Medical Air Compressor Eccentric Piston Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compact air compressors for medical use, such as portable oxygen concentrators, face inefficiencies and weight duplication issues due to the traditional conversion of rotary motion to reciprocating motion, which affects their performance and portability.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a rotating shaft with a circular eccentric and a drive pin system that engages a circular ring and piston rods, allowing for efficient conversion of rotational motion to reciprocating motion with minimal duplication of parts, enabling lighter and more efficient compressors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional rotary to reciprocating motion conversion mechanisms are used, then the compressor can achieve fluid compression, but the device suffers from weight duplication and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional elements into a unified mechanism. The circular eccentric serves as both the motion conversion element and the balancing component, while the piston rod connects multiple pistons simultaneously. This merging eliminates the need for separate balancing weights and reduces the number of individual components, directly addressing the weight duplication problem while maintaining compression efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The circular eccentric performs multiple functions: it converts rotary motion to reciprocating motion, provides dynamic balancing, and serves as the rotational driver for the piston rods. The piston rod simultaneously connects multiple pistons and transmits force. This multi-functionality reduces the overall component count and weight while preserving the compression function.
2Productivity
If traditional motion conversion mechanisms are used, then the compressor can operate, but fluid flow exhibits significant pulsation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent arranges multiple pistons on the same piston rod at different positions along the rotation axis. As the circular eccentric rotates, it drives all pistons simultaneously, ensuring that at least one piston is always in the compression or discharge phase. This continuous operation eliminates idle periods and smooths out fluid flow pulsations, providing more continuous useful action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the periodic rotation of the circular eccentric to drive pistons in a coordinated sequence. The eccentric's rotation creates synchronized reciprocating motion in multiple pistons, with each piston completing its cycle at slightly different times. This periodic action, when distributed across multiple pistons, averages out the pulsations and creates smoother overall fluid flow.
3Productivity
If traditional rotary to reciprocating conversion is used, then the compressor can compress fluid, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the motion conversion function and the driving mechanism into a single circular eccentric component. Instead of using a traditional crankshaft with connecting rods for each piston, the eccentric directly drives multiple piston rods through simple pin connections. This merging dramatically simplifies the mechanism while maintaining the essential compression capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex crankshaft mechanism and replaces it with a simpler circular eccentric that performs the same motion conversion function. By removing the intermediate crank arms and complex linkages, the design achieves rotary-to-reciprocating conversion with fewer parts and lower complexity, while still delivering the required compression performance.
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
This solution enhances the efficiency and reduces weight duplication in compact air compressors, providing continuous fluid flow with minimal pulsation and improved portability for medical applications.
Implementation Method 1
The compressor includes a circular eccentric, and a circular ring connected to the circular eccentric via a bearing. A drive pin engages the circular ring at a fixed position on the circular ring and engages the at least a first piston rod.
Data Source
AI summary
A pump or compressor includes a rotating shaft, and at least a first piston rod substantially perpendicular to the rotating shaft and connecting a first pair of pistons at opposite ends of the piston rod. The piston rod moves back and forth relative to the rotating shaft. The compressor additionally includes a circular eccentric, and a circular ring connected to the circular eccentric via a bearing. A drive pin engages the circular ring at a fixed position on the circular ring and engages the at least a first piston rod. When rotational motion of the shaft rotates either the first piston rod and first pair of pistons or the circular eccentric, the drive pin and the first piston rod move back and forth relative to the rotating shaft.