Mechanical ventilator comprising a cooling device

Abstract

The invention relates to a mechanical ventilator (1) comprising a cooling device (7). According to the invention, the cooling device is arranged outside the IP-protected region (2) of the mechanical ventilator, and an object (6) to be cooled is arranged in such a way that it extends from the IP-protected region into the region of the cooling device.

Description

[0001] Ventilator with cooling device

[0002] The invention relates to a ventilator with a cooling device.

[0003] Ventilators are designed to ventilate patients. To do this, the ventilator provides a flow of breathing gas, which is delivered to the patient via a hose line.

[0004] The breathing gas flow in modern ventilators is usually generated by a fan. When the fan motor operates, especially when changing its speed, heat is released, which must be dissipated to prevent the ventilator from overheating. Cooling devices, particularly air cooling, are already used for this purpose.

[0005] For ventilators, especially mobile emergency ventilators, and other medical devices used in emergency medical settings, a relatively high level of protection against dust / dirt and water is essential to ensure reliable operation. The protection of devices against foreign bodies such as dust and protection against water are classified into IP protection classes. The first digit stands for protection against foreign bodies and the second digit for protection against water. For emergency ventilators, for example, protection in the range >= IPx4 is aimed for, i.e. any protection against foreign bodies and contact and at least protection against splash water. This means that the interior of the device must be tightly sealed against the environment.If a substance must be conveyed into and out of the device, this must be done through locks and / or filters to ensure an IP protection rating of at least IPx4. These can become clogged and create additional flow resistance. Increased flow resistance requires a stronger drive and more power to ensure that the substance being conveyed—in this specific application, the cooling air—can pass through the locks and / or filters and cool the object to be cooled.

[0006] According to the current state of the art, ventilators are cooled by drawing cooling air through filters and / or airlocks into the IP-protected area of ​​the device, where it is used to cool the components to be cooled. The now heated cooling air is then expelled from the IP-protected area of ​​the device through filters and / or airlocks. In addition to the costs of the filters and / or airlocks, the cooling air requires a relatively high energy requirement.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a ventilator which at least partially eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention by a ventilator according to patent claim 1.

[0009] Advantageous aspects of the invention are claimed in the dependent claims.

[0010] The features of a ventilator disclosed below are part of the invention in all possible combinations.

[0011] A ventilator according to the invention has at least one IP-protected area with an IP protection class of at least IPx4, at least one object to be cooled and at least one cooling device.

[0012] The “x” in the first digit of the IP protection class means that for different embodiments of the invention, this can be chosen arbitrarily from a value between 0 (no protection against foreign bodies and contact) and 6 (dust-tight and complete protection against contact).

[0013] The cooling device is designed as an air cooling system with a cooling air drive. The cooling air drive preferably has an IP protection class of at least IPx4. This allows the entire ventilator to continue to have an IP protection class of at least IPx4.

[0014] In embodiments of the invention, an IP protection class of at least IP34, preferably at least IP54, is realized for the IP-protected area and / or the cooling air drive.

[0015] In embodiments of the invention, the cooling air drive and the IP-protected area of ​​the ventilator have the same IP protection class.

[0016] In embodiments of the invention, the object to be cooled is designed as a heat sink. In particular, in embodiments of the invention, the object to be cooled is designed as a heat sink for the respiratory air blower of the ventilator or for the power electronics of the ventilator. However, the invention naturally also encompasses embodiments in which an object to be cooled, which is not to be understood as a heat sink in the narrower sense, is cooled accordingly.

[0017] According to the invention, the object to be cooled passes through the protective cover of the IP-protected area in a sealed manner, so that the heat can be transferred from the object to be cooled to the cooling air outside the IP-protected area.

[0018] The IP protection class of the seal in the area of ​​the opening through the protective cover for the object to be cooled corresponds at least to the IP protection class of the IP-protected area. In embodiments of the invention, the seal in the area of ​​the opening is realized using at least one sealing element. This sealing element is advantageously adapted to the shape of the opening, for example, as an O-ring seal for a round opening.

