KR20230129135A - Apparatus for chest vibration - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for chest wall vibration comprises: an air vibration wave generator which generates air vibration waves; an air bag which is configured to vibrate a user's chest wall by receiving the air vibration waves; and an air hose which connects the air vibration wave generator and the air bag so as to transmit the air vibration waves from the air vibration wave generator to the air bag. The air hose is connected to a connecting member fixed to the air bag through a coupler, and the coupler is configured to be rotatable with respect to the connecting member while being coupled to the connecting member.

Description

Chest wall vibration device {Apparatus for chest vibration}

The present invention relates to a chest wall vibrator that vibrates a user's chest wall using air vibration waves.

The chest wall vibration device is a device configured to cause vibration in the user's chest wall by supplying air vibration waves to an air vest worn by the user.

The chest wall vibrator uses the principle of repeatedly inflating and contracting an air vest worn by the user by intermittent supply of air vibration waves to vibrate the chest wall through repetition of pressing and not pressing the user's chest. This chest wall vibration device can be used as a respiratory management device or medical device that can be used for purposes such as promoting discharge of sputum generated inside the bronchi. In general, chest wall vibration devices include an air vest worn by a patient, an air vibration generator that generates air vibration waves supplied to the air vest, and an air vest and air vibration wave generator to supply the generated air vibration waves to the air vest. Includes air hose to connect.

The air hose is connected to the air vest through a coupler connected to an end, and at this time, the coupler is coupled to the connection portion provided in the air vest in an interference fit manner. Conventionally, since the connection part to which the coupler is coupled is formed to protrude outward from the surface of the air vest, the connection part protrudes a lot to the outside of the air vest even when the coupler is not fastened, which is not aesthetically pleasing. In addition, due to the protruding connection part, there is a possibility of colliding with another object while wearing the air vest, which poses a risk of damage to the connection part and reduces convenience in use. In addition, since the air vest and the air hose are connected through the coupler and cannot rotate, it causes inconvenience during use.

US Patent Publication US2019/0105225A1 (2019.04.11.) European Patent Publication EP3 378 462 A1 (2018.09.26.)

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a way to improve aesthetics and improve convenience of use by preventing the connection portion provided in the air vest to connect the air hose to the outside of the air vest. Furthermore, it is to provide a way to optimize the structure of the coupler for connecting the air hose.

A chest wall vibrator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an air vibration wave generator for generating air vibration waves, an air bag configured to receive the air vibration waves and vibrate a user's chest wall, and the air vibration waves to the air. and an air hose connecting the vibration wave generator and the air bag so that the air bag can be transmitted from the vibration wave generator. The air hose is connected to a connecting member fixed to the air bag through a coupler, and the coupler is configured to be rotatable with respect to the connecting member while fastened to the connecting member.

The connection member may include a body portion, an outer support portion extending outwardly from an outer circumferential surface of the body portion, and an inner support portion extending outward from an outer circumferential surface of the body portion at a position spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the body portion. The shell of the air bag may be inserted into an insertion space formed between the outer support part and the inner support part and supported by the outer support part and the inner support part, respectively.

The inner support part may be formed to have a wider width than the outer support part.

The coupler may include a pipe member that forms an air passage and is connected to the air hose, and a release button fastened to the pipe member and configured to be engaged and released from the coupling member.

The release button may be configured to be elastically supported by an elastic member to maintain a fastened state, and the release button may include a locking portion that may be selectively supported by a locking jaw provided on the connection member.

The air hose may be connected to the coupler via a plurality of sleeve members.

The coupler may include a pipe member forming an air passage. The air hose may have a recessed groove formed on an outer circumferential surface, and the plurality of sleeve members may each have a protrusion inserted into the groove. The plurality of sleeve members may be inserted into and fastened to the pipe member in a state in which the protrusion is inserted into the groove and surrounds an end portion of the air hose.

The pipe member may have a fastening hole, and each of the plurality of sleeve members may have fastening protrusions capable of being fastened to the fastening hole.

