Neuromuscular stimulator and flat host thereof

Abstract

Provided are a neuromuscular stimulator and a flat host thereof. The flat host comprises a flat housing with an accommodating cavity, a control circuit board arranged in the accommodating cavity and laterally extending along the flat housing, an external connection terminal exposed outwards from a lower end surface of the flat housing, a button battery electrically connected to the control circuit board, a battery cover for compressing the button battery, and a magnet mounted on the battery cover. A cavity opening of the accommodating cavity is located in the lower end surface of the flat housing, the button battery is located in the accommodating cavity, and the external connection terminal is electrically connected to the control circuit board. After being mounted in the accommodating cavity through the cavity opening, the battery cover can be rotated around a center line of the battery cover by a preset angle relative to the flat housing, such that the battery cover is locked and fixed to the flat housing, and the battery cover further compresses the button battery in the accommodating cavity. The flat host in the present application has the advantage of compactness, so as to effectively avoid the defect that the battery cover is prone to damage in the process of repeated assembly with / disassembly from the flat housing.

Description

Neuromuscular stimulator and its flat host Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a neuromuscular stimulator and a flat host thereof. Background Art

[0002] As we all know, neuromuscular stimulation equipment uses neuromuscular electrical stimulation technology (NMES) to stimulate the common peroneal nerve, causing the calf and plantar muscle groups to produce rhythmic contraction and relaxation activities, simulating the physiological state of the human body during normal activities, forming a "muscle pump" effect, effectively squeezing the blood vessels in the lower limbs, enhancing blood pumping efficiency, increasing the blood flow rate in the lower limb veins, arteries and microcirculation, and promoting lymphatic return, achieving the comprehensive effects of preventing deep vein thrombosis, reducing edema, and promoting wound healing.

[0003] At present, among the existing neuromuscular stimulation devices, most of the main units have the defects of being large in size, heavy in weight, having a complex operating interface, being inconvenient to operate, requiring the main unit to be connected to mains power, and requiring external wires to connect the main unit and the electrodes.

[0004] While some existing neuromuscular stimulation devices are small and lightweight, they are powered by button batteries, which are held in place by a gland within the device. Because button batteries frequently need to be replaced, the gland frequently needs to be removed and installed during replacement. Furthermore, because the gland is secured to the housing by a snap-fit ​​mechanism, the gland's snap-fitting protrusions are susceptible to damage during this frequent removal and installation.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a neuromuscular stimulator and a flat host thereof to overcome one or more of the above-mentioned defects.

[0006] Application Contents

[0007] One purpose of the present application is to provide a flat host that can effectively avoid the defect that the battery cover is easily damaged during multiple assembly and disassembly processes with the flat shell while being small in size.

[0008] Another object of the present application is to provide a neuromuscular stimulator that can effectively avoid the defect that the battery cover is easily damaged during multiple assembly and disassembly processes with the flat shell while being small in size.

[0009] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the flat host of the present application is suitable for a neuromuscular stimulator, comprising a flat shell having a accommodating cavity, a control circuit board disposed in the accommodating cavity and extending laterally from the flat shell, external terminals exposed outwardly from the lower end surface of the flat shell, a button battery for electrically connecting to the control circuit board, a battery cover for pressing the button battery, and a magnet mounted on the battery cover. The cavity opening of the accommodating cavity is located at the lower end surface of the flat shell, the button battery is located in the accommodating cavity, the external terminals are electrically connected to the control circuit board, and the battery cover can be rotated relative to the flat shell about its center line by a preset angle after being loaded into the accommodating cavity from the cavity opening, so that the battery cover is locked and fixed to the flat shell. The battery cover locked and fixed to the flat shell also presses the button battery in the accommodating cavity.

