JP2002047003A - Adsorbing type oxygen generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an oxygen gas generating device capable of generating low concentration oxygen gas. SOLUTION: This adsorbing type oxygen generation device is characterized in that the device is provided with an adsorbing floor filled with adsorbent adsorbing nitrogen than oxygen selectively, and an air supplying measure supplying compressed air to the adsorbing floor, and generates air containing concentrated oxygen by repeating adsorption/desorption; a tank measure storing exhaust gas from the adsorbing floor in desorbing process, a communicating measure provided with an automatic opening/closing valve connecting the adsorbing floor with the tank measure, a gas supplying measure supplying gas stored in the tank measure, and a control measure opening the automatic opening/closing valve for specific time in the desorbing process.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying oxygen gas having a specific concentration separated from the atmosphere. More specifically, the present invention relates to an adsorption-type oxygen generator capable of supplying a desired concentration of oxygen gas from an oxygen concentration lower than that in the atmosphere to a high concentration of 90% or more.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of the most effective methods for treating respiratory diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis is an oxygen inhalation method. In recent years, oxygen has been separated from the atmosphere for this therapy. An oxygen concentrator has been developed which supplies the user as enriched air. In particular, a pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen concentrator using an adsorbent bed filled with an adsorbent for selectively adsorbing nitrogen rather than oxygen, such as zeolite 5A or 13X, is used for home oxygen therapy or the like as a medical application.

[0003] Such an adsorption-type oxygen concentrator can be used under optimum conditions.
A gas having an oxygen concentration of 0% or more can be generated, and a respiratory disease patient inhales oxygen gas by a supply means such as a nasal cannula at a prescribed flow rate of 1 L / min to 5 L / min.

Also, the optimum conditions for adsorption and desorption as described in JP-A-8-268701 are removed, and oxygen gas having a 40% concentration is generated as in a conventional membrane oxygen concentrator using an oxygen-enriched membrane. Devices have been developed.

[0005]

A conventional oxygen concentrator is a device for generating high-concentration oxygen for medical use. However, for experiments such as the adaptability of animals and plants in a low oxygen environment, a device for generating a gas having a predetermined low oxygen concentration is required. In order to realize an oxygen environment lower than the atmosphere, there is a method using a nitrogen gas generator using a pressure fluctuation adsorption technique. However, when a low oxygen environment, that is, a gas having a nitrogen concentration of 80 to 100% is generated by a pressure fluctuation adsorption type nitrogen concentrator, the concentration is not stable, and it is difficult to change the concentration under high concentration conditions. There is a point. By using a high-pressure nitrogen gas cylinder and a high-pressure oxygen gas cylinder and varying the mixing ratio of the two, it is possible to obtain oxygen gas of a predetermined concentration. Is not suitable.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of diligent studies on an apparatus for solving the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor has found that the use of a pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen concentrator and the recovery of nitrogen-rich exhaust gas enables the use of the apparatus. An oxygen gas generator capable of supplying oxygen from the oxygen concentration region to the oxygen concentration region below the atmosphere has been found.

That is, the present invention comprises an adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent for selectively adsorbing nitrogen rather than oxygen, and an air supply means for supplying pressurized air to the adsorption bed. In an adsorption-type oxygen generator for generating concentrated air, a tank means for storing exhaust gas from an adsorption bed in a desorption step, a conduit means provided with an automatic opening / closing valve connecting the adsorption bed and the tank means, and a storage means in the tank means The present invention provides an adsorption-type oxygen generator characterized by comprising gas supply means for supplying a gas, and control means for opening the automatic on-off valve for a specific time during the desorption step.

The present invention also provides an adsorption-type oxygen generator characterized in that the control means includes time switching means for switching the open / close time of the automatic on-off valve in accordance with the supplied oxygen concentration. A mixing means for mixing the oxygen-enriched air generated in the adsorption step and the gas stored in the tank means at a specific ratio, and a mixing ratio switching means for switching the mixing ratio of the mixing means in accordance with the oxygen concentration. It is intended to provide an adsorption-type oxygen generator having the following configuration.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the drawings as necessary. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the adsorption-type oxygen generator of the present invention.