The connection member may be configured such that a fastening part fastened to the coupler is positioned below a surface of the air bag.

According to the present invention, since the protrusion of the connection member for connection with the coupler to the outside of the air bag is minimized, the aesthetics are excellent and the connection member is prevented from colliding with an external object, thereby improving usability.

1 is a perspective view of an air vest of a chest wall vibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing a state of use of a chest wall vibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of a coupling part and a coupler coupled to each other according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exploded perspective view of a connection unit and a coupler according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line V-V of FIG. 3;
6 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 3;
7 is a cross-sectional view showing a fastening state of a connecting member and a coupler according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a cross-sectional view showing a disengaged state of a coupling member and a coupler according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a perspective view showing a state in which an air hose is connected to a coupler according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 9 .
11 is an exploded perspective view of a coupler and an air hose according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a perspective view showing a disassembled state of the air hose and coupling sleeve in FIG. 11;

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the described embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the air vest 10 may be formed to be worn on the upper body of the user, and may be configured to be worn on the upper body of the user in the form of clothing, for example. The air vest 10 includes a front portion 11 configured to at least partially surround the front of the user's upper body and a rear portion 12 configured to at least partially surround the rear portion of the user's upper body. . For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the front part 11 of the air vest 10 includes a right front part 111 corresponding to the user's right chest wall and a left front part 112 corresponding to the left chest wall. Including, the right and left front parts (111, 112) can be configured to lock or open the front through a fastening part, for example, the zipper (19). In the drawings, a case in which the zipper 19 is used as a fastening part is illustratively shown, but in addition to the zipper, fastening means such as a hooker and Velcro may also be used as the fastening part. Since the right front part and the left front part are configured to be fastened and separated through the zipper 19, it is easy to put on and take off the air vest.

The air vest 10 may be configured to adjust the size according to the user's body size. For example, referring to FIG. 1, the front part 11 and the rear part 12 of the air vest 10 are configured to be fastened to each other through Velcros 13 and 14, and the Velcros 13 and 14 The size of the air vest 10 can be adjusted according to the size of the user's upper body by adjusting the joining position of the. For example, the Velcros 13 and 14 of the front portion 11 may be disposed on the shoulder portion and the side portion, and correspondingly, the Velcro adhesive to the rear portion 12 may be formed at corresponding positions. . As a result, a single air vest 10 can be used in common by users having different body sizes.

The air vest 10 includes air bags 21 and 22 capable of receiving air for generating air vibration waves. The front portion 11 of the air vest 10 is divided into left and right sides, and a pair of air bags 21 and 22 are provided on the right and left front portions 111 and 112 of the front portion 11, respectively. can At this time, the pair of air bags 21 and 22 are formed to be separated from each other so that air can be supplied independently. A pair of air bladders 21 and 22 may be provided on the front part 11 to be placed at positions corresponding to the left and right breasts of the user, respectively. Accordingly, air may be supplied to only one of the pair of air bags 21 and 22 or the pressure or vibration period of the air supplied to the pair of air bags 21 and 22 may be different from each other, if necessary. . As a result, the left and right chest walls of the user can be vibrated independently, so that optimal chest wall vibration suitable for the user's conditions can be achieved.

The air bladders 21 and 22 are formed to accommodate air that generates air vibration waves. The air vest 10 may be formed of a material similar to clothing, such as a fiber or synthetic resin material, and the air bags 21 and 22 may be a synthetic film or coated fiber such as nylon, PVC, or PU capable of sealing supplied air. It is formed of fabric or the like and can be fixed to the front part 11 in various ways such as fusion or sewing. At this time, the air bladders 21 and 22 may be formed separately from the front portion 11 and attached to the front portion 11 by hookers, Velcro, or the like.

