Dental Separator With Jet Pump And Curved Flow Path

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dental separators do not effectively separate air from particle-laden liquids, leading to inefficient removal of particles from the air-liquid mixture in dental treatment stations.

Innovation Solution

A dental separator with a housing featuring a dewatering zone and a separation zone, where the dewatering zone has a curved flow path and a jet pump with a Venturi nozzle generating negative pressure for effective separation, and a separation zone with baffle plates and guide projections to promote sedimentation and prevent air swirl, ensuring efficient separation of particles from the liquid.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional dental separator designs are used, then the structure is simple, but the separation efficiency between air and particle-laden liquid is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseparation efficiencyVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The separator is divided into distinct functional zones: a dewatering zone with a curved flow path for initial air-liquid separation, and a separation zone below for particle-liquid separation. This segmentation allows each zone to optimize its specific separation function, improving overall separation efficiency while maintaining a manageable structural complexity through modular zoning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The dewatering zone employs a curved flow path instead of straight channels. This curvature creates centrifugal forces that enhance the separation of air and particle-laden liquid, improving separation efficiency by utilizing fluid dynamics principles inherent to curved geometries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Productivity

If a jet pump with Venturi nozzle is added to improve suction and mixing, then the mixing efficiency increases, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemixing efficiencyVSAvoidcomponent count
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A jet pump with a Venturi nozzle is integrated into the inlet to utilize compressed air as a propellant medium. The high-velocity air stream creates a vacuum that draws in the air-liquid mixture and provides intense mixing through turbulent interaction in the Venturi section, significantly improving mixing efficiency and suction capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Solution Approach 2:

The jet pump combines the suction function and mixing function in a single integrated component. The Venturi nozzle simultaneously creates the vacuum for suction and provides the turbulent mixing zone, merging multiple functions into one element to minimize the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If baffle plates are added to prevent air swirl and promote sedimentation, then the separation precision improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseparation precisionVSAvoidinternal structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Baffle plates are strategically positioned in the separation zone below the dewatering zone to create localized regions that promote sedimentation and prevent air swirl. The baffles are arranged to optimize particle-liquid separation at critical locations without requiring complete structural modification throughout the entire separator.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 achieves improved separation of air and particle-laden liquids, effectively removing particles from the mixture and preventing re-suspension, enhancing the operational reliability and efficiency of the dental separator.

Implementation Method 1

The jet pump comprises a Venturi nozzle, in which the motive medium is forced at high pressure through a constriction to create a vacuum there. This vacuum draws in a suction medium through the suction medium connection, which opens into the nozzle near the constriction, and mixes it with the motive medium.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVenturi effect: Venturi Effect

Implementation Method 2

A dewatering zone is formed in the upper region for separating particle-containing liquid from an air stream laden with the liquid. The dewatering zone comprises a curved flow path, and the inlet has a jet pump with a driving medium connection for a driving medium, a suction medium connection for a suction medium, and an outlet, the outlet opening tangentially into the flow path.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal separation: Centrifugal Separation

Implementation Method 3

A separation zone is formed in the housing below the dewatering zone for separating the particles from the particle-containing liquid, which sinks from the dewatering zone into the separation zone.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSedimentation: Sedimentation

Data Source

PatentEP4042023B1Dental separator
Publication Date: 2024.01.03 PREGENZER BRUNO
  • EP4042023B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4042023B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4042023B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a dental evacuator comprising a housing, in the upper region of which a drainage zone (221) is provided for separating particle-containing liquid from an air stream which is laden with the liquid. The housing has an inlet (222) for the laden air stream which opens tangentially into the drainage zone (221), and in the housing below the drainage zone (221) an evacuation zone (212) is provided for separating the particles from the particle-containing liquid falling from the drainage zone (221) into the evacuation zone (212). The drainage zone (221) comprises a curved flow path (267), and the inlet (222) has a jet pump (181) with a propellant connection (182) for a propellant, a suction medium connection (183) for a suction medium and an outlet (184), said outlet (184) opening tangentially into the flow path (267).