Peristaltic pump

Abstract

The peristaltic pump may include radially movable leaflets (4) to selectively contact a pump conduit (22) to drive fluid flow or to allow free flow through the conduit. The leaflets may be moved radially outward to engage with the pump conduit in response to forward and reverse driving rotation of the leaflets and / or the lobe-mounted carrier (3). The cam is contactable with a drive element (13) to move the cam radially outward and drive the pump to operate.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 389,175, filed on July 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to pumps for moving fluids. Background Art

[0003] Peristaltic pumps are used in a variety of applications, such as food or beverage systems, for example, fluid delivery applications that benefit from isolating the pumped fluid from the pump components. Some peristaltic pumps work by compressing or squeezing a length of flexible tubing. A mechanical mechanism gradually clamps a portion of the tubing along the length of the tubing and pushes the fluid in the tubing in the direction that the tubing is gradually clamped. Rotary peristaltic pumps typically move liquid through a flexible tubing placed in an arcuate raceway. A plurality of rollers placed on a roller carrier are rotationally driven and apply pressure to the flexible tubing to produce a clamping or squeezing action on the tubing. The squeezing or clamping of the tubing produces an increased pressure in front of the squeezing area, and the recovery or expansion of the tubing produces a reduced pressure behind this area, thereby forcing the fluid through the tubing as the roller carrier moves the rollers along the tubing. Summary of the invention

[0004] In some embodiments, the peristaltic pump includes a housing defining a cavity configured to accommodate a flexible pump conduit. For example, the housing may define an arcuate raceway of any suitable arcuate length in which the flexible pump conduit is retained. The portion of the housing that retains the pump conduit may be a conduit blocking section in which the pump conduit is squeezed or clamped to allow fluid to flow through the pump conduit. The carrier may be mounted in the cavity to rotate relative to the housing, and one or more flaps may be mounted to rotate with the carrier. (One or more) flaps may be configured to contact the flexible pump conduit in the conduit blocking section and press the flexible pump conduit against the housing to cause fluid movement in the flexible pump conduit, for example, when (one or more) flaps and the carrier rotate in the housing, (one or more) flaps may gradually block the pump conduit, thereby causing fluid flow in the conduit. (One or more) flaps may be mounted to the carrier for radial movement, for example, so that (one or more) flaps may selectively contact and disengage with the pump conduit in the conduit blocking section to selectively cause a pumping action with the conduit.

[0005] In some embodiments, the drive motor can be configured to rotate the carrier and (one or more) leaflets in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, for example, clockwise and counterclockwise, and the carrier and leaflets can be configured to move the leaflets from a radially retracted position to a radially extended position in response to the drive motor rotating the carrier and leaflets in the first direction and the second direction. For example, in some cases, the drive motor can be coupled to the carrier so that the carrier rotates within the housing. In response, one or more leaflets can move radially outward relative to the carrier to contact the pump conduit and cause a pumping action through the pump conduit, for example, by gradually clamping the pump conduit along its length at a conduit blockage section of the pump. This radial outward movement can occur when the carrier rotates in the first direction and the second direction, for example, the pump can be reversibly operated to pump fluid through the pump conduit in two opposite directions.

[0006] In some embodiments, the drive motor can be configured to contact one or more leaflets to move the leaflets radially outward, thereby contacting the flexible pump conduit, and rotating the leaflets and the carrier around the drive axis to move the fluid in the flexible pump conduit. Thus, in some cases, the rotation of the carrier can be caused by rotating one or more leaflets, for example, by arranging the drive motor to cause the leaflet engagement element to contact one or more leaflets so that they move radially outward relative to the carrier and rotate in the first direction and / or the second direction. This feature can be combined with the feature that (one or more) leaflets can move radially outward in response to the carrier and / or (one or more) leaflets rotating in the first direction and the second direction, or it can be used independently. For example, a pump can be configured with a drive motor that is arranged to contact one or more leaflets to move (one or more) leaflets radially outward and rotate (one or more) leaflets and the carrier around the drive axis, for example, in the first direction, but not in the second direction, or if it can rotate in the second direction, then (one or more) leaflets do not need to be configured to move radially outward in response to rotating in the second direction. Alternatively, the drive motor may be arranged to contact one or more leaflets to move the leaflet(s) radially outward and to rotate the leaflet(s) and the carrier in the first direction and the second direction.

[0007] In some cases, one or more leaflets can be selectively moved to a radially inward position, for example, when located in a blocked section of the catheter, so that the pump catheter is not completely clamped or blocked by the (one or more) leaflets. In this free flow state, fluid can flow through the pump catheter, for example due to gravity, a siphon, a separate pump, etc. In some cases, the free flow state can be achieved by momentarily rotating the (one or more) leaflets and / or the carrier and / or the drive element in opposite directions, so that the (one or more) leaflets move radially inward relative to the carrier. For example, the pump can be initially operated to rotate the (one or more) carriers and leaflets clockwise. In order to place the pump in a free flow state, the carrier and / or (one or more) leaflets can be briefly rotated counterclockwise to move the leaflets radially inward, particularly the (one or more) leaflets located in the blocked section of the pump catheter.

