JPS61155204A - Oxygen enriching apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain O2-enriched air by operating an O2-enriching apparatus with low noise so silently that the operation of the apparatus is permitted near a patient by housing noise generating machines of an O2-enriching apparatus in a specified sound proof box, bending passages for introducing atmospheric air and discharging O2- enriched air multiple times, and housing the whole body of the apparatus in a wooden box. CONSTITUTION:A vacuum pump 1 for sucking O2-enriched air and an atmospheric air sucking fan 2, which are the sources of noise of an O2-enriching apparatus, are housed in a metallic sound proof box 3 having an inside surface covered with a vibration damping material and a sound proof material. The pump 1 is supported by the bottom surface of the box 3 interposing a spring 6, and the box 3 is housed in a chamber structure 11 of a wooden box 10. Atmospheric air is introduced from an air inlet port 14 through a module chamber 17 housing a cooling pipe 15, measuring instrument chamber 16, arrangement of membrane element 4, bending >=5 times in total to a fan 2 from an inlet port of the box 3. The air is then passed through an outlet part 8 and bending passage contg. partition plates 18 and discharged from a discharging port 19 at the bottom of the box 10. On one hand, O2-enriched air is discharged from a discharging port 21 of the O2-enriched air through a silencer tank 20 and a conducting pipe in order to prevent pulsation of the pump 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Technical Field 1] The present invention relates to a device for stably obtaining air with an increased oxygen concentration from the atmosphere, and particularly relates to an oxygen enriched device suitable for medical use. Concerning vessels. More specifically, the present invention improves noise, which is a particularly important problem when medical oxygen enrichers are operated near patients.

``Prior art 1: Medical oxygen enrichers are used at home, in hospitals, etc. near the patient's bedside, even at night, so low noise is an essential requirement.

There are two types of oxygen enrichers: a membrane tensioner (using a vacuum pump) and an adsorption type (using a pressure pump), but due to the difference in pump, the demolding type has a lower noise level and is more suitable for home use. There is. However, conventional oxygen enrichers have insufficient noise countermeasures and have not yet reached sufficiently low noise levels.

Measures to reduce noise generally include methods such as sealing the noise source with a sound insulating wall, preventing vibration of the noise source to reduce structure-borne sound, and attaching sound-absorbing materials to internal walls to attenuate sound. Are known.

Although the above-mentioned noise countermeasures have been adopted in conventional oxygen enrichers, they have not yet achieved sufficient effects. For example, in the case of a sound insulating wall that seals off a noise source, it is necessary to increase the mass of the sound insulating wall in order to improve sound insulation, but if the wall thickness is increased more than necessary, the weight and dimension of the device will increase, which is undesirable.

Furthermore, if the sound coming out of the air inlet and outlet becomes louder than the sound that passes through the wall, the noise level of the entire device will be determined by the sound coming out of the air flow path, and the sound insulation will not be effective.

Also, regarding pasting sound-absorbing material on the inner wall of the air flow path, if the cross-sectional area of the flow path is narrowed too much and the flow path resistance is increased too much, the flow of air will be reduced, resulting in problems such as insufficient cooling I41 in the pump. This may cause inconvenience.

Therefore, with conventional oxygen enrichers, it has been difficult to maintain the performance of the oxygen enricher and take sufficient noise countermeasures without increasing the weight and dimensions.

[Object of the Invention] The object of the present invention is to correct the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide an oxygen enricher without significantly increasing the weight or size compared to the conventional oxygen enricher, and without reducing the function of the enricher. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an oxygen enricher that makes less noise than conventional oxygen enrichers.

[Structure of the Invention] As a result of intensive research to achieve the above object, the present inventor has developed a soundproofing method for both the electric motor for driving the pump means required for the oxygen enricher and the fan means for cooling the same. We have discovered that specifying the number of bends of the air inflow passage and the air outflow passage, which are housed in a box and provided in front of the box, is very effective in terms of noise countermeasures, and have arrived at the present invention.

