JP5730544B2 - Overheat detection unit and oxygen concentrator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is installed between the oxygen concentrator and the cannula to detect the overheat that prevents the fire from spreading to the oxygen concentrator and the device itself when exposed to an abnormally high temperature environment such as a fire. The present invention relates to a unit and an oxygen concentrator.

  In the oxygen concentrator, the raw material air taken in is compressed by a compressor to generate compressed air, and this compressed air is supplied to an adsorption cylinder containing the adsorbent, thereby adsorbing nitrogen to the adsorbent and oxygen. There are adsorption-type oxygen concentrators that generate oxygen and membrane-separated oxygen concentrators that use oxygen selective permeation membranes that are polymer membranes having an oxygen permeability coefficient larger than the nitrogen permeability coefficient. In the adsorption-type oxygen concentrator, zeolite is mainly used as an example of an adsorbent that adsorbs nitrogen. In the oxygen selective permeable membrane type, for example, polydimethylsiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer, poly (4-methylpentene-1), polyphenylene oxide, porphyrin complex-containing membrane, and the like are used. The oxygen concentrated to 90% or more is stored in a tank, and the user can supply a predetermined flow rate of oxygen from the tank via a pressure reducing valve or a flow rate setting device. Oxygen can be inhaled using If this oxygen concentrator is installed in a place where an AC power source (commercial AC power source) can be used, for example, a home oxygen therapy user whose lung function has deteriorated can safely take in oxygen even while sleeping. I can sleep well.

In addition, oxygen concentrators used for long-term oxygen inhalation therapy, which is effective as a treatment for users of respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis, are generally not portable and can be taken out by users. Is not configured.
There has also been proposed an oxygen concentrator provided with a temperature sensor on the nasal cannula and stopping the generation of concentrated oxygen when the temperature reaches 50 ° C. (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-183544 A

  The apparatus of Patent Document 1 is configured such that a temperature sensing sensor is arranged in the middle of the nasal cannula and the supply of oxygen is stopped by the detection signal. However, the oxygen supply is performed around 50 degrees Celsius described in the document. In a very simple mechanism of stopping, for example, there is a heater in the room where the device is used, and the oxygen supply is shut off just by being struck by the radiant heat, or the device is placed in a closed room in summer, etc. If the environmental temperature rises, the device may not operate by itself, and it is not easy to use and practicality is low.

  Therefore, the present invention is installed between the oxygen concentrator and the cannula so that when the user is inhaling oxygen using the cannula, the user is exposed to a fire or an abnormally high temperature environment. When an environment is detected, an overheat detection unit and an oxygen concentrator that can ensure safety can be secured by ensuring that the oxygen passage is mechanically blocked and the supply of oxygen is shut off in advance. The purpose is to provide.

The overheat detection unit of the present invention generates concentrated oxygen from raw air, and between the oxygen outlet of an oxygen concentrator having an oxygen outlet for taking out the concentrated oxygen and a nasal cannula having a coupler socket or between the oxygen outlet and the nose. An overheat detection unit that is disposed between a coupler socket provided at one end of a tube connected to a cannula and detects an overheat state, and is connected to the tube and a connecting member connected to the oxygen outlet. A main body having an oxygen outlet, and a housing covering the main body, wherein the main body is disposed at the oxygen outlet and detects a temperature of the oxygen outlet, and the temperature sensor When it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied by the determination means based on the temperature detected in step S1, the connection member and the oxygen outlet portion are controlled by drive control of the drive portion by the control portion. A blocking structure portion that blocks the supply of oxygen and blocks the supply of oxygen, and further blocks the passage between the connecting member and the oxygen outlet portion by driving control of the driving portion by the control portion. And a control unit that operates the driving unit at predetermined time intervals.
According to the above configuration, it is installed between the oxygen concentrator and the cannula so that when the user is inhaling oxygen using the cannula, it is exposed to a fire or an abnormally high temperature environment. When the environment is detected, safety can be ensured by ensuring that the oxygen passage is reliably mechanically blocked to shut off the supply of oxygen in advance. That is, by operating the drive unit at predetermined time intervals, the movable part of the drive unit is prevented from being fixed to the fixed part, and the oxygen passage is surely mechanically closed to Safety can be ensured by shutting off the supply.

Preferably, the control unit is configured to rotate the output shaft of the driving unit for a predetermined time to crush a passage between the connecting member and the oxygen outlet unit.
According to the above configuration, a part of the passage can be easily and reliably closed only by rotating the output shaft of the drive unit.
Preferably, when the passage between the connecting member and the oxygen outlet portion is crushed, the operation lamp is turned on to sound a buzzer.
According to the above configuration, when a part of the passage is crushed and closed, the operation lamp is turned on and the buzzer is sounded to notify the user reliably.

Preferably, the housing includes a first cover fixed to the main body, a second cover fixed to the main body and detachably assembled to the first cover, and the main body. A protective cover that is fixed and covers the bottom of the second cover and protects the main body, and for exposing the oxygen outlet to the first cover and the second cover It has a 1st opening part, It has the 2nd opening part for exposing the edge part of the said connection member in the bottom part of the said protective cover, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
According to the above configuration, the main body portion can be protected by being covered with the housing and the protective cover, the oxygen outlet portion is exposed from the housing and can be easily connected to the tube, and the connecting member is exposed from the protective cover. Can be easily connected to the oxygen outlet of the concentrator.

Preferably, the protective cover is detachably fixed to the main body portion with a single screw.
According to the above configuration, the protective cover can be securely fixed to the main body by using only one screw, and the protective cover can be easily attached and removed.
Preferably, the protective cover has a convex fitting portion fitted into a stepped portion provided in the oxygen concentrating device in a state where the oxygen outlet is connected to the connecting member. And
According to the above configuration, the overheat detection unit can be securely fitted and held in the oxygen concentrator side with the connecting member of the overheat detection unit connected to the oxygen outlet on the oxygen concentrator side.

Preferably, the protective cover is made of a transparent resin, and the protective cover is provided in the oxygen concentrator, and overheats the light of an oxygen lamp that indicates that oxygen is emitted from the oxygen outlet. It is characterized by having a lens portion for guiding it to the periphery of the detection unit.
According to the above configuration, even when the overheat detection unit is placed on the oxygen lamp, the user can easily visually recognize the light of the oxygen lamp through the lens unit.

The oxygen concentrator of the present invention includes a compressed air generation unit that compresses raw air to generate compressed air, an oxygen outlet that extracts oxygen obtained from the compressed air, and includes the overheat detection unit. To do.
According to the above configuration, it is installed between the oxygen concentrator and the cannula so that when the user is inhaling oxygen using the cannula, it is exposed to a fire or an abnormally high temperature environment. When the environment is detected, safety can be ensured by ensuring that the oxygen passage is reliably mechanically blocked to shut off the supply of oxygen in advance. That is, by operating the drive unit at predetermined time intervals, the movable part of the drive unit is prevented from being fixed to the fixed part, and the oxygen passage is surely mechanically closed to Safety can be ensured by shutting off the supply.

  The present invention is installed between the oxygen concentrator and the cannula so that when the user is inhaling oxygen using the cannula, the user is exposed to a fire or an abnormally high temperature environment. Provided is an overheat detection unit and an oxygen concentrator capable of ensuring safety by ensuring that the oxygen passage is reliably mechanically blocked and the supply of oxygen is blocked in advance. be able to.

