PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an oxygen concentrator which prevents a reduction in the concentration of oxygen of air as a raw ingredient due to a reduction in sealing performance of a compressor.SOLUTION: A pressure swing adsorption type oxygen concentrator 1 is equipped with a compressor 103 having functions of supplying pressurized air to a plurality of adsorption cylinders 105a, 105b filled with an absorbent for selectively absorbing nitrogen and of vacuuming and a flow passage switching means 104a, 104b which sequentially switch flow passages between the compressor and each adsorption cylinder and repeat the adsorption process and the desorption process at a prescribed timing. The flow passage switching means makes an inner pressure of all of the adsorption cylinders a positive pressure or a negative pressure to keep the sealabilities of the compressor by making all of the adsorption cylinders 105a, 105b communicate with a pressurizing line of the compressor or a vacuuming line of the compressor before controlling to switch to make the pressurizing side adsorption cylinder 105a communicate with the vacuuming line of the compressor and to make the vacuum desorption side adsorption cylinder 105b communicate with the pressurizing line of the compressor.COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT【課題】コンプレッサのシール性能が低下することで、原料空気の酸素濃度が低下することを防止する酸素濃縮装置を提供する。【解決手段】窒素を選択的に吸着し得る吸着剤を充填した複数の吸着筒105a、105bへ加圧空気を供給すると共に真空減圧する機能を備えたコンプレッサ103、該コンプレッサと各吸着筒間の流路を順次切り換え、吸着工程と脱着工程を所定タイミングで繰り返すための流路切換手段104a、104bを具備した圧力変動吸着型酸素濃縮装置1において、該流路切換制御手段が、加圧側吸着筒105aとコンプレッサの真空ライン、真空脱着側吸着筒105bとコンプレッサ加圧ラインを連通するように切換制御を実施する前に、全ての吸着筒105a、105bをコンプレッサ加圧ライン又はコンプレッサの真空ラインに連通させることにより、全ての吸着筒の内圧を陽圧又は陰圧にし、コンプレッサのシール性を保つ。【選択図】図1
