the process very inexpensive. However, plastic's light weight makes it easy to shift during use, resulting in an unpleasant feel. Furthermore, plastic is weak and easily damaged. In particular, sound is easily attenuated in plastic and the pickup effect is poor. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art and provide a stethoscope head with low production cost, good sound pickup effect and suitable for disposable use.

[0004] The stethoscope head of the present invention comprises:

[0005] A housing, the housing comprising a first portion with an open side and a contracted side, and a second portion located on the contracted side of the first portion, the first portion and the second portion of the housing being integrally stamped from metal;

[0006] a core member, the core member being located inside the shell and comprising a fourth portion located inside the second portion of the shell and tightly fitted with an inner wall of the second portion;

[0007] The connecting piece is a hollow tube, which passes through the second part and the fourth part of the core from the outside of the second part of the shell and extends into the space in the middle of the core. The space in the middle of the core is connected to the sound pickup space of the stethoscope head.

[0008] The stethoscope head adopting the above structure has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture and assemble, and is particularly suitable for use as a disposable stethoscope head.

[0009] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the core piece is manufactured by a metal one-shot molding process or a plastic one-shot molding process.

[0010] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the core further comprises a third part located in the first part of the shell, and the cavity in the middle of the third part forms a third cavity.

[0011] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the open end of the third part of the core piece is smaller than the inner side of the maximum edge of the opening of the first part of the shell, and has a circle of protruding parts, and the plane formed by the protruding parts protrudes from the plane formed by the outer circle part of the protruding parts.

[0012] A further technical solution of the present invention is: it also includes a diaphragm and a diaphragm fixing structure, and the diaphragm fixing structure fixes the diaphragm to the opening edge of the first part of the shell.

[0013] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the opening edge portion of the first part of the shell is flipped outward to form a flange parallel to the opening plane, the diaphragm covers the opening, the outer edge of the diaphragm is aligned with the outer edge of the flange, the elastic ring is arranged on the outer ring of the opening of the shell, and the inner ring of the elastic ring is provided with a groove, which can accommodate the flange and the edge of the diaphragm into the groove together, and the flange and the diaphragm are tightly embraced so that the diaphragm is fixed at the opening of the shell.

[0014] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the diaphragm fixing structure includes an annular ring, which includes an annular ring end face portion with a hollow center and an annular ring edge portion, and the annular ring edge portion is tightly matched with the opening edge of the shell.

[0015] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the fourth part of the core member forms a plane on its peripheral wall, and the opening of the second hole is opened on the plane of the fourth part. Correspondingly, the middle of the second part of the shell is a cavity of corresponding shape, and the side wall of the second part of the shell also has a corresponding plane. The first hole is opened at the position of the second hole on the plane of the side wall of the second part. The second hole passes through the fourth part from the outer wall of the fourth part into the interior of the fourth part and is connected with the fourth cavity inside the fourth part. The fourth cavity and the third cavity formed by the third part are connected on the contraction side of the third cavity.

[0016] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the cross-section of the fourth portion of the core is approximately elliptical and lacks a portion on one side of its major axis.

[0017] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the connecting piece and the second hole are tightly matched.

[0018] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the fourth cavity is arranged in a direction deviating from the opening of the second hole on the fourth part.

[0019] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the second hole is inclined toward the opening of the stethoscope head when extending from the opening toward the inside.

[0020] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the top wall of the second part of the shell and the end surface of the fourth part of the core are arranged to be inclined toward the opening of the stethoscope head when extending from the direction of the opening of the first hole or the second hole to the other side.

[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide a stethoscope that has low production cost, good sound pickup effect, and is suitable for disposable use.

[0022] The present invention is a stethoscope, and its technical solution includes an auscultation head of a stethoscope having any of the above technical solutions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The specific contents of the present invention are further illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0024] Figure 1 : A schematic structural diagram of this embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 : Figure 1 Top view of .

[0026] Figure 3 : Schematic diagram of the structure of the annular ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Example 1: Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment includes a housing 1, which includes a trumpet-shaped first portion 11 and a second portion 12 located on the trumpet-shaped contraction side of the first portion 11 and protruding toward the contraction side. The trumpet mouth of the first portion 11 is the opening of the first portion 11, and the second portion 12 has a surrounding side wall 121 and a top wall 122 located at the end. A first hole 14 is provided on the side wall 121 of the second portion 12. The first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the housing 1 are integrally stamped from metal.