As exemplarily shown in FIG. 2 , the air vest 10 may be connected to the air vibration wave generator 101 through air hoses 103 and 105 to receive air vibration waves. For example, the air vibration wave generator 101 is electrically operated to supply air vibration waves to the air vest 10 . The electric vibration wave generator 101 may include an actuator such as a motor for compressing and discharging air. The air vest 10 is configured to perform a function of vibrating the user's chest wall by receiving air vibration waves from the air vibration wave generator 101 . The air bags 21 and 22 separated from each other may be connected to the air vibration wave generator 101 through air hoses 103 and 105, respectively. The air bladders 21 and 22 may include connecting members 17 and 18, respectively, and couplers 107 and 108 fastened to ends of the air hoses 103 and 105 are attached to the connecting members 17 and 18, respectively. By being connected, the air hoses 13 and 105 and the air bags 21 and 22 can be connected.

Hereinafter, the structure and connection structure of the couplers 107 and 108 and the connection members 17 and 18 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. The connecting member 17 provided in the right air bag 21 and the coupler 107 connected thereto are the same as the connecting member 18 provided in the left air bag 22 and the coupler 108 connected thereto. In, only one connecting member 17 and the coupler 107 connected thereto are described.

The connecting member 17 may be fixed to the right front part 121, and the coupler 107 connected to the air hose 103 may be fixedly fastened to the connecting member 17. Air vibration waves emitted from the air vibration wave generator 101 are introduced into the air bag 21 through the coupler 107 and the connecting member 17 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 , the connection member 17 may have a substantially disc shape forming a through hole 51 into which an end of the coupler 107 is inserted. The connection member 17 includes a hollow cylindrical body portion 52 forming a through hole 51, and an outer support portion 53 and an inner support portion 54 extending in a radial direction from an outer circumferential surface of the body portion 52, respectively. to provide As shown in FIG. 7, the outer support part 53 and the inner support part 54 are arranged to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction of the body part 52, and thereby the outer support part 53 and the inner support part 54 An insertion space 55 is formed between them. As shown in FIG. 7 , the outer shell 211 of the air bag 21 is inserted into the insertion space 55 so as to form an air seal. For example, the outer shells 211 of the air bladder 21 may be bonded to each other to achieve an air seal by thermal fusion. At this time, the inner skin 212 of the air bag 21 in close contact with the user's chest wall is spaced apart from the outer skin 211, whereby an air filling space 213 in which air vibration waves are supplied between the outer skin 211 and the inner skin 212. ) is formed. At this time, the inner end of the connecting member 17, the lower end in FIG. 7, is separated from the endothelium 212 of the air bag 21 by a predetermined distance or more, so that the endothelium 212 is damaged by the connecting member 17. can prevent

As shown in the figure, the width of the inner support portion 54 is wider than the width of the outer support portion 53, whereby the contact area between the inner support portion 54 and the shell 211 of the air bag 21 is increased. can be made to increase. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent the connection member 17 from being separated from the shell 211 due to the pressure applied by the air filled in the air filling space 213 of the air bag 21 .

The coupler 107 serves to connect the air hose 107 to the connecting member 17 . To this end, the coupler 107 is configured to be fastened to the connecting member 17 on the one hand and configured to allow the air hose 103 to be connected on the other hand. Air vibration waves supplied through the air hose 107 are supplied to the air bag 21 through the coupler 107 and the connecting member 17 . The coupler 107 is configured to be coupled to or separated from the connecting member 17 . Accordingly, when the chest wall vibration function is not used, the coupler 107 can be separated from the connecting member 17, and the chest wall vibration function can be executed by connecting the coupler 107 to the connecting member 17.

