US4789388A — Oxygen enriching apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 387 words

A low-noise apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, the apparatus comprising: an outer casing means having an intake opening for intaking into said casing a flow of atmospheric air, to exhaust opening for exhausting a first part of the flow of atmospheric air, and a first outlet port for delivering a second oxygen-enriched part of the flow of atmospheric air to a patient; an oxygen enriching system accommodated in said outer casing means for supplying said second oxygen-enriched part of the flow of atmospheric air to said first outlet port, said oxygen enriching system including oxygen enriching means operable to enrich said second part of said flow of atmospheric air with oxygen, a motor-driven pumping means for causing said second flow of atmospheric air to pass through said oxygen enriching means, piping means for carrying said second part of the flow of air via said pumping means and said oxygen enriching means to said first outlet port, and fan means for causing said flow of atmospheric air generally directed from said intake opening of said outer casing means toward said exhaust opening; soundproof box means defining an impervious-to-sound chamber, said motor-driven pumping means and said fan means being completely accommodated within said chamber, the box means having an inlet port communicating with said intake opening for permitting said atmospheric air to flow into said chamber and a separate outlet port communicating with said exhaust opening for permitting said first part of the flow of atmospheric air to exit from the outer casing means after cooling said motor-driven pumping means and said fan means; elongated air intake passage means formed within said outer casing means for restrictively guiding said flow of atmospheric air from said intake opening to said inlet port, said intake passage means having bends at at least five positions, each of said positions being lined with sound absorbing material; and elongated air exhaust passage means formed within said outer casing means for restrictively guiding said first part of the flow of atmospheric air from said separate outlet port of said soundproof box means to said exhaust opening, said air exhaust passage means having a plurality of partition plates such that the exhaust passage means includes bends at at least five positions, each of said partition plates being lined with sound absorbing material.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 387 words

A low-noise apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, the apparatus comprising: an outer casing means having an intake opening for intaking into said casing a flow of atmospheric air, to exhaust opening for exhausting a first part of the flow of atmospheric air, and a first outlet port for delivering a second oxygen-enriched part of the flow of atmospheric air to a patient; an oxygen enriching system accommodated in said outer casing means for supplying said second oxygen-enriched part of the flow of atmospheric air to said first outlet port, said oxygen enriching system including oxygen enriching means operable to enrich said second part of said flow of atmospheric air with oxygen, a motor-driven pumping means for causing said second flow of atmospheric air to pass through said oxygen enriching means, piping means for carrying said second part of the flow of air via said pumping means and said oxygen enriching means to said first outlet port, and fan means for causing said flow of atmospheric air generally directed from said intake opening of said outer casing means toward said exhaust opening; soundproof box means defining an impervious-to-sound chamber, said motor-driven pumping means and said fan means being completely accommodated within said chamber, the box means having an inlet port communicating with said intake opening for permitting said atmospheric air to flow into said chamber and a separate outlet port communicating with said exhaust opening for permitting said first part of the flow of atmospheric air to exit from the outer casing means after cooling said motor-driven pumping means and said fan means; elongated air intake passage means formed within said outer casing means for restrictively guiding said flow of atmospheric air from said intake opening to said inlet port, said intake passage means having bends at at least five positions, each of said positions being lined with sound absorbing material; and elongated air exhaust passage means formed within said outer casing means for restrictively guiding said first part of the flow of atmospheric air from said separate outlet port of said soundproof box means to said exhaust opening, said air exhaust passage means having a plurality of partition plates such that the exhaust passage means includes bends at at least five positions, each of said partition plates being lined with sound absorbing material.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 1, wherein an overall length of said air exhaust passage means is from 0.4 to 2.0 times an overall length of said air intake passage means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 60 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 1, wherein said outer casing means comprises a parallelepiped casing having three different pairs of spaced apart opposed plane surfaces, and wherein the length of each of said air intake and air exhaust passage means is not less than the minimum spacing between said three different pairs of opposed plane surfaces.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 1, wherein said air intake and air exhaust passage means have substantially right-angled bends in three dimensions.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 39 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 1, wherein said air intake and air exhaust passage means comprise sound-insulated passage means air-tight against the atmosphere except for said intake and exhaust openings of said outer casing means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 48 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 1, wherein said soundproof box means comprises a metallic box, sound absorbing material covering the interior of the metallic box, and vibration damping material disposed for mounting said motor-driven pumping means and said fan means inside the metallic box.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 36 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 6, wherein said soundproof box means further comprises a soundproof wooden box containing said metallic box, said soundproof wooden box being disposed within said outer casing means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 39 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 1, wherein said outer casing means comprises a sound insulatable wooden box sealed entirely except for said intake and exhaust openings and said first outlet port for said oxygen-enriched air.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 37 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 1, wherein said piping means of said oxygen enriching system comprises a silencer tank for deadening pulsation sound of said oxygen-enriched air delivered to said first outlet port.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 21 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 9, wherein said silencer tank is located in said soundproof box means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 100 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 1, wherein said oxygen enriching system further includes flow regulating means having an inlet port for said oxygen-enriched air, an outlet port for a regulated flow of said oxygen-enriched air and an exhaust port for exhausting a surplus flow of said oxygen-enriched air other than said regulated flow of said oxygen-enriched air, and sound attenuating means arranged at said exhaust port of said flow regulating means, said sound attenuating means being provided for deadening sound generated by said surplus flow of said oxygen-enriched air upon being exhausted from said exhaust port.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 38 words

