A medical apparatus and a steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly

Abstract

A medical apparatus comprising a chamber inside of which a fan is provided, and a motor-to- fan adapter assembly, wherein the motor-to-fan adapter assembly comprises a housing, a central rotatable shaft extending inside the housing, and a first sealing element. The central rotatable shaft comprises a proximal motor-receiving end portion, a distal fan-receiving end portion, and an intermediate elongated body portion. The first sealing element is configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the intermediate elongated body portion of the central rotatable shaft. A second sealing element is configured to be located proximally of the first sealing element, and is deformable in such manner that steam that leaks past the first sealing element in an assembled state of the adapter assembly in the medical apparatus, causes the second sealing element to increase its pressure against the central rotatable shaft. Also disclosed is a steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly.

Description

[0001] A medical apparatus and a steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a medical apparatus comprising a motor-to-fan adapter assembly. The present disclosure also relates to a steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly which may be implemented for a steam sterilizer. A steam sterilizer may form part of a steam sterilizer system. Steam sterilizer systems can be used for processing used medical goods in a hospital central sterile services department (CSSD), for example.

[0004] BACKGROUND ART

[0005] Inactivation of microorganisms by means of a steam sterilization process involves the presence of steam (moist heat) and high temperatures over a certain time period. During such a steam sterilization process, the material to be sterilized must be in contact with the steam and its condensate for said time period. The steam sterilization process typically comprises a number of different treatment stages, and may include several evacuations.

[0006] The material to be sterilized is provided in a sterilizing chamber of the steam sterilizer. A fan may be provided in the sterilizing chamber for various reasons, such as assisting in circulating the steam throughout the chamber and / or assisting in drying the material by circulating air. The fan inside the sterilizing chamber may be driven by a motor located outside of the chamber. Oftentimes the motor may reside on top of the steam sterilizer and transmit torque via a drive shaft to the fan located inside the sterilizing chamber, such as at the ceiling of the sterilizing chamber. Therefore, the drive shaft of the motor passes through the ceiling of the steam sterilizer. As can be readily understood, the drive shaft of the motor is subject to the special requirements of a sterilizing chamber as well as operational needs. For instance, the motor and its drive shaft may be provided with appropriate seals to reduce the risk of the steam leaking along the drive shaft and into the motor (the motor being sensitive to corrosion). The design of the motor and its drive shaft must often be customized to the specific steam sterilizer with which it is to be used, as there is a wide range of dimensions and designs within the steam sterilizer industry. As can be readily understood, a customized motor is normally much more expensive than an off-the-shelf motor. Furthermore, the motor together with its drive shaft can often be heavy and quite bulky and therefore difficult to mount to the top of the steam sterilizer, in particular when available space is limited. Similarly, dismounting the motor and its shaft from the steam sterilizer, for example for replacement or service, may also be challenging. Although a steam sterilizer has been discussed above for exemplifying purpose, it should be understood that corresponding challenges may be valid also for other medical apparatuses.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to present a solution which at least partly alleviates the drawbacks of the prior art. This and other objects, which will become apparent in the following, are accomplished by a medical apparatus and by a steam sterilizer motor-to-fan- adapter as defined in the independent claims. Some non-limiting exemplary embodiments are presented in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to at least a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a medical apparatus, comprising: a chamber inside of which a fan is provided, and a motor-to-fan adapter assembly, wherein the motor-to-fan adapter assembly comprises:

[0010] - a housing,

[0011] - a central rotatable shaft extending inside the housing, the central rotatable shaft comprising a motor-receiving end portion configured to receive a motor shaft, a fan-receiving end portion configured to be connected to a fan inside the chamber, and an intermediate elongated body portion which extends between the motor-receiving end portion and the fan-receiving end portion, wherein the motor-receiving end portion is located proximally of the intermediate elongated body portion and the fan-receiving end portion is located distally of the intermediate elongated body portion,

[0012] - at least one sealing element configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the intermediate elongated body portion of the central rotatable shaft, wherein said at least one sealing element is a first sealing element, wherein the motor-to-fan adapter assembly further comprises: - a second sealing element configured to be located proximally of the first sealing element and configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the central rotatable shaft, wherein the second sealing element is deformable in such manner that steam that leaks past the first sealing element in an assembled state of the adapter assembly in the medical apparatus, causes the second sealing element to increase its pressure against the central rotatable shaft.

[0013] By omitting the traditional customized long drive shaft of the motor, which needed to extend into the medical apparatus (such as a steam sterilizer), several advantages are obtained.

