Medical capsule housing formed by thermal welding
A medical capsule housing includes first and second outer members made of a resin material, both having an opening at one end. The first and second outer members are thermally welded by ultrasonic welding at an abutting portion. The abutting portion includes a sharp edged line portion which forms the opening end portion of the first outer member and an inclined surface portion which forms the opening end portion of the second outer member. The sharp edged line portion is provided in a closed space formed by the first outer member and the second outer member before the ultrasonic welding.
1. A medical capsule housing comprising:
a first outer member which is made of a resin material, the first outer member being formed in a cylindrical shape, the first outer member having an opening at one end portion, the opening being opened with a predetermined inner diameter;
a second outer member which is made of a resin material, the second outer member being formed in a cylindrical shape, the second outer member having an opening at one end portion, the opening being opened with a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the opening of the first outer member; and
a thermal welding portion formed by ultrasonic welding in which fitting portions of the first outer member and the second outer member are fixed in close contact by thermal welding, the thermal welding acting on the fitting portion from an outside, the fitting portion being formed by inserting an outer circumferential surface side of the opening of the first outer member into an inner circumferential surface of the opening of the second outer member by a predetermined amount,
wherein an abutting portion is provided against a boundary surface formed by an opening end portion of the first outer member and an opening end portion of the second outer member, the first outer member and the second outer member being thermally welded by the ultrasonic welding, the abutting portion being a start point of the ultrasonic welding, the abutting portion first receiving vibration energy of the ultrasonic welding, the abutting portion forming a predetermined gap from the boundary surface in a direction in which a longitudinal axis of the capsule housing extends,
the abutting portion includes a sharp edged line portion which forms the opening end portion of the first outer member and an inclined-surface portion which forms the opening end portion of the second outer member, the edge-line portion of the first outer member abutting against the inclined-surface portion, and
the sharp edged line portion of the abutting portion is provided in a closed space formed by the first outer member and the second outer member before the ultrasonic welding.
2. The medical capsule housing according to claim 1 , wherein the first outer member and the second outer member are made of the same resin material.
3. The medical capsule housing according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal welding portion includes a front surface of the opening of the second outer member.
4. The medical capsule housing according to claim 1 , wherein hollow hemispherical portions are provided in end portions of the first outer member and the second outer member, and
step portions are provided on outer circumferential surfaces of the hollow hemispherical portions respectively, the step portion having an annular plane portion over a circumference, the annular plane portion being perpendicular to an axis line connecting centers of the hollow hemispherical portions.