The external appearance perspective view which shows preferable embodiment of the oxygen concentration apparatus of this invention. The top view which shows the operation panel of the oxygen concentrator of FIG. The three-dimensional exploded view seen from the back side in order to show the internal structure of an oxygen concentrator. The system diagram of an oxygen concentrator. The perspective view which shows the operation panel of an oxygen concentrator, and an overheat detection unit. FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing an operation panel, and FIG. 6B is a plan view showing the operation panel. The perspective view which shows an overheat detection unit. Sectional drawing in the CC line of the overheat detection unit and operation panel shown in FIG.6 (B). The perspective view which shows a main-body part. The figure which shows an overheat detection unit. The perspective view which shows the structure of a protective cover, and the replacement structure of a battery. The figure which shows the main-body part containing a tube obstruction | occlusion structure part. The figure which shows the state by which the tube of a main-body part is not pressed by the cam but is open | released. The figure which shows the state by which the tube of the main-body part is pushed and closed with the cam. The figure which shows the electrical contact of a battery and the setting position of a thermistor. The figure which shows an electric circuit.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The embodiments described below are preferred specific examples of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are given. However, the scope of the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless otherwise stated, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the oxygen concentrator of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an operation panel of the oxygen concentrator of FIG.
An oxygen concentrator 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a pressure swing adsorption type oxygen concentrator, and includes, for example, a vertically long main body case 11 having a handle 12 serving as a handle at the upper end. In the vicinity of the upper end of the main body case 11, an operation panel 13 is provided slightly inclined forward. The operation panel 13 includes, in order from the left, a dial-type power switch 14, an oxygen outlet 15, an oxygen flow rate setting switch 16, and an oxygen flow rate display unit 18 that displays segment numbers using, for example, an LED or a liquid crystal display. Has been placed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a step portion 15 </ b> D is formed at the center position of the operation panel 13. The step portion 15D is a circular recess, and the step portion 15D has a flat circular bottom portion 15F and an inner peripheral portion 15C. The diameter of the step portion 15D on the surface side is larger than the diameter on the bottom portion 15F side. The oxygen outlet 15 is provided so as to protrude perpendicularly to the bottom 15F at the center position of the bottom 15F of the step portion 15D. The oxygen outlet 15 is made of, for example, a metal material having high thermal conductivity and less rust, preferably a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy.
Since the step portion 15D is formed in the operation panel 13 in this way, the oxygen outlet 15 is placed in the step portion 15D as compared with the case where the oxygen outlet 15 is provided so as to protrude from the surface portion of the operation panel 13. In addition to being able to be positioned, a part of the overheat detection unit 300 shown in FIG. 1 can be detachably attached so as to be accurately positioned and fitted. The overheat detection unit 300 can be called an overheat detection adapter.

The overheat detection unit 300 shown in FIG. 1 is detachably mounted between an oxygen outlet 15 of the oxygen concentrator 10 and a nasal cannula 22 having a coupler socket 23 constituting one end of the connection. Thus, when the user is inhaling oxygen using the nasal cannula 22, when the user is exposed to a fire or an abnormally high temperature environment, the high temperature environment is surely detected to ensure safety. Used to enable
In FIG. 1, the overheat detection unit 300 is shown separated above the oxygen outlet 15. A protective cover 303 (see FIG. 6, FIG. 7, etc.), which is a part of the overheat detection unit 300, is fitted into the step portion 15D, and is attached and detached so as to be in close contact with the inner peripheral portion 15C and the bottom portion 15F of the step portion 15D. It can be attached as possible. As will be described later, in the state in which the protective cover 303 is fixed in the stepped portion 15D as described above, the overheat detection unit 300 is connected to the oxygen outlet 15 of the oxygen concentrator 10 and the coupler socket 23 of the nasal cannula 22. The oxygen outlet 15 and the tube 23 can be connected so as to communicate with each other.

  Four rubber feet 27 are fixed to the four corners of the bottom lid 26 of the main body case 11 shown in FIG. 1 to prevent a side slip when used on the floor surface. The carrier 25 used when moving such as when going out can be fixed to the bottom lid 26 with two fixing screws. The carrier 25 has holes that can accommodate the rubber feet 27 at corresponding positions, and resin free casters are arranged at the four corners.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the operation panel 13 shown in FIG.
The power switch 14 shown in FIG. 2 is operated between the illustrated OFF position and the ON position rotated clockwise by about 90 degrees. At a position corresponding to the ON position of the power switch 14, an operation state lamp 14R having a built-in light emitting LED or the like that is lit in green and red is provided. Further, a battery remaining amount monitor 14A is provided above the operation state lamp.
Above the oxygen outlet 15 in the center, an alarm display unit 15A in which characters of “check” or a character display corresponding to this is printed horizontally is arranged, and below the alarm display unit 15A, green, red and yellow For example, an oxygen lamp 15L incorporating a light emitting LED is provided. The oxygen lamp 15L is lit to indicate that oxygen is emitted from the oxygen outlet 15. In the example of FIG. 2, the oxygen lamp 15L is substantially fan-shaped along the step portion 15D.

  The oxygen flow rate setting switch 16 shown in FIG. 2 is provided as flat switches 16a and 16b on which up and down arrows are printed. Each time the oxygen flow rate setting switch 16 presses oxygen concentrated to about 90% or more in a 0.25L step or a 0.5L step from 0.25L (liter) per minute to 5L at maximum. The flow rate can be set, and the oxygen generation capacity can be changed by displaying the flow rate setting value at that time on the upper oxygen flow rate display unit 18. The synchronization lamp 19 is provided to notify the user by lighting or flashing that the concentrated oxygen is being operated in an intermittent supply state by breathing synchronization.

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional exploded view seen from the back side in order to show the internal configuration of the oxygen concentrator 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the rubber feet 27 are fixed to the four corners of the resin bottom lid 26 from below. The bottom lid 26 is fixed to the bottom surface of the resin base body 40 using a plurality of fixing screws.
The base body 40 is formed in a box shape in which wall surfaces continuously formed from the four surfaces downward are integrally formed, and the connectors 131 and 130 are fixed on the back wall surface. Exhaust ports 40c, 40c facing each exhaust port of a back cover (not shown) provided in the case main body 11 of FIG. 1 and communicating with the internal power supply chamber are formed as shown in FIG. Final external exhaust is performed via 40c. The upper surface of the base body 40 is formed flat as shown in the figure, and holes for fixing the upper surface of the base body 40 with fixing screws from the three sides of the left and right surfaces and the rear surface of the two-stage soundproof chamber 34. The upright part 40f which bored the part is integrally formed from three directions. Further, an exhaust opening 40 b communicating with the power supply chamber is further formed in the upper surface of the base body 40.

The two-stage soundproof chamber 34 shown in FIG. 3 has two blower fans 104 fixed on an upper member 36 that can be taken in and out from the side on the front side of the drawing, and on a lower member 37 that can also be taken in and out from the side. The airtight box 35 in which the compressor 105 as the provided compressed air generating unit is disposed in a vibration-proof state is configured from a lightweight metal plate.
In the two-stage soundproof chamber 34, a soundproof chamber lid 39 shown on the front side and a soundproof chamber lid 38 shown on the back side are fixed with a plurality of fixing screws as shown in the drawing. A soundproof material 51 is laid inside the two-stage soundproof chamber 34. In addition, the outer peripheral surface is a vibration damping member, and a sheet-like material made of a mixture of synthetic rubber and special resin material is laid, and the two-stage soundproof chamber 34 itself made of a thin aluminum plate is resonant. Does not vibrate.

In the left and right side wall surfaces above the upper stage member 36 of the two-stage soundproof chamber 34 shown in FIG. 3, first openings 35a (shown by broken lines) shown by solid lines are perforated to introduce outside air into the interior. It is configured as follows. The upper member 36 is provided with a plurality of fixing holes 36h for fixing the pipe 24 described in FIG. 4 via rubber bushes, and supports the pipe 24 and has a vibration and vibration isolating function. It is configured to perform in cooperation with.
Each blower fan 104 may be an inverter-controlled sirocco fan, for example. Each blower fan 104 is fixed to the upper member 36 using a bracket so that each blower port faces downward. Between the blower fans 104, three-way switching valves 109a and 109b shown in FIG. Each blower fan 104 is provided with a fan rotation detection unit 126.
On the left side wall surface of the two-stage soundproof chamber 34 shown in FIG. 3, cylindrical suction cylinders 108a and 108b are arranged side by side with the intake buffer tank 101, and a fixture 49k fixed to the side wall surface. The band 49 is fixed by tightening after passing the band 49. At this time, the suction cylinders 108a and 108b are placed on the upper surface of the base body 40, but the buffer tank 101 having a long overall length is partially inserted and fixed in the opening 40d.

