Molecular tower and oxygen generator having molecular tower

Abstract

Provided are a molecular tower (1000), and an oxygen generator having said molecular tower (1000). The molecular tower comprises: a molecular tower body (100) having a shell (110), an air inlet (102) and an air outlet (103), the shell (110) defining an adsorption chamber (101) used to accommodate an adsorbent, and the air outlet (103) being in communication with the adsorption chamber (101); and a diffuser (200) mounted in the molecular tower body (100), at least a portion of the diffuser (200) extending into the adsorption chamber (101), the diffuser (200) having a diffusion chamber (210), the diffusion chamber (210) being in communication with the air inlet (102), multiple diffusion ports (220) being provided on the portion of the diffuser (200) extending into the adsorption chamber, and each diffusion port (220) being in communication with the diffusion chamber (210) and the adsorption chamber (101).

Description

Molecular tower and oxygen concentrator having the same

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Chinese patent application No. 202310723534.6, filed with the Patent Office of China on June 16, 2023, and entitled “Molecular Tower and Oxygen Generator,” the entire text of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of oxygen concentrators, and in particular to a molecular tower and an oxygen concentrator. Background Art

[0004] Patients with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as those living in high-altitude areas with severe hypoxia, often need to inhale high-purity oxygen. This is why oxygen concentrators have emerged. Common oxygen concentrators typically use air as a raw material and utilize a pressure swing adsorption process to separate oxygen and nitrogen from the air using an adsorbent to produce oxygen.

[0005] The molecular tower is used to house adsorbents (e.g., molecular sieves) and is a core component of the oxygen concentrator. After air enters the molecular tower, the molecular sieves adsorb gases such as water, CO2, and N2, while the remaining oxygen is discharged into an oxygen storage tank for storage. However, in traditional molecular towers, only some of the molecular sieves can fully mix with the air, while other molecular sieves do not fully contact the air. This results in low oxygen production efficiency in the molecular tower, which in turn affects the oxygen production efficiency of the oxygen concentrator.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a molecular tower, comprising:

[0008] a molecular tower body having a shell and an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the shell defines an adsorption chamber for accommodating an adsorbent, and the air outlet is communicated with the adsorption chamber; and

[0009] A diffuser is installed in the molecular tower body, at least part of the diffuser extends into the interior of the adsorption chamber, and the diffuser has a diffusion cavity, which is connected to the air inlet.

[0010] Wherein, a plurality of diffusion ports are provided on the portion of the diffuser extending into the adsorption chamber, and each diffusion port is connected with the diffusion chamber and the adsorption chamber.

[0011] In one embodiment, the diffuser may extend longitudinally along a first direction, and a plurality of the diffusion ports may be provided on a circumferential side wall and / or a bottom wall of the diffuser.

[0012] In one embodiment, the plurality of diffusion ports opened on the circumferential side wall of the diffuser may be arranged at intervals around the circumference of the diffuser to form a group of diffusion ports, and the plurality of groups of diffusion ports may be arranged at intervals along the first direction.

[0013] In one embodiment, the air outlet may be located on one side of the diffuser in the first direction; wherein,

[0014] The average air flow rate of each diffuser in each group of diffusers may gradually decrease in a direction toward the air outlet;

[0015] and / or, the average circumferential spacing between the diffusers in each group of diffusers gradually increases in a direction toward the air outlet;

[0016] And / or, the distance between two adjacent groups of diffusion ports in the first direction may gradually increase in the direction toward the air outlet.

[0017] In one embodiment, the plurality of diffusion ports opened on the bottom wall of the diffuser may be circumferentially arranged around the bottom wall of the diffuser to form a group of diffusion ports, and the plurality of groups of diffusion ports may be radially spaced apart along the bottom wall.

[0018] In one embodiment, the average air flow rate of each diffuser opening in each group of diffusers may gradually decrease in a direction toward the air outlet.

[0019] In one embodiment, the molecular tower body may include an air inlet end cover, the shell may be provided with an air inlet opening connected to the adsorption chamber, and the air inlet end cover may be provided with the air inlet and sealed to the air inlet opening.

[0020] In one embodiment, the molecular tower body may further include a first baffle and an elastic member. Both the first baffle and the elastic member may be mounted on the diffuser, and the elastic member may elastically abut between the first baffle and the air inlet end cover. The side of the first baffle facing away from the air inlet end cover may be used to abut the adsorbent.

[0021] In one embodiment, at least one of the air intake end cover and the first baffle may be provided with a limiting groove, and the end portion of the elastic member may be inserted into the limiting groove.

[0022] In one embodiment, a fixing portion for fixing the elastic member to the limiting groove may be provided in the limiting groove.

[0023] In one embodiment, the fixing portion may include a buckle and / or a magnetic member.

[0024] In one embodiment, the molecular tower may further include a first filter element. The first filter element may be disposed on an outer wall of the diffuser and cover at least a portion of the diffusion port.

