JPWO2005000565A1 - Tube joining method and tube joining apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tube bonding method and a tube bonding apparatus that can stably bond a tube without causing a decrease in bonding strength even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the bonded portion of the tube. After the tubes 7 and 8 held by the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 are cut by the wafer 6, the cut surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 are pressed against both surfaces of the wafer 6. Then, one of the cut tubes 7 and 8 is rotated by rotating the clamp rotor 30. Thereafter, the cut surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 are pressed against both surfaces of the wafer 6 again. Finally, the wafer 6 is extracted from the tubes 7 and 8, and the joining surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 are pressed to join the tubes 7 and 8.

Description

  The present invention relates to a tube joining apparatus and a tube joining method for aseptically joining tubes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tube bonding apparatus and a tube bonding method capable of improving the tube bonding stability.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a tube joining device has been used for aseptically joining tubes, for example, when exchanging a dialysate bag and a waste solution bag in continuous peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). As one of the tube joining techniques for performing aseptic joining of such tubes, for example, there is one disclosed in JP-A-4-308731. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-308731 discloses that after cutting a tube with a wafer, one side of the cut tube is fixed and the other side is rotated 180 degrees to bring the cut surfaces together. In this state, the wafer is extracted from the tube and bonded to the tube.

  In addition, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-27936, there is a method of performing tube joining by sliding a tube instead of rotating the tube after cutting the tube as described above.

JP-A-4-308731 (pages 2-4, FIG. 1) JP-B-2-27936 (pages 6-7, Fig. 3)

  However, in a conventional tube bonding apparatus such as the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-308731, the bonding strength is reduced when an adhesive (foreign matter) such as tape or tape glue adheres to the bonded portion of the tube. There was a problem that occurred. This is because the adherent adhered to the outer surface of the tube spreads on the joint surface. As shown in FIG. 17A, when the wafer 506 is first lifted and the tube is cut, foreign matter 509 adhering to the bonded portion of the tube adheres to both surfaces of the wafer 506. When the tube is rotated in this state, the foreign material 509 expands (spreads) on the joint surface as shown in FIG. Further, when the wafer 506 is lowered, the foreign matter 509 is drawn into the bonding surface. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17C, the foreign matter 509 is drawn into the joint surface, so that the joint strength decreases.

  FIGS. 17A to 17C show a case where the tube is rotated after being cut, but as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-27936, the tube is slid after being cut. Even in such a case, when the tube is slid or the wafer is lowered, the foreign matter develops on the joint surface and the same problem occurs.

  For this reason, dialysis patients use plastic coils for bundling and fixing tubes during daily life and bathing, such as using plastic coils, loosely transporting with rubber in underwear, and wearing it on the waist. The fact is that we do not. For this reason, there is a demand for the development of a tube bonding apparatus that can bond tubes without causing a decrease in bonding strength even when foreign matter such as an adhesive adheres to the bonded portions of the tubes.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joint portion of the tube, the tube is stably joined without causing a decrease in joint strength. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tube bonding method and a tube bonding apparatus that can be used.

  The tube joining method according to the present invention made to solve the above-described problems is a tube joining method for aseptically joining a plurality of flexible tubes, a tube holding step for deforming the tube into a flat state, and a cutting plate A tube cutting step for cutting the tube, a cutting plate removing step for extracting the cutting plate out of the cutting surface of the tube, and a tube joining step for welding and joining the cut surfaces of different tubes, After the tube cutting step, a tube pressing step of pressing the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate is provided.

  In this tube joining method, the tube is held flat in the tube holding step, and the tube is cut with a cutting plate in the tube cutting step. And after this tube cutting process, the tube pressing process which presses the cut surface of a tube against the said cutting board is implemented. For this reason, since the cut surface of the tube is pressed against both surfaces of the cutting plate, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, the foreign matter is pushed out of the joining surface of the tube. Get away from. In that state, the cut plate is extracted outside the cut surface of the tube in the cut plate removing step, and the cut surfaces of different tubes are bonded in the tube bonding step. Therefore, when the cutting plate is pulled out of the cut surface of the tube, the foreign matter is not in contact with the cutting plate, so that the foreign matter is not drawn into the joint surface of the tube. For this reason, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, a stable and good joined state can always be ensured.

  In the tube joining method according to the present invention, after the tube cutting step, the first tube pressing step of pressing the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate, and the cut surfaces of the tubes to be joined face each other. It is desirable to include a tube moving step for moving the tube and a second tube pressing step for pressing the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate.

  Thus, even if a foreign substance comes into contact with the cutting plate when the tube moving step is performed by pressing the cut plate of the tube in the second tube pressing step after the tube moving step, the tube moving step is pressed. The foreign matter can be pushed out of the joining surface of the tube and separated from the cutting plate. As a result, it is possible to ensure that the foreign matter is not drawn into the joint surface of the tube and does not spread (not spread) when the cutting plate extraction step to be performed next is performed. Therefore, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, a stable and good joined state can always be ensured.

Moreover, in the tube joining method which concerns on this invention, it is desirable to provide the 3rd tube pressing process which presses the cut surfaces of the said tube after the said cutting board extraction process.
This is because the foreign matter is pushed out of the joint surface of the tube even if the foreign matter is drawn into the joint surface of the tube when the cutting plate removing step is performed. Therefore, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, a stable and good joined state can always be ensured.

  The tube joining device according to the present invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a tube joining device for aseptically joining a plurality of flexible tubes, a pair of tube holding means for holding the tubes, and the pair of pairs A cutting plate for cutting the tube between the tube holding means, and a first moving means for moving the pair of tube holding means in the approaching and separating directions, wherein the first moving means includes the cutting After the tube is cut with a plate, at least one of the tube holding means is moved in order to press the cut surface of the tube against the cut plate.

  In this tube joining apparatus, the tubes held by the pair of tube holding means are cut by a cutting plate. After the tube is cut, at least one of the pair of tube holding means is moved by the first moving means to press the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate. Thereby, the cut surface of a tube is pressed on both surfaces of a cutting plate. For this reason, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joint portion of the tube, the foreign substance is pushed out of the joint surface of the tube and thus is separated from the cutting plate. Therefore, the relative movement between the subsequent cutting plate and the joining surface of the tube does not draw in or expand (expand) foreign matter on the joining surface of the tube. Therefore, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, a stable and good joined state can always be ensured.

  As described above, according to the tube joining apparatus according to the present invention, even if foreign matter such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, the foreign matter is drawn into the joint surface of the tube during the tube joining or is expanded (expanded). ) There is nothing. Therefore, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, a stable and good joined state can always be ensured.

