Self-loading peristaltic pump
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A self-loading perstaltic pump comprising:
- a rotor rotatably mounted about a rotor axis, anda race having an internal surface for supporting a flexible tube in a pumping region between said rotor and said race, said surface including points that are at equal radii from said rotor axis in planes that are perpendicular to said rotor axis,said rotor including at least one roller for intermittently and progressively compressing said flexible tube against said race in said pumping region, each said roller comprising a large diameter roller portion adjacent to a smaller diameter roller portion, the shape of each said roller causing said flexible tube to be self-aligning at said large diameter portion,said rotor including a radially extending rotor tab located outside of said pumping region for displacing said flexible tube toward said pumping region so as to be engaged by said smaller diameter portion as said rotor rotates,said smaller diameter portion being located closer to said radially extending tab than said large diameter portion.
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Abstract
A self-loading peristaltic pump including a rotor rotatably mounted about a rotor axis, and a race having an internal surface for supporting a flexible tube in a pumping region between the rotor and the race, the surface including points that are at equal radii from the rotor axis in planes that are perpendicular to the rotor axis, the rotor including a roller for intermittently and progressively compressing the flexible tube against the race in the pumping region, the rotor including a radially extending rotor tab located outside of the pumping region for displacing the flexible tube toward the pumping region as the rotor rotates.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A self-loading perstaltic pump comprising:
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a rotor rotatably mounted about a rotor axis, and a race having an internal surface for supporting a flexible tube in a pumping region between said rotor and said race, said surface including points that are at equal radii from said rotor axis in planes that are perpendicular to said rotor axis, said rotor including at least one roller for intermittently and progressively compressing said flexible tube against said race in said pumping region, each said roller comprising a large diameter roller portion adjacent to a smaller diameter roller portion, the shape of each said roller causing said flexible tube to be self-aligning at said large diameter portion, said rotor including a radially extending rotor tab located outside of said pumping region for displacing said flexible tube toward said pumping region so as to be engaged by said smaller diameter portion as said rotor rotates, said smaller diameter portion being located closer to said radially extending tab than said large diameter portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11)
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9. A self-loading pump comprising
a rotor rotatably mounted about a rotor axis, a race having an internal surface for supporting a flexible tube in a pumping region between said motor and said race, said surface including points that are at equal radii from said rotor axis in planes that are perpendicular to said rotor axis, said rotor including at least one roller for intermittently and progressively compressing said flexible tube against said race in said pumping region, said rotor including a radially extending rotor tab located outside of said pumping region for displacing said flexible tube toward said pumping region as said rotor rotates, and a linear actuator for moving said flexible tube in a direction parallel to said rotor axis, whereby said rotor tab engages said tube as said linear actuator moves said tube toward said pumping region to load said tube, and said rotor tab also engages said tube as said linear actuator moves said tube away from said pumping region to assist in moving said tube away from said pumping region to unload said tube, said flexible tube being supported within and extending from a cartridge, said linear actuator including a motor that drives a carriage for releasably engaging said cartridge.
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12. A method of loading a flexible tube into a peristaltic pump, said pump having a rotating rotor and a race having an internal surface for supporting the tube in a pumping region between the rotor and the race, comprising:
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forming the flexible tube into a U-shaped loop parallel to the plane of rotation of said rotor by providing the tube on a cartridge, moving said tube loop toward said pumping region by a linear actuator including a motor that drives a carriage that releasably engages said cartridge, providing a projecting tab on said rotor, engaging said tube loop with said tab, and displacing said tube loop toward said pumping region by said tab as said loop is moved toward said pumping region by said linear actuator. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of unloading a U-shaped flexible tube from a peristaltic pump, the pump having a rotating rotor and a race having an internal surface for supporting the tube in a pumping region between the rotor and the race comprising:
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moving said tube loop away from said pumping region by a linear actuator including a motor that drives a carriage that releasably engages a cartridge on which said tube is carried, providing a projecting tab on said rotor, engaging said tube loop with said tab, and lifting said tube loop out of said pumping region with said tab as said loop is moved away from said pumping region by said linear actuator.
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Specification