[0025] In one embodiment, the molecular tower may further include a fastening member, which may be sleeved on the first filter element and fixedly connected to the air inlet end cover, and tighten the first filter element onto the diffuser.

[0026] In one embodiment, an annular mounting groove may be provided on the outer wall of the diffuser, and the fastening member may be sleeved in the mounting groove.

[0027] In one embodiment, the molecular tower body may include a gas outlet end cover, the shell may be provided with a gas outlet opening connected to the adsorption chamber, and the gas outlet end cover may be provided with the gas outlet and sealed to the gas outlet opening.

[0028] In one embodiment, the molecular tower body may further include a second baffle and a second filter element. The second baffle can be installed on the gas outlet end cover and has a plurality of connecting holes. The connecting holes can connect the adsorption chamber and the gas outlet. The second filter element can be installed between the second baffle and the gas outlet end cover and cover at least part of the connecting holes.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present application, an oxygen concentrator includes the molecular tower as described above.

[0030] By utilizing the above-mentioned molecular tower, the gas to be separated can be directly pushed into the interior of the adsorption chamber through the diffuser. This not only allows the gas to be quickly dispersed into the adsorption chamber, but also allows the adsorbent inside the adsorption chamber to fully contact with the gas to be separated, thereby accelerating the contact time between the adsorbent and the gas to be separated, and improving the contact efficiency between the adsorbent and the gas to be separated, thereby improving the efficiency of preparing the required gas.

[0031] Taking the molecular tower used to produce oxygen in an oxygen concentrator as an example, the gas to be separated is air, and the adsorbent can be a molecular sieve. After the air input from the air inlet diffuses in the diffusion chamber, it enters the adsorption chamber through multiple diffusion ports, allowing the air to fully contact the molecular sieve inside the adsorption chamber, allowing the molecular sieve to quickly adsorb gases such as water, CO2, and N2 in the air. The remaining oxygen is discharged from the air outlet, completing the oxygen production of the molecular tower.

[0032] By using a diffuser to quickly disperse the air into the adsorption chamber, the contact time between the adsorbent and the air can be accelerated, the oxygen production efficiency of the oxygen generator can be improved, and the oxygen concentration can be guaranteed. At the same time, the diffuser can also help shorten the adsorption time of the adsorbent, which will be beneficial for the subsequent nitrogen desorption of the adsorbent, thereby ensuring the nitrogen adsorption capacity of the adsorbent and improving its performance life, thereby ensuring the life of the oxygen generator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a molecular tower according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] FIG2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the molecular tower in FIG1 , wherein a portion of the first filter element is removed to illustrate the diffusion port of the diffuser.

[0035] FIG3 is an enlarged view of point A in FIG2 .

[0036] FIG4 is a front view of a diffuser according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a top view of the diffuser of FIG. 4 .

[0038] FIG6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the diffuser of FIG4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0041] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0042] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connected," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, these terms may refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, if a first feature is described as being "above" or "below" a second feature, or similar descriptions, this may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, when a first feature is described as being "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is described as being "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0044] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiment.

[0045] In traditional molecular towers, adsorbents are usually poured directly into the molecular tower and then vibrated and compacted. Although this method is simple and convenient, when the gas to be separated passes through the molecular tower, most of the gas to be separated flows in a straight direction from the inlet of the molecular tower to the outlet of the molecular tower. Therefore, the gas to be separated can only fully contact with part of the adsorbent and cannot fully contact with the adsorbent located in the corner of the molecular tower, resulting in low contact efficiency between the gas to be separated and the entire adsorbent, which in turn causes the molecular sieve to be unable to quickly adsorb the gas to be separated, thereby affecting the oxygen production efficiency.

[0046] To this end, referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, an embodiment of the present application provides a molecular tower 1000, which includes a molecular tower body 100, and the molecular tower body 100 has a shell 110, an air inlet 102 and an air outlet 103. The shell 110 defines or forms an adsorption chamber 101 for accommodating an adsorbent 300. The air inlet 102 is used to input the gas to be separated into the adsorption chamber 101. The air outlet 103 is connected to the adsorption chamber 101. When the molecular tower is used to prepare oxygen, the gas to be separated is adsorbed by the adsorbent 300 in the adsorption chamber 101 to form gases such as CO2 and N2, and the remaining oxygen is discharged from the air outlet 103 to complete the oxygen production.

