JP3953003B2 - Tube pump - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tube pump that performs a pump action by sequentially pressing a tube with a pressure member.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a tube pump configured to send a fluid or gas in a tube by sequentially pressing a tube made of an elastic material in one direction is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). Moreover, since the tube pump self-sucks liquid or gas into the tube when the pressed portion is evacuated, no priming water is required unlike a general pump. In addition, since liquid or gas is transported and delivered via a tube, it is excellent in hygiene and is widely used in the medical field, food processing field, and the like.

Tube pumps are classified into several types according to the difference in configuration for pressing the tube, and one of them is a ring tube pump. In the ring tube pump, a tube is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber, a ring-shaped pressurizing member is provided on the inside thereof, and a rotor is further arranged on the inside thereof. The tube rotates in one direction by rotating while sliding in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the pressure member, pressing the pressure member toward the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical chamber, and causing the pressure member to circularly move along the inner peripheral surface. It has a structure that presses sequentially. With such a structure, the tube is indirectly pressed through the pressure member of the ring-shaped pressure member, so that the tube is less damaged and has a longer service life than those in which the tube is directly pressed with a roller. There is an advantage that a pump is obtained.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-13648

However, when the rotor slides on the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressurizing member, the ring-shaped pressurizing member also rotates and moves along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber due to frictional force. As a result, the tube may be pulled and damaged.
This invention is made | formed in view of the situation mentioned above, and aims at providing the tube pump which can improve durability.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a case having a substantially circular inner peripheral surface, a tube made of an elastic material disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the case, and an inner side of the tube, A ring-shaped pressurizing member that pressurizes the tube, and rolls on the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressurizing member in accordance with the rotation of a rotating shaft disposed inside the pressurizing member. A rotating body that causes the pressing member to move eccentrically and presses the tube; an urging means that urges the rotating body toward an inner peripheral surface of the pressing member; and the urging means. There is provided a tube pump comprising release means for releasing an urging force.

  According to the above configuration, the pressing member moves eccentrically by rolling and moving while pressing the inner peripheral surface of the pressing member. Therefore, the pressing member is referred to as rolling friction from the rotating body that is a driving source. Only a relatively small frictional force is applied, and the ring-shaped pressurizing member is prevented from rotating around the rotating shaft in conjunction with the movement of the rotating body. Prevents the tube from being pulled and damaged.

  Further, according to the above invention, since the tube is pressed by the pressing member by the biasing force of the biasing means, the surface of the rotating body or the dimension of the ring-shaped pressing member changes due to wear, or the rotating body and the ring-shaped member Even if a slight deviation occurs in the arrangement relationship with the pressure member, the arrangement relationship between the rotating body and the pressure member is properly maintained by the urging force, and a pressing force can be reliably applied to the tube.

Further, according to the invention, the pressing force to the tube can be released by releasing the urging force, and when the tube pump is not pumped (for example, at the time of shipment), the pressure member is applied to the tube. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tube from losing the elastic force due to the constant pressing.

  In addition, although the structure of the means for solving the said subject was demonstrated including the desirable structure, in addition to these structures, you may add the following structures further.

For example, the urging means may be configured to urge the rotating body with a spring.
For example, it is good also as a structure further equipped with the control means which controls the rotation of the said pressurization member centering on the said rotating shaft.
Moreover, it is good also as a structure provided with the escape prevention means which prevents that a part of said tube escapes from between the said pressurization member and the internal peripheral surface of the said cylindrical chamber when it presses with the said pressurization member.
Further, the tube may be arranged in the cylindrical chamber so as to be wound around at least about two rounds around the rotation axis.
Furthermore, it is good also as a structure further equipped with the drive mechanism which drives the said rotating shaft, and the said drive mechanism is arrange | positioned inside the said pressurization member.
The drive mechanism may include a motor and a speed reduction mechanism that decelerates the output of the motor and transmits it to the rotating shaft.
The motor may be configured to use a watch motor.
The output shaft of the drive mechanism and the rotary shaft may be configured to be detachable, and only the drive mechanism may be removable.
Moreover, it is good also as a structure further provided with the forced rotation mechanism which rotationally drives the said rotating shaft manually or by an external motor.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the tube pump which can improve durability is provided.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
<Basic configuration of tube pump>
FIG. 1 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the tube pump 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, the tube pump 1 has a case 10 as a base body in which a cylindrical chamber 12 is formed. An inner peripheral surface 12a of the cylindrical chamber 12 is substantially circular, and openings 12b and 12c (see FIG. 2) as introduction / extraction ports for the tube 30 are formed in a part of the inner circumferential surface 12a. The case 10 is formed of a molded product of, for example, a rubber-based material such as NBR or a synthetic resin such as ABS. An upper lid and a lower lid (both not shown) are fixed to the upper and lower surfaces of the case 10 by screws. A ring-shaped pressurizing member 14 is disposed inside the cylindrical chamber 12, and a part of the outer peripheral surface of the pressurizing member 14 is in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12. The tube 30 (refer FIG. 2) arrange | positioned between the internal peripheral surface 12a and the pressurization member 14 is pressed.

