Rotating Bobbin Tube Clamp for Precise Flow Restriction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clamping mechanisms for flexible tubes in medical settings struggle to precisely control flow rates, often requiring significant deformation of the tube before a noticeable effect on flow is observed, and can cause strain on connections due to uneven grip strength and potential tube pulling.
Innovation Solution
A dual-bobbins mechanism with rotatable bobbins featuring tube-engaging surface portions that change shape around the circumference, allowing for precise control of flow restriction through axial rotation, combined with a translatable carrier to reduce friction and prevent tube pulling, and a synchronized rotation system for accurate flow management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual clamps squeeze the tube to restrict flow, then flow rate is reduced, but the tube must be deformed significantly (to about half its original diameter) before a noticeable effect on flow rate is observed
Solution Approach 1:
The tube-engaging surface portions have varying shapes around the circumference of each bobbin, creating different local compression characteristics. This allows the tube to be squeezed more effectively at specific locations, achieving noticeable flow restriction with less overall tube deformation compared to uniform compression clamps.
Solution Approach 2:
The bobbins are rotatable, allowing dynamic adjustment of the compression force and distribution. By rotating the bobbins, the tube-engaging surface portions can be positioned to optimize the squeezing action, enabling effective flow control with gradual tube deformation rather than requiring the tube to be compressed to half its original diameter.
2Productivity
If clamps apply strong grip to restrict flow, then flow control is improved, but strain on connections increases due to uneven grip strength and potential tube pulling
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping force is distributed across two separate bobbins with tube-engaging surface portions on each. This segmentation of the gripping function allows for more uniform force distribution on the tube, reducing concentrated stress points that would otherwise strain connections. The synchronized rotation of both bobbins ensures balanced compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube-engaging surface portions are designed to contact the tube at multiple points around its circumference, creating a more uniform pressure distribution. This equipotential approach to force application prevents localized high-stress areas that could pull on tube connections, while still achieving effective flow restriction through the distributed compression.
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
Enables fine-tuned control over flow rates, allowing for significant reduction or complete blockage of flow, while minimizing strain on connections and ensuring consistent operation in both directions, thus providing a more versatile and reliable clamping solution.
Implementation Method 1
the tube-engaging surface portions define boundaries of a free space between the bobbins through which a tube may extend, and wherein at least one tube-engaging surface portion has a shape that changes around at least part of a circumference of the bobbin, such that axial rotation of the bobbins reduces the free space to allow a tube provided in the free space to be squeezed
Data Source
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AI summary
A clamping mechanism (30) for clamping a flexible tube comprises two rotatable bobbins (22, 32), each with a tube-engaging surface portion (24) defining boundaries of a free space through which a tube may extend. The shape of the tube-engaging surface portion (24) changes around the bobbin circumference, such that axial rotation of the bobbins (22, 32) reduces the free space and thereby squeezes the tube. This allows the flow through the tube to be altered dependent on the rotation of the bobbins.