Incubator Thermal Engine Assembly and Air Conduit System

Abstract

We provide a thermal engine assembly and air conduit system for incubators. [Solution] A system and method for operating and cleaning an incubator heating system is described. The thermal engine assembly and air conduit system of the incubator heating system are detachably coupled to a base at a first end. The air conduit system includes a first side conduit, a second side conduit, and a central conduit, each conduit having a vent. The thermal engine assembly includes a blower positioned between the first heater and the second heater. The blower is configured to draw air into the central conduit, heat the air from the central conduit by passing it through the first and second heaters respectively, and discharge the heated air through the first and second side conduits respectively to the outside.

Claims

1. An incubator heating system, A base equipped with a fresh air inlet, An air conduit system extending along the longitudinal direction of the base, wherein the air conduit system includes a first side conduit, a second side conduit and a central conduit, and each conduit of the air conduit system includes a vent, A thermal engine assembly, which is removably coupled to the base at a first end, wherein the first end is on the opposite side of the second end of the base where the fresh air inlet is located, Includes, The thermal engine assembly includes a fan positioned between a first heater and a second heater along a first axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the base, An incubator heating system configured such that the fan draws air into the central conduit through the fresh air inlet and the vent of the central conduit, guides the air from the central conduit through the first heater and the second heater respectively to heat the air, guides the heated air through the first side conduit and the second side conduit, and discharges it through the vent of the first side conduit and the vent of the second side conduit.

2. The incubator heating system according to claim 1, wherein each vent of the first side conduit and the second side conduit includes one or more vents arranged in a first plane along the outer edges of the first side conduit and the second side conduit.

3. The incubator heating system according to claim 2, wherein each of the first side conduit and the second side conduit includes an inlet on a second plane of the first side conduit and the second side conduit, the second plane being perpendicular to the first plane, and the inlet being located at the second end and axially aligned with at least a portion of the first heater or the second heater.

4. The incubator heating system according to claim 1, wherein the vents of the central conduit are arranged along the first and second sides of the central protrusion of the central conduit, and the central conduit further includes an outlet at the first end that is axially aligned with the fan, and an inlet at the second end that is axially aligned with the fresh air inlet of the base.

5. The incubator heating system according to claim 1, wherein each of the heat engine assembly, the first side conduit, the second side conduit, and the central conduit is independently removable from the base.

6. The incubator heating system according to claim 1, further comprising a flat tray, each of which has a through hole and a series of toothed gaps at a first end and a second end, wherein the flat tray is positioned on the air conduit system in the base.

7. The incubator heating system according to claim 6, wherein the heat engine assembly and the air conduit system are configured to be selectively removed from the base without removing the flat tray.

8. The incubator heating system according to claim 1, wherein the height of each open region of the air conduit system decreases in stages from the first end to the second end.

9. The incubator heating system according to claim 1, wherein the first heater and the second heater each include a heating coil.

10. It is an incubator, An infant enclosure that defines the nursery, An incubator heating system airtightly coupled to the infant chamber, the incubator heating system includes a heat engine assembly positioned at the base of the infant enclosure and at a first end of the infant enclosure, the heat engine assembly including a heat element configured to heat air and an air mover configured to facilitate heat transfer through the air and selectively transfer heat to the infant chamber, An air conduit system comprising: a fresh air intake located at a second end of the infant enclosure; a central conduit that fluidly connects the fresh air intake, the infant chamber, and the thermal engine assembly via intake ports, exhaust ports, and vents of the central conduit; and a first side conduit and a second side conduit, each of which is fluidly connected to the thermal engine assembly and the infant chamber via vents of the first and second side conduits, the air conduit system comprising: An incubator comprising: a controller operationally connected to the incubator heating system, the controller configured to control the temperature of the heat elements and the speed and direction of the air mover in response to changes in the air temperature of the infant room.

11. The incubator according to claim 10, wherein the thermal engine assembly and the air conduit system are removable independently from the infant room.

12. The incubator heating system further includes an outer wall and an inner wall on a first side and a second side of the infant chamber, wherein the outer wall is a two-pane wall with a first pane and a second pane arranged parallel to each other with a vacuum between them, and the heat engine assembly is configured to selectively transfer heat to the infant chamber by directing heated air from the first side conduit and the second side conduit through the vent into the space between the inner wall and the outer wall, according to claim 10.

13. The incubator according to claim 10, further comprising a flat tray having dentate gaps along the first and second ends, the flat tray being positioned above the air conduit system.

14. The incubator according to claim 10, further comprising a temperature sensor placed in the infant room, the temperature sensor configured to measure the air temperature in the infant room.

15. The incubator according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to drive the heating element to heat the air, drive the air mover to draw in the air to be heated from the fresh air intake and the vent of the central conduit, and further discharge the air from the vents of the first side conduit and the second side conduit and guide it to the infant room.

16. A step of detaching the connecting element of a thermal engine assembly from the connecting element of a base, and sliding the thermal engine assembly from a first end of the base, wherein the thermal engine assembly includes a thermal element and an air mover attached to an end cap, A step of sliding the air conduit system from the first end of the base, A step of cleaning the heat engine assembly and the air conduit system, The steps include inserting the air conduit system into the base from the first end, The step of inserting the thermal engine assembly into the base from the first end, A method for removing the thermal engine assembly and the air conduit system from the base without removing the base's object support system.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of removably connecting an electrical connection to the thermal engine assembly.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the removal of the air conduit system includes the step of removing the first side conduit, the second side conduit, and the central conduit of the air conduit system from the base.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein cleaning the thermal engine assembly and / or the air conduit system includes the step of immersing the thermal engine assembly and / or the air conduit system in a cleaning solution.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the cleaning of the thermal engine assembly and / or the air conduit system includes the step of wiping the thermal engine assembly and / or the air conduit system with a cleaning fluid.

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