Patent Description:
A ventilation therapy device, such as a ventilator, usually comprises a main machine, a humidifier, and a respiratory mask, wherein an inhalable air generated by the main machine is warmed and humidified by the humidifier, and then is supplied to the respiratory mask for the patient to inhale. By warming and humidifying the inhalable air with the humidifier, possible secondary infection of the respiratory tract and irritation on the cardiopulmonary system of the patient incurred by mechanical ventilation can be prevented or reduced, the pulmonary alveoli can be kept in a humid state, the activity of the pulmonary alveoli can be enhanced, the air exchange can be promoted, the consumption of the heat and the moisture content in the respiratory tract can be reduced, sputum scabs can be prevented in the respiratory tract, the viscosity of the secreta can be decreased, sputum excretion can be promoted, respiratory tract clogging can be prevented, and the compliance of the patient to the mechanical ventilation can be improved.

In the prior art, a humidifier is usually mounted in either of the two following ways: in the first way, the humidifier is arranged separately from the main machine, has an openable shell and a cavity in the shell, and a water tank is mounted in the cavity via an installation structure; in a second way, the humidifier is integrated with the main machine, i.e., the shell of the humidifier is integrated on the main machine, and a water tank is mounted in the main machine via an installation structure.

<CIT> discloses a portable humidifying device comprising a body and a water tank, wherein the body is arranged above the water tank, and a humidifying device is arranged in the body, and wherein the inner wall of the outer cover of the body is provided with a screw button, and the outer wall of the water tank is provided with a screw button groove matched with the screw button. The outer cover and the water tank form a rotating screw button connection through the screw button and the screw button groove.

<CIT> discloses a fill-in-place humidifier comprising a tank that can be rotated <NUM> degrees between a filling position and an operating position, and a can that can be removed from the tank for filling in the filling position, and can be replaced when filling is complete, wherein the cap bears a valve that automatically opens when the tank is rotated into its operative positions.

<CIT> discloses a humidifier comprising an infant incubator that has a housing and a reservoir, wherein the reservoir is pivotally affixed to the housing it can be tilted from its upright position where it actively provides the heated water vapor to the incubator and a tilted position where water can be added to the reservoir.

<CIT> discloses a system configured to prevent damage from liquid spills in a humidified pressure support therapy device, wherein the system decouples a humidification chamber in a humidifier from a pressure generator of the pressure support therapy device when a cover of the humidifier is opened.

However, in either of the above ways, the water tank installation structure is complex, and the fitting relation is cumbersome. During use, the water tank has to be taken out for water replenishment frequently; however, the connection of the water tank to the main machine or shell is complex, and complex operations, such as cover opening and unlocking, etc. are required to take out the water tank, resulting in frequent operations of the patient and poor usability of the water tank.

In view of the above problems, the present disclosure provides a water tank installation structure and a ventilation therapy device including the water tank installation structure, to simplify the installation of a water tank and facilitate water replenishment into the water tank.

To attain the above object, in an aspect, the present disclosure provides a water tank installation structure for a ventilation therapy device, which comprises a water tank, an installation space, and a connection structure, wherein the water tank is configured to fit into and out of the installation space in a rotational manner, the connection structure is configured to connect the water tank to the installation space when the water tank is rotated into the installation space and release the connection of the water tank from the installation space when the water tank is detached from the installation space.

Further, the water tank installation structure comprises a first bottom wall and a first side wall that are used to define the installation space, the water tank comprises a liquid storage cavity, and a second bottom wall and a second side wall that are used to define the liquid storage cavity; the second bottom wall corresponds to the first bottom wall and the second side wall corresponds to the first side wall when the water tank is mounted into the installation space.

Furthermore, the first bottom wall comprises a downwardly recessed arc-shaped area, the second bottom wall forms a downwardly protruding arc-shape that matches the arc-shaped area.

Optionally, the installation space has a top opening and a side opening, which are used for installation the water tank into the installation space.

Optionally, the connection structure comprises a first connection component and a second connection component that are fitted with each other, the first connection component is arranged on one of the first side wall and the second side wall, and the second connection component is arranged on the other of the first side wall and the second side wall.

Optionally, the first connection component is on an upper part of the first side wall or the second side wall, and the second connection component is on an upper part of the first side wall or the second side wall.

Optionally, the first connection component is arranged on the first side wall, and the second connection component is arranged on the second side wall.

