JP7204503B2 - tube splicing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tube joining device.

As a technique for connecting resin tubes or the like, a bonding method is conventionally known in which the ends of resin tubes are fused, and the fused ends are pressed against each other and pressure-bonded. Such techniques are widely used in various industrial fields, and for example, attempts are being made to apply them to medical techniques such as peritoneal dialysis.

Peritoneal dialysis uses a tube (catheter) embedded in the patient's peritoneal cavity to inject a prescribed dialysate into the patient's body. It's a way to remove.

Since one of the tubes to be spliced is to be implanted in the abdominal cavity of the patient, great care must be taken during the splicing operation so as not to contaminate each tube. In Patent Document 1, when the lid of a tube joining device is opened and two tubes are set at predetermined positions, and the lid is closed and a button is pressed, the two tubes are fused and then fused. A technique is disclosed in which pressure bonding is performed after the ends that have been replaced are replaced.

JP 2013-146354 A

The tube joining apparatus of Patent Document 1 replaces the ends of the fused tubes by rotating one of the fused tubes with respect to the other using a drive unit such as a motor. However, the tube joining device of Patent Document 1 does not adopt a structure for positively stopping the drive unit after replacing the tubes. Therefore, if an external force is applied to the fused tube due to an unintentional operation of the drive unit after the tube is replaced, the end of the fused tube may be displaced and the tube may not be properly joined. There is

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tube joining device capable of suppressing displacement of the end of a fused tube after the tube has been fused.

In the present invention for achieving the above object, after the end of the first tube and the end of the second tube are fused by a heated cutting member, the fused end of the first tube and the fused end of the second tube are cut. A tube joining device for exchanging and joining parts, comprising a holding part capable of setting the first tube and the second tube in a spaced apart state, and a fusing part for fusing the first tube and the second tube. a first drive unit for generating a driving force to move the cutting member to a position and a waiting position different from the fusing position; 1 pressing part; and a second drive for generating driving force for rotating one of the first tube and the second tube pressed by the first pressing part to rotate the other of the first tube and the second tube. and a second pressing portion that brings the other first tube and the second tube closer together and presses them, wherein the second driving portion is such that the first driving portion is the cutting member When moving from the fusing position to the standby position, excitation is applied to stop.

According to the tube joining apparatus of the present invention, when the first drive section moves the cutting member from the fusing position to the standby position, the second drive section is energized and stopped. In this way, by positively stopping the operation of the second drive unit related to tube joining, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the end of the fused tube after the tube is fused.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a lid is opened in a tube joining device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the cover of the tube joining device is closed; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an arrangement example of components arranged in a housing in a state where the cover of the tube joining device is closed; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the cover of the tube joining device is opened; 5 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a first tube and a second tube are arranged in the tube joining device shown in FIG. 4; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a clamping part that constitutes the tube joining device; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 5, showing the tube joining device with the lid open. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5 showing the tube joining device with the lid closed. It is a schematic diagram which shows the 2nd drive part with which the 2nd pressing part which comprises a tube joining apparatus is provided. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining when a second pressing portion that constitutes the tube joining device presses a fused tube; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a feeding section that constitutes the tube joining device has arranged a cutting member at a fusing position; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the feeding section that constitutes the tube joining device has arranged the cutting member at the standby position; It is a block diagram which shows the control system of a tube joining apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a first tube and a second tube to be fused and joined by a tube joining device; 4 is a table showing operations of the first driving section and the second driving section in each tube joining operation; It is a flow chart which shows about tube joining. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing each step of fusing and position exchange work by the tube joining device. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing each step of fusing and position exchange work by the tube joining device. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing each step of fusing and position exchange work by the tube joining device. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing each step of fusing and position exchange work by the tube joining device. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing each process of joining and removing work by the tube joining device. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing each process of joining and removing work by the tube joining device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. 1 to 12 are diagrams for explaining the overall configuration of a tube joining device 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the control system of each part of the tube joining device 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the tubes T1 and T2 joined by the tube joining apparatus 1. FIG. FIG. 15 is a table showing the operations of the cam motor 502 and the clamp motor 257 in each tube joining operation. FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing a usage example of the tube joining device 1. As shown in FIG. 17 to 22 are diagrams for explaining usage examples of the tube joining device 1. FIG. In this specification, the tube T1 corresponds to the first tube, and the tube T2 corresponds to the second tube. In the following description, the front-rear direction of the tube joining apparatus 1 will be referred to as the front-rear direction X, the left-right direction as the left-right direction Y, and the height direction as the height direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 14, the tube connecting device 1 of this embodiment includes the end of the tube T1 on the peritoneal dialysate bag T11 side and the end of the tube T2 on the peritoneal catheter T26 side of the patient (user M) who undergoes peritoneal dialysis. It is configured as a medical device that fuses and joins parts.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tube joining set S includes a tube joining apparatus 1 capable of fusing and joining tubes T1 and T2, and a cassette WC having a plurality of wafers WF used for fusing. As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, tubes T1 and T2 placed side by side are crushed by being pressed against each other, and the tubes T1 and T2 are fused and cut by the heated wafer WF. After that, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the positions of one side of the fused tube T1 and one side of the tube T2 are exchanged, and the tubes T1 and T2 are pressurized and joined. Details will be described later.

