Metering unit for anesthetic vaporizer

Abstract

The invention relates to a dosing unit (100) for anesthetic vaporizers (105), having a first shutter element (110), a second shutter element (120) and at least one support plate (130). The first shutter element has a rotationally symmetrical outer contour (114). The second shutter element has an opening (122), wherein the opening has a rotationally symmetrical inner contour (124) such that, if the dosing unit is closed, the rotationally symmetrical outer contour of the first shutter element rests at least partially on the rotationally symmetrical inner contour of the second shutter element. The at least one support plate is fixed by a fixing mechanism such that it supports the first shutter element relative to the second shutter element in a shutter axis, wherein the at least one support plate has at least one elastic region which has a spring structure such that a deflection of the first shutter element relative to the second shutter element out of the shutter axis results in a restoring force into the shutter axis in a restoring direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a metering unit for an anesthetic vaporizer, an anesthetic vaporizer, and a method for mounting a support plate on the metering unit for the anesthetic vaporizer. Background Technology

[0002] A known metering unit has a fixed-position blending element and a movable blending element that can be adjusted relative to the fixed-position blending element. This adjustment is typically achieved by electrically controlling the movement of the movable blending element out of or into the fixed-position blending element. It is known that the metering is adjusted based on the distance traveled.

[0003] Furthermore, it is known that, in order to adjust the dosage of the anesthetic by moving the blocking elements, precise support of the two blocking elements relative to each other must be ensured. This is described, for example, in German patent application DE 10 2019 006 327, where the movable blocking elements are fixed to a motor-driven moving device responsible for the movement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The objective of this invention is to provide improved support for the two shielding elements of a metering unit, and in particular, especially precise support for these shielding elements.

[0005] According to the present invention, in order to solve this task, a metering unit for an anesthetic vaporizer is provided according to a first aspect of the present invention, the metering unit having a first shielding element, a second shielding element and at least one support plate.

[0006] The first blocking element has an outer contour, particularly a rotationally symmetric outer contour. Within the scope of this invention, "rotationally symmetric" means that the outer contour has n-fold rotational symmetry, or that at least one region of the outer contour is constructed as a body of revolution.

[0007] The second blocking element has an opening, wherein the opening has an inner contour, particularly a rotationally symmetrical inner contour, such that if the metering unit is closed, the outer contour of the first blocking element at least partially abuts against the inner contour of the second blocking element. Preferably, closing the metering unit causes the opening to close by causing the first blocking element to abut against the second blocking element.

[0008] The at least one support plate is fixed by a fixing mechanism such that it supports the first blocking element relative to the second blocking element within the blocking axis, wherein the at least one support plate has at least one elastic region, in particular at least two elastic regions, such that the at least one elastic region has a corresponding elastic structure such that the deflection of the first blocking element relative to the second blocking element from the blocking axis results in a reset force entering the blocking axis in the reset direction.

[0009] Within the scope of this invention, it has been recognized that, for the precise dosing of anesthetics, it is particularly advantageous that the two blocking elements are supported by their respective contours, especially their rotationally symmetrical contours, to prevent tilting out of the desired blocking axis, and especially to prevent tilting out of 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 apply a restoring force to the blocking axis, so that the two blocking elements can be supported particularly reliably and firmly relative to each other.

[0010] Advantageously, the metering unit comprises a particularly simple structure consisting of two shielding elements and at least one support plate, which ensures the support of the two shielding elements relative to each other. This structure can be provided in a particularly robust manner, which ensures exceptional durability.

[0011] Furthermore, a preferred rotationally symmetrical design of the two blocking elements is advantageous, which allows for particularly precise measurement through movement of the first blocking element into the opening of the second blocking element.

[0012] The metering unit according to the invention ensures reliable metering over a long period due to its robust structural form and the precise support of the two shielding elements relative to each other. This is particularly advantageous because the metering unit forms the core component of the correspondingly constructed anesthesia machine, thereby enabling the high reliability and durability of the corresponding anesthesia machine.

[0013] The elastic region is a region that resists the force effectively applied to the deformation caused by an external force. In the context of this invention, this spring force is a restoring force, and according to the invention, this spring force is applied in the restoring direction along the blocking axis. Accordingly, the elastic region is configured to deform when the second blocking element moves away from the blocking axis relative to the first blocking element, and a corresponding spring force is applied thereon.

