Tubing pump

Abstract

To provide a tubing pump that can achieve fluid movement allowing for adjustment of a gap position between a plurality of even rollers and a straight tube pressing tool, and a tube pressing pressure.SOLUTION: A plurality of rollers are attached to two-rolled conveyer chain with an attachment. The conveyer chain is subject to annular rotation between a rotating driving-side sprocket and a driven-side sprocket. The plurality of rollers form an annular rotation mechanism including a linear trajectory where a linear motion takes place over a distance between an in-shaft part of the driving-side sprocket shaft and the guiding-side sprocket shaft. A trajectory part of the linear motion of the plurality of rollers includes a stretching mechanism where a linear tube pressing tool is provided for linearly stretching the elastic tube with the plurality of rollers. A shape of the tube press is a flat and linear shape, and a gap position between the plurality of rollers across the elastic tube and the tube press can be adjusted uniformly from a suction side to an ejection side of the fluid of the elastic tube.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tubing pump used for transferring and discharging liquids, gases, etc., and filling containers, etc., in analytical devices for physicochemical equipment, medical equipment, etc., and filling devices for chemicals, food, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] Tubing pumps use multiple rollers to move a flexible tube. This pump transfers fluids by sequentially squeezing and pressing the fluid, sucking and discharging it. It is used to transfer fluids such as medicinal liquids and beverages in laboratory equipment, analytical equipment such as medical equipment, and pharmaceutical and food filling equipment. Various types of pumps of this type have been devised, but a typical structure is shown in Figure 1. In Figure 1(a), 1 is a roller, 2 is a rotating shaft, 3 is a turntable with multiple rollers, 4 is an elastic tube, and 5 is a tube holder. Elastic tube 4 is sandwiched between roller 1 and tube holder 5. Rotary disk 3 with multiple rollers is rotated via rotating shaft 2 by a motor or other driving source, and multiple rollers 1 squeeze elastic tube 4 to transfer fluid. Figures 1(b) and 1(c) show how rotating disk 3 with multiple rollers is rotated via rotating shaft 2, causing multiple rollers 1 to perform circular motion in a circular orbit, thereby sequentially squeezing elastic tube 4.

