Pinch Valve

Abstract

To prevent a finger of a worker from being pinched by a movable member when a tube is attached to or detached from a tube insertion port in a pinch valve in which the tube insertion port provided at a holder body is opened or closed by the movable member.SOLUTION: A pinch valve 1 elastically deforms a tube 11 held by a tube holder 5 according to drive force applied by a drive part 2 to a passage opening / closing part 6 to control a fluid. In the tube holder 5, a tube insertion port 51g provided at a holder body 51 is opened / closed by a movable member 54 which is provided so as to be slidable relative to the holder body 51. While the movable member 54, which is placed in a closed position where the movable member 54 closes the tube insertion port 51g or an open position where the movable member 54 opens the tube insertion port 51g, is fixed to the tube holder 5, the tube holder 5 is provided with a lock part 10 which does not fix the movable member 54 which is not placed in the closed position or the open position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a pinch valve that controls a fluid by deforming a flexible tube. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a pinch valve that controls a fluid by deforming a flexible tube is described in Patent Document 1. In the pinch valve described in Patent Document 1, a cylindrical movable member is slidably disposed on the outside of a holder body having a tube insertion port. The movable member is biased by a compression spring in a direction to close the tube insertion port. When a user moves the movable member against the compression spring, the tube insertion port is opened so that the tube can be attached and detached. When the user releases the force applied to the movable member, the movable member is biased by the compression spring to automatically close the tube insertion port. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-108948 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional pinch valves, when an operator inserts or removes a tube into a tube insertion port, the movable member moves due to the biasing force of the compression spring, which can pinch the operator's fingers.

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to make it less likely that an operator's fingers will be pinched by a movable member in a pinch valve that opens and closes a tube insertion port provided in a holder body using a movable member when attaching or detaching a tube to the tube insertion port. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is (1) a pinch valve including a tube holder for holding a flexible tube, a flow path opening / closing section for crushing the tube held in the tube holder to open and close a flow path, and a drive section connected to the tube holder for applying a driving force to the flow path opening / closing section, wherein the tube holder is configured to include a holder body having the flow path opening / closing section built in and having a tube insertion opening through which the tube is inserted into the flow path opening / closing section, a movable member movably disposed relative to the holder body for opening and closing the tube insertion opening, and a locking section for fixing the movable member at a closed position for closing the tube insertion opening or at an open position for opening the tube insertion opening, but not fixing the movable member at the closed position or at a position different from the open position.

[0007] The pinch valve having the above configuration can use a locking portion to fix the movable member that is disposed in a closed position for closing the tube insertion port or in an open position for opening the tube insertion port, thereby restricting the movement of the movable member. On the other hand, when the movable member is not disposed in the closed position or the open position, the pinch valve cannot fix the movable member with the locking portion, and does not restrict the movement of the movable member. When the movable member is fixed in the closed position during use, such a pinch valve can prevent the tube from shifting its position or falling off the holder body by the movable member. Furthermore, when replacing a tube, for example, the pinch valve can prevent the operator's hand from being pinched by the movable member during tube replacement by fixing the movable member in the open position.

[0008] (2) In the pinch valve described in (1), it is preferable that the movable member is movable between the closed position and the open position by manual operation or by its own weight.

[0009] In the pinch valve of the above configuration, for example, a biasing spring that biases the movable member in the closing direction is not provided in the tube holder, so the movable member does not move against the operator's will, and the operator is less likely to have his or her fingers pinched by the movable member. Furthermore, no matter what position the pinch valve is installed in, the movable member can be fixed in the closed or open position by the locking portion, so that the same function as when a biasing spring is provided can be realized when using the pinch valve or replacing the tube.

[0010] (3) In the pinch valve described in (1) or (2), it is preferable that the tube holder has a rod member attached to the holder body and slidably holds the movable member, and the locking portion has an engaging member provided on the movable member so as to advance and retreat toward the rod member, a first engaging hole provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rod member and engaging with the engaging member when the movable member is positioned in the closed position, and a second engaging hole provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rod member and engaging with the engaging member when the movable member is positioned in the open position.

[0011] The pinch valve of the above configuration can fix the movable member in the closed or open position simply by moving the engagement member provided on the movable member back and forth to engage with the first engagement hole or the second engagement hole, thereby simplifying the structure of the locking section.