[0014] The elastic structure of the corresponding elastic region is preferably a structure having at least one region with a small material thickness, which ensures that the corresponding elastic region is connected to another corresponding elastic region, or, in the case of only one elastic region, ensures connection to another part of the same elastic region. The elastic structure is advantageously configured to be elastic in order to support multiple elastic regions or one elastic region uniformly abutting against the corresponding blocking element and / or blocking handle. This allows for a particularly reliable providing of the restoring force according to the invention.

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

[0016] The preferred embodiments of the metering unit according to the present invention are described below.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, at least one support plate is fixed to the second shielding element by a fixing mechanism. In this embodiment, the first shielding element is movably arranged relative to the at least one support plate and the dosage of the anesthetic can be adjusted by the metering unit through movement relative to the second shielding element and thus relative to the at least one support plate.

[0018] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the metering unit has exactly two support plates. Here, the two support plates are fixed in such a way that they support the first blocking element relative to the second blocking element within the blocking axis. Preferably, the two support plates are arranged spaced apart from each other along the blocking axis. In this example embodiment, the two support plates are respectively arranged on the blocking axis and here perpendicular to the blocking axis. Using two support plates along the blocking axis enables particularly stable and reliable support of the blocking elements relative to each other. In particular, the two support plates can provide a corresponding restoring force entering the blocking axis to effectively prevent the blocking elements from tilting out of the blocking axis in any way.

[0019] Preferably, the first blocking element is a movable blocking element, and the second blocking element is a fixed blocking element. Here, "fixed position" means that the second blocking element is arranged immovably with an opening relative to the metering unit and thus also relative to the correspondingly constructed anesthetic vaporizer, whereas the first blocking element is movable relative to the metering unit and thus also relative to the correspondingly constructed anesthetic vaporizer.

[0020] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the support plate has at least two elastic regions, and these elastic regions are arranged rotationally symmetrically on at least one support plate relative to the blocking axis. This allows the restoring force to be applied substantially uniformly through at least two elastic regions with corresponding elastic structures for each possible restoring direction around the blocking axis. In a variation of this embodiment, where a particularly uniform possible restoring force is achieved, the embodiment has at least three elastic regions arranged rotationally symmetrically on at least one support plate relative to the blocking axis. For example, exactly four elastic regions can be arranged rotationally symmetrically on at least one support plate relative to the blocking axis.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the fixing device consists of a plurality of bolts. Bolts are particularly advantageous in manufacturing and are robust in application. Thus, a reliable and particularly durable structure of the metering unit according to the invention is provided at low cost. In a preferred variation of this embodiment, at least one support plate has a plurality of fixing holes for fixing by a plurality of bolts. Preferably, the cross-sectional areas of the fixing holes are respectively larger than the cross-sectional areas required for fixing the bolts. This achieves improved calibration of the position of at least one support plate on the corresponding shielding element, particularly on the second shielding element, and subsequently for fixing the bolts. In this embodiment, the metering unit preferably has at least one additional fixing plate for at least one support plate, which is arranged between the corresponding bolt head of one of the plurality of bolts and at least one support plate to ensure uniform pressure distribution on the support plate due to wear of the bolt head and / or the bolt head onto the support plate. Preferably, an additional fixing plate is provided for each support plate, which has a plurality of additional fixing holes for the bolts corresponding to the number of bolts. In another example of this embodiment, a corresponding additional fixing plate is provided between the bolt head and the support plate for each of the plurality of bolts.

[0022] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outer contour is a rotationally symmetrical outer contour, and more preferably a conical outer contour. Furthermore, the inner contour is also preferably a rotationally symmetrical inner contour, and more preferably a conical inner contour, particularly a conical sleeve-shaped inner contour. The use of such outer and inner contours advantageously allows the blocking element to rotate about its respective axis of symmetry (preferably the same as the blocking axis) without altering the dosage of the anesthetic via the metering unit. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no need to provide a fixing mechanism to prevent the rotation of the corresponding blocking element.

[0023] In a variation of the aforementioned embodiment, the tapered outer contour of the first blocking element and the tapered inner contour of the second blocking element have approximately the same angle of convergence for their respective tapered shapes. This allows the first blocking element to fit particularly tightly against the second blocking element when the metering unit is closed.

[0024] In an alternative implementation, the rotationally symmetric outer contour and the rotationally symmetric inner contour are respectively constructed as a pyramid, an ellipse, a sphere, or a cylinder.

[0025] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the corresponding at least one support plate is constructed as a single piece. This makes it particularly simple to manufacture at least one support plate, for example, by injection molding or 3D printing. Furthermore, the one-piece construction of the support plate provides particularly robust resistance to external influences, such as lateral forces. In an alternative embodiment, the at least one support plate is constructed as a multi-piece structure. Here, fixing areas can be provided on the respective support plate portions, enabling releasable fixing between the respective support plate portions to form the entire support plate.