[0008] In some embodiments, the carrier may include a groove, and the flap may be configured to move radially outward relative to the carrier along the groove. For example, the carrier may include one or more plates including a groove, for example, the groove defines a cam surface. The groove may extend at least partially in a radial direction on the carrier. For example, the groove may have an arc shape so that a portion of the arc shape is positioned radially inward relative to another portion of the arc shape. The flap may travel along the groove, for example, in a manner similar to the movement of the cam follower along the cam surface. The movement of the flap along the groove causes the flap to move radially inward and outward relative to the carrier. In some cases, the carrier may include a first drive plate and a second drive plate coupled to a drive motor, and each of the first drive plate and the second drive plate may include a first and a second groove, respectively. Each flap may include a roller having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end and the second end respectively engaging with the first and second grooves of the first drive plate and the second drive plate, and configured to move along the first and second grooves. For example, each flap may have a pivot axis around which the flap may rotate relative to the carrier. The pivot axis can be configured as an axis (roller axis) on which the roller element can rotate, and can be configured to move along a groove or other guide rail on the carrier. Therefore, each flap can be configured as a tube roller, which is located between the first drive plate and the second drive plate of the carrier and has an end that moves along the corresponding grooves of the first drive plate and the second drive plate, so that the roller moves radially inward and outward. In some cases, the groove may include a pair of curved portions, which intersect at the joint and extend radially outward from the joint, respectively. For example, the pair of curved portions can form a "V" shape, for example, the joint between the curved portions is located at the radial innermost side of the groove. The portion of the groove extending from the joint can be arranged to position the flap in a radially outward position relative to the joint. As described above, in some cases, the drive motor can be configured to rotate the carrier, which causes one or more flaps to rotate with the carrier and move radially outward or inward relative to the carrier by moving along the groove.

[0009] In some embodiments, the drive motor may be configured to rotate one or more leaflets (e.g., in a first direction and / or a second direction), which causes the carrier to rotate and one or more leaflets to move radially outward or inward. For example, the drive element may be connected to the drive motor for rotation, and the drive element may be configured to contact one or more leaflets to drive (one or more) leaflets to rotate in the first direction and / or the second direction. For example, the drive element may include a drive roller configured to contact the leaflets (e.g., configured as a roller, sometimes referred to as a tube roller to distinguish it from a drive roller) so that the leaflets rotate in the first direction and move radially outward. The drive element may be mounted to rotate around a drive axis (e.g., the axis around which the shaft of the drive motor rotates), and the drive element may rotate (one or more) leaflets around the drive axis in a first direction. The drive element configured as a drive roller can rotate around the drive axis and a drive roller axis spaced apart from the drive axis, for example, the drive roller can rotate around its own axis and the drive axis of the motor. The leaflets configured as tube rollers can rotate around the drive axis and a tube roller axis spaced apart from the drive axis and the drive roller axis. In some cases, the drive element may include a plurality of drive rollers configured to rotate about a drive axis, and the leaflet(s) may include a plurality of tube rollers mounted to rotate with the carrier about the drive axis in a first direction and / or a second direction. Each drive roller may be configured to contact a first tube roller to rotate the first tube roller in a first direction and move radially outward in response to the drive roller rotating about the drive axis in the first direction, and to contact a second tube roller to rotate the second tube roller about the drive axis in a second direction and move radially outward when the drive roller rotates about the drive axis in the second direction.

[0010] In some cases, the drive element may include a leaflet engagement element including a cam having a cam surface configured to contact the leaflet. For example, the cam may be mounted to a drive shaft of a drive motor and include one or more angled or inclined cam surfaces configured to engage with corresponding leaflets and move the leaflets radially outward for at least one rotational direction of the cam. The engagement of the cam with the leaflets also causes the leaflets and associated carriers to rotate about the drive axis. In some cases, the leaflets may include a tube roller configured to rotate about the tube roller axis relative to the carrier, and the tube roller may be pivotally mounted on a carrier slidably mounted to the carrier. The cam surface of the cam may be configured to contact the carrier, move the carrier and the tube roller radially outward, and rotate the carrier and the tube roller about the drive axis.

[0011] These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description and claims. It should be understood that the above concepts and the additional concepts discussed below can be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited to this aspect. In addition, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description of the following various non-limiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In the drawings, each identical or similar component shown in the various drawings may be represented by the same reference numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. In the drawings:

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a peristaltic pump in an illustrative embodiment;

[0014] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 a front view of the carrier and leaflet arrangement in the pump;

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the carrier and leaflet arrangement;

[0016] Figure 4 Schematic diagrams showing carriers and alternative slot arrangements;

[0017] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an alternative carrier, leaflet, and drive element in another illustrative embodiment; and

