Silent box

Abstract

Provided is a noise reduction box characterized by comprising an accommodation unit that is located on the inside of an open / close door and accommodates an instrument therein, a box air inlet for bringing outside air into the noise reduction box, a box air outlet for exhausting the air inside the noise reduction box, and an exhaust air duct provided inside a housing for guiding exhaust air to the box air outlet, wherein an instrument air outlet of the accommodated instrument and an inlet of the exhaust air duct are in close contact when the open / close door is closed. That is, provided is a device that solves all the problems of achieving a size and weight reduction function, low noise, power saving, and heat exhaustion, which are desired for portable instruments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a silent box for reducing noise generated by small medical devices.

Background Art

[0002] In addition to chronic respiratory diseases, due to the recent spread of the coronavirus, oxygen inhalation therapy for respiratory disease patients has spread, and the demand for medical oxygen concentrators has been increasing. In addition to stationary oxygen concentrators that supply high doses of oxygen such as 3 L / min and 5 L / min at home, the development of portable concentrators that are small, lightweight, and can be used for a long time has also progressed. They can be used not only when visiting the hospital but also outdoors for shopping, leisure, etc., which helps to improve the QOL of patients.

[0003] Since oxygen concentrators are used not only during the day but also during nighttime sleep, quiet operation of the device is required. Most oxygen concentrators employ a pressure swing adsorption type oxygen concentrator using an adsorbent that selectively adsorbs nitrogen more than oxygen under pressure, and are equipped with power elements such as compressors and motors, and cooling fans, etc., which become noise sources together with the intake and exhaust sounds during oxygen generation. Therefore, silencers are installed in the intake pipe for raw air and the exhaust pipe for exhausting adsorbed nitrogen, and various measures such as a duct structure for noise reduction and the attachment of sound-absorbing members to the housing are taken. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-255850 (Patent Document 1) discloses a soundproof box for an oxygen concentrator in which a duct structure with a sound-absorbing material bonded thereto is provided in the ventilation path and exhaust path of the housing.

[0004] On the one hand, for the portable oxygen concentrator to be convenient for patients to carry and available for outdoor use, miniaturization, lightweight, and power saving are prioritized over the loudness of the generated sound, and the components for quieting tend to be reduced. Although the quieting technology of the compressor itself has improved due to recent technological advancements, the noise level is higher compared to stationary devices. There is also a demand for using two devices, a stationary one at home and an oxygen cylinder or a portable oxygen concentrator when going out, but they are expensive devices, and the increased cost burden of the equipment becomes an issue. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-136274 (Patent Document 2) discloses a portable box made of a material having a sound insulation function for housing a portable oxygen concentrator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] To house a portable oxygen concentrator in a silent box and achieve a silent effect, airtightness is required to prevent sound leakage. On the other hand, the motor, compressor, and semiconductor for controlling them mounted in the portable oxygen concentrator are also heat sources, and it is necessary to cool the inside of the device to maintain the nitrogen adsorption efficiency of the adsorbent. In the silent box described in Patent Document 2, an exhaust fan is separately provided to prevent the temperature rise inside the box.

[0007] The requirements for a portable device, such as miniaturization, lightweight, low noise, power saving, and a solution to the problem of heat exhaust, are contradictory. Attaching an exhaust fan to the silent box requires a new power source and also becomes a noise source. The present invention reexamines the method of housing the device in the silent box and, by using an exhaust duct in combination, has found a method to simultaneously solve the problems of low noise, power saving, and heat exhaust.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] The present invention is a silent box having a housing portion for housing a device that generates noise therein, and the housing of the silent box is provided with an opening / closing door, a box air intake for taking in outside air into the silent box, and a box air outlet for exhausting the air inside the silent box. The silent box also includes an exhaust duct inside for guiding the exhaust to the box air outlet, and is characterized in that when the opening / closing door is closed, the device exhaust port of the device housed in the housing portion is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct. Such a silent box allows the housing portion to be exposed by opening the opening / closing door, and enables the device to be housed in the housing portion. The device to be housed is air-cooled and has a device air intake and a device exhaust port. When the opening / closing door is closed, the housing portion moves, and the device exhaust port comes into close contact with the exhaust duct, so that the exhaust heat air after cooling is directly exhausted to the outside of the system.