Optionally, the first connection component comprises a recessed cavity outwardly recessed from an inner wall surface of the first side wall and a snap-fit groove arranged on an inner surface of the recessed cavity, the second connection component comprises a boss outwardly protruding from an outer wall surface of the second side wall and a snap-fit piece arranged on the boss, the boss matches the recessed cavity, the snap-fit piece matches the snap-fit groove, the snap-fit piece is configured to be snap-fitted in the snap-fit groove when the boss is received in the recessed cavity, and can be detached from the snap-fit groove when the boss is subjected to an outwardly pulling force.

Optionally, the second connection component comprises a compression spring, the boss has a cavity therein for accommodating the compression spring and the snap-fit piece, the boss has a hole in communication with the cavity, the snap-fit piece is configured to at least partially extend out of the hole under an abutting action of the compression spring, and can retract into the cavity by compress the compression spring under pressure.

Optionally, the size of the hole is smaller than the size of the snap-fit piece.

Optionally, the snap-fit piece is a sphere, and the snap-fit groove is a hemispherical groove.

Optionally, the arc-shaped area is a heating area for heating the water tank.

Optionally, the water tank installation structure comprises a first air inlet tube, a first air outlet tube, a second air inlet tube and a second air outlet tube, the first air inlet tube is coaxially inserted in the first air outlet tube and spaced from the first air outlet tube by certain radial spacing to form a first air outflow channel, and one end port of the first air inlet tube and the first air outlet tube is located on the first side wall; the second air inlet tube is coaxially inserted in the second air outlet tube and spaced from the second air outlet tube by certain radial spacing to form a second air outflow channel, one end port of the second air inlet tube and the second air outlet tube is located on the second side wall, and the other end port of the second air inlet tube and the second air outlet tube extends into the liquid storage cavity, and the one end port of the first air inlet tube and the first air outlet tube is communicated with the one end port of the second air inlet tube and the second air outlet tube in a hermetically sealed manner via a sealing element.

Optionally, the one end port of the second air inlet tube and the second air outlet tube is on the upper part of the second side wall.

Optionally, the length of the second air inlet tube is greater than the length of the second air outlet tube, the other end port of the second air inlet tube is formed as an inclined port, a wall of the water tank opposite to the inclined port is formed as an inclined wall, so that the air from the inclined port is deflected toward a lower middle area of the liquid storage cavity.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a ventilation therapy device, which comprises a main machine and the water tank installation structure described above, wherein the installation space is arranged on the main machine.

With the technical scheme, in the water tank installation structure in the present disclosure, the water tank is configured to fit into and out of the installation space in a rotational manner, the connection structure is configured to connect the water tank to the installation space when the water tank is rotated into the installation space and release the connection of the water tank from the installation space when the water tank is detached from the installation space; thus, the water tank can be mounted and removed more conveniently while ensuring that the water tank is mounted in the installation space reliably; to replenish water, the water tank may be removed from the installation space by rotation to prevent water leakage into the installation space, thereby ensure the high efficiency and safety of water replenishment.

Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be further detailed in the following embodiments.

The accompanying drawings are provided herein to facilitate further understanding on the present disclosure and constitute a part of this document. They are used in conjunction with the following embodiments to explain the present disclosure, but are not intended to constitute any limitation to the present disclosure. In the figures:.

<NUM> - water tank, <NUM> - liquid storage cavity, <NUM> - second bottom wall, <NUM> - second side wall, <NUM> - boss, <NUM> - cavity, <NUM> - hole, <NUM> - snap-fit piece, <NUM> - compression spring, <NUM> - second air inlet tube, <NUM> - inclined port, <NUM> - second air outlet tube, <NUM> - inclined wall, <NUM> - main machine, <NUM> - installation space, <NUM> - top opening, <NUM> - side opening, <NUM> - first bottom wall, <NUM> - arc-shaped area, <NUM> - first side wall, <NUM> - recessed cavity, <NUM> - snap-fit groove, <NUM> - guiding bevel, <NUM> - first air inlet tube, <NUM> - first air outlet tube, <NUM> - sealing element, <NUM> - inner ring, <NUM> - outer ring, <NUM> - connection rib.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be detailed below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are only provided to describe and explain the present disclosure, but are not intended to constitute any limitation to the present disclosure.

