U.S. patent application number 11/574646 was filed with the patent office on 2008-04-10 for peristaltic pump.
This patent application is currently assigned to ISMATEC SA LABORATORIUMSTECHNIK. Invention is credited to Charles Carr, David Imboden, Stephan Michels.
Application Number | 20080085200 11/574646 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35044712 |
Filed Date | 2008-04-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080085200 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Michels; Stephan ; et
al. |
April 10, 2008 |
Peristaltic Pump
Abstract
The peristaltic pump is provided with a two-piece housing (2,
3), in which a conveying member (1) as well as a pump tubing
section (6) squeezable by the conveying member is received. For
fixing the pump tubing section (6) in the housing (2, 3), a tubing
holder (4) is provided. Further provided is a connecting element
(5) provided with duct shaped connecting sockets (14a, 14b) for
connecting tubing sections (15a, 15b). For connecting the pump
tubing section (6) to the tubing holder (4), the two ends of the
particular pump tubing section (6) are fixed in receptacles (10a,
10b) of the tubing holder (4), which positively enclose the outside
of the pump tubing section (6). The connecting element (5) is fixed
to the tubing holder (4) by means of a snap-on connection. Thereby,
the connecting sockets (14a, 14b) thereof are sealingly connected
to the particular pump tubing section (6).
Inventors: |
Michels; Stephan; (Dinhard,
CH) ; Carr; Charles; (Battleground, WA) ;
Imboden; David; (Dubendorf, CH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MAGINOT, MOORE & BECK, LLP;CHASE TOWER
111 MONUMENT CIRCLE, SUITE 3250
INDIANAPOLIS
IN
46204
US
|
Assignee: |
ISMATEC SA
LABORATORIUMSTECHNIK
Glattbrugg
CH
|
Family ID: |
35044712 |
Appl. No.: |
11/574646 |
Filed: |
September 2, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
September 2, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CH05/00522 |
371 Date: |
October 15, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/477.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 43/1292 20130101;
F04B 43/1253 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/477.1 |
International
Class: |
F04B 43/12 20060101
F04B043/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 3, 2004 |
CH |
1462/04 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. Peristaltic pump, having a conveying member (1) received in a
housing (2, 3), and having at least one flexible pump tube section
(6) being squeezable by said conveying member (1) for peristalticly
conveying a medium, said pump comprising a tubing holder (4)
adapted to be attached to the housing (2) to which the pump tube
section (6) is attached, said tubing holder (4) having at least one
connecting element (5) for connecting tubing sections (15a, 15b)
for fluid communication with the pump tube section (6), said at
least one connecting element (5) including connecting sockets (14a,
14b) configured for sealing connection with the pump tube section
(6) upon connecting the connecting element (5) to the pump tube
section (6).
15. The peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein said tubing
holder (4) is provided with hollow cylindrical or conical
receptacles (10a, 10b), to which corresponding end portions (6a,
6b) of the pump tubing section (6) are connected and positively
and/or non-positively enclosed.
16. The peristaltic pump according to claim 15, wherein said
connecting element (5) is provided with duct shaped extension
members (13a, 13b) that are configured to penetrate said
corresponding end portions (6a, 6b) of the pump tubing section (6)
and are further configured to radially load said end portions upon
connecting the connecting element (5) to the tubing holder (4).
17. The peristaltic pump according to claim 16, wherein said
connecting element (5) is provided with connecting sockets (14a,
14b) for connecting tubing sections (15a, 15b) and with extension
members (13a, 13b) for sealingly connecting the pump tubing section
(6), whereby each of said connecting sockets (14a, 14b)
communicates with a corresponding extension member (13a, 13b)
through a corresponding continuous channel (18a, 18b).
18. The peristaltic pump according to claim 16, wherein said
duct-shaped extension members (29a, 29b) are provided with a smooth
outside surface.
19. The peristaltic pump according to claim 16, wherein said
duct-shaped extensions (29a, 29b) are provided with barb-like
shoulders (30a, 30b).
20. The peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein said tubing
holder (4) is attachable to the housing (2) by means of a
quick-release connection.
21. The peristaltic pump according to claim 20, wherein said
quick-release connection includes a latch or snap-on
connection.
22. The peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein said
connecting element (5) is attachable to the tubing holder (4) by
means of a quick release connection.
23. The peristaltic pump according to claim 22, wherein said
quick-release connection is a latch or snap-on connection.
24. The peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein said end
portion (6a, 6b) of the particular pump tubing section (6) is
cemented to the receptacle (10a, 10b).