The tube joining device 1 will be outlined with reference to FIG. and a clamping part 20 for exchanging one side of T2. As shown in FIG. 13, the tube joining apparatus 1 includes an interlock 30 that locks the tubes T1 and T2 in a state in which the tubes T1 and T2 are sandwiched between the clamps 20 during fusing and joining, and inserts into the housing 10 as shown in FIG. and a storage unit 40 for storing the cassette WC.

As shown in FIG. 13, the tube joining apparatus 1 includes a sending unit 50 that heats the wafer WF and sends it to a cutting position, an operation unit 60 that can receive instructions such as switching between ON and OFF of the power supply, and a user M and a notification unit 70 for notifying necessary information. The tube joining device 1 has a supply section 80 capable of supplying electric power to each section, and a control section 90 that controls the operation of each section in an integrated manner.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the left-right direction Y along which the tubes T1 and T2 extend, the side where the positions of the tubes T1 and T2 are switched after fusing with the fusing position X0 as a boundary is the "replacement side X1." The opposite side is called "fixed side X2". Details will be described below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 10 includes an upper portion 11 corresponding to the upper side surface of a substantially hexahedron, and a lower portion 12 disposed below the upper portion 11 and constituting side surfaces other than the upper side surface of the substantially hexahedron. It consists of a combined case. The upper portion 11 is formed so as to incline from the rear to the front.

The upper portion 11 includes inclined surfaces 11g and 11h, a concave portion 11j, and a convex portion 11k, as shown in FIG. The inclined surfaces 11g and 11h are inclined such that the rear end side of the upper portion 11 is higher than the front end side thereof. The inclined surface 11h is located closer to the front end than the inclined surface 11g across the recess 11j. Although the inclined surfaces 11g and 11h are configured to be substantially coplanar, the present invention is not limited to this.

The recess 11j is provided adjacent to the inclined surfaces 11g and 11h as shown in FIG. The recess 11j is formed so as to be recessed in the height direction Z from the surface of the disguise formed by linearly connecting the inclined surfaces 11g and 11h. As shown in FIG. 5, the connector T12 of the tube T1 and part of the tube T2 can be placed in the recess 11j.

The convex portion 11k is provided so as to protrude in the height direction Z from the concave portion 11j. A portion of the tube T1 can be arranged on the convex portion 11k as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, a display section 71 for displaying the progress of bonding is provided on the front end side of the upper surface of the upper portion 11 . Also, an illustration or the like that instructs the arrangement of the tubes T1 and T2 set in the clamp portion 20 can be attached to the front side of the upper portion 11 . As a result, the tubes T1 and T2 can be set at proper positions without mistaking the arrangement positions of the tubes T1 and T2.

On the rear end side of the upper portion 11, as shown in FIG. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the upper portion 11 is provided with a hole 11r into which the clamp portion 20 can be fitted. Further, the side surface of the upper portion 11 is provided with an insertion hole 11c for inserting the cassette WC and a switch 11d for taking out the cassette WC inserted in the housing 10 . When the user M pushes the switch 11d with his/her finger while the cassette WC is inserted through the insertion hole 11c, the cassette WC can be taken out of the housing 10 through the insertion hole 11c. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper portion 11 incorporates a sensor 11e capable of measuring the environmental temperature around the housing 10. As shown in FIG. The heating time for the wafer WF to heat the tubes T1 and T2 can be adjusted according to the environmental temperature measured by the sensor 11e.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lower portion 12 has a flat bottom surface 12a and legs 12b that come into contact with a place such as a table on which the lower portion 12 is placed.

The clamping part 20 holds the tubes T1 and T2 in a juxtaposed state, presses the tubes T1 and T2 against each other during fusing, exchanges the positions of one side of the tube T1 and one side of the tube T2 after fusing, and clamps one side of the tubes T1 and T2. is pressed against the other in the horizontal direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 6, the clamping part 20 has a pedestal 21 protruding from the upper part 11 fixed to the bottom surface 12a of the housing 10, and can be opened and closed by moving relatively toward or away from the pedestal 21. and a configured lid portion 22 . The clamp section 20 is provided on a base 21 and includes a holding section 23 that holds the tubes T1 and T2, and a sensor 24 that can detect whether or not the tubes T1 and T2 are set. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 13, the clamping section 20 detects the opening and closing of the lid section 22 and the pressing section 25 that presses and crushes the tubes T1 and T2 together as the lid section 22 moves relatively closer to the pedestal 21. and a sensor 26 for

The pedestal 21 includes a first pedestal 211 provided on the fixed side X2 of the tubes T1 and T2, and a second pedestal 212 provided on the exchange side X1 of the tubes T1 and T2, as shown in FIGS. there is A gap 21a is provided between the first pedestal 211 and the second pedestal 212 along the extending direction of the tubes T1 and T2. The gap 21a is provided for the wafer WF to pass through when the wafer WF before use moves to the fusing position Pw1 or when the used wafer WF is sent out of the housing 10, for example.