The tube joining apparatus according to the present invention may further include second moving means for moving at least one of the tube holding means so that the cut surfaces of the tubes to be joined face each other after the tube is cut. desirable.
In this tube joining apparatus, the tube holding means is moved by the second moving means so that the cut surfaces of the tubes to be joined face each other. At this time, since the foreign matter is pushed out of the joining surface of the tube, the foreign matter does not expand (spread) on the joining surface by the movement of the tube. Therefore, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, a stable and good joined state can always be ensured.

Further, in the tube joining apparatus according to the present invention, the first moving means is configured such that the cut surfaces of the tubes are joined to the cutting plate in a state where the cut surfaces of the tubes joined by the second moving means face each other. It is desirable to move at least one of the tube holding means for pressing.
By doing so, even if the foreign matter is in contact with the cutting plate in a state where the cut surfaces of the tubes to be joined are opposed to each other, the foreign matter is pushed out of the joining surface of the tube and separated from the cutting plate. Because you can. As a result, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter from being drawn into the joint surface of the tube and deployed when the cut plate extraction step to be performed next is performed. Therefore, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, a stable and good joined state can always be ensured.

Furthermore, in the tube joining apparatus according to the present invention, the first moving means cuts the tube, and then cuts the tube in a state where the cutting plate is pulled out of the cut surface of the tube. It is desirable to move at least one of the tube holding means in order to press each other.
By doing so, even if foreign matter is drawn into the joint surface of the tube when the cutting plate is extracted from the tube, the foreign matter is pushed out of the joint surface of the tube. Therefore, even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube, a stable and good joined state can always be ensured.

  According to the tube bonding method and the tube bonding apparatus according to the present invention, as described above, the tube can be stably bonded without causing a decrease in bonding strength even if a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the bonded portion of the tube. can do.

It is a perspective view of the internal mechanism in one embodiment of the tube connecting device of the present invention. It is a top view of the internal mechanism in one embodiment of the tube connecting device of the present invention. It is the perspective view which showed the clamp rotor. It is A direction sectional drawing of the rotor piece in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a fixed clamp body. 3 is a plan view of a fixed clamp body 13. FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the movable clamp 12 of the 1st tube holder 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed the 1st tube holder 1. FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view of the fixed clamp 81 of the 2nd tube holder 2. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a drive cam 92. FIG. It is the perspective view which showed the fixed clamp 81 and the buckle 111. FIG. It is the front view which showed the 1st tube holder 1 and the 2nd tube holder 2 from the C direction of FIG. It is the perspective view which showed the wafer holder seen from the 1st tube holder 1 side. It is the figure which showed the position of the wafer 6 at the time of tube cutting. It is a figure which shows notionally the cutting and joining operation | movement of a tube. It is a figure which shows notionally the movement of a foreign material when foreign materials, such as an adhesive, adhere to the junction part of a tube. In the conventional tube joining technique, it is a figure for demonstrating that joining defect will generate | occur | produce when the foreign material has adhered to the joined part of a tube.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tube joining apparatus 2 1st clamp 3 2nd clamp 6 Wafer 11,81 Fixed clamp 12,82 Movable clamp 24,224 Press arm 25,225 Roller bearing 92 Drive cam 131,231 Spring 293,294 Slide cam 293a-293c , 294a to 294c Slide cam surface

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a most preferred embodiment in which a tube bonding method and a tube bonding apparatus of the present invention are embodied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to tube joining at the time of exchanging a dialysate bag and a waste solution bag in continuous peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

  Therefore, first, a schematic configuration of the tube joining apparatus according to the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal mechanism of the tube joining apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof (excluding movable clamps 12 and 82). This tube bonding apparatus has a tube holding mechanism for holding the tubes 7 and 8, a cutting mechanism for moving the wafer (cutting plate) 6 with respect to the tubes 7 and 8, and a new wafer 6 for each bonding operation of the tubes 7 and 8. It consists of a wafer feed mechanism for feeding. First, the configuration of the tube holding mechanism will be described.

  The tube holding mechanism holds and sandwiches the two tubes 7 and 8 at two positions with a gap, rotates and replaces each tube after cutting, and presses and joins the cut surfaces of different tubes. . The main structure is the 1st tube holder 1 and the 2nd tube holder 2, and it is each comprised from the fixed clamps 11 and 81 and the movable clamps 12 and 82 connected with this by the pin joint.

The 1st tube holder 1 and the 2nd tube holder 2 are arranged in parallel with a fixed space | interval, and are provided so that a slide (proximity and separation | spacing) mutually is possible. More specifically, the first tube holder 1 is slidably provided so as to be able to adjust the distance from the second tube holder 2, and the second tube holder 2 is spaced from the first tube holder 1. It is slidable so that it can be adjusted. A wafer holder that forms a cutting mechanism is disposed between the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2, and the tubes held by the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2. The wafer 6 is configured to move in a direction orthogonal to 7 and 8.
A clamp rotor for rotating the tube cut by the wafer 6 is provided in the first tube holder 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the clamp rotor, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view in the A direction of the rotor piece 31 (32) shown in FIG.

The clamp rotor 30 is composed of a pair of rotor pieces 31 and 32. The rotor pieces 31 and 32 have a rotationally symmetric shape formed by halving a gear. Therefore, the rotor pieces 31 and 32 are of the same shape, both semicircular, and form a single clamp rotor 30 by overlapping the half surfaces.
Specifically, the clamp rotor 30 includes tube holding portions 33 and 33 for holding the tube in the central portion, flange portions 34 and 34 projecting radially from the tube holding portions 33 and 33, and flange portions 34, The outer rim 35 is formed with rotor gears 36, 36 and lock grooves 37a, 37b, 37a, 37b.

  The tube holding portions 33, 33 are formed with closed portions 33b, 33b in which the holding groove 33a and the tip of the cylinder are inclined in the center direction and become narrow. The holding grooves 33a and 33a are substantially semicircular grooves having a depth corresponding to the diameter of the tubes 7 and 8, and the closed portions 33b and 33b are formed by flattening the tubes 7 and 8 that have been crushed there. Both are formed symmetrically so as to form a gap enough to close the inside of the tube tube. Further, the lock grooves 37a and 37a and the lock grooves 37b and 37b formed in the rim portions 35 and 35 are formed at the same position in both the rotor pieces 31 and 32. This is because the lock grooves 37 a and 37 a correspond to the lock means of the fixed clamp 11 and the lock grooves 37 b and 37 b correspond to the lock means provided in the movable clamp 12.