  The product tank 111 shown in FIG. 3 is made of a blown polypropylene resin, and is disposed on the upper side in the longitudinal direction as shown. The shielding plate 32 is also made of resin for weight reduction, and is provided with a speaker 23 and an external connector 133, and also serves as a reinforcement that is fixed to the outer wall surface above the two-stage soundproof chamber 34 using a fixing screw. The mounting part is integrally molded. In addition, heat dissipating members 52 and 53 are fixed to the upper wall surface of the two-stage soundproof chamber 34 with fixing screws, and control means for making various determinations in the entire operation process of the oxygen concentrator 10 and the entire operation process. A central control unit 200 (a substrate including a CPU to be described later) having a function as a control unit, a substrate 201 including a motor control unit, and the like are fixed in an upright state to enhance a heat dissipation effect. An oxygen sensor 114, a proportional opening valve 115, a pressure regulator 112, a flow sensor 116, a demand valve 117, a circuit board 202, and a temperature sensor 125 are fixed to the right side wall surface of the two-stage soundproof chamber 34.

FIG. 4 is a system diagram (pipe diagram) of the oxygen concentrator 10.
In FIG. 4, a double line is a flow path of air, oxygen, and nitrogen gas, and is generally shown by piping 24a-24g. A thin solid line indicates power supply or electric signal wiring.
In the following description, a case will be described in which a compressor 105 (compressed air generating unit) and a decompressing unit (negative pressure generating unit) are integrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and it goes without saying that the compressed air generating unit and the negative pressure generating unit may be configured separately. A front cover and a rear cover (a part of the case main body 11) that introduces outside air into the inside through the air inlet and discharges to the outside through the air outlet 2c are shown as broken containers in FIG.

In FIG. 4, it will be described in order along the flow of the introduced air.
Air (outside air) passes through the outside air introduction filter 20 incorporated in the filter replacement lid and is introduced into the oxygen concentrator 10 in the direction of arrow F. This air enters the two-stage soundproof chamber 34 by the air blown by the pair of blower fans 104 and 104. As described above, in the two-stage soundproof chamber 34, the blower fans 104 and 104 are disposed on the upper member, and the compressor 105 is disposed on the lower member in a vibration-proof state (shown by broken lines). ) Air enters the two-stage soundproof chamber 34 through an opening formed in the side surface. In order to supply a part of this air as raw material air to the compression means 105a of the compressor 105, an opening of the pipe 24a is provided in the two-stage soundproof chamber 34, and a secondary is provided in the middle of the pipe 24a. An intake filter 101 that performs filtration and a large-capacity intake muffler 102 are provided. With this configuration, the intake noise of the raw material air is reduced so that the intake noise of the raw material air remains in the two-stage soundproof chamber 34.

Inside the two-stage soundproof chamber 34 shown in FIG. 4, a compressor 105, which preferably includes a compression means 105a for compressing raw material air to generate compressed air, and a decompression means 105b, is fixed in a vibration-proof state. ing. In the vicinity of the compressor 105, a temperature sensor 125 is disposed at a place where the temperature environment is substantially the same (refer to FIG. 3 together).
Next, the filtered raw material air is pressurized by the compression means 105a of the compressor 105 to become compressed air. At this time, the compressed air is sent to the pipe 24c in a state where the temperature has risen. It is preferable to use a lightweight metal pipe that is excellent in cooling and to cool by blowing air from the blowing fan 104. Thus, by cooling the compressed air, the zeolite, which is an adsorbent whose function is lowered at high temperatures, can sufficiently concentrate oxygen to about 90% or more as an adsorbent for generating oxygen by adsorption of nitrogen.

  The compressed air is alternately supplied to the first adsorption cylinder body 108a and the second adsorption cylinder body 108b as the adsorption portion via the pipe 24c. For this reason, switching valves (three-way switching valves) 109a and 109b are connected as shown. In order to desorb unnecessary gases from these switching valves 109a and 109b and the first adsorption cylinder body 108a and the second adsorption cylinder body 108b (to perform purging), a pipe 24f communicating with the decompression means 105b is provided. In this, a plurality of (at least two) negative pressure breaking first valves 120 and negative pressure breaking second valves (pressure regulating valves) 121 are arranged in series. By opening the first negative pressure destruction valve 120 and the second negative pressure destruction valve (pressure regulating valve) 121, the pressure in the pipe 24f is controlled to near atmospheric pressure during the pressure equalization process, and the pressure is controlled below a predetermined flow rate. Therefore, the vibration of the compressor is suppressed and the electricity is reduced.

As an example of the catalyst adsorbent stored in the first adsorption cylinder 108a and the second adsorption cylinder 108b shown in FIG. 4, zeolite is used.
On the other hand, a check valve, an equal pressure valve 107 including a throttle valve and an on-off valve is branched and connected to the outlet side above the first adsorption cylinder 108a and the second adsorption cylinder 108b. Further, a pipe 24d is formed so that the downstream side of the equal pressure valve 107 is joined, and a product tank 111 serving as a container for storing the separated and produced oxygen having a concentration of about 90% or more is piped as shown in the figure. Has been. Further, a pressure sensor 208 for detecting the pressure in each of the first adsorption cylinders 108a and the second adsorption cylinders 108b is piped as shown in the figure.

A pressure regulator 112 that automatically adjusts the oxygen pressure on the outlet side to a constant level is piped in a pipe 24e on the downstream side of the product tank 111 shown in FIG. A zirconia type or ultrasonic type oxygen (concentration) sensor 114 is connected to the downstream side of the pressure regulator 112 so that the oxygen concentration is detected intermittently (every 10 to 30 minutes) or continuously. Yes. A proportional opening valve 115 that opens and closes in conjunction with the oxygen flow rate setting switch 16 is connected to the downstream side, and an oxygen flow rate sensor 116 is connected to the downstream side. A demand valve 117 is connected downstream of the sensor 116 via a negative pressure circuit board for breathing synchronization control, and is connected to the oxygen outlet 15 of the oxygen concentrator 10 via the sterilization filter 119. Yes.
With the above configuration, the user can inhale oxygen concentrated to about 90% or more at a maximum flow rate of 5 L / min via the overheat detection unit 300, the nasal cannula 22, and the like.

Next, the power supply system shown in FIG. 4 will be described.
The AC power connector 130 shown in FIG. 4 is connected to a switching regulator type AC unit 19 that rectifies an AC (commercial alternating current) power source into a predetermined DC voltage. The power supply system includes a built-in battery 228 built in the apparatus main body, an external battery 227 detachably provided via a connector 131, and a power supply control circuit 226.
The built-in battery 228 and the external battery 227 are rechargeable secondary batteries, and the built-in battery 228 is charged by receiving power from the power supply control circuit 226. Note that at least the built-in battery 228 can be repeatedly charged and discharged at least about 500 times (several hundred times), and has a management function such as the remaining battery level, the number of charge / discharge cycles used, the degree of deterioration, and the output voltage. It is preferable to have a management function capable of confirming the remaining battery capacity, remaining charge capacity, and number of charge / discharge cycles with an external portable terminal.