  Inside the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14, a rotor 16 is arranged that eccentrically moves the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14 by rotation. The rotor 16 is formed in a cross-sectional columnar shape having a protruding portion 16a with a part of the circumference protruding outward, and a central portion thereof is hollowed out in a columnar shape to form an urging member accommodating portion 18. A roller 23 as a rotating body that rotates following the rotation of the rotor 16 is supported on a roller rotation shaft 24 provided on the protrusion 16a. On the other hand, the urging member accommodating portion 18 accommodates an urging member 19 as an urging means for urging the rotor 16 in the direction of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12. The urging member 19 is supported by the rotary shaft 17 and is urged with the spring retainer 20 provided integrally with the rotor 16 and the inner surface of the urging member accommodating portion 18 provided on the spring retainer 20 outward. And a spring 21 having two coil springs 21a and 21b.

  The urging direction by the spring 21 substantially coincides with the projecting direction of the projecting portion 16a on the circumference of the rotor 16 (indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1), and the roller provided on the projecting portion 16a by this urging force. 23 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressure member 14. In this configuration, the rotor 16 rotates integrally with the rotation of the spring retainer 20 accompanying the rotation of the rotating shaft 17, and with this rotation, the roller 23 is placed on the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressure member 14. It moves while pressing the inner peripheral surface while rolling along, thereby causing the pressing member 14 to move eccentrically. A portion where the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the pressurizing member 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12 becomes the narrowest is formed by the eccentric motion, and a pressing force is applied to the tube 30 to be described later. It is to be noted that the narrowest gap is designed to be substantially the same as the thickness when the tube 30 is completely crushed (that is, the thickness of the side wall of the tube 30). When the tube 30 is pressed, it is possible to completely eliminate the hollow portion in the tube 30 at this pressed position, and it is possible to prevent the fluid or gas from flowing backward in the tube 30.

  The tube 30 shown in FIG. 2 is formed of an elastic material, and rubber, a synthetic resin, silicon, or the like is used for the elastic material according to the fluid or gas to be transferred. When the tube 30 is disposed in the case 10, one end of the tube 30 is fed into the cylindrical chamber 12 from the opening 12 b serving as the introduction port, and the inner peripheral surface 12 a of the cylindrical chamber 12 and the outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14. And about two rounds around the rotor 16 and led out from the opening 12c serving as a lead-out port.

  Here, since the rotor 16 is urged by the urging member 19 and a part of the outer peripheral surface of the pressurizing member 14 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12, in the process of introducing the tube 30, Intrusion is prevented at this pressure contact part. In this case, the rotor 16 is moved against the urging force of the urging member 19 in order to release the pressure applied to the pressure member 14 by the rotor 16 and to release the pressure contact of the pressure member 14 to the cylindrical chamber 12 in FIG. Pulling down in the direction indicated by A, a gap is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the pressure member 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12, and the tube 30 is passed through this gap. Moreover, by doing in this way, a comparatively big clearance gap can be provided between the pressurization member 14 and the cylindrical chamber 12, and when the tube 30 is introduce | transduced, the tube 30 is the outer peripheral surface of the pressurization member 14, or a cylinder. The inner surface of the chamber 12 is prevented from rubbing and being damaged. After being arranged in the cylindrical chamber 12, the tube 30 is always pressed by the roller 23 with the urging force of the urging member 19 that is larger than the elastic force of the material of the tube 30. If the rotor 16 (rotating shaft 17) rotates to the right (indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 2), the suction side 30a of the tube 30 is located above the discharge side 30b of the tube 30, and is also the case of left rotation. , The positional relationship is reversed (right rotation in the illustrated example).

