Liquid chromatography column based junction module and liquid chromatography column

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of liquid chromatography technology, specifically a connector module and a liquid chromatography column. One of the upper and lower connectors of the connector module is fixedly assembled with the liquid chromatography column. Both the upper and lower connectors include a mounting base, a valve core, and a valve sleeve. The valve sleeve is elastically nested outside the valve core. Both the valve core and the valve sleeve have a transition section with a conical mating surface. When the valve sleeve is in an elastic pre-tightened state, the conical surface of the transition section is tightly sealed, ensuring a tight seal, suitable for normal sealing of the liquid chromatography column. During docking, the upper and lower connectors are pressed together, sealing the two valve sleeves and creating a liquid-guiding gap by separating the conical surfaces of the transition section. This allows for convenient and effective sealing and connection of the liquid-guiding channels of the upper and lower connectors. This invention improves the convenience of maintenance and replacement operations of the liquid chromatography column, facilitates automation, and ensures a tight seal, guaranteeing production safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of liquid chromatography technology, specifically a connector module and a liquid chromatography column based on a liquid chromatography column. Background Technology

[0002] High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is widely used in many fields. For example, in the pharmaceutical industry, HPLC can be used for drug component analysis, purity detection, impurity identification, analysis of drugs and their metabolites in biological samples, and quality monitoring of active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished products.

[0003] The chromatographic column is a key component of a liquid chromatograph, and its performance directly affects the accuracy and efficiency of separation and analysis results. However, with use, the column packing material gradually degrades or becomes contaminated, leading to a decline in separation efficiency. Therefore, the column needs to be replaced periodically or after a certain number of uses.

[0004] In existing technologies, the chromatographic column is positioned on the chromatographic apparatus using a positioning bracket, and its two ends are connected to the tubing in the liquid chromatography system via screws. Therefore, when installing or replacing the column, manual tightening of the screws is required to ensure a sealed connection between the column and the connector. With technological advancements, the demand for automation is increasing, but robots used for operations such as tightening screws are costly and require significant workspace, hindering the advancement of automation upgrades. Utility Model Content

[0005] In order to solve the problems of inconvenient operation and lack of automation in the installation and replacement of chromatographic columns in the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a connector module and a chromatographic column based on a liquid chromatography column.

[0006] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] The connector module of this utility model includes an upper connector connected to a drive module and a lower connector connected to a liquid chromatography column. Both the upper and lower connectors include a mounting base, a valve core, and a valve sleeve.

[0008] One end of the valve core is sealed to the mounting base, and the valve sleeve is nested outside the other end of the valve core. Both the valve core and the valve sleeve have a transition section. The mating surfaces of the transition section on the valve core and the transition section on the valve sleeve are conical surfaces. The valve sleeve is limited by the valve core through the mating surfaces of the conical surfaces.

[0009] The valve sleeve and the mounting base are elastically connected by an elastic element. The valve sleeve is pre-tightened on the valve core by the elastic element, so that the transition section on the valve core and the conical surface of the transition section on the valve sleeve are in contact and sealed. The mating end face of the valve sleeve protrudes from the mating end face of the valve core in the pre-tightened state. When the upper connector and the lower connector are in the mating state, the valve sleeves of the upper connector and the lower connector are sealed and mated, and the conical surface of the transition section on the valve core and the transition section on the valve sleeve are separated, thereby forming a liquid guiding gap in the upper connector and the lower connector respectively.

[0010] The valve core is provided with a liquid guiding channel. One end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the upper connector is led out from one end of the valve core and sealed to the outside of the connector module through the mounting seat of the upper connector for liquid inlet. The other end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the upper connector is led out from the side wall of the valve core to communicate with the liquid guiding gap in the upper connector. One end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the lower connector is led out from one end of the valve core and led out to the liquid chromatography column through the tail end face of the mounting seat of the lower connector. The other end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the lower connector is led out from the side wall of the valve core to communicate with the liquid guiding gap in the lower connector.

[0011] One end of the assembly gap between the valve sleeve and the valve core is always sealed, while the other end of the assembly gap between the valve sleeve and the valve core is sealed or led out through the state control of the transition section.

[0012] Wherein: a limiting sleeve is provided outside the valve sleeve, one end of the limiting sleeve is connected to the mounting base, and the other end of the limiting sleeve is coaxially fitted with the outer wall of the valve sleeve. When the valve sleeve is in the ultimate compression state, the mating end face of the valve sleeve protrudes from the mating end face of the limiting sleeve.

[0013] The inner diameter of the transition section gradually increases along the direction of the valve core's mating end, and the taper of the conical surfaces on the inner and outer sides of the liquid guiding gap differs by 1° to 5°.

[0014] A sealing gasket is provided between one end face of the valve core and the mounting base, and a buffer pad is provided between the tail end face of the valve sleeve away from the docking end and the mounting base.

