Tube module
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure JP2026001648_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Tube module
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tube module in which a plurality of tubes are housed in a housing.
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a tube module in which a plurality of tubes are housed in a housing. This housing includes a housing body having an opening at one end face, and a lid portion to which both ends of the plurality of tubes are attached to close the opening of the housing body.
[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 029415
[0004] In the tube module described in Patent Document 1, the housing body and the lid portion are joined in a state where the end face on the opening side of the housing body abuts against the end face on the housing body side of the lid portion. Therefore, when manufacturing the tube module, the end face on the opening side of the housing body is abutted against the end face on the housing body side of the lid portion. At this time, there is a problem that a plurality of tubes are likely to be sandwiched between the housing body and the lid portion. Further, when manufacturing the tube module, it is difficult to position the housing body and the lid portion, and there is a problem that the housing body and the lid portion are likely to be displaced. Here, from the viewpoint of miniaturizing the tube module, it is preferable to join the housing body and the lid portion by welding. However, when the housing body and the lid portion are displaced, there is also a problem that it becomes difficult to weld the housing body and the lid portion.
[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a tube module that can suppress a plurality of tubes from being sandwiched between a housing body and a lid portion during manufacturing and can suppress displacement between the housing body and the lid portion.
[0006] [1] The tube module according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of tubes and a housing that houses the plurality of tubes. The housing has a housing body that extends in a tubular shape and has an opening at one end face, and a lid portion to which both ends of the plurality of tubes are attached to close the opening of the housing body. The housing body and the lid portion are welded in a state where the end portion of the lid portion is inserted into the opening of the housing body.
[0007] In this tube module, the end of the lid is inserted into the opening of the housing body, and the housing body and lid are welded together. This prevents multiple tubes from being pinched between the housing body and lid during manufacturing, and also prevents misalignment between the housing body and lid. As a result, a tube module can be produced in which pinching of multiple tubes between the housing body and lid is suppressed, and misalignment between the housing body and lid is suppressed.
[0008] To increase the rigidity of the welded joint between the housing body and the lid, it is conceivable to thicken the overlapping portion of the housing body and the lid. In this case, the overall housing space becomes smaller, but because the end of the lid is inserted into the opening of the housing body, meaning the housing body is positioned outside the end of the lid, the internal space of the housing body can be increased compared to the case where the positional relationship between the ends of the housing body and the lid is reversed. This allows more tubes, or longer tubes, to be housed in the housing.
[0009] [2] In the tube module described in [1], each of the plurality of tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid, the housing body has an opening for the outer tube space, which is the space outside the plurality of tubes inside the housing, to communicate with the outside of the housing, and the lid may have a first opening for the inner tube space and a second opening for the inner tube space, which is the space inside each of the plurality of tubes, to communicate with the outside of the housing. In this tube module, each of the plurality of tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid, the housing body has an opening for the outer tube space, which is the space outside the tubes, to communicate with the outside of the housing, and the lid has a first opening for the inner tube space and a second opening for the inner tube space, which is the space inside each of the plurality of tubes, to communicate with the outside of the housing. For this reason, the tube module can be used as an internal perfusion type or an external perfusion type degassing module or aeration module.
[0010] [3] In the tube module described in [1] or [2], the lid portion may have a locking surface that abuts against the end face on the opening side of the housing body, and an insertion portion that extends from the locking surface and is inserted into the opening. In this tube module, since the lid portion has a locking surface that abuts against the end face on the opening side of the housing body, and an insertion portion that extends from the locking surface and is inserted into the opening, the amount of insertion of the lid portion into the housing body can be restricted. In addition, by having a locking surface, the portion of the lid portion that protrudes from the opening of the housing body can be made to bulge. This makes it possible to reduce the step difference between the housing body and the lid portion on the outer surface of the housing.
[0011] [4] In the tube module described in any of [1] to [3], the inner surface of the housing body may have a recess into which the lid is fitted. In this tube module, because the inner surface of the housing body has a recess into which the lid is fitted, it is possible to prevent the housing from becoming too thick in the portion of the lid that is inserted into the opening of the housing body. In addition, the step difference between the housing body and the lid on the inner surface of the housing can be reduced.
[0012] [5] In the tube module described in any of [1] to [4], the housing has an outer surface that extends in a cylindrical shape, and the housing body has a first outer surface portion that forms part of the outer surface of the housing, and the first outer surface portion does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface. In this tube module, since the first outer surface portion of the housing body does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface, it becomes easier to handle a welding machine such as a heat gun that welds the housing body and the lid portion together.
[0013] [6] In the tube module described in any of [1] to [5], the housing has an outer surface that extends in a cylindrical shape, and the lid has a second outer surface that forms part of the outer surface of the housing, and the second outer surface does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface. In this tube module, since the second outer surface of the lid does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface, it becomes easier to handle a welding machine such as a heat gun that welds the housing body and the lid together.
[0014] [7] In the tube module described in any of [1] to [6], the housing has an outer surface that extends in a cylindrical shape, the housing body has a first outer surface portion that forms part of the outer surface of the housing, and the lid portion has a second outer surface portion that forms part of the outer surface of the housing, and the step between the first outer surface portion and the second outer surface portion may be 0.1 mm or less. In this tube module, since the step between the first outer surface portion of the housing body and the second outer surface portion of the lid portion is 0.1 mm or less, it becomes easier to handle a welding machine such as a heat gun that welds the housing body and the lid portion together.
[0015] According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent multiple tubes from being caught between the housing body and the lid during manufacturing, and to suppress misalignment between the housing body and the lid.
[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing an example of a tube module. Figure 2 is a schematic top view of the tube module shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic bottom view of the tube module shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a tube module. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of an example of a tube module. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the housing body shown in Figure 1. Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lid shown in Figure 1. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view enlarged from a part of Figure 4. Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line X-X shown in Figure 4. Figure 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI shown in Figure 4. Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a modified tube module.
[0017] The tube module of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The tube module of this embodiment will be described as an internal perfusion type tube module that degassses or adds gas to a liquid in vacuum mode, as an example. The liquid is not particularly limited, but examples include organic solvents and water. In all the figures, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.
[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing an example of a tube module. Figure 2 is a schematic top view of the tube module shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic bottom view of the tube module shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the tube module 1 comprises a tube unit 3 in which a plurality of tubes 2 are bound together at both ends 2a, 2a, and a housing 4 that houses the tube unit 3. The housing 4 houses the plurality of tubes 2 by housing the tube unit 3. The internal space of the housing 4 in which the tube unit 3 is housed is called the housing space S.
[0019] Each of the multiple tubes 2 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "tube 2") is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gases but impermeable to liquids. The membrane shape, morphology, etc., of tube 2 are not particularly limited. The material of tube 2 will be described later.
[0020] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a tube module. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of an example of a tube module. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tube unit 3 is constructed by fastening together the ends 2a, 2a of a plurality of tubes 2. That is, the tube unit 3 comprises a plurality of tubes 2 and a pair of fastening parts 5, 5 that fasten together one end 2a of the plurality of tubes 2 and the other end 2a of the plurality of tubes 2, respectively. The number of tubes 2 that make up the tube unit 3 is not particularly limited. The pair of fastening parts 5, 5 are also the parts that are attached to the housing 4. Since the pair of fastening parts 5, 5 have the same configuration, one of the fastening parts 5 will be described as representative below. However, the pair of fastening parts 5, 5 may have different configurations.
[0021] The binding section 5 binds the ends 2a of the multiple tubes 2 together. The binding section 5 comprises an outer cylinder 6 fitted onto each end 2a of the multiple tubes 2, and a sealing section 7 filled between each end 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6.
[0022] The outer cylinder 6 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and forms the outermost layer of the fastening portion 5. The outer cylinder 6 is the part that is attached to the housing 4.
[0023] The sealing portion 7 is filled between the ends 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6, sealing the space between the ends 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6. In other words, the sealing portion 7 is not filled in the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2, but rather in the spaces between the multiple tubes 2 and between the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6 (see Figure 6). Therefore, only the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2 is open from the end face of the sealing portion 7.
