Blood pressure monitor arm band

Abstract

To provide a sphygmomanometer arm band which reduces wrinkles generated at both end parts in a width direction of an air bag while reducing influences on a blood pressure measurement function and providing a compact storage form by rounding.SOLUTION: In a sphygmomanometer arm band 10 with an arm band cover 20 and an air bag 40, the air bag 40 is provided with a pair of long belt-like reinforcement sheets 50 whose length in a winding direction P is long relative to a width direction D at a position on an inner surface along a bag linear part formed on both side end edges in the width direction. The reinforcement sheets 50 divide a sheet surface area extending in the winding direction P into a width direction inside area IA and a width direction outside area OA, sets the width direction inside area IA to a fixed area fixed to the inner surface of the air bag 40, and sets the width direction outside area OA to a free area that is not fixed to the inner surface of the air bag 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cuff for a blood pressure monitor. [Background technology]

[0002] Some blood pressure monitors are equipped with a blood pressure cuff that is wrapped around the subject's arm, wrist, finger, etc. when measuring blood pressure. The blood pressure cuff is worn on the subject so that the inflation of the air bag it contains will adequately compress the subject.

[0003] Known blood pressure measurement cuffs include at least one layer of sheet that is fixedly placed between the surface of the air bag located on the arm side and the surface of the outer bag facing this air bag when the outer bag is wrapped around the arm, and that maintains the R-shape without wrinkling when wrapped around the arm, and is made of a surface fastener that is made of a material that does not wrinkle or develop a crease even after folding (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4899163 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Blood pressure monitor cuffs with cores are rolled up for storage because they need to be as compact as possible. When the air is released, the air bag, flattened into a flat plate, rolls up along the inner periphery of the core. However, when the air bag rolls up along the inner periphery of the core, the periphery of the air bag shortens compared to when the air bag is open, causing the air bag to sag and wrinkles to form at both ends of the width of the air bag. These wrinkles form a wave-like shape with sharp peaks and valleys with small peak angles connected in the circumferential direction. Therefore, with long-term use, the repeated expansion and contraction of the wave-like wrinkles weakens the sheet material at the peaks of the peaks, which are subjected to repeated stress, resulting in holes at the peaks, which can cause air leakage.

[0006] In contrast, the blood pressure cuff described in Patent Document 1 has a surface fastener on the entire inside (living body side) of the air bag to prevent wrinkles that can pinch the skin of the arm when the outer bag is wrapped around the arm to measure blood pressure. Therefore, even if the cuff is rolled up for storage, the surface fastener prevents bending deformation, resulting in a larger rolled diameter. In addition, when the outer bag is wrapped around the arm to measure blood pressure, the surface fastener is interposed between the air bag and the arm. Therefore, when the air bag inflates and compresses the arm, the surface fastener prevents accurate acquisition of blood vessel vibration information.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a cuff for a blood pressure monitor that can be rolled up for compact storage while minimizing the impact on blood pressure measurement function and reducing the occurrence of wrinkles at both widthwise ends of the air bag. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The blood pressure monitor arm cuff of the present invention comprises a band-shaped arm band cover whose length in the wrapping direction is longer than the width direction when wrapped around a subject, and an air bag contained within the arm band cover, which inflates when air is supplied and contracts to conform to the shape of the arm band cover when air is discharged. The air bag comprises a pair of band-shaped reinforcing sheets whose length in the wrapping direction is longer than the width direction, positioned on the inner surface along linear bag portions formed on both side edges in the width direction. The reinforcing sheets are characterized in that the sheet surface area extending in the wrapping direction is divided into an inner width direction region and an outer width direction region, the inner width direction region being a fixed region that is fixed to the inner surface of the air bag, and the outer width direction region being a free region that is not fixed to the inner surface of the air bag. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The blood pressure monitor cuff of the present invention can reduce the influence on the blood pressure measurement function, and can be rolled up for compact storage, while reducing the occurrence of wrinkles at both widthwise ends of the air bag. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the blood pressure monitor cuff of Example 1 is wrapped around the arm of a subject (subject). FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the blood pressure monitor cuff of Example 1 is rolled up in the wrapping direction. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the blood pressure monitor cuff of Example 1 is cut along a plane parallel to the wrapping direction when wrapped around the arm of a subject (subject). FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a core disposed in a rolled-up portion of the blood pressure monitor cuff of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view showing the blood pressure monitor cuff of Example 1 in a state where it is unrolled against the elastic force of the core. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is an overall view showing the configuration of an air bag (inner circumferential bag body) installed inside the cuff for a blood pressure monitor of Example 1, viewed from the inner surface side where a pair of reinforcing sheets are provided. FIG. [Figure 7]4 is a partially enlarged view showing how a reinforcing sheet is fixed with double-sided tape to an air bag (inner circumferential bag body) installed inside the cuff for a blood pressure monitor of Example 1. FIG. [Figure 8] 7 is a widthwise cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6, showing the cross-sectional configuration of the arm cuff for a blood pressure monitor according to the first embodiment, including an outer circumferential bag body, an inner circumferential bag body, and a reinforcing sheet. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how a hole develops in the air bag (inner circumferential bag body) of the blood pressure monitor cuff of the comparative example after long-term use. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 9 showing the edge of the air bag (inner circumferential bag body) in the blood pressure monitor cuff of the comparative example, which has a hole due to long-term use. [Figure 11] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how wrinkles occurring in the air bag (inner circumferential bag body) are reduced by having the reinforcing sheet share the wrinkle occurrence in the cuff for a blood pressure monitor of Example 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A blood pressure monitor cuff according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to a first embodiment shown in the drawings. [Example]