[0015] A sealing ring is provided between the valve core and the valve sleeve, and on the end face of any one of the two valve sleeves. The sealing ring between the valve core and the valve sleeve is located between the other end of the liquid guiding channel and one end of the valve core. A sealing ring mounting groove is provided on the end face of any one of the two valve sleeves, and the sealing ring on the valve sleeve is accommodated in the sealing ring mounting groove.

[0016] The valve core and valve sleeve also have a locking connection section, which is disposed between the other end of the liquid guiding channel and the tail end of the valve sleeve away from the docking end, so as to lock the valve core and valve sleeve in the circumferential direction.

[0017] One end of the liquid guiding channel in the upper connector is sealed and led out from the side of the mounting base. The end of the upper connector connected to the drive module is provided with a drive module mounting groove. After the upper connector and the lower connector are aligned, the drive module drives the upper connector to move linearly to control the sealing connection between the upper connector and the lower connector.

[0018] The lower connector mounting base has a threaded connection on its outer side for connecting to a liquid chromatography column.

[0019] The other end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the upper connector and the other end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the lower connector are each provided with multiple channels, which are respectively connected to the liquid guiding gap.

[0020] The liquid chromatography column of this invention includes a hollow column body and a lower connector. The lower connector is connected to both ends of the column body, and the mounting base of the lower connector is sealed to the column body.

[0021] The advantages and positive effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0022] The connector module and liquid chromatography column provided by this utility model are easy to connect and operate, and have guaranteed sealing. Only a linear drive is required, which can reduce the operation requirements in the maintenance and replacement of liquid chromatography columns, facilitate automation transformation, and ensure sealing during operation, thus ensuring production safety. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the connector module of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the connector module of this utility model in the separated state;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the connector module of this utility model in the docking state;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid chromatography column of this invention;

[0027] Wherein: 1 is the upper connector, 101 is the upper mounting base, 102 is the upper valve core, 103 is the upper valve sleeve, 104 is the upper limit sleeve, 105 is the upper transition section, 106 is the upper liquid guiding gap, 107 is the upper liquid guiding channel, 108 is the upper sealing gasket, 109 is the upper buffer pad, 110 is the sealing ring A, 111 is the upper spring, 112 is the drive module mounting groove, 113 is the upper contact plane A, 114 is the upper locking connection section, and 115 is the upper contact plane B;

[0028] 2 is the lower connector, 201 is the lower mounting base, 202 is the lower valve core, 203 is the lower valve sleeve, 204 is the lower limit sleeve, 205 is the lower transition section, 206 is the lower fluid guide gap, 207 is the lower fluid guide channel, 208 is the lower sealing gasket, 209 is the lower buffer pad, 210 is the sealing ring B, 211 is the lower spring, 212 is the mating thread, 213 is the lower contact plane A, 214 is the lower locking connection section, 215 is the lower contact plane B, and 216 is the sealing ring C.

[0029] 3 is a column. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of this utility model are shown in the drawings. However, this utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this utility model will be more thorough and complete.

[0031] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0033] To address the problems of inconvenient manual replacement and maintenance of chromatographic columns in existing technologies, which result in leakage of harmful chromatographic solutions and insufficient safety, this invention provides a connector module based on a liquid chromatography column, mainly used for the replacement and connection of liquid chromatography columns. The connector module includes an upper connector and a lower connector. The upper connector is connected to the drive module, and the lower connector is fixedly assembled to the chromatographic column. Both the upper and lower connectors include a mounting base, a valve core, and a valve sleeve. The valve sleeve is nested outside the valve core. Both the valve core and the valve sleeve include a transition section with a conical mating surface. The valve core is fixedly connected to the mounting base, and the valve sleeve is elastically connected to the mounting base. The direction of the elastic force is parallel to the axial direction of the valve core, so that when the valve sleeve is in an elastic pre-tightened state, the conical surface of the transition section is tightly sealed, ensuring airtightness. This can be used for normal sealing of the chromatographic column. During docking, the upper and lower connectors are pressed together, their valve sleeves are sealed, and the conical surface of the transition section is separated to form a liquid guiding gap. This allows for convenient and effective sealing and connection of the liquid guiding channels of the upper and lower connectors, ensuring sealing during liquid changes in the chromatographic column. There is no need for screw tightening during docking, facilitating mechanized and automated operation. The docking operation is convenient, and the sealing performance is guaranteed, effectively ensuring sealing during operation and production safety.

[0034] Specifically, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the connector module in this embodiment includes an upper connector 1 connected to the drive module and a lower connector 2 connected to the liquid chromatography column.

