JP5401068B2 - Tube joining device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tube joining apparatus that joins flexible tubes for transferring a liquid medicine or the like, for example, holding a plurality of flexible tubes in a parallel posture, melting and cutting the tubes, The present invention relates to a tube joining apparatus that welds and joins the cut surfaces to the cut surfaces of different tubes.

  In general, this type of tube joining apparatus is prepared by melting a plurality of flexible tubes set on a mounting table with a heating blade to cut (melting) a predetermined portion, and preparing the cut tube and the mounting table. It is widely known as a device for joining to another tube. In such an apparatus, it is necessary to melt and join the tubes in an aseptic state or in an isolated state where the operator does not contact with fingers or the like depending on the contents or the use.

  Conventionally, as such an apparatus, for example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-154920), a plurality of tubes fixed in a parallel posture to a holder are fused with a heating plate, and then the holder is moved along a heating plate (plane). A mechanism for rotating and welding different tubes is proposed. By such a mechanism, for example, two tubes can be cut at predetermined positions, and then the tubes can be rotated 180 degrees to bond (weld) different tubes together. In this case, the operator's fingers do not touch the cutting and joining of the two tubes, and the fusing and joining operations can be performed quickly in a sterile or isolated state.

  Similarly, in Cited Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-022126), a central portion of a holding unit that holds a plurality of tubes at a distance in the axial direction is melted by a heating plate, and after the fusing, the tubes are horizontally oriented. An apparatus for joining different tubes by offset movement has been proposed.

In the conventional tube joining devices disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, in order to melt and join the flexible tube, a plurality of tubes are fixed to a holder member provided on the processing table. For example, it is cut by melting with a heating blade (heating plate), and the holder member is moved by a predetermined amount in the rotational direction or linear direction with the cut surface being in contact with the heating blade. A plurality of different tubes are joined (welded) by the movement of the tubes. In this case, in each of the devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the holder member is constituted by a block member having a U-shaped groove, and the tube is fitted and supported in the U-shaped groove.
JP 09-154920 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-022126

  When the flexible tube is cut or joined at a predetermined position as described above, it is necessary to securely fix the flexible tube to the processing stage at an accurate position. For example, in order to fix a tube made of a thermoplastic resin material such as soft polyvinyl chloride without distortion, the holding force (contact pressure) of the tube becomes a problem. Similarly, when different tubes are moved by moving the cut tubes by a predetermined distance, it is necessary to hold the tubes at an accurate position.

  For this reason, conventionally, a U-shaped groove is provided in a mounting base for fixing a tube as in the above-mentioned patent document, and the tube is fitted and held in this groove. As described above, when the flexible tube is held and fitted in the U-shaped groove, the following problem occurs. First, when the diameter or material of the tube to be cut or joined is different, a U-shaped groove suitable for this must be prepared. For example, when the outer diameter of the tube is 4 mm and 6 mm, the U-shaped groove for holding the tube must be set. The same problem occurs when the tolerance of the tube diameter is large.

  Therefore, there is a demand for a hold mechanism that does not require replacement of the holder member that fixes the tube even when the tube diameters are different or the tolerance is large. In this case, it is necessary to perform chucking so that the center point of the circular tube always coincides with a predetermined reference position.

  The present inventor employs a structure in which a pair of gripper members facing each other are sandwiched and held, and by providing a centering mechanism that balances the contact force between the gripper member and the flexible tube, tubes having different outer diameters are provided. The idea was that the position could be set with reference to the axis.

  In the present invention, when a flexible tube is positioned and fixed in a predetermined posture, the tube axis can always coincide with a predetermined center axis regardless of the tube outer diameter or the tube material. The problem is to provide a bonding apparatus. It is possible to cut and join tubes with different outer diameter materials at accurate positions. The present invention further cuts a plurality of tubes and then moves them in a predetermined direction to join different tubes. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tube joining apparatus that can always cut and join at an accurate position even if the tube diameter and material are different.

  The present invention adopts the following configuration in order to solve the above problems. First and second tube holding means for holding the flexible tube are provided on a mounting base for holding the flexible tube, and at least one of the tube holding means is a pair of holding and holding the flexible tube. It consists of a gripper member. The pair of gripper members are provided with a centering mechanism that balances the contact force with the flexible tube so that the tube axis coincides with a preset center position.

  The alignment mechanism is configured by a spring mechanism that urges the pair of gripper members with a substantially equal spring pressure, or is configured by a drive mechanism that moves the pair of gripper members toward and away from each other by the same amount. The specific configuration will be described in detail below.

A mounting base for holding the flexible tube in a predetermined posture; first and second tube holding means that are arranged on the above-mentioned base at an interval and hold the tube; and the flexible tube is the first tube A heating blade for fusing between the holding means and the second tube holding means; and a shift means for relatively moving the position of the first and second tube holding means to change the position of the tube on the table. Is provided. At least one of the first and second tube holding means is constituted by a pair of gripper members that hold the flexible tube by pressing, and the pair of gripper members have a contact force with the flexible tube. An alignment mechanism is provided that balances and aligns the tube axis with a preset center position. The first and second tube holding means are composed of an upper and lower gripper member that clamps the flexible tube from the vertical direction and a left and right gripper member that clamps the flexible tube from the horizontal direction. Spring means for biasing the pair of gripper members substantially uniformly toward the set center position, and drive means for moving the pair of gripper members closer to and away from each other by substantially the same amount. One of the gripper member and the left and right gripper members is provided with the spring means, and the other is provided with the drive means.

