Liquid substance tester

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquid substance tester comprising: an upper housing; a battery which is fastened to the upper housing and supplies power; a control unit which operates by receiving the power from the battery, has an LED module mounted thereon, and has formed on the top surface thereof a first terminal, which is in constant contact with the battery, and a second terminal that comes into contact with the battery when a chamber is inserted; a PCB supporter which is located under the control unit and allows the second terminal to come into contact with the battery by moving vertically toward the battery while supporting the control unit when the chamber is inserted; an elastic body which is inserted into and located between the battery and the control unit, maintains a normal state when the chamber is not inserted, is compressed by the vertical movement of the PCB supporter when the chamber is inserted, and returns to the normal state when the chamber is removed; a lower housing which has formed therein an insertion hole into which the chamber is inserted, to which the control unit and the PCB supporter are fastened via an internal fastening structure, and which is coupled to the upper housing; and a lens portion which is installed inside the lower housing and allows a user or a user terminal to check a liquid substance contained in the chamber.

Description

Liquid substance tester

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid substance tester, and more particularly, to a liquid substance tester capable of observing and testing liquid substances.

[0002] First, the term "liquid substance" in the following is defined to include all types of bodily fluids contained in the human body, such as saliva, blood, semen, sweat, urine, and tears, and more broadly to include various types of similar liquid substances, including organic and inorganic compounds used in scientific research, such as medicine, bio, water quality, and the environment.

[0003] Among liquid substances, bodily fluids are used as samples to assess a person's health and physical condition. Consequently, people visit specialized medical institutions to assess their health and physical condition based on the results of tests on their bodily fluids. However, visiting a specialized medical institution for a checkup requires time from busy schedules and involves inconvenient and complicated procedures and treatments.

[0004] Notably, while most people undergo these procedures and have to wait a long time to be tested, the actual screening and testing process is very short. This means that screening and testing are time-consuming, costly, and often inconvenient.

[0005] Because of this, most people live with some degree of discomfort and only use specialized medical institutions when they experience unbearable pain or discomfort.

[0006] To alleviate this inconvenience, personal testing devices have been developed and distributed, as disclosed in Korean Patent Nos. 10-2435175 and 10-2288223.

[0007] However, conventional personal testers have a high defect rate during manufacturing due to the large number of parts, and the manufacturing process is complex. In addition, when the chamber is inserted, it requires lighting from the inside so that the user can visually check, and the structure for lighting is complex.

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a liquid substance tester that has a small number of parts and is easy to assemble, thereby reducing unit cost and defect rate.

[0009] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a liquid substance tester that solves LED lighting defects by simplifying the driving mechanism for LED lighting.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, a liquid substance tester may include: an upper housing; a battery fastened to the upper housing and supplying power; a control unit having an LED module mounted thereon, a first terminal that is in constant contact with the battery and a second terminal that is in contact with the battery when a chamber is inserted, formed on an upper surface, and operating by receiving power from the battery; a PCB supporter located below the control unit, which supports the control unit and vertically moves in the direction of the battery when the chamber is inserted so that the second terminal is in contact with the battery; a lower housing having an insertion hole formed therein into which the chamber is inserted, the control unit and the PCB supporter being fastened to an internal fastening structure, and coupled with the upper housing; and a lens unit installed inside the lower housing to enable a user or a user terminal to check a liquid substance contained in the chamber.

[0011] A liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an elastic body that is positioned between the battery and the control unit, maintains a normal state when the chamber is not inserted, contracts by vertical movement of the PCB support when the chamber is inserted, and returns to the normal state when the chamber is removed.

[0012] The above PCB supporter may include two mounting plates on which the control unit is mounted and a contact plate that connects the two mounting plates and is formed at a position lower than each mounting plate and makes contact with the chamber.

[0013] At least one protruding surface protruding downwardly is formed on the back surface of the contact plate at a position furthest from the entrance direction of the chamber, and the protruding surface of the back surface of the contact plate is in contact with the chamber, and the remaining portion does not contact the chamber, and the PCB supporter can move vertically by contact between the protruding surface and the chamber.