[0010] Compared with the prior art, the flat host of the present application includes a flat shell with a accommodating cavity, a control circuit board arranged in the accommodating cavity and extending laterally along the flat shell, external terminals exposed outward from the lower end surface of the flat shell, a button battery for electrically connecting to the control circuit board, a battery cover for pressing the button battery, and a magnet assembled on the battery cover, and after the battery cover is loaded into the accommodating cavity from the cavity mouth, it can be rotated relative to the flat shell about the center line of the battery cover by a preset angle, so that the battery cover is locked and fixed with the flat shell, and the battery cover locked and fixed with the flat shell also presses the button battery in the accommodating cavity; that is, during the replacement of the button battery, the assembly and disassembly operation between the battery cover and the shell can be realized by rotating the battery cover about its center line relative to the flat shell, thereby avoiding the defect that the snap-fit ​​fixation between the existing cover and the shell causes the snap-fit ​​protrusion of the cover to be easily damaged. At the same time, by using the flat shell and the control circuit board arranged in the accommodating cavity and extending along the side of the flat shell, the volume of the flat host of the present application is made smaller.

[0011] Preferably, the upper end portion of the battery gland is upwardly provided with a plurality of protrusions which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the battery gland and protrude from the upper end portion, at least one of the protrusions is provided with an inverted structure protruding radially outwardly along the battery gland, and the flat shell is provided with a ring body which is protruded in the accommodating cavity and arranged around the battery gland, and the ring body is provided with an avoidance notch for the inverted structure to pass over the ring body upward when the battery gland is installed into the accommodating cavity.

[0012] Preferably, the inverted structure is provided with an arc-shaped transition structure below two opposite sides of the battery cover in the circumferential direction, and the ring body is provided with an inclined structure inclined downward in a direction away from the avoidance gap at a position on one side of the avoidance gap.

[0013] Preferably, an annular mounting cavity is provided in the battery cover and passes through the upper end surface of the battery cover, all the protrusions are arranged around the annular mounting cavity, the magnet is an annular magnet placed in the annular mounting cavity, and a magnet cover is cooperatively embedded in the annular mounting cavity and presses the annular magnet.

[0014] Preferably, a sealing ring is sleeved on the side wall of the battery gland, and the sealing ring is in contact with the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity.

[0015] Preferably, the ring body is further provided with a staggered notch, and the control circuit board is provided with an electrical contact pin located in the staggered notch for electrically contacting the button battery.

[0016] Preferably, the flat host of the present application also includes a gear button exposed outward from the upper end of the flat shell and a gear strength indicator exposed outward from the side of the flat shell, and the gear button and gear strength indicator are both electrically connected to the control circuit board.

[0017] Preferably, the gear strength indicator is an indicator light, and the outer contour of the flat host projected from top to bottom is a parallelepiped.

[0018] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the neuromuscular stimulator of the present application includes an electrode sheet and the aforementioned flat main unit. The electrode sheet has a conductive contact, a positioning protrusion, and a magnetic attraction structure, and the conductive contact and magnetic attraction structure are located in the space enclosed by the positioning protrusion. The flat main unit is magnetically fixed to the electrode sheet by the magnetic attraction of the magnet and magnetic attraction structure, and the external terminal is in electrical contact with the conductive contact.

[0019] Preferably, two relatively arranged positioning blocks are provided in the positioning convex ring, and the lower end of the flat shell is provided with a positioning groove that cooperates with the positioning blocks; or, two relatively arranged positioning grooves are provided in the positioning convex ring, and the lower end of the flat shell is provided with a positioning convex block that cooperates with the positioning grooves.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, since the neuromuscular stimulator of the present application has the aforementioned flat main unit, the neuromuscular stimulator of the present application also has a small size and avoids the defect that the snap-fitting protrusion of the existing gland and the shell are easily damaged due to the snap-fit ​​fixation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG1 is a three-dimensional view of the neuromuscular stimulator of the present application when the flat main unit and the electrode sheet are connected together.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 .

[0023] FIG3 is a perspective exploded view of FIG2 at another angle.

[0024] FIG4 is a top-down plan view of the flat host of the present application.

[0025] FIG. 5 is an internal view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 .

[0026] FIG6 is an exploded view of FIG5 with the button battery and the battery cover moved downwardly away from the flat housing.

[0027] FIG7 is a perspective exploded view of the flat host of the present application.

[0028] FIG8 is a further exploded perspective view of FIG7 .