[0012] The blood pressure monitor arm band 10 of Example 1 is called an upper arm hard cuff, and is applied to an upper arm electronic blood pressure monitor (an example of a blood pressure monitor) that is worn and wrapped around the upper arm (hereinafter referred to as "arm A") of a subject to measure blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure) and heart rate. In the description of Example 1, the direction in which the cuff is wrapped around arm A is referred to as "wrapping direction P," and the direction perpendicular to wrapping direction P (the direction along arm A when wrapped) is referred to as "width direction D."

[0013] First, the configuration of blood pressure monitor cuff 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. The blood pressure monitor arm cuff (10) comprises an arm cuff cover (20), a core (30), an air bag (40) having a two-layer structure of an outer circumferential bag body (41) and an inner circumferential bag body (42), a reinforcing sheet (50), and a double-sided tape (60).

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 is connected to blood pressure monitor main body 80 by air tube 70. One end of air tube 70 is connected to blood pressure monitor main body 80 as shown in Fig. 1, and the other end is connected to air bag 40 of blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 as shown in Fig. 2. Blood pressure monitor main body 80 includes a main body case 81 and an arm cuff storage case 82.

[0015] The front of the main body case 81 is provided with a display unit 81a, such as a liquid crystal panel, that displays blood pressure measurements (maximum and minimum values), pulse rate, etc., and an operation switch unit 81b for inputting various commands is located below the display unit 81a. An air tube connector 81c, to which one end of the air tube 70 is connected, is located on the side of the main body case 81. Although not shown, the main body case 81 also houses various devices, such as an air pump that supplies air to the air bladder 40, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the air bladder 40, a control unit that controls the pump operation and calculates blood pressure values ​​and the like from the detected pressure values, and a memory unit that stores necessary data. When the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 is not in use, the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 is rolled up into a cylindrical shape and inserted into the arm band storage case 82 for storage.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the arm band cover 20 is strip-shaped, with its length in the wrapping direction P around the arm A being longer than its width direction D, and comprises an outer cloth 21 and a lining cloth 22. The outer cloth 21 is positioned on the outer periphery when wrapped around the arm A, and the lining cloth 22 is positioned on the inner periphery when wrapped around the arm A. The outer cloth 21 is made of a flexible material, such as a thick cloth or a resin-coated cloth, that has a predetermined bending rigidity. On the other hand, the lining cloth 22 is made of a flexible material, such as a thin, soft cloth that fits snugly against the arm A without causing irritation when it comes into contact with the arm A. The outer cloth 21 and the lining cloth 22 are sewn together around the entire periphery with a peripheral fabric 23. As a result, a storage space is formed between the outer cloth 21 and the lining cloth 22 in the arm band cover 20 to store the core 30, air bag 40, etc.