25. The peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein positioning
elements (24, 25) are provided between said connecting element (5)
and said tubing holder (4) for positioning said connecting element
(5) relative to said tubing holder (4).
26. The peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein the housing
(2) is provided with at least one positioning element (19) to
ensure a correct positional arrangement of the tubing holder (4) on
the housing (2).
27. The peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein said tubing
holder (4) is provided with two parallel rows of receptacles (10a,
10b) for fixing several two or more pump tube sections, and further
wherein two connecting elements (5a, 5b) are provided, a
corresponding one of which is attachable to one of the parallel
rows of receptacles (10a, 10b).
28. The peristaltic pump according to claim 27, wherein said two
connecting elements (5a, 5b) are of substantially identical
configuration.
29. The peristaltic pump according to claim 27, wherein said
connecting elements (5a, 5b) are of different construction, and
further wherein positioning elements are provided between the
housing and a corresponding one of said connecting elements (5a,
5b), said positioning elements configured to ensure a correct
positional arrangement of the particular connecting element (5a,
5b) with regard to the housing (2).
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to peristaltic pumps.
Peristaltic pumps of the kind referred to herein are basically
known. They are used for conveying different liquid and gaseous
media.
[0002] The document DE 198 14 943 A1 discloses a flexible tube pump
of the kind referred to herein. The pump is provided with a pump
housing in which is arranged the pump tubing as well as a rotor
provided with two strangling means in the shape of rollers. In
order to connect the two ends of the pump tubing to the connecting
pipes and connecting ports, respectively, flange members are
provided that are fixed by means of threaded bolts.
[0003] One object of the present invention is to improve the design
of a peristaltic pump in such a way that it can be manufactured at
lower cost and in a simpler manner, and that the pump tubing can be
replaced quickly and easily, if required.
[0004] Due to the fact that the pump is provided with a tubing
holder adapted to be fixed to the housing, to which the end of the
pump tubing is fixed and comprising at least one connecting element
having connecting sockets for fixing connecting tubes, whereby the
connecting sockets are sealingly connected to the particular pump
tubing upon fixing the connecting element to the tubing holder, the
pump tubing can be connected to the tubing holder prior to
assembling the pump. Thus, the tubing holder can be inserted,
together with the pump tubing, into the tubing receptacle of the
pump. In order to connect the pump tubing to the connecting tubes,
thereafter, only the connecting element has to be fixed to the
tubing holder. This is accomplished preferably by means of a
snap-on connection.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0005] In the following, a preferred embodiment of the invention is
further explained by means of drawings. In these drawings,
[0006] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the peristaltic pump;
[0007] FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of a tubing holder, a
connecting element as well as a pump tube section;
[0008] FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional view of a tubing holder
including the pump tube section connected thereto;
[0009] FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the tubing holder,
the connecting element and the pump tube section in an assembled
state;
[0010] FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the elements
of FIG. 4; and
[0011] FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of an alternative
embodiment of a tubing holder as well as two connecting elements in
an enlarged illustration.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a six channel peristaltic pump in an exploded
view. Since peristaltic pumps of the kind referred to herein are
basically known, in the following, the basic elements of the pump
will be not addressed in detail, but only some of the components
important in connection with the present invention. Essentially,
the pump consists of a conveying member 1, an upper housing portion
2, a lower housing portion 3, a tubing holder 4 as well as of a
connecting element, generally designated by reference numeral 5 and
comprising a first connecting element 5a and a second connecting
element 5b. Moreover, the pump comprises, in total, six pump tube
sections, whereby only one pump tube section 6 is shown for the
sake of clarity.
[0013] The upper housing portion 2 is designed as a support frame
member on which is supported, amongst others, the rotating
conveying member 1. The top side of the upper housing portion 2 is
provided with a support bar member 20. The lower housing portion 3
is connected to the upper housing portion be means of a snap-on
connection and serves for receiving and positively supporting the
pump tubing. The conveying member 1 comprises a shaft 7 driven by
an electric motor (not shown) and is provided with three axles 8 on
which are rotatably received, in each case, several conveying
rollers.