[0003] Another example of a tubing pump for transporting a fluid is described in Patent Document 1. This tubing pump transports a liquid in a detachably attached tube using a pump mechanism, wherein the pump mechanism is composed of a valve mechanism that closes and opens the attached tube and a tube pressing mechanism that repeatedly presses the tube, and the tube pressing mechanism includes a pump block that is movably held by at least two guide shafts, and the pump block repeatedly presses the tube by continuously reciprocating. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Retable 2014 / 123178 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A typical conventional tubing structure is shown in Figure 1, consisting of multiple rollers 1, a rotating shaft 2, a turntable 3 with multiple rollers 1, an elastic tube 4, and a tube holder 5. The turntable 3 with multiple rollers rotates, squeezing the elastic tube 4 with the multiple rollers 1 to transport the fluid. The multiple rollers 1 shown in Figure 2 are mainly supported by being sandwiched between two turntables 2, with a rotating shaft 1 at the center of the two turntables 2. The two turntables rotate via the rotating shaft, and the elastic tube sandwiched between the multiple rollers 1 and the tube holder 5 is squeezed by the multiple rollers 1 as the turntable 2 rotates, transporting the fluid. The tube holder 5 is an arc-shaped part whose circumference is the sum of the outer periphery of the circular rotational motion of the multiple rollers 1 supported by the two turntables 2 and the wall thickness of the elastic tube 4. In typical conventional tubing, the conditions for fluid transport are that the elastic tube 4 must be of the same thickness and made of the same material. If the elastic tube 4 has a different thickness or material, a tubing pump equipped with a tube holder 5 with a different arc-shaped dimension is required. Furthermore, since the tube holder 5 is arc-shaped, it is desirable for the gap between the rollers 1 to be uniform at any position on the circular orbit of the rollers 1 (from the start to the end of squeezing the tube). However, if there is a performance error in the elastic tube due to differences in the thickness, material, or temperature of the elastic tube 4, or if an adjustment is made to the gap position, it becomes impossible to uniformly adjust the gap width from the start to the end of squeezing the elastic tube 4 because the rollers 1 are on a circular orbit and the tube holder 5 is arc-shaped. The squeezing pressure and holding pressure vary from the start to the end of squeezing the elastic tube 4, which affects the amount of fluid transferred, the durability and deterioration of the elastic tube 4, etc., and results in an increase in the frequency of replacement of the elastic tube 4. In addition, the valve mechanism part that closes and opens the tube according to Patent Document 1 Tubing pumps, which operate by combining a tube pressing mechanism that repeatedly presses the tube, are mechanically complex, and both the valve mechanism and the tube pressing mechanism perform reciprocating motion, which causes problems such as a lack of continuity in movement and a lack of flexibility in the wide range of fluid transfer amounts, transfer time adjustments, and setting ranges.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems by structurally moving multiple rollers 1 in a circular orbit like a typical tubing pump, but the orbit of the multiple rollers 1 squeezing the elastic tube 4 is not only circular but also linear, giving the tube holder 5 the characteristic of a flat, linear shape rather than an arc shape. Even if the gap position between the multiple rollers 1 and the linear tube holder 9 is adjusted, the gap can be adjusted evenly. By adjusting the position of the tube holder, it is possible to diversify elastic tubes to accommodate types of elastic tubes with different wall thicknesses, dimensions, and materials, as well as differences in air temperature and fluid temperature changes, and the durability of the elastic tube can also be improved. Furthermore, because the multiple rollers move in a circular motion that includes linear motion, there is continuity in the movement, making it possible to provide a tubing pump that has a wide range of fluid transfer amounts, transfer time setting ranges, and flexibility in setting conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In the tubing pump of the present invention, a plurality of rollers with mounting portions on the roller shaft end faces are attached between two wraps of a conveyor chain with attachments, which has a plurality of mounting portions that can be attached to the roller shaft end faces, using retainers such as screws or retaining rings. The two wraps of conveyor chain with attachments form a circular rotational motion mechanism with a drive sprocket and a driven sprocket arranged, and the two wraps of conveyor chain with attachments, which sandwich and hold the plurality of rollers, are driven by the rotation of the drive sprocket shaft between the drive sprocket and driven sprocket arranged to allow circular motion, and the plurality of rollers undergo circular rotational motion including an orbit in which the distance between the axes of the drive sprocket shaft and the driven sprocket shaft is linear motion. The tube holder is linear so that the elastic tube can be squeezed on the track section where multiple rollers move in a linear motion, and the elastic tube is sandwiched between the track section where multiple rollers move in a linear motion and the linear-shaped tube holder, and the multiple rollers squeeze the elastic tube in sequence.This is a mechanism for squeezing elastic tubes on the linear section of a circular rotation motion that includes a linear section, and because the multiple rollers in the elastic tube squeezing mechanism are continuous in a circular rotation motion, it is possible to set a wide range of fluid transfer amounts, transfer time adjustments, setting ranges, and setting conditions, allowing for a high degree of freedom in settings.The tube holder is characterized by being flat and linear. The linear tube holder allows the elastic tube to be squeezed with the linear section, and therefore the gap between the roller and tube holder can be adjusted using a screw-type position adjuster or a gap washer (space washer) to accommodate differences in the thickness, material, and temperature of the elastic tube, as well as external factors such as the season, air temperature, and fluid temperature, as well as performance errors, dimensional errors, and hardness changes of the individual elastic tubes, making it possible to adjust the gap evenly from the suction side to the discharge side of the elastic tube.The linear tube holder allows the elastic tube to be squeezed with the linear portion, and the gap position between the roller and the tube holder can be adjusted by adjusting the position using a screw or a gap washer (space washer), thereby enabling uniform gap adjustment from the fluid suction side to the discharge side of the elastic tube.

[0008] The two-winding conveyor chain with attachments may stretch and become loose at the connection points of each link of the chain after a certain period of operation, so initial stretch reduction treatment is performed, and a conveyor chain with attachments that does not require lubrication and has a long life is used, using special oil-impregnated bushings for each link of the conveyor chain with attachments. Furthermore, a chain support part is placed between the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket so that multiple rollers can move linearly without slack in the two-winding conveyor chain with attachments, and the present invention also takes measures against stretching and loosening of the conveyor chain with attachments.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is a mechanism that allows for adjustment of the gap position between the multiple rollers and the linear tube holder by screw position adjustment or by gap washer (space washer), and because the tube holder is a flat, linear tube holder, it is possible to automatically control the position adjustment of the gap position between the multiple rollers and the linear tube holder, the adjustment of the squeezing pressure of the elastic tube, and the release operation of the tube holder using a driving device powered by electricity or compressed air, using movement control by the driving device.

[0010] As the tube holder is a flat, linear tube holder, the position adjustment of the gap position between the multiple rollers and the linear tube holder can be numerically controlled with a position sensor (a numerical sensor such as an encoder, laser, or photo sensor), and the adjustment of the squeezing pressure of the elastic tube can be measured and controlled with a pressure sensor such as a load cell, and the gap position between the multiple rollers and the linear tube holder can be automatically adjusted and controlled without human intervention using signals from the position pressure sensor.

