U.S. patent application number 13/563019 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-22 for electronic device used in a health care setting.
This patent application is currently assigned to CURBELL ELECTRONICS, INC.. Invention is credited to Christopher P. Camacho, Arthur P. Caprio, Edgar P. Conrad, Larry Hall, Abhilash J. Prasad, John Waterhouse, Edward A. Wilkolaski.
Application Number | 20120291251 13/563019 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42397547 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120291251 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wilkolaski; Edward A. ; et
al. |
November 22, 2012 |
Electronic Device Used In A Health Care Setting
Abstract
An electronic device for use in a health care setting has a
rigid enclosure assembly formed by a rigid shell and a rigid
printed circuit board carrying circuitry for operating the device.
A switch dome layer and an overlay are independently attached to
the device but not to each other, whereby the overlay may be
removed without disturbing the dome layer and a better tactile
response is achieved.
Inventors: |
Wilkolaski; Edward A.;
(Lancaster, NY) ; Prasad; Abhilash J.; (Sloan,
NY) ; Conrad; Edgar P.; (West Seneca, NY) ;
Waterhouse; John; (Orchard Park, NY) ; Hall;
Larry; (East Aurora, NY) ; Caprio; Arthur P.;
(Orchard Park, NY) ; Camacho; Christopher P.;
(Derby, NY) |
Assignee: |
CURBELL ELECTRONICS, INC.
Orchard Park
NY
|
Family ID: |
42397547 |
Appl. No.: |
13/563019 |
Filed: |
July 31, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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12362501 |
Jan 30, 2009 |
8254137 |
|
|
13563019 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
29/402.08 ;
156/292; 29/428 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 29/49826 20150115;
A61G 2203/12 20130101; H05K 5/0017 20130101; Y10T 29/49815
20150115; Y10T 29/4973 20150115; A61G 12/00 20130101; A61G 2203/70
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
29/402.08 ;
29/428; 156/292 |
International
Class: |
B23P 6/00 20060101
B23P006/00; H05K 13/00 20060101 H05K013/00; B23P 11/00 20060101
B23P011/00 |
Claims
1.-9. (canceled)
10. A method of making an electronic device for use in a health
care setting, the method comprising the steps of: providing a rigid
shell defining an interior space and an opening communicating with
the interior space; providing a rigid printed circuit board, the
printed circuit board including electronic circuitry for operation
of the device; and fixing the printed circuit board to the shell
such that the printed circuit board covers the opening, wherein the
shell and the printed circuit board cooperate with one another to
form a rigid enclosure assembly for the electronic device.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a peripheral edge of
the printed circuit board opposes an inner surface of the
shell.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the printed circuit
board includes an outward surface having a switch trace thereon,
and the method further comprises the steps of: providing a dome
layer, the dome layer including a nonconductive sheet and a switch
dome attached to the sheet; fixing the dome layer to the outward
surface of the printed circuit board such that the switch dome is
operable to close the switch trace; providing an overlay, the
overlay including a switch graphic; and fixing the overlay to at
least one of the shell and the outward surface of the printed
circuit board such that the switch graphic is at a location
corresponding to the switch dome, wherein the overlay is unattached
to the dome layer.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the dome layer and
the overlay are fixed to the outward surface of the printed circuit
board by adhesive at different portions of the outward surface.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the overlay is fixed
to the shell by adhesive.
15.-18. (canceled)
19. A method of making an electronic device for use in a health
care setting, the device comprising a printed circuit board fixed
to a housing shell, the printed circuit board including an outward
surface having a switch trace thereon, wherein the improvement
comprises the steps of: providing a dome layer, the dome layer
including a nonconductive sheet and a switch dome attached to the
sheet, fixing the dome layer to the outward surface of the printed
circuit board such that the switch dome is operable to close the
switch trace; providing an overlay, the overlay including a switch
graphic; and fixing the overlay to at least one of the housing
shell and the outward surface of the printed circuit board such
that the switch graphic is at a location corresponding to the
switch dome, wherein the overlay is unattached to the dome
layer.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the dome layer and
the overlay are fixed to the outward surface of the printed circuit
board by adhesive at different portions of the outward surface.
21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the overlay is fixed
to the housing shell by adhesive.
