Pressure swing absorption system with multi-chamber canister

• US 6,190,441 B1
• Filed: 12/06/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Respironics Georgia, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Murdoch, Robert W., Czabala, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spitzer, Robert H.
• Application Number:
  US09/455,832
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 95/96--05, 951/30, 951/38, 961/08, 961/09, 961/13--15, 961/26--30, 961/33, 961/43, 961/44, 961/46
• US Class Current: 96/130
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/12 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/102 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/402 using two beds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4533 for medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0446 Means for feeding or distributing gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/053 with storage or buffer vessel

Abstract

A multi-chamber canister for a pressure swing absorption system within a general housing assembly. The chambers include a first molecular sieve chamber for receiving a first molecular sieve for separating air from the ambient environment into a concentrated gas and at least a second molecular sieve chamber disposed within the housing assembly for receiving a second molecular sieve for separating air from the ambient environment into a concentrated gas component. Furthermore, a supply chamber is disposed within the housing for receiving air from the ambient environment and for communicating air to either first or second molecular sieve chambers.

Claims

1. A sieve bed assembly for separating air from the ambient environment into a concentrated gas component, the system comprising:

a first housing component having a first sieve chamber defined therein, the first sieve chamber being adapted to contain a material for separating air from the ambient environment into a concentrated gas component;

a second housing component having a second sieve chamber defined therein, the second sieve chamber being adapted to contain a material for separating air from the ambient environment into a concentrated gas component; and

a supply housing component having a supply chamber defined therein for receiving air from the ambient environment and for communicating the air to the first and the second sieve chambers, wherein the supply housing component is thermally coupled to at least one of the first housing component and the second housing component, and wherein the supply chamber includes an air inlet for receiving air that is disposed a distance apart from where the supply chamber fluidly communicates with either one of the first and the second sieve chambers enabling the supply housing component and at least one of an associated first or second housing component to act as a heat exchanger for cooling the air received at the air inlet.

2. The sieve bed assembly of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust housing component having an exhaust chamber defined therein, wherein the exhaust chamber is in fluid communication with the first and the second sieve chambers for exhausting waste product gas produced from the sieve material contained within each respective first and second sieve chamber.

3. The sieve bed assembly of claim 2, further comprising a bottom cover enclosing the first sieve chamber, the second sieve chamber, and the exhaust chamber, and wherein the bottom cover defines an exhaust outlet in fluid communication with the exhaust chamber for venting waste product gas received from the first and the second sieve chambers to the ambient environment.

4. The sieve bed assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and the second housing components are thermally coupled to one another for maintaining ah approximately even temperature within the first and the second sieve chambers.

5. The sieve bed assembly of claim 1, further comprising a purge control orifice defined in a wall of the first and the second housing components enabling gas from one of the first and the second sieve chambers to flow to a remaining other of the first and the second sieve chambers to assist in purging waste product gas from one of the first and the second sieve chamber receiving the gas.

6. The sieve bed assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bottom cover enclosing the first and the second sieve chambers.

7. The sieve bed assembly of claim 6, wherein the bottom cover includes a cavity defining a receptacle for the supply chamber to receive air.

8. The sieve bed assembly of claim 1, further comprising a product housing component having a product chamber defined therein, the product chamber being adapted to receive a concentrated gas component from either of the first and the second sieve chambers for subsequent delivery to a patient.

9. The sieve bed assembly of claim 8, further comprising a bottom cover enclosing the first sieve chamber, the second sieve chamber, and the product chamber, and wherein the bottom cover includes a first concentrated gas outlet port for communicating concentrated gas from the first sieve chamber to the product chamber.

10. The sieve bed assembly of claim 9, wherein the bottom cover includes a second concentrated gas outlet port for communicating concentrated gas from the second sieve chamber to the product chamber.

11. The sieve bed assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

(1) a top cover enclosing the first sieve chamber, the second sieve chambers, the supply chamber, and the product chamber, wherein the top cover includes a first sieve port, a second sieve port, and a supply chamber port enabling fluid communication between the supply chamber and the first and the second sieve chambers;

(2) a valve for controlling a fluid communication of gas between the supply chamber and the first and the second molecular sieve chambers, the top cover including a valve seat for carrying the valve, the valve seat including;

(a) a valve seat supply chamber port in fluid communication with the top cover supply chamber port,

(b) a valve seat first sieve port in fluid communication with the top cover first sieve port,

(c) a valve seat second sieve port in fluid communication with the top cover second sieve port for enabling the valve to communicate fluid between the supply chamber and the first and second molecular sieve chambers.