[0024] Tube 2 is, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of fluororesins such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ethylene copolymer resin) (ETFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), amorphous fluoropolymer (AF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polypropylene (PP), polymethylpentene (PMP), silicon, polyimide, and polyamide. An example of an amorphous fluoropolymer is Teflon® AF.
[0025] Among these, from the viewpoint of improving deaeration (air permeability), AF may be used as tube 2, for example. Also, from the viewpoint of improving workability and condensation prevention, PTFE, PFA, FEP, or PMP may be used as tube 2, for example.
[0026] Examples of materials for the outer cylinder 6 include fluororesins such as PFA and PTFE. Examples of materials for the sealing part 7 include fluororesins such as FEP and PFA.
[0027] The tube unit 3 has multiple cable ties 8. The cable ties 8 are also called Insulok (registered trademark), etc. The cable ties 8 have a head portion and a band portion extending from the head portion. Multiple teeth are formed on the band portion. The head portion has a ratchet mechanism into which the band portion is inserted and the teeth of the band portion are locked. When the band portion is inserted into the ratchet mechanism of the head portion, the teeth of the band portion are locked into the ratchet mechanism of the head portion, preventing the band portion from coming out of the ratchet mechanism.
[0028] The tube unit 3 has an annular portion 3a in which multiple tubes 2 are wound in a ring shape within the housing space S of the housing 4. Multiple tubes 2 extending from one binding portion 5 are bent to form an annular shape at the annular portion 3a, and then reach the other binding portion 5 from the annular portion 3a.
[0029] The binding band 8 binds multiple tubes 2 together at the annular portion 3a. For example, multiple binding bands 8 bind multiple tubes 2 together while being aligned along the annular portion 3a. As an example, four binding bands 8 are arranged at equal intervals along the annular portion 3a.
[0030] The material of the binding band 8 is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be nylon, polypropylene, fluororesin, elastomer, or stainless steel.
[0031] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the housing 4 extends in a cylindrical shape to accommodate the tube unit 3. This cylindrical shape can be any shape, but in this embodiment, as an example, it is formed in a cylindrical shape with a rounded rectangular cross-section. A rounded rectangular shape is also called a track shape or stadium shape, and refers to a shape in which a pair of opposing arcs are connected by a straight line, or a shape in which the four corners of a rectangle are rounded into arcs.
[0032] The housing 4 is formed by a cylindrical body portion 4a, a first end portion 4b located at one end of the body portion 4a, and a second end portion 4c located at the other end of the body portion 4a. The first end portion 4b closes one end of the body portion 4a, except for the opening 17 for the first tube internal space and the opening 18 for the second tube internal space, which will be described later. The second end portion 4c closes the other end of the body portion 4a, except for the opening 15 for the tube external space, which will be described later. The body portion 4a has a cylindrical outer surface 4d and an inner surface 4e. The outer surface 4d is the surface exposed to the outside of the housing 4. The inner surface 4e is the surface facing the housing space S of the housing 4. The outer surface 4d has a shape that does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface 4d. The outer surface 4d having no corners in the circumferential direction means that it is not bent in the circumferential direction of the outer surface 4d, but extends in a straight or curved shape. The inner surface 4e may have a shape that does not have corners in the circumferential direction, similar to the outer surface 4d.
[0033] The housing 4 comprises a housing body 11, a lid 12, a first connector 13, and a second connector 14. The housing space S of the housing 4 is divided by the multiple tubes 2 into an internal tube space S1, which is the space inside each of the multiple tubes 2, and an external tube space S2, which is the space outside the multiple tubes 2.
[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the housing body shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 7, the housing body 11 is a container for housing the tube unit 3. The housing body 11 extends in a cylindrical shape and has an opening 11b at one end face 11a. The housing body 11 has a first outer surface portion 11c that forms part of the outer surface 4d of the housing 4. The first outer surface portion 11c has a shape that does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface 4d. The housing body 11 also has a first inner surface portion 11d that forms part of the inner surface 4e of the housing 4. The first inner surface portion 11d may also have a shape that does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the inner surface 4e.
[0035] The housing body 11 has an opening 15 for the space outside the tube. The opening 15 for the space outside the tube is an opening that penetrates the inside and outside of the housing body 11 (housing 4) in order to connect the space outside the tube S2 inside the housing 4 to the outside of the housing 4. A first pipe 16 is joined to the housing body 11, which communicates with the space outside the tube S2 through the opening 15 for the space outside the tube. The first pipe 16 can be joined to the opening 15 for the space outside the tube by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc.
[0036] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lid shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 8, the lid 12 is a lid that is airtightly welded to the housing body 11 and closes the opening of the housing body 11. That is, the housing body 11 and the lid 12 are joined by welding. The welding of the housing body 11 and the lid 12 can be performed, for example, by heating and melting the parts to be welded together using a welding machine such as a heat gun. The lid 12 has a second outer surface portion 12a that forms part of the outer surface 4d of the housing 4. The second outer surface portion 12a has a shape that does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface 4d. The lid 12 also has a second inner surface portion 12b that forms part of the inner surface 4e of the housing 4. The second inner surface portion 12b may also have a shape that does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the inner surface 4e.
[0037] The lid portion 12 has an opening 17 for the internal space of the first tube and an opening 18 for the internal space of the second tube. The opening 17 for the internal space of the first tube and the opening 18 for the internal space of the second tube are openings that penetrate the inside and outside of the lid portion 12 (housing 4) in order to connect the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2 to the outside of the housing 4.
[0038] The first connector 13 and the second connector 14 are hermetically joined to the lid portion 12. The first connector 13 is fitted into the opening 17 for the internal space of the first tube and is hermetically joined to the lid portion 12. The second connector 14 is fitted into the opening 18 for the internal space of the second tube and is hermetically joined to the lid portion 12. The first connector 13 and the second connector 14 can be joined to the lid portion 12 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc.
[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the first connector 13 is airtightly joined to one of the binding portions 5 of the tube unit 3. Therefore, one end 2a of each of the multiple tubes 2 is attached to the lid portion 12 via the binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3 and the first connector 13. The first connector 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The first connector 13 has through holes 13a that connect the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2 to the outside of the housing 4. A second pipe 19 is joined to the first connector 13 through the through holes 13a, which connects to the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. The binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3 can be joined to the first connector 13 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc. The second pipe 19 can also be joined to the first connector 13 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc.
[0040] The second connector 14 is airtightly joined to the other binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3. Therefore, the other ends 2a of the multiple tubes 2 are attached to the lid portion 12 via the other binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3 and the second connector 14. The second connector 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The second connector 14 has through holes 14a that connect the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2 to the outside of the housing 4. A third pipe 20 is joined to the second connector 14 through the through holes 14a, communicating with the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. The other binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3 can be joined to the second connector 14 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc. The third pipe 20 can also be joined to the second connector 14 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc.
[0041] In the housing 4, the end of the lid portion 12 is inserted into the opening 11b of the housing body 11, and the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12 are welded together.
[0042] Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view that is an enlarged portion of Figure 4. Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X shown in Figure 4. Figure 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figures 4 and 9 to 11, a recess 11e into which the lid portion 12 is fitted is formed in the first inner surface portion 11d of the housing body 11. The first inner surface portion 11d is the surface of the housing body 11 on the side of the housing space S. The recess 11e is the portion where the first inner surface portion 11d is recessed toward the first outer surface portion 11c at the end of the housing body 11 on the opening 11b side. The inner shape of the housing body 11 is larger in the recess 11e. Also, the thickness of the housing body 11 is thinner in the recess 11e. Therefore, a step is formed at the boundary between the portion where the recess 11e is formed and the portion where the recess 11e is not formed.
[0043] The lid portion 12 has a locking surface 12c that abuts against the end surface 11a on the opening 11b side of the housing body 11, and an insertion portion 12d that extends from the locking surface 12c and is inserted into the opening 11b of the housing body 11. The outer shape of the lid portion 12 is smaller at the insertion portion 12d. As a result, a step is formed on the locking surface 12c of the lid portion 12. The insertion portion 12d is the end of the lid portion 12 on the housing body 11 side. The thickness of the lid portion 12 is thinner at the insertion portion 12d. Since the insertion portion 12d is inserted into the opening 11b of the housing body 11, the second outer surface portion 12a, which forms part of the outer surface 4d of the housing 4, is formed by the portion of the lid portion 12 opposite to the insertion portion 12d, with the locking surface 12c in between.
[0044] The step between the first outer surface portion 11c of the housing body 11 and the second outer surface portion 12a of the lid portion 12 is, for example, 0.1 mm or less, preferably 0.05 mm or less, more preferably 0.01 mm or less. When the first outer surface portion 11c is not a uniform surface or the second outer surface portion 12a is not a uniform surface, the step between the first outer surface portion 11c and the second outer surface portion 12a means the step between the most bulging portion of the first outer surface portion 11c and the most bulging portion of the second outer surface portion 12a. These ranges include the case where there is no step. The step between the first outer surface portion 11c of the housing body 11 and the second outer surface portion 12a of the lid portion 12 is, for example, the step on the outer surface 4d of the housing 4.
[0045] On the other hand, the step between the first inner surface portion 11d of the housing body 11 and the second inner surface portion 12b of the lid portion 12 is, for example, 1.5 mm or less, preferably 1.2 mm or less, more preferably 1.0 mm or less. When the first inner surface portion 11d is not a uniform surface or the second inner surface portion 12b is not a uniform surface, the step between the first inner surface portion 11d and the second inner surface portion 12b means the step between the most bulging portion of the first inner surface portion 11d and the most bulging portion of the second inner surface portion 12b. These ranges include the case where there is no step. The step between the first inner surface portion 11d of the housing body 11 and the second inner surface portion 12b of the lid portion 12 is, for example, the step on the inner surface 4e of the housing 4.
[0046] When degassing a liquid using the tube module 1, for example, a suction pump (not shown) is connected to the first tube 16. Then, while the suction pump connected to the first tube 16 sucks (vacuums) the space outside the tube S2, the liquid is supplied to the second tube 19 and the liquid is discharged from the third tube 20. The liquid supplied to the second tube 19 is then supplied from the opening 17 for the space inside the first tube to the space inside each of the multiple tubes 2, S1. As the liquid passes through the space inside each of the multiple tubes 2, dissolved gases, bubbles, and other gases in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This degasses the liquid. The degassed liquid is discharged from the opening 18 for the space inside the second tube to the third tube 20. The gases that have permeated through each of the multiple tubes 2 are sucked into the suction pump and discharged from the opening 15 for the space outside the tube to the first tube 16. Alternatively, the liquid may be supplied from the third tube 20 and discharged from the second tube 19.
[0047] When aerating a liquid using the tube module 1, for example, a pressure pump (not shown) is connected to the first tube 16. Then, while supplying gas to the space outside the tube S2 using the pressure pump connected to the first tube 16, liquid is supplied to the second tube 19 and the liquid is discharged from the third tube 20. As a result, the liquid supplied to the second tube 19 is supplied to the inner spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2 through the opening 17 for the inner space of the first tube. The gas supplied to the space outside the tube S2 is then added to the liquid supplied to the inner spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. This is how the liquid is aerated. Aeration of a liquid means adding gas to a liquid. The aerated liquid is discharged to the third tube 20 through the opening 18 for the inner space of the second tube. Alternatively, the liquid may be supplied from the third tube 20 and discharged from the second tube 19.
[0048] As described above, in the tube unit 3 of the present embodiment, since the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12 are welded in a state where the end portion of the lid portion 12 is inserted into the opening 11b of the housing body 11, it is possible to suppress the plurality of tubes 2 from being sandwiched between the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12 during manufacturing, and it is possible to suppress the positional deviation between the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12. As a result, it is possible to suppress the sandwiching of the plurality of tubes 2 between the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12, and to obtain the tube module 1 in which the positional deviation between the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12 is suppressed.