  The opening 12b serving as the introduction port of the tube 30 and the opening 12c serving as the lead-out port provided in the case 10 are symmetrical with respect to the line II ′ passing through the center of the cylindrical chamber 12 (rotating shaft 17). In the cylindrical chamber 12 of the case 10, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12 and the ring-shaped pressurizing member are directed from the opening 12b toward the inside. An introduction section L <b> 1 formed so that a gap with the outer peripheral surface of 14 gradually narrows is provided over a half circumference of the circumferential length of the cylindrical chamber 12. Similarly, a lead-out section L2 is provided from the opening 12c toward the inside of the opening 12c serving as a lead-out port. As a result, in the introduction section L1 and the lead-out section L2, the pressing force applied to the tube 30 due to the eccentric movement of the pressurizing member 14 gradually changes from the openings 12b and 12c to the inside due to the shape thereof. The pulsating flow is prevented.

  Further, as described above, the tube 30 is wound around the rotor 16 by about two turns, and as shown in FIG. 3, the tube 30 is pressed between the introduction section L1 and the lead-out section L2 by the pressurizing member 14. A pressing section L2 for pressing and completely crushing 30 is provided over one circumference in the circumferential length of the cylindrical chamber 12. Thereby, since one place of the tube 30 arrange | positioned in the cylindrical chamber 12 is always completely crushed by the pressurization member 14 to the internal peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12, gas or a liquid flows backward. Will be completely prevented.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a substantially rectangular groove portion 15 is formed on the upper surface of the ring-shaped pressure member 14 from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side. The locking bar 11 provided in the ring is movably fitted along the groove as the ring-shaped pressing member 14 moves eccentrically. The groove 15 and the locking bar 11 allow the pressing member 14 to move. A regulating means for regulating the rotation is configured. That is, the engagement between the groove 15 and the locking rod 11 restricts the ring-shaped pressure member 14 from rotating around the rotation shaft 17 during the eccentric movement.

  Now, under the configuration shown in FIG. 2, when the rotating shaft 17 rotates, the rotor 16 rotates integrally with the urging member 19, and the roller 23 is driven by the rotation within the ring-shaped pressure member 14. Move while rolling on the circumference. At this time, the pressure member 14 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12 so that the portion receiving the pressing force from the roller 23 sandwiches the tube 30, and is eccentric as the roller 23 moves (that is, the rotor 16 rotates). Exercise. As a result of the eccentric movement of the pressure member 14, the tube 30 is sequentially pressed in one direction (rotation direction of the rotor 16) by the pressure member 14, and fluid or gas is transferred through the tube 30.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14 is provided on the rotor 16 instead of directly contacting the rotor 16 and sliding on the inner peripheral surface of the pressurizing member 14. The roller 23 rolls and moves while pressing the inner peripheral surface of the pressure member 14, and the pressure member 14 moves eccentrically. Therefore, the pressure member 14 is relatively free of rolling friction from the roller 23 as a driving source. Only a small frictional force is received, and the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14 is prevented from rotating around the rotating shaft 17 provided in the approximate center of the cylindrical chamber 12 in conjunction with the movement of the roller 23. The tube 30 is prevented from being pulled and damaged by the rotation of the ring-shaped pressure member 14.

Further, even if a force that causes the ring-shaped pressure member 14 to rotate around the rotation shaft 17 is applied by rolling friction, the pressure is applied to the groove 15 and the groove 15 of the pressure member 14. The rotation of the rotation is completely restricted by the locking rod 11. Thereby, the damage of the tube 30 due to the rotation of the pressure member 14 can be completely prevented, and the tube 30 is pulled by the rotation of the pressure member 14 so that the end portion of the tube 30 is separated from the connection end of the external device. It is also prevented that it comes off. Furthermore, since the tube 30 is prevented from being pulled by the pressurizing member 14, it is possible to prevent the inner diameter of the tube 30 from changing due to the pulling and the flow rate from being changed, and the flow rate can be stabilized.
Further, since the frictional force between the ring-shaped pressing member 14 and the roller 23 is a relatively small rolling friction, it is possible to prevent the pump efficiency from being lowered due to the friction and to maintain the pump efficiency high. It becomes.

