Noise reduction structure and air pump module with noise reduction structure

Abstract

This invention proposes a noise reduction structure and a pump module with the noise reduction structure. The noise reduction structure has a column and a spiral pipe. The column is solid, and the spiral pipe is wound around the column in a spiral shape. The pump module has a housing, a pump disposed within the housing, the aforementioned noise reduction structure, a distributor, and a plurality of pipes extending outside the housing. The noise reduction structure connects an output end of the pump and an input end of the distributor, and the pipes are respectively connected to a plurality of output ends of the distributor. Fluid passes through the pump sequentially through the noise reduction structure, the distributor, and the pipes. The spiral pipe can increase the critical Reynolds number to suppress turbulence and thus reduce the noise of medical equipment.

Description

Noise reduction structure and air pump module with noise reduction structure Technical Field

[0001] This work relates to a noise reduction structure installed in an air pump module. Prior Technology

[0002] Air mattresses or some medical devices use air pump modules to inflate or deliver gas. However, these air pump modules generate noise during operation. Specifically, during the gas delivery process, when the gas flows through valves or pipelines, the Reynolds number of the gas exceeds the critical Reynolds number of a typical circular pipe, causing flow field instability and generating broadband high-frequency aerodynamic turbulence noise ranging from 500Hz to 2000Hz.

[0003] In addition, the air pump module compresses and delivers gas through the reciprocating motion of the diaphragm. However, the reciprocating motion of the diaphragm generates mechanical pulse noise, the frequency of which corresponds to the frequency of the drive power supply and its harmonics. In particular, in quiet environments such as hospitals, the aforementioned turbulence noise and mechanical pulse noise are more pronounced. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention proposes a noise reduction structure and an air pump module incorporating the noise reduction structure. When the air pump module delivers fluid to an object, the noise reduction structure reduces the noise generated during fluid flow.

[0005] The noise reduction structure proposed in this work has the following characteristics: A single column; A spiral pipe is wrapped around the column in a spiral shape.

[0006] The air pump module proposed in this work has the following features: One box; At least one pump is disposed in the housing and has an output terminal; At least one noise reduction structure as described above is disposed in the housing and connected to the output terminal of the at least one pump; A shunt is disposed within the housing and has an input terminal and multiple output terminals; the at least one noise reduction structure is connected to the output terminal of the at least one pump and the input terminal of the shunt. Multiple conduits, each connected to one of the output terminals of the shunt, extend out of the housing; In this process, a fluid passes through the at least one pump in sequence through the at least one noise reduction structure, the distributor, and the pipelines.

[0007] This invention further proposes another type of air pump module, which has the following features: One box; A pump, which is disposed in the housing, has an output terminal; A first pipeline is connected to the output end of the pump; A shunt is disposed within the housing and has an input terminal and multiple output terminals; the first conduit connects the output terminal of the pump and the input terminal of the shunt. A plurality of noise reduction structures as described above are disposed in the housing and respectively connected to the output terminals of the shunt; A plurality of second conduits, each connected to the noise reduction structure, extend out of the housing; In this process, a fluid passes through the pump sequentially through the first pipeline, the distributor, the noise reduction structure, and the second pipeline.

[0008] The advantage of this invention lies in its core technology of combining the Dean Flow Effect, phase shift and interference principles, and viscoelastic damping principles from fluid mechanics and acoustics. Specifically, the helical pipe generates centrifugal force, inducing a pair of counter-rotating Dean vortices, increasing the critical Reynolds number for the fluid to transition from laminar to turbulent flow, thereby suppressing turbulence and reducing noise. Furthermore, the helical pipe of a specific length causes a delay in sound wave propagation, resulting in the reflected wave being out of phase with the incident wave, thus canceling out mechanical impulse noise. In this way, the air pump module with the noise reduction structure can effectively reduce noise.

[0009] As described above, the noise reduction structure has a flexible spiral pipe.

[0010] In the noise reduction structure described above, the column is a cylinder.

[0011] In the noise reduction structure described above, the column is a polygonal column with rounded sides.

[0012] In the noise reduction structure described above, the spiral pipes are fitted together. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0013] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the air pump module of the first embodiment of this invention. Figure 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the air pump module of the second embodiment of this invention. Figure 3 is a partial exploded view of the air pump module of the first embodiment of this invention. Figure 4 is a partial exploded view of the air pump module in the second embodiment of this invention. Figure 5 is a partial exploded view of the air pump module in the third embodiment of this invention. Figure 6 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the noise reduction structure of this creation. Figure 7 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the air pump module in the fourth embodiment of this invention. Implementation

[0014] Please refer to Figures 1, 2, and 6. This invention proposes a noise reduction structure 10 and an air pump module 20 having the noise reduction structure 10.

[0015] Please refer to Figure 6. The noise reduction structure 10 has a column 11 and a spiral pipe 12. The spiral pipe 12 is elastic and spirally wrapped around the column 11. The column 11 can be a hollow column or a solid column, and a solid column can prevent the fluid from resonating with the column 11 when passing through the spiral pipe 12. In this embodiment, the column 11 is a cylinder. In other embodiments, the column 11 is a polygonal column with rounded sides to prevent the spiral pipe 12 from bending too much when wrapped around the column 11 and deforming the spiral pipe 12. In addition, the spiral pipe 12 located on the side of the polygonal column is a bent pipe, and the spiral pipe 12 located on the side of the polygonal column is a straight pipe, so that the spiral pipe 12 fits the column 11. The structure of the spiral pipe 12 can generate centrifugal force, inducing a pair of counter-rotating Dean vortices to increase the critical Reynolds number of the spiral pipe 12, so that the Reynolds number of the fluid in the spiral pipe 12 is less than the critical Reynolds number of the spiral pipe 12, thereby stabilizing the flow field and eliminating aerodynamic turbulence noise from the source.

[0016] The spiral tube 12 is elastic, and the coils of the spiral tube 12 fit together. In this embodiment, the material of the spiral tube 12 is a viscoelastic polymer, such as silicone, but not limited thereto. Through the elastic spiral tube 12, the speed of sound inside the spiral tube 12 is lower than the speed of sound in free space, resulting in a delay in sound wave transmission. Based on the quarter-wavelength theory, a spiral tube 12 of a specific length is designed so that the reflected wave is out of phase with the incident wave, thereby canceling out mechanical impulse noise.

[0017] Please refer to Figures 1 and 3. In the first embodiment, the air pump module 20 has a housing 21, at least one pump 22, a distributor 23, a plurality of pipes 24, and at least one of the aforementioned noise reduction structures 10. The pump 22, the distributor 23, and the noise reduction structure 10 are disposed in the housing 21. The pump 22 has an output end 221, and the distributor 23 has an input end 231 and a plurality of output ends 232. The spiral pipe 12 of the noise reduction structure 10 connects the output end 221 of the pump 22 and the input end 231 of the distributor 23. The pipes 24 are respectively connected to the output ends 232 of the distributor 23 and extend to the outside of the housing 21. Fluid passes through the pump 22 and sequentially through the noise reduction structure 10, the distributor 23, and the pipes 24.

[0018] Please refer to Figures 2 and 4. The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, with at least the following differences: the pipe 24 includes a first pipe 241 and a plurality of second pipes 242, and the air pump module 20 has a plurality of noise reduction structures 10. Furthermore, the first pipe 241 connects to the output end 221 of the pump 22 and the input end 231 of the distributor 23. The noise reduction structures 10 are respectively connected to the output end 232 of the distributor 23, and the second pipes 242 are respectively connected to the distributor. The noise reduction structures 10 extend outside the housing 21. In other words, fluid passes through the pump 22 sequentially through the first pipe 241, the distributor 23, the noise reduction structures 10, and the second pipes 242.

[0019] Please refer to Figure 5. The third embodiment is similar to the second embodiment, except that in the second embodiment, the splitter 23 has two output terminals 232, and the air pump module 20 has two noise reduction structures 10 and two second pipes 242. In the third embodiment, the splitter 23 has three output terminals 232, and the air pump module 20 has three noise reduction structures 10 and three second pipes 242.

[0020] Please refer to Figure 7. The fourth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that the air pump module 20 in the fourth embodiment has two noise reduction structures 10 and two pumps 22. The two noise reduction structures 10 are connected at one end to the output terminals 221 of the two pumps 22, and the other ends of the two noise reduction structures 10 are connected to the input terminal 231 of the splitter 23.

[0021] In other embodiments, the air pump module 20 may have a noise reduction structure 10 connected between the output terminal 221 of the pump 22 and the input terminal 231 of the splitter 23, and also have a noise reduction structure 10 connected to the output terminal 232 of the splitter 23. The number of noise reduction structures 10 can be set as needed, but is not limited thereto.

[0022] The advantage of this invention lies in the fact that its core technology of the noise reduction structure 10 combines the Dean flow effect, phase shift and interference principles, and viscoelastic damping principles from fluid mechanics and acoustics. Specifically, the spiral pipe 12 generates centrifugal force, inducing a pair of counter-rotating Dean vortices, increasing the critical Reynolds number for the fluid to transition from laminar to turbulent flow, thereby suppressing turbulence and reducing noise. Furthermore, the spiral pipe 12 of a specific length causes a delay in sound wave propagation, making the reflected wave out of phase with the incident wave, thus canceling out mechanical impulse noise. In this way, the air pump module with the noise reduction structure can effectively reduce noise, thereby reducing the noise of medical equipment and maintaining a quiet environment in the hospital.

[0023] 10: Noise Reduction Structure 11: Column 12: Spiral pipe 20: Air pump module 21: Box 22: Pump 221: Output terminal 23: Diverter 231: Input terminal 232: Output terminal 24: Piping 241: First Pipeline 242: Second pipeline

Claims

1. A noise reduction structure comprising: a column; and a spiral tube wound around the column in a spiral shape.

2. The noise reduction structure as described in claim 1, wherein, The spiral pipe is flexible.

3. The noise reduction structure as described in claim 1, wherein, The column is a cylinder.

4. The noise reduction structure as described in claim 1, wherein, The column is a polygonal column with rounded sides.

5. The noise reduction structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The spiral pipe has its loops fitting together.

6. An air pump module comprising: a housing; at least one pump disposed within the housing and having an output terminal; at least one noise reduction structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, disposed within the housing and connected to the output terminal of the at least one pump; a splitter disposed within the housing and having an input terminal and a plurality of output terminals; the at least one noise reduction structure being connected to the output terminal of the at least one pump and the input terminal of the splitter; and a plurality of conduits respectively connected to the output terminals of the splitter and extending outside the housing; wherein, A fluid passes through the at least one pump in sequence through the at least one noise reduction structure, the distributor and the pipelines.

7. An air pump module comprising: a housing; a pump disposed within the housing and having an output terminal; a first conduit connected to the output terminal of the pump; a splitter disposed within the housing and having an input terminal and a plurality of output terminals; the first conduit connecting the output terminal of the pump and the input terminal of the splitter; a plurality of noise reduction structures as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, disposed within the housing and respectively connected to the output terminals of the splitter; and a plurality of second conduits respectively connected to the noise reduction structures and extending outside the housing; wherein, A fluid passes through the pump sequentially through the first pipeline, the distributor, the noise reduction structure, and the second pipeline.

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