[0035] The upper connector 1 includes an upper mounting base 101, an upper valve core 102, and an upper valve sleeve 103. For ease of installation and alignment, the upper mounting base 101, upper valve core 102, upper valve sleeve 103, and upper limit sleeve 104 are coaxially connected. The upper valve sleeve 103 is nested outside the upper valve core 102 and can be axially movable relative to it. Both the upper valve core 102 and the upper valve sleeve 103 have an upper transition section 105. The mating surface of the upper transition section 105 is a conical surface. Through the conical structure of the upper transition section 105, the upper valve sleeve 103 can be limited by the upper valve core 102, thereby preventing the upper valve sleeve 103 from falling off. Correspondingly, it is only necessary to fix the upper valve core 102 to the upper mounting base 101. For example, in this embodiment, one end of the upper valve core 102 is threadedly connected to the upper mounting base 101.

[0036] By using the conical surface fit, the fit state of the conical surface can be adjusted in the upper transition section 105 by changing the axial relative position of the upper valve core 102 and the upper valve sleeve 103, thereby providing an upper fluid guide gap 106 in the upper transition section 105 that can be switched between closed sealing and open.

[0037] The upper valve core 102 is provided with an upper liquid guiding channel 107. One end of the upper liquid guiding channel 107 is led out from one end of the upper valve core 102 and sealed to the outside of the connector module through the upper mounting base 101 for liquid inlet. The other end of the upper liquid guiding channel 107 is led out from the side wall of the upper valve core 102 to communicate with the upper liquid guiding gap 106. Thus, when the upper connector 1 and the lower connector 2 are in the docking state, the upper liquid guiding channel 107 and the lower liquid guiding channel 207 can be connected through the upper liquid guiding gap 106 and the lower liquid guiding gap 206, and respectively connected to both ends of the connector module to form the liquid exchange channel of the liquid chromatography column.

[0038] Corresponding to the annular conical surface of the upper transition section 105, the upper liquid guiding gap 106 is also an annular structure. To ensure flow rate, multiple channels can be provided at the other end of the upper liquid guiding channel 107, leading out to the side wall of the upper valve core 102 from multiple directions, thereby increasing the number of channels leading out to the side wall and improving flow rate and liquid guiding uniformity. The cross-sectional area of ​​each section of the upper liquid guiding channel 107 and the cross-sectional area of ​​the upper liquid guiding gap 106 can be specifically selected according to the actual flow rate requirements, and this application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0039] To ensure sealing, one end of the assembly gap between the upper valve sleeve 103 and the upper valve core 102 is always sealed, while the other end of the assembly gap between the upper valve sleeve 103 and the upper valve core 102 is sealed and led out through the state control of the upper transition section 105.

[0040] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the upper transition section 105 gradually increases along the direction of the lead-out of the mating end of the upper valve core 102. In the sealed state, the upper valve sleeve 103 is subjected to elastic pre-tightening force and is pressed against the upper valve core 102. The conical surface of the upper transition section 105 fits tightly, placing the upper liquid guide gap 106 in a sealed state.

[0041] Considering the special characteristics of the packing material in the chromatographic column, the connector module is required to have acid and alkali resistance, radiation resistance, and high pressure resistance. Correspondingly, the upper mounting base 101, upper valve sleeve 103, and upper valve core 102 can be selected from any one of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) special engineering plastics, titanium alloys, tungsten-nickel alloys, zirconium alloys, or boron carbide. To ensure the sealing effect of the conical surface, the machining accuracy of the conical surface is required to ensure that it can fit tightly. In optional embodiments, rubber gaskets, silicone gaskets, or other sealing pads can also be provided on the surface of the conical surface to ensure its sealing effect, or a sealing ring can be provided on the upper transition section 105. At the same time, it is ensured that when the conical surface of the upper transition section 105 is separated to the limit position, the rubber gaskets, silicone gaskets, sealing rings, and other sealing components can effectively separate from the conical surface of the opposite component to ensure the conduction of the upper liquid guiding gap 106.

[0042] To reduce the impact of conical surface flatness errors on the sealing, in this embodiment, the taper of the conical surfaces on the inner and outer sides of the upper liquid guiding gap 106 differs by 1° to 5°, ensuring a line contact closure when the upper liquid guiding gap 106 is closed, thus guaranteeing the reliability of the seal. The upper valve core 102 and the upper valve sleeve 103 are preferably made of materials with a certain degree of toughness (such as PEEK), which can improve the sealing effect of the upper liquid guiding gap 106.

[0043] To ensure the sealing reliability between the upper valve core 102 and the upper mounting base 101, an upper sealing gasket 108 is provided between one end face of the upper valve core 102 and the upper mounting base 101. One end of the upper valve core 102 is threadedly connected and fixed to the upper mounting base 101, pressing the upper sealing gasket 108 between the upper valve core 102 and the upper mounting base 101 to ensure that the upper liquid guiding channel 107 and the channel in the upper mounting base 101 are sealed and connected.

