Charging device

Abstract

To provide a charging device capable of preventing a decrease in charging efficiency due to the heat generation of an object to be charged.SOLUTION: A charging device for charging a storage battery included in an object to be charged in contact with a housing includes, inside the housing, a power transmission unit transmitting power to the object to be charged. A groove is formed on a contact surface of the outer surface of the housing, the object to be charged contacting with the contact surface. In a state where the object to be charged is in contact with the housing, a cooling flow channel through which air can pass is formed by the groove and the bottom surface of the object to be charged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging device for charging a storage battery provided in an object to be charged. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a storage battery of an object to be charged has been charged by placing the object on a charging device. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for wirelessly charging an electronic device by placing the electronic device on a mounting surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-178837 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when charging a storage battery, the heat generated by the object to be charged may cause a situation in which charging efficiency decreases or charging becomes impossible. This situation can be prevented if heat is sufficiently released from the storage battery, etc., but when the object to be charged is placed on the charging device, the heat from the object to be charged may not be sufficiently released to the outside.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has an object to provide a charging device that can prevent a decrease in charging efficiency due to heat generation from an object to be charged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The charging device of the present invention is a charging device for charging a storage battery provided in an object to be charged that is in contact with a housing, and is characterized in that it has a power transmission unit inside the housing that transmits power to the object to be charged, and a groove portion is formed on the contact surface of the outer surface of the housing that comes into contact with the object to be charged, and when the object to be charged is in contact with the housing, a cooling flow path through which air can pass is formed by the object to be charged and the groove portion.

[0007] In addition, the charging device of the present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a fan for drawing in air through an intake port formed in one part of the housing and exhausting air through an exhaust port formed in another part of the housing, and one of the intake port or the exhaust port is formed in the groove portion.

[0008] In addition, the charging device of the present invention is characterized in that the object to be charged is placed on the top surface of the housing, the groove portion is cut out continuously from the top surface of the housing to the side, and the cooling flow path is formed by the bottom surface of the object to be charged and the groove portion when the object to be charged is placed on the housing.

[0009] In addition, the charging device according to the present invention is characterized in that the intake port is formed in the groove portion, the exhaust port is formed in a side surface of the housing, and the fan is a centrifugal fan.

[0010] Furthermore, the charging device of the present invention is characterized in that the air intake is formed on the side or bottom surface of the housing, the exhaust port is formed on the bottom surface of the groove portion, and the fan is an axial fan that is positioned so that the axis of the air blown from the fan overlaps with at least a portion of the exhaust port.

[0011] In addition, the charging device of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a control unit that controls the operation of the fan based on the charging state, and the control unit operates the fan from the time charging of the storage battery is completed until a predetermined condition is met.

[0012] In addition, the charging device of the present invention is characterized in that the storage battery is provided on the side of the surface where the object to be charged contacts the housing, and is equipped with a contact position identification unit that identifies the contact position of the object to be charged so that the groove portion is positioned in the direction from the storage battery toward the contact surface.

[0013] In addition, the charging device according to the present invention is characterized in that the object to be charged includes a power receiving coil, and the power transmitting unit includes a power transmitting coil capable of transmitting power to the power receiving coil in a non-contact manner.

[0014] In addition, the charging device according to the present invention is characterized in that the object to be charged is a slit lamp as a medical device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging device that can prevent a decrease in charging efficiency due to heat generation from an object to be charged or from the device itself. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a charging device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the charging device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a configuration of a medical device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a contactless charging method applied to a medical device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a charging stand 400 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating an example in which a medical device 100 is placed on the upper surface of the housing of a charging stand 400 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a charging device 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the various components in the examples of the embodiments described below can be combined as appropriate to the extent that no contradictions arise. Furthermore, the content described as an example of one embodiment may be omitted in other embodiments. Furthermore, the content of operations and processes unrelated to the characteristic parts of each embodiment may be omitted.

[0018] [First embodiment] An example of a charging device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0019] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a charging device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Below, the charging device 10 and an object to be charged 20 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the object to be charged 20 includes a device main body 21 and a charging-related unit 22, which will be mentioned again after the description of the charging device 10.

[0020] The charging device 10 is a device for charging a storage battery 22C included in an object to be charged 20 placed on the top surface of the housing of the device itself. The charging device 10 in this example includes a housing 11, and is characterized in that the storage battery 22C is cooled by a cooling channel formed by the bottom surface of the object to be charged 20 and a groove 12 formed on the top surface of the housing 11. Hereinafter, the top surface of the housing of the charging device 10 will be referred to as the "placing surface." This placing surface is an example of a contact surface that comes into contact with the object to be charged 20. Note that the configuration for charging the storage battery 22C is not particularly limited, and may be contactless charging, contact-type charging (in which charging is performed by connecting dedicated terminals corresponding to each device), or wired connection charging (in which charging is performed by connecting via a wired connection such as a USB cable). Below, a case where the storage battery 22C is charged by contactless charging will be described as an example.

[0021] 1, charging device 10 includes at least housing 11, groove 12, and power transmission coil 16. Hereinafter, a case where charging device 10 further includes storage section 13, intake port 14, exhaust port 15, and fan 17 will be described as an example.

