Thermometer device

Abstract

A thermometer device (10) comprising a hollow housing (12) having first and second opposing ends, the housing being closed at said first end (14) and having an opening in a side wall thereof, the thermometer device further comprising a waterproof thermometer (18) disposed within the housing (12), and a mechanical timer device (20) affixed over said second end of the housing (12).

Description

[0001] THERMOMETER DEVICE

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates generally to a thermometer device and, more particularly, but not necessarily exclusively, to a thermometer device for use in cold swimming and cold water therapy applications.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] Cold water swimming is a form of endurance sport that involves swimming outdoors, mainly during the winter or in colder regions of the world, and is defined as swimming in water below 18°C. Cold water therapy is a practice that uses water around 15°C to treat health conditions or stimulate health benefits, and can include activities such as cold water immersion and cold swimming.

[0006] Whilst there can be significant health and wellbeing benefits to cold water swimming, there are also risks to be considered. One of the main safety risks faced by cold water swimmers, especially those relatively new to the practice, is cold incapacitation. Cold incapacitation can occur after a period of time in cold water, as the body’s core temperature starts to drop. Blood shunts to the core to keep organs warm, and the swimmer’s muscles lose power, limbs become slow and heavy and swimming becomes increasingly difficult. After 30 minutes or more in the water, hypothermia can set in, but cold incapacitation usually occurs some time before that, especially in beginners, potentially resulting in swimming failure and drowning.

[0007] It is, therefore, recommended that novice cold water swimmers acclimate themselves to cold water. Acclimation is a process by which a swimmer’s body gradually adapts itself to cold water by repeated exposure and, through acclimation, it is not only possible to, not only greatly reduce or eliminate cold shock, but also train he swimmer’s body to enable them to safely remain in the cold water for longer and longer periods of time.

[0008] Even once a cold water swimmer is more experienced and has become acclimated to cold water, they still need to be careful about the length of time they can safely remain immersed, which is very dependent on the temperature of the water. For example, if the water is 10-15°C, the length of time a swimmer can remain in it may be somewhat less than if the water is above 15°C; and if the water temperature is below 10°C, that period of time would be less again.

[0009] Accordingly, many cold water swimmers, novices and experts alike, use a thermometer to determine the temperature of a body of water, e.g. a lake or river, before they start a swim, and then decide, based on the temperature, how long it is safe for them to remain immersed in the water. They simply lean over and dip the thermometer into the water, and hold it there for a minute or so to obtain an accurate reading. However, conventional waterproof thermometers tend to be quite small and can easily be dropped and float away. If the thermometer is a mercury thermometer, this poses an additional environmental concern. Non mercury waterproof thermometers exist and could be used, but they tend to be somewhat more expensive than their conventional mercury counterparts, and they are not adapted for this purpose so there is still the risk that they could be lost in the water. Another risk is that the user may not leave the thermometer in the water for long enough to obtain an accurate reading and, furthermore, even once a temperature reading has been obtained, the swimmer must still find a way to time themselves in the water, using their watch or a separate timer device. Electronic and professional grade timing devices are expensive, and not usually designed for cold water swimmers. Yet another risk is that thermometers not meant for water measurement are often used (e.g. meat probe thermometers), which give inaccurate readings, leading to high risk of cold-water incapacitation amongst users, regardless of experience levels.

[0010] Aspects of the present invention seek to address one or more of these issues.

[0011] Statements of Invention

[0012] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a thermometer device comprising a hollow housing having first and second opposing ends, the housing being closed at said first end and having an opening in a side wall thereof, the thermometer device further comprising a waterproof thermometer disposed within the housing, and a mechanical timer device affixed over said second end of the housing. The housing may, beneficially, be generally tubular and wherein said opening is elongate and extends along a portion of the length of the side wall of said housing.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the waterproof thermometer may comprise a non mercury thermometer. The thermometer may be fixedly housed within the housing such that the temperature gauge is visible through the opening therein.

[0014] The second end of the housing may be open, and a slot may extend from said open second end along a portion of the length of the housing. The thermometer device may further comprise a groove in the side wall of the housing, said groove extending from the end of said slot along a portion of the length of the housing. When the device is assembled for use, the slot may be completely covered by the base of the timer device and the groove (or indentation) extends beyond the edge of the base of the timer device such that, in use, if there are any air bubbles at the top of the water within the housing, these can escape from the open end of the housing, through the slot and out through the small opening created between the base of the timer device and the housing by the groove or indentation.

[0015] The timer device may beneficially comprise a generally cup-shaped float base, within which is mounted a mechanical timing mechanism comprising a winding mechanism including, or coupled to, a shaft. The timer device may also comprise a closure member shaped and configured such that it fits over the open end of said cup-shaped float base such that it covers said mechanical timing mechanism, said closure member comprising an opening through which said shaft of said winding mechanism extends. The closure member may, beneficially, further comprise a collar that extends around said opening, and the timer device further comprises a seal member located within said collar, around said shaft of said winding mechanism, which acts to prevent water from entering the space between the float base and the closure, where the timing mechanism is housed.

