Peristaltic unit
The peristaltic unit addresses the issue of non-uniform peristalsis by using flange and pillar portions to maintain a consistent shape, ensuring efficient and uniform content conveyance and agitation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FUKOKU CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-01
AI Technical Summary
Existing peristaltic pumps face issues with large contents getting caught at the inlet and outlet, leading to decreased efficiency and potential clogging due to triangular-shaped openings and unrestricted deformation of the intermediate section, which affects the uniform application of peristalsis.
A peristaltic unit with an outer cylinder, inner cylinder, and pressure supply chamber, featuring flange portions, a cylindrical portion made of an elastic material, and pillar portions that restrict deformation, ensuring uniform peristalsis by shaping the inner cylinder into a substantially triangular cross-section throughout its axial direction.
The peristaltic unit efficiently conveys and stirs contents by uniformly imparting peristalsis, minimizing clogging and dead spaces, and enhancing the overall efficiency of content transport and agitation.
Smart Images
Figure 2026109045000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a peristaltic unit, and more particularly to a peristaltic unit that imparts peristalsis to the contents disposed therein.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conveyor that models the intestinal tract that performs peristaltic movement of the human body. This conveyor is a peristaltic pump composed of a plurality of pump units, and each pump unit includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder made of an elastic body disposed radially inside the outer cylinder, and an air chamber (pressure supply chamber) formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. By introducing compressed air into the air chamber to supply pressure, the inner cylinder is deformed toward the radially inner side thereof. On the other hand, by exhausting the compressed air from the air chamber to release the pressure, the inner cylinder is restored to its original cylindrical shape. Thereby, peristalsis is imparted to the contents disposed inside the inner cylinder.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In the pump unit described in Patent Document 1, a pair of upstream flange portions and downstream flange portions are connected to both ends in the axial direction of the outer cylinder. The openings of these respective flange portions are substantially triangular in shape. The inner cylinder is inserted through the substantially triangular openings of the respective flange portions of the outer cylinder. Thereby, when the inner cylinder is deformed toward the radially inner side, it is deformed into a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape along the shape of the openings of the respective flange portions of the outer cylinder. However, since the inlet (upstream side) and outlet (downstream side) of the outer cylinder and thus the inner cylinder are narrowed to a substantially triangular shape, particularly large contents are likely to be caught at the inlet and outlet of the inner cylinder, so there is a risk that the efficiency of transporting and stirring the contents will decrease.
[0005] Furthermore, the corners immediately adjacent to the inlet and outlet of the inner cylinder become dead spaces, and the contents may accumulate in these dead spaces, potentially further reducing the efficiency of conveying and agitating the contents. In addition, although the deformation of the inlet and outlet of the inner cylinder is restricted to a roughly triangular shape by the flanges of the outer cylinder, the deformation of the intermediate section between the inlet and outlet of the inner cylinder is not restricted to a roughly triangular shape and can deform freely. As a result, depending on the distribution of the contents placed in the inner cylinder, it may not be possible to properly impart peristalsis to the contents over the entire axial direction of the inner cylinder, potentially causing the contents to clog the inner cylinder and making it impossible to efficiently convey and agitate the contents.