[0014] Instead of needing a customized motor with integrated driveshaft, the adapter assembly may now suitably be coupled to any appropriate off-the-shelf motor, thus reducing cost. In other words, compared to the traditional solutions, the present inventive concept enables a decoupling of the long drive shaft from the motor, by instead integrating it in an adapter assembly to which the motor may be coupled. Since the motor to be coupled to the adapter assembly will be of much smaller dimension (because the long drive shaft can be omitted), it will be easier to handle during mounting or dismounting). The weight that needs to be lifted can thus be reduced, as well as the height that the motor needs to be lifted. Furthermore, in order to be independent of any specific sealing elements that may or may not potentially be included in off-the-shelf motors, by providing a sealing arrangement as discussed above, the risk of steam reaching such a motor can be reduced.

[0015] The term proximal / proximally and dista l / dista lly are used in this disclosure to clarify how different parts, portions, components, etc. are located with respect to each other. In the most common cases, in which the motor is located on top of the medical apparatus and the fan in the chamber is located below the motor, the motor-receiving end portion will be located above the fan-receiving end portion. Thus, in that particular orientation of the central rotatable shaft, proximally will correspond to upwards, and distally will correspond to downwards. However, it should be noted that for other mounting locations, such as mounting the motor on a lateral side of the medical apparatus and having the central rotatable shaft extend horizontally, proximally and distally will of course be in different directions. In a general sense, when the motor-to-fan adapter assembly has been installed in a medical apparatus, the term distally will normally refer to a location closer to the chamber, whereas the term proximally will normally refer to a location further away from the chamber.

[0016] The motor-receiving end portion may suitably have any standard configuration matching with the short shafts of off-the-shelf motors. For example, the motor-receiving end portion may be a hollow shaft having a keyway in which matching key of the shaft of the motor is insertable. Similarly, the fan-receiving end portion may suitably have any standard configuration which match connecting portions of existing fans (such as shaft and key as mentioned above). Thus, it can be understood that the herein disclosed motor-to-fan adapter assembly may suitably be installed in existing medical apparatuses. For instance, when a motor with its long and integrated drive shaft needs to be replaced, the adapter assembly of the present disclosure may advantageously be installed instead and the old motor replaced by a cheaper off-the- shelf motor.

[0017] A technical benefit of providing a motor-to-fan adapter assembly having a rotatable shaft provided with a first sealing element and a second sealing element, includes that the sealing effect may become enhanced if the primary seal leaks. Thus, an off-the shelf motor may suitably be connected to the adapter assembly in a simple manner without increased risk of corrosion of such a motor. In particular, since a long and customized drive shaft may now be omitted, mounting and dismounting the motor to / from the medical apparatus will be less of an ordeal. Because the adapter assembly in this example is constructed to trigger an improved sealing action of a second sealing element if the first sealing element leaks, an improved protection against corrosion may be achieved even though an off-the shelf motor coupled to the adapter assembly may not on its own have sufficient sealing against ingress of steam.

[0018] The first sealing element may suitably be of any appropriate sealing material. The second sealing element may suitably be of any appropriate sealing material that enables the above- mentioned deformation (for example a rubber material, such as fluoro rubber, FKM). The first sealing element may be regarded as a primary sealing element, while the second sealing element may be regarded as a secondary sealing element providing an additional level of safety. If for some reason, such as aging of the first sealing element, steam starts to leak past the first sealing element, the second sealing element is intended to block the steam. If such a leak event is discovered, the old first sealing element may suitably be replaced by a new first sealing element.

[0019] As explained above, the second sealing element is configured to be triggered by steam leaking past the first sealing element so that its sealing function is further enhanced. Thus, under normal operating conditions when the first sealing element properly seals against the central rotatable shaft, then the second sealing element does not need to be in a tight relationship with respect to the central rotatable shaft, thereby avoiding premature deterioration of the second sealing element. On the other hand, if there is steam leaking past the first sealing element, then the second sealing element is triggered to form a tighter relationship with respect to the central rotatable shaft, thereby counteracting steam reaching the motor.

[0020] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the second sealing element may comprise a main portion and a central lip portion, the central lip portion having a free end and a connected end which is connected to the main portion, wherein the central lip portion projects from its connected end in a distal direction to its free end, wherein steam leaking past the first sealing element causes the central lip portion to be pressed radially inwardly against the central rotatable shaft. A central lip portion provides an easily movable structure, which can be moved by the force of flowing steam. The movement of the central lip portion thus results in a deformation of the second sealing element. The lip portion may suitably be annular, and in particular, it may have a substantially circular cross-section.

[0021] The radially outer periphery of the second sealing element may suitably be provided in a tight sealing relationship with a wall portion of the housing. In at least some exemplary embodiments the outer periphery of the second sealing element may suitably have a longer axial extension than the lip portion. Thus, the lip portion may be relatively small and easily movable by steam.

[0022] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the motor-to-fan adapter assembly may further comprise a leakage detection passage configured to receive steam that leaks past the first sealing element, wherein presence of steam in said leakage detection passage is indicative of a leakage being present at the first sealing element. A technical benefit of including a leakage detection passage is that a leakage can be discovered in a timely manner. Consequently, the medical apparatus may suitably be temporarily taken out of operation to allow the first sealing element, which no longer seals properly, to be replaced by a new first sealing element. If the second sealing element has only been activated by the steam for a short period of time, it may not be necessary to replace it simultaneously with the first sealing element, as the functioning of the second sealing element is then expected to be satisfactory for a longer time ahead.