[0047] In order to increase the contact area and contact speed between the adsorbent 300 and the gas to be separated, the molecular tower also includes a diffuser 200. The diffuser 200 is installed in the molecular tower body 100 and has a diffusion chamber 210 and a plurality of diffusion ports 220. The diffusion chamber 210 is connected to the gas inlet 102. Each diffusion port 220 connects the diffusion chamber 210 and the adsorption chamber 101. Among them, at least a portion of the diffuser 200 extends into the interior of the adsorption chamber 101, and the portion of the diffuser 200 extending into the adsorption chamber 101 is provided with a plurality of diffusion ports 220. By extending the diffuser 200 into the interior of the adsorption chamber 101, the gas to be separated can be directly pushed into the interior of the adsorption chamber 101 through the diffuser 200. This not only allows the gas to be quickly dispersed into the adsorption chamber 101, but also allows the adsorbent 300 located inside the adsorption chamber 101 to fully contact the gas to be separated, thereby accelerating the contact time between the adsorbent 300 and the gas to be separated, and improving the contact efficiency between the adsorbent 300 and the gas to be separated, thereby improving the efficiency of preparing the required gas.

[0048] Taking the molecular tower 1000 described above as an example for producing oxygen in an oxygen concentrator, the gas to be separated is air, and the adsorbent 300 is a molecular sieve. Air input from the air inlet 102 diffuses within the diffusion chamber 210 before entering the adsorption chamber 101 through multiple diffusion ports 220. This allows the air to fully contact the molecular sieve within the adsorption chamber 101, enabling the molecular sieve to rapidly adsorb gases such as water, CO2, and N2 in the air. The remaining oxygen is then discharged through the air outlet 103, completing the oxygen production process in the molecular tower.

[0049] By using the diffuser 200 to quickly disperse the air into the interior of the adsorption chamber 101, the contact time between the adsorbent 300 and the air can be accelerated, the oxygen production efficiency of the oxygen generator can be improved, and the oxygen concentration can be guaranteed. At the same time, the diffuser 200 is also conducive to shortening the adsorption time of the adsorbent 300, which will be beneficial to the subsequent nitrogen desorption of the adsorbent 300, thereby ensuring the nitrogen adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 300 and improving its performance life, thereby ensuring the life of the oxygen generator.

[0050] It should be noted that the above molecular tower can also be used for separation and preparation of other gases, and it is only necessary to change the corresponding gas to be separated and the adsorbent 300, and no limitation is made here.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present application, the molecular tower body 100 extends longitudinally along a first direction X, and the air inlet 102 and the air outlet 103 are respectively arranged at both ends of the molecular tower body 100 in the first direction X. An adsorption chamber 101 extending longitudinally along the first direction X is formed inside the molecular tower body 100. In order to improve the contact effect between the diffuser 200 and the adsorbent 300 in the adsorption chamber 101, the diffuser 200 also extends longitudinally along the first direction X. In this way, the diffuser 200 and the adsorption chamber 101 extend longitudinally in the same direction, so that more of the diffuser 200 can be located in the adsorption chamber 101. The length of the diffuser 200 extending into the interior of the adsorption chamber 101 is one-third to three-quarters of the length of the adsorption chamber 101, for example, one-half, two-thirds, three-fifths, etc. The length of the diffuser 200 extending into the adsorption chamber 101 is related to the size of the diffuser 200, the size of the adsorption chamber 101 and the structural design of the diffuser 200. As long as the length of the diffuser 200 extending into the adsorption chamber 101 can make the gas pressure in the adsorption chamber 101 uniform and / or the adsorbent in the adsorption chamber can more fully contact with the gas to be separated, thereby facilitating gas separation, it is acceptable.

[0052] The diffuser 200 is fixedly mounted on the molecular tower body 100 at one end away from the gas outlet 103 in the first direction X, and a plurality of diffusion ports 220 are provided on the circumferential side wall 201 of the diffuser 200. The circumferential side wall 201 refers to the surface of the diffuser 200 extending longitudinally along the first direction X. When the gas to be separated enters the adsorption chamber 101 from the diffusion ports 220 on the side wall of the diffuser 200, it can directly contact the adsorbent 300 inside the adsorption chamber 101. Since the diffuser 200 is arranged away from the gas outlet 103 (i.e., the diffuser 200 is arranged adjacent to the gas inlet 102, and there is a certain distance between the end of the diffuser 200 and the gas outlet 103), the gas to be separated entering the adsorption chamber 101 through the diffusion ports 220 can fully contact the adsorbent 300 in the process of entering the gas outlet 103, thereby ensuring the gas separation effect of the gas to be separated.

[0053] In some embodiments, multiple diffusion ports 220 are arranged in a group at circumferential intervals around the diffuser 200, and multiple groups of diffusion ports 220 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, so that the multiple diffusion ports 220 are evenly arranged on the side wall of the diffuser 200, thereby making the contact between the gas to be separated pushed by the diffuser 200 and the adsorbent 300 in the adsorption chamber 101 more uniform.

[0054] Among them, since all the gases to be separated pushed by the diffuser 200 need to flow toward the gas outlet 103, and the gas outlet 103 is located on one side of the diffuser 200 in the first direction X, the gas pressure of the gas to be separated in the adsorption chamber 101 gradually increases as the distance to the gas outlet 103 decreases, that is, the gas pressure of the gas to be separated in the adsorption chamber 101 may be uneven up and down and / or uneven in the radial direction of the cavity, thereby affecting the adsorption effect of the adsorbent 300 on the gas to be separated.