  Next, the fixed clamp 11 and the movable clamp 12 of the first tube holder 1 loaded with the rotor pieces 31 and 32 will be described. The fixed clamp 11 is formed by fixing a body cover 14 (see FIG. 1) to the fixed clamp body 13 shown in FIG. The fixed clamp body 13 is provided with an outer frame 16 as shown in the figure on the side wall 15, and the body cover 14 is applied to the outer frame 16 and screwed. The fixed clamp 11 has a hollow shape with an open upper surface, and the rotor piece 31 (32) described above is loaded therein. Further, the stepping motor 3 (see FIG. 2) is fixed to the body cover 14, and a gear train for transmitting the rotation output to the rotor piece 31 (32) is provided in the fixed clamp 11.

The fixed clamp body 13 is formed with a single support bracket 17 and a bifurcated support bracket 18 at both upper corners. The single support bracket 17 is for pin joint with the movable clamp 12, and a bearing 28 is pivotally supported between the bifurcated support bracket 18.
In addition, the upper side of the side wall 15 of the fixed clamp body 13 and the upper side (not shown) of the body cover 14 have a rotation support groove cut into a semicircular shape so as to support the tube holding portion 33 of the rotor piece 31 (32). 19 is formed. Rollers 20, 20, 20 that rotatably support the rotor piece 31 (32) are supported on the side wall 15 on the same center circumference as the rotation support groove 19. The three rollers 20 are symmetrically arranged on both sides with an interval of 60 ° with respect to the central roller 20.
Further, a positioning protrusion 21 is formed on the fixed clamp body 13 so as to protrude from the upper side of the side wall 15.

The fixed clamp body 13 is formed so that the first tube holder 1 can move in parallel with the second tube holder 2 as described above. Here, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the fixed clamp body 13.
The fixed clamp body 13 has a slide tube 22 projecting perpendicularly to the side wall 15, and a guide roller 23 is rotatably supported in the axial direction of the slide tube 22. The slide tube 22 is fitted into a guide rod protruding from a cam support 290 described later, and the guide roller 23 is disposed in a guide groove 29a of a guide block 29 fixed to the base 210 shown in FIG.
Therefore, the fixed clamp 11 of the first tube holder 1 is attached in a state where the fixed clamp body 13 is supported by the slide tube 22 and the guide roller 23 and floats from the base 210.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the fixed clamp body 13 has a pressing arm 24 protruding from the second tube holder 2 side, and a roller bearing 25 is pivotally supported at the tip.
The movable fixed clamp 11 supported by the slide tube 22 and the guide roller 23 is provided with a spring 131 between the support wall 181 fixed to the base 210 shown in FIG. It is biased toward the second tube holder 2 side.
Therefore, the roller bearing 25 at the tip of the pressing arm 24 is always in contact with a drive cam in a cam support 290 described later, and the cam surface can roll.

Next, FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the movable clamp 12 of the first tube holder 1 and is a view seen from the second tube holder 2 side. The movable clamp 12 has a body cover 52 attached to a movable clamp body 51 shown in the figure, and is hollow like the fixed clamp 11, and a rotor piece 31 (32) is loaded therein.
The movable clamp body 51 and the body cover 52 are formed with rotation support grooves 53 and 54 that are cut out in a semicircular shape at corresponding positions. Rollers 55, 55, 55 for rotating and supporting the rotor piece 31 (32) are supported on the body cover 52 on the circumference of the same center as the rotation support groove 54. The three rollers 55 are symmetrically arranged with the other two rollers 55 and 55 at an interval of 60 ° with respect to the central roller 55. Further, the movable clamp body 51 is provided with bifurcated support brackets 56 and 57 for pin joints at both ends thereof.

Next, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the first tube holder 1. Specifically, the fixed clamp 11 is a view showing the fixed clamp body 13 with the body cover 14 removed, and the movable clamp 12 is a view showing the cross section of the movable clamp body 51 in a simplified manner.
In the first tube holder 1, the fixed clamp 11 and the movable clamp 12 are pin-coupled by the support brackets 17 and 56, and the movable clamp 12 is overlapped as illustrated by swinging, and as shown in FIG. 1. Configured to open. Then, a buckle 125 (see FIG. 7) is pin-coupled to the support bracket 57 formed at the swinging end of the movable clamp 12, and the jaw 127 is hooked on the bearing 28 of the fixed clamp 11, and is in the state shown in the figure. It is configured to be locked with.

In the clamped state of the first tube holder 1 shown in FIG. 8, the disposed tubes 7 and 8 (see FIG. 2) are held by the holding grooves 33a and 33a of the rotor pieces 31 and 32, respectively, and the closed portions 33b and 33b are held. As shown in the figure, it is configured to be clamped and closed. In addition, the clamp rotor 30 shown in figure represents the BB cross section of the rotor pieces 31 and 32 shown in FIG.
The rotor pieces 31 and 32 are loaded so that the rollers 20... 55 enter between the tube holding portions 33 and 33 and the rim portions 35 and 35. Accordingly, in the illustrated clamping state, the rotor pieces 31 and 32 constitute one clamp rotor 30 (see FIG. 3), and the rollers 20... 55 are equally spaced (60 ° intervals) on the same circumference. Located in. In addition, this clamp rotor 30 is arrange | positioned in the direction where the obstruction | occlusion part 33b, 33b protrudes to the 2nd tube holder 2 side.
Further, in the fixed clamp 11, the stepping motor 3 (see FIG. 2) is fixed to the body cover 14, and the drive gear 61 is attached to the motor shaft 3a that has entered the through hole 32a (see FIG. 1). 61 is engaged with the drive gear 63, and the drive gear 63 is engaged with the rotor gear 36 of the clamp rotor 30.

  When the fixed clamp 11 and the movable clamp 12 are not in a state of holding the tube or in the non-clamped state, the loaded rotor pieces 31 and 32 are placed in the fixed clamp 11 and the movable clamp 12 as shown in FIG. For the purpose of positioning so as not to deviate from the position shown in FIG. Any of the locking means fits into the locking grooves 37a and 37b formed in the rotor pieces 31 and 32 to restrict the displacement of the rotor pieces 31 and 32.

Then, the 2nd tube holder 2 is demonstrated concretely. FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of the fixing clamp 81 of the second tube holder 2, particularly a view seen from the first tube holder 1 side. FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of the drive cam 92.
The fixed clamp 81 is slidably disposed with respect to a cam support 290 that supports a drive cam 92 described later. The cam support 290 is fixed to the base 210. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a spring 231 is provided between the support wall 281 fixed to the base 210 and is always urged toward the first tube holder 1 by the spring 231. Therefore, a roller bearing 225 provided at the tip of the pressing arm 224 is always in contact with a slide cam 294 described later, and the fixed clamp 81 is configured to roll on the cam surface.

The fixed clamp body 83 is formed with a single support bracket 87 and a bifurcated support bracket 88 at both upper corners. The single support bracket 87 is for pin joint with the movable clamp 82, and the bifurcated support bracket 88 supports the bearing 90 therebetween. Further, a positioning protrusion 89 is formed on the fixed clamp body 83 so as to protrude from the upper side of the side wall 85.
The fixed clamp body 83 has a slide tube 32 projecting vertically from a side wall 85, and a guide roller 33 is rotatably supported in the axial direction of the slide tube 32. The slide tube 32 is fitted into a guide rod 91 projecting from a cam support 290 described later, and the guide roller 33 is disposed in a guide groove 39a of a guide block 39 fixed to the base 210 shown in FIG. Therefore, the fixed clamp 81 of the second tube holder 2 is attached in a state where the fixed clamp body 83 is supported by the slide tube 32 and the guide roller 33 and floats from the base 210.

As shown in FIG. 10, the drive cam 92 is formed integrally with the reduction gear 95 and is pivotally supported by a cam support 290 at the illustrated position. The drive cam 92 is formed by integrally forming a circular slide cam 293 (294) and an eccentric cutting cam 94. That is, in the drive cam 92, a sliding cam 293 and a cutting cam 94 are formed on the front side of the reduction gear 95 in FIG. 10, and a sliding cam 294 is formed on the back side. The slide cams 293 and 294 have the same configuration, the slide cam 293 slides the first tube holder 1, and the slide cam 294 slides the second tube holder 2. It is for making it happen.
The drive cam 92 is supported by a cam support 290 fixed to the base 210. The side wall of the cam support 290 is largely cut so that the drive cam 92 appears.

These slide cams 293 and 294 are formed with slide cam surfaces 293a, 293b, and 293c whose end surfaces are inclined to change the height in the axial direction. The slide cam surfaces 293a, 293b, and 293c have the highest slide cam surface 293a, the lowest slide cam surface 293c, and the intermediate height of the slide cam surface 293b. The cutting cam 94 is formed with an eccentric cam surface 94a by the outer peripheral side surface thereof.
On the other hand, the stepping motor 4 (see FIG. 2) is fixed to the body cover 84, and as shown in FIG. 10, a drive gear 96 is attached to the motor shaft 4a that has entered inside through the through hole 84a. A reduction gear 95 is engaged with the reduction gear 95.

Next, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the movable clamp 82 and the buckle 120. The movable clamp 82 is constituted by a hollow movable clamp body 110 that is integrally formed, and bifurcated support brackets 111 and 112 are formed at both ends. Further, the movable clamp body 110 is formed with U-shaped grooves 113 and 113 for allowing the tube to pass therethrough and closed portions 114 and 114 projecting laterally, and in the meantime, pressing portions 115 and 115 raised so as to lightly hold the tube are formed. Is formed. Further, the movable clamp body 110 is formed with a locking wall 116 that is brought into contact with the positioning protrusion 89 of the fixed clamp body 83 on the swing end side (buckle 120 side).
A buckle 120 is pin-coupled to the support bracket 112 of the movable clamp body 110. The buckle 120 is configured to be integrated with the buckle 125 on the first tube holder 1 side shown in FIG. That is, the holding plate 121 of the buckle 120 protrudes greatly on one side (the first tube holder 1 side), and an insertion groove 122 for inserting the insertion portion 126 of the buckle 125 and the pin 129 is formed there. A jaw 123 and a pressing protrusion 124 are formed at the position of the support bracket 112 in the same manner as the buckle 125.

Therefore, the second tube holder 2 is joined to the fixed clamp body 83 by the movable clamp 82 being pin-coupled by the support bracket 111, and the movable clamp 82 is overlapped by swinging and opened as shown in FIG. It is configured as follows.
The jaw 123 of the buckle 120 pin-coupled to the swinging end of the movable clamp 82 is hung on the bearing 90 and is locked in the clamped state.
In the clamped state of the first tube holder 2, the holding groove 98 of the fixed clamp body 83 and the closing portion 114 of the movable clamp body 110 have a gap enough to flatten the tubes 7 and 8 and close the inside of the tube tube. It is configured as follows.

  The first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 as described above are arranged in parallel to the base 210 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Specifically, the slide tube 22 provided in the first tube holder 1 is fitted into a guide rod 91 (see FIG. 10) protruding from a cam support 290 that is directly fixed to the base 210. In the first tube holder 1, the fixed clamp 11 is also supported by the guide roller 23, so the first tube holder 1 is kept parallel to the base 210 of the first tube holder 1 itself, and the distance from the second tube holder 2 is increased. Adjustable movement is possible.

  Further, the slide tube 32 provided on the fixed clamp body 83 of the second tube holder 2 is fitted into a guide rod 91 protruding from the cam support 290. Since the second tube holder 2 is also supported by the guide roller 33 on the other side, the second tube holder 2 is parallel to the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 itself. It is possible to move such that the distance from the first tube holder 1 is adjusted in parallel with the base 210.

  As described above, in the first tube holder 1 supported so as to be movable with respect to the cam support 290, the fixed clamp body 13 is constantly urged toward the second tube holder 2 by the spring 131. Therefore, the roller bearing 25 (see FIG. 6) of the pressing arm 24 protruding from the first tube holder 1 abuts against the slide cam 293 of the drive cam 92 provided on the cam support 290, and the cam always It is comprised so that a surface may be rolled.

  On the other hand, in the second tube holder 2, the fixed clamp body 81 is constantly urged toward the first tube holder 1 by the spring 231. Therefore, the roller bearing 225 (see FIG. 9) of the pressing arm 224 provided on the second tube holder 2 abuts on the slide cam 294 of the drive cam 92 provided on the cam support 290, and always the cam surface. Is configured to roll.

  And the 1st tube holder 1 and the 2nd tube holder 2 are shown in FIG. 12. The obstruction | occlusion part of the tubes 7 and 8 in the holding grooves 33b and 33b of the rotor piece 31 (32), and the fixed clamp 81 Between the end of the holding groove 98 and the closed portion of the tubes 7, 8 by the closed portion 114 of the movable clamp 82. FIG. 12 is a front view showing the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 from the direction C in FIG. 1.

A cutting mechanism for moving the wafer 6 for cutting the tubes 7 and 8 up and down is provided between the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 that hold the tubes 7 and 8 closed. ing.
Therefore, the cutting mechanism will be described next. Between the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 as described above, a wafer holder that holds the wafer 6 and moves it up and down is disposed. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a wafer holder for holding the wafer 6.

  The wafer holder 140 is swingably supported with respect to the guide rod 91 supported by the cam support base 290, and a fixed plate is attached to the base plate 141 including the swing tube 142 fitted into the guide rod 91. 143 and the opening / closing plate 145 are provided on both sides. The fixing plate 143 is fixed to the first tube holder 1 side with respect to the base plate 141, and a groove (not shown) through which the wafer 6 passes is formed between both plates. The fixing plate 143 is formed with misalignment stoppers 143a and 143b that protrude upward at two locations and have a barb that prevents misalignment of the wafer 6 upward.