[0026] In another particularly preferred embodiment, the first blocking element has a blocking handle. In this embodiment, preferably, at least one support plate supports the first blocking element relative to the second blocking element by applying a restoring force to the first blocking element via the blocking handle through a corresponding elastic region. In a preferred variant of this embodiment, at least one support plate has a blocking handle opening through which the blocking handle can be introduced via the at least one support plate. Preferably, the deflection of the first blocking element from the blocking axis results in a restoring force transmitted to the first blocking element via the elastic edge of the blocking handle opening and through the blocking handle, thereby providing a restoring force into the blocking axis for the first blocking element. The corresponding restoring force is thus transmitted to the blocking handle via the elastic region and via the elastic edge of the blocking handle opening, and thus to the first blocking element. The elastic edge advantageously surrounds the portion of the blocking handle opening that can contact the blocking handle. Especially for concave blocking handle openings, this only involves a portion of the entire inner contour of the blocking handle opening.

[0027] In a particularly advantageous variation of the foregoing embodiments, at least one support plate is constructed and arranged such that, before the plurality of bolts are fastened and after the at least one support plate is positioned on the blocking handle, the first blocking element is centered on the blocking axis when the metering unit is closed. This centeredness is then achieved by subsequently fastening the at least one support plate to the second blocking element with the plurality of bolts. Here, according to the invention, this sustained centering ensures that any deflection of the first blocking element from the blocking axis results in a restoring force entering the blocking axis. In one example of this advantageous variation, the enclosure of the at least one support plate is loosened after the plurality of bolts are fastened, so that the support plate, after fastening, consists of individual support plate portions, each individually fastened by bolts. However, each of these individually fastened support plate portions has at least one elastic region through which, according to the invention, a corresponding restoring force is provided in the event of deflection.

[0028] Preferably, at least one support plate is made of plastic.

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

[0030] The anesthetic vaporizer according to the invention possesses all the advantages of the corresponding metering unit according to the invention. In particular, the anesthetic vaporizer according to the invention allows for particularly reliable metering of the anesthetic through the opening in the second blocking element due to the reliable support of the two blocking elements relative to each other according to the invention.

[0031] According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a method for mounting a support plate on a metering unit for an anesthetic vaporizer is provided. The method according to the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0032] - At least one support plate having at least one elastic region, especially at least two elastic regions, is arranged on a first shielding element having an outer contour, especially a rotationally symmetrical outer contour, wherein the at least one elastic region has a corresponding elastic structure;

[0033] - The first blocking element is introduced into the opening of the second blocking element, wherein the opening has an inner contour, especially a rotationally symmetric inner contour, such that if the metering unit is closed, the outer contour of the first blocking element at least partially abuts against the inner contour of the second blocking element.

[0034] - Turn off the metering unit;

[0035] - During the period when the metering unit is closed, the at least one support plate is fixed to the second shielding element by a fixing mechanism, especially by a threaded connection.

[0036] The method according to the invention advantageously allows for particularly precise installation of the two shielding elements relative to each other. In particular, to provide support for the two shielding elements relative to each other, the combination of the method according to the invention and the support plate according to the invention allows for reliable orientation of the shielding elements relative to the shielding axis due to at least one elastic region.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, arranging at least one support plate on the first blocking element includes introducing the blocking handle of the first blocking element into a corresponding blocking handle opening of the at least one support plate. Here, the corresponding elastic region preferably allows a restoring force to be provided to one of the two blocking elements through the edge of the blocking handle opening.

[0038] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the final step includes removing the temporary enclosure of the at least one support plate, thereby dividing the at least one support plate into a plurality of individual, fixed, separate support plate portions. Attached Figure Description

[0039] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the advantageous embodiments schematically illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following are shown in detail:

[0040] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the measuring unit according to the present invention is shown;

[0041] Figure 2 A perspective view of a first embodiment of the measuring cell according to the present invention is shown;

[0042] Figure 3 Another illustration is shown of a first embodiment of the measuring unit according to the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 A perspective view of a second embodiment of the measuring unit according to the present invention is shown;

[0044] Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 A corresponding schematic diagram of a support plate according to a corresponding embodiment of the metering unit according to the invention is shown, wherein the support plate has three elastic regions having a V-shaped elastic structure. Figure 4 ) and the elastic structure of the waveform ( Figure 5 ), and wherein the support plate has two elastic regions, these elastic regions having an integral support plate ( Figure 6) and two-piece support plate ( Figure 7 );

[0045] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the method according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cross-section of a first embodiment of the measuring unit 100 according to the present invention is shown.