That is, the present invention uses pump means and fan means driven by the power of an electric motor to pump oxygen-enriched air from the atmosphere.
In the oxygen enricher, an air intake port and an air outlet port are provided on a surface forming an outer shell of the enricher, and the electric motor is built in the enricher.

A soundproof box, which is a multilayered structure that houses a pump means and a fan means, and has an air inflow opening to the multilayer structure and an air outflow opening from the multilayer structure, which is provided on a soundproof wall surface forming the multilayer structure. , having an atmosphere inflow passageway that restricts the flow of atmosphere from the atmosphere intake port to the atmosphere inflow opening, and an atmosphere exhaust passageway that restricts the flow of air from the atmosphere outflow opening to the atmosphere exhaust port, The oxygen enricher is characterized in that each of the atmosphere inflow passage and the atmosphere outflow passage has a number of bends of five or more times, and a sound absorbing material is provided on at least the inner surface of the bend.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail using the drawings. The oxygen enricher of the present invention is one that supplies air with a higher oxygen concentration than atmospheric air, and the method for increasing the oxygen concentration is either membrane separation means, adsorption separation,
Or both may be used together. Further, the oxygen enricher has at least one built-in pump means driven by an electric motor, such as a vacuum pump, a compressor, etc., and at least one built-in fan means for cooling the electric motor, etc. ing. In order to obtain a low-noise and low-lift type oxygen enricher, which is the object of the present invention, it is preferable to have one built-in vacuum pump and one fan, and especially a molded oxygen enricher with low noise. suitable for

In a molded oxygen enricher, oxygen-enriched air is obtained on the low-pressure side by flowing air over the surface of the oxygen-selective permeable membrane and maintaining a low pressure on the back side. A vacuum pump means driven by the electric motor 171m is used as a means for maintaining such a low pressure, and a fan means is used to form a flow of air on the surface of the membrane and to cool the electric motor.

Briefly describing an example of the components of a shaped oxygen enricher of the present invention, oxygen-enriched air concentrated in an array of membrane elements comprising said membrane passes through conduit means equipped with a vacuum cutter and is pumped by a vacuum pump. cooling means having a moisture retention function;
After passing through a moisture chamber, a pressurizing means, a reheating pipe, etc., it passes through a flow regulating means, a flow meter, and then a purifying means equipped with an adsorbent, a sterilizing filter, etc., and is used as a predetermined amount of oxygen-enriched air. served. On the other hand, atmospheric air enters the apparatus through the filter by the suction force of the fan means, passes through the cooling means and the arrangement of the membrane elements, passes around the vacuum pump, and is discharged out of the apparatus by the fan means.

Figures 1 to 3 show an example of the molded oxygen enricher of the present invention housed in a box, with Figure 1 being a front view, Figure 2 being a side view, and Figure 3 being a side view. The figure is a rear view. In addition, as for the relative positional relationship of each, Figure 1 is similar to Figure 2.
Part of the cross-sectional view at the Y+-Y2 part of the figure is included, and Figure 3 is the 2nd section.
Including the sectional view of section 71-72 in the figure, Figure 2 is
3 is a sectional view taken in the inward direction at a portion corresponding to the 1-x2 section and the X1-X2 section in FIG. 3.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the vacuum pump 1 which is the noise source
The fan 2 is housed in a metal soundproof box 3, and the inner surface of the soundproof box is covered with a damping material and a sound absorbing material. The vacuum pump is supported on the lower surface of the soundproof box via a spring 6, and is provided so that vibrations of the pump are absorbed.

7 and 8 are an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening of the soundproof box, respectively. The outer shell is composed of a wooden cabinet 10, and a soundproof box 3 housing the pump and fan is housed in a chamber structure 11. Air passage ports 12 and 13 are also provided in the wall of the soundproof box storage chamber at positions corresponding to the air inlets and air outlets of the soundproof box.