[0023] The leakage detection passage may include or connected to any suitably means of leakage detection. For instance, the leakage detection passage may include or be connected to a transparent container, allowing an operator to detect steam being present in the leakage detection passage by visual inspection. Other examples, include associated different types of sensors with the leakage detection passage, such as mechanical flow sensors, ultrasound flow sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, etc.

[0024] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the motor-to-fan adapter assembly may further comprise an enclosed space provided within the housing at a location between the first sealing element and the second sealing element, wherein the leakage detection passage is in fluid communication with said enclosed space and is configured to receive steam that leaks past the first sealing element into said enclosed space and to guide the received steam to outside of the housing. Analogously to above, a technical benefit of including a leakage detection passage is that a leakage can be discovered in a timely manner. Providing the first and second sealing element at a suitable separating distance from each other allows for a large enough enclosed space to be provided and arranged in fluid communication with the leakage detection passage.

[0025] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the motor-to-fan adapter assembly may further comprise:

[0026] - a supporting collar provided with through holes extending from a distal side to a proximal side of the supporting collar, and

[0027] - pushing elements, such as screws or bolts, which are movable and guidable within respective ones of said through holes, wherein the supporting collar is configured to support and be fastened to a flange of a motor, wherein, when the supporting collar is unfastened but still supporting such a flange of a motor, a proximally directed movement of the pushing elements causes the flange of the motor to be lifted by the pushing elements from the supporting collar. Providing such pushing elements is beneficial in that a dismounting of the motor from the adapter assembly is facilitated. Dismounting of the motor may be desired for servicing or replacing the motor. The pushing elements may suitably be in the form of bolts, or some other components comprising an externally threaded shaft. The through holes may suitably be provided with internal threads with which the external threads of the pushing elements may rotatingly engage, thereby enabling an axially advancing or retrieving motion of the pushing elements depending on in which direction they are being rotated.

[0028] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may comprise a first housing part which is mounted to a second housing part by means of a flange connection, the second housing part being located proximally of the first housing part, wherein the motor-receiving end portion of the central rotatable shaft is at least partly surrounded by said second housing part, wherein the intermediate elongated body portion of the central rotatable shaft extends proximally from the second housing part into, through and distally out from first housing part. By configuring the housing in at least two parts assembling of the motor-to fan adapter assembly may be facilitated. For example, this may provide easier access for a person mounting the sealing elements and other internal components inside around the central rotatable shaft.

[0029] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the supporting collar may be provided proximally of the second housing part and may be fastened to the second housing part. A technical benefit may include that this may provide a robust structure for supporting the motor.

[0030] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the motor-to-fan adapter assembly may further comprise a first bearing located proximally of the second sealing element, the first bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring between which roller elements are provided, wherein the inner ring encircles and is fixed to the central rotatable shaft, whereas the outer ring is freely floating with respect to the housing surrounding the first bearing. By having the first bearing fixed to the central rotatable shaft but floating with respect to the housing, unusual forces to the first bearing may be avoided during heat up and cooling of the chamber of the medical apparatus. The first bearing may suitably be lifetime greased, i.e. the first bearing may be suitably sealed, and the grease inside may be expected to last as long as the bearing itself, under normal operating conditions.

[0031] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the motor-to-fan adapter assembly may further comprise a second bearing located proximally of the first bearing, at the motorreceiving end portion of the central rotatable shaft, the second bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring between which roller elements are provided, wherein the inner ring of the second bearing encircles and is fixed to said motor-receiving end portion, whereas the outer ring of the second bearing is fixed to the housing surrounding the second bearing. This allows for a stable rotational control of the central rotatable shaft. The second bearing may also suitably be lifetime greased. Both the first bearing and the second bearing may suitably be of a type which withstands working temperatures such as up to 150 °C.

[0032] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the inner diameter of the second bearing may be larger than the inner diameter of the first bearing, and wherein the outer diameter of the second bearing may be larger than the outer diameter of the first bearing. The motorreceiving end portion may have a larger outer diameter than the rest of the central rotatable shaft. An enlarged motor-receiving end portion may be desirable to provide for a robust coupling with the motor to be received. Similarly, the housing part around the motor-receiving part may have an enlarged inner diameter to accommodate for the enlarged motor-receiving end portion. Therefore, the second bearing may advantageously be dimensionally larger than the first bearing. The first bearing may, for example, be located around the intermediate elongated body portion of the central rotatable shaft.