22. A method of servicing an electronic device, the device
comprising a printed circuit board including a switch trace, a
switch dome operable to close the switch trace, and an overlay
including a switch graphic at a location corresponding to the
switch dome, the method comprising the steps of: removing the
overlay from the device without removing the switch dome from the
device; performing a service operation; and fixing a replacement
overlay different from the removed overlay on the device overtop
the switch dome.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is generally directed to an electronic
device that is used in a health care setting, such as a hospital,
nursing home, clinic, or similar environment. By way of example,
the electronic device may be a hand-held pillow speaker kept at a
patient's bedside for remotely controlling a television, room
lights, or other electronic items in the room, and for
communicating with nursing staff or other personnel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many electronic control and/or or communication devices,
including prior art pillow speakers found in hospital rooms, have a
rigid enclosure assembly for physical protection and electrical
isolation. For manufacturability, it is commonplace to create the
rigid enclosure assembly by providing two complementary rigid
shells, and screwing, clipping or gluing the shells together with a
printed circuit board (PCB) and any other electronic components
inside the rigid enclosure assembly.
[0003] Where the electronic device has user control buttons, these
are typically incorporated into the device by a switch membrane
mounted on one of the shells. A typical switch membrane either
comprises the entire switch assembly and a wire harness to drive
the signals to the PCB, or it includes the metal domes within its
confines and adheres the domes to the PCB to create a normally open
switch.
[0004] Electronic devices used in health care settings are used on
a daily basis, and they are cleaned and disinfected often to
prevent the spread of germs. They must be reliable for patient
safety reasons. Consequently, they require service and repair more
frequently than electronic devices used under less demanding
circumstances.
[0005] Electronic devices formed according to the prior art are
susceptible to damage not only from normal use, but also from
liquid cleaning and disinfecting agents. Oftentimes, it is the
switch membrane that is damaged, and the entire switch membrane
must be removed and replaced, even though an outer graphic overlay
of the switch membrane or metal switch domes of the switch membrane
may be in perfect condition.
[0006] Switch membranes of the prior art, wherein the switch domes
are attached to the overlay material, give the electronic device a
tactile performance that is less than ideal due to the resistance
to movement introduced by the overlay material.
[0007] What is needed is an improved electronic device assembly
that is easier and less expensive to manufacture, allows for more
efficient and less wasteful servicing, and responds better from a
tactile standpoint to a user's pushbutton touches.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In a first aspect of the invention, an electronic device for
use in a health care setting generally comprises a rigid shell
defining an interior space and an opening communicating with the
interior space, and a rigid PCB fixed to the shell to cover the
opening. The rigid PCB includes electronic circuitry for operation
of the device. The shell and PCB cooperate with one another to form
a rigid enclosure assembly for the electronic device, thereby
avoiding the need for a two-piece shell to enclose a separate
PCB.
[0009] In a second aspect of the invention, an electronic device
for use in a health care setting is improved by providing a
physically separate dome layer and overlay. The dome layer may be
fixed to an outward surface of the PCB and include a nonconductive
sheet and a switch dome attached to the nonconductive sheet,
wherein the switch dome is operable to close a switch trace on the
PCB. The overlay may be arranged adjacent to the dome layer and
fixed to a housing shell containing the PCB and/or to the outward
surface of the printed circuit board, but the overlay is unattached
to the dome layer. The overlay includes a switch graphic at a
location corresponding to the switch dome.
[0010] The present invention extends to methods of making and
servicing electronic devices embodying one or both of the aspects
summarized above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] In the drawings:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic
device formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing a printed circuit board, a
dome layer, and an overlay of the electronic device in greater
detail;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the dome layer adhered to the
printed circuit board;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a plan view of an internal surface of overlay;
and
[0016] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the overlay adhered to the
printed circuit board overtop the dome layer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] FIG. 1 shows, in exploded view, a pillow speaker 10 formed
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Pillow
speaker 10 is an electronic device for use in a health care
setting, such as a hospital, nursing home, clinic, or similar
environment. While the present invention is described with respect
to a pillow speaker, it will be understood that other types of
electronic devices used in health care settings may be constructed
as taught herein. Examples of other types of electronic devices to
which the present invention may be applied include, without
limitation, handheld pendants, bed rails, wall plates, and call
cords where a user interface is required.
[0018] Pillow speaker 10 generally comprises a rigid shell 12, a
rigid PCB 14, a dome layer 16, and an overlay 18. Shell 12 defines
an interior space 15 and an opening 30 communicating with the
interior space. Shell 12 may include a plurality of fastener
receptacles 20, a cord passageway 26 through which wires may pass
to reach interior space 15, a speaker mount 28 for receiving an
audio speaker (not shown), a support surface 32 for supporting PCB
14, an inner surface 33 generally orthogonal to support surface 32
in the region of the support surface, and a rim surface 34 around
opening 30. Shell 12 may also include a retainer tab 35 protruding
from rim surface 34 overtop support surface 32.
[0019] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, shell 12 is manufactured
from a first shell portion 12A and a second shell portion 12B. The
first and second shell portions 12A, 12B may each be molded of
plastic, and then attached to one another to form rigid shell 12.
