An elastomer fatigue testing machine

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of medical instrument testing, and discloses a fatigue testing machine for elastomers, which comprises a bending module, an environment simulation box and a lifting module; the bending module comprises a mounting assembly and a testing assembly; the testing assembly comprises a fixing structure and a pressure applying structure; the fixing structure is used for fixing and placing the elastomer; the pressure applying structure is used for applying periodic and reciprocating bending pressure to the elastomer; the testing assembly is arranged on the mounting assembly; the environment simulation box is used for providing a fatigue test environment; the lifting module is provided with a fixing support; the mounting assembly is arranged on the fixing support; and the lifting module is used for lifting the testing assembly so that the elastomer can enter and exit the environment simulation box; and in the application, the bending fatigue strength of the elastomer is determined by applying periodic and reciprocating bending pressure to the elastomer through the bending module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical device testing, in particular to a fatigue testing machine for an elastic body. Background Art

[0002] Patients on long-term medication regimens have very poor medication compliance, and current methods to improve compliance rates, such as educational intervention and counseling, have only achieved modest improvements. One way to reduce the frequency of oral dosage forms over extended periods of time is to incorporate a self-expansion mechanism into the dosage form, which physically prevents the dosage form from leaving the gastric cavity. In current gastric retention devices, in order to be encapsulated and retained in the stomach, the gastric retention device is generally prepared from an elastic polymer to form an elastomer. The elastomer generally includes an elastic center, extended side arms, and a connecting component that is strong enough to be broken. The elastomer has two configurations, a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration. The elastomer is filled into the capsule shell in a folded configuration. After being taken into the body, the extended side arms of the elastomer unfold to form an unfolded configuration. There has been a lot of research in the prior art on gastric retention devices. For example, patent US11576859B2 introduces a variety of gastric retention devices with star structures, as disclosed in the attached Figure 1 The structure has 6 elastically extended side arms, and patent US4767627A discloses different gastric retention devices with a planar cross configuration.

[0003] To ensure that the elastomer remains in the stomach for a sufficient period of time, the aforementioned gastric retention device must ensure that: 1. the elastomer's expanded configuration has a sufficiently large projected area, typically greater than 2 cm (the diameter of the human stomach's pylorus is approximately 2 cm), making it difficult for the gastric retention device to pass through the pylorus; and 2. the elastomer, particularly the extended side arms, must have sufficient bending fatigue strength to maintain its intact expanded configuration despite the peristaltic pressure of the stomach during the retention period. After expansion, the extended side arms of the gastric retention elastomer are susceptible to vertical or lateral bending due to peristaltic pressure within the stomach. If the gastric retention elastomer fails to effectively rebound and return to its expanded configuration after bending, the projected area of ​​the gastric retention elastomer will be affected, causing the elastomer to be expelled from the stomach prematurely.

[0004] Therefore, in order to ensure that the elastomer of the produced gastric retention device can meet the designed residence time in the stomach, it is necessary to test its bending fatigue aging ability. Currently, there is no relevant equipment in the existing technology that can effectively perform effective bending fatigue aging tests on this type of gastric retention device, which greatly affects the industrial production experiments of this type of product. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a fatigue testing machine for an elastomer to solve the problem in the prior art that it is impossible to effectively perform bending fatigue testing on gastric retention elastomers.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fatigue testing machine for an elastic body, comprising:

[0007] A bending module, comprising a mounting assembly and a testing assembly, wherein the testing assembly comprises a fixing structure and a pressure-applying structure, wherein the fixing structure is used to fix and place an elastic body, and the pressure-applying structure is used to apply a cyclic reciprocating bending pressure to the elastic body; the testing assembly is disposed on the mounting assembly;

[0008] An environmental simulation box, located below the bending module, for providing a fatigue aging test environment;

[0009] A lifting module is provided with a fixed bracket on the lifting module, and the mounting assembly is arranged on the fixed bracket. The lifting module is used to lift the test assembly so that the elastomer enters and exits the environmental simulation box.

[0010] Preferably, the pressure structure includes a bending stopper and a reciprocating drive, wherein the fixing structure is fixed to the output shaft of the reciprocating drive, and the fixing structure fixes the elastic body so that the axial direction of the elastic body coincides with the axial direction of the output shaft of the reciprocating drive. The bending stopper movably engages with the extended side arm of the elastic body to cause the extended side arm of the elastic body to bend vertically. The axial direction of the elastic body coincides with the movement direction of the reciprocating drive. When the elastic body moves, the circumferential extended side arm thereof will bend vertically due to the blocking effect of the bending stopper.

[0011] Preferably, the pressure structure includes a reciprocating drive, a pressure upper die and a pressure lower die, the reciprocating drive is the reciprocating drive, the pressure upper die and the pressure lower die constitute the bending blocking member, the pressure upper die and the pressure lower die are detachably mounted, a pressure space is formed inside the pressure upper die and the pressure lower die, the cross section of the pressure space gradually decreases from the middle to both ends, the reciprocating drive and the pressure lower die are both connected and fixed to the mounting assembly, and the pressure lower die is located below the reciprocating drive;

[0012] The output shaft of the reciprocating drive passes through the pressure upper mold from top to bottom and extends into the pressure space. The fixed structure is located at the end of the output shaft of the reciprocating drive. The fixed structure is used to horizontally fix the elastomer. The reciprocating drive is used to drive the elastomer on the fixed structure to reciprocate in the pressure space. The inner side wall of the pressure space is movably connected with the extended side arm.

[0013] Since the pressure space is small at both ends and large in the middle, the elastic body is subjected to pressure from the inner wall of the pressure space during the reciprocating motion, thereby bending vertically up and down. Therefore, the device of the present invention effectively tests the vertical bending fatigue aging ability of the elastic body.

[0014] Preferably, the top surface of the pressure upper mold and the bottom surface of the pressure lower mold are both provided with water inlets, and the output shaft of the reciprocating drive passes through the water inlets of the pressure upper mold from top to bottom and extends into the pressure space.

[0015] In the fatigue aging test of elastomers, the environmental simulation chamber can simulate the gastric fluid environment. During the test, the pressure space is immersed in the simulated gastric fluid environment, and the external liquid can enter the pressure space through the water inlet, so that the elastomer can be completely in the simulated gastric fluid environment, thereby obtaining a more realistic fatigue aging limit of the elastomer when it is retained in the stomach.

[0016] Preferably, the fixing structure includes a fixed basket and a fixed platform located at the end of the output shaft of the reciprocating drive, the fixed basket and the fixed platform are detachably mounted, a plurality of lateral channels are provided on the side of the fixed basket, the lateral channels extend upward to the top surface of the fixed basket, the elastomer is fixed in the fixed basket, and the extended side arms of the elastomer pass through the lateral channels.

[0017] The fixed basket and the fixed platform are detachable and easy to install the elastomer. At the same time, the lateral channels on the fixed basket can make the extended side arms on the elastomer protrude from the sides of the fixed basket, so that the inner side walls of the upper pressure mold and the lower pressure mold can bend the extended side arms of the elastomer up and down.

[0018] Preferably, the pressure structure includes a reciprocating drive and a pressure device. The reciprocating drive drives the pressure device to reciprocate. The fixing structure is used to fix the elastic body so that the axial direction of the elastic body is perpendicular to the plane of the pressure device's movement direction. The axial direction of the extended side arm forms an angle with the movement direction of the pressure device. The extended side arm is arranged at an angle relative to the pressure direction. When the extended side arm is subjected to pressure from the pressure device, the extended side arm will bend laterally. During the reciprocating motion of the pressure device, the lateral bending fatigue aging strength of the elastic body is tested.

[0019] Preferably, the pressure structure includes a reciprocating drive, a pressure upper mold and a pressure lower mold, the reciprocating drive is the reciprocating drive, the pressure upper mold is the pressure device, the pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold are relatively arranged, the pressure upper mold is installed on the output shaft of the reciprocating drive, the fixed structure includes a fixing groove arranged on the opposite sides of the pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold, the fixing groove is used to vertically fix the elastomer, the extended side arm of the elastomer is embedded in the fixing groove, the axial direction of the extended side arm has an angle with the movement direction of the pressure upper mold, and the fixing groove is extended along the lateral bending direction of the elastomer.

[0020] The reciprocating drive drives the pressure upper mold to reciprocate up and down. The extended side arm of the elastomer embedded in the fixed groove will bend laterally due to the pressure from the bottom surface of the fixed groove. The fixed groove is used to accommodate the extended side arm of the elastomer to prevent the elastomer from popping outward after being under pressure. At the same time, the fixed groove has a certain extension length. When the extended side arm bends laterally, the fixed extended side arm can bend laterally along the fixed groove, which facilitates the lateral bending of the extended side arm. In the continuous bending test, the lateral bending fatigue strength of the tested elastomer will be obtained.

[0021] Preferably, a rotating seat is fixed on the output shaft of the reciprocating drive, the pressure-applying upper die is fixed on the rotating seat, and the pressure-applying upper die has a rotatable angle relative to the pressure-applying lower die.

[0022] By setting the rotating seat on the pressure upper die, when the pressure upper die is pressed down, the extended side arm of the elastic body facing upward can smoothly enter the fixed groove of the pressure upper die, ensuring the smooth progress of the fatigue bending test.

[0023] Preferably, the mounting assembly includes a bending and lifting motor, an upper fixed plate, a lower fixed plate and a connecting column, the bending and lifting motor is fixed on a fixed bracket, the upper fixed plate is connected to the output shaft of the bending and lifting motor, the reciprocating drive is fixed on the upper fixed plate, the pressure lower mold is fixed on the lower fixed plate, and the lower fixed plate is connected to the fixed bracket through a connecting column.

[0024] The positions of the lower fixed plate and the fixed bracket are relatively fixed, while the reciprocating drive can be raised and lowered as a whole due to the setting of the bending and lifting motor, so that the distance between the reciprocating drive and the pressure lower mold can be adjusted. When the elastomer needs to be fixedly installed, the position of the cylinder can be raised as a whole to facilitate the installation of the elastomer.

[0025] Preferably, the environmental simulation box includes a water bath heating tank, a simulation liquid tank and a cover plate, the simulation liquid tank is installed in the water bath heating tank, the simulation liquid tank is used to load the simulation liquid, the cover plate is used to cover the water bath heating tank, and the cover plate is provided with an inlet and outlet corresponding to the test component.

[0026] In the testing of oral elastomers, the simulating liquid is often acid or alkali. The loading bottle is loaded with the simulating liquid to prevent the acid and alkali from corroding the heating device. It also facilitates the replacement of the simulating liquid. The cover is used to prevent the simulating liquid from splashing during the bending test.

[0027] The above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] In the present invention, the bending module applies reciprocating bending pressure to the elastomer, causing it to bend periodically. This allows the elastomer's bending fatigue limit to be measured in multiple sets of tests. The environmental simulation chamber provides a simulated environment for the elastomer's bending, ensuring that the elastomer's fatigue aging test intensity is compatible with actual application scenarios. The various functional modules in the present invention work together to effectively test the bending fatigue aging limit of the gastric retention elastic device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the gastric retention elastomer described in the background art.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the testing machine described in Example 1.

[0031] Figure 3 This is an exploded structural diagram of the test machine described in Example 1.

[0032] Figure 4 This is an exploded structural diagram of the test machine described in Example 1.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the bending module described in Example 1.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the test component described in Example 1.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a diagram of the combined structure of the upper pressure mold and the lower pressure mold described in Example 1.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a combined cross-sectional structural diagram of the pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold described in Example 1.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the fixed structure described in Example 1.

[0038] Figure 10 This is a bending force diagram of the gastric retention elastomer described in Example 1.

[0039] Figure 11 This is an exploded structural diagram of the test machine described in Example 2.

[0040] Figure 12 This is a structural diagram of the bending module described in Example 2.

[0041] Figure 13 This is a combined cross-sectional structural diagram of the pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold described in Example 2.

[0042] Figure 14 This is a diagram of the combined structure of the upper pressure mold and the lower pressure mold described in Example 2.

[0043] Figure 15 This is a lateral bending force diagram of the gastric retention elastomer described in Example 2.

[0044] Description of reference numerals:

[0045] 10. Bending module;

[0046] 11. Mounting assembly; 111. Bending and lifting motor; 112. Upper fixing plate; 113. Lower fixing plate; 114. Connecting column;

[0047] 12. Test components;

[0048] 121, fixed structure; 1211, fixed basket; 1212, fixed platform; 1213, lateral channel; 1214, upper boss; 1215, lower boss; 1216, fixed groove;

[0049] 122. Pressure structure; 1221. Reciprocating drive; 1222. Pressure upper die; 1223. Pressure lower die; 1224. Pressure space; 1225. Raised edge; 1226. Buckle; 1227. Water inlet; 1228. Block; 1229. Rotating seat; 12291. Mounting plate; 12292. Connecting column; 12293. Rotating through hole;

[0050] 20. Environmental simulation chamber; 21. Water bath heating tank; 22. Simulation liquid tank; 23. Cover plate; 24. Notch;

[0051] 30. Lifting module; 31. Fixed bracket; 32. Lifting cylinder;

[0052] 40. Elastomer; 41. Extended side arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In order to explain the technical content, structural features, achieved objectives and effects of the technical solution in detail, the following is a detailed description in conjunction with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0054] As attached Figure 1 The gastric retention elastomer 4 described herein is provided with a plurality of extended side arms 41 in the circumferential direction.

[0055] As attached Figure 10 The “vertical bending” mentioned in this article means that the extended side arm of the elastic body is bent away from the plane where the elastic body is located due to the action of external force.

[0056] As attached Figure 15 The "lateral bending" mentioned in this article means that in the plane where the elastic body is located, the extended side arms of the elastic body are tilted to the side due to the action of external force, and the angle between the extended side arms under force increases.

[0057] Example 1

[0058] See also Figure 2-10 This embodiment discloses a fatigue testing machine for an elastomer, including a bending module 10, an environmental simulation box 20 and a lifting module 30, wherein the bending module 10 includes an installation component 11 and a test component 12, the test component 12 includes a fixed structure 121 and a pressure structure 122, the fixed structure 121 is used to fix the elastomer 40, and the pressure structure 122 is used to apply bending pressure to the elastomer 40; the test component 12 is connected to the installation component 11, the environmental simulation box 20 is located below the bending module 10, and the environmental simulation box 20 is used to provide a fatigue testing environment; a fixed bracket 31 is provided on the lifting module 30, the installation component 11 is connected to the fixed bracket 31, and the lifting module 30 is used to lift the test component 12 so that the elastomer 40 can enter and exit the environmental simulation box 20.

[0059] In this embodiment, a control module may also be included. The control module may include an integrated PLC control board for uniformly controlling the operation of the bending module 10 , the environmental simulation box 20 and the lifting module 30 .

[0060] In this embodiment, it is used to test the vertical bending fatigue aging strength of the elastic body 40 .

[0061] The pressure-applying structure 122 includes a bending block and a reciprocating drive. The fixed structure 121 is fixed to the output shaft of the reciprocating drive. The fixed structure 121 secures the elastic body 40 so that its axial direction coincides with the axial direction of the reciprocating drive's output shaft. The reciprocating drive drives the elastic body 40 on the fixed structure 121 to reciprocate toward the bending block. The bending block movably engages the extended side arms 41 of the elastic body 40, causing the extended arms 41 of the elastic body 40 to bend vertically. The axial direction of the elastic body 40 coincides with the direction of movement of the reciprocating drive. As the elastic body 40 moves, its circumferential extended side arms 41 are blocked by the bending block and bend vertically.

[0062] Specific examples Figure 6 As shown, the pressure structure 122 includes a reciprocating driver 1221, a pressure upper mold 1222 and a pressure lower mold 1223. The pressure upper mold 1222 and the pressure lower mold 1223 form a bending blocking member. The pressure upper mold 1222 and the pressure lower mold 1223 are detachable and installable. A pressure space 1224 is formed inside the pressure upper mold 1222 and the pressure lower mold 1223. The cross-section of the pressure space 1224 gradually decreases from the middle to both ends. The reciprocating driver 1221 and the pressure lower mold 1223 are connected and fixed by the mounting assembly 11. The pressure lower mold 1223 is located below the reciprocating driver 1221. The output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221 passes through the pressure upper mold 1222 from top to bottom and extends into the pressure space 1224.

[0063] In this embodiment, the reciprocating drive 1221 uses a driving cylinder structure, and the reciprocating motion of the cylinder is controlled by the air circuit. In some other embodiments, the reciprocating drive can also be set to other motor drive structures.

[0064] The fixed structure 121 includes a fixed basket 1211 and a fixed platform 1212 located at the end of the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221. The fixed basket 1211 and the fixed platform 1212 are detachably mounted. The side of the fixed basket 1211 is provided with a plurality of lateral channels 1213, which extend upward to the top surface of the fixed basket 1211. The fixed basket 1211 is used to horizontally fix the elastic body 40 so that the axial direction of the elastic body 40 is parallel to the direction of movement.

[0065] The fixed basket 1211 and the fixed platform 1212 are detachable and easy to install the elastomer 40. At the same time, the lateral channel 1213 on the fixed basket 1211 can make the extended side arm 41 on the elastomer 40 protrude from the side of the fixed basket 1211. The reciprocating driver 1221 drives the elastomer 40 on the fixed basket 1211 to reciprocate in the pressure space 1224. Since the pressure space 1224 is small at both ends and large in the middle, the elastomer 40 is subjected to the pressure of the inner wall of the pressure space 1224 during the reciprocating movement, thereby bending up and down.

[0066] In this embodiment, the number of the lateral channels 1213 arranged circumferentially on the fixed basket 1211 is consistent with the number of the extended side arms 41 of the elastic body 40. Figure 9 In the figure, six lateral channels 1213 are provided on the fixed basket 1211, which can be used to fix the elastic body 40 with six extended side arms 41. The fixed platform 1212 and the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221 are integrated into a structure. The fixed basket 1211 includes a base plate and a plurality of vertical poles. The plurality of vertical poles are circumferentially arranged around the base plate. The bottoms of the vertical poles are fixed to the base plate, and the distance between two adjacent vertical poles forms a lateral channel 1213.

[0067] like Figure 8 The pressure lower mold 1223 corresponds to the pressure upper mold 1222. Both the pressure upper mold 1222 and the pressure lower mold 1223 have a tapered cavity, and the two opposite tapered cavities form a pressure space 1224 with small ends and a large middle.

[0068] When the elastomer 40 is located in the middle of the pressure space 1224, the largest opening position of the conical cavity is larger than the horizontal diameter of the elastomer 40, and no bending occurs. During the up and down movement of the elastomer 40, the inner wall of the conical cavity gradually generates resistance to the elastomer 40, causing the elastomer 40 to bend.

[0069] Specifically, the outer shapes of the pressure upper mold 1222 and the pressure lower mold 1223 are conical cover structures corresponding to the conical cavity.

[0070] like Figure 7 In this embodiment, an outwardly protruding lip 1225 is provided around the bottom surface of the upper pressure mold 1222, and a buckle 1226 is fixed around the top surface of the lower pressure mold 1223. The lip 1225 and the buckle 1226 engage with each other, and the lip 1225 is provided with a disassembly notch 24 corresponding to the buckle 1226. The buckle 1226 cooperates to secure the upper pressure mold 1222 and the lower pressure mold 1223, facilitating quick assembly and disassembly of the two.

[0071] In this embodiment, two relative clips 1226 are fixed around the top surface of the pressure lower mold 1223, and two corresponding disassembly and assembly notches 24 are provided on the convex edge 1225. When the pressure upper mold 1222 and the pressure lower mold 1223 are engaged, the pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold 1223 can only be separated after the upper mold is rotated so that the positions of the disassembly and assembly notches 24 and the clips 1226 correspond. The engagement process is the opposite of the disassembly and separation process.

[0072] like Figure 8 In the embodiment, the top surface of the upper pressure mold 1222 and the bottom surface of the lower pressure mold 1223 are both provided with a water inlet 1227. The output shaft of the reciprocating drive 1221 passes through the water inlet 1227 of the upper pressure mold 1222 from top to bottom and extends into the pressure space 1224. During the aging fatigue test of the elastomer 40, the environmental simulation chamber 20 can simulate the gastric fluid environment. In this simulated gastric fluid environment, external liquid can enter the pressure space 1224 through the water inlet 1227, thereby completely immersing the elastomer 40 in the simulated gastric fluid environment and obtaining more accurate aging fatigue test data.

[0073] In this embodiment, the water inlet 1227 on the top surface of the pressure upper mold 1222 is also used for the passage of the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221, thereby facilitating the reciprocating up and down movement of the output shaft. Therefore, the water inlet 1227 of the pressure upper mold 1222 can be set as a hole with a relatively large aperture.

[0074] like Figure 9 The inner side surface of the top opening of the fixed basket 1211 is provided with a threaded section, and the outer peripheral surface of the fixed platform 1212 is provided with a threaded section. The opening of the fixed basket 1211 is threadedly connected to the fixed platform 1212 through the threaded section.

[0075] The threaded segment connection not only facilitates installation, but also allows timely adjustment of the connection position between the fixed basket 1211 and the fixed platform 1212 , thereby adjusting the degree of clamping of the elastic body 40 in the fixed basket 1211 .

[0076] In the present invention, the connection between the fixed basket 1211 and the fixed platform 1212 may be by a buckle 1226, a fastener connector, or the like, in addition to the above-mentioned threaded connection.

[0077] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the fixing platform 1212 is fixed by an upper boss 1214 , and a lower boss 1215 is provided in the fixing basket 1211 . The upper boss 1214 and the lower boss 1215 are positioned correspondingly, and the upper boss 1214 and the lower boss 1215 jointly clamp and fix the elastic body 40 .

[0078] The upper boss 1214 and the lower boss 1215 clamp the elastic body 40 during the bending process to prevent the position of the elastic body 40 from changing during the bending fatigue test, thereby preventing the test results from being affected.

[0079] like Figure 5 The mounting assembly 11 includes a bending and lifting motor 111, an upper fixed plate 112, a lower fixed plate 113 and a connecting column 114. The bending and lifting motor 111 is fixed on the fixed bracket 31. The output shaft of the bending and lifting motor 111 is arranged from top to bottom. The upper fixed plate 112 is connected to the output shaft of the bending and lifting motor 111. The reciprocating driver 1221 is fixed on the upper fixed plate 112. The pressure lower mold 1223 is fixed on the lower fixed plate 113. The lower fixed plate 113 is connected to the fixed bracket 31 through the connecting column 114.

[0080] The positions of the lower fixed plate 113 and the fixed bracket 31 are relatively fixed, and the reciprocating drive 1221 can be raised and lowered as a whole due to the setting of the bending and lifting motor 111, so that the distance between the reciprocating drive 1221 and the pressure lower mold 1223 can be adjusted. When the elastomer 40 needs to be fixedly installed, the position of the cylinder can be raised as a whole to facilitate the installation of the elastomer 40.

[0081] In this embodiment, the lower pressure mold 1223 and the lower fixing plate 113 are detachably connected in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0082] The mounting assembly 11 fixes and arranges multiple groups of pressure structures 122 , the upper fixing plate 112 fixes the reciprocating drivers 1221 of the multiple groups of pressure structures 122 , and the lower fixing plate 113 fixes the lower pressure molds 1223 of the multiple groups of pressure structures 122 .

[0083] The arrangement of multiple sets of pressure structures 122 enables the device to perform fatigue bending tests on multiple sets of elastic bodies 40 at the same time, thereby improving the bending efficiency of multiple sets of tests.

[0084] In this embodiment, 12 groups of pressure structures 122 are provided on the mounting assembly 11 , and 6 groups of pressure structures 122 are provided on two opposite sides of the fixing plate respectively.

[0085] For the convenience of showing in the attached drawings, Figure 5 、 6 , 12 only show part of the pressure structure.

[0086] The environmental simulation box 20 includes a water bath heating tank 21 and a simulation liquid tank 22 . The simulation liquid tank 22 is installed in the water bath heating tank 21 and is used to load the simulation liquid.

[0087] In the test of oral elastomer 40, the simulating liquid is often acidic or alkaline. The loading bottle is loaded with the simulating liquid to avoid corrosion of the heating device by the acid or alkaline liquid, and it is also convenient for replacing the simulating liquid.

[0088] The environmental simulation box 20 further includes a cover plate 23 for covering the water bath heating tank 21. Fixing members are provided around the notch of the water bath heating tank 21 for fixing the cover plate 23.

[0089] In this embodiment, the cover plate 23 is fixed to the upper fixed plate 112, and a notch 24 corresponding to the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221 is provided on the cover plate 23, and the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221 passes through the notch 24. In this embodiment, due to the setting of the water inlet 1227, the pressure upper mold 1222 is sleeved on the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221, and a clamping block 1228 is provided on the top surface of the pressure upper mold 1222. The clamping block 1228 is engaged with the periphery of the notch 24 on the cover plate 23. Therefore, when the pressure upper mold 1222 is separated from the pressure lower mold 1223, it can be fixed to the cover plate 23.

[0090] In this embodiment, the lifting module 30 includes a lifting cylinder 32 and a fixed bracket 31 . The fixed bracket 31 is fixed to the output shaft of the lifting cylinder 32 , and the lifting and lowering of the fixed bracket 31 is controlled by the lifting cylinder 32 .

[0091] As attached Figure 4 In the embodiment, a connecting plate is fixed on the output shaft of the lifting cylinder 32, and the fixing bracket 31 is connected to the connecting plate through two connecting rods. Figure 4 In the figure, the lifting cylinder 32 and the fixing bracket 31 are in a disassembled state.

[0092] The steps of using this embodiment are as follows (taking the elastic body 40 with six extended side arms 41 as an example):

[0093] (1) Initial state: The bending lifting motor 111 raises the upper fixed plate 112 so that the reciprocating driver 1221 and the pressure lower die 1223 move away from each other. At this time, the pressure upper die 1222 is engaged with the cover plate 23;

[0094] (2) Fixing the elastic body 40: Rotate and remove the fixed basket 1211 from the fixed platform 1212 on the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221, then place the six-star-shaped elastic body 40 on the fixed basket 1211, and make the extended side arms 41 of the elastic body 40 correspond to the side channels 1213. Then, fix the fixed basket 1211 on the fixed platform 1212 and tighten it so that the upper boss 1214 and the lower boss 1215 correspond to the center of the clamping elastic body 40;

[0095] (3) Closing the pressure space 1224: The bending and lifting motor 111 lowers the upper fixed plate 112, causing the elastic body 40 fixed on the reciprocating driver 1221 to descend to the opening position of the pressure lower die 1223. Then, the pressure upper die 1222 is removed from the cover plate 23 and engages with the pressure lower die 1223 downward along the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221, thereby forming the pressure space 1224.

[0096] (4) Entering the simulated environment: Turn on the water bath heating tank 21, and the lifting cylinder 32 of the lifting module 30 drives the fixed bracket 31 to descend, so that the pressure upper mold 1222, the pressure lower mold 1223 and the elastic body 40 on the test component 12 are immersed in the simulated liquid tank 22 of the environmental simulation box 20. The simulated liquid tank 22 is loaded with simulated gastric fluid, and the water bath heating tank 21 is turned on and the heating temperature is set to about 37°C. At this time, the environmental simulation cover 23 is placed on the water bath heating tank 21;

[0097] (5) Fatigue test: The reciprocating drive 1221 starts to drive the elastic body 40 on the fixed basket 1211 to reciprocate up and down in the pressure space 1224. The extended side arm 41 of the elastic body 40 is blocked by the conical cavity, and the inner wall of the conical cavity causes the elastic body 40 to bend upward and downward.

[0098] In this embodiment, the reciprocating driver 1221 outputs a fixing force to drive the elastomer 40 on the fixed structure 121 to reciprocate in the pressure space 1224. Since the pressure space 1224 is small at both ends and large in the middle, during the reciprocating motion of the elastomer 40, the extended side arm 41 is subjected to the pressure of the inner wall of the pressure space 1224, thereby bending vertically up and down. The device of the present invention can quickly and effectively measure the bending fatigue ability of the gastric retention elastomer 40.

[0099] Example 2

[0100] See also Figure 11-15 This embodiment discloses a fatigue testing machine for an elastomer, including a bending module 10, an environmental simulation box 20, a lifting module 30 and a control module. The bending module 10 includes a mounting component 11 and a testing component 12.

[0101] In this embodiment, the implementation of the installation assembly 11, the environmental simulation box 20, the lifting module 30 and the control module is the same as that in Example 1, except that:

[0102] The pressure structure 122 includes a reciprocating drive and a pressure device. The reciprocating drive drives the pressure device in reciprocating motion. The fixing structure 121 is used to fix the elastic body 40 so that the axial direction of the elastic body 40 is perpendicular to the plane of the pressure device's movement direction. The axial direction of the extended side arm 41 forms an angle with the direction of movement of the pressure device. The extended side arm 41 is tilted relative to the pressure direction. When the extended side arm 41 is subjected to pressure from the pressure device, it will bend laterally. During the reciprocating motion of the pressure device, the lateral bending fatigue aging strength of the elastic body 40 is tested.

[0103] Specifically, the pressure structure 122 includes a reciprocating driver 1221, a pressure upper die 1222, and a pressure lower die 1223. The pressure upper die 1222 and the pressure lower die 1223 are arranged opposite to each other. The pressure upper die 1222 is the pressure device. The pressure upper die 1222 is installed on the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221. The reciprocating driver 1221 drives the pressure upper die 1222 to reciprocate toward the pressure lower die 1223.

[0104] In this embodiment, the reciprocating drive 1221 uses a driving cylinder structure, and the reciprocating motion of the cylinder is controlled by the air circuit. In some other embodiments, the reciprocating drive can also be set to other motor drive structures.

[0105] The fixing structure 121 includes a fixing groove 1216 arranged on the opposite sides of the pressure upper mold 1222 and the pressure lower mold 1223. The fixing groove 1216 is used to vertically fix the elastomer 40. The extended side arm 41 of the elastomer 40 is embedded in the fixing groove 1216. The axial direction of the extended side arm 41 has an angle with the movement direction of the pressure upper mold 1222. The fixing groove 1216 is extended along the lateral bending direction of the elastomer 40.

[0106] In this embodiment, the fixing groove 1216 is a long strip-shaped groove, and the bottom surface of the fixing groove 1216 is a horizontal surface structure.

[0107] The lower mold 1223 is pressed and fixed to the lower fixing plate 113 by fasteners.

[0108] The environmental simulation box 20 is provided with a plurality of separate cover plates 23 . After the pressure-applying structure 122 enters the simulation liquid tank 22 , the plurality of cover plates 23 are assembled and placed on the water bath heating tank 21 .

[0109] The reciprocating drive 1221 drives the pressure upper mold 1222 to reciprocate up and down. The extended side arm 41 of the elastomer 40 embedded in the fixing groove 1216 will bend laterally due to the pressure from the bottom surface of the fixing groove 1216. The horizontal lateral bending will effectively test the lateral fatigue resistance of the elastomer 40.

[0110] In this embodiment, the upper pressure die 1222 and the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221 are fixed by screw fasteners.

[0111] like Figure 14 Another way to fix the reciprocating driver 1221 and the pressure-applying upper die 1222 is as follows: a rotating seat 1229 is fixed to the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221, and the pressure-applying upper die 1222 is fixed to the rotating seat 1229. The pressure-applying upper die 1222 has a rotatable angle relative to the pressure-applying lower die 1223. In the lateral bending aging test of the elastic body 40, it is necessary to first lower the pressure-applying upper die 1222 a certain distance so that the pressure-applying upper die 1222 and the pressure-applying lower die 1223 can clamp the elastomer 40 together. During this process, the pressure-applying upper die 1222 and the pressure-applying lower die 1223 may not be on the same side due to machine vibration or the extended side arms 41 of the elastomer 40 are not all on the same side, which may cause the extended side arms 41 of the upper part of the elastomer 40 to be unable to align with the groove of the pressure-applying upper die 1222.

[0112] By setting the rotating seat 1229 on the pressure upper mold 1222, when the pressure upper mold 1222 is pressed down, the upward extended side arm 41 of the elastic body 40 can smoothly enter the fixed groove 1216 of the pressure upper mold 1222, ensuring the smooth progress of the fatigue bending test.

[0113] The rotating seat 1229 can be in various forms. In this embodiment, the rotating seat 1229 includes a mounting plate 12291 and a connecting column 12292. The mounting plate 12291 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221. A plurality of arc-shaped rotating through holes 12293 are provided on the mounting plate 12291. The connecting column 12292 passes through the rotating through hole 12293. One end of the connecting column 12292 is engaged with the side of the rotating through hole 12293, and the other end of the connecting column 12292 is fixedly connected to the pressure upper mold 1222.

[0114] In this embodiment, the connecting column 12292 is a fastening bolt, and the pressure upper mold 1222 is screwed to the fastening bolt. The angle of the arc-shaped rotation through hole 12293 is about 30 degrees, so that the pressure upper mold 1222 can rotate relative to the pressure lower mold 1223.

[0115] In this embodiment, the mounting plate 12291 is a circular plate, the output shaft of the reciprocating driver 1221 is connected to the center of the mounting plate 12291, and four arc-shaped rotating through holes 12293 are provided on the mounting plate 12291. When installed with the pressure upper mold 1222, the connecting columns 12292 of the two opposite rotating through holes 12293 are connected and fixed to the pressure upper mold 1222.

[0116] The mounting assembly 11 fixes and arranges multiple groups of pressure structures 122 , the upper fixing plate 112 fixes the reciprocating drivers 1221 of the multiple groups of pressure structures 122 , and the lower fixing plate 113 fixes the lower pressure molds 1223 of the multiple groups of pressure structures 122 .

[0117] In this embodiment, 12 groups of pressure structures 122 are provided on the mounting assembly 11 , and 6 groups of pressure structures 122 are provided on two opposite sides of the fixing plate respectively.

[0118] The steps of using this embodiment are as follows (taking the elastic body 40 with six extended side arms 41 as an example):

[0119] (1) Initial state: The bending lifting motor 111 raises the upper fixed plate 112 so that the reciprocating drive 1221 - the upper pressure die 1222 and the lower pressure die 1223 are separated from each other;

[0120] (2) Fixing the elastic body 40: The elastic body 40 is vertically placed in the fixing groove 1216 of the pressure lower die 1223. At this time, the two extended side arms 41 of the elastic body 40 located on the lower side are embedded in the fixing groove 1216 of the pressure lower die 1223. The bending and lifting motor 111 drives the upper fixing plate 112 to descend, thereby driving the reciprocating drive 1221-pressure upper die 1222 to descend as a whole until the two extended side arms 41 of the elastic body 40 located on the upper side are embedded in the fixing groove 1216 of the pressure upper die 1222.

[0121] (3) Entering the simulation environment: The lifting module 30 drives the fixed support 31 to descend, so that the pressure upper mold 1222, the pressure lower mold 1223 and the elastic body 40 on the test component 12 are immersed in the simulation liquid tank 22 of the environmental simulation box 20. The simulation liquid tank 22 is loaded with simulated gastric fluid. The water bath heating tank 21 is turned on and the heating temperature is set to about 37°C. The cover plate 23 is placed on the water bath heating tank 21 to prevent the simulated fluid from splashing during the fatigue test.

[0122] (4) Fatigue test: The reciprocating drive 1221 starts to drive the pressure-applying upper mold 1222 to perform reciprocating motion up and down. When the pressure-applying upper mold 1222 is pressed down, the two pairs of extended side arms 41 on the upper and lower sides of the elastic body 40 will bend laterally due to the pressure. After the pressure-applying upper mold 1222 rises, the extended side arms 41 elastically return to their original positions.

[0123] The tester can set the number of times the elastic body 40 is bent to observe whether the extended side arm 41 of the elastic body 40 has reached the elastic fatigue limit. Between step (2) and step (3), in order to simulate the bending fatigue strength in the gastric environment, after step (2), the entire pressure upper mold 1222-elastic body 40-pressure lower mold 1223 can be immersed in an acidic solution simulating gastric fluid, and then step (3) can be carried out in the acidic solution.

[0124] In this embodiment, the reciprocating driver 1221 drives the pressure-applying upper mold 1222 to reciprocate up and down. The extended side arm 41 of the elastomer 40 embedded in the fixed groove 1216 will bend laterally due to the pressure from the bottom surface of the fixed groove 1216. The fixed groove 1216 is used to accommodate the extended side arm 41 of the elastomer 40 to prevent the elastomer 40 from popping outward after being subjected to pressure. At the same time, the fixed groove 1216 has a certain extension length. When the extended side arm 41 bends laterally, the fixed groove 1216 does not generate pressure on it, which facilitates the lateral bending of the extended side arm 41. Therefore, the horizontal lateral bending will effectively test the lateral fatigue resistance of the elastomer 40.

[0125] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used solely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "include," "comprise," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or terminal device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or terminal device. Without further limitation, elements defined by the phrase "include..." or "comprising..." do not exclude the presence of additional elements in the process, method, article, or terminal device comprising the elements. Furthermore, in this document, "greater than," "less than," "exceeding," etc., are understood to exclude the number itself; "above," "below," "within," etc., are understood to include the number itself.