The external battery 227 can be charged by being supplied with power from the power supply control circuit 226 in a connected state via the connector 131, but is normally repeatedly charged using a separately prepared battery charger. Or you may prepare as the external battery 227 which integrated the battery charger designed exclusively.
In the configuration of the power supply system described above, the oxygen concentrator 10 is in a first power supply state that operates by receiving power supply from the AC unit 19 and a second power supply state that operates by receiving power supply from the built-in battery 228. And a third power supply state that operates by receiving power supply from the external battery 227 and is automatically switched to one of the three power supply states.
The power supply control circuit 226 is controlled by the central control unit 200 so that the priority for automatic switching is automatically determined in the order of the first power supply state, the third power supply state, and the second power supply state. .

The AC unit 19 is preferably a switching regulator type that can generate a predetermined DC voltage without being affected by the difference in frequency and voltage fluctuation, and can be configured to be small and light, but a normal transformer type may also be used. .
The central control unit 200 of the oxygen concentrator 100 has a function of switching to an optimal operation mode according to the amount of oxygen to be generated, and automatically generates a large amount of oxygen for the compressor 105 and the blower fan 104. In such a case, the built-in battery 228 is particularly preserved by performing control to rotate at a high speed and at a low speed when a small amount of oxygen is generated. As a result, even if the external battery 227 is forgotten to be charged, consideration is given so that it is possible to cope with a sudden outing or a power failure.

Connected to the central control unit 200 are a motor control unit 201 that controls driving of the DC motor of the compressor 105 and the motor of the blower fan 104, and a sound control unit 203 that generates sound contents by being connected to the speaker 23. Has been.
The central control unit 200 incorporates a ROM that stores a predetermined operation program, and is further connected to a storage device 210, a volatile memory 205, a temporary storage device 206, and a real-time clock 207. The central control unit 200 is externally connected. By connecting to a communication line or the like via the connector 133, it is possible to access the stored contents.

  A flow control unit 202 is connected to the central control unit 200. The flow control unit 202 includes the three-way switching valves 109a and 109b, the equal pressure valve 107, a negative pressure generation unit 105b for desorbing unnecessary gas in the first adsorption cylinder 108a and the second adsorption cylinder 108b, and The negative pressure breaking first valve 120, the negative pressure breaking second valve 121, the oxygen concentration sensor 114, the proportional opening valve 115, the flow rate sensor 116, and the demand valve 117 are controlled to control the pressure in the pipe 24f.

  By providing the motor controller 201 with a variable speed controller that is a variable speed control means, the speed of the compressor 105 can be freely changed based on the user's activity level and environmental conditions. As a result, when the demand valve 117 determines that the user's oxygen demand is relatively low, such as when the user is sitting or sleeping, by the demand valve 117, the drive rotation speed of the compressor 105 is automatically reduced. be able to. Also, when the user is standing, active, or in a high altitude with low oxygen concentration, the user's oxygen demand is relatively high and the speed is automatically increased when it is judged that the oxygen demand has increased. be able to.

The motor control described above reduces the power consumption of the oxygen concentrator 10 as a whole, extending the life of the rechargeable battery and reducing the weight and size of the rechargeable battery. Reliability can be improved by lowering the degree of wear and extending the service life.
As described above, the compressor 105 has both functions of generating compressed air and generating negative pressure, and the rotation speed is automatically controlled according to the oxygen flow rate to be taken out.

  Here, the fan motor that drives the blower fan 104, which is a cooling fan, controls the voltage by pulse width modulation (PWM), for example, and performs desired rotation speed control. Thereby, the rotation speed control of the fan motor can be easily performed.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the operation panel 13 of the oxygen concentrator 10 and the overheat detection unit 300 that is detachably attached to the operation panel 13 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the operation panel 13 and the overheat detection unit 300 of the oxygen concentrator 10. FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the operation panel 13, and FIG. 6B is a plan view showing the operation panel 13.
The overheat detection unit 300 is not attached to the step portion 15D of the operation panel 13 shown in FIG. 2, but the overheat detection unit 300 is attached to the step portion 15D of the operation panel 13 in FIGS. Is shown.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the protective cover 303, which is the lower part of the overheat detection unit 300, is fitted in the step portion 15D. The protective cover 303 of the overheat detection unit 300 is held in intimate contact with the bottom portion 15F and the peripheral portion 15C of the step portion 15D shown in FIG. The overheat detection unit 300 can be detachably connected to the oxygen outlet 15 and the coupler socket 23 so that the oxygen outlet 15 of the oxygen concentrator 10 and the opening of the coupler socket 23 of the nasal cannula 22 are in communication with each other. The detection unit 300 reliably detects a high-temperature environment when the user is inhaling oxygen using a cannula and is exposed to a fire or an abnormally high-temperature environment to ensure safety during use. Have a role that can.

7A is a perspective view seen from the left front side of the overheat detection unit 300, FIG. 7B is a perspective view seen from the right front side of the overheat detection unit 300, and FIG. 7C. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the overheat detection unit 300.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the overheat detection unit 300 includes a housing 301, a main body 302 accommodated in the housing 301, and a protective cover 303 that covers a lower portion of the main body 302. The housing 301 is held by the main body 302, and the protective cover 303 constitutes the bottom of the housing 301 and covers the main body 302.
Further, a front cover 304 as a first cover and a rear cover 305 as a second cover constituting the casing 301 are exterior casings that cover the periphery of the side surface of the main body 302.
Note that the protective cover 303 is not shown in the exploded perspective view of the overheat detection unit 300 in FIG.

The front cover 304 and the rear cover 305 of the housing 301 shown in FIG. 7C are made of plastic, for example, polycarbonate, which is a thermoplastic resin, and ABS.
The front cover 304 has a curved front surface portion 304A and a recessed upper surface portion 304B, the lower portion has an opening portion 304C, and the rear cover 305 has a curved rear surface portion 305A and a recessed upper surface portion 305B. The lower part is an opening 305C. The front cover 304 and the rear cover 305 have a tapered shape in which the upper side is narrow and wide on the lower side, and the openings 304C and 305C are closed by the protective cover 303.
The front cover 304 and the rear cover 305 have an internal space for covering the peripheral portion of the main body 302, and the upper surface portions 304B and 305B form a substantially circular first opening 300H. The oxygen outlet 310 of the main body 302 is exposed to the outside from the first opening 300H. The lower part of the main body 302 is exposed from the openings 304C and 305C. The oxygen outlet part 310 having a function as a connecting part has the same structure as the oxygen outlet 15 having a function as a connecting part on the oxygen concentrator 10 side shown in FIG. 2, for example.

As shown in FIG. 7A, a detach button 311 is arranged at the lower part of the left side portion of the front surface part 304A of the front cover 304 and the lower part of the left side part of the rear surface part 305A of the rear cover 305.
As shown in FIG. 7C, the main body 302 includes an oxygen outlet 310, a geared motor M, a removal button 311, a buzzer 313, a control board 314, and a flexible resin tube such as vinyl chloride. It is made of resin and has a tube (also referred to as a built-in tube) 315 having an outer diameter of 5 to 6 mm, an inner diameter of 4 to 6 mm, and a thickness of 0.8 to 1.2 mm, a cam 316, a battery 317, and the like. When the outer diameter of the tube 315 exceeds 6 mm, the blocking structure 400 becomes large and heavy, and as a result, the overheat detection unit 300 as a whole becomes large and heavy. When the outer diameter is less than 5 mm, the flow resistance against concentrated oxygen is increased. Further, even when the inner diameter is less than 4 mm, the flow resistance against concentrated oxygen is increased. If the wall thickness exceeds 1.2 mm, the driving force for driving the closing structure portion 400 to close the tube 315 increases.
As shown in FIG. 7C, the geared motor M has a reduction gear GM, and the reduction gear GM decelerates the rotation of the geared motor M. The control board 314 is fixed by being hooked to the frame 318 side of the main body 302. On the control board 314, a test mode button 320, a green LED 321G, a yellow LED 321Y, a red LED 321R, and the like are mounted.