[0055] To this end, in a further embodiment, the average air flow rate of each group of diffusers 220 can be controlled to gradually decrease in the direction toward the gas outlet 103, that is, the flow rate of the gas to be separated of the diffusers 220 away from the gas outlet 103 is large, so that the air pressure of the gas to be separated output by the diffusers away from the gas outlet 103 is higher, while the flow rate of the gas to be separated of the diffusers 220 close to the gas outlet 103 is small, so that the air pressure of the gas to be separated output by the diffusers away from the gas outlet 103 is lower, but since the diffuser 220 is close to the gas outlet 103, the gas to be separated pushed out by other diffusers 220 will converge at the diffuser 220, thereby increasing the air pressure of the gas to be separated at the diffuser 220. In this way, after the gas to be separated diffuses into the adsorption chamber 101 through the diffuser 200, the gas to be separated in the adsorption chamber 101 will be in a uniform state as a whole, so that the gas pressure on the adsorbent 300 will also be more uniform, so that the adsorption of the gas to be separated and the adsorbent 300 will be more sufficient, thereby improving the separation effect of the gas to be separated and ensuring the concentration of the separated gas (such as oxygen).

[0056] Specifically, as shown in the embodiments of the diffuser in Figures 4 to 6, in each group of diffuser ports 220 of the diffuser 200, the diffuser ports 220 away from the gas outlet 103 have a large average diameter, a large average air flow rate of the diffuser ports 220, and a high pressure of the gas to be separated pushed out of the diffuser ports 220. However, the diffuser ports 220 close to the gas outlet 103 have a small average diameter, and the pressure of the gas to be separated pushed out of the diffuser ports 220 is low. However, since the diffuser ports 220 are close to the gas outlet 103, the gas to be separated pushed out of other diffuser ports 220 will converge at the diffuser ports 220, thereby increasing the pressure of the gas to be separated at the diffuser ports 220. Optionally, as shown in Figure 6, the diameters of all the diffuser ports 220 in each group of diffuser ports 220 are the same, and the diameters of the diffuser ports 220 in each group of diffuser ports 220 gradually decrease in the direction toward the gas outlet 103.

[0057] Based on the same principle, as shown in FIG6 , each diffuser opening 220 in each group of diffusers 220 can also be constructed so that the average circumferential spacing therebetween gradually increases in the direction toward the gas outlet 103. In this way, a group of diffusers 220 away from the gas outlet 103 has a larger number of diffusers 220 because the spacing between two adjacent diffusers 220 along the circumferential direction of the diffuser 200 is small. Therefore, the pressure of the high-pressure gas near the diffuser opening 220 in this group is larger. On the contrary, a group of diffusers 220 close to the gas outlet 103 has a larger spacing between two adjacent diffusers 220 along the circumferential direction of the diffuser 200. 20 is relatively small in number, and the pressure of the high-pressure gas near this group of diffusers 220 is relatively small. However, since this group of diffusers 220 is close to the gas outlet 103, the gases to be separated pushed out by other diffusers 220 will converge at this diffuser 220, thereby increasing the pressure of the gases to be separated at this diffuser 220. The gases to be separated in the adsorption chamber 101 will be in a uniform state as a whole, so that the pressure of the gas received by the adsorbent 300 will also be more uniform, so that the adsorption of the gases to be separated and the adsorbent 300 will be more sufficient, thereby improving the separation effect of the gases to be separated and ensuring the concentration of the separated gases (such as oxygen).

[0058] Based on the same principle, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the spacing between two adjacent groups of diffusers 220 in the first direction X can be configured to gradually increase toward the gas outlet 103, thereby making the gas pressure on the adsorbent 300 more uniform, thereby ensuring more complete adsorption of the gas to be separated by the adsorbent 300, thereby improving the separation effect of the gas to be separated and ensuring the concentration of the separated gas (such as oxygen). In addition, as shown in Figure 5, a plurality of diffusers 220 are also arranged on the bottom wall 202 of the diffuser 200, wherein the plurality of diffusers 220 are arranged at intervals around the circumference of the bottom wall 202 of the diffuser 200 to form a group of diffusers 220. Therefore, a plurality of groups of diffusers 220 can also be arranged on the bottom wall 202 of the diffuser 200.