[0019] The cooling device, in particular the cooling air drive, is located outside the IP-protected area of ​​the ventilator.

[0020] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the electrical connection of the cooling air drive is established via at least one cable leading from the IP-protected area of ​​the ventilator through a cable duct sealed with a sealing element that implements the IP protection class of the IP-protected area. This enables a cooling air line without filters and / or locks, since the cooling air does not have to be directed into and out of the IP-protected area of ​​the ventilator.

[0021] Preferably, the ventilator comprises a housing, wherein an IP-protected area with an IP protection class of at least IPx4 and at least one further area with a lower IP protection class are realized within the housing, wherein the object to be cooled and the cooling air drive are arranged in the area with the lower IP protection class.

[0022] A lower IP protection class means that at least one of the IP protection class digits is lower than the IP protection class of the IP-protected area.

[0023] Preferably, a cooling air duct is designed such that the cooling air is directed symmetrically over the object to be cooled, ensuring a uniform flow of cooling air over the heat sink surface. This enables uniform and therefore particularly effective cooling of the object to be cooled. This is preferably achieved through the shape of the cooling air duct.

[0024] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the uniform overflow is realized by a cooling air duct which is designed for the central flow of the cooling air onto the object to be cooled and / or for the central outflow of the cooling air from the object to be cooled and / or has a symmetrical geometry of the cooling air duct between the inflow area and the outflow area.

[0025] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the geometry of the cooling air duct and the heat sink is designed such that commercially available IP-protected cooling air drives, such as axial fans, can be used.

[0026] To this end, in preferred embodiments of the invention, the pneumatic resistance of the cooling system is kept so low by the geometry of the cooling air duct and the object to be cooled, in particular any heat sink geometry, that conventional axial fans have sufficient performance. Furthermore, the thermal contact resistance from the object to be cooled to the cooling air is particularly preferably kept as low as possible. The resulting contradiction between the goals of low pneumatic resistance and low thermal contact resistance must be resolved in a way that is appropriate for the specific application. In advantageous embodiments of the invention, the cooling device has a temperature sensor with which the temperature of the object to be cooled can be determined.

[0027] Particularly preferably, the cooling air drive of the cooling device is controllable depending on the temperature of the object to be cooled. This enables, in particular, more efficient cooling of the object to be cooled that is oriented towards the cooling requirements.

[0028] The invention takes advantage of the fact that the object to be cooled, for example the heat sink of the breathing air blower, does not necessarily have to be located within the IP-protected area of ​​the ventilator, but can leave this area through a seal and be cooled outside.

[0029] The following drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention by way of example. They show:

[0030] Figure 1: A schematic block diagram of a part of an inventive

[0031] ventilator,

[0032] Figure 2: A section of a ventilator according to the invention in a perspective view,

[0033] Figure 3: A section in the area of ​​the cooling device of an inventive

[0034] Ventilator in a perspective view and

[0035] Figure 4: A cross-section of the part of the ventilator according to Figures 2 and 3.

[0036] Figure 1 shows a section of a block diagram of a ventilator (1) according to the invention. Parts of the ventilator that are not primarily relevant to the invention, such as the control system, oxygen source, filters, operating elements, hoses, masks, etc., are not shown.

[0037] The ventilator (1) has a first IP-protected area (2) with an IP protection class of at least IPx4 and a second area (3) with a lower IP protection class. The areas (2, 3) are separated from each other by the protective cover (4).

[0038] The ventilator (1) comprises a breathing air blower (5), the functional assembly of which, in the sense of the fan wheel and the breathing air line, is arranged within the IP-protected area (2). The breathing air blower (5) further comprises a blower motor and an object to be cooled (6), designed as a heat sink, which is designed to dissipate heat from the blower motor.

[0039] The fan motor is located within the IP-protected area (2) of the ventilator (1). The heat sink is arranged such that it extends from the fan motor through the protective cover (4) into the second area (3).

