Flexible Roller Assembly for Peristaltic Pump Tubing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Peristaltic pumps often impart unwanted flow and pressure pulsations and fail to properly compress tubing or elastomeric sheets due to the design of rotating roller heads.
Innovation Solution
A roller assembly with a central hub and flexible arms, each with a radial, arcuate, and bent section, featuring rollers that can move with respect to the central section, providing a parallel rolling surface for engaging polymer sheets or flexible tubing, and utilizing spring pins and pivots to maintain consistent contact and compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rotating roller heads are used to compress tubing or elastomeric sheet, then fluid can be moved through the pump, but the rollers fail to properly compress the tubing or elastomeric sheet and impart unwanted flow and pressure pulsations
Solution Approach 1:
The roller assembly incorporates flexible arms that allow the rollers to dynamically adjust their position and compression force. The arms can flex and pivot to accommodate variations in tubing position and elasticity, ensuring consistent compression throughout the pumping cycle. This dynamic adaptation eliminates the pulsations caused by rigid roller systems while maintaining continuous fluid flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state of the roller support structure from rigid to flexible. By using flexible arms with specific material properties and geometric configurations (radial, arcuate, and bent sections), the system allows controlled deformation that adapts the compression parameters to match the tubing characteristics, ensuring reliable compression without pulsations.
2Reliability
If rigid roller heads are used, then the structure is simple and stable, but the rollers cannot adapt to tubing variations and fail to maintain proper compression
Solution Approach 1:
The roller assembly uses flexible arms instead of rigid structures. These arms are designed with specific flexibility characteristics that allow them to bend and adapt to tubing variations while maintaining structural integrity. The flexible arms comprise radial, arcuate, and bent sections that work together to provide the necessary compliance for reliable compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller assembly is divided into multiple independent flexible arms, each capable of moving independently to adapt to local tubing conditions. This segmentation allows each arm to respond to specific variations in tubing position or elasticity without affecting the entire roller assembly, maintaining overall structural stability while providing localized adaptation.
3Reliability
If the rolling surface is not parallel to the central section, then the structure may be simpler, but the rollers cannot maintain consistent engagement with the tubing throughout arm travel
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible arms feature asymmetric geometry with radial, arcuate, and bent sections designed to achieve parallel alignment between the rolling surface and central section during operation. This asymmetric configuration compensates for the rotational movement of the arms, ensuring that the rolling surface remains parallel to the central section throughout the entire range of arm travel, maintaining consistent tubing engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The arm design incorporates three-dimensional geometric features (radial, arcuate, and bent sections) that work together to maintain the parallel relationship between the rolling surface and central section. By designing the arm geometry in multiple dimensions, the system achieves consistent engagement without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
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 solution ensures consistent and efficient fluid flow by maintaining proper compression and engagement with the tubing, reducing pulsations and improving the reliability of the peristaltic pump system.
Implementation Method 1
The arms may be flexible such that the rollers are capable of moving with respect to the central section when the arms flex
Implementation Method 2
The spring pin presses on the flat to bias the arm in an unpivoted position whereby the stop contacts the central section
Data Source
AI summary
A roller assembly comprises a central section with a hub; a plurality of arms coupled to the central section, each arm having a radial section, an arcuate section, and a bent section; and a plurality of rollers, one roller coupled to the bent section of each arm. The arms may be flexible such that the rollers are capable of moving with respect to the central section when the arms flex. The rolling surface of the rollers is arranged to engage a polymer sheet or flexible tubing throughout travel of the arms.