Particle Evaluation Device with Wider Drive Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for observing particles in liquids face issues with particle adhesion to drive members, hindering automatic observation and requiring significant maintenance burdens due to the crushing and adhering of particles during up-down movement.
Innovation Solution
A device with a main body member, flow channels, and drive members that are wider than the flow channels, allowing for up-down driving to maintain a suitable gap and prevent particle adhesion, along with an imaging system for capturing particle images within the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If drive members are moved up and down to adjust gap for particle observation, then observation capability is improved, but particles adhere to drive members requiring maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional up-down movement of drive members to a left-right movement. This inversion changes the direction of particle compression, causing particles to be pushed toward the flow channel inlet rather than adhering to the drive member surfaces, thereby eliminating the maintenance burden while preserving observation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of particle compression (which causes adhesion) into a beneficial effect by changing the movement direction. The compression force that previously caused adhesion now pushes particles toward the inlet, preventing adhesion and enabling continuous operation without maintenance
2Object-generated harmful factors
If drive members are made wider than flow channels to prevent particle adhesion, then particle adhesion is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the drive member function with the particle guidance function. By making drive members wider than the flow channel and moving them left-right, the drive members simultaneously drive the liquid flow and guide particles away from adhesion zones, achieving multiple functions with a single structural feature without significantly increasing device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a device for evaluating particles in a liquid, which is provided with: a main body member that has a first opening part and a second opening part, which face each other, and an internal hollow part; a first flow path and a second flow path, which are connected to the main body member and are in communication with the hollow part; a first drive member and a second drive member, which are arranged within the hollow part so as to face each other and which are slidable within the hollow part; a drive means which drives the first drive member and/or the second drive member in the facing direction within the hollow part; a liquid supply means which introduces a liquid containing particles into the hollow part through the first flow path; and an imaging means which captures an image of particles within the hollow part through the first opening part or the second opening part. This device for evaluating particles in a liquid is configured such that in cases where the first drive member and the second drive member are observed from the facing direction, the first drive member and the second drive member have portions that are wider than the first flow path and the second flow path.