[0040] In the second area (3) the cooling device (7) comprising a cooling air line (9) and a cooling air drive (8) is arranged.

[0041] In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the second area (3) is integrated into the housing (10) of the ventilator (1) together with the IP-protected area (2). In the second area (3), the cooling device (7) has a cooling air inlet (11) and a cooling air outlet (12).

[0042] For active control of the cooling device (7), the ventilator (1) in embodiments of the invention has a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the fan motor and / or the heat sink.

[0043] In embodiments of the invention, the cooling device (7) and / or the ventilator (1) has / have a control device with which the speed of the cooling air drive (8) can be controlled as a function of the temperature of the fan motor and / or the heat sink and thus the cooling capacity of the cooling device (7).

[0044] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a section through the area of ​​the cooling device (7) of an embodiment of a ventilator (1) according to the invention. The cooling device (7) is separated from the IP-protected area (2) by the protective cover (4), here formed as part of the housing (10). Due to the partial representation, the protective cover (4) is not fully shown in the illustration shown.

[0045] In the area of ​​the cooling air line (9) there is arranged a mounting device (15) for mounting a cooling air drive (8) not shown.

[0046] Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the construction according to Figure 2. The housing (10) and the seal (13) together form part of the protective sheath (4), which separates the IP-protected area (2) from the second area (3). The object to be cooled (6), designed as a heat sink, emerges from the IP-protected area (2) and, sealed by the seal (13), into the second area (3). The cooling air duct (9) implemented in the second area (3) is formed in the area of ​​the heat sink by channels extending parallel between the cooling fins (14) of the heat sink.

[0047] Figure 4 shows the section from Figure 3 in a top view.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Ventilator (1) comprising a first IP-protected area (2) with an IP protection class of at least IPx4, an object to be cooled (6) and a cooling device (7), wherein the cooling device (7) is designed as an air cooling system with a cooling air drive (8), characterized in that the ventilator (1) has at least a second area (3) with a lower IP protection class than IPx4, which is separated from the first IP-protected area (2) by a protective cover (4), wherein the object to be cooled (6) passes through the IP-protected area (2) into the second area (3) sealed by the protective cover (4), and wherein the cooling device (7) is arranged in the second area (3) of the ventilator (1), so that the heat can be released from the object to be cooled (6) to the cooling air outside the IP-protected area (2).

2. Ventilator (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling air drive (8) has an IP protection class of at least IPx4.

3. Ventilator (1) according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the object to be cooled (6) is designed as a heat sink.

4. Ventilator (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the ventilator (1) has a breathing air blower (5) and that the object to be cooled (6) is designed as a cooling body of the breathing air blower (5) of the ventilator (1).

5. Ventilator (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has a housing (10), wherein the first IP-protected area (2) and the second area (3) are realized within the housing (10), wherein the object to be cooled (6) and the cooling air drive (8) are arranged in the second area (3).

6. Ventilator (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a cooling air line (9) of the cooling device (7) is realized in such a way that the cooling air is guided symmetrically over the object (6) to be cooled, so that a uniform flow of the cooling air over the surface of the object (6) to be cooled is achieved.

7. Ventilator (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the geometry of the cooling air duct and the object to be cooled (6) is designed such that commercially available IP-protected cooling air drives (8), such as axial fans, can be used.

8. Ventilator (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it has a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the fan motor (5) and / or the object to be cooled (6) and a control device with which the speed of the cooling air drive (8) can be controlled as a function of the temperature of the fan motor (5) and / or the object to be cooled (6) and thus the cooling capacity of the cooling device (7), so that an active control of the cooling device (7) is realized.

9. Ventilator (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the IP-protected area (2) and / or the cooling air drive (8) has / have an IP protection class of at least IP34.

10. Ventilator (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the IP-protected area (2) and / or the cooling air drive (8) has / have an IP protection class of at least IP54.

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