[0044] To avoid the impact of rigid contact rebound on the sealing state, in this embodiment, an upper buffer pad 109 is provided between the tail end face of the upper valve sleeve 103 away from the docking end and the upper mounting base 101. During the docking operation, the upper valve sleeve 103 is compressed during docking, and the upper buffer pad 109 can buffer and ensure the stability during docking, preventing the upper valve sleeve 103 from tilting during docking, which would lead to abnormal sealing state of the docking end face.

[0045] To ensure leak prevention, in this embodiment, when the upper connector 1 and the lower connector 2 are separated, under the action of elastic force, the mating end face of the upper valve sleeve 103 protrudes beyond the mating end face of the upper valve core 102. This ensures that during the mating operation, the mating end faces of the upper valve sleeve 103 and the lower valve sleeve 203 first fit together and seal, ensuring that the internal upper liquid guiding gap 106 and lower liquid guiding gap 206 are sealed to the outside before being opened.

[0046] To achieve a seal between the upper fluid guide gap 106 and one end of the upper valve core 102, in this embodiment, a sealing ring A110 is provided between the upper valve core 102 and the upper valve sleeve 103. The sealing ring A110 is positioned between the other end of the upper fluid guide channel 107 and one end of the upper valve core 102, ensuring that the other end of the upper fluid guide channel 107 can only communicate with the outside through the upper fluid guide gap 106. To facilitate the installation of the sealing ring A110, a sealing ring mounting groove can be provided on the outer wall of the upper valve core 102. Compared to providing a sealing ring mounting groove on the inner wall of the upper valve sleeve 103, providing a sealing ring mounting groove on the outer wall of the upper valve core 102 is more convenient for installation and allows for easy observation of the installation status, ensuring the reliability of the seal.

[0047] The sealing between the upper valve core 102 and the upper valve sleeve 103 can also be achieved by using a zero assembly tolerance method to achieve a seal between the side walls.

[0048] To ensure a tight seal between the upper valve sleeve 103 and the lower valve sleeve 203, a sealing ring mounting groove is provided on the end face of either valve sleeve. In this embodiment, the sealing ring mounting groove is provided on the end face of the lower valve sleeve 203, and a sealing ring B210 is accommodated in the groove to ensure a tight seal. Furthermore, the sealing ring B210 protrudes from the end face of the lower valve sleeve 203, allowing for priority sealing and effectively guaranteeing a tight seal.

[0049] To improve the axial running accuracy of the upper valve sleeve 103 and prevent misalignment during movement that could lead to abnormal parallelism of the mating end faces and damage to the sealing effect, in this embodiment, an upper limit sleeve 104 is also provided outside the upper valve sleeve 103. In this embodiment, the upper limit sleeve 104 is a hollow cylinder with an opening at one end and a through hole at the other. The open end of the upper limit sleeve 104 is threadedly connected to the upper mounting base 101, and the mating end of the upper valve sleeve 103 passes through the through hole at the other end of the upper limit sleeve 104. The wall of the through hole at the other end of the upper limit sleeve 104 is coaxially fitted and matched with the outer wall of the upper valve sleeve 103, thus limiting the movement of the upper valve sleeve 103 within a predetermined range and reducing the risk of misalignment damaging the seal. Furthermore, to ensure the sealing reliability of the upper valve sleeve 103 in the mating state, when the upper valve sleeve 103 is under extreme compression (e.g....), Figure 3 As shown, the mating end face of the upper valve sleeve 103 protrudes beyond the mating end face of the upper limit sleeve 104, so that the upper valve sleeve 103 can be completely pressed and fixed, ensuring the stability of the tight fit of the mating end faces and ensuring the reliability of the seal.

[0050] The valve sleeve and the mounting base are elastically connected by an elastic element. The valve sleeve is pre-tightened on the valve core by the elastic element, so that the transition section on the valve core and the transition section on the valve sleeve make contact with the conical surface to achieve sealing. In the pre-tightened state, the mating end face of the valve sleeve protrudes from the mating end face of the valve core. In this embodiment, an upper spring 111 is provided between the upper valve sleeve 103 and the upper mounting base 101. The outer contour of the upper valve sleeve 103 is an inverted "T" shape. The upper spring 111 is sleeved on the upper valve sleeve 103. One end of the upper spring 111 is limited by the cap end (i.e., the horizontal side of the "T") of the "T" structure, and the other end of the upper spring 111 is limited by the upper mounting base 101. The elastic coefficient of the upper spring 111 is preferably greater than that of the sealing ring B210, so that before the upper spring 111 is compressed, the upper valve sleeve 103 is activated, and the upper liquid guide gap 106 is opened, the sealing ring B210 is preferentially pressed between the upper valve sleeve 103 and the lower valve sleeve 203, ensuring the sealing of the mating surface and thus reducing the risk of leakage.

[0051] In an optional embodiment, a spring sheet may also be provided between the upper valve sleeve 103 and the upper mounting base 101 to meet the elasticity requirements.