[0047] The metering unit 100 is located in an anesthetic vaporizer 105 for delivering anesthetic in the breathing gas to be supplied to the patient. Here, the metering unit 100 has a first shielding element 110, a second shielding element 120, and at least one support plate 130.

[0048] The first blocking element 110 has a rotationally symmetric outer contour 114, wherein, due to the cross-sectional view, the rotational symmetry is... Figure 1 Not visible in the image. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotationally symmetric outer contour 114 is a tapered outer contour. The first shielding element 110 is at least partially supported within the second shielding element 120, i.e., supported in the opening 122 of the second shielding element 120. The flow 106 of the anesthetic during operation of the anesthetic vaporizer 105 is shown by a series of arrows.

[0049] The measurement can be adjusted by lateral movement of the first blocking element 110 relative to the second blocking element 120. This is achieved by a corresponding moving mechanism, which in the illustrated embodiment consists of two moving motors 150, 150' arranged axially along the blocking axis 140. In an embodiment not shown, exactly one moving motor is provided and / or manual adjustment is performed to allow the blocking elements to move laterally relative to each other.

[0050] The first blocking element 110 has a blocking handle 112, through which the moving motors 150 and 150' cause the first blocking element to move laterally relative to the second blocking element 120.

[0051] The opening 122 of the second blocking element 120 has a rotationally symmetrical inner contour 124, which can at least partially abut against the rotationally symmetrical outer contour 114 of the first blocking element 110 if the metering unit is closed. Figure 1 The following state of the measuring unit 100 is shown in the figure. In this state, the measuring unit is not closed, so that the rotationally symmetrical outer contour 114 does not abut against the rotationally symmetrical inner contour 124.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, both the rotationally symmetrical outer contour 114 and the rotationally symmetrical inner contour 124 are constructed as cones. Here, the two cone shapes have approximately the same angles 115 and 125.

[0053] In an embodiment not shown, the rotationally symmetrical outer contour and the rotationally symmetrical inner contour are constructed in a pyramidal, elliptical, cylindrical, or spherical shape. Preferably, in this embodiment, an anti-rotation device is used to prevent the first blocking element from rotating relative to the second blocking element. Such an anti-rotation device can be implemented, for example, by at least one groove along the blocking axis within the blocking handle and corresponding teeth (e.g., teeth of the second blocking element) embedded in the groove.

[0054] According to the present invention, at least one support plate 130 is added to the structure of the metering unit 110. In the illustrated embodiment, two support plates 130, 130' are used to support the first blocking element 110 relative to the second blocking element 120.

[0055] Here, the two support plates 130, 130' are fixed to the second blocking element 120 by fixing mechanisms 132, 132' such that they support the first blocking element 110 relative to the second blocking element 120 within the blocking axis 140. In the cross-sectional view, two bolts are shown for each of the two support plates 130, 130' as fixing mechanisms 132, 132'.

[0056] The two support plates 130, 130' are secured by bolts, with optional additional fixing plates 160, 160' used in cases where the bolted fastening mechanism prevents wear on the respective support plates. The additional fixing plates 160, 160' are typically less flexible than the respective support plates 130, 130'. Preferably, the respective additional fixing plates 160, 160' are made of metal.

[0057] Figure 1 This only illustrates the basic structure of the measuring unit 100 according to the present invention. The precise design schemes of the two support plates 130, 130' according to the present invention are derived from two... Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is clearly visible in the perspective view shown.

[0058] The manner and method of movement of the first blocking element 110 relative to the second blocking element 120 shown can be configured differently for the metering unit according to the invention. Thus, for example, manual movement by a rotation mechanism, semi-automatic movement, and / or automatic movement adjusted by a sensor assembly (e.g., by providing an optical sensor assembly for detecting the current movement) can be provided.

[0059] Furthermore, different shapes can be provided for the first and second blocking elements for the metering unit according to the invention. The rotationally symmetrical outer contour can, in particular, have a different shape than the rotationally symmetrical inner contour. Importantly for the invention, in order to support the first blocking element within the blocking axis 140, the first blocking element is supported only by at least one support plate relative to the second blocking element.

[0060] The embodiments shown all have rotationally symmetrical outer and inner contours for the corresponding shielding elements. In embodiments not shown, the corresponding contours may also be constructed non-rotationally symmetrically, and still result in the support of the shielding elements of the metering cell according to the invention.

