Dosage unit for anesthetic vaporizer

Abstract

The invention relates to a metering unit (100) for an anesthetic agent vaporizer (105), comprising a first shielding element (110), a second shielding element (120) and at least one support device (130). The first shielding element has an outer contour (114) and the second shielding element has an opening (122), wherein the opening has an inner contour (124) such that, when the metering unit is closed, the outer contour of the first shielding element at least partially rests on the inner contour of the second shielding element. The at least one support device is arranged such that it supports the first shielding element relative to the second shielding element within a shielding axis (140). For this purpose, the at least one support device has at least one resilient support element (170), in particular a resiliently supported pin (176), so that a deflection of the first shielding element relative to the second shielding element out of the shielding axis causes a restoring force into the shielding axis in a restoring direction via the support element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a metering unit for an anesthetic agent vaporizer, an anesthetic agent vaporizer, and a method for adjusting a mounting device on a metering unit for an anesthetic agent vaporizer. Background Art

[0002] Metering units are known that have a fixed shielding element and a movable shielding element that can be adjusted relative to the fixed shielding element. This adjustment is usually achieved by electrically or manually moving the movable shielding element out of or into the fixed shielding element. It is known to adjust the metering amount based on the distance traveled.

[0003] Furthermore, it is known to ensure precise support of the two shielding elements relative to one another in order to adjust the metering of the anesthetic agent by moving the shielding elements. German patent application DE 10 2019 006 327 describes, for example, that the movable shielding element is attached to a motor-driven movement device that is responsible for the movement. Alternatively or additionally, the movement device can also be adjusted by manual force. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved support of the two shield elements of a metering unit, in particular a particularly precise support of these shield elements.

[0005] To achieve this object, according to the invention, a first aspect of the invention proposes a metering unit for an anesthetic agent vaporizer, comprising a first shielding element, a second shielding element and at least one bearing device.

[0006] The first shield element has an outer contour, in particular a rotationally symmetrical outer contour. In the context of the present invention, “rotationally symmetrical” means that the outer contour has n-fold rotational symmetry or that at least one region of the outer contour is configured as a solid of revolution.

[0007] The second shield element has an opening, wherein the opening has an inner contour, in particular a rotationally symmetrical inner contour, such that when the metering unit is closed, the outer contour of the first shield element at least partially abuts the inner contour of the second shield element. Preferably, closing the metering unit results in closing the opening by causing the first shield element to abut against the second shield element.

[0008] At least one supporting device is arranged in such a way that it supports the first shielding element relative to the second shielding element in a shielding axis, wherein at least one supporting device has at least one resilient supporting element, in particular a resiliently supported pin, so that a deflection of the first shielding element relative to the second shielding element out of the shielding axis causes a restoring force entering the shielding axis in a restoring direction via the supporting element.

[0009] Within the scope of the present invention, it has been recognized that for precise metering of the anesthetic agent, it is particularly advantageous if the two shielding elements are supported with their respective contours, in particular their rotationally symmetrical contours, to prevent tilting out of the desired shielding axis, in particular from their respective axes of symmetry. To achieve this protection against tilting, it is known that at least one elastic region of the support plate can advantageously exert a restoring force into the shielding axis, so that the two shielding elements can be supported particularly reliably and firmly relative to one another.

[0010] Advantageously, the metering unit comprises a particularly simple structure consisting of two shielding elements and at least one supporting device, which ensures the support of the two shielding elements relative to each other. Such a structure can be provided particularly firmly, which ensures a particularly long durability.

[0011] Furthermore, a preferably rotationally symmetrical design of the two shield elements is advantageous, which allows particularly precise metering by the movement of the first shield element into the opening of the second shield element.

[0012] The dosing unit according to the invention ensures reliable metering over the long term due to its robust design and the precise mounting of the two shielding elements relative to one another. This is particularly advantageous because the dosing unit forms a core component of an appropriately designed anesthesia machine, and its functional capabilities ensure a high degree of reliability and durability for the corresponding anesthesia machine.

