Compact Dental Suction Unit High-Speed Motor Noise Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional suction units used in dental and medical practices are large, noisy, and require significant structural changes due to their size, making them impractical for direct use at the workplace, and they struggle to generate high negative pressure with small diameter cannulas.
Innovation Solution
A compact suction unit utilizing a high-speed electrically commutated motor driven at over 20,000 rpm, combined with soundproofing materials like talc-filled plastics and a coolant system for heat dissipation, allowing for efficient sound absorption and reduced noise, enabling the suction unit to be lightweight and easily transportable while maintaining high suction pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a side-channel machine is used to generate high vacuum, then sufficient suction pressure is achieved, but the machine becomes large and requires structural modifications to the building
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters by using a radial conveying element with significantly reduced diameter (3-15 cm compared to conventional large diameters) and compensates by increasing rotational speed to over 20,000 rpm, achieving the same vacuum effect in a compact form
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional side-channel machines operating at lower speeds with large diameters to a high-speed radial conveying element, effectively changing the dimensional characteristics by reducing the radial dimension while increasing the temporal dimension (rotational speed)
2Stress or pressure
If a side-channel machine is used to generate high vacuum, then sufficient suction pressure is achieved, but the machine becomes noisy and requires separate rooms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the radial conveying element from the conventional side-channel machine design and integrates it with a high-speed motor, separating the vacuum generation function from the noisy conventional machinery while maintaining effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the operational parameters to high-speed rotation of a compact radial element, the patent achieves the same suction pressure with significantly reduced noise levels, eliminating the need for separate rooms or structural modifications
3Volume of moving object
If a small radial conveying element is used to reduce machine size, then compact dimensions are achieved, but sufficient suction pressure cannot be generated at usual motor speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by using sound-insulating material that also serves as thermal insulation, preventing heat buildup before it becomes a problem, while the high-speed operation prevents suction pressure deficiency before it occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the speed parameter from conventional motor speeds to over 20,000 rpm, which compensates for the small radial dimensions and generates sufficient suction pressure in the compact machine
4Object-generated harmful factors
If sound-insulating material is added to the vacuum cleaner, then noise is reduced, but weight increases and portability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by using sound-insulating material that simultaneously provides thermal insulation, eliminating the need for separate thermal insulation layers and reducing overall weight while maintaining noise reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sound insulation function with thermal insulation by using the same material for both purposes, and also combines it with the housing structure, reducing the total number of components and weight
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 solution allows for a compact, quiet, and efficient suction unit that can be easily integrated into a dental workstation, providing effective sound insulation and high suction pressure with minimal noise and weight, enabling targeted suction without the need for remote connections or separate rooms.
Implementation Method 1
a radial conveying element, such as a rotary impeller, which has small dimensions ranging from 3 to 8 or up to 15 cm. Such a radial conveying element would not be sufficient to generate the desired suction pressure at the usual speeds of electric motors (around 3000 rpm). Therefore, this vacuum cleaner is driven by a high-speed, preferably electrically commutated motor (EC motor), which rotates at a significantly higher speed than the mains frequency (more than 20,000 rpm)
Implementation Method 2
The sound insulation prevents noise generated by the suction machine from being transmitted to the surrounding environment. The term 'sound-insulating' here refers to any material that absorbs sound or reduces the transmission of sound
Implementation Method 3
chambers defined by boundary walls, in which the sound-insulating material is located, simultaneously form flow paths through which a coolant flow can move. Such a coolant flow carries away heat generated in the electric motor and the vacuum cleaner by convection
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a compact suction unit (32) suitable for dental and medical purposes, wherein the suction machine is equipped with radial impellers (132, 134) having small diameters, which are driven at high speed by an electrically commutated electric motor (36). For the purpose of sound insulation, the suction machine (34) and the electric motor (36) have a respective water jacket (90; 110) that is limited on the outside by a housing (58) that is made of sound-absorbing plastic material.