[0061] Figure 2 A perspective view of a first embodiment of the measuring unit 100 according to the present invention is shown.

[0062] Figure 2 The perspective view shows a support plate 130 with an additional fixing plate 160 arranged on it. Three bolts 132 are used as fixing devices, arranged on the second shielding element 120 via the additional fixing plate 160 and the support plate 130. Thus, the support plate 130 is fixed in its position. The additional fixing plate 160 supports the support plate under uniform load applied by the three bolt heads of the fixing mechanism 132 and protects the support plate 130 from corresponding wear.

[0063] The support plate 130 has at least one elastic region, namely three elastic regions 135, 135', and 135'', which have corresponding elastic structures 136, 136', and 136'', such that the deflection of the first blocking element 110 relative to the second blocking element 120 from the blocking axis 140 results in a reset force entering the blocking axis 140 along the reset direction.

[0064] In an embodiment not shown, a support plate having exactly one elastic region is used according to the invention to provide a corresponding restoring force. Here, the elastic region extends around the first blocking element, and the spring-loaded structure is the connection between the two regions of the elastic region. Thus, the elastic region, together with the spring-loaded structure, can be placed, for example, circumferentially around the first blocking element, and thereby abut against the first blocking element in such a way that a restoring force according to the invention is provided in the presence of deflection.

[0065] Here, the corresponding elastic structures 136, 136', 136'' hold the three elastic regions 135, 135', 135'' together in a fixed arrangement relative to the first blocking element 110. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the elastic regions 135, 135', 135'' have corresponding mounting surfaces 137, 137', 137'', which abut against the blocking handle 112 of the first blocking element 110 in the shown fixed state of the support plate 130.

[0066] In principle, Figure 1 The structure and fixation of the second support plate 130' on the side of the metering unit 100 (not shown here) are similarly designed. In an embodiment (not shown), the two support plates of the metering unit are constructed differently, and in particular have different structures for the elastic regions. In a metering unit according to the invention (not shown), only one support plate is provided so that the first blocking element is supported relative to the second blocking element on the blocking axis.

[0067] According to the invention, the support plate can also be fixed to the first blocking element, i.e., fixed to the movable blocking element. This can be achieved, for example, by fixing it to the blocking handle or another area of ​​the first blocking element and, depending on the handle arrangement or the orientation of the surrounding edge of the second blocking element. According to the invention, the support plate only needs to be fixed to one of the two blocking elements, and the other blocking element, for example, is structured in a way that allows it to provide a restoring force according to the invention when deflected from the blocking axis via the support plate.

[0068] Figure 3 Another illustration is shown of a first embodiment of the measuring unit 100 according to the present invention.

[0069] In this other perspective view, the direction of the restoring force 170 is shown in the regions of the three elastic areas 135, 135', and 135''. The restoring force 170 here rests directly against the corresponding mounting surfaces 137, 137', and 137'' and is transmitted to the first blocking element through the blocking handle 112. The second blocking element 120 is fixedly fixed within the metering unit, and in particular, is fixedly fixed within the anesthetic vaporizer (not shown) by corresponding fasteners.

[0070] It can be seen that the elastic regions 135, 135', and 135'' are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the blocking axis 140. Therefore, the corresponding restoring force 170 can be applied substantially in the restoring direction into the blocking axis 140, independent of the deflection direction of the first blocking element 110. Within the support plate 130, concave blocking handle openings 138 are constructed between the elastic regions 135, 135', and 135'' such that the blocking handle 112 can be precisely inserted into the concave blocking handle openings 138, so that the blocking handle evenly abuts against the three mounting surfaces 137, 137', and 137''. After the bolts are fixed as a fixing mechanism 132 for fixing the support plate 130, the corresponding spring structures 136, 136', and 136'' only fulfill the auxiliary task of orienting the corresponding elastic regions 135, 135', and 135''. In an alternative embodiment, the fixing mechanism is secured so firmly that the corresponding spring-loaded structure no longer affects the restoring force provided to the blocking axis according to the invention after at least one support plate has been fixed.

[0071] The support plate 130 also includes three fixing holes corresponding to three bolts (which serve as fixing mechanisms 132 herein), through which the bolts can be inserted to secure the support plate 130 together with the additional fixing plate 160 to the second shielding element 120. The support plate 130 is here constructed as a single piece. This allows for particularly cost-effective and simple manufacturing, for example by injection molding or 3D printing. The support plate according to the invention can also be constructed as a multi-piece, for example, two-piece, such as... Figure 8 As shown in the image.