[0013] The resilient support element consists of a resiliently supported body which, due to its resilient support structure, exerts a spring force that overcomes the force effectively exerted on the deformation when at least a portion of the support element undergoes a corresponding deformation. The resilient support structure is part of the resilient support element. Within the meaning of the present invention, this spring force is a restoring force, and empirically, this spring force is applied in the restoring direction toward the shielding axis. Accordingly, the resilient support element is designed to deform when the second shielding element moves out of the shielding axis relative to the first shielding element, thereby exerting a corresponding spring force.

[0014] The metering unit is preferably designed in such a way that the restoring force of the at least one resilient bearing element, due to the shape of the other components, results in an acting force component entering the shielding axis. For this purpose, for example, multiple degrees of freedom of movement of the first shield element relative to the second shield element can be limited by the structure of the shield elements, for example to one or two spatial directions.

[0015] Preferably, the rotationally symmetrical outer contour and / or the rotationally symmetrical inner contour are rotationally symmetrical about the shielding axis.

[0016] Preferred embodiments of the metering unit according to the invention are described below.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, at least one support device is fixed to the second shielding element via a fixing mechanism. In this embodiment, the first shielding element is arranged to be movable relative to the at least one support device, and the metering of the anesthetic agent can be adjusted by the metering unit by moving the first shielding element relative to the second shielding element and thus relative to the at least one support device.

[0018] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the metering unit has exactly two supporting devices. In this case, the two supporting devices are fixed in such a way that they support the first shielding element relative to the second shielding element in the shielding axis. Preferably, the two supporting devices are arranged at a distance from each other along the shielding axis. In an example of this embodiment, the two supporting devices are respectively arranged on the shielding axis and are arranged perpendicular to the shielding axis. The use of two supporting devices along the shielding axis enables a particularly stable and reliable support of the shielding elements with respect to each other. In particular, the two supporting devices can provide a corresponding restoring force in the shielding axis in order to effectively prevent the shielding element from tilting out of the shielding axis in any way.

[0019] Preferably, the first shield element is a movable shield element and the second shield element is a fixed shield element. "Fixed" here means that the second shield element is arranged immovably with the opening relative to the metering unit and thus also relative to the correspondingly configured anesthetic agent vaporizer, whereas the first shield element is movable relative to the metering unit and thus also relative to the correspondingly configured anesthetic agent vaporizer.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the support device has at least two contact areas with the correspondingly supported shielding element, and these contact areas are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the shielding axis on at least one support device. The distance between the at least two contact areas and the shielding axis is adjustable, and at least one resiliently supported support element forms the at least one contact area. This allows the restoring force to be applied substantially uniformly via the at least two contact areas via the at least one resiliently supported support element for every possible restoring direction about the shielding axis. Preferably, the at least two contact areas are formed by at least two resiliently supported elements of the at least one support device. The at least two resiliently supported elements are preferably resiliently supported separately from one another. According to the present invention, resiliently supported support of a support element means that at least a portion of the support element is resiliently supported. In a variant of this embodiment, a particularly uniform provision of the possible restoring force is achieved by having at least three contact areas arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the shielding axis on at least one support device. For example, exactly four contact areas may be arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the shielding axis on at least one support device.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment, the resiliently supported support element can be releasably fixed by a fixing mechanism, so that after fixing, no spring force is transmitted through the support element as a restoring force. In this embodiment, the function of the support device after fixing by the fixing mechanism differs from its corresponding function before fixing. Therefore, according to the present invention, the resiliently supported support element is only resiliently supported before fixing. In this embodiment, the metering unit according to the present invention is particularly advantageous for easily mounting the two shielding elements relative to each other and / or for reorienting the two shielding elements relative to each other by loosening the fixing mechanism and reorienting the two shielding elements relative to each other based on the provided restoring force. In a particularly advantageous variant of this embodiment, the fixing mechanism includes a fixing screw. The screw is particularly advantageous in terms of manufacture and is robust in use. This provides a cost-effective, reliable, and particularly durable structure for the metering unit according to the present invention. In a preferred variant of this embodiment, the at least one support device includes multiple fixing holes for fixing via multiple fixing screws. Preferably, the hole cross-section of the fixing hole is larger than the hole cross-section required for the cross-section of the screw used for the fixing screw. This allows for improved calibration of the position of at least one support device on the corresponding shielding element, in particular on the second shielding element, and subsequent fixation of the fixing screw. Preferably, in this embodiment, the metering unit includes at least one additional fixing plate for at least one support device, which is arranged between the corresponding screw head of the fixing screw and the at least one support device to ensure wear of the support device due to the screw head and / or uniform pressure distribution of the screw head on the support device. Preferably, an additional fixing plate is provided for each support device, which has a number of additional fixing holes for the screws corresponding to the number of screws. In another example of this embodiment, a corresponding additional fixing plate is provided for each screw between the screw head and the support device.