[0052] Corresponding to the liquid replacement requirements of the liquid chromatography column, in this embodiment, one end of the upper liquid guiding channel 107 of the upper connector 1 is led out from the side of the upper mounting base 101. The tail end of the upper mounting base 101 of the upper connector 1 is also provided with a drive module mounting groove 112 for installing drive modules such as cylinders and drive motors. After the upper connector 1 and the lower connector 2 are initially aligned by the robotic arm, the upper connector 1 can be driven axially by the drive module to press the lower connector, thereby achieving docking.

[0053] To facilitate the installation of the connector module, this embodiment provides an upper contact plane A113 on the outer surface of the upper mounting base 101 and an upper contact plane B115 on the outer surface of the upper limit sleeve 104, which facilitates the circumferential fixing of parts and the screw connection operation.

[0054] Correspondingly, for the installation of the upper valve core 102 and the upper valve sleeve 103, contact planes can be provided on the outer surfaces of the non-liquid-conducting areas of the upper valve core 102 and the upper valve sleeve 103 to form an upper locking connection section 114. Through this upper locking connection section 114, the upper valve sleeve 103 and the upper valve core 102 are pre-fitted and locked together, and then the upper valve sleeve 103 on the outside is operated to thread-connect and fix them to the upper mounting base 101. The cross-sectional shape of the upper locking connection section 114 can be, for example, hexagonal, polygonal, key-shaped, or toothed, to ensure that the upper valve core 102 and the upper valve sleeve 103 can lock together circumferentially and rotate synchronously.

[0055] The outer wall of the upper valve sleeve 103 can also be provided with a contact plane for circumferential fixation during threaded connection operations. The upper limit sleeve 104 is mainly used for coaxial positioning of the upper valve sleeve 103, and is threaded to the upper mounting base 101 after the upper valve sleeve 103 is installed. Correspondingly, the inner surface of the upper limit sleeve 104 is a circumferential surface, requiring no contact plane. The contact plane on the outer surface of the upper valve sleeve 103 is an embedded surface, and the circumferential portion fits snugly against the upper limit sleeve 104, avoiding circumferential positioning between the upper limit sleeve 104 and the upper valve sleeve 103, thus preventing any impact on the installation of the upper limit sleeve 104.

[0056] The lower connector 2 includes a lower mounting base 201, a lower valve core 202, and a lower valve sleeve 203. For ease of installation and alignment, the lower mounting base 201, lower valve core 202, lower valve sleeve 203, and lower limiting sleeve 204 are coaxially connected. The lower valve sleeve 203 is nested outside the lower valve core 202 and can be axially movable relative to it. Both the lower valve core 202 and the lower valve sleeve 203 have a lower transition section 205. The mating surface of the lower transition section 205 is a conical surface. Through the conical structure of the lower transition section 205, the lower valve sleeve 203 can be limited by the lower valve core 202, thereby preventing the lower valve sleeve 203 from falling off. Correspondingly, it is only necessary to fix the lower valve core 202 to the lower mounting base 201. For example, in this embodiment, one end of the lower valve core 202 is threadedly connected to the lower mounting base 201.

[0057] By using the conical surface fit, the fit state of the conical surface can be adjusted in the lower transition section 205 by changing the axial relative position of the lower valve core 202 and the lower valve sleeve 203, thereby providing a lower fluid guide gap 206 in the lower transition section 205 that can be switched between closed sealing and open.

[0058] The lower valve core 202 is provided with a lower liquid guiding channel 207. One end of the lower liquid guiding channel 207 is led out from one end of the lower valve core 102 and sealed through the tail end face of the lower mounting base 201 to the outside of the connector module for supplying liquid to the liquid chromatography column. The other end of the lower liquid guiding channel 207 is led out from the side wall of the lower valve core 202 to communicate with the lower liquid guiding gap 206. Thus, when the upper connector 1 and the lower connector 2 are in the docking state, the upper liquid guiding channel 107 and the lower liquid guiding channel 207 can be connected through the upper liquid guiding gap 106 and the lower liquid guiding gap 206, and respectively connected to both ends of the connector module to form the liquid exchange channel of the liquid chromatography column.

[0059] Corresponding to the annular conical surface of the lower transition section 205, the lower liquid guiding gap 206 is also annular. To ensure flow rate, multiple channels can be provided at the other end of the lower liquid guiding channel 207, leading out from multiple directions to the side wall of the lower valve core 202, thereby increasing the number of channels leading out to the side wall and improving flow rate and liquid guiding uniformity. The cross-sectional area of ​​each section of the lower liquid guiding channel 207 and the cross-sectional area of ​​the lower liquid guiding gap 206 can be specifically selected according to the actual flow rate requirements, and this application does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0060] To ensure sealing, one end of the assembly gap between the lower valve sleeve 203 and the lower valve core 202 is always sealed, while the other end of the assembly gap between the lower valve sleeve 203 and the lower valve core 202 is sealed and led out through the state control of the lower transition section 105.

