Fan unit with bypass vent holes
AssigneeFisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
InventorChristopher David Gillespie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fan unit which in use forms part of a gases supply unit, the gases supply unit suitable for use as part of a system for providing heated humidified gases to a user, the fan unit having a casing that has an inlet aperture and an outlet passage, the outlet passage including an exit aperture, the fan unit also including a fan which is located inside the casing and which is adapted for connection to a motor to drive rotation of the fan in use, the fan drawing gases into the casing via the inlet aperture, and forcing these gases out of the casing via the outlet passage as a gases stream, the outlet passage further including at least one bypass vent hole independent of the exit aperture and arranged at an angle to the path of the gases stream through the outlet passage.
Claims33
A fan unit which in use forms part of a gases supply unit suitable for use as part of a system for providing heated humidified gases to a user, said fan unit comprising:
- a casing having an inlet aperture and an outlet passage, said outlet passage having an exit aperture, and at least one vent hole, independent of said exit aperture and arranged at an angle to the path of said gases stream through said outlet passage;
- and
- a fan located inside said casing and adapted for connection to a motor to drive rotation of said fan in use, so that in use said fan draws gases into said casing via said inlet aperture, and forces said gases out of said easing via said outlet passage as a gases stream,
- said outlet passage and said at least one vent hole configured so that if the outlet of said outlet passage is substantially blocked, the flow in use through said vent hole or holes matches the flow through said outlet passage at which the onset of surge would occur in a substantially similar, substantially blocked outlet passage without a vent hole or holes.
(canceled)
A housing for a fan unit which in use forms part of a gases supply unit suitable for use as part of a system for providing heated humidified gases to a user, said housing comprising:
- an outer casing having an inlet aperture and an outlet passage, said outlet passage having an exit aperture and at least one vent hole, said vent hole independent of said exit aperture and arranged at an angle to the overall path of a gases stream passing along said outlet passage in use, said casing adapted to enclose a fan in use,
- and wherein said outlet passage and said at least one vent hole are configured so that if in use the outlet of said outlet passage is substantially blocked, the flow through said vent hole or holes matches the flow through said outlet passage at which the onset of surge would occur in a substantially similar, substantially blocked outlet passage without a vent hole or holes.
A housing for a gases supply unit of the type that in use forms part of a system for providing heated humidified gases to a user and which is adapted to in use provide a pressurised gases stream, said housing comprising:
- an enclosing external shell that encloses and forms part of said gases supply unit, said shell having an atmospheric inlet adapted to allow gases from atmosphere to enter said shell in use, and a humidifier inlet aperture adapted to allow a pressurised gases stream to exit said shell,
- said external shell further comprising an internal recess adapted to hold a fan casing in use,
- an outlet duct, having an outlet end adjacent to and fluidically connected to said humidifier inlet aperture, and an inlet end,
- a passage which in use fluidically connects the outlet of said fan casing and said inlet end of said outlet duct, said passage having at least one vent hole, arranged at an angle to the overall path of said gases stream through said passage, said passage and said at least one vent hole configured so that if said gases stream cannot pass freely along said passage, the flow in use through said vent hole or holes matches the flow through said passage at which the onset of surge would occur in a substantially similar, substantially blocked outlet passage not having a vent hole or holes.
A gases supply unit which in use forms part of a system for providing heated humidified gases to a user, said gases supply unit comprising:
- a housing having an external shell that encloses and forms part of said gases supply unit, said shell having an atmospheric inlet adapted to allow gases from. atmosphere to enter said shell in use, and a humidifier inlet aperture adapted to allow a pressurised gases stream to exit said shell, and an internal recess adapted to hold a fan unit,
- a fan unit located in said internal recess, said fan unit having an external fan easing with an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, and a fan located inside said casing, said fan unit adapted to draw air into said gases supply unit shell through said atmospheric inlet and provide a pressurised gases stream through said outlet aperture in use,
- a motor, located within said external shell and adapted for connection to said fan unit to drive said fan in use,
- an outlet duct, having an outlet end adjacent to and fluidically connected to said humidifier inlet aperture, and an inlet end,
- a passage which in use fluidically connects the outlet of said fan casing and said inlet end of said outlet duct, said passage having at least one vent hole, arranged at an angle to the overall path of said gases stream through said passage,
- wherein said passage and said at least one vent hole are configured so that if said gases stream cannot pass freely along said passage, the flow in use through said vent hole or holes matches the flow through said passage at which the onset of surge would occur in a substantially similar, substantially blocked outlet passage not having a vent hole or holes.
A medical breathing system suitable for supplying heated humidified gases to a user, comprising:
- a gases supply unit adapted to provide a pressurised gases stream,
- a humidifier chamber, said chamber fluidically connected to said gases supply unit in use so that said gases stream can pass into and through said chamber, said chamber containing a volume of water which in use is heated to heat and humidify said gases stream as said gases stream passes through said chamber,
- a patient interface adapted to provide said heated humidified gases stream to a user, said patient interface including a conduit to transport said heated humidified gases from said humidifier chamber to said user,
- said gases supply unit comprising:
- a housing having an external shell that encloses and forms part of said gases supply unit, said shell having an atmospheric inlet adapted to allow gases from atmosphere to enter said shell in use, and a humidifier inlet aperture adapted to allow a pressurised gases stream to exit said shell, and an internal recess adapted to hold a fan unit,
- a fan unit located in said internal recess, said fan unit having an external fan casing with an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, and a fan located inside said casing, said fan unit adapted to draw air into said gases supply unit shell through said atmospheric inlet and provide a pressurised gases stream through said outlet aperture in use,
- a motor, located within said external shell and adapted for connection to said fan unit to drive said fan in use,
- an outlet duct, having an outlet end adjacent to and fluidically connected to said humidifier inlet aperture, and an inlet end,
- a passage which in use fluidieally connects the outlet of said fan casing and said inlet end of said outlet duct, said passage having at least one vent hole, arranged at an angle to the overall path of said gases stream through said passage,
- wherein said passage and said at least one vent hole are configured so that if said gases stream cannot pass freely along said passage, the flow in use through said vent hole or holes matches the flow through said passage at which the onset of surge would occur in a substantially similar, substantially blocked outlet passage not having a vent hole or holes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.