[0014] The first terminal is composed of a conductor, is installed near one of the longitudinal ends on the upper surface of the PCB board, protrudes toward the battery, and a surface of the protruding surface that contacts the battery is formed as a diagonal surface of a predetermined length, and the second terminal is composed of a conductor, is installed spaced apart from the first terminal on the upper surface of the PCB board, and is spaced apart from the battery by a first distance when the chamber is not inserted, and the first distance may be shorter than a distance according to the vertical movement.

[0015] The above second terminal may be configured as at least one protruding plate having both ends protruding diagonally.

[0016] The fastening structure of the lower housing includes a plurality of fastening rods formed to protrude from the inner bottom surface, and the fastening rods have at least one step portion formed to protrude in a lateral direction on a side surface, so that the PCB supporter can be inserted and seated in the step formed by the step portion without the chamber being inserted.

[0017] A distance shorter than the first distance may be provided between the lens surface of the above lens unit and the PCB supporter.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention has the advantage of reducing the defect rate and unit cost by using a single substrate and a driving mechanism that vertically moves the substrate when inserted into a chamber, and resolving LED lighting failure due to frequent use.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a control unit in a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a PCB supporter in a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a supporter in a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the process of combining the main components of a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention with a lower housing.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing the arrangement state between each component when a chamber is not inserted into a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the arrangement of each component while the chamber is being inserted into a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the arrangement state between each component when the chamber is fully inserted into a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing reference numerals, identical or similar components will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, when describing embodiments disclosed in this specification, if a detailed description of a related known technology is judged to obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0030] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0031] In this application, each step described may be performed regardless of the listed order, except in cases where a special causal relationship requires that the steps be performed in the listed order.

[0032] In this application, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0033] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a liquid substance tester (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention has a chamber (200) containing a liquid substance sample inserted and fastened through an insertion port (161), and allows a user to visually confirm (observe) the liquid substance sample contained in the chamber (200) through a lens unit (170) installed on the back, or to confirm (observe) the liquid substance sample through a screen of a user terminal (e.g., a smartphone) located below the lens unit (170).

[0036] A liquid substance tester (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an upper housing (110), a battery (120), a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) portion (130), an elastic body (140), a PCB supporter (150), a lower housing (160), and a lens portion (170).

[0037] The upper housing (110) is connected to the lower housing (160), and together with the lower housing (160), seals and protects each internal component (120 to 150 and 170). The upper housing (110) functions as a lid and has a connecting structure for connecting or connecting the battery (120). Since the connecting structure falls within the scope of conventional technology, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] The battery (120) functions to supply power to the control unit (130) and is coupled or fastened to the upper housing (110).

[0039] The control unit (130) is equipped with various chips and elements including an LED module and operates by receiving power from the battery (120). When the chamber (200) is not inserted, the power line to the battery (120) is turned off, and when the chamber (200) is inserted, the power line to the battery (120) is turned on.

[0040] The PCB supporter (150) is located at the bottom of the control unit (130) and supports the control unit (130) by contacting at least a portion of the control unit (130), moves vertically by an external force, and moves the control unit (130) together when moving.

[0041] The elastic body (140) is positioned between the battery (120) and the control unit (130), and is made of an insulating material or in an insulating state to prevent current from flowing between the battery (120) and the control unit (130). When the chamber (200) is not inserted, the elastic body (140) is maintained in a state in which it is not stretched or contracted, that is, in a state in which it does not have elasticity, so that the gap between the battery (120) and the control unit (130) becomes a first set gap, and when the chamber (200) is inserted, the length is contracted and the elastic body becomes a state in which it has elasticity. When the elastic body (140) is contracted, the gap between the battery (120) and the control unit (130) becomes a second set gap that is smaller than the first set gap, and the second set gap may be the same as the length of the elastic body (140) in the contracted state. When the chamber (200) is removed after the chamber (200) is inserted, the elastic body (140) pushes the control unit (130) with the elastic force generated to make the gap between the battery (120) and the control unit (130) the first set gap.

