Patent ID: 8308353

Claim:
An ear thermometer which incorporates, in a probe, a detection element housing accommodating a temperature detection element configured to detect an environmental temperature and an infrared detection element configured to detect infrared radiation emitted from a temperature measurement region in an earhole and measures a body temperature based on detection results obtained by said two detection elements, said probe including an end face portion having an opening and forming a distal end portion, an inner surface portion which is formed by a hollow cylindrical member and forms a side surface portion, and an engaging portion inwardly protruding from said inner surface portion, said detection element housing including a mounting base member on which said two detection elements are fixed, a cylindrical container member which includes a hole formed on the opening side to face said infrared detection element, is fixed to said mounting base member, and surrounds said two detection elements, and a window member which is attached to the hole, closes the hole, and transmits infrared radiation, wherein one of said window member and said container member of said detection element housing is in contact with an internal surface of said end face portion so as to close the opening of said probe, an air layer is formed between an outer surface of said detection element housing and said inner surface portion of said probe by fixing said mounting base member by engaging said mounting base member with said engaging portion, the internal surface of said end face portion forms an inner wall portion radially extending from the opening to said inner surface portion, said engaging portion is formed by an abutment surface which is formed at one of a position corresponding to a height of an outer surface of said container member and a position corresponding to a sum of a height of the outer surface of said container member and a height of said window member and spaced apart from the inner wall portion, and an inclined surface which is inclined from said inner surface portion to a probe central portion, and when said detection element housing is forcibly inserted into the opening, a surface of one of said window member and said container member comes into contact with the inner wall portion, and a rear surface of said mounting base member engages with the abutment surface.