[0022] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, at least one resiliently supported support element can be fastened to the support device via a screw connection. A spring associated with the support element is thus arranged between the screw connection and the support element. The provision of the screw connection allows the position of the support element relative to the respective shielding element to be variably adjusted, depending on the path of screwing the support element in or out of the screw connection.

[0023] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outer contour is a rotationally symmetrical outer contour, particularly preferably a conical outer contour. Furthermore, the inner contour is preferably a rotationally symmetrical inner contour, particularly preferably a conical inner contour, in particular a conical sleeve-shaped inner contour. The use of such an outer contour and inner contour advantageously allows the shielding element to be rotated about the corresponding axis of symmetry (which is preferably identical to the shielding axis) without altering the metering of the anesthetic agent by the metering unit. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no need for a fixing mechanism to prevent rotation of the corresponding shielding element.

[0024] In a variant of the aforementioned embodiment, the conical outer contour of the first shield element and the conical inner contour of the second shield element have approximately the same opening angle of the respective cone shapes. This allows the first shield element to rest particularly tightly against the second shield element when the metering unit is closed.

[0025] In an alternative embodiment, the rotationally symmetrical outer contour and the rotationally symmetrical inner contour are each configured in a pyramidal, elliptical, spherical or cylindrical manner.

[0026] In another particularly preferred embodiment, the first shielding element has a shielding handle. In this embodiment, preferably at least one supporting device applies a reset force to the first shielding element via the shielding handle by at least one elastically supported supporting element to support the first shielding element relative to the second shielding element. In a preferred variant of this embodiment, the supporting device has at least one supporting plate with a shielding handle opening. The shielding handle can be introduced through the shielding handle opening. Here, at least one elastically supported supporting element preferably extends at least partially into the shielding handle opening. By such extension of the elastically supported supporting element, contact between the supporting element and the shielding handle can be achieved for elastically supporting the corresponding shielding element provided with the shielding handle. Preferably, the deflection of the first shielding element out of the shielding axis causes the following reset force, which is transmitted to the first shielding element through at least one supporting element in the shielding handle opening and through the shielding handle and thereby provides a reset force entering into the shielding axis for the first shielding element. The corresponding restoring force is thus transmitted via the spring region of the support element to the shutter handle and, therefore, to the first shutter element. Particularly preferably, the elastic edge surrounds that portion of the shutter handle opening which can come into contact with the shutter handle. In particular, for concave shutter handle openings, this only involves a portion of the entire inner contour of the shutter handle opening.

[0027] In a particularly advantageous variant of the aforementioned embodiment, the at least one support plate is designed and arranged such that, before the sprung-supported support element is fixed and preferably after the at least one support device is arranged on the shield handle, the first shield element is centered on the shield axis when the metering unit is closed, so that the subsequent fixing of the sprung-supported support element achieves a permanent centering of the first shield element on the shield axis. In this case, the permanent centering ensures that a deflection of the first shield element out of the shield axis leads to a restoring force entering the shield axis. In one example of this advantageous variant, after fixing a plurality of screws, the enclosure of the at least one support device is loosened, so that after fixing, the support device consists of separate support plate parts that are individually fixed by the screws. However, these individually fixed support plate parts each have at least one support element, in particular at least one sprung-supported pin, by which, according to the invention, a corresponding restoring force is provided in the event of a deflection.

[0028] Preferably, the at least one supporting device consists of plastic.

[0029] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an anesthetic agent vaporizer is proposed having a metering unit according to at least one of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0030] The anesthetic agent vaporizer according to the invention has all the advantages of the corresponding metering unit according to the invention. In particular, the anesthetic agent vaporizer according to the invention allows particularly reliable metering of anesthetic agent through the opening of the second shielding element due to the reliable mounting of the two shielding elements relative to one another according to the invention.