Unless otherwise specified in the present disclosure, the terms that denotes the directions or orientations, such as "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc., refer to the directions or orientations as indicated in <FIG>; "inside" and "outside" usually refers to inside and outside with respect to the outlines of the components.

In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a water tank installation structure, which comprises a water tank <NUM>, an installation space <NUM>, and a connection structure, wherein the water tank <NUM> is configured to fit into and out of the installation space <NUM> in a rotational manner, the connection structure is configured to connect the water tank <NUM> to the installation space <NUM> when the water tank <NUM> is rotated into the installation space <NUM>, and release the connection of the water tank <NUM> from the installation space <NUM> when the water tank <NUM> is detached from the installation space <NUM>.

With the technical scheme, in the water tank installation structure in the present disclosure, the water tank <NUM> is configured to fit into and out of the installation space <NUM> in a rotational manner, the connection structure is configured to connect the water tank <NUM> to the installation space <NUM> when the water tank <NUM> is rotated into the installation space <NUM> and release the connection of the water tank <NUM> from the installation space <NUM> when the water tank <NUM> is detached from the installation space <NUM>; thus, the water tank <NUM> can be mounted and removed more conveniently while ensuring that the water tank <NUM> is mounted in the installation space <NUM> reliably; to replenish water, the water tank <NUM> may be removed from the installation space <NUM> by rotation to prevent water leakage into the installation space <NUM>, thereby ensure the high efficiency and safety of water replenishment.

The installation space <NUM> has a top opening <NUM> and a side opening <NUM>, which are used for mounting the water tank <NUM> into the installation space <NUM>. Thus, the water tank <NUM> can be mounted flexibly, and is in an exposed state after it is mounted, so that water replenishment into the water tank <NUM> can be carried out conveniently.

During the mounting, the water tank <NUM> may be rotated from the top opening <NUM> and the side opening <NUM> into the installation space <NUM>, while the water tank <NUM> is connected by the connection structure to the installation space <NUM>. To replenish water into the water tank <NUM>, it is unnecessary to remove the water tank <NUM> and directly add water through the exposed water inlet located on the top or side of the water tank <NUM>; alternatively, the water tank <NUM> may be removed from the installation space <NUM> by rotation and then water can be replenished into the water tank <NUM>. Thus, the mounting of the water tank can be greatly simplified, water can be replenished into the water tank conveniently, and the connection structure is available in a wide range of choice, which is to say, an appropriate detachable connection structure may be used.

It should be noted that the water tank <NUM> and the installation space <NUM> may be in any appropriate shape, and the side opening <NUM> may be arranged appropriately depending on the shape of the installation space <NUM>. For example, in the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the installation space <NUM> and the water tank <NUM> are generally square, and the side opening <NUM> covers the front side, back side and right side of the installation space <NUM>. In other embodiments, the side opening <NUM> may at least cover the right side of the installation space <NUM>, so as to provide an installation passage for the water tank <NUM> while the front side and/or the back side of the installation space <NUM> can limit the position of the water tank <NUM> to some extent.

In the present disclosure, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the water tank installation structure further comprises a first bottom wall <NUM> and a first side wall <NUM> that are used to define the installation space <NUM>, the water tank <NUM> comprises a liquid storage cavity <NUM>, and a second bottom wall <NUM> and a second side wall <NUM> that are used to define the liquid storage cavity <NUM>; when the water tank <NUM> is mounted into the installation space <NUM>, the second bottom wall <NUM> corresponds to the first bottom wall <NUM>, and the second side wall <NUM> corresponds to the first side wall <NUM>. In the above arrangement, the water tank <NUM> can be supported and mounted. The first bottom wall <NUM> is configured to support the water tank <NUM>, the connection structure may be arranged on the bottom walls <NUM>, <NUM> or on the side walls <NUM>, <NUM>, preferably is arranged on the side walls <NUM>, <NUM>. To facilitate mounting the water tank <NUM> by rotation and realize a connection to the installation space <NUM> while the water tank <NUM> is mounted, the first bottom wall <NUM> comprises a downwardly recessed arc-shaped area <NUM>, the second bottom wall <NUM> is formed in a downwardly protruding arc shape that matches the arc-shaped area <NUM>, and the connection structure may be arranged on the second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM>.