  The opening / closing plate 145 is pivotally supported at the lower portion, and further biased by a biasing member on the lower side of the pivoting portion, and the upper portion is provided so as to contact / separate, that is, open / close with respect to the fixed plate 143. Yes. The opening / closing plate 145 is provided with electrodes 146a and 146b corresponding to the position of the misalignment stop 143a of the fixed plate 143, and is configured to contact the resistor terminal of the wafer 6 loaded in the wafer holder 140 to energize. Has been. The opening / closing plate 145 is formed with a pressing piece 145b corresponding to the other misalignment stop 143b of the fixed plate 143. Further, a single convex line 145 s is formed on the outer surface of the opening / closing plate 145 in parallel along the entrance direction of the wafer 6.

  The base plate 141 is provided with positioning plate springs 147a, 147b, and 147c for positioning the wafer 6 by pressing the wafer 6 against the fixed plate 143 side, and the back plate is provided so as to overlap the last plate spring 147a. A spring 148 is provided. The plate springs for positioning 147a, 147b, and 147c are arranged so as to hold the front and rear three places at the lower end of the height of the wafer 6 loaded in the wafer holder 140, and the plate spring 148 for preventing the retreat is passed. A return bar 148a for breaking the retreat path is formed.

  Then, such a wafer holder 140 is fitted into the guide rod 91 together with the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2, and a spring 153 (see FIG. 2) disposed between the wafer holder 140 and the first tube holder 1. ) To the second tube holder 2 side.

In addition, a roller bearing 155 is pivotally supported on the wafer holder 140 on a shaft fixed to the base plate 141. Although not shown, the wafer holder 140 is attached in a state in which the roller bearing 155 enters the cam support 290 and is placed on the top of the eccentric cam surface 94 a in the cutting cam surface 94 formed on the drive cam 92. .
Further, the roller bearing 155 of the wafer holder 140 is configured to always roll on the eccentric cam surface 94a by a spring (not shown).

Next, a wafer feeding mechanism for feeding the wafer 6 into the wafer holder 140 will be described. A plurality of wafers 6 are accommodated in the wafer cassette 160 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and one wafer 6 pushed onto the feed line is moved by a feed piece 161 that moves along the feed line. It is configured to be pushed in the direction of arrow X (see FIG. 2).
The feed piece 161 has a claw portion 161 a formed by a step corresponding to the thickness of the wafer 6 at the tip, and is integrally formed with the slider 162. The slider 162 is slidably supported by a guide rod 171 that is fixed between the support walls 181 and 182 that are fixed on the base 210.

Further, male screws 172 suspended in parallel with the guide rods 171 are rotatably supported on the support walls 181 and 182. A female screw holding a ball is formed on a female screw block 163 formed integrally with the slider 162, and a ball screw is configured by screwing on the male screw 172.
A transmission gear 173 is fixed to the male screw 172 at the end on the support wall 182 side. The stepping motor 5 is fixed to the support wall 182 from the outside, and the drive gear 174 fixed to the motor shaft passing through the support wall 182 and the transmission gear 173 are engaged with each other.

Further, on the upper surface of the female screw block 163, markers 166 and 167 are provided, each of which is attached with two plate members stacked one above the other. On the other hand, a control board 183 is fixed to the support walls 181 and 182 as shown in FIG. 2, and a standby detection sensor 185 and a feed detection sensor 186 are provided on the control board 183. The standby detection sensor 185 is a sensor that detects the standby position of the feed piece 161 based on the position of the marker 166, and the feed detection sensor 186 is a sensor that detects the feed position of the feed piece 161 based on the position of the marker 167. The markers 166 and 167 are pivotally supported with respect to the female screw block 163 so that the opening degree of the tip which is the detection target portion can be adjusted.
Further, stoppers 175 and 176 for preventing overrun of the slider 162 are fitted to the guide rod 171 so as to be in contact with the support walls 181 and 182, respectively.

Further, a support arm 168 protrudes from the lower side of the feed piece 161 on the slider 162, and a pin 169 protrudes further at the tip of the support arm 168. On the other hand, a prismatic beam 191 is stretched between the support wall 182 and the cam support 390 in parallel with the guide rod 171. The beam 191 is formed with a rail 192 having a stepped corner, and a prismatic operation rod 195 is placed on the rail 192. The operation rod 195 has a guide groove 195 a formed in the longitudinal direction on the back surface and is fitted to a guide pin 193 projecting from the rail 192.
The tip of the support arm 168 projecting from the slider 162 is applied from the side to the rear end of the operation rod 195, and the pin 169 at the tip of the support arm 168 is lightly fitted into the operation rod 191.

  Next, the tube bonding operation of the tube bonding apparatus having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 (a) to 15 (f) and FIGS. 16 (a) to 16 (f). 15 (a) to 15 (f) are diagrams conceptually showing tube cutting / joining operations. FIGS. 16A to 16F are diagrams conceptually showing the movement of a foreign substance when a foreign substance such as an adhesive adheres to the joined portion of the tube. This tube joining apparatus is entirely covered with a cover (not shown) except for the upper portions of the movable clamps 12 and 82. If the movable clamps 12 and 82 are opened upward as shown in FIG. 1, the upper surfaces of the fixed clamps 11 and 81 appear, and the tubes 7 and 8 can be set. Therefore, the user fits the two tubes 7 and 8 (see FIG. 2) into the tube guide 100, respectively.

Subsequently, after setting the tubes 7 and 8, the user closes the movable clamps 12 and 82 with the buckle 120 in the tube joining apparatus in the state shown in FIG. 1. That is, the movable clamps 12 and 82 are overlapped with the fixed clamps 11 and 81, and the tubes 7 and 8 are held and clamped by these.
Since the buckle 120 is formed integrally with the buckle 125, both the movable clamps 12 and 82 can be closed together by operating with the gripping plate 121 (see FIG. 11). When the buckle 120 is rotated in a state where the movable clamps 12 and 82 are superimposed on the fixed clamps 11 and 81 (see FIG. 8), the jaws 123 and 127 are hooked on the bearings 28 and 90 of the fixed clamps 11 and 81. Is locked.

Next, when the movable clamps 12 and 82 are overlapped with the fixed clamps 11 and 81, the positioning protrusions 21 and 89 projecting from the fixed clamps 11 and 81 enter into the hollow movable clamps 12 and 82, respectively. Fits in without gaps. Therefore, the lateral displacement is prevented, and the fixed clamps 11 and 81 and the movable clamps 12 and 82 are overlapped at an accurate position.
At this time, on the first tube holder 1 side, the leaf spring 71 is pushed away by the positioning protrusion 21 that has entered the movable clamp 12 side as shown in FIG. Therefore, the leaf spring 71 is bent and deformed by the pressing force of the positioning protrusion 21, and the engagement piece 72 is retracted by the deformation and is removed from the lock groove 37 b of the clamp rotor 30.