[0031] According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a method for adjusting a support device on a metering unit for an anesthetic agent vaporizer is proposed. The method according to the invention comprises the following steps:

[0032] - introducing the first cover element into the opening of the second cover element, wherein the opening has an inner contour such that, when the metering unit is closed, the outer contour of the first cover element at least partially rests against the inner contour of the second cover element;

[0033] - turn off the metering unit; and

[0034] - at least two contact elements of at least one bearing device fastened to the second cover element are adjusted such that, when the metering unit is closed, the at least two contact elements form two contact areas with the first cover element, wherein at least one resilient bearing element forms the contact area of at least one bearing device.

[0035] The method according to the invention advantageously allows for a particularly precise mounting of the two shield elements relative to one another. In particular, the combination of the method according to the invention and the support device according to the invention allows for a reliable orientation of the shield elements relative to the shield axis in order to provide for the support of the two shield elements relative to one another.

[0036] Within the meaning of the present invention, a support element also constitutes a contact element that provides a contact region. Therefore, a contact element generally refers to an element that provides a contact region. This element can be a contact element that is fixedly connected to the support device, a contact element that is releasably or movably supported, and / or a resilient support element.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, arranging at least one support device on the first shield element comprises inserting a shield handle of the first shield element into a corresponding shield handle opening of the at least one support device. The respective support element preferably allows the shield handle to provide a restoring force to one of the two shield elements.

[0038] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the last step comprises removing a temporary enclosure of at least one supporting device, in particular a supporting plate of at least one supporting device, thereby dividing a plurality of individually fixed, separate supporting plate parts from the at least one supporting device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The present invention will now be explained in detail based on an advantageous embodiment schematically shown in the accompanying drawings. In detail:

[0040] Figure 1 shows a cross section of a first embodiment of a metering unit according to the invention;

[0041] Figure 2 A top view showing a supporting device of a first embodiment of a metering unit according to the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 A perspective sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of a metering unit according to the invention is shown;

[0043] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the method according to the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Figure 1 A cross section of a first embodiment of a metering unit 100 according to the invention is shown.

[0045] The metering unit 100 is located in an anesthetic vaporizer 105 for providing an anesthetic agent in the respiratory gas to be supplied to a patient. The metering unit 100 comprises a first shielding element 110, a second shielding element 120, and at least one support device 130, 130'. In the illustrated embodiment, the metering unit 100 comprises respective support devices 130, 130' on both sides of the two shielding elements 110, 120 along respective shielding axes 140. The two support devices 130, 130' are designed as mirror images of one another.

[0046] The first shield element 110 has a rotationally symmetrical outer contour 114, wherein the rotational symmetry is in the cross-sectional view. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the rotationally symmetrical outer contour 114 is a conical outer contour. The first shield element 110 is at least partially supported within the second shield element 120 , ie, in the opening 122 of the second shield element 120 .

[0047] The metering can be adjusted by lateral displacement of the first shielding element 110 relative to the second shielding element 120. This is achieved by a corresponding displacement mechanism, which is not shown in the illustrated embodiment. In an embodiment not shown, exactly one displacement motor, a plurality of displacement motors and / or manual adjustment are provided for lateral displacement of the shielding elements relative to one another.

[0048] The first shield element 110 has a shield handle 112, by means of which a moving mechanism can move the first shield element 110 laterally relative to the second shield element 120. Two receptacles 113, 113' are shown at both ends of the shield handle 112, by means of which the moving mechanism can be connected to the first shield element 110.

[0049] The opening 122 of the second cover element 120 has a rotationally symmetrical inner contour 124 which can at least partially rest against the rotationally symmetrical outer contour 114 of the first cover element 110 when the metering unit is closed. Figure 1 , a state of the metering unit 100 is depicted in which the metering unit is completely closed, so that the rotationally symmetrical outer contour 114 rests on the rotationally symmetrical inner contour 124 .

[0050] In the embodiment shown, both the rotationally symmetrical outer contour 114 and the rotationally symmetrical inner contour 124 are conical. In this case, the two conical shapes have approximately the same opening angle 115 , 125 .

