Pneumatic demand oxygen valve
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling discharge of oxygen from an oxygen supply source to a patient through a breathing line coupled to the patient as the patient inhales and exhales, the apparatus comprisingmeans for conducting oxygen provided by an oxygen supply source through a supply passageway having a gas inlet for attachment to an oxygen supply source and a gas outlet for attachment to a breathing line, the conducting means including a valve seat in the supply passageway,means for storing a supply of oxygen extant in the supply passageway in a first chamber to develop a pressure head in the first chamber, the storing means including inlet means for admitting oxygen from the supply passageway into the first chamber and outlet means for discharging oxygen from the first chamber to the atmosphere,means for selectively blocking flow of oxygen through the supply passageway from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, the blocking means including a flexible diaphragm valve member including a first side communicating with oxygen admitted into the first chamber and a second side facing the valve seat in the supply passageway, the diaphragm valve member being mounted for movement between a flow-blocking position engaging the valve seat in the supply passageway and a flow-delivery position disengaging the valve seat in the supply passageway, the blocking means further includes spring means for yieldably biasing the diaphragm valve member toward its flow-delivery position, the spring means lying in the supply passageway, andcontrol means for closing the outlet means in response to exhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to store pressurized oxygen in the first chamber so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber acting against the first side of the diaphragm valve member will increase to move the diaphragm valve member to its flow-blocking position and opening the outlet means in response to inhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to vent pressurized oxygen in the first chamber to the atmosphere through the outlet means so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber will decrease to allow pressurized oxygen in the supply passageway to move the diaphragm valve member away from the valve seat to its flow-delivery position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compact, simplified, totally pneumatic demand valve designed for coupling between a source of pressurized gas and a recipient user is provided which achieves a high degree of sensitivity and flow control without expensive, bulky valving arrangements characteristic of prior demand valves. Preferably, the demand valve includes a valve body presenting a gas flow passageway, together with pneumatically coupled sensing and slave diaphragms; the slave diaphragm is interposed in the flow passageway and prevents gas flow during the exhalation phases of the patient'"'"'s breathing cycle. During inhalation sensed by the sensing diaphragm, the slave diaphragm is shifted to open the gas flow passageway in the valve, thus permitting passage of gas to the patient. The valve is designed for coupling to a fixed orifice flow controller, which may be positioned either downstream or upstream of the valve as desired.
90 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling discharge of oxygen from an oxygen supply source to a patient through a breathing line coupled to the patient as the patient inhales and exhales, the apparatus comprising
means for conducting oxygen provided by an oxygen supply source through a supply passageway having a gas inlet for attachment to an oxygen supply source and a gas outlet for attachment to a breathing line, the conducting means including a valve seat in the supply passageway, means for storing a supply of oxygen extant in the supply passageway in a first chamber to develop a pressure head in the first chamber, the storing means including inlet means for admitting oxygen from the supply passageway into the first chamber and outlet means for discharging oxygen from the first chamber to the atmosphere, means for selectively blocking flow of oxygen through the supply passageway from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, the blocking means including a flexible diaphragm valve member including a first side communicating with oxygen admitted into the first chamber and a second side facing the valve seat in the supply passageway, the diaphragm valve member being mounted for movement between a flow-blocking position engaging the valve seat in the supply passageway and a flow-delivery position disengaging the valve seat in the supply passageway, the blocking means further includes spring means for yieldably biasing the diaphragm valve member toward its flow-delivery position, the spring means lying in the supply passageway, and control means for closing the outlet means in response to exhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to store pressurized oxygen in the first chamber so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber acting against the first side of the diaphragm valve member will increase to move the diaphragm valve member to its flow-blocking position and opening the outlet means in response to inhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to vent pressurized oxygen in the first chamber to the atmosphere through the outlet means so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber will decrease to allow pressurized oxygen in the supply passageway to move the diaphragm valve member away from the valve seat to its flow-delivery position.