The second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM> may have shapes that match each other respectively; for example, both the second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM> may be flat surfaces or curved surfaces, and may be complementary to each other in shape. In the case that the second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM> are complementary to each other in shape, for example, the second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM> have a plurality of bulges and recesses that match each other, the water tank <NUM> can be removably mounted in the installation space <NUM> by means of the complementary shapes of the second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM>; in such a case, the connection structure comprises a plurality of matching bulges and recesses formed on the second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM> respectively. In the case that both the second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM> are flat surfaces or curved surfaces, matching connection components may be arranged on the second side wall <NUM> and the first side wall <NUM> to realize detachable installation.

Specifically, the connection structure may comprise a first connection component and a second connection component that are fitted with each other, the first connection component is arranged on one of the first side wall <NUM> and the second side wall <NUM>, and the second connection component is arranged on the other of the first side wall <NUM> and the second side wall <NUM>.

In order to improve the stability, reliability and flexibility of the installation of the water tank <NUM>, the first connection component is on an upper part of the first side wall <NUM> or the second side wall <NUM>, and the second connection component is on an upper part of the first side wall <NUM> or the second side wall <NUM>. That is to say, the first connection component and the second connection component are spaced away from the second bottom wall <NUM> and the first bottom wall <NUM>.

In the present disclosure, the first connection component and the second connection component may be any component or structure that can realize a detachable connection. For example, the first connection component and the second connection component may be magnetic components that attract each other.

Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in <FIG>, the first connection component is arranged on an upper part of the first side wall <NUM>, and the second connection component is arranged on an upper part of the second side wall <NUM>. The first connection component comprises a recessed cavity <NUM> outwardly recessed (i.e., in the leftward direction in <FIG>) from the inner wall surface of the first side wall <NUM> and a snap-fit groove <NUM> arranged on the inner surface of the recessed cavity <NUM>, the second connection component comprises a boss <NUM> outwardly protruding (i.e., in the leftward direction in <FIG>) from the second side wall <NUM> and a snap-fit piece <NUM> arranged on the boss <NUM>, the boss <NUM> matches the recessed cavity <NUM>, the snap-fit piece <NUM> matches the snap-fit groove <NUM>, the snap-fit piece <NUM> is configured to be snap-fitted in the snap-fit groove <NUM> when the boss <NUM> is received in the recessed cavity <NUM>, and can be detached from the snap-fit groove <NUM> when the boss <NUM> is subjected to an outwardly pulling force (i.e., a force for rotating the water tank <NUM> out of the installation space <NUM>).

The snap-fit piece <NUM> may be snap-fitted in the snap-fit groove <NUM> and detached from the snap-fit groove <NUM> by means of its deformation; for example, the snap-fit piece <NUM> may be a protrusion formed on the boss <NUM> in a protruding manner. In order to improve the reliability of the fitting between the snap-fit piece <NUM> and the snap-fit groove <NUM> and prolong the service life of the snap-fit piece <NUM> and the snap-fit groove <NUM>, preferably the snap-fit piece <NUM> is arranged to be snap-fitted with the snap-fit groove <NUM> and detached from the snap-fit groove <NUM> by movement.

Specifically, in the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the second connection component further comprises a compression spring <NUM>, the boss <NUM> has a cavity <NUM> for receiving the compression spring <NUM> and the snap-fit piece <NUM>, and has a hole <NUM> in communication with the cavity <NUM>; the snap-fit piece <NUM> is configured to at least partially extend out of the hole <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>) under an abutting action of the compression spring <NUM>, and can retract into the cavity <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>) by compressing the compression spring <NUM> under pressure. That is to say, the snap-fit piece <NUM> has a first state in which it at least partially extends out of the hole <NUM> and a second state in which it retracts into the cavity <NUM>; in the first state, the snap-fit piece <NUM> can be snap-fitted in the snap-fit groove <NUM>; in the second state, the snap-fit piece <NUM> can make way for the boss <NUM> to enter or exit the recessed cavity <NUM>.

To facilitate the boss <NUM> to enter or exit the recessed cavity <NUM> quickly and successfully and further improve the convenience in the mounting and removal of the water tank <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, two guiding bevels <NUM> may be arranged on the right upper and lower ends of the recessed cavity <NUM>, so as to guide the boss <NUM> to enter or exit the recessed cavity <NUM>.

In addition, as shown in <FIG>, preferably the compression spring <NUM> is arranged in the vertical direction, the snap-fit piece <NUM> is located above the compression spring <NUM>, the hole <NUM> is arranged at the top of the boss <NUM>, and the snap-fit groove <NUM> is arranged at the top of the recessed cavity <NUM>.