A mounting table for holding a plurality of flexible tubes in parallel with each other; first and second tube holding means arranged on the above-mentioned table for holding the plurality of tubes at intervals in the axial direction; 1. A heating blade arranged between the second tube holding means and fusing the plurality of tubes, and a shift means for fusing different tubes by turning the fusing tube along the heating blade. At least one of the first and second tube holding means is constituted by a pair of gripper members that hold the tube in a pressure-tight manner, and the pair of gripper members balances the contact force with the tube so that the tube shaft It has a centering mechanism that matches the center with a preset center position. The first and second tube holding means are composed of an upper and lower gripper member that clamps the flexible tube from the vertical direction and a left and right gripper member that clamps the flexible tube from the horizontal direction. Spring means for biasing the pair of gripper members substantially uniformly toward the set center position, and drive means for moving the pair of gripper members closer to and away from each other by substantially the same amount. One of the gripper member and the left and right gripper members is provided with the spring means, and the other is provided with the drive means.

  The first and second tube holding means are composed of an upper and lower gripper member for sandwiching the flexible tube from the vertical direction and a left and right gripper member for sandwiching the flexible tube from the horizontal direction. One of the members and the left and right gripper members is provided with a spring means for urging the opposing gripper member with substantially equal spring pressure, and the other is a driving means for causing the opposing gripper member to approach and separate by substantially the same amount. Is provided.

  At least one of the first and second tube holding means includes an upper and lower gripper member that clamps the flexible tube from the vertical direction and a left and right gripper member that clamps the flexible tube from the horizontal direction. In the axial direction of the tube, the upper and lower gripper members are arranged so as to sandwich the tube at a position closer to the heating blade than the left and right gripper members.

  The above-mentioned table further includes clamping means for closing the flexible tube, and the clamping means is disposed between the upper and lower gripper members and the heating blade. Further, the upper and lower gripper members are provided with a V-shaped groove on the contact surface of the flexible tube.

  According to the present invention, first and second tube holding means for gripping a tube are provided on a platform that holds the flexible tube in a predetermined posture, at least one of which is a pair of gripper members that hold and hold the tube. Configure. Since the pair of gripper members are provided with a centering mechanism that balances the contact force with the tube so that the tube axis coincides with a preset center position, the following effects can be obtained.

  The flexible tube disposed on the mounting base is clamped and held in the front-rear direction or the vertical direction by a pair of gripper members. At this time, the opposing gripper member is provided with a centering mechanism that balances the contact force against the tube so that the tube axis coincides with a preset center position. When joining to different tubes, the accurate position can always be cut regardless of the tube diameter, and the accurate position can be joined with the correct posture. It is possible to cut and join tubes having an outer diameter of 4 to 25 mm without exchanging them with dedicated parts.

  In particular, when there is an error in the tube diameter, the joining position and posture are distorted, and this cannot be solved. However, the present invention makes the axis of the tube coincide with a predetermined reference position. Thus, even if there is an error in the tube diameter, no positional deviation occurs during joining.

  Further, according to the present invention, the gripper member is composed of an upper and lower gripper member that sandwiches the flexible tube from the vertical direction on the mounting table and a left and right gripper member that sandwiches the flexible tube from the horizontal direction, and the upper and lower gripper members are heated by the left and right gripper members. The following effects can be obtained by disposing the blade close to the blade. If the flexible tube is made of a material such as soft polyvinyl chloride, it tends to be distorted in the vertical direction due to the influence of gravity, but the upper and lower gripper members support the position close to the heating blade, and the deformation of the tube due to the influence of gravity is prevented. It can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, a tube joining device of the present invention is explained in detail based on a suitable embodiment shown in an accompanying drawing. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration of a tube joining apparatus A according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual explanatory diagram (layout diagram with the structure omitted) showing the layout configuration. FIG. 3 is a main part explanatory view showing an enlarged state of the mounting part of the tube joining apparatus A. FIG. 4 is a structural explanatory view of the lower unit, and FIG. 5 is a structural explanatory view of the upper unit.

[Description of overall system configuration]
The tube bonding apparatus A according to the present invention places a plurality of (two in the drawing) flexible tubes Ta and Tb on a mounting table (processing table; the same applies hereinafter) 30 and fixes the tubes. Cut at a processing position of the mounting table 30 and cut to a predetermined length. In addition, after cutting depending on the processing specifications, the plurality of tubes are rotated or translated with respect to the cut surface to join different tubes. In the illustrated apparatus, the first tube Ta and the second tube Tb are held and fixed on the mounting table 30, and the two tubes are simultaneously cut by a heating blade (cutter means) 50 to cut the tube at a predetermined position. Then, the first and second tubes Ta and Tb after cutting are moved relative to each other in the linear direction in a state where the cut surfaces are in contact with the heating blade 50, or are swung in the circular direction. At this time, the heating blade 50 is held at a predetermined temperature (the melting point temperature of the tube), and the positions of the first and second tubes Ta and Tb are reversed to join different tubes.

  In this way, the tube holding means 41 for fixing the plurality of tubes to the mounting table 30 in order to cut the plurality of tubes at an accurate position and move the cut tubes to join the end surfaces of different tubes. , 46, a heating blade 50 for cutting the tube (the one shown in the figure is blown), a clamp means 60 for closing the tubes Ta and Tb, and a shift means 70 for moving the position of the cut tube. Each configuration will be described sequentially.