  Furthermore, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the frictional force between the roller 23 and the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14 is a relatively small rolling friction, so that the friction is generated at the location where the pressurizing member 14 is pressed by the roller 23. It is possible to prevent the wear powder from accumulating in the pump. Further, since wear can be prevented, a gap is formed between the roller 23 and the pressure member 14 due to this wear, and the pressing force against the tube 30 is weakened. It is prevented that the space between the output sides penetrates, and as a result, the transfer amount of the tube pump 1 is reduced, and the necessary transfer amount can always be secured.

  Furthermore, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the tube 30 is pressed by the pressing member 14 by the urging force of the urging member 19, so that the dimensions of the roller 23 or the ring-shaped pressing member 14 change due to wear. Even if the positional relationship between the rotor 16 (roller 23) and the ring-shaped pressure member 14 is slightly shifted, the positional relationship between the rotor 16 (roller 23) and the pressure member 14 is appropriate due to the biasing force. Thus, it is possible to reliably apply a pressing force to the tube 30. In other words, even if the positional relationship between the rotor 16 (roller 23) and the ring-shaped pressure member 14 is slightly deviated, the deviation is corrected by the urging force of the urging member 19, so that the assemblability is improved. Is good. Further, since the biasing member 19 is configured to generate a biasing force by the two coil springs 21a and 21b, the pressing force applied to the tube 30 can be easily achieved simply by replacing the coil springs 21a and 21b. Therefore, if the dimensions such as the diameter of the tube 30 are the same, it becomes easy to adjust the pressing force corresponding to the tube 30 of various materials (that is, elastic force). Moreover, even if the urging force of the coil springs 21a and 21b deteriorates, it can be easily replaced.

  Moreover, according to the structure of this embodiment, since the ring-shaped pressurization member 14 is the structure which presses the tube 30, the contact area (contact rate) of the said press location can be made as small as possible, and the tube 30 is. When the pressure member 14 bites into the tube 30 and presses the tube 30, it is possible to prevent the tube 30 from being pulled and damaged in the eccentric movement direction. Further, since the contact area (contact polarity) of the pressed portion of the tube 30 can be made as small as possible, the stress amplitude applied to the tube 30 can be microscopically reduced, and fatigue breakage of the tube 30 can be suppressed. In addition, the durability of the tube 30 can be improved.

  The basic configuration of the tube pump 1 according to the present embodiment has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the following modifications can be added.

  For example, the configuration in which the tube pump 1 includes the biasing member 19 that biases the rotor 16 and the tube 30 is pressed by the pressing member 14 by the biasing force has been described. It is good also as a structure provided with the pressing force cancellation | release means which cancels | releases a pressure. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressing force release means moves the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14 in the central direction (rotating shaft 17) of the cylindrical chamber 12 against the urging force of the urging member 19. The pressure member 14 releases the pressing force applied to the tube 30 and includes a cover member 40 having a structure that is screwed into the cylindrical chamber 12.

  More specifically, screw grooves are carved on the outer peripheral surface 40 b of the cover member 40 and the inner peripheral surface 12 a of the cylindrical chamber 12, so that the cover member 40 can be screwed into the cylindrical chamber 12. The inner surface 40b of the cover member 40 has an inclined structure, and has an inner diameter that gradually decreases from the lower end (lower side in the figure) to the upper end (upper side in the figure) of the cover member 40. The thickness m of the side wall of the cover member 40 is slightly larger than the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the pressure member 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical chamber 12 when the tube 30 is crushed by the ring-shaped pressure member 14. It is getting smaller. Under this configuration, the cover member 40 is screwed into the cylindrical chamber 12 while being rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow C in the figure, so that the cover member 40 enters the cylindrical chamber 12 as indicated by the arrow D in the figure. The upper end of the pressure member 14 comes into contact with the inclination of the inner surface 40 b of the cover member 40, and the pressure member 14 resists the urging force of the spring 21 as the cover member 40 enters along the cylindrical chamber 12. The cylindrical chamber 12 moves in the direction of the central portion (rotating shaft 17) (indicated by an arrow E in the figure), whereby the pressing force on the tube 30 by the pressurizing member 14 is released.