[0017] The arm band cover 20 is equipped with a female hook-and-loop fastener 24 and a male hook-and-loop fastener 25, which are fasteners that can be attached and detached from the arm band cover 20. The female hook-and-loop fastener 24 has densely packed loop-shaped naps formed over the entire surface, and as shown in Figure 2, is provided on the inner surface of the arm band cover 20 (the surface facing the lining cloth 22) over a wide area extending to the edge of the cover, excluding the area housing the core 30 and air bladder 40. The male hook-and-loop fastener 25 has hook-shaped naps formed over the entire surface, and as shown in Figure 2, is provided in a partial area of ​​the outer circumferential surface of the cover (the surface facing the outer cloth 21) that corresponds to the area housing the core 30 and air bladder 40. When measuring blood pressure, the arm band cover 20 is wrapped around the arm A, and in this state the female hook-and-loop fastener 24 is attached to the male hook-and-loop fastener 25 by surface engagement. In this way, by attaching the female hook-and-loop fastener 24 to the male hook-and-loop fastener 25, the circumferential length of the arm band cover 20 in the wrapping direction P is fixed, and the arm band cover 20 is prevented from expanding outward in response to the inflation of the air bag 40.

[0018] Here, in the process of manufacturing only the arm band cover 20, the lining cloth 22 and the female hook-and-loop fastener 24 are partially overlapped at the center in the wrapping direction P. Then, in the process of inserting the core 30 and the air bag 40, the core 30 and the air bag 40 are inserted through the pocket-like opening end of the lining cloth 22, the outer periphery of which is closed on three sides by the peripheral fabric 23. The overlapping portion is then sewn together to position the core 30 and the air bag 40. As shown in Figure 2, the outer cloth 21 has a hole 26 formed therein through which the supply and exhaust nozzle 43 fixed to the outer periphery bag body 41 of the air bag 40 is inserted. The other end of the air tube 70 is connected to the supply and exhaust nozzle 43.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, arm band cover 20 has a partition sheet 27 disposed in a storage space defined by outer cloth 21 and lining cloth 22. Partition sheet 27 divides the storage space into an outer side (i.e., outer cloth 21 side) and an inner side (i.e., lining cloth 22 side), and is disposed parallel to outer cloth 21 and lining cloth 22 and sewn together. This divides the storage space into an outer storage space located between outer cloth 21 and partition sheet 27, and an inner storage space located between lining cloth 22 and partition sheet 27. Of the storage space, the outer storage space houses core 30, and the inner storage space houses air bag 40. Therefore, when arm band cover 20 is wrapped around arm A, as shown in Figure 3, the cover houses core 30, partition sheet 27, air bag 40, and reinforcing sheet 50, in that order from outer cloth 21 on the outer periphery to lining cloth 22 on the inner periphery.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, the core 30 is an elastic core material having a generally cylindrical shape with an inner diameter narrower than the subject's arm A. The core 30 is made of a resin material such as polypropylene (PP), which is formed by molding a resin plate into a generally cylindrical shape. The core 30 is a rectangular plate whose length in the winding direction is longer than its width. This rectangular plate is rolled so that the winding direction is the circumferential direction, resulting in a generally cylindrical shape in an unloaded state. The material of the core 30 is not limited to a resin material, and any elastic material may be used as long as it can restore its original generally cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 4 when a load is applied to open the generally cylindrical shape into a flat plate as shown in FIG. 5. For example, in addition to a flat plate made of a resin material, a metal plate or a flat plate made of a composite material may also be used.

[0021] The core 30 accommodated in the outer accommodation space of the arm band cover 20 forms an inner diameter of the arm band cover 20 (lining 22) in the left end area of ​​the approximately cylindrically curled arm shown in Fig. 2 that is thinner than the thickness of an average adult's arm A. As a result, when the left end of the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 curled around the core 30 is opened and the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 is wrapped around the arm A and worn, a load (vertical load) acts on the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 by the elastic force of the core 30, compressing the arm A radially inward. This load generates a frictional force between the lining 22 and the surface of the arm A in the circumferential direction of the arm A. Therefore, when a subject wears the curled portion of the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 around one arm A and wraps the remaining portion of the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 around the subject's other hand, a frictional force is generated in the circumferential direction between the already worn portion (the curled portion of the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10) and the arm A. This frictional force prevents the attached portion from rotating freely on the arm A without the need to hold the blood pressure monitor cuff 10 with one hand, making it easy for the subject to wear it by himself.