[0022] Housing 11 is a container for storing various components therein, and stores power transmission coil 16 and fan 17 therein. Housing 11 also includes a component (not shown) that supplies power to power transmission coil 16. The shape of housing 11 is not limited to a shape that allows object to be charged 20 to be placed on its upper surface as shown in FIG. 1, but may be any shape that has a contact surface near object to be charged 20, particularly storage battery 22C.

[0023] The groove 12 is provided on the mounting surface and has a shape that is continuously cut out to the side surface of the housing 11. Here, a shape that is continuously cut out to the side surface of the housing 11 means a shape that forms a space that extends from a portion of the mounting surface to the side surface of the housing 11. The shape of the groove 12 when the housing 11 is observed from the side is not particularly limited, and the shape may change along the groove. Examples of the cross-sectional shape of the groove 12 include not only rectangular and trapezoidal shapes, but also shapes that include curves. The following description will be given using an example in which the groove 12 is rectangular. The size of the cutout of the groove 12 when viewed from the side surface of the housing 11 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the size be determined taking into consideration the cooling efficiency of the storage battery 22C. On the other hand, the shape of the groove 12 when the housing 11 is observed from the top is not particularly limited, and may be a shape that is continuously cut out from a portion of the mounting surface or the side surface of the housing 11 to the side surface of the housing 11. Examples of such a configuration include a shape in which a notch is formed continuously from a part of the mounting surface to a location on the side of the housing 11, or a shape in which a notch is formed continuously to multiple locations on the side of the housing 11. If the housing 11 has multiple side surfaces, the groove 12 may be formed continuously from a location on one side surface to a location on a different side surface. Alternatively, the groove 12 may be formed partially or entirely in a curved shape. Below, an example will be described in which the groove 12 extends linearly from a location on one side surface of the mounting surface to a location on another side surface.

[0024] Storage section 13 is a space provided inside housing 11, and is a space for storing power transmission coil 16 and fan 17, which will be described later. Note that storage section 13 may store members other than the power transmission coil.

[0025] Air intake 14 is formed in groove 12 to allow air in groove 12 to flow into storage section 13. In this example, air intake 14 is formed on the side surface of groove 12, and air intake 14 connects storage section 13 to the space outside charging device 10.

[0026] Exhaust port 15 is formed in housing 11 to allow air in storage section 13 to flow outside storage section 13. In this example, exhaust port 15 is formed on the side surface of housing 11, and exhaust port 15 connects storage section 13 to the space outside charging device 10. The position where exhaust port 15 is formed is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that exhaust port 15 be formed in a position where air taken in from intake port 14 by fan 17, which will be described later, can be appropriately exhausted. That is, exhaust port 15 may be formed in a different position depending on the structure and installation position of fan 17, for example.

[0027] In the above example, the case where the intake port 14 is formed in the groove portion 12 and the exhaust port 15 is formed in the housing 11 is described, but the relationship between the intake port 14 and the exhaust port 15 may be reversed depending on the position and orientation of the fan 17 in the storage portion 13.

[0028] The power transmitting coil 16 is a coil capable of transmitting power contactlessly to the power receiving coil 22B included in the charging-related unit 22. The charging device 10 according to the present invention includes the power transmitting coil 16 as at least a part of a power transmitting section configured to transmit power to the object to be charged 20 for charging the storage battery 22C. In this example, the power transmitting coil 16 is disposed in an upper portion of the storage section 13. When a current is generated in the power transmitting coil 16, a magnetic field (magnetic flux) is generated. The generated magnetic field (magnetic flux) generates a current in the power receiving coil 22B. For example, the charging device 10 includes an AC adapter (not shown), and power converted from AC to DC is supplied to the power transmitting coil 16 by the AC adapter. The power transmitting section is not particularly limited as long as it is used to transmit power to the object to be charged 20. Examples of configurations for transmitting power to the object to be charged 20 include a configuration in which dedicated terminal sections corresponding to the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 are provided and the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 are connected via these terminal sections to transmit power to the object to be charged 20, and a configuration in which DC power converted by an AC adapter is transmitted to the object to be charged 20 via a wired connection.

[0029] The fan 17 is a device for drawing air in through the intake port 14 and discharging the air through the exhaust port 15 .

[0030] The type of fan 17 is not particularly limited, and may be a centrifugal fan, which is a blower whose suction and blowing directions are approximately perpendicular to each other, or an axial fan, which is a blower whose suction and blowing directions are approximately parallel to each other. Examples of centrifugal fans include sirocco fans and turbo fans.

[0031] Furthermore, fan 17 is disposed in storage section 13, but the position in storage section 13 where fan 17 is disposed is not particularly limited. However, in terms of efficient airflow, fan 17 is preferably disposed in a position adjacent to exhaust port 15. In this example, fan 17 is disposed in storage section 13 adjacent to exhaust port 15 provided on the side surface of housing 11.