[0049] Here, in order to increase the rigidity of the welded portion between the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12, it is conceivable to provide a thickness to the overlapping portion of the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12. In this case, although the accommodation space S of the entire housing 4 becomes smaller, since the end portion of the lid portion 12 is inserted into the opening 11b of the housing body 11, that is, since the housing body 11 is disposed outside the end portion of the lid portion 12, the internal space of the housing body 11 can be made larger compared to the case where the positional relationship between the housing body 11 and the end portion of the lid portion 12 is reversed. As a result, more tubes 2 or longer tubes 2 can be accommodated in the housing 4.
[0050] Further, in this tube module 1, each of the plurality of tubes 2 is a tube-shaped film that allows gas to permeate but does not allow liquid to permeate. The housing body 11 has an outer tube space opening 15 for communicating the outer tube space S2 to the outside of the housing 4, and the lid portion 12 has a first inner tube space opening 17 and a second inner tube space opening 18 for communicating the inner tube space S1 of each of the plurality of tubes to the outside of the housing 4. Therefore, the tube module 1 can be used as an internal perfusion type or external perfusion type degassing module or aeration module.
[0051] Furthermore, in this tube module 1, the lid portion 12 has a locking surface 12c that abuts against the end face 11a on the opening 11b side of the housing body 11, and an insertion portion 12d that extends from the locking surface 12c and is inserted into the opening 11b. This allows the amount of insertion of the lid portion 12 into the housing body 11 to be restricted. Also, by having the locking surface 12c, the portion of the lid portion 12 that protrudes from the opening 11b of the housing body 11 can be made to bulge. This makes it possible to reduce the step difference between the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12 on the outer surface 4d of the housing 4.
[0052] Furthermore, in this tube module 1, the first inner surface portion 11d of the housing body 11 has a recess 11e into which the lid portion 12 is fitted, which prevents the housing 4 from becoming too thick in the portion of the lid portion 12 that is inserted into the opening 11b of the housing body 11. In addition, the step difference between the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12 on the inner surface 4e of the housing 4 can be reduced.
[0053] Furthermore, in this tube module 1, the first outer surface portion 11c of the housing body 11 does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface 4d, making it easier to handle welding machines such as heat guns that weld the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12.
[0054] Furthermore, in this tube module 1, the second outer surface portion 12a of the lid portion 12 does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface 4d, which makes it easier to handle welding machines such as heat guns that weld the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12 together.
[0055] Furthermore, in this tube module 1, the step difference between the first outer surface portion 11c of the housing body 11 and the second outer surface portion 12a of the lid portion 12 is 0.1 mm or less, preferably 0.05 mm or less, and more preferably 0.01 mm or less, which makes it easier to handle welding machines such as heat guns that weld the housing body 11 and the lid portion 12 together.
[0056] Furthermore, in this tube module 1, since the multiple tubes 2 are bound together by a binding band 8 in the annular section 3a where multiple tubes 2 are wound in a ring shape, the multiple tubes 2 can be easily and quickly bound together in the annular section 3a. This is particularly suitable when the tubes 2 are thin and easily bent, or when the diameter of the annular section 3a is small.
[0057] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above.
[0058] Although the tube module in the above embodiment was described as an internal perfusion type tube module that degassed the liquid using vacuum mode, the tube module may be either an internal perfusion type or an external perfusion type tube module, and the liquid may be degassed using either vacuum mode or sweep mode.
[0059] Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a modified tube module. The modified tube module 1A shown in Figure 12 is basically the same as the tube module 1 of the above embodiment, but differs from the tube module 1 of the above embodiment in that a first tube external space opening and a second tube external space opening are formed in the housing as openings for the space outside the tube.
[0060] As shown in Figure 12, the tube module 1A comprises a tube unit 3 and a housing 4A that houses the tube unit 3. The housing 4A comprises a housing body 11A, a lid 12, a first connector 13, and a second connector 14. The housing body 11A has a first tube outer space opening 22 and a second tube outer space opening 23 formed therein, instead of the tube outer space opening 15 of the housing body 11 in the first embodiment. The first tube outer space opening 22 and the second tube outer space opening 23 are openings that penetrate the inside and outside of the housing body 11A (housing 4A) in order to connect the tube outer space S2 inside the housing 4A to the outside of the housing 4A. The housing body 11A is joined to a fourth pipe 24 that communicates with the tube outer space S2 through the first tube outer space opening 22 and a fifth pipe 25 that communicates with the tube outer space S2 through the second tube outer space opening 23.
