Compact Low Noise Efficient Blower for Cpap Devices

• US 20090246013A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Resmed Motor Technologies Inc. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Resmed Limited (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Peter John, Kenyon, Barton John
• Granted Patent: US 7,866,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/208.200
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0057 Pumps therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/42 Reducing noise
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/12 Multi-stage pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/122 the individual rotor discs being, one for each stage, on a common shaft and axially spaced, e.g. conventional centrifugal multi- stage compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/16 for displacing without appreciable compression
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/164 Multi-stage fans, e.g. for vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/165 Axial entry and discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/06 the pump being electrically driven F04D25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0606 the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/08 the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/023 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/281 for fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/4253 with axial entry and discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/441 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/444 Bladed diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5806 Cooling the drive system
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/584 cooling or heating the machine F04D29/5846, F04D29/5853 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/667 by influencing the flow pattern, e.g. suppression of turbulence

Abstract

A blower for providing a supply of air at positive pressure in the range of approximately 2 cm H₂O to 30 cm H₂O includes a motor, at least one impeller, and a stationary component. The stationary component includes an inlet and an outlet. The motor, the impeller, the inlet and outlet are co-axial.

Claims

1-67. -67. (canceled)

68. A blower for a non-invasive ventilation device comprising:

an electric motor having a shaft, said shaft defines a shaft axis;

a housing having a housing inlet and a housing outlet between which is defined a flow path for gas;

the housing outlet is structured to direct gas exiting the blower in a substantially axial first direction;

the motor has a first side proximal said housing inlet, and a second side distal said housing inlet;

a first impeller attached to the shaft on the first side of the motor and adapted to accelerate gas tangentially and to direct it radially outward;

a stationary portion structured to direct a flow of gas exiting the first impeller from the first side of the motor to the second side of the motor via a substantially annular flow path; and

a first stationary vane structure located adjacent said second side of the motor for receiving air exiting the annular flow path and directing the air radially inwards, said first stationary vane structure having a leading edge thereof located substantially inwards radially relative to the annular flow path,

the first stationary vane structure is adapted to direct gas exiting the first impeller from flowing in a substantially tangential direction to flowing in a substantially radial inward direction.

74. The blower of claim 68, wherein the stationary portion is constructed to bring gas exiting the first stationary vane structure through an approximate right angle from a generally radial direction to a generally axial direction.

75. The blower of claim 68, further comprising a second impeller coupled to the shaft and adapted to receive a flow of gas flowing in said first direction exiting from said first stationary vane structure.

76. The blower of claim 75, wherein said second impeller is adapted to accelerate gas tangentially and to direct it radially outward.

77. The blower of claim 75, wherein the second impeller is attached to the shaft on said second side of the motor.

78. The blower of claim 75, wherein said stationary portion is further adapted to direct gas exiting said second impeller through an annular gap between an outer edge of the second impeller and a wall of the stationary portion.

79. The blower of claim 75, further comprising a second stationary vane structure constructed to promote a smooth transition by guiding the gas flow direction from a substantially tangential direction to a substantially radial inward direction, a leading edge of said second stationary vane structure is axially displaced from said second impeller.

80. The blower of claim 68, wherein the first stationary vane structure includes a plurality of stator vanes.

81. The blower of claim 80, wherein each said vane has a radius of curvature that is smaller at an inner end adjacent the shaft axis than at an outer end.

82. The blower of claim 80, wherein each said vane has a generally spiral shape.

83. The blower of claim 68, wherein the housing inlet has a diameter between 2 mm and 100 mm.

84. The blower of claim 83, wherein the housing inlet has a diameter between 15 mm and 20 mm.

86. The blower of claim 68, wherein the first impeller has a diameter in the range of 20 mm to 200 mm.

87. The blower of claim 86, wherein the impeller has a diameter in the range of 40 mm to 50 mm.

88. The blower of claim 78, wherein the annular gap is between 1 mm and 2 mm.

89. The blower of claim 79, further comprising a shield located between said second impeller and said second stationary vane structure, said shield extends radially beyond an outer edge of said second stationary vane structure.

90. The blower of claim 79, wherein said second stationary vane structure comprises a plurality of stator vanes.

91. The blower of claim 90, wherein said second stationary vane structure comprises between 2 and 100 stator vanes.

92. The blower of claim 90, wherein said plurality of stator vanes have a height in an axial direction in the range of 1 mm to 100 mm.

93. The blower of claim 92, wherein said plurality of stator vanes have a height in an axial direction in the range of 3 mm to 5 mm.

94. The blower of claim 68, wherein the first stationary vane structure is aligned substantially tangentially at an outer end thereof and is aligned substantially radially at an inner end thereof.

95. The blower of claim 80, wherein said first stationary vane structure comprises between 2 and 100 stator vanes.

96. The blower of claim 80, wherein said plurality of stator vanes have a height in an axial direction in the range of 1 mm to 100 mm.

97. The blower of claim 96, wherein said plurality of stator vanes have a height in an axial direction in the range of 3 mm to 5 mm.

69. (canceled)

70. (canceled)

71. (canceled)

72. (canceled)

73. (canceled)

85. (canceled)