washer, washing machine

Abstract

The application is a cleaning machine suitable for products with long length and high waterproof requirement, comprising a box body, a spraying mechanism arranged inside the box body, a linear driving mechanism arranged outside the box body, a strip-shaped hole arranged on a side box plate of the box body, and a connecting support penetrating through the strip-shaped hole to connect the spraying mechanism and the linear driving mechanism. The power mechanism is physically separated from the cleaning area to avoid pollution of the products. The separate installation support is connected by a waist-shaped hole to solve the problem that the disturbance of the overlong screw rod is too large, the parallelism of the screw rod and the guide rail is insufficient, the sliding block cannot slide, and the motor operation is blocked. The linear driving mechanism is directly fixed on the sheet metal to ensure the straightness of the screw rod and smooth sliding of the nut sliding block. The sheet metal is fixed on a steel pipe directly connected with the box body framework and separated from the side box plate to avoid the influence of the deformation of the side box plate. The guide column is also arranged on the sheet metal to ensure the parallelism of the screw rod and the guide column and smooth sliding of the nut sliding block.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device cleaning equipment technology, specifically to a cleaning machine. Background Technology

[0002] Existing medical device cleaning equipment is generally ultrasonic cleaning equipment, requiring the product to be completely immersed in the solution for ultrasonic cleaning. However, for some products, such as catheter pumps, the handle and sleeve parts must not come into contact with water, so they cannot be completely immersed in the solution. Additionally, the connection between the motor and impeller of the catheter pump has tiny channels, so water droplets must be avoided from entering the motor during cleaning, causing drying difficulties or even preventing drying altogether. Furthermore, ultrasonic cleaning can reduce the bonding strength of some bonded areas, affecting the quality of the catheter pump. Therefore, the cleaning of catheter pumps has always been a major challenge that urgently needs to be solved in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cleaning machine suitable for products with long lengths and high waterproof requirements.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a cleaning machine, including a housing, a spraying mechanism is provided inside the housing and a linear drive mechanism is provided outside the housing, and a strip-shaped hole is opened on the side panel of the housing, and a connecting bracket passes through the strip-shaped hole to connect the spraying mechanism and the linear drive mechanism.

[0005] Furthermore, the linear drive mechanism includes a motor, the motor shaft of which is fixed to a lead screw via a coupling. The lead screw is arranged vertically along its length, and a nut slider is sleeved on the lead screw. The nut slider is connected to a connecting bracket, and the motor drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby causing the connecting bracket and the spraying mechanism to move in a vertical linear motion.

[0006] Furthermore, the connecting bracket includes a first bracket with a U-shaped cross-section and a second bracket with a U-shaped cross-section. The first bracket is located outside the housing. The first base plate of the first bracket has multiple first connecting holes in the middle. Bolts pass through the first connecting holes and connect with the nut slider. The second base plate of the second bracket is located inside the housing. The two second side plates of the second bracket pass through the strip holes to the outside of the housing. The two second side plates of the second bracket have second connecting holes. The two first side plates of the first bracket, corresponding to the two second side plates of the second bracket, also have third connecting holes. Bolts pass through the second connecting holes and the third connecting holes in sequence to connect the first bracket and the second bracket.

[0007] Furthermore, the first connecting hole is an oblong hole and the length of the oblong hole is parallel to the length of the first base plate; the second or third connecting hole is an oblong hole and the length direction of the oblong hole is parallel to the length direction of the second side plate of the second bracket; and the length of the first connecting hole is perpendicular to the length direction of the second or third connecting hole.

[0008] Furthermore, two steel pipes are installed outside the box. The upper and lower ends of the steel pipes are fixed to the box frame and the steel pipes are arranged in the vertical direction. Sheet metal is installed between the steel pipes and the side panel of the box. The sheet metal is fixedly connected to the steel pipes and is separate from the sheet metal. The motor is fixed on the upper part of the sheet metal. A bearing seat is installed on the lower part of the sheet metal. The lower end of the lead screw is placed in the bearing seat and forms a rotational fit.

[0009] Furthermore, the sheet metal section is multi-bent, including a center plate whose surface is located in the vertical plane, a gap of δ1 between the center plate and the side box plate, extension plates on both sides of the center plate, the extension plates being parallel to the surface of the center plate, a gap of δ2 between the extension plates and the side box plate, δ1 > δ2, the extension plates and the center plate being connected by a transition plate, the surface of the transition plate being perpendicular to the center plate, and the steel pipe being placed within the included angle between the transition plate and the extension plate and welded.

[0010] Furthermore, the outer edge of the extension plate extends towards the side opposite to the side panel, with a flange plate. A guide post is set on each side of the lead screw, and the guide post is arranged in the vertical direction. The mounting seats at the upper and lower ends of the guide post are fixed to the upper and lower parts of the flange plate, respectively. A guide sleeve is set on the connecting bracket, and the guide post is inserted into the guide sleeve to form a guiding fit. The guide sleeve corresponds to the second and third connecting holes. The bolts pass through the second and third connecting holes in sequence to connect the guide sleeve to the connecting bracket.

[0011] Furthermore, a photoelectric sensor is provided at the upper and lower parts of the center plate, and a protrusion is provided on the first base plate of the first bracket facing the photoelectric sensor. A receiver is installed on the protrusion, and the photoelectric sensor detects the position of the receiver and triggers the reversing function.

[0012] Furthermore, the spraying mechanism is fixedly connected to the base plate of the second support, and an air knife is also provided on the base plate of the second support.

[0013] Furthermore, a turntable is provided at the bottom of the box, and the product rack is placed on the turntable to form a detachable connection. Casters are also provided at the four corners of the bottom of the box, and the outer cover of the linear drive mechanism is covered with a cover plate.

[0014] This invention has at least the following beneficial effects: The linear drive mechanism is located outside the chamber, physically separating the power mechanism from the cleaning area to avoid contamination of the product; The detachable mounting bracket simplifies the installation process. At the same time, the connecting holes between the mounting brackets are oblong holes, which solves the problem that excessive disturbance caused by an overly long lead screw leads to insufficient parallelism between the lead screw and the guide rail, resulting in the slider being unable to slide and the motor running being obstructed. The linear drive mechanism is directly fixed to the sheet metal, and the rigidity meets the requirements, which can ensure the straightness of the lead screw and thus ensure the smooth sliding of the nut slider. The sheet metal is fixed to the steel pipes that are directly connected to the frame of the box, and is separate from the side panels of the box to avoid the influence of side panel deformation; The guide post is also set on the sheet metal to ensure the parallelism between the lead screw and the guide post, thereby ensuring the smooth sliding of the nut slider. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the cleaning machine; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure after removing the cover plate; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cleaning machine; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A structural diagram after removing the hanger and product; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the linear drive mechanism, sheet metal, and the connection points of the side panel. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the linear drive mechanism and its peripheral connecting parts. Figure 1 ; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the linear drive mechanism and its peripheral connecting parts. Figure 2 ; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the sheet metal structure; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting bracket structure; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the first support structure; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the second support structure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To highlight the technical effects of this invention, it is necessary to briefly introduce the special characteristics of products like catheter pumps. A catheter pump is a percutaneous insertion into the heart that pumps blood from the left ventricle into the aorta to assist blood circulation and maintain the patient's life. The entire length of the catheter pump is greater than 1500mm, and the area below its sterile sleeve needs to be cleaned, which is also quite long. Therefore, the stability of the long-distance linear drive mechanism is a key design consideration in the cleaning machine design. The following will combine... Figures 1-11 The present invention will be described in further detail below.

[0017] like Figures 1-4As shown, a cleaning machine includes a housing 10. A spray mechanism 20 is installed inside the housing 10, and a linear drive mechanism 30 is installed outside. A strip-shaped hole 11 is formed on the side panel 13 of the housing 10. This strip-shaped hole 11 is not used for limiting movement, so its width requirement is not high. A connecting bracket 40 passes through the strip-shaped hole 11 and connects the spray mechanism 20 and the linear drive mechanism 30. The linear drive mechanism 30 is located outside the housing 30, physically separated from the cleaning area, to prevent impurities such as lubricating oil in the linear drive mechanism 30 from contaminating the product. The power of the linear drive mechanism 30 is transmitted to the spray mechanism 20 inside the housing 10 through the connecting bracket 40, causing the spray mechanism 20 to move linearly and spray clean the product. The stroke of the spray mechanism 20 corresponds to the area of ​​the product that needs cleaning, avoiding areas that do not need cleaning.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the linear drive mechanism 30 includes a motor 31, the shaft of which is fixed to a lead screw 32 via a coupling. The lead screw 32 is arranged vertically along its length, and a nut-slider 33 is sleeved on the lead screw 32. The nut-slider 33 is connected to a connecting bracket 40. The motor 31 drives the lead screw 32 to rotate, causing the connecting bracket 40 and the spraying mechanism 20 to move linearly in the vertical direction. The lead screw-slider transmission mechanism has significant advantages in terms of transmission stability, accuracy, transmission efficiency, and load-bearing capacity, so we choose the lead screw-slider transmission mechanism here. Considering the characteristics of the product to be cleaned (referring to the tubular pump), the handle and sleeve parts must not come into contact with water. The motor and impeller of the tubular pump have tiny channels at their connection points, and many connections are made using adhesive. Therefore, the tubular pump must be suspended vertically during cleaning, with the handle and sleeve parts at the top, and the tubular part and pump head assembly at the bottom. The linear drive mechanism 30 drives the spray mechanism 20 to move linearly within the area below the sleeve parts, avoiding the handle and sleeve parts to prevent water droplets from entering them. Therefore, the lead screw 32 is arranged vertically to drive the spray mechanism 20 to move linearly vertically.

[0019] To enable the linear drive mechanism 30 on the outside of the housing 10 to drive the spray mechanism 20 inside the housing 10, refer to... Figures 9-11The connecting bracket 40 includes a first bracket 41 with a U-shaped cross-section and a second bracket 42 with a U-shaped cross-section. The first bracket 41 is located outside the housing 10. The first base plate 411 of the first bracket 41 has a plurality of first connecting holes 412 in the middle. Bolts pass through the first connecting holes 412 and are connected to the nut slider 33. The second base plate 421 of the second bracket 42 is located inside the housing 10. The two second side plates 422 of the second bracket 42 pass through the strip hole 11 to the outside of the housing 10. The two second side plates 422 of the second bracket 42 have second connecting holes 423. The two first side plates 413 of the first bracket 41, which correspond to the two second side plates 422 of the second bracket 42, also have third connecting holes 414. Bolts pass through the second connecting holes 423 and the third connecting holes 414 in sequence to connect the first bracket 41 and the second bracket 42. In other words, the connecting bracket 40 is not a one-piece structure, but a split structure formed by the docking of the first bracket 41 and the second bracket 42. During installation, the first bracket 41 is first fixed to the linear drive mechanism 30, and then the spraying mechanism 20 is fixed to the second bracket 42. The two second side plates 422 of the second bracket 42 pass through the two slotted holes 11 and connect to the two first side plates 413 of the first bracket 41, forming a single unit, simplifying the installation process. Simultaneously, this split structure can also absorb and compensate for the deformation of the transmission mechanism, ensuring the reliability of its linear motion.