[0033] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the motor-receiving end portion of the central rotatable shaft may comprise a cavity having internal engagement elements configured to receive mating external engagement elements of a motor shaft. As should be understood from previous discussions, the cross-section of the cavity and its internal engagement elements may be of any appropriate design which matches standard off-the shelf motor shafts. The internal engagement elements, such as side walls, ribs, recesses, etc. may thus mate corresponding external engagement elements of a motor shaft to provide a rotational locking between the motor shaft and the motor-receiving end portion. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the fan-receiving end portion of the central rotatable shaft may comprise external engagement elements configured to receive mating internal engagement elements of a cavity of the fan. Similarly to the above discussion, the external engagement elements of the central rotatable shaft may be of any appropriate design which matches the internal engagement elements of the fan cavity. The external engagement elements, such as side walls, ribs, recesses, etc. may thus mate corresponding internal engagement elements of a fan cavity to provide a rotational locking between the fan cavity and the fan-receiving end portion.

[0034] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the medical apparatus may further comprise a motor having a motor shaft which may be releasably connectable to the motorreceiving end portion of the central rotatable shaft of the motor-to-fan adapter assembly. The motor may for example be any suitable electric motor with standard flange assembly. For instance, the end customer may be free to choose the brand. The motor may be changed without disassembly of the sealing into the chamber of the medical apparatus. Thus, unlike motors with customized long shafts, there is substantially no risk of breaking the sealing during replacement of the motor.

[0035] According to at least a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly, comprising:

[0036] - a housing,

[0037] - a central rotatable shaft extending inside the housing, the central rotatable shaft comprising a motor-receiving end portion configured to receive a motor shaft, a fan-receiving end portion configured to be connected to a steam sterilizer fan inside a sterilizing chamber of a steam sterilizer, and an intermediate elongated body portion which extends between the motorreceiving end portion and the fan-receiving end portion, wherein the motor-receiving end portion is located proximally of the intermediate elongated body portion and the fan-receiving end portion is located distally of the intermediate elongated body portion,

[0038] - a first sealing element configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the intermediate elongated body portion of the central rotatable shaft, and - a second sealing element configured to be located proximally of the first sealing element and configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the central rotatable shaft, wherein the second sealing element is deformable in such manner that steam that leaks past the first sealing element in an assembled state of the adapter assembly, causes the second sealing element to increase its pressure against the central rotatable shaft.

[0039] A technical benefit of the second aspect includes an improved sealing ability, analogously to what has been discussed in relation to examples of the first aspect.

[0040] Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a / an / the element, arrangement apparatus, component, means, step, etc." are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, arrangement apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated. Further features of, and advantages with, the present inventive concept will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following description. The skilled person realizes that different features of the present inventive concept may be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following, without departing from the scope of the present inventive concept.

[0041] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a medical apparatus in the form of a steam sterilizer in which a motor-to-fan adapter assembly may be implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0043] Fig. 2 illustrates an exploded view showing some of the components of a motor-to-fan adapter assembly, in accordance with at least one example of the present disclosure.

[0044] Fig. 3 is an exploded view similar to the exploded view in Fig. 2, however, in Fig. 3 there has been added a motor and a fan to be coupled by means of said adapter assembly. Fig. 4 illustrates the components in Fig. 3 in an assembled state.

[0045] Fig. 5 is a zoomed-in view of Fig. 4.

[0046] Fig. 6 illustrates some of the components in Fig. 5, but in a perspective view.

[0047] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the motor-to-fan adapter assembly in an installed state, in engagement with a motor and a fan.

[0048] Fig. 8 is a zoomed-in detailed cross-sectional view of the illustration in Fig. 7.

[0049] Fig. 9 shows similarly to Fig. 8 a zoomed-in detailed cross-sectional view, but here also in a perspective view.

[0050] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain aspects of the medical apparatus and the motor-to- fan adapter assembly are shown. The motor-to-fan adapter assembly may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments and aspects set forth herein; rather, the embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the system to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0052] Fig. 1 illustrates an example a medical apparatus 100. In this illustrative example the medical apparatus 100 is in the form of a steam sterilizer 100. Thus, in the following discussion of the figures, reference will be made to "steam sterilizer 100". However, it should be understood that the medical apparatus of this disclosure may, in other examples, be another type of medical apparatus, such as a washer-disinfector, an autoclave, a medical isolator, etc. In particular, it should be understood that the herein discussed motor-to-fan adapter assembly may be fully implementable in any such other medical apparatus. Continuing with Fig. 1, the steam sterilizer 100 is provided with a motor-to-fan adapter assembly according to the present disclosure. In this example, since the motor-to-fan adapter assembly is in this example implemented in the steam sterilizer 100, it may in the following be referred to as a steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly. The steam sterilizer 100 includes an internal sterilizing chamber 102. Non-sterile articles may be loaded into the sterilizing chamber 102 and sterilized articles may be unloaded from the sterilizing chamber 102. The steam sterilizer 100 comprises one or more fans (not visible in Fig. 1) for distributing steam and / or air inside the sterilizing chamber 102. In the present case it is assumed that there are three fans. The steam sterilizer 100 may comprise one or more motors 200. In the example in Fig. 1, three motors 200 are illustrated, each motor being operatively connected to a respective one of said fans inside the sterilizing chamber 102.