[0016] The timer device may further comprise a lid configured to be rotatably mounted over the rim of said cup-shaped float base, the lid comprising coupling means configured to couple said lid to said shaft of said winding mechanism such that, in use, rotation of said lid relative to said float base also causes said shaft of said winding mechanism to rotate. Thus, a user can place the thermometer device in a body of water to allow some of the water to flow into the housing (and over the end of the thermometer) via the opening. Then, once a temperature reading has been obtained, they can manually set the mechanical timer to a time period corresponding to the time they plan to spend in the water.

[0017] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

[0018] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a thermometer device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic rear view of the thermometer device of Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic rear view of the housing of the thermometer device of Figure 1 , with the timer mechanism excluded;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic exploded view of a mechanical timer device of a thermometer device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

[0024] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional exploded view of the mechanical timer device of Figure 4.

[0025] Detailed Description

[0026] In the following description of various exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown, by way of examples and illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that variations and modifications may be made, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limited sense. The specification may refer to “an”, “one” or “some” embodiment(s) in some parts. This does not necessarily imply that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature applies to only one embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to make another embodiment.

[0027] As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including” and / or “comprising”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, operations, steps, elements, components and / or groups thereof As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0028] Directional descriptors such as upper, lower, left, right, clockwise, anti-clockwise, front, rear and other similar adjectives are used for clarity and refer to the orientation of the invention as illustrated in the drawings, however it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the invention may not always be oriented as illustrated and the invention is not intended to be limited in this regard.

[0029] Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, an example thermometer device 10 comprises a generally tubular housing 12 that is closed at one end 14 and open at the opposing end (not shown in Figure 1). The closed end 14 of the housing defines the “bottom” of the thermometer device 10 when it is oriented for normal use. An elongate opening 16 is provided in a side wall of the housing 12, the opening 16 extending from a point above the bottom end 14 along a portion of the length of the housing 12.

[0030] Housed within the housing, there is a waterproof, non mercury thermometer 18, oriented such that the numbering on the temperature gauge of the thermometer 18 ascends from the ‘bottom’ of the device (nearest the bottom end 14) toward the top. It will be appreciated that the thermometer 18 is mounted within the housing, such that the temperature gauge 19 thereof is visible through the opening 16 in the housing 12, and the opening 16 is sized and configured such that the temperature gauge is so visible from the outside of the device 10. The opening 16 in the housing 12 defines the ‘front’ of the thermometer device 10 when it is oriented for normal use. The sensing end of the thermometer 18 is located at or very near the bottom end of the housing 14 such that, when the housing is immersed in body of water to above the bottom end of the opening 16, water can enter the portion of the housing 16 between the bottom end 14 thereof and the bottom end of the opening and cover the sensing end of the thermometer 18.

[0031] A mechanical timer device 20 is mounted over the open end of the housing 12, at the ‘top’ of the device (when the device is oriented for normal use). A rigid loop 44 extends from a side wall of the of the timer device 20, to allow a lanyard (or similar carrying means) to be looped therethrough and, thereby, affixed to the device 10.

[0032] Referring additionally to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, the timer device 20 comprises a generally cup-shaped float base 22 which is mounted over the open end of the tubular housing 12 of the thermometer device 12 via a first tubular mount 24 provided generally centrally within the cup-shaped float base 22. The ‘bottom’ of the tubular mount 24 is adjacent the closed ‘bottom’ of the cup-shaped float base 22 and it is open and sized and configured to receive therein the open end of the housing 12. The ‘top’ of the tubular mount 24 is closed. A second tubular mount 26 is provided at the ‘top’ (open) end of the float base 22, the second tubular mount 26 being open adjacent the open end of the float base 22 and closed at the other end. The first and second tubular mounts 24, 26 are adjoined by a concentric fixed pin 28 located between the closed end of the first tubular mount 24 and the closed end of the second tubular mount 26, and extending into the second tubular mount 26. The first and second tubular mounts 24, 26 and the fixed pin may be integrally formed within the inside of the float base 24, although this is not essential.

[0033] A mechanical timer mechanism 30 is mounted in the second tubular mount 26 and fixed over the end of the concentric pin 28. Mechanical timer mechanisms are well known and widely supplied, as will be known to a person skilled in the art, and will not be described in any further detail herein. Suffice it to say that the mechanical timer mechanism 30 incorporates a winding mechanism which can be rotated to set a desired time period, and the winding mechanism includes a shaft 32. The timer mechanism 30 is fixed within the cup-shaped float base 22 by means of a screw 46 that extends through a small aperture (not shown) in the bottom of the float base 22, and a rubber (or similar) washer 48 seals the aperture when the timer device 20 is fully assembled and the screw 46 is in place.