[0018] Figure 6 is a carrier and leaflet arrangement, wherein the leaflets are mounted on corresponding carriers on the carrier. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] It should be understood that various aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to certain illustrative embodiments and accompanying drawings. The illustrative embodiments described herein are not necessarily intended to illustrate all aspects of the present disclosure, but are used to describe some illustrative embodiments. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure are not intended to be explained narrowly based on the illustrative embodiments. In addition, various aspects of the present disclosure may be used alone or in any suitable combination with other aspects of the present disclosure. For example, an embodiment is described in which the rotation of the drive element causes the drive element to contact the leaflets of the pump to move the leaflets radially outward, and drives the pump to perform fluid movement. An embodiment is also described in which the operation of the pump in two different rotational directions (e.g., forward and reverse) causes the pump leaflets to move radially outward. These two features can be used together in a pump, or they can be used alone without using the other. To the extent that they are not mutually exclusive, the other features described herein can be used together or alone in various embodiments.

[0020] Peristaltic pumps can be used in a variety of different applications, and the embodiments described herein are not limited to any particular use. For example, the pumps described herein can be used to drive fluid flow in a beverage machine, for example, to move water to and through a heater, and to a chamber where the water is mixed with a beverage material to form a beverage such as coffee, tea, or other flavored beverage. The pump can also be used to provide metered doses of liquid materials such as beverages, flavorings or other additives for drugs or other therapeutic agents, etc. In short, the pumps disclosed herein should not be construed as being limited to any particular pump application.

[0021] In some embodiments, a peristaltic pump can be arranged so that driving the pump in two directions (e.g., forward and reverse) can cause one or more leaflets to move radially outward to contact a flexible pump conduit and move fluid in the flexible conduit. In some cases, one or more leaflets can have a radially extended position, such as in which the leaflets contact the pump conduit to completely clamp or otherwise block the pump conduit to prevent flow through the blocked conduit portion; and have a radially retracted position, for example, in which the leaflets do not block the pump conduit and allow flow through the pump conduit. In some embodiments, the pump can have a pump conduit blocking section, in which the leaflets can move radially based on the pump drive rotation to block the pump conduit. In the absence of pump drive rotation, the leaflets within the pump conduit blocking section can move radially inward to allow fluid to flow through the pump conduit. This configuration can allow siphon flow or other unrestricted flow through the pump as needed.

[0022] Figures 1 to 3An exemplary embodiment of a peristaltic pump 10 is shown, which includes a drive motor 1 for driving the rotation of a pump component to pass a fluid through a flexible pump conduit 22 of the pump 10. The motor 1 can be any suitable drive, such as an electric motor, a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, etc. The pump 10 includes a housing 2 defining a cavity 21, and at least a portion of the flexible pump conduit 22 is retained in the cavity 21. A carrier 3 is mounted in the cavity 21 for rotation relative to the housing 2, such as around a drive axis 11 in a clockwise and / or counterclockwise direction. The drive axis 11 can be the axis around which a drive shaft 12 of the drive motor 1 rotates, or can be spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the drive motor 1. In some cases, the carrier 3 can be mounted on the drive shaft 12 of the motor 1. In some cases, the carrier 3 can be mounted to the housing 2 or other components for rotation, for example, the carrier 3 can be mounted on one or more bearings or other components of the housing 2 for rotation, and is coupled to the drive shaft 12 (e.g., through one or more gears or other transmission systems) so that the carrier 3 can be rotated by the motor 1. One or more flaps 4 may be mounted to rotate with the carrier 3 and configured to contact and press the flexible pump conduit 22 against the housing 2 to move the fluid in the flexible pump conduit 23. For example, one or more flaps 4 may be arranged to move relative to a portion of the housing 2 (such as a raceway in which the flexible conduit 22 is retained) so that the flexible pump conduit 22 may be clamped or otherwise blocked between the flaps 4 and the housing 2. As will be appreciated, movement of the flaps 4 relative to the housing 2 may block the flexible pump conduit 22 such that when the flaps 4 move, the blocked section moves along the length of the conduit 22, thereby moving the fluid along the conduit 22.

[0023] In some cases, one or more leaflets 4 can be mounted to carrier 3 for radial movement relative to carrier 3. Thus, in some cases, leaflets 4 can move toward and / or away from housing 2 in conduit blocking section 33 (or working section) so that leaflets 4 can completely or partially block pump conduit 22, or not block the pump conduit at all. Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the flexible pump conduit 22 extends through the cavity 21 along an arc of approximately 180 degrees relative to the drive axis 11. (It should be understood, however, that the pump conduit 22 may extend through any suitable arc length within the pump housing.) In at least a portion of the area of ​​the cavity 21 where the pump conduit 22 extends, one or more leaflets 4 may move radially outward to at least partially block the pump conduit 22 and allow fluid to flow in the conduit 22. Figure 2As shown, this is the conduit blocking section 33 of the pump 10, and in some embodiments, one or more leaflets 4 can be placed in a radially retracted position in which the leaflets 4 do not contact the pump conduit 22 or only partially block the conduit 22. In some cases, this can allow fluid to flow freely through the pump conduit 22, for example, allowing siphon flow or flow driven by another pump, gravity, etc. through the pump conduit 23.

