Conduit Control Device Airtight Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conduit control devices for endoscopes face challenges in maintaining a secure communication state between the suction conduit's upstream and downstream sections, leading to inefficiencies in suction operations due to gaps and material costs.
Innovation Solution
The conduit control device incorporates a cylinder member, a piston member with a button section, an attachment section with a through-hole, and elastic members to ensure airtight sealing and secure attachment, reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for adhesives and enhancing suction efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional conduit control device is used, then the structure is simple, but the airtight sealing is insufficient leading to suction amount reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into multiple functional segments: attachment section with elastic cylinder, piston member with shaft section, compression spring, and first/second elastic members. Each segment performs a specific sealing or actuation function, allowing the complex sealing requirement to be met through modular component design rather than a single complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic members (first elastic member and second elastic member) are flexible sealing components that deform to fill gaps between the piston member and attachment section, and between the attachment section and exterior, respectively. These flexible elements provide reliable airtight sealing without requiring rigid precision fits or complex sealing mechanisms.
2Strength
If adhesives are used for attachment, then the attachment strength is sufficient, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism replaces chemical bonding (adhesives) with a mechanical system consisting of the elastic cylinder and second elastic member. The second elastic member provides both attachment strength and sealing function through its elastic deformation, eliminating the need for adhesives and reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic members utilize changes in their physical parameters (elastic deformation) to achieve both attachment and sealing functions. The second elastic member deforms to provide attachment strength, while the first elastic member deforms to seal gaps, replacing the need for adhesive bonding with parameter-based mechanical functionality.
3Reliability
If the piston member is fixed in the cylinder member, then the communication switching is reliable, but the cleaning and disinfecting becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The piston member is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to slide within the attachment section. This dynamic design maintains reliable communication switching through the compression spring and elastic members while enabling easy removal for cleaning and disinfecting purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston member can be extracted from the attachment section for cleaning purposes. The detachable design allows the piston member to be removed, cleaned, and disinfected separately, then reinstalled to restore full functionality, addressing the cleaning accessibility requirement without compromising operational reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively switches the communication state of the suction conduit, maintaining airtightness and preventing suction amount reduction, while reducing material and machining costs through the use of self-adhesive elastic members and a detachable attachment system.
Implementation Method 1
a compression spring that urges the piston member in a direction in which the piston member projects from an opening of the cylinder member
Implementation Method 2
a compression spring suspended between the button section and the rigid cylinder, the compression spring urging the piston member with respect to the rigid cylinder in a direction in which the button section projects from the opening
Implementation Method 3
a first elastic member provided on the projecting direction side with respect to a position at which one end of the compression spring comes into contact in the button section, the first elastic member being brought into contact with a contact surface, which is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the rigid cylinder, and elastically deformed to thereby seal a gap between the attachment section and the piston member
Implementation Method 4
a second elastic member provided in a position of the elastic cylinder in contact with the exterior of the operation section, the second elastic member being brought into contact with the exterior and elastically deformed to thereby seal a gap between the attachment section and the exterior
Data Source
AI summary
A conduit control device includes a cylinder member, a piston member, an attachment section including a rigid cylinder, a compression spring, a first elastic member being brought into contact with a contact surface of the rigid cylinder and elastically deformed to thereby seal a gap in a state in which the piston member is depressed via the button section, and a second elastic member brought into contact with an exterior member and elastically deformed to thereby seal a gap in a state in which the piston member is depressed via the button section.