[0032] In this example, the longitudinal direction of the fan 17 is disposed approximately parallel to the top surface (contact surface or placement surface) of the housing 11, which allows the thickness (or height) of the charging device 10 to be reduced. In addition to this example, for example, when the contact surface with the object to be charged 20 is on the side surface of the housing 11, the width of the charging device 10 can be reduced by disposing the longitudinal direction of the fan 17 approximately parallel to the side surface of the housing 11. Similarly, for example, when the contact surface with the object to be charged 20 is on the bottom surface of the housing 11, the height of the charging device 10 can be reduced by disposing the longitudinal direction of the fan 17 approximately parallel to the bottom surface of the housing 11. Furthermore, when the contact surface is on the top surface of the housing 11 as in this example, using a centrifugal fan as the fan 17 allows the height of the charging device 10 to be further reduced. If an axial fan were used as the fan 17, it would be necessary to provide a space on the bottom side of the fan 17 to suck in air from the top side and expel it to the bottom side. This can be achieved by making the height of the housing 11 itself sufficiently high and then placing the fan 17 on the upper side of the housing 11, or by providing additional legs on the lower side of the housing 11, but in any case, a certain level of height is required for the entire charging device 10. In this regard, when a centrifugal fan is used as the fan 17, it is sufficient to blow air out the side, and there is no need to provide space on the bottom side of the fan 17.

[0033] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the charging device 10 may include a control unit that controls the operation of the fan 17 based on the charging state.

[0034] Here, the charging state refers to the state of charging from the charging device 10 to the storage battery 22C. The configuration for identifying the charging state is not particularly limited, and may be a configuration in which the charging state is identified from the temperature state detected by a temperature sensor provided in the charging device 10, or a configuration in which the charging state is identified from the charge amount or completion of charging of the storage battery 22C. In the configuration in which the charging state is identified from the temperature state, examples of locations where the temperature sensor may be provided include on the board of the control unit or at the top inside the charging device 10. In addition, in the configuration in which the charging state is identified from the charge amount or completion of charging of the storage battery 22C, a receiving means may be provided in the charging device 10 for receiving a signal notifying the charge amount or completion of charging of the storage battery 22C from the charging-related unit 22.

[0035] Furthermore, the configuration for controlling the operation of fan 17 based on the state of charge is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the conditions for starting the operation of fan 17 (start conditions) and the conditions for stopping the operation of fan 17 (stop conditions) are clear to the user of charging device 10. An example of such a configuration is a configuration in which the start condition is the start of charging of storage battery 22C from charging device 10, and the stop condition is the stop or completion of the charging. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the state of charge is determined from the temperature of charging device 10, the start condition may be the temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in charging device 10 being equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and the stop condition may be the temperature being equal to or lower than a specific value.

[0036] The control unit may also be configured to operate fan 17 from the completion of charging of storage battery 22C until a predetermined condition is satisfied. That is, if fan 17 is operating when charging of storage battery 22C is completed, the control unit may be configured to continue operating fan 17 until a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition is not particularly limited, and may be that the temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in charging device 10 drops to a predetermined value or less, or that a predetermined time has elapsed since charging of storage battery 22C is completed.

[0037] Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 1, it is preferable that the groove portion 12 is located below the storage battery 22C when the object to be charged 20 is placed on the charging device 10, and therefore, in order to determine such a positional relationship, a placement position identification unit may be provided that identifies the placement position of the object to be charged 20 relative to the placement surface of the charging device 10.

[0038] Here, the configuration for specifying the placement position of the object to be charged 20 is not particularly limited, and may be a configuration in which the object to be charged 20 is positioned by fitting a part of the object to be charged 20 into a predetermined position, or a configuration in which the placement position of the object to be charged 20 is displayed on the placement surface so that it can be visually confirmed. In the case of a configuration in which a part of the object to be charged 20 is fitted, a configuration in which a convex portion and / or a concave portion conforming to the shape of the lower part of the object to be charged 20 is formed on the placement surface of the charging device 10. In addition, in the case of a configuration in which the placement position of the object to be charged 20 is displayed on the placement surface, a configuration in which a marker indicating the placement position of the object to be charged 20 is provided on the placement surface can be used. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the object to be charged 20 from being misaligned when the user places it on the charging device 10.

[0039] As described above, the object to be charged 20 includes the device main body 21 and the charging-related unit 22. Of these, the device main body 21 is not particularly limited as long as it operates by receiving power from the storage battery 22C. The device main body 21 stores various components (not shown) for operating the object to be charged 20.

[0040] The charging-related unit 22 is composed of at least a housing 22A, a power receiving coil 22B, and a storage battery 22C. The configuration for providing the charging-related unit 22 to the object to be charged 20 is not particularly limited, and the charging-related unit 22 may be provided detachably or non-detachably to the device main body 21.

[0041] The housing 22A is a container for storing the power receiving coil 22B and the storage battery 22C. The shape of the housing 22A is such that the storage battery 22C can be provided below the device body 21. For example, the housing 22A is provided with a battery-side terminal portion for electrically connecting to the device body 21.

[0042] The power receiving coil 22B is a coil that can receive power from the power transmitting coil 16. A current is generated in the power receiving coil 22B by a magnetic field (magnetic flux) that is generated when a current flows through the power transmitting coil 16. The current generated in the power receiving coil 22B is sent to the storage battery 22C under the control of a charge control IC (not shown), and the storage battery 22C is charged.

