Anesthesia Vaporizer Engagement Mechanism for Power-Free Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anesthesia machines lack a reliable and power-independent mechanism for securely engaging and disengaging vaporizers, with current systems often requiring electrical power for proper engagement and lack of clear indicators for full insertion.
Innovation Solution
An engagement mechanism featuring a wedge, latch, and button system that mechanically locks and unlocks the vaporizer upon insertion and provides a visual indicator for full insertion, using sloped regions and springs to ensure secure engagement and disengagement without electrical power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical engagement mechanism is used instead of electrical systems, then reliability and power independence are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement mechanism is divided into distinct functional components: a button for user input, a wedge for force transformation, and a latch for securing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical engagement mechanism is self-actuating through the interaction of the button, wedge, and latch components. When the vaporizer is inserted, the button is pressed, which automatically triggers the wedge to move the latch into the engaged position without requiring external power or control systems.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a mechanical latch system is used for vaporizer engagement, then power independence is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge component features sloped surfaces that provide a gradual, curved transition for the latch movement. This geometric design allows the latch to be smoothly actuated by the button through the wedge's inclined planes, making the engagement process intuitive and easy to operate while maintaining mechanical simplicity.
3Strength
If sloped regions are used in the wedge mechanism, then engagement security is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge incorporates sloped regions with specific geometric parameters that transform the button's linear motion into lateral movement of the latch. By carefully designing the slope angles and dimensions, the mechanism achieves secure engagement while accommodating standard manufacturing tolerances, balancing strength requirements with manufacturability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure, power-independent engagement and disengagement of vaporizers, with visual confirmation of full insertion, enhancing safety and usability in anesthesia machines.
Implementation Method 1
a button return spring interposed between the button and a housing of the anesthesia machine, wherein the button return spring causes the button and the wedge to move outwardly
Implementation Method 2
a latch compression spring configured to exert a force on the latch thereby causing the engagement portion of the latch to exert a force downwardly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
An anesthesia machine (10) includes an interface (11) for receiving a vaporizer (100), a housing having an outer surface, a button (210) having an outer surface (213), and configured to receive an engagement force from a user, and a latch (240) including an engagement portion (243), and configured to selectively secure the vaporizer to the anesthesia machine via the engagement portion according to a position of the button, wherein a positional relationship between the outer surface of the button with the outer surface of the housing indicates whether or not the vaporizer is correctly received by the interface of the anesthesia machine.