CN104169626A - Gas supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

The gas supply device includes an airbag (2) with a diaphragm closure (4). A cover (10) having a through-hole (12) is securely mounted to the airbag (2). A valve member (14) is provided in the through-hole (12). The valve member (14) has a front surface equipped with a diaphragm piercing device (20), which can be pushed by a force applied against the bias of a spring (22) to pierce the diaphragm closure (4), thereby releasing gas from the airbag (2). Removing the diaphragm piercing force causes the rear surface (30) of the valve member (14) to be biased to a valve-closed position by the spring (22), in which gas is retained in the airbag (2).

Description

Air supply device

technical field

The present invention relates to a gas supply device, in particular to a gas supply device comprising a bladder for storing gas under pressure, such bladder being generally of such a size and weight that it can be easily grasped by a user in the palm of your hand.

Background technique

Such air pockets are very common. Such bladders usually have a closure at their mouth in the form of a membrane which can be pierced to release the gas. The bladders are known to contain carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide at a pressure usually around 60 bar. Such balloons are typically used in conjunction with a discrete unit for piercing a septum, either incorporated into a gas delivery device, or a discrete device that can be mated to the gas use unit.

In a typical arrangement, detachment of the bladder from the piercing unit results in loss of residual gas in the barrel to the atmosphere through the pierced septum. An example of such an arrangement is eg disclosed in GB-A-971161. Another disadvantage of this arrangement is that, since the sealing and piercing actions occur approximately simultaneously, there is a risk that the septum will be pierced before a good face seal is formed allowing pressurized gas to escape. Such escapes are potentially dangerous. In addition, escaping gas can seep through the thread between the air bag and the piercing unit and also cause difficulties in tightening the air bag due to the air pressure acting on the thread.

Contents of the invention

According to the present invention, an air supply device is provided, the air supply device comprising:

a bladder for storing gas under pressure, the bladder having a mouth;

a closure located at the mouth of the bladder and in the form of a pierceable septum;

a cover securely and permanently fastened to the bladder and positioned over the mouth;

a passage through the cover to allow external access to the septum;

a valve member in the channel, the valve member having a front surface equipped with a septum-piercing device and a rear surface, and the front surface can be pushed by applying a septum-piercing force against the bias of the spring, so that the The septum piercing device pierces the septum and thereby releases gas from the balloon into the channel, the spring biases the rear surface to volume closed when the septum piercing force is removed position, in the volume closed position gas is held under pressure in the bladder.

Thus, if the septum piercing force is withdrawn, the gas delivery device according to the invention is capable of retaining gas in the balloon for at least a period of time.

Such a cover typically has an outer surface configured to enable coupling of the gas supply device with another gas-using device. For this purpose, said outer surface of said cap is conveniently threaded.

A gas supply device according to the invention generally has a valve member connected to or integrally formed with a valve main shaft on which the septum piercing force can be applied. Typically, the arrangement is such that the act of coupling the gas supply device according to the invention to the gas usage device results in application of a septum piercing force.

In one embodiment, said spindle is provided with a seat for said spring. In this and other embodiments, the spring may be a compression spring.

The rear surface of the valve member typically bears against an O-ring seal which is held under compression against the inner surface of the cap when the valve is closed. In other embodiments, the rear surface of the valve member may be provided with an O-ring seal that is held under compression when the valve member rests on the inner surface of the cap.

In certain embodiments of the gas delivery device according to the invention, the front surface of the valve member is integrally formed with the septum piercing device. In other embodiments, the front surface of the valve member is provided with a piercing needle. Such piercing needles may be hollow or formed with at least one longitudinal slot to assist in delivering gas away from the balloon when piercing the septum. If said outer surface of the cap to be coupled to another gas-using device is threaded, the axial length of such threads is conveniently greater than the distance the valve member travels from its septum-piercing position to its valve-closed position. This enables the air bag to be securely coupled to other gas using devices before the septum can be pierced.

The gas supply device according to the invention makes it possible to subject a small effective area to gas pressure, thereby facilitating coupling and decoupling of this device from another device at higher working pressures. Furthermore, in embodiments where the outer surface of the cap has threads for engagement with complementary threads of another device, the engaging threads are readily sealed against the balloon prior to piercing the septum.

In an embodiment of the gas supply device according to the invention, wherein the valve member is connected to or integrally formed with the main shaft, the main shaft does not protrude out of the passage even when the valve is in its closed position. Thus, the valve is also protected from damage in the event of an accidental drop of the airbag.

Description of drawings

The gas supply device of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view in general schematic cross-sectional form of an air supply device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view in cross-section of the head of the airbag shown in Figure 1 before its septum seal is pierced;

3 is a side view illustrating the coupling of the cover of the air supply device to the user device in cross-section;

Figure 4 is a side view, in non-sectional form, of the coupling member shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of an alternative form of valve head of the gas supply device shown in Figures 1-3; and

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an atmospheric pressure non-thermal gaseous plasma generating device that may be coupled to a gas supply device according to the present invention.

For ease of illustration, the head of the airbag is not shown in FIG. 3 .

Detailed ways

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the gas supply device according to the present invention includes a gas bag 2 for storing gas under pressure. Such a balloon 2 has at its mouth a closure 4 in the form of a pierceable membrane 4 (see FIG. 2 ).

The airbag 2 is generally of such a size and weight that it can be comfortably held in the palm of a person's hand. The bladder typically has a water capacity in the range of 5-50ml. The bladder 2 stores a selected gas under pressure. The storage pressure may range from below 25 bar to above 300 bar. The thickness and materials of construction of the walls of the bladder 2 are selected to withstand the selected storage pressure.

The airbag 2 is therefore usually made of a suitable steel material such as stainless steel or aluminum. The airbag 2 shown in the figures is of a conventional type and can be manufactured by known production processes.

The diaphragm 4 is usually formed of the same material as the airbag 2 . Typically, once the bladder 2 is filled with a selected gas and a selected pressure, it is welded in place.

The bladder can be filled with any selected gas. Some non-permanent gases may liquefy when subjected to selected storage pressures. Therefore, the air bag can store gas in a liquefied state. However, if the gas or gas mixture to be stored is a permanent gas, the gas will remain in the gaseous state when subjected to the storage pressure.

The mouth of the airbag 2 is provided by a cylindrical protrusion 6 at the end of the airbag 2 . The outer surface of the cylindrical protrusion 6 is provided with threads. This thread engages a complementary thread on a cap 10 having a passage 12 formed therethrough, the longitudinal axis of which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the airbag 2 . The complementary threads are treated by means of a suitable adhesive (eg LOCTITE ^™ ). The adhesive cures at ambient temperature and has the effect of firmly fastening the cover 10 to the protrusion 6 of the airbag 2 . Thus, it is less likely that a user of an air supply device as shown in Figs. 1-4 will unscrew or separate the cover 10 from the air bag 2 only manually.

Cap 10 houses septum piercing device 14 within channel 12 . As will be described below, the membrane piercing means 14 are operable to pierce or puncture the membrane 4 of the airbag 2 when it is desired to release gas from the airbag for the first time. Piercing device 14 includes a head 16 integrally formed with a main shaft 18 . In alternative embodiments (not shown), head 16 may be a separate component attached to spindle 18 . The front surface of the head 16 is formed with a pointed piercing tip 20 .

The piercing device 14 can be pushed forward so that the piercing tip 20 pierces the membrane 4 to release the gas from the balloon 2 . Displacement of piercing device 14 can be achieved against the bias of compression spring 22 . A compression spring 22 is housed in the channel 12 and extends around the main shaft 18 . The spindle 18 is equipped with a spring retainer 24 of the "star lock" type.

The head 16 of the piercing device 14 has a dual function. The head not only provides the piercing tip 20, but also acts as a valve member. Removal of the septum piercing force below the spindle causes the bias of the compression spring 22 to act on the spring retainer 24 and withdraw the piercing device from the septum 4 of the balloon 2 to be held against the inner surface 28 of the cap 10 (see FIG. 3 ). The elastomeric O-ring seal 26 travels rearward. The rear surface 30 of the head 16 sealingly engages the O-ring 26 to prevent gas from passing through the seal. Gas pressure against the front surface of the head 16 keeps the head 16 pressed against the O-ring seal 26 . Thus, the piercing device 14 acts as part of a valve which can be closed when the membrane 4 is pierced, thereby preventing the further transfer of gas from the airbag 2 into the user device.

Referring specifically to FIG. 3 , the outer surface of the cap 10 facing away from the airbag 2 is provided with external threads 40 to enable the cap 10 (and thus the airbag 2 ) to be connected to a gas delivery device 42 . The gas delivery device 42 has a hollow body 44 with an internal thread complementary to the thread 40 . The device 42 can thus be simply screwed onto the cover 10 of the airbag 2 . Device 42 houses one end of probe 50 within its hollow body. The act of screwing the device 42 onto the cap 10 bears the probe 50 against the spindle 18 of the piercing device 14 and advances the piercing device 14 so that the tip 20 of said piercing device pierces the septum 4 . The length of the threads 40 on the outer surface of the cap 10 and the complementary threads in the body 44 of the connection device 42 is greater than the distance the piercing device 14 travels from its valve closed position to its septum piercing position. This enables the airbag 2 to be securely coupled to the device 42 before the airbag can be pierced. The probe 50 is provided with an internal gas channel 48 in communication with a user device (not shown in Figures 1 to 4). Thus, when the piercing tip 20 completely pierces the septum 4, gas is able to flow out of the balloon 2 and through the O-ring seal 22 and into the channel 48 and to the user device. In order to minimize gas loss on the outer surface of the probe 50, spring O Ring seals 51 and 52. In the event that any gas leaks through the seal 50, the gas can be vented to the surrounding atmosphere through a slot 54 (see FIG. 4) formed in the connection device 42.

Once the selected volume of gas has been delivered to the user, the cap 10 of the balloon 2 can be unscrewed from the connection means 42, thereby withdrawing the probe 50. As a result, the piercing device 14 travels away from the septum 4 and its rear surface 30 is in sealing engagement with the O-ring seal 26 , preventing gas from passing from the balloon 2 through the head 16 of the piercing device 2 . Therefore, even if the membrane 4 has been punctured or punctured, the gas remains in the air bag 2 .