[0043] The storage battery 22C supplies power to the device body 21. In this example, the storage battery 22C can be charged contactlessly from the charging device 10. The storage battery 22C is, for example, a lithium ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery.

[0044] Although not shown, in order to supply power from the charging-related unit 22 to the device main body 21, the device main body 21 has a main body side terminal portion that is responsible for conducting electricity between the charging-related unit 22, and the charging-related unit 22 has a battery side terminal portion that is responsible for conducting electricity between the charging-related unit 22 and the object to be charged 20.

[0045] In addition, in this example, the charging-related unit 22 including the housing 22A, the receiving coil 22B, and the storage battery 22C is described as being provided in the charging-related unit 22, but the storage battery 22C may be provided directly within the device main body 21.

[0046] The configuration examples of the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention have been described above.

[0047] Next, the operation of the charging device 10 will be described.

[0048] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the charging device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. That is, FIG. 2 is a top view of the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20, observed from above, for illustrating the state when the fan 17 is operated with the object to be charged 20 placed on the placement surface of the charging device 10. In FIG. 2, the groove 12 is indicated by a dashed line. Also, in FIG. 2, the positions of the fan 17, the charging-related unit 22, the power receiving coil 22B, and the storage battery 22C are indicated by a dashed-dotted line. Also, in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the object to be charged 20 is properly placed on the charging device 10, and the groove 12 is located below the storage battery 22C. Hereinafter, the operation of the charging device 10 will be described taking as an example a case where the charging device 10 includes a control unit that controls the operation of the fan 17 based on the charging state.

[0049] First, a user places the object to be charged 20 on the placement surface of the charging device 10 in order to charge the storage battery 22C included in the object to be charged 20. When the object to be charged 20 is placed on the placement surface of the charging device 10, charging of the storage battery 22C begins. When the storage battery 22C is charged, the power transmitting coil 16, the power receiving coil 22B, the storage battery 22C, etc. generate heat. This heat causes the temperature of the storage battery 22C to rise.

[0050] Next, the control unit starts the operation of the fan 17 at a predetermined operation start timing. Here, the timing at which the control unit starts the operation of the fan 17 is not particularly limited, and may be the timing when charging of the storage battery 22C starts, or the timing when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor provided in the charging device 10 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

[0051] When fan 17 starts operating, it draws in air from the intake direction and begins to expel the air in the blowing direction. As fan 17 draws in and expels air, air begins to flow from the end of groove 12 into the cooling flow path formed by groove 12 of housing 11 and the bottom surface of object to be charged 20, and the air flows through the cooling flow path toward intake port 14. Because storage battery 22C is located directly above intake port 14, air passing through the cooling flow path draws heat from storage battery 22C located below object to be charged 20 and flows into housing 11 from intake port 14. The air that has flowed into housing 11 passes through storage section 13 toward the intake point of fan 17, and the air drawn in from the intake point of fan 17 is exhausted from the exhaust point of fan 17 and is exhausted to the outside of housing 11 from exhaust port 15 of housing 11. Here, the air passing through the storage section 13 removes heat from the power transmission coil 16. As shown by the arrows in Fig. 2, operation of the fan 17 causes air to flow in from outside the housing 11, pass through the cooling flow path and the storage section 13, and then be exhausted from the exhaust port 15. Therefore, the air that has removed the heat does not remain in the cooling flow path and the storage section 13, allowing for more efficient cooling compared to when the fan 17 is not operated.

[0052] 2, the air flowing in from outside the housing 11 due to the operation of the fan 17 flows through a path that passes through the cooling flow path toward the air intake 14, and the air does not escape to a path that does not contribute to cooling the storage battery 33. Therefore, the air flowing in from outside the housing 11 due to the operation of the fan 17 can be used for cooling without waste, allowing for more efficient cooling.

[0053] Furthermore, the control unit may stop the operation of fan 17 when fan 17 is operating and the temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in charging device 10 falls below a predetermined value. The control unit may then resume the operation of fan 17 when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor rises above a predetermined value. The temperature threshold for starting the operation of fan 17 and the temperature threshold for terminating the operation of fan 17 may be set to different values. For example, if the temperature threshold for terminating the operation is set to a temperature lower than the temperature threshold for starting the operation, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the operation is repeatedly terminated and started across the threshold, resulting in fan 17 continuing to rotate.

[0054] Furthermore, if the fan 17 is operating when charging of the storage battery 22C is completed, the control unit may stop the operation of the fan 17 using the completion of charging of the storage battery 22C as a trigger.