[0029] FIG. 9 is a three-dimensional exploded view of FIG. 7 at another angle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to explain the technical content and structural features of the present application in detail, the following further describes the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the neuromuscular stimulator 100 of the present application includes a flat main unit 10 and an electrode sheet 20. The electrode sheet 20 has a conductive contact 21, a positioning protrusion 22, and a magnetic structure 23. The conductive contact 21 and the magnetic structure 23 are located in a space 24 surrounded by the positioning protrusion 22. The flat main unit 10 is magnetically fixed to the electrode sheet 20 under the magnetic attraction of the magnet 16 (see Figure 5) and the magnetic structure 23. At this time, the external terminal 13 is electrically abutted against the conductive contact 21 to meet the needs of the flat main unit 10 to control the electrode sheet 20. Specifically, as an example in Figures 1 to 3 , two opposing positioning blocks 25 are provided within the positioning collar 22 . A positioning groove 118 is defined in the lower end 117 of the flat housing 11 to engage with the positioning blocks 25 . The engagement of the positioning blocks 25 with the positioning groove 118 ensures the correct placement of the flat main unit 10 and the electrode sheet 20 , effectively ensuring that the external terminals 13 are properly electrically contacted with the conductive contacts 21 when the flat main unit 10 and the electrode sheet 20 are magnetically secured. Furthermore, the magnetic structure 23 may be a permanent magnet. It is understood that in other embodiments, the positions of the positioning grooves 118 and the positioning blocks 25 may be reversed, i.e., the positioning grooves 118 may be defined by the positioning collar 22 while the positioning blocks 25 may be provided by the flat housing 11 . Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3 . In addition, the term "flat" means that the vertical dimension of the flat host 10 is smaller than the minimum dimension of the outer contour of the flat host 10 projected from top to bottom. Similarly, the term "flat" means that the vertical dimension of the flat housing 11 is smaller than the minimum dimension of the outer contour of the flat housing 11 projected from top to bottom. More specifically, as follows:

[0032] 4 to 9 , the flat host 10 includes a flat housing 11 having a housing cavity 111, a control circuit board 12 disposed in the housing cavity 111 and extending laterally from the flat housing 11, external terminals 13 exposed from the lower end surface 112 of the flat housing 11, a button battery 14 for electrically connecting to the control circuit board 12, a battery cover 15 for pressing the button battery 14, and a magnet 16 mounted on the battery cover 15 so that the magnet 16 and the battery cover 15 are assembled together. The opening 1111 of the housing cavity 111 is located at the lower end surface 112 of the flat housing 11. Optionally, as shown in FIG9 , the housing cavity 111 is a circular cavity to facilitate the manufacturing and processing of the housing cavity 111 on the flat housing 11 and to allow the battery cover 15 to rotate relative to the flat housing 11 after being installed in the housing cavity 111. A button cell battery 14 is located in the housing 111, housing the button cell 14 within the flat housing 11. The shape and structure of the button cell 14 are well known in the art and will not be described in detail here. The external terminals 13 are electrically connected to the control circuit board 12, thereby electrically connecting the control circuit board 12 to the electrode sheet 20 via the external terminals 13 and the conductive contacts 21. Among them, after the battery cover 15 is loaded into the accommodating cavity 111 from the cavity opening 1111, the battery cover 15 can be rotated around the center line C of the battery cover 15 relative to the flat shell 11 by a preset angle, such as but not limited to 30 degrees or 45 degrees described herein, so that the battery cover 15 is locked and fixed to the flat shell 11; at this time, the battery cover 15 locked and fixed to the flat shell 11 also presses the button battery 14 in the accommodating cavity 111, thereby achieving the purpose of stabilizing the button battery 14 in the accommodating cavity 111; optionally, as an example, when the battery cover 15 presses the button battery 14 in the accommodating cavity 111, the control circuit board 12 at this time presses the button battery 14 from above, so that the button battery 14 is clamped between the battery cover 15 and the control circuit board 12; of course, according to actual needs, the flat shell 11 can also be used to press the button battery 14 in the accommodating cavity 111 from above, so that the button battery 14 is clamped between the battery cover 15 and the flat shell 11. The structure of the flat host 10 is described in more detail below.