[0009] The present invention also provides a silent box having a housing portion in which the housing portion is coupled to an opening / closing door and houses an air-cooled device having a built-in air-cooling fan and having an air intake and an air outlet in its housing. The opening / closing door provided on the side surface of the silent box has a rotating shaft provided horizontally below the box. By pulling the upper part of the side surface forward, the opening / closing door opens obliquely upward with the rotating shaft as a fulcrum. The housing portion is provided inside the opening / closing door, and the silent box is provided with an exhaust duct. The device exhaust port and the inlet of the exhaust duct are in close contact in conjunction with the operation of closing the opening door. The present invention also provides a silent box for a portable oxygen concentrator, wherein the device is an adsorption type oxygen concentrator.

[0010] The present invention also provides an oxygen supply system comprising an adsorption type oxygen concentrator and a silent box having a housing portion for housing the same therein, the silent box having an opening / closing door, a box air inlet for taking in outside air into the silent box, and a box air outlet for exhausting the air inside the silent box, and further having an exhaust duct inside for guiding the exhaust air to the box air outlet, wherein in a state where the opening / closing door is closed, the air outlet of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator housed in the housing portion is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct. The opening / closing door is provided on the side surface of the silent box and is connected to the box body via a horizontal rotation axis provided below the silent box. By pulling the upper portion of the opening / closing door forward, the opening / closing door opens obliquely upward with the rotation axis as a fulcrum, and the air outlet of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator housed in the housing portion from obliquely above can be in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct by closing the opening / closing door.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] In the silent box of the present invention, by the opening operation of the opening / closing door, the housing portion moves to a position exposed at the opening so that the operation of housing the device is easy, and by the closing operation, the housing portion moves to a position where the air outlet of the device is in close contact with the exhaust duct, thereby ensuring good housing operability and achieving both the function of preventing a decrease in cooling efficiency due to air leakage between the air outlet of the device and the exhaust duct. Further, from the viewpoint of noise reduction, it is preferable that the device is housed near the center of the silent box, and from this point as well, a structure in which the housing portion moves near the center of the box by the operation of opening and closing the door is preferable.

[0012] Furthermore, the opening / closing door is provided on the side surface of the silent box and is connected by a horizontal rotation axis provided at the lower part of the silent box. The door is opened and closed by pulling it obliquely downward forward. By connecting the housing portion to the inside of the door, by the force of closing the door, using the principle of a lever, with this small operating force, the inlet of the exhaust duct provided inside and the air outlet of the device can be brought into close contact, and the exhaust path can be connected without causing air leakage.

[0013] In addition, by connecting it to the inside of the storage section and the opening / closing door, a structure can be realized in which the storage section moves without requiring a complicated mechanism. The opening / closing door and the storage section may be an integrally molded member, or may be joined by a bonding material or a bonding material provided 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.

[0014] The cooling fan mounted on equipment such as an oxygen concentrator to be stored also serves as a cooling means for the silent box. With such a structure, it is possible to prevent the temperature inside the silent box from rising without providing a heat exhaust means such as a new air-cooling fan inside the box. In addition, the exhaust duct also realizes a noise reduction effect, and solves the problems of low noise, power saving, heat exhaust, and operability at once.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] The case where an oxygen concentrator is used as equipment to be stored inside the box to reduce noise in the silent box of the present invention will be described as an example.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a schematic device configuration diagram of an adsorption type oxygen concentrator, which is one of the devices incorporated in the silent box of the present invention. 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 rather than oxygen, supply valves 103, exhaust valves 104, and equalizing valves 105, which are flow path switching means for switching the adsorption and desorption processes. The oxygen enriched gas separated and generated from the raw air is adjusted to a predetermined flow rate by a pressure regulating valve 108 and a control valve 109, which are flow rate setting devices, and then supplied to the user using a cannula 111.

[0018] Ordinary air contains approximately 21% oxygen gas, approximately 77% nitrogen gas, 0.8% argon gas, and 1.2% other gases such as carbon dioxide. In such a device, oxygen required as breathing gas is separated and extracted. The separation of the oxygen enriched gas is carried out by controlling the opening and closing of the supply valve 103 and the exhaust valve 104 with respect to an adsorption cylinder filled with an adsorbent made of zeolite or the like that selectively adsorbs nitrogen molecules rather than oxygen molecules in the adsorption process, and switching the flow path to the adsorption cylinder 102 to which the raw air is supplied, thereby sequentially supplying pressurized air from the compressor 101 and selectively adsorbing and removing approximately 77% of the nitrogen gas contained in the raw air in the pressurized adsorption cylinder.