[0061] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the lower transition section 205 gradually increases along the direction of the lower valve core 202's mating end. In the sealed state, the lower valve sleeve 203 is subjected to elastic pre-tightening force and is pressed tightly against the lower valve core 202. The conical surface of the lower transition section 205 fits tightly, placing the lower liquid guide gap 206 in a sealed state.

[0062] Considering the special characteristics of the packing material in the chromatographic column, the connector module is required to have acid and alkali resistance, radiation resistance, and high pressure resistance. Correspondingly, the lower mounting base 201, lower valve sleeve 203, and lower valve core 202 can be selected from any one of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) special engineering plastics, titanium alloys, tungsten-nickel alloys, zirconium alloys, or boron carbide. To ensure the sealing effect of the conical surface, the machining accuracy of the conical surface is required to ensure that it can fit tightly. In optional embodiments, rubber gaskets, silicone gaskets, or other sealing pads can also be provided on the surface of the conical surface to ensure its sealing effect, or a sealing ring can be provided in the lower transition section 205. At the same time, it is ensured that when the conical surface of the lower transition section 205 is separated to the limit position, the rubber gaskets, silicone gaskets, sealing rings, and other sealing components can effectively separate from the conical surface of the opposite component to ensure the conduction of the lower liquid guide gap 206.

[0063] To reduce the impact of conical surface flatness errors on the sealing, in this embodiment, the taper of the conical surfaces on the inner and outer sides of the lower fluid guide gap 206 differs by 1° to 5°, ensuring a line contact closure when the lower fluid guide gap 206 is closed, thus guaranteeing the reliability of the seal. The lower valve core 202 and lower valve sleeve 203 are preferably made of materials with a certain degree of toughness (such as PEEK), which can improve the sealing effect of the lower fluid guide gap 206.

[0064] To ensure the sealing reliability between the lower valve core 202 and the lower mounting base 201, a lower sealing gasket 208 is provided between one end face of the lower valve core 202 and the lower mounting base 201. One end of the lower valve core 202 is threadedly connected and fixed to the lower mounting base 201, pressing the lower sealing gasket 208 between the lower valve core 202 and the upper mounting base 101 to ensure that the lower liquid guiding channel 107 and the channel in the lower mounting base 201 are sealed and connected.

[0065] To avoid the impact of rigid contact rebound on the sealing state, in this embodiment, a lower buffer pad 209 is provided between the tail end face of the lower valve sleeve 203 away from the docking end and the lower mounting base 201. During the docking operation, the lower valve sleeve 203 is compressed during docking, and the buffer pad 209 ensures stability during docking, preventing the lower valve sleeve 203 from tilting during docking and causing abnormal sealing state of the docking end face.

[0066] To ensure leak prevention, in this embodiment, when the upper connector 1 and the lower connector 2 are separated, under the action of elastic force, the mating end face of the lower valve sleeve 203 protrudes from the mating end face of the lower valve core 202. This ensures that during the mating operation, the mating end faces of the upper valve sleeve 103 and the lower valve sleeve 203 first fit together and seal, ensuring that the internal upper liquid guiding gap 106 and lower liquid guiding gap 206 are sealed to the outside before being opened.

[0067] To achieve a seal between the lower fluid guide gap 206 and one end of the lower valve core 202, in this embodiment, a sealing ring C216 is provided between the lower valve core 202 and the lower valve sleeve 203. The sealing ring C216 is positioned between the other end of the lower fluid guide channel 207 and one end of the lower valve core 202, ensuring that the other end of the lower fluid guide channel 207 can only communicate with the outside through the lower fluid guide gap 206. To facilitate the installation of the sealing ring C216, a sealing ring mounting groove can be provided on the outer wall of the lower valve core 202. Compared to providing a sealing ring mounting groove on the inner wall of the lower valve sleeve 203, providing a sealing ring mounting groove on the outer wall of the lower valve core 202 is more convenient for installation and allows for easier observation of the installation status, ensuring reliable sealing.

[0068] The sealing between the lower valve core 202 and the lower valve sleeve 203 can also be achieved by using a zero assembly tolerance method to achieve a seal between the side walls.

[0069] To improve the axial running accuracy of the lower valve sleeve 203 and prevent deviation during its movement from causing abnormal parallelism of the mating end faces and thus damaging the sealing effect, in this embodiment, a lower limiting sleeve 204 is also provided outside the lower valve sleeve 203. In this embodiment, the lower limiting sleeve 204 is a hollow cylinder with an opening at one end and a through hole at the other end. The open end of the lower limiting sleeve 204 is threadedly connected to the lower mounting base 201, and the mating end of the lower valve sleeve 203 passes through the through hole at the other end of the lower limiting sleeve 204. The wall of the through hole at the other end of the lower limiting sleeve 204 is coaxially fitted and matched with the outer wall of the lower valve sleeve 203, which can limit the movement of the lower valve sleeve 203 within a predetermined range and reduce the risk of deviation damaging the seal. Furthermore, to ensure the sealing reliability of the lower valve sleeve 203 in the docking state, when the lower valve sleeve 203 is in the extreme compression state, the docking end face of the lower valve sleeve 203 protrudes from the docking end face of the lower limit sleeve 204, so that the lower valve sleeve 203 can be completely pressed and fixed, ensuring the stability of the tight fit of the docking end faces and ensuring the sealing reliability.

