JP3345087B2 - Plastic plug for liquid chromatography column - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plastic plug for sealing the entrance and exit of a container for containing a filling. For example, the present invention relates to a plastic plug which is mounted on a column for liquid chromatography and is suitable for preventing a filler such as a gel filled in the column from deteriorating in performance due to leakage or the like from the column.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a column used for a liquid chromatograph is filled with a packing material such as a gel or an adsorbent on a manufacturer side, stored for a required period of time, and then transported under a user, where the column is formed. In addition, they have been incorporated in piping of liquid chromatography systems and used for liquid analysis and the like. During the storage and transportation as described above, a plug was attached to the column to prevent leakage of the packing and the like.

An example will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 50 denotes a column for filling a filler such as a gel or an adsorbent. The column 50 has a pipe 51, and an inlet / outlet member 60 is provided at both ends of the pipe (see FIG. 2). Indicates only one end of the pipe, and the other end is not shown).

The entrance member 60 has a plug screw portion 61, a plug taper portion 62, and a cavity 63 formed therein, and an extension portion formed with a screw portion 64 for fixing the entrance member 60. The entrance member 60 having the above configuration is fixed to both ends of the pipe as follows. That is, the fixing nut 70, the front ferrule 73, and the like are inserted in the pipe 51 in advance, the filter 52 is interposed, the inlet / outlet member 60 is attached to the end of the pipe, and the shoulder 65 is brought into contact with the end of the pipe 51. Then, the screw portion 64 for fixing the entrance member 60 and the nut screw portion 74 are screwed, and the nut 70 is rotated. Then, the nut 70 advances toward the entrance member 60, and pushes the front ferrule 73 in the same direction via the rear ferrule 72 by the shoulder 71, and the front ferrule 73 moves inside the taper 66 of the entrance member 60 while moving in the same direction. The inner surface of the taper and the outer periphery of the pipe 51 are tightly engaged.

As described above, the inlet / outlet members 60 are firmly fixed to both ends of the pipe 51, and the column is assembled. The column pipe 51 thus assembled
Filled with a filler such as gel from the entrance / exit member 60,
A plug for preventing the disappearance of the contents is attached to the entrance / exit member 60 of the column.

The plug is commonly called an osine, and the plug screw portion 61 and the plug taper portion 6 of the column are used.
2 has a threaded portion and a tapered portion. Then, the plug is attached to the column packed as described above,
The screw portion of the plug is replaced with the screw portion 61 of the column inlet / outlet member 60.
When it is screwed and turned, the tapered portions of both the inlet / outlet member 60 and the plug are tightly engaged with each other, the inlet / outlet of the column is sealed, and leakage of the filler or the like is prevented.

The above-described packing of the column 50 with gel or the like is generally performed by the manufacturer, and the packed column is stored for a required period of time and then transported to the user, where the column has both ends. Is unplugged, and a predetermined pipe is connected to the plug for use in liquid chromatography.

[0008] Conventionally, the plug is made of metal or plastic material. However, since the plug is required to have a threading process and a complete sealing action, it is difficult to perform a taper process or the like, and a high manufacturing cost is required. To solve this problem, plastic plugs have been developed and put into practical use.

[0009]

However, when the column containing the packing is to be stored or transported for a certain period of time, the plastic plug in the above-mentioned conventional example has the following problems.
In many cases, the plug protrudes from the column and breaks by colliding with foreign matter or the like, and the broken portion of the plug remains inside the column entrance / exit member, making it difficult for the user to use the column. In order to use it, it is necessary to remove the broken part, and considerable labor is required.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem and to provide a plastic plug which functions well.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a plastic plug for a liquid chromatography column according to the present invention is a plug made of plastic comprising a head, a screw portion and a tapered portion.
It is characterized by the fact that a reinforcing member is embedded,
In a plug made of plastic, comprising a head, a screw portion, and a tapered portion, a hollow portion is formed at least inside the head portion and the screw portion, and a reinforcing member is inserted and fixed in the hollow portion. And head,
In a plug consisting of a screw portion and a tapered portion, a reinforcing member exists at least inside the head and the screw portion,
It is characterized by being integrally molded from plastic.

Therefore, the plastic plug for a liquid chromatographic column according to the present invention is reinforced by a member embedded therein, and is less likely to break or break.

[0013]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

<First Embodiment> FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a plastic plug according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a side view of the plug, and FIG. 1 (b) is a front view of the plug. FIG. In these figures, reference numeral 10 denotes a plastic plug.
And a tapered portion 13. A hollow portion 14 is formed inside the plug 10 over a portion corresponding to the head portion 11 and the screw portion 12. A recess 15 is formed inside the head 11.

