Constant pressure generator
First Claim
1. A constant pressure generator comprising:
- a variable volume fluid reservoir containing a fluid;
an outlet from said reservoir for communicating said fluid from said reservoir at a constant pressure to a location outside of said reservoir; and
an arrangement for producing said constant pressure comprising a portion of said reservoir having a variable area with a variable size disposed in pressure communication with said fluid in said reservoir, and a passive force generator engaging said variable area and having a natural, inherent, non-energized tendency for exerting a variable force on said variable area, with said size of said variable area and said force being interdependently variable as a volume of said reservoir varies to maintain the pressure of the fluid from said outlet constant independent of the volume of the reservoir.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A constant pressure generator has a variable volume fluid reservoir formed by a container having fixed walls which cooperate to define a cross-sectional area of the container perpendicular to an axis that varies with location along the axis and an end wall arranged for movement along the axis to vary the volume of the reservoir and which is adapted to conform substantially to the fixed walls of the container to provide the region of variable area substantially that defined by the fixed walls. A force generator is engageable with the variable area region to exert a variable force thereon and the walls are shaped such that the area of the region varies interdependently with the exerted force as the volume varies to maintain the communicated pressure constant.
18 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A constant pressure generator comprising:
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a variable volume fluid reservoir containing a fluid; an outlet from said reservoir for communicating said fluid from said reservoir at a constant pressure to a location outside of said reservoir; and an arrangement for producing said constant pressure comprising a portion of said reservoir having a variable area with a variable size disposed in pressure communication with said fluid in said reservoir, and a passive force generator engaging said variable area and having a natural, inherent, non-energized tendency for exerting a variable force on said variable area, with said size of said variable area and said force being interdependently variable as a volume of said reservoir varies to maintain the pressure of the fluid from said outlet constant independent of the volume of the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A patient breathing system comprising:
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a respiration circuit; a source of pressurized breathing gas; a constant pressure generator in gaseous communication with said source of pressurized breathing gas and with said respiration circuit to provide breathing gas to said respiration circuit at a constant pressure; and said constant pressure generator comprising a variable volume fluid reservoir containing a fluid, an outlet from said reservoir for communicating said fluid from said reservoir at a constant pressure to said respiration circuit, and an arrangement for producing said constant pressure comprising a portion of said reservoir having a variable area with a variable size disposed in pressure communication with said fluid in said reservoir, and a passive force generator engaging said variable area and having a natural, inherent, non-energized tendency for exerting a variable force on said variable area, with said size of said variable area and said force being interdependently variable as a volume of said reservoir varies to maintain the pressure of the fluid from said outlet constant independent of the volume of the reservoir.
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Specification