[0055] Furthermore, if the fan 17 is operating when the control unit detects that charging of the storage battery 22C is complete, the control unit may continue operating the fan 17 from the time the control unit detects that charging of the storage battery 22C is complete until a predetermined condition is met. The predetermined condition is not particularly limited, but may be a condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since charging of the storage battery 22C is complete, or a condition that the temperature detected by a temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined value. The predetermined time is not particularly limited, and may be a time determined based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the time charging of the storage battery 22C is complete, or may be a preset, unchanging time. Furthermore, the predetermined value may be, for example, approximately the same value as the value used to determine whether to operate the fan 17 while charging the storage battery 22C. By continuing to operate the fan 17 until the predetermined condition is met, the air passing through the cooling flow path and the storage unit 13 removes heat from the charging device 10 and the storage battery 22C that remain at the time charging is complete. This allows the temperature of the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 to continue to decrease even after charging is complete. This further ensures the safety of the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20. Furthermore, by continuing to lower the temperature of the charging device 10 even after charging is complete, in cases where it becomes necessary to charge the storage battery 22C of an object to be charged 20 other than the object to be charged 20 for which charging has been completed, it becomes possible to start the next charge from a state in which the temperature on the charging device 10 side has been sufficiently cooled. Furthermore, by continuing to cool the object to be charged 20 placed on the charging device 10 even after charging is completed, it becomes possible to sufficiently cool the object to be charged 20 to a degree that does not adversely affect the use of the object to be charged 20.

[0056] As described above, the charging device 10 of the present invention is a charging device 10 for charging a storage battery 22C provided in an object to be charged 20 that is in contact with the housing 11, and is provided with a power transmission unit inside the housing 11 that transmits power to the object to be charged 20, and a groove portion 12 is formed on the placement surface of the outer surface of the housing 11, i.e., the contact surface with which the object to be charged 20 comes into contact, so that when the object to be charged 20 is in contact with the housing, a cooling flow path through which air can pass is formed by the object to be charged 20 and the groove portion 12, making it possible to prevent a decrease in charging efficiency due to heat generated by the object to be charged 20.

[0057] That is, by forming the grooves 12 in the charging device 10, a cooling flow path is created between the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20, and air passes through the cooling flow path to remove heat from the object to be charged 20. Therefore, compared to when the grooves 12 are not formed, the object to be charged 20 can be cooled more efficiently.

[0058] The positional relationship between the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 is not limited to a relationship in which the object to be charged is placed on the top surface of the charging device 10. That is, the charging device 10 is a charging device for charging the storage battery 22C included in the object to be charged 20 in contact with the housing 11, and is configured to include a power transmission unit for transmitting power to the object to be charged 20 inside the housing 11, a groove 12 formed on a contact surface of the outer surface of the housing 11 with which the object to be charged 20 comes into contact, and a cooling flow path through which air can pass is formed by the object to be charged 20 and the groove 12 when the object to be charged 20 is in contact with the housing 11. Other examples of the positional relationship between the charging device 10 and the object to be charged 20 include a state in which the object to be charged 20 is in contact with a side surface of the housing 11 as a contact surface, and a state in which the charging device 10 is placed on the top surface of the object to be charged 20 with the bottom surface of the housing 11 as a contact surface.

[0059] Furthermore, when the storage battery 22C is provided on the surface side where the object to be charged 20 contacts the housing 11, the charging device 10 may be configured to include a contact position identifying unit that identifies the contact position of the object to be charged 20 so that the groove portion 12 is located in a direction from the storage battery 22C toward the contact surface. For example, when the object to be charged 20 is placed on the top surface of the housing 11 of the charging device 10 to charge the storage battery 22C, the surface side where the object to be charged 20 contacts the housing 11 is the lower inside of the object to be charged 20, and the direction from the storage battery 22C toward the contact surface is a downward direction of the storage battery 22C.

[0060] [Second embodiment] Next, a case where the object to be charged 20 is a medical device will be described. The medical device according to the second embodiment of the present invention can be any medical device that requires power supply from a battery. One example of the medical device is a device called a slit lamp, which irradiates a slit light onto a subject's eye (hereinafter referred to as "examined eye") and examines the cornea, lens, etc. of the subject eye by observing the scattered light generated by scattering in the subject eye. Other examples of medical devices include ophthalmic devices such as a tonometer, a fundus camera, and an autorefractor, as well as a thermometer. Below, a configuration of an examination device using a slit lamp, which is an example of a medical device according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be described.

[0061] 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a configuration of a medical device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The medical device 100 is an apparatus for examining a subject's eye by operating it while being held in one hand, and is an example of an object to be charged. As shown in FIG. 3, the medical device 100 includes an irradiation unit 110, an observation unit 120, a grip unit 130, a finger hook unit 140, an index finger side operation unit 150, a thumb side operation unit 160, a base unit 170, an irradiation angle adjustment unit 180, and a scale unit 190.

[0062] The irradiation unit 110 has a function of irradiating the subject's eye with irradiation light. In this example, the irradiation unit 110 has a function of irradiating the subject's eye with slit light or spot light as irradiation light. The irradiation unit 110 is composed of an irradiation tube 111, an irradiation port 112, a disk operation unit 113, a swing unit 114, and a separate light source installation unit 115. The irradiation tube 111 has a configuration for irradiating the slit light arranged therein. In this example, the irradiation tube 111 includes a light source, a condenser lens, a spot disk, a slit disk, and a projector lens. An example of the light source is an LED. In the irradiation tube 111, light emitted from the light source is collected by a condenser lens and then passes through the slit disk to generate slit light or spot light. The slit light or spot light enters the irradiation port 112. The irradiation port 112 is composed of a projector prism arranged therein. The slit light or spot light incident on the projecting prism changes direction and is irradiated toward the eye to be examined outside the device. The disk operation unit 113 is a dial that the operator rotates the spot disk and slit disk to select the length and width of the irradiated slit light and the diameter of the spot light. The swing unit 114 is a plate-shaped member that is provided at one end and below the irradiation tube 111, and the other end, located a predetermined distance from the irradiation tube 111, is connected to the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180, which will be described later. A marker for indicating the rotation angle of the irradiation unit 110 is provided at the part of the swing unit 114 that contacts the outer periphery of the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180.

