초록

An oxygen generator includes a stationary unit and a portable unit. The portable unit includes a compressor, molecular sieves, controllable valves and an enriched gas storage chamber. The stationary unit includes a compressor having a greater capacity than a capacity of the portable compressor.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A portable oxygen generator, comprising: a first compressor, arranged to provide a flow of pressurized air;a first molecular sieve, that receives the flow of pressurized air and produces a flow of oxygen enriched gas;a second molecular sieve, that receives the flow of pressurized air and produces

1. A portable oxygen generator, comprising: a first compressor, arranged to provide a flow of pressurized air;a first molecular sieve, that receives the flow of pressurized air and produces a flow of oxygen enriched gas;a second molecular sieve, that receives the flow of pressurized air and produces a flow of oxygen enriched gas;a control valve that controls the flow of pressurized air such that it is selectively provided to the first and second molecular sieves;a product container, that receives the flow of oxygen enriched gas;an outlet valve, arranged to regulate an output flow of oxygen enriched gas to a user;a purge line, in fluid communication with the first and second molecular sieves and that includes a controllable purge line valve that controls a flow of purge gas between the first and second molecular sieves during a purge cycle, wherein the controllable purge line valve is operable to select between at least two purge orifices having different diameters to control the amount of flow of the purge gas during the purge cycle;a coupler, constructed and arranged to accept a gas line connection from a second compressor that is external to the portable oxygen generator and has a larger capacity than the first compressor; anda sensor that senses if the coupler is connected to the gas line connection and generates a signal such that, if the gas line connection is coupled to the coupler, the molecular sieves receive the flow of pressurized air from the second compressor and the first compressor is turned off. 2. The portable oxygen generator of claim 1, wherein the purge line couples output sides of the molecular sieves such that the purge gas comprises oxygen enriched gas. 3. The portable oxygen generator of claim 1, wherein the purge line valve is further operable to select among three pathways, wherein the three pathways include a balance pathway and at least two purge pathways having purge orifices, and wherein the at least two purge orifices correspond to the at least two purge pathways. 4. The portable oxygen generator of claim 1, wherein the purge line valve is operable to select between the at least two purge orifices in response to a flow rate of compressed air through the portable oxygen generator. 5. The portable oxygen generator of claim 1, wherein the purge line valve is operable to vary a duration of the purge cycle. 6. The portable oxygen generator of claim 5, wherein the purge line valve is operable to vary the duration of the purge cycle in response to a flow rate of compressed air through the oxygen generator. 7. The portable oxygen generator of claim 1, further comprising a secondary unit comprising: a second compressor;a control, configured and arranged to allow a user to select an output rate of the portable oxygen generator;a power supply, configured and arranged to provide power to the second compressor; anda coupler, constructed and arranged to accept the gas line connection, wherein the secondary unit does not include any molecular sieve. 8. The portable oxygen generator of claim 1, further comprising a secondary unit comprising: the second compressor arranged to provide a second flow of pressurized air, wherein the second compressor has a large capacity than the first compressor such that the second flow of pressurized air is greater than the flow of pressurized air provided by the first compressor,wherein the portable oxygen generator includes the at least two purge orifices, wherein the at least two purge orifices include a first purge orifice and a second purge orifice, wherein the first purge orifice has a first diameter, wherein the second purge orifice has a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter,wherein the controllable purse line valve is operable to select between the first purge orifice and the second purge orifice such that the first purge orifice is selected responsive to provision, by the first compressor, of the flow of pressurized air, and such that the second purge orifice is selected responsive to sensing, by the sensor, that the coupler is connected to the gasline connection from the second compressor. 9. A portable oxygen generator, comprising: a first compressor, arranged to provide a flow of pressurized air;a first molecular sieve, that receives the flow of pressurized air and produces a flow of oxygen enriched gas;a second molecular sieve, that receives the flow of pressurized air and produces a flow of oxygen enriched gas;a control valve that controls the flow of pressurized air such that it is selectively provided to the first and second molecular sieves;a product container, that receives the flow of oxygen enriched gas;an outlet valve, arranged to regulate an output flow of oxygen enriched gas to a user;a purge line, in fluid communication with the first and second molecular sieves and that includes a controllable purge line valve that controls a flow of purge gas between the first and second molecular sieves during a purge cycle, the purge line coupling output sides of the molecular sieves such that the purge gas comprises oxygen enriched gas, wherein the controllable purge line valve is operable to select between more than two purge orifices having different diameters to control the amount of flow of the purge gas during the purge cycle; anda coupler, configured and arranged to accept a gas line connection from a second compressor that is external to the portable oxygen generator and has a larger capacity than the first compressor. 10. The portable oxygen generator of claim 9, wherein the purge line valve is further operable to select a balance pathway to divert a portion of the oxygen enriched gas from the first molecular sieve to the second molecular sieve. 11. The portable oxygen generator of claim 9, wherein the purge line valve is operable to select between more than two purge orifices in response to a flow rate of compressed air through the portable oxygen generator. 12. The portable oxygen generator of claim 9, wherein the purge line valve is operable to vary a duration of the purge cycle. 13. The portable oxygen generator of claim 12, wherein the purge line valve is operable to vary the duration of the purge cycle in response to a flow rate of compressed air through the portable oxygen generator. 14. A method for providing oxygen enriched gas to an end user at a range of flow rates, the method comprising: compressing ambient air at a first flow rate using a first compressor;controllably supplying the compressed air to molecular sieves;storing oxygen enriched product gas from the molecular sieves;controllably providing the oxygen enriched product gas to a user;coupling a second compressor to the molecular sieves to supply compressed air to the molecular sieves at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate;periodically purging the molecular sieves by coupling the molecular sieves on an oxygen side thereof;selecting, via a controllable purge line valve, between at least two purge orifices having different diameters in response to supplying of compressed air at a flow rate, wherein the flow rate is the first flow rate or the second flow rate; andin response to the coupling of the second compressor, turning off the first compressor. 15. A method as in claim 14, wherein selecting is performed between more than two purge orifices having different diameters in response to supplying of compressed air at a range of flow rates, wherein the range of flow rates includes the first flow rate and the second flow rate. 16. A method as in claim 15, further comprising varying a size of a purge orifice depending on a flow rate at which compressed air is supplied to the molecular sieves such that an amount of flow during a purge cycle is varied. 17. A method as in claim 14, further comprising: connecting a power supply of the first compressor to a power supply of the second compressor; andcharging a battery of the power supply of the first compressor when the second compressor is coupled to the molecular sieves. 18. A method as in claim 14, further comprising varying a duration of a purge cycle of the molecular sieves depending on a flow rate at which compressed air is supplied to the molecular sieves. 19. A portable oxygen generator, comprising: a compressor, arranged to provide a flow of pressurized air;a first molecular sieve, in fluid communication with the compressor and that receives the flow of pressurized air and produces a flow of oxygen enriched gas;a second molecular sieve, in fluid communication with the compressor and that receives the flow of pressurized air and produces a flow of oxygen enriched gas;a control valve that controls the flow of pressurized air such that it is selectively provided to the first and second molecular sieves;a product container, coupled to the molecular sieves, that receives the flow of oxygen enriched gas;an outlet valve, arranged to regulate an output flow of oxygen enriched gas to a user from the product container;a purge line, in fluid communication with the first and second molecular sieves; anda controllable purge line valve that is configured and arranged to selectively control an amount of flow of purge gas during the purge cycle and is operable to select between at least two purge orifices having different diameters to control the amount of flow of purge gas during the purge cycle based on a flow rate of compressed air through the portable oxygen concentrator.