Further, each of the first pedestal 211 and the second pedestal 212 is provided with an engaged portion 213 for engaging (hooking) and fixing with an engaging claw 225 of the lid portion 22 described later.

The lid portion 22 includes a first arm 221 rotatable with respect to the first pedestal 211 and a second arm 222 rotatably provided with respect to the second pedestal 212 . The lid portion 22 includes a cover 223 that covers the first arm 221 and the second arm 222, and a grip portion 224 that is rotatably provided with respect to the first arm 221 and the second arm 222 and that can be gripped by the user M. , is equipped with

The first arm 221 and the second arm 222 are configured to be rotatable.

The cover 223 integrally covers the first arm 221 and the second arm 222 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the lid portion 22 is closed, the cover 223 can surround the first pedestal 211, the second pedestal 212, and the fusion-bonding region therebetween, that is, the holding portion 23. cover to As shown in FIG. 6, the cover 223 includes a first member 223a provided on the base side of the cover 223 and a tip side of the first rotation shaft 226 relative to the first member 223a. and a second member 223b that can be accommodated inside the first member 223a. The second member 223b is configured to be slidable with respect to the first member 223a. However, the cover is not limited to the above, and the cover may be composed of one member as long as it can cover the region where the fusion and joining are performed in the closed state of the lid portion 22 .

The gripping portion 224 includes an engaging claw 225 that can be engaged with the engaged portion 213 of the pedestal 21, as shown in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, after the first arm 221, the second arm 222 and the cover 223 are brought closer to the housing 10 side, the grasping portion 224 is moved to the first arm 221 and the second arm 222. If it is rotated by pressing, the engaging claw 225 engages with the engaged portion 213 . As a result, the state in which the clamping portion 20 sandwiches the tubes T1 and T2 can be preferably maintained.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the holding portion 23 includes a first holding portion 231 that fixedly holds the fixed sides X2 of the tubes T1 and T2 and movably holds the exchange sides X1 of the tubes T1 and T2. and a second holding portion 232 for holding. The holding portion 23 includes a release portion 233 capable of switching from a holding state in which the tubes T1 and T2 are held by the second holding portion 232 to a release state in which the holding is released, and a release portion 233 that switches the second holding portion 232 from the release state to the holding state. and a possible restorer 234 .

The first holding portion 231 is fixed to the upper surface of the first pedestal 211 . As shown in FIG. 6, the first holding portion 231 includes a concave groove 231a that can be arranged so as to fit the tube T1, and a concave groove 231b that can be arranged so that the tube T2 can be fitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the grooves 231a and 231b are arranged in a direction inclined at an angle θ with respect to the mounting surface FS of the housing 10 (oblique direction). Therefore, when the lid portion 22 is opened, the tubes T1 and T2 are held by the first holding portion 231 in a state of being lined up at an angle to the placement surface FS in the holding portion 23 . Note that the groove 231a arranged on the far side in the direction D1 in which the tubes T1 and T2 are arranged is arranged at a higher position in the height direction Z of the housing 10 than the groove 231b.

Further, the grooves 231a and 231b are provided on the upper surface side of the first holding portion 231 so as to be recessed along a direction substantially perpendicular to the oblique direction D1 (see direction D2 in FIG. 8). Therefore, the tubes T1 and T2 are set so as to be inserted from a direction D2 perpendicular to the direction D1 in which the tubes T1 and T2 are arranged. This allows the user M to easily set the tubes T1 and T2 while the lid 22 is open.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second holding portion 232 is rotatably attached to the side surface of the second pedestal 212 about a rotating shaft 232c substantially parallel to the left-right direction Y as the center of rotation. The second holding portion 232 includes groove portions 232a and 232b arranged at the same height and inclination as the first holding portion 231 when the lid portion 22 is opened. The groove portions 232a and 232b are configured to hold the tubes T1 and T2 together with the first holding portion 231 when the lid portion 22 is opened. The second holding portion 232 is displaced downward in the height direction Z with the rotating shaft 232c as the center of rotation when the lid portion 22 is closed, and the groove portions 232a and 232b are separated from the tubes T1 and T2.

As shown in FIG. 6, the releasing portion 233 is a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion of the second holding portion 232 toward the flat surface of the second arm 222 (height direction Z in FIG. 6) when the lid portion 22 is open. I have.

The protrusion of the release portion 233 comes into contact with the flat surface of the second arm 222 provided on the lid portion 22 as the lid portion 22 relatively approaches the housing 10 . The protrusion of the releasing portion 233 is configured to retract the second holding portion 232 from the holding position to the releasing position as the lid portion 22 relatively approaches the housing 10 . In this specification, the release state means a state in which the tubes T1 and T2 are not arranged in the grooves 232a and 232b of the second holding portion 232 when the lid portion 22 is closed.

As indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 6, the restoring portion 234 has a cam capable of pushing up the second holding portion 232 in conjunction with the movement of the second arm 222 of the lid portion 22 relatively separating from the housing 10. I have. The restoring portion 234 is configured to contact the second holding portion 232 .

The cam of the restoring portion 234 has a substantially fan-shaped outer shape as viewed from the left-right direction Y of the housing 10 . The cam of the restoring portion 234 is fixed near the rotating portion of the second arm 222 . Therefore, the cam of the restoring portion 234 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the second arm 222 . Thus, the second holding portion 232 is configured to be movable between the holding position and the releasing position by the releasing portion 233 and the restoring portion 234 .

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the releasing portion 233 retracts the second holding portion 232 from the holding position to the releasing position after the pressing portion 25, which will be described later, sandwiches the tubes T1 and T2. Therefore, the pressing portion 25 can sandwich the tubes T1 and T2 while the replacement sides X1 of the tubes T1 and T2 are held at appropriate positions by the second holding portion 232 .

The sensor 24 is provided in the grooves 231a and 231b as shown in FIG. a Hall element (not shown). An elastic member (not shown) allows the pins to protrude and sink from the bottoms of the grooves 231a and 231b. The pins allow the tubes T1, T2 to protrude and retract from the bottoms of the grooves 231a, 231b. The pin changes its position from the projecting position to the recessed position by fitting the tubes T1, T2 into the grooves 231a, 231b. The magnets move as the pins protrude or recess from the grooves 231a, 231b, while the Hall elements are positioned adjacent to the magnets at the bottom of the grooves 231a, 231b. The sensor 24 detects whether or not the tubes T1 and T2 are arranged in the grooves 231a and 231b by changing the magnitude of the magnetic force of the magnet detected by the Hall element according to the position of the pin. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, as long as it can be detected that the tubes T1 and T2 are arranged in the grooves 231a and 231b.

As shown in FIG. 6, the pressing portion 25 includes a fixed pressing portion 25a and a movable pressing portion 25b. In this specification, the fixed-side pressing portion 25a corresponds to the first pressing portion, and the movable-side pressing portion 25b corresponds to the second pressing portion.

The fixed-side pressing portion 25a brings the fused tubes T1 and T2 closer together and presses them. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the fixed-side pressing portion 25a pushes the tubes T1 and T2 in the direction D1 in which the tubes T1 and T2 are arranged when the cover portion 22 is closed on the fixed side X2 of the tubes T1 and T2. are brought close to each other, and a pressing force is applied to the tubes T1 and T2 that are in contact with each other. The fixed-side pressing portion 25a includes a lid-side pressing portion 251 provided on the first arm 221 and a housing-side pressing portion 252 provided on the first pedestal 211, as shown in FIGS.

The movable-side pressing portion 25b is cut by fusing and presses the tubes T1 and T2 on the different side from the fixed-side pressing portion 25a. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the movable-side pressing portion 25b moves in the same direction as the fixed-side pressing portion 25a when the cover portion 22 is closed on the replacement side X1 of the tubes T1 and T2. The fused tubes T1 and T2 are brought close to D1 and pressed. The movable-side pressing portion 25b includes a lid-side pressing portion 253 provided on the second arm 222 and a housing-side pressing portion 254 provided on the second pedestal 212, as shown in FIGS. The lid-side pressing portion 253 is rotatably provided on the lid portion 22 , and the housing-side pressing portion 254 is rotatably provided on the housing 10 . The lid-side pressing portion 253 and the housing-side pressing portion 254 are configured to apply pressing force to the tubes T1 and T2 when the lid portion 22 is closed.

As shown in FIG. 20, the movable-side pressing portion 25b rotates the ends of the replacement-side X1 of the tubes T1 and T2 pressed by the fixed-side pressing portion 25a with respect to the fixed-side X2. Further, the movable-side pressing portion 25b presses the movable-side tubes T1 and T2 whose ends are exchanged with respect to the fixed-side tubes T1 and T2 in the horizontal direction Y against the fixed-side tubes T1 and T2. The movable pressing portion 25b includes a contact member 255, a biasing member 256, and a clamp motor 257, as shown in FIGS. The clamp motor 257 corresponds to the second driving section in this specification.

The contact member 255 presses the lid-side pressing portion 253 and the housing-side pressing portion 254 against the cam 503 of the feed portion 50, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 12, the contact member 255 is configured to contact a cam 503 of the feed section 50, which will be described later. The cam 503 is configured to be rotatable around the rotation axis. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, the position of the contact surface of the cam 503 with the contact member 255 is not simply flat. It is configured to change between the position P1 and the position P2 in the horizontal direction Y. As shown in FIG. The contact member 255 is configured such that the position of the movable pressing portion 25b as a whole changes in the horizontal direction Y by changing the contact position in the horizontal direction Y with the cam 503 .

The biasing member 256 biases the contact member 255 in the left-right direction Y so that the movable-side pressing portion 25b can move in the left-right direction Y by the contact between the contact member 255 and the cam 503 . The biasing member 256 is configured by a coiled spring in this embodiment. However, as long as the movable-side pressing portion 25b can be biased in the left-right direction Y, the specific configuration of the biasing member is not limited to the coiled spring.