[0024] In some cases, rotation of one or more leaflets 4 and / or carrier 3 may cause the leaflet(s) 4 to move radially outward, for example, to block the pump conduit 22 in the conduit blocking section 33 of the pump 1. In addition, in some embodiments, rotation of the leaflet(s) 4 and / or carrier 3 in two opposite directions, for example, clockwise and counterclockwise, may cause the leaflet(s) 4 to move radially outward at least in the conduit blocking section 33. For example, in Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the carrier 3 and the leaflets 4 are configured so that the leaflets 4 move radially outward in two rotational directions around the drive axis 11. Therefore, the leaflets 4 are configured to move from a radially retracted position to a radially extended position at least in the catheter occlusion section 33 in response to the rotation of the carrier 3 and the leaflets 4 by the drive motor 1 in the first direction and the second direction. Therefore, in some cases, for a clockwise rotation of the carrier 3 and the leaflets 4, Figure 1 The pump 10 can be operated to pump fluid through the pump conduit 22 in one direction, and can pump fluid in an opposite second direction for counterclockwise rotation of the carrier 3 and the leaflets 4. In addition to being reversibly operable to pump fluid, the pump 10 can also be in a free-flow state in which the leaflets 4 do not completely block the pump conduit 22, thereby allowing fluid to pass from the inlet through the pump conduit 22 to the outlet (or vice versa).

[0025] Figure 2 and Figure 3 A more detailed view of the pump 10 is shown to illustrate how, in at least some embodiments, the pump 10 can be reversibly operated and can optionally have a non-blocked or free-flow state in which flow can freely pass through the pump conduit 22. In some embodiments, the carrier 3 includes two plates, each plate including a groove 31 that engages a corresponding leaflet 4 located between the plates. The groove 31 is configured so that when the leaflet 4 moves along the groove 31, the leaflet 4 moves radially inward or outward. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. Figures 1 to 3As shown, the groove 31 may include a pair of curved portions that intersect at the joint 32 and extend outward from the joint 32, respectively. Each portion of the groove 31 may be arranged so that the groove portion extends at least partially radially outward from the joint 32, and the joint 32 may be the radially innermost portion of the groove 31. Therefore, when the leaflet 4 moves along the groove 31 away from the joint 32, the leaflet 4 may move radially outward (for example, toward the pump conduit 22 in the conduit blocking section 33). In some cases, the pair of curved portions of each groove 31 may form a "V" shape, including a "V" shape in which the end of the V-shape itself bends back. However, the groove 31 may be arranged in other ways, for example, the groove 31 may be linear and extend in a radial direction on the carrier 3, may be curved and have a "U" or "M" shape, wherein the joint 32 is located at the bottom of the "U" or "M", and so on.

[0026] In some cases, the drive motor may be configured to rotate the carrier so that the (one or more) leaflets rotate with the carrier, thereby causing the (one or more) leaflets to move radially outward relative to the carrier. For example, in some embodiments, the drive motor 1 can rotate the carrier 3 via the drive shaft 12. The carrier 3 can be fixed relative to each other, for example, by bushings or other elements extending between the plates, and can be fixed relative to the drive shaft 12. Rotation of the carrier plate 3 will cause the leaflets 4 to rotate with the carrier plate 3 and tend to move the leaflets 4 away from the joint 32 along the groove 31, for example, due to the inertia and / or frictional contact between the leaflets 4 and the pump conduit 22. For example, the friction and / or inertia between the leaflets 4 and the pump conduit 22 will tend to cause the leaflets 4 to move to the "tail" portion of the groove 31 relative to the rotation direction of the carrier 3. As the frictional contact between the leaflets 4 and the pump conduit 22 increases, particularly in the conduit blockage section 33, the leaflets 4 may move further outward along the groove 31 and away from the joint 32. This can more forcefully push the leaflet 4 against the pump conduit 22 in the conduit blocking section 33, thereby blocking the pump conduit 22 and allowing fluid in the conduit 22 to flow when the leaflet 4 moves relative to the pump conduit 22. In some cases, the leaflet 4 may include a pivot axis 41 (see Figure 3 ), the leaflets 4 can rotate relative to the carrier 3 around the pivot axis 41, and the pivot axis 41 can be configured to move along the slot 31. For example, each leaflet 4 can be configured as a roller having opposite first and second ends respectively engaged with the slot 31 of the carrier 3, and configured to move along the slot 31 based on the rotation of the carrier plate 3. Each roller can have a tube roller portion 42 and a shaft 43. The shaft 43 can be configured to rotate relative to the roller portion 42, for example, so that the shaft 43 remains stationary relative to the slot 31 when the roller portion 42 rotates on the shaft 43. This can reduce wear between the slot 31 and the shaft 43, and between the roller portion 42 and the pump conduit 22.

