Product pump for an oxygen concentrator
A product pump for pumping separated product gas from an oxygen concentrator which produces oxygen-rich product gas by utilizing a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process. The oxygen concentrator comprises a cartridge containing an adsorbent material for separating the product gas from ambient air, a vacuum pump which provides a vacuum source, a valve for selectively connecting the vacuum pump to the cartridge and product pump, and a reservoir. The product pump comprises a pumping chamber having a product gas inlet and a product gas outlet, a piston movable in the chamber, a vacuum inlet in the chamber on an opposite side of the piston from the product gas inlet and outlet for providing a vacuum to cause the piston to draw product gas through the product gas inlet into the chamber, and a spring for providing a spring force to force the product gas out the product gas outlet.
1 . A product pump for pumping separated product gas from an oxygen concentrator which produces oxygen-rich product gas by utilizing a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process, the oxygen concentrator comprising a cartridge containing an adsorbent material for separating the product gas from ambient air, a vacuum pump which provides a vacuum source, a valve for selectively connecting the vacuum pump to the cartridge and product pump, and a reservoir, the product pump comprising:
a pumping chamber having a product gas inlet and a product gas outlet;
a piston movable in the chamber;
a vacuum inlet in the chamber on an opposite side of the piston from the product gas inlet and outlet for providing a vacuum to allow the piston to draw product gas through the product gas inlet into the chamber; and
a spring for applying a spring force to the piston to force the product gas out the product gas outlet.
2 . The product pump of claim 1 further comprising:
a check valve at the product gas inlet.
3 . The product pump of claim 1 further comprising:
a check valve at the product gas outlet.
4 . The product pump of claim 3 wherein the check valve is located between the pumping chamber and the reservoir.
5 . The product pump of claim 1 wherein the pump is capable of creating a pressure in the reservoir of 1.5 atm.
6 . A product pump for pumping separated product gas from an oxygen concentrator which produces oxygen-rich product gas by utilizing a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process, the oxygen concentrator comprising a cartridge containing an adsorbent material for separating the product gas from ambient air, a vacuum pump which provides a vacuum source, a valve for selectively connecting the vacuum pump to the cartridge and product pump, and a reservoir, the product pump comprising:
a pumping chamber having a product gas inlet and a product gas outlet;
a piston movable in the chamber; and
an actuation system for moving the piston.
7 . The product pump of claim 6 wherein the actuation system is propelled by the vacuum pump.
8 . The product pump of claim 7 wherein the actuation system comprises a resilient member connected to the piston.
9 . The product pump of claim 6 further comprising:
a check valve at the product gas inlet.
10 . The product pump of claim 6 further comprising:
a check valve at the product gas outlet.
11 . An integral unit for pumping separated product gas from an oxygen concentrator which produces oxygen-rich product gas by utilizing a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process, the oxygen concentrator comprising a cartridge containing an adsorbent material for separating the product gas from ambient air, a vacuum pump which provides a vacuum source, a valve for selectively connecting the vacuum pump to the cartridge and integral unit, the integral unit comprising:
a pumping chamber having a product gas inlet and a product gas outlet;
a piston movable in the chamber;
a vacuum inlet in the chamber on an opposite side of the piston from the product gas inlet and outlet for providing a vacuum to allow the piston to draw product gas through the product gas inlet into the chamber; and
a spring for applying a spring force to the piston to force the product gas out the product gas outlet; and
a reservoir for storing the separated product gas.
12 . The integral unit of claim 11 wherein the pumping chamber is connected to the reservoir through the product gas outlet.
13 . The integral unit of claim 12 further comprising:
a check valve between the reservoir and pumping chamber.
14 . The integral unit of claim 11 wherein the reservoir has a volume of at least four times a volume of the pumping chamber.
15 . The integral unit of claim 11 wherein the reservoir is capable of storing product gas at a pressure above 1.0 atm.