Sample Injector Arc-Sliding Mechanism Eliminates Elastic Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sample injectors for chromatography require complex mechanisms with many components, making them difficult to reassemble and maintain, and often suffer from issues like foreign matter infiltration and reduced wear life due to the use of elastic sealing members.
Innovation Solution
A sample injector design featuring arc-shaped outer peripheral surfaces on two members that can slide relative to each other, eliminating the need for high-precision rotary mechanisms and elastic sealing members by maintaining surface contact, allowing for simplified flow passage switching and accurate sample injection without complex components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a sliding motion mechanism is used to switch communication states among through holes, then flow passage switching is achieved, but a complicated high-precision elastic sealing member is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs arc-shaped outer peripheral surfaces on both the first and second members instead of flat surfaces. These curved surfaces enable relative sliding motion while maintaining continuous surface contact, eliminating the need for high-precision flat sliding surfaces and complex elastic sealing members. The curvature allows for more tolerant manufacturing while achieving reliable sealing during flow passage switching.
2Device complexity
If a complicated mechanism with many components is used, then flow passage switching function is achieved, but reassembly and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing function directly into the arc-shaped contact surfaces of the first and second members themselves, rather than using separate sealing components. This integration eliminates multiple parts and simplifies the overall structure, making the device easier to assemble and maintain while retaining the flow passage switching capability.
3Reliability
If elastic sealing members are used, then sealing is achieved, but foreign matter infiltration and reduced wear life occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the elastic sealing members from the system by using the arc-shaped contact surfaces of the first and second members themselves to provide sealing. This removal of elastic sealing components prevents foreign matter infiltration that would occur with sealing member degradation and eliminates the wear life limitations inherent in elastic materials.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention provides a sample injector for injecting a fixed amount of a sample into a mobile phase medium and discharging the mobile phase medium with the sample. The sample injector includes a first member having a medium passage for supplying the mobile phase medium and a sample passage for supplying the sample and a second member having a discharge passage for discharging the mobile phase medium with the sample to an outside of the injector. The second member is provided in contact with the first member. The first member and the second member are configured to move to a sample charging position and a sample injection position. The sample charging position is for the sample chamber to connect with the sample passage. The sample injection position is for the sample chamber to connect with the medium passage and the discharge passage.