[0072] Figure 4 A perspective view of a second embodiment of the measuring unit 400 according to the present invention is shown.

[0073] Measuring unit 400 and its accessories Figure 1 , 2 The difference between the metering unit 100 shown in Figure 3 and the one shown in Figure 3 is that no additional fixing plate is provided between the corresponding bolt head of the fixing mechanism 132 and the support plate 130. This reveals the corresponding V-shaped spring-loaded structures 136, 136', 136'' of the elastic regions 135, 135', 135'', which in particular spring-loadedly connect the elastic regions 135, 135', 135'' to each other. Therefore, the elastic regions 135, 135', 135'' surround the blocking handle 112 to support the blocking handle relative to the second blocking element 120.

[0074] Furthermore, it can be seen that the support plate 130 is made of a single piece of elastic material.

[0075] In embodiments not shown, the support plate is connected to the first or second shielding element by a plug connection, an adhesive connection, or other force-fit, shape-fit, or material-fit connection.

[0076] Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 Schematic diagrams of support plates 500, 600, 700, and 800 according to corresponding embodiments of the metering unit according to the present invention are shown respectively, wherein support plates 500 and 600 have three elastic regions 510 and 610, respectively, which elastic regions in Figure 5 It has a V-shaped elastic structure 520 and in Figure 6 The structure 620 has a wave-like elastic structure. Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the middle, the support plates 700 and 800 have two elastic regions 710 and 810, wherein the support plates 700 and 800 are in Figure 7 Manufactured in one piece, while Figure 8 It is manufactured in two parts. A one-piece support plate is not shown, but it can be formed, for example, by bringing together elastic regions into a common elastic region while maintaining one of the elastic structures shown.

[0077] Figure 5 A support plate 500 is shown, which is similar to the support plate 130 shown in the previous embodiment. The only difference between this support plate and support plate 130 is the structure of the elastic regions 510, 510', and 510''. If the blocking handle is inserted into the corresponding blocking handle opening 530 of the support plate 500, the circumference 535 of the blocking handle is shown as a dashed line. Finally, three fixing holes 540 are also provided for fixing the mechanism, i.e., fixing holes for multiple bolts, preferably for three bolts.

[0078] According to the illustration of other elements of the measuring unit according to the invention, the corresponding spring-loaded structures 520, 520', 520'' ensure the orientation of the corresponding mounting surfaces 515, 515', 515'' of the three elastic regions 510, 510', 510'' relative to the blocking handle. Therefore, before the support plate is fixed by the corresponding fixing device, the spring-loaded structures 520, 520', 510'' allow the elastic regions 510, 510', 510'' to be oriented such that, according to the invention, the deflection of the first blocking element relative to the second blocking element, i.e., the deflection of the blocking handle of the first blocking element from the blocking axis, results in a restoring force entering the blocking axis along the reset direction. After the support plate is fixed by the corresponding fixing mechanism, if the fixing mechanism loosens over time, the spring-loaded structures are only auxiliary or no longer meaningful for the function of the measuring unit according to the invention.

[0079] exist Figure 6 The difference between the support plate 600 and support plate 500 shown is that the spring-loaded structures 620, 620', and 620'' are wavy. In one embodiment (not shown), the corresponding spring-loaded structures are teardrop-shaped, triangular, rectangular, or S-shaped. In another embodiment (not shown), the spring-loaded structures are constructed differently within a single support plate.

[0080] Figure 7 A support plate 700 according to the invention is shown, having two elastic regions 710, 710' with corresponding spring-loaded structures 720, 720'. Furthermore, the support plate 700 includes four fixing holes 740 for corresponding bolts to be used as fixing elements. Corresponding mounting surfaces 715, 715' are curved and thus abut against the retaining handle in specific portions around its circumference.

[0081] This embodiment of the support plate 700 is particularly advantageous with Figure 8 The support plate 800 shown is illustrated in combination, and the support plate according to the invention can also be constructed in multiple parts.

[0082] therefore, Figure 8 The support plate 800 in the middle mainly shows the relationship with Figure 7 The support plate 700 is similar in structure to the support plate in the previous version, with the only major difference being that form-fitting fixing components 825 and 825' are provided at the ends of the respective spring-loaded structures 820 and 820' to fix the two support plate portions 805 and 805' onto each other, thereby forming the entire support plate 800 according to the invention. The fixing components 825 and 825' are here implemented by respective end parts 826 and 826' of the respective spring-loaded structures 820 and 820' and corresponding end part receiving portions 827 and 827', the respective end parts 826 and 826' being form-fitted into the end part receiving portions.