[0027] In some cases, a resilient element, such as a resilient rubber member or spring, may be constructed to bias the leaflet 4 away from the junction 32 of each slot 31. For example, a rubber sleeve or ring 34 (see Figure 2 ) can be positioned about the drive axis 11 and in the space between the rollers 42 so that the rollers 42 are biased radially outward by the sleeve or ring 34 at least when the leaflets 4 are located at the junction 32. This may be helpful, for example, in a case where the carrier 3 and the leaflets 4 are configured so that when the leaflets 4 are located at the junction 32, the leaflets 4 do not contact the pump conduit 22 or contact the pump conduit 23 relatively gently in the conduit occlusion section 33. For example, when the carrier 3 rotates, the elastic element 34 can help push the leaflets 4 away from the junction 32 and into proper contact with the pump conduit 22 or other components to help the leaflets 4 move along the groove 31 and away from the junction 32. Once the leaflets 4 properly contact the pump conduit 22, the friction between the leaflets 4 and the pump conduit 22 can cause the leaflets 4 to continue to move radially outward along the groove 31, and the leaflets 4 can move out of contact (or out of contact) with the elastic element 34.

[0028] In some embodiments, in order to allow the leaflets 4 to move radially inward and reach a free-flow state, the drive to the leaflets 4 and / or the carrier 3 can be simply stopped. Stopping the movement of the carrier 3 and the leaflets 4 can allow the leaflets to move radially inward along the corresponding grooves 31, for example, due to the elastic force of the pump catheter 22 on the leaflets 4, the elastic element pushing the leaflets 4 to move radially inward, the pressure in the pump catheter 22, etc. In some cases, by momentarily reversing the rotation of the carrier 3 and / or the leaflets 4, at least the leaflets 4 in the catheter blocking section 33 can move radially inward to a free-flow state. For example, in Figure 1In an embodiment of the invention, a momentary reversal of the carrier 3 can cause the leaflets 4 (at least the leaflets in the conduit blocking section 33) to move along the groove 31 toward the joint 32. The radial inward movement of the (one or more) leaflets 4 can cause the (one or more) leaflets 4 to reduce the contact force on the pump conduit 22 and open the conduit 22 for free flow. In other embodiments described in more detail below, one or more leaflets 4 can be contacted (e.g., by a drive element of the motor 1) to cause the leaflets 4 to move relative to the carrier 3, thereby moving radially inward. During this movement, the carrier 3 can remain stationary or move a limited amount to allow the (one or more) leaflets 4 to move radially inward relative to the carrier 3. This configuration can provide a convenient way to operate the pump 10 to move fluid and then enter a free flow state to allow fluid to flow through the pump 10. For example, the drive motor 1 can rotate the carrier clockwise to pump fluid through the pump conduit 22, and then momentarily drive the carrier 3 counterclockwise to fully disengage one or more leaflets 4 from the pump conduit 22, thereby allowing fluid to flow freely through the conduit 22. In some embodiments, the pump conduit 22 and / or the housing 2 can be rotated relative to the carrier 3 and the (one or more) leaflets 4 to properly disengage the leaflets 4 from the pump conduit 22, thereby allowing free flow in the conduit 22. For example, the carrier 3 and the (one or more) leaflets 4 can remain stationary, and the housing 2 and the conduit 22 can be rotated to move the (one or more) leaflets 4 to a radially inward position along the slot 31. This rotation of the housing 2 and the conduit 22 can be in the same direction as the carrier 3 and the (one or more) leaflets 4 were previously rotated when causing the pumping action, for example, if the carrier 3 and the (one or more) leaflets 4 rotate clockwise and then stop, the housing and / or the pump conduit 22 can be rotated clockwise to properly disengage the (one or more) leaflets 4 from the pump conduit 22. This rotation of the housing 2 and / or the pump conduit 22 can be caused by a spring or other elastic element, a motor or other actuator, and / or manually moving the housing 2 and / or the conduit 22.