[0006] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide a peristaltic unit that can appropriately impart peristalsis to the contents throughout its entire surface, thereby improving the efficiency of conveying and stirring the contents. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] To achieve the above objective, the peristaltic unit of the present invention comprises an outer cylinder having first openings at both ends in the axial direction, an inner cylinder disposed radially inside the outer cylinder, and a pressure supply chamber formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. The peristaltic unit imparts peristalsis to the contents disposed inside the inner cylinder by deforming radially inward when pressure is supplied to the pressure supply chamber, and restoring to its original cylindrical shape when the pressure in the pressure supply chamber is released. The inner cylinder has flange portions formed at both ends in the axial direction of the inner cylinder, a cylindrical portion made of an elastic material that extends in a cylindrical shape axially between a pair of flange portions and is capable of deformation and restoration, and a plurality of pillar portions that extend in a columnar shape axially between a pair of flange portions and restrict the deformation of the cylindrical portion. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] The peristaltic unit of the present invention can appropriately impart peristalsis to the contents throughout the entire area, thereby improving the efficiency of conveying and stirring the contents. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the peristaltic unit. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-section of the peristaltic unit. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the inner cylinder. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the inner cylinder from a different angle than Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the peristaltic unit as seen from direction AA in Figure 2. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal cross-section of the peristaltic unit when pressure is supplied to the pressure supply chamber. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the peristaltic unit as seen from the BB direction. [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a transport unit, which is made up of multiple peristaltic units connected together. [Figure 9] This is a side view of the inner sac containing the cells. [Figure 10] Figure 9 shows the configuration of a stirring unit that stirs the inner bag with multiple peristaltic units. [Figure 11] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a transport unit in another configuration, which is made up of multiple peristaltic units connected together. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] Hereinafter, a peristaltic unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the peristaltic unit 1, and Figure 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the peristaltic unit 1. The peristaltic unit 1 comprises an outer cylinder 2, an inner cylinder 4 arranged radially inside the outer cylinder 2, and a pressure supply chamber 6 (see Figure 2) formed between the inner cylinder 4 and the outer cylinder 2. The pressure supply chamber 6 is connected to a pressure control unit 10 via a tube 8. The pressure control unit 10 supplies a medium at a predetermined pressure, such as compressed air, to the pressure supply chamber 6 from a compressor (not shown) or the like at a predetermined timing.
[0011] Flange portions 12 are formed at both ends of the outer cylinder 2 in the axial direction X (the same direction as the axial direction of the inner cylinder 4). Each pair of flange portions 12 has an opening (first opening) 14. The opening 14 of the outer cylinder 2 is shaped in such a way as not to block the opening (second opening) 24 of the inner cylinder 4, which will be described later; in this embodiment, it is circular. The outer cylinder 2 is made of a material with a predetermined rigidity, such as a metal material like cast iron, and can also be made of a resin material if the peristaltic force applied to the contents is relatively small. Each flange portion 12 is connected to the flange portion 2a of the main body of the outer cylinder 2 by bolts 16 and nuts 17. Multiple peristaltic units 1 can be lined up along the axial direction X and connected by each bolt 16. This allows each peristaltic unit 1 to be connected in the axial direction X.
[0012] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the inner cylinder 4, and Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the inner cylinder 4 from a different angle than that shown in Figure 3. The inner cylinder 4 is composed of a pair of flange portions 18, a cylindrical portion 20, and a pillar portion 22. The flange portions 18 are formed with openings (second openings) 24 at both ends in the axial direction X of the inner cylinder 4. The cylindrical portion 20 extends in a cylindrical shape along the axial direction X between the pair of flange portions 18 and is made of an elastic material.
[0013] The material of the elastic body is preferably a thermosetting elastomer (rubber), and more specifically, natural rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, and the like can be mentioned. The pillar portion 22 is provided in a columnar shape extending in the axial direction X between the pair of flange portions 18, and a plurality of pillar portions 22 are provided to restrict deformation toward the radially inner side of the cylindrical portion 20. In the case of this embodiment, three pillar portions 22 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 20. Further, a bulging portion 18a is formed at the periphery of the outer surface of the flange portion 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the bulging portion 18a is fitted into an annular groove 12a formed on the inner surface of the flange portion 12 of the outer cylinder 4. Thereby, the inner cylinder 24 is positioned with respect to the outer cylinder 2, and pressure leakage from the pressure supply chamber 6 is prevented.
[0014] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the peristaltic unit as viewed from the A-A direction in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the cross-section of the cylindrical portion 20 and the openings 24 of the pair of flange portions 18 have a shape in which the three pillar portions 22 are the vertices of a substantially triangular cross-section and the portions corresponding to each side of the substantially triangular cross-section bulge outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 20. In other words, it has a shape close to the so-called "roulo triangle". Further, in the case of this embodiment, the flange portion 18 and the pillar portion 22 are integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 20 from the above-described elastic body, and in particular, the pillar portion 22 is formed as a rib 26 having a thickened elastic body in the cylindrical portion 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, this rib 26 has a shape protruding outward in the radial direction in the cylindrical portion 20.