[0059] Similar to the aforementioned principle, in at least one embodiment, the size (e.g., diameter) of the diffusion openings 220 provided on the bottom wall 202 of the diffuser 200 decreases toward the center of the bottom wall 202, thereby gradually decreasing the average airflow rate of each of the diffusion openings 220 in each group of diffusion openings 220 in the direction toward the air outlet 103. In this way, the group of diffusion openings 220 on the bottom wall 202 of the diffuser 200 that is far from the air outlet 103 has a relatively large size, and the pressure of the high-pressure gas near this group of diffusion openings 220 is relatively high. On the contrary, the group of diffusion openings 220 that is close to the air outlet 103 (i.e., a group of diffusion openings close to the center of the bottom wall 202 of the diffuser 200, which may be one or more) has a relatively small size, and the pressure of the high-pressure gas near this group of diffusion openings 220 is relatively low. However, due to the This group of diffusion ports 220 is close to the gas outlet 103, so the gas to be separated pushed out by other diffusion ports 220 will converge at this diffusion port 220, thereby increasing the gas pressure of the gas to be separated at this diffusion port 220, which helps the gas to be separated in the adsorption chamber 101 to be in a uniform state as a whole, so that the gas pressure on the adsorbent 300 is also more uniform, so that the adsorption of the gas to be separated and the adsorbent 300 is more sufficient, thereby improving the separation effect of the gas to be separated and ensuring the concentration of the separated gas (such as oxygen).

[0060] In the embodiment of the present application, the molecular tower body 100 includes a shell 110 and an air inlet end cap 120. The shell 110 defines or forms an adsorption chamber 101 and an air inlet opening 111 communicating with the adsorption chamber 101. The air inlet end cap 120 is provided with an air inlet 102 and is sealed to the air inlet opening 111. When the adsorbent 300 is granular, for example, when the adsorbent 300 is a molecular sieve, the air inlet opening 111 can facilitate filling the adsorbent 300 into the adsorption chamber 101. After filling is completed, the air inlet end cap 120 seals the air inlet opening 111 to prevent gas in the adsorption chamber 101 from leaking through the air inlet opening 111.

[0061] Specifically, taking the molecular tower in the embodiment shown in Figure 2 as an example, in actual use, the air inlet end cover 120 can be removed first to open the air inlet opening 111, and the adsorbent 300 can be filled in through the air inlet opening 111 until the adsorbent 300 fills the bottom of the adsorption chamber 101. Then, the diffuser 200 is placed in the adsorption chamber 101, and then the adsorbent 300 is continued to be filled so that the periphery of the diffuser 200 is also filled with the adsorbent 300. Finally, the air inlet end cover 120 is installed to complete the assembly of the molecular tower and the filling of the adsorbent 300.

[0062] During the process of filling the adsorbent 300, it is necessary to ensure that the adsorbent 300 has a certain density. Therefore, the adsorbent 300 needs to be compacted. However, the force used to compact the adsorbent 300 should not be too strong to prevent damage to the adsorbent 300. To this end, in some embodiments, the air intake cover 120 includes a first baffle 121 and an elastic member 122. The first baffle 121 and the elastic member 122 are both sleeved on the diffuser 200, and the elastic member 122 elastically abuts between the first baffle 121 and the air intake cover 120. The side of the first baffle 121 facing away from the air intake cover 120 is used to abut the adsorbent 300.

[0063] In this way, after the periphery of the diffuser 200 is also filled with the adsorbent 300, the first baffle 121 is placed on the diffuser 200 and positioned on top of the filled adsorbent 300. The elastic member 122 is then placed on the diffuser 200 and abuts against the first baffle 121. When the air inlet cover 120 is then fixed to the housing 110, the air inlet cover 120 presses against the elastic member 122, which in turn applies pressure to the first baffle 121. Finally, the first baffle 121 compacts the adsorbent 300 in the adsorption chamber 101, making the adsorbent 300 more densely filled. The elastic member 122 indirectly provides a compressive force to the first baffle 121, which gradually increases the pressure applied by the first baffle 121 to the adsorbent 300, thereby gradually compacting the adsorbent 300 and avoiding direct application of excessive pressure to the adsorbent 300, which could damage the adsorbent 300.

[0064] To prevent molecular sieves from leaking into the space between the inlet end cap 120 and the first baffle 121, the molecular tower body 100 further includes a filter ring 126. The filter ring 126 is sleeved on the diffuser 200 and is located on the side of the first baffle 121 facing away from the inlet end cap 120. The first baffle 121 compacts the adsorbent 300 through the filter ring 126 and blocks the adsorbent 300 through the filter ring 126, preventing the adsorbent 300 from flowing between the inlet end cap 120 and the first baffle 121.

[0065] In order to improve the assembly efficiency of the molecular tower, in some embodiments, a limiting groove 123 is provided on the side of the air inlet end cover 120 facing the first baffle 121. One end of the elastic member 122 is inserted into the limiting groove 123, and the other end is abutted against the first baffle 121. The limiting groove 123 allows the elastic member 122 to be quickly installed on the air inlet end cover 120. In addition, during the installation of the air inlet end cover 120, sufficient pressure is applied to the elastic member 122 to compact the adsorbent 300. The limiting groove 123 can prevent the elastic member 122 from shifting relative to the air inlet end cover 120 when the force is applied, thereby ensuring that the direction of the pressure applied by the elastic member 122 to the first baffle 121 always remains in the same direction, thereby ensuring the compaction effect on the adsorbent 300.

