Spring-Loaded Clamping Blade for Volumetric Pump Hose Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing infusion pumps often lead to uncontrolled 'free-flow' situations when the pump is opened, posing a risk to patients due to the need for manual closure of safety clamps, which can be forgotten, resulting in unintended flow of medication.
Innovation Solution
A volumetric pump with a hose clamping device featuring a spring-loaded clamping blade that automatically closes the hose when the pump door is opened, ensuring fluid flow is interrupted to prevent free-flow situations, utilizing a clamping jaw fixed to the pump housing and a door with a projection that interacts with the clamping blade to achieve this mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a manual safety clamp closure is required before opening the pump, then the user can control the flow rate, but the user may forget to close the safety clamp, resulting in a free-flow situation
Solution Approach 1:
The hose clamp is pre-configured in the open position during manufacturing, and the system automatically performs the clamping action when the door is opened, eliminating the need for the user to manually close the clamp beforehand
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the door opening motion itself to trigger the clamping mechanism, making the safety function self-activating without requiring separate user intervention or memory
2Reliability
If a separate tube clamp with pre-tensioning mechanism is used, then the clamp can be closed reliably, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hose clamp mechanism is integrated directly into the door structure of the pump housing, combining the door function with the clamping function into a single unified component
Solution Approach 2:
The complex pre-tensioning mechanism is eliminated by using the door opening motion itself to provide the necessary force for clamping, extracting the clamping function from its separate mechanical mechanism
3Ease of operation
If a roller clamp or safety clamp is manually operated, then the flow rate can be controlled, but the user may forget to operate it, endangering the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs the safety clamping function by utilizing the door opening motion, making the safety-critical action self-executing without relying on user memory or attention
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively prevents the harmful free-flow situation by automatically clamping the hose when the door opens, countering the potential danger before it can occur
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 effectively prevents free-flow situations by automatically clamping the hose when the pump door is opened, ensuring patient safety and simplifying the design by eliminating the need for movable parts in the clamp, allowing only the hose to be replaced while the clamp remains on the pump, thus reducing manufacturing complexity and error susceptibility.
Implementation Method 1
a pretensioning element, in particular an elastic element, by which the clamping blade is prestressed in the clamping direction
Implementation Method 2
One section of the clamping blade forms an engagement surface/engagement side, against which a projection (or cam/control curve) provided on the flap or door slides during a closing process, thereby exerting a moving force on the clamping blade that counteracts the spring preload
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a hose clamp device (1) of a volumetric pump with a pump housing (3), on which a flap or door (4) for closing a receiving space for a flexible hose (2) is hinged, in which a hose clamp (5) is arranged that is designed to release the hose (2) laid therein when the flap or door (4) is closed and to sealingly clamp the hose (2) when the flap or door (4) is open. According to the invention, the hose clamp (5) has a clamping bar (5) that is moveably mounted on the pump housing (3) and is spring-pretensioned in the clamping direction, which clamping bar forms on one section a clamping surface (5.2) that acts with a clamping jaw (3.1) that is part of the pump housing, and forms on another section an engaging surface (5.3) on which, during a closing operation, a projection (4.1) provided on the flap or door (4) slides such that a movement force is thereby applied to the clamping bar (5) counter to the spring pretension.