[0012] (4) In the pinch valve described in (3), it is preferable that one engaging member is provided on the movable member, the first engaging hole and the second engaging hole are arranged side by side in the direction in which the movable member slides, and the pinch valve has an anti-rotation portion that prevents the movable member from rotating.

[0013] In the pinch valve having the above configuration, the movable member is slid along the holder body while the anti-rotation portion prevents the movable member from rotating, thereby opening and closing the tube insertion port. In this case, the first engagement hole and the second engagement hole are arranged side by side in the sliding direction of the movable member. Therefore, when the movable member is slid to open and close the tube insertion port, the engagement member can be easily aligned with the first engagement hole and the second engagement hole.

[0014] (5) In the pinch valve described in any one of (1) to (4), it is preferable that the movable member is cylindrical, arranged to surround the holder body, and has a stopper portion that limits the movement of the movable member and prevents the movable member from separating from the holder body.

[0015] In the pinch valve having the above-described configuration, the stopper portion prevents the movable member from being separated from the holder body, so that the movable member can be prevented from being lost regardless of the orientation in which the pinch valve is installed. Effect of the Invention

[0016] The technology disclosed in this specification is a pinch valve that uses a movable member to open and close a tube insertion port provided in a holder body, and makes it less likely that an operator's fingers will be pinched by the movable member when attaching or detaching a tube to the tube insertion port. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pinch valve. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the pinch valve. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pinch valve. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the main part of the tube holder when in use. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a front view of the main part of the tube holder during tube replacement. [Figure 6] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4, showing a fully closed state. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 5, showing a fully open state. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side view of the main part of the tube holder when in use. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a side view of the main part of the tube holder during tube replacement. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification will be described below with reference to the drawings. This specification discloses a pinch valve that opens and closes a tube insertion port provided in a holder body by using a movable member.

[0019] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a pinch valve 1. The pinch valve 1 is used, for example, in a cell culture device. In the cell culture device, in order to prevent the controlled fluid to be cultured from being altered by contacting the external environment, the controlled fluid is passed through a tube 11, completely isolating the controlled fluid from the external environment. The tube 11 is a flexible tube made of a material such as silicon or elastomer.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the pinch valve 1 is disposed between the pressing member 3 and the pressure-receiving pin 4 with the tube 11 stretched straight. The pinch valve 1 controls the flow rate of the fluid by elastically deforming the tube 11 between the pressing member 3 and the pressure-receiving pin 4. In the pinch valve 1 of this embodiment, the flow path opening / closing section 6 is configured by the pressing member 3 and the pressure-receiving pin 4. The pinch valve 1 controls the flow rate using the flow path diameter of the tube 11, and therefore can control the flow rate with high precision. Therefore, by using the pinch valve 1, the cell culture device can control the flow rate of the control fluid with high precision without altering the quality of the control fluid.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the pinch valve 1 includes a drive unit 2 and a tube holder 5, which are connected via a bracket 35. As shown in the top view of FIG. 2, the bracket 35 is a rectangular metal plate, and is arranged to protrude laterally from the drive unit 2 and the tube holder 5. The pinch valve 1 is attached to an external device or an external member via the bracket 35. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the pinch valve 1 is installed in a position in which the drive unit 2 is on the upper side and the tube holder 5 is on the lower side. However, the pinch valve 1 is not limited to this, and may be installed in a position in which the tube holder 5 is on the upper side and the drive unit 2 is on the lower side, or may be installed in a position inclined at an angle.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, the drive unit 2 is an air-operated type drive source that is operated by operating air and applies a driving force to the flow path opening / closing unit 6. In the drive unit 2, a piston 25 is slidably mounted in a piston chamber 22 of a cylinder 21. The piston 25 airtightly divides the piston chamber 22 into a first chamber 23 and a second chamber 24. The cylinder 21 is provided with an operation port 27 and an intake / exhaust port 28. The operation port 27 is provided so as to communicate with the first chamber 23, and is connected to an operating air supply source (not shown). The intake / exhaust port 28 is provided so as to communicate with the second chamber 24, and is open to the atmosphere.