[Configuration of platform]
As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting table 30 that cuts and joins the first and second tubes Ta and Tb is configured in a worktable shape, for example, depending on the application. In the illustrated example, a mounting table 30 is disposed on the top plate portion of the apparatus frame 10 configured in a table shape. The mounting table 30 includes a fixed mounting table 30B fixed to the device frame 10 and a movable mounting table 30A attached to the device frame 10 so as to be able to rotate (or translate). As described above, the mounting table 30 on which the first and second tubes Ta and Tb are set is constituted by the fixed mounting table 30B and the movable mounting table 30A. After the tube is cut, the movable mounting table 30A is turned by 180 degrees. This is because one end (left end portion) of one tube Ta and one end (right end portion) of the second tube Tb are joined to connect different tubes.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the fixed platform 30B and the movable platform 30A are composed of lower units 31A and 35A and upper units 31B and 35B, respectively, and each of the upper units 31B and 35B corresponds to the lower units 31A and 35A. And is connected to the apparatus frame 10 so as to be freely opened and closed. As described above, the fixed platform 30B is separated into the lower unit 31A and the upper unit 31B, and the movable platform 30A is separated into the lower unit 35A and the upper unit 35B, and each upper unit is configured to be openable and closable. ) Etc. for setting the flexible tube connected to the mounting table 30. The illustrated apparatus is configured to rotate the upper units 31B and 35B by 90 degrees or more with respect to the lower units 31A and 35A.

  Since the first and second tubes Ta and Tb are placed and set as described above, the upper units 31B and 35B and the lower units 31A and 35A connected to be freely opened and closed have tube holding means 41 and 46, which will be described later, and clamps. A means 60 is arranged. The first and second tubes Ta and Tb are held by the tube holding means 41 and 46 provided on the fixed mount 30B and the movable mount 30A, and cut at the processing position CL.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 15 denotes a controller box for inputting initial settings of the apparatus and work processes, and 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d shown in FIG. 1 place the first and second tubes Ta and Tb held on the stage. It is the tube mounting recessed part to support. The mounting recess is provided in the apparatus frame 10 so as to mount and support the longitudinal direction of the tube at appropriate intervals. As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting recesses 16c and 16d located on the movable platform 30A side are mounted and supported so that the first and second tubes Ta and Tb roll freely, and are fixedly mounted. An opening / closing cover for fixing the first and second tubes Ta and Tb is provided in the recess 16b in FIG. 1 located on the base 30B side. This is because the tube is securely fixed to the mounting table 30.

[Configuration of tube holding means]
A first tube holding means 41 for holding the tube and holding it in a predetermined posture is disposed on the movable mount 30A, and a second tube holding means 46 is disposed on the fixed mount 30B. The first and second tube holding means 41 and 46 are arranged at intervals in the tube longitudinal direction with a position of a heating blade 50 to be described later interposed therebetween. A clamp unit 60 and a heating blade (cutter unit) 50, which will be described later, are disposed at the processing position CL.

  FIG. 3 shows the first tube holding means 41 arranged on the movable stage 30A and the second tube holding means 46 arranged on the fixed stage 30B. 4 is an enlarged explanatory view of the lower units 31A and 35A, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged explanatory view of the upper units 31B and 35B.

  The first tube holding means 41 and the second tube holding means 46 hold the flexible tubes Ta and Tb having a circular cross section and hold them in a predetermined posture. For this reason, the tube holding means 41 and 46 are constituted by a pair of gripper members facing each other that sandwich the first and second tubes Ta and Tb. The illustrated first tube holding means 41 includes upper and lower gripper members (lower gripper member 42a and upper gripper member 42b) 42 that sandwich the first and second tubes Ta and Tb from the upper and lower sides in the vertical direction, and left and right grippers that sandwich the first and second tubes Ta and Tb from the left and right in the horizontal direction. It consists of members (right gripper 43b, left gripper 43a) 43. Similarly, the second tube holding means 46 includes upper and lower gripper members 47 (lower gripper member 47a and upper gripper member 47b) that are sandwiched from above and below in the vertical direction, and left and right gripper members 48 (right gripper member 48b and left gripper that are sandwiched from the left and right in the horizontal direction). It consists of member 48a). In particular, the left and right gripper members 43 of the first tube holding means 41 are arranged at one place as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, whereas the left and right gripper members 48 of the second tube holding means 46 are arranged at two places. ing. This is because the first tube holding means 41 located on the movable stage 30A is configured to be lightweight.

  In the illustrated apparatus, the first and second tube holding means 41, 46 are always tubes even if the tube diameters are different or the first and second tubes Ta, Tb are misaligned on the mounting table 30. Is provided with a centering mechanism that matches the center of the axis with a preset center position.

  The alignment mechanism is configured by a spring mechanism that urges the pair of gripper members toward the center position set in advance with a substantially equal spring pressure, or a drive that moves the pair of gripper members synchronously. Consists of means.

  In the apparatus of FIG. 3, the right and left gripper members 43 and 48 are aligned with a centering mechanism (first embodiment) using a driving means Md, and the upper and lower gripper members 42 and 47 are aligned with a spring (second alignment mechanism). Embodiment). Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with respect to the left and right gripper members 43 of the first tube holding means 41 according to FIGS. 7A, 7B and 8A, and the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The upper and lower gripper members 42 of the first tube holding means 41 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the pair of left and right gripper members 43a and 43b that hold the first tube Ta in the longitudinal orthogonal direction (left and right direction) pressurize and hold the tube peripheral surface with the contact surfaces Xa and Xb. The pair of left and right gripper members 43a and 43b are axially supported by the apparatus frame 10 so as to be slidable in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the tube. 44p and 49p shown in the figure are support pins implanted in the apparatus frame 10 and slidably fit and support the long grooves 44h and 49h of the left and right gripper members 43. Therefore, the right gripper member 43b is supported by the support pin 49p by the long groove 49h, and is supported so as to be movable in the direction indicated by the arrow r in FIG. Similarly, the left gripper member 43a is supported by the support pin 44p through the long groove 44h, and is supported so as to be movable in the direction indicated by the arrow q in FIG.