[0022] Air bag 40 is a bag that is housed inside arm band cover 20, expands when air is supplied, and contracts to fit the shape of arm band cover 20 when air is discharged. In Example 1, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, air bag 40 has a laminated structure in which two bags, an outer peripheral bag body 41 and an inner peripheral bag body 42, are stacked and integrated, and the bag shape is generally rectangular (or trapezoidal). Outer peripheral bag body 41 and inner peripheral bag body 42 are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with a thickness of 0.3 mm.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 8, the outer peripheral bag body 41 and the inner peripheral bag body 42 are formed by forming holes 44 and 45 of the same shape in two cylindrical sheets, aligning the holes 44, 45, and providing overlapping direction welds 46 along the entire outer peripheries of the holes 44, 45 in the aligned state. As a result, the outer peripheral bag body 41 and the inner peripheral bag body 42 are integrally formed in a stacked state, and their internal spaces are connected by the holes 44, 45. Then, by providing winding direction welds 47 at both ends of the outer peripheral bag body 41 and the inner peripheral bag body 42 in the winding direction P as shown in Fig. 6, a bag is formed that is closed all around to prevent air leakage. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, the outer bag body 41 of the air bag 40 is positioned on the outer side (on the outer cloth 21 side) when the arm band cover 20 is rolled up by the core 30, and the inner bag body 42 is positioned on the inner side (on the lining cloth 22 side) of the outer bag body 41.

[0024] Reinforcing sheet 50 is a strip-shaped sheet whose length in winding direction P is longer than that in width direction D, and as shown in Fig. 6, a pair of reinforcing sheets are provided on inner surface 42a of inner circumferential bag body 42, at positions along straight bag portions 42b, 42c formed on both side edges in width direction D of inner circumferential bag body 42. The sheet material of reinforcing sheet 50 is the same type of resin material and has the same thickness as the bag material of air bag 40, and is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with a thickness of 0.3 mm.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 8, each of the pair of reinforcing sheets 50 has a sheet surface area extending in the winding direction P divided into a widthwise inner area IA and a widthwise outer area OA. In Example 1, the width dimension of the reinforcing sheet 50 is 20 mm, which is divided in half to define a widthwise inner area IA with a width of 10 mm and a widthwise outer area OA with a width of 10 mm. The widthwise inner area IA is set as a fixed area fixed to the inner surface 42a of the inner circumferential bag body 42, and the widthwise outer area OA is set as a free area not fixed to the inner surface 42a of the inner circumferential bag body 42. Note that a pair of reinforcing sheets 50 are provided at positions spaced apart in the width direction D along the bag straight portions 42b and 42c, and as shown in Fig. 8, the inter-sheet area SA between the pair of reinforcing sheets 50 is set as a reinforcing sheet-free area where no reinforcing sheet 50 is interposed.

[0026] The reinforcing sheet 50 is fixed to the inner periphery-side bag body 42 as follows. First, a double-sided tape 60 having a width dimension corresponding to the width of the widthwise inner region IA of the reinforcing sheet 50 is prepared. Next, as shown in FIG. 7 , one side of the double-sided tape 60 is attached to the widthwise inner region IA of the reinforcing sheet 50, and the other side of the double-sided tape 60 is attached to the inner surface 42a of the inner periphery-side bag body 42, at an end position along the bag linear portions 42b, 42c. In this manner, the reinforcing sheet 50 is fixed to the inner periphery-side bag body 42. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8 , the positions of the sheet outer side edges 50b, 50c in the width direction D of each of the pair of reinforcing sheets 50, 50 are set to coincide with the positions of the bag linear portions 42b, 42c of the inner periphery-side bag body 42 in the width direction D. Here, the bag linear portions 41b, 41c of the outer periphery-side bag body 41 are aligned with the bag linear portions 42b, 42c of the inner periphery-side bag body 42 in the width direction D. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the position in the width direction D of the sheet outer edge 50b, 50c of the reinforcing sheet 50, 50 is set to approximately coincide with the position in the width direction D of the bag straight portions 41b, 41c of the outer peripheral bag body 41 and the position in the width direction D of the bag straight portions 42b, 42c of the inner peripheral bag body 42.

[0027] Next, the wrinkling action that causes wrinkles to form in the rolled-up air bag in the blood pressure monitor cuff of the comparative example will be explained as follows, with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Here, the blood pressure monitor cuff of the comparative example is a cuff configured without the pair of reinforcing sheets 50, 50 in blood pressure monitor cuff 10 of Example 1.

[0028] Since a blood pressure monitor arm cuff with a core needs to be as compact as possible when stored, it is wrapped around the outer periphery of the core and rolled into a cylindrical shape. At this time, pressure acts on the inside and outside of the air bladder, causing the air to be released, and the flattened air bladder is rolled up along the inner periphery of the core of the blood pressure monitor arm cuff.

