Breathable gas apparatus with humidifier
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A humidifier comprising:
- a base unit configured to attach to and detach from a flow generator, said base unit comprising;
an engagement face adapted to face a corresponding engagement face of the flow generator;
a plurality of tongues located on the engagement face that are adapted to move vertically and adapted to be resiliently urged downward to engage slots of the flow generator;
a chamber with an inlet in communication with a circular aperture in the engagement face, both the circular aperture and the chamber inlet being configured to receive an air connector of the flow generator;
an electrical connector, for engagement with a mating electrical connector on the flow generator, the electrical connector of the humidifier adapted to provide electrical power to the humidifier from the flow generator;
a base surface having a circular aperture therein;
a circular pad positioned within the circular aperture of the base surface, the circular pad standing proud of the surrounding base surface and being resiliently biased upwardly through the circular aperture in the base surface;
a heating element to heat the circular pad;
a pivotable lid having a horizontal wall;
a pipe extending from an upper surface of the horizontal wall of the lid and opening into an internal region of the base unit;
a lid seal attached to the lid, the lid seal having a sealing flange that extends downwardly from the lid and curves inwardly; and
a biased lid catch for securing the lid in a closed position; and
a tank adapted to attach to and detach from the base unit;
the tank comprising;
a cover including a plastic material;
a base to receive water therein;
a sealing gasket located between the cover and the base;
an air inlet passage extending from a side wall of the tank; and
an air outlet provided to a roof of the cover,wherein;
the tank seats within the base unit so that a bottom of the tank is exposed to contact the circular pad when the tank is engaged with the base unit,one or more liquid filling heights are indicated by filling level graduations marked on a wall of the tank,the air inlet passage extends so that it opens in the interior of the tank at a point beyond, in the direction of air flow, a center of the air outlet,the air inlet passage and the air outlet of the tank are oriented so that gas flows through the air inlet passage in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the gas flows through the air outlet,a vertical offset is provided between the inlet of the chamber and the air inlet passage of the tank, with at least a portion of the chamber being lower than the air inlet passage in the normal orientation of the humidifier,the chamber is configured so that the pressurized gas flows downward and upward in the chamber prior to entering the tank,the lid seal contacts the tank cover when the tank is received by the base unit and the lid is in the closed position so that the air outlet of the tank sealingly interfaces with the pipe,a first end portion of the pipe passes through the horizontal wall of the lid and has a lower end that projects beyond the horizontal wall of the lid into an interior of the base unit to terminate at a rim so that a passage of the pipe opens into the interior of the base unit,at least a portion of the lid seal surrounds the pipe, andat least a portion of the pipe is at an acute angle to horizontal.
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Abstract
A humidifier has a base unit with an engagement face that is configured to interface with a flow generator. The humidifier also has a tank configured to be removably received by the base unit and hold a volume of liquid. The tank has a side wall with an air inlet. The humidifier further has an air flow passage configured to receive an air connector of the flow generator at the engagement face of the base unit. The air flow passage is axially offset from a tank inlet. In addition, a cross-section of the airflow passage inlet and a cross-section of the tank air inlet are substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane.
199 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A humidifier comprising:
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a base unit configured to attach to and detach from a flow generator, said base unit comprising; an engagement face adapted to face a corresponding engagement face of the flow generator; a plurality of tongues located on the engagement face that are adapted to move vertically and adapted to be resiliently urged downward to engage slots of the flow generator; a chamber with an inlet in communication with a circular aperture in the engagement face, both the circular aperture and the chamber inlet being configured to receive an air connector of the flow generator; an electrical connector, for engagement with a mating electrical connector on the flow generator, the electrical connector of the humidifier adapted to provide electrical power to the humidifier from the flow generator; a base surface having a circular aperture therein; a circular pad positioned within the circular aperture of the base surface, the circular pad standing proud of the surrounding base surface and being resiliently biased upwardly through the circular aperture in the base surface; a heating element to heat the circular pad; a pivotable lid having a horizontal wall; a pipe extending from an upper surface of the horizontal wall of the lid and opening into an internal region of the base unit; a lid seal attached to the lid, the lid seal having a sealing flange that extends downwardly from the lid and curves inwardly; and a biased lid catch for securing the lid in a closed position; and a tank adapted to attach to and detach from the base unit;
the tank comprising;a cover including a plastic material; a base to receive water therein; a sealing gasket located between the cover and the base; an air inlet passage extending from a side wall of the tank; and an air outlet provided to a roof of the cover, wherein; the tank seats within the base unit so that a bottom of the tank is exposed to contact the circular pad when the tank is engaged with the base unit, one or more liquid filling heights are indicated by filling level graduations marked on a wall of the tank, the air inlet passage extends so that it opens in the interior of the tank at a point beyond, in the direction of air flow, a center of the air outlet, the air inlet passage and the air outlet of the tank are oriented so that gas flows through the air inlet passage in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the gas flows through the air outlet, a vertical offset is provided between the inlet of the chamber and the air inlet passage of the tank, with at least a portion of the chamber being lower than the air inlet passage in the normal orientation of the humidifier, the chamber is configured so that the pressurized gas flows downward and upward in the chamber prior to entering the tank, the lid seal contacts the tank cover when the tank is received by the base unit and the lid is in the closed position so that the air outlet of the tank sealingly interfaces with the pipe, a first end portion of the pipe passes through the horizontal wall of the lid and has a lower end that projects beyond the horizontal wall of the lid into an interior of the base unit to terminate at a rim so that a passage of the pipe opens into the interior of the base unit, at least a portion of the lid seal surrounds the pipe, and at least a portion of the pipe is at an acute angle to horizontal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A humidifier comprising:
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a base unit with an engagement face that is configured to interface with a flow generator; a tank configured to be removably engageable with the base unit and hold liquid, the tank having a side wall with an air inlet; and a chamber within the base unit, the chamber comprising an inlet configured to receive an air connector of the flow generator at the engagement face of the base unit and a chamber outlet configured to deliver a flow of gas to the tank air inlet, wherein the inlet of the chamber is axially offset from the tank air inlet, a first portion of the chamber is configured to direct a flow of gas from the flow generator towards the chamber outlet in a first vertical direction, a second portion of the chamber is configured to direct the flow of gas from the flow generator towards the chamber outlet in a second opposing vertical direction prior to entering the tank via the tank air inlet, and a cross-section of the chamber inlet and a cross-section of the tank air inlet are substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of humidifying pressurized gas comprising:
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receiving pressurized gas from ambient or an external source in a chamber positioned at a first position within a base unit of a humidifier, the first position being proximate an engagement face of the base unit that is configured to interface with a flow generator; directing the received pressurized gas from the first position within the base unit to an air inlet passage of a tank at a second position that is axially offset from the chamber at the first position, the tank being contained within the base unit and holding liquid; and exposing the pressurized gas to the liquid in the tank to humidify the pressurized gas, wherein gas flows within the chamber towards the second position in both an upward direction and a downward direction prior to entering the tank. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification