Disposable pump head

This application claims the interests of US Patent Provisional Application No. 61/245533 filed on September 24, 2009, and the entire US Patent Provisional Application is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a pump head, and more particularly to a disposable pump head.

After some application, operation, or procedure, the pump head must be cleaned and disinfected before the next application, operation or procedure. This cleaning and disinfecting treatment can result in unnecessary delays and harmful exposure to certain media, including the potential for mutual contamination of materials. Nowadays, techniques known on the market include the use of peristaltic pumps for such applications in addition to membrane pumps that require purification and / or disinfection between batches of products. Other drawbacks of these known techniques also include maintenance time and the possibility of contact with the pumped fluid.

<p> With this in mind, there is a requirement that maintenance be simple within the industry for new technologies used in such applications, operations, or procedures, and such maintenance should not require cleaning and / or disinfection. Easy replacement of pumped material so that the next application, operation, and procedure can be started with a slight delay or with slight exposure to the pumped medium. And even simple disposables that eliminate the possibility of mutual contamination of the materials.</p><p> The present invention provides such new techniques consistent with those described herein.</p>

<p> The present invention provides pumps that characterize disposable pump head assemblies and canisters.</p><p> The disposable pump head assembly has an inlet and an outlet and is frictionally engaged with a motor to pump fluid into the inlet and through the disposable pump head and out of the outlet. It is configured to.</p><p> The canister has an outer wall portion, a cover, and a latch arrangement, the outer wall portion being configured to form an internal cavity sized to accommodate a disposable pump head, and the cover being a disposable pump. The outer wall portion is closed by a latch arrangement so that the head and the motor are engaged by friction, and the outer wall portion is latched.</p><p> The cover has a compression pad sized to push the top surface of the disposable pump head so that the disposable pump head and the motor are frictionally engaged.</p><p> The cover may be placed on the hinge. The latch arrangement may include a portion that grips or latches the edge formed on the cover. The disposable pump head is a membrane pump, the membrane pump comprising an upper housing, a valve housing, a reciprocating piston, a membrane, an outer piston plate, a bearing housing, and a cam connected to the shaft of the motor.</p><p> In one particular embodiment, the disposable pump head assembly may include a bearing housing configured to have an outer wall having a predetermined shape and defining an opening for receiving a reciprocating piston. The disposable pump head assembly is also configured to have a cam formed to be connected to a motor that drives a reciprocating piston so that the disposable pump head assembly can pump fluid.</p><p> Within the canister, the outer wall portion may be configured to define a cavity that receives the disposable pump head. The bottom wall portion may include an inner wall formed within the bottom wall portion so as to have a predetermined shape corresponding to the default shape of the wall of the bearing housing that accepts the disposable pump head assembly. The lower portion may be formed to engage or push up the upper portion of the bottom wall portion to prevent rotational movement of the disposable pump head assembly with respect to the canister as the cam drives the reciprocating piston. The bottom wall portion may also be configured to have an opening so that the cam can be connected to the motor. The cover is detachably connected to the outer wall portion to open the canister to replace the disposable pump head assembly and to close the canister after the disposable pump head assembly has been replaced.</p><p> The present invention may also take the form of a canister itself that accepts a disposable pump head assembly with the features described herein.</p><p> According to the design of the disposable pump head and canister, maintenance is based on the concept of simply pulling out, throwing away and replacing. This feature allows for: The design according to the invention does not require cleaning and / or disinfection, allowing easy replacement of pumped material. The technician removes the disposable pump head, disposes of it properly, then slides in the new pump head, clamps the new pump head in place and pumps with a slight delay or pump. Operation begins with slight exposure to the medium. This design allows for simple disposables that eliminate the possibility of mutual contamination of the material.</p><p> Drawings that are not necessarily drawn to scale include the following figures.</p>

<figref num="1">It is an exploded view of the disposable pump head and a canister assembly which concerns on some embodiments of this invention.</figref><figref num="1a">FIG. 5 (i) is an exploded view of FIG. 5 (i) showing a disposable pump head arranged in a canister assembly according to a part of the embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="1b">FIG. 5 is an exploded view of FIG. 5b (iv) showing the disposable pump head of FIG. 1a removed from the canister of FIG. 1a according to some embodiments of the present invention.</figref><figref num="2">It is a top view of the disposable pump head and the canister assembly which concerns on some embodiments of this invention.</figref><figref num="3">It is a side view of the disposable pump head and the canister assembly of FIG. 2 which concerns on some embodiments of this invention.</figref><figref num="4">It is sectional drawing of the disposable pump head and a canister assembly which concerns on a part of Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="5">5a and 5b are included, and FIG. 5a includes FIGS. 5a (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii) and is part of the present invention. It is a series of diagrams showing the replacement of a unit with a new unit according to the embodiment, and FIG. 5b shows FIGS. 5b (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vi). Fig. 5a (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) showing the replacement of a unit with a new unit according to some embodiments of the present invention, including vii). , (Vii) is a series of cross-sectional views corresponding to the series of figures in FIG. 5a.</figref><figref num="6">6a and 6b include FIGS. 6a and 6b, FIG. 6a is a diagram of a pump unit that is completely fitted into and engaged with a motor according to some embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 6b is one of the present invention. It is a figure of the pump unit which slides and pulls out which concerns on embodiment of a part.</figref><figref num="7">FIG. 7a is a diagram of a disposable pump head assembly or pump unit according to some embodiments of the present invention, including FIGS. 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d, FIG. 7a is a front view of the pump unit, FIG. 7b. Is a side view of the pump unit, FIG. 7c is a rear perspective view of the pump unit, and FIG. 7d is a rear view of the pump unit.</figref><figref num="8">FIG. 8a, FIG. 8b, and FIG. 8c are views of the canister containment according to some embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 8a is a side perspective view of the canister containment, and FIG. 8b is of the canister. It is a side view of the containment vessel, and FIG. 8c is a front perspective view of the containment vessel of the canister.</figref>

FIG. 1 shows a disposable pump head and canister assembly represented by 100 as a whole, wherein the disposable pump head and canister assembly 100 includes a cover 1, a pad 2, an upper housing 3, and a flexible tab of the upper housing. 3a, valve housing 4, piston 5, membrane 6, membrane support plate 7, outer piston plate 8, bearing housing 9, cam 10, clamp 11, canister 12, gasket 13, and mounting Includes ring 14, bearing 15, and motor adapter 16. The upper housing 3, the valve housing 4, the piston 5, the membrane 6, the membrane support plate 7, the outer piston plate 8, the bearing housing 9, and the cam 10 are combined to form a disposable pump head assembly. While forming a disposable pump head as a whole in the entire assembly 100, the remaining components combine to form the canister 12, with cover 1, pads 2, clamps 11 and It may include a canister 12, a gasket 13, a mounting ring 14, a bearing 15, and a motor adapter 16. As an example, the present invention is illustrated and described with respect to a disposable pump head assembly 100a in the form of a membrane pump, the membrane pump being fluid with a reciprocating motion of a rubber, thermoplastic or Teflon® membrane and a pump. Although it is understood to be a positive displacement pump using a combination with a suitable check valve for feeding, the scope of the invention is any particular type currently known or will be developed later in the future. It is not intended to be limited to the type of pump.

1a and 1b show a disposable pump head assembly 100a as an assembly module unit located inside the canister 12 of FIG. 1a and outside the canister 12 of FIG. 1b. In FIGS. 1a and 1b, the disposable pump head assembly 100a and the canister 12 are arranged in association with the motor 20. In FIGS. 1, 1a and 1b, similar components are designated by the same reference numerals.

In FIGS. 1a and 1b, the upper housing 3 is configured to be connected to the membrane support plate 7 via flexible tabs 3a of a plurality of upper housings that snap to the corresponding structure of the membrane support plate 7. To. As an example, although the invention is described as having an upper housing 3 connected to a membrane support plate 7 using snap attachment, the scope of the invention is now known or will be developed later in the future. It is not intended to be limited to any particular type or type of coupling technology. For example, a variety of pump head assemblies 100a including an upper housing 3, a valve housing 4, a piston 5, a membrane 6, a membrane support plate 7, an outer piston plate 8, a bearing housing 9, and a cam 10. The assembly of components can take the form of snaps, screws, sonic joints, rivets, or any holding method currently known or developed later in the future. Further, as an example, although the invention is described as having a plurality of flexible tabs 3a in the upper housing in the form of four flexible tabs 3a in the upper housing, the scope of the invention is any particular number. It is not intended to be limited to flexible tabs.

In FIGS. 1a and 1b, the valve housing 4, the piston 5, and the membrane 6 are configured to be disposed between the upper housing 3 and the membrane support plate 7. The bearing housing 9 is formed to connect the bearing 9a and the outer piston plate 8 to the piston 5 using four fasteners (eg, screws), one of which is labeled 9b. The cam 10 is arranged in the bearing 9a as shown.

In FIGS. 1a and 1b, the outer piston plate 8 is configured to have an outer wall 8a having a predetermined shape and has an opening for receiving the reciprocating piston 5. The cam 10 is connected to the shaft 20a of the motor 20 that drives the reciprocating piston 5 so that the disposable pump head assembly 100a can pump fluid from the inlet 3b through the pump head to the outlet 3c. It is configured to be.

The canister 12 is configured to have an outer wall portion 12a, a cover 1, and a bottom wall portion 12b. The outer wall portion 12a is configured to define a cavity portion 12d that receives at least a portion of the disposable pump head assembly 100a. The bottom wall portion 12b is an inner wall 12e formed within the bottom wall portion 12b and has a corresponding default shape that is substantially similar to the default shape of the wall 8a of the outer piston plate 8 to accommodate the outer piston plate 8. It is configured to have an inner wall 12e with. The cover 1 is below the membrane support plate 7 with respect to the upper portion 12b'(FIGS. 1b and 4) to prevent the rotational movement of the disposable pump head assembly 100a with respect to the canister 12 as the cam 10 drives the reciprocating piston 5. Latched to press the side part 7a. In particular, the pad 2 is compressed so that it contacts the top 3e of the upper housing 3 when the cover 1 is closed to push or push the disposable pump head into the cavity 12d and engage the motor 20 by friction. It may be a member. As illustrated, the upper 3e may be configured to have a member that extends from the central portion to the rim, whereas the upper 3e uses other types or types of configurations within the spirit of the invention. Good. As best shown in FIG. 4, part of the pad is compressed by the upper part 3e of the upper housing 3 towards the upper part 3e, as indicated by the arrow with a C. To. The pad 2 may be formed from an elastomeric material, or foamy material, or other type or type of compression material that is currently known or will be developed later in the future. In embodiments, it is also envisioned that the compression member may take the form of a spring-like component. Depending on the design choice of compression member for the particular embodiment of the invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would push or push the disposable pump head into the cavity 12d to frictionally engage the motor 20. More experiments than necessary to contact the upper 3e of the upper housing 3 when the cover 1 is closed

The bottom wall portion 12b is also configured to have an aperture (unsigned) so that the cam 10 can be connected to the shaft 20a of the motor 20. The cover 1 is detachably connected to the outer wall portion 12a to open the canister 12 to replace the disposable pump head assembly 100a and to close the canister 12 after the disposable pump head assembly 100a has been replaced. It is configured as follows. The canister 12 is also configured to have openings 12f, 12g shaped to accommodate the respective doorways 3b, 3c of the pump head assembly 100a.

In FIGS. 1a and 1b, the motor adapter 16 is formed so as to be connected to the motor 20 using four corresponding fasteners, one of which is designated by reference numeral 16a. The motor adapter 16 accepts the bearing 15 so that the bearing 15 is arranged in association with the cam 10, and the bottom wall portion of the canister 12 with four corresponding fasteners, one of which is coded 16b. It is configured to be supported against 12b and connected to the bottom wall portion 12b. The motor 20 has a shaft 20a configured to pass through a bearing 15 and be connected to a cam 10 of a disposable pump head 100a. The canister 12 is mounted on a shelf or other wall 30 having a suitable structure, either in the form of a stand-alone unit or, for example, by sandwiching the shelf in addition to the gasket 13 between the canister 12 and the mounting ring 14. (See Figures 1a and 1b). If the mounting ring 14 is mounted on the wall 30, the mounting ring 14 is located on the canister 12 with the corresponding four fasteners, one of which is labeled 14a, in association with the motor adapter 16. It is configured to connect the bottom wall portion 12b to the wall 30 or other suitable structure. The gasket 13 is optional and may be placed between the mounting ring 14 and the bottom wall portion 12b of the canister 12 as shown.

The pump head assembly 100a may be formed from a material that does not affect the particular application, operation or procedure in which the pump head 100a will be used. For example, in the biotechnology market, the pump head 100a can be made of a material that may be exposed to sunlight. For other types or types of application, operation or procedure, the pump head assembly 100a may be formed from materials that depend on or are particularly relevant to some property or condition of that type or type of application, operation or procedure. The scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to the types or types of materials currently known or developed later in the future.

The pump head 100a can be of many different different types or, including, for example, three sanitary clamp ports, threaded doorways, rapid connection doorways, or any other doorway structures currently known or developed later in the future. It may be configured to have a type of doorway 3b.

Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 Canister 12 2 and 3 show another view of the canister 12 having a disposable pump head 100a that is placed within the canister 12 and held in place by latching the cover 1 with the clamp 11. The clamp 11 is a latch portion 11d configured to be detachably connected to a clamp handle 11a, an intermediate portion 11b swingably hingedly attached by a swing rod 11c, and a corresponding structure 1a of the cover 1. And, including the arrangement of parts. The latch portion 11d is also hinged to the intermediate portion 11b on the swing rod 11e. The embodiment is also envisioned to include a spring-like arrangement for the clamp 11 to receive a tensile force to latch the cover.

Figure 4 FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the disposable pump head 100a arranged in the canister 12. As shown, the cover 1 is raised and closed in the correct position and clamped in place using the clamp 11. This structure allows the disposable pump head or unit 100a to achieve the pressure to operate in a particular application by compressing or pushing in the disposable pump head 100a.

Figure 5 When the pump head 100a is no longer needed, eg, at the end of application, operation, or procedure, the cover 1 can be opened and the pump head 100a can be removed from the canister 12 for disposal.

FIG. 5 shows the process of replacing a disposable pump head 100a with a new disposable pump head such as the new element 100a.

In FIGS. 5a (i) and 5b (i), the clamp 11 is in the correct position and the canister unit 12 is closed and locked. For further details of what is shown in FIG. 5b (i), see also the description related to FIG. 1a, which is an exploded view of FIG. 5b (i) and includes further details of the component comprising the disposable pump head 100a.

In FIGS. 5a (ii) and 5b (ii), the clamp 11 is removed.

In FIGS. 5a (iii) and 5b (iii), the cover 1 is opened.

In FIGS. 5a (iv) and 5b (iv), the disposable pump head 100a slides outward from the canister 12 and is pulled out. For further details of what is shown in Figure 5b (iv), see also the description related to Figure 1b, which is an exploded view of Figure 5b (iv) and includes further details of the components with the disposable pump head 100a.

In FIGS. 5a (v) and 5b (v), a new disposable pump head, such as the new element 100a, slides into the canister 12.

Cover 1 is closed in FIGS. 5a (vi) and 5b (vi).

In FIGS. 5a (vii) and 5b (vii), the clamp 11 is locked in the correct position and the canister unit 12 is locked.

Since the features of Fig. 5a (i) to Fig. 5a (vii) and the features of Fig. 5b (i) to Fig. 5b (vii) are the same, the canister 12 is opened so as not to clutter Fig. 5 as a whole. Only the relevant features of Figures 5a (i), 5b (i), 5a (iv), and 5b (iv) with respect to replacement and closure are coded.

The advantage of the present invention is that it does not disinfect the entire system, instead simply removes the pump head assembly 100a from the canister 12, and replaces the removed pump head assembly 100a with a new pump head assembly or unit. Ease of assembly and disassembly and omission of maintenance.

Figure 6 FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing the engagement of the cam 10 of the disposable pump head 100a with the motor 20 (see FIGS. 1, 1a, 1b). As illustrated as an example, this engagement is performed by using a "D" drive to eliminate the need for fasteners. "D" drives as illustrated are known in the art and the scope of the invention is limited to any particular type or type currently known or developed later in the future. Is not intended. Moreover, the scope of the present invention may be limited to the use of "D" driven engagements, as other types or types of motor engagement methods currently known or later developed in the future may be used. Not intended.

Figure 7 FIG. 7 shows another diagram of the disposable pump head unit 100a according to the present invention, to some extent and illustrated with respect to other diagrams including FIGS. 1, 1a and 1b. Is given a code consistent with that described herein.

Figure 8 FIG. 8 shows another view of the canister 12 according to the present invention, to the extent that it needs to be understood with respect to other figures including FIGS. 1, 1a and 1b, and is illustrated here. It is given a code that matches what was described.

Applicability The applicability of the present invention may include at least the following applications in biotechnology, food handling, beverages, industrial and any fluid exchange.

Scope of the present invention Unless otherwise described herein, any of the features, properties, alternatives, or variations described herein for a particular embodiment shall be applied and used in any other embodiment described herein. , Or may be incorporated. Also, the drawings here are not drawn to scale.

Although the present invention has been described and articulated with respect to its exemplary embodiments, the various other additions or omissions described above may be made therein and in addition, as long as they do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 cover 2 compression pad 3 Upper housing 3b inlet 3c outlet 4 valve housing 5 reciprocating piston 6 membrane 7 Support plate 8 Outer piston plate 9 Bearing housing 10 cams 11 Clamp 12 canister 12a outer wall part 12b bottom wall 12d cavity 20 motor 20a shaft 100a disposable pump head