[0019] The above-mentioned adsorption cylinder is composed of a cylindrical container filled with an adsorbent that selectively adsorbs nitrogen rather than oxygen. The number of adsorption cylinders is determined in relation to the oxygen generation amount. In order to continuously and efficiently produce oxygen enriched gas from raw air, it is preferable to use the two-cylinder type or multi-cylinder type adsorption cylinders shown in FIG. 1. The oxygen enriched gas mainly composed of oxygen not adsorbed by the adsorption cylinder flows into the product tank 107 through a check valve 106 provided so as not to flow back into the adsorption cylinder and is temporarily stored.

[0020] In order to continuously generate oxygen enriched gas, it is necessary to desorb and remove the nitrogen adsorbed on the adsorbent filled in the adsorption cylinder. Therefore, in the desorption process, the supply valve is closed and the exhaust valve is opened to connect the adsorption cylinder to the exhaust line, switch the pressurized adsorption cylinder to the atmosphere open state, desorb the nitrogen adsorbed in the pressurized state, and regenerate the adsorbent.

[0021] In the two adsorption cylinders, the operation control is carried out with each process shifted. When the adsorption process is carried out in one adsorption cylinder to generate oxygen, the desorption process is carried out in the other adsorption cylinder to regenerate the adsorbent, and oxygen is continuously generated by switching each process.

[0022] An oxygen-enriched gas is produced from the raw air and temporarily stored in the product tank 107. The oxygen-enriched gas stored in this product tank contains a high-concentration oxygen-enriched gas such as 95%, for example. After its supply flow rate and pressure are controlled by a flow rate setter such as a pressure regulating valve 108 and a control valve 109, it is supplied to the patient. The flow rate and oxygen concentration of the oxygen-enriched gas supplied to the user are detected by an ultrasonic oxygen concentration / flow rate sensor, and the rotation speed of the compressor and the opening and closing time of the flow path switching valve can be feedback-controlled based on the oxygen concentration detection value and the oxygen supply flow rate value to control oxygen generation.

[0023] As an adsorbent filled in the adsorption cylinder that selectively adsorbs nitrogen rather than oxygen, molecular sieve zeolites such as Na-X type, Li-X type, and MD-X type adsorb nitrogen and at the same time adsorb moisture in the air. Therefore, the generated oxygen-enriched gas is separated as a gas in a nearly completely dry state. In order to prevent drying of the nostrils and the like caused by continuously inhaling such an oxygen-enriched gas, a humidifier may be installed in the middle of the pipe connecting the product tank for primary storage of the generated oxygen-enriched gas and the cannula for supplying oxygen to the patient.

[0024] The adsorption type oxygen concentrator 100 takes in outside air from the air inlet 112 (equipment air inlet) into the device, adsorbs and removes nitrogen in the raw air, separates and supplies oxygen, and removes the nitrogen adsorbed on the adsorbent under reduced pressure and exhausts it from the exhaust port 113 (equipment exhaust port). In addition, components such as the compressor 101 built in the device and the electronic control means for controlling the switching of the flow path of the adsorption cylinder generate heat, so it is necessary to cool them. Therefore, the oxygen concentrator is equipped with a cooling fan 110, takes in outside air from the air inlet 112 for air cooling, and discharges the exhaust heat air from the exhaust port 113 to the outside of the system together with the nitrogen-rich air.

[0025] [Silent Box] For portable oxygen concentrators, miniaturization, light weight, and power saving are the top requirements. To achieve such specifications, structural members for noise reduction tend to be reduced. However, since oxygen inhalation therapy is performed not only during the day but also during nighttime sleep, noise reduction is also required so as not to disturb the sleep of the patient and their family. The present invention develops a silent box as a noise reduction measure for home use and adopts a method of storing a portable oxygen concentrator in the silent box for use.

[0026] Embodiments of the silent box of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the silent box, showing the state where the opening / closing door is closed (2A) and the state where the opening / closing door is opened and the oxygen concentrator is stored (2B). FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the silent box, showing the state where the opening / closing door is open (3A) and the state where the opening / closing door is closed (3B). FIG. 4 shows a process diagram for storing the oxygen concentrator in the silent box.

[0027] The silent box 200 includes a resin housing 201 with a hollow interior, an intake port 202 (box intake port) for taking air into the silent box, and an exhaust port 203 (box exhaust port) for exhausting air including exhaust heat air to the outside of the system. An exhaust duct 204 is directly connected to the exhaust port 203. The side surface of the soundproof box serves as the opening / closing door 205. Instead of a method of opening a single-opening side door or the top surface, it is provided with a rotating shaft 210 at the lower part of the side surface, and has a structure that opens obliquely upward by pulling the upper part of the door forward with the lower rotating shaft of the opening / closing door as a fulcrum.