[0023] The compression spring 26 is compressed in the second chamber 24 and constantly applies a force toward the tube holder 5 (downward in the figure) to the piston 25. The piston rod 29 is slidably held in the cylinder 21. The piston rod 29 has an upper end connected to the piston 25 in the figure and a lower end protruding toward the tube holder 5 side.

[0024] The tube holder 5 detachably holds the tube 11. The tube holder 5 has a holder body 51, a rod member 52, a stopper member 53, and a movable member 54. In this embodiment, these members are made of resin, but they may be made of materials other than resin.

[0025] In the tube holder 5, the flow path opening / closing unit 6 is built into the holder body 51. The holder body 51 is provided with a tube insertion port 51g that guides the tube 11 to the flow path opening / closing unit 6. The movable member 54 is provided slidably relative to the holder body 51 so as to open and close the tube insertion port 51g. The movable member 54 is not biased by a biasing spring or the like, and can slide manually or by its own weight. The tube holder 5 is provided with a locking unit 10 that fixes the movable member 54 in a closed position where the tube insertion port 51g is closed, or in an open position where the tube insertion port 51g is opened.

[0026] The tube holder 5 will be described in detail. The holder body 51 is a cylindrical member having a hollow hole portion 51a, and is connected to the drive unit 2 via a bracket 35. The lower end portion of the piston rod 29 is disposed in the hollow hole portion 51a. The pressing member 3 is disposed inside the hollow hole portion 51a so as to be movable in the up-down direction in the figure, and is attached to the lower end portion of the piston rod 29 via an attachment member 30.

[0027] As shown in the rear view of FIG. 3, the holder body 51 is formed with a pressing member slide groove 51c along the axial direction from the end face located on the driving unit 2 side. As shown in FIG. 1, the pressing member 3 is substantially cylindrical, and a protruding portion 3c is provided on the outer circumferential surface. The protruding portion 3c is slidably mounted in the pressing member slide groove 51c, so that the pressing member 3 can stably move in the vertical direction in the figure together with the piston 25 via the piston rod 29. As shown in FIG. 3, the movable member 54 is provided with a window 54h for visually checking the position of the protruding portion 3c. Therefore, the operator can check the open / closed state of the pinch valve 1 based on the position of the protruding portion 3c.

[0028] 4 and 5, the lower end of the pressing member 3 in the figure (the end opposite the piston rod 29) is formed with a pair of inclined surfaces 3b, 3b and has a mountain shape that protrudes toward the pressure-receiving pin 4. The pressing member 3 is provided with a tube pressing portion 3a along the ridge where the pair of inclined surfaces 3b, 3b intersect. The tube pressing portion 3a is provided in an arc shape so as not to damage the tube 11 when it is crushed between the tube pressing portion 3a and the pressure-receiving pin 4.

[0029] 6 and 7, a pressure-receiving pin 4 is attached to the end of the holder body 51 opposite to the driving unit 2. The pressure-receiving pin 4 is disposed parallel to the tube pressing portion 3a of the pressing member 3.

[0030] 4 and 5, the holder body 51 has a pair of holding holes 51e, 51e provided at opposing positions so as to position the tube 11 in a direction perpendicular to the pressure-receiving pin 4 and the tube pressing portion 3a. As shown in Fig. 7, the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e are provided at positions corresponding to between the pressure-receiving pin 4 and the tube pressing portion 3a when the pressing member 3 has moved to a fully open position where it does not crush the tube 11. The pair of holding holes 51e, 51e are provided with a size that does not crush the tube 11.

[0031] As shown in the side views of Figs. 8 and 9, the holder body 51 has a tube insertion opening 51g formed in a slit shape. The tube insertion opening 51g is formed obliquely from a position closer to the drive unit 2 side than the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e toward the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e. The width of the tube insertion opening 51g is made smaller than the inner diameter of the holding hole 51e. This makes it difficult for the position of the tube 11 held by the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e to shift even if the pressing member 3 moves up and down in the figure to repeatedly open and close the pinch valve 1. As a result, the pinch valve 1 can repeatedly crush approximately the same position of the tube 11.