The clamp motor 257 moves the ends of the tubes T1 and T2 on the fixed side X2 corresponding to one of the tubes T1 and T2 pressed by the fixed side pressing portion 25a to the ends of the tubes T1 and T2 on the exchange side X1 corresponding to the other. Generates a driving force that rotates the ends. The clamp motor 257 rotatably rotates the lid-side pressing portion 253 and the housing-side pressing portion 254 via a gear 259 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, a gear 258 is formed on the lid-side pressing portion 253 and the housing-side pressing portion 254 so as to mesh with a gear 259 rotated by a clamp motor 257 . Thus, the rotation of the clamp motor 257 enables the movable pressing portion 25b to rotate. The clamp motor 257 holds the fused tubes T1 and T2 in a state in which the fixed-side pressing portion 25a does not rotate, while clamping the lid-side pressing portion 253 and the housing-side pressing portion 254 of the movable-side pressing portion 25b as described above. The ends of the fused tubes T1 and T2 are exchanged by rotating them. A specific configuration of the clamp motor 257 is not particularly limited as long as the ends of the fused tubes T1 and T2 can be exchanged by the rotation of the lid-side pressing portion 253 and the housing-side pressing portion 254 . In this embodiment, the clamp motor 257 is constructed by using both a two-phase excitation motor (motor A in FIG. 15) and a W1-two-phase excitation motor (motor B in FIG. 15).

The sensor 26 detects that the lid portion 22 is closed with respect to the base 21 . The specific configuration of the sensor 26 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect that the lid portion 22 is closed with respect to the pedestal 21 and start the tube joining operation. As an example, in the present embodiment, a sensor such as a limit switch is provided near the engaged portion 213, and the sensor is pushed when the engaging claw 225 engages with the engaged portion 213, whereby the lid is opened. It detects that the part 22 is closed.

The interlock 30 has a function of locking the tubes T1 and T2 in a state in which the clamp portion 20 is sandwiched between them during fusing and joining. In this embodiment, the interlock 30 is composed of an electromagnetically driven solenoid rod 31 as shown in FIG.

The storage unit 40 is located at the location shown in FIG. 3, and has a function of storing the cassette WC inserted into the housing 10 and a function of detecting the remaining amount of wafers WF in the cassette WC. The storage section 40 includes a mounting section to which the cassette WC inserted from the insertion hole 11c is mounted, and a wafer sensor capable of detecting the remaining amount of wafers WF in the cassette WC (not shown). The wafer sensor can be composed of, for example, a known photosensor.

The feeding unit 50 is located at the location shown in FIG. 3, moves the wafer WF between the fusing position Pw1 and the standby position Pw2, heats the wafer WF during fusing, cools the used wafer WF, The used wafer WF is sent out of the housing 10 .

The feeding unit 50 is configured to be able to feed the wafers WF from the cassette WC in the storage unit 40 to the standby position Pw2 and the fusing position Pw1. The feeding unit 50 includes a holder 501, a cam motor 502, a cam 503, a sensor 504, and a detection end 505, as shown in FIGS.

The holder 501 is configured to be able to hold the wafer WF housed in the housing portion 40 . A bearing portion 506 is provided in the holder 501 , and the holder 501 is configured to be able to come into contact with the cam 503 . The holder 501 is configured to be rotatable around a bearing portion 506 .

The cam motor 502 generates driving force to rotate the holder 501 holding the wafer WF between a fusing position Pw1 for fusing the tubes T1 and T2 and a standby position Pw2 different from the fusing position Pw1. The cam motor 502 drives the cam 503 to change the position in the height direction Z of the holder 501 holding the wafer WF. In this embodiment, the standby position Pw2 is located at a different position in the height direction Z from the fusing position Pw1. A specific configuration of the cam motor 502 is not limited as long as it can rotate the wafer WF between the fusing position Pw1 and the standby position Pw2. In this embodiment, the cam motor 502 is configured by using, as an example, a two-phase excitation motor (motor A in FIG. 15) and a W1-two-phase excitation motor (motor B in FIG. 15). The cam motor 502 corresponds to the first driving section in this specification.

The cam 503 is mechanically connected to the cam motor 502 and rotates when driving force is transmitted from the cam motor 502 . The cam 503 comes into contact with the holder 501, and changes its contact position with the holder 501 according to the rotation, thereby moving the wafer WF held by the holder 501 to the fusing position Pw1 and the standby position Pw2 as shown in FIGS. move. In addition, the position of the contact surface of the cam 503 with respect to the contact member 255 constituting the pressing portion 25 is different in the circumferential direction of the cam 503, so that the movable pressing portion 25b constituting the pressing portion 25 can be moved. It is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction Y. In this specification, the horizontal direction Y corresponds to the direction in which the tubes T1 and T2 extend. As a result, one of the fused tubes T1 and T2 can be pressed against the other.