[0053] Fig. 2 illustrates an exploded view showing some of the components of a motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1, in accordance with at least one example of the present disclosure. The motor-to- fan adapter assembly 1 may advantageously be used for operatively connecting a motor to a fan within a chamber of a medical apparatus, such as the steam sterilizer 100 illustrated in Fig. 1 or any other suitable medical apparatus. In the following, the motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 will be referred to as a steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 assuming it being implemented in a steam sterilizer.

[0054] The steam sterilizer motor-to-fan assembly 1 comprises a housing 2, 4. In this example, the housing comprises a first housing part 2 and a second housing part 4, which are mountable to each other. In other examples, however, the housing may be formed by just one part. In still other examples, the housing may be formed by more than two parts, such as three or four parts. The steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 further comprises a central rotatable shaft 6. The central rotatable shaft 6 is configured to extend inside the housing 2, 4. The central rotatable shaft 6 comprises a motor-receiving end portion 8 configured to receive a motor shaft, and a fan receiving end portion 10 configured to be connected to a steam sterilizer fan inside a sterilizing chamber of a steam sterilizer, such as for example the steam sterilizer 100 illustrated in Fig. 1. An intermediate elongated body portion 12 extends between (and interconnects) the motor-receiving end portion 8 and the fan-receiving end portion 10. In this case, the motor-receiving end portion 8 is located above the fan-receiving end portion 10, which may be a typical orientation if the fan is installed at the ceiling of the sterilizing chamber. The orientation of the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 and its central rotatable shaft 6 is, however, not limited to the herein illustrated example, but may be oriented in different directions, such as for example horizontally. Therefore, in a general sense, the motor-receiving end portion 8 may be defined as being located proximally of the intermediate elongated body portion 12 (proximal direction being indicated by the arrow referenced with the letter P), and the fan-receiving end portion 10 may be defined as being located distally of the intermediate elongated body portion 12 (distal direction being indicated by the arrow referenced with the letter D).

[0055] Fig. 2 also illustrates that the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 comprises sealing elements. In this drawing figure only a first sealing element 14 is shown, however, as will be discussed in relation to other drawing figures there is also included a second sealing element. Fig. 2 furthermore illustrates that the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 may comprise a supporting collar 16, which will be discussed in more details in relation to other drawing figures.

[0056] Fig. 3 is an exploded view similar to the exploded view in Fig. 2, however, in Fig. 3 there has been added a motor 200 and a fan 300 to be coupled by means of the steam sterilizer motor- to-fan adapter assembly 1. The fan 300 may be installed on the inside of the sterilizing chamber and may, for instance, be connected to a mounting frame 302 located outside (such as on top of) the sterilizing chamber. Such a mounting frame 302 may comprise a channel or guide 304 which allows the fan-receiving end portion 10 to be passed through the mounting frame 302 and into engagement the fan 300. The motor 200 may have a short motor shaft 202 and a flange 204. The flange 204 may be supported and fastened to the supporting collar 16. The supporting collar 16 may have a central opening (not visible in Fig. 3) through which the short motor shaft 202 may extend to come into engagement with the motor-receiving end portion 8 of the central rotatable shaft 6.

[0057] Fig. 4 illustrates the components in Fig. 3 in an assembled state. Fig. 5 is a zoomed-in view of Fig. 4. Thus, with reference to both Figs. 4 and 5, identifying the components from proximal to distal, the following can be seen. The flange 204 of the motor 200 now rests against and is fastened to the support collar 16. The support collar 16 has been fastened to the second housing part 4. The second housing part 4 is fastened to the first housing part 2. The first housing part 2 is fastened to the mounting frame 302. The mounting frame 302 is fastened to the fan 300.

[0058] Fig. 6 illustrates some of the components in Fig. 5, but in a perspective view. Here it can be clearly seen that the flange 204 of the motor 200 may have a substantially planar interface to the supporting collar 16. The flange 204 of the motor 200 may be fastened to the supporting collar 16 by means of a plurality of bolts 18. Only the head of the bolts 18 are visible in Fig. 6, while threaded shafts of the bolts 18 extend through the flange 204 and into the supporting collar 16. Accordingly, the supporting collar 16 may suitably be provided with threaded bores for receiving the bolts 18 in threaded engagement. As can also be seen in Fig. 6, there may be provided pushing elements 20 which are configured to be used for pushing the flange 204 of the motor 200 in a proximal direction when it is desired to dismount the motor 200 from the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1. The pushing elements 20 may, for example be configured as threaded bolts, although other configurations are also conceivable for achieving an appropriate lifting force to the flange 204. The pushing elements 20 may thus be movable and guidable within respective through holes that extend from a distal side to a proximal side of the supporting collar 16. A proximally directed movement of the pushing elements 20 inside the through holes will cause the flange 204 of the motor 200 to become lifted by the pushing element 20, thereby separating the flange 204 of the motor 200 from the supporting collar 16 and making it easier to remove the motor 200.