[0033] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the upper end portion 15a of the battery cover 15 is upwardly provided with four protruding feet 151 arranged spaced apart along the circumference of the battery cover 15 and protruding from the upper end portion 15a. Each protruding foot 151 is provided with an undercut structure 152 protruding radially outward from the battery cover 15. The flat shell 11 is provided with a ring body 113 which protrudes into the accommodating cavity 111 and is arranged around the battery gland 15. The ring body 113 is provided with an avoidance gap 114 for the inverted structure 152 to pass over the ring body 113 upwards when the battery gland 15 is installed into the accommodating cavity 111. After the inverted structure 152 passes over the ring body 113 upwards, the battery gland 15 is rotated around its center line C at a preset angle relative to the flat shell 11, so that the inverted structure 152 is misaligned with the avoidance gap 114 and hooked on the ring body 113, thereby achieving the purpose of locking and fixing the battery gland 15 and the flat shell 11; when the battery gland 15 needs to be disassembled, the battery gland 15 is rotated around its center line C to a position where the inverted structure 152 is aligned with the avoidance gap 114. After alignment, the battery cover 15 can be removed from the opening 1111 of the accommodating cavity 111 because the inverted structure 152 is no longer blocked by the ring 113. Therefore, with the help of the protruding feet 151, the inverted structure 152, the ring 113 and the avoidance gap 114, the assembly and disassembly operations between the battery cover 15 and the flat housing 11 are very convenient. Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, as an example, the inverted latch structure 152 is provided with arcuate transition structures 155 below two opposing sides of the battery gland 15 in the circumferential direction. A tilted structure 115 is provided on one side of the ring body 113 that surrounds the escape notch 114, sloping downwardly away from the escape notch 114. The state is shown in Figure 9. With the cooperation of the arcuate transition structure 155 and the tilted structure 115, the inverted latch structure 155, which passes downward over the ring body 113, can be rotated more easily and smoothly to a position offset from the escape notch 114, thereby enabling the inverted latch structure 155 to be more securely hooked onto the ring body 113. It should be noted that although the aforementioned description shows four protruding feet 151, of course, the design may also be one, two, or three depending on actual needs, and is not limited to the illustrations in Figures 8 and 9. In addition, since the avoidance gaps 114 are provided to avoid the undercut structures 155 , when there are four undercut structures 155 , four avoidance gaps 114 should be configured accordingly, that is, the number of avoidance gaps 114 is the same as the number of undercut structures 155 .

[0034] As shown in Figures 5 to 9, an annular mounting cavity 154 is provided in the battery cover 15, which passes through the upper end surface 153 of the battery cover 15. All the protrusions 151 are arranged around the annular mounting cavity 154. The magnet 16 is an annular magnet placed in the annular mounting cavity 154. A magnet cover 17 is fittedly embedded in the annular mounting cavity 154 and presses the annular magnet, so that the assembly operation of the magnet 16 on the battery cover 15 is more convenient, and the magnet 16 is arranged in the middle of the battery cover 15, so that the magnetic attraction effect between the magnet 16 on the battery cover 15 and the magnetic attraction structure 23 on the electrode sheet 20 is better. Furthermore, a sealing ring 18 is mounted on the side wall 156 of the battery gland 15. The sealing ring 18 contacts the wall 1112 of the accommodating chamber 111, thereby sealing the battery gland 15 against the wall 1112 of the accommodating chamber 111. This prevents liquid from entering the accommodating chamber 111 through the cavity opening 1111 and potentially damaging the button battery 14 and the control circuit board 12. Furthermore, the ring body 113 defines a staggered notch 116. The control circuit board 12 is provided with an electrical contact pin 121 positioned within the staggered notch 116 for electrically contacting the button battery 14. This allows the button battery 14 to be electrically connected to the control circuit board 12 via the electrical contact pin 121. Of course, other electrical connection methods between the button battery 14 and the control circuit board 12 may be employed as needed, and are not limited to the method shown in FIG. 9 . It should be noted that the magnet cover 17 is connected to the side wall 157 of the battery cover 15 by snapping together. Of course, it can also be fixed by gluing or other methods.

