Breathing Device with Modular Valve Resistance Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breathing devices for addressing sleep apnea and asthma are often bulky, complex, difficult to assemble and disassemble, and lack intuitive resistance adjustment, leading to suboptimal performance and user dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
A breathing device with exhale and inhale valves that create resistance, featuring a modular design with easily interchangeable components and incremental resistance adjustment, allowing for comfortable use and effective respiratory system strengthening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional breathing devices are used, then respiratory support function is provided, but device complexity and bulkiness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The breathing device is divided into separate modular components including a mouthpiece, a body with interchangeable inserts, and resistance elements. This segmentation allows the complex respiratory support function to be achieved through simple, interchangeable parts rather than a single complex device, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The device body is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate multiple different inserts with varying resistance levels and configurations. This multi-functionality allows a single device body to provide various respiratory support functions, reducing the need for multiple separate devices and thereby reducing overall complexity.
2Reliability
If conventional breathing devices are used, then respiratory support is provided, but ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into easily separable components with simple connection interfaces. The mouthpiece, body, and inserts are designed to be quickly assembled and disassembled without complex tools or procedures, making maintenance and cleaning straightforward while ensuring proper assembly for reliable respiratory support.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates self-aligning features and intuitive connection points that guide users through assembly and disassembly without requiring technical knowledge. The modular design allows users to easily service, clean, and maintain the device themselves, improving ease of operation while maintaining respiratory support reliability.
3Device complexity
If fixed resistance breathing devices are used, then simple design is achieved, but adaptability to different user needs worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The device body serves as a universal platform that can accept multiple different inserts, each providing different resistance levels and airflow characteristics. This allows a single simple device body to adapt to various user needs and respiratory conditions, maintaining design simplicity while achieving high versatility through interchangeable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a fixed resistance design to a dynamic, adjustable system through interchangeable inserts. Users can change resistance levels by swapping inserts, allowing the device to adapt to changing user needs and progression in respiratory strength, while the base device structure remains simple.
4Ease of repair
If modular breathing devices are used, then ease of maintenance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into modular components that can be easily separated for cleaning and maintenance. The mouthpiece, body, and inserts are designed as independent units that can be quickly taken apart and reassembled, making maintenance simple despite the modular structure. The segmentation actually reduces maintenance complexity compared to a monolithic device.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design allows individual components, particularly the inserts and mouthpiece, to be easily removed, cleaned, or replaced independently. This selective maintenance approach simplifies care by allowing users to focus only on the specific components that need attention rather than servicing the entire device, reducing the practical complexity of maintenance.
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
The device simplifies use and maintenance, provides customizable resistance levels, and enhances user safety and durability, making it more effective and user-friendly for long-term respiratory system improvement.
Implementation Method 1
A breathing device with exhale and inhale valves to create resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A breathing device meant to improve the respiratory system of a user includes a mouthpiece, a front piece, an inhale ring, a middle piece, an insert slider, and an exhale ring. The insert slider is slidable between an inhale position and an exhale position. Various grooves, bumps, slots, ribs mate with, engage, slide, and rotate with respect to one another to allow a user to adjust the amount of airflow through the breathing device. The breathing device disclosed herein is easy to assemble, to use, and to adjust to varying levels of resistance.