[0029] However, when the air bag is rolled up along the inner circumference of the core, the perimeter of the air bag is shortened compared to when the air bag is open, causing the air bag to sag, resulting in wrinkles at both widthwise ends of the air bag, as shown in Figure 9. These wrinkles have a wavy shape with small peak angles and sharp peaks and valleys connected in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, when measuring blood pressure, the curve of the blood pressure monitor cuff is stretched compared to when it is stored, causing the peak angles to become larger, resulting in a wavy shape with gentle peaks and valleys connected in the circumferential direction, or a circular shape with no waves. Thus, when a blood pressure monitor cuff is stored in a compact size, the range of change in the wave shape between when it is stored and when it is used to measure blood pressure becomes greater.

[0030] Therefore, when used over a long period of time, the wrinkles caused by the corrugated shape repeatedly expand and contract, causing the sheet material at the peak of the mountain shape, which is subjected to repeated stress, to become weak due to fatigue, and hole H opens at the position of the peak of the mountain shape, causing air to leak, as shown in Figure 10. In particular, when the air bag has a structure in which an outer bag body and an inner bag body are layered together, hole H opens in the inner bag body, as shown in Figure 10. This is because the amount of slack in the inner bag body, which is located on the inside, is greater than the amount of slack in the outer bag body, which is located on the outside.

[0031] In response to this, a blood pressure cuff has been proposed as prior art in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 4899163). In the case of the blood pressure cuff of the prior art, a surface fastener is provided on the entire inside (living body side) of the air bag in order to prevent wrinkles that can pinch the skin of the arm when the outer bag is wrapped around the arm to measure blood pressure. Therefore, the surface fastener reinforces the entire air bag, making it less likely to bend and less likely to develop a crease even if it does bend.

[0032] However, when prior art blood pressure measurement cuffs are rolled up for storage, the surface fastener prevents bending deformation, resulting in a large rolled diameter and making it impossible to store them in a compact size. In addition, when measuring blood pressure by wrapping the outer bag (arm band cover) around the arm, the surface fastener is interposed between the air bag and the arm. Therefore, when the air bag inflates and compresses the arm, the surface fastener prevents accurate acquisition of blood vessel vibration information, and the surface fastener, which prevents wrinkles from forming, affects the blood pressure measurement function.

[0033] The inventors noticed that, in contrast to comparative examples and prior art, placing a "dummy air bag" inside the actual air bag allows the "dummy air bag" to share the burden of wrinkles, and adopted the following solution, which includes a pair of reinforcing sheets 50 as the "dummy air bag."

[0034] In blood pressure monitor cuff 10, inner circumferential bag body 42 of air bag 40 is provided with a pair of strip-shaped reinforcing sheets 50 whose length in winding direction P is longer than width direction D, on inner surface 42a, along bag straight portions 42b, 42c formed on both side edges in width direction D. Reinforcing sheet 50 divides the sheet surface area extending in winding direction P into width direction inner area IA and width direction outer area OA. The width direction inner area IA is set as a fixed area that is fixed to the inner surface of air bag 40, and the width direction outer area OA is set as a free area that is not fixed to the inner surface of air bag 40.

[0035] The rolling-up and storage operation of the blood pressure monitor cuff 10 into a compact size will be described below with reference to FIG. 6 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the inner circumferential bag body 42 of the air bag 40 includes a pair of strip-shaped reinforcing sheets 50 whose length in the winding direction P is longer than the width direction D, located on the inner surface 42a along the straight bag portions 42b, 42c formed on both side edges in the width direction D. As such, the inner surface 42a of the inner circumferential bag body 42 only includes the pair of reinforcing sheets 50, 50 fixed at portions thereof, and the pair of reinforcing sheets 50, 50 do not restrict the bending deformation of the blood pressure monitor cuff 10. Therefore, when the blood pressure monitor cuff 10 is rolled up for storage, the pair of reinforcing sheets 50, 50 is rolled up along with the air bag 40 to conform to the shape of the core 30. This reduces the rolled diameter of the blood pressure monitor cuff 10 compared to prior art techniques in which the entire air bag is reinforced, enabling a compact storage configuration.