[0070] In this embodiment, a lower spring 211 is provided between the lower valve sleeve 203 and the lower mounting base 201. The outer contour of the lower valve sleeve 203 is "T" shaped, and the lower spring 211 is sleeved on the lower valve sleeve 203. One end of the lower spring 211 is limited by the cap end (i.e., the horizontal edge of the "T") of the "T" shaped structure, and the other end of the lower spring 211 is limited by the lower mounting base 201. The elastic coefficient of the lower spring 211 is preferably greater than that of the sealing ring B210, so that before the lower valve sleeve 203 is actuated and the lower liquid guide gap 206 is opened, the sealing ring B210 is preferentially pressed between the upper valve sleeve 103 and the lower valve sleeve 203, ensuring the sealing of the mating surface and thus reducing the risk of leakage.

[0071] In an optional embodiment, a spring sheet may also be provided between the lower valve sleeve 203 and the lower mounting base 201 to meet the elasticity requirements.

[0072] In this embodiment, one end of the lower liquid channel 207 of the lower connector 2 is sealed and led out from the tail end face of the lower mounting base 201. The tail end of the lower mounting base 201 of the lower connector 2 is also provided with a mating thread 212 that matches the target liquid chromatography column so as to fix it on the liquid chromatography column. When changing the liquid, only the upper connector 1 needs to be operated.

[0073] To facilitate the installation of the connector module, this embodiment provides a lower contact plane A213 on the outer surface of the lower mounting base 201 and a lower contact plane B215 on the outer surface of the lower limiting sleeve 204, which facilitates the circumferential fixing of the parts and the screw connection operation.

[0074] Correspondingly, for the installation of the lower valve core 202 and the lower valve sleeve 203, contact planes can be provided on the outer surfaces of the non-liquid-conducting areas of the lower valve core 202 and the lower valve sleeve 203 to form a lower locking connection section 214. Through this lower locking connection section 214, the lower valve sleeve 203 and the lower valve core 202 are pre-fitted and locked together, and then operated by the outer lower valve sleeve 203 to be threadedly fixed to the lower mounting base 201. The cross-sectional shape of the lower locking connection section 214 can be, for example, hexagonal, polygonal, key-shaped, or toothed, to ensure that the lower valve core 202 and the lower valve sleeve 203 can lock together circumferentially and rotate synchronously.

[0075] The outer wall of the lower valve sleeve 203 can also be provided with a contact plane for circumferential fixation during threaded connection operations. The lower limit sleeve 204 is mainly used for coaxial positioning of the lower valve sleeve 203, and is threaded to the lower mounting base 201 after the lower valve sleeve 203 is installed. Correspondingly, the inner surface of the lower limit sleeve 204 is a circumferential surface, requiring no contact plane. The contact plane on the outer surface of the lower valve sleeve 203 is an embedded surface, and the circumferential portion fits snugly against the lower limit sleeve 204, avoiding circumferential positioning between the lower limit sleeve 204 and the lower valve sleeve 203, thus preventing any impact on the installation of the lower limit sleeve 204.

[0076] The working principle of this utility model connector module is as follows:

[0077] This utility model provides a connector module for liquid chromatography (LC) column replacement. One of the upper connector 1 and lower connector 2 is fixedly assembled with the LC column. Both upper connector 1 and lower connector 2 include a mounting base, a valve core, and a valve sleeve. The valve sleeve is elastically nested outside the valve core. Both the valve core and the valve sleeve include a transition section with a conical mating surface. When the valve sleeve is in an elastic pre-tightened state, the conical surface of the transition section is tightly sealed, ensuring airtightness. This can be used for normal sealing of the LC column. When docking, the upper connector 1 and lower connector 2 are docked and pressed together, their valve sleeves are sealed and docked, and the conical surface of the transition section is separated to form a liquid guiding gap. This allows for convenient and effective sealing and connection of the liquid guiding channels of the upper connector 1 and lower connector 2, ensuring sealing during LC column liquid replacement, improving the sealing performance of the LC column during maintenance, and ensuring production safety.