[0015] FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the peristaltic unit 1 when pressure is supplied to the pressure supply chamber 6, and FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the peristaltic unit 1 as viewed from the B-B direction in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, compressed air is introduced from the pressure control unit 10 into the pressure supply chamber 6 as indicated by an arrow to supply pressure to the pressure supply chamber 6. Thereby, the cylindrical portion 20 is deformed toward the radially inner side thereof. However, as is clear from FIG. 7, the portion where the rib 26 of the cylindrical portion 20 exists is difficult to deform because it has higher rigidity than other portions of the cylindrical portion 20.
[0016] As a result, even if the openings 14 of the flange portions 12 of the outer cylinder 2 are circular, it is possible to deform the cylindrical portion 20 of the inner cylinder 4 into a substantially triangular shape in cross section with the diameter direction inward over the entire axial direction X. Next, by exhausting the compressed air from the pressure supply chamber 6 by the pressure control unit 10 to release the pressure, the cylindrical portion 20 is restored to the original cylindrical shape shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Thereby, peristalsis is imparted to the contents disposed in the hollow portion 28 of the inner cylinder 4.
[0017] FIG. 8 shows a configuration diagram of a transport unit 30 configured by connecting a plurality of peristaltic units 1. The transport unit 30 is a conveyor configured by connecting a plurality of peristaltic units 1 along the axial direction X at the flange portion 12 of the outer cylinder 2. The pressure supply and pressure release of each pressure supply chamber 6 of each peristaltic unit 1 are individually controlled by the pressure control unit 10. Specifically, as an example, the pressure control unit 10 supplies pressure to the pressure supply chamber 6 and releases the pressure from the pressure supply chamber 6 to each peristaltic unit 1 sequentially and alternately from the right side at a predetermined timing and a predetermined speed when modeling the intestinal tract that performs peristaltic movement of the human body.
[0018] As a result, the contents 32 introduced into the peristaltic unit 1 located on the rightmost side in FIG. 8 are sequentially conveyed in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 8 in each peristaltic unit 1 and are gradually broken down smaller by agitation. For example, when the contents 32 are livestock excrement, the small and broken excrement discharged from the leftmost peristaltic unit 1 is recovered as a residue and used as fertilizer. On the other hand, methane gas is generated by the agitation and decomposition of the excrement, and this methane gas is recovered and used as fuel.
[0019] Figure 9 shows a side view of an inner bag 36 containing cells 34, and Figure 10 shows a diagram of the configuration of a stirring unit 40 that stirs the inner bag of Figure 9 with multiple peristaltic units 1. The inner bag 36 is a flexible bag made of, for example, polyethylene or polypropylene, and contains a large number of cells 34 together with a culture medium 38. The stirring unit 40 is constructed by connecting multiple peristaltic units 1 along the axial direction X at the flange portion 12 of the outer cylinder 2 (three in the case of Figure 10). The pressure supply and pressure release of each pressure supply chamber 6 of each peristaltic unit 1 are individually controlled by the pressure control unit 10, similar to the case of the transport unit 30 described above. Specifically, the pressure control unit 10 supplies pressure to the pressure supply chamber 6 and releases pressure from the pressure supply chamber 6 at an appropriate timing and at a predetermined speed for each peristaltic unit 1.
[0020] More specifically, by slowly moving the cylindrical portion 20 of each peristaltic unit 1 up and down at the same time in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 10, the cells 34 in the culture medium 38 are gently kneaded, making it possible to homogenize the cells 34 while suppressing damage to the cells 34. This makes it easy to form spheroids, which are aggregates of many cells 34. Spheroids are spherical clumps of cells 34 that have gathered and aggregated due to adhesion factors secreted by the cells 34. When the cells 34 are stirred by rotating a stirring blade (not shown), the flow of the culture medium 38 around the stirring blade acts on the cells 34 with large shear stress, making the cells 34 susceptible to damage and making it difficult to form the desired spheroids. Kneading by the cylindrical portion 20 can minimize such shear stress.