[0036] Next, the suppression of the influence on the blood pressure measurement function of the blood pressure monitor cuff 10 of Example 1 will be explained as follows with reference to FIG. 8 . By providing a pair of reinforcing sheets 50 at positions spaced apart in the width direction D along the straight bag portions 42b, 42c, as shown in FIG. 8 , the inter-sheet region SA between the pair of reinforcing sheets 50 is defined as a reinforcing sheet-free region where no reinforcing sheet 50 is interposed. In this way, in the inter-sheet region SA, no reinforcing sheet 50 is interposed between the inner surface 42a of the inner circumferential bag body 42 and the arm A. Therefore, when measuring blood pressure with the cuff cover 20 wrapped around the arm A, the reinforcing sheet 50 does not interfere with the accurate acquisition of blood vessel vibration information when the outer circumferential bag body 41 and the inner circumferential bag body 42 expand to compress the arm A. Therefore, the reinforcing sheet 50, which suppresses wrinkles in the air bag 40, is prevented from interfering with the blood pressure measurement function.

[0037] Next, the wrinkle reduction effect of reducing wrinkles that occur in air bag 40 in blood pressure monitor cuff 10 of Example 1 will be described as follows with reference to Figure 11. A pair of reinforcing sheets 50, 50 divides the sheet surface area extending in winding direction P into a widthwise inner area IA and a widthwise outer area OA. The widthwise inner area IA is set as a fixed area that is fixed to inner surface 42a of inner circumferential bag body 42, and the widthwise outer area OA is set as a free area that is not fixed to inner surface 42a of inner circumferential bag body 42. Here, the free area refers to an area that can easily elastically deform in response to a force acting on reinforcing sheet 50.

[0038] First, when air bag 40 is rolled up, wrinkles occur in the innermost portion, that is, the portion where the inner diameter is smallest and the perimeter of the bag is shortened the most. In contrast, blood pressure monitor cuff 10 has reinforcing sheet 50 provided on inner surface 42a of inner bag body 42. That is, by arranging reinforcing sheet 50 in the innermost position when air bag 40 is rolled up, as shown in FIG. 11 , reinforcing sheet 50 shares the main role of wrinkling. Due to this sharing, large-amplitude wavy wrinkles, in which sharp peaks and valleys with small apex angles are connected in the circumferential direction, occur in widthwise outer region OA (free region) of reinforcing sheet 50. In other words, the widthwise outer region OA of reinforcing sheet 50, which is positioned innermost, acts as a "dummy air bag" and generates large-amplitude wavy wrinkles.

[0039] The widthwise outer region OA of the reinforcing sheet 50, which is arranged innermost, bears the majority of the wrinkling, thereby making the waveform of the wrinkles that occur in the inner bag body 42 gentler. Furthermore, the large-amplitude wavy wrinkles that occur in the widthwise outer region OA of the reinforcing sheet 50 push the wavy wrinkles that occur in the inner bag body 42 from the inside to the outside, thereby changing the apex angle of the gentle wavy wrinkles that occur in the inner bag body 42 to a more obtuse angle. Therefore, while a compact storage form is achieved by rolling, the occurrence of large-amplitude wavy wrinkles that cause holes at both widthwise ends of the inner bag body 42 is reduced.

[0040] Thus, blood pressure monitor cuff 10 can be rolled up for compact storage while minimizing the impact on blood pressure measurement function, while reducing the occurrence of wrinkles at both widthwise ends of inner pouch 42. Even when the wrinkles caused by the corrugated shape of inner pouch 42 repeatedly expand and contract over long periods of use, the change in the amount of expansion and contraction is kept small, making it less likely for holes to form at the peaks of the mountain-like shapes. As a result, air leakage is less likely to occur even when blood pressure monitor cuff 10 is used for long periods of time, which contributes to extending the product life of blood pressure monitor cuff 10.

[0041] As described above, the blood pressure monitor cuff 10 of the first embodiment provides the following effects.

[0042] (1) The arm cuff (10) includes a band-shaped arm band cover (20) that is wrapped around a subject (arm (A)) and has a length in a wrapping direction (P) that is longer than the width direction (D), and an air bag (40) that is housed inside the arm band cover (20), inflates when air is supplied, and contracts to conform to the shape of the arm band cover (20) when air is discharged. In this blood pressure monitor arm cuff (10), the air bag (40) includes a pair of band-shaped reinforcing sheets (50) that are longer than the width direction (D) in the wrapping direction (P) and are located on the inner surface along linear bag portions formed on both side edges in the width direction (D). The sheet surface area of ​​the reinforcing sheet (50) extending in the wrapping direction (P) is divided into an inner width direction region (IA) and an outer width direction region (OA). The inner width direction region (IA) is set as a fixed area that is fixed to the inner surface of the air bag (40), and the outer width direction region (OA) is set as a free area that is not fixed to the inner surface of the air bag (40). This makes it possible to provide a blood pressure monitor arm cuff (10) that minimizes the impact on blood pressure measurement function, can be rolled up for compact storage, and reduces the occurrence of wrinkles at both width direction ends of the air bag (40).