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a carrier 3 with alternative slot paths that may be employed is shown, illustrating some considerations for configuring the slots 31 to guide the movement of the leaflets 4. Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 3 , there are three alternative paths A, B and C for the slot 31, each for guiding a corresponding leaflet 4, for example, in a manner similar to Figures 1 to 3 , but other arrangements are possible. Figure 4A radial position R (shown as a circular line) is shown, which in this example corresponds to a position of the leaflet 4 in which the leaflet 4 is not in contact with the pump conduit 22, or is engaged with the conduit 22 but allows free flow through the pump conduit 22. A radial position P corresponds to a leaflet position in which the leaflet 4 appropriately contacts the pump conduit 22 to block the conduit 22, thereby allowing fluid to flow through the conduit 22 during pump operation. Arc paths A, B, and C show three slot 31 arrangements or paths for guiding the leaflet 4 from position R to position P. Arc path B has slots 31 corresponding to path B, for example, the slots 31 have sides that are equidistant from path B from the starting point at position R to the end point at position P. Path B moves continuously radially outward from position R to position P, and at position P provides maximum compression for the leaflet on the pump conduit 22 at the radially outermost end of the slot 31. The slot arrangement corresponding to path B can be applied to a slot 31 having a single arc segment extending radially outward from the radially innermost position (e.g., at radial position R). That is, path B may be suitable for a pump device configured to pump fluid in only one rotational direction. Groove path B can provide an arrangement in which the leaflets 4 remain in position P even when rotation of the carrier 3 and / or the leaflets 4 stops. In contrast, groove path A has a larger radius of curvature than path B, and can provide an arrangement in which the leaflets 4 disengage or move from position P when pump operation stops. This is because the grooves 31 along path A will present less friction or other resistance to holding the leaflets in position P, and when rotation stops, the leaflets will move radially inward due to the force of the pump conduit 22 on the leaflets 4. Therefore, path A can provide an arrangement suitable for certain pump conditions in which it is desired for the pump to provide a free flow state when the pump stops. Path C is configured to have a smaller radius of curvature than paths A and B, and a portion of path C extends radially outward beyond position line P at a position between the terminal ends of path C. This arrangement will provide the greatest compression of the pump conduit 22 by the leaflets 4 before the leaflets 4 reach the terminal radially outer end of the slot 31, and provide slightly less compression of the pump conduit 22 at the terminal outer end of the slot 31. Thus, path C can provide an arrangement in which the leaflets 4 tend to remain in a position blocking the pump conduit 22 after pump operation is stopped, and it may be necessary to reverse the pump to disengage the leaflets 4 from the pump conduit 22 to provide a free flow condition. A configuration similar to path C can be applied to a slot 31 having two slot portions extending radially outward from the radially innermost joint 32, such as Figures 1 to 3As shown, because the groove 31 may have a longer compression zone section, in which the leaflet 4 properly blocks the pump conduit 22 to induce fluid flow, the clearance (backlash) in the drive mechanism is taken into account. Paired groove portions having a shape similar to the path C can be used to form the groove 31 having a "V" shape, including the end of the V-shape bending back on itself so that the terminal end of the V-shape is positioned radially inward relative to those portions of the V-shape near the terminal end of the groove 31 but not at the terminal end of the groove 31. Figure 4 Path C in FIG. 3 has these features at the radially outer end of groove 31 .

[0030] Figures 1 to 3 Only one embodiment of a peristaltic pump 10 that includes one or more inventive features is shown, and this embodiment should not be considered to limit the inventive features in any way. For example, Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another pump arrangement is shown, in which rotation of the carrier and / or the leaflets can cause the leaflets to move radially outward. Figure 5 Embodiments of the invention may be configured such that rotation of the carrier and / or the leaflets in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction may cause the leaflets to move radially outward. Figure 5 In the drawings, for the sake of clarity, the carrier 3 is not shown, but one or more leaflets 4 are mounted to the carrier 3 . Figure 5 The carrier 3 in the Figure 3 For example, the leaflets 4 can be configured as rollers mounted on a pair of carrier plates 3, which include slots 31 for the leaflets 4. The slots 31 on the carrier 3 that engage the leaflets 4 can be as shown. Figure 3 As shown or constructed in other ways, such as a single linear radial groove, a groove with a "U" or "V" shape, etc. The drive element 13 connected for rotation by the drive motor 1 can be configured to contact the lobes 4 to drive the lobes 4 to rotate in a clockwise and / or counterclockwise direction. Therefore, the motor 1 can be configured with a drive element 13 to contact the leaflets 4 and rotate the leaflets 4 and the carrier 3. For example, the drive element 13 may include a drive roller mounted on the drive shaft 12 of the motor 1, the drive roller being configured to contact the leaflets 4 (for example, it can be configured as a tube roller) so that the leaflets rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction around the drive axis 11 and move radially outward. The leaflets 4 can be mounted to rotate around an axis relative to the carrier 3, for example, the leaflets 4 can be configured as a tube roller and mounted to rotate around the tube roller axis on the carrier. Similarly, the drive element 13 can be configured as a drive roller, which is configured to rotate around the drive axis and rotate relative to the drive shaft 12 around the drive roller axis. Each drive roller can contact the first tube roller 4 to rotate the first tube roller 4 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction and move radially outward. In some cases, Figure 5The construction in can operate in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. In this case, each drive roller 13 can contact the first tube roller 4 to rotate clockwise, and contact the second tube roller 4 to rotate counterclockwise. Therefore, the pump can be reversible and can be operated to move fluid in two directions. In addition, the drive element 13 can be configured to be positioned so that the pump allows free flow through the pump conduit 22. For example, the drive element 13 can be out of contact with any leaflet 4, and the leaflet 4 can move radially inward so that the pump conduit 22 is not blocked. Based on the elasticity of the pump conduit 22 and / or the elastic element that retracts the leaflet 4 radially inward and / or the reversal of the direction of the drive element 13, the leaflet 4 can move radially inward to allow flow in the pump conduit 22.

