JPH0544777Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to an ultrasonic bubble detector that detects the state of bubbles in a tube through which a liquid flows.

<Prior Art> FIGS. 3 and 4 are configuration diagrams showing a conventional example of an ultrasonic bubble detector that detects whether bubbles are contained in a liquid flowing inside a tube. Of these, Figure 4 shows the state when the lid is opened, and Figure 3 shows the state when the lid is opened.
The figure shows the lid closed.

In these figures, 1 is a tube through which liquid containing bubbles flows, 2a is an ultrasonic vibrator for vibration, 2b is an ultrasonic vibrator for detection, and 3a and 3b are arranged between these ultrasonic vibrators and tube 1. The contactor has an acoustic impedance intermediate between that of the ultrasonic transducers 2a and 2b and the tube 1. 4 is a drive circuit for driving the vibration ultrasonic transducer 2a, 5 is a detection circuit connected to the detection ultrasonic transducer 2a, and 6 is a determination circuit.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a block in which a groove 8 for accommodating the tube 1 is formed, and is made of a material having a high ultrasonic attenuation rate, such as plastic. Reference numeral 9 denotes a presser lid rotatably attached to a shaft 10 fixed to the block 7, and a convex portion 11 for pressing the tube 1 is provided at a position facing the groove 8.
A pin 12 is fixed to the presser cover 9 and engages with a notch 13 provided in the main body 7 to fix the presser cover 9 and the main body 7 together.

With this configuration, after inserting the tube 1 into the groove 8 (FIG. 4), the presser cover 9 is closed (FIG. 3), the tube 1 is pushed and deformed by the convex part 11, and the tube 1 is
and the contacts 2a, 2b are brought into close contact.

In this state, when a driving pulse is applied from the driving circuit 4 to drive the driving ultrasonic transducer 2a, ultrasonic waves are efficiently applied to the tube 1 via the contact 3a. The ultrasonic wave transmitted through tube 1 is transmitted to contactor 3b.
It reaches the detection vibrator 2b. The received pulse is given to the judgment circuit 6 via the detection circuit 5. When the magnitude of the received pulse is greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the tube 1 is full of liquid, and when the magnitude is less than the predetermined value, there is no liquid in the tube 1. It is determined that it contains air bubbles.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> In the case of such a conventional device, when the tube 1 is deformed by pushing the tube 1 with the convex portion 11 of the holding lid 9, the inside of the tube 1 is deformed and the liquid flowing through this portion is disturbed. and generate undesirable air bubbles.

The degree of adhesion between the tube 1 and the contacts 3a, 3b depends on the machining accuracy of the presser cover 9, convex portion 11, etc. that are opened and closed, and these parts must be precisely machined to always obtain a constant degree of adhesion. It was very difficult to do that.

Since the driving transducer 2a and the detecting transducer 2b are housed in the same block 7, there is a disadvantage that the ultrasonic wave wraps around and the S/N ratio decreases.

When using vinyl chloride etc. for tube 1,
As the temperature rises, the hardness of the tube decreases, and even when the tube 1 is pressed by the convex portion 11, the tube deforms partially, resulting in insufficient contact with the contacts 3a and 3b, resulting in a decrease in performance.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks and to enable the contactor to be reliably brought into close contact with the tube without ultrasonic waves going around and without deforming the tube.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The configuration of the present invention includes a deformable tube 1 through which a liquid containing bubbles flows, and a fixedly provided tube 1 that accommodates an ultrasonic transducer 2a and a contactor 3a'. 1 block 14a, a second block 14b which is disposed opposite to the first block 14a with the tube 1 in between, accommodates the ultrasonic transducer 2b and the contactor 3b', and is movably provided; Second block 1
4b toward the first block 14a with a force that does not deform the tube 1, and the contacts 3a' and 3b' of the first block 14a and the second block 14b are respectively , one side is in contact with the ultrasonic transducers 2a, 2b, and the other side is formed with a contact surface having the same shape as the outer surface of the tube 1, and the spring 18 makes contact with the second block 1.
4b toward the first block 14a, the contacts 3a' and 3b' come into close contact with the outer surface of the tube 1 without deforming the tube 1, and the ultrasonic transducers 2a and 2b The ultrasonic wave is applied to the tube 1 through the contacts 3a' and 3b', and the state of bubbles in the tube 1 is detected from the magnitude of the ultrasonic wave transmitted through the tube.

