Speaking Valve With Elastic Filter Resetting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing speaking valves for laryngectomized and tracheotomized individuals are complex and costly, lacking a simple, cost-effective design that allows easy production and use for filtering and moisturizing breathing air while enabling speaking functionality.
Innovation Solution
A speaking valve with a housing and an elastic filter made of synthetic material, where the filter protrudes beyond the housing end face, allowing pressure application to close the valve and return to an initial position, utilizing a ring-shaped edge and elastic elements for guidance and support, without additional connections between the housing and cover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a manually operable valve element with spring resetting mechanism is used to block airflow, then the speaking function is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complex spring resetting mechanism and manual valve element from the system. Instead, it uses a simple cover that can be manually pressed to block the distal opening, with the elastic filter itself providing the resetting function when deformed and released. This reduces device complexity while maintaining the speaking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic filter serves dual functions: it filters the air and simultaneously acts as the resetting mechanism. When the cover is pressed to close the valve, the elastic filter deforms; when released, it naturally returns to its original shape, automatically reopening the air passage without requiring a separate spring mechanism.
2Device complexity
If the filter is completely enclosed by the housing, then the structure is compact, but the speaking function cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The distal opening of the housing is designed to be dynamically controllable rather than fixed. The cover can be pressed to close the opening for speaking, and when released, the elastic filter pushes the cover back to its initial position, automatically reopening the opening. This dynamic design enables both compact structure and speaking function.
3Reliability
If additional connections between housing and cover are added, then the sealing is improved, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic filter serves multiple functions simultaneously: it filters the air, provides the resetting mechanism, and creates the sealing between the cover and housing. When the cover is pressed, the elastic filter deforms and maintains contact, providing sealing without requiring additional gaskets or connection elements. This reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliable sealing.
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 provides a simple, cost-effective speaking valve that effectively filters and moisturizes air, allowing easy operation for speaking while preventing random closure, particularly during sleep, and maintains a reduced construction height for efficient heat and humidity exchange.
Implementation Method 1
a filter (38) which is at least partially surrounded by a housing (12), wherein the filter (38) is made of an elastic material
Implementation Method 2
it features a regenerative filter for humidity and heat exchange during breathing
Implementation Method 3
the cover (46) together with the filter (38) returns into the initial position when unloaded
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a speaking valve for laryngectomized and tracheotomized persons that is easy and economical to produce. According to the invention, the speaking valve comprises a proximal first opening and a distal second opening, a filter, which is at least partially surrounded by the housing, which filter is made of an elastic material, and has a proximal first end and a distal second end, wherein the filter partially protrudes beyond an end face of the housing at the distal second opening, and wherein a cover is connected by means of at least one partial region of the bottom surface thereof to a top side of the filter at the distal second end of the filter. A diameter d1 of the cover is greater than a diameter d2 of the filter, such that an edge projecting beyond a lateral filter wall of the filter is formed, wherein by application of pressure to the cover from an initial position, a bottom surface of the edge at least partially interacts with the end face of the housing in order to produce a closed position of the speaking valve, and wherein the cover together with the filter returns to the initial position when unloaded.