  Therefore, the left gripper member 43a is integrally formed with a rack gear 43r1 at the base end thereof, and the right gripper member 43b is integrally formed with a rack gear 43r2 at the base end thereof. It is in mesh. The rack gears 43r1 and 43r2 and the pinion 45 are meshed with each other in a gear relationship in which the movement amount of the left gripper member 43a and the movement amount of the right gripper member 43b coincide. The pinion 45 is connected to an operation motor MX shown in FIG. 44S shown to Fig.8 (a) is a home position sensor, and detects the initial position of the right-and-left gripper members 43a and 43b. 44f is a position detection flag provided at the base end of the right gripper member 43b. Therefore, the control means (not shown) of the operation motor MX detects the positions of the left gripper member 43a and the right gripper member 43b by the home position sensor 44S, and rotates the operation motor MX forward or backward based on these positions. Then, the right gripper member 43b and the left gripper member 43a move in a direction approaching each other or a direction separating from each other by the pinion 45. The amount of movement at this time is set so that the left and right amount members are uniform. The left and right gripper members 43a and 43b are set so as to approach or separate by the same amount with the center point O shown in FIG. For this reason, the left and right gripper members 43a and 43b sandwich the tube Ta (Tb) inserted between the contact surfaces Xa and Xb.

  In this way, the left and right gripper members 43a and 43b sandwiching the tube Ta (Tb) are connected by the rack gear mechanism so that the contact surfaces Xa and Xb approach or separate from each other by the same amount. Further, since the contact points Xa and Xb are set with the center point O for aligning the tube Ta (Tb) as the initial positioning reference, the left and right contact surfaces Xa and Xb are the center point O when the tube Ta (Tb) is not present. In this case, they come in contact with each other and are separated from each other by an equal distance in synchronization. Therefore, even if the diameters of the tubes are different from each other, the posture can be maintained with the axis centering on the center point O. At the same time, even if the tube has the same diameter, if there is an error in the outer diameter of the tube, the tube holding position (axial center) will be shifted from side to side in accordance with the error in the conventional method. There was a problem that could not be accurately. On the other hand, in the positioning method described above, the tube axis is aligned with the preset center point O when the tubes are joined, so that the left and right tubes are not misaligned during joining.

  Next, an alignment mechanism in the case where the tube Ta (Tb) is sandwiched from above and below in the vertical direction will be described with reference to FIG. The lower gripper member 42a (47a) for sandwiching the first and second tubes Ta and Tb from below is disposed in the lower unit 31A (35A), and the upper gripper member 42b (47b) for sandwiching the tube Ta (Tb) from above is provided. Arranged in the upper unit 31B (35B). That is, the lower gripper member 42a (47a) is connected to the lower unit 31A (35A) on the apparatus frame 10 side, and the upper gripper member 42b (47b) is connected to the upper unit 31B (35B) that can be opened and closed by the lower unit 31A (35A). It arrange | positions so that it may oppose. The lower gripper member 42a (47a) and the upper gripper member 42b (47b) are provided with upper and lower contact surfaces Ya and Yb so as to face each other and sandwich the tube Ta (Tb). The contact surfaces Ya and Yb are provided with V-shaped grooves.

  The lower gripper member 42 a (47 a) is supported by a support stem 55 a that is movably installed on the mounting table 30, and a lower coil spring 54 a is applied between the lower gripper member 42 a (47 a) and the apparatus frame 10. The upper gripper member 42b (47b) is supported by the support stem 55b, and the upper coil spring 54b is applied between the upper gripper member 42b (47b) and the mounting base 30.

  Therefore, the lower gripper member 42a (47a) provided with the contact surface Ya and the upper gripper member 42b (47b) provided with the contact surface Yb are urged toward each other by the lower coil spring 54a and the upper coil spring 54b, The upper gripper member 42b (47b) is attached to an upper unit 31B (35B) described later, and the upper gripper member 42b (47b) is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the lower units 31A and 35A.

  Accordingly, the first and second tubes Ta and Tb are placed on the lower gripper member 42a (47a) with the upper gripper member 42b (47b) positioned at the upper standby position. Thereafter, the upper gripper member 42b (47b) is closed, and the first and second tubes Ta and Tb are positioned between the upper and lower gripper members 42 (47). Then, the contact surface Yb of the upper gripper member 42b (47b) is pressed against the upper semicircular portion of the tube Ta (Tb) by the action of the upper coil spring 54b. The contact surface Ya of the lower gripper member 42a (47a) is pressed against the lower semicircular portion of the tube Ta (Tb) by the action of the lower coil spring 54a.

  At this time, the lower coil spring 54a and the upper coil spring 54b have the same spring constant, the same initial tension, and are set so as to balance each other. When the tube Ta (Tb) is not present, the initial tension is set so that the contact surface Ya that receives the action of the lower coil spring 54a and the contact surface Yb that receives the action of the upper coil spring 54b are positioned at the center point O. Has been.

The case where the first tube Ta is positioned and held from above and below and from the left and right in the first tube holding means 41 has been described above, but the structure for positioning and holding the second tube Tb in the first tube holding means 41 is also the same. The reference numerals are attached and the description is omitted. Similarly, the second tube holding means 46 may adopt the same structure as described above when positioning and holding the first tube Ta and the second tube Tb.
The first tube holding means 14 may also be provided with left and right gripper members 48 that are closer to the heating blade 50 than the upper and lower gripper members 47, similarly to the second tube holding means 46.