[0021] Figure 11 shows a diagram of a transport unit 50 in another configuration, which is formed by connecting multiple peristaltic units 1. In this configuration, a continuous elastic tube 42, made of the same elastic material as the inner tube 4, is inserted through the inside of each inner tube 4 of each peristaltic unit 1. The elastic tube 42 is a continuous pipe without joints, and the contents 32, including the liquid 44 to be transported, pass through the inside of the elastic tube 42.
[0022] As described above, the peristaltic unit 1 of this embodiment comprises an outer cylinder 2, an inner cylinder 4, and a pressure supply chamber 6. When pressure is supplied to the pressure supply chamber 6, the inner cylinder 4 deforms radially inward, and when the pressure in the pressure supply chamber 6 is released, the inner cylinder 4 returns to its original cylindrical shape, thereby imparting peristalsis to the contents 32 placed inside the inner cylinder 4. The inner cylinder 4 has a pair of flange portions 18, a cylindrical portion 20, and a plurality of pillar portions 22. Each pillar portion 22 extends in a columnar shape along the axial direction X between the pair of flange portions 18, and restricts the deformation of the cylindrical portion 20.
[0023] The outer cylinder 2 has openings 14 at both ends in the axial direction X, and these openings 14 are shaped in such a way that they do not block the openings 24 of the inner cylinder 4. Therefore, when imparting peristalsis to the contents 32, the contents 32 do not get caught in the openings 14 of the outer cylinder 2, nor is a dead space formed in the immediate vicinity of the openings 14 that causes the contents 32 to accumulate. Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 20 of the inner cylinder 4 can be deformed radially inward over the entire axial direction X to a shape corresponding to the position of each pillar portion 22. Consequently, peristalsis can be appropriately imparted to the contents 32 placed in the hollow portion 28 of the inner cylinder 4 over the entire axial direction X, thereby improving the efficiency of conveying and stirring the contents 32.
[0024] Furthermore, three pillar sections 22 are provided at intervals around the circumferential direction of the cylindrical section 20, preferably three pillar sections provided at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the cylindrical section 20. As a result, the three pillar sections 22 can restrict the deformation of the cylindrical section 20 to a roughly triangular shape in cross-section over the entire area in the axial direction X. By deforming the cylindrical section 20 into a roughly triangular shape in cross-section in this way, the volume of the hollow section 28 of the inner cylinder 4 after deformation can be minimized as shown in Figure 7. Therefore, peristalsis can be efficiently imparted to the contents 32 in the inner cylinder 4, further improving the efficiency of conveying and stirring the contents 32.
[0025] Furthermore, the cross-section of the cylindrical portion 20 and the openings 24 of the pair of flange portions 18 of the inner cylinder 4 have a shape in which the three pillar portions 22 form the vertices of a roughly triangular cross-section, and the portions corresponding to each side of the roughly triangular cross-section bulge outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 20. This makes it easier to deform the cylindrical portion 20 into a roughly triangular cross-section when pressure is supplied to the pressure supply chamber 6. Consequently, peristalsis can be imparted to the contents 32 in the inner cylinder 4 more efficiently, thereby further improving the efficiency of conveying and stirring the contents 32.
[0026] Furthermore, the pillar portion 22 is formed integrally with the cylindrical portion 20 and is a rib 26 made of an elastic material with increased thickness in the cylindrical portion 20. This makes it easy to form the pillar portion 22 on the cylindrical portion 20, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the inner cylinder 4 and, consequently, the peristaltic unit 1. In addition, the rib 26 has a shape that protrudes radially outward in the cylindrical portion 20. This prevents the contents 32 placed in the hollow portion 28 inside the inner cylinder 4 from getting caught on the rib 26 and hindering the transport and agitation of the contents 32. Therefore, the efficiency of transporting and agitating the contents 32 can be further improved.
[0027] Furthermore, multiple peristaltic units 1 are connected along the axial direction X at the flange portion 12 of the outer cylinder 2, and the pressure supply and pressure release of each pressure supply chamber 6 of each peristaltic unit 1 are individually controlled by the pressure control unit 10. This makes it possible to form the transport unit 30 shown in Figure 8 and the stirring unit 40 shown in Figure 10. Thus, the peristaltic units 1 enable transport that models the peristaltic movement of the intestines of the human body, and the gentle stirring, similar to kneading by human hands, makes it possible to form ideal spheroids with minimal damage to the cells 34.
