Removable Coolant Reservoir for Easier Cold Compression Refilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal therapy devices are cumbersome and inefficient in filling ice and water, requiring movement of the entire system for refilling, which complicates the process and reduces user convenience.
Innovation Solution
A cold compression system with a removable fluid reservoir that allows easy filling of ice and water separately from the housing, combined with a controller that manages fluid compression and temperature/pressure settings via a user interface, and includes insulation for thermal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the entire thermal therapy system is moved for refilling, then the ice and water can be added to the system, but the operation becomes cumbersome and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into a stationary housing containing the compressor and control electronics, and a removable fluid reservoir that can be easily detached and refilled independently. This segmentation allows the reservoir to be filled without moving the entire system, improving ease of operation while maintaining system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid reservoir is extracted as a separate removable component from the housing. The reservoir can be taken out, refilled with ice and water, and reattached to the housing, eliminating the need to move the entire system for refilling purposes.
2Ease of operation
If a removable fluid reservoir is added to allow easy filling, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir port and internal coolant port are designed to fluidly couple together through a standardized interface that integrates the sealing mechanism, fluid connection, and electrical connection (for sensors) into a single unified interface. This merging reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable reservoir interface serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides fluid connection between the reservoir and housing, establishes thermal coupling through the heat exchanger, and enables electrical connection for temperature and pressure sensors. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
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
Enables convenient and efficient filling of ice and water without moving the entire system, providing effective thermal therapy with controlled temperature and pressure settings.
Implementation Method 1
a positive displacement fluid pump supported by the housing and arranged in fluid communication between the internal coolant port and the coolant outlet
Implementation Method 2
a fluid compressor supported by the housing and arranged in fluid communication with the compressor outlet
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger selectively fluidly coupled to the coolant outlet of the housing
Implementation Method 4
the housing includes thermal insulation adjacent the cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A cold compression system may include a housing including a compressor outlet, a coolant outlet, a cavity, and an internal coolant port in fluid communication with the coolant outlet. A fluid compressor is arranged in fluid communication with the compressor outlet. A positive displacement fluid pump is arranged in fluid communication between the internal coolant port and the coolant outlet. A controller is structured to selectively activate the fluid compressor or the positive displacement fluid pump. A removable fluid reservoir is sized to fit within the cavity and includes a reservoir defining a water fill line, and a reservoir port positioned above the water fill line and structured to couple with the internal coolant port of the housing. A cold compression pad includes a compression chamber coupled to the compressor outlet of the housing, and a heat exchanger coupled to the coolant outlet of the housing.