Reciprocating Pump Duct Integration for Compact Oxygen Concentrator
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traditional reciprocating pumps with multiple cylinders face challenges in compact installation due to the external placement of intake and exhaust pipe fittings, leading to increased pump size, particularly in designs with four cylinders where eight pipe fittings are required, making it difficult to maintain a compact form factor.
Innovation Solution
The reciprocating pump design integrates the eight ducts within the space surrounded by the four cylinders, allowing for efficient arrangement and compact placement, with specific configurations such as arraying ducts along the motor shaft direction and forming integrated ducts to minimize size enlargement, while also enabling both compression and decompression functions and internal cooling without additional cooling devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the intake duct and exhaust duct are disposed outside the pump as separate pipe fittings, then the ducts can be easily connected to the cylinder chamber, but the size of the pump increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ducts with the pump body by forming them as integral parts of the casing. The casing is designed with internal passages that serve as ducts, eliminating the need for separate external pipe fittings. This combining of the casing and ducts into a single integrated structure reduces the overall pump size while maintaining the functionality of air intake and exhaust pathways.
2Adaptability or versatility
If four cylinders are used in the reciprocating pump, then the compression and decompression functions are enhanced, but the number of required pipe fittings increases to eight, making compact installation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple duct functions into the integrated casing structure. Instead of requiring eight separate external pipe fittings for four cylinders, the casing is designed with internal passages that route air intake and exhaust for all cylinders through a unified structure, reducing the number of discrete components while maintaining all necessary compression and decompression functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The casing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the four cylinders, contains the internal duct passages for air intake and exhaust, and acts as the housing for the entire pump assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
3Volume of stationary object
If the ducts are arranged in the motor shaft direction within the space surrounded by the four cylinders, then the pump size is minimized, but the space available for duct arrangement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the three-dimensional space within the casing by arranging duct passages in multiple directions and levels. The internal passages are configured to extend in the motor shaft direction while also utilizing radial and axial dimensions, effectively using available space in three dimensions rather than being constrained to a single plane or direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct passages are nested within the casing structure, with internal channels arranged concentrically and in parallel configurations. The ducts are positioned to fit within the space surrounded by the four cylinders, with passages nested one within another or arranged in compact configurations that maximize space utilization.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a reciprocating pump that can suppress enlargement. The reciprocating pump is provided with: a motor having a motor shaft; four cylinders (30Ap, 30Bp, 30Cv, 30Dv) of which the cylinder shaft direction is perpendicular to the motor shaft direction; four pistons; and a casing (20) that houses the motor shaft. Furthermore, the reciprocating pump is provided with: four intake ducts (24pi, 24vi) for leading a gas to the four cylinders (30) ; and four exhaust ducts (24pe, 24ve) for discharging gas from the four cylinders (30). The eight ducts are disposed within a region enclosed by the four cylinders (30) when viewed from the motor shaft direction, and are disposed two at a time between adjacent cylinders around the motor shaft. Also, the pairs of ducts disposed between adjacent cylinders around the motor shaft are disposed in the motor shaft direction.