As described above, the structure including the pressing force releasing means for releasing the pressing force to the tube 30 allows the tube 30 to be pressurized when the pump operation of the tube pump 1 is not performed (for example, at the time of shipment). The pressing force from the member 14 can be released, thereby preventing the tube 30 from being crushed and the elastic force of the tube 30 from being lost.
In addition, even if there is a long-term non-use state, the elasticity of the tube 30 is not impaired, so that an appropriate flow rate cannot be obtained due to the deterioration of the elasticity, or the durability of the tube 30 is affected. Is prevented.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the rotor 16 and the roller 23 provided on the rotor 16 are urged by the urging member 19 has been described. However, the roller 23 is attached to the ring-shaped pressure member 14. Any structure that moves while rolling on the inner peripheral surface of the pressure member 14 may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, one end is connected to the rotating shaft 17, is bent along the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14, and the other end is in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14. It is good also as a structure which provides the roller 23 in the said other end of leaf | plate spring 19 'located in this. According to this configuration, the leaf spring 19 ′ is rotated integrally with the rotation of the rotating shaft 17, and the roller 23 moves along the inner peripheral surface of the pressure member 14 while being rotated. At this time, the roller 23 is urged by the leaf spring 19 ′ so as to always press the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14.
Thus, by integrating the functions of the rotor 16 and the urging member 19 into the leaf spring 19 ′ and integrating the functions, it is possible to reduce the number of parts, simplify the assembly, and reduce the manufacturing cost. It becomes possible to do.
In addition, although the roller 23 was illustrated as an example of the rotary body which moves while rolling on the internal peripheral surface of the pressurization member 14, it is not restricted to this, For example, a spherical thing may be sufficient.

<Description of drive mechanism>
Next, a drive mechanism for rotating the rotor 16 will be described. In the tube pump 1, the rotation shaft 17 may be driven manually or a motor may be used. In the following description, the rotation shaft 17 is rotated by a stepping motor. Illustrate.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the tube pump 1 according to the present embodiment. In this figure, the components shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. As shown in this figure, a drive mechanism 50 for rotating the rotary shaft 17 is surrounded by a ring-shaped pressurizing member 14, and is provided on the lower side of the pump unit including the biasing member 19, the roller 23, the rotor 16, and the like. It is arranged in a space partitioned by the spacer 45. As described above, the drive mechanism 50 and the pump unit have a laminated structure, so that the size can be reduced.

  The drive mechanism 50 includes a stepping motor 60 and a speed reduction mechanism 70 (both will be described later), and an output shaft 52 of the drive mechanism 50 is connected to the rotating shaft 17. Here, a protrusion (a minus-shaped protrusion) 52 a is provided at the upper end of the output shaft 52, and a minus groove (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the rotating shaft 17. Are configured to engage in an uneven shape, and only the drive mechanism 50 can be detached separately from the pump unit. Further, the bearing 53 located above the output shaft 52 of the drive mechanism 50 also functions as a bearing below the rotating shaft 17 so that the bearings are shared. Thus, by making the pump unit and the drive mechanism 50 separate, the pump unit and the stepping motor 60 can be freely combined and set according to the specifications. Even if the tube 30 or the drive mechanism 50 is damaged, it is possible to cope with the damage by replacing only the broken unit. In particular, when used for medical purposes or the like, it is possible to use it without any problem in terms of hygiene by simply replacing the pump unit when it is necessary to cope with the medicine / patient.

  Further, a spring retainer 20 which is a component part of the urging member 19 is integrally attached to the rotary shaft 17, and the upper end of the rotary shaft 17 is supported by a bearing 17 a of the upper lid 2. The upper lid 2 may be configured to be provided with a mechanism for releasing the pressing force to the tube 30 described above. As described above, a roller 23 supported rotatably by a roller rotating shaft 24 is attached to the tip of the rotor 16, and the roller 23 presses the ring-shaped pressure member 14 toward the case 10. It has become. Further, as shown in the figure, the ring-shaped pressing member 14 is only sandwiched from above and below by the upper lid 2 and the lower lid 3, and has a structure that can move in the side wall direction of the case 10. Therefore, in order to prevent the movement of the pressing member 14 from being restricted by friction when the upper surface or the lower surface of the pressing member 14 slides on the upper lid 2 or the lower lid 3, In order to make the friction coefficient smaller, it is formed of a material having a small friction coefficient such as polyacetal.