[0031] like Figure 5 The illustrated embodiment includes another inventive feature, namely that the drive motor can be configured to contact the leaflets to move the leaflets radially outward, thereby contacting the flexible pump conduit, and rotating the leaflets and the carrier about the drive axis to move fluid in the flexible pump conduit. Figure 5 The arrangement can be operated in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, but this is not required. Figure 5 The arrangement in can be configured to operate (or at least operate to move fluid) in only one rotational direction. Figure 5 The arrangement shown can be configured to pump fluid when operated in a clockwise (or counterclockwise) direction, but to retract the leaflets 4 to allow free flow through the pump conduit 22 when operated in a counterclockwise (or clockwise) direction. In this case, each leaflet 4 can be configured as Figure 4 The slot 31 is shown as having a single arcuate segment.

[0032] Figure 6 Another embodiment is shown in which the drive motor is configured to contact the leaflets to move the leaflets radially outward to contact the flexible pump conduit and rotate the leaflets and the carrier about the drive axis to move the fluid in the flexible pump conduit. In some cases, such as Figure 6 The arrangement shown can be used to pump fluid to rotate in one direction only, for example, when operating in a clockwise direction, but not when operating in a counter-clockwise direction. Figure 6 An arrangement is shown in which, in response to rotation of the drive shaft 12 in a clockwise direction about the drive axis, the drive shaft is configured to contact the leaflets 4 to move the leaflets radially outward and rotate the leaflets 4 and the carrier 3. Figure 6 In some embodiments shown, the drive shaft may include a cam engagement element 13 configured to contact the leaflet 4 and rotate relative to the leaflet 4 to move the leaflet 4 radially outward. In some examples, the leaflet engagement element 13 includes a cam having a cam surface 14 configured to contact the leaflet 4, such as Figure 6 Although the cam surface 14 is configured to engage the leaflets 4 and move the leaflets 4 radially outward to rotate clockwise, it is not configured for counterclockwise rotation. The clockwise rotation of the leaflet engagement element 13 also causes the leaflets 4 to rotate clockwise about the drive axis 11, thereby also driving the carrier 3 to rotate.

[0033] In some embodiments, leaflets 4 may include tube rollers 42 pivotally mounted on carriers 44, which are slidably mounted to carrier 3. Each carrier 44 may travel in radially oriented slots or guides so that carrier 44 and tube rollers 42 may move radially on carrier 3 but engage carrier 3 to rotate carrier 3 about drive axis 11. Carriers 44 may be resiliently biased to move radially inwardly, for example, so that when leaflet engagement elements 13 disengage from carrier 44, carrier 44 moves radially inwardly.

[0034] Features of the present disclosure may be implemented as a method, for example, a method of operating a pump according to the described embodiments and operating modes. The actions performed as part of the method may be sequenced in any suitable manner. Thus, embodiments may be constructed in which the actions are performed in an order different from the order shown, which may include performing some actions simultaneously, even if the actions are shown as sequential actions in the illustrated embodiments.

[0035] As used herein, "beverage" refers to a liquid substance for drinking that is formed when a liquid interacts with a beverage material, or a liquid that is dispensed without interacting with a beverage material. Thus, a beverage refers to a liquid that is ready for consumption, for example, a liquid that is dispensed into a cup and ready to drink, as well as a liquid that will undergo other processes or treatments such as filtering or adding flavorings, non-dairy creamers, sweeteners, another beverage, etc. before consumption.

[0036] The use of ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," and "third" in the claims to modify claim elements does not, by itself, imply any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element relative to another claim element, nor does it imply a temporal order of the acts of performing a method, but rather serves merely as a label (but for the use of ordinal terms) to distinguish one claim element having a particular name from another element having the same name to distinguish claim elements. Moreover, the words and terms used herein are for illustrative purposes and should not be considered limiting. As used herein, "comprises," "includes," or "has," "contains," "involving," and variations thereof are meant to include the items listed thereafter and their equivalents as well as additional items.

[0037] Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, it will be appreciated that various changes, modifications and improvements may be readily made by those skilled in the art. These changes, modifications and improvements are part of the present disclosure and are intended to be within the concept and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the above description and accompanying drawings are intended only as examples.

Claims

1. A peristaltic pump, comprising: a housing defining a cavity configured to retain a flexible pump conduit; a bearing member, the bearing member being mounted in the cavity and configured to rotate relative to the housing; a leaflet mounted for rotation with the carrier and configured to contact the flexible pump conduit and press the flexible pump conduit against the housing to move fluid in the flexible pump conduit, the leaflet being mounted to the carrier for radial movement; as well as A drive motor configured to rotate the carrier and the leaflets in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the carrier and the leaflets are configured to move the leaflets from a radially retracted position to a radially extended position in response to the drive motor rotating the carrier and the leaflets in the first direction and the second direction.

2. The pump according to claim 1, characterized in that The carrier includes a slot, and the leaflets are configured to move radially outward along the slot.

3. The pump according to claim 2, characterized in that The groove extends in a radial direction on the carrier.

4. The pump according to claim 2, characterized in that The groove includes a pair of curved portions that intersect at a junction and extend from the junction in radially outward directions, respectively.