[0063] The separate light source installation unit 115 has the function of irradiating the subject's eye with light for fluorescent observation illumination and background illumination, and is provided separately from the irradiation port 112. The separate light source installation unit 115 includes a fluorescent observation illumination light source installation unit and a background illumination light source installation unit. For example, the fluorescent observation illumination light source installation unit is provided with a blue LED as a light source, and the background illumination light source installation unit is provided with a white LED as a light source. The separate light source installation unit 115 may include only one of the fluorescent observation illumination light source installation unit and the background illumination light source installation unit. The separate light source installation unit 115 is provided so that the light irradiated from the irradiation port 112 and the light irradiated from the separate light source installation unit 115 always face in approximately the same direction. For example, the separate light source installation unit 115 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the irradiation port 112.

[0064] The observation unit 120 has a function of observing the subject's eye with the irradiation light emitted from the irradiation unit 110. In this example, the observation unit 120 includes an observation housing 121, an eyepiece for the right eye 122, an eyepiece for the left eye 123, and a magnification lever 124. The observation housing 121, the eyepiece for the right eye 122, and the eyepiece for the left eye 123 form an observation optical system therein. The observation optical system is divided into an observation optical system for the right eye and an observation optical system for the left eye. The observation optical system for the right eye is formed inside the observation housing 121 and the eyepiece for the right eye 122. The observation optical system for the left eye is formed inside the observation housing 121 and the eyepiece for the left eye 123. For example, the observation optical system comprises at least an objective lens, an eyepiece prism, a reticle lens, and an eyepiece. The slit light from the irradiation unit 110 is scattered by the subject's eye and enters the objective lens as scattered light. The incident scattered light passes through the eyepiece prism, reticle lens, and eyepiece lens to become light that can be observed by the operator. The magnification change lever 124 is a lever that can change the observation magnification of the subject's eye by moving it left and right to move the objective lens forward and backward.

[0065] The grip unit 130 is provided so that it can be held by an operator by pinching it between the thumb and at least one of the four fingers on the index finger side of one hand. The shape of the grip unit 130 is not particularly limited as long as it can be held by the operator, but a substantially cylindrical shape is preferable. In this example, the grip unit 130 is attached to the lower part of the observation housing 121 and has a curved cylindrical shape, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0066] The finger hook 140 is provided on the grip portion 130 so that when an operator holds the grip portion 130 with one hand, the finger hook 140 can be hooked onto one of the fingers located on the index finger side. Here, the "index finger side" refers to the side of the side of the grip portion 130 that the index finger can come into contact with when the operator holds the grip portion 130. The fingers located on the index finger side are at least one of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. Furthermore, "the finger hook 140 hooks onto the finger" refers to a state in which the finger receives the load of the finger hook 140. The shape of the finger hook 140 is not particularly limited as long as it can be hooked onto one of the fingers located on the index finger side. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the finger hook 140 has a flange-like shape that protrudes from the side of the grip portion 130.

[0067] The index finger side operation unit 150 is used for the examination operation, and is provided at a position within the reach of a finger presumed to be used for the operation among the fingers on the index finger side whose position is determined by the finger hook 140 when the operator holds the grip unit 130 with one hand. The finger presumed to be used for the operation is not particularly limited as long as it is any of the fingers on the index finger side, but a finger other than the finger hooked by the finger hook 140 is preferable. In this example, the index finger is presumed to be the finger used for the operation. Furthermore, the position within the reach of the finger refers to a position that can be reached by moving the finger. The index finger side operation unit 150 is, for example, a button or a switch. In this example, the index finger side operation unit 150 is a switch that, when pressed, emits light from a light source arranged in an irradiation tube 111 of the irradiation unit 110, and irradiates light from an irradiation port 112.

[0068] The thumb-side operation unit 160 is used for operating the examination of the subject's eye, and is provided at a position within reach of the thumb, whose position is determined by the fingerhold 140 when the operator holds the grip unit 130 with one hand. The thumb-side operation unit 160 may be provided with multiple operation locations. The operation locations include operation members such as buttons, various switches, and dials for inputting operations related to the examination of the subject's eye. In this example, the operation locations of the thumb-side operation unit 160 include operation buttons 161 to 163 (not shown) and an operation dial 164 as operation members. The operation buttons 161 to 163 are assigned various functions related to the examination, such as turning on and off fluorescent observation illumination and background illumination. The operation dial 164 is assigned a function, for example, to adjust the light intensity of the slit light emitted from the irradiation port 112 of the irradiation unit 110.

[0069] The base portion 170 is a plate-shaped member having one end attached to the lower portion of the grip portion 130. The other end of the base portion 170 is provided with an irradiation angle adjustment portion 180, which will be described later.

