SLEEVE AND PIPE TUBE STATION

Abstract

Sleeve (1) for a pneumatic tube system with a sleeve tube (7) which is closed by at least one cover (3) formed from a plurality of cover sectors (4), each cover sector (4) being pivotably mounted about its own axis of rotation (5) lying tangentially to the sleeve (1) and perpendicular to the sleeve's longitudinal axis (18), each of these axes of rotation (5) being mounted in an actuating ring (19) enclosing the sleeve tube (7), characterized in that the actuating ring (19) has an annular groove (6) further away from the sleeve end which can be closed by the cover than the axes of rotation (5) of the cover sectors (4), the flanks of which groove are arranged perpendicular to the sleeve's longitudinal axis (18) of the sleeve (1), and in that the outer diameter of the sleeve (1) in the region (20) from the center of the sleeve (1) to the cover axes of rotation (5) is maximum in the region of the cover axis of rotation (5), the sleeve (1) has a thickening (8) on the outer circumference in the middle area of ​​the sleeve tube (7),which serves as a stop when opening the sleeve (1) to complete an opening process.,

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a sleeve for a pneumatic tube system according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a pneumatic tube station with a holding mechanism and loading tube. State of the art

[0002] Such a sleeve or pneumatic tube station is known from EP 0 697 354 B1. The sleeve can be closed by a lid formed from several lid sectors, and each of these lid sectors is pivotally mounted on an actuating ring about its own axis of rotation, each tangential to the sleeve and normal to the sleeve's longitudinal axis. The actuating ring has an outwardly projecting projection and is arranged so as to be displaceable around the sleeve parallel to the sleeve's longitudinal axis. To open this sleeve, a loading tube is provided in a pneumatic tube station. This loading tube widens towards the open end and, in the non-widened part of which grippers arranged laterally on the circumference protrude into the loading tube to grip the actuating ring.When the tube is placed into the loading tube of the pneumatic tube station for opening, the grippers projecting inwards on the circumference of the loading tube engage with the outwardly projecting projection of the actuating ring and pull it away from the lid along the tube axis, causing the lid to open.

[0003] This sleeve can be opened and closed automatically in a pneumatic tube station, making it suitable for automatic loading and unloading.

[0004] A disadvantage of such sleeves is the outward protrusion of the actuating ring, which protrudes to open the sleeve. This protrusion is necessary so that the grippers of the loading tube can grip the actuating ring. Since this outward protrusion must be dimensioned accordingly due to the forces generated when the grippers of the loading tube engage, it protrudes very close to the inner wall of the travel tube. This design makes the use of such sleeves impossible with small travel tube dimensions.

[0005] Furthermore, such sleeves are disadvantageous because the outwardly projecting protrusion restricts the pneumatic tube system to large curve radii. This is particularly disadvantageous when the pneumatic tube station is designed as part of a workstation or is to be integrated into a work surface. In this application, prescribed working heights and installation dimensions are specified, making ergonomic operation of a conventional pneumatic tube station impossible.

[0006] Another disadvantage is that the loading tube with the grippers required to open the sleeve must be very stable due to the forces that occur during the opening process, and this results in large installation dimensions for the pneumatic tube station, which in turn makes installation in tables or other workstations difficult.

[0007] Printed prior art is also known from EP 0 508 048 A1 and DE 899 923 B. EP 0 508 048 A1 shows a pneumatic tube sleeve with fixed rotation axes. DE 899 923 B shows a flexible pneumatic tube sleeve that has at least one support ring for stabilization. Description of the invention

[0008] The object of the present invention is to improve the sleeve of the type mentioned above or the corresponding pneumatic tube station in such a way that it can be used in pneumatic tube systems with tight curve radii. Furthermore, it should be possible to install it in existing laboratory workstations and connect it to laboratory equipment such as analytical instruments. The pneumatic tube station should have small tube diameters, thus enabling ergonomic workstations.

[0009] This object is achieved by a sleeve having the features of patent claim 1 and by a use having the features of patent claim 9. In a sleeve of the type mentioned at the outset, the actuating ring has an annular groove further away from the sleeve end than the rotation axes of the cover sectors, which is arranged normal to the sleeve longitudinal axis of the sleeve.