It is advantageous that the shell be free of small openings through
which moisture may penetrate. Shell portions 12A and 12B may be
ultrasonically welded together, as evidenced by weld seam 13, to
form rigid shell 12. Alternatively, a moisture sealing adhesive may
be used to bond the shell portions together. Rigid shell 12 may
also be formed in unitary fashion as a single piece of molded
plastic.
[0020] Rigid PCB 14 is fixed to shell 12 by fasteners 24 extending
through respective fastener holes 22 through PCB 14 and engaging
fastener receptacles 20. Fasteners 24 may be threaded fasteners,
and fastener receptacles 20 may be internally threaded to mate with
a corresponding fastener 24. PCB 14 covers opening 30 and includes
electronic circuitry (not shown) for operation of pillow speaker
10. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention,
shell 12 and PCB 14 cooperate with one another to form a rigid
enclosure assembly for pillow speaker 10.
[0021] PCB 14 includes an inward surface 38 contacting support
surface 32 of shell 12. As shown in Fig. I, support surface 32 may
be recessed relative to rim surface 34, such that a peripheral edge
40 of PCB 14 opposes inner surface 33 of the shell 12. In this
arrangement, PCB acts as a rigid member providing structural
integrity to the rigid enclosure assembly. For example, if pillow
speaker 10 is subjected to an impact force as may happen if pillow
speaker 10 is dropped to the floor, inwardly directed force applied
to the outside of shell 12 may be opposed by rigid PCB 14.
Applicants have found that a PCB thickness of 3.5 mm or greater
will provide the rigid enclosure assembly with suitable structural
integrity to withstand forces commonly encountered during normal
use of the pillow speaker device. However, it will be understood
that thickness is but one dimension of PCB 14, and PCB's that are
less than 3.5 mm in thickness may be suitable for some
applications. The word "rigid," as used herein to modify PCB, is
intended to distinguish from flexible PCBs now on the market, and
does not imply a minimum thickness requirement.
[0022] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, retainer tab 35 is arranged to
engage a recessed portion 37 of an outward surface 36 of PCB 14.
Retainer tab 35 and recessed portion 37 may be at corresponding
longitudinal ends of shell 12 and PCB 14, respectively, whereby the
retainer tab pushes down on the end of the circuit board such that
an axial tension force is created in fasteners 24 when the
fasteners are tightened.
[0023] Referring also now to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that
outward surface 36 of PCB 14 may include one or more switch traces
54 associated with pushbutton control switches enabling a user to
enter commands to the device. Dome layer 16 is arranged adjacent
outward surface 36 of PCB 14. Dome layer 16 includes a
nonconductive sheet 42 and at least one conductive switch dome 56
attached to the sheet. Sheet 42 may be a thin polyester layer with
adhesive only on its inward surface 44 (FIG. 1) to adhere the sheet
to outward surface 36 of PCB 14 as shown in FIG. 3. Each switch
dome 56 is applied to adhesive surface 44 of sheet 42 and
positioned to register with a corresponding switch trace 54 on the
PCB, wherein the switch dome is operable to close the switch trace
by applying pressure to the switch dome.
[0024] Overlay 18 is arranged adjacent dome layer 16 and covers the
dome layer to provide switch button embossing, switch graphics, and
electrical isolation. Overlay 18 may be a polyester layer having an
external surface 48 and an internal surface 50 (FIG. 1). Overlay 18
may have an electrical insulation voltage rating greater than 25
kV, however this property is subject to design choice depending
upon the specific application. Overlay 18 includes a switch graphic
58 on external surface 48 at a location corresponding to an
associated switch dome 56 of the dome layer. The switch graphic 58
may indicate a function of the switch button to the user, and may
include alphanumeric characters or a word. In a commercial
embodiment of the invention, the overlay 18 is embossed in the
region of each switch graphic 58 and switch dome 56 to provide a
more user-friendly tactile push button. The embossing may include
Braille characters to assist blind patients.
[0025] As seen in FIG. 4, the internal surface 50 of overlay 18 may
include an adhesive portion 50A and a non-adhesive portion 50B.
Adhesive portion 50A adheres to shell 12 and/or PCB 14, but does
not adhere to dome layer 16. Dome layer 16 is covered by
non-adhesive portion 50B, such that overlay 18 and dome layer 16
remain unattached to one another. Accordingly, overlay 18 may be
fixed to the outward surface 36 of PCB 14 by adhesive at a portion
of outward surface 36 not covered by dome layer 16. As represented
in FIG. 5, adhesive portion 50A may extend beyond a peripheral
region of PCB 14 so that it adheres to both the peripheral region
of the PCB and to the rim surface 34 of shell 12.