The adsorption-type oxygen synthesizing apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for generating a low-oxygen-concentration gas by combining a conventional adsorption-type oxygen concentrator with an auxiliary unit for recovering exhaust gas during the desorption step. The adsorption type oxygen concentrator absorbs nitrogen by supplying pressurized air to an adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen over oxygen during the adsorption process, and takes out and desorbs oxygen-enriched air. During the process, the adsorbed nitrogen is removed by reducing the pressure to atmospheric pressure or vacuum,
This is an apparatus that generates oxygen-enriched air by regenerating the adsorbent and repeating this process.

In an ordinary oxygen concentrator for medical use, exhaust gas at the time of the desorption step is discharged to the atmosphere. In the device of the present invention, an automatic opening / closing valve (flow path switching valve) is provided in the exhaust gas discharge conduit.
And a part of the exhaust gas is stored in the low oxygen tank.
As such an automatic opening / closing valve, an electromagnetic valve provided in the middle of a conduit leading from an exhaust pipe to a tank for storing low oxygen gas, a three-way flow switching valve provided in a branch portion, and the like are preferably used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas gradually decreases from 21% in the adsorbing bed desorption step,
%. In the apparatus of the present invention, the gas having the required oxygen concentration can be stored in the tank by controlling the opening and closing of the automatic on-off valve for a predetermined time during the desorption process in accordance with the required oxygen concentration. The gas stored in the tank is supplied from a low oxygen air supply port via a pump means and a flow meter.

The gas having an oxygen concentration equal to or higher than the atmospheric oxygen concentration supplies oxygen-enriched air generated in the adsorption step of the oxygen concentrator. Usually, such oxygen-enriched air is a gas having a concentration of 90% or more. For adjusting the gas concentration between 21% and 90%, for example, a method described in JP-A-9-183601 can be used.

When the density change is set in detail,
As shown in FIG. 2, by providing the gas mixing means with a mixing ratio of the low oxygen concentration gas and the high oxygen concentration gas, a gas having a predetermined oxygen concentration can be obtained even in a region higher than the atmospheric oxygen concentration.

[0015]

According to the present invention, a gas having a low oxygen concentration below the atmosphere can be supplied, and a long-term animal experiment can be performed in a low oxygen environment. Experiments can also be performed. We can supply equipment useful for medical care and medical progress.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing an embodiment of an adsorption-type oxygen generator of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing an embodiment of the adsorption-type oxygen generator of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas of the adsorption bed.

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) B01D 53/04 B01D 53/04 B // C01B 21/04 C01B 21/04 G F-term (reference) 4C341 KL06 KL08 4D012 CA05 CB16 CD07 CE01 CF05 CG01 CH03 4G042 BA15 BB02 BC06

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An adsorbent bed filled with an adsorbent for selectively adsorbing nitrogen rather than oxygen, and an air supply means for supplying pressurized air to the adsorbent bed, and oxygen-enriched air is supplied by repeating adsorption and desorption. In the generated adsorption-type oxygen generator, a tank means for storing the exhaust gas from the adsorption bed in the desorption step, a conduit means provided with an automatic opening / closing valve connecting the adsorption bed and the tank means, and a gas stored in the tank means An adsorption-type oxygen generator, comprising: gas supply means for supplying; and control means for opening the automatic on-off valve for a specific time during the desorption step. 2. The adsorption-type oxygen generator according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a time switching means for switching an open / close time of said automatic on-off valve in accordance with a supplied oxygen concentration. 3. Mixing means for mixing the oxygen-enriched air generated in the adsorption step and the gas stored in the tank means at a specific ratio, and mixing ratio switching means for switching the mixing ratio of the mixing means in accordance with the oxygen concentration. The adsorption-type oxygen generator according to claim 1, further comprising: