FI111606B - Method and apparatus for calibrating airflow of respirator - Google Patents

Description

111606

Method and equipment for calibration of the respiratory air supply - Method and equipment for calibration of the breathing apparatus (en andningsskydd)

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for calibrating the amount of air supplied to a respirator by means of a blower device.

The respirator includes an air-fed ventilator, an associated face and various filters. The amount of air supplied to the respirator by the fan system is typically calibrated during the equipment setup and during maintenance. In practice, calibration is accomplished either by opening the hardware service door and adjusting the potentiometer, for example, or by the computer controlling the calibration and monitoring changes in related quantities. The calibration of the supplied air volume is accurate and in accordance with the standards, as too much or too little air is harmful to the user.

FI-874 356 discloses one method for controlling the amount of air supplied to the gas mask. In this method, the motor of the blower device is used as a sensor to verify the amount of air supplied. The airflow calibration information is substantially coupled to the characteristics of the blower unit motor and centrifugal blower. If any part or feature of this assembly changes, the hardware calibration data will also be lost.

GB-2,032,284 discloses a method for controlling a fan assembly by means of a pressure sensor. In this method, therefore, the calibration information for the fan system is * 1 dependent on the operation and condition of the pressure sensor.

FI-940 894 discloses a method for controlling the amount of air supplied to a gas mask. The sensors used in this method are a fan-driven 25-ton motor and a separate speed sensor. The air volume calibration of the fan assembly disclosed in the publication is based on the use of known throttle flanges and device-specific RPM data corresponding to said calibration flanges. Thus, now the calibration data is not included in the engine and centrifugal fan assembly, as in the sequenced FI-874 356 application, but the calibration data is substantially included in the calibration flanges and centrifugal fan characteristics. However, calibration flanges are also wear parts that may be damaged.

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111606

The object of the invention is to calibrate the blower device so that the amount of air supplied to the blower by the blower device remains constant even when the conditions or the properties of the components change.

The objective is achieved by integrating the calibration as an internal feature of the device.

The invention is characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

The invention is based on the idea that calibration data is an intrinsic property of a fan assembly. In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fan assembly controls the calibration and no additional equipment is required to perform it. The calibration information thus does not depend on the mechanical components, such as the characteristics of the fan motor, centrifugal fan or flow meter connected to the fan device, nor on the type of filters or face or the dirtiness of the filters. Furthermore, it is possible for the user to carry out the calibration according to the invention and there is no need for a separate service person.

According to the invention, the calibration can be carried out, for example, by using the apparatus motor and fan or separate flow rate or pressure sensors as an air volume sensor. Calibration is performed by means of a flow meter and filters or flanges of the fan assembly 20. The user always initiates the calibration function, which can also continue under the control of the user. Alternatively, the user-supplied *: boot calibration function can be automated and executed, for example, on a computer connected to the hardware. According to one embodiment of the invention, the blower unit takes care of the progress of the calibration and stores the calibration data in the blower unit without any additional auxiliaries. Only the flowmeters and filters or flanges mentioned above are required for calibration.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the calibration of the blower system is carried out by attaching to the blower system a filter or a corresponding throttle flange required for use. Several different filters or flanges can be used sequentially for the calibration, which correspond to the filters that come up during use. Typical of the solution according to the invention is that the filters or flanges do not have to be known precisely for their properties.

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According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not necessary to open the fan assembly or any service door therein, but the calibration can be performed directly by means of an operating button, buttons, switches or any auxiliary device <. Auxiliary device means a computer or other calibration control device connected to a fan. Although no auxiliary equipment is actually required for the calibration procedure, it can automate and accelerate, for example, maintenance operations where calibration is performed in the same way on multiple devices.

The method and apparatus of the invention are preferably used in connection with the manufacture of fan devices. In addition, the method and apparatus of the invention are useful to the end user, for example, when performing maintenance operations.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 shows a flow diagram of the calibration of an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The fan assembly 100 of Figure 1 shows a drive button 101, signaling means 102 and two filters 103. The Pu control apparatus 100 further includes a flowmeter 106. It may be directly connected to the fan assembly 100 or, as in Figure 1, a flowmeter 106 and a hose 105 may be provided between the housing 100 and the housing 100. The hose 105 allows the flow meter 106 to be located further away from the fan assembly 100, which in turn may facilitate, for example, reading the meter. Further, the fan assembly 100 may, if necessary, be connected to a calibration automation auxiliary device 107, such as a computer. In addition to that shown in Figure 1, the fan assembly typically includes a motor, centrifugal fan, battery, and control electronics. In addition, the fan assembly may include a display and one or more flow or pressure sensors.

• · To control the amount of air in the fan assembly 100, an air flow must be observed.

The motor and fan system, or separate flow or pressure sensors, can be used as sensors for flow analysis. The flowmeter 106 may be a paddle-wheel anemometer, a hot-wire anemometer, a differential pressure and throttle flange meter, a rotameter, or other known flow measurement device.

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The calibratable pub equipment 100 is actuated by an operating button 101 or a corresponding switch, which may be, for example, a main power switch of the apparatus. For example, the blower device 100 may indicate its activation by signaling means 102. The signal may be, for example, a light or audible signal, or some combination thereof, indicating to the user a particular function or mode of operation of the device or a particular function.

The flowchart of Figure 2 illustrates the calibration of a fan assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. Initially, at step 201, the blower system is powered on by an operating button and the blower system indicates that it has successfully started, for example, by a short beep or light. If the start button is released for a certain period of time, for example, five seconds after the start indication, the fan system enters normal operating mode at block 202. From the normal mode of block 202, the device can be shut off by pressing a specific operating button.

15 If it is desired to calibrate the fan assembly for a particular flow, the actuator button is not released after the start indicator, but is expected to enter a new character in block 203, after which the actuator button is released and operation proceeds to block 205. If the actuator button is not released extinguishes in block 204 almost immediately, e.g. after 20 seconds. When the drive button is released after the second character, the fan assembly moves to block 205 to wait for the user to put the blower in calibration mode.

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In the standby state of block 205, the fan apparatus preferably emits a repeating sound or light signal with a frequency of 1 to 2 Hz. The command to enter the calibration mode is preferably a so-called switch sequence to be executed by the operating button or switch in step 206, consisting of different lengths of actuation of the operating button and pauses of a certain length between them. The presses or activations and pauses can be synchronized by an acoustic or light signal from the fan system. The operating: switching sequence executed by a button to enter the calibration mode of block 207 may be, for example: press for 3 seconds, pause for 2 seconds, press for 2 seconds, pause for 3 seconds and press for 1 second. If the user provides the switch sequence with approval, the fan enters block 207 into calibration mode. If the switching sequence input fails, the blower assembly shuts down in step 204. It must be noted in the switching sequence of block 206 that the length of the pauses and active sections includes a tolerance that allows the user to enter the switching sequence. On the other hand, the switching sequence must be so complex in structure that it is unlikely to be accidentally introduced.

! Upon entering Calibration Mode 207, the blower assembly again indicates a change in its status with an audible or light signal at step 208. This also indicates to the user that a new filter or equivalent throttle flange must be fitted to the blower assembly for calibration. A flow meter is also attached to the fan assembly, which can thus be connected directly or via an intermediate piece such as a hose to the fan. After installing the filter or the throttle flange and the flow meter, the user acknowledges that the operation has been completed, for example, by pressing the operation button. Thereafter, the fan assembly moves to step 209 and slowly begins to increase the flow rate. As the flow rate increases, the flow rate is monitored using a flow meter. The flow rate is increased until the desired flow is acknowledged. Once a sufficient flow rate is reset in step 209, the fan assembly remains at that operating speed. At the same time, the fan assembly stores the necessary information at step 210 to calibrate the air flow control. The data can be stored, for example, in electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), random access memory (RAM), flash-RAM or nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM). The data to be flown in step 210 tal-20 may be, for example, revolution speed, motor current and voltage, or information provided by a flow rate or pressure sensor as part of the fan.

After the calibration data has been stored in block 210, the fan apparatus, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, goes back to step 208 and emits an acoustic or light signal. Thereafter, the fan assembly waits for a second, for example, a clogged filter or equivalent throttle flange to be connected to the fan. Thereafter, the operation is acknowledged to be completed again, whereupon the fan assembly continues calibration in step 209 as described above. The calibration may include one or more steps 208-210 performed on different filters or throttle flanges. At the end of the calibration, the fan system has access to and stores the parameters it has measured during the calibration. Finally, at step 211, the fan again sounds an audible or light signal to end the operation and then shuts off at step 204.

The user can still check the calibration success by starting the fan in the normal way and checking that the fan maintains a constant airflow at the set-35 value with all the filters in question. As described above, the calibration can be performed without any separate auxiliaries and without opening the fan assembly. There is no need for a service technician as well, since the user can perform the calibration because the equipment is there to guide the performance and no additional auxiliaries are necessary.

The command to enter the fan into the calibration mode, i.e. the supplied switching sequence, may be as described above, or alternatively, for example, the fan apparatus beeps or lights at a certain rate and the user enters the switching sequence by briefly pressing certain audio or light signals. For example, the switching sequence may be implemented such that the user 10 only presses the operation button at the fifth, seventh and tenth acoustic or light signals. Other presses on the actuation button will produce a rejected switch-on sequence. There are innumerable possibilities for implementing the switching sequence by means of a push button.

In addition to entering the calibration mode by means of the actuator switch-entered quency 15, the actuation sequence may also be implemented by a plurality of actuation buttons. Thus, the switching sequence may be a combination obtained by keying different buttons in succession or a key combination formed by pressing different buttons simultaneously. The command may also be a time-critical switching sequence combined with a switching sequence implemented with different keys or a combination of buttons.

Within the scope of the invention, it is also possible that the switching sequence for entering the calibration mode is provided by a computer or by any special device constructed specifically for this purpose, which provides the fan system with a suitable switching sequence. The computer or other auxiliary device may be electrically connected to the fan by means of a connector, or they may transmit a switching sequence via an infrared connection, a radio signal, an acoustic signal or a magnetic or capacitive communication channel.

Claims (11)

