Mute box

Abstract

The mute box is characterized in that the inner side of an opening and closing door is provided with an accommodating part for accommodating equipment; the mute box is provided with a box air suction port for taking external air into the mute box and a box air exhaust port for exhausting air in the mute box; the interior of the box body is provided with an exhaust pipeline for guiding exhaust gas to the box exhaust port. When the opening and closing door is in a closed state, the equipment exhaust port of the stored equipment is tightly connected with the inlet of the exhaust pipeline; provided is a device that simultaneously solves the technical problems of small and lightweight functions, low noise, power saving, and heat dissipation, which are required for portable devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sound-proof box for reducing the noise generated by small medical equipment. Background Art

[0002] In addition to chronic respiratory diseases, the spread of coronavirus in recent years has also affected the expansion of oxygen inhalation therapy for patients with respiratory diseases, and the demand for medical oxygen concentrators has increased. In addition to fixed-type oxygen concentrators that supply high-volume oxygen such as 3L / min and 5L / min at home, the development of small, lightweight, and portable concentrators that can be used for a long time is also underway. They can be used not only when going to and from the hospital, but also outdoors for shopping, leisure, etc., which helps improve the QOL of patients.

[0003] Oxygen concentrators are used not only during the day but also at night when sleeping, so they are required to be quieter. Many oxygen concentrators use pressure swing adsorption type oxygen concentrators that use adsorbents that selectively adsorb nitrogen more than oxygen under pressure. They are equipped with power units such as compressors and motors, cooling fans, etc., which become noise sources together with the intake and exhaust sounds when oxygen is generated. Therefore, various countermeasures are taken, such as installing silencers on the intake pipe of raw air and the exhaust pipe that exhausts the adsorbed nitrogen, and installing duct structures and sound-absorbing components on the box body for noise reduction. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-255850 (Patent Document 1) discloses a soundproof box for an oxygen concentrator with a duct structure with sound-absorbing materials attached to the ventilation path and exhaust path of the box body.

[0004] On the other hand, in order to facilitate the transportation of patients and to enable outdoor use, portable oxygen concentrators are prioritized to be small, lightweight, and power-efficient rather than the size of the sound produced, and there is a trend to reduce the number of components used for quieting. Although the quieting technology of the compressor itself has been improved through technological advances in recent years, the noise level is still greater than that of fixed-mounted devices. There is also a need to use two oxygen concentrators, one fixed at home and one oxygen tank or portable when going out, but these are expensive devices, and the increased cost burden of the equipment has become a problem. In Japanese Patent Gazette No. 7-136274 (Patent Document 2), a portable box made of a material with a soundproofing function for housing a portable oxygen concentrator is disclosed.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-255850

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-136274 Summary of the invention

[0009] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0010] In order to achieve a silent effect by storing the portable oxygen concentrator in a silent box, airtightness is required to prevent sound leakage. On the other hand, the motor, compressor, and semiconductors that control the portable oxygen concentrator are also heat sources, and the device needs to be cooled to maintain the nitrogen adsorption efficiency of the adsorbent. In the silent box described in Patent Document 2, an exhaust fan is additionally provided to prevent the temperature inside the box from rising.

[0011] The technical problems of small size, light weight, low noise, power saving and heat dissipation required for portable devices are solved by the opposite means. Setting an exhaust fan in the silent box requires a new power source and also becomes a noise source. The present invention finds that by re-examining the storage method of the device in the silent box and using an exhaust duct, the technical problems of low noise, power saving and heat dissipation can be solved at the same time.

[0012] Means for solving technical problems

[0013] The present invention provides a silent box, which is a silent box with a housing for housing a noise-generating device. The silent box is characterized in that the box body is provided with an opening and closing door, a box air intake port for taking in external air into the silent box, and a box exhaust port for exhausting the air in the silent box, and an exhaust duct for guiding the exhaust to the box exhaust port; by closing the opening and closing door, the device exhaust port of the device housed in the housing is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct. Such a silent box can house the device in the housing by opening the opening and closing door to expose the housing. The housed device is air-cooled and has a device air intake port and a device exhaust port. By closing the opening and closing door and moving the housing, the device exhaust port is in close contact with the exhaust duct, thereby directly exhausting the cooled exhaust air to the outside of the system.

