Peristaltic pump
First Claim
1. A peristaltic pump including a pump housing, a pumping tube, a tube support surface, a plurality of rollers for serially engaging said tube, said rollers mounted for movement about a pump axis and having cylindrical tube engaging surfaces, and means for urging said rollers toward said tube to compress said tube against said surface as said rollers are moved therealong about said pump axis, the improvement including:
- first and second guide means disposed in said housing;
cylindrical end steps on each of said rollers in register with respective first and second guide means, said end steps having a diameter less than that of said tube engaging surfaces;
said urging means comprising springs operably disposed between a pumping roller and a non-pumping roller; and
said end steps of a non-pumping roller each engaging a respective guide means for controlling the radial displacement of said roller from said axis and the consequent spring force exerted on a pumping roller for compression of said tube as said rollers are driven about said axis.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A peristaltic pump includes rotor-mounted rollers biased apart and having end steps for engaging corresponding cam surfaces on the pump body and cover to direct non-pumping rollers in a predetermined path and maintain a constant tube engaging pressure on the pumping rollers. Radial pumping loads are transmitted through the rollers and biasing springs to the cam surfaces via rolling contact rather than to the rotor and its drive shaft. Drive shaft bearings are eliminated. The diameter of the end steps is different and preferably less than that of the tube engaging roller surface. Rollers having varying end steps are provided to accommodate different pumping tubes, desired spring pre-loads and the like.
96 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A peristaltic pump including a pump housing, a pumping tube, a tube support surface, a plurality of rollers for serially engaging said tube, said rollers mounted for movement about a pump axis and having cylindrical tube engaging surfaces, and means for urging said rollers toward said tube to compress said tube against said surface as said rollers are moved therealong about said pump axis, the improvement including:
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first and second guide means disposed in said housing; cylindrical end steps on each of said rollers in register with respective first and second guide means, said end steps having a diameter less than that of said tube engaging surfaces; said urging means comprising springs operably disposed between a pumping roller and a non-pumping roller; and said end steps of a non-pumping roller each engaging a respective guide means for controlling the radial displacement of said roller from said axis and the consequent spring force exerted on a pumping roller for compression of said tube as said rollers are driven about said axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A peristaltic pump including:
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a pump housing; a pump cover; a compressible pump tube; a tube supporting surface in one of said housing and cover; a rotor having an axis of rotation; at least two opposed rollers mounted on shafts extending through slots in said rotor radially spaced from said axis; spring bias means extending between the respective ends of said roller shafts for biasing said rollers radially outwardly from said axis against said tube to compress said tube against said tube supporting surface for pumping fluid therein; end steps on the opposite ends of each of said rollers; first guide means on said housing; second guide means on said cover; said first and second guide means defining a path of traversal for said rollers; and the end steps on said rollers engaging said first and second guide means when said rollers are driven about said axis, said spring means biasing said roller end steps of one roller against said guide means and another opposed roller against said tube for pumping.
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17. In a peristaltic pump having a pump axis and at least two opposed rotor mounted rollers within a pump housing for serially compressing a compressible tube, disposed in a curved configuration, against a tube support surface, apparatus for controlling the relative radial bias of a tube engaging roller against a tube, said apparatus comprising:
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guide means disposed in said pump housing radially inwardly of said tube support surface; spring means operably disposed between said opposed rollers biasing them radially outwardly; end steps on each end of said rollers and of lesser diameter than that of a tube engaging surface of a respective roller, said end steps of one roller engaging said guide means and limiting movement of said one roller radially away from said pump axis and to a predetermined path such that a predetermined radial bias is maintained through the spring means on the opposed roller. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification