JPH04279174A - Oxygen concentrating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an oxygen concentrating apparatus having a battery cell of lamination type or the like housed therein by allowing the prevention of a possible trouble of a liquid leaked from the battery cell adhering to a printed wiring board or the like in an electric system. CONSTITUTION:A dry cell 31 for actuating an alarm generating means 30 is arranged to be a box opened at the top and made liquid tight at the bottom. A battery box to house an oxygen cencentrator has a spring means at an electrode part, a member for preventing opposite insertion of electrodes and a cover means to press from above the battery.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an oxygen concentrator for separating and using an oxygen-enriched gas from the atmosphere. More specifically, the present invention provides an oxygen concentrator suitable for medical use, etc., which has an improved alarm generating means for notifying the surroundings of an abnormality in operation or the like.

0002

[Prior Art] It is said that the number of patients suffering from respiratory system diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis is increasing in recent years, and one of the most effective treatments for these diseases is There is an oxygen inhalation method.

[0003] Such oxygen inhalation method involves having a patient inhale oxygen gas or oxygen-enriched air, and an oxygen gas cylinder has conventionally been used as a source of the oxygen gas or oxygen-enriched air. Since oxygen concentrators that separate oxygen-enriched gas from the air have been developed in recent years, they have become increasingly popular due to their convenience in use and ease of maintenance.

There are two main types of oxygen concentrators: a membrane type oxygen concentrator using an oxygen selective permeability membrane and an adsorption type oxygen concentrator using an adsorbent that can selectively adsorb nitrogen or oxygen. However, the present invention aims to improve these oxygen concentrators, especially adsorption type oxygen concentrators.

[0005] Conventional oxygen concentrators are equipped with various alarm generating means. For example, JP-A-62-1406
In a pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen concentrator using a compressor as shown in Publication No. 19, a pressure abnormality alarm generating means is used which is connected to a pressure detection means for detecting an abnormal rise in the pressure of the adsorption bed. In addition, in a membrane type oxygen concentrator, the pressure in the internal space of a membrane module equipped with an oxygen selectively permeable membrane is maintained low and oxygen-enriched air is taken out from there, as shown in JP-A-57-82105, for example. When using a vacuum pump, a pressure abnormality alarm generation means is used which is connected to a pressure detection means for detecting an abnormality in the suction side pressure of the vacuum pump. Furthermore, the vacuum pumps and compressors housed in these oxygen concentrators are operated while being cooled by the cooling air generated by the blower.
Temperature abnormality alarm generation means is used which is connected to temperature detection means which is activated when the temperature around the pump becomes abnormally high due to insufficient cooling.

[0006] These alarm generating means are usually those that generate an audible alarm or a light alarm, and in most cases, they are operated using a 9V stacked dry cell battery as a power source.

[0007]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In conventional oxygen concentrators, the stacked dry cell battery used as the power source for the alarm generating means is prone to leakage at the negative electrode, where metal corrosion is likely to occur. There was a problem in that the liquid adhered to the printed wiring boards of the electrical system and corroded the printed wiring, making normal operation impossible. The repair was extremely large-scale and required replacing the entire printed wiring. Conventionally, wires are taken out from batteries by fitting special snaps into the electrodes, but there are handling problems, such as having to bend the snaps and the bases of the lead wires many times when attaching or removing the snaps. There were many disconnection accidents between snaps and lead wires, and between lead wires and printed wiring boards.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a result of intensive research aimed at solving the problems with the conventional oxygen concentrators, the present inventor has discovered that the present inventors can use dry batteries housed in a special box means. We have discovered that it is effective to do so, and have arrived at the present invention.

More specifically, regarding liquid leakage, we clarified the mechanism of liquid leakage and devised a method for installing a battery that is resistant to liquid leakage and a method that does not adversely affect others when liquid leaks. To explain the liquid leakage prevention means in more detail, first, the cause of liquid leakage is that when the battery is discharged, the metal of the negative electrode, such as zinc, dissolves and becomes a thin film due to an electrochemical reaction, and then it is left in an over-discharged state. The electrolyte collects on the zinc electrode, which accelerates corrosion and eventually immerses and punctures the enclosing metal. Therefore, after discharge,
They discovered that in order to prevent corrosion of zinc, it is sufficient to prevent the electrolyte from collecting on the zinc electrodes, and devised a method for arranging the batteries.

[0010] Regarding breakage of the lead wire, when attaching and detaching the snap to the electrode of the battery, it is difficult to insert the snap into the electrode or to remove it. In particular, when removing the electrode, the connection between the electrode and the snap was so tight that when the electrode was pulled out, the lead wire was also pulled at the same time, resulting in many accidents where the snap and the lead wire and the lead wire and the base of the printed circuit board were disconnected. In order to solve this problem, we came to the conclusion that the wiring/electrode section should basically be fixed.

[0011] Thus, the present invention provides an oxygen concentrating function unit for separating an oxygen-enriched gas with an increased oxygen concentration from air, an oxygen-enriched gas supply means for making the separated oxygen-enriched gas available for use, and a dry battery. In an oxygen concentrator having an alarm generating means powered by The battery box is housed in a battery box means, which has a spring means to prevent the battery from being held against the battery, and a reverse protection member to which only one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode can fit, and has a battery cover means on the upper part. The present invention provides an oxygen concentrator characterized by the following.

The present invention includes an oxygen concentrator in which the box has at least a portion of its lower portion made of a transparent member. Further, the present invention includes an oxygen concentrator in which a battery is housed in a box means such that the negative electrode is located above the positive electrode inside the battery.

[0013] Specific embodiments of the oxygen concentrator of the present invention will be explained in more detail below, using figures as necessary.

An example of the oxygen concentrating function section of the present invention is as follows:
Examples include a pressure fluctuation type or temperature fluctuation type selective adsorption function unit using molecular sieve zeolite, molecular sieve carbon, etc. that can selectively adsorb nitrogen over oxygen or oxygen over nitrogen. The number of adsorption beds filled with such an adsorbent is usually in the range of 1 to 4, but in order to make the apparatus compact, the number is preferably 2 or less, and particularly preferably 1 bed. In the case of pressure fluctuations, it is usually preferable to use a compressor to supply pressurized air to perform the adsorption operation. In particular, when there is only one adsorption bed as shown in Figure 1, the compressor is used to supply pressurized air. Practically preferred is one that is used as a pump means to carry out attachment and detachment operations.

Another example of the oxygen concentrating function section of the present invention is a membrane module using an oxygen selectively permeable membrane. In this case, a blower means is usually used to flow raw air to the front side of the membrane, and a vacuum pump is used to maintain the pressure in the space on the back side of the membrane low and to extract oxygen-enriched air therefrom.

The oxygen enriched gas supply means of the present invention includes:
The conduit means may be provided with a nasal cannula at the distal end, for example, for making the oxygen-enriched gas obtained from the oxygen-enriching function available for use. Furthermore, if necessary, a sterilizing filter and a flow rate setting device are preferably provided, and in addition, it is desirable that a humidifier be provided in the case of an adsorption type, and an excess water removal means in the case of a membrane type.

[0017] Examples of the alarm sounding means of the present invention include those that are connected to abnormality detection means for normal temperature and pressure and for sounding abnormality alarms, but there are also other means for sounding abnormality alarms such as oxygen concentration, flow rate, and current. , voltage, etc. may be used to generate an abnormality alarm.

The dry cell in the present invention may be of any type as long as it can be used as a power source for the alarm generating means, but a stack type 9V dry cell such as the commonly used 006P type dry cell is preferred. It can be given as something.

The oxygen concentrator of the present invention is characterized in that the dry battery is housed in a specific battery box means as described below. That is, the box is open at the top and liquid-tight at the bottom, has spring means for contacting the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and only a predetermined one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is compatible. It is characterized in that the dry battery is housed in a battery box means that is provided with a member that prevents the battery from being held upside down and has a cover means for the battery on the upper part. That is, the battery is mounted and fixed upside down with the electrode section facing down.

[0020] Practically preferred battery box means is one in which at least a portion of the lower part, more preferably a liquid reservoir, is made of a transparent member. Particularly preferably, a structure is used in which the negative electrode inside the battery is located above the positive electrode.

[0021] The use of the oxygen concentrator of the present invention is not particularly limited, and is suitable for medical use, for example, at home.

[0022]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows one example of a preferred embodiment of the oxygen concentrator of the present invention. In the figure, an adsorption bed 1 is filled with an adsorbent 10 such as molecular sieve 5A, which adsorbs nitrogen more easily than oxygen, and a compressor 4 equipped with a relief valve 25 is a two-channel type compressor 4 that is a flow path switching valve. Adsorption bed 1 by conduit through poppet type valve 5
Further, a surge tank 2 is connected to the adsorption bed 1 by a conduit via an automatic on-off valve 12. Further, the flow path switching valve 5 is provided with an intake conduit including an intake muffler and the like, and an exhaust conduit including an exhaust muffler and the like. Furthermore, the surge tank 2 is provided with an oxygen-enriched air extraction conduit 23 equipped with a pressure reducing valve 19 and the like. Incidentally, it is practically preferable that the conduit 23 is further provided with an automatic opening/closing valve 18, a sterilizing filter 20, a flow rate setting device 22, a humidifier 7, a nasal cannula (not shown), and the like. Incidentally, such conduit means and those equipped therein generally constitute the oxygen-enriched gas supply means referred to in the present invention.

As an example of the operating mode of the oxygen concentrator shown in FIG. 1, pressurized air is introduced into the adsorption bed 1 by the compressor 4 through the valve 5 as shown in FIG. 1 with the solenoid valves 12 and 18 open. The oxygen-enriched gas obtained by adsorbing nitrogen is stored in the surge tank 2. The oxygen enriched gas stored in the surge tank 2 is pressure regulated by a pressure reducing valve 19, sterilized by a sterilizing filter 20, set to a predetermined flow rate by a flow rate setting device 22, and humidified by a humidifier 7. conduit 2
It is supplied to patients with respiratory diseases etc. through a nasal cannula connected to 3. After continuing adsorption for a predetermined time, the valve 12 is closed and the valve 5 is switched to use the compressor 4 as a vacuum pump to reduce the pressure inside the adsorption bed 1 and perform desorption. After desorption for a predetermined period of time, the adsorption bed is re-charged by switching valve 5 to introduce pressurized air into the adsorption bed 1 and opening valve 12 to allow oxygen-enriched gas to flow back from the surge tank 2. After pressurizing the adsorption bed 1, the adsorption step is carried out while continuously introducing pressurized air into the adsorption bed 1. These steps are then sequentially repeated.

In FIG. 1, the blower 6 is mainly the compressor 4.
It is used to flow cooling air to cool the air. The high pressure side pressure detection means 11 is for detecting when the adsorption pressure becomes abnormally high, and the low pressure side pressure detection means 2
1 is for detecting when the pressure on the upstream side of a flow setting device equipped with multiple orifices with different openings becomes abnormally low. A pressure sensing means is preferred, but may be of the diaphragm type.

The semiconductor type pressure detection means 11, 21 on the high pressure side and the low pressure side are electrically connected to an alarm generation means 30, which is a buzzer for generating an alarm sound, and the alarm generation means 30 is connected to its power source. It is connected to a dry battery 31 housed in a battery box.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the battery box according to the present invention. FIG. 2A schematically shows a front view, FIG. 2B schematically shows a side view, and FIG. 2C schematically shows a plan view (ie, a view seen from above).

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 40 indicates a box with an open top and a liquid-tight bottom. Such a box should be made of a transparent material at least at the bottom where the liquid accumulates, so that the presence of the liquid reservoir cannot be confirmed. This is preferable because it becomes easier. The box 40 is provided with a reverse installation prevention member 46 having a notch into which only the negative side of the dry cell can enter, such that the positive side of the dry cell is at a portion 41 and the negative side is a portion 42.

Further, spring means 50 are provided which are capable of contacting the positive and negative electrodes of the dry battery, respectively, to maintain good contact with the electrodes. still,(
48 in c) indicates a negative electrode contact portion, and 49 indicates a positive electrode contact portion. It is preferable for this electrode to be located at least several mm above the box bottom 52, since short circuit between the positive and negative electrodes due to leaked electrolyte can be prevented.

Furthermore, a cover means 43 is provided for pressing and fixing the dry cell battery from above. The cover means 43 is rotatable around the lower fixing member 51, as shown as 44 in FIG. 45 is a board for fixing the battery box inside the oxygen concentrator. Note that in (c), the illustration of the cover means is omitted. When such a cover means 43 is used, it is practically preferable because the recessed portion 53 makes it difficult for the battery to come off.

[0030] Over-discharged batteries 10 are placed in such a battery box.
An accelerated test was carried out for 5 days in an atmosphere of 60°C. As a result, liquid leakage occurred in 4 out of 10 cases, but the amount of liquid leakage was small and no corrosion was observed at the bottom. On the other hand, a similar test was conducted on batteries arranged with the electrodes facing upward as in the past, but it was confirmed that all of the 10 batteries leaked a large amount of liquid, and all of them leaked from the bottom metal part.

[0031]

[Effects of the Invention] The oxygen concentrator of the present invention has almost no leakage of liquid from dry batteries, and even if leakage occurs, the liquid will not leak outside the battery box, making it extremely easy to simply replace the box. It can be repaired with simple work, the battery can be easily replaced without disconnecting the wiring from the battery, and maintenance for long-term operation is facilitated, which is an excellent practical effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart schematically showing a preferred embodiment of the oxygen concentrator of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a battery box used in the oxygen concentrator of the present invention. (a) Front view (b) Side view (c) Plan view

Claims (3)

[Claims] Claim 1: An oxygen concentrator for separating an oxygen-enriched gas with an increased oxygen concentration from air, an oxygen-enriched gas supply means for making the separated oxygen-enriched gas available for use, and a dry cell as a power source. In an oxygen concentrator having an alarm generating means, the dry cell battery for the alarm generating means is a box with an open upper part and a liquid-tight lower part, and a box for contacting the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively. It is characterized in that it is housed in a battery box means having a spring means, an upside prevention member to which only a predetermined one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode can fit, and a battery cover means on the upper part. Oxygen concentrator. 2. The oxygen concentrator according to claim 1, wherein the box has at least a portion of its lower portion made of a transparent member. 3. The oxygen concentrator according to claim 1, wherein the negative electrode is housed within the box means such that the negative electrode is located above the positive electrode within the battery.