The coupler 107 includes a tubular member 61 forming an air passage 62 . 3 to 5, the pipe member 61 may have an approximate 'L' shape, whereby, as shown in FIG. 2, the air hose ( 103) may be coupled to the pipe member 61 in the vertical direction.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 8 , a sealing ring 63 may be provided on the pipe member 61 . The sealing ring 63 may be partially inserted into the ring-shaped groove 64 formed by being depressed in the outer circumferential surface of the tubular member 61 . The exposed portion of the sealing ring 63 may come into close contact with the inner circumferential surface forming the through hole 51 of the connecting member 17, thereby implementing an air seal that prevents the air filled in the air bag 21 from leaking. do. For example, the sealing ring 63 may be formed of a material such as rubber capable of realizing an air seal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coupler 107 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the connecting member 17 in a fastened state to the connecting member 17. For example, the through hole 51 of the connecting member 17 has a circular shape, and the portion of the pipe member 61 inserted into the through hole 51 has a cylindrical shape, so that the coupler 107 is a connecting member It can be configured to be rotatable with respect to (17). At this time, air sealing can be achieved by the ring-shaped sealing ring 63 provided in the inserted portion of the pipe member 61.

On the other hand, the coupler 107 maintains the fastening state of the pipe member 61 and the connecting member 17 and, if necessary, is pressed to release the fastening between the pipe member 61 and the connecting member 17 Release button (65). A pair of release buttons 65 may be provided, and as shown in FIG. 4, one release button 65 may be disposed on both sides of the pipe member 61, respectively. The release button 65 may be disposed in a state of being elastically supported by the support plate 67 by an elastic member 69 in the form of a coil spring. As shown in the figure, the support plate 67 may be formed inside the pipe member 61, and the elastic member 69 elastically pushes the release button 65 outward in the radial direction with respect to the support plate 67. support

6 and 7 show a case in which the release button 65 is elastically supported by the elastic member 69 and is in a fastened state, that is, a fastened state between the pipe member 61 and the connecting member 17, In Figure 8, when the release button 65 is pressed radially inward by the user, the elastic member 69 is compressed and released, that is, the coupling between the pipe member 61 and the connecting member 17 is released. A case is shown. The release button 65 has a hooking part 71 for fastening with the connecting member 17, and the connecting member 17 supports the hooking part 71 to prevent the pipe member 61 from being separated. It includes a holding jaw 56 configured. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , the hooking part 71 may be provided at the lower end of the release button 65, and the hooking jaw 56 is the hooking part 71 according to the position of the hooking part 71. It is formed in a position that can selectively block the movement of. That is, when the release button 65 is in the state shown in FIG. 7 , the locking portion 71 of the release button 65 is supported by the locking jaw 56 of the connecting member 17 in the release direction, that is, upward in FIG. 7 . The movement to is blocked and the fastened state is maintained. On the other hand, when the user presses the release button 65 to separate the coupler 107, the release button 65 is deformed and moved, and the engaging portion 71 of the release button 65 is connected to the connecting member 17. It is separated from the locking jaw 56 and becomes the state of FIG. 8 . In the state of FIG. 8 , when the user pulls the pipe member 61 upward, the pipe member 61 may be separated from the connection member 17 .

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the fastening part of the connecting member 17 to which the coupler 107 is fastened, that is, the locking jaw 56 is positioned lower than the surface of the air bag 21 as shown in FIG. 7 . Accordingly, a portion of the connecting member 17 protruding outward from the air bag 21 may be minimized. Due to this, since the connection member 17 does not protrude to the outside, not only aesthetics are improved, but also the risk of the connection member 17 colliding with other objects or being damaged can be eliminated.

Hereinafter, a connection structure between the coupler 107 and the air hose 103 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 .

An end of the air hose 103 may be fastened to the pipe member 61 while being inserted into the air passage 62 of the pipe member 61 described above. At this time, a plurality of, for example, a pair of coupling sleeves 75 and 77 for maintaining and air sealing the fastening state between the air hose 103 and the pipe member 61 are provided. As shown in FIG. 11 , a pair of coupling sleeves 75 and 77 are arranged to form a hollow cylinder and compressed between the air hose 103 and the pipe member 61 . At this time, the air hose 103 has a spiral groove 73 formed on an outer circumferential surface, and a pair of coupling sleeves 75 and 77 have spiral protrusions 76 and 78 inserted into the spiral groove 73, respectively. provide As shown in FIG. 10, a pair of coupling sleeves 75 and 77 are in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the pipe member 61 while surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the air hose 103 in a hollow cylindrical shape. At this time, the air hose 103 is formed to enable shape change and elastic recovery, and the air hose 103 is inserted into the pipe member 61 in a slightly compressed state by a pair of coupling sleeves 75 and 77, After insertion, the pair of coupling sleeves 75 and 77 are pushed outward in the radial direction while being restored by release of the compressive force. As a result, the fastening state between the air hose 103 and the pipe member 61 is maintained and air sealing can be achieved.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a cover (not shown) capable of covering the outside of the air hose 103 may be provided. At this time, the cover may be formed of a material that can be pressed along the spiral groove 73 of the air hose 103, for example, fiber, vinyl, or the like. The aesthetic appearance of the air hose 103 can be improved by the cover.