[0028] a core member 2, the core member 2 being located inside the housing 1 and comprising a trumpet-shaped third portion 21 located inside the first portion 11 of the housing 1 and matching the shape of the first portion 11, and a fourth portion 22 located inside the second portion 12 of the housing 1 and tightly fitting with the second portion 12. The fourth portion 22 is provided with a second hole 24 at a position corresponding to the first hole 14 of the second portion 12 of the housing 1. The second hole 24 extends from the outer wall of the fourth portion 22 through the fourth portion 22 into the interior of the fourth portion 22 and communicates with a fourth cavity 26 inside the fourth portion 22. The fourth cavity 26 communicates with a third cavity 25 formed by the third portion 21 at the contraction side of the third cavity 25.

[0029] The connecting member 3 is a hollow tube that extends from the outside of the second portion 12 on the contracted side of the housing 1 through the first hole 14 of the second portion 12 and the second hole 24 of the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2 to the center of the core member 2. The end of the connecting member 3 located outside the housing 1 is connected to the sound guide tube of the stethoscope.

[0030] a diaphragm 4 covering the opening of the housing 1;

[0031] The elastic ring 5 is located at the outer ring of the opening of the shell 1. The diaphragm 4 is fixed at the opening of the shell 1 through the cooperation between the groove 51 set at the inner ring of the elastic ring 5 and the flange 16 set at the opening edge of the shell 1.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the housing 1 is formed by metal stamping, and the entire housing 1 is a metal thin-wall structure.

[0033] In the present invention, in order to make the second part 12 of the shell 1 and the fourth part 22 of the core member 2 fit closely with each other, the fourth part 22 of the core member 2 and the second part 12 of the shell 1 must have three points of contact on the circumference, and they must be in close contact. Ideally, the cross-sectional shapes of the fourth part 22 of the core member 2 and the second part 12 of the shell 1 completely correspond to each other and a transition fit or interference fit is used between them. In this way, the fourth part 22 of the core member 2 and the second part 12 of the shell 1 are tightly combined. Ideally, the above-mentioned cross-sectional shape is non-circular. During assembly, the fourth part 22 of the core member 2 and the second part 12 of the shell 1 can always be in the correct assembly direction based on the shape, thereby ensuring the accuracy of assembly.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2 is approximately elliptical and lacks a portion on one side of its major axis, forming a plane on its peripheral wall, and the second hole 24 is opened in the middle position of the plane of the fourth portion 22.

[0035] Correspondingly, the cross-sectional shape of the side wall 121 of the second part 12 of the shell 1 is a thin wall surrounding the shape, with a cavity of corresponding shape in the middle. Therefore, the side wall 121 also has a corresponding plane, and the first hole 14 is opened at the middle position of the plane of the side wall 121 of the second part 12 corresponding to the second hole 24.

[0036] Because the cross-sections of the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2 and the second portion 12 of the housing 1 correspond to each other and are non-circular cavities, they are always in the correct assembly orientation during assembly. Furthermore, after assembly is complete, the first hole 14 and the second hole 24 are completely aligned, simplifying assembly. Furthermore, due to the shape of the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2, when the connector 3 passes through the first hole 14 and the second hole 24 and extends into the middle of the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2, the length of the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2 in the direction of the connector 3 is longer than its length in a direction perpendicular to the connector 3. Consequently, more of the connector 3 contacts the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2, making assembly of the connector 3 and the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2 more reliable.

[0037] It should be pointed out here that although the shape of the second part 12 of the shell 1 can be set arbitrarily to a certain extent, considering that the shell 1 adopts a stamping forming process and the difficulty in manufacturing the stamping mold and designing the stamping process, the above shape is a more ideal choice in terms of performance and cost.

[0038] The end of the connecting piece 3 that is exposed from the stethoscope head is usually connected to the sound guide tube of the stethoscope, and the end of the sound guide tube generally rests on the outer wall of the second part 12 of the shell 1. The second part 12 of the shell 1 is set to a plane on the side that cooperates with the connecting piece 3, which is also convenient for cooperation with the sound guide tube.

[0039] In order to simplify the assembly process, the connecting member 3 and the second hole 24 in the above embodiment are tightly fitted.

[0040] At the end where the second hole 24 extends into the fourth part 22 of the core member 2 is a fourth cavity 26 connected to the second hole 24. In order to allow the connecting member 3 to have more contact with the fourth part 22 of the core member 2, the fourth cavity 26 is not arranged in the middle position of the fourth part 22, but is arranged in a direction deviating from the opening of the second hole 24 on the fourth part 22. Accordingly, the contracted position of the third cavity 25 corresponds to the fourth cavity 26.