  As described above, the tube Ta (Tb) has the left and right contact surfaces Xa, Xb and the upper and lower contact surfaces that face the left and right gripper members 43 (48) in the horizontal direction and the upper and lower gripper members 42 (47) in the vertical direction. Positioning is performed at Ya and Yb. At this time, the left and right contact surfaces Xa and Xb are provided with an alignment mechanism (first embodiment) that moves by the same movement amount with reference to a position that coincides with the center point O. Further, the upper and lower contact surfaces Ya and Yb are provided with an alignment mechanism (second embodiment) that urges and moves the tube Ta (Tb) to the center point O with an urging force of the spring at an equal pressure. At this time, the procedure is set such that the tube Ta (Tb) is positioned in the horizontal direction after the tube Ta (Tb) is positioned in the vertical direction on the upper and lower contact surfaces Ya and Yb. That is, after positioning with the biasing force of the spring, the position of the tube is fixed by the amount of movement of the contact surfaces Xa and Xb.

[Configuration of cutter means]
A cutter unit (heating blade) 50 is disposed between the first tube holding unit 41 and the second tube holding unit 46 on the mounting table 30 described above. The cutter means 50 is disposed along a cutting line indicated by CL in FIG. 1, and cuts the flexible tube held by the first and second tube holding means 41 and 46 in the longitudinal direction. The heating blade 50 shown in FIG. 2 is disposed in the upper unit 31B of the fixed mounting base 30B and is configured in a flat and thin plate shape. Since the various structures are already known, the structure is roughly as follows although not shown.

  The unit frame of the upper unit 31B is provided with a guide groove for guiding the heating blade 50 up and down (vertical direction). The heating blade 50 incorporates heating means (such as a heater wire) and is electrically connected to the controller 15 so that the temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature. The flexible tubes Ta and Tb are connected along the cutting line CL. Fusing. At the same time, the end face of the melted tube is welded to the end face of another tube. Accordingly, the temperature of the heating blade 50 is controlled to be higher than the melting point of a flexible tube such as soft polyvinyl chloride.

[Configuration of clamping means]
As described above, the first and second tubes Ta and Tb held by the first tube holding means 41 and the second tube holding means 46 are heated along the cutting line CL set at the center thereof. Fusing at 50. At this time, if one of the tubes is connected to, for example, a chemical tank (bag), the contents may leak simultaneously with the cutting.

  Therefore, in the illustrated apparatus, the clamping means 60 is disposed between the tube holding means 41 and the heating blade 50 on the tube end side (the illustrated one is the left end in FIG. 1) where the contents may leak out. As shown in FIG. 14, the clamp means 60 includes a fixed clamp member 61 disposed in the lower unit 35A of the movable mount 30A and a movable clamp member 65 disposed in the upper unit 35B. As shown in FIG. 14 (a), the fixed clamp member 61 is composed of two shutter plates with a small gap, and a crimping groove for pressing the flexible tube from below is formed at the tip. Has been. In the illustrated crimping groove, a crimping groove 62a for crimping the first tube Ta and a crimping groove 62b for crimping the second tube Tb are integrally formed.

  Further, the movable clamp member 65 of the upper unit 35B configured on the movable mount 30A is provided with crimping projections that fit into the crimping grooves 62a and 62b of the fixed clamp member 61 as shown in FIG. In the illustrated crimping projection, a crimping projection 63a for crimping the first tube Ta and a crimping projection 63b for crimping the second tube Tb are provided.

  In such a configuration, when the upper unit 35B is moved from the open position to the closed position as will be described later, the movable clamp member 65 at the open position shown in FIG. 14B is lowered toward the fixed clamp member 61. At this time, the first and second tubes Ta and Tb are regulated by the upper and lower gripper members 42 and 47 to the positioning reference shown in FIG. Then, the movable clamp member 65 descends in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing lever 82 described later. Then, the upper unit 35B descends along the vertical guide surface 93x (the configuration will be described later).

Therefore, when the crimping protrusions 63a and 63b of the movable clamp member 65 are fitted in the crimping grooves 62a and 62b of the fixed clamp member 61, the tube is crushed between the protrusions and the groove. In the state of FIG. 14C, the first and second flexible tubes Ta and Tb are closed (closed) and sealed.

[Description of shift mechanism]
As described with reference to FIG. 3, the mounting table 30 is divided into a movable mounting table 30A and a fixed mounting table 30B. Each mounting table 30 is divided into lower units 31A and 35A and upper units 31B and 35B. . As shown in FIG. 3, the upper units 31B and 35B are configured to be freely opened and closed between an open position that is opened approximately 90 degrees and a horizontal closed position (state shown in FIG. 1). The unit opening / closing mechanism will be described later.

  Therefore, the movable platform 30A has a perspective structure in which a part (unit cover) is omitted in FIG. As shown in the figure, the movable platform 30A is supported at the center of a donut-shaped rotary drum member 71. As shown in the figure, a rotating drum member 71 formed in a donut shape (annular shape) is configured to be divided into a lower rotating drum 71A and an upper rotating drum 71B. FIG. 4 shows the lower rotating drum 71A. The left and right gripper members 43 and the lower gripper member 42a of the first tube holding means 41 are arranged on the lower rotating drum 71A. Similarly, FIG. 5 shows the upper rotating drum 71B, but the upper gripper member 42b is disposed.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the rotating drum member 71 configured in this manner is provided with an annular bearing portion 73 at the end in the longitudinal direction. A bearing 74 is incorporated in the bearing portion 73. The bearing 74 on the lower rotating drum 71A side is supported by the apparatus frame 12 (see FIG. 9A), and the bearing 74 on the upper rotating drum 71B side is supported by the upper unit 35B although not shown. With such a bearing structure, the rotary body member 71 is rotatably supported by the apparatus frame 10. The lower rotary drum 71A and the upper rotary drum 71B are connected to each other at the joint 72.

  Ring gears 75 are formed on the outer circumferences of the lower rotary drum 71A and the upper rotary drum 71B. The ring gear 75 formed in an annular shape is configured such that a ring gear 75b is formed on the upper rotating drum 71B and a ring gear 75a is formed on the lower rotating drum 71A, and operates as one ring gear in a connected state. .