[0070] The irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 is a member that adjusts the irradiation angle of the irradiation light by rotating the irradiation unit 110 about a rotation axis. In this example, the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 is fixedly attached to the other end portion of the base unit 170. In this example, the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 is rotatably attached to a hole formed in the swing unit 114 at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the irradiation tube 111, with the upper surface exposed. In other words, the base unit 170 and the swing unit 114 are connected via the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180, and the swing unit 114 is rotatable relative to the base unit 170 about the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180. The irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 is configured, for example, by a bearing.

[0071] The scale unit 190 has a scale on the upper surface of the rotation shaft that indicates the rotation angle. Specifically, the scale unit 190 has an arc-shaped scale on the upper surface of the rotation shaft that corresponds to the irradiation angle of the irradiation light irradiated by the irradiation unit 110. In this example, the scale unit 190 is provided as an arc-shaped mark on the upper surface of the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 that is fitted into the swing unit 114, indicating the rotation angle based on the irradiation angle adjustment unit 180 of the swing unit 114.

[0072] A battery pack 200 is provided at the bottom inside the medical device 100. The battery pack 200 can be charged by contactless charging, and is provided detachably with respect to the medical device 100 main body.

[0073] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a contactless charging method applied to a medical device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, a charging stand 400 is an example of a charging device including a power transmitting coil 416 for transmitting power by contactless charging and an AC adapter 420. The battery pack 200 includes a power receiving coil 250 that receives a magnetic field (magnetic flux) generated by the power transmitting coil 416 and converts it into current, a charging control IC 260 that controls charging based on the current converted by the power receiving coil 250, a storage battery 270 to be charged, and a battery-side terminal unit 210 for electrically connecting to the main body. The medical device 100 supplies power from the battery pack 200 to required locations via a main body-side terminal unit 171 that is electrically connected to the battery-side terminal unit 210. When the medical device 100 or the battery pack 200 alone is correctly positioned and placed on the charging stand 400, it is preferable that the power transmitting coil 416 and the power receiving coil 250 face each other to maximize charging efficiency.

[0074] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a charging stand 400 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a housing 411, a groove 412, an air inlet 414, an air outlet 415, and a placement position identifying unit 418. The housing 411 is configured in a roughly cylindrical shape. The top surface of the housing 411 is a placement surface on which the medical device 100 is placed. The groove 412 is formed in a shape that is cut out continuously from the top surface of the housing 411 to the side surface. A plurality of air inlets 414 are formed on the side surface of the groove 412 facing the air outlet 415. The air outlet 415 is formed on the side surface of the housing 411 facing the groove 412 with the axis of the roughly cylindrical shape of the housing 411 as the center.

[0075] The placement position specifying portion 418 is a convex member formed on the placement surface. The placement position specifying portion 418 specifies the placement position of the medical device 100 based on the shape of the placement surface. By fitting a part of the medical device 100 into the placement position specifying portion 418, the medical device 100 is placed at a specific position on the charging stand 400. This specific position is the placement position of the medical device 100 where the groove portion 412 is located below the storage battery 270 when the medical device 100 is placed on the placement surface.

[0076] FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating an example in which the medical device 100 is placed on the upper surface of the housing of the charging stand 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows the medical device 100 placed in a placement position identified by the placement position identifying unit 418. In the state shown in FIG. 6, contactless charging of the storage battery 270 is performed from the charging stand 400. Here, the placement position is identified by the placement position identifying unit 418, and the groove 412 is located below the storage battery 270. A cooling flow path is formed by the bottom surface of the medical device 100 and the groove 412. When the fan 417 starts operating, air begins to flow into the cooling flow path, and the air flows from the air intake 414 into the storage section 413. The air that has flowed into the storage unit 413 passes through the storage unit 413 toward the intake portion of the fan 417, and the air taken in from the intake portion of the fan 417 is exhausted from the exhaust portion of the fan 417 and is exhausted to the outside of the storage unit 413 from the exhaust port 415. In this way, the storage battery 270 and the power transmission coil 416 are air-cooled.

[0077] As described above, the charging stand 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is provided with the housing 411, the groove 412, the air intake 414, the air exhaust 415, and the fan 417. Therefore, the storage battery 270 is air-cooled by air passing through the cooling flow path toward the air intake 414, thereby preventing a decrease in the charging efficiency of the storage battery 270. As a result, it is possible to provide a charging stand 400 that meets the needs of medical facilities to reliably charge medical devices and quickly ensure that the medical devices are ready for use.

[0078] In the above example, the medical device 100 is a slit lamp, but the medical device that is the charging object according to the present invention is not limited to a slit lamp.

[0079] [Third embodiment] Next, with reference to FIG. 7 , an example of a charging device 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the charging device 10 according to the first embodiment, the air intake 14 is formed in the groove 12, and the air exhaust 15 is formed on the side surface of the housing 11. Therefore, after the fan 17 starts operating, outside air flows into the cooling channel from the notch in the side surface of the housing 11 and flows from the air intake 14 to the storage section 13, thereby air-cooling the lower portion of the object to be charged 20. However, the positions of the air intake and exhaust ports in the charging device according to the present invention are not limited to this. In the third embodiment, the exhaust port is formed on the bottom surface of the groove, and the air intake is formed on the side surface or bottom surface of the housing of the charging device. That is, in the third embodiment, the air flow direction is reversed compared to the first embodiment.