[0032] 6 and 7, the movable member 54 is cup-shaped and includes a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 54a and a closing portion 54b that closes one end opening of the peripheral wall portion 54a. The movable member 54 is disposed so as to cover the holder body 51 from the side opposite to the driving unit 2, and the peripheral wall portion 54a can be disposed along the outer periphery of the holder body 51.

[0033] 4 and 5, the movable member 54 is provided with a pair of notches 54m, 54m at positions corresponding to the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the pair of notches 54m, 54m are formed along the axial direction of the movable member 54 from the end of the movable member 54 located on the drive unit 2 side so as not to impede the opening and closing operation of the movable member 54 to open and close the tube insertion opening 51g.

[0034] 6 and 7, a rod member 52 is coaxially attached to a holder main body 51. The rod member 52 has a fitting portion 52b that fits into an opening (lower opening in the figure) located on the opposite side of the hollow hole portion 51a from the drive unit 2. The holder main body 51 is formed with a pressure receiving pin holding hole 51i that holds the pressure receiving pin 4. The rod member 52 is formed with a through hole 52i through which the pressure receiving pin 4 passes in a direction perpendicular to the axis. The rod member 52 is provided with a flange portion 52a on its outer circumferential surface for aligning the position of the through hole 52i with the pressure receiving pin holding hole 51i.

[0035] The pressure-receiving pin 4 is disposed penetrating the holder body 51 and the fitting portion 52b with the fitting portion 52b of the rod member 52 fitted into the hollow hole portion 51a of the holder body 51, and fixes the rod member 52 to the holder body 51. A recess 52c is provided in the center of the fitting portion 52b to expose the pressure-receiving pin 4 to the tube pressing portion 3a side. Therefore, the tube holder 5 can crush the tube 11 between the pressure-receiving pin 4 and the tube pressing portion 3a in the same way as when the rod member 52 is not provided.

[0036] An insertion hole 54c for slidably inserting the rod member 52 is formed in the closing portion 54b of the movable member 54. The movable member 54 is slidably held by the holder body 51 and the rod member 52, and can slide up and down in the figure.

[0037] The movable member 54 is fixed in the closed position shown in Fig. 6 or in the open position shown in Fig. 7 by the locking portion 10, and the sliding movement in the up and down directions in the figure is restricted. The locking portion 10 includes a captive screw 7, a first engagement hole 52e, and a second engagement hole 52f. The captive screw 7 is an example of an engagement member.

[0038] 6 and 7, the captive screw 7 is disposed so as to penetrate radially through the closing portion 54b of the movable member 54. A square nut 8 is insert-molded into the movable member 54. The captive screw 7 is screwed into the square nut 8. For example, an operator can move the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 forward and backward into the insertion hole 54c by holding the head 7b with his or her hand and rotating the captive screw 7.

[0039] The first engagement hole 52e and the second engagement hole 52f are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rod member 52. The first engagement hole 52e and the second engagement hole 52f are provided so as to be able to engage with the tip portion 7a of the fall-off prevention screw 7. The first engagement hole 52e and the second engagement hole 52f are provided side by side along the direction in which the movable member 54 slides (the axial direction of the rod member 52).

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, the first engagement hole 52e is provided at a position corresponding to the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 when the movable member 54 is disposed at the closed position. Thus, when the movable member 54 is disposed at the closed position, the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 is engaged with the first engagement hole 52e, thereby fixing the movable member 54 at the closed position. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the second engagement hole 52f is provided at a position corresponding to the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 when the movable member 54 is disposed at the open position. Thus, when the movable member 54 is disposed at the open position, the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 is engaged with the second engagement hole 52f, thereby fixing the movable member 54 at the open position.

[0041] As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the movable member 54 has a locking pin 9 fixed at a position facing the anti-fall-off screw 7. The locking pin 9 is arranged so that its tip protrudes from the insertion hole 54c. A slide groove 52h, into which the locking pin 9 is slidably engaged, is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rod member 52, and extends along the sliding direction of the movable member 54 (the axial direction of the rod member 52). This allows the movable member 54 to slide only in the up-down direction in the figure while being prevented from rotating. The locking pin 9 and the slide groove 52h are an example of a locking portion.