[0042] For example, the elastic body (140) may be composed of a sponge, or may be composed of a spring coated with an insulating material. In some cases, the elastic body (140) may be omitted from the configuration of the liquid substance tester (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] The lower housing (160) has a structure in which a lens unit (170) is installed on the back surface, a PCB supporter (150) is installed on the lens unit (170), and a control unit (130) can be installed on the PCB supporter (150). For example, referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of fastening rods (162) protruding from the inner bottom surface are installed on the lower housing (160), and a PCB supporter (150) and a part of the control unit (130) can be fitted and fastened to each fastening rod (162).

[0044] The lens unit (170) includes a lens (171) and a fastening ring (172) that secures the lens (171) to the lower housing (160), and allows a user or a user terminal to check the liquid substance contained in the chamber (200) inserted through the insertion port (161) inside the tester (100) from the outside. The lens unit (170) can be installed on the outside of the lower housing (160) or on the inside of the lower housing (160).

[0045] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a control unit in a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 3, the control unit (130) may include a PCB board (131), a first terminal (132), a second terminal (133), and a plurality of fastening grooves (131a).

[0046] The first terminal (132) is made of a conductor and is installed on the upper surface (the surface close to the battery) of the PCB board (131), but is shaped so as to be in constant contact with the battery (120). For example, if the battery (120) is a coin battery, the first terminal (132) is installed near one of the longitudinal ends of the PCB board (131), protrudes vertically from the PCB board (131) by a set height, and the surface that contacts the battery (120) is formed as a diagonal surface of a certain length so that the diagonal surface contacts the side surface of the coin battery. The set height may be greater than the distance that the PCB supporter (150) moves vertically by an external force, i.e., the chamber (200). The first terminal (132) is one of a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and preferably, it may be a positive terminal.

[0047] The second terminal (133) is composed of a conductor and is installed in a predetermined area of ​​the upper surface (the surface close to the battery) of the PCB board (131). The predetermined area is preferably the center portion of the upper surface of the PCB board (131), but is not limited thereto. The second terminal (133) is configured to be spaced apart from the battery (120) by a first distance when the chamber (200) is not inserted, and to be in contact with the battery (120) when the chamber (200) is inserted. The first distance corresponds to the first gap (L1) illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, and may be shorter than the distance by which the PCB supporter (150) is vertically moved by the chamber (200).

[0048] For example, the second terminal (133) may be configured as at least one protruding plate with both ends protruding diagonally from the upper surface of the PCB board (131). The protruding plate refers to a plate-shaped terminal. As the second terminal (133) protrudes diagonally, when the control unit (130) moves vertically and comes into contact with the battery (120), the ends are lowered toward the upper surface of the PCB board (131) by the force applied by the battery (120), thereby widening the contact surface with the battery (120). The second terminal (133) may be manufactured in various forms other than the protruding plate.

[0049] The second terminal (133) may be either a positive terminal or a negative terminal, but if the first terminal (132) is a positive terminal, it functions as a negative terminal. This second terminal (133) functions as a switch that supplies power from the battery (120) to the control unit (130) depending on whether the chamber (200) is inserted or not.

[0050] A plurality of fastening grooves (131a) are formed at each longitudinal end of the PCB board (131), and are inserted through the fastening rod (162) to allow the control unit (130) to be installed in the lower housing (160).

[0051] Meanwhile, the elastic body (140) may be installed on the second terminal (133) as shown in FIG. 3, but may be installed outside the second terminal (133).

[0052] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a PCB supporter in a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a supporter in a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the PCB supporter (150) may include two mounting plates (151, 152) on which the control unit (130) is mounted, and a contact plate (153) that connects the two mounting plates (151, 152) and is formed at a lower position than each mounting plate (151, 152) and contacts the chamber (200). An LCD module, semiconductor chip, or element mounted on the control unit (130) may be positioned in the space formed by each mounting plate (151, 152) and the contact plate (153).

[0054] In each mounting plate (151, 152), a through groove (151a, 152a) may be formed at a position corresponding to the position of the fastening groove (131a).