An apparatus for providing oxyen-enriched air according to claim 11, wherein said sound attenuating means comprises a tubing means attached to said exhaust port of said flow regulating means and having a length not less than 5 cm.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 42 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 12, wherein said tubing means is a resin tube having one end connected to said exhaust port via a pipe coupling and another end extended toward the interior of said outer casing means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 31 words

An apparatus for enriching air with oxygen, according to claim 11, wherein said sound attenuating means comprises a noise suppression box attached to said exhaust port of said flow regulating means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 32 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air according to claim 11, wherein said sound attenuating means comprises a covering made of porous material and enclosing said exhaust port of said flow regulating means.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 280 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, said apparatus including a plurality of membrane elements respectively provided with a selectively permeable membrane permitting permeation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon being applied thereto with atmospheric air, and means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air from the plurality of membrane elements, the improvement wherein said plurality of membrane elements are divided into a predetermined number of groups having respective effective membrane areas for permeation, said predetermined number of groups of membrane elements being provided with respective conduit means for establishing a corresponding number of fluid connections to said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air, wherein there is provided means for changing said number of said fluid connections between said predetermined number of groups of membrane elements and said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air within said predetermined number, and wherein said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air comprises a pressure reducing means for drawing off said oxygen-enriched air from said plurality of membrane elements, said pressure reducing means comprising a vacuum pump driven by an electric motor, the apparatus further comprising controlling means for preventing said electric motor from being started before a vacuum level prevailing on a suction side of said vacuum pump drops below a predetermined vacuum level, said controlling means comprising an electric relay cirucit means including a combination of a first relay having normally-open contacts disposed between said electric drive motor and an electric power source and a second relay having a normally-closed contact which is forcibly opened so as to prevent electrical energization of said first relay for a predetermined period of time after stopping of said electric drive motor.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 280 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, said apparatus including a plurality of membrane elements respectively provided with a selectively permeable membrane permitting permeation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon being applied thereto with atmospheric air, and means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air from the plurality of membrane elements, the improvement wherein said plurality of membrane elements are divided into a predetermined number of groups having respective effective membrane areas for permeation, said predetermined number of groups of membrane elements being provided with respective conduit means for establishing a corresponding number of fluid connections to said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air, wherein there is provided means for changing said number of said fluid connections between said predetermined number of groups of membrane elements and said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air within said predetermined number, and wherein said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air comprises a pressure reducing means for drawing off said oxygen-enriched air from said plurality of membrane elements, said pressure reducing means comprising a vacuum pump driven by an electric motor, the apparatus further comprising controlling means for preventing said electric motor from being started before a vacuum level prevailing on a suction side of said vacuum pump drops below a predetermined vacuum level, said controlling means comprising an electric relay cirucit means including a combination of a first relay having normally-open contacts disposed between said electric drive motor and an electric power source and a second relay having a normally-closed contact which is forcibly opened so as to prevent electrical energization of said first relay for a predetermined period of time after stopping of said electric drive motor.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 52 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air, according to claim 16, wherein said means for changing said number of said fluid connections comprises valve means arranged in at least one of said respective conduit means, said valve means being opened and closed in response to a change in temperature of said atmospheric air.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 56 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air, according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of membrane elements is divided into a first and second group of membrane elements, the effective membrane area of said first group of membrane elements being from 60 through 80 percent of the total effective membrane area of said first and second groups.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 104 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air, according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of membrane elements is divided into a first, a second, and a third group of membrane elements, the effective area of said first group of membrane elements being from 40 through 60 percent of the total effective membrane areas of said first through third groups, the effective area of said second group of membrane elements being from 25 through 40 percent of the total effective membrane areas, and the effective membrane area of said third group of membrane elements being from 10 through 25 percent of the total effective membrane areas.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 164 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 16, wherein said apparatus further comprises cooling means for cooling said oxygen enriched air, water separating means for separating water condensate produced when said oxygen enriched air is cooled by said cooling means, water drain means connected to said water separating means for draining said condensate, said water drain means having therein a fluid pressure reducing section which is formed therein with a multiple number of narrow fluid paths, said water drain means being provided at a position between said water separating means and said fluid pressure reducing section with clogging preventing means for preventing clogging of said fluid pressure reducing section with foreign matter contained in said drained condensate, said clogging preventing means comprising a water conduit means having an inlet end directly connected to a lower portion of said water separating means and an outlet end upwardly connected to an entrance of said fluid pressure reducing section of said water drain means.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 34 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 20, wherein said water drain means is provided at an outermost end thereof with a cylindrical covering for preventing scatter of said drained condensate.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 54 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 20, wherein said cylindrical covering is closed at at least one end thereof, and a cylindrical surface thereof is formed with air drain ports at an upper portion of said cylindrical surface and water drain ports at a lower portion of said cylindrical surface.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 30 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 21, wherein said cylindrical covering is fixed to a portion of said cooling means covered with a moisture holding element.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 31 words

an apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 20, wherein said water conduit means is formed with an expansion chamber between said one inlet and other outlet ends thereof.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 42 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 20, wherein said water conduit means is provided with a restrictor for forming a water nozzle at a position between said one inlet and other outlet ends of said water conduit means.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 64 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 20, wherein said one inlet end of said water conduit means is upwardly connected to said lower portion of said water separating means, and positioned at a level higher than said other outlet end of said water conduit means, connected to said entrance of said fluid pressure reducing section of said water drain means.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 22 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 20, wherein said clogging preventing means comprises at least one filter element.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 24 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 27, wherein said filter element has an opening ranging from 1 through 1000 micrometers.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 31 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen enriched air, according to claim 20, wherein said fluid pressure reducing section of said water drain means is a cylindrical section packed with a fibrous aggregate.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 266 words

In an apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, said apparatus including a plurality of membrane elements respectively provided with a selectively permeable membrane permitting permeation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon being applied thereto with atmospheric air, and means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air from the plurality of membrane elements, the improvement wherein said plurality of membrane elements are divided into a predetermined number of groups having respective effective membrane areas for permeation, said predetermined number of groups of membrane elements being provided with respective conduit means for establishing a corresponding number of fluid connections ot said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air, wherein there is provided means for changing said number of said fluid connections between said predetermined number of groups of membrane elements and said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air within said predetermined number, and wherein said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air comprises a pressure reducing means for drawing off said oxygen-enriched air from said plurality of membrane elements, said pressure reducing means comprising a vacuum pump driven by an electric motor, the apparatus further comprising controlling means for preventing said electric motor from being started before a vacuum level prevailing on a suction side of said vacuum pump drops below a predetermined vacuum level, and wherein said control means comprises a combination of a timer means and an electric switching means connected to said electric motor, said timer means operating so as to prevent said electric switching means from becoming ON for a predetermined period of time after stopping of said electric drive motor.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 266 words

In an apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, said apparatus including a plurality of membrane elements respectively provided with a selectively permeable membrane permitting permeation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon being applied thereto with atmospheric air, and means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air from the plurality of membrane elements, the improvement wherein said plurality of membrane elements are divided into a predetermined number of groups having respective effective membrane areas for permeation, said predetermined number of groups of membrane elements being provided with respective conduit means for establishing a corresponding number of fluid connections ot said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air, wherein there is provided means for changing said number of said fluid connections between said predetermined number of groups of membrane elements and said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air within said predetermined number, and wherein said means for deriving said oxygen-enriched air comprises a pressure reducing means for drawing off said oxygen-enriched air from said plurality of membrane elements, said pressure reducing means comprising a vacuum pump driven by an electric motor, the apparatus further comprising controlling means for preventing said electric motor from being started before a vacuum level prevailing on a suction side of said vacuum pump drops below a predetermined vacuum level, and wherein said control means comprises a combination of a timer means and an electric switching means connected to said electric motor, said timer means operating so as to prevent said electric switching means from becoming ON for a predetermined period of time after stopping of said electric drive motor.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 51 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air, according to claim 30, wherein said means for changing said number of fluid connections comprises valve means arranged in at least one of said respective conduit means, said valve means being opened and closed in response to a change in temperature of said atmospheric air.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 56 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air, according to claim 31, wherein said plurality of membrane elements is divided into a first and second group of membrane elements, the effective membrane area ff said first group of membrane elements being from 60 through 80 percent of the total effective membrane area of said first and second groups.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 103 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air, according to claim 31, wherein said plurality of membrane elements is divided into a first, a second, and a third group of membrane elements, the effective area of said first group of membrane elements being from 40 through 60 percent of the total effective membrane areas of said first through third groups, the effective area of said second group of membrane elements being from 25 through 40 percent of the total effective membrane areas, and the effective membrane area of said third group of membrane elements being 10 through 25 percent of the total effective membrane areas.