5. The pump according to claim 4, characterized in that The pair of bent portions form an "M" shape.

6. The pump according to claim 2, characterized in that The drive motor is configured to rotate the carrier to rotate the leaflets together with the carrier in the first direction and the second direction.

7. The pump according to claim 2, characterized in that The drive motor is configured to rotate the leaflets so as to rotate the carrier along with the leaflets in the first and second directions.

8. The pump according to claim 2, characterized in that The leaflet includes a pivot axis about which the leaflet is rotatable relative to the carrier, and the pivot axis is configured to move along the slot.

9. The pump according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is a drive element coupled to rotate by the drive motor, the drive element being configured to contact the leaflet to drive the leaflet to rotate in the first direction and the second direction.

10. The pump according to claim 9, characterized in that The drive element includes a drive roller, and the leaflet includes a tube roller mounted to the carrier, the drive roller being configured to contact the tube roller to rotate the tube roller in the first direction and move radially outward.

11. The pump according to claim 10, characterized in that The drive roller is mounted for rotation about a drive axis, wherein the drive roller is configured to contact the tube roller and rotate the tube roller in the second direction about the drive axis in response to the drive roller rotating in the first direction about the drive axis.

12. The pump according to claim 11, characterized in that The drive roller is mounted for rotation about a drive roller axis spaced from the drive axis, and each tube roller is mounted for rotation relative to the carrier about the tube roller axis.

13. The pump according to claim 9, characterized in that The drive element includes a plurality of drive rollers configured to rotate about a drive axis, and the leaflet includes a plurality of tube rollers mounted to rotate together with the carrier about the drive axis in the first and second directions, each drive roller configured to contact a first tube roller to rotate the first tube roller in a first direction and move radially outward in response to rotation of the drive roller in the first direction, and configured to contact a second tube roller to rotate the second tube roller in a second direction and move radially outward in response to rotation of the drive roller in a second direction about the drive axis.

14. The pump according to claim 12, characterized in that The drive roller is mounted for rotation about a drive roller axis spaced from the drive axis, and each tube roller is mounted for rotation relative to the carrier about the tube roller axis.

15. The pump according to claim 1, characterized in that The carrier includes first and second drive plates coupled to the drive motor, each of the first and second drive plates including first and second slots, respectively, and Wherein, the leaflet comprises a roller having opposing first and second ends engaging the first and second grooves, respectively.

16. The pump according to claim 15, characterized in that The first groove and the second groove each include a pair of curved portions that intersect at a junction and extend from the junction in a radially outward direction, respectively.

17. A peristaltic pump comprising: a housing defining a cavity configured to retain a flexible pump conduit; a bearing member, the bearing member being mounted in the cavity and configured to rotate relative to the housing; a leaflet mounted for rotation with the carrier and configured to contact the flexible pump conduit and press the flexible pump conduit against the housing to move fluid in the flexible pump conduit, the leaflet being mounted to the carrier for radial movement; as well as A drive motor is configured to contact the leaflets to move the leaflets radially outward to contact the flexible pump conduit and rotate the leaflets and the carrier about a drive axis to move fluid in the flexible pump conduit.

18. The pump according to claim 17, characterized in that The drive motor includes a drive shaft configured to contact the leaflets to move the leaflets radially outward and to rotate the leaflets and the carrier in response to rotation of the drive shaft about the drive axis.

19. The pump according to claim 18, characterized in that The drive shaft includes leaflet engaging elements configured to contact the leaflets and rotate relative to the leaflets to move the leaflets radially outward.

20. The pump according to claim 19, characterized in that The leaflet engagement element includes a drive roller or cam configured to rotate about a drive roller axis spaced apart from the drive axis, the cam having a cam surface configured to contact the leaflet.

21. The pump according to claim 20, characterized in that The leaflet includes a tube roller configured to rotate relative to the carrier about a tube roller axis.

22. The pump according to claim 21, characterized in that The tube roller is pivotably mounted on a carriage which is slidably mounted to the carrier.

23. The pump according to claim 19, characterized in that The leaflet engagement element includes a plurality of drive rollers mounted to the drive shaft, and the leaflet includes a plurality of tube rollers mounted to rotate about the drive axis with the carrier, each drive roller being configured to contact a tube roller to cause the tube roller to rotate about the drive axis and to move radially outward in response to the drive roller rotating about the drive axis.

24. The pump according to claim 23, characterized in that The drive roller is mounted for rotation about a drive roller axis spaced from the drive axis, and each tube roller is mounted for rotation relative to the carrier about the tube roller axis.

25. The pump according to claim 19, characterized in that The leaflet engagement element includes a plurality of cam surfaces mounted to the drive shaft, and the leaflet includes a plurality of tube rollers, each tube roller being mounted to a carrier, the carrier being slidably mounted to the carrier, each cam surface being configured to contact a corresponding carrier so that the carrier and tube roller rotate about the drive axis and move radially outward in response to the cam surfaces rotating about the drive axis.

26. The pump according to claim 25, characterized in that Each of the tube rollers is configured to rotate relative to the carrier about a tube roller axis.

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