[0055] The through-holes (151a, 152a), like the fastening groove (131a), are inserted through the fastening rod (162) to allow the PCB supporter (150) to be installed in the lower housing (160).

[0056] At least one protruding surface (153a) may be formed on the back surface of the contact plate (153) at the opposite end where the chamber (200) enters, i.e., at the furthest position from the direction of entry of the chamber (200). The protruding surface (153a) protrudes downward to make contact with the chamber (200), and the surface in the direction in which the chamber (200) enters forms a curved slope so that it can smoothly move vertically upwards of the chamber (200) when making contact with the chamber (200).

[0057] The purpose of forming the protrusion surface (153a) is to prevent unnecessary power consumption by causing the second terminal (133) to come into contact with the battery (120) and turning on the LED module of the control unit (130) when the PCB supporter (150) moves vertically immediately after the chamber (200) is inserted into the liquid substance tester (100), i.e. before the chamber (200) is completely fastened.

[0058] Except for the protruding surface (153a) on the back surface of the contact plate (153), no part of the contact plate (153) comes into contact with the chamber (200), and only the protruding surface (153a) comes into contact with the chamber (200), so that the LED module of the control unit (130) can be turned on when the chamber (200) is fully inserted. Of course, the protruding surface (153a) can be formed at any location on the back surface of the PCB supporter (150).

[0059] Meanwhile, the back surface of the contact plate (153) may not have a protruding surface (153a). That is, the back surface of the contact plate (153) may be manufactured flat. In this case, the entire flat back surface of the contact plate (153) comes into contact with the chamber (200). That is, when the chamber (200) is inserted, it immediately comes into contact with the back surface of the contact plate (153), thereby causing the LED module of the control unit (130) to light up.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a process of attaching a main component to a lower housing in a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of fastening rods (162) may be installed on the inner bottom surface of the lower housing (160). The number of fastening rods (162) may be equal to the number of fastening grooves (131a) or through-holes (151a, 152a) formed in the control unit (130) or the PCB supporter (150).

[0061] The fastening rod (162) may have at least one step portion (162a) protruding laterally on the side to form a step (A). The control unit (130) and the PCB supporter (150) are sequentially fastened to the fastening rod (162). When the PCB supporter (150) is fastened, the through-holes (151a, 152a) have a diameter larger than the diameter near the end of the fastening rod (162), so that the PCB supporter is inserted through the fastening rod (162). However, since the diameter is smaller than the diameter of the fastening rod (162) due to the step portion (162a), the PCB supporter (150) may be secured by the step (A). That is, the step (A) may function as a stopper for the insertion of the PCB supporter (150). And after the PCB supporter (150) is fastened to the fastening rod (162), the control unit (130) that is fastened can be fastened to the fastening rod (162) and placed on the PCB supporter (150).

[0062] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing the arrangement of each component when a chamber is not inserted into a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the inside of the upper housing (110) and the lower housing (160) when a chamber (200) is not inserted into the liquid substance tester (100).

[0063] Referring to Fig. 7, in a state where the chamber (200) is not inserted in the liquid substance tester (100), a first gap (L1) is spaced between the battery (120) and the second terminal (133), and a second gap (L2) is spaced between the contact plate (153) of the PCB supporter (150) and the lens surface of the lens (171). In this state, the first terminal (132) is in contact with the battery (120).

[0064] Here, even if the user turns over the liquid substance tester (100), the first and second gaps are maintained as is by the step (A) of the elastic body (140) and the fastening rod (162).

[0065] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the arrangement of each component while the chamber is being inserted into a liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, before the chamber (200) is inserted into the liquid substance tester (100) and completely fastened, the chamber (200) is inserted and processed without contacting the PCB supporter (150).

[0066] Accordingly, a first gap (L1) is spaced between the battery (120) and the second terminal (133), and a second gap (L2) is spaced between the contact plate (153) of the PCB supporter (150) and the lens surface of the lens (171). At this time, the chamber (200) is inserted between the contact plate (153) and the lens surface of the lens (171).