[0014] In addition, the present invention provides a silent box, which is a silent box that combines a storage portion and an opening and closing door, and has a storage portion for storing air-cooled equipment. The air-cooled equipment has an air-cooling fan built in, and its box body has an air intake port and an exhaust port. It is characterized in that the opening and closing door arranged on the side of the silent box has a rotating shaft arranged in the horizontal direction below the box, and has an opening and closing door that opens obliquely upward with the rotating shaft as a fulcrum by pulling the upper part of the side toward the front; the aforementioned storage portion is provided on the inner side of the opening and closing door, and the silent box is provided with an exhaust duct; the equipment exhaust port and the inlet of the exhaust duct are closely connected in conjunction with the action of closing the open door.

[0015] In addition, the present invention provides a silent box for a portable oxygen concentrator, wherein the aforementioned device is an adsorption-type oxygen concentrator.

[0016] In addition, the present invention provides an oxygen supply system, characterized in that it is provided with an adsorption type oxygen concentrator and a silent box having a storage part for storing the adsorption type oxygen concentrator inside; the silent box body is provided with an opening and closing door, a box air intake port for taking in external air into the silent box, and a box exhaust port for exhausting the air in the silent box, and an exhaust duct for guiding the exhaust gas to the box exhaust port inside; when the opening and closing door is closed, the exhaust port of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator stored in the storage part is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct. Such an opening and closing door is provided on the side of the silent box, and is connected to the box body via a horizontal rotation shaft equipped at the bottom of the silent box; by pulling the upper part of the opening and closing door forward, it opens obliquely upward with the rotation shaft as a fulcrum, and by closing the opening and closing door, the exhaust port of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator stored in the storage part from obliquely upward can be in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct.

[0017] Effects of the Invention

[0018] The silent box of the present invention moves the storage part to a position exposed at the opening part by opening the door, so as to facilitate the operation of storing the equipment. By closing the door, the storage part moves to a position where the exhaust port of the equipment is in close contact with the exhaust duct, which can ensure good storage operability while taking into account the function of preventing the reduction of cooling efficiency caused by air leakage between the exhaust port of the equipment and the exhaust duct. In addition, from the perspective of noise reduction, it is preferred to store the equipment near the center of the silent box. From this point of view, it is preferred to have a structure in which the storage part moves to the vicinity of the center of the box by opening and closing the door.

[0019] Furthermore, an opening and closing door is provided on the side of the soundproof box, and the opening and closing door is connected to a rotating shaft provided horizontally at the lower part of the soundproof box, so as to be opened and closed by pulling the door forward in an oblique downward direction. By combining the storage part with the inner side of the door, the force of closing the door can be used to make the inlet of the exhaust duct provided inside and the exhaust port of the equipment closely contact with each other by a relatively small operating force, thereby connecting the exhaust path without causing air leakage.

[0020] In addition, by combining the storage part with the inner side of the opening and closing door, a structure in which the storage part moves can be realized without a complicated mechanism. The opening and closing door and the storage part can be made into an integrally formed component, or can be joined by a joint piece or a joint piece with a buffer mechanism. By providing a buffer mechanism, it is possible to prevent the vibration of the stored equipment from being transmitted to the door and causing noise leakage.

[0021] The cooling fan installed on the stored oxygen concentrator and other equipment also serves as the cooling mechanism of the silent box. With this structure, it is possible to prevent the temperature inside the silent box from rising without installing a new heat dissipation mechanism such as an air cooling fan in the box. In addition, the exhaust duct also achieves a noise reduction effect, solving the technical problems of low noise, power saving, heat dissipation, and operability at the same time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of an oxygen concentrator.