Fastening protrusions 81 and 83 for preventing separation of the coupling sleeves 75 and 77 inserted into the pipe member 61 may be provided on the side surfaces of the coupling sleeves 75 and 77, respectively, and the pipe member 61 The fastening protrusions 81 and 83 are inserted and fastened, respectively, so that fastening holes 85 and 87 may be provided. When the coupling sleeves 75 and 77 and the air hose 103 need to be separated, when the fastening protrusions 81 and 83 are pressed, the air hose 103 is compressed and thereby the fastening protrusions 81 and 83 move through the fastening holes 85 , 87), it is possible to separate the coupling sleeves 75 and 77 and the air hose 103.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims are also within the scope of the present invention. belong

10: air vest
11: front part
12: rear part
111: right front part
112: left front part
19: Zipper
13, 14: Velcro
21, 22: air pockets
23: extension
101: air vibration wave generator
103, 105: air hose
107, 109: coupler
17, 18: connecting member
51: through hole
52: body part
53: outer support
54: inner support
55: insertion space
61: pipe member
62 air passage
63: sealing ring
64: ring groove
65: release button
67: support plate
69: elastic member
71: hanging part
56: snag
73 spiral groove
75, 77: combined sleeve
76, 78: spiral protrusions
81, 83: fastening protrusion
85, 87: fastening hole

Claims (9)

an air vibration wave generator for generating air vibration waves;
An air bladder configured to vibrate a user's chest wall by receiving the air vibration waves, and
An air hose connecting the air vibration wave generator and the air bag to transfer the air vibration wave from the air vibration wave generator to the air bag;
The air hose is connected to a connecting member fixed to the air bag through a coupler,
The coupler is configured to be rotatable with respect to the connecting member in a state fastened to the connecting member
Chest wall vibrator. In paragraph 1,
The connection member includes a body portion, an outer support portion extending outwardly from an outer circumferential surface of the body portion, and an inner support portion extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the body portion at a position spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the body portion,
The outer shell of the air bag is inserted into the insertion space formed between the outer support part and the inner support part and is configured to be supported by the outer support part and the inner support part, respectively.
Chest wall vibrator. In paragraph 2,
The inner support part is formed to have a wider width than the outer support part. In paragraph 1,
The coupler includes a pipe member forming an air passage and to which the air hose is connected, and a release button fastened to the pipe member and configured to be engaged and released from the connecting member. In paragraph 4,
The release button is elastically supported by an elastic member and configured to maintain a fastened state,
The release button has a locking portion that can be selectively supported on a locking jaw provided on the connecting member. In paragraph 1,
The air hose is connected to the coupler via a plurality of sleeve members. In paragraph 6,
The coupler includes a pipe member forming an air passage,
The air hose has a groove recessed on the outer circumferential surface,
The plurality of sleeve members each have a protrusion inserted into the groove,
The plurality of sleeve members are inserted into and fastened to the pipe member in a state in which the protrusion is inserted into the groove and surrounds an end of the air hose. In paragraph 7,
The pipe member has a fastening hole,
The plurality of sleeve members each have a fastening protrusion that can be fastened to the fastening hole. In paragraph 1,
The chest wall vibration device of claim 1 , wherein the connection member is configured such that a fastening portion fastened to the coupler is located below a surface of the air bag.

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