Next, when the user inputs a start switch to the tube joining apparatus in which the tubes 7 and 8 are accurately clamped and are in the input standby state of the start switch, each mechanism of the apparatus is driven to cut and cut the tube. Joining is performed. At that time, the wafer 6 is first exchanged.
This is because one wafer 6 is used for each tube connection, and the previously used wafer 6 remains in the wafer holder 140 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, when the start switch is input, the wafer 6 is first replaced by the following operation (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

When the start switch is input by the user, the stepping motor 5 is driven, and the rotation output is transmitted to the male screw 172 constituting the ball screw via the drive gear 174 and the transmission gear 173. For this reason, the male screw 172 rotates, and the female screw block 163 of the female screw screwed into the male screw 172 moves in the axial direction. The female screw block 163 is not rotated by the slider 162 and thus does not rotate. Accordingly, the slider 162 slides on the guide rod 171 in the axial direction by driving the stepping motor 5, and the feed piece 161 and the operating rod 195 move in the same direction as the slider 162 moves.
Therefore, the feed piece 161 sent in the X direction is pushed forward by the claw portion 161a at the front end hooking the rear end of the wafer 6, and only one wafer 6 is extracted from the wafer cassette 160. The wafer 6 pushed out by the feeding piece 161 advances in the X direction while being in an upright state, and is sent to a groove in the wafer holder 140.

  The movement of the slider 162 in the X direction causes the wafer 6 to be opened and closed by the operation rod 195 as well as the wafer 6 is sent out by the feed piece 161. When the slider 162 moves in the X direction, the operation rod 195 that is pin-supported at the tip of the support arm 168 similarly slides on the X-direction rail 192. At this time, the operation rod 195 moves linearly without dropping from the rail 192 because the guide groove 195 a is fitted in the guide pin 193 on the rail 192. The operation rod 195 slid on the rail 192 in the X direction enters between the cam support 390 and the wafer holder 140 at the tip. Since the operation rod 195 is synchronized with the movement of the feed piece 161 by the slider 162, the wafer holder 140 is opened and closed as the wafer 6 is inserted into the wafer holder 140.

The position of the wafer 6 disposed in the wafer holder 140 is adjusted by the stop position of the feed piece 161. In the feed frame 161, as shown in FIG. 2, the marker 167 moves integrally, and the movement of the marker 167 is detected by the feed detection sensor 186. That is, the position of the feed piece 161 when the marker 167 moves to the detection position of the feed detection sensor 186 becomes the fixed position of the wafer 6 in the wafer holder 140.
Therefore, when the marker 167 moves together with the feed piece 161 in the X direction and is detected by the feed detection sensor 186, a detection signal from the feed detection sensor 186 is sent to the control side, and the stepping motor 5 The reverse rotation drive control is performed.

As a result, the male screw 172 rotates in the reverse direction, the female screw block 163 and the slider 162 move in the anti-X direction, and the feed piece 161 moves backward, so that only the wafer 6 remains in the wafer holder 140.
When the position returns to the position shown in FIG. 2, the standby detection sensor 185 detects the marker 166, and the detection signal is sent to the control side to control the rotation stop of the stepping motor 5.

  On the other hand, the used wafer 6 remains loaded in the wafer holder 140, but the used wafer 6 is also pressed against the fixed plate 143 by the positioning plate springs 147a, 147b, 147c. Therefore, the end surfaces of the wafers 6 and 6 that are as thin as several hundred μm always overlap each other, and the used wafer 6 is pushed out of the wafer holder 140 by the new wafer 6, so that the wafer 6 is surely replaced.

  Further, when the wafer 6 is sent to a fixed position, the rear end thereof slips through the retreat prevention plate spring 148, the front end of the retreat prevention plate spring 148 hits the fixed plate 143, and the wafer 6 is returned by the return 148a of the front end. The retreat is cut off. Therefore, when a user tries to take out the used wafer 6 that has been pushed out, the new wafer 6 is placed in a fixed position without being pushed back even if it is pushed by mistake.

  As described above, when the operating rod 195 moves backward together with the slider 162, the opening / closing plate 145 is released from the pressing and is closed by a biasing member (not shown). Therefore, the electrodes 146a and 146b provided on the opening / closing plate 145 come into contact with the resistor terminals of the wafer 6, and the energized resistor is heated to raise the temperature of the wafer 6 (about 300 ° C.).

  Then, the tubes 7 and 8 are cut following the sufficient temperature rise of the wafer 6. In the cutting of the tubes 7 and 8, the wafer 6 is lifted by the swing of the wafer holder 140, and the wafer 6 is orthogonal to the tubes 7 and 8 clamped by the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 (FIG. 15 (a)). At this time, if a foreign substance such as an adhesive (for example, tape glue) adheres to the joint portion of the tube, the foreign substance 9 sandwiches the wafer 6 at the tube joint portion as shown in FIG. Separated into left and right.

The swing of the wafer holder 140 is performed by transmitting the rotation of the stepping motor 4 (see FIG. 2) to the drive cam 92 (see FIG. 10).
Therefore, when the stepping motor 4 is activated, the rotation output is transmitted from the drive gear 96 fixed to the motor shaft 4 a to the reduction gear 95, and rotation is given to the drive cam 92 formed integrally with the reduction gear 95. When the drive cam 92 rotates, the height of the top of the cutting cam 94 on which the roller bearing 155 is placed changes. In that case, the wafer holder 140 is pushed up by the drive cam 92 and rises, and the wafer holder 140 is lowered according to the drive cam 92.
Then, the wafer 6 in the wafer holder 140 moves in a direction orthogonal to the tubes 7 and 8.

Therefore, the tubes 7 and 8 clamped by the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 are cut from below by the wafer 6, and the applied portion of the heated wafer 6 is melted and cut. The FIG. 14 is a view showing the position of the wafer 6 when the tube is cut.
The heated wafer 6 has its cutting edge (upper edge) applied to the tubes 7 and 8 from below, and is cut so as to slide obliquely with respect to the tubes 7 and 8 by the swinging wafer holder 140. Therefore, since the contact portion of the cutting edge of the wafer 6 that cuts the tubes 7 and 8 is shifted in the process of cutting, the heat amount of the cutting portion in the wafer 6 is maintained.