As shown in FIG. 7C, the test mode button 320 corresponds to the elastic body 304E provided integrally with the recess 304E of the front cover 304, and the button operation unit 312B of the display unit 312 fitted in the recess 304E. The green LED, the yellow LED 321Y, and the red LED 321R are arranged corresponding to the LED display portion 312C of the display unit 312. Accordingly, the test mode button 320 can be pressed via the elastic body 304E when the user presses the button operation unit 312B with a finger. In addition, the green LED 321G, the yellow LED 321Y, and the red LED 321R can emit green light, yellow light, and red light through the LED display portion 312C of the display unit 312, respectively.
A display unit 312 is disposed on the front side of the front surface portion 304 </ b> A of the front cover 304. In the display unit 312, when the diffusion ink is applied to the LED display unit 312 </ b> C, the directivity of light when the LED (light emitting diode) on the main unit 302 side emits light through the opening 304 </ b> F of the front cover 304. In order to reduce the light emission, the light emission of the LED can be diffused. This display unit 312 uses the light emitted from three-color LEDs (green LED 321G, yellow LED 321Y, and red LED 321R), and the overheat detection unit 300 is operating normally (green LED 321G is lit or blinking). It is possible to visually notify the user of the oxygen shut-off state when the overheat is detected and the battery replacement state by changing the emission color. The buzzer 313 is a piezoelectric buzzer, for example.

FIG. 8 shows a cross section taken along line CC of the overheat detection unit 300 and the operation panel 13 shown in FIG.
FIG. 8 shows a step portion 15D (see FIG. 2) of the operation panel 13, an oxygen outlet 15 of the operation panel 13, a rear cover 305, a removal button 311, a tube 315, an oxygen outlet 310, and the like. However, the geared motor M and the like are not shown. The oxygen outlet portion 310 is an oxygen outlet fitting formed of metal, for example.
A protective cover 303 is fitted and held in the step portion 15D of the operation panel 13, and the oxygen outlet 15 protrudes in a cylindrical shape in the step portion 15D.
The oxygen outlet 15 is detachably connected to the connecting member 330 of the main body 302. The connecting member 330 is detachably connected to the one end 315 </ b> A of the tube 315. The other end 315B of the tube 315 is detachably connected to the inner end 310N of the oxygen outlet 310. The outer end portion 310M of the oxygen outlet portion 310 is detachably connected to the coupler socket 23 of the nasal cannula 22 shown in FIG. The oxygen outlet 15, the connecting member 330, the tube 315, and the oxygen outlet portion 310 are arranged along the axial direction L.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing the main body 302, and FIG. 9B is an exploded perspective view showing the detach button 311 of the main body 302. FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9B, the removal button 311 has an L-shaped arm portion 311R, a claw portion 311T, and a boss portion 311S. The boss 311 </ b> S is attached to the frame 333. In this state, as shown in FIG. 8, the claw portion 311T passes through the hole portion 330H of the connecting member 330 and fits into the groove portion 15H of the oxygen outlet 15 under an appropriate load, so that the overheat detection unit is engaged. 300 is fixed to the oxygen outlet 15. For this reason, the overheat detection unit 300 does not come off while being fitted in the stepped portion 15D.
When the overheat detection unit 300 is removed from the step portion 15D, the user presses the removal button 311 with the finger in the PS direction, and the bending portion 311V is bent around the boss portion 311S, thereby the claw portion 311T. Can be removed from the groove portion 15H of the oxygen outlet 15, so that the overheat detection unit 300 can be easily removed from the step portion 15D. Thereby, attachment and removal of the overheat detection unit 30 can be performed easily.

10A is a plan view of the overheat detection unit 300, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the overheat detection unit 300 of FIG. 10A. These are the bottom views of the overheat detection unit 300 which removed the protective cover 303. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 10B, the oxygen outlet 310 is fixed so as to be sandwiched between the front cover 304, the rear cover 305, and the frame 318. That is, the claw part 304S of the front cover 304 and the claw part 305S of the rear cover 305 are sandwiched between the front cover 304, the rear cover 305, and the frame 318 by being fitted in the recesses 318R and 318S of the frame 318, respectively.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, the front cover 304 and the rear cover 305 are fixed without using screws, bolts and nuts by hooking the claw portions to the frame 318. That is, the front cover 304 has claw portions 304V and 304W, and the claw portions 304V and 304W are fixed by being fitted to the frame 318, respectively. Similarly, the rear cover 305 has claw portions 305V and 305W, and the claw portions 305V and 305W are fixed to the frame 318 without using screws, bolts and nuts, respectively. Accordingly, the front cover 304 and the rear cover 305 are assembled so as to be detachable using the frame 318 of the main body 302 so as not to be detached from each other.

11 is a perspective view showing the structure of the protective cover 303 and the replacement structure of the battery 317. FIG. 11A shows the inner shape of the protective cover 303, and FIG. 11B shows the outer side of the protective cover 303. The shape is shown.
The protective cover 303 can be fixed to the main body portion 302 by inserting only one screw 329 from the screw hole 303K of the protective cover 303 and screwing it into the female screw portion 302F of the main body portion 302.
As shown in FIG. 11A, the inner surface 340 side of the protective cover 303 has narrow groove portions 303E, and the narrow groove portions 303E include the bottom edge 304W of the front cover 304 and the rear cover. By fitting the bottom side edge 305W of 305, the protective cover 303, the front cover 304, and the rear cover 305 can be assembled together. Thus, the protective cover 303 closes the bottoms of the front cover 304 and the rear cover 305 and protects the main body 302.
When a user installs a new battery 317 or replaces the battery 317, the user simply removes the screw 329 and removes it from the protective cover 303, the front cover 304, and the rear cover 305. Work can be done. As the battery 317, for example, a lithium battery can be used.

Here, the structure of the protective cover 303 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11, the protective cover 303 has a role of covering and protecting the main body 302, a role of fitting and holding in the step portion 15D of the operation panel 13 as shown in FIG. 8, and for guiding light. It plays the role of a lens.
The protective cover 303 is formed of a transparent resin such as acrylic or polycarbonate. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the protective cover 303 has an inner surface portion 340 and an outer surface portion 341. The inner surface portion 340 includes the already-described thin groove portion 303E, a convex fitting portion 342, and an electrical contact 343. As shown in FIG. 11B, a circular second opening 344 is formed in the convex fitting portion 342, and the end of the connecting member 330 is fitted into the second opening 344. The end of the connecting member 330 is exposed to the outside of the protective cover 303 in order to connect to the oxygen outlet 15 side.

As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the protective cover 303 has a peripheral portion 345 and a lens portion 350 for guiding lamp light. The peripheral portion 345 is formed in a portion corresponding to a part of the bottom side edge portion 304W of the front cover 304 and a part of the bottom side edge portion 305W of the rear cover 305, but the lens portion 350 is a bottom side edge portion 305W of the rear cover 305. It is formed in the part corresponding to the remaining part. The remaining part of the bottom edge 305W of the rear cover 305 is a part corresponding to the oxygen lamp 151 shown in FIG.
A lens unit 350 illustrated in FIG. 11 includes a first light intake unit 351, a second light intake unit 352, a first light guide unit 353, and a second light guide unit 354. As shown in FIG. 6, when the protective cover 303 is fitted and held in the step portion 15D of the operation panel 13, the lens portion 350 is substantially fan-shaped so as to be arranged corresponding to the oxygen lamp 15L shown in FIGS. It is formed into a mold.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, the light LT generated by the oxygen lamp 15L is taken into the lens part 350 from the first light intake part 351 and the second light intake part 352 shown in FIG. In the 1st light guide part 353 and the 2nd light guide part 354, it can guide outside. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 8B, when the protective cover 303 is fitted and held in the step portion 15D of the operation panel 13, the light LT generated by the oxygen lamp 15L is changed to the left and right. Using the first light guide part 353 and the second light guide part 354 at the position, it can be easily confirmed visually. That is, since the light from the oxygen lamp 15L of the operation panel 13 of the oxygen concentrator 10 can be guided to a plurality of locations around the outer periphery of the rear cover 305 as the second cover, the user uses an extension tube (not shown). Thus, even if the distance from the oxygen concentrator 100 is about several meters, the light from the oxygen lamp 15L can be easily confirmed visually.