[0023] Figure 2 A perspective view showing an embodiment of a soundproof box according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a soundproof box according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 The following is a procedure for storing the oxygen concentrator in the silent box according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The silent box of the present invention will be described by taking as an example a case where an oxygen concentrator is used as a device housed inside the box in order to reduce noise.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the device structure of an adsorption type oxygen concentrator as one of the devices built into the silent box of the present invention is shown. The adsorption type oxygen concentrator 100 includes a compressor 101 for supplying raw air, an adsorption cylinder 102 filled with an adsorbent that selectively adsorbs nitrogen more than oxygen, a flow path switching mechanism for switching the adsorption / desorption process, namely a supply valve 103, an exhaust valve 104, and a pressure equalizing valve 105. After the oxygen concentrated gas separated from the raw air is adjusted to a specified flow rate by a flow setting device, namely a pressure regulating valve 108 and a control valve 109, it is supplied to the user using a cannula 111.

[0028] Ordinary air contains about 21% oxygen, about 77% nitrogen, 0.8% argon, and 1.2% carbon dioxide. In this device, oxygen required as breathing gas is separated and taken out. The separation of oxygen-enriched gas is performed as follows: In the adsorption process, for an adsorption cylinder filled with an adsorbent composed of zeolite or the like that selectively adsorbs nitrogen molecules more than oxygen molecules, the flow path leading to the adsorption cylinder 102 to which the raw air is supplied is switched by controlling the opening and closing of the supply valve 103 and the exhaust valve 104, thereby sequentially supplying pressurized air from the compressor 101, and selectively adsorbing and removing about 77% of the nitrogen contained in the raw air in the pressurized adsorption cylinder.

[0029] The above-mentioned adsorption cylinder is composed of a cylindrical container filled with an adsorption material that selectively adsorbs nitrogen more than oxygen. The number of adsorption cylinders is determined in relation to the amount of oxygen generated. In order to continuously and efficiently produce oxygen-enriched gas from raw air, it is preferred to use Figure 1The oxygen-enriched gas mainly composed of oxygen which is not adsorbed by the adsorption cylinder flows into the product tank 107 through the check valve 106 which is set not to flow back to the adsorption cylinder and is temporarily stored.

[0030] In order to continuously generate oxygen-enriched gas, it is necessary to desorb and remove nitrogen adsorbed in the adsorbent filled in the adsorption cylinder. Therefore, in the desorption process, the supply valve is closed, the exhaust valve is opened, the adsorption cylinder is connected to the exhaust line, and the adsorption cylinder in the pressurized state is switched to the atmosphere open state, so that the nitrogen adsorbed in the pressurized state is desorbed and the adsorbent is regenerated.

[0031] In the two adsorption cylinders, the operations are controlled by staggering the steps. When one adsorption cylinder performs the adsorption step to generate oxygen, the other adsorption cylinder performs the desorption step to regenerate the adsorbent. Oxygen is continuously generated by switching the steps.

[0032] Oxygen-enriched gas is produced from raw air and temporarily stored in the product tank 107. The oxygen-enriched gas stored in the product tank includes a high-concentration oxygen-enriched gas such as 95%, and is supplied to the patient after the supply flow rate and pressure are controlled by flow setting devices such as the pressure regulating valve 108 and the control valve 109. The flow rate and oxygen concentration of the oxygen-enriched gas supplied to the user can also be detected by an ultrasonic oxygen concentration / flow sensor, and the rotation speed of the compressor and the opening and closing time of the flow path switching valve are feedback-controlled based on the oxygen concentration detection value and the oxygen supply flow value to control oxygen generation.

[0033] As the adsorbent filled in the adsorption cylinder that selectively adsorbs nitrogen more than oxygen, molecular sieve zeolites such as Na-X, Li-X, and MD-X adsorb moisture in the air while adsorbing nitrogen, so the generated oxygen-enriched gas is separated as a substantially completely dry gas. In order to prevent the nostrils from drying out due to continuous inhalation of the oxygen-enriched gas, a humidifier may be provided in the middle of the pipe connecting the product tank that temporarily accumulates the generated oxygen-enriched gas and the cannula that supplies oxygen to the patient.