[0051] In one embodiment (not shown), the rotationally symmetrical outer contour and the rotationally symmetrical inner contour are configured as a pyramid, ellipse, cylinder, or sphere. Preferably, in this embodiment, an anti-rotation device is used to prevent the first shield element from rotating relative to the second shield element. This anti-rotation device can be implemented, for example, by at least one groove in the shield element shaft along the shield axis and corresponding teeth (e.g., teeth of the second shield element) engaging in the groove.

[0052] According to the invention, the structure of the metering unit 110 is supplemented by at least one supporting device 130, 130'. Here, the two supporting devices 130, 130' are fixed to the second shielding element 120. The fixing is achieved by a corresponding number of screws 150, 150'. It is also shown that the corresponding contact elements 134, 134' are introduced into the corresponding supporting devices 130, 130' in order to form corresponding contact surfaces 135, 135' with the first shielding element 110, in particular with the shielding handle 112. Preferably, the corresponding supporting device has at least two contact surfaces with the first shielding element and / or the shielding handle. The detailed structure of the supporting devices 130, 130' cannot be seen due to the cross-sectional view. Figure 1 and therefore for better illustration in Figure 2 described within the scope of .

[0053] The contact surface between the shutter handle 112 and the support device 130, 130', present in the illustrated embodiment, constitutes a special variant of the contact region according to the present invention. This contact region can be formed by a plurality of surface or point-like contact portions. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact surface thus forms a special type of contact region.

[0054] Figure 2 A plan view of the support device 130 is shown in a sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of a metering unit 100 according to the invention.

[0055] The support device 130 has three bolt holes 152, 152', 152', through which the Figure 1 The screws shown in FIG. 1 implement a fixed connection of the support device 130 to the second shield element.

[0056] The support device 130 has two contact elements 134, 136, which are inserted into corresponding element openings 160, 160', 160" of the support device 130. This insertion is achieved via threads (not shown) within the element openings 160, 160', 160". The two contact elements 134, 136 thus provide two contact surfaces 135, 137 for contacting the shutter handle 112. This contact maintains the shutter handle 112 in a predetermined position. The predetermined position can be adjusted by moving the corresponding contact element 134, 136 within the element openings 160, 160', 160".

[0057] According to the invention, the support device 130 further comprises a support element 170, which is also arranged in one of the element openings 160". The support element 170 is resiliently supported due to a spring 172 of the support element 170. The support element 170 has a first section 174, which has a thread (not shown) to enable an adjustable connection to the support device 130. The support element 170 also has a second section 176, here a pin, which is connected to the first section 174 via the spring 172. The second section 176 is resiliently supported and provides a further contact surface 177 for supporting the first shielding element, in particular the shielding handle 112.

[0058] Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the three contact surfaces 135, 137, and 177 of the support device 130 hold the shield handle 112 in a predetermined position. Due to the spring 172 of the support element 170, a tilting or displacement of the first shield element with its shield handle 112 relative to the second shield element to which the support device 130 is fixed results in a spring force, caused by the deformation of the spring 172, that counteracts the tilting or displacement accordingly. Thus, the support device 130 according to the present invention achieves secure mounting of the first shield element relative to the second shield element by adjusting the corresponding contact surfaces 135, 137, and 177. Furthermore, the support device 130 can provide a restoring force that counteracts changes in the position of the first shield element relative to the second shield element.

[0059] In the exemplary embodiment shown, both contact elements 134 , 136 and the support element 170 can be moved and / or rotated within the corresponding element openings 160 , 160 ′, 160 ″ via receptacles for corresponding Allen keys.

[0060] In one embodiment (not shown), the support device comprises only a spring-supported support element without an additional contact element. In another embodiment (not shown), the support device comprises at least two spring-supported support elements.

[0061] It is particularly advantageous if the contact elements 134 , 136 and the support element 170 are designed rotationally symmetrically with respect to the closing axis 140 of the closing lever 112 . This results in a uniform force transmission via the existing contact surfaces 135 , 137 , 177 .

[0062] Within the meaning of the invention, the support element 170 is also a contact element which provides the contact surface 177. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment shown, a distinction is made between contact elements and support elements merely for reasons of clarity.