[0080] 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a charging device 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In charging device 40 according to the third embodiment, air intake 44 (not shown) is formed on the side or bottom surface of housing 41 of charging device 40, and air exhaust 45 is formed on the bottom surface of groove 42. Fan 47 in charging device 40 is an axial fan, and is arranged in storage section 43 so that the axis of air blown from fan 47 overlaps at least a part of air exhaust 45. Here, the axis of air blown from fan 47 is coaxial with the rotation axis of fan 47 and refers to an axis extending from the rotation axis of fan 47 in the air blowing direction.

[0081] In the example shown in Fig. 7, fan 47 is an axial fan, and fan 47 is arranged so that the rotation axis of fan 47 passes through the center of exhaust port 45. With this configuration, the air blown out by fan 47 directly hits the bottom surface of object to be charged 20. That is, the air blown out by fan 47 hits the bottom surface of object to be charged 20 without weakening the pressure of the air. Therefore, compared to a case without such a configuration, the air blown out by fan 47 removes more heat from the bottom surface of object to be charged 20, enabling more efficient cooling of storage battery 22C.

[0082] As described above, in charging device 40 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, air intake 44 is formed on the side or bottom surface of the housing, exhaust outlet 45 is formed on the bottom surface of groove portion 42, and fan 47 is an axial fan that is positioned so that the air axis overlaps with at least a portion of exhaust outlet 45, so that the air from fan 47 directly hits the bottom surface of object 20 to be charged, enabling efficient air cooling using an axial fan, which is more versatile than a centrifugal fan.

[0083] In the above example, fan 47 is arranged in storage section 43 so that the axis of airflow from fan 47 overlaps at least a part of exhaust port 45. However, as long as air can pass upward from exhaust port 45 when fan 47 is operating, the axis of airflow from fan 47 may be configured not to overlap exhaust port 45. With such a configuration, even in cases where it is difficult to arrange fan 47 so that the axis of airflow from fan 47 overlaps exhaust port 45 due to design considerations of charging device 10, efficient air cooling is possible as the air from fan 47 directly hits the bottom surface of object to be charged 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10, 40 charging device 11, 41, 411 enclosure 12, 42, 412 Groove 13, 43, 413 storage compartment 14, 44, 414 intakes 15, 45, 415 exhaust port 16, 46, 416 Transmitting coil 17, 47, 417 Fan 20 Charging object 21 Device body 22 Charging-related unit 22A Housing 22B, 250 receiving coil 22C, 270 storage battery 100 Medical Devices 110 Irradiation unit 111 Irradiation tube 112 Irradiation port 113 Disc Control Unit 114 Swing section 115 Marker 120 Observation Section 121 Observation enclosure 122 Observation section for right eye 123 Observation unit for left eye 124 Magnification lever 130 Grip 140 Finger rest 150 Index finger side operation section 160 Thumb side operation section 170 Base 171 Main unit terminal 180 Irradiation angle adjustment section 190 Scale 200 battery packs 210 Battery side terminal section 260 Charging Control IC 400 charging stand 418 Placement position identification unit 420 AC adapter

Claims

1. A charging device for charging a storage battery included in an object to be charged that is in contact with a housing, a power transmission unit that transmits power to the object to be charged, the power transmission unit being disposed inside the housing; a groove is formed on a contact surface of the outer surface of the housing with which the object to be charged comes into contact; When the object to be charged is in contact with the housing, a cooling flow path through which air can pass is formed by the object to be charged and the groove portion; a fan for drawing in air through an intake port formed in one part of the housing and discharging air through an exhaust port formed in another part of the housing; one of the intake port and the exhaust port is formed in the groove portion, The object to be charged is placed on the upper surface of the housing, The groove portion has a shape in which the upper surface of the housing is cut out continuously to a side surface, The cooling flow path is formed by a bottom surface of the object to be charged and the groove portion when the object to be charged is placed on the housing. A charging device characterized by:

2. The air intake is formed in the groove, the exhaust port is formed in a side surface of the housing, The fan is a centrifugal fan The charging device according to claim 1 .

3. The air intake is formed on a side surface or a bottom surface of the housing, the exhaust port is formed in a bottom surface of the groove, The fan is It is an axial flow fan, The axis of the airflow from the fan is arranged to overlap at least a part of the exhaust port. The charging device according to claim 1.

4. a control unit that controls the operation of the fan based on a charging state; The control unit operates the fan from when charging of the storage battery is completed until a predetermined condition is satisfied. The charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the storage battery is provided on a surface side where the object to be charged comes into contact with the housing, a contact position specifying unit that specifies the contact position of the object to be charged so that the groove portion is positioned in a direction from the storage battery toward the contact surface; The charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the object to be charged includes a receiving coil, The power transmission unit includes a power transmission coil capable of transmitting power to the power receiving coil without contact. The charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The object to be charged is a slit lamp as a medical device. The charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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