[0126] Although the above embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they know the basic creative concepts. Therefore, the above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of patent protection of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention's description and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fatigue testing machine for an elastic body, characterized in that: include: A bending module, comprising a mounting assembly and a testing assembly, wherein the testing assembly comprises a fixing structure and a pressure-applying structure, wherein the fixing structure is used to fix and place an elastic body, and the pressure-applying structure is used to apply a cyclic reciprocating bending pressure to the elastic body; the testing assembly is disposed on the mounting assembly; An environmental simulation chamber, the environmental simulation chamber is used to provide a fatigue aging test environment; A lifting module is provided with a fixed bracket on the lifting module, and the mounting assembly is provided on the fixed bracket. The lifting module is used to lift the test assembly so that the elastomer can enter and exit the environmental simulation box. The cam is fixed to the drive shaft, and the fixed structure is fixed on the output shaft of the reciprocating drive. The fixed structure fixes the elastic body so that the axial direction of the elastic body coincides with the axial direction of the output shaft of the reciprocating drive. The bending blocking member is movably connected with the extended side arm of the elastic body so that the extended side arm of the elastic body is vertically bent. The pressure structure includes a reciprocating drive, a pressure upper mold and a pressure lower mold. The pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold constitute the bending blocking member. The pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold are detachable and installed. A pressure space is formed inside the pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold, and the cross-section of the pressure space gradually decreases from the middle to the two ends. The reciprocating drive and the pressure lower mold are both connected and fixed to the mounting assembly. The pressure lower mold is located below the reciprocating drive. The pressure lower mold corresponds to the pressure upper mold. The pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold both have conical cavities, and the two opposing conical cavities constitute a pressure space that is small at both ends and large in the middle.

2. The elastic body fatigue testing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The output shaft of the reciprocating drive passes through the pressure upper mold from top to bottom and extends into the pressure space. The fixed structure is located at the end of the output shaft of the reciprocating drive. The fixed structure is used to horizontally fix the elastomer. The reciprocating drive is used to drive the elastomer on the fixed structure to reciprocate in the pressure space. The inner side wall of the pressure space is movably connected with the extended side arm.

3. The elastic body fatigue testing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top surface of the pressure upper mold and the bottom surface of the pressure lower mold are both provided with water inlets, and the output shaft of the reciprocating drive passes through the water inlet of the pressure upper mold from top to bottom and extends into the pressure space.

4. The elastic body fatigue testing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixing structure includes a fixing basket and a fixing platform located at the end of the output shaft of the reciprocating drive. The fixing basket and the fixing platform are detachably mounted. A plurality of lateral channels are provided on the side of the fixing basket. The lateral channels extend upward to the top surface of the fixing basket. The elastomer is fixed in the fixing basket, and the extended side arms of the elastomer pass through the lateral channels.

5. The elastic body fatigue testing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting assembly includes a bending and lifting motor, an upper fixed plate, a lower fixed plate and a connecting column. The bending and lifting motor is fixed on a fixed bracket. The upper fixed plate is connected to the output shaft of the bending and lifting motor. The reciprocating drive is fixed on the upper fixed plate. The pressure lower mold is fixed on the lower fixed plate. The lower fixed plate is connected to the fixed bracket through a connecting column.

6. The elastic body fatigue testing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The environmental simulation box includes a water bath heating tank, a simulation liquid tank and a cover plate. The simulation liquid tank is installed in the water bath heating tank and is used to load the simulation liquid. The cover plate is used to cover the water bath heating tank. The cover plate is provided with an inlet and outlet corresponding to the test component.

7. A fatigue testing machine for an elastic body, characterized in that: include: A bending module, comprising a mounting assembly and a testing assembly, wherein the testing assembly comprises a fixing structure and a pressure-applying structure, wherein the fixing structure is used to fix and place an elastic body, and the pressure-applying structure is used to apply a cyclic reciprocating bending pressure to the elastic body; the testing assembly is disposed on the mounting assembly; An environmental simulation chamber, the environmental simulation chamber is used to provide a fatigue aging test environment; A lifting module is provided with a fixed bracket on the lifting module, and the mounting assembly is provided on the fixed bracket. The lifting module is used to lift the test assembly so that the elastomer can enter and exit the environmental simulation box. The pressure structure includes a reciprocating drive and a pressure device, wherein the reciprocating drive drives the pressure device to reciprocate, and the fixing structure is used to fix the elastic body so that the axial direction of the elastic body is perpendicular to the plane of the movement direction of the pressure device, and the axial direction of the extended side arm of the elastic body forms an angle with the movement direction of the pressure device. The pressure structure includes a reciprocating drive, a pressure upper mold and a pressure lower mold. The pressure upper mold is the pressure device. The pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold are arranged opposite to each other. The pressure upper mold is installed on the output shaft of the reciprocating drive. The fixed structure includes a fixing groove arranged on the opposite sides of the pressure upper mold and the pressure lower mold. The fixing groove is used to vertically fix the elastomer. The extended side arm of the elastomer is embedded in the fixing groove. The axial direction of the extended side arm has an angle with the movement direction of the pressure upper mold. The fixing groove extends along the lateral bending direction of the elastomer. The fixing groove is a long strip groove, and the bottom surface of the fixing groove is a horizontal plane structure.

8. The elastic body fatigue testing machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: A rotating seat is fixed on the output shaft of the reciprocating driver, and the pressure-applying upper die is fixed on the rotating seat. The pressure-applying upper die has a rotatable angle relative to the pressure-applying lower die.

9. The elastic body fatigue testing machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mounting assembly includes a bending and lifting motor, an upper fixed plate, a lower fixed plate and a connecting column. The bending and lifting motor is fixed on a fixed bracket. The upper fixed plate is connected to the output shaft of the bending and lifting motor. The reciprocating drive is fixed on the upper fixed plate. The pressure lower mold is fixed on the lower fixed plate. The lower fixed plate is connected to the fixed bracket through a connecting column.

10. The elastic body fatigue testing machine according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The environmental simulation box includes a water bath heating tank, a simulation liquid tank and a cover plate. The simulation liquid tank is installed in the water bath heating tank and is used to load the simulation liquid. The cover plate is used to cover the water bath heating tank. The cover plate is provided with an inlet and outlet corresponding to the test component.

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