[0014] As one important element of the invention, a tubing holder 4
is provided to fix the ends of six pump tube sections. To this end,
the tubing holder 4 is provided with twelve receptacles 10a, 10b,
preferably provided in two opposing rows. The inner sides of the
receptacles are of hollow cylindrical shape, but may be preferably
of conical shape. The two ends of a pump tube section can be fixed
to each opposing pair of these receptacles 10a, 10b, the two ends
of a pump tube section can be fixed. Moreover, the tubing holder 4
is provided with four elastically resilient brackets 11 to which
the two connecting elements 5a, 5b can be fixed in the sense of a
snap-on connection, as will be further explained herein after. The
upper portion 2 thereof is provided with four latches 17 for fixing
the tubing holder 4 to the housing. Moreover, evident from the
drawing of FIG. 1 is a positioning element 19 asymmetrically
arranged on the upper portion 2 of the housing, adapted to engage
an opening (not shown) of the tubing holder 4 to ensure a
positionally correct assembly of the tubing holder 4 and the upper
portion 2 of the housing. The final position of the tubing holder 4
at the upper portion 2 of the housing is determined by the latches
17 as well as by stop members 12, the latter ones being provided on
protrusions of the upper portion 2 of the housing.
[0015] The two connecting elements 5a, 5b are provided, at their
bottom sides, in each case with six tube-shaped extension members
13a, 13b, while their top sides are provided, in each case, with
six tube-shaped connecting sockets 14a, 14b. Each of the
tube-shaped extension members 13a, 13b is connected to the
corresponding tube-shaped connecting sockets 14a, 14b via a
continuous channel 18a, 18b. The tube-shaped extension members 13a,
13b located at the bottom side have a slightly conical outside and
constitute the male part of a plug-in connection for establishing a
sealed connection to the particular pump tube section, without the
need to provide additional sealing elements. The connecting tubes
to the pump are fixed to the tube-shaped connecting sockets 14a,
14b located at the top side. Representative for the total of twelve
connecting tubes, only two tube sections 15a, 15b are shown in FIG.
1. The two connecting elements 5a, 5b are provided at both end
faces with catch members 16a, 16b by means of which they can be
fixed to the brackets 11 of the connecting element 5. Instead of
two separate connecting elements 5a, 5b, a common single connecting
element could be provided, having two parallel rows of tube-shaped
extension members 13a, 13b and connecting sockets 14a, 14b.
[0016] The advantage of two separate connecting elements 5a, 5b, on
the one hand, is that it can be attached quickly and simply to the
top portion 2 of the housing even if the support bar is present.
Moreover, advantages in manufacturing and costs are evident if two
substantially equal elements can be manufactured instead of a
single complicated element. The two connecting elements 5a, 5b are
of the same design, except for a possible coding that prevents
confusion and/or wrong assembly. In order to code the connecting
elements 5a, 5b such that they cannot be connected in a wrong way,
the tubing holder 4 can be provided, for example, with protrusions
24 and the connecting elements 5a, 5b with corresponding recesses
(not shown).
[0017] In the subsequent FIGS. 2 to 5, only the tubing holder 4, a
single tube section 6 and, if appropriate, the connecting element 5
are shown. The illustration of further elements of the pump has
been set aside. FIG. 2 shows, in a detailed illustration, the
tubing holder 4, the two connecting elements 5a, 5b and the pump
tube section 6 in a cross sectional view. Besides the two brackets
11, the hollow cylindrical receptacles 10a, 10b of the tubing
holder 4 can be seen. The receptacles 10a, 10b are provided with a
conical inserting portion 21a, 21b, facilitating the insertion of
the particular ends 6a, 6b of the pump tube sections 6. Although in
the preferred embodiment the receptacles are defined as hollow
cylindrical, the inside need not be absolutely cylindrical, but the
inside diameter of the receptacles may preferably slightly decrease
towards the top. In any case, the inner diameter of the particular
receptacle 10a, 10b is matched to the outer diameter of the pump
tube section in such a way that the particular end 6a, 6b of the
pump tube section 6 is grasped in a positive fitting manner, i.e.,
without any substantial gap. In a conical design of the receptacle
10a, 10b, the particular end 6a, 6b of the pump tube section 6 is
slightly compressed towards its front face. By means of the design,
i.e., the shape, of the receptacles 10a, 10b of the tubing holder
4, a positive or non-positive embracing of the pump tube section
can be assured. Preferably, the two ends of the tubing 6a, 6b are
cemented to the particular receptacle 10a, 10b.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows the pump tube section 6 fixed to the tubing
holder 4, whereby, for the sake of clarity, the illustration of the
brackets has been omitted. It is evident from this illustration
that the two ends 6a, 6b of the pump tube section 6 are flush with
the front faces 22a, 22b of the particular receptacle 10a, 10b. The
two ends 6a, 6b of the pump tube section 4 are cemented to the
receptacles 10a, 10b of the tubing holder 4 and, thus positively
fixed thereto.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the tubing holder 4,
of the connecting element 5 and of the pump tube section 6 in an
assembled state. Upon fixing the connecting element 5 to the tubing
holder 4, the tube shaped extension members 13a, 13b of the
connecting element 5 penetrate the associated end 6a, 6b of the
pump tube section 6 and establish a sealed connection between the
particular extension member 13a, 13b and the pump tube section 6.