[0042] The stopper member 53 is attached integrally to the rod member 52 via a mounting screw 55. The stopper member 53 is disposed at a position where the peripheral wall portion 54a overlaps with the holder body 51 and where the movable member 54 is in a position where it restricts the movable member 54 from sliding in the opposite direction to the drive unit 2, when the movable member 54 is in a position where the tube insertion opening 51g is opened. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the stopper member 53 is a plate-like member formed to be larger than the insertion hole 54c of the movable member 54, and is attached to the end face of the rod member 52 located on the opposite side to the drive unit 2 by using a mounting screw 55. The stopper member 53 is an example of a stopper portion.

[0043] In this embodiment, the holder body 51 has a wall thickness of a portion 51d corresponding to the pair of holding holes 51e and the tube insertion opening 51g that is reduced by the wall thickness of the peripheral wall portion 54a of the movable member 54. As a result, the tube holder 5 has a compact structure, as shown in FIG. 6, with the movable member 54 not being disposed radially outward from the holder body 51.

[0044] Next, a procedure for the pinch valve 1 to control a fluid will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, when the first chamber 23 of the pinch valve 1 is not pressurized, the piston 25 is urged downward in the figure by the compression spring 26, and the pressing member 3 is pressed against the tube 11. The pressing member 3 crushes the tube 11 between the tube pressing portion 3a and the pressure-receiving pin 4. The tube 11 is crushed so that the inner wall is tightly attached. As a result, the pinch valve 1 is in a fully closed state that blocks the flow path formed by the tube 11, and the control fluid is not supplied to the downstream side.

[0045] When pinch valve 1 is changed from the fully closed state to the fully open state, operating air is supplied to first chamber 23 from operating port 27. When the internal pressure of first chamber 23 overcomes the biasing force of compression spring 26, piston 25 moves upward in the figure against compression spring 26, moving pressing member 3 in a direction away from pressure-receiving pin 4. When tube 11 is no longer pressed by pressing member 3, it is restored to its original shape by the elastic force of tube 11 and the fluid pressure of the control fluid, as shown in FIG. 7, for example. As a result, pinch valve 1 is fully opened and supplies control fluid to the downstream side at the maximum flow rate.

[0046] Note that the pinch valve 1 may be capable of adjusting the position of the pressing member 3 between the fully closed position shown in Fig. 6 and the fully open position shown in Fig. 7 by controlling the internal pressure of the first chamber 23. In other words, the pinch valve 1 may change the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 11 according to the position of the pressing member 3, and change the flow rate of the control fluid flowing between the tube pressing portion 3a and the pressure-receiving pin 4 (flow path opening / closing portion 6).

[0047] When the pinch valve 1 is fully closed, the operating air in the first chamber 23 is discharged through the operating port 27. The piston 25 is biased by the compression spring 26 to move downward in the figure, moving the pressing member 3 in a direction approaching the pressure-receiving pin 4. The tube 11 is crushed between the tube pressing portion 3a and the pressure-receiving pin 4 so as to bring the inner wall into close contact with each other, blocking the flow path. The pinch valve 1 can repeatedly perform the above-mentioned opening and closing operations in response to the operating air supplied to the drive portion 2.

[0048] For example, when the pinch valve 1 repeats a full-opening operation and a full-closing operation, the tube 11 suddenly changes shape due to the elastic force of the tube 11 and the pressure of the control fluid. In this case, the tube 11 may try to move from the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e toward the tube insertion opening 51g due to the repulsive force generated when the tube 11 is deformed.

[0049] When the pinch valve 1 is in use, the movable member 54 is fixed in the closed position by the locking portion 10 as shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, even if the edges of the pair of notches 54m, 54m receive force from the tube 11, the movable member 54 does not move from the closed position, and the edges of the pair of notches 54m, 54m continue to be positioned above the tube insertion opening 51g. As a result, the tube 11 is unlikely to shift from the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e toward the tube insertion opening 51g, and does not fall off from the tube insertion opening 51g.

[0050] Next, a description will be given of a procedure for replacing the tube 11 attached to the pinch valve 1. As shown in Fig. 6, in the pinch valve 1, when the tip portion 7a of the fall-prevention screw 7 is engaged with the first engagement hole 52e and the movable member 54 is disposed in the closed position, the tube 11 cannot be removed from the holder body 51.