  In this way, the donut-shaped rotating drum member 71 having the tube holding means 41 arranged at the center is configured to be pivotable on the apparatus frame 12 by the bearing 74. And this bearing part 73 is set so that it may rotate on the rotating shaft XX center shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2. Therefore, when the first tube Ta and the second tube Tb are fixedly supported by the tube holding means 41 provided in the center, and the rotary body member 71 is rotated 180 degrees about the axis XX, the first tube Ta before the rotation is It moves to the position of the second tube Tb, and the second tube Tb before rotation moves to the position of the first tube Ta. As a result, the left end of the first tube Ta and the right end of the second tube Tb are joined, and the left end of the second tube Tb and the right end of the first tube Ta can be joined to join different tubes. That is, the first and second tubes gripped by the first tube holding means 41 by turning the rotary body member 71 containing the first tube holding means 41 around the rotation axis XX by a predetermined angle (for example, 180 degrees). Different tubes are joined by changing the position and orientation of Ta and Tb.

  In view of this, the apparatus shown in the drawing has the following characteristics in a drive mechanism for turning a donut-shaped rotary drum member 71 having a tube holding means 41 built in the center thereof by a predetermined angle. As described above, the upper rotary drum 71B constituting the annular rotary drum member 71 has a semicircular ring gear 75b formed on the outer periphery thereof, and the outer periphery of the lower rotary drum 71A is similarly semicircular. A ring gear 75a is formed. The two ring gears 75a and 75b are integrated at the coupling portion 72 to constitute one ring gear.

  A transmission gear 76 as shown in FIG. 6 is disposed on the device frame 10 so as to mesh with the ring gear 75. The transmission gear 76 is arranged such that the distance between the ring gear 75 and the shaft is displaced. The displacement δ of the transmission gear 76 is set larger than the step Ga generated at the joint 72 of the ring gear 75. This relationship is shown in FIG. 10 (a). The ring gear 75 is divided into an upper ring gear 75 b and a lower ring gear 75 a and is connected by a coupling portion 72. At this time, if the stepped portion Ga (step amount “γ”) is formed in the coupling portion 72, the tooth profile of the upper and lower ring gears is displaced by the step amount “γ”. Therefore, when the transmission gear 76 meshing with the ring gear 75 is not displaced, the gear curves of both gears interfere with each other and lock. This interference area is indicated by hatching in FIG. Therefore, when a step Ga is generated at the joint 72 of the ring gear 75 divided into two, the transmission gear 76 meshing with the ring gear 75 is displaced by a displacement larger than the step amount “γ” and the distance between the shafts of the transmission gear 76 is increased. Need to be displaced.

  Therefore, in the illustrated apparatus, the transmission gear 76 includes a first transmission gear 76A for clockwise rotation and a second transmission gear 76B for counterclockwise rotation, and the two transmission gears 76A and 76B are supported by a swing lever. Further, an urging spring (not shown) for urging the oscillating lever in a direction to mesh with the ring gear 75 is disposed on the swing lever. As shown in FIG. 6, the shift motor MS is attached to the apparatus frame 10. A bifurcated swing arm 77, 78 is axially supported on the drive rotating shaft 80. The first transmission gear 76 </ b> A is axially supported at the tip of the swing arm 77, and the second transmission gear 76 </ b> B is axially supported at the tip of the swing arm 78. Therefore, the drive gear 79 provided on the drive rotary shaft 80 is connected to the first transmission gear 76A and the second transmission gear 76B. As a result, the forward and reverse rotations of the drive rotary shaft 80 are transmitted to the first transmission gear 76A and the second transmission gear 76B. At this time, the swing arms 77 and 78 are positioned so that the first transmission gear 76A and the second transmission gear 76B selectively engage with the ring gear 75.

  With such a configuration, the bearing portions of the above-mentioned swing arms 77 and 78 are loosely fitted to the drive rotary shaft 80, and a sliding bearing comprising a spring clutch BL (not shown) is interposed therebetween. The spring clutch BL transmits the rotation of the drive rotary shaft 80 to the swing arms 77 and 78 to swing the arm in the rotation direction of the shaft, and when the transmission gear 76 attached to the arm meshes with the ring gear 75, A sliding motion occurs between the spring and the driving rotary shaft 80 under load.

  The operation will be described with reference to FIG. When the drive rotary shaft 80 rotates counterclockwise, the swing arm 78 swings counterclockwise around the drive rotary shaft 80 by the spring action of a spring clutch (not shown) wound around this shaft. Then, the second transmission gear 76B meshes with the ring gear 75 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the spring clutch BL urges the second transmission gear 76B in the z direction indicated by the arrow while sliding. Simultaneously with the gear coupling, the rotation of the drive rotary shaft 80 is transmitted to the second transmission gear 76B via the drive gear 79, and the ring gear 75 is rotated counterclockwise.

  When the drive rotary shaft 80 is rotated clockwise, the swing arm 77 swings clockwise by the spring action of the spring clutch BL wound around this shaft. Then, the first transmission gear 76A meshes with the ring gear 75, and the rotation of the drive rotary shaft 80 rotates the ring gear 75 clockwise via the first transmission gear 76A.

Therefore, when the step Ga is generated in the coupling portion 72 of the ring gear 75 described above, the transmission gear 76 is displaced by an amount x (x> γ) shown in FIG. If this is done, locking of the gear connection is prevented.

  Therefore, in the illustrated apparatus, when the step Ga is generated in the coupling portion 72 of the ring gear 75, the movement restricting means 85 that displaces the transmission gear 76 in accordance with the step amount “γ” includes the following first, second, and third. It is provided in either embodiment.