[0020] As mentioned above, the guide pump is relatively long, so the lead screw 32 must also be sufficiently long. This can lead to excessive disturbance in the lead screw 32, causing the nut slider 33 to be unable to slide, thus hindering motor operation. To solve this problem, the first connecting hole 412 is an oblong hole with its length parallel to the length of the first base plate 411. The second connecting hole 423 or the third connecting hole 414 is also an oblong hole with its length direction parallel to the length direction of the second side plate 422 of the second bracket 42. The length of the first connecting hole 412 is perpendicular to the length directions of the second connecting hole 423 / third connecting hole 414. The oblong hole structure of the first connecting hole 412 and the oblong hole structure of the second connecting hole 423 or the third connecting hole 414 provide greater deformation space compared to a circular hole, allowing the nut slider 33 to make minor position adjustments within a certain range. This compensates for the disturbance deformation of the lead screw 32, ensures smooth sliding of the nut slider 33, avoids jamming, and guarantees the stability and accuracy of the entire mechanism. In addition, the design of the waist-shaped hole can reduce stress concentration and help to disperse stress to a larger area, thereby improving the strength and durability of the connecting parts.

[0021] Considering that the side panel 13 of the housing 10 has a large area, it will deform, causing the lead screw 32 to also deform, thus hindering the rotation of the nut slider 33 on it, and hindering the operation of the motor 31. Figures 5-7As shown, two steel pipes 50 are installed outside the housing 10. The upper and lower ends of the steel pipes 50 are fixed to the housing frame 12, and the steel pipes 50 are arranged in the vertical direction. A sheet metal 60 is installed between the steel pipes 50 and the side panel 13 of the housing 10. The sheet metal 60 is fixedly connected to the steel pipes 50 and is separate from them. The motor 31 is fixed to the upper part of the sheet metal 60, and a bearing seat 61 is provided at the lower part of the sheet metal 60. The lower end of the lead screw 32 is placed in the bearing seat 61 and forms a rotational fit. The two steel pipes 50 are not fixed to the side panel 13, but are directly fixed to the housing frame 12, thereby ensuring the verticality of the steel pipes 50. The entire surface of the sheet metal 60, which is directly fixed to the steel pipes 50, is kept in the vertical direction. In addition, the area of ​​the sheet metal 60 is small, and its deformation is small and negligible. The linear drive mechanism 30 is directly fixed to the sheet metal 60, which can ensure the straightness of the lead screw 32, thereby ensuring the smooth sliding of the nut slider 33.

[0022] Furthermore, the cross-section of sheet metal 60 is multi-stage bent, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the sheet metal 60 includes a center plate 62 located in the vertical plane. The gap between the center plate 62 and the side box plate 13 is δ1. Extension plates 63 are also provided on both sides of the center plate 62. The extension plates 63 are parallel to the surface of the center plate 62, and the gap between the extension plates 63 and the side box plate 13 is δ2. δ1 > δ2, meaning that the sheet metal 60 is separated from the side box plate 13 and is not affected by the deformation of the side box plate 13. The extension plates 63 and the center plate 62 are connected by a transition plate 64. The surface of the transition plate 64 is perpendicular to the center plate 62. The steel pipe 50 is placed within the angle between the transition plate 64 and the extension plate 63 and welded thereon, increasing the welding area between the sheet metal 60 and the steel pipe 50, improving the reliability of the connection between the two, and ensuring the rigidity of the sheet metal 60.

[0023] To ensure the linear motion of the linear drive mechanism 30, a flange plate 65 extends from the outer edge of the extension plate 63 towards the side facing away from the side panel 13. A guide post 34 is provided on each side of the lead screw 32, arranged vertically. The mounting seats 35 at the upper and lower ends of the guide post 34 are fixed to the upper and lower parts of the flange plate 65, respectively. A guide sleeve 36 is provided on the connecting bracket 40, and the guide post 34 is inserted into the guide sleeve 36 to form a guiding fit. The linear motion of the nut slider 33 is ensured by the guide structure on both sides. The parallelism between the lead screw 32 and the guide post 34 also plays a crucial role in the centroidal motion of the nut slider 33; therefore, the guide post 34 is also mounted on the sheet metal 60 to ensure their parallelism.

[0024] To further improve the reliability of the connection between the connecting bracket 40 and the linear drive mechanism 30, the guide sleeve 43 is positioned to correspond with the second connecting hole 423 and the third connecting hole 414. The bolts pass through the second connecting hole 423 and the third connecting hole 414 in sequence to connect the guide sleeve 43 to the connecting bracket 40. That is, the position of the guide sleeve 43 can also be slightly adjusted to ensure the parallelism between the guide column 34 and the lead screw 32.

[0025] Preferably, a photoelectric sensor 90 is provided at the upper and lower parts of the center plate 62. A protrusion 415 is provided on the first base plate 411 of the first bracket 41 protruding towards the photoelectric sensor 90. A receiver 91 is installed on the protrusion 415. The photoelectric sensor 90 detects the position of the receiver 91 and triggers the reversing function. The vertical movement range of the spray mechanism 20 and the air knife 70 can also be adjusted by adjusting the position of the photoelectric sensor 90, thereby adjusting the rinsing and blowing range and realizing the reversing function.

[0026] The spray mechanism 20 is fixedly connected to the base plate of the second support 42, and an air knife 70 is also provided on the base plate of the second support 42. The spray mechanism 20 performs the rinsing operation, and the air knife 70 performs the purging operation. The ball valve is connected to the water circuit, and the solenoid valve is connected to the air circuit, both of which are connected to a time relay. The water circuit and air circuit are switched on and off by controlling the opening and closing of the ball valve and the solenoid valve. At the same time, the rinsing time is adjusted by controlling the time relay and the ball valve. After the rinsing time is reached, the rinsing is automatically turned off, and the system automatically switches to the air knife purging function to achieve fully automatic control and improve cleaning efficiency.

[0027] like Figures 3-4 As shown, a turntable 14 is provided at the bottom of the housing 10. The product hanger 80 is placed on the turntable 14 to form a detachable connection. The turntable 14 rotates very slowly to prevent the tubing pump on the hanger 80 from being thrown up or sucked up. Casters 15 are also provided at the four corners of the bottom of the housing 10 to facilitate the movement of the housing 10. The linear drive mechanism 30 is covered with a cover plate 16 to prevent external impurities from entering and affecting the smooth movement of the linear drive mechanism 30, while also being aesthetically pleasing.

[0028] When cleaning the duct pump using the aforementioned cleaning machine, since the handle and sleeve are located in the upper area of ​​the housing 10, the duct is in the middle area, and the pumping assembly is in the lower area, the stroke range of the spray mechanism 20 and the air knife 70 can be set to the area at or below the duct. The handle and sleeve will not be cleaned, or rather, the handle and sleeve can be shielded by baffles on the hanger 80 to prevent cleaning fluid from splashing. Simultaneously, with the duct pump suspended in this position, the motor's rotation axis is downward, and the cleaning fluid also flows downward, so the cleaning fluid will not enter the motor from the bearing, thus avoiding damage to the motor's performance.

[0029] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and characteristics of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cleaning machine, comprising a housing (10), characterized in that: The box (10) is equipped with a spraying mechanism (20) inside and a linear drive mechanism (30) outside. The side panel (13) of the box (10) has a strip hole (11). The connecting bracket (40) passes through the strip hole (11) to connect the spraying mechanism (20) and the linear drive mechanism (30). Two steel pipes (50) are installed outside the box (10). The upper and lower ends of the steel pipes (50) are fixed to the box frame (12) respectively and the steel pipes (50) are arranged in the vertical direction. A sheet metal (60) is provided between the steel pipes (50) and the side box plate (13) of the box (10). The sheet metal (60) is fixedly connected to the steel pipes (50) and separated from the sheet metal (60). A linear drive mechanism (30) is installed on the sheet metal (60). The sheet metal (60) has a multi-level bent cross section, including a center plate (62) whose plate surface is located in the vertical plane. The gap between the center plate (62) and the side box plate (13) is δ1. Extension plates (63) are also provided on both sides of the center plate (62). The extension plates (63) are parallel to the plate surface of the center plate (62). The gap between the extension plates (63) and the side box plate (13) is δ2, where δ1 > δ2. The extension plates (63) and the center plate (62) are connected by a transition plate (64). The plate surface of the transition plate (64) is perpendicular to the center plate (62). The steel pipe (50) is placed in the angle between the transition plate (64) and the extension plate (63) and welded.

2. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linear drive mechanism (30) includes a motor (31), the shaft of the motor (31) is fixed to a lead screw (32) by a coupling, the length direction of the lead screw (32) is arranged vertically, a nut slider (33) is sleeved on the lead screw (32), the nut slider (33) is connected to the connecting bracket (40), the motor (31) drives the lead screw (32) to rotate and drive the connecting bracket (40) and the spraying mechanism (20) to make linear motion in the vertical direction.

3. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting bracket (40) includes a first bracket (41) with a U-shaped cross-section and a second bracket (42) with a U-shaped cross-section. The first bracket (41) is located outside the housing (10). The first base plate (411) of the first bracket (41) has multiple first connecting holes (412) in the middle. Bolts pass through the first connecting holes (412) and connect to the nut slider (33). The second base plate (421) of the second bracket (42) is located inside the housing (10). The two first connecting holes (412) of the second bracket (42) are connected to the nut slider (33). The two side plates (422) pass through the strip hole (11) to the outside of the box (10). The two second side plates (422) of the second bracket (42) are provided with second connecting holes (423). The two first side plates (413) of the first bracket (41) corresponding to the two second side plates (422) of the second bracket (42) are also provided with third connecting holes (414). The bolts pass through the second connecting holes (423) and the third connecting holes (414) in sequence to connect the first bracket (41) and the second bracket (42).

4. The cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first connecting hole (412) is an oblong hole and the length of the oblong hole is parallel to the length of the first base plate (411). The second connecting hole (423) or the third connecting hole (414) is an oblong hole and the length direction of the oblong hole is parallel to the length direction of the second side plate (422) of the second bracket (42). The length of the first connecting hole (412) is perpendicular to the length direction of the second connecting hole (423) / third connecting hole (414).

5. The cleaning machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The motor (31) is fixed on the upper part of the sheet metal (60), and a bearing seat (61) is provided on the lower part of the sheet metal (60). The lower end of the lead screw (32) is placed in the bearing seat (61) and forms a rotational fit.

6. The cleaning machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: An extension plate (65) extends from the outer edge of the extension plate (63) toward the side opposite to the side box plate (13). A guide post (34) is provided on each side of the screw rod (32). The guide post (34) is arranged in the vertical direction. The mounting seats (35) at the upper and lower ends of the guide post (34) are fixed to the upper and lower parts of the flange plate (65) respectively. A guide sleeve (36) is provided on the connecting bracket (40). The guide post (34) is inserted into the guide sleeve (36) to form a guiding fit. The guide sleeve (36) corresponds to the second connecting hole (423) and the third connecting hole (414). The bolts pass through the second connecting hole (423) and the third connecting hole (414) in sequence to connect the guide sleeve (36) to the connecting bracket (40).

7. The cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: A photoelectric sensor (90) is provided on the upper and lower parts of the center plate (62). A protrusion (415) is provided on the first base plate (411) of the first bracket (41) in the direction of the photoelectric sensor (90). A receiver (91) is installed on the protrusion (415). The photoelectric sensor (90) detects the position of the receiver (91) and triggers the reversing function.

8. The cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spraying mechanism (20) is fixedly connected to the base plate of the second bracket (42), and an air knife (70) is also provided on the base plate of the second bracket (42).

9. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A turntable (14) is provided at the bottom of the box (10), and the product hanger (80) is placed on the turntable (14) to form a detachable connection. Casters (15) are also provided at the four corners of the bottom of the box (10), and a cover plate (16) is provided on the outside of the linear drive mechanism (30).

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