111606 A method for calibrating the airflow volume with a respirator blower assembly, characterized by the steps of: - setting the blower assembly into a special calibration mode (207); changing the volume of the airflow generated by the blower system (209), 10. in response to a first first sign of reaching the desired airflow intensity, stopping the change of the airflow generated by the blower system and storing a specific flow information the conversion was stopped, and 15. using the stored control information to generate general control information describing the fan devices is the operation when it produces a constant volume airflow. 2. Förfarande enligt patentkrav 1, kännetecknat av att da styrinformationen har lagrats (210) indicator en ny uppmaning för att ansluta en all andra constant belastning account aridningsskyddet (208) och för att producera (209) en all andra styrinformation som även använ producera en huddle all styrinformation som 111606 beskriver bläsaggregatets function da detta producerar en luftströmning av constant styrka. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the control information is stored (210), a new prompt is issued to attach a certain second standard load to the respirator (208) and to produce a certain second control information which is also used to provide such general control information. , which describes the operation of the fan assembly as it produces a constant flow of air. 3. Förfarande enligt patentkrav 1, kännetecknat av att bläsaggregatet anordnas i calibrationstillständ i Respons pä en copplerating sequence (206) som avges med en 5 tryckknapp som befinner sig i bläsaggregatet, fluctuating sequence uppvisar flera slutna och öpp. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fan assembly is set to the calibration mode in response to an operating button on the fan assembly. -25 language switching sequence (206) having a plurality of shutter and release periods of the actuator button. 4. Förfarande enligt patentkrav 3, kännetecknat av att det uppvisar steg i vil som som Respons Päen slutning av tryckknappen en första sluten en all tid e after att den första signal avgivits avgesvid 10, andra signal anordnandet av bläsaggregatet i calibrationstillständ avbryts (204) om tryckknappen inte hälls sluten tulle den andra signalen eller om tryckknappen sluten efter det att den andra signalen avgivits en tid som är slängre. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises the steps of providing a first signal in response to closing the operating button and of maintaining the first signal in response to keeping the operating button closed for a certain time. After giving 30, a second signal is provided, whereupon setting the fan assembly to calibration mode is interrupted (204) if the actuator button is not held closed until a second signal is output or if the actuator button is held after the second signal is provided for a time greater than a certain maximum time. 5. Förfarande enligt face av patentkraven 3-4, kännetecknat av att kopplings-15 sequences (206) omfattar varut slutna och öppna perioder for tryckknappen som skall uppfyllas i et visst förhällande till enstaka signaler för en signalequens som sänds under att kopplingssekvensen (206) scall anses property avgiven pä ett godtagbart provision. A method according to any one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that the switching sequence (206) comprises operating and closing periods of the actuator button 5 which must occur in a certain proportion to the individual signals of a particular signal sequence to be transmitted during the switching sequence (206). the quantum (206) would be considered to have been accepted. 6. Förfarande enligt patentkrav 1, kännetecknat av att bläsaggregatet anordnas i 20 calibrationstillstand (207) i Respons Pärt styrkommando som avgivits med en separat styranordning. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fan assembly is placed in calibration mode (207) in response to a control command 10 provided by a separate control device. 7. Förfarande enligt patentkrav 1, kännetecknat av att tecken (208) som avser anslutningen av en constant belastning och tecken (209) som avser att en self-luftströmningshastighet har uppnätts and tommen med tryckknappenet bläs. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the symbols for connecting a constant load (208) and the symbols (209) for reaching the desired airflow intensity are symbols to be given by an operating button in the fan system. 8. Bläsaggregat för ett andningsskydd, kännetecknat av att det omfattar: - organ (101) för mottagning av et kommando gällande att bläsaggregatet placeras i et speciellt calibrationstillständ, - organ (102) för att indicator uppmaningar gällande anslutning bläsaggregatet, 111606 - organ för att omvandla styrkan av den luftströmning som bläsaggregatet producerar styrt i Respons Pävsa tecken, - organ för att stoppa omvandlingen av luftströmningens styrka som produceras av bläsaggregatet i respons torgen lag, beskriver bläsaggregatets function med den styrka hos luftströmningen vid vilken omvandlingen av luftströmningens styrka har stoppats, och - organ för att producera en hundred allmän styrinformation den lagrade styrinformation som beskriver bläsaggregatets function däströmar. 8. Respiratory Blower Apparatus, characterized by: - means (101) for receiving a command for setting the blower equipment in a special calibration mode, - means (102) for indicating prompts for connecting constant loads to the blower device, 20. means for changing the means for stopping a change in the volume of the airflow produced by the fan assembly in response to certain characters, the operation of the fan assembly as it produces a constant volume of airflow. 111606 9. Bläsaggregat enligt patentkrav 8, kännetecknat av att organen för mottagning av kommandot gällande anordnandet av bläsaggregatet et visst calibrationstill stand omfattar bläsaggregatets tryckknapp (101). Fan assembly according to Claim 8, characterized in that the means for receiving a command for setting the fan assembly into a special calibration mode include a fan assembly operating button (101). 10. Bläsaggregat enligt patent krav 8 eller 9, kangnetecknat av att organen för fig 15 indicator (102) uppmaningar inkluderar ljudavgivningsorgan. Fan assembly according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the means for detecting the prompts (102) include sound signaling means. A fan assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the means for detecting prompts (102) include light signaling means. 10 1. Förfarande för calibration av styrkan hos luftströmningen medelst et bläsagg- Regat för ett andningsskydd, kännetecknat av att det omfattar steg in lane: - bläsaggregatet anordnas i et speciellt calibrationstänst (207), - en uppörman förråstst belastning account bläsaggregatet (208), 15. i Respons Pärt första tecken som avser anslutningen av en första constant be lastning vänstörjas en omvandling (209) av styrkan hos den luftströmning som bläsaggregatet producerar, - i Respons Pärt första tecken som. att styrkan hos en self-employed luftströmning har uppnätts stop omvandlingen av luftströmningens styrka som produceras 20 av bläsaggregatet och en all styrinformation (210) lager som beskriver bläsaggre-gatets function den styrka hos luftströmningen vid lagken används för Produktion av en säda n allmän styrin-. formation som beskriver bläsaggregatets function da det producerar en luftström- '' 25 Ning av constant styrka. 11. Bläsaggregat enligt face av patent kraven 8 -10, kanknetecknat av att organen för att indicator (102) uppmaningar inkluderar ljusavgivningsorgan. »