[0041] In the above embodiment, to further reduce space, the second hole 24 is inclined toward the third portion 21 of the core member 2 as it extends inward. This inclination corresponds to the direction of the stethoscope's opening. Specifically, the second hole 24's opening is farther from the third portion 21, and the second hole 24 extends closer to the third portion 21 when it reaches the interior of the fourth portion 22. If the second hole 24 is inclined at a larger angle, it may directly communicate with the third cavity 25, eliminating the need for the fourth cavity 26.

[0042] Due to the inclined setting of the above-mentioned second hole 24, the top wall 122 of the second part 12 of the shell 1 and the end face of the fourth part 22 of the core member 2 are arranged to be inclined toward the first part 11 of the shell 1 or the third part 21 of the core member 2 when extending from the direction of the opening of the first hole 14 or the second hole 24 to the other side. The above-mentioned inclined direction is also the opening direction of the stethoscope head.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the third part 21 of the core member 2 plays a role in picking up sound. The third cavity 25 formed by the third part 21 needs to be in the shape of a trumpet with one side open and the other side contracted. The first part 11 of the shell 1 mainly functions to accommodate the third part 21 of the core member 2. The shape of the first part 11 is not limited to the trumpet shape as long as it has an opening and can accommodate the third part 21. It is just that considering the compactness of the space, it is more reasonable to make it into a trumpet shape.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the core member 2 can be formed using a one-shot metal molding process such as zinc die-casting. A metal core member 2 has improved sound attenuation and better sound pickup. Alternatively, the core member 2 can be formed using a plastic one-shot molding process such as injection molding. A plastic core member 2 can be tightly fitted to the outer shell 1, with the metal material of the shell 1 offsetting some of the sound attenuation. This improves sound pickup compared to existing stethoscopes made entirely of plastic.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the open end of the third portion 21 of the core 2 is smaller than the inner side of the maximum edge of the opening of the first portion 11 of the housing 1 and has a protrusion 211. The plane formed by the protrusion 211 protrudes beyond the plane formed by the outer portion. Thus, when the middle portion of the diaphragm 4 covers the open end of the third portion 21 and the edge of the diaphragm 4 is fixed to the edge of the open end of the first portion 11 of the housing 1 by the elastic ring 5, the middle portion of the diaphragm 4 is pushed out by the protrusion 211 of the third portion 21, thereby maintaining the diaphragm 4 in a taut state.

[0046] The outer ring portion of the protruding portion 211 can be the third portion 21 of the core member 2. In this case, the third portion 21 of the core member 2 will have an extension on the outer ring of the protruding portion 211; or it can be the first portion of the shell 1. In this case, the third portion 21 of the core member 2 does not extend on the outer ring of the protruding portion 211, that is, the protruding portion 211 is the outermost ring of the third portion 21 of the core member 2.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the opening edge portion of the first part 11 of the shell 1 is flipped outward by a stamping process to form a flange 16 parallel to the opening plane, and the outer edge of the flange 16 is aligned with the outer edge of the diaphragm 4. At the same time, the third part 21 of the core 2 has an extended edge 212 on the outer ring of the protruding part 211, and the outer edge of the extended edge 212 is aligned with the outer edge of the flange 16 and the outer edge of the diaphragm 4. The inner ring of the elastic ring 5 is provided with a groove 51, which can accommodate the flange 16, the extended edge 212 of the third part 21, and the edge of the diaphragm 4 to enter the groove 51 together, and hold the flange 16, the extended edge 212, and the diaphragm 4 together, so that the diaphragm 4 is fixed at the opening of the shell 1.

[0048] When the third part 21 of the core 2 does not extend to the outer edge of the protrusion 211, the groove 51 of the elastic ring 5 can accommodate the flange 16 and the edge of the diaphragm 4 into the groove 51, and hold the flange 16 and the diaphragm 4 together, so that the diaphragm 4 is fixed at the opening of the shell 1.

[0049] The structure in which the third part 21 of the core 2 has an extended edge 212 at the edge of the protruding part 211 is suitable for situations where the overall manufacturing precision is high. This structure can provide support for the core 2 at the edge of the opening, so that the core 2 and the shell 1 fit better.

[0050] The structure in which the third portion 21 of the core 2 does not extend at the edge of the protruding portion 211 is suitable for applications with lower overall manufacturing precision. In such cases, an extended edge would create a gap between the edge and the opening of the housing 1, affecting the securing of the diaphragm 4 there. Of course, lower manufacturing precision also results in lower manufacturing costs.

[0051] When assembling the stethoscope head, the fourth portion 22 of the core member 2 is assembled into the second portion 12 of the housing 1. At this point, the first hole 14 and the second hole 24 are automatically aligned. The connector 3 is then inserted through the first hole 14 of the housing 1 and assembled into the second hole 24 of the core member 2. The diaphragm 4 is then placed over the opening of the housing 1, and the edge of the diaphragm 4 is aligned with the edge of the flange 16 at the opening of the housing 1. Finally, the elastic ring 5 is pressed against the outer edges of the diaphragm 4 and the flange 16, completing the assembly. The diaphragm 4 and the elastic ring 5 can be the same standard stethoscope parts.