[0083] In one embodiment not shown, the support plate portions of a multi-piece support plate are connected to each other by adhesive, screwing, or plugging to form a support plate according to the invention.

[0084] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the method 900 according to the present invention is shown.

[0085] The method 900 according to the present invention is configured to mount a support plate on a metering unit for an anesthetic vaporizer. Here, method 900 comprises the following method steps.

[0086] The first step 910 includes arranging at least one support plate having at least one elastic region, particularly two elastic regions, on a first shielding element having a rotationally symmetrical outer contour, wherein the elastic regions have corresponding elastic structures.

[0087] The next step 920 includes introducing the first blocking element into the opening of the second blocking element. Here, the opening includes a rotationally symmetrical inner contour such that if the metering unit is closed, the rotationally symmetrical outer contour of the first blocking element at least partially abuts against the rotationally symmetrical inner contour of the second blocking element.

[0088] The subsequent step 930 includes shutting down the metering unit.

[0089] The final step 940 for installation includes securing at least one support plate to the second shielding element by means of a fixing mechanism, particularly by means of a threaded connection, during the closure of the metering unit.

[0090] Step 920 then leads to step 930, whereby the first blocking element is introduced into the opening for such a long period of time that the metering unit is closed.

[0091] Step 910 may be performed before or after step 920 and before or after step 930. According to the invention, step 910 must be performed before step 940 because, according to the invention, the support plate is fixed by the fixing device only after it has been arranged on the first blocking element.

[0092] By means of the method 900 according to the invention, the first shielding element is centered along the shielding axis, as described in the foregoing embodiments for the metering cell according to the invention.

[0093] Furthermore, the method 900 according to the invention can also be repeated after the wear of the support plate portion, so as to enable the recentering of the first blocking element along the blocking axis. Therefore, the method according to the invention is particularly advantageous when using the metering unit according to the invention, in order to provide reliable and robust metering for the anesthetic vaporizer.

[0094] Preferably, arranging at least one support plate on the first blocking element includes introducing the blocking handle of the first blocking element into a corresponding blocking handle opening of at least one support plate.

[0095] Preferably, the method finally includes arranging at least one second support plate on the first shielding element, and fixing the second support plate by another fixing mechanism, in particular by another threaded connection, after the metering unit is closed.

[0096] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the final step includes removing the surrounding portion of at least one support plate. Thus, the support plate can be divided into multiple individually fixed support plate portions, which are no longer interconnected by a common surrounding portion. In this embodiment, the support plate is constructed as a multi-piece support plate. In particular, this embodiment makes it possible to remove the corresponding spring-loaded structure by removing the surrounding portion after the support plate has been fixed to the first blocking element.

[0097] List of attached figures

[0098] 100 and 400 units of measurement

[0099] 105 Anesthetic vaporizer

[0100] 106 Flow

[0101] 110 First blocking element

[0102] 112 Handle shield

[0103] 114 Rotationally symmetric outer contour

[0104] 115 Angle of the outer contour of the cone

[0105] 120 Second shielding element

[0106] 122 Opening

[0107] 124 Rotationally symmetric inner contour

[0108] 125° Angle of the inner contour of the cone

[0109] 130, 130', 500, 600, 700, 800 support plates

[0110] 132, 132' Fixed mechanism

[0111] 135, 135', 135'', 510, 510', 510'', 710, 710' Flexible area

[0112] 136, 136', 136'', 520, 520', 520'', 620, 620', 620'', 720, 720', 820, 820' Elastic Structure

[0113] 137, 137', 137'', 515, 515', 515'', 715, 715' Installation surface

[0114] 138, 530 Block the opening of the handle

[0115] 140 Obstruction axis

[0116] 150' 150' movable motor

[0117] 160' Additional fixing plate

[0118] 170 Reset force

[0119] 535 circumference line

[0120] 540, 740 fixing holes

[0121] 825, 825' Fixing Components

[0122] 826, 826' end components

[0123] 827, 827' end component receiving section

[0124] 900 methods

[0125] Methods and steps for 910, 920, 930, and 940.

