Fuser and sealer integrated system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10081135-B2
Application number	US-201515129157-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2015
Priority date	Apr 2, 2014
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

An integrated system for fusing and sealing of a plurality of tubes is disclosed. The integrated system includes one or more fusing units configured to cut one or more tubes of multiple tubes simultaneously, and fusing the one or more tubes together along their respective cut ends; one or more sealing units configured to seal an end of the tube of the multiple tubes; and a control unit for controlling functions of the one or more fusing units and the one or more sealing units.

First claim

We claim:

1. An integrated system for fusing and sealing a plurality of tubes, the integrated system comprises:
at least one fusing unit, each fusing unit comprising at least two holders, wherein each holder is capable of receiving and holding a portion of a tube of the plurality of tubes, a cutting blade for cutting a portion of the tube received in each holder of the at least two holders simultaneously, and a driving assembly comprises a first cam member operatively connected to the cutting blade and a second cam member operatively connected to the at least two holders, and the fusing unit being configured to:
fuse the portion of the tube in each holder together along their respective cut ends;

at least one sealing unit, wherein a sealing unit is configured to seal an end of a tube of the plurality of tubes; and
a control unit for controlling functions of the at least one fusing unit and the at least one sealing unit.

2. The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein
the cutting blade is a heated blade; and
the driving assembly is further configured to:
align the at least two holders for orienting the respective cut ends of the portions of the tubes to face each other; and
move the ends of the tubes to contact each other for fusing.

3. The integrated system of claim 2 , wherein each holder of the at least two holders have at least one elongated slot for holding a tube of the at least two tubes.

4. The integrated system of claim 3 , wherein the driving assembly further comprises:
a carriage unit movably engaged with the second cam member and the at least two holders;
a blade mover connected to the first cam member and the cutting blade;
a motor unit operatively connected to the first cam member and the second cam member, wherein during operation the motor unit:
drives the first cam member to operate the blade mover for moving the cutting blade in a vertical axis for cutting a portion of the at least two tubes held in the at least two holders; and
drives the second cam member to operate the carriage unit for aligning the at least two holders so as to orient the respective cut ends of the tubes to face each other.

5. The integrated system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first cam member comprises a cam track profile, wherein an end of the blade mover is movably engaged to the cam track; and the second cam member comprises a cam track profile, wherein the carriage unit is movably engaged to the cam track profile.

6. The integrated system of claim 5 , wherein the second cam member comprises a protruding member, wherein in response to driving the second cam member the protruding member directs the carriage unit for aligning the at least two holders to fuse the at least two tubes together along their respective cut ends.

7. The integrated system of claim 6 , further comprising a resilient unit for applying tension force on the carriage unit for bringing the carriage unit back to an original position for another fusing operation.

8. The integrated system of claim 7 , wherein the sealing unit comprises: a first seal pad arranged in a stationary position; a second seal pad arranged oppositely facing the first seal pad, wherein the second seal pad is configured to move closer to the first seal pad to seal an end of the tube of the plurality of tubes positioned between the first seal pad and the second seal pad; and a seal driving assembly connected to the second seal pad for controlling the movement of the second seal pad.

9. The integrated system of claim 8 , wherein the sealing unit further comprises:
at least one spring engaged to the second seal pad for providing pressure to seal the end of tube; and at least one spring engaged to the first seal pad, wherein the at least one spring engaged to the second seal pad and the at least one spring engaged to the second seal pad are configured to deflect for accommodating the end of the tube between the first seal pad and the second seal pad.

10. The integrated system of claim 9 , wherein the seal driving assembly comprises:
a trigger holder operable by a user; and
an actuating member engaged to an end of the trigger holder and connected to the second seal pad, wherein upon operating the trigger holder the actuating member moves the second seal pad.

11. The integrated system of claim 3 , wherein each holder of the at least two holders is a rotary holder, wherein the rotary holder having a slot for receiving and holding a tube.

12. The integrated system of claim 11 , wherein:
a first holder and a second holder in the at least two holders are concentrically arranged; and the cutting blade is positioned between the first holder and the second holder.

13. The integrated system of claim 12 , wherein the driving assembly comprises:
a gear train connected to the first holder, the second holder and the cutting blade;
and a motor for operating the gear train.

14. The integrated system of claim 13 , wherein the gear train comprises:
a connecting shaft connected to the motor;
a sector gear mounted on the connecting shaft;
an aligning gear mounted on the connecting shaft; a pinion gear arranged meshing with the aligning gear and configurable to mesh with the sector gear; and
an encoder mounted on the connecting shaft to collect and send feedback on the fusing function to the control unit.

15. The integrated system of claim 14 , wherein the second holder is oriented with respect to the first holder such that a tube held by the first holder and a tube held by the second holder are spaced apart opposite to each other.

16. The integrated system of claim 15 , wherein the connecting shaft rotates to rotate the aligning gear and the cutting blade for cutting the tubes held in the first holder and the second holder, wherein the sector gear is not engaged with the pinion gear.

17. The integrated system of claim 16 , wherein upon rotating the connecting shaft the sector gear engages and drives the pinion gear to drive the aligning gear, wherein the aligning gear rotates the second holder to align a cut end of the tube held by the second holder opposite to a cut end of the tube held by the first holder, wherein the first holder is stationary.

18. The integrated system of claim 17 , further comprising a fuser solenoid connected to the second holder, wherein the solenoid facilitates to move the second holder closer to the first holder thereby the cut end of the tube held by the second holder is fused to a cut end of the tube held by the first holder.

19. The integrated system of claim 18 , wherein the sealing unit comprises: a first seal pad arranged in a stationary position; a second seal pad arranged oppositely facing the first seal pad, wherein the second seal pad is configured to move closer to the first seal pad to seal an end of the tube of the plurality of tubes positioned between the first seal pad and the second seal pad; and a seal solenoid connected to the second seal pad for controlling the movement of the second seal pad.

20. The integrated system of claim 19 , wherein the sealing unit further comprises:
at least one spring engaged to the second seal pad for providing pressure to seal the end of tube; and
at least one spring engaged to the first seal pad, wherein the at least one spring engaged to the second seal pad and the at least one spring engaged to the second seal pad are configured to deflect for accommodating the end of the tube between the first seal pad and the second seal pad.

21. The integrated system of claim 20 , wherein the integr

Assignees

• Ge Healthcare Bio Sciences Ab

Inventors

• Patil Haresh Digambar
• Doddapadam Srinivasa Raghavachar Partha Sarathy
• Mariyappan Ganesan
• Mohan Prashanth Hosabettu

Classifications

• B29C66/0018

  being sterile · CPC title

• B29C66/73921

  characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics · CPC title

• B29C66/861

  Hand-held tools · CPC title

• B29C66/8244

  magnetically driven · CPC title

• B29C66/8225

  Crank mechanisms · CPC title