[0066] Based on the same principle, a limiting groove 123 is also provided on the side of the first baffle 121 facing the air intake end cover 120. One end of the elastic member 122 is inserted into the limiting groove 123 of the air intake end cover 120, and the other end is inserted into the limiting groove 123 of the first baffle 121, so that the elastic member 122 can be quickly installed on the first baffle 121 through the limiting groove 123 on the first baffle 121. The cooperation of the two limiting grooves 123 can further prevent the elastic member 122 from being offset in the process of compacting the adsorbent 300, thereby affecting the compaction effect of the adsorbent 300 and damaging the adsorbent 300.

[0067] Furthermore, fixing portions (described in detail below) capable of fixing the elastic member 122 to the limiting groove 123 are provided in the limiting groove 123 of the air intake end cover 120 and the first baffle 121, thereby preventing the elastic member 122 from falling off from the limiting groove 123.

[0068] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the fixing portion includes a magnetic part 124 that can be magnetically attracted to the elastic part 122. When the elastic part 122 approaches the limiting groove 123, the elastic part 122 will be attracted by the magnetic part 124, so that the elastic part 122 automatically falls into the limiting groove 123. In this way, the elastic part 122 can be quickly installed in the limiting groove 123 through the magnetic part 124, further improving the installation efficiency of the molecular tower.

[0069] Furthermore, the fixing portion also includes a buckle 125 that can be matched with the elastic member 122. When the elastic member 122 is attracted by the magnetic member 124 and falls into the limiting groove 123, the elastic member 122 will be engaged with the buckle 125 to be fixed in the limiting groove 123 through the buckle 125 to prevent the elastic member 122 from falling off.

[0070] Optionally, the elastic member 122 is a spring made of metal so that the spring can attract the magnetic member 124, and the buckle 125 is at least one protrusion (for example, multiple protrusions) protruding from the side wall of the limiting groove 123. After one end of the spring is inserted into the limiting groove 123, it will be limited between the at least one protrusion and the bottom of the limiting groove 123 to prevent the spring from falling off from the limiting groove 123 through the protrusion.

[0071] In some embodiments, since the diffuser port 220 is connected to the adsorption chamber 101, the adsorbent 300 in the adsorption chamber 101 may enter the diffuser port 220, causing blockage of the diffuser port 220, or enter the gas channel through the diffuser 200, resulting in poor gas transport. To this end, the molecular tower further includes a first filter element 230, which is disposed on the outer wall of the diffuser 200 and covers the entire diffuser port 220, thereby preventing the adsorbent 300 from entering the diffuser port 220 through the first filter element 230.

[0072] Specifically, since the diffusion opening 220 is disposed on the circumferential sidewall 201 of the diffuser 200, the first filter element 230 can be sleeved onto the diffuser 200 to cover the circumferential sidewall 201 of the diffuser 200, thereby covering the entire diffusion opening 220. After the first filter element 230 is sleeved onto the diffuser 200, it is necessary to secure the first filter element 230 to prevent it from falling off during installation of the diffuser 200.

[0073] To this end, in some embodiments, the molecular tower further includes a tightening member 231. The tightening member 231 is sleeved onto the first filter element 230 and fixedly connected to the air inlet end cap 120, thereby tightening the first filter element 230 onto the diffuser 200, thereby securing the first filter element 230 to the diffuser 200. Furthermore, the fixed connection between the tightening member 231 and the air inlet end cap 120 also secures the diffuser 200 to the air inlet end cap 120.

[0074] Furthermore, the outer wall of the fastening member 231 may have an external thread, and the molecular tower 1000 also includes a fastening strip 232 fixedly mounted on the air inlet end cover 120, and the inner wall of the fastening strip 232 is provided with an internal thread threadedly connected to the external thread. In this way, the fastening strip 232 can not only achieve a fixed connection between the fastening member 231 and the air inlet end cover 120, but also the elasticity of the fastening strip 232 can make the fastening strip 232 further compress the fastening member 231, so that the fastening member 231 can tighten the first filter element 230.

[0075] Furthermore, an annular mounting groove 240 is provided on the outer wall of the diffuser 200 , and the fastening member 231 is sleeved in the mounting groove 240 , so that the fastening member 231 can be installed through the mounting groove 240 , making the installation of the fastening member 231 on the diffuser 200 more secure.