Claims

1. A dosing unit (100) for anesthetic vaporizers (105), having - a first shutter element (110) having an outer contour (114), - a second shutter element (120) having an opening (122), wherein the opening (122) has an inner contour (124) such that, if the dosing unit (100) is closed, the outer contour (114) of the first shutter element (110) rests at least partially on the inner contour (124) of the second shutter element (120), - at least one bearing plate (130) having at least two elastic regions (135, 135', 135''), which have a respective spring structure (136, 136', 136'') such that a deflection of the first shutter element (110) out of the shutter axis (140) relative to the second shutter element (120) results in a restoring force (170) into the shutter axis (140) in a restoring direction, wherein the at least two elastic regions (135, 135', 135'') are arranged on the at least one bearing plate (130) rotationally symmetrical relative to each other about the shutter axis (140), and wherein the respective spring structure is springy and springingly connects the respective elastic region with the respective further elastic region. The at least one bearing plate (130) is fixed on the second shutter element (120) by a fixing mechanism (132). The dosing unit (100) has exactly two bearing plates (130, 130'), and wherein the two bearing plates are fixed by respective fixing mechanisms (132, 132') such that the two bearing plates support the first shutter element (110) relative to the second shutter element (120) in the shutter axis (140). - at least one support plate (130) which is fixed by a fixing means (132) in such a way that the support plate supports the first shielding element (110) with respect to the second shielding element (120) in a shielding axis (140), wherein The first shutter element (110) is a movable shutter element, and wherein the second shutter element (120) is a position-fixed shutter element. The fixing mechanism (132) consists of a plurality of bolts.

2. The metrology unit (100) of claim 1, wherein, The at least one bearing plate (130) has a plurality of fixing holes (540) for the fixing by the plurality of bolts.

3. The metrology unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The outer contour (114) is a rotationally symmetrical outer contour, and wherein the inner contour (124) is a rotationally symmetrical inner contour.

4. The metrology unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The conical outer contour (114) of the first shutter element (110) and the conical inner contour (124) of the second shutter element (120) have the same opening angle (115, 125) of the respective conical shape.

5. The metrology unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The respective at least one bearing plate (130) is configured in one piece.

6. The metrology cell (100) of claim 5, wherein, ​ 7. The metrology cell (100) of claim 1, wherein, ​ 8. The metrology unit (100) according to claim 7, wherein ​ 9. The metering unit (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 6 to 8, wherein ​ 10. The metering unit (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 6 to 8, wherein The first shutter element (110) has a shutter handle (112), and wherein the at least one bearing plate (130) supports the first shutter element (110) relative to the second shutter element (120) by the respective elastic regions (135, 135', 135'') exerting a resetting force (170) onto the first shutter element (110) by means of the shutter handle (112).

11. The metrology cell (100) of claim 10, wherein, The at least one bearing plate (130) is constructed and arranged in such a way that the first shutter element (110) is centered on the shutter axis (140) when the metering unit (100) is closed before fixing a plurality of bolts and after arranging the at least one bearing plate (130) on the shutter handle (112), so that a permanent centering of the first shutter element (110) on the shutter axis (140) is achieved by subsequently carrying out the fixing of the at least one bearing plate (130) on the second shutter element (120) by means of the plurality of bolts.

12. The metrology cell (100) of claim 7, wherein, The outer contour (114) is a conical outer contour, and wherein the inner contour (124) is a conical inner contour.

13. The metrology cell (100) of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The respective springing structure is V-shaped, wave-shaped, drop-shaped, triangular, rectangular or S-shaped.

14. Anesthetic vaporizer (105) having a metering unit (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A method (900) for mounting a bearing plate (130) on a metering unit (100) for an anesthetic vaporizer (105), having the following steps - arranging at least one bearing plate (130) having at least two elastic regions (135, 135', 135'') with a respective springing structure (136, 136', 136'') on a first shutter element (110) having an outer contour (114); - introducing the first shutter element (110) into an opening (122) of a second shutter element (120), wherein the opening (122) has an inner contour (124) in such a way that the outer contour (114) of the first shutter element (110) at least partially rests on the inner contour (124) of the second shutter element (120) if the metering unit (100) is closed; - closing the metering unit (100); - fixing the at least one bearing plate (130) on the second shutter element (120) by a fixing means (132) during closing of the metering unit (100), wherein the at least two elastic regions (135, 135', 135'') are arranged on the at least one bearing plate (130) rotationally symmetrical relative to each other about a shutter axis (140), and wherein the respective springing structure is springing and springingly connects the respective elastic region with a respective further elastic region.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, Arranging the at least one support plate (130) on the first shutter element (110) comprises introducing a shutter handle (112) of the first shutter element (110) into a corresponding shutter handle opening (138) of the at least one support plate (130).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein, Fixing the at least one support plate (130) on the second shutter element (120) by a threaded connection during the closing of the metering unit (100).

18. The method of any one of claims 15-17, wherein, The corresponding spring structure is V-shaped, wave-shaped, drop-shaped, triangular, rectangular or S-shaped.

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