In this embodiment, the air inflow passage of the soundproof box is the air intake port 14. Cooling pipe 15. Control room 16. - The soundproof box 3 is reached through the module chamber 17 that houses the membrane element array 4. In other words, the air inflow passage is shown as ■ in Figures 1 and 2.
→...→■ As shown, the air intake section ■, the lower part of the cooling pipe storage chamber ■, and from there the module room 1
■, ■, ■ parts that go to 7.

Contains M7 times in the parts marked ■ and ■ that pass from the lower part of the module room 17 to the entrance part 7 of the soundproof box! I'm busy.

The popular outflow path exits the soundproof box 3, passes through a curved path formed by the partition machine 18, and reaches the discharge port 19 and tray 21 at the bottom of the outer case. That is, the atmospheric outflow passage has a total of eight bends, as shown by O→...→[phase] in FIG. 2.3. Incidentally, it is best to ignore the fact that the air is discharged in a bent manner through the atmospheric exhaust port because the noise reduction is small. still,
Sound-absorbing material is pasted on the aisles.

Further, a conduit is arranged so that the oxygen-enriched air sucked by the vacuum pump is delivered to an enriched air outlet 21 via a muffling tank 20 to prevent pulsation of the pump.
Preferably, the sound deadening tank 20 is housed inside the soundproof box 3.

As described above, the oxygen enricher of the present invention houses the electric motor, the pump means, and the fan means in a soundproof box, and has an air inflow passage from the air intake to the soundproof box and a popular exhaust from the soundproof box. Each of the atmospheric outflow passages up to the outlet is characterized in that it has a number of bends of 5 or more, preferably 7 or more.

Furthermore, it is effective for noise reduction that the lengths of both the atmospheric inflow passage and the atmospheric outflow passage are at least the minimum value of the outer shell dimensions of the enricher, more preferably at least 1.5 times the minimum value. . Furthermore, the quality of the atmospheric outflow passage is 0 of the atmospheric inflow passage length.
．． 4 to 2.0 times, more preferably 0.5 to 1.5 times
It is desirable to be in the twice range. In a structure that does not fall within this range, the noise attenuation in each passageway may be insufficient, or the balance between the two outflow sides may not be maintained, resulting in 10,000 noise remaining on either side.

In general, the longer the distance the gas passes through the culm, the greater the noise attenuation effect will be depending on the length. However, in cases where noise is mixed with various frequencies such as in the enricher, the passage length should be selected with great care. Otherwise, the noise may be amplified due to resonance.
There is also 1. However, in the present invention, if the passage has a bending frequency of 5-1 and a specific length as described above, resonance can be suppressed and at the same time noise of various frequencies can be removed from the exit and entrance. We have discovered that each can be reduced almost equally. Furthermore, it is preferable that a sound absorbing material be provided at least at the bending portion of the passage. Noise can be further reduced by installing sound-absorbing material on the entire inner surface of the passage.

The oxygen enricher of the present invention has an outer box made of a soundproof material, and the material 11 is preferably made of wood. It is preferable that such a housing has a sealed structure except for the air inlet and outlet and the oxygen-enriched air outlet, and at least in the area in contact with the sound source, the sound insulating wall is sufficiently thick and a sound absorbing material is pasted on the inside. As specific means for sealing, dovetail connection and grill processing on the panel part 22 are effective, and it is preferable that the panel part has a double structure. The wooden casing has a thickness of 15 mm or more for soundproofing purposes.
In order to reduce the weight, a thickness of 15 to 20 m is preferable, and it is also effective to remove the inside of the part with a router in areas where it is difficult to directly receive noise.