During the mounting, when the water tank <NUM> is loaded into the installation space <NUM> by rotation and the boss <NUM> is pushed into the recessed cavity <NUM>, the guiding bevel <NUM> squeezes the snap-fit piece <NUM> to move downward to retract into the cavity <NUM> while it guides the boss <NUM> to enter the recessed cavity <NUM>, till the boss <NUM> enters into the recessed cavity <NUM> entirely. At that point, the snap-fit piece <NUM> at least partially extends out of the hole <NUM> under the action of the compression spring <NUM> and thereby is snap-fitted in the snap-fit groove <NUM>.

To ensure that the snap-fit piece <NUM> can extend and retract at the hole <NUM> successfully, preferably hole <NUM> is sized to be smaller than the snap-fit piece <NUM>, which is to way, the snap-fit piece <NUM> can't extend out of the hole <NUM> entirely; instead, the snap-fit piece <NUM> partially extends out of the hole <NUM> under an abutting action of the compression spring <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the snap-fit piece <NUM> may be a sphere, and the snap-fit groove <NUM> may be a hemispherical groove. In such a case, the hole <NUM> is a circular hole, the diameter of the hole <NUM> is smaller than the diameter of the snap-fit piece <NUM>, and the size of the snap-fit groove <NUM> matches the size of the part of the snap-fit piece <NUM> that can extend out of the hole <NUM>.

In the present disclosure, the connection structure may comprise a plurality of groups of first connection components and second connection components that match each other, so as to improve the stability and reliability of the installation of the water tank. Preferably, as shown in <FIG>, the connection structure comprises two groups of first connection components and second connection components that match each other and arranged at an interval in the front-back direction.

In the present disclosure, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, by configuring the first bottom wall <NUM> to comprise a downwardly recessed arc-shaped area <NUM> and configuring the second bottom wall <NUM> to form into a downwardly protruding arc-shape that matches the arc-shaped area <NUM>, the supporting area for the water tank <NUM> can be increased, and the position of the water tank <NUM> can be limited. That is to say, the second bottom wall <NUM> can't be detached from the installation space <NUM> by moving it rightward horizontally with respect to the arc-shaped area <NUM>. In addition, in the case that the connection structure comprises two groups of first connection components and second connection components that match each other, in association with the arc-shaped area <NUM> and the second bottom wall <NUM> that are fitted with each other, three-point fitting between the water tank <NUM> and the installation space <NUM> can be realized, thereby the stability of the water tank <NUM> is ensured.

The arc-shaped area <NUM> may be configured as a heating area; for example, the first bottom wall <NUM> may be formed from a heating plate, so that large-area heating of the water tank <NUM> can be realized.

As shown in <FIG>, the axial direction of the arc-shaped area <NUM> (the front-back direction in <FIG>) may be perpendicular to the mounting direction of the water tank <NUM> (the left-right direction in <FIG>, i.e., the mounting direction of the boss <NUM> and the recessed cavity <NUM>). In such a case, the water tank <NUM> can rotate around the axis of the arc-shaped area <NUM> within a certain range with respect to the arc-shaped area <NUM>, so as to realize mounting and removal by rotation, and the angle of the water tank <NUM> can be adjusted conveniently to make the boss <NUM> and the recessed cavity <NUM> aligned to each other when the water tank <NUM> is mounted.

As shown in <FIG>, to mount the water tank <NUM>, the water tank <NUM> is placed on the arc-shaped area <NUM> first, with the second bottom wall <NUM> attached to the arc-shaped area <NUM>, then the water tank <NUM> is rotated by a certain angle and pushed leftward to get close to the first side wall <NUM>, so that the boss <NUM> enters the recessed cavity <NUM>, and the snap-fit piece <NUM> is snap-fitted in the snap-fit groove <NUM>; thus, the water tank <NUM> is mounted. To remove the water tank <NUM>, the water tank <NUM> is directly pulled rightward, so that the snap-fit piece <NUM> moves downward and retracts into the cavity <NUM> under a squeezing action at the right side of the snap-fit groove <NUM>, and the boss <NUM> is detached from the recessed cavity <NUM>; thus, the water tank <NUM> can be removed.