[0051] Therefore, the operator pinches the head 7b of the captive screw 7 by hand and rotates it to release the engagement between the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 and the first engagement hole 52e. When the pinch valve 1 is arranged with the drive unit 2 on the upper side and the tube holder 5 on the lower side, when the operator releases the captive screw 7, the movable member 54 slides in the falling direction due to its own weight. As shown in FIG. 7, the movable member 54 is engaged with the stopper member 53 before being separated from the holder body 51, and is positioned in the open position. The movable member 54 slides by the amount necessary to open and close the tube insertion port 51g.

[0052] The movable member 54 slides from the closed position to the open position while being prevented from rotating by the slide groove 52h and the anti-rotation pin 9. Therefore, when the movable member 54 moves to the open position where it is locked by the stopper member 53, the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 is automatically aligned to a position corresponding to the second engagement hole 52f. The worker manually rotates the captive screw 7 to screw it into the square nut 8, and engages the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 with the second engagement hole 52f. At this time, since the movable member 54 is prevented from rotating, it is easy to engage the captive screw 7 with the second engagement hole 52f. As a result, the movable member 54 is fixed to the rod member 52 at the open position, and the sliding movement is restricted.

[0053] The worker fully opens the pinch valve 1 and places the pressing member 3 in the fully open position shown in FIG. 7. The worker holds the existing tube 11 with his / her hands on both sides of the tube holder 5 and removes the tube 11 from the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e through the tube insertion port 51g. The worker then inserts a new tube 11 into the pair of holding holes 51e, 51e through the tube insertion port 51g. During the replacement of the tube 11, the movable member 54 is fixed in the open position by the locking portion 10. Therefore, the worker's fingers will not be pinched by the movable member 54 when replacing the tube 11.

[0054] After the tube replacement is completed, the worker turns the captive screw 7 by hand to release the engagement between the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 and the second engagement hole 52f. The movable member 54 is not biased toward the closed position by a biasing spring or the like. Therefore, the worker manually slides the movable member 54 to a position where the closing portion 54b of the movable member 54 abuts against the holder body 51. This causes the movable member 54 to move from the open position shown in FIG. 7 to the closed position shown in FIG. 6. Since the movable member 54 is not biased in the closing direction by, for example, a biasing spring, the fingers of the worker are unlikely to be pinched by the movable member 54 when the movable member 54 is returned to the closed position.

[0055] The movable member 54 slides from the open position to the closed position while being prevented from rotating by the slide groove 52h and the anti-rotation pin 9. Therefore, when the movable member 54 moves to the closed position where it is locked by the holder body 51, the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 is automatically aligned to a position corresponding to the first engagement hole 52e. The operator manually rotates the captive screw 7 to screw it into the square nut 8, and engages the tip 7a of the captive screw 7 with the first engagement hole 52e. As a result, the movable member 54 is fixed to the rod member 52 at the closed position, and the sliding movement is restricted. After the movable member 54 is fixed to the closed position, the operator fully closes the pinch valve 1. This completes the replacement of the tube 11.

[0056] As described above, the pinch valve 1 of the present embodiment can use the locking unit 10 to fix the movable member 54, which is disposed in a closed position for closing the tube insertion port 51g, or in an open position for opening the tube insertion port 51g, thereby restricting the sliding movement of the movable member 54. On the other hand, when the movable member 54 is not disposed in the closed position or the open position, the pinch valve 1 cannot fix the movable member 54 by the locking unit 10, and does not restrict the sliding movement of the movable member 54. In such a pinch valve 1, if the movable member 54 is fixed in the closed position during use, the movable member 54 can prevent the tube 11 from shifting its position or from falling off the holder body 51. In addition, for example, when replacing the tube 11, by fixing the movable member 54 in the open position, it is possible to prevent the operator's hand from being pinched by the movable member 54 during tube replacement.

[0057] The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be applied in various ways. For example, the pinch valve 1 may be applied to devices other than cell culture devices, such as food manufacturing devices and medical devices. The driving unit 2 of the pinch valve 1 is not limited to an air-operated type driving source, and may be a solenoid type driving source.

[0058] Furthermore, movable member 54 may have a shape other than a cup shape, such as a semicircular shape or a cylindrical shape, as long as the shape enables tube insertion opening 51g to be opened and closed. However, by making movable member 54 cup-shaped, the structure for opening and closing tube insertion opening 51g, the structure of locking section 10, and the structure for stopping movable member 54 at the closed position or the open / closed position can be simplified.

[0059] Also, the movable member 54 may be held to be swingable relative to the holder body 51 and open and close the tube insertion opening 51g. However, if the movable member 54 is provided to be slidable relative to the holder body 51 and opens and closes the tube insertion opening 51g, the structure for moving the movable member 54 can be made simple and compact. As a result, the pinch valve 1 can be made compact.

[0060] Furthermore, the captive screw 7 may be a member that does not have a screw, such as a lock pin, or a screw member that does not have a captive function. However, if the captive screw 7 is used, it is possible to prevent the engagement member from being lost when the movable member 54 is fixed or released. Also, the worker can fix or release the movable member 54 without using tools.

[0061] Also, the tube holder 5 may include a biasing spring that biases the movable member 54 toward the closed position, and the movable member 54 may automatically slide from the open position to the closed position. In this case, too, if the movable member 54 is moved to the open position against the biasing spring and then fixed to the open position using the locking portion 10, it is possible to prevent the fingers of the operator from being pinched by the movable member 54 during replacement of the tube 11. If the movable member 54 is biased by the biasing spring to be disposed at the closed position and the movable member 54 is fixed to the closed position using the locking portion 10, it is possible to prevent, for example, the movable member 54 from moving during use of the pinch valve 1, causing the tube 11 to shift in position or to fall off the tube insertion port 51g.

[0062] However, by omitting the biasing spring from the tube holder 5, the movable member 54 will not move against the operator's will, and the operator's fingers are less likely to be pinched by the movable member 54. Furthermore, no matter what position the pinch valve 1 is installed in, the movable member 54 can be fixed in the closed or open position by the locking portion 10, so that the same function as when the pinch valve 1 has a biasing spring can be achieved when using the pinch valve 1 or replacing the tube.

[0063] The structure of the locking portion 10 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the first engagement hole 52e and the second engagement hole 52f may be a first storage hole that stores the first engagement pin and a second storage hole that stores the second engagement pin. The first storage hole and the second storage hole may each have a biasing spring that biases the first engagement pin and the second engagement pin in a direction that protrudes from the surface of the rod member 52. On the other hand, the movable member 54 may have an engagement hole that engages with the first engagement pin or the second engagement pin on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 54c instead of the drop-out prevention screw 7, and the first engagement pin may engage with the engagement hole when in the closed position, and the second engagement pin may engage with the engagement hole when in the open position. When the movable member 54 slides between the closed position and the open position, the first engagement pin and the second engagement pin may retreat into the first storage hole and the second storage hole, respectively, against the biasing spring. However, by providing the anti-fall-off screw 7 on the movable member 54 and providing the first engagement hole 52e and the second engagement hole 52f on the rod member 52, the structure of the lock portion 10 can be simplified.

[0064] Furthermore, the movable member 54 may be provided with a first engagement member engageable with the first engagement hole 52e and a second engagement member engageable with the second engagement hole 52f, instead of the fall-off prevention screw 7. However, if the movable member 54 is provided with only one fall-off prevention screw 7 and the first engagement hole 52e and the second engagement hole 52f are arranged side by side in the sliding direction of the movable member 54, it is possible to reduce the number of parts constituting the locking unit 10 and to simplify the structure of the locking unit 10.

[0065] Also, the anti-rotation pin 9 and the slide groove 52h may be omitted. However, by using the anti-rotation pin 9 and the slide groove 52h to prevent the movable member 54 from rotating, the pinch valve 1 can easily align the anti-fall-out screw 7 with the first engagement hole 52e and the second engagement hole 52f when the movable member 54 opens and closes the tube insertion port 51g.

[0066] Also, the stopper member 53 may be omitted. However, the tube holder 5 has the stopper member 53 fixed to the rod member 52, and the movable member 54 is prevented from being separated from the holder body 51, so that the movable member 54 can be prevented from being lost regardless of the posture in which the pinch valve 1 is installed.