The sensor 504 is configured to detect the movement of the holder 501 . The sensor 504 detects the position of the holder 501 by contact/non-contact with the detection end 505 forming the holder 501 . The specific configuration of the sensor 504 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the position of the holder 501, but a photosensor or the like can be given as an example.

The operation unit 60 receives instructions from the user M to the tube joining device 1 . The operation unit 60 includes a switch for switching ON/OFF of the power supply of the tube joining device 1 and the like. Although the operation unit 60 is provided on the rear end side of the upper part 11 of the housing 10 as shown in FIG. 2 in this embodiment, the specific position is not limited to this.

The notification unit 70 notifies the user M of necessary information. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the notification unit 70 includes display units 71 and 72 for displaying information necessary for the user M, and a speaker 73 for notifying the information necessary for the user M by voice. there is

The supply section 80 has a function of supplying electric power to each section of the tube joining apparatus 1 . The supply unit 80 includes a battery 81 capable of supplying power to each unit and a charger 82 for charging the battery 81, as shown in FIG.

The control section 90 controls each section of the tube joining device 1 in an integrated manner. The control unit 90 includes a CPU such as a microcomputer, a ROM that stores a control program for the entire apparatus executed by the CPU and various data, and a RAM that temporarily stores measurement data and various data as a work area. there is

The control unit 90 is electrically connected to the supply unit 80 and receives power supply from the supply unit 80, as shown in FIG. In addition, the control section 90 is electrically connected to the operation section 60, and configured to be able to control the operation of each section according to instructions from the user M. In addition, the control section 90 is electrically connected to the notification section 70 and configured to be able to notify the user M of necessary information.

Also, the control unit 90 is electrically connected to the sensors 24 and 26, the wafer sensor of the storage unit 40, the interlock 30, and the sensor 11e. The control unit 90 detects the set of the tubes T1 and T2 by the sensor 24, detects the closed state of the lid 22 by the sensor 26, and performs the fusing operation by the wafer WF when one or more wafers WF are present in the cassette WC by the wafer sensor. control to start The start of fusing work by the wafer WF is not limited to the case where the above conditions are satisfied, and the fusing work may be started by the user pressing a button or the like.

When the control unit 90 obtains information from the sensor 24 that the tubes T1 and T2 are not set properly, the notification unit 70 notifies that effect. Further, when the control unit 90 obtains information from the sensor 26 that the lid 22 is not properly closed, the control unit 90 causes the notification unit 70 to notify that effect. If the cassette WC contains no usable wafers WF, the control unit 90 causes the notification unit 70 to notify that effect. The controller 90 causes the interlock 30 to keep the lid 22 closed during the fusion-bonding. Further, the control unit 90 adjusts the heating time of the tubes T1 and T2 by the wafer WF at the time of fusing based on the environmental temperature of the housing 10 measured by the sensor 11e.

Also, the control section 90 is electrically connected to the storage section 40 and the feeding section 50, and is configured to be able to control these operations. Also, the control section 90 is electrically connected to the clamp motor 257 of the movable-side pressing section 25b, and controls the position exchange work of the movable-side pressing section 25b. The control unit 90 is configured to energize the clamp motor 257 to stop it when the cam motor 502 moves the wafer WF from the fusing position Pw1 to the standby position Pw2. The control unit 90 is configured to supply an exciting current to the supply unit 80 to stop the clamp motor 257 when the cam motor 502 moves the wafer WF from the fusing position Pw1 to the standby position Pw2 in this embodiment.

Further, the control unit 90 is configured to energize the cam motor 502 to stop when one of the tubes T1 and T2 fused by the clamp motor 257 is rotated relative to the other. The control unit 90 is configured to cause the supply unit 80 to supply an exciting current for stopping the cam motor 502 when one of the tubes T1 and T2 fused by the clamp motor 257 is rotated relative to the other in this embodiment. ing. In the clamp motor 257 and the cam motor 502, the torque required for stop excitation is configured to be set according to the required torque required for stop operation. For example, the torque required to stop the clamp motor 257 can be approximately 60% of the maximum torque of the clamp motor 257 and the torque required to stop the cam motor 502 can be approximately 30% of the maximum torque of the cam motor 502 .

The cassette WC accommodates a plurality of wafers WF as shown in FIG. The cassette WC is put in and taken out through the insertion hole 11 c of the tube joining device 1 . The used wafer WF is taken out of the housing 10 through the gap 21a between the first pedestal 211 and the second pedestal 212, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the tube T1 is configured by a tube on the peritoneal dialysate bag T11 side (see FIG. 14). Specifically, a predetermined connector T12 is attached to the tip of the tube T1. The opposite side of tube T1 is connected to dialysate tube T14 of dialysate bag T11 via branch tube T13. Further, the tube T1 is connected to a drainage tube T16 of a drainage bag T15 via a branch tube T13.

