초록

A PAP device for generating a supply of pressurized gas to be provided to a patient for treatment includes a housing, a core including a motor and at least one impeller, and a vibration isolation system to support the core within the housing in a flexible, vibration-isolated manner.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A PAP device for generating a supply of pressurized gas to be provided to a patient for treatment, the PAP device comprising: a housing;a core including a core housing, a motor including a stator assembly, and at least one impeller,the core housing including an interior portion and an exterior su

1. A PAP device for generating a supply of pressurized gas to be provided to a patient for treatment, the PAP device comprising: a housing;a core including a core housing, a motor including a stator assembly, and at least one impeller,the core housing including an interior portion and an exterior surface outside the interior portion, the motor provided within the interior portion of the core housing, and the core housing is configured to support the stator assembly of the motor such that a portion of the stator assembly is exposed at the exterior surface of the core housing to a flow of gas received from the impeller in use; anda vibration isolation system to support the core within the housing in a flexible, vibration-isolated manner. 2. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the housing defines a channel that directs the flow of gas around and exterior to the motor. 3. The PAP device according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the stator assembly is exposed to the flow of gas passing through the channel. 4. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the motor includes a rotor including a magnet, a tube structured to retain bearings that rotatably support the rotor within the tube, and the stator assembly is provided along an exterior surface of the tube. 5. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the core housing is structured to substantially enclose the motor and the stator assembly thereof and allow an exterior surface of the stator assembly to be exposed to the flow of gas. 6. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the core housing includes a shield that forms an upper wall or cutoff for a housing channel between the core and the housing. 7. The PAP device according to claim 6, wherein the shield provides a narrow gap between its outer edge and the housing to direct gas into the housing channel. 8. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration isolation system includes a front suspension to support a front portion of the core and a rear suspension to support a rear portion of the core, wherein the front suspension includes a plurality of biasing elements connected between the housing and the core housing of the core. 9. The PAP device according to claim 8, wherein each of the biasing elements is in the form of a flat spring. 10. The PAP device according to claim 8, wherein the biasing elements are structured to support the front portion of the core within the housing while isolating the core from the housing. 11. The PAP device according to claim 8, wherein one or more of the biasing elements are coupled to windings of the stator assembly to conduct current from an external source to the windings. 12. The PAP device according to claim 8, wherein the rear suspension is in the form of a resiliently flexible nipple. 13. The PAP device according to claim 12, wherein the nipple is formed of a silicone material. 14. The PAP device according to claim 12, wherein the nipple is structured to support the rear portion of the core within the housing while isolating the core from the housing. 15. The PAP device according to claim 8, wherein the front suspension comprises a different material than the rear suspension. 16. The PAP device according to claim 15, wherein the front suspension comprises a metallic material and the rear suspension comprises a silicone material. 17. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the impeller is arranged outside the interior portion and along the exterior surface. 18. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the core housing includes an interior surface forming the interior portion, the interior surface positioned outside the flow of gas. 19. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a housing channel surrounding the stator assembly, the housing channel arranged to receive the flow of gas from the impeller, and an exterior surface of the stator assembly is exposed to the flow of gas in the housing channel to allow forced-convection cooling of the stator assembly. 20. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the core housing includes first and second housing parts, and the stator assembly is enclosed and sandwiched between the first and second housing parts to leave an exterior surface of the stator assembly exposed between the first and second housing parts. 21. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the stator assembly is supported in an operative position with flanges structured to engage upper and lower sides of the stator assembly, and the flanges are substantially flush with an exterior surface of the stator assembly. 22. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration isolation system includes a front suspension to support a front portion of the core and a rear suspension to support a rear portion of the core, and both the front suspension and the rear suspension are provided downstream from the at least one impeller. 23. The PAP device according to claim 1, wherein the stator assembly is provided downstream from the at least one impeller. 24. A PAP device for generating a supply of pressurized gas to be provided to a patient for treatment, the PAP device comprising: a housing;a core including a motor and at least one impeller; anda vibration isolation system to support the core within the housing in a flexible, vibration-isolated manner,wherein the vibration isolation system is adapted to be coupled to windings of a stator assembly to conduct current from an external source to the windings. 25. The PAP device according to claim 24, wherein the vibration isolation system includes a front suspension to support a front portion of the core and a rear suspension to support a rear portion of the core. 26. The PAP device according to claim 24, wherein the vibration isolation system includes a plurality of biasing elements, wherein one or more of the plurality of biasing elements are coupled to the windings of the stator assembly to conduct current from the external source to the windings. 27. The PAP device according to claim 26, wherein each of the biasing elements is in the form of a flat spring. 28. A brushless DC motor, comprising: a rotor;a stator assembly surrounding the rotor and adapted to control movement of the rotor;a support structure including an interior portion and an exterior surface outside the interior portion, the interior portion of the support structure including a tube to support the rotor and the stator assembly in an operative position, the tube including an interior portion and an exterior surface, the rotor provided within the interior portion of the tube and the stator assembly provided along the exterior surface of the tube; anda vibration isolation system provided to the support structure and adapted to support the support structure within a housing in a flexible, vibration-isolated manner,wherein the support structure is structured to support the stator assembly such that a portion of the stator assembly is exposed at the exterior surface of the support structure. 29. The motor according to claim 28, wherein the vibration isolation system is coupled to windings of the stator assembly to conduct current from an external source to the windings. 30. The motor according to claim 28, further comprising a pair of bearings to rotatably support the rotor, wherein the bearings are provided along an interior surface of the tube to support the rotor within the interior portion of the tube. 31. The motor according to claim 28, wherein the rotor includes a magnet, and at least a portion of the tube is sufficiently magnetically transparent to allow a magnetic field to pass between the magnet and the stator assembly. 32. The motor according to claim 28, wherein the vibration isolation system includes a front suspension to support a front portion of the support structure and a rear suspension to support a rear portion of the support structure. 33. The motor according to claim 32, wherein the front suspension includes a plurality of biasing elements. 34. The motor according to claim 32, wherein the rear suspension is in the form of a resiliently flexible nipple.