[0052] In the above embodiment, an annular ring 7 can be used to replace the elastic ring. The annular ring 7 includes an annular ring end face portion 71 with a hollow center at the end face and an annular ring edge portion 72, and the annular ring edge portion 72 is tightly fitted with the opening edge of the shell 1. The hollow portion in the center of the annular ring end face portion 71 exposes the diaphragm, and when the annular ring 7 presses the diaphragm 4 against the opening edge of the shell 1, the diaphragm 4 is fixed by the tight fit between the two. When using the annular ring, a flange at the shell opening can be provided, or a flange at the shell opening can be omitted, and the edge of the shell opening can even be turned inward. The tight fit between the annular ring edge portion and the opening edge of the shell can be achieved by utilizing the thin-walled structure of the shell to have a certain degree of elasticity.

[0053] Among the present invention, can not use diaphragm, then the stethoscope head can be used as cup-type stethoscope head.At this moment, the opening of housing can not be provided with flange, also can not use elastic ring.

[0054] In this invention, the third core section can be omitted, leaving the first housing section as the sound pickup component. In this case, the first section needs to be shaped like a horn. This allows the fourth cavity to communicate directly with the sound pickup space of the first section. With this setup, a diaphragm can also be used, creating a membrane-type earpiece design. However, the lack of a third core section reduces the tension of the diaphragm. Alternatively, a cup-type earpiece design can be adopted without the diaphragm.

[0055] Of course, the stethoscope head of the present invention can also be used as the stethoscope head of an ordinary stethoscope, and its cost advantage is obvious.

Claims

1. A stethoscope head, characterized in that: include, A housing, the housing comprising a first portion with an open side and a contracted side, and a second portion located on the contracted side of the first portion, the first portion and the second portion of the housing being integrally stamped from metal; a core member, the core member being located inside the shell and comprising a fourth portion located inside the second portion of the shell and tightly fitted with an inner wall of the second portion; a connecting member, which is a hollow tube extending from the outside of the second portion of the shell through the second portion and the fourth portion of the core member and into the space in the middle of the core member, wherein the space in the middle of the core member is connected to the sound pickup space of the stethoscope head; The fourth part of the core member has a plane formed on its peripheral wall, and the opening of the second hole is opened on the plane of the fourth part. Correspondingly, the middle of the second part of the shell is a cavity of corresponding shape, and the side wall of the second part of the shell also has a corresponding plane. The first hole is opened on the plane of the side wall of the second part at a position corresponding to the second hole. The second hole extends from the outer wall of the fourth part into the interior of the fourth part and is connected with the fourth cavity inside the fourth part. The fourth cavity is connected with the sound pickup space of the stethoscope head.

2. The stethoscope head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core piece is manufactured by adopting a metal one-shot molding process or a plastic one-shot injection molding process.

3. The stethoscope head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core also includes a third part located in the first part of the shell, and the cavity in the middle of the third part forms a third cavity.

4. The stethoscope head according to claim 3, characterized in that: The open end of the third part of the core is smaller than the inner side of the maximum edge of the opening of the first part of the shell, and has a circle of protruding parts. The plane formed by the protruding parts protrudes from the plane formed by the outer circle part of the protruding parts.

5. The stethoscope head according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: The invention also includes a diaphragm and a diaphragm fixing structure, wherein the diaphragm fixing structure fixes the diaphragm to the opening edge of the first part of the shell.

6. The stethoscope head according to claim 5, characterized in that: The opening edge portion of the first part of the shell is turned outward to form a flange parallel to the opening plane. The diaphragm covers the opening, and the outer edge of the diaphragm is aligned with the outer edge of the flange. The elastic ring is set on the outer ring of the opening of the shell, and the inner ring of the elastic ring is provided with a groove. The groove can accommodate the flange and the edge of the diaphragm to enter the groove together, and the flange and the diaphragm are tightly embraced so that the diaphragm is fixed at the opening of the shell.

7. The stethoscope head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fourth portion of the core member has a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape and lacks a portion on one side of its major axis.

8. The stethoscope head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fourth cavity is arranged in a direction deviating from the opening of the second hole on the fourth part.

9. The stethoscope head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second hole is inclined toward the opening of the stethoscope as it extends inward from the opening.

10. A stethoscope, characterized in that: An auscultation head of a stethoscope comprising any one of the above claims.

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