The threads 40 on the cap 10 and complementary threads in the body 44 of the connection device 42 may be of specific complementary dimensions for a particular gas. Therefore, the airbag 2 can be dedicated to this gas. Balloons 2 storing different gases have threads 40 of different sizes so that they are not connected to connection means 42 not intended for that particular gas.

If desired, a small filter or screen may be held around the main shaft 18 by a compressed spring 22 to intercept any particles of the septum 4 that may form during piercing of the septum 4 by the piercing tip 20 .

Various modifications can be made to the air supply device according to the present invention. One such variant is shown in FIG. 5 . In this variant, the spring retaining device 24 is omitted and the main shaft 18 of the piercing device 14 is formed at its tail with an integral stop 500 which retains the compression spring 22 . In another variant, the connection means 42 accommodates a pressure regulating valve (not shown) to reduce the pressure of the gas to a selected value.

The gas supply device according to the invention can be used to store and deliver permanent or non-permanent gas. In one example, a gas supply device may be used to store a noble gas such as helium or argon, or a mixture of helium and argon, and deliver it to a device for applying a non-thermal gaseous plasma to the oral cavity of a human . Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a handheld device 601 for generating non-thermal gaseous plasma, said handheld device comprising a housing 602 defining an access station 603 for receiving a gas supply device 604 according to the invention. In this embodiment, the gas supply device 604 comprises a balloon having a capacity of 21 ml. The access station 603 is provided with connection means (not shown) of the same type as the connection means 42 shown in FIG. 3 . Fully inserting the gas supply 604 into the access station 603 will puncture the membrane of the airbag and release gas from the airbag in the direction of the arrow. The access station 603 communicates with a gas channel 606 in which a manually operable valve 605 is located. Valve 605 is normally closed so that once the membrane of the airbag is pierced, no gas released thereby can pass through valve 605 . The valve 605 is provided with a manually operable actuator 608 which is operable to open the valve 605 allowing gas to pass therethrough. Channel 606 communicates with a unit 610 that generates a non-thermal gaseous plasma, typically at atmospheric pressure. The plasma generator unit 610 is provided with an applicator 612 insertable into the oral cavity. Further information on the construction and use of such devices for oral treatment is given in patent applications WO2010/072997A, WO2010/103262A and WO2010/103263A, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The air supply device 604 can be removed from the access station 603 . As a result of this removal, the valve mechanism described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 closes, thereby maintaining the gas under pressure in the bladder.

Claims (12)

1. an air feeder, described air feeder comprises:

For storing the air bag of the gas under pressure, described air bag has oral area;

Closure member, described closure member is positioned at the oral area of described air bag and is the iris-diaphragm that can pierce through;

Lid, described lid is fastened to securely and for good and all described air bag and is positioned on described oral area;

Thereby allow the passage from the sensible described barrier film in outside through described lid;

Valve member in described passage, described valve member has front surface and rear surface that barrier film piercing device is housed, and described front surface can apply barrier film and pierces through power and be pushed by overcoming the bias voltage of spring, to make described barrier film piercing device pierce through described barrier film and thus gas is discharged into described passage from described air bag, described in the time that described barrier film pierces through power and is removed, described rear surface is biased into valve closed position by spring, in described valve closed position, gas is maintained in described air bag under pressure.

2. air feeder according to claim 1, wherein, described lid has outer surface, and the structure of described outer surface can be connected with another gas operative installations described air feeder.

3. air feeder according to claim 2, wherein, the outer surface of described lid has screw thread.

4. air feeder according to claim 1, wherein, described valve member be connected on valve main shaft or with described valve integrated spindle axis form, described barrier film pierces through power and can put on described main shaft.

5. air feeder according to claim 4, wherein, described main shaft is equipped with the base for described spring.

6. according to air feeder in any one of the preceding claims wherein, wherein, described spring is Compress Spring.

7. according to air feeder in any one of the preceding claims wherein, wherein, the rear surface of described valve member is pressed against on O type ring, and in the time that described valve is in the closed position, described O type ring is maintained on the internal surface of described lid under compression.

8. according to air feeder in any one of the preceding claims wherein, wherein, the front surface of described valve member and barrier film sting device form.

9. according to the air feeder described in any one in claim 1 to 7, wherein, the front surface of described valve member is equipped with puncture needle.

10. air feeder according to claim 9, wherein, described puncture needle has at least one cannelure, to contribute to that in the time piercing through described barrier film gas conveying is left to described air bag.

11. according to air feeder in any one of the preceding claims wherein, wherein, described lid has the applicable thread outer surface connecting with gas operative installations, and the axial length of described screw thread is greater than the distance that described valve member is advanced to its valve closed position from its barrier film perforation position.

12. according to air feeder in any one of the preceding claims wherein, and wherein, described channel setting has filter or filter screen, and described filter or filter screen are suitable for preventing passing every film formed any solid particle described in piercing through.