[0076] In some embodiments, the molecular tower further comprises a plurality of first screws 113, a plurality of first screw holes 115 are provided on the air inlet end cover 120, and a plurality of first mounting holes 116 are provided on the housing 110. Each first screw 113 is passed through a first screw hole 115 and a first mounting hole 116 to securely mount the air inlet end cover 120 on the housing 110. In order to prevent leakage of the gas to be separated, the molecular tower further comprises a first seal 127 and a second seal 128. The first seal 127 is sleeved at the connection between the diffuser 200 and the air inlet end cover 120 to seal the diffusion chamber 210 of the diffuser 200, and the second seal 128 is installed at the connection between the air inlet end cover 120 and the housing 110 to seal the air inlet opening 111 of the adsorption chamber 101.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, the molecular tower body 100 further includes an outlet end cap 130, the shell 110 is provided with an outlet opening 112 communicating with the adsorption chamber 101, and the outlet end cap 130 is provided with an inlet 102 and is sealed and installed at the outlet opening 112. In actual use, the shell 110 is provided with the adsorption chamber 101 along the first direction X, and the shell 110 is provided with the above-mentioned inlet opening 111 and outlet opening 112 at both ends of the first direction X, respectively. The inlet end cap 120 and the outlet end cap 130 are respectively installed at the inlet opening 111 and the outlet opening 112, so that the inlet 102 can be arranged away from the outlet 103, so that the path of the gas to be separated in the adsorption chamber 101 is longer and the separation effect is better.

[0078] In some embodiments, in order to prevent the adsorbent 300 from falling into the gas outlet 103, the molecular tower body 100 further includes a second baffle 131 and a second filter element 132. The second baffle 131 is mounted on the gas outlet end cover 130 and is provided with a plurality of connecting holes 135, which connect the adsorption chamber 101 and the gas outlet 103. The second filter element 132 is mounted between the second baffle 131 and the gas outlet end cover 130 and covers at least part of the connecting holes 135. In this way, the gas separated in the adsorption chamber 101 can enter the gas outlet through the connecting holes 135, and the second filter element 132 is arranged between the connecting holes 135 and the gas outlet, which ensures the passage of gas while preventing the adsorbent 300 from falling into the gas outlet, thereby avoiding clogging of the gas outlet.

[0079] Optionally, the second filter element 132 includes filter paper 133 and filter cotton 134 , and the filter cotton 134 is stacked on a side of the filter paper 133 facing away from the air outlet cover 130 .

[0080] In some embodiments, the molecular tower further includes a plurality of second screws 114, a plurality of second screw holes 117 are defined on the outlet end cap 130, and a plurality of second mounting holes 118 are defined on the housing 110. Each second screw 114 is inserted through a second screw hole 117 and a second mounting hole 118 to securely mount the outlet end cap 130 on the housing 110. To prevent leakage of the gas to be separated, the molecular tower further includes a third seal 136, which is installed at the connection between the outlet end cap 130 and the housing 110 to seal the outlet opening 112 of the adsorption chamber 101.

[0081] The present application also provides an oxygen concentrator, which includes the molecular tower as in any of the above embodiments. Since the oxygen concentrator includes all the technical features of the above molecular tower, the oxygen concentrator has all the technical effects of the above molecular tower, which will not be repeated here.

[0082] The oxygen concentrator also includes an adsorbent, which is filled in the adsorption chamber. Specifically, the adsorbent is a molecular sieve. The oxygen concentrator's boost system pressurizes the air to form high-pressure air, which is then fed into the molecular tower's air inlet 102. After being adsorbed by the molecular sieve, gases such as water, CO2, and N2 in the high-pressure air are adsorbed by the adsorbent 300, and the remaining oxygen is discharged from the air outlet 103, completing the oxygen production of the molecular tower.

[0083] By using the diffuser of the molecular tower to quickly disperse the air into the adsorption chamber, the contact time between the adsorbent and the air can be accelerated, the oxygen production efficiency of the oxygen generator can be improved, and the oxygen concentration can be guaranteed. At the same time, the diffuser can also help shorten the adsorption time of the adsorbent, which will be beneficial to the nitrogen desorption of the adsorbent, thereby ensuring the nitrogen and oxygen adsorption capacity of the adsorbent and improving its performance life, thereby ensuring the life of the oxygen generator.

[0084] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0085] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0086] Description of reference numerals:

[0087] 1000: molecular tower; 100: molecular tower body; 101: adsorption chamber; 102: air inlet; 103: air outlet;

[0088] 110: housing; 111: air inlet opening; 112: air outlet opening; 113: first screw; 114: second screw; 115: first screw hole; 116: first mounting hole; 117: second screw hole; 118: second mounting hole.

[0089] 120: Inlet cover; 121: First baffle; 122: Elastic member; 123: Limiting groove; 124: Magnetic member; 125: Buckle; 126: Filter ring; 127: First sealing member; 128: Second sealing member;

[0090] 130: outlet cover; 131: second baffle; 132: second filter element; 133: filter paper; 134: filter cotton; 135: connecting hole; 136: third sealing element;

[0091] 200: diffuser; 201: circumferential side wall; 202: bottom wall; 210: diffusion chamber; 220: diffusion port; 230: first filter element; 231: tightening member; 232: fastening rubber strip; 240: mounting groove;

[0092] 300: adsorbent;

[0093] X: First direction.

