MICROPUMP, PUMP MODULE, AND DRIVE MODULE

• US 20080304982A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: MIYASAKA, Mamoru, MIYAZAKI, Hajime, KAWASUMI, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,353,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/412
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/043 Micropumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/12 having peristaltic action
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/123 using an excenter as the squeezing element
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/14 having plate-like flexible members

Abstract

A micropump of peristaltic drive system of pressing a tube having elasticity to transport a fluid is disclosed. The micropump includes: a pump module including the tube, a cam that presses the tube, and a cam shaft on which the cam is pivotally mounted; a drive module including a drive force transmission mechanism that transmits a drive force from a motor to the cam shaft; a coupling member that detachably couples the pump module and the drive module; and a linkage mechanism provided between the motor and the cam shaft to link the drive force.

Claims

1. A micropump of peristaltic drive system of pressing a tube having elasticity to transport a fluid, the micropump comprising:

a pump module including the tube, a cam that presses the tube, and a cam shaft on which the cam is pivotally mounted;

a drive module including a drive force transmission mechanism that transmits a drive force from a motor to the cam shaft;

a coupling member that detachably couples the pump module and the drive module; and

a linkage mechanism provided between the motor and the cam shaft to link the drive force.

2. The micropump according to claim 1, wherein the drive module includes the drive force transmission mechanism having a cam drive wheel detachable from the cam shaft and the motor, and

the linkage mechanism includes a fitting hole having a non-circular section provided in the cam shaft or the cam drive wheel, a cam drive shaft part having a non-circular section provided in the cam drive wheel or the cam shaft, and a first elastic member that urges one of the cam shaft and the cam drive wheel in a direction in which the fitting hole and the cam drive shaft part are linked.

3. The micropump according to claim 2, wherein, in the case where the pump module and the drive module are coupled,

when the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are out of phase in a rotational direction, an end of the cam drive shaft part and a peripheral edge of the fitting hole are in contact, and

when the cam drive wheel rotates and the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are in phase in the rotational direction, the first elastic member moves the cam drive wheel or the cam shaft in a direction toward each other, and the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are fitted and linked.

4. The micropump according to claim 1, wherein the pump module includes the motor having a motor drive shaft,

the drive module includes a cam drive wheel and the drive force transmission mechanism having a motor transmission wheel, and

the linkage mechanism includes:

a fitting hole having a non-circular section provided in the cam shaft or the cam drive wheel;

a cam drive shaft part having a non-circular section provided in the cam drive wheel or the cam shaft;

a first elastic member that urges one of the cam shaft and the cam drive wheel in a direction in which the fitting hole and the cam drive shaft part are linked;

the motor drive shaft having a non-circular section;

a motor shaft fitting hole having a non-circular section provided in the motor transmission wheel; and

a second elastic member that urges the motor transmission wheel in a direction in which the motor drive shaft and the motor shaft fitting hole are linked.

5. The micropump according to claim 4, wherein, in the case where the pump module and the drive module are coupled,

when the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are out of phase in a rotational direction, an end of the cam drive shaft part and a peripheral edge of the fitting hole are in contact,

when the cam drive wheel rotates and the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are in phase in the rotational direction, the first elastic member moves the cam drive wheel or the cam shaft in a direction toward each other and the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are fitted and linked, and, when the motor drive shaft and the motor shaft fitting hole are out of phase in the rotational direction, an end of the motor drive shaft and a peripheral edge of the motor shaft fitting hole are in contact, and

when the motor drive shaft rotates and the motor drive shaft and the motor shaft fitting hole are in phase in the rotational direction, the second elastic member moves the motor transmission wheel toward the shaft direction of the motor drive shaft and the motor drive shaft and the motor shaft fitting hole are fitted and linked.