  A tube 30 is arranged between the outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the case 10 (cylindrical chamber 12), and one place is always completely crushed. (Left side in the example shown). Here, in order to prevent the tube 30 from being excessively crushed and to prevent the tube 30 from escaping from between the case 10 and the pressure member 14, the upper lid 2 and the lower lid 3 are provided with protrusions 2a and 2b, respectively. Is provided. Specifically, when the upper lid 2 and the lower lid 3 are attached to the case 10, the protrusions 2a and 2b are disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the pressing member 14 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the case 10, The protrusions 2a and 2b restrict the movement of the pressure member 14 toward the inner peripheral surface of the case 10, and a gap corresponding to the thickness when the tube 30 is completely crushed is provided. .

  As shown in the figure, when the tube 30 is completely crushed by the pressure member 14, the tube 30 is deformed into a vertically long ellipse. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, when the height of the pressurizing member 14 is lower than the uppermost point 30c in the longitudinal direction of the tube 30 after deformation, the tube 30 is pressed near the uppermost point. 14, the tube 30 cannot be crushed completely, and a hollow portion remains inside. As a result, various problems such as backflow or pulsation of fluid or gas occur. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the height of the pressure member 14 is configured to be higher than the uppermost point 30c in the vertical direction when the tube 30 is completely crushed, and thereby, the tube 30 near the uppermost point 30c. Is prevented from entering the upper surface of the pressure member 14.

  Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, the tube 30 is rotated so as to always maintain a state where the tube 30 disposed in the cylindrical chamber 12 of the case 10 is completely crushed. It is configured to wind around the shaft 17 by two turns. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the tube 30 introduced from the upper right side of the drawing is wound around the rotating shaft 17 by two turns and led out of the case 10 from the lower left side of the drawing. Here, in the inner peripheral surface of the case 10 (cylindrical chamber 12), the thicknesses of the portions 10 a and 10 b corresponding to the introduction port and the discharge port are formed thinner than other portions, and the tube 30 is formed by the pressure member 14. Is not completely crushed. That is, in the cross section of the cylindrical chamber 12, two tubes 30 are arranged in the height direction, but only one of them is completely crushed by the pressure member 14. Considering this, the height of the inner peripheral surface of the case 10 (cylindrical chamber 12) is the deformation of the tube 30 when the pressurizing member 14 moves in the inner peripheral surface direction so as to completely crush the tube 30. It is set higher than the height of the rearmost top point 30c. Thereby, it sets so that the tube 30 may not go around to the upper surface of the case 10 at the time of a press.

  Further, at the time of pressing, the path from the gap between the pressure member 14 and the case 10 (cylindrical chamber 12) to the upper part or the lower part of the case 10 and the upper part or the lower part of the pressure member 14 includes the upper lid 2 and the lower lid. 3 is blocked by the protrusions 2a and 3a provided on each of the three, and when this is done, the uppermost point 30c wraps around the upper surface of the case 10 or the upper surface of the pressure member 14 when the tube 30 is crushed. Is prevented. The height of the inner peripheral surface 12a of the case 10 and the height of the pressure member 14 are set to be slightly higher than the height of the uppermost point 30c when the tube 30 is completely crushed. Thus, the tube 30 can be completely crushed and the apparatus can be miniaturized most.

  Next, a detailed configuration of the drive mechanism 50 will be described. 9 is a top view showing the configuration of the drive mechanism 50, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II 'of FIG. As shown in these drawings, the drive mechanism 50 decelerates the rotation of the stepping motor 60 including a coil 60a, a stator 60b formed of a magnetically permeable material, and a two-pole rotor magnet 60c, and the rotor magnet 60c. A four-stage reduction mechanism 70 is provided. The stepping motor 60 is substantially the same as a motor built in a pointer-type wristwatch or the like. As shown in FIG. 10, each of a coil 60a, a stator 60b, and a rotor magnet 60c is arranged in a plane. . By using the motor having such a configuration, the drive mechanism 50 can be reduced in size and thickness, and each can be dispersedly arranged, and the volume of the coil 60a is increased as compared with the conventional stepping motor even in a small space. Therefore, high efficiency can be achieved and low power consumption can be achieved.