Contributing to the sealed connection are both the shape of the
extension members 13a, 13b and the shape of the receptacles 10a,
10b, as well as the fact that the end of the pump tube section 6a,
6b is positively grasped by the particular receptacle 10a, 10b,
such that the particular end of the pump tube section 6a, 6b cannot
evade radially, but sealingly surrounds the particular extension
member 13a, 13b. The pump tube itself and the two pump tube section
ends 6a, 6b, respectively, constitute the sealing element of the
transition, with the result that additional sealing elements like,
for example, O-rings, are not necessary. By abstaining from using
additional sealing elements, the number of potentially leaking
elements can be reduced to an absolute minimum. Due to the fact
that the extension members 13a, 13b have a smooth outside, i.e.,
are not designed barb-like, the push-on connection between tubing
holder 4 and connecting element 5 can be easily released manually
and re-established in a sealing manner, whereby this operation can
be repeated several times, if appropriate.
[0020] From FIG. 5, showing a longitudinal sectional view of the
elements of FIG. 4, namely the tubing holder 4, the connecting
element 5 and the pump tube section 6, it is particularly evident
how the brackets 11 of the tubing holder 4 fix the connecting
element 5 to the catch members 16a, 16b. Further visible from this
illustration are protrusions 24 arranged on the connecting element
5, engaging corresponding recesses 25 of the tubing holder 4 to
correctly position the connecting element 5 with regard to the
tubing holder 4 and, thereby, also with regard to the housing of
the pump.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of an alternative
embodiment of a tubing holder 27 as well as of two connecting
elements 28a, 28b in a larger scale. One difference, as compared to
the foregoing embodiment, is that the protrusion 29a, 29b of the
connecting elements 28a, 28b, facing the pump tube section 34, are
provided with barb-like shoulders 30a, 30b at the outside. These
barb-like shoulders 30a, 30b improve the reliability of the
connection between the pump tube section 34 and the assigned
protrusion 29a, 29b, which is particularly advantageous if a
pulling force is exerted to the connection or if there is a high
internal pressure. The receptacles 31a, 31b of the tubing holder 27
each are provided with a cylindrical recess 32a, 32b, enabling a
radial enlargement of the ends of the pump tube sections when they
are pushed, during assembling, over the barb-like shoulders. The
inner diameter of the two receptacles 31a, 31b in the region of the
particular cylindrical recess 32a, 32b is sufficiently tight that,
on the one hand, the barb-like shoulders 30a, 30b can penetrate the
assigned end of the pump tube section without great resistance. On
the other hand, the inner diameter must be sufficient so that the
receptacles 31a, 31b radially enclose the assigned end of the pump
tube section if this end starts to enlarge in the region of the
barb-like shoulders 30a, 30b under the influence of hydrostatic
inner pressure. In other words, the radial gap between the
receptacles 31a, 31b and the assigned end of the pump tube section
is chosen such that the barb-like shoulders can relatively easily
penetrate the end of the tube, while the other side the receptacles
31a, 31b counteract to a radial enlargement of the end of the tube
in the case of higher internal pressure to reduce the risk of
leakage.
[0022] The lower side of the particular receptacle 31a, 31b facing
the interior of the pump is provided with a facet 33a, 33b, ending
in a cylindrical or conical inserting portion. The facets 33a, 33b
are meant to facilitate the introduction of the assigned end
portion of the tube into the receptacle 31a, 31b, while the
inserting portion additionally favors the penetration of adhesive
material upon cementing the pump tube section and the end of the
tube, respectively, to the assigned receptacle 31a, 31b.
[0023] The advantages of the pump described herein may be seen
particularly in the fact that the pump tube sections can be
pre-assembled remote from the pump itself, i.e., connected to the
tubing holder. Such assembly step can be performed extensively
automatedly and ensures advantages as far as assembly costs,
precision and durability are concerned. Once the pump is assembled,
only the two connecting elements provided with the pump tube
sections have to be locked into place at the tubing holder in order
to ensure that the pump is hydraulically ready for operation. Such
a pump can be assembled, essentially without using any tools and
with a few manual operations. If the outside of the receptacles
13a, 13b is essentially smooth and does not have barb-like
shoulders, the pump tube sections, if needed, can be replaced very
quickly and easily by replacing the connecting element 4 with the
pump tube sections 6 cemented thereto as an unit. The
aforementioned advantages are present both in one channel pumps and
particularly in multi-channel pumps.
* * * * *