[0061] When degassing liquid in vacuum mode using the tube module 1A as an internal perfusion type tube module, for example, suction pumps (not shown) are connected to the fourth tube 24 and the fifth tube 25. Then, while the space outside the tube S2 is sucked (vacuum suction) by the suction pumps connected to the fourth tube 24 and the fifth tube 25, liquid is supplied to the second tube 19 and liquid is discharged from the third tube 20. As a result, the liquid supplied to the second tube 19 is supplied from the opening 17 for the first tube's internal space to the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. As the liquid passes through the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2, dissolved gases, bubbles, and other gases in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This causes the liquid to be degassed. The degassed liquid is discharged from the opening 18 for the second tube's internal space to the third tube 20. The gas that has permeated through each of the multiple tubes 2 is drawn in by a suction pump and discharged into the fourth tube 24 and fifth tube 25 through the opening 22 for the space outside the first tube and the opening 23 for the space outside the second tube.
[0062] When degassing liquid in sweep mode using the tube module 1A as an internal perfusion type tube module, for example, while supplying sweep gas from the fourth tube 24 to the opening 22 for the outer space of the first tube, liquid is supplied to the second tube 19 and the liquid is discharged from the third tube 20. The liquid supplied to the third tube 20 is then supplied from the opening 17 for the inner space of the first tube to the inner space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. As the liquid passes through the inner space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2, dissolved gases, bubbles, and other gases in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This causes the liquid to be degassed. The degassed liquid is discharged from the opening 18 for the inner space of the second tube to the third tube 20. The gases that have permeated through each of the multiple tubes 2 are swept away by the sweep gas supplied to the opening 22 for the outer space of the first tube and discharged from the opening 23 for the outer space of the second tube to the fifth tube 25.
[0063] When aeration of liquid is required in the tube module 1A as an internal perfusion type tube module, for example, a pressure pump (not shown) is connected to the fourth tube 24 and the fifth tube 25. Then, while supplying gas to the space outside the tube S2 using the pressure pump connected to the fourth tube 24 and the fifth tube 25, liquid is supplied to the second tube 19 and the liquid is discharged from the third tube 20. As a result, the liquid supplied to the second tube 19 is supplied to the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2 through the opening 17 for the internal space of the first tube. The gas supplied to the space outside the tube S2 then permeates through each of the multiple tubes 2 and is added to the liquid supplied to the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. This aeration of the liquid is performed. The aerated liquid is discharged to the third tube 20 through the opening 18 for the internal space of the second tube.
[0064] When using the tube module 1A as an external perfusion type tube module and degassing the liquid in vacuum mode, for example, suction pumps (not shown) are connected to the second tube 19 and the third tube 20. Then, while the internal space S1 of the tube is sucked (vacuum suction) by the suction pumps connected to the second tube 19 and the third tube 20, liquid is supplied to the fourth tube 24 and the liquid is discharged from the fifth tube 25. As a result, the liquid supplied to the fourth tube 24 is supplied to the external space S2 of the tube through the opening 22 for the external space of the first tube. As the liquid flows through the external space S2 of the tube, contacting the multiple tubes 2, gases such as dissolved gases and bubbles in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This causes the liquid to be degassed. The degassed liquid is discharged to the fifth tube 25 through the opening 23 for the external space of the second tube. The gas that has permeated through each of the multiple tubes 2 is drawn in by a suction pump and discharged into the second tube 19 and the third tube 20 through the opening 17 for the internal space of the first tube and the opening 18 for the internal space of the second tube.