[0063] In an embodiment not shown, the shutter handle is held by two contact surfaces. In another embodiment not shown, the shutter handle is held by at least four contact surfaces. In this embodiment, all contact surfaces are preferably configured rotationally symmetrically about the shutter axis of the shutter handle.

[0064] In the embodiment shown, the second bearing device 130' is designed mirror-symmetrically to the bearing device 130 shown and therefore also has two contact elements and one bearing element. In an embodiment not shown, the metering unit has two bearing devices, and these two bearing devices have different numbers of contact surfaces, in particular different numbers of sprung bearing elements.

[0065] Figure 3 A perspective section is shown in the upper support of a first exemplary embodiment of a metering unit 100 according to the invention.

[0066] The perspective view shows a section perpendicular to the shielding axis, wherein the support device 130 is not shown. Figure 1 . This view illustrates the compact design of the metering unit 100. According to the invention, at least one support device 130, 130' with at least one resilient support element 170, 170' is provided in accordance with this design, which enables a particularly simple, space-saving, and reliable support of the first shielding element, which is otherwise inaccessible from the outside, via the shielding handle 112.

[0067] The space between the shutter handle opening 131 of the support device 130 and the shutter handle 112 is necessary at least in the embodiment shown, because the fluid to be metered is Figure 1As can be seen in the figure, the first shield element passes by in order to be guided further through the space of the shield handle opening 131. Therefore, it is particularly advantageous not to stabilize the first shield element by designing the shield handle opening 131 in a manner that is narrowly sized relative to the shield handle, but rather to ensure a stable position of the first shield element by the contact surfaces 135, 137, 177 of the support device 130. The first shield element is thus securely held within the shield handle opening 131, while the shield handle opening 131 provides additional space for the fluid to be metered to flow through.

[0068] The metering unit 100 according to the present invention is preferably integrated into the structure (not shown) of the surrounding anesthetic agent vaporizer. In this case, the anesthetic agent vaporizer preferably has suitable guides for the fluid to be metered toward the metering unit 100 and away from the metering unit 100.

[0069] In a supplementary or alternative embodiment of the metering unit according to the invention, not shown, at least a portion of the support element can be fixed by the support device after the two shielding elements are installed. Thus, after installation, the fixed support element is formed by the elastic support element. This can be achieved, for example, by a fixing screw, which presses against a portion of the support element, for example, here against the second section of the support element. The fixing screw can be arranged, for example, by a support plate arranged on the element opening. For this purpose, the support device preferably has a fixing thread in the area of the corresponding part of the support element. Therefore, in this supplementary or alternative embodiment, the elastic component of the support element is therefore only advantageous for the installation of the metering unit according to the invention, in particular for the reliable support of the first shielding element in a predetermined position relative to the second shielding element.

[0070] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a method 400 according to the present invention is shown.

[0071] The method 400 according to the invention is designed for adjusting a support device on a metering unit for an anesthetic agent vaporizer and comprises the following steps for this purpose.

[0072] A first step 410 comprises introducing a first cover element into an opening of a second cover element, wherein the opening has an inner contour such that an outer contour of the first cover element at least partially rests against an inner contour of the second cover element when the metering unit is closed.

[0073] A further step 420 comprises closing the metering unit.

[0074] The subsequent step 430 comprises adjusting at least two contact elements of at least one supporting device fastened to the second shielding element so that, during closing of the metering unit, the at least two contact elements form two contact areas with the first shielding element, wherein at least one sprung supporting element forms the contact area of at least one supporting device.

[0075] Preferably, method steps 410 , 420 and 430 are carried out in the order shown. Therefore, before the metering unit can be closed and the at least two contact elements can be adjusted, the first shield element must first be introduced into the opening of the second shield element.

[0076] Adjustment within the scope of the method according to the invention may alternatively or additionally include inserting a contact element, in particular a contact element made of plastic, into a corresponding opening in the support device. Particularly preferably, adjustment of the contact region corresponding to the spring-supported support element involves screwing the thread of the support element along its threaded connection to the rest of the support device. This allows adjustment of the stroke length of the support element extending into the corresponding opening in the support device.