[0067] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the arrangement of each component when the chamber is fully inserted into the liquid substance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, when the chamber (200) is fully inserted into the liquid substance tester (100), the chamber (200) comes into contact with the protruding surface (153a) of the PCB supporter (150), thereby vertically pushing up the PCB supporter (150). That is, the chamber (200) fully inserted into the liquid substance tester (100) raises the PCB supporter (150) and the control unit (130) by L3.

[0068] At this time, L3 is proportional to the thickness of the chamber (200) and may be larger than the L1 gap. For example, if the L1 gap is 0.67 mm, L3 may be larger than 0.67 mm and smaller than 1.5 mm. Here, if L3 is smaller than 0.67 mm, even if the PCB supporter (150) and the control unit (130) move vertically, the second terminal (133) does not come into contact with the battery (120), and if L3 is larger than 2 mm, the portion of the second terminal (133) overlapping the battery (120) increases, which may cause damage to the second terminal (133).

[0069] In this way, when the second terminal (133) comes into contact with the battery (120) through overlapping, the first terminal (132) continues to be in contact with the battery (120), so that power from the battery (120) is supplied to the control unit (130), and the LED module mounted on the control unit (130) is turned on.

[0070] The technical features disclosed in each embodiment of the present invention are not limited to that embodiment, and, unless they are mutually incompatible, the technical features disclosed in each embodiment may be combined and applied to different embodiments.

[0071] Therefore, although each embodiment focuses on its own technical features, each technical feature can be applied in combination with each other as long as they are not mutually incompatible.

[0072] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the attached drawings, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be defined not only by the claims of this specification but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. Upper housing; A battery that is fastened to the upper housing and supplies power; A control unit having an LED module mounted thereon, a first terminal that is in constant contact with the battery, and a second terminal that is in contact with the battery when a chamber is inserted, formed on the upper surface, and operating by receiving power from the battery; A PCB supporter located at the bottom of the control unit, which supports the control unit when the chamber is inserted and moves vertically in the direction of the battery so that the second terminal contacts the battery; A lower housing in which an insertion hole is formed into which the chamber is inserted, the control unit and the PCB supporter are fastened to the internal fastening structure, and which is coupled with the upper housing; and A liquid substance tester including a lens unit installed inside the lower housing to enable a user or a user terminal to check the liquid substance contained in the chamber.

2. In paragraph 1, A liquid substance tester further comprising an elastic body positioned between the battery and the control unit, which maintains a normal state when the chamber is not inserted, contracts by vertical movement of the PCB support when the chamber is inserted, and returns to the normal state when the chamber is removed.

3. In paragraph 1, The above PCB supporter is a liquid material tester including two mounting plates on which the control unit is mounted and a contact plate that connects the two mounting plates and is formed at a lower position than each mounting plate and comes into contact with the chamber.

4. In paragraph 3, On the back surface of the above contact plate, at least one protruding surface protruding downward is formed at a position furthest from the entry direction of the chamber, The protruding surface of the back surface of the contact plate is in contact with the chamber, and the remaining portion does not contact the chamber, A liquid material tester in which the PCB supporter moves vertically by contact between the protruding surface and the chamber.

5. In paragraph 1, The above first terminal is composed of a conductor, is installed near one of the longitudinal ends on the upper surface of the PCB board, and protrudes in the direction of the battery, and the protruding surface that contacts the battery is formed as a diagonal surface of a certain length. The second terminal is composed of a conductor and is installed on the upper surface of the PCB board to be spaced apart from the first terminal, and is spaced apart from the battery by a first distance when the chamber is not inserted. A liquid substance tester wherein the first distance is shorter than the distance according to the vertical movement.

6. In paragraph 5, A liquid substance tester in which the second terminal is composed of at least one protruding plate with both ends protruding diagonally.

7. In paragraph 1, The above fastening structure of the lower housing includes a plurality of fastening rods formed to protrude from the inner bottom surface, A liquid material tester in which the above-mentioned fastening bar is formed such that at least one step portion protrudes laterally on the side, and the PCB supporter is inserted and seated in the step formed by the step portion without the chamber being inserted.

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