[0034] The adsorption type oxygen concentrator 100 takes external air into the device from the air intake port 112 (equipment air intake port), removes nitrogen from the raw air by adsorption, separates and supplies oxygen, and removes nitrogen adsorbed on the adsorbent under reduced pressure, and exhausts the air from the exhaust port 113 (equipment exhaust port). In addition, since the components such as the compressor 101 built into the device and the electronic control mechanism that controls the switching of the flow path of the adsorption cylinder generate heat, they need to be cooled. Therefore, the oxygen concentrator is equipped with a cooling fan 110, which takes in external air from the air intake port 112 and air-cools it, and also exhausts the exhaust hot air and nitrogen-enriched air from the exhaust port 113 to the outside of the system.

[0035] [Silent Box]

[0036] As a first requirement, portable oxygen concentrators are required to be small, lightweight and power-efficient. In order to achieve such specifications, there is a trend to reduce the number of structural components used for noise reduction. However, since oxygen inhalation therapy is performed not only during the day but also during sleep at night, there is also a requirement for noise reduction to avoid disturbing the sleep of the individual and his family. The present invention has developed a silent box as a noise reduction measure at home, and adopts a method of storing a portable oxygen concentrator in a silent box for use.

[0037] exist Figure 2 to Figure 4 Implementation of the soundproof box of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the silent box, showing a state where the opening and closing door is closed (2A) and a state where the opening and closing door is opened and the oxygen concentrator is stored (2B). Figure 3 3A is a cross-sectional view of the soundproof box, showing the state where the door is opened (3A) and the state where the door is closed (3B). Figure 4 The process diagram of storing the oxygen concentrator in the silent box is shown in FIG.

[0038] The mute box 200 has a hollow resin box 201, an air intake port 202 (box air intake port) for taking air into the mute box, and an exhaust port 203 (box exhaust port) for exhausting air including exhaust heat air to the outside of the system, and an exhaust duct 204 is directly connected to the exhaust port 203. The side of the mute box is an opening and closing door 205, which is not a single-opening side door or a top-opening method. A rotating shaft 210 is provided at the lower part of the side, and the upper part of the door is pulled forward with the rotating shaft at the lower part of the opening and closing door as a fulcrum to open obliquely upward.

[0039] Inside the opening and closing door 205, there is a storage section 206 for storing the portable oxygen concentrator 100. With such a structure, the oxygen concentrator can be easily stored by opening the door of the silent box with one hand and holding the oxygen concentrator 100 with the other hand and sliding it into the storage section of the door.

[0040] The position of the storage section 206 provided on the inner side of the opening and closing door 205 is set so that the exhaust port 113 of the stored device coincides with the position of the exhaust duct 204. By closing the opening and closing door 205, the exhaust port of the stored oxygen concentrator is closely connected to the inlet of the exhaust duct of the silent box, thereby, the exhaust gas of the oxygen concentrator can be directly exhausted to the outside of the system from the exhaust port of the box without circulating in the silent box.

[0041] When the storage part of the device is set on the door, the center of gravity is on the door side, so if the device is stored in the state where the door is opened at an angle, the silent box is easy to fall over. Although not shown in the figure, the lower part of the silent box of the present invention is provided with a weight for preventing the silent box from falling over in response to the change of the center of gravity when the device is stored.

[0042] Power saving is also one of the important requirements for oxygen concentrators. For portable devices, it affects the battery life when going out. Since the silent box is used at home, it has a power supply, but in order to reduce power consumption, it is hoped to avoid setting up a cooling mechanism in the silent box and other new structures that require power. By providing an exhaust duct 204 directly connected to the exhaust port 113 of the oxygen concentrator 100, the air supply capacity of the cooling fan 110 of the oxygen concentrator can be used to bring in external air into the silent box and exhaust it from the silent box.