[0010] To open the tube, after it arrives at a pneumatic tube station, it is moved towards the loading opening of the pneumatic tube station by a mechanical conveyor element, which can be designed as a push rod or, preferably, as a belt drive. The holding mechanism of the pneumatic tube station comprises at least one holding element, which has a U-shaped or circular arc-shaped edge section on one side, whereby this part is designed to engage positively in the annular groove of the actuating ring for holding purposes. A sensor is installed in the loading tube upstream of the loading opening; this sensor detects the incoming tube, engages the holding element in the groove of the actuating ring at a controlled time, and thus holds the actuating ring in place.

[0011] In the present invention, the sleeve can be provided with an openable lid as described above on one side and with a non-openable lid on the other side, but optionally also with the openable lid on both sides.

[0012] It is advantageous if the outer diameter of the sleeve is at its maximum in the area from the center of the sleeve to the lid rotation axes. In other words, the actuating ring protrudes furthest in this area at the level of the lid rotation axes, thus achieving good cornering performance.

[0013] Upon arrival of a tube, the mechanical conveyor element, preferably a belt drive, pushes the tube further toward the station opening, causing the tube tube to open the lid sectors, while the actuating ring is held in place by the retaining element. A thickened portion, preferably a ring, is provided on the outer circumference of the tube in the middle section as a stop for the opening movement, stopping the movement of the tube toward the loading tube. The position of this stop is selected depending on the tube length.

[0014] The sleeve opening is now freely accessible and the contents can be easily removed or the sleeve can be easily filled if the sleeve tube projects axially over the lid sectors when the lid is open.

[0015] To close the sleeve, the belt drive moves the sleeve away from the station opening, and as soon as the cover segments reach the end of the sleeve tube, they are closed again by the spring force of the hinges. This design of the sleeve-pneumatic tube station system allows for automatic opening and closing of the pneumatic tube sleeve in any position within the pneumatic tube station, provided the cover sectors are appropriately pre-tensioned around their rotational axes. Furthermore, this design is suitable for station operation with arrival from above or below.

[0016] To ensure the lid segments are reliably held in the closed position, it is advisable for the lid sectors to be held in the closed position by magnets. Magnets have a very strong holding force in close proximity, but this force decreases rapidly with increasing distance. Magnets therefore hold the segments in the closed position well, but only increase the force required to open them at the very beginning. In contrast, correspondingly stronger springs would generally increase the force required to open them and thus require a correspondingly larger dimensioning of all elements involved. Such magnets therefore prevent the lid segments from being accidentally opened in the system, or before or after loading or unloading the sleeve, with little effort.

[0017] In hospital applications connected to automated laboratory equipment, it is primarily "critical" samples such as blood samples that are transported. For the transport of such substances, the sleeve tube in the present invention is designed to accommodate a seal or sealing plate at its end. This optional use of a corresponding sealing plate allows for a tight seal of the sleeve, preventing fluids from leaking from the sleeve.

[0018] To identify the different tube types in the pneumatic tube station, the tube covers are equipped with transponders that allow the tube cover and tube direction to be recognized. If a pneumatic tube of a different tube type or with the wrong direction is fed into the pneumatic tube station, this is detected by reading the information stored on the transponder. This allows the system to return incorrectly sent tubes or turn them over and resend them at another location in the pneumatic tube system.

[0019] The compact design of the sleeve cover, combined with the compact structure of the pneumatic tube station with its retaining element, allows for installation in ergonomic workstations or work surfaces, such as those found in hospital laboratories. These workstations have a prescribed ergonomic working height worldwide, which previously made the installation of pneumatic tube stations with arrival from below impossible. The present invention allows for tighter curve radii of the travel tubes, thus allowing the pneumatic tube station to be integrated into the work surface.

[0020] This significantly improves the user-friendliness of the pneumatic tube system in these application areas.

[0021] The present invention represents a further advantage when connected to automated analysis lines in hospitals or industrial facilities, as the design allows for integration into existing laboratory facilities. Furthermore, the freely accessible sleeve opening allows a robotic arm to access the transported goods for automatic unloading and loading without obstruction. Short description of the drawings

[0022] The present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. They show: Fig. 1 a representation of the pneumatic tube sleeve according to the invention with a one-sided openable lid in the closed state; Fig. 2 an isometric view of the pneumatic tube sleeve according to the invention with the holding mechanism according to the invention; Fig. 3 the pneumatic tube sleeve according to the invention in the open state with the holding mechanism according to the invention; and Fig. 4 an axial section of a pneumatic tube sleeve according to the invention. Way(s) of carrying out the invention

[0023] In Fig. 1 shows a view of a sleeve 1 that can be opened on one side. The sleeve 1 consists of a non-openable sleeve cover 2 and an automatically opening cover 3, consisting of preferably three cover sectors 4, which are preferably connected to the actuating ring 19 under spring preload, each mounted for rotation about a rotation axis 5. This actuating ring has an annular groove 6 that runs normal to the sleeve's longitudinal axis 18. The two covers 2 and 3 are connected by a sleeve tube 7, on which sleeve tube 7 a thickened portion 8, preferably in the shape of a ring, is manufactured to serve as a stop when opening the sleeve 1 and to terminate the opening process.

[0024] Fig. Figure 2 shows a tube 1 in a loading tube 9 of a pneumatic tube station (not shown) in the detection position of a sensor 10, which is mounted upstream of the retaining mechanism 11. The retaining mechanism consists of a drive 12, a base plate 13, and a retaining element 14, which has one side with a circular-arc-shaped edge portion 15 that is designed to fit positively with the groove 6. The sensor 10 detects the incoming tube 1, and, controlled in time, a mechanical conveyor element (not shown), which is preferably designed as a belt drive, conveys the tube 1 toward the station opening 16.

[0025] When this station opening 16 is reached, the retaining element 14 is pushed into the groove 6 of the actuating ring 19 by the drive 12 activated by a control system, whereby the actuating ring 19 is held in its position.

[0026] Fig. Figure 3 shows the position of the sleeve after the sleeve tube 7 has opened the cover sectors 4 and the retaining element 14 engages the groove 6. The sleeve tube 7 projects beyond the cover sectors 4. The sleeve tube 7 and the sleeve opening 17 are freely accessible.

[0027] In Fig. 4 shows that the outer diameter is at its maximum in the area directly above the lid rotation axes 5. In addition, Fig. 4, how the cover 3 with actuating ring 19 and annular groove 6 engages around the sleeve tube 7 in the closed state of the sleeve.

Claims

[1] Sleeve (1) for a pneumatic tube system with a sleeve tube (7) which is closed with at least one cover (3) which is formed from a plurality of cover sectors (4), each cover sector (4) being pivotably mounted about its own rotational axis (5) which is tangential to the sleeve (1) and normal to the sleeve longitudinal axis (18), each of these rotational axes (5) being mounted in an actuating ring (19) surrounding the sleeve tube (7), characterized bythat the actuating ring (19) has an annular groove (6) further away from the sleeve end which can be closed by the lid than the axes of rotation (5) of the lid sectors (4), the flanks of which groove are arranged normal to the sleeve longitudinal axis (18) of the sleeve (1), and that the outer diameter of the sleeve (1) in the area (20) from the middle of the sleeve (1) to the lid axes of rotation (5) is at its maximum in the area of ​​the lid axis of rotation (5), the sleeve (1) having a thickening (8) on the outer circumference in the middle area of ​​the sleeve tube (7), which serves as a stop when opening the sleeve (1) in order to terminate an opening process. [2] Sleeve according to claim 1, characterized by that both ends of the sleeve are closed with a cover (3) as characterized in claim 1. [3] Sleeve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that two or three cover sectors (4) are provided. [4] Sleeve according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized bythat when the cover (3) is open, the cover sectors (4) are axially projected over by the sleeve tube (7). [5] Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the cover sectors (4) are pre-tensioned around their axis of rotation (5) towards the closed position. [6] Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that the cover sectors (4) are fixed in the closed position by magnets [7] Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the sleeve (1) has a seal, preferably a sealing plate, at each openable end. [8] Sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the cover (3) is equipped with a transponder. [9] Use of a sleeve (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8 in a pneumatic tube station with holding mechanism (11) and loading tube (19), characterized byin that, for gripping a sleeve (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, the retaining mechanism (11) has at least one retaining element (14) which has a U-shaped or circular-arc-shaped edge part (15) on one side, said part being designed for positive engagement in the annular groove (6) of the actuating ring (19) for holding. [10] Use according to claim 9, characterized by that the loading tube (9) has a sensor (10) installed near the open end. [11] Use according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by that the loading tube (9) has a mechanical conveying element, preferably a conveyor belt drive, installed in the region of the open end of the loading tube (9).

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