[0026] The present invention extends to a method of making
electronic device 10. The method generally comprises the steps of
providing rigid shell 12 defining interior space 15 and opening 30
communicating with the interior space; providing rigid PCB 14
including electronic circuitry for operation of the device; and
fixing the PCB to the shell such that the PCB covers the shell
opening, wherein the shell and the PCB cooperate with one another
to form a rigid enclosure assembly for the electronic device. A
peripheral edge of the PCB may be arranged to oppose an inner
surface of the shell.
[0027] According to another aspect of the inventive method, PCB 14
includes outward surface 36 having switch trace 54 thereon, and the
inventive method further comprises the steps of providing dome
layer 16 including nonconductive sheet 42 and switch at least one
dome 56 attached to the sheet; fixing dome layer 16 to outward
surface 36 of PCB 14 such that the switch dome is operable to close
the switch trace; providing overlay 18 overlay including at least
one switch graphic 58; and fixing overlay 18 to at least one of the
shell 12 and the outward surface 36 of PCB 14 such that the switch
graphic 58 is at a location corresponding to the switch dome 56,
wherein the overlay 18 is unattached to dome layer 16. The dome
layer 16 and the overlay 18 may be fixed to the outward surface 36
of PCB 14 by adhesive at different portions of the outward surface
36. Overlay 18 may also be fixed to shell 12 by adhesive. The steps
mentioned in this paragraph also represent an improved method of
making electronic device 10 for a health care setting,
independently of the steps for constructing the rigid enclosure
assembly described in the immediately preceding paragraph.
[0028] The present invention eliminates the need for a second rigid
piece to form an enclosure assembly by using the PCB for structural
function in addition to electronic function.
[0029] Moreover, the use of a dome layer and an overlay that are
unattached to one another reduces cost, improves tactile feel of
the buttons, and facilitates servicing of the device. Cost is
reduced due to the fact that the dome layer 16 carries only the
metal switch domes 56, whereby the dome layer may be configured for
use with a large number of corresponding overlays 18. This reduces
the number of different part numbers for manufacturing
specifications. Tactile feel is improved because the user feels the
entire tactile feel of the metal dome 56 itself, which was not the
case with prior art switch membranes where the overlay and switch
dome were physically coupled to one another. Serviceability is
improved because only the overlay 18 needs to be discarded and
replaced when the device is opened up, and the dome layer 16
including costly metal domes 56 can remain and be reused.
[0030] With regard to serviceability, the present invention is
further embodied by an improved method for servicing an electronic
device of a type comprising a PCB including a switch trace, a
switch dome operable to close the switch trace, and an overlay
including a switch graphic at a location corresponding to the
switch dome. The servicing method of the present invention
comprises the steps of removing the overlay 18 from the device 10
without removing the switch dome 56 from the device 10; performing
a service operation; and fixing a replacement overlay different
from the removed overlay on the device overtop the original switch
dome 56.
[0031] Modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set
forth herein will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which
these inventions pertain in light of teachings presented in the
present specification. Therefore, the inventions are not to be
limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications
and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope
of the appended claims.
PARTS LIST
[0032] 10 Electronic device (pillow speaker) [0033] 12 Shell [0034]
12A First shell portion [0035] 12B Second shell portion [0036] 13
Ultrasonic weld seam [0037] 14 Printed circuit board (PCB) [0038]
15 Interior space of shell [0039] 16 Dome layer [0040] 18 Overlay
[0041] 20 Fastener receptacles [0042] 22 Fastener holes through PCB
[0043] 24 Fasteners [0044] 26 Cord passageway [0045] 28 Speaker
mount [0046] 30 Shell opening [0047] 32 Support surface for PCB
[0048] 33 Inner surface of shell [0049] 34 Rim surface of shell
[0050] 35 Retainer tab [0051] 36 Outward surface of PCB [0052] 36A
Portion of outward surface of PCB not covered by dome layer [0053]
38 Inward surface of PCB [0054] 40 Peripheral edge of PCB [0055] 42
Nonconductive sheet of dome layer [0056] 44 Adhesive surface of
nonconductive sheet [0057] 46 Cut-out regions of nonconductive
sheet [0058] 48 External surface of overlay [0059] 50 Internal
surface of overlay [0060] 50A Adhesive portion of internal surface
of overlay [0061] 50B Non-adhesive portion of internal surface of
overlay [0062] 54 Switch traces on outward surface of PCB [0063] 56
Switch domes of dome layer [0064] 58 Switch graphics of overlay
* * * * *