Next, the closing structure part 400 for closing the middle part of the tube 315 shown in FIG. 8 will be described with reference to FIGS.
12A is a perspective view showing the main body 302 including the closing structure 400, and FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of the main body 302 taken along line DD.
The closing structure 400 is used to close the inside of the tube by pressing a tube 315 that is an example of a passage. The closing structure unit 400 includes a geared motor M as an electric motor that is an example of a driving unit, a cam 401 that is an example of an operation member, and a closing member 402.
The geared motor M is, for example, a DC motor including a speed reducer GM, and the rotational speed is reduced to approximately 60 to 120 rpm, for example. The tube 315 is formed of an elastically deformable material having flexibility such as a plastic material such as PVC (vinyl chloride resin) or silicon resin.
The cam 401 and the closing member 402 are formed of a plastic material such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) or POM (polyacetal). The cam 401 and the closing member 402 are arranged in the vicinity of the tube 315, and are arranged in parallel with the axial direction L in the order of the closing member 402, the cam 401, and the geared motor M.

FIG. 13A shows a normal state where the tube 315 of the main body 302 is not pushed by the cam 401 and is opened, that is, oxygen passes through the tube 315. FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG of the closing structure portion 400 of the main body portion 302 and the tube 315.
14A shows a state in which the tube 315 of the main body 302 is pushed and closed by the cam 401, that is, the oxygen outlet 310 detects an overheating abnormality and oxygen cannot pass through the tube 315. Show. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along line JJ of the closing structure portion 400 of the main body portion 302 and the tube 315.

A preferred shape example of the cam 401 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.
One end of the cam 401 has a rotating shaft 404. The rotation shaft 404 is rotatable in the R direction with respect to the frame 318. The rotating shaft 404 of the cam 401 is connected to the output shaft of the geared motor M. When the output shaft of the geared motor M rotates forward, the cam 401 can rotate in the R direction as shown in FIG. Then, as the output shaft of the geared motor M reverses, the cam 401 can rotate in the R direction as shown in FIG.
A cam stopper pin 405 that restricts the rotation angle of the cam 401 is attached to the other end portion side (rotating end portion side) of the cam 401. The cam 401 has a curved cam copy surface 406, but a convex curved cam copy surface is not required on the opposite side of the cam copy surface 406. A removal portion 407 is formed.

As described above, the curved cam copy surface 406 is required only on one side of the cam 401. However, since the curved cam copy surface is not required on the side opposite to the cam copy surface 406, it is preferably removed. A portion 407 is secured. For this reason, the cam 401 having the removal portion 407 can be reduced in size and weight as compared with the case where a convex curved cam copy surface is formed around the entire cam. Since the torque of the geared motor M for rotating 401 can be set small, the size of the geared motor M can be reduced.
As shown in FIG. 13B, another flat surface 408 is formed at the tip of the cam 401. The other flat surface 408 is formed in this manner when the cam 401 shown in FIG. 14A is rotated 180 degrees in the R direction, as shown in FIG. 14B. This is because 408 maintains the state where the closing member 470 of the arm 402 is pushed. That is, since another flat surface 408 is shaped so as to be substantially parallel to the obturator 470 of the arm 402, the power supply from the battery 317 to the geared motor M is cut off after the middle portion of the tube 315 is closed. Even so, the cam 401 does not reverse in the R1 direction so that the closed state of the tube 315 can be reliably maintained, and oxygen can be blocked in the tube 315.

Next, the shape of the closing member 402 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 (B) and 14 (B).
The closing member 402 includes a cam rotation angle restricting portion 471 and a closing tool 470. The cam rotation angle restricting portion 471 is adjacent to the cam 401, and a protrusion 472 protrudes from the inner surface of the cam rotation angle restricting portion 471. The protrusion 472 is a portion that receives the cam stopper pin 405 on the cam 401 side in the tube open state shown in FIG. On the other hand, a portion 473 of the inner surface of the cam rotation angle restricting portion 471 is a portion that receives the cam stopper pin 405 in the tube closed state shown in FIG. As a result, the cam 401 is rotatable only in the range of an angle of 180 degrees from the tube open state shown in FIG. 13B to the tube closed state shown in FIG. 14B.

The obturator 470 is integrally formed with a cam rotation angle restricting portion 471, one end 471 of the obturator 470 is a movable end that falls in the U direction, and the other end 476 of the obturator 470 is a rotation center shaft 479. Is attached.
The obturator 470 includes a crushing portion 475 that is pressed against the tube 315 to crush, and the crushing portion 475 faces the fixing portion 474 of the frame 318. A tube 315 is disposed between the crushing portion 475 of the obturator 470 and the fixing portion 474. Accordingly, when the obturator 470 is lowered in the U direction from the tube open state shown in FIG. 13B to the tube closed state as shown in FIG. 14B, the tube 315 is crushed and obstructed, and oxygen does not pass. Can be. An interval t between the crushing portion 475 and the fixing portion 474 is, for example, 1.3 mm.
As shown in FIG. 13B, the tip of the crushing portion 475 may have, for example, a sharp shape or a semicircular shape so that the tube 315 can be easily crushed.

As shown in FIG. 15A, the electric terminal 343 of the battery 317 is disposed inside the protective cover 303 as shown in FIG. The other electrical terminal 370 of the battery 317 is fixed to the frame 318.
As shown in FIG. 15B, the thermistor 453 as a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature at the oxygen outlet portion 310 is disposed in the hole 310J below the flange 310F at the oxygen outlet portion 310.

FIG. 16 shows an electric circuit of the overheat detection unit 300.
This electric circuit is mounted on the control board 314 shown in FIG. 7C, and has a function as a determination unit that performs various determinations in the entire operation process of the overheat detection unit 300 and a control unit that controls the entire operation process. A central control unit (central processing unit, CPU) 450 includes capacitors C1 and C2, a reference frequency generation unit 451, a buzzer 313, a motor driver 452, a thermistor 453 as a temperature detection sensor, an LED driver 454, and a test. The mode switch 320 is electrically connected. The power of the battery 317 is supplied to the motor driver 452, the LED driver 454, and the buzzer 313. The test mode switch 320 is also referred to as a test switch, and the user presses the overheat detection unit 300 to test the overheat detection operation after mounting the overheat detection unit 300 on the operation panel 13 of the oxygen concentrator 10.
The thermistor 453 in FIGS. 16 and 15B detects the temperature of the overheat detection unit 300. A motor driver 452 in FIG. 16 drives the geared motor M in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction. The LED driver 454 in FIG. 16 drives the green LED 321G, the yellow LED 321Y, and the red LED 321R, respectively.
The green LED 321G in FIG. 16 emits green light through the display unit 312 in FIG. 11 to notify that the overheat detection unit 300 is operating normally, and the red LED 321R in FIG. 16 displays the display unit 312 in FIG. The yellow LED 321Y in FIG. 16 emits yellow light through the display unit 312 in FIG. 11, and the overheat detection unit 300 is in a battery replacement state. And the user can be notified of different states by changing the emission color. Thereby, the user can visually recognize each state by color coding.
In this case, when the green LED 321G, the red LED 321Y, and the yellow LED 321Y are lit, each light is diffused and displayed from the display unit 312 on the front side of the side surface 304A of the front cover 304 shown in FIG. The In other words, the diffusion ink is applied to the display unit 312 so that the directivity of light emission of the LED (light emitting diode) can be diffused to diffuse the light emission of the LED. Thereby, favorable visibility can be obtained even when the LED is flashing and emitting light.