6. The micropump according to claim 1, wherein the pump module includes the tube, the cam, the cam shaft, and the motor on which a motor transmission wheel is pivotally mounted,

the drive module includes the drive force transmission mechanism having a cam drive wheel that transmits the drive force of the motor to the cam shaft and a first transmission wheel, and

the linkage mechanism includes:

a fitting hole having a non-circular section provided in the cam shaft or the cam drive wheel;

a cam drive shaft part having a non-circular section provided in the cam drive wheel or the cam shaft;

a first elastic member that urges one of the cam shaft and the cam drive wheel in a direction in which the fitting hole and the cam drive shaft part are linked; and

a third elastic member that urges the first transmission wheel in a shaft direction to mesh with the motor transmission wheel.

7. The micropump according to claim 6, wherein, in the case where the pump module and the drive module are coupled,

when the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are out of phase in a rotational direction, an end of the cam drive shaft part and a peripheral edge of the fitting hole are in contact,

when the cam drive wheel rotates and the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are in phase in the rotational direction, the first elastic member moves the cam drive wheel or the cam shaft in a direction toward each other and the cam drive shaft part and the fitting hole are fitted and linked, and, when a gear part of the motor transmission wheel and a transmission gear of the first transmission wheel are out of phase in a rotational direction, the gear part and the transmission gear are overlapped, and

when the motor transmission wheel rotates and the gear part and the transmission gear are in phase in the rotational direction, the third elastic member moves the first transmission wheel in a shaft direction and the first transmission wheel and the motor transmission wheel are meshed and linked.

8. The micropump according to claim 1, wherein the linkage mechanism has at least two projections on one end and at least two depressions on the other end, the ends opposed to each other between the pump module and the drive module, and

when the pump module and the drive module are coupled, the projections and the depressions are engaged and the drive force transmission mechanism is linked between the motor and the cam shaft.

9. The micropump according to claim 8, wherein the projections and the depressions are formed of crown gears, respectively.

10. The micropump according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member has a flange part that presses a flange part provided on an outer periphery of the drive module and a thread screwed in a thread provided on an outer periphery of the pump module, and

the pump module and the drive module are screwed and coupled by the coupling member.

11. The micropump according to claim 1, wherein the drive module has a coupling member pressing part provided on the outer periphery thereof,

the pump module has a coupling member fixing groove provided on the outer periphery thereof in a circumferential direction and a coupling member insertion groove that nearly vertically communicates with the coupling member fixing groove,

the coupling member includes a drive module fixing flange that pressing the coupling member pressing part and a pump module fixing flange inwardly projected, and

the pump module fixing flange is inserted into the coupling member insertion groove, and then, the pump module and the drive module coupled by rotating the coupling member along the coupling member fixing groove.

12. The micropump according to claim 1, further comprising a detection device that detects that the pump module and the drive module are coupled to each other in a predetermined position.

13. The micropump according to claim 12, wherein the detection device has a first detection terminal provided in one of the pump module and the drive module and a second detection terminal provided in the other one and having elasticity, and

when connection between the first detection terminal and the second detection terminal is detected, driving of the motor is continued.

14. The micropump according to claim 13, wherein the second detection terminal is a first elastic member, a second elastic member, or a third elastic member provided in the linkage mechanism.

15. The micropump according to claim 2, wherein, after the motor is driven, if the detection device does not detect coupling of the pump module and the drive module when the cam drive wheel rotate at least one revolution, driving of the motor is stopped.

16. The micropump according to claim 1, wherein a positioning member that makes positions of the pump module and the drive module in a planar direction the same before the drive force transmission mechanism is linked between the motor and the cam shaft by the linkage mechanism is provided in the pump module or the drive module.

17. A pump module detachable from a drive module including a drive force transmission mechanism that transmits a drive force from a motor to a cam, the pump module comprising a tube having elasticity, the cam that presses the tube to transport a fluid, and a cam shaft on which the cam is pivotally mounted.

18. A drive module detachable from a pump module including a tube having elasticity, a cam that presses the tube, and a cam shaft on which the cam is pivotally mounted, comprising a drive force transmission mechanism including a cam drive wheel that transmits a drive force from a motor to the cam.