The tube T2 is configured by a tube on the peritoneal catheter T26 side of the user M, which is used when peritoneal dialysis is performed. Specifically, the tube T2 includes an extension tube T21 and a protection tube T22. The extension tube T21 is connected to a peritoneal catheter T26 via a connecting tube T23, a silicone tube T24, and a catheter joint T25. One end of the peritoneal catheter T26 is inserted into the abdominal cavity of the user M. As shown in FIG. In addition, the tubes T1 and T2 are constituted by tubes made of vinyl chloride in the present embodiment. However, the materials of the tubes T1 and T2 are not limited as long as they can be joined to each other by fusing and pressurizing. For example, the tubes T1 and T2 may be made of different materials.

Next, a usage example of the tube joining set S will be described. 15 and 16, in an example of use of the tube joining set S, the tubes T1 and T2 are fused (A3 in FIG. 15 and ST4 in FIG. 16), and the fused tubes T1 and T2 are replaced (FIG. 15 and ST5 in FIG. 16). Then, the fused tubes T1 and T2 are joined under pressure (A5 in FIG. 15 and ST6 in FIG. 16). Details will be described below.

First, when using the tube bonding apparatus 1 , the user M inserts the cassette WC containing the wafers WF into the insertion hole 11 c of the tube bonding apparatus 1 . Next, the user M presses the button of the operation unit 60 to turn on the power of the tube joining device 1 .

Next, the user M opens the lid portion 22 of the tube joining device 1, as shown in FIG. Next, the user M sets the tubes T1, T2 in the grooves 231a, 231b, 232a, 232b of the holding part 23, as shown in FIGS. Next, the user M brings the cover 223 of the lid portion 22 closer to the pedestal 21 and engages the engaging claw 225 with the engaged portion 213 . As a result, the lid portion 22 is closed. By closing the lid portion 22, the outer peripheral portions of the fused portions of the tubes T1 and T2 are covered with the cover 223 and are isolated from the outside. This makes it possible to carry out the fusing and joining operations in an aseptic state.

Next, the controller 90 causes the feeder 50 to take out the wafer WF from the wafer cassette WC and feed it to the standby position Pw2 (see the position indicated by the dashed lines in FIGS. 12 and 19). The control unit 90 performs the fusing operation when the conditions of remaining wafers WF usable for fusing in the cassette WC, setting tubes in the holding unit 23, and closing the lid unit 22 are satisfied (ST1: YES). start controlling the If the preparation for joining is not completed (ST1: NO), the control section 90 causes the notification section 70 to notify the user M to complete the preparation (ST2).

When the preparation for tube joining is completed (ST1: YES), the controller 90 operates the interlock 30 to lock the lid 22 in a closed state.

Then, the wafer WF at the standby position Pw2 is heated by the built-in heater (ST3). Then, the control unit 90 moves the wafer WF heated by the motor A of the cam motor 502 from the standby position Pw2 to the fusing position Pw1 (the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 19). T2 is fused (ST4, A3 in FIG. 15). The clamp motor 257 and the cam motor 502 are centered to align the motor positions before the wafer WF is lifted (A3) as shown in FIG. In FIG. 15, the cam motor 502 is centered (A1) first, and the clamp motor 257 is centered (A2) later.

Next, as shown in FIG. 20, the control unit 90 causes the motor A of the clamp motor 257 to switch the position of the replacement side X1 of the tube T1 and the replacement side X1 of the tube T2 (ST5, A4 in FIG. 15). When one position of the tubes T1 and T2 is rotated with respect to the other by the clamp motor 257 and the ends of the fused tubes T1 and T2 are exchanged, the cam motor 502 is energized to stop by the control section 90 and the supply section 80. stopped.

Next, the control unit 90 drives the motor B of the cam motor 502 to lower the wafer WF, and presses one of the tubes T1 and T2 fused by the operation of the cam 503 against the other in the left-right direction Y to apply pressure. Joining is performed (ST6, A5 in FIG. 15). When the cam motor 502 descends and the wafer WF moves from the fusing position Pw1 to the standby position Pw2, the clamp motor 257 of the pressing section 25 is stopped and excited by the control section 90 and the supply section 80 to stop.

Next, the controller 90 unlocks the interlock 30 . Next, the user M performs an operation to open the lid portion 22 and remove the tubes T1 and T2 from the tube joining device 1 as shown in FIG. When it is detected that the tubes T1 and T2 have been removed, the contact state between the cam 503 and the contact member 255 is changed by the motor B of the cam motor 502, and when the tubes T1 and T2 were present, one of them changes to the other. The pressing that has been pressed is released (A6 in FIG. 15).

As described above, the tube joining apparatus 1 fuses the ends of the tubes T1 and T2 with the heated wafer WF, and then replaces the fused ends of the tubes T1 with the fused ends of the tubes T2. to join. The tube joining device 1 has a cam motor 502, a fixed-side pressing portion 25a, and a movable-side pressing portion 25b. The cam motor 502 moves the wafer WF to a fusing position Pw1 for fusing the tubes T1 and T2 and a standby position Pw2 different from the fusing position Pw1. The fixed-side pressing portion 25a brings the melted tube T1 and the tube T2 closer to each other and presses them. The movable-side pressing portion 25b includes a clamp motor 257 that generates driving force to rotate the other tube T1, T2 with respect to one of the tubes T1, T2 pressed by the fixed-side pressing portion 25a. and the tube T2 are brought close to each other and pressed. The clamp motor 257 is configured to be excited and stopped when the cam motor 502 moves the wafer WF from the fusing position Pw1 to the standby position Pw2.