[0028] Furthermore, in the case of the transport unit 50 shown in Figure 11, a continuous elastic tube 42 made of an elastic material is inserted through the inside of each inner cylinder 4 of each peristaltic unit 1, and the contents 32 to be transported pass through the inside of the elastic tube 42. If the contents 32 is a liquid 44, or contains a liquid 44, leakage of the liquid may occur at the connecting parts of each peristaltic unit 1. In addition, at the connecting parts of each peristaltic unit 1, the peristaltic movement of the inner cylinder 4 may be insufficient, and the transfer of contents 32 between each peristaltic unit 1 may not be successful. However, the transport unit 50 can prevent the occurrence of these problems by transporting the contents through a continuous elastic tube 42 in each peristaltic unit 1.
[0029] This concludes the description of embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the number of pillar portions 22 is not limited to three, but can be set to two, four, or any number depending on the usage of the peristaltic unit 1. Also, the cylindrical portion 20 is not limited to a roughly triangular shape in cross-section, but can be deformed into various shapes depending on the number of pillar portions 22.
[0030] Furthermore, the pillar portion 22 and, consequently the rib 26, can take on various shapes. Specifically, the rib 26 is not limited to a shape that protrudes radially outward from the cylindrical portion 20, but may also protrude radially inward. Also, the pillar portion 22 is not limited to a rib 26 formed integrally with the cylindrical portion 20 by increasing the thickness of the elastic material, but may also be formed by embedding, for example, a metal wire within the cylindrical portion 20. [Explanation of symbols]
[0031] 1 Peristaltic Unit 2 Outer cylinder 4 Inner cylinder 6. Pressure supply chamber 10 Pressure control unit 14. Opening of the flange portion of the outer cylinder (first opening) 18 Flange portion of the inner cylinder 20 Cylindrical part 22 Pillar section 24. Opening of the flange portion of the inner cylinder (second opening) 26 Ribs 32 Contents X-axis direction
Claims
1. A peristaltic unit comprising an outer cylinder having first openings at both ends in the axial direction, an inner cylinder disposed radially inward of the outer cylinder, and a pressure supply chamber formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, wherein the inner cylinder deforms radially inward when pressure is supplied to the pressure supply chamber, and returns to its original cylindrical shape when the pressure in the pressure supply chamber is released, thereby imparting peristalsis to the contents disposed inside the inner cylinder, The inner cylinder is Flange portions formed at both ends in the axial direction of the inner cylinder, A cylindrical portion is provided between the pair of flange portions, extending in the axial direction, and is made of an elastic material that allows for deformation and restoration. A plurality of pillar portions are provided between the pair of flange portions, extending in a columnar shape along the axial direction, and restricting the deformation of the cylindrical portion. A peristaltic unit having [a certain characteristic].
2. The peristaltic unit according to claim 1, wherein three pillar portions are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion.
3. The peristaltic unit according to claim 2, wherein the cross-section of the cylindrical portion and the second opening of the pair of flange portions have a shape in which the three pillar portions form the vertices of a roughly triangular cross-section, and the portions corresponding to each side of the roughly triangular cross-section bulge outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion.
4. The peristaltic unit according to claim 3, wherein the pillar portion is formed integrally with the cylindrical portion and is a rib in the cylindrical portion that has increased thickness of the elastic body.
5. The peristaltic unit according to claim 4, wherein the rib has a shape that protrudes radially outward from the cylindrical portion.
6. The peristaltic units are connected in multiple ways along the axial direction in the outer cylinder. A peristaltic unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pressure supply and pressure release of each of the pressure supply chambers of a plurality of peristaltic units are individually controlled by a pressure control unit.
7. The peristaltic unit according to claim 6, wherein a continuous elastic tube made of an elastic material is inserted through the inside of the inner cylinder of each of the connected peristaltic units, and the contents to be transported pass through the inside of the elastic tube.