In the present disclosure, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the water tank <NUM> may comprise a second air inlet tube <NUM> and a second air outlet tube <NUM>, wherein the second air inlet tube <NUM> is coaxially inserted in the second air outlet tube <NUM> and spaced from the second air outlet tube <NUM> by certain radial spacing to form a second air outflow channel, one end port of the second air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air outlet tube <NUM> (i.e., the port of the left end in <FIG>) is on the second side wall <NUM>, and the other end port of the second air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air outlet tube <NUM> (i.e., the port of the right end in <FIG>) extends into the liquid storage cavity <NUM>.

By configuring the second air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air outlet tube <NUM> into a nested structural form, not only the structure of the water tank can be simplified and the space in the liquid storage cavity can be saved, but also the disturbances to the air flow can be reduced; moreover, the annular second air outflow channel can condition the air flow naturally to avoid turbulence. The second air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air outlet tube <NUM> preferably are straight tube, and the second air inlet tube <NUM> can also serve as a water inlet tube to fill water into the water tank <NUM>.

Preferably, the left end port of the second air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air outlet tube <NUM> is arranged on an upper part of the second side wall <NUM> and at a middle position of the second side wall <NUM> in the front-back direction, thus, the water in the water tank <NUM> will not flow back into the second air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air outlet tube <NUM> when the water tank <NUM> is tilted as a result of handling or movement, etc..

As shown in <FIG>, preferably, the length of the second air inlet tube <NUM> is greater than that of the second air outlet tube <NUM>, the right end port of the second air outlet tube <NUM> is at the right side of the center line of the water tank (indicated by the dotted line in <FIG>), the right end port of the second air inlet tube <NUM> is formed as an inclined port <NUM>, and the wall of the water tank <NUM> opposite to the inclined port <NUM> is formed as an inclined wall <NUM>, so that the air from the inclined port <NUM> is deflected toward a lower middle area of the liquid storage cavity <NUM>.

As indicated by the arrow in <FIG>, after the air flows out of the second air inlet tube <NUM>, it is deflected by the inclined wall <NUM> to flow toward the water surface direction, then is deflected by the water surface and other side walls of the water tank <NUM> for several times and enters into the second air outflow channel, and finally flows out of the second air outflow channel. The air carries warm and humid moisture content in the entire flow process, thereby a good air humidifying effect is attained. Moreover, as shown in <FIG>, the water tank <NUM> has a simple internal structure without any useless part, and the air flow simply undergoes several times of deflection inside the water tank, without any turbulence.

To realize the fitting between the second air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air outlet tube <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, the water tank installation structure may further comprise a first air inlet tube <NUM> and a first air outlet tube <NUM>, wherein the first air inlet tube <NUM> is coaxially inserted in the first air outlet tube <NUM> and spaced from the first air outlet tube <NUM> by certain radial spacing to form a first air outflow channel, one end port (i.e., the right end port in <FIG>) of the first air inlet tube <NUM> and the first air outlet tube <NUM> is on the first side wall <NUM>, and the right end port of the first air inlet tube <NUM> and the first air outlet tube <NUM> may be communicated with the left end port of the second air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air outlet tube <NUM> in a hermetically sealed manner via a sealing element <NUM>. It can be understood that the first air inlet tube <NUM> is communicated with the second air inlet tube <NUM>, and the first air outlet tube <NUM> is communicated with the second air outlet tube <NUM> (i.e., the first air outflow channel is communicated with the second air outflow channel).

As shown in <FIG>, the sealing element <NUM> is an annular member comprising an inner ring <NUM> and an outer ring <NUM> that are nested coaxially, the inner cavity of the inner ring <NUM> is communicated with the first air inlet tube <NUM> and the second air inlet tube <NUM>, and there is certain radial spacing between the inner ring <NUM> and the outer ring <NUM> to form a communication channel for the first air outflow channel and the second air outflow channel to be communicated with each other.

In addition, as shown in <FIG>, the inner ring <NUM> and the outer ring <NUM> may be connected to each other via a plurality of connection ribs <NUM> that are spaced apart from each other. With the arrangement of the connection ribs <NUM>, the communication channel can be separated into a plurality of arc-shaped channels, so as to attain an air flow conditioning effect. Accordingly, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the second air inlet tube <NUM> may be connected with the second air outlet tube <NUM> and the first air inlet tube <NUM> may be connected with the first air outlet tube <NUM> via connecting members respectively, so that the second air outflow channel and the first air outflow channel are separated into a plurality of arc-shaped channels respectively, which correspond to the arc-shaped channels of the sealing element <NUM>, so as to condition the out-flowing air effectively, thereby reduce pneumatic noises.