Regarding the soundproof box, which is a feature of the present invention, it may be made of any material, but it requires a certain amount of mass for soundproofing purposes, and in order to achieve miniaturization, it may be made of metal such as an iron plate. is preferred. The thickness is preferably 0.rpm or more, and preferably 1.5 mm or less in order to reduce the overall weight. It is preferable that such a soundproof box is equipped with a damping material or a sound absorbing material on the inside to prevent noise, and a space is provided on the outside of the box, and the box is housed in a wooden box. It is desirable to pay.

Furthermore, as a noise prevention measure for the oxygen-enriched air outflow system, it is effective to provide a muffling tank on the pump discharge side to attenuate the pulsating noise.

In particular, the sound deadening tank is preferably provided within the soundproof box. Generally speaking, when the enriched air is put to use, a flow control means with a function of discharging excess enriched air may be used, but in order to prevent noise generation when discharging the enriched air, For example, by making the tube longer than 1 ocm,
It is desirable to install a sound deadening tank or a bend.

[Example] In the oxygen enricher shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the number of partition plates 18 was changed and the number of bends and the length of the air outlet passage were changed, and the generated noise was measured. The noise measurement method is 1m from the front of the unit after 2 hours of operation in a general Western-style room.
A method was used to measure the noise at the height of the AOCm above the floor at a height of 1llf. The results are summarized in Table 1 below.
Shown.

(Margin below) Table 1 [Effects of the Invention 1 The oxygen enricher according to the present invention generates very little noise and has excellent characteristics for medical use. Particularly in the immediate vicinity of a patient, there is an excellent advantage of being able to maintain a sense of quietness even when driving at night (1). Furthermore, due to soundproofing measures, the structure does not increase in size or bulk, making it easy to carry.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the oxygen-enriched air according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a front view (partially a sectional view) thereof, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view thereof. FIG. 3 is a rear view (mostly a sectional view). In FIG. 2, 1 is a vacuum pump, 2 is a fan, and 3 is a soundproof box.

Claims (8)

[Claims] (1) In an oxygen enricher that obtains oxygen-enriched air from the atmosphere using pump means and fan means driven by the power of an electric motor, an air intake provided on a surface forming the outer shell of the enricher Atmospheric inflow into a chamber structure that houses an inlet and an air outlet, and the electric motor, pump means, and fan means built into the enricher, and is provided on a soundproof wall surface forming the chamber structure. a soundproof box having an opening and an air outflow opening from the chamber structure; an air inflow passageway that restricts the flow of air from the air intake to the air inflow opening;
an atmosphere exhaust passage that restricts the flow of atmosphere from the atmosphere outflow opening to the atmosphere exhaust port, and each of the atmosphere inflow passage and the atmosphere outflow passage has a bending number of five or more times, and at least An oxygen enricher characterized in that a sound absorbing material is provided on the inner surface of the bent part. (2) The oxygen enricher according to claim 1, wherein the length of the atmosphere outflow passage is within a range of 0.4 to 2.0 times the length of the atmosphere inflow passage. (3) The length of each of the atmospheric inflow passage and the atmospheric outflow passage is the minimum value of the distance between opposite ends of the surface constituting the enricher outer shell. 2. The oxygen enricher according to any of the above. (4) The oxygen enricher according to claim 1, wherein each of the atmosphere inflow passage and the atmosphere outflow passage has a sealed structure except for the entrance and exit portion of the atmosphere. (5) The soundproof box is a metal box whose inner surface is covered with a sound-absorbing material, and the electric motor and pump means are built in using damping material, and the box as a whole is made of a soundproof wooden box. The oxygen enricher according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen enricher is housed in an outer shell of the enricher. (6) The oxygen enricher according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell of the enricher is a soundproof wooden cabinet, and the structure is sealed except for the air intake and outlet. (7) The passage for taking out the oxygen-enriched air is composed of a piping means, and is provided with a muffling tank in the middle thereof for muffling the pulsating noise generated by the pumping means. Oxygen enricher as described in section. (8) The oxygen enricher according to the claims, wherein the sound deadening tank is housed within the soundproof box.