  In the “first embodiment”, as shown in FIG. 9B, the movement restricting means 85 includes a flange 86 formed integrally with the side edge of the ring gear 75, and the flange 86 has teeth of the ring gear 75. A guide surface 86x that is larger in diameter than the original circle and located outside is formed. The guide surface 86x engages with the tooth tip of the transmission gear 76 (76A or 76B) that meshes with the ring gear 75, and acts to separate the transmission gear 76 away from the tooth surface of the ring gear 75.

  Therefore, as described above, the swing arms 77 and 78 that support the transmission gear 76 are biased in a direction (meshing direction) that engages with the ring gear 75 by the spring action of the spring clutch BL. Contrary to this urging force, when there is a step Ga in the ring gear 75, the tooth tip of the transmission gear 76 is guided by the guide surface 86 x of the flange 86 to swing the transmission gear 76 in the anti-meshing direction. The escaping action of the transmission gear 76 does not cause locking due to the interference between the gears.

  The “second embodiment” is shown in FIG. 10B, but unlike the above-described one, the motion restricting means 85 is constituted by a flange 87 integrally formed on the side edge of the transmission gear 76A (76B). The flange 87 is provided with a guide surface 87 x that engages with the tooth tip of the ring gear 75. The guide surface 87x is larger in diameter than the tooth root circle of the transmission gear 76A (76B) and is located outside, and is configured to engage with the tooth tip of the ring gear 75. Other configurations are the same as those described above, and the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, although the “third embodiment” is not shown, the first and second embodiments described above engage the flanges 86 and 87 constituting the movement restricting means 85 with the tooth tips of the gear meshing with the flanges 86 and 87. The ring gear 75 and the transmission gear 76 are provided with flanges (the flange 86 in the first embodiment and the flange 87 in the second embodiment), respectively, and the flanges are engaged with each other to form the first and second gears. The same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained.

[Upper unit opening / closing mechanism]
As described above, the fixed platform 30B and the movable platform 30A are composed of the upper units 31B and 35B and the lower units 31A and 35A, respectively, and the upper unit 31B and the lower unit 31A are coupled to each other to form the fixed platform 30B. To do. Further, the upper unit 35B and the lower unit 35A are coupled to each other to constitute the movable mount 30A. The opening / closing mechanism of each unit will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the fixed-side upper unit 31B and the movable-side upper unit 35B are mounted on the apparatus frame 10 so as to be openable and closable with the same structure. Hereinafter, the structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 12, and 13. A mounting seat 90 is provided in the apparatus frame for each upper unit. An opening / closing lever 82 is rotatably connected to the mounting seat 90 by a hinge shaft 82h. In FIG. 1, 82a is an open / close lever of the fixed upper unit 31B, and 82b is an open / close lever of the movable upper unit 35B. A locking claw 83 is provided at the end of each open / close lever, and engages with the lock lever 84 of the apparatus frame 10.

  Therefore, box-shaped covers 24 and 25 are attached to the open / close levers 82a and 82b on the movable side and the fixed side, and the above-described upper gripper members 42b and 47b are housed in the covers. Therefore, the box-shaped covers 24 and 25 are axially supported by the open / close levers 82a and 82b so as to be freely movable. As shown in FIG. 12, a long hole 91 is provided in the opening / closing lever 82, and connecting pins 88 and 89 provided in the box-shaped covers 24 and 25 are fitted into the long hole 91. Accordingly, the movable and fixed box-shaped covers 24 and 25 are axially supported by the open / close levers 82a and 82b so as to be freely movable by the connecting pins 88 and 89. As shown in FIG. 1, springs are bridged over the connecting pins 88 and 89 and are urged toward one of the long holes 91.

  As described above, the box-shaped covers 24 and 25 supported so as to be freely movable by the opening / closing lever 82 are fitted to the movement restricting cam (movement restricting member) 96 and are opened and closed along the groove cam 93. . The configuration of the motion restricting member will be described with reference to FIG. A guide lever 97 and a cam follower 98 are integrally provided on the box-like covers 24 and 25 on the movable side and the fixed side. The apparatus frame 10 is provided with a motion restricting member comprising a cam plate 96 arranged in parallel with the mounting seat 90. The cam plate 96 is provided with a groove cam (guide cam) 93 that engages with the cam follower 98. The groove cam 93 includes a rotation guide cam surface 93v that guides the cam follower 98 in an arc shape centered on the hinge shaft 82h, and an upper and lower guide surface 93x that guides the cam follower 98 in the vertical direction. Reference numeral 94 denotes a reversing spring that urges the opening / closing cover 82 in the closing direction (operating position) or the opening direction (standby position) to assist the opening / closing operation (load reduction).

  In such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 13B, the cam followers 98 of the box-shaped covers 24 and 25 are restricted in movement from the point Pa to the point Pb so as to rotate around the hinge shaft 82h. To Pc point, it moves up and down in the vertical direction along the vertical guide surface 93x. Therefore, the upper and lower units 35B and 31B on the movable side and the fixed side are restricted to move vertically in the operating position (in the closed state) and rotate in the rotating direction in the standby position (in the open state). As a result, the upper units 35B and 31B largely open above the lower unit such as 90 degrees in the standby position. For this reason, the operation | work which sets and resets a tube on the mounting base of lower unit 31A, 35A becomes easy. In addition, the upper units 31B and 35B move up and down in the vertical direction with respect to the mounting units of the lower units 31A and 35A in the operating position, so that the flexible tube is reliably clamped or gripped without being displaced.

  In particular, in the illustrated apparatus, guide pins (positioning means) 66 are provided so as to hang down on the upper units 31B and 35B, and positioning holes 67 are provided in the lower units 31A and 35A. With this pin and positioning hole, the tube can be clamped and sealed at an accurate position and from the vertical direction.