[0043] The exhaust duct 204 may also be pasted with sound absorbing material on the inner surface to improve the quiet effect, or be made into a multi-stage bending structure. However, since the sound absorbing material has a heat-insulating effect, the multi-stage bending structure becomes an exhaust resistance. Therefore, in order to exhaust the exhaust hot air to the outside of the system only by using the cooling fan built into the oxygen concentrator, it is preferred not to set a special structure, but to use a straight exhaust duct to directly discharge from the exhaust port 203.

[0044] By also pasting a sound absorbing material on the inner surface of the silent box, a sound absorbing effect can be achieved. However, in order to exert the heat dissipation effect in the box, such a sound absorbing material may not be provided inside.

[0045] A foam material with independent bubbles is used as a seal 207 between the opening and closing door and the box body. It is preferable to use a polyurethane foam material with a predetermined thickness. By having a low-rebound cushioning performance, the exhaust port of the oxygen concentrator can be closely connected to the exhaust duct when the door is closed, thereby preventing exhaust gas leakage from the connection part. In order to ensure close contact, it is preferable to also provide the same foam material 211 at the inlet of the exhaust duct.

[0046] The first purpose of the silent box is to prevent sound leakage, so the openings need to be kept to the minimum required. The intake port 202 for taking in the raw air required for oxygen generation and cooling air, the exhaust port 203 for discharging the exhaust hot air containing nitrogen, the opening for the alarm sound, etc. need to be kept to the minimum. On the other hand, the oxygen generated by the oxygen concentrator needs to be taken out of the silent box. In the present invention, the silent box is provided with an oxygen supply connection part 208 in the housing, and by connecting the oxygen supply end 114 of the aforementioned adsorption-type oxygen concentrator to the aforementioned oxygen supply connection part 208 with a relay tube, oxygen can be taken out of the box from the oxygen concentrator housed in the silent box. Furthermore, by connecting the nasal cannula 111 to the oxygen supply connection part 208, oxygen can be supplied to the user.

[0047] The silent box is designed on the premise that the patient follows the prescribed method to use it, but the patient does not necessarily follow this method. By using a foam material with independent bubbles of a prescribed thickness between the opening and closing door and the box body as a seal 207, when the nasal cannula 111 is connected to the portable oxygen concentrator and used and returned home, when the device is stored in the silent box, the nasal cannula can be connected as is and pulled out from the sealing part of the opening and closing door while maintaining the airtightness in order to prevent sound leakage. For this reason, the aforementioned seal is preferably set to a thickness greater than the diameter of the cannula. For example, when using a cannula with an outer diameter of 7 mm, a 10 mm thick low-rebound polyurethane foam can be used as the seal 207. As a result, the cannula will not be flattened, and sound leakage and air leakage will not occur, and the opening and closing door of the silent box can be closed and oxygen can be supplied through the cannula.

[0048] A window 209 made of a transparent resin material such as acrylic or polycarbonate is provided on the upper surface of the silent box so that the display of the oxygen concentrator can be visually viewed from the outside. By taking out the device signal from the stored oxygen concentrator and providing a display in the silent box, the visibility of the operating status of the device from the outside is significantly improved. However, since this will increase the workload of signal connection, manufacturing cost, power consumption, etc., it is preferred to directly observe it through the transparent window with the naked eye.

[0049] Industrial Applicability

[0050] The silent box of the present invention can provide a device that solves both power saving and heat dissipation technical problems by storing oxygen concentrators and other equipment that are used at home at night and are concerned about noise. At the same time, by using small and lightweight medical equipment that can usually be carried, the patient's range of movement can be expanded, achieving improved QOL.

