Pinch valve

Abstract

The pinch valve includes a base having a body and a head, and an anvil aligned with the base and having a shaft and a pinch tip. The head is disposed at a first end of the body. The head includes a contact protrusion having a rounded surface. The rounded surface defines an apex disposed furthest from the second end of the body about the base axis. The pinch tip is disposed at the first end of the shaft. The pinch tip includes two flat surfaces. The two flat surfaces are disposed at an acute angle relative to the anvil axis to form an acute tip at a point furthest from the second end of the shaft about the anvil axis. The base and the anvil are aligned to form a gap between the rounded surface and the acute tip and are movable between a first position and a second position to change the size of the gap.

Claims

1. A pinch valve comprising a base and an anvil, The base comprises a first shaft and a head. The first shaft has a base axis, and the first shaft has a first end and a second end, and has a length extending from the first end to the second end, and the length is greater than the width perpendicular to the length. The head is provided at the first end of the first shaft, and the head has a contact projection and a surrounding portion, the contact projection has a bell-shaped cross-section, the cross-section has a first rounded surface having a top, and a pair of second rounded surfaces provided on both sides of the first rounded surface, the top is positioned at the point furthest from the second end of the first shaft with respect to the base axis, and the pair of second rounded surfaces connect the first rounded surface to the surrounding portion, The surrounding portion has a first average diameter, which is larger than the second average diameter of the first shaft, and the first rounded surface of the contact projection is offset inward from the surrounding portion. The anvil is aligned with the base and has a second shaft and a pinch tip. The second shaft has an anvil axis and has a first end and a second end, and the base axis is collinear with the anvil axis. The pinch tip is positioned at the first end of the second shaft, and the pinch tip has two planes, which are positioned at an acute angle with respect to the anvil axis such that they form an acute-angled tip with a rounded edge portion at the point furthest from the second end of the second shaft with respect to the anvil axis, and the rounded edge portion has a radius of 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less. The base and the anvil are aligned such that they form a gap between the first rounded surface and the acute-angled tip, the base and the anvil are movable between a first position and a second position, the gap has a first gap distance at the first position and a second gap distance at the second position, the second gap distance being smaller than the first gap distance. Pinch valve.

2. In the pinch valve according to claim 1, The two planes are separated by a first separation distance at the first end of the second shaft, and are joined to each other at the end furthest from the second shaft, forming the acute-angled tip. Pinch valve.

3. In the pinch valve according to claim 2, The rounded edge portion is defined by the width of the two planes extending from the first side of the pinch tip to the second side of the pinch tip, and the axis of the rounded edge portion is perpendicular to the anvil axis. Pinch valve.

4. In the pinch valve according to claim 3, The first surface area, which is the surface area of ​​the first rounded surface of the base, is at least five times larger than the second surface area, which is the surface area of ​​the rounded edge portion of the acute-angled tip. Pinch valve.

5. In the pinch valve according to claim 1, The acute angle is 5 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less with respect to the anvil axis. Pinch valve.

6. In the pinch valve according to claim 1, The pinch valve further comprises an actuator connected to one of the base and the anvil and configured to move between a first position and a second position. Pinch valve.

7. In the pinch valve according to claim 6, The actuator is a linear actuator configured to receive the second shaft. Pinch valve.

8. In the pinch valve according to claim 6, The actuator is a linear actuator configured to receive the first shaft. Pinch valve.