[0059] Fig. 6 also shows that other fastening connections, such as between the first housing part 2 and the second housing part 4, and between the first housing part 2 and the mounting frame 302 may suitably be achieved by means of bolts 22. Since the perspective view is taken obliquely from proximal to distal, the fan 300 from Fig. 6 is hidden underneath / behind the mounting frame 302 in Fig. 6.

[0060] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 in an installed state, in engagement with the motor 200 and the fan 300. Fig. 8 is a zoomed-in detailed cross-sectional view of the illustration in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows similarly to Fig. 8 a zoomed-in detailed cross-sectional view, but here also in a perspective view.

[0061] As can be seen in Figs. 7-9, the first sealing element 14 (previously discussed with respect to

[0062] Fig. 2) is provide around and in circumferential contact with the intermediate elongated body portion 12 of the central rotatable axle 6. As can also be seen in Figs. 7-9, the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 further comprises a second sealing element 24. The second sealing element 24 is located proximally of the first sealing element 14. The second sealing element 24 is provided around and in circumferential contact with the central rotatable axle 6. The second sealing element 24 is deformable in such manner that steam that leaks past the first sealing element 14 in the illustrated assembled state of the adapter assembly 1, causes the second sealing element 24 to increase its pressure against the central rotatable axle 6. Hereby, the risk of steam reaching the motor 200 is reduced, and thus the risk of corrosion of the motor 200 is reduced. Since the second sealing element 24 is not constantly in the pressed state against the central rotatable axle 6, its functional lifetime can be prolonged and can be expected to surpass the functional lifetime of the first sealing element 14.

[0063] As best seen in Fig. 8, the second sealing element 24 may suitably comprise a main portion 26 and a central lip portion 28. The central lip portion 28 may have a connected end which is connected to the main portion 26, and a free end. As can be seen in Fig. 8, the central lip portion 28 may project from its connected end in a distal direction to its free end, wherein steam leaking past the first sealing element 14 causes the central lip portion 28 to be pressed radially inwardly against the central rotatable axle 6. The central lip portion 28 may suitably form a full circle around the central rotatable axle 6. The main portion 26 may suitably also form a full circle around the central rotatable axle 6. As can be understood the central lip portion 28 may thus be resilient enough to bend radially inwards when subjected to the fluid force of leaking steam. Suitably, when the steam sterilizer is turned off for replacing the leaking first sealing element 14, and steam no longer affects the central lip portion 28, then the central lip portion 28 may return to its original state. After replacement of the leaking first sealing element 14, the steam sterilizer can once again be brought into operation.

[0064] As further illustrated in Figs. 7-9, the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 may further comprise a leakage detection passage 30 configured to receive steam that leaks past the first sealing element 14. The presence of steam in said leakage detection passage 30 is thus indicative of a leakage being present at the first sealing element 14. As explained previously, the actual detection may be made in various different manners, including simple visual detection, or using any suitable type of sensor (such as mechanical flow sensors, ultrasound flow sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, etc). As best seen in Fig. 8, the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 may further comprise an enclosed space 32 provided within the housing 2, 4 (in this example, within the second housing part 4), at a location between the first sealing element 14 and the second sealing element 24. The leakage detection passage 30 may thus be in fluid communication with the enclosed space 32 so that is receives steam that has leaked past the first sealing element 14 into the enclosed space 32. The received steam can then be guided by the leakage detection passage 30 to outside of the housing 2, 4.

[0065] In Figs. 7-9 it can also be clearly seen how the first housing part 2 has been mounted to the second housing part 4 by means of a flange connection. The first housing part 2 has a proximal flange 34 which contacts a distal flange 36 of the second housing part 4. The second housing part 4 is thus located proximally of the first housing part 2. The motor-receiving end portion 8 of the central rotatable shaft 6 is at least partly surrounded by the second housing part 4. The intermediate elongated body portion 12 of the central rotatable shaft 6 may extend proximally from the second housing part 4 into, through and distally out from the first housing part 2. As already mentioned previously, the support collar 16 may be provided proximally of the second housing part 4 and may be fastened to the second housing part 4. To that effect the second housing part 4 may suitably be provided with a proximal flange 38 which contacts the support collar 16.