[0028] Inside such an opening / closing door 205, there is a storage part 206 for storing the portable oxygen concentrator 100. With such a structure, while opening the door of the silent box with one hand, holding the oxygen concentrator 100 with the other hand and sliding it into the storage part of the door, the oxygen concentrator can be easily stored.

[0029] The position of the storage part 206 installed inside the opening / closing door 205 is set so that the exhaust port 113 of the device to be stored coincides with the position of the exhaust duct 204. By closing the opening / closing door 205, the exhaust port of the housed oxygen concentrator and the inlet of the exhaust duct of the silent box are in close contact and connected, so that the exhaust of the oxygen concentrator can be directly exhausted to the outside of the system without circulating inside the silent box.

[0030] When a device storage part is installed on the opening / closing door, since the position of the center of gravity is on the door side, if the device is stored with the opening / closing door open obliquely, the silent box is likely to fall. Although not shown, the lower part of the silent box of the present invention is provided with a weight for preventing the silent box from tipping over in response to changes in the position of the center of gravity during device storage.

[0031] Power saving is also one of the important requirement specifications for the oxygen concentrator. For a portable device, it affects the battery usage time when going out. Although there is a power supply since the silent box is used at home, it is desirable to avoid a structure that requires new power such as providing a cooling mechanism in the silent box in order to reduce the power cost. By providing an exhaust duct 204 directly connected to the exhaust port 113 of the oxygen concentrator 100, it is possible to take in outside air into the silent box and exhaust the air from the silent box by the blowing ability of the cooling fan 110 of the oxygen concentrator.

[0032] In order to enhance the sound insulation effect, the inner surface of the exhaust duct 204 can be lined with a sound-absorbing material or have a multi-stage bending structure. However, since the sound-absorbing material has a heat-insulating effect and the multi-stage bending structure increases the exhaust resistance, in order to exhaust the exhaust heat air to the outside of the system only by the cooling fan built in the oxygen concentrator, it is preferable to use a straight exhaust duct and discharge it directly from the exhaust port 203 without providing a special structure.

[0033] The sound insulation effect can be achieved by lining the inner surface of the housing of the silent box with a sound-absorbing material. However, in order to exert the exhaust heat effect inside the box, it is better not to provide such a sound-absorbing material inside.

[0034] Between the opening / closing door and the housing, a foam material with independent bubbles is used as the sealing material 207. Preferably, a urethane foam material having a predetermined thickness is used. By having low resilience cushioning performance, the exhaust port of the oxygen concentrator and the exhaust duct can be brought into close contact simultaneously with the closing of the door, preventing exhaust leakage from the connection part. It is preferable to provide the same foam material 211 at the inlet of the exhaust duct to ensure tight adhesion.

[0035] The first purpose of the silent box is to prevent sound leakage, and the openings should be minimized. The intake port 202 for taking in the raw air and cooling air necessary for oxygen generation, the exhaust port 203 for discharging the exhaust heat air containing nitrogen, and the opening for the alarm sound, etc. should be minimized. On the other hand, it is necessary to take out the oxygen generated by the oxygen concentrator from the silent box. In the present invention, the housing of the silent box is provided with an oxygen supply connection part 208, and by connecting the oxygen supply end 114 of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator and the 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.

[0036] On the premise that the patient uses it while observing a predetermined method in this way, the silent box is designed, but the patient does not always observe it. By using a foam material with independent bubbles having a predetermined thickness between the opening / closing door and the housing as the sealing material 207, when returning home while using the portable oxygen concentrator with the nasal cannula 111 connected, and storing the device in the silent box, the nasal cannula can be pulled out from the sealing part of the opening / closing door while maintaining the airtightness for sound leakage prevention in the state where it is still connected. Therefore, it is preferable that the sealing material is provided with a thickness larger than the diameter of the cannula. For example, when using a cannula with an outer diameter of 7 mm, a 10 mm thick low resilience urethane foam can be used as the sealing material 207. Thereby, without crushing the cannula and without causing sound leakage or air leakage, the opening / closing door of the silent box can be closed and oxygen can be supplied through the cannula.