[0051] Description of Reference Numerals

[0052] 100 Adsorption type oxygen concentrator

[0053] 101 Compressor

[0054] 102 adsorption cylinder

[0055] 103 Supply valve

[0056] 104 Exhaust valve

[0057] 105 pressure equalizing valve

[0058] 106 Check Valve

[0059] 107 Product Cans

[0060] 108 pressure regulating valve

[0061] 109 control valve

[0062] 110 Cooling Fan

[0063] 111 intubation (nasal cannula)

[0064] 112 air intake (equipment air intake)

[0065] 113 exhaust port (equipment exhaust port)

[0066] 114 oxygen supply end

[0067] 200 Silent Box

[0068] 201 cabinet

[0069] 202 air inlet (box air inlet)

[0070] 203 exhaust port (box exhaust port)

[0071] 204 Exhaust Pipe

[0072] 205 Open and close doors

[0073] 206 Storage Department

[0074] 207 seals

[0075] 208 oxygen supply connection

[0076] 209 windows

[0077] 210 Rotation axis

[0078] 211 Foam material

Claims

1. A soundproof box, comprising a housing for housing a noise-generating device, characterized in that: The box body of the silent box is provided with an opening and closing door, a box air intake port for taking in external air into the silent box, a box exhaust port for exhausting the air in the silent box, and an exhaust duct for guiding the exhaust air to the box exhaust port inside; When the opening and closing door is closed, the equipment exhaust port of the equipment stored in the storage section is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct.

2. The soundproof box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aforementioned housing portion is combined with the opening and closing door, and in conjunction with the action of closing the opening and closing door, the device housed in the housing portion moves to a set position, and the exhaust port of the device is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct.

3. The soundproof box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The aforementioned opening and closing door is arranged on the side of the soundproof box and is connected to the box body via a horizontal rotating shaft equipped at the bottom of the soundproof box. By pulling the upper part of the opening and closing door toward the front, it opens obliquely upward with the rotating shaft as a fulcrum, and the device can be stored in the storage portion from obliquely upward.

4. The soundproof box according to claim 3, characterized in that: The aforementioned device also has a cooling fan, which takes cooling air from the external air into the silent box to cool the inside of the silent box, and cools the inside of the device with cooling air taken in from the device air intake, and discharges it to the outside from the device exhaust port through the aforementioned exhaust duct.

5. The soundproof box according to claim 4, characterized in that: A sealing member made of closed-cell foam material is provided between the aforementioned opening and closing door and the housing of the soundproof box.

6. The soundproof box according to claim 5, characterized in that: The aforementioned equipment is an adsorption-type oxygen concentrator.

7. The soundproof box according to claim 6, characterized in that: The housing of the silent box is provided with an oxygen supply connection portion, and is provided with a relay pipe connecting the oxygen supply end of the adsorption-type oxygen concentrator to the oxygen supply connection portion.

8. An oxygen supply system, characterized in that: A soundproof box having an adsorption-type oxygen concentrator and a storage portion for storing the adsorption-type oxygen concentrator; The box body of the silent box is provided with an opening and closing door, a box air intake port for taking in external air into the silent box, a box exhaust port for exhausting the air in the silent box, and an exhaust duct for guiding the exhaust air to the box exhaust port inside; When the opening and closing door is closed, the exhaust port of the adsorption-type oxygen concentrator accommodated in the accommodation portion is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct.

9. The oxygen supply system according to claim 8, characterized in that The aforementioned opening and closing door is arranged on the side of the silent box, and is connected to the box body via a horizontal rotating shaft equipped at the bottom of the silent box. By pulling the upper part of the opening and closing door toward the front, it opens obliquely upward with the rotating shaft as a fulcrum, and by closing the opening and closing door, the exhaust port of the adsorption-type oxygen concentrator housed in the housing portion is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct from obliquely upward.

10. The oxygen supply system according to claim 9, characterized in that The housing of the silent box is provided with an oxygen supply connection portion, and is provided with a relay pipe connecting the oxygen supply end of the adsorption-type oxygen concentrator to the oxygen supply connection portion.

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