Fastenable CPAP Conduit for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air delivery conduits for CPAP systems are bulky, difficult to stow, and challenging to clean, making them inconvenient for travel and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A fastenable air delivery conduit with a body portion and a fastener system that converts between a fastened and unfastened configuration, allowing for compact storage and easy cleaning, featuring a tongue-in-groove fastener arrangement and ribs for structural support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional air delivery conduits are used, then air flow delivery is maintained, but the conduit becomes bulky and difficult to stow
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit is divided into multiple collapsible sections that can be separated and reconfigured. The fastener system segments the conduit body into portions that can be independently collapsed or expanded, allowing compact storage when disassembled and functional configuration when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The conduit transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic collapsible structure. The fastener system enables the conduit to change its physical state between expanded (for air delivery) and collapsed (for storage), providing adaptability in volume and shape.
2Ease of operation
If conventional air delivery conduits are used, then air flow delivery is maintained, but the conduit becomes difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit is segmented into removable sections that can be separated for cleaning. The fastener system allows the conduit to be disassembled into multiple parts, enabling access to interior surfaces that would otherwise be difficult to reach, while maintaining structural integrity when assembled.
3Volume of moving object
If the conduit is made collapsible for compact storage, then stowability is improved, but air flow integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit employs a dynamic structure that maintains structural integrity during both collapsed and expanded states. The fastener system ensures secure connection between sections, preventing air leakage when assembled, while allowing complete collapse for compact storage when disassembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener system uses simple, reliable mechanical connections (such as snap-fit or friction-based fasteners) that ensure adequate sealing for medical-grade air delivery without requiring complex sealing mechanisms, balancing reliability with ease of manufacture and assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastenable air delivery conduit includes a body portion having a supply end and a delivery end and a fastener that substantially extends from the supply end to the delivery end. The fastener, when engaged, forms the body portion into a fastened configuration, and when disengaged, forms the body portion into an unfastened configuration. The body portion defines a longitudinal axis when in the fastened configuration, and the fastener extends from the source end to the delivery end of the body portion at an angle that is non-parallel with the longitudinal axis of the conduit.