Flexible Bearing Mount for Low-Noise Respiratory Assistance Blowers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breathing assistance apparatuses, such as CPAP machines, face challenges with impeller designs that are heavy and have high inertia, leading to slow response times to pressure fluctuations during inhalation and exhalation cycles, which can disrupt patient comfort.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, shroudless centrifugal impeller with reduced material and low inertia is designed, featuring a flexible and resilient bearing mount system that provides compliant support to the rotatable shaft, allowing for rapid pressure adjustments and improved patient comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional impeller design with shroud and substantial material is used, then structural strength and durability are improved, but the impeller weight and moment of inertia increase, resulting in slower response time to pressure fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a shroudless impeller design with thin blade structures that maintain sufficient strength while dramatically reducing mass and moment of inertia. The blades are designed with optimized thickness and curvature to provide necessary structural integrity without the weight penalty of traditional shrouded designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials, specifically using a hub made of PEEK (polyether ether ketone) and blades made of PEI (polyetherimide), to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio. These advanced polymers provide the necessary mechanical properties for durability while keeping the impeller lightweight for fast response.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a heavy impeller with high moment of inertia is used, then structural stability is improved, but the response time to pressure changes during breathing cycles increases, disrupting patient comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the impeller by reducing its mass and moment of inertia through the shroudless design and optimized blade geometry. The hub is designed with a specific moment of inertia range (0.5-2.0 kg·mm²) to achieve fast response while maintaining operational stability during breathing cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by designing the impeller to be highly responsive to pressure changes, allowing it to quickly adapt to the dynamic conditions of patient breathing. The low inertia design enables rapid acceleration and deceleration in response to inhalation and exhalation demands.
3Loss of time
If a lightweight impeller design is used, then response time to pressure fluctuations is improved, but structural strength and durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating material where it is most needed for strength while minimizing it elsewhere. The hub is densely constructed to provide structural anchor points, while the blades use optimized thin-walled structures with material placed at critical stress points, achieving both lightness and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of high-performance composite materials (PEEK hub, PEI blades) provides exceptional strength-to-weight ratios, enabling the lightweight design to meet durability requirements that would otherwise require much heavier conventional materials.
4Stability of the object's composition
If rigid bearing support is used, then mechanical stability is improved, but vibration and noise during operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle through the use of flexible bearing mounts made of elastomeric material that provide compliant support for the impeller shaft. These mounts allow controlled movement and vibration absorption while maintaining mechanical stability, reducing the transmission of vibrations to the housing and minimizing noise.
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 lightweight impeller with a flexible bearing mount system enables quicker response to pressure fluctuations, reducing noise and improving patient comfort by minimizing disruptions during normal breathing cycles.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible and resilient bearing mount system that provides compliant support to the rotatable shaft
Implementation Method 2
A lightweight, shroudless centrifugal impeller with reduced material and low inertia
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
A bearing mount comprising a main annular body with a central aperture, and an annular wall extending from the main annular body at the central aperture, wherein the main annular body is curved from the central aperture to an outer circumference of the main annular body.