Claim 37

Independent Claim 173 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of membrane elements, each element being provided with a selecltively permeable membrane having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the membrane permitting permation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon application of atmospheric air to the upstream surface of the membrane; a vacuum pumping means for drawing oxygen-enriched air from the downstream surface of the membrane of each of the plurality of membrane elements; an electric drive motor for driving said vacuum pumping means; and control means for preventing said electric drive motor from being started before a vacuum level prevailing on a suction side of said vacuum pumping means drops below a predetermined vacuum level, said control means comprising a combination of a timer means and an electric switching means connected to said electric motor, said timer means operating so as to prevent said electric switching means from becoming ON for a predetermined period of time after stopping of said electric drive motor.

Claim 38

Independent Claim 173 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of membrane elements, each element being provided with a selecltively permeable membrane having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the membrane permitting permation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon application of atmospheric air to the upstream surface of the membrane; a vacuum pumping means for drawing oxygen-enriched air from the downstream surface of the membrane of each of the plurality of membrane elements; an electric drive motor for driving said vacuum pumping means; and control means for preventing said electric drive motor from being started before a vacuum level prevailing on a suction side of said vacuum pumping means drops below a predetermined vacuum level, said control means comprising a combination of a timer means and an electric switching means connected to said electric motor, said timer means operating so as to prevent said electric switching means from becoming ON for a predetermined period of time after stopping of said electric drive motor.

Claim 39

Independent Claim 184 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of membrane elements, each element being provided with a selectively permeable membrane having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the membrane permitting permeation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon application of atmospheric air to the upstream surface of the membrane; a vacuum pumping means for drawing oxygen-enriched air from the downstream surface of the membrane of each of the plurality of membrane elements; an electric drive motor for driving said vacuum pumping means; and an electric relay circuit means including a combination of a first relay having normally-open contacts disposed between said electric drive motor and an electric power source, a second relay having a normally-closed contact disposed in the energizing circuit of said first relay, and means for activating said second relay for a predetermined period of time when said electric drive motor becomes deenergized to open said normally-closed contact so as to prevent electric energization of said first relay for a predetermined period of time after stopping of said electric drive motor.

Claim 40

Independent Claim 184 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of membrane elements, each element being provided with a selectively permeable membrane having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the membrane permitting permeation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon application of atmospheric air to the upstream surface of the membrane; a vacuum pumping means for drawing oxygen-enriched air from the downstream surface of the membrane of each of the plurality of membrane elements; an electric drive motor for driving said vacuum pumping means; and an electric relay circuit means including a combination of a first relay having normally-open contacts disposed between said electric drive motor and an electric power source, a second relay having a normally-closed contact disposed in the energizing circuit of said first relay, and means for activating said second relay for a predetermined period of time when said electric drive motor becomes deenergized to open said normally-closed contact so as to prevent electric energization of said first relay for a predetermined period of time after stopping of said electric drive motor.

Claim 41

Independent Claim 137 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of membrane elements, each element being provided with a selectively permeable membrane having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the membrane permitting permeation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon application of atmospheric air to the upstream surface of the membrane; a vacuum pumping means for drawing oxygen-enriched air from the downstream surface of the membrane of each of the plurality of membrane elements; an electric drive motor for driving said vacuum pumping means; control means for automatically delaying restart of said electric drive motor after an interruption of operation of said apparatus until at least a time when a vacuum level prevailing on a suction side of said vacuum pumping means drops below a predetermined vacuum level.

Claim 42

Independent Claim 137 words

An apparatus for providing oxygen-enriched air to a medical patient, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of membrane elements, each element being provided with a selectively permeable membrane having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the membrane permitting permeation of oxygen therethrough at a higher rate than nitrogen upon application of atmospheric air to the upstream surface of the membrane; a vacuum pumping means for drawing oxygen-enriched air from the downstream surface of the membrane of each of the plurality of membrane elements; an electric drive motor for driving said vacuum pumping means; control means for automatically delaying restart of said electric drive motor after an interruption of operation of said apparatus until at least a time when a vacuum level prevailing on a suction side of said vacuum pumping means drops below a predetermined vacuum level.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 38 words

An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said control means comprises a switching means for restoring the operation of said apparatus upon being operated within a predetermined period of time after said interruption of operation of said apparatus.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1991-12-06	1992-06-06	1992-12-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1995-12-06	1996-06-06	1996-12-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1999-12-06	2000-06-06	2000-12-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Oxygen enriching apparatus

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