[0077] By means of the assembly according to the method 400 , the first shield element is centered along the shield axis, as described within the scope of the preceding exemplary embodiments for the metering unit according to the invention.

[0078] Furthermore, the method 400 according to the invention can also be carried out again after wear of parts of the support device in order to realign the first shielding element along the shielding axis. The method according to the invention is therefore particularly advantageous when using a metering unit according to the invention in order to provide reliable and robust metering for an anesthetic agent vaporizer.

[0079] Preferably, arranging the at least one supporting device on the first shield element comprises introducing a shield handle of the first shield element into a corresponding shield handle opening of the at least one supporting device.

[0080] Preferably, the method finally comprises arranging at least one second bearing device on the first cover element and, after closing the metering unit, securing the second bearing device by means of a further securing mechanism, in particular by means of a further screw connection.

[0081] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the final step involves removing at least one surrounding portion of the support device. This allows the support device to be divided into a plurality of individually fixed support plate parts that are no longer connected to one another via a common surrounding portion. In this embodiment, the support device is designed as a multi-part support device.

[0082] Reference Signs List

[0083] 100 units of measurement

[0084] 105 anesthetic vaporizer

[0085] 110 first shielding element

[0086] 112 shielding handle

[0087] 113, 113' Accommodation

[0088] 114 outer contour

[0089] 115 The opening angle of the outer contour of the cone

[0090] 120 second shielding element

[0091] 122 opening of the second shielding element

[0092] 124 inner contour

[0093] 125 The opening angle of the inner contour of the cone

[0094] 130, 130' support device

[0095] 131 Covering the handle opening

[0096] 134, 136 contact elements

[0097] 135, 137 Contact surface / area of contact element

[0098] 140 blocking axis

[0099] 150, 150' bolts

[0100] 152, 152', 152'' bolt holes

[0101] 160, 160', 160'' component opening

[0102] 170, 170' contact element configured as a support element

[0103] 172 spring

[0104] 174 First section of the support element

[0105] 176 The second section of the supporting element, the pin

[0106] 177 Contact surface / area of supporting element

[0107] 400 Method

[0108] 410, 420, 430 method steps.

Claims

1. A metering unit (100) for an anesthetic vaporizer (105), comprising - a first shielding element (110) having an outer contour (114), a second cover element (120) having an opening (122), wherein the opening (122) has an inner contour (124) such that, when the metering unit (100) is closed, the outer contour (114) of the first cover element (110) at least partially rests against the inner contour (124) of the second cover element (120), - at least one bearing device (130) arranged in such a way that it supports the first shield element (110) relative to the second shield element (120) in the shield axis (140), wherein the at least one bearing device (130) has at least one resilient bearing element (170) in such a way that a deflection of the first shield element (110) relative to the second shield element (120) out of the shield axis (140) causes a restoring force in a restoring direction into the shield axis (140) via the bearing element (170), in, The support device (130) has at least two contact areas (135, 137, 177) with the corresponding supported shielding element (110), and these contact areas are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the shielding axis (140) on the at least one support device (130), wherein the spacing between the at least two contact areas (135, 137, 177) and the shielding axis (140) is adjustable, and the at least one elastically supported support element (170) forms at least one contact area (177).

2. A metering unit (100) for an anesthetic vaporizer (105), comprising - a first shielding element (110) having an outer contour (114), a second cover element (120) having an opening (122), wherein the opening (122) has an inner contour (124) such that, when the metering unit (100) is closed, the outer contour (114) of the first cover element (110) at least partially rests against the inner contour (124) of the second cover element (120), - at least one bearing device (130) arranged in such a way that it supports the first shield element (110) relative to the second shield element (120) in the shield axis (140), wherein the at least one bearing device (130) has at least one resilient bearing element (170) in such a way that a deflection of the first shield element (110) relative to the second shield element (120) out of the shield axis (140) causes a restoring force in a restoring direction into the shield axis (140) via the bearing element (170), in, The spring-supported support element (170) can be releasably fixed by a fixing mechanism, so that after fixing no spring force is transmitted via the support element (170) as a restoring force.

3. The metering unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one supporting device (130) is fixed to the second shielding element (120).