[0065] When degassing liquid in sweep mode using the tube module 1A as an external perfusion type tube module, for example, while supplying sweep gas from the second tube 19 to the opening 17 for the internal space of the first tube, liquid is supplied to the fourth tube 24 and discharged from the fifth tube 25. As a result, the liquid supplied to the fourth tube 24 is supplied to the external space S2 of the tube from the opening 22 for the external space of the first tube. As the liquid flows through the external space S2 while contacting the multiple tubes 2, gases such as dissolved gases and bubbles in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This causes degassing of the liquid. The degassed liquid is discharged from the opening 23 for the external space of the second tube to the fifth tube 25. The gases that have permeated each of the multiple tubes 2 are swept by the sweep gas supplied to the opening 17 for the internal space of the first tube and discharged from the opening 18 for the internal space of the second tube to the third tube 20.
[0066] When aeration of liquid is required in the external perfusion type tube module 1A, for example, a pressure pump (not shown) is connected to the second tube 19 and the third tube 20. Then, while supplying gas to the tube internal space S1 using the pressure pump connected to the second tube 19 and the third tube 20, liquid is supplied to the fourth tube 24 and the liquid is discharged from the fifth tube 25. As a result, the liquid supplied to the fourth tube 24 is supplied to the tube external space S2 through the opening 22 for the first tube external space. As the liquid flows through the tube external space S2 while contacting the multiple tubes 2, the gas that has permeated through each of the multiple tubes 2 is added to the liquid. This aeration of the liquid is achieved. The aerated liquid is discharged to the fifth tube 25 through the opening 23 for the second tube external space.
[0067] 1...Tube module, 1A...Tube module, 2...Tube, 2a...End, 3...Tube unit, 3a...Annular part, 4...Housing, 4a...Body, 4b...First end, 4c...Second end, 4d...Outer surface, 4e...Inner surface, 4A...Housing, 5...Binding part, 6...Outer cylinder, 7...Sealing part, 8...Binding band, 11...Housing body, 11a...End face, 11b...Opening, 11c...First outer surface, 11d...First inner surface, 11e...Recess, 12...Lid, 12a...Second outer surface, 12b ...Second inner surface portion, 12c...locking surface, 12d...insertion portion (end), 13...first connector, 13a...through hole, 14...second connector, 14a...through hole, 15...opening for the space outside the tube, 16...first tube, 17...opening for the space inside the first tube, 18...opening for the space inside the second tube, 19...second tube, 20...third tube, 22...opening for the space outside the first tube, 23...opening for the space outside the second tube, 24...fourth tube, 25...fifth tube, S...accommodation space, S1...space inside the tube, S2...space outside the tube.
Claims
1. A tube module comprising a plurality of tubes and a housing for housing the plurality of tubes, wherein the housing has a housing body that extends in a cylindrical shape and has an opening at one end face, and a lid portion to which both ends of the plurality of tubes are attached and which closes the opening of the housing body, and the housing body and the lid portion are welded together with the ends of the lid portion inserted into the opening of the housing body.
2. The tube module according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid, the housing body has an opening for the outer tube space, which is the space outside the plurality of tubes inside the housing, to communicate with the outside of the housing, and the lid has a first opening for the inner tube space and a second opening for the inner tube space, which is the space inside each of the plurality of tubes, to communicate with the outside of the housing.
3. The tube module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lid portion has a locking surface that abuts against the end face of the housing body on the opening side, and an insertion portion that extends from the locking surface and is inserted into the opening.
4. The tube module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner surface of the housing body has a recess into which the lid is fitted.
5. The tube module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing has an outer surface extending in a cylindrical shape, the housing body has a first outer surface portion that forms a part of the outer surface of the housing, and the first outer surface portion does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface.
6. The tube module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing has an outer surface extending in a cylindrical shape, the lid has a second outer surface portion that forms a part of the outer surface of the housing, and the second outer surface portion does not have corners in the circumferential direction of the outer surface.
7. The tube module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing has an outer surface extending in a cylindrical shape, the housing body has a first outer surface portion that forms part of the outer surface of the housing, the lid portion has a second outer surface portion that forms part of the outer surface of the housing, and the difference in height between the first outer surface portion and the second outer surface portion is 0.1 mm or less.