Next, a usage example of the above-described overheat detection unit 300 will be described.
<When installing batteries>
As shown in FIG. 11B, the protective cover 303 can be easily removed from the front cover 304, the rear cover 305, and the main body 302 simply by removing one screw 329 from the protective cover 303. Then, as shown in FIG. 15A, the battery 317 is attached to the main body 302. Thereafter, the bottom portion of the front cover 304 and the rear cover 305 is closed by fixing the protective cover 303 to the main body 302 using only one screw 329 shown in FIG. 302 can be covered with a front cover 304, a rear cover 305, and a protective cover 303, and the overheat detection unit 300 is in an assembled state as shown in FIG.
As described above, the protective cover 303 can be detached from the front cover 304 and the rear cover 305 or assembled by using only one screw 329, and the user can easily disassemble and assemble the new battery 317. Installation and replacement of the old battery 317 with the new battery 317 can be facilitated.

When the battery 317 is attached to the main body 302 as described above, the control unit 450 shown in FIG. 15 activates the system and first determines whether or not the battery 317 is exhausted. For determination of battery consumption, if the motor driver 452 activates the geared motor M and the measured voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage, the control unit 450 determines that the battery 317 is exhausted. Then, the LED driver 454 in FIG. 16 blinks the yellow LED 321Y to visually prompt the user to replace the battery.
In this case, when the yellow LED 321Y is lit, yellow light is diffused and displayed from the display portion 312 on the front side of the side surface portion 304A of the front cover 304 shown in FIG. In other words, the diffusion ink is applied to the display unit 312 so that the directivity of light emission of the LED (light emitting diode) can be diffused to diffuse the light emission of the LED. Thereby, favorable visibility can be obtained even when the LED is flashing and emitting light.

<Overheat detection mode>
When a new battery is installed in place of the exhausted battery, the control unit 450 in FIG. 16 executes the “overheat detection mode”. In the example of the steady operation in the “overheat detection mode”, the control unit 450 uses the thermistor 453 as a temperature sensor shown in FIG. 15B every predetermined second, for example, every 0.5 second, for the oxygen outlet unit 310. The temperature of the battery 317 in FIG. 16 is confirmed every 0.5 seconds. Moreover, the control unit 450 in FIG. 16 confirms the number of operating days of the overheat detection unit 300 after startup every 0.5 seconds, and turns on the green LED 321G once every 3 seconds for 25 mS.
When the green LED 321G is lit, green light is diffused and displayed from the display portion 312 on the front side of the side surface portion 304A of the front cover 304 shown in FIG. In other words, the diffusion ink is applied to the display unit 312 so that the directivity of light emission of the LED (light emitting diode) can be diffused to diffuse the light emission of the LED. Thereby, favorable visibility can be obtained even when the LED is flashing and emitting light. Control unit 450 repeats the steady operation described above. During times other than the steady operation in the “overheat detection mode”, the controller 450 can be put into the sleep state to prevent the battery 317 from being consumed, and the overheat detection can be performed reliably.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the protective cover 303 of the overheat detection unit 300 including the battery 317 is fitted and held in the step portion 15 </ b> D of the operation panel 13. In this case, the oxygen outlet 15 is detachably connected to the connecting member 330 of the main body 302. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the claw portion 311 </ b> T passes through the hole 330 </ b> H of the connecting member 330 and is fitted into the groove portion 15 </ b> H of the oxygen outlet 15 under an appropriate load. The overheat detection unit 300 is fixed to the oxygen outlet 15. For this reason, the overheat detection unit 300 is not inadvertently detached while being fitted in the step portion 15D. In this way, the protective cover 303 of the overheat detection unit 300 can be easily fixed to the step portion 15D simply by being fitted into the step portion 15D of the operation panel 13.
On the other hand, the outer end portion 310M of the oxygen outlet portion 310 is detachably connected to the coupler socket 23 of the nasal cannula 22 shown in FIG.

<When overheat is detected>
When the thermistor 453 shown in FIG. 15 (B) detects the temperature of the oxygen outlet portion 310 in the overheat detection mode described above, the overheat detection unit 300 detects a predetermined condition, for example, if this temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature, for example, 40 ° C. The controller 450 shown in FIG. 15 measures the temperature of the oxygen outlet 310 at a predetermined condition, for example, every 0.5 seconds. When the temperature of the oxygen outlet 310 exceeds a predetermined temperature (for example, 70 ° C.), a part of the tube 315 is immediately pushed to close the tube 314 as shown in FIGS. 13B to 14B. By doing so, the supply of oxygen in the tube 315 is shut off.
Further, the controller 450 shown in FIG. 16 has a temperature of the oxygen outlet portion 310 of a predetermined condition, for example, a predetermined temperature of 40 ° C. or higher and a temperature increase rate of 5% at a predetermined increase rate of 1.0 ° C./second, for example. When the time exceeds, the tube 315 is immediately closed as shown in FIGS. 13 to 14 to perform an operation of blocking oxygen. When the temperature of the oxygen outlet 310 is a predetermined temperature, for example, 40 ° C. or more, and the temperature increase rate is 1.0 ° C./second for 5 seconds or less, the control unit 450 shown in FIG. Then, the above-described normal “overheat detection mode” is entered. By doing so, it is possible to prevent malfunction caused by sunlight incident in the room in summer or the like, or heat radiation from the heating device in winter.

<Oxygen shutoff action>
In the case of shutting off oxygen during the overheat detection described above, the tube 315 is changed from an open state to a closed state as shown in FIGS. 13 (B) to 14 (B). That is, in FIG. 13B, the protrusion 472 of the cam rotation restricting portion 471 receives the cam stopper pin 405 in the tube open state shown in FIG. 13B, and the cam 401 is centered on the rotation shaft 404. When rotated in the R direction (counterclockwise), one end portion 470L of the closing member 470 is lowered in the U direction as shown in FIGS. 13B to 14B, and the crushing portion 475 of the closing member 470 is a tube. Crush to 315. In addition, since the cam stopper pin 405 of the cam 401 abuts against a part 473 of the inner surface of the cam rotation restricting portion 471, the cam 401 is prevented from further rotating in the R direction. As a result, the tube 315 is blocked to block oxygen.
14B, since the flat surface 408 of the cam 401 is formed, the flat surface 408 maintains the state in which the closing member 470 of the arm 402 is pushed. That is, the flat surface 408 is shaped to be substantially parallel to the closing member 470 of the arm 402. Therefore, even after the middle part of the tube 315 is closed, even if the power supply from the battery 317 to the geared motor M is cut off and the elastic restoring force of the tube 315 is applied to the closing member 470, the cam 401 is The tube 315 is securely held in the closed state by being pushed by the elastic restoring force so as not to reverse in the R1 direction, so that oxygen can be shut off.
As described above, since the cam 401 has the flat surface 408, even if the remaining capacity of the battery runs out, the cam 401 can continue as it is, so the oxygen blocking state does not end and the oxygen blocking state does not end. Can be securely held, and oxygen can be prevented from leaking from the oxygen outlet portion 310 to ensure safety.

When the oxygen is shut off, the control unit 450 including the RAM, flash ROM, and microcomputer shown in FIG. 16 and controlling the overall operation of the overheat detection unit 300 causes the red LED 321R to continuously light up in red. Visually signal that oxygen is shut off. In addition, the control unit 450 in FIG. 15 sounds the buzzer 313. However, when the user presses the test mode button 320 in FIG. 16, the operation of the buzzer 320 can be stopped.
14B, when the control unit 450 in FIG. 16 rotates the geared motor M in the R1 direction (clockwise), the flat surface 408 of the cam 401 becomes the closing member of the arm 402 as shown in FIG. Since the state of pressing 470 can be released, the tube 315 can be returned to the state of being restored by the elastic restoring force.