The cutting and joining of the tubes 7 and 8 by the wafer 6 are performed at the respective closed portions (see FIG. 12) of the tubes 7 and 8 crushed by the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2.
When the movable clamps 12 and 82 are overlapped with the fixed clamps 11 and 81, the tubes 7 and 8 supported by the tube guide 100 (see FIG. 1) are the closed portions 33b of the clamp rotor 30 in the first tube holder 1. 13b (see FIG. 3), and in the second tube holder 2, the holding groove 98 (see FIG. 9) of the fixed clamp body 83 and the closing portion 114 (see FIG. 11) of the movable clamp body 110 are used in FIG. Clamped as shown. Therefore, between the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2, a portion where the cylindrical tubes 7 and 8 are flattened and the inside of the tube is in close contact appears. This portion is a portion to be cut and bonded by the wafer 6.

Therefore, the wafer 6 is raised by the swing of the wafer holder 140, and the tubes 7 and 8 are cut as shown in FIG. The tubes 7 and 8 are clamped and crushed in advance, and the liquid in the tube is pushed away from the cut portion at the time of clamping, and therefore does not flow out of the cut portion at the time of cutting.
When the tube is cut, the cut portions of the tubes 7 and 8 are in a high-temperature state where the resin is melted or softened, and the cut surface is in airtight contact with the wafer 6. During this time, the inside of the tubes 7 and 8 is maintained in a sterile state without being exposed to the atmosphere.

  Here, the drive cam 92 for raising the wafer holder 140 includes a cutting cam 94, a slide cam 293 for moving the first tube holder 1, and a slide cam 294 for moving the second tube holder 2. Are integrally formed. The first tube holder 1 is constantly urged by the spring 131 (see FIG. 1), and the roller bearing 25 (see FIG. 6) of the pressing arm 24 is connected to the sliding cam 293 of the drive cam 92 (see FIG. 10). It is in contact with. Further, the second tube holder 2 is always urged by a spring 231 (see FIG. 1), and a roller bearing 225 (see FIG. 9) of the pressing arm 224 is connected to a sliding cam 294 of the drive cam 92 (see FIG. 10). It is in contact with.

  Therefore, when the wafer holder 140 is raised by the rotation of the drive cam 92, the roller bearing 25 enters the slide cam surface 293a of the slide cam 293 and rolls. The roller bearing 225 enters the slide cam surface 294a of the slide cam 294 and rolls. As a result, the wafer 6 rises and cuts the tubes 7 and 8, and the slide of the first tube holder 1 to the second tube holder 2 and the first tube holder 1 of the second tube holder 2. Is uniquely performed, and the cut surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 are pressed in the axial direction at a predetermined timing (FIG. 15B). As a result, since the cut surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 are pressed against both surfaces of the wafer 6, even if a foreign substance 9 such as an adhesive adheres to the joining portion of the tubes 7 and 8, the foreign substance 9 is , 8 are pushed out of the joint surface (out of the burr) (see FIG. 16B).

Next, the tubes 7 and 8 cut by the wafer 6 are reversed by the rotation of the clamp rotor 30 while the portion clamped by the first tube holder 1 is reversed.
Therefore, when the wafer 6 is sufficiently raised, the driving of the stepping motor 4 is stopped, and the clamp rotor 30 is rotated by the subsequent driving of the stepping motor 3 (see FIG. 2). The rotation of the stepping motor 3 is transmitted from the drive gear 61 of the motor shaft 3a to the clamp rotor 30 via the access gear 62 and the drive gear 63, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the clamp rotor 30 rotates with the rotor pieces 31 and 32 as one rotating body shown in FIG.
The clamp rotor 30 is rotated by 180 ° so that the rotor pieces 31 and 32 are switched between the fixed clamp 11 and the movable clamp 12 by the stepping motor 3. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15C, the two clamped tubes 7 and 8 rotate so as to face each other alternately.

  Here, as described above, the joint surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 are pressed against both surfaces of the wafer 6 after the tubes 7 and 8 are cut. For this reason, even if a foreign substance 9 such as an adhesive adheres to the joint portion of the tubes 7 and 8, the foreign substance 9 is pushed out of the joint surface of the tubes 7 and 8 (out of the burr). That is, there is no foreign material 9 at the joint. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16 (c), even if the tubes 7 and 8 after cutting are rotated, the foreign matter 9 is not drawn into the joint surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8.

  At this time, the clamp rotor 30 is rotatably supported by the rollers 20, 55, which are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference, and performs accurate rotation around the virtual rotation axis. Therefore, when the clamp rotor 30 is reversed and the positions of the rotor pieces 31 and 32 are switched, the contact surfaces are located on the same circumference, and the cut surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 are accurately overlapped with the positions before the reversal. It will be. That is, the cut surface of the tube 7 (8) and the cut surface of the tube 8 (7) are accurately overlapped.

  Thereafter, as will be described later, the wafer 6 is lowered to perform tube bonding. When foreign matter 9 such as an adhesive adheres to the joining surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8, In order to prevent 9 from being pulled into the joining surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8, the tubes 7 and 8 are pressed against both surfaces of the wafer 6 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the foreign material 9 is pushed out of the joint surface of the tubes 7 and 8 (out of the burr) as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the foreign matter 9 is drawn into the joint surface of the tubes 7 and 8 in order to rotate the tubes 7 and 8 as described later in a state where the foreign matter 9 is pushed out of the joint surface (out of the burr) of the tubes 7 and 8. This can be prevented.

  The pressing operation of the tubes 7 and 8 at this time is performed by sliding the first tube holder 1 onto the second tube holder 2 and sliding the second tube holder 2 onto the first tube holder 1. The slide operation of the first tube holder 1 and the slide operation of the second tube holder 2 are performed as described above. That is, first, the stepping motor 4 is started again, and the drive cam 92 (see FIG. 10) is rotated. Then, the slide cams 293 and 294 formed integrally with the drive cam 92 also rotate. As a result, the roller bearing 25 enters the rolling slide cam surface 293b of the sliding cam 293 and rolls, and the roller bearing 225 enters the rolling slide cam surface 294b of the sliding cam 294 and rolls. For this reason, the slide to the 2nd tube holder 2 of the 1st tube holder 1 and the slide to the 1st tube holder 1 of the 2nd tube holder 2 are performed by the urging | biasing force of the springs 131 and 231. At this time, since the height of the top of the cutting cam 94 does not change, the position of the wafer holder 140 does not change. That is, the wafer 6 remains in the raised state.

  Then, the cut surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 rotated as described above are in the same position with the wafer 6 sandwiched between the cut surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 clamped on the second tube holder 2 side, just after the cutting. Be placed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15E, the wafer 6 is subsequently lowered, and as shown in FIG. 15F, if the cut surfaces are pressed in the axial direction, the cut tubes 7 and 8 are The cut surfaces are alternately welded to form one tube.