[0066] Figs. 7-9 also illustrate that the steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly 1 may further comprise a first bearing 40. The first bearing 40 may suitably be located proximally of the second sealing element 24, the first bearing 40 having an inner ring and an outer ring between which roller elements are provided. The inner ring may encircle and be fixed to the central rotatable shaft 6, whereas the outer ring may be freely floating with respect to the housing 2, 4 surrounding the first bearing 40 (in this example, the second housing part 4). A second bearing 42 may be located proximally of the first bearing 40. In particular, the second bearing 42 may suitably be located at the motor-receiving end portion 8 of the central rotatable shaft 6. The second bearing 42 may have an inner ring and an outer ring between which roller elements are provided. The inner ring of the second bearing 42 may encircle and be fixed to said motor-receiving end portion 8, whereas the outer ring of the second bearing 42 may be fixed to the housing 2, 4 surrounding the second bearing 42 (in this example, the second housing part 4). As can be understood from Figs. 7-9, the inner diameter of the second bearing 42 may suitably be larger than the inner diameter of the first bearing 40. The outer diameter of the second bearing 42 may suitably be larger than the outer diameter of the first bearing 40.

[0067] With reference to Fig. 9 there is illustrated that the motor-receiving end portion 8 of the central rotatable shaft 6 may comprise a cavity 44 having internal engagement elements 46. The cavity 44 and its internal engagement elements 46 are configured to receive mating external engagement elements of the motor shaft 202. The cooperating internal engagement elements 46 and the external engagement elements of the motor shaft 202 enable rotational locking of the motor shaft 202 relative to the central rotatable shaft 6. Thus, the rotation of the motor shaft 202 is effectively transmitted to the central rotatable shaft 6. In its turn the rotation of the central rotatable shaft 6 may be effectively transmitted to the fan 300. For example, as can be seen in Fig. 7, the fan-receiving end portion 10 of the central rotatable shaft 6 may comprise external engagement elements 48 configured to receive mating internal engagement elements of a cavity 306 of the steam sterilizer fan 300. The cooperating external engagement elements 48 of the fan-receiving end portion 10 and the internal engagement elements of the fan cavity 306 enable rotational locking of the central rotatable shaft 6 relative to the fan 300. Additionally, the fan 300 may suitably also be connected to the fanreceiving end portion 10 by means of a bolt 50 extending proximally into the fan-receiving end portion 10 (or by means of any other appropriate fastener).

[0068] It should be understood that although a motor shaft 202 with external engagement elements and a fan 300 having a cavity 306 with internal engagement elements is a common configuration, the general inventive concept is not limited to that particular configuration. For instance, it would be conceivable to implement the general teachings of this disclosure with a motor 200 having internal engagement elements mating with external engagement elements of the central rotatable shaft 6. Similarly, it would be conceivable to implement the general teachings of this disclosure with a fan 300 having external engagement elements mating with internal engagement elements of the central rotatable shaft 6. Furthermore, it would be conceivable to have both the motor 200 and the fan 300 provided with internal engagement elements (in which case both ends of the central rotatable shaft 6 would have external engagement elements), or to have both the motor 200 and the fan 300 provided with external engagement elements (in which case both ends of the central rotatable shaft 6 would have internal engagement elements).

[0069] This disclosure includes medical apparatuses, motor-to-fan adapter assemblies, and methods for effectively coupling a motor to a fan of a medical apparatus. In particular, this disclosure includes motor-to-fan adapter assemblies for enabling easy and reliable installation of a motor to operate a fan of a medical apparatus. It should be understood that various features disclosed herein are contemplated and disclosed in their various combinations and subcombinations.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A medical apparatus (100), comprising: a chamber (102) inside of which a fan (300) is provided, and a motor-to-fan adapter assembly (1), wherein the motor-to-fan adapter assembly (1) comprises:- a housing (2, 4),- a central rotatable shaft (6) extending inside the housing (2, 4), the central rotatable shaft (6) comprising a motor-receiving end portion (8) configured to receive a motor shaft (202), a fanreceiving end portion (10) configured to be connected to the fan (300) inside the chamber (102), and an intermediate elongated body portion (12) which extends between the motor-receiving end portion (8) and the fan-receiving end portion (10), wherein the motor-receiving end portion (8) is located proximally of the intermediate elongated body portion (12) and the fan-receiving end portion (10) is located distally of the intermediate elongated body portion (12),- at least one sealing element (14) configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the intermediate elongated body portion (12) of the central rotatable shaft (6), wherein said at least one sealing element (14) is a first sealing element (14), characterized in that the motor-to-fan adapter assembly (1) further comprises:- a second sealing element (24) configured to be located proximally of the first sealing element (14) and configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the central rotatable shaft (6), wherein the second sealing element (24) is deformable in such manner that steam that leaks past the first sealing element (14) in an assembled state of the adapter assembly (1) in the medical apparatus (100), causes the second sealing element (24) to increase its pressure against the central rotatable shaft (6).