[0043] (2) The sheet material of the reinforcing sheet 50 is a material having flexibility at least equivalent to that of the bag material used for the air bag 40. Therefore, when the reinforcing sheet 50 is responsible for the majority of wrinkles in the rolled-up stored state, the flexible deformability causes wave-like wrinkles in the reinforcing sheet 50, with mountain and valley shapes connected in the circumferential direction, effectively reducing the occurrence of wrinkles at both widthwise ends of the air bag 40. Note that in the rolled-up stored state, the widthwise outer regions OA of the reinforcing sheet 50 serve as "dummy air bags" located at the innermost periphery.

[0044] (3) Double-sided tape 60 is provided, having a width dimension that corresponds to the width of widthwise inner region IA of reinforcing sheet 50. One side of double-sided tape 60 is attached to widthwise inner region IA, and the other side of double-sided tape 60 is attached to an edge region of air bag 40 along the straight bag portion, so that reinforcing sheet 50 is fixed to the inner surface of air bag 40. Therefore, by simply providing double-sided tape 60, reinforcing sheet 50 can be easily set to the inner surface of air bag 40, with widthwise inner region IA fixed and widthwise outer region OA not fixed.

[0045] (4) Air bag 40 has a laminated structure in which outer-periphery bag body 41, which is located on the outer periphery when arm band cover 20 is rolled up, and inner-periphery bag body 42, which is located on the inner periphery of outer-periphery bag body 41 and communicates with each other, are stacked and integrated. Reinforcement sheet 50 is provided on inner surface 42a of inner-periphery bag body 42. Therefore, in blood pressure monitor arm band 10 including air bag 40 having a laminated structure in which outer-periphery bag body 41 and inner-periphery bag body 42 are stacked and integrated, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of wrinkles due to large-amplitude corrugations that cause holes H to form in both widthwise ends of inner-periphery bag body 42, where wrinkles are likely to form. Note that in the case of air bag 40 with a laminated structure, because inner-periphery bag body 42 is located inside outer-periphery bag body 41, wrinkles due to large-amplitude corrugations that cause holes H to form in inner-periphery bag body 42 are more likely to form than in an air bag with a single-layer structure, for example.

[0046] (5) The arm band cover 20 includes an elastic core 30 that is approximately cylindrical and has an inner diameter smaller than the subject's arm A, and the arm band cover 20 accommodates the core 30, air bag 40, and reinforcing sheet 50 in this order from the outer surface cloth 21 on the outer periphery toward the inner surface cloth 22 in a rolled-up state. This allows for a compact storage configuration with a rolled-up diameter defined by the core 30, while also reducing the occurrence of wrinkles at both widthwise ends of the air bag 40.

[0047] As described above, the blood pressure monitor arm cuff of the present invention has been described based on Example 1. However, the specific configuration of the blood pressure monitor arm cuff of the present invention is not limited to Example 1, and design changes and additions are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention according to each claim in the scope of the claims.

[0048] In Example 1, the reinforcing sheet 50 has a sheet surface area extending in the winding direction P, which is divided into two equal parts, a widthwise inner area IA and a widthwise outer area OA, with the widthwise inner area IA set as a fixed area and the widthwise outer area OA set as a free area. However, the reinforcing sheet is not limited to dividing the sheet surface area extending in the winding direction into two equal parts, a widthwise inner area and a widthwise outer area. For example, as long as a free area is secured that can easily elastically deform in response to a force acting on the reinforcing sheet and the free area can exert an effect of sharing the main wrinkle generation, it is permissible to divide the sheet in an appropriately set ratio.

[0049] In Example 1, an example was shown in which the sheet material of reinforcing sheet 50 was made of the same resin material and with the same thickness as the bag material (0.3 mm thick polyvinyl chloride) used in air bag 40. However, the sheet material of the reinforcing sheet is not limited to 0.3 mm thick polyvinyl chloride, and various thicknesses and various resin materials can be selected as long as the material has at least the same flexibility and deformability as the bag material used in the air bag.

