Oxygen generator

Abstract

An improved oxygen generator (20) includes an air compressor (21) having a pressure port (22) and a suction port (23) and being selectively operable to produce a flow of air from the suction port to the pressure port; a molecular sieve (30) having an inlet communicating with the compressor and having an outlet, the sieve being adapted to adsorb nitrogen from a flow of gas passing therethrough; a storage tank (33) communicating with the sieve outlet and adapted to store oxygen-rich gas passing through the sieve; and a control valve (24) operatively arranged between the compressor and the sieve and being selectively movable between a first position in which air flows from the compressor suction port through the sieve to the storage tank and a second position in which oxygen-rich gas flows from the storage tank through the sieve and control valve to desorb nitrogen in the sieve. In use, the inventive apparatus performs a method which includes the steps of: selectively operating the control valve to permit a forward flow of gas from the compressor suction port to the storage tank through the sieve to adsorb nitrogen from the gas and to accumulate oxygen-rich gas in the storage tank; and alternatively operating the control valve to permit a reverse flow of oxygen-rich gas from the storage tank to the compressor pressure port to desorb nitrogen from the molecular sieve.