[0011] According to the present invention, instead of the two-winding conveyor chain 7 with attachments, a two-winding timing belt with attachments or the like can be used, which is formed of an annular transmission part having a plurality of attachment portions that can be attached to the end faces of the roller shafts, to which multiple rollers can be attached. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the trajectory of the multiple rollers squeezing the elastic tube moves in a straight line, so the linear tube holder has a flat, linear shape, and the gap position between the multiple rollers and the linear tube holder can be adjusted evenly, which makes it possible to adjust the squeezing position and pressure of the tube and to adjust the gap evenly from the suction side to the discharge side of the elastic tube, in response to differences in the wall thickness, material, and temperature of the elastic tube, as well as external factors such as season, air temperature, and fluid temperature, and performance errors, dimensional errors, and changes in hardness of individual elastic tubes, making it possible to transfer fluids using a tubing pump that can be set to adjust the squeezing position of the tube and the pressure, and to adjust the gap evenly from the suction side to the discharge side of the elastic tube.

[0013] Fluid Transfer Capability In the case of flexible tubes with widely different thicknesses and dimensions, tubing pumps are used with roller length and diameter dimensions that are changed to small, medium, large, etc. However, according to the present invention, the gap position between the flexible tube and the tube holder can be adjusted, so by designing a tubing pump with a roller length within that range to match the thickness, material, and dimensions of the flexible tube used, it is possible to provide tubing pumps that are compatible with a wide variety of flexible tubes, such as small / medium compatible types and medium / large compatible types. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] (a)(b)(c) are diagrams illustrating typical tubing operations. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a typical tubing structure. [Figure 3] 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D show a tubing pump according to the present invention, and are a front view, a side view, a top view, and a top view of a pump section main body thereof. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view, respectively, of a simplified pump device of the tubing pump of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing the movement of the rollers when a thick-walled tube is used in the tubing pump of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing the movement of the rollers when a thin-walled tube is used in the tubing pump of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0016] Figure 3 shows the pump body. Multiple rollers 1, each with a mounting portion 21 on its shaft end, are attached to a two-wrap conveyor chain 7 with multiple mounting portions 22 that can be attached to the shaft end using retainers such as screws or retaining rings. The two-wrap conveyor chain 7 has a drive sprocket 10 and a driven sprocket 11. The two-wrap conveyor chain 7, to which the multiple rollers 1 are attached using the retainers, is designed to transmit rotational motion to the drive sprocket shaft using a motor or other drive source, enabling circular rotation. The distance between the drive sprocket shaft 10 and the driven sprocket shaft 11 creates a circular rotational motion mechanism with a linear track. A linear tube holder 9 is placed in the track where the multiple rollers 1 move linearly, creating a mechanism for squeezing the elastic tube 4 in a straight line. The linear tube holder 9 is a flat, linear plate, and the gap position between the multiple rollers 1 and the linear tube holder 9 can be adjusted uniformly from the suction side to the discharge side by using the thickness of the gap washer 8. Since the elastic tube 4 can slip and become misaligned due to squeezing, tube fixing devices 17 are installed on both the fluid suction and discharge sides of the pump body to prevent the elastic tube 4 from becoming misaligned.The two-wind attachment conveyor chain 7 is subjected to initial stretch reduction treatment because the connection parts of each link of the chain can become elongated after a certain period of operation.In addition, a long-life, oil-free attachment conveyor chain is used, with special oil-impregnated bushings used for each link, and a chain support part 15 is placed between the drive sprocket 10 and driven sprocket 11 to allow multiple rollers of the two-wind attachment conveyor chain 7 to move linearly without slack.

[0017] Figure 4 shows a simplified pump device that combines the pump body 17 with a control panel 18, device frame 19 and drive motor 6.

[0018] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) show the tubing pump of the present invention, in which a drive sprocket 10 and a driven sprocket 11 are mounted on a conveyor chain 7 with attachments, each of which has multiple rollers 1 with attachment portions 21 on the roller shaft end surface and multiple attachment portions 22 that can be attached to the roller shaft end surface. As the drive sprocket shaft rotates clockwise, the conveyor chain 7 with attachments rotates in a circular motion along a linear track, causing the multiple rollers 1 to squeeze the thick-walled elastic tubing 4a. Figures 5(a) to 5(b) show the movement of the multiple rollers 1 squeezing the thick-walled elastic tubing 4a. The gap between the multiple rollers 1 and the straight tube clamp 9 corresponds to the thickness of the squeezing of the thick-walled elastic tubing 4a, and is adjusted by the thickness of washer 8 (space washer). The straight tube clamp fixture 17 and the straight tube clamp 9 are shown fixed and held in place by the adjustment holder 14 (straight tube clamp adjustment screw) with washer 8 (space washer) sandwiched between them. The chain support part 15 is arranged so that the conveyor chain with attachments can move linearly with the plurality of rollers without slack.

