Thermometer using a thermo-sensitive element

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a thermometer using a thermo-sensitive element capable of measuring temperature in a short time.
Another object of this invention is to provide a thermistor thermometer capable of using the conventional thermistor for the temperature sensing means.
A further object of this invention is to provide a clinical thermometer capable of measuring temperature in a short time.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a clinical thermometer having few measurement errors.
Although a thermo-sensitive element capable of being used in this invention is one of the conventional thermister, the PN junction semiconductor diode and the other one having the function similar to them, the following description will be effected for convenience in case of using the thermistor as a thermo-sensitive element.
In this invention preheating means is used.
This preheating means preheats the thermistor approximately to the temperature of the object to be measured.
After the operation of said preheating means is stopped, the thermistor is heated by the object to be measured to the temperature which follows that of the object.
In this case since the temperature difference between the thermistor and the object to be measured is made small beforehand by the operation of the preheating means, the measurement can be carried out in a short time.
The preheating means is constructed to energize the thermistor which serves as the temperature sensing means.
The thermistor is subjected to self-heating by the energization to raise its temperature close to the temperature of the object to be measured.
Since the thermistor itself is heated, the preheating structure of this thermistor does not require the addition of any other means such as a heater.
It is therefore possible to avoid a degradation in the response of thermistor temperature to the temperature of the object to be measured after the stoppage of preheating, which degradation results from an increase in thermal capacity in the temperature sensing means due to the addition of said other means