[0050] In Example 1, when fixing the reinforcing sheet 50 to the inner circumferential bag body 42, double-sided tape 60 is prepared, and one side of the double-sided tape 60 is attached to the widthwise inner region IA, and the other side of the double-sided tape 60 is attached to the inner surface 42a of the inner circumferential bag body 42 to fix the reinforcing sheet 50. However, the method of fixing the reinforcing sheet to the air bag (inner circumferential bag body) is not limited to Example 1, in which double-sided tape is used. For example, the reinforcing sheet may be fixed to the air bag using an adhesive. The reinforcing sheet may also be fixed to the air bag by partial welding. Furthermore, the reinforcing sheet may be formed integrally with the air bag, and the connection portion with the air bag may be used as the fixing portion.

[0051] In the first embodiment, air bag 40 is an example of an air bag with a two-layer structure in which outer peripheral bag body 41 and inner peripheral bag body 42 are stacked and integrated. However, the air bag is not limited to an air bag with a two-layer structure. For example, an air bag with a single air bag body may also be used. Also, an air bag with a bellows structure having three or more layers may also be used.

[0052] In the first embodiment, the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 is applied to a hard cuff having a core 30. However, the blood pressure monitor arm cuff is not limited to application to a hard cuff having a core, and can also be applied to a soft cuff without a core. A blood pressure monitor arm cuff with a soft cuff can also be rolled into a cylindrical shape for compact storage.

[0053] In Example 1, the blood pressure monitor arm cuff 10 of the present invention is applied to an upper arm electronic blood pressure monitor that is worn and wrapped around the upper arm of a subject to measure blood pressure and heart rate. However, the blood pressure monitor arm cuff of the present invention can also be applied to a wrist-type electronic blood pressure monitor that is worn and wrapped around the wrist of a subject to measure blood pressure and heart rate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10. Blood pressure cuff 20 Armband cover 21 Outer cloth 22 Lining 30 cores 40 Air Bag 41 outer periphery bag body 42 Inner periphery bag body 50 Reinforcement sheet 60 double-sided tape Arm A (subject) P Winding direction D Width direction IA Width direction inner area OA Width outer area

Claims

1. a band-like arm band cover that is wrapped around the subject and has a length in the wrapping direction longer than the width direction; an air bag that is housed inside the arm band cover, expands when air is supplied, and contracts along the shape of the arm band cover when air is discharged, the air bag includes a pair of strip-shaped reinforcing sheets, the length of which in the winding direction is longer than the width direction, on the inner surface along the bag linear portions formed on both side edges in the width direction; The reinforcing sheet has a sheet surface area extending in the wrapping direction divided into a widthwise inner area and a widthwise outer area, the widthwise inner area being set as a fixed area that is fixed to the inner surface of the air bag, and the widthwise outer area being set as a free area that is not fixed to the inner surface of the air bag. A cuff for a blood pressure monitor.

2. the reinforcing sheet is made of a sheet material having flexibility at least equivalent to that of the bag material used for the air bag; The material having the same flexibility is a material that forms wave-shaped wrinkles in the reinforcing sheet, in which mountain and valley shapes are connected in the circumferential direction, when the reinforcing sheet shares the generation of wrinkles in the rolled-up stored state of the arm band cover.

2. The cuff for a blood pressure monitor according to claim 1.

3. a double-sided tape having a width dimension corresponding to the width of the inner region in the width direction of the reinforcing sheet; One side of the double-sided tape is attached to the widthwise inner region, and the other side of the double-sided tape is attached to an edge region of the air bag along the linear portion of the air bag, and the reinforcing sheet is fixed to the inner surface of the air bag.

2. The cuff for a blood pressure monitor according to claim 1.

4. The air bag has a laminated structure in which an outer circumferential bag body is arranged on the outer circumferential side when the arm band cover is rolled up, and an inner circumferential bag body is arranged on the inner circumferential side of the outer circumferential bag body and is internally connected to each other, and the air bag is integrated by stacking them together; The reinforcing sheet is provided at a position on the inner surface of the inner circumferential bag body.

2. The cuff for a blood pressure monitor according to claim 1.

5. a core having a substantially cylindrical shape and an elasticity, the core having an inner diameter smaller than that of the subject; The arm band cover is rolled up and contains the core, the air bag, and the reinforcing sheet in this order from the outer fabric on the outer periphery to the inner lining. The cuff for a blood pressure monitor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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