[0078] This invention also provides a liquid chromatography column, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the system includes a hollow column 3 and the aforementioned lower connector 2. The lower connector 2 is sealed to both ends of the column 3. In the non-installation state, the lower spring 211 in the lower connector 2 pre-tightens the lower valve sleeve 203 onto the lower valve core 202, and the lower liquid guide gap 206 is sealed to ensure airtightness. During installation, the liquid chromatography column is positioned on the positioning frame of the liquid chromatograph, aligning the liquid chromatography column with the two upper connectors 1 set on the liquid chromatograph. The upper connectors 1 are driven to move circumferentially and press against the lower connector 2, thus achieving a sealed connection between the liquid chromatography column and the two upper connectors 1. This method is convenient to operate, ensures airtightness, and can effectively improve production efficiency and production safety.

[0079] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0080] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several specific implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A connector module based on a liquid chromatography column, characterized in that: It includes an upper connector connected to the drive module and a lower connector connected to the liquid chromatography column. Both the upper and lower connectors include a mounting base, a valve core, and a valve sleeve. One end of the valve core is sealed to the mounting base, and the valve sleeve is nested outside the other end of the valve core. Both the valve core and the valve sleeve have a transition section. The mating surfaces of the transition section on the valve core and the transition section on the valve sleeve are conical surfaces. The valve sleeve is limited by the valve core through the mating surfaces of the conical surfaces. The valve sleeve and the mounting base are elastically connected by an elastic element. The valve sleeve is pre-tightened on the valve core by the elastic element, so that the transition section on the valve core and the conical surface of the transition section on the valve sleeve are in contact and sealed. The mating end face of the valve sleeve protrudes from the mating end face of the valve core in the pre-tightened state. When the upper connector and the lower connector are in the mating state, the valve sleeves of the upper connector and the lower connector are sealed and mated, and the conical surface of the transition section on the valve core and the transition section on the valve sleeve are separated, thereby forming a liquid guiding gap in the upper connector and the lower connector respectively. The valve core is provided with a liquid guiding channel. One end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the upper connector is led out from one end of the valve core and sealed to the outside of the connector module through the mounting seat of the upper connector for liquid inlet. The other end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the upper connector is led out from the side wall of the valve core to communicate with the liquid guiding gap in the upper connector. One end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the lower connector is led out from one end of the valve core and led out to the liquid chromatography column through the tail end face of the mounting seat of the lower connector. The other end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the lower connector is led out from the side wall of the valve core to communicate with the liquid guiding gap in the lower connector. One end of the assembly gap between the valve sleeve and the valve core is always sealed, while the other end of the assembly gap between the valve sleeve and the valve core is sealed or led out through the state control of the transition section.

2. The liquid chromatography column-based junction module of claim 1, wherein: The valve sleeve is provided with a limiting sleeve. One end of the limiting sleeve is connected to the mounting base, and the other end of the limiting sleeve is coaxially fitted with the outer wall of the valve sleeve. When the valve sleeve is in the ultimate compression state, the mating end face of the valve sleeve protrudes from the mating end face of the limiting sleeve.

3. The liquid chromatography column-based junction module of claim 1, wherein: The inner diameter of the transition section gradually increases along the direction of the valve core's mating end, and the taper of the conical surfaces on the inner and outer sides of the fluid guiding gap differs by 1° to 5°.

4. The liquid chromatography column-based junction module of claim 1, wherein: A sealing gasket is provided between one end face of the valve core and the mounting base, and a buffer pad is provided between the tail end face of the valve sleeve away from the docking end and the mounting base.

5. The liquid chromatography column-based junction module of claim 1, wherein: A sealing ring is provided between the valve core and the valve sleeve, and on the end face of any one of the two valve sleeves. The sealing ring between the valve core and the valve sleeve is located between the other end of the liquid guiding channel and one end of the valve core. A sealing ring mounting groove is provided on the end face of any one of the two valve sleeves, and the sealing ring on the valve sleeve is accommodated in the sealing ring mounting groove.

6. The liquid chromatography column-based junction module of claim 1, wherein: The valve core and valve sleeve also have a locking connection section, which is disposed between the other end of the liquid guiding channel and the tail end of the valve sleeve away from the docking end, so as to lock the valve core and valve sleeve in the circumferential direction.

7. The connector module based on a liquid chromatography column according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the liquid guiding channel in the upper connector is sealed and led out from the side of the mounting base. The end of the upper connector connected to the drive module is provided with a drive module mounting groove. After the upper connector and the lower connector are aligned, the drive module drives the upper connector to move linearly to control the sealing connection between the upper connector and the lower connector.

8. The liquid chromatography column-based junction module of claim 1, wherein: The lower connector mounting base has a threaded connection on its outer side for connecting to a liquid chromatography column.

9. The liquid chromatography column-based junction module of claim 1, wherein: The other end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the upper connector and the other end of the liquid guiding channel in the valve core of the lower connector are each provided with multiple channels, which are respectively connected to the liquid guiding gap.

10. A liquid chromatography column comprising a hollow column body, characterized in that: It also includes a lower connector, which is the lower connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the two ends of the column are respectively connected to the lower connector, and the mounting base of the lower connector is sealed to the column.

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