  The reduction mechanism 70 includes a second gear 62 that meshes with the first pinion 60d of the rotor magnet 60c, a third gear 63 that meshes with the second pinion 62a of the second gear 62, and a third gear 63 of the third gear 63. A fourth gear 64 meshing with the pinion 63a and a fifth gear 65 meshing with the fourth pinion 64a of the fourth gear 64 are provided, and the four gears of the second gear 62 to the fifth gear 65 reduce the speed by four steps. The mechanism is configured. Each of the rotor magnet 60c and the second to fourth gears 62 to 64 is pivotally supported by a ruby (bearing) fitted and fixed to the base plate 67 and the train wheel bridge 69 so as to be arranged in a plane, and the ground plate 67 and the train wheel bridge are received. 69 is positioned in the height direction by a receiving foot 68. Further, as described above, the output shaft 52 of the drive mechanism 50 (that is, the output shaft 52 of the fifth gear 65) is pivotally supported by the bearing 53 that is a bearing common to the rotary shaft 17, and the bearing 53 It is attached to the row holder 69. At the upper end of the output shaft 52, a protrusion (minus-shaped protrusion) 52a is provided, and is detachably connected to the rotating shaft 17 that drives the pump unit. In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the main plate 67 and the wheel train receiver 69 is reversed as compared with a train wheel mechanism of a general watch, but the present invention is not limited to this. .

  When a control signal is input from the outside to the coil 60a of the stepping motor 60, the stator 60b is excited by this control signal and the rotor magnet 60c rotates. There are various types of input signals for this control signal. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, positive and negative pulse signals, which are the simplest signals, are used as control signals. When this control signal is used, the direction of the current flowing in the stator 60b is switched by the positive / negative signal of the control pulse, and an alternating magnetic field is generated, so that the rotor magnet 60c rotates. The rotation of the rotor magnet 60c is transmitted to the output shaft 52 of the fifth gear 65 while being decelerated by the speed reduction mechanism 70, and the rotation of the output shaft 52 is transmitted to the rotation shaft 17 as described above. Here, by appropriately setting the voltage amplitude H and the pulse width W of the control signal, it is possible to generate a torque necessary for the pump operation. That is, power saving can be realized by setting the torque value to the minimum necessary value.

As described above, according to the drive mechanism 50 of the present embodiment, the reduction mechanism 70 having a large reduction ratio is configured to reduce the output of the stepping motor 60 and transmit and output it. Even when a motor that generates only a relatively small torque is used, it is possible to output the torque in a magnitude required during pump operation.
Further, the rotation speed of the stepping motor 60 is decelerated and output by the speed reduction mechanism 70, so that the eccentric motion speed of the ring-shaped pressurizing member 14 is slowed down, and an extremely small amount of discharge is possible during the pump operation. In particular, when the tube pump 1 is used as a medical drug injection pump, the effect is exhibited when a small amount of drug is continuously injected over a long period of time. In addition, since a super-low power consumption comparable to that of a watch can be realized, a portable compact pump can be realized.

  In addition, although the structure which rotates the rotating shaft 17 with the drive mechanism 50 which has the stepping motor 60 was demonstrated, furthermore, the output shaft 52 of the said rotating shaft 17 or the drive mechanism 50 can be forcedly rotated manually or by an external motor. It is good also as a structure which has a forced rotation mechanism.

  FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the forced rotation mechanism together with the tube pump 1. As shown in this figure, the forced rotation mechanism 80 has an arm portion 81 having one end connected to the rotation shaft 17, and the rotation shaft 17 is forcibly rotated by the rotation of the arm portion 81. ing. Further, in this example, the forced rotation mechanism 80 includes a clutch mechanism 82 for preventing the rotation of the arm portion 81 from being transmitted to the stepping motor 60. Specifically, the clutch mechanism 82 is provided on the output shaft 52 to disconnect the output shaft 52 and the speed reduction mechanism 70 when a certain torque or more is applied to the output shaft 52 from the outside. A leaf spring 83 that urges the fifth gear 65 of the speed reduction mechanism 70 to be connected to the output shaft 52 above the axis of the output shaft 52, and a protrusion formed on the output shaft 52, which is attached by the leaf spring 83. And a restricting protrusion 52b for restricting the upper position of the biased fifth gear 65.

  Under this configuration, when driven by the stepping motor 60, the fifth gear 65 of the speed reduction mechanism 65 is sandwiched between the leaf spring 83 and the restriction projection 52b, and friction between the leaf spring 83 and the fifth gear 65 is caused. The rotation of the stepping motor 60 is transmitted to the output shaft 52 via the speed reduction mechanism 65 by being connected to the output shaft 52. On the other hand, when the rotary shaft 17 is forcibly rotated by the arm portion 81, the output shaft 52 rotates in conjunction with the rotary shaft 17, but when this rotational torque is above a certain level, Since the connection with the leaf spring 83 is broken and the leaf spring 83 slides on the fifth gear 65, the connection between the output shaft 52 and the speed reduction mechanism 65 is broken and the rotation of the arm portion 81 is transferred to the stepping motor 60. It will not be transmitted.

  Thus, by providing the forced rotation mechanism 80, it is possible to perform the pump operation by rotating the rotary shaft 17 at an arbitrary speed manually or with an external motor without transmitting power to the stepping motor 60. . In particular, when the tube 30 is filled with liquid or gas, the time required for filling can be shortened by rotating the rotating shaft 17 at a high speed by the forced rotation mechanism 80. In particular, when the discharge amount at the time of driving by the stepping motor 60 is set to a small amount discharge (for example, when it takes one hour for the pressing member to move eccentrically for one round), the stepping motor 60 Although it takes a very long time to fill the tube 30 with liquid or gas by driving, according to the above configuration, the forced rotation mechanism 80 can shorten the time. In addition, the time for discharging the liquid or gas from the tube 30 can be determined.

In addition, when a wide range of discharge from minute discharge to rapid discharge is required, there are few motors that rotate stably, and a motor that can withstand such a request and that can reduce power consumption. Is equal to nothing. However, if the above-described configuration is used, it is possible to compensate for the range that cannot be handled by the stepping motor 60 by adjusting the rotational speed of the rotary shaft 17 by the forced rotation mechanism 80. Dispensing can be achieved.
Particularly in the case of a medical pump, there are cases where the amount of medicine input is changed with time. For example, in the case of insulin injection, a micro discharge operation is always performed, and rapid injection is necessary after meals. Even in such a case, according to the tube pump 1, it is possible to sufficiently cope with a small amount of discharge and a rapid discharge.

  Furthermore, since the forced rotation mechanism 80 includes the clutch mechanism 82 and the output shaft 52 and the speed reduction mechanism 70 are disconnected when a certain amount of torque is applied to the output shaft 52 from the outside, the forced rotation mechanism 80 is configured to be disconnected. Even if a large torque is applied to the rotating shaft 17 by 80, the torque is not transmitted to the stepping motor 60, so that the stepping motor 60 can be prevented from being damaged. Further, when the rotary shaft 17 is driven by the forced rotation mechanism 80, no torque is applied from the stepping motor 60 side, so that the rotary shaft 17 can be efficiently rotated. Even if the stepping motor 60 fails, the tube pump 1 can be used urgently by rotating the rotating shaft 17 by the forced rotation mechanism 80.

As described above, according to the tube pump 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to enhance durability, and it is possible to reduce the size, reduce the power consumption, and deal with the discharge amount over a wide range.
In particular, in the portable medical pump, elements such as a small amount of discharge, small size, low power consumption, high durability, and hygiene are required. However, according to the tube pump 1 of the present embodiment, all of these are required. It becomes possible to satisfy the requirements at the same time, and a pump effective as a portable medical pump will be provided.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the tube pump which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top perspective view which shows the structure of the said tube pump. It is a figure for demonstrating the press of the tube arrange | positioned in a cylindrical chamber. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the said tube pump, and is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a pressing force cancellation | release means. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the said tube pump, and is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a pressing force cancellation | release means. It is a top view which shows the other aspect of the said tube pump. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the said tube pump. It is a figure for demonstrating the wraparound to the pressurization member upper surface of the said tube. It is a top view which shows the structure of a drive mechanism. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the said drive mechanism. It is a figure which shows typically the control signal input into the said drive mechanism. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a forced rotation mechanism typically with the said tube pump.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tube pump, 12 ... Cylindrical chamber, 12a ... Inner peripheral surface, 14 ... Pressure member, 16 ... Rotor, 17 ... Rotating shaft, 19 ... Biasing member, 19 '... Plate spring, 21 ... Spring, 23 ... Roller , 24 ... roller rotation shaft, 30 ... tube.

Claims (1)

A case having a substantially circular inner peripheral surface;
A tube made of an elastic material disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the case;
A ring-shaped pressurizing member disposed inside the tube and pressurizing the tube;
Rolls on the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped pressure member with the rotation of the rotary shaft arranged inside the pressure member, and causes the pressure member to move eccentrically by the rolling, A rotating body that presses the tube;
Biasing means for biasing the rotating body toward the inner peripheral surface of the pressure member;
A tube pump comprising: release means for releasing the urging force of the urging means.

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