[0034] The timer device further comprises a closure 34 configured to fit over the top of the cupshaped float base 22. At the centre of the closure 34, there is an opening around which a collar 36 is provided. When the timer device is assembled, the shaft 32 of the timing mechanism 30 extends through the opening and is surrounded by the collar 36. A circular rubber (or similar) seal 38 sits within the collar 36. A non-return stop tab 45 is located on the top surface of the closure 34 (when the device is oriented for normal use as shown in the drawings), and configured to prevent the rotatable lid 40 (described hereinafter) from being rotated in the wrong direction and thus, possibly, breaking the meachanism.

[0035] Finally, the timer device 20 comprises a lid 40 having a generally central, open-ended tubular member 42 extending from its inner top wall. When the timer device is assembled, the lid 40 sits over the closure 34 and is rotatably affixed over the outer rim of the cup-shaped float base 22, with the end of the shaft 32 of the winding mechanism being fixedly engaged to the inside of the tubular member 42. As such, in use, the user can rotate the lid 40 to rotate the shaft of the winding mechanism of the timer mechanism 30, and the closure 34 including the collar 36 and the rubber seal 38 act to prevent the ingress of water into the cup-shaped float base 22 such that the timer mechanism is protected from moisture (which would otherwise act to degrade the timer mechanism). Snap-fit connectors (44) (or similar means) may be provided at the end of the tubular member 42 and inside the collar 36, to enable the lid 40 to be fixed to the closure 34 such that they rotate together (relative to the float base 22), in use.

[0036] Referring back to Figure 1 of the drawings, when a user rotates the lid 40 of the timer device 20, the timing mechanism is set according to how far the lid 40 is rotated, and a numerical indicator 44 is provided around the side edge of the lid 40 to enable a user to see the time period to which the timing mechanism 30 is set. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, at the rear of the housing 12 (diametrically opposite to the opening 16), there is provided a small longitudinal slot 50 that extends from the open end of the housing 12 along a short portion of its length (such that it is covered by the timer device 20 when the thermometer device is fully assembled for use, as illustrated by Figure 2 of the drawings). An elongate groove or indentation 52 is formed in the wall of the housing 12 and extends from the end of the slot 50 along a small portion of the length of the housing 12. In use, when the thermometer device 10 is placed in water, the housing 12 will be immersed and the timer device 20 will float on the top of the water. However, any air bubbles trapped at the top of the water within the housing 12 would cause the device to tilt in the water. Thus, the slot 50 groove or indentation 52 (which extends from the bottom of the slot 50 along a portion of the length of the housing 12 below the timer device 20) allows air to escape the housing 12 when the thermometer device is submerged in water, and ensures that the device remains upright in the water.

[0037] The housing and all parts of the timer device (except the mechanical timing mechanism and the seals) can be formed of recycled plastics or similar material.

[0038] It will be apparent to a person skilled din the art, from the foregoing description, that modifications and variations can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A thermometer device comprising a hollow housing having first and second opposing ends, the housing being closed at said first end and having an opening in a side wall thereof, the thermometer device further comprising a waterproof thermometer disposed within the housing, and a mechanical timer device affixed over said second end of the housing.

2. A thermometer device according to claim 1 , wherein said housing is generally tubular and wherein said opening is elongate and extends along a portion of the length of the side wall of said housing.

3. A thermometer device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said waterproof thermometer comprises a non mercury thermometer.

4. A thermometer device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second end of the housing is open.

5. A thermometer device according to claim 4, wherein a slot extends from said open second end along a portion of the length of the housing.

6. A thermometer device according to claim 5, further comprising a groove in the side wall of the housing, said groove extending from the end of said slot along a portion of the length of the housing.

7. A thermometer device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said timer device comprises a cup shaped float base, within which is mounted a mechanical timing mechanism comprising a winding mechanism including, or coupled to, a shaft.

8. A thermometer device according to claim 7, comprising a closure member shaped and configured such that it fits over the open end of said cup-shaped float base such that it covers said mechanical timing mechanism, said closure member comprising an opening through which said shaft of said winding mechanism extends.

9. A thermometer device according to claim 8, wherein a non-return stop tab is provided on a top surface of the closure member.

10. A thermometer device according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the closure member further comprises a collar that extends around said opening, and thetimer device further comprises a seal member located within said collar, around said shaft of said winding mechanism.11 . A thermometer device according to any of claims 8 to 10, further comprising a lid configured to be rotatably mounted over the rim of said cup-shaped float base, the lid comprising coupling means configured to couple said lid to said shaft of said winding mechanism such that, in use, rotation of said lid relative to said float base also causes said shaft of said winding mechanism to rotate.

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