[0037] On the upper surface of the housing of the silent box, a window 209 made of a transparent resin material such as acrylic or polycarbonate is provided so that the display part of the oxygen concentrator can be visually recognized from the outside. By extracting a device signal from the housed oxygen concentrator and separately providing a display part in the silent box, the visibility of the operation status of the device from the outside is significantly improved. However, this causes problems such as the trouble of signal connection, an increase in manufacturing cost, and an increase in power consumption. Therefore, it is preferable to deal with it by direct visual recognition with the naked eye through the transparent window.

Industrial Applicability

[0038] The silent box of the present invention can provide a device that uses a device such as an oxygen concentrator at home even at night, silences a device whose noise is a concern by housing it, and at the same time solves the problems of power saving and exhaust heat. In addition, by using a small and lightweight medical device that can be carried around usually, the movement range of the patient can be expanded and the QOL can be improved.

Explanation of Signs

[0039] 100 Adsorption type oxygen concentrator 101 Compressor 102 Adsorption cylinder 103 Supply valve 104 Exhaust valve 105 Equalizing valve 106 Check valve 107 Product tank 108 Pressure regulating valve 109 Control valve 110 Cooling fan 111 Cannula (nasal cannula) 112 Intake port (device intake port) 113 Exhaust port (device exhaust port) 114 Oxygen supply end 200 Silent box 201 Housing 202 Intake port (box intake port) 203 Exhaust port (box exhaust port) 204 Exhaust duct 205 Opening / closing door 206 Storage section 207 Sealing material 208 Oxygen supply connection part 209 Window 210 Rotation axis 211 Foam material

Claims

1. A silent box having a housing part for housing a device that generates noise inside, the housing of the silent box is provided with an opening / closing door, a box air intake for taking in outside air into the silent box, a box air outlet for exhausting the air inside the silent box, and is internally provided with an exhaust duct for guiding the exhaust to the box air outlet, in a state where the opening / closing door is closed, the device exhaust port of the device housed in the housing part is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct, the housing part is coupled to the opening / closing door, and in conjunction with the operation of closing the opening / closing door, the device housed in the housing part moves to a predetermined position, and the device exhaust port is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct. A silent box characterized by the above.

2. The opening / closing door is provided on the side surface of the silent box, is connected to the box body via a horizontal rotating shaft provided below the silent box, and by pulling the upper part of the opening / closing door forward, it opens obliquely upward with the rotating shaft as a fulcrum, and the device can be stored in the housing part from obliquely above. The silent box according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The device further has a cooling fan, which takes in cooling air from the outside air into the silent box by the cooling fan, cools the inside of the silent box, cools the inside of the device by the cooling air taken in from the device air intake, and discharges it to the outside through the exhaust duct from the device exhaust port. The silent box according to claim 2, characterized in that.

4. The silent box according to claim 3, characterized in that a sealing material made of an independent bubble foam material is provided between the opening / closing door and the housing of the silent box.

5. The silent box according to claim 4, wherein the device is an adsorption type oxygen concentrator.

6. The housing of the silent box is provided with an oxygen supply connection part, and the silent box according to claim 5, characterized in that it is provided with a relay tube for connecting the oxygen supply end of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator and the oxygen supply connection part.

7. An adsorption type oxygen concentrator and a silent box having a housing part for housing it inside are provided, the housing of the silent box is provided with an opening / closing door, a box air intake for taking in outside air into the silent box, a box air outlet for exhausting the air inside the silent box, and is internally provided with an exhaust duct for guiding the exhaust to the box air outlet, in a state where the opening / closing door is closed, the exhaust port of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator housed in the housing part is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct, The housing part is combined with the opening and closing door, and in conjunction with the operation of closing the opening and closing door, the adsorption type oxygen concentrator accommodated in the housing part moves to a predetermined position, and the exhaust port of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct. An oxygen supply system characterized by this.

8. The opening and closing door is provided on the side surface of the silent box, and is connected to the box body via a horizontal rotating shaft provided below the silent box. By pulling the upper part of the opening and closing door forward, it opens obliquely upward with the rotating shaft as a fulcrum, and at the same time, the exhaust port of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator stored in the housing part from obliquely above is in close contact with the inlet of the exhaust duct when the opening and closing door is closed. The oxygen supply system according to claim 7, characterized by this.

9. The oxygen supply system according to claim 8, characterized in that an oxygen supply connection part is provided on the housing of the silent box, and an intermediate tube for connecting the oxygen supply end of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator and the oxygen supply connection part is provided.

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