  Although the present invention has been described with respect to a case where two flexible tubes are set and held on a mounting table, a configuration in which one tube is mounted and held on the mounting table, or three or more tubes are simultaneously mounted. The holding structure can also be easily adopted.

The perspective explanatory view showing the whole tube joining device composition concerning the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of a layout configuration in which the structure is omitted in the apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged explanatory view of a mounting table (processing table) that holds a plurality of tubes in the apparatus of FIG. 1. Explanatory drawing of the lower unit in the apparatus of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the upper unit in the apparatus of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the drive mechanism of the movable base in the apparatus of FIG. The structure of the tube holding means in the apparatus of FIG. 1 is shown, (a) (b) is structure explanatory drawing of a pair of gripper member which positions and supports a tube right and left. FIGS. 2A and 2B are conceptual explanatory views of a tube holding unit in the apparatus of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 1A is a conceptual structure of left and right gripper members that grip and support the tube from the left and right in the horizontal direction; The conceptual structure of a gripper member is shown. (A) is explanatory drawing of the support structure of the movable base in the apparatus of FIG. 1, (b) is explanatory drawing which shows an example (1st Embodiment) of the meshing state of the ring gear and transmission gear which rotate a movable base. . (A) is explanatory drawing of the meshing state of the gearwheel which comprises the drive mechanism of the movable base shown in FIG. 6, (b) is explanatory drawing of 2nd Embodiment different from FIG.9 (b). Explanatory drawing of the engagement state of the ring gear and the transmission gear in the drive mechanism of the movable platform shown in FIG. FIGS. 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams showing a state in which the upper unit is opened and closed in the apparatus of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 1A is an operating state in which the upper unit is connected to the lower unit, and FIG. Explanatory drawing of a state. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the upper unit is opened and closed in the apparatus of FIG. 1, (a) is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the upper unit is opened at an upper standby position, and (b) is an exercise restriction when opening and closing the upper unit. Explanatory drawing of a state. (A) shows the clamp means which obstruct | occludes a flexible tube, (a) is a perspective explanatory drawing of a fixed clamp member, (b) is a state explanatory drawing before obstruct | occluding a tube, (c) closed the tube The state explanatory drawing after, (d) the structure explanatory drawing of the cutter means.

Explanation of symbols

A Tube joining device Ta Flexible tube (first tube)
Tb Flexible tube (second tube)
MX Operating motor MS Shift motor 30 Mounting base (processing base)
30A Movable platform 30B Fixed platform 31A Lower unit 31B Upper unit 35A Lower unit 35B Upper unit 41 First tube holding means 42 Upper and lower gripper members 43 Left and right gripper members 46 Second tube holding means 47 Upper and lower gripper members 48 Left and right gripper members 50 Heating Blade (cutter means)
54a lower coil spring 54b upper coil spring 55a support stem 55b support stem 60 clamp means 61 fixed clamp member 65 movable clamp member 71 rotary drum member 71A lower rotary drum 71B upper rotary drum 75 ring gear 76 transmission gear 79 drive gear 80 drive rotary shaft 82 Opening / closing lever 82h Hinge shaft 83 Locking claw 84 Lock lever 85 Motion restricting means 86 Flange 93 Groove cam (guide cam)
94 Reversing spring 96 Motion restricting member (cam plate)
98 Cam Follower

Claims (5)

A platform for holding the flexible tube;
First and second tube holding means that are arranged on the table at a distance from each other and grip the tube;
A heating blade for fusing the flexible tube between the first tube holding means and the second tube holding means;
Shift means for relatively moving the position of the first and second tube holding means to change the position of the tube on the table;
With
At least one of the first and second tube holding means is composed of a pair of gripper members that hold and hold the flexible tube.
The pair of gripper members have an alignment mechanism that balances the contact force with the flexible tube so that the tube axis coincides with a preset center position.
The first and second tube holding means are composed of an upper and lower gripper member that sandwiches the flexible tube from the vertical direction and a left and right gripper member that sandwiches the flexible tube from the horizontal direction.
The centering mechanism includes a spring unit that biases the pair of gripper members toward the center position set in advance with substantially equal spring pressure, and a drive that moves the pair of gripper members toward and away from each other by substantially the same amount. Consisting of means,
One of the upper and lower gripper members and the left and right gripper members is provided with the spring means, and the other is provided with the drive means. A platform for holding a plurality of flexible tubes in a parallel posture;
First and second tube holding means which are arranged on the table and hold a plurality of tubes at intervals in the axial direction;
A heating blade disposed between the first and second tube holding means and fusing the plurality of tubes;
Shift means for swirling the tubes after the fusing along the heating blade to weld different tubes;
With
At least one of the first and second tube holding means is composed of a pair of gripper members that hold and hold the tube.
The pair of gripper members have an alignment mechanism that balances the contact force with the tube so that the tube axis coincides with a preset center position.
The first and second tube holding means are composed of an upper and lower gripper member that sandwiches the flexible tube from the vertical direction and a left and right gripper member that sandwiches the flexible tube from the horizontal direction.
The centering mechanism includes a spring unit that biases the pair of gripper members toward the center position set in advance with substantially equal spring pressure, and a drive that moves the pair of gripper members toward and away from each other by substantially the same amount. Consisting of means,
One of the upper and lower gripper members and the left and right gripper members is provided with the spring means, and the other is provided with the drive means.   The tube joining apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper and lower gripper members are arranged so as to sandwich the tube at a position closer to the heating blade than the left and right gripper members. The above-mentioned table further includes clamping means for closing the flexible tube,
The tube joining apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the clamping means is disposed between the upper and lower gripper members and the heating blade. The tube joining apparatus according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein the upper and lower gripper members are provided with a V-shaped groove on a contact surface of the flexible tube.

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