[0019] Figure 6 shows an example of adjusting the gap between the tube retainer fixture 17 and the straight tube retainer fixture 9 by adding an adjustment gap washer 8a (adjustment space washer) to the thickness of washer 8 (space washer) when changing from the thick-walled elastic tube 4a in Figure 5 to the thin-walled elastic tube 4b. As in Figure 5, the movement of squeezing the thin-walled elastic tube 4b is shown in order from Figure 6(a) to (b). [Example]

[0020] Eight rollers 1 (20mm diameter, 38mm length, bearings on both ends, shaft diameter 6mm) are used. The conveyor chain with attachments is RS40 type chain with 16 links and 2 wraps (initial stretch reduction treatment is applied to prevent stretch at the link connections, and oil-free bushings are used). The drive sprocket 10 and driven sprocket 11 both have 9 teeth and 2 teeth each. The sprocket shaft spacing is designed to be 44.5mm, and this length is the dimension that allows the multiple rollers 1 and linear tube holder 9 to squeeze the elastic tube 4a. The pump body is made of stainless steel, and the test run was conducted at a rotation speed of 0-600 rpm. The elastic tube 4a is made of silicone with an outer diameter of 11.5mm and an inner diameter of 6.4mm. During the test run, tap water was pumped at 600 rpm and 1700 ml of water was transferred, confirming that the pump has the same liquid transfer capacity as the existing tubing pump using the above elastic tube dimensions. Elastic tube 4a is made of thin-walled silicone with an outer diameter of 11.3 mm and an inner diameter of 7.9 mm (elastic tube 4b). A test run was conducted after adding clearance washers 8a to adjust the gap and showed good operation. In this example, we designed and manufactured a tubing pump that can use two small and five other types of tubes, but by controlling various movements such as large and medium-sized tubes, precise control of the drive motor, and automatic control of the pressure of the linear tube holder 9, we can expect it to be applied in a wide range of industrial fields. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 1 Multiple rollers 2 rotation axes 3 Turntable 4 Elastic tube 4a thick-walled elastic tube 4b Thin-walled elastic tube 5 Tube holder 6 Drive motor 7 Conveyor chain with attachments 8 Gap washer (space washer) 8a Adjustment gap washer (adjustment space washer) 9 Straight tube holder 10 Drive sprocket 11 Driven sprocket 12 Drive sprocket shaft 13 Driven sprocket shaft 14 Straight tube holder adjustment holder (Straight tube holding adjustment screw) 15 Chain support parts 16 Elastic tube fixing device 17 Straight tube clamp fixture 18 Tube pump body 19 Control panel 20 pump frame 21 Mounting portion on the end surface of the roller shaft (21 and 22 are in the same position) 22 A plurality of mounting portions that can be mounted on the end surface of the roller shaft (21 and 22 are in the same position)

Claims

1. A two-wrap conveyor chain with attachments sandwiching and holding multiple rollers is arranged to enable circular motion. The drive sprocket and driven sprocket are driven by the rotation of the drive sprocket shaft, and the multiple rollers perform circular rotational motion, including a track where the distance between the drive sprocket shaft and driven sprocket shaft is linear. The tube holder is linear so that the elastic tube can be squeezed in the track where the multiple rollers move linearly. The elastic tube is sandwiched between the track where the multiple rollers move linearly and the linear tube holder, and the multiple rollers sequentially squeeze the elastic tube. This elastic tube squeezing mechanism squeezes the elastic tube in the linear portion of the circular rotational motion, including the linear portion. Because the multiple rollers in the elastic tube squeezing mechanism perform continuous circular rotational motion, a wide range of fluid transfer volume and transfer time adjustments and a wider setting range are possible. This tubing pump features a tube holder with a flat, linear shape.

2. The linear tube holder allows the elastic tube to be squeezed with the linear portion, and therefore the gap position between the roller and the tube holder can be adjusted by screw position adjustment or by using a gap washer (space washer) to accommodate differences in the thickness and material of the elastic tube, temperature, and external factors such as the season, air temperature, and fluid temperature, as well as performance and dimensional errors and changes in hardness of the individual elastic tubes.This tubing pump is characterized by being able to adjust the gap position evenly from the suction side to the discharge side of the fluid in the elastic tube.

3. A tubing pump characterized in that it is formed of an annular transmission part having a plurality of attachment portions that can be attached to the end surface of a roller shaft on which a plurality of rollers can be attached, such as a timing belt with two attachments instead of the conveyor chain with two attachments.

Images