<Operation> The above technical means operates as follows. That is,
The tube is biased with such force that it does not deform with the contact, and no deformation occurs in the tube. Further, since the pair of ultrasonic transducers are housed in separate support means, the ultrasonic waves do not wrap around. Furthermore, since the configuration is relatively simple, in which a contact surface having the same shape as the outer surface of the tube is formed on the contacts, and these contacts are urged with a predetermined force,
There are no processing difficulties.

<Examples> Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. a is a partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the present invention taken along plane A-A' in Fig. b; FIG. 3 is a side view of the example device. In the figure, elements that are the same as those in FIGS. 3 and 4 are given the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof will be omitted. 3
a' and 3b' are contacts in which one side is in contact with the ultrasonic transducers 2a and 2b and the other side is in contact with the tube 1, and the contact part with the tube 1 has a contact surface that has the same shape as the outer surface of the tube. is formed.

14a is a block that accommodates the ultrasonic transducer 2a and the contactor 3a'; 14b is a block that accommodates the ultrasonic transducer 2b and the contactor 3b';
a, base 15, support part 16 extending from this base
a, 16b are integrally molded, and block 1
4b is the pin 1 implanted in the support parts 16a, 16b.
7 so as to be rotatable in the C direction and C' direction. A spring 18 urges the block 14b in the C' direction, that is, in the tube 1 direction. 19 is block 1
Handles 20a and 20b provided on block 4b are lids of blocks 14a and 14b.

With such a configuration, first, rotate the handle 19 in the direction C to move the tube 1 between the contact 3a' and the contact 3.
Insert between b′. When you let go of the handle 19,
Block 14b is urged toward tube 1 by spring 18. The contacts 3a' and 3b' are molded using silicone rubber, and the contact surfaces are formed to match the outer surface of the tube 1 and the surfaces of the ultrasonic transducers 2a and 2b, so the contact elements 3a' and 3b' are made of silicone rubber, so that the contact surfaces are formed to match the outer surface of the tube 1 and the surfaces of the ultrasonic transducers 2a and 2b. Even when biased by force, the contacts 3a' and 3b' reliably come into close contact with the tube 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. In the case of the apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the block 14b was rotated, but in the case of this figure, the block 14b is slid on the rail 21 and biased toward the block 14a by a spring or the like. The structure is such that the tube 1 is held in place.

<Effects of the invention> According to the invention, the tube is not deformed and the flow within the tube is not disturbed. Since the tube and the contact are in close contact with each other, reliability is improved. Since the driving ultrasonic transducer and the detection ultrasonic transducer are housed in separate blocks, almost no ultrasonic waves wrap around. Further, since the contact surface is formed on the contacts in the same shape as the outer surface of the tube, and the contacts are biased with a predetermined force, the structure is relatively simple, so there is no difficulty in processing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. The perspective view shown, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 are configuration diagrams showing a conventional example. 1...Tube, 2a, 2b...Ultrasonic transducer, 3a', 3b'...Contactor, 14a, 14b...
Block, 17...Pin, 18...Spring, 21...
…rail.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A deformable tube 1 through which a liquid containing bubbles is flowed, a first block 14a which is fixedly provided and houses an ultrasonic transducer 2a and a contactor 3a', and this first block 14a. 1 block 14a and the ultrasonic transducer 2b and the contactor 3 are arranged opposite to each other with the tube 1 in between.
A second movably mounted block 1 containing b'
4b, and a spring 18 that biases the second block 14b toward the first block 14a with a force that does not deform the tube 1, and the first block 14a and the second block 14b are in contact with each other. One side of each child 3a', 3b' contacts the ultrasonic transducer 2a, 2b, and a contact surface having the same shape as the outer surface of the tube 1 is formed on the other side, and the spring 18 makes contact with the second ultrasonic transducer 2a, 2b. block 1
4b toward the first block 14a, the contacts 3a' and 3b' come into close contact with the outer surface of the tube 1 without deforming the tube 1, and the ultrasonic transducers 2a and 2b An ultrasonic bubble detector which applies ultrasonic waves to the tube 1 via the contacts 3a' and 3b' and detects the state of air bubbles in the tube 1 from the magnitude of the ultrasonic waves transmitted through the tube.