Reference numeral 17 denotes an intermediate portion formed between the threaded portion 12 and the tapered portion 13 and having a fixed length in the axial direction. The intermediate portion is not tapered. To prevent the tapered portions from engaging with each other. Reference numeral 11A denotes a knurl for preventing slippage when rotating the head.

The plug is made of POM (polyacetal),
It is made of various engineering plastic materials such as PFA (Teflon) and PE (polyethylene).
It is manufactured by molding such as injection molding of EEK (polyetheretherketone).

A screw member 16 made of metal such as stainless steel is screwed and fixed to the hollow portion 14. That is, the metal screw portion 16A of the metal screw member 16 is screwed into the hollow portion 14, and the metal head 1 of the metal screw member 16 is formed.
6B sits on the bottom of the recess 15. Metal screw member 1
Various known screws can be used as 6, but a tap screw is used as a preferred embodiment. Although a screw member is used in this example, for example, a press-fitting of a screwless pin or the like is also possible as the reinforcing member.

According to experience, many places where the plug is damaged or broken due to collision of foreign matter are found in the head and the screw portion. This is because stress concentration due to the notch effect occurs most frequently in the portion. It is estimated that Therefore,
It is considered that the metal screw member 16 should be screwed into at least the head and the screw portion to reinforce the portion inside the plug for reinforcement.

The first embodiment of the present invention is constructed as described above. An example of its use will be described below with reference to FIG. First, in a state where the plastic plug 10 is not mounted, the column 50 is filled with a filler such as gel, and the screw portion 12 of the plug is screwed into the screw portion 61 of the entrance member 60 of the column 51. Is rotated.
Then, the plug 10 advances into the entrance member 60, and the tapered portion 13 of the plug 10 gradually and tightly engages with the plug tapered portion 62 of the column having a slightly larger taper angle. Finally, a complete seal is formed by the portion, and loss of the contents inside the column 50, that is, the pipe 51 due to leakage is prevented.

When the column sealed with the plastic plug having the above configuration is stored or transported for a certain period of time, even if the head 11 of the plug receives an impact due to foreign matter,
Since the plug is reinforced by the metal screw member 16 which is a reinforcing member embedded therein and has increased strength, it is not damaged. Also, even if the impact is too large, the plug is only bent so that the head 11 and the screw portion 12 are not separated, and by rotating the head 11, the plug can be easily taken out of the column. In addition, unlike the related art, there is no difficulty in removing the thread portion remaining in the column due to breakage.

<Embodiment 2> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In each part shown in FIG.
2 are given the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcing member 20 has the same length as the metal screw member 16,
It is embedded and fixed in the plug by integral molding. Integral molding is preferably injection molding as in the above embodiment. Also,
The member 20 has a rod shape, and is preferably provided with irregularities on the outer periphery, or has a cross section having a modified cross section such as a triangle, in consideration of slip prevention between the member and the plastic portion when the bent plug is rotated.

Since the plug of this embodiment has the same effect as that of the first embodiment and is integrally formed, a plastic member is molded once and a reinforcing screw is There is no need for a complicated assembly process such as screwing the members.

In each of the above embodiments, the plastic plug according to the present invention has been mainly described for a column of a liquid chromatograph. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a use, and the contents can be stored and leaked. It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a container which needs a seal to prevent the occurrence.

[0025]

As described above, the liquid chromatography of the present invention
Since the plastic plug for the mat column has a reinforcing member embedded therein, the strength is improved and breakage or breakage is extremely small. Also, even if it is bent, the head and the screw part do not separate, so by rotating the head in the direction opposite to the screwing direction, the liquid chromatograph
The plastic plug for the rough column can be easily removed from the threaded part.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a plastic plug according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of use of the plastic plug of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a view showing another embodiment of the plastic plug according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Plug 11 ... Head 12 ... Screw part 13 ... Taper part 14 ... Hollow part 16 ... Screw member 20 ... Reinforcing member 50 ... Column 51 ... Pipe 60 ... Entrance member 70 ... Fixing nut

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01N 30/60

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plug made of plastic comprising a head, a screw portion and a tapered portion, wherein a hollow portion is formed at least inside the head portion and the screw portion, and a reinforcing member is inserted and fixed in the hollow portion. Liquid characterized by being performed
Plastic plug for body chromatography column . 2. A plug comprising a head, a screw portion, and a tapered portion, wherein the plug is integrally formed of plastic with a reinforcing member at least inside the head and the screw portion. Plastic plug for liquid chromatography column .