  At that time, the stepping motor 3 that reverses the clamp rotor 30 is stopped first, and then the stepping motor 4 is started again. Therefore, the driving cam 92 (see FIG. 10) rotates, the height of the top of the cutting cam 94 on which the roller bearing 155 (see FIG. 13) is placed is lowered, and the wafer holder 140 is lowered accordingly. Therefore, the wafer 6 is also lowered and extracted from the tubes 7 and 8. At that time, since the contact resistance between the wafer 6 and the melted tube cut surface is large, the wafer 6 is caught by the slip stoppers 143a and 143b so that the wafer 6 does not come off from the wafer holder 140, thereby preventing the wafer 6 from coming off.

  The drive cam 92 for lowering the wafer holder 140 is integrally formed with a cutting cam 94 and slide cams 293 and 294 for sliding the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2. Therefore, the removal of the wafer 6 from the tubes 7 and 8, the slide of the first tube holder 1 to the second tube holder 2, and the slide of the second tube holder 2 to the first tube holder 1 are unambiguous. The cutting surfaces of the tubes are pressed against each other in the axial direction at a predetermined timing. In other words, as described above, the roller bearing 25 enters the inclined slide cam surface 293c of the slide cam 293 and rolls, and the roller bearing 225 enters the inclined slide cam surface 294c of the slide cam 294 and rolls. To do. For this reason, the slide of the first tube holder 1 to the second tube holder 2 and the slide of the second tube holder 2 to the first tube holder 1 are performed by the biasing force of the springs 131 and 231. is there.

Then, the cut tubes 7 and 8 that have been cut and inverted are welded and joined by pressing the cut surfaces, and two tubes 7 and 8 that are joined alternately are formed.
In this way, even when the foreign matter 9 exists in the joint portion between the tubes 7 and 8, when the wafer 6 is lowered, the foreign matter 9 is not in contact with the wafer 6 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the foreign material 9 is not drawn into the joint surface of the tubes 7 and 8. Further, even if the foreign matter 9 develops (spreads) on the bonding surface of the tube when the wafer 6 is lowered, the tubes are pressed after the wafer 6 is pulled out of the tube, as shown in FIG. The foreign matter 9 is pushed out of the joining surface of the tube (outside the burr). Therefore, it is possible to ensure a stable and stable bonding state.

Thereafter, the completion of the lowering of the wafer holder 140 is detected by a limit switch (not shown). By the detection, the plunger 203 of the solenoid 202 is lowered, and the buckles 120 and 125 can be removed.
Therefore, the user removes the buckles 120 and 125, opens the movable clamps 12 and 82, and takes out the tubes 7 and 8.
The brought first tube holder 1 and second tube holder 2 remain in the same position until the next tube joining operation is performed. When the switch is turned on, the stepping motor 4 is activated to adjust the rotation of the drive cam 92 and return the positions of the first tube holder 1 and the second tube holder 2 to the initial state.

  As described above, in the tube bonding apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the cutting cam 94 and the first tube holder 1 are moved to the drive cam 92 that raises and lowers the wafer holder 140. A slide cam 293 and a slide cam 294 for moving the second tube holder 2 are integrally formed. The first tube holder 1 is constantly urged by the spring 131, and the roller bearing 25 of the pressing arm 24 is in contact with the slide cam 293 of the drive cam 92. The second tube holder 2 is always urged by the spring 231, and the roller bearing 225 of the pressing arm 224 is in contact with the sliding cam 294 of the drive cam 92.

  Therefore, the roller bearing 25 enters the slide cam surfaces 293a to 293c of the slide cam 293 and rolls in conjunction with the movement of the wafer holder 140 by the rotation of the drive cam 92. Further, the roller bearing 225 enters the slide cam surfaces 294a to 294c of the slide cam 294 and rolls. As a result, after the wafer 6 is raised and the tubes 7 and 8 are cut, the clamp rotor 30 is rotated and the tubes 7 and 8 are rotated, and the wafer 6 is lowered and pulled out of the tubes 7 and 8. Later, the slide of the first tube holder 1 to the second tube holder 2 and the slide of the second tube holder 2 to the first tube holder 1 are performed.

  Thereby, each cut surface in the tubes 7 and 8 is pressed in the axial direction at a predetermined timing. As a result, since the cut surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8 are pressed against the wafer 6, even if a foreign substance 9 such as an adhesive adheres to the joint portion of the tube, the foreign substance 9 is attached to the joint surface of the tubes 7 and 8. It is pushed out (outside the burr). Accordingly, the foreign matter 9 can be reliably prevented from spreading or being drawn into the joint surfaces of the tubes 7 and 8, so that even if the foreign matter 9 adheres to the joint portions of the tubes 7 and 8, the joint strength can be reduced. It is possible to join the tubes 7 and 8 stably without causing a decrease in the above.

  It should be noted that the above-described embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the present invention in any way, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the rotary type in which the tubes 7 and 8 are cut and then rotated to join the tubes is illustrated. However, the tubes 7 and 8 are cut and cut instead of being rotated to perform the tube joining. The present invention can also be applied to a slide type.

Claims (7)

In a tube joining method for aseptically joining a plurality of flexible tubes,
A tube holding step for deforming the tube into a flat state;
A tube cutting step of cutting the tube with a cutting plate;
A cutting plate extraction step of extracting the cutting plate out of the cutting surface of the tube;
A tube joining step of welding and joining the cut surfaces of different tubes,
A tube joining method comprising a tube pressing step of pressing the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate after the tube cutting step. In the tube joining method according to claim 1,
A first tube pressing step of pressing the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate after the tube cutting step;
A tube moving step for moving the tubes so that the cut surfaces of the tubes to be joined face each other;
And a second tube pressing step of pressing the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate. In the tube joining method according to claim 1 or claim 2,
A tube joining method comprising a third tube pressing step of pressing the cut surfaces of the tubes after the cutting plate removing step. In a tube joining device for aseptically joining a plurality of flexible tubes,
A pair of tube holding means for holding the tubes;
A cutting plate for cutting the tube between the pair of tube holding means;
First moving means for moving the pair of tube holding means in the direction of approaching and separating,
The first moving means moves at least one of the tube holding means to press the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate after cutting the tube with the cutting plate. . In the tube joining device according to claim 4,
Furthermore, after the tube is cut, it has a second moving means for moving at least one of the tube holding means so that the cut surfaces of the tubes to be joined face each other. In the tube joining apparatus according to claim 4 or 5,
The first moving means moves at least one of the tube holding means to press the cut surface of the tube against the cutting plate in a state where the cut surfaces of the tubes joined by the second moving device face each other. A tube joining device characterized in that The tube joining device according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
The first moving means includes at least one of the tube holding means for pressing the cut surfaces of the tubes in a state where the cut plate is removed from the cut surfaces of the tubes after the tubes are cut. A tube joining apparatus characterized by moving the tube.

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