The sealing element <NUM> may be made of a sealing material, such as rubber, silica gel, or the like.

With the above arrangement, not only the structure can be simplified and the space can be saved, but also the disturbances to the air flow can be reduced; in addition, the annular air outflow channel can condition the air flow naturally and avoid turbulence. Moreover, since the air inlet tubes and the air outlet tubes are in a built-in form, the ports can be butt-jointed and communicated by using the sealing element <NUM>, so that the water tank <NUM> can be mounted and removed independently from the air inlet tubes and the air outlet tubes. Therefore, the water tank can be mounted and removed more conveniently, and the water tank installation structure has smaller space occupation. Thus, when the water tank installation structure is applied in a ventilation therapy device, the space occupation of the ventilation therapy device can be decreased, and the esthetic appearance of the ventilation therapy device can be improved.

With the above water tank installation structure provided by the present disclosure, the user can mount and removed the water tank <NUM> by one-handed operation, and the water tank can be mounted, removed and filled water conveniently, thereby a good experience is achieved; the above water tank installation structure has further advantages including high safety and high reliability, simple structure, low failure rate, less parts, low cost, stable air flow, and high patient compliance, etc..

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a ventilation therapy device, which comprises a main machine <NUM> and the water tank installation structure described above, wherein the installation space <NUM> is arranged on the main machine <NUM>.

Specifically, as shown in <FIG>, the installation space <NUM> is arranged on the right side of the main machine <NUM>, a first side wall <NUM> and a first bottom wall <NUM> for defining an installation space <NUM> are arranged on the main machine <NUM>, the top surface, front surface and back surface of the water tank <NUM> are flush with corresponding sides of the main machine <NUM> after the water tank <NUM> is mounted in the installation space <NUM>, thereby a higher esthetic appearance of the ventilation therapy device is achieved.

In addition, it should be noted that a fan is mounted in the left part of the main machine <NUM>, the first air inlet tube <NUM> is communicated with an air outlet of the fan, and an air outlet communicated with the first air outlet tube <NUM> is arranged on the main machine <NUM>. During use, the fan can draw ambient air into the main machine <NUM>, then the air is fed into the first air inlet tube <NUM>, and flows through the second air inlet tube <NUM> into the liquid storage cavity <NUM> of the water tank <NUM>, wherein the air is humidified; then the air is discharged from the main machine through the second air outflow channel, the first air outflow channel and the air outlet sequentially, and then is delivered to the patient side for the patient to inhale.

In view that the main improvements in the present disclosure lie in the water tank and the installation of the water tank, and the arrangement of a fan inside the main machine belongs to a known technique in the art, the fan and the installation of the fan are not detailed here.

In the present disclosure, the ventilation therapy device may be a ventilator or an oxygen therapy apparatus, or the like.

Claim 1:
A water tank installation structure for a ventilation therapy device, comprising a water tank (<NUM>), an installation space (<NUM>), and a connection structure, wherein the water tank (<NUM>) is configured to fit into and out of the installation space (<NUM>) in a rotational manner, the connection structure is configured to connect the water tank (<NUM>) to the installation space (<NUM>) when the water tank (<NUM>) is rotated into the installation space (<NUM>), and release the connection of the water tank (<NUM>) from the installation space (<NUM>) when the water tank (<NUM>) is detached from the installation space (<NUM>);
wherein the water tank installation structure comprises a first bottom wall (<NUM>), and a first side wall (<NUM>) which define the installation space (<NUM>), the water tank (<NUM>) comprises a liquid storage cavity (<NUM>), and a second bottom wall (<NUM>) and a second side wall (<NUM>) that define the liquid storage cavity (<NUM>); the second bottom wall (<NUM>) corresponds to the first bottom wall (<NUM>) and the second side wall (<NUM>) corresponds to the first side wall (<NUM>) when the water tank (<NUM>) is mounted into the installation space (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the first bottom wall (<NUM>) comprises a downwardly recessed arc-shaped area (<NUM>), the second bottom wall (<NUM>) forms a downwardly protruding arc-shape that matches the arc-shaped area (<NUM>).