2. The medical apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the second sealing element (24) comprises a main portion (26) and a central lip portion (28), the central lip portion (28) having a free end and a connected end which is connected to the main portion (26), wherein the centrallip portion (28) projects from its connected end in a distal direction to its free end, wherein steam leaking past the first sealing element (14) causes the central lip portion (28) to be pressed radially inwardly against the central rotatable shaft (6).

3. The medical apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1-2, further comprising a leakage detection passage (30) configured to receive steam that leaks past the first sealing element (14), wherein presence of steam in said leakage detection passage (30) is indicative of a leakage being present at the first sealing element (14).

4. The medical apparatus (100) according to claim 3, further comprising an enclosed space (32) provided within the housing (2, 4) at a location between the first sealing element (14) and the second sealing element (24), wherein the leakage detection passage (30) is in fluid communication with said enclosed space (32) and is configured to receive steam that leaks past the first sealing element (14) into said enclosed space (32) and to guide the received steam to outside of the housing (2, 4).

5. The medical apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising:- a supporting collar (16) provided with through holes extending from a distal side to a proximal side of the supporting collar (16), and- pushing elements (20), such as screws or bolts, which are movable and guidable within respective ones of said through holes, wherein the supporting collar (16) is configured to support and be fastened to a flange (204) of a motor (200), wherein, when the supporting collar (16) is unfastened but still supporting such a flange (204) of a motor (200), a proximally directed movement of the pushing elements (20) causes the flange (204) of the motor (200) to be lifted by the pushing elements (20) from the supporting collar (16).

6. The medical apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the housing (2, 4) comprises a first housing part (2) which is mounted to a second housing part (4) by means of a flange connection, the second housing part (4) being located proximally of the first housing part (2), wherein the motor-receiving end portion (8) of the central rotatable shaft (6) is at least partly surrounded by said second housing part (4), wherein the intermediate elongated body portion (12) of the central rotatable shaft (6) extends proximally from the second housing part (4) into, through and distally out from first housing part (2).

7. The medical apparatus (100) of claim 6 when dependent on claim 5, wherein the supporting collar (16) is provided proximally of the second housing part (4) and is fastened to the second housing part (4).

8. The medical apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1-4 or according to any one of claims 5-7 when dependent on any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a first bearing (40) located proximally of the second sealing element (24), the first bearing (40) having an inner ring and an outer ring between which roller elements are provided, wherein the inner ring encircles and is fixed to the central rotatable shaft (6), whereas the outer ring is freely floating with respect to the housing (2, 4) surrounding the first bearing (40).

9. The medical apparatus (100) according to claim 8, further comprising a second bearing (42) located proximally of the first bearing (40), at the motor-receiving end portion (8) of the central rotatable shaft (6), the second bearing (42) having an inner ring and an outer ring between which roller elements are provided, wherein the inner ring of the second bearing (42) encircles and is fixed to said motor-receiving end portion (8), whereas the outer ring of the second bearing (42) is fixed to the housing (2, 4) surrounding the second bearing (42).2210. The medical apparatus (100) according to claim 9, wherein the inner diameter of the second bearing (42) is larger than the inner diameter of the first bearing (40), and wherein the outer diameter of the second bearing (42) is larger than the outer diameter of the first bearing (40).

11. The medical apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the motorreceiving end portion (8) of the central rotatable shaft (6) comprises a cavity (44) having internal engagement elements (46) configured to receive mating external engagement elements of a motor shaft (202).

12. The medical apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the fan-receiving end portion (10) of the central rotatable shaft (6) comprises external engagement elements (48) configured to receive mating internal engagement elements of a cavity (306) of the fan (300).

13. The medical apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1-12, further comprising a motor (200) having a motor shaft (202) which is releasably connectable to the motor-receiving end portion (8) of the central rotatable shaft (6) of the motor-to-fan adapter assembly (1).

14. A steam sterilizer motor-to-fan adapter assembly (1), comprising:- a housing (2, 4),- a central rotatable shaft (6) extending inside the housing (2, 4), the central rotatable shaft (6) comprising a motor-receiving end portion (8) configured to receive a motor shaft (202), a fanreceiving end portion (10) configured to be connected to a steam sterilizer fan (300) inside a sterilizing chamber (102) of a steam sterilizer (100), and an intermediate elongated body portion (12) which extends between the motor-receiving end portion (8) and the fan-receiving end portion (10), wherein the motor-receiving end portion (8) is located proximally of the intermediate elongated body portion (12) and the fan-receiving end portion (10) is located distally of the intermediate elongated body portion (12),- a first sealing element (14) configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the intermediate elongated body portion (12) of the central rotatable shaft (6), and- a second sealing element (24) configured to be located proximally of the first sealing element(14) and configured to be provided around and in circumferential contact with the central rotatable shaft (6), wherein the second sealing element (24) is deformable in such manner that steam that leaks past the first sealing element (14) in an assembled state of the adapter assembly (1), causes the second sealing element (24) to increase its pressure against the central rotatable shaft (6).

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