[0035] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the flat main unit 10 further includes a gear button 191 exposed from the upper end surface 119 of the flat housing 11 and a gear intensity indicator 192 exposed from the side of the flat housing 11. The gear button 191 and the gear intensity indicator 192 are both electrically connected to the control circuit board 12. The gear button 191 is used to adjust the output power of the flat main unit 10 to the electrode sheet 20. For example, in Figure 1, a short press of the "+" button on the gear button 191 increases the output intensity, while a short press of the "-" button on the gear button 191 decreases the output intensity. The gear intensity indicator 192 allows the user to understand the current gear of the neuromuscular stimulator 100 in real time. Specifically, in Figures 4 and 5, as an example, the gear strength indicator 192 is an indicator light, which is respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the flat shell 11. The indicator lights on the two opposite sides of the flat shell 11 can, on the one hand, expand the angle at which the operator can view the indicator light, and on the other hand, simplify the structure of the gear strength indicator 192; in addition, the gear strength can be determined by the number of times the indicator light flashes, for example, 3 consecutive flashes indicate that the output intensity is gear 3, and so on; of course, according to actual needs, the gear strength indicator 192 can also be designed as a sound indicator, so it is not limited to this.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4 , the outer contour of the flat host 10 projected from top to bottom is a parallelepiped. This design makes the flat host 10 flatter, which is beneficial for further reducing the volume and weight of the flat host 10 .

[0037] As shown in Figures 3 and 9, an indicator structure 193 is provided between the flat housing 11 and the battery gland 15. This indicator structure 193 includes a locking mark 191 and a release mark 192 located at the lower end 117 of the flat housing 11, and an indicator head 193 located on the battery gland 15. The release mark 192 and the locking mark 191 are spaced apart along the circumference of the battery gland 15. Therefore, after the inverted structure 155 is aligned with the avoidance notch 114, the battery gland 15 is upwardly inserted into the accommodating cavity 111 of the flat housing 11 until the battery gland 15 is fully seated. At this point, the indicator head 193 is aligned with the release mark 192. Subsequently, the battery gland 15 is rotated relative to the flat housing 11 about its centerline C until the indicator head 193 is aligned with the locking mark 191, indicating that the battery gland 15 and the flat housing 11 are locked and fixed together, as shown in Figure 3. Therefore, by means of the indicator head 193 and the locking mark 191 and the unlocking mark 192 respectively, the user can know in real time whether the battery cover 15 is in a locked and fixed position with the flat shell 11.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the flat host 10 comprises a flat shell 11 having a receiving cavity 111, a control circuit board 12 disposed in the receiving cavity 111 and extending along the side of the flat shell 11, an external terminal 13 exposed from the lower end surface 112 of the flat shell 11, a button battery 14 for electrically connecting to the control circuit board 12, a battery pressure cover 15 for pressing the button battery 14, and a magnet 16 mounted on the battery pressure cover 15, and the battery pressure cover 15 can surround the center of the battery pressure cover 15 after being inserted into the receiving cavity 111 from the cavity opening 1111. The centerline C is rotated by a predetermined angle relative to the flat housing 11, so that the battery cover 15 is locked and fixed to the flat housing 11. The battery cover 15, locked and fixed to the flat housing 11, also presses the button battery 14 in the accommodating cavity 111. That is, during the replacement of the button battery 14, the battery cover 15 can be installed and removed from the flat housing 11 by rotating the battery cover 15 relative to the flat housing 11 about its centerline C. This avoids the drawback of the conventional snap-fit ​​fixing between the cover and the housing, which can easily damage the snap-fitting protrusion of the cover. Furthermore, by utilizing the flat housing 11 and the control circuit board 12 disposed in the accommodating cavity 111 and extending laterally from the flat housing 11, the flat host 10 is made smaller. Since the neuromuscular stimulator 100 of the present application has the aforementioned flat main unit 10, the neuromuscular stimulator 100 of the present application is also small in size and avoids the defect that the snap-fitting protrusion of the existing gland is easily damaged due to the snap-fit ​​fixation between the gland and the housing.