The present inventor has found that if a rotational force or the like is unintentionally applied to the ends of the tubes T1 and T2 that have been fused and cut by the clamp motor 257, the positions of the ends of the tubes T1 and T2 may be displaced. I focused on the point. Regarding this, when the wafer WF is lowered by the cam motor 502, the clamp motor 257 is positively subjected to stop excitation to suppress the positions of the ends of the fused tubes T1 and T2 from being shifted after the tubes T1 and T2 have been fused. can do.

In addition, the cam motor 502 is configured to be magnetized and stopped when one of the tubes T1 and T2 fused by the clamp motor 257 is rotated relative to the other. Therefore, even when the positions of the tubes T1 and T2 can be shifted by the clamp motor 257 as well as by the cam motor 502, it is possible to suppress the positions of the ends of the tubes T1 and T2 from being shifted due to stop excitation.

Further, the torque required for the excitation of the cam motor 502 and the clamp motor 257 is set according to the required torque required for the stopping operation. Therefore, it is possible to optimize the energy required for stop excitation and improve the efficiency of power consumption.

The tube joining device 1 also has a cam 503 . The cam 503 is mechanically connected to the cam motor 502, and the driving force is transmitted from the cam motor 502 to move the wafer WF between the fusing position Pw1 and the standby position Pw2. The cam 503 is configured to press one of the fused tubes T1 and T2 against the other by moving the movable pressing portion 25b in the horizontal direction Y corresponding to the extending direction of the tubes T1 and T2. ing. Therefore, after the tubes T1 and T2 are fused by the wafer WF, the ends of the tubes T1 and T2 fused by the operation of the cam 503 can be pressed against each other in the extending direction of the tubes T1 and T2 to perform pressure bonding.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Although it has been described above that the cam motor 502 and the clamp motor 257 each constitute a driving unit by combining two types of motors, the present invention is not limited to this. The number of motors may be one, or more than two, as long as they can generate driving force necessary for exchanging the tubes T1 and T2 after fusing and operating the wafer WF. Also, the standby position Pw2 where the wafer WF is moved by the cam motor has been described as being different from the fusing position Pw1 in the height direction Z, but it is not limited to the height direction Z. For example, the standby position may be different from the fusing position in the front-rear direction. may be in different positions. Further, although it has been described above that the clamp motor 257 is centered after the cam motor 502 is centered, the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to the above, the order of centering of the cam motor and the clamp motor may be reversed, or centering of both may be carried out at the same time.

In addition, the present invention can be used not only for peritoneal dialysis, but also for a device that aseptically joins a tube connected to a container (bag) containing a blood product used for transfusion and another tube. In this case, the sterility of blood components (preparations) and the like in the tube and bag can be maintained.

The present invention can also be used as a device for aseptically joining a tube connected to a container (bag) containing a cell culture solution containing various collected and cultured cells to another tube. In this case also, the sterility and safety of the tube and the cell culture medium in the bag can be maintained when the tube is joined.

1 tube splicing device,
25a fixed side pressing portion (first pressing portion),
25b movable side pressing portion (second pressing portion),
257 clamp motor (second drive unit),
502 cam motor (first drive unit),
503 cam,
Pw1 fusing position,
Pw2 standby position,
T1 (first) tube,
T2 (second) tube,
Y Left-right direction (longitudinal direction of the first tube and the second tube).

Claims (4)

A tube joining device that melts and cuts the end of the first tube and the end of the second tube with a heated cutting member, and then replaces and joins the melted end of the first tube and the melted end of the second tube. and
a holding part capable of setting the first tube and the second tube in a spaced apart state;
a first driving unit that generates driving force for moving the cutting member to a fusing position for fusing the first tube and the second tube and a standby position different from the fusing position;
a first pressing portion that brings the fused first tube and the second tube closer together and presses them;
a second driving section that generates a driving force for rotating one of the first tube and the second tube pressed by the first pressing section to rotate the other of the first tube and the second tube; and a second pressing portion that brings the other first tube and the second tube closer together and presses them,
The tube joining device, wherein the second drive section is stopped by being excited when the first drive section moves the cutting member from the fusing position to the standby position. 2. The tube according to claim 1, wherein the first drive section stops by being excited when one of the first tube and the second tube fused by the second drive section is rotated relative to the other. Welding equipment. 3. The tube joining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the torque required for the excitation in the first drive section and the second drive section is set according to the required torque required for stopping operation. The cutting member is mechanically connected to the first driving portion, and the driving force is transmitted from the first driving portion to move the cutting member to the fusing position and the standby position, and to move the second pressing portion to the 4. Any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a cam that presses one of the fused first tube and the second tube against the other by moving in the extending direction of the first tube and the second tube. 10. A tube splicing device according to claim 1.

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