Humidifier Heater Base Sealing for Water-Spill Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated respiratory humidification systems face issues with water spillage leading to potential electrical short-circuits due to the lack of protection for internal electronic parts, necessitating user intervention for refilling or cleaning during use, which disrupts operation.
Innovation Solution
A heater base assembly with a thermally conductive heater plate and a resilient member, such as a flexible gasket or diaphragm, is designed to be fixed to the humidifier, allowing relative movement and providing a fluid barrier to protect electronic components from water spillage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If integrated blower/humidifier systems are used to provide compact and discrete units, then ease of operation and space utilization are improved, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of protection for internal electronic parts from water spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The internal cavity of the blower unit is segmented into a first compartment for electronic parts and a second compartment for water reservoir, separated by a partition wall with sealed openings. This segmentation prevents water from reaching electronic components while maintaining the integrated compact design.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealed opening or aperture is introduced as an intermediary element in the partition wall between the water compartment and electronic compartment. This sealed opening allows controlled interaction (such as gas flow) while preventing water spillage from reaching electronic parts.
2Ease of manufacture
If water-based cleaners are used for cleaning humidifier chambers, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential short-circuiting of electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
The blower unit is segmented into distinct compartments: a water reservoir compartment where water-based cleaning is performed, and a protected electronic compartment separated by a partition wall with sealed openings, preventing cleaning fluids from damaging electronics.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition wall with sealed openings acts as an intermediary barrier that allows the cleaning process to proceed effectively in the water compartment while preventing water-based cleaners from reaching and short-circuiting the electronic components in the separate compartment.
3Reliability
If modular systems with separate units are used, then reliability is improved through better protection of components, but device complexity increases due to multiple separate items requiring assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The blower unit merges multiple functions into a single integrated device: the motor housing serves as both the blower casing and the protective enclosure for electronic parts, while the water reservoir is integrated into the same housing with sealed compartments, eliminating the need for separate modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
The blower unit housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the structural enclosure for the motor, the protective cage for electronic components, the container for the water reservoir, and the interface for gas flow, thereby simplifying the overall system while maintaining reliability.
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 effectively prevents water from reaching electrical components by creating a fluid barrier, ensuring the system's operation is not disrupted and reducing the need for user intervention during refilling or cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
providing a flange around at least part of said perimeter portion, said resilient member adapted to allow said heater base to be fixed to said humidifier by said flange
Implementation Method 2
a heater plate having a thermally conductive portion
Data Source
AI summary
A humidifier heater base assembly has a heater plate with a thermally conductive portion and a perimeter portion around a perimeter of the heater plate. A resilient member has an inner part attached to the perimeter portion and an outer part adapted to provide a resilient perimeter flange around at least part and preferably the whole of the perimeter portion. The resilient member fixes the heater base to the humidifier by the resilient perimeter flange such that the heater plate and the inner part can move relative to the humidifier in a direction substantially transverse to the general plane of the heater plate. At least a portion of the resilient perimeter flange remains stationary relative to the humidifier.