4. The metering unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The metering unit (100) has exactly two bearing devices (130, 130'), wherein the two bearing devices (130, 130') are fixed in such a way that they support the first shielding element (110) relative to the second shielding element (120) within the shielding axis (140).

5. The metering unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first shielding element (110) is a movable shielding element, and the second shielding element (120) is a fixed shielding element.

6. The metering unit (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The fixing mechanism includes a fixing bolt.

7. The metering unit (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The at least one resiliently supported support element (170) can be fixed to the support device (130) by means of a screw connection, so that a spring (172) assigned to the support element (170) is arranged between the screw connection and the support element (170).

8. The metering unit (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The outer contour (114) is a rotationally symmetrical outer contour, and the inner contour (124) is a rotationally symmetrical inner contour.

9. The metering unit (100) according to claim 8, wherein The conical outer contour (114) of the first shielding element (110) and the conical inner contour (124) of the second shielding element (120) have the same opening angles (115, 125) of the respective conical shapes.

10. The metering unit (100) according to claim 8, wherein The first shielding element (110) has a shielding handle (112), and wherein the at least one supporting device (130) supports the first shielding element (110) relative to the second shielding element (120) in such a manner that the at least one resiliently supported supporting element (170) applies a restoring force to the first shielding element (110) via the shielding handle (112).

11. The metering unit (100) according to claim 10, wherein The support device (130) comprises a shield handle opening (131), and wherein the at least one resiliently supported support element (170) at least partially projects into the shield handle opening (131).

12. The metering unit (100) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The at least one supporting device (130) is constructed and arranged in such a way that, before the elastically supported supporting element (170) is fixed, the first shielding element (110) is centered on the shielding axis (140) when the metering unit (100) is closed, so that a permanent centering of the first shielding element (110) on the shielding axis (140) is achieved by the subsequent fixing of the elastically supported supporting element (170).

13. The metering unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one bearing device (130) has a spring-mounted pin (176).

14. The metering unit (100) according to claim 8, wherein The outer contour (114) is a tapered outer contour, and wherein the inner contour (124) is a tapered inner contour.

15. An anesthetic agent vaporizer (105) having a metering unit (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims.

16. A method (400) for adjusting a support device (130) on a metering unit (100) for an anesthetic vaporizer (105), comprising the following steps: - introducing a first shielding element (110) into an opening (122) of a second shielding element (120), wherein the opening (122) has an inner contour (124) such that, when the metering unit (100) is closed, the outer contour (114) of the first shielding element (110) at least partially rests against the inner contour (124) of the second shielding element (120); - closing the metering unit (100); and - at least two contact elements (134, 136, 170) of at least one support device (130) fixed to the second shielding element (120) are adjusted so that, during the closing of the metering unit (100), the at least two contact elements (134, 136, 170) form two contact areas (135, 137, 177) with the first shielding element (110), wherein at least one spring-supported support element (170) forms the contact area (177) of the at least one support device (130), in, The support device (130) has at least two contact areas (135, 137, 177) with the corresponding supported shielding element (110), and these contact areas are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the shielding axis (140) on the at least one support device (130), wherein the spacing between the at least two contact areas (135, 137, 177) and the shielding axis (140) is adjustable, and the at least one elastically supported support element (170) forms at least one contact area (177).

17. A method (400) for adjusting a support device (130) on a metering unit (100) for an anesthetic agent vaporizer (105), comprising the following steps: - introducing a first shielding element (110) into an opening (122) of a second shielding element (120), wherein the opening (122) has an inner contour (124) such that, when the metering unit (100) is closed, the outer contour (114) of the first shielding element (110) at least partially rests against the inner contour (124) of the second shielding element (120); - closing the metering unit (100); and - at least two contact elements (134, 136, 170) of at least one support device (130) fixed to the second shielding element (120) are adjusted so that, during the closing of the metering unit (100), the at least two contact elements (134, 136, 170) form two contact areas (135, 137, 177) with the first shielding element (110), wherein at least one spring-supported support element (170) forms the contact area (177) of the at least one support device (130), in, The spring-supported support element (170) can be releasably fixed by a fixing mechanism, so that after fixing no spring force is transmitted via the support element (170) as a restoring force.

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