[0039] It is worth noting that since the working principle of the electrode sheet 20 of the flat host 10 is well known in the art, it will not be described in detail here.

[0040] The above disclosure is only a preferred example of the present application and cannot be used to limit the scope of rights of the present application. Therefore, equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present application are all within the scope covered by the present application.

Claims

1. A flat host, suitable for a neuromuscular stimulator, characterized in that: It comprises a flat shell with a accommodating cavity, a control circuit board arranged in the accommodating cavity and extending along the side of the flat shell, an external terminal exposed outwardly from the lower end surface of the flat shell, a button battery for being electrically connected to the control circuit board, a battery cover for pressing the button battery and a magnet assembled on the battery cover, wherein the cavity opening of the accommodating cavity is located at the lower end surface of the flat shell, the button battery is located in the accommodating cavity, the external terminal is electrically connected to the control circuit board, and the battery cover can be rotated relative to the flat shell about the center line of the battery cover by a preset angle after being loaded into the accommodating cavity from the cavity opening, so that the battery cover is locked and fixed to the flat shell, and the battery cover locked and fixed to the flat shell also presses the button battery in the accommodating cavity.

2. The flat host according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end portion of the battery gland is upwardly provided with a plurality of protruding feet which are arranged in a circumferential direction of the battery gland and protrude from the upper end portion, at least one of the protruding feet is provided with an inverted structure which protrudes radially outward from the battery gland, and the flat shell is provided with a ring body which protrudes in the accommodating cavity and is arranged around the battery gland, and the ring body is provided with an avoidance notch for the inverted structure to pass over the ring body upward when the battery gland is installed into the accommodating cavity.

3. The flat host according to claim 2, characterized in that: The undercut structure is provided with an arc-shaped transition structure below two opposite sides of the battery gland in the circumferential direction, and the ring body is provided with an inclined structure inclined downward in a direction away from the avoidance gap at a position on one side of the ring body used to surround the avoidance gap.

4. The flat host according to claim 2, characterized in that: The battery cover is provided with an annular mounting cavity which passes through the upper end surface of the battery cover, all the protruding feet are arranged around the annular mounting cavity, the magnet is an annular magnet placed in the annular mounting cavity, and a magnet cover is cooperatively embedded in the annular mounting cavity and presses the annular magnet.

5. The flat host according to claim 2, characterized in that: A sealing ring is sleeved on the side wall of the battery gland, and the sealing ring also contacts with the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity.

6. The flat host according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ring body is also provided with a staggered notch, and the control circuit board is provided with an electrical contact pin located in the staggered notch for electrically contacting with the button battery.

7. The flat host according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a gear button exposed from the upper end of the flat shell and a gear strength indicator exposed from the side of the flat shell. The gear button and the gear strength indicator are both electrically connected to the control circuit board.

8. The flat host according to claim 7, characterized in that: The gear strength indicator is an indicator light, and the outer contour of the flat host projected from top to bottom is a parallelepiped.

9. A neuromuscular stimulator, comprising an electrode sheet, wherein the electrode sheet has a conductive contact, a positioning convex ring and a magnetic attraction structure, wherein the conductive contact and the magnetic attraction structure are located in a space surrounded by the positioning convex ring, characterized in that: The femoral nerve stimulator also includes a flat host according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the flat host is magnetically fixed to the electrode sheet under the magnetic attraction of the magnet and the magnetic attraction structure, and the external terminal is electrically abutted against the conductive contact.

10. The neuromuscular stimulator according to claim 9, characterized in that Two relatively arranged positioning blocks are provided in the positioning convex ring, and a positioning groove for positioning and cooperating with the positioning blocks is provided at the lower end of the flat shell; or, two relatively arranged positioning grooves are provided in the positioning convex ring, and a positioning convex block for positioning and cooperating with the positioning grooves is provided at the lower end of the flat shell.

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