9. In the pinch valve according to claim 1, The first shaft is cylindrical in shape. Pinch valve.

10. A pinch valve assembly comprising a base, an anvil, and a linear actuator, The base has a shaft, The shaft has a first end and a second end, and has a length extending from the first end to the second end, and the length is greater than the width perpendicular to the length. The first end of the shaft has a bell-shaped cross-section, which includes a first rounded surface and a pair of second rounded surfaces provided on both sides of the first rounded surface, the pair of second rounded surfaces connecting the first rounded surface to the peripheral portion located furthest from the second end of the shaft. The first rounded surface has a base apex centered on the base central axis, The surrounding portion has a first average diameter, the first average diameter being larger than the second average diameter of the shaft, and the first rounded surface is positioned offset inward from the surrounding portion. The anvil is aligned with the base, the anvil has a rounded edge portion, the rounded edge portion has an anvil apex centered on the anvil axis, the rounded edge portion has a radius of 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less, the first surface area, which is the surface area of ​​the first rounded surface, is at least five times the size of the second surface area, which is the surface area of ​​the rounded edge portion. The linear actuator is connected to at least one of the base and the anvil and is configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the first rounded surface of the base faces the rounded edge portion of the anvil to form a gap, a first gap distance is defined between the first rounded surface and the rounded edge portion at the first position, and a second gap distance smaller than the first gap distance is defined between the first rounded surface and the rounded edge portion at the second position. Pinch valve assembly.

11. In the pinch valve assembly according to claim 10, The aforementioned pinch valve assembly is The present invention further comprises a flexible tube having a hollow cavity, the flexible tube being positioned in the gap between the first rounded surface of the base and the rounded edge portion of the anvil, wherein in the first position the hollow cavity has a first diameter, and in the second position the hollow cavity has a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. Pinch valve assembly.

12. In the pinch valve assembly according to claim 11, The aforementioned flexible tube includes a soft cassette. Pinch valve assembly.

13. In the pinch valve assembly according to claim 10, The aforementioned shaft is the first shaft, The aforementioned anvil, A second shaft having a first end and a second end, The second shaft further comprises a pinch tip positioned at the first end of the second shaft, The pinch tip has two planes, and the two planes are positioned at an acute angle with respect to the anvil axis such that they form the rounded edge portion further away from the second end of the second shaft. Pinch valve assembly.

14. In the pinch valve assembly according to claim 13, The two planes are separated by a first separation distance at the first end of the second shaft, and are joined to each other at the end furthest from the second shaft, forming the acute angle, thereby forming the rounded edge portion, the rounded edge portion extending from the first side of the pinch tip to the second side of the pinch tip, and the axis of the rounded edge portion is perpendicular to the anvil axis. Pinch valve assembly.

15. In the pinch valve assembly according to claim 13, The acute angle is 5 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less with respect to the anvil axis. Pinch valve assembly.

16. A pinch valve comprising a base and an anvil, The base has a shaft, The shaft has a first end and a second end, and has a length extending from the first end to the second end, and the length is greater than the width perpendicular to the length. The first end of the shaft has a bell-shaped cross-section, which includes a first rounded surface and a pair of second rounded surfaces provided on both sides of the first rounded surface, the pair of second rounded surfaces connecting the first rounded surface to the surrounding portion located at the first end of the shaft. The first rounded surface has a base apex centered on the base central axis, The surrounding portion has a first average diameter, the first average diameter being larger than the second average diameter of the shaft, and the first rounded surface is positioned offset inward from the surrounding portion. The anvil is aligned with the base, and the anvil has a rounded edge portion, the rounded edge portion has an anvil apex centered on the anvil axis, the rounded edge portion has a radius of 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less, and the first surface area, which is the surface area of ​​the first rounded surface, is at least five times the surface area, which is the surface area of ​​the rounded edge portion. The first rounded surface of the base faces the rounded edge portion of the anvil to form a gap, and the pinch valve is movable between a first position in which the gap has a first gap distance and a second position in which the gap has a second gap distance smaller than the first gap distance. Pinch valve.

17. In the pinch valve according to claim 16, The first rounded surface is convex, The aforementioned anvil, The pinch tip has two planes, the two planes are positioned at an acute angle with respect to the anvil axis to form the rounded edge portion, the two planes are separated by a first separation distance at the first end of the pinch tip, and are joined to each other at the second end of the pinch tip to form the rounded edge portion, and the acute angle is 5 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less with respect to the anvil axis. Pinch valve.

18. In the pinch valve according to claim 16, The second end of the shaft has a tapered portion, The first end of the tapered portion has a first average dimension, The second end of the tapered portion opposite to the first end of the tapered portion has a second average dimension. The second average dimension is smaller than the first average dimension. The first average dimension of the tapered portion is equal to the first average diameter of the shaft. Pinch valve.

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