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17. An apparatus for controlling discharge of oxygen from an oxygen supply source to a patient through a breathing line coupled to the patient as the patient inhales and exhales, the apparatus comprising
means for conducting oxygen provided by an oxygen supply source through a supply passageway having a gas inlet for attachment to an oxygen supply source and a gas outlet for attachment to a breathing line, the conducting means including a valve seat in the supply passageway, means for storing a supply of oxygen extant in the supply passageway in a first chamber to develop a pressure head in the first chamber, the storing means including inlet means for admitting oxygen from the supply passageway into the first chamber and outlet means for discharging oxygen from the first chamber to the atmosphere, means for selectively blocking flow of oxygen through the supply passageway from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, the blocking means including a flexible diaphragm valve member including a first side communicating with oxygen admitted into the first chamber and a second side facing the valve seat in the supply passageway, the diaphragm valve member being mounted for movement between a flow-blocking position engaging the valve seat in the supply passageway and a flow-delivery position disengaging the valve seat in the supply passageway, and control means for closing the outlet means in response to exhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to store pressurized oxygen in the first chamber so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber acting against the first side of the diaphragm valve member will increase to move the diaphragm valve member to its flow-blocking position and opening the outlet means in response to inhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to vent pressurized oxygen in the first chamber to the atmosphere through the outlet means so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber will decrease to allow pressurized oxygen in the supply passageway to move the diaphragm valve member away from the valve seat to its flow-delivery position, the blocking means further includes spring means for yieldably biasing the diaphragm valve member toward its flow-blocking position and the spring means lies in the first chamber.
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19. An apparatus for controlling discharge of oxygen from an oxygen supply source to a patient through a breathing line coupled to the patient as the patient inhales and exhales, the apparatus comprising
means for conducting oxygen provided by an oxygen supply source through a supply passageway having a gas inlet for attachment to an oxygen supply source and a gas outlet for attachment to a breathing line, the conducting means including a valve seat in the supply passageway, means for storing a supply of oxygen extant in the supply passageway in a first chamber to develop a pressure head in the first chamber, the storing means including inlet means for admitting oxygen from the supply passageway into the first chamber and outlet means for discharging oxygen from the first chamber to the atmosphere, means for selectively blocking flow of oxygen through the supply passageway from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, the blocking means including a flexible diaphragm valve member including a first side communicating with oxygen admitted into the first chamber and a second side facing the valve seat in the supply passageway, the diaphragm valve member being mounted for movement between a flow-blocking position engaging the valve seat in the supply passageway and a flow-delivery position disengaging the valve seat in the supply passageway, and control means for closing the outlet means in response to exhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to store pressurized oxygen in the first chamber so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber acting against the first side of the diaphragm valve member will increase to move the diaphragm valve member to its flow-blocking position and opening the outlet means in response to inhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to vent pressurized oxygen in the first chamber to the atmosphere through the outlet means so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber will decrease to allow pressurized oxygen in the supply passageway to move the diaphragm valve member away from the valve seat to its flow-delivery position, the inlet means being formed to include a bypass passageway communicating pressurized oxygen from the supply passageway to the first chamber and including a disk placed in the bypass passageway and formed to include aperture means for reducing flow rate of pressurized oxygen delivered to the first chamber through the bypass passageway.
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22. An apparatus for controlling discharge of oxygen from an oxygen supply source to a patient through a breathing line coupled to the patient as the patient inhales and exhales, the apparatus comprising
means for conducting oxygen provided by an oxygen supply source through a supply passageway having a gas inlet for attachment to an oxygen supply source and a gas outlet for attachment to a breathing line, the conducting means including a valve seat in the supply passageway, means for storing a supply of oxygen extant in the supply passageway in a first chamber to develop a pressure head in the first chamber, the storing means including inlet means for diverting pressurized oxygen from the supply passageway into the first chamber through a bypass passageway, a disk mounted in the bypass passageway and formed to include aperture means for reducing flow rate of pressurized oxygen delivered to the first chamber through the bypass passageway, and outlet means for discharging oxygen from the first chamber to the atmosphere, means for selectively blocking flow of oxygen through the supply passageway from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, the blocking means being mounted for movement between a flow-blocking position engaging the valve seat in the supply passageway and a flow-delivery position disengaging the valve seat in the supply passageway, and control means for closing the outlet means in response to exhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to store pressurized oxygen in the first chamber so that oxygen pressure in the first chamber acting against the blocking means will increase to move the blocking means to its flow-blocking position and opening the outlet means in response to inhalation of a patient breathing through the gas outlet to vent oxygen in the first chamber to the atmosphere through the outlet means so that pressure in the first chamber will decrease to allow pressurized oxygen in the supply passageway to move the blocking means away from the valve seat to its flow-delivery position.
Specification