[0067] Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the technology disclosed in this specification, the procedure for replacing the tube 11 and the procedure for controlling the operation of controlling the fluid are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the pinch valve 1 is not limited to the normally closed type as in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be a normally open type in which the compression spring 26 is arranged in the first chamber 23 and the compression spring 26 is not arranged in the second chamber 24. In this case, it is preferable that the intake and exhaust port communicates with the first chamber 23 and the operation port communicates with the second chamber 24. When the pinch valve 1 is of the normally open type, it is not necessary to move the position of the pressing member 3 using operation air or the like when replacing the tube 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Pinch Valve 5 Tube Holder 6 Flow passage opening and closing section 10 Lock Section 11 Tube 51 Holder body 51g tube insertion port 54 Movable parts

Claims

1. A pinch valve comprising: a tube holder for holding a flexible tube; a flow path opening and closing unit for opening and closing a flow path by squeezing the tube held by the tube holder; and a drive unit connected to the tube holder for applying a drive force to the flow path opening and closing unit, The tube holder includes: a holder body incorporating the flow path opening and closing part and having a tube insertion port formed in the flow path opening and closing part through which the tube is inserted; a movable member that is movably provided with respect to the holder body and that opens and closes the tube insertion opening; a locking section which fixes the movable member at a closing position where the tube insertion port is closed or at an opening position where the tube insertion port is opened, and which does not fix the movable member at a position other than the closing position and the opening position, thereby preventing an operator's fingers from being pinched by the movable member when the operator holds the tube with his / her hand to attach or detach the tube to or from the tube insertion port of the tube holder; having A pinch valve configured as follows.

2. A pinch valve comprising: a tube holder for holding a flexible tube; a flow path opening / closing unit for opening and closing a flow path by compressing the tube held by the tube holder; and a drive unit connected to the tube holder for applying a drive force to the flow path opening / closing unit, The tube holder includes: a holder body incorporating the flow path opening and closing part and having a tube insertion port formed in the flow path opening and closing part through which the tube is inserted; a movable member that is movably provided with respect to the holder body and that opens and closes the tube insertion opening; a locking portion that fixes the movable member at a closing position where the tube insertion opening is closed or at an opening position where the tube insertion opening is opened, but does not fix the movable member at a position other than the closing position and the opening position; having the tube holder has a rod member attached to the holder body and configured to slidably hold the movable member, The lock portion is an engaging member provided on the movable member so as to advance and retreat toward the rod member; a first engagement hole provided on an outer circumferential surface of the rod member and adapted to engage with the engagement member when the movable member is disposed at the closed position; a second engagement hole provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rod member and engaging with the engagement member when the movable member is disposed at the open position; having A pinch valve configured as follows.

3. The pinch valve according to claim 2, The movable member is provided with one engaging member, The first engagement hole and the second engagement hole are provided side by side in a direction in which the movable member slides, A rotation stopper portion is provided to prevent the movable member from rotating. A pinch valve configured as follows.

4. A pinch valve comprising: a tube holder for holding a flexible tube; a flow path opening / closing unit for opening and closing a flow path by compressing the tube held by the tube holder; and a drive unit connected to the tube holder for applying a drive force to the flow path opening / closing unit, The tube holder includes: a holder body incorporating the flow path opening and closing part and having a tube insertion port formed in the flow path opening and closing part through which the tube is inserted; a movable member that is movably provided with respect to the holder body and that opens and closes the tube insertion opening; a locking portion that fixes the movable member at a closing position where the tube insertion opening is closed or at an opening position where the tube insertion opening is opened, but does not fix the movable member at a position other than the closing position and the opening position; having The movable member is provided in a cylindrical shape and disposed so as to surround the holder main body, a stopper portion that limits the movement of the movable member to prevent the movable member from being separated from the holder body; A pinch valve configured as follows.

5. A pinch valve according to claim 2 or claim 3, The movable member is provided in a cylindrical shape and disposed so as to surround the holder main body, a stopper portion that limits the movement of the movable member to prevent the movable member from being separated from the holder body; A pinch valve configured as follows.

6. In the pinch valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The movable member is movable between the closed position and the open position by manual operation or by its own weight. A pinch valve configured as follows.

Images