Claims

1. A molecular tower (1000), characterized in that: The molecular tower comprises: A molecular tower body (100) having a shell (110) and an air inlet (102) and an air outlet (103), wherein the shell (110) defines an adsorption chamber (101) for accommodating an adsorbent (300), and the air outlet (103) is connected to the adsorption chamber (101); and A diffuser (200) is installed in the molecular tower body (100), at least a portion of the diffuser (200) extends into the interior of the adsorption chamber (101), the diffuser (200) has a diffusion chamber (210), and the diffusion chamber (210) is connected to the air inlet (102). Wherein, a plurality of diffusion ports (220) are arranged on the portion of the diffuser (200) extending into the adsorption chamber (101), and each of the diffusion ports (220) is connected to the diffusion chamber (210) and the adsorption chamber (101).

2. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diffuser (200) extends longitudinally along a first direction (X), and a plurality of diffusion ports (220) are opened on a circumferential side wall (201) and / or a bottom wall (202) of the diffuser (200).

3. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of diffusion openings (220) opened on the circumferential side wall (201) of the diffuser (200) are arranged at intervals around the circumference of the diffuser (200) to form a group of diffusion openings, and the plurality of groups of diffusion openings (220) are arranged at intervals along the first direction (X).

4. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The air outlet (103) is located on one side of the diffuser (200) in the first direction (X); Wherein, the average air flow rate of each of the diffuser ports (220) in each group of diffuser ports (220) gradually decreases in a direction toward the air outlet (103); and / or, the average circumferential spacing between the diffuser openings (220) in each group of diffuser openings (220) gradually increases in a direction toward the air outlet (103); And / or, the distance between two adjacent groups of diffusion ports (220) in the first direction gradually increases in a direction toward the air outlet (103).

5. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of diffusion ports (220) opened on the bottom wall (202) of the diffuser (200) are arranged circumferentially around the bottom wall 202 (202) of the diffuser (200) to form a group of diffusion ports, and the plurality of groups of diffusion ports (220) are arranged at intervals along the radial direction of the bottom wall 202 (202).

6. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 5, characterized in that: The average air flow rate of each of the diffuser ports (220) in each group of diffuser ports (220) gradually decreases in a direction toward the air outlet (103).

7. The molecular tower (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The molecular tower body (100) comprises an air inlet end cover (120), the shell (110) is provided with an air inlet opening (111) connected to the adsorption chamber (101), and the air inlet end cover (120) is provided with the air inlet port (102) and is sealed and mounted on the air inlet opening (111).

8. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The molecular tower body (100) further comprises a first baffle (121) and an elastic member (122), wherein the first baffle (121) and the elastic member (122) are both sleeved on the diffuser (200), and the elastic member (122) elastically abuts between the first baffle (121) and the air inlet end cover (120), and a side of the first baffle (121) facing away from the air inlet end cover (120) is used for abutting against the adsorbent (300).

9. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 8, characterized in that: At least one of the air intake end cover (120) and the first baffle (121) is provided with a limiting groove (123), and an end portion of the elastic member (122) is inserted into the limiting groove (123).

10. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 9, characterized in that: A fixing portion (124; 125) for fixing the elastic member (122) to the limiting groove (123) is arranged in the limiting groove (123).

11. The molecular tower according to claim 10, characterized in that: The fixing portion includes a buckle (125) and / or a magnetic member (124).

12. The molecular tower (1000) according to any one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that: The molecular tower further comprises a first filter element (230), wherein the first filter element (230) is disposed on the outer wall of the diffuser (200) and covers at least a portion of the diffusion port (220).

13. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 12, characterized in that: The molecular tower further comprises a tightening member (231), which is sleeved on the first filter member (230) and fixedly connected to the air inlet end cover (120), and tightens the first filter member (230) on the diffuser (200).

14. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 13, characterized in that: An annular mounting groove (240) is formed on the outer wall of the diffuser (200), and the fastening member (231) is sleeved in the mounting groove (240).

15. The molecular tower (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that: The molecular tower body (100) comprises a gas outlet end cover (130), the shell (110) is provided with a gas outlet opening (112) connected to the adsorption chamber (101), and the gas outlet end cover (130) is provided with the gas outlet (103) and is sealed and installed on the gas outlet opening (112).

16. The molecular tower (1000) according to claim 15, characterized in that: The molecular tower body (100) further comprises a second baffle (131) and a second filter element (132); the second baffle (131) is mounted on the gas outlet end cover (130) and is provided with a plurality of connecting holes (135); the connecting holes (135) connect the adsorption chamber (101) and the gas outlet (103); the second filter element (132) is mounted between the second baffle (131) and the gas outlet end cover (130) and covers at least a portion of the connecting holes (135).

17. An oxygen concentrator, characterized in that: It comprises a molecular tower (1000) as described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

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