<Battery alarm>
By the way, in this embodiment, for example, the operation of the overheat detection unit 300 can be confirmed when the voltage of the battery 317 in FIG. 16 is reduced or the overheat detection unit 300 has been activated for more than one year. A lamp is provided. In this embodiment, the yellow LED 321Y which is an operation lamp blinks yellow. However, once this battery alarm is activated, the battery alarm is not released unless the battery 317 is removed from the main body 302, and the alarm is not released. By replacing the new battery 317 with the old battery 317, the battery alarm is reset and the normal state is restored.

<Prevention of sticking>
By the way, when the overheat detection unit 300 attached to the oxygen concentrator 10 does not operate the geared motor M for a long time, a phenomenon that the rotor of the geared motor M is fixed to the stator, so-called “a”. There is a risk that a “bleed phenomenon” may occur. In order to prevent the phenomenon in which the rotor is fixed to the stator in this way, for example, the output shaft of the geared motor M is rotated in the positive direction for 0.2 seconds, and the cam 401 is shown in FIG. The tube 315 is slightly crushed by using and the geared motor M is braked (short-circuited between terminals) for 0.3 seconds. Thereafter, the output shaft of the geared motor M is rotated in the reverse direction for 0.5 seconds so that the tube 315 is not blocked. This sticking prevention operation is executed by the microcomputer of the control unit 450 at a predetermined time interval, for example, every 30 days. Further, this sticking prevention operation does not turn on the LED or sound the buzzer 313 so that the user does not know. Thereby, the phenomenon that the rotor of the geared motor M is fixed to the stator is prevented, and the geared motor M can be surely driven at any time, so that when the overheat detection unit 300 detects an overheat state, Since the geared motor M can always be operated to shut off oxygen, the operational reliability of the overheat detection unit 300 can be ensured.

<Test mode button>
When the test mode button 320 of FIG. 16 is pressed during the above-described steady operation of overheat detection, the central control unit 450 performs an operation below control to reproduce the overheat detection state for a predetermined time, for example, 15 seconds. The output shaft of the motor M is rotated in the positive direction, and the tube 315 is crushed by the cam 401. The red LED 321R, which is an operation lamp, is lit red and the buzzer 313 is sounded. However, the buzzer 313 sounds only for the first 5 seconds.
After 15 seconds, the output shaft of the geared motor M is rotated in the reverse direction, and the cam 401 is rotated to release the blockage of the tube 315 and the oxygen supply is resumed through the tube 315 as shown in FIG. To do. The red LED 321R is turned off, the ringing of the buzzer 313 is stopped, and the original steady operation is restored.
The overheat detection unit 300 is attached to the step portion 15D of the operation panel 13 of the oxygen concentrator 10 as a retrofit, but when it is attached, it is necessary to check the operation of the overheat detection unit 300. In order to confirm the operation of the overheat detection unit 300, the test mode button 320 is prepared. Instead of the battery 317, an electromagnetic induction coil may be provided in both the overheat detection unit 300 and the oxygen concentrator 100, and power may be supplied from the oxygen concentrator 100 to the overheat detector unit 300.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can also be applied to a membrane separation type oxygen concentrator using an oxygen selective permeable membrane. The overheat detection unit can also be applied to an oxygen supply device using an oxygen cylinder.
The tube 315 of FIG. 8 is connected to the coupler socket 23 and the nasal cannula 22 connected thereto via the oxygen outlet 310, but the tube 315, the coupler socket 23, and the nasal cannula 22 are integrated. There may be.
A part of the matters described in the above embodiments may be omitted, and the scope of the present invention is not deviated by combining with other configurations not described above.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Oxygen concentrator, 15 ... Oxygen outlet, 300 ... Overheat detection unit, 301 ... Housing, 302 ... Main part, 303 ... Protective cover, 304 ... Front cover, 305 ... rear cover, 310 ... oxygen outlet, 315 ... tube (example of passage) 330 ... connecting member, 400 ... closing structure, 401 ... cam (example of operating member), 402 ... Closing member, 406 ... Cam copying surface, 407 ... Cam removal portion, 408 ... Cam flat surface, 453 ... Temperature sensor, M ... Geared motor One case)

Claims (8)

One end of a tube connected between the oxygen outlet and the nasal cannula having a coupler socket of the oxygen concentrator having an oxygen outlet for generating concentrated oxygen from the raw air and taking out the concentrated oxygen, or connected to the oxygen outlet and the nasal cannula An overheat detection unit that is disposed between the coupler socket and the overheat detection unit that detects an overheat state,
A connecting member connected to the oxygen outlet; a main body having an oxygen outlet connected to the coupler socket;
A housing that covers the main body,
The main body is
A temperature sensor that is disposed at the oxygen outlet and detects the temperature of the oxygen outlet;
When the temperature sensor detects a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, a closed structure portion that closes a passage between the connecting member and the oxygen outlet portion by driving a drive portion and blocks supply of oxygen;
Have a control unit for operating the drive unit for each predetermined time interval,
The housing includes a first cover fixed to the main body, a second cover fixed to the main body and removably assembled to the first cover, and fixed to the main body. A first cover and a protective cover that covers the bottom of the second cover and protects the main body,
The first cover and the second cover have a first opening for exposing the oxygen outlet, and a second opening for exposing an end of the connecting member at the bottom of the protective cover. An overheat detection unit comprising:   2. The overheat detection unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to rotate an output shaft of the drive unit for a predetermined time to crush a passage between the connecting member and the oxygen outlet unit. .   The overheat detection unit according to claim 2, further comprising a notification unit for notifying an overheat detection operation when the passage between the connecting member and the oxygen outlet unit is crushed. The overheat detection unit according to claim 1, wherein the protective cover is detachably fixed to the main body portion with a single screw. The protective cover is in a state where the oxygen outlet is connected to said coupling member, wherein characterized in that it has a convex-engaging portion to be fitted into the step portion is provided in the oxygen concentrator The overheat detection unit according to claim 1 or claim 4 . The protective cover is made of a transparent resin, and the protective cover is provided in the oxygen concentrator and emits light from an oxygen lamp that lights and displays that oxygen is emitted from the oxygen outlet. The overheat detection unit according to claim 1, further comprising a lens portion for guiding to the periphery. A compressed air generator that compresses the raw material air to generate compressed air;
An oxygen outlet for extracting oxygen obtained from the compressed air;
An oxygen concentrator comprising the overheat detection unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . Overheating for detecting an overheating state between an oxygen outlet of an oxygen cylinder and a nasal cannula having a coupler socket or between a coupler socket provided at one end of a tube connected to the oxygen outlet and the nasal cannula A detection unit,
A connecting member connected to the oxygen outlet; a main body having an oxygen outlet connected to the coupler socket;
A housing that covers the main body,
The main body is
A temperature sensor that is disposed at the oxygen outlet and detects the temperature of the oxygen outlet;
When the temperature sensor detects a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, a closed structure portion that closes a passage between the connecting member and the oxygen outlet portion by driving a drive portion and blocks supply of oxygen;
Have a control unit for operating the drive unit for each predetermined time interval,
The housing includes a first cover fixed to the main body, a second cover fixed to the main body and removably assembled to the first cover, and fixed to the main body. A first cover and a protective cover that covers the bottom of the second cover and protects the main body,
The first cover and the second cover